Starting completely over and in serious need of advice

I apologize for how long this is, but for anyone willing to read, I'd really appreciate any help. I was scheduled to have VSG in March 2012, and I was really active on the OH boards during that time. I was going to do it self-pay since my insurance excluded all bariatric surgery. But in November 2011, I started having severe GI issues that had me in and out of the hospital for 7 months with no diagnosis. Of course my surgeon wouldn't touch me. Eventually, after 3 EGDs, a pill cam, a colonoscopy, and more CTs than I can count, a double-balloon enteroscopy finally revealed I had intestinal angioedema, a really rare side effect of the lisinopril I was taking for blood pressure. In May 2012 I switched to a different med and have had zero issues with this since. I could have been cleared for surgery at that point, but after dozens of ER visits with a $250 copay each time, I had drained my finances and could no longer afford the $15,800 remaining on my surgery (the $1000 I'd already paid for the psych eval was just lost).

I was so focused on just getting well and getting back to work that I pushed surgery out of my mind for the next year. I finished grad school and started searching nationwide for a new job. In March 2013, I moved from Ohio to Portland, OR. My new insurance would cover VSG, but only after I'd been covered by then for 2 years and after 6 months of weight management visits. My husband and I both planned to start that in October 2014, 6 months before we would be eligible for surgery through insurance.

A LOT has happened since last summer. In July, a coworker had VSG. He was self-pay and made the decision to have surgery very quickly. He lost about 40 lbs at first, but gained it all back within a few months. He's back to eating almost exactly how he did before surgery and admits he feels very little restriction, which had me worried. At the end of December, another coworker (and good friend) had VSG as well. She's had the complete opposite experience and is having trouble even keeping water down almost 4 weeks out. One of my "trailblazers" basically failed surgery, and the other is absolutely miserable.

To make matters even more interesting, this past September I started getting serious about tracking my food intake with My Fitness Pal and started playing Dance Dance Revolution again. I started eating vegetables for literally the first time in my life (I had never eaten them at all and have been overweight since age 6). My husband and I bought bikes in November and have discovered our dog, a herding mix, LOVES to ride with us with a bike leash attachment. I've lost 45 lbs since September without starving myself, but by changing what and how I eat and becoming more active. This is probably the happiest I've ever been, and I've already eliminated one diabetes med and cut my BP med in half.

Now I have a really tough decision to make. Do I still want to go through with this? I'm 4 months into my 6-month pre-op process. My husband is gung-ho for surgery and is really looking forward to us doing this together (the surgeon said we can schedule about 2 weeks apart). And I've lost 80 lbs multiple times before (regaining about 100 each time). I turned 30 on Wednesday, and I've been type II diabetic for 7 years -- with my family history, I'm absolutely looking at insulin soon if I can't do something to keep weight off long-term. But on the other hand, every time I've lost weight before was by just eating a smaller quantity of the same crap. Moving to Portland has made great quality food and outdoor recreation infinitely more accessible than they were in the Midwest. But 5 months ago, I was terrified I'd have surgery and fail it too like I've failed every other time -- if anything, shouldn't my success so far mean I'll have an awesome chance of totally kicking butt once I do have surgery? I'm so torn and terrified of an outcome like that of my coworkers -- both had the same surgeon my husband and I plan to, and his reputation makes me think their cases are both fairly isolated. Help!!

I think you'll do FANTASTIC because you already ROCK!!!

Haha thanks!!  

Wow, sorry about all of your issues.  $1,000- for a psych eval - unheard of and I am in NYC!  12 ER visits at $250- co-pays - wowser! 30 and diagnosed with diabetes for 7 years - muy no bueno!  Hypertension ugh.  Plus all the other issues.  And sorry you have to look at 2 poor Sleeve outcomes.

If you have 2.5 years before you are eligible to have WLS why not keep doing what you are doing.  With all of the success you are having you will lose all of your excess weight before you are eligible for WLS.  I mean you have put your diabetes in remission already - that is great progress because it is harder and less possible to do the longer you are diabetic because it begins to mimic type 1.

You are doing fantastic .  Just keep doing what you are doing then when the time comes and if you need to consider WLS again, you can do so.  You are so young but you also have serious ailments that will unfortunately return if you stop working like you've been to keep it away.

I wish you super success.

All best,

Layla

Thanks Layla. The 2 years started April 1 2013, so I'll actually be eligible for surgery in just a little over 2 months! I actually did get somewhat scared about losing too much weight to qualify, but I've always plateaued around 180 before regaining, and I'm nowhere near that again yet. I'm definitely going to keep doing what I'm doing for now though! The problem is if I don't decide to have surgery in April or early May, but decide to later, I'll have to start the 6 month prelim process all over again.

I think that only you will know if having surgery is the right decision for you. I debated having surgery for a few years and can tell you the top reasons I decided to have it. Maybe some of those reasons will resonate with you and help you make a decision. 

1. I am actually pretty decent a losing weight but I SUCK at maintaining weight loss. Having the VSG allowed me to have another tool to help me lose and subsequently maintain weight loss. 

2. I was actually a fairly healthy fat person but I knew that I was living on borrowed time. I needed to do something to get my weight under control before I started to develop some very serious co-morbidities. 

3. My eating habits were incredibly unhealthy and out of control. Having this surgery has actually allowed me to feel more in control over my food choices than I have in  years. 

4. I love my kids and have missed out on being an active part of their childhood. I was determined to get healthy so that I can at least enjoy spending time with them as young adults. I look forward to experiencing vacations and activities with them now. 

The biggest change for me was that when I decided to have the surgery then I decided to do everything in my power to be successful. I am working with a therapist to get my head "on straight". I never cooked before and now I am learning to cook and trying new recipes each week; exploring the grocery store has become a favorite activity. I always find something new. I'm trying new exercises. I may decide it's not the activity for me but I at least try it once or twice to see. 

I think you will do great...you've got your head in the game and you've got a great support system!  I agree with everything GooseGirl says, too.  WLS is not a cure...it's a tool!  I've lost weight soooooo many times and gained it all back!  This is the first time that I actually feel like I have a chance to be successful.  By making so many changes already, when you finally do have surgery, you won't want to go back to your old ways.  Will there be temptations?  Absolutely!  But you have to use your tool and weigh the consequences.  At 13 weeks out I can enjoy all of the foods that I used to eat...but guess what?  I don't want anywhere near as much of them as I did before.  My freezer is full of 2-3 oz portions of the "good stuff" and I can have it any time....after I get my protein and water in!  Best of luck to the two of you...praying all goes well.

I think the surgery will work for you if you commit to doing it.  Its not a magic pill.  You have to commit to eating differently, but the surgery makes it possible.  I lost 225 pounds with the surgery and I went from 385 pounds with a BMI of 60 to 155 pounds with a BMI of 24 in two years.  The surgery really does change your metabolism so it becomes possible to manage. 

I think many of us have those same feelings that we will be the one person that the surgery will not work for.  But it does work. 

In terms of whether you should go ahead or not,  I waited until I was almost 400 pounds and my weight was seriously impacting the quality of my life before I made the decision to have the surgery.  I am convinced that obesity is a disease and weight loss surgery is the one treatment that works.  With your experience of losing 80 pounds multiple times and then gaining it back, I suspect you will need the surgery to overcome the obesity. Also if you've lost 80 pounds multiple times, that speaks to your commitment and will power.  I'm sure you'll succeed with surgery. Do it for yourself.  You'll be so happy you did.

best wishes,
Carol

Carol,

I love to see your posts. I had surgery last month and thank God that I had it. I'm just scared about regain. Weird to worry about that since I am so early in the game. Is maintenance hard?

Thanks for your help.

Robin

Hi

Only you can decide what's right for you but here are a few thoughts:

-I'm almost three years out from surgery with great restriction.  I can eat small amounts but not so small that I would appear strange when out with a group.

-I love my sleeve.  Had a very easy recovery and first year weightloss.  Would do it again in a second.

-lost about 80 lbs and have not yet reached my goal of another 10-20 lbs.  hope I can get serious again and reach it but if I don't I'm ok.

-huge accomplishment - weigh today what I weighed on this date for the past TWO years - never before have I been able to maintain a weight loss.  Losing weight is not too hard for many but maintaining I found impossible before surgery.  Can't tell you how nice it is switching seasons and fitting into last years clothes.

-no longer have high blood pressure or pre diabetic

- in sum big fan of the surgery

-if you are going ahead with it find an excellant surgeon whose patients have good results.  This surgery is not very standard and there is a great variety in the size of sleeves.  Your friend who failed so quickly may have a very large sleeve.  For example I could eat or graze around my sleeve but there is no way physically in year one that I could have gained all my weight back.  I just couldn't each much and still can't eat large amounts.  So really research and find a surgeon with top results.  Since you are on the west coast you may want to consider a Northern CA surgeon that people on this board rave about - dr criangle.  No personal experience but my understanding is he does a tight sleeve and his patients on the whole have good results.  Ask around.

-since you are young and active and already committed to lifestyle change it sounds to me like you'd be a great candidate and the sleeve could be a very powerful tool for you in the long term fight against weight gain.

Good luck.

stephanie