Question:
Is this surgery right for me?

I am a 23 year old law student in NY. I currently am 246, 5'5", overweight my entire life. Many of the stories I have been reading are about people over 300lbs...I am so happy that they found the answer thru surgery. I am so afraid of gaining more. I am relatively healthy and although my quality of life is not 100%, I am also not an extremely unhappy person. I just want to lose weight forever, which I have not been able to do...does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? I'm thinking the surgery may be too extreme for me. I appreciate it, thankx.    — Connie R. (posted on July 30, 2001)

July 30, 2001
If I was you I would really think about what is inportant in your life, do you enjoy a certain food that would be hard to give up? After the surgury you might not be able to eat it or for that fact hardly anything. Every thing makes me sick.. You cant drink pop and this is a PERMANENT surgury. Then on the other hand you might do just fine. There are alot of people who do just great. It just didnt work for me, as for keeping the weight off forever, that is something that you will have to work at for the rest of your life.. This doesnt happen magically.. Do ALOT of research about it and alot of soul searching about what is really inportant cuz you are really young.
   — renee J.

July 30, 2001
the only person who can make this decision for u is U. i must tell u that i give u alot of credit for ur thinking. u didnt say 'i am 23 & want to wear a bikini next summer' or 'i want to look good enuf for a really wonderfully handsome young lawyer to look at me & think marriage.' u r worried about ur quality of life & ur right to make this ur priority. i am 50 & have missed out on so much in my life because of obesity. i wish i could have had wls at 23. wls is not a magic cure for obesity. it requires sacrifices that will probably be life long. but, on the other hand, it also has its benefits which will be life long. how about making a pros & cons list? i did & called one side 'i can' & the other side 'i cant'. i listed all the things i can do & cant do. believe me the 'i cant' side was double the 'i can' side. i used the list for the sacrifices to be made also. all of a sudden the 'i can' side started to grow. only u have all the answers. can u climb a flight of stairs? can u do it with a brief case full of legal files? can u present urself in front of a judge, jury, opponent or a court room full of people without feeling very self concious about how u look? i know THAT sounds a little vain but, isnt that one of the syndromes we suffer from? can u give up sugar? can u give up ur favorite meal as was already mentioned in the first post? more important is...r u WILLING to make the sacrifices to reap the benefits? thank god that u r healthy. i too was healthy at ur age. i am no longer healthy tho. & every dr i see tells me the same thing...its from ur weight. the most important thing is that u do all the research & learn everything u can about wls & base ur decision on what u feel is best for u. good luck!
   — sheryl titone

July 30, 2001
Connie, There are plenty of us that are close to that 40 BMI cutoff. I am 5"2" and weighed 238 when I had surgery on May 15,2001 (190 now, 48 pounds down). Part of me kept feeling really stupid because it seemed like an extreme thing to do. I felt like I should just be able to lose the weight myself-- but I couldn't. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and immediately thinking, "I am going to have that surgery." Just like that, it was weird. I haven't found it to be so hard, and I am glad that I had this option before I was even heavier, and I know I would have become so. I think the previous poster was right, only you can decide what price you are willing to pay to lose weight, what you are willing to give up. For me though, the focus isn't on what I have given up, but on what I am gaining, and for once it is something other than pounds! Being in NYC, you are close to some of the best surgeons in the world. I had surgery at Mt. Sinai (Madison and 99th) with Dr. Inabnet. He was fantastic as is that entire group. Check them out at www.Surgicallyslim.com. There are many other fine doctors in NYC as well. If you have been overweight all your life, you probably already know how dismal the diet stats are. But bottom line, you have to decide for yourself, and don't let anyone push you into or away from surgery. You are doing the right thing by researching here. Dr.s Inabnet, Herron, Pomp and Gagner have pre-op Q&A sessions. You can get the schedule from their website, I found that to be extremely helpful. Good luck! E-mail me if you have any questions I can help you with.
   — blank first name B.

July 31, 2001
I had surgery on May 9, 2001 and I am 5'5" and weighed 263. I felt it was important to have the surgery because I too, have tried every diet imaginable and would lose weight only to gain it back plus more. I also know that any type of surgery is hard on you but the heavier you are the mose risks that are involved. I wanted to have this surgery because I could see myself one day weighing over 300 lbs. It's so easy for the weight to creep up on you. I am 47 years old and have been overweight my entire life. Maybe not as overweight as some but well on my way. I have lost 62 lbs so far and feel better than I have in years. It is a personal decision that we must each make for ourselves. You are doing the right thing by doing research and reaching out to others who have had the surgery. One thing I disagree with from some of the others is that you do not have to give up your favorite foods. For a while you do but eventually you will be able to eat whatever you want, just much smaller quantities. Please email me if you have any further questions.
   — Bonnie L.

July 31, 2001
Hi Connie: I am 22 and had a 40 BMI at surgery six weeks ago. I will tell you that I feel great, have lost over 30lbs, and all my clothes are loose. My body pains (knees, back, etc.) are starting to subside. The surgery is definitely worth it. It's your decision, but I'd advise you to do lots of research so you can make an informed decision. A lot of people who are over 300lbs have it, most likely because a healthcare professional has said something. When you have a lower BMI, it's sometimes hard to acknowledge you're at this point. If my mother hadn't had it last year, I would never have known about it. More and more of us "lightweights" are having the surgery in an attempt to improve our quality of life and avoid the severe medical problems that even more weight might bring. Good luck.
   — PT LawMom

July 31, 2001
Extreme? I am 203 and " only" need to loose 70-80 lbs. however, since I'm a short person my BMI is 40. many people think I can do this on my own, but after 15 years of trying I'm going for the surgery. If it's right for you you will know it! Each person needs to decide for themselves. May I suggest looking at the before/after pics. There are so many different folks w/ different amounts they have lost. Good Luck!!
   — Cindee A.