How did you know you were ready!

I think it is a very "personal" reason that people get WLS done. Like an addict, you basically have to hit YOUR 'rock bottom'. There were two issues that were my 'rock bottom'. One was my doctor telling me bluntly and not so nicely, "You have metabolic disease, high liver enzymes, close to diabetes, you will die probably within 5-8 years (I was 46 at the time) You FAT!"  (He was from Vietnam so he was pretty blunt).  It was an eye opener.

The other very PERSONAL reason that was my 'rock bottom' was that I was sooooooo big I could not longer wipe my arse....Yep, to wipe my own BUTT was like dike doing a gymnast maneuver and there was NO way in heck I was going to buy one of those stupid sticks that hold the toilet paper. Also very few scales would register my weight of nearly 300 lbs. I thought, "How did I let this HAPPEN?!? So fat I can't wipe my own BUTT, how humiliating!!!!!"  (Yes, even the medical stuff didn't scare me to bad, and this is coming from someone who survived ovarian cancer, and who has an autoimmune disease!!!!   My life was constant pain in my spine from carrying nearly 200+ extra pounds. But to not be able to do my own hygiene....Ugh! It was humiliating and made me realize how I had let myself 'go'.  Now, I am 112 and have no problems wiping my own butt!

Warmly,

Jackie

I was at Universal Studios with my husband and teenage kids.  I quickly found out I couldn't walk the park so they in good intentions got me a wheelchair.  I was never so miserable in all my life that day.  I was totally humiliated, embarrased, crushed for the lack of better description.  It was that day that I turned that corner and decided never again would I need a wheelchair to do anything.  I did spend a year waiting for insurance to get approved.  This was back in 2006 when I had my RNY.  I have gained about 30 pounds back and am now trying really hard to get 20 of them off.  I am dealing with some head issues because I know when to say "no" but am getting caught up in having things that I really should not eat or drink. Those things are what has put weight on me.  I'm looking forward to a new committment from myself and my "head" to use the Lenton Season to recommit myself to what I need to be doing.  I have never ever regretted having the RNY.  I knew I wanted the surgery that would provide me with the best opportunity to lose as much weight as possible.  I have no intentions of getting back to where I was because this surgery was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.  I love my life and look forward to having many more years ahead of me.  I truly wish more people would consider the opportunity to have some type of weight loss surgery.  I could not have done it without the wonderful doctor I had, the supportive staff at his office and the wonderful support from my family and my friends. 

Good luck!

I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired I was willing to take the small chance of dying for the possibility of getting my health back. 

My health gave me the kick in the rear I needed, though I also hated being fat and being so self conscious. I wasn't having much fun.

In my workups for surgery, breast cancer was found, which I'm sure was weight related because cancer doesn't run in my family. And I had severe GERD that caused Barrett's esophagus, which was also found on my workup. And my gallbladder out because of stones. And stress incontinence. And a hell of a difficult time losing on my own.

So I was ready- beyond ready.

It did take me a long time to make up my mind, though, because I didn't want to do so much to my body. I weighed the cost/benefits of surgery endlessly, and did a lot of research and info sessions with several surgeons, and then consultations with my surgeon once I found one I wanted to go with. And then I had to figure out with my surgeon what kind of surgery I wanted to go with. And work with insurance. And get my breast cancer treated.

After all that, I was really really ready.

It was one of the best things I have ever done for myself.

I was 28 years old and over 400 pounds. I didn't want to take my 2yo to Disneyland because I didn't think I could walk around the park or fit in the rides. I was on blood pressure meds that I couldn't take while pregnant but I desperately wanted another baby. I was pre-diabetic. I had tried so many different diets but my body just wouldn't let go of the weight. I was miserable. My mom inherited some money and immediately offered to pay for surgery for the both of us, so I jumped at the chance. Insurance had no problems clearing me and I had the surgery in January 2011. I ultimately lost over 230 pounds. I took my son to Disneyland 6 months after surgery and we all had a great time. I got pregnant in February 2012 (not planned to happen that quickly!) and had a very healthy pregnancy. I'm now struggling to get back into full-on weight loss mode now that my second son is weaned. It's not as easy as it was right after surgery but my pouch is my tool and it helps me do what I need to do.

I knew I was ready when I wouldn't let someone get in my way to accomplish my goal. This is my mantra:

"I will be successful. I will not accept failure.  I will not give up.
You can join me if you want, but if not I will go around you, over
you, or if need be I'll go right through you if I have to in order to
achieve success.  I won't accept that there is something I cannot do
once I commit myself."

1- Constant fear of a heart attack.

2- Just knowing my weight and health was going to continue to deteriorate and at 57 I could only imagine what life would be like for me in 5 or 10 yrs. I was already at that point where I couldn't sit a chair that did not have arm rests because I couldn't get up.  I had to use handicap toilets or not be able to get up.  If I fell I couldn't pull myself up.  So next stop would have been a wheel chair,totally handicapped or dead from a heart attack.

3- Watching others who were struggling through life as a morbidly obese person.

4- Straw that broke the camels back:  While on a cruise vacation in San Juan I walking back to the ship, my back was killing me, I was out of breath.  I had to stop lean on a building or a tree anything just to relieve the pain.