Question:
I ask my GP about weight loss surgery. what is next?

I recieved a question\ survey to fill out today from Kaiser I filled it out and sent it right back. I have a bmi of 54 and dont even know if I can deal or do all this it seems very overwhelming    — jldanden (posted on May 15, 2007)

May 15, 2007
First of all WLS is not an easy fix. I had a BMI of 58 and I am glad I had it done. I am also older (58) I cannot tell you what a life change this has been for me. How much more energy I have and I have only lost 87 lbs in the 5 months. If you are overwhelmed then you need to educate yourself more on the issue, what type of surgery do you want, which one is best for you. There are so many things to think about I know. But the major thing for me was my health. It's 100 percenet better today than it was 5 months ago. There are so many things that is better in my life, but I have achieved what I set out to do, and that was to get rid of my diabetes and high blood pressure. Good Luck, write me email if you have questions. Hugs, Diane
   — Diane C.

May 15, 2007
It does seem overwhelming. I have an appt scheduled with the surgeon I chose in July. I also, this month, am starting the 6 month doctor supervised diet--as if I haven't been on diets since I was like 11 (I'm now 31),,anyway, insurance requires very particular criteria that need to be met, that will be our biggest obstacle. Hang in there & just do what you need to do to get it done! That is exactly what I am going to be doing! I have a 3 year old son, I am a single mother, I have so much to look forward to after having this surgery to help me along the way!!! I am already picturing myself thin, running around with my son, living life so much better than my life is now. You just need to keep your goals in mind at all times & strive to achieve them! I wish you the best of luck!
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 16, 2007
Hi Janet, thanks for writing. I feel the weight of your comment, it is very difficult to deal with our obesity issues. I don't know why you asked your PCM or what you are looking for or how your health is, but I hope to encourage you anyway. Janet, this website and others like it have a wealth of information for you to look at. You can buy books on the subject and do a great amount of research. If you are way busy, we all use the bathroom, read then. Some of us do our best reading in the bathroom :). Only you can decide if wls if for you or not. It is a tool not a quick fix. It fixes the size of your stomach, not the size of the lust in your head to competsate what ever you compensate to allow yourself your quantities of food. We all deal with it, whether we are a 54 bmi or a 24. I am 3 years plus since I had wls, and at a size 6 I still feel obese. I know I am not, I am 5'4" and weigh 130, and am thrilled at my size. I was 242. The problem is that I still see myself as obese. I keep photos to remind myself that I am not really obese, and know the truth, but my head doesn't always agree. I still have issues with getting upset and deciding that I will eat more food, I still have emotional eating that I have to stop myself from doing. I still have to deal with it, but it is the choice I made and one I intend to live up to. My health is important to me, and I am glad I had surgery. It was something I prayed about for a long time. I researched for about 9 months prior to surgery, went to the hospital class that was offered every month until I had surgery, read books, talked on line and kept my profile on this site with my notes. You are welcome to read them if you like. My journey had some twists and turns, but I wouldn't change it. I am off the couch and taking care of my family now instead of them taking care of me. My knees and feet are not under my tonnage anymore, and I am so thankful to God for my surgery. My life has always been in His hands, and I trust Him with it. I had peace with God about my surgery and went forward. I am sorry you are so discouraged, and hope that you use this discouragement to research and really think this stuff through. It may be for you, or it may be what causes you to diet and exercise on your own and lose weight. Surgery is not for everyone, but if you are ready for the changes and willing to take the challenge, it has been successfor for very many people. Some have failed, and failed miserably, but keep in mind that weight loss is ALWAYS about diet and exercise. You can find ways to keep your weight on. Cheating always provides bad results, and people who break the wls rules, pay the consequences. At 3 years out I eat pretty much anything I want in small quantities. Last night I had a small scoop of ice cream as a sundae. It was great but it was very small. I loved it. However, the first year, I took full advantage of my surgery and walked 5 miles a day and diet and exercise was by main plan. It paid of great and I have kept the weight off for 2 years so far, by God's grace, and am thankful. I wish you well in your research, and hope that you find encouragement along the way, no matter what you choose to do next. By the way, your PCM is the right start. If they are not on your side for wls and you want to move forward, you may have to change PCM to get support. They refer you to a surgeon for consult, and it goes from there. Many hospitals that offer surgeries have classes that are free that give information about the surgeries available and answer a lot of questions. You can also visit a support group in your area and see what others have done with their wls. Search people's profiles out on this site and get a feel for what they have done, and also, maybe look up people on this site that are in your area, maybe you will find someone who is local that might help you along the way. Take care, and best to you. Patricia P.
   — Patricia P

May 16, 2007
My suggestion is to educate yourself. Go on line and get all the info you can. Attend the free seminars available in your area even if you don't qualify for the Dr. giving them. Lots of information there. Take it all a day at a time. My BMI was 53. I had RNY on Jan 9, 2007 and my BMI is already down to 32. How wonderful. I have lost a total of 70 lbs. including what I took off just before surgery and what I have taken off after. I just joined a health spa this past week. Would never have considered that in the past. I have gone from a size 32 to a 22. You get the idea. No regrets either. This was a lifesaving step for me. I can move around so much better now and I know I made the right decision. I did my homework and you should too. Be informed before taking on this surgery so you can make the right decision as to which one you want and which one you can live with. Good Luck and God Bless, Norma
   — njkbutton

May 16, 2007
I have an excellent book that I still refer to now 6mos post op and refer to it in answering some of people's questions on this site... it is ... "The Doctor's Guide to Weight Loss Surgery" (How to Make the Decision that Could Save Your Life) by Louis Flancbaum, MD. $13.95US/$21.00Canada ISBN: 0-553-38246-2... Well worth the $15.00 spent...
   — Kari_K

May 17, 2007
I am just ahead of you in the journey. I am 3 weeks post-op as of tomorrow. I had Aetna so my supervised diet was 3 months instead of 6, but it really took about 6 to 7 months to get my approval. This was from informational seminar to setting a surgery date. It was a long few months, but I think the mental preparation in that time frame is good for what you deal with afterwards. You really have to want it. I spent a lot of time looking at what I would be eating after surgery (my surgeon has me on liquids for 6 weeks post-op) and a lot of time thinking about how I would feel, how I would respond to those around me, how I would share my news. All the little things like eating out with family and friends (when you can't), to the big things like .... learning to love to shop! I would say, use the most of your pre-op time to really prepare. Each form you fill out, every month you pass taking care of all the appts is one step closer. It DOES work and if it is the right choice for you, you will make it happen. Good luck and Best Wishes!
   — heloize