Considering Surgery...Help!

Hi, I just joined this site today although I've known about it for over a year. My boyfriend of 3 years has researched surgery for over a year and finally had the surgery on February 14,2006. To date he has lost over 100lbs. Weighing 340 on the day of surgery he is now 238!!!! I am so proud of him. However, my dilemma is this...I am a strong beleiver in the surgery and I think it is a great tool! I have always been overweight but for the most part I am happy with myself, sure I would like to loose weight but I've always been happy with myself! However, I have really started thinking about having the surgery myself...although my boyfriend thinks I shouldn't because Im happy with myself and he says Im fine with myself the way I am...which is true but I still would like to loose weight! I guess what Im asking is someone's advice. I almost feel like I should look into everything without him knowing, he said he would support me and I know he would but Im just confused....please help!!!!

This is a very personal decision, if you are happy with yourself then why change yourself? I think its wise to go for the healthier lifestyle but with that come lots of changes and you have to be prepared to deal with that. I would go ahead and start the process and between here and the time your approved, you can decide what you want to do.. Good luck to you Wendy

If you are happy for the most part with yourself why have surgery? The surgery is considered a "last resort" in most cases and is to help improve somebodies life and health not just to make them skinny! For me personally, I decided to have surgery once I really put an effort into weight loss and kept gaining back all the weight I lost. I came to the realization that at 27 my body was starting to be effected by my years of being overweight and obesity realted issues began to develop. I would sit down and do soul searching and decide if this is really for you. Of course its hard to see your boyfriend dropping all this weight and anybody would be like heeeeeeey I want to do that!!! I think its important to be in the right mental state of mind to have the surgery. I have many friends who had the surgery 4-5 years ago and saw the mistakes they made because they were not prepared. I had a friend who gained 75% of the weight back she had lost and another friend who had a complete mental breakdown and still has a lot of mental issues now. Its a big decision - I would go ahead and look into it - no harm in researching!

Hi Jamie, Basically it's like they said, a personal decision... However, I myself am totally happy with myself. I don't consider myself to be ugly or frumpy or unatractive. To the contrarty I think rather highly of myself most of the time. But what I don't like is the limitations the weight has put on my life. I don't want to wonder if I am going to fit in the booth at the resturant, or if I can fit on that ride or if that store carries my size. I love myself, I'm an Aires most of us do. BUT I do not like wondering if I am going to develop Diabetes, I do not like the pain that I get in my legs, knees and feet after a day of shoping. I do not like having to tell my little boy that Mommy's tired now. So my advice to you is think about it, research it (which it looks like you have a good resource) and really think about whether the weight is effecting aspects of your life and if the trade off of the after surgery impacts is worth it. Meaning... for me it is well worth it to be able to chase my son around longer in exchange for having to watch my protein intake, or take daily pills, or possibly get sick off of certain foods. Just think about what these life changes good and bad (and yes there are bad changes) are worth it for you. Good Luck.