Telling people about surgery...

When I asked my doctor for a referral, he said that surgery doesn't work and his other patients had gained all their weight back. He is quite pleased that I proved him wrong.

Good for you! I'm sure it felt great to prove him wrong like that:) So far I've had no doctors react negatively when I mention the surgery. But luckily I go to a weight loss center through the hospital I chose and they are all in one building. The doctor I have to see every month, psych, nutritionist and exercise consultant. I absolutely love it there. They are really helpful and know exactly how to get people approved for insurance. I'd had a bad experience with another hospital before this though. They basically sent me out there to make all these different appointments with different doctors and I felt like I was just being thrown out there not knowing at all what I was doing. I almost actually gave up on the whole WLS idea and a year later decided to give it another go. I'm sure I'll be more than happy I did.

White Dove,

You are the exception that proved the rule. Your doctor is right, a lot of WLS folks gain it back. You probably could have done it on your own without the risks and complications. It sounds like you had good counseling pre and post surgery.

Before surgery, I followed a strict diet and exercise program for one year. I lost a total of 12 pounds. That happened several times and my weight loss always ended up being a pound a month and weight would come back when I went to normal eating.

The surgery took away my hunger, gave me more energy, and for the first time in many years the weight actually came off and stayed off.

Meanwhile, I'm not on a restrictive diet and on an exercise program custom tailored for me by an Exercise Physiologist, and have lost nearly 100 pounds, am still going down, and am stronger than I've ever been. I sincerely wonder what is different about what we have done, WhiteDove.

There are many of us here who are a normal BMI many years after surgery.

PREACH !!!!

My Doctor didn't not want to fill out the referral for me. Stated that 'if everyone who was overweight got the surgery we would have an epidemic on our hands'. What? a health epidemic??
At a future appointment for something unrelated (flu shot maybe) she stated 'you are done losing weight, right?' in an almost accusatory tone. I stated that my goal was to reach a healthy BMI and I wasn't there yet. She shook her head and walked away.
I'm there now. Healthy BMI and never happier. Its almost 2 years post-op and I'm holding steady so far. I love my new life.

Oh, and p.s. other than the medical professionals I dealt with along the way, no one in my life knows I had surgery except for my husband. I found all my support through these boards and decided to keep it to myself in my everyday life.

WHAT AN ASSHOLE YOUR DOCTOR IS!

agreed, unfortunately there is a shortage of family doctors where I am so I'm kind of stuck with what I've got.