How did you know....?

How did you all know the surgery you got done, was right for you??  I see people walking around that look like they had the weight loss surgery and sometimes I am not sure if it is the right thing for me.  I mean, I wanna have it done, not just to be healthier, but for my family.  It isn't fair to my kids that I cant keep up with them and I don't want them to look back on me and think I was lazy.  Make sense?  I guess I am just having more questions as the time to see my surgeon approaches.  Are these questions I should bring up to him and if I do, will it impede on me getting the surgery, if it is what I wanna do?  Ughhh,... I dunno...

P.S.  can you eat pickles after the RNY?  That is my one true food I love love love.. lol I will be heartbroken if I cant lol.

Jennifer,

The type of surgery you choose is really a personal choice and one that you should make after you do the research about the pros and cons of each type of surgery and discussing it with your surgeon. Most types of surgeries have a forum on OH and I would encourage you to read the blogs of those who have had surgery, as each person has a different experience. 

Also, ask question of those who have had surgery, here on the Cali forum there is a wealth of information and some very nice folks who will give you honest information if you ask.

With regard to pickles, again, each person is different post op.  I loved dill pickles but now they don't agree with my pouch.  However, I could easily give up pickles in exchange for a healthier me.  I love my RNY, I take no more medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.  I may be able to tolerate pickles later, but they are such a small part of what I enjoy now.

Best of luck with your decision and know that we are here for you anytime.

Hugs,
Barb

I wasn't sure...even while rolling into surgery. But I knew I had to do SOMETHING!!  I am really fond of breathing and I had been having such a difficult time with that. I have always hated my being fat, looks-wise, but now it was REALLY affecting my health too. And that was scary. 

I looked into the different types of surgery, attended a couple of seminars, met with suppoort groups, checked with my insurance and decided on the RNY. 

Do your homework. Meet with members. Come to the Long Beach Coffee get-together and ask questions! LB Coffee is the last Saturday of every month and a group gets together at Starbucks for a VERY informal chat-fest. All at different stages (some considering surgery, some waiting, some new losers, some vets), all with different types of surgery. VERY friendly, supportive and knowledgeable. There will be posts on the CA forum as the next meeting is near.

Can't live without pickles? I can eat them, no problem but everyone is different. I'll tell ya, I thought I'd never be able to live without Diet Pepsi & sunflower seeds. While the seeds are OK, Diet Pepsi is a no-no. I figured that would be one area I'd just HAVE to cheat. But after the surgery, your tastes change. Seriously!!!   I don't care for the taste of Diet Pepsi now or sunflower seeds. Not at all. It's not that they don't agree with my belly, I just have NO desire for them. It's so weird. I know they operated on my belly but you'd swear they also changed your taste buds!!  

Good luck to you!  Come to LB Coffee!!  

PamT 

Jennifer,

Surgery is a very personal choice for each of us.  The type is up to your individual needs and what you are most comfortable with.

As to having the surgery or not, I don't regret having it one bit.  I spent my son's childhood as the fat mom.  I know there were things he missed out on because of my weight.  I know he was teased.  I also know in the end it actually made him a stronger person because he was always sticking up for me.  For instance when kids would tease him about having a fat mom, he'd tell them he had a "soft mommy".  Cute, but should not have been necessary. I made sure my son grew up with a good relationship with food, so he wouldn't go through the pain I have gone through being a morbidly obese individual.

By the time I had my surgery though, my son was 20 years old.  My decision for having it was either have it or die within a few years.  I knew that was my choice.  I also knew I might die on the operating table, but it was not a choice of doing it or not doing it, it was a choice of dying when it got done or dying in a few years.  The choice was very easy for me to make.  I wanted to live to see the grandchildren my son would give me one day.

As for pickles, yes, you will be able to eat pickles again.  There is very little after the first year that you won't be able to eat.  That, in itself, is another problem of WLS.  You can go back to eating anything after that first year or two and if you haven't made the lifestyle changes necessary to be successful, you will gain the weight back.  I lost about 250 pounds in total and then in the last year and a half just went back to all my old bad habits and gained 60 pounds.  I'm finally getting back into control again, but I shouldn't have had to gain 60 pounds to get to that point.
I do have days where something might not agree with me.  I call it refrigerator roulette.  Something may work today and not tomorrow.  But then I try it again down the road a bit and it works again.

Talk to your surgeon about what you want out of the surgery and what your fears are.  Find a support group and go before you have your surgery.  You'll get the best answers to your questions from other WLS patients.  Be sure you have a strong support system at home.  That is very important.  Then do your research on the type of surgery you want to get.  You'll know when the time is right for you to do this.  I can't explain why you'll know, but you just will.  All the pieces will come together for you.  Good luck.

Stephanie

I think it's good you're asking these questions.  I wasn't sure either and it was looking at where I was health-wise that pushed me into the yes column for having my RNY.  I am at around the 10th week post op and I still have doubts about my abilities to live the WLS life, but I knew I had to try. I knew I hadn't been successful at other ways of addressing my health.  

Before having surgery, I started to address the reasons why I overate and how to tell that voice in my head that tells me to constantly eat to go away or make deals with it. I still have that voice in my head constantly telling me to eat, but I resist easier now with the tool of my WLS.  Sometimes I have to pull out my journal and write because that voice is so loud or I come here to the OH board and get support.  I think it's important to find out why you overeat and what's going on in your head before jumping head first into WLS.  Like we all say, the surgery changes your stomach, not your head.

There are good books you can order from Amazon.com on weight loss surgery and keep asking questions here.

Good luck in your decision.

MsBlues

If you are worried about having to give up something, and you aren't even to step one of the surgery process, maybe it's not for you at all.   You don't mention how much weight you need to lose.   By the way, what does a weight loss surgery person look like? 

As everyone has said, this is a personal choice.  I did it for my health, I don't have kids, and don't have to worry about keeping up with anyone except my young mind.  I never thought once about the foods I would have to give up, the fact that I had diabetes, high blood pressure and was looking at 400 lbs in my face was enough for me to stop living.  That is what possessed me to have surgery.  I had thought about it before, but my friend died post op, so I was in no hurry.  It became a hurry for me, and as I wanted lap band and not RNY, the doctor made that choice for me.  I needed to get off the weight ASAP.  Regrets, I have none, not even for all the sweets that I have given up, because nothings tastes as good as thinner feels!

Good luck, Diane

Thank you all for your posts.  It is amazing how all of you said you basically wouldn't change a thing.  I understand that it is something that I know in my heart of hearts I MUST do for my well-being and my health.  I have tried every diet out there, as many of you have also, to no avail.   I want to be healthy, it really isn't about being skinny, its about being secure in the fact I will live to see my children grow, get married, have kids, and live their lives.  You know?
I know a few people who have had the surgery and I guess my biggest fear is the left over skin that I am most afraid of.  I have been a big gurl my entire life and I know the amount of leftover skin I will have is more than likely not going to just melt away.  I don't want to look worse smaller with saggy skin than I was fat.  I am sure some of you have had these concerns also. 

I appreciate all your responses! THANK YOU!!!!

Jennifer,

I don't know how much weight you have to loose or how old you are either.  But both of those are factors in the skin.  I have learned to love my bat wings.  My kids think I am going to fly with them.  I embrace them actually because they tell the storyof the journey I have been on.  I also have boobs that hang around my waist and thighs that jiggle like jello.  I am proud of all of it. I want plastic surgery and if I save up for it I can have it.  But I also look at the money, should I spend it getting plastics or going on vacation for a few weeks, me I will probably pick the vacation and the hell with the skin and the floppy boobs.  My husband loved me fat.  Hell to be romantic he or me would have to hold up my belly,  Now I just fling my boobs over to the side!  It is a site to tell you the least.  So he loves me thin too.  NO matter to him no matter to me, I am old I have 10 kids and no amount of plastics is going to make me look 20 again nor do I want to!  I love being 51 and I am proud of it too.  But that is me. 

bye the way I know all the words to the song do your ears hang low, but I use boobs instead of ears,  Kids die laughing.

Laugh and the world will laugh with you.

Rhonda

You should write down all the questions you have for your surgeon and take it to the appointment.  If you are anything like me you will forget most of them when you are there.  My P.A. had this surgery 5 years ago.  He has told me that I have to exercise almost everyday "if I don't want to Sharpea up".  (you know the dog with all the wrinkly skin)  I am having surgery 9-9-9.  I am planing on having counseling afterward to help with the "disease between the ears".  My food addiction. I have a terrible sweet tooth and whenever I have started a diet I get really depressed and morn the loss of sugar.  Well this time I am actually looking forward to not being able to eat it.  I just want to be healthy.  I want to live to see my grand kids grow up.  Life is so precious and it is way to short.  It is normal to feel nervous.  I am excited and nervous.  Good Luck.