Just wanted to say hi

Just joined the site today and wanted to say hi, I used to be in the Navy (flying helicopters) and weighed a pretty reasonable 190lbs (I have to convert these weights as I am used to working in kg haha).  I left the Navy and had lots of negative life events happen over a 12 year period and am now 360lbs.  I hate my weight, I hate being big.... I hate what I think people think of me probably because it's what I think of me. 

I am from the UK and I tried to get a gastric band there but there were lots of hurdles to jump through and I couldn't afford to go private.  I have been out working in UAE since last May and because I am out here my salary is a lot more so I can afford private surgery.  I have two options at the moment Gastric By-Pass and Mini Gastric By-Pass and I am leaning towards the mini as the overall aftercare seems to be a lot better and a lot more intensive.

I have to be honest I am scared, I love food and I am scared how I will cope.  I am worried about how my tastes will change and what will be the differences.  I am worried about having saggy skin after I lose weight (I am 41 so not too old).  I have a BMI of 50 ( 6ft and 360 lbs)  and I know it's not healthy.  I want to ride motorbikes again, especially sports bikes, I want to run again and most of all I want to SCUBA dive again... none of these things I can do now.

Anyway I just wanted to say hello and tell you a little of my story.

  Welcome!  Thanks for sharing your story.  I'm sure you'll find lots of good info and great support here - I know I have!  I have all these same worries, and yet, I've learned that RNY really is the best choice for me.  Good luck to you!!

Welcome. I recommend researching all available surgeries before just deciding between current available options. You might find for example the sleeve would be a better fit and maybe you could travel for it. (But I'm just saying that cause I love my sleeve). 

Forget about worrying about the saggy skin - until you get there it might not be as bad as you think. 

I have looked into the min-gastric bypass (I did not hear about it until after I already had the regular RNY gastric-bypass).  Insurance does not cover it in the US, but it is done by a surgeon in Las Vegas and it is very common internationally.  I have not found a real reason why it is not favored by ins co in the US - the operation is shorter - 30 min, and shorter recovery with good results and fewer complications.  It is restrictive without being obstructive because the valve from the stomach is left alone like the sleeve procedure, but you still get the bypass-related malabsorption.   (I see some comments about limbs entanglement, but I have found no published research that presents actual adverse data on the mini GB). 

If you run into weight problems long term - like regain that you cannot get under control -- the mini-gastirc bypass can be converted to a DS switch laparoscopically whereas the regular gastric bypass usually requires a more complicated open surgery.  It will be difficult to find a surgeon who has much experience with either, but this is what I have found.

I seem to recall posts on OH from someone who had WLS surgery in Saudia Arabia while on assignment.  You might want to search here for that person and reach out to them.  I think they were looking for int'l sources off protein powders.

All your fears are valid ones, but I think you need to take this surgery one step at a time.   Coping with the "loss" of food is a psychological issue and one that is easily handled when you have support.   You will find that a lot of people post on the boards when they are struggling with a certain phase or holiday.   There are others like myself who are over XX years post op and have experienced some regain.  Being within a support system, whether in person or online is very important.   It is true that taste can change after surgery, but not drastically.   Some foods that I had a taste for pre surgery, after it just wasn't the same.  That is probably because I cut them out after surgery and when I did try them again, I had lost my "taste" for them.  

Loose skin.....it happens.  However, if you can exercise if even it is just walking and or swimming you are going to have better results than if you do not exercise.   A lot of people go on to have plastic surgery after WLS.  It really is a individual decision based on how comfortable you are with your weight loss and skin issues.  Yeah, I hate that I have extra skin, but it is what it is.  I don't have the funds for PS, so I will deal.   Don't sabotage your success.  Be positive, exercise, stay active and achieve those goals you set, such as riding a motorbike and scuba diving again!   You can do it. 

By the way, WELCOME TO OH!   There are a lot of people here that will be happy to answer questions and share their story.  You just have to ask.  

Best of luck to you 

Nik

Thanks Guys

Hi .. welcome!

I really miss water skiing and scuba diving.. I too am hoping to get back to it. There are a few other things I'd like to try as well

We used to go to Aruba every few years for the diving and I can't wait to go back.. so beautiful there!

Good Luck :)

Welcome 

Can I ask why the sleeve isn't an option for you?  Is it that your surgeon doesn't perform them or you're just not interested?  I'm just curious because you say you only have two options.  I know the mini bypass is not common in the U.S.

Well I saw two Drs from different hospitals here in the UAE and they both recommended gastric bypass for a few reasons:

I am over 50 BMI

I like to eat sweets/chocolate

I have more than 50 Kg to lose

The dr I went for has trained in the US and Europe and is the one *****commended a mini gastric by-pass, from what I can tell from the discussion we had he will actually put a sleeve on as well as doing the standard by-pass stuff.  I know you will probably be like, what you don't know exactly what you are getting... there isn't the process here to go through that you have in the states, especially as this isn't covered by insurance here generally.  You get to see a dr for a consultation and they recommend what to go for and then you get blood tests, sometimes a separate endoscopy (mine is a part of the operation) and then the operation.  I did have a long consultation with the Dr and feel happy that I am doing the right thing in general.  I am not too phased what surgery I get I just want to lose this excess weight. 

The Dr I have chosen had by far the more intensive and better post care programme and he said that his mortality and morbidity rate was 0.