Over 50 Please Help!

I am female, 51, 5'7 and 250 lbs.  I have just about given up as I have tried all my life to lose weight and keep failing.  Since I have turned 50 I feel like I have spent all of my life unhappy with myself.  What type of surgery do the majority of you recommend?  (I know you probably hear this question all the time, but I am having problems trying to figure it out myself.)  I am so unhappy.  Also, does anyone know if insurance companies are covering more procedures?  God Bless.

Making the decision to have weight loss surgery & which type of surgery is done after much reasearch & thought.   I think the first step (and for me, this was a very big first step!), is to talk to your family doctor & ask for a referral to a bariatric surgeon.    If, by chance, your family Doctor is not willing to cooperate, you need to decide whether you want to consider switching to a wls-friendly doctor.     When I had my wls in 2007, insurance companies were covering the surgery if BMI was 40 or above.  I see you're a little lower than that (good for you!), and I've heard they may be loosening up on that rule.   Also, if there are other factors, where being overweight contributes to other health issues (diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc.), I've heard they'll approve with BMI lower than 40.

That being said, I started out wanting lap-band then changed my mind & went for RNY after researching both.    I believe both can be successful.    I remeber being so suprised that my Surgeon let me choose ---- I've never had a doctor before who asked me what I wanted, & it was a pleasant suprise.

Start making lists of your questions & start asking them here.   You'll find lots of support here for sure!
Welcome to OFF!!!

Hi,
I went to an instructional seminar to hear about the weight loss procedures first. My insurance would cover RNY and Lapband so I made my decision between the two with the help of my weight loss surgeon. My insurance covered most of the surgery but I did have to pay an aftercare fee in addition to what the insurance covered. It's been 3 years since I had my surgery so I'm not really "in the loop" on what has changed insurance-wise since then. I do know that some insurances do not cover weight loss surgery at all. You might want to check on that first. If your insurance covers therapy that would be helpful also as your weight may not be the only thing that you are unhappy about. Many people combine therapy with the weight loss surgery process. I wish you luck on your journey!
Julia

 I am 55 years old was 53 when I had my lapband put in.  I had lots of problems, which all stemmed from the fact they had punctured my port and were unwilling to admit it and would rather blame me and say I was not following the rules, when I was.  I changed doctors, had some success, lost about 65 lbs but still had close to 100 to lose when I started having reflux, vomiting all the time, etc. and could only eat foods that slid through my band, I was not too tight because he unfilled me and I still did this, did an upper GI nothing was wrong and I continued to puke and gain weight.  I decided a few months ago I had enough of the band and so I am revising to RNY on Jan. 24th.  I can't wait to have it done.  

I cannot add much more to the discussion so far, then to add I decided on RNY after considering the lap band.  I knew with in myself that if I was going to do this, I would be able to "fool" the band by eating foods easy to go down but high in calories.  While the band works for many, for me I also had concerns about slippage and erosion of the stomach because I am on blood thinners for life.  I then opted for the gastric bypass because the likely hood of eating the wrong foods for me was diminished and there were overall less concerns about bleeding from band issues. 
Each person has to make their own decision and be happy with it.  Good luck in your journey!

Because of my weight, 330 lbs, my general health, and age I went for the RNY. My doctors and therapist all agreed that this was the way to go for me. I lost 200 lbs, but per doctors orders have gained lbs and now weigh in at 155.
Good luck with your decision. RNY really did and does work for me.

I so understand the despair that you are feeling. After years of losing and gaining back I had just given up in 2005. I started thinking about WLS. My insurance had an exclusion policy and tho I weighed 377 lbs with many other health insurance it was not covered. Still, even having to self pay, it has been a life changing exerience. At my lowest, I weighed 184 ( for about 5 minutes!) I am trying to lose my regain of almost 30 lbs. It's hard, but I know my pouch still works when I do what I need to do. Were it not for my RNY I am not sure I would be alive today as I had given up on everything and just resigned myself to being fat and miserable. Today I go and do anything and everything that I can. Best wishes to you as you embark on this journey.

I was just like you and did a lot of studying (and praying) before I decided on
RNY.   There were a couple of reasons, first I have several friends with the lap band that are pleased, but have not lost anywhere near all the weight they had to loose.  Then I have 2 friends that had lap and had MAJOR issues that required additional surgery.  My Dr said that the RNY gave me the best possible results and best long term success...and less change of some type of additonal surgery for problems, so I went with it. 

2 months out, I am thrilled (yes, impatient, but thrilled) with my results.  No issues at all, and I have had such freedom from pain from my hip and knee arthritis since I have gotten this weight off.

You should really persue this surgery if you feel that getting your weight under control would help you mentally, physically and emotionally.  Of course, there are other issues that some people deal with and expect weight loss surgery to help with...and the truth is these issues need to be addressed separately, but it is a wonderful start in getting your life together. 

At first my husband was not on board (I love YOU just the way YOU are!), but when I explained to him that If we have another 30 yrs to enjoy life, I want it to be together and with QUALITY of life that I did not see myself enjoying without getting the weight off and getting these health issues under control, he was totally onboard and supportive.

This website is so helpful, and hopefully you will utilize all its assets in helping you decide on your journey.  Happy New Year and may it be blessed with improving health!  :)

You are the exact age I was when I began in earnest to consider this surgery, as for many years I thought of two things when it came to surgical intervention, one it was a desparate way to do things and that it was an easy way out.  I found out, via a cousin of mine, that it was not an easy way out, that a lot was involved and that to do so, usually it was born by a sense of desparation/health issues.  However, easy it is not, as it takes a sense of commitment, one that has a lot to do with being able to follow a regime of doing certain things for the rest of your life.  Also, while the "tool" of WLS will get you to a certain goal, whether you stay there, is very much about the choices you make beyond the "honeymoon period" of WLS (the first 18 months post-WLS).  We can and do have regain, if we go back to eating the way we used to and it takes more than 18 months to change how we interact with food.  Regain can and does happen, and so what we choose to do, will largely determine our continued success on this path.

As others said, only you can determine which surgery would be best for you, through researching what is available.  Also, start with finding out whether or not your insurance company will cover WLS and if so, which procedures, some don't cover it unless there are comorbitities involved, and still others don't cover it unless you fight for it and then some will cover it, but want certain things first, like a 6 months doctor supervised diet. . .  so look into it, you can speak with you primary care doctor, or you can research surgeon's through this site based on your area.  What you need to look at is what kind of reputation the surgeon has, see what others in the area have to say about his/her practice and then attend a seminars from the doctors you would be interested in. 

Now that you've moved in the direction of wanting WLS, do the research and then if you decide to go for it, you will be well informed and better equipped for the lifelong road we trave on.  There are many on this forum with substantial success and years of having done this, so you are on the right track.

I wish you well as you begin the process, at times it can seem endless, but it is soooooooo worthwhile.

Laureen

I was 54 when my band was placed.  The doctor recommended Rny because I have always been a snacker.  However he left the decision to me.  I like sugar, and ocassionally alcoholic beverages.  My doctor required all his rny patients to agree to blood transfusion if he deemed necessary and that was not an option for me which really was the deciding factor.
I was willing to give up the sugar and any alcohol though I know all rny patients don't dump or get severely ill when they consume both.
Anyway, the band has been slower weight loss for me that rny would have been.  I am pleased with my band though not always pleased with myself.  Your can get around any weight loss program but really your goal should be to do what will best work for you and/or what you are willing to accept.
Do the research about your insurance, the doctor and after care, the procedures and most importantly yourself.

Take care,
Z