Getting sleeved with less than 100lbs to lose?? Why?

Hear me out....

Being a "super" heavy weight, I have wondered some of these things myself. My goal weight is 200-230 and it kind of makes me feel bad that that's so many people's starting weights. BUTTTT that's my personal issue and no one else's. Being this size, I would be very happy to be 200-230, but if I was used to being 200-230 I'm sure I would want to be 130-150. I sit here and think "I WISH I could END where you are STARTING!" and then I get kind of discouraged and disgusted with myself for letting myself get to this point.


Regarding these specific questions:
I am curious why anyone would put themselves through major surgery to lose less than 100lbs.  Have you spent years gaining and losing and can't keep off the weight?  Is this for medical reasons only?  Is this just the first thing that you have turned to?

I understand why some of you guys have been rubbed the wrong way. I'll be damned if someone is going to question me as to why I had surgery and I know each of you did it for your own reasons. Some people think it's vanity, but even at 380 pounds, you can still have surgery for vanity. My reasons aren't neccessarily any more valid than yours and honestly, if I could have caught this situation when I was 250 and spared myself all of the physical and psychological pain I've had to endure, I would do it in a heartbeat.

because you are starting higher than some of us, your goal of 200/230 is a reasonable goal.  and once you get there, you never know, you might decide to go even lower.  it might be hard to imagine yourself lower right now.  i am rooting for you!

Shwag, your post reminded me that I did not answer the question. My main reason for having surgery is because of joint pains. I honestly could not run for my life if I had to. I have aches and pains daily, whether it be my head, arms, legs, something always hurts. I don't go anywhere, because I am tired of being that fat girl, I don't have any clothes because I refuse to buy a bigger size. I gave most of my clothes away the last time I lost a good amount of weight, because I swore then I would never be this size again. I am tired of sitting on the sidelines like a previous poster said, jus****ching life pass me by. I have a 4 year old now and I plan to enjoy life with her and not from the side lines.

Hi, I am one of those people. For me, it is a combination of things. I have for years had an off and on again weight problem with fluctuating 20-50lbs. Whenever I set my mind to it, I would diet and exercise and take the weight off. I never maintained. Then I had a car accident and herniated a disc and dislocated my SI joint. Since then, when I diet I lose 8-10lbs then nothing for months, no matter how close I watch the diet. It seems that the exercise that I can do at this weight isn't enough to keep the weight loss up. I have Hypercholesterolemia, GERD, ostoarthritis of the knees. Recently my blood pressure has been elevated. In addition, I have a huge family history of breast cancer. Two factors that are important for prevention are not being obese, and engaging in vigorous physical activity. That was the breaking point. As a physician, I had to seriously look at what I am and am not able to do on my own. It was humbling to realize that I have been obese for 10 years now. I have focused on maintaining my weight and have been successful for about a year and a half. I am a hospice doctor and so I see the effects of obesity every day. I think maybe that is what made me "pull the triggor" sooner than some. Having to rationalize this to my family and co-workers has been a big deal to me. The only family member who knows is my Hubby. He is supportive mostly because he sees me in pain every day and knows that I have missed my previous activity. Some co-workers are great. Some of my partners believe that i am just weak, or that it is a vanity thing. I can't worry about them I just know what I have to do. Thanks for bringing up a great subject! It has been really good for me to hear other people who have smaller amounts express their feelings. Good luck to you! The important thing is that you are doing what you need to do to get healthy. Forget about other's journey. It seems you are doing great! I am not doing the surgery until March. Vanessa

 wow im not sure if this question really deserves an answer.. it comes across as condesending and questioning our judgement, even if its says its not intended to.

how would you feel, if one of us light weights was to write a post on why heavy weights waited so long??? how condesending would that be?  how rude would that be? not something id even think of doing... because not only is weight loss surgery is a personal choice taken on by people for many different reasons.. i dont see it as a why didnt you kind of  appropriate question im just happy i did it, and so happy that others have the same opportunity..

 alot of us feel we only wish we had done it years earlier.  Im so happy to have my life back and my health back that im just pleased i never waited any longer...

BRAVO!

I absolutely LOVE this entire thread!! 

Thanks for asking the quesitons, as the answers from everyone are incredibly powerful.  What an incredible bunch of people you all are...

I am a lightweight and my BMI was only 30.8 when I started this journey...  I know exactly why I did this and I would do it over and over again to feel the way I feel. 

Thanks again, all the best in your journey's everyone!! 

Cindy 

"I personally never considered surgery for weighloss until I was super morbidly obese. "

Well that's too bad. Because by waiting until you were SMO, you have:

(a) put many more years of abuse onto your body
(b) made it statistically less likely to lose 100% of your excess weight and get to a normal BMI
(c) made it more likely you won't have 100% resolution of all co-morbidities and all the damage done to your body
(d) reduced quality of life for a longer period of time than if you did it sooner
(e) made it more likely your children will be obese (as studies have shown that babies born after WLS tend to have less weight problems than their siblings born before WLS)

So I guess my question to you is:

Why the heck did you wait so damn long when you have had improved health and improved quality of life and a healthier family sooner?

And if me putting this way shocks or offends you, you now know how many lightweights feel to have their decision to take control of their weight and improve their health in a medically approved way constantly be questioned by people who took longer to realize they need WLS.

What gets me is that I've never seen a thread by a lightweight asking the SMO why they waited so long. Maybe that's because we already know the answer. You weren't ready. That's really the only answer for why people don't get WLS when they qualify medically.

Great response!  Thank you.

While I can see why some people may be offended by the questions, I can also see why they were asked.  In the spirit of sharing and learning that this forum is for, I will chime in as a SMO aka "heavyweight" that waited so long.  I had insurance that would have covered the RNY  in the mid 90's when I was 200 pounds overweight...why did I wait?  How about because I watched patients die from poor technique when lap RNY was brand new.   And, how about because as a single woman in a new career with no leave time, an "open" RNY was not an option due to the recovery time.  Fast forward and add another 100 pounds to the mix and 10 years of taking care of patients that had some very severe complications from the malabsorption issues of the RNY and how poor their quality of life was and was going to be for the rest of their lives.  No thank you, I will stay fat and have a better quality of life than these people who took what they thought was good action for a healthier and better life.  Add to this the fact that I have weird allergies and am allergic to things that people are not supposed to be allergic to and the band was not an option.  What was left for me...nothing...until the VSG became available and covered by insurance.  Once it was, I had it done within 47 days. 

I hope my honest answers to your question has enlightened you as the honest answers by the other "lightweights" enlightened me.  I mean no offense to anyone.  I agree that this is a very personal decision and a very emotional one as well.  I believe this is why this post touched a nerve in so many.  I truly believe that the OP did not intend to offend and should not be judged as such.  How ever, in the future, maybe a little more thought in wording might ward off the offensive feelings.  I know this is not always easy to do as I have offended many without intent by poor word choice...it is something I work on daily.