How did you make the decission???

Wow, you have a lot going on. I agree, your concerns are very valid and the suggestions have been wise. One thing I have trouble doing is FOCUSING on what I need to do next. Like I need to lose 20 more lbs so my insurance will pay for surgery, but I also have a bad shoulder that is requiring physical therapy and maybe surgery. For some reason, this has me all scattered and I'm eating MUCH less, but not really DOING what needs to be done, which is go on the liquid protein shakes, get the weight off, and get the surgery.

I will pray for you to be able to focus and do the ONE thing that comes next. You have a big challenge, but one that can be overcome if you are strong and single minded.

I wouldn't worry too much about dumping or any of the other possible complications. Most folks do fine and you don't really have a choice, so GO FOR IT. Worry about the pre-op stuff, then have the gastric surgery and get the weight off, then tackle the cancer. You can do it if you take it piece by piece. I'll be thinking of you and praying for you.

RubyEllen
          oh ouch a shoulder boo boo too that is tough..i have my one shoulder with arthritis and it gives me a lot of trouble so i feel your pain g/f.
 when did you find out that you had to loose 20 lbs before the surgery so the insurance would pay?? i have not been told nothing like this and im wondering about it cause i am reading all over the board how people have to loose so much amount of weight first before they can do thiers too..when will they tell me..should the surgeon at consultation of told me then???
   do ya think they are waiting till the approval to give me all my details ?
         thank you for your advice and tips...it helps to hear others opionion cause my brain is freezed up from all the thinking and worrying im doing..
                     big hugs to ya...chatty

Morning! I have to lose 10% for my insurance to pay. I've lost 17 and have 20 to go. This was in my insurance packet of things I need to do before they will approve surgery. Insurance is all different. My husband's insurance required the 6 month physician supervised weight loss attempt and going to a Center of Excellence for surgery, so I checked back with MY insurance and things had changed and I believe I will be covered once I lose more weight.

All insurance is different AND it changes all the time. I sent an e-mail to my company to be sure I understood the details and they replied. The basic information was on the website when I searced for "bariatric surgery."

Anyway, I'm sure your brain IS full of stuff. Sorry you have arthritis in your shoulder too. You don't appreciate joints until they go bad. Hang in there. Nice "chatting" with you!!

Hey, Chatty! I just wanted to let you know that we were all scared before we had the surgery and it's true, there's risk involved. But all the after-effects, like hair loss, dumping and puking and food intolerances are far less of an issue than whether you are going to live an extra 10 years or die of obesity-related illness.

I did everything my doctor said to do regarding protein, etc., and I still lost some hair. It freaked me out, 'cause it seemed like I lost it by the handful, but guess what?? I was the only one who noticed. And then it grew back. True story!

Dumping can happen when you force yourself to eat more sugar in one sitting than you can absorb. It is very unpleasant and is an incentive not to revert to old, bad eating habits. Smaller portions, chewing food very well, and taking small spoonfuls will reduce the likelihood of vomiting. If you feel full, stop eating. It's just that simple. I only threw up twice in the last 2 years since my surgery by following those guidelines.

Finally, we all mourn the loss of our binge eating habits sometimes. We miss donuts, cream cake, Twinkies, etc. But I have found, believe it or not, that I enjoy the one bite of Snickers that I take the time to chew, taste and savor WAY more than the two or three I used to wolf down. If I want to have a treat, I let myself have a small portion, and I feel satisfied. And healthy, pain-free, and damn glad I chose the RNY! Take care, sugars.

thank you  waterwench
 
    your so right my life is worth it and i know this mentally but
im so full of fear that its really freezing me still...i appreciate the details what you explained i need to  know this and it really helped me..for once i actually felt less scared knowing that the hair will grow back and if i watch the sugar intake it will help with the dumping...yahooooooooo.
   so glad you mentioned you freaked when you seen your hair come out cause i know this will be my reaction..i have long hair and to loose any of it will be devastating to me...not to mention hubby..im not too worried about the smaller meals cause im hoping this is good but to never ever eat another  no no again is scary...i love popcorn the most and to never have that again..yikes..even my dog will be upset he is my popcorn buddy...hahaha
   wow you mentioned you took a bite of a snickers didnt that make you sick???/ is it possible later on that if i crave something i could take a nibble to get past that craving or will that make me gain??? i do this now with my calorie counting..if i crave something i make sure i only take  a little of it to get it out of my head...it helps..
  thank you so much for your words its does help me alot...
      i need to hear all this and i am listening my eyes are pressed up against this screen...oops....
                      hugs..........chatty53

Hi, again. I can eat popcorn as long as I chew it very well and there's not too much butter in it, and I can have small amounts of sweet treats and still be satisfied. Check how many grams of sugar are in each serving and figure out what you can eat without it making you sick. You have to wait until your pouch and intestine heals, and experiment with what works for you.

 i totally agree with wha****er said... u have to experiment and see what works for u..  i dont deny myself either.. im nearly 6months post op...  and i have recently let my self become more adventurous with my food selections.. i even had a mini chocolate donut.. u know the tastycake ones.. i used to eat boxes of those... and not even taste them.. now one... totally satisfys me and i savor it for like 5-10 minutes.. where i could of ate half a box in less then that before surgery.. those and M&M's were my sweet fixes.. and i have had a few of those as well and not got sick..  im more of a salty craver popcorn, chips, etc. havent had either cuz im afraid to.. they are my trigger foods..  i dont think they will make me sick but i know me well enough to know that i will eat a few... then a few more... then a few more...  so easier to just stay away for now.. when i NEEED something salty.. i eat a pickle now.. or a lime with salt... and that works great.. or nuts.. high cal /fat but protein so better then chips lol i tell myself.. im sorry ur having such a hard time... i wish u luck with ur decisions and hope u get well soon... good luck with ur journey...

For me orginally I was going to have the Lap Band, I was against having my insides re routed so I was set on the band. Until I watched my best friend go through a failed lap band and as she gained all her weight back, had many complications and  it made me think. So I started to research everything I could about WLS and the different statistics, types, outcomes...

Having another friend who had a sucessful RNY three years ago made me start to think about that and the more I researched the more I understood about the different surgeries. I decided that the RNY was the best option for me for a number of reasons. I have over 200 pounds to lose and personally feel that I'll have better long term sucess with the RNY. Everyone is different and everyone has different sucesses with different surgeries!

Do your research, talk to people who have had different types of WLS and it should be easier to help you decide! If your surgeon has seminars I would go and find out what you can!

I hope that you find some answers and I pray that your cancer will be eliminated!!

Good Luck!!

thank you for your response..i have been researching ever since i was told to do this
gastric...i have read good and bad and complications but to tell you the truth nothing
will prepare me for my results..it will be good or bad so all anyone can hope for
is good..
             my surgeon said lap band is not an option for me..wi**** was less
traumatic..
                 wish you the best..cathy