Beginning….
Hi Everyone! I am just in the beginning stages of
considering WLS. I know three women in my community that have
had WLS and am amazed at the results. I always said
that I wouldn’t consider having anything like this
done…but here I am seriously thinking about it. I am 43
yrs. old and weigh 315 at 5′8". I am diabetic and have
high blood pressure. For the most part, I feel O.K.
but know that all this extra weight is killing me,
slowly but surely. I have tried losing weight and bee
very successfu ta couple of times…once before I got
pregnant with our daughter and once shortly after I
learned I was diabetic about two years ago. Both times I
lost about 60 lbs and eventually gained it all back.
This seems to be the weight I basically stop at. I
would love to hear about some of your
experiences….how you made the decisions to have WLS and what it’s
like afterwards….do you have any
regrets?<br><br>Thanks for your help!<br>Windsong
December 15th, 2003 at 2:04 pm
Hi and welcome! Well in my case I’m still pre-op.
My surgery is June 2. I had been kicking around the
idea of the surgery for a couple years before I
finally decided I’m sick of feeling like crap all the
time. Not to mention being embarrassed to go anywhere
because I’m afraid of a chair collapsing under me or
squeezing into movie theater chairs and such. Our insurance
wouldn’t cover the surgery so we took a second mortgage on
our house to pay for it. The way I figure it the
extra monthly payment for the mortgage is about equal
to the cost of all these "wonder" drugs out now
which my or may not work. Plus I’ll be going to the
doctor much less for things such as tendonitis, bursitis
and such. I’ve heard and read stories otherwise, but
in my case the surgery is a "sure thing" to work so
the cost didn’t scare me at all. I did try various
other methods such as Weight Watchers, Redux, Slim Fast
and the like but I’m one of these people who has to
sort of be "forced" into losing weight so I made the
decision to do it. I have a sort of "vomit phobia" so I’m
so scared to throw up that I know I won’t be eating
outside of the prescribed
diet.<br><br>Cynthia<br>Pre-op<br>Open RNY<br>June 2, 2000
December 16th, 2003 at 12:45 am
Dear Windsong: I made my final decision to have
WLS when one day I just broke down and started crying
and couldn’t stop. I was so TIRED of being fat. If I
had just one more pair of pants cut me in half…I
thought I would die. When I just couldn’t take it
anymore….I made that phone call and never looked
back.<br><br>Helen (Surgery 8-14-1997)
December 16th, 2003 at 6:06 am
Dear Helen, I can’t believe 15 days to go!!! I’m
excited and have to admit a little scare!! I don’t know
how I’ll handle the pain. I’ve always done pretty
good with my c-sections and my first one was a real
horror story, so I know I can handle the pain its just I
dread it so. Best close time for my youngest ball game.
LOve, Barbie
December 16th, 2003 at 10:31 am
Dear Windsong,<br>I am also 5′8" and weighed 298
when I started this trip… I had an open RNY on Aug
8, 1999 and have since lost 115 pounds. I have to
admit it hasn’t all been wonderful… but it has not
been that bad either! The first onth was the worse
(because I got a stomach "bug") but it has been uphill and
DOWN on the scale from there! I have gone from a high
BMI to an almost "healthy" BMI and I feel great!
People are always coming up to me and telling me how
wonderful I look… but the best part is how wonderful I
feel! I can sit on a toilet without worrying about the
seat "sliding off", I can fit in a movie theater seat,
I can fit in a "normal" seat at the local comunity
college (where the lights are bright and EVERYONE can SEE
when you don’t fit!) but best of all… my health is
improving! If I had not had this surgery I would have
already had MORE back surgery… MORE orthopaedic
surgery… and was treading closely with diabetes. I have
hung up my cane (kept close by) put my wheelchair in
the shed, put my walker in the attic, and put my
"special" toilet in the attic too! No more PT, OT, and can
actually walk up and down the street! I am more thrilled
about all that than anything else! I have had open
heart surgery (because of an accident) so now I also
know I am not stressing my heart any more than I need
to!<br><br>Good Luck… and keep us posted!<br>Cindy<br>Open RNY
8/2/99<br>preop 298<br>current 183
December 16th, 2003 at 4:48 pm
Hi Cindy,<br><br>Thanks for telling me alittle
about your experience. A question…..what is the
post-op diet like and what happens as you return to a
normal diet/life after the initial recuperation period?
I think I have basically made the decision, at
least on one level, that I will have WLS. There are two
places locally that do WLS. I think they do two
different procedures, though. I am going to my Dr. on the
22nd and will talk to her about it then. My husband is
very supportive. He has basically said that whatever I
decide is fine. He has seen me struggle with my weight
for the 15 years we’ve been married. <br><br>I have
never had surgery, and that is alittle scary, but not
as scary as dealing with all the health problems
that will continually get worse if I don’t lose this
excess weight. <br><br>Have a great day!<br>windsong