Some Questions - Please

I am starting to get a lot more confident in regards to managing comments from people about their opinions on WLS - it's part of the reason I decided to tell people because it forces me to be educated and thoughtful about the whole process.

I learned today at my appointment at TWH that my BMI is 56.....  that seems so awful to me :(  

I also learned that I dont' have any MAJOR co-morbidities (yet)...and for me the key word is yet.

I was chit chatting with a friend and they questionned why I'd want to rearrange my insides if I didn't have any serious co-morbidities - they suggested that I should give it another go until my body decides it can't take anymore and something like high blood pressure or diabetes or other MAJOR co-morbidities struck me down.

I told them I felt that WLS can be a preventitive tool just as it can be a tool to help dissolve some of the major co-morbidities and that although I don't have any major problems at this time - I can feel my joints getting tired more easily as I age...and that I know that my weight affects my interactions with my children.  

I know that if I do not have this surgery I will continue in my 18 year struggle against obesity - each time the weight creeping higher and higher after each diet attempt and then of course failure.  I know that if my weight is not controlled soon that  I will end up with a serious co-morbidity and that my quality of life will continue to deteriorate as it has done each time I have reached a new "high" in my weight.  I know that if I do not have this surgery my children will not get the healthy active mother that they deserve to have in their lives.  

I believe my friend was not being challenging or malicious in her questionning but truthfully rather curious so I do welcome questions and opinions from my friends - it allows me to become stronger in myself and my beliefs about why this surgery is important to me

But my question is this...because she did get me thinking.

Did anyone else choose to do the surgery based primarily on the weight factor - If you had co-morbidities ...would you still have had the surgery if you only had your weight problem and not the comorbidities?

I chose to have surgery due to my weight factor not co-morbidities.  When I met with the surgeon he was quite frank and honest about if I didn't have the surgery what would/could happen and it scared me to death. 
I have two young children and the thought of the seeing me the way the surgeon decribed scared me to death.  He also told me that if I only had 40lbs to lose then he wouldn't even consider surgery but because I have over 100lbs that I will/have not been able to do it on my own and that surgery is my best tool.

Thanks Tanya : )

I had my RNY for the weight factor, my BMI was 44 when I first started. Also, I wanted to prevent the co-morbidities from happening as I have alot of family history of many many health issues; the only health issue, other then being heavy, that I had was asthma.

In having my RNY, my asthma is gone! And the other health issues were pretty squashed too!

People tried to sway me too with the same comments .. I decided I wasn't listening to anyone but myself and if people in my life didn't like it- too bad for them. They were either going to support me or not. And much to my surprise, everyone was very supportive.

Waiting until you have co morbidities is really kind of dumb it puts you at a mch higher risk for surgery.

My surgeon quoted a stat something like that a person over 40bmi has about a 5% success rate with diet and exercise. Worse the higher the bmi. So eventually you would have co morbidities most likely and most likely would still be obese.

I chose surgery based only on weight and the fear that it would climb to the point that I'd be immobile and that's what I told people. Nobody volunteered to help me if I couldn't move so I figured they understood.

Good one Simona, after working with seniors in an old folks home years ago I knew I would not want to be the "fat" old lady that the health care workers had to all struggle with to do their daily care.

I also didn't want to be to fat to be carried in my casket. I'd die of embarrassment

I am chosing surgery because I have tried, and tried, and tried to lose weight in other ways.  I can lose weight, but at some point, I go off of plan and gain even more weight.  I have about the same BMI as you.

My doctor suggested surgery as she had other patients with co-morbidities like myself and indicated that they are now off of ALL MEDICATION.  She suggested that I do some research online and discuss it with her at my next appointment - in 9 months. 

I am finally ready to have my internal plumbing rearranged. 

Judy

 I didn't really have any serious (yet) comorbidities.  I did have sleep apnea and only started using a CPAP so that I would qualify for surgery.  I have allergies which also cause asthma.  My blood pressure was starting to rise but only to the high end of normal.  But overall, I was okay.  I spoke to my doctor about my comorbidities because I was afraid if I said I felt fine other than being obese that I wouldn't qualify for surgery.  But my main reason for having the surgery was to lose the weight and PREVENT comorbidities like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.  

However since having the surgery not only is my blood pressure way lower and I no longer have sleep apnea at all, my allergies have improved vastly.  I have no idea why, but before I had surgery I could barely function from about September until about March and had to take daily allergy medications and asthma medications.  I have not had any allergy or asthma medications on a regular basis since surgery and really had to only use them about 2 times. I don't know why surgery would have improved any of that, but it is wonderful!

Although I appreciate when my friends and family are sincere, sometimes their questions/comments are way out in left field. It's almost the same as telling someone to not bother exercising and eating healthy - just have the heart attack, then do something about it! I am with you in that I've treated my surgery as pre-emptive. I was OK before (not great, but not bad either), but with my family history I was a train wreck ready to happen.

I'm SO happy I had the surgery (I have 30lbs left to go!). I'm down from 8 meds to 3! Unfortunately, I still need the 3 and they aren't ones I will ever be rid of. But my health is #1 and my motivation and reasons are personal and my decision was based on research and consultations. I'm good with my choice and ultimately, I don't have to explain that to anyone. :)