Little insight...

I know I've been posting about how worried I am about this whole losing weight before surgery thing. Now, it's down to the wire. I went to the doctor today because I'm not feeling well and found out that I weigh EXACTLY what I weighed when I first met with my surgeon back in October. He said then that he liked for his patients to lose some weight before surgery because it shows they are serious, it's safer, heal faster after surgery and so on. Now you can probably guess what I want advice on..I am SOOOOOO SCARED he'll won't perform the surgery on me because I haven't lost any weight. I think it's pretty good that I haven't gained any but... Am I just being paranoid? I called his coordinator today but I haven't heard back from her yet. I plan on coming right out with it and asking her point blank if I'm still a candidate. This is keeping me up at night, seriously I am so worried that I've come this far and I'll be turned away. Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks in advance, Jamie My stats so far: 5'4 293

Jamie((((((((((((BIG ALOHA))))))))))))) GIRL! I know how you feel! They want us to lose weight before this drastic change in our lives...........wouldnt it be easier to fly to the moon? I stayed up at night worrying about my weight loss before surgery......and what do I do when I worry? Thats right!!! EAT!!! I'm sorry I dont have any advice about this..........if I did...........I'd follow it myself! STAY STRONG!! (its the only thing they cant make us change!!) willby

Hi Jamie, It sucks that your surgeon puts so much pressure on you to loose weight. My doc did NOT require any type of weight-loss (liquid diet etc.) However my insurance company required the dreaded 6-month diet..no specific weight or percentage was mentioned. I gained and lost the same 4 pounds throughout the whole 6 months. Since your doctor didn't give you a specific amount you needed to lose..and oh course you tried..how can they deny you as a canadidate?? I wish I knew where I read this, It might be from my book "The Doctor's Guide to Weight Loss Surgery" I'll look up the info after I get back from my doc appt. In short it said that there is no proof that manditory weight loss pre-op has any bearing on the success or failure of a surgery. It said that this only adds to the stress that having a life altering surgery gives to a paitent. I just think it is like a punishment for a person. In other words, just because a person does well on a pre-op liquid diet..does that mean that they will do better than anyone else in the post-op world..I don't think sooo... OOOOHHHH.don't get me going Jamie! Smile..you'll get there! Hugs, Ginger

Hey Jamie, Girl, I know exactly how you feel. My doctor didnt play with the weigh gaining and I was freaking out all the time. I am a up and down weight kind of gal. And then all the pressure with it was awful. I got it under control a lil before surgery and got some protein to drink and use that at meals some and lost twenty before surgery but let me tell ya. I still wanted to eat the hinges off the doors.LOL... I can't amagine why they put so much pressure on us at a time like that. Heck, they wanted me to lose sixty pounds before surgery and told me this the first time I went there. I wanted to just cry when I left there. If I could do that well I wouldnt have needed them you know? So dont worry so much Jamie, it aint good for ya right now. You dont have to worry about being to big at all. Shoot girl your lightweight compared to what I was lol... Just do the best you can and start some protein drinking and it seems to really help. I didnt think so at first when people were talking about it but man, it does. So hang in there and it will get better. Dont make yourself sick worrying... Hugs from one Ga bud to another...Marge

(((((((((((((((((JAMIE)))))))))))))))) Although my surgeon didn't require a specific amount of weight loss preop, he did say he likes all of his patients to lose some weight, even if just 5 pounds. He had mentioned that the reason for losing some weight is that it helps to shrink the fatty liver, making surgery easier on them and us. Huggs, Ruth

Thank you everyone for your advice and kind words. This time before surgery is crazy!! I'm rushing around getting tests done and worrying about this friggin' weight..UGH! Marge, I'm heading out today to do some shopping I'll pick up some protein and give it a whirl! At this point I'm willing to try anything. I REALLY appreciate all of you and I can't tell you how good it feels to know I can pop on here and have you guys completely understand just what I'm going through. I guess we all have that feeling of "can we just get this over with please..so I can start living"!! {{{{{{{{{HUGS TO ALL MY SMO FAMILY>>>MY SHRINKING SMO FAMILY}}}}} Hugs, Jamie