What was your tipping point?

 She's so beautiful!

For me it was simply hearing about the VSG.. up to that point I had never heard about that option. I always knew that my problem was with volume but I had no idea what to do to fix that. I had just regained the 150 pounds I lost at that time, and was struggling with the thought of having to spend another 2 years losing it again and very depressed about that thought.

I was already back to eating healthy but VERY large portions, and slowly losing again at a snail's pace. My therapist gave me a note with the lapsf.com website and something about the VSG but I had no idea what that was at the time.

I only had heard of the RNY that time, and did not want anything with malabsorption. I had heard that lapband had lots of complications, and I didn't know there were any other options. When I finally took a moment to look up the website and read about the VSG, I knew right away it was perfect for me, since I already had the healthy eating thing down, and knew I still needed help with portions.

I immediately started the process of making a consult appt., getting financing and the whole nine yards at that point. I was sleeved within 2 months of hearing about the procedure, and I would have been sooner if I didn't have to wait 8 weeks because I quit smoking and had to get finances together.

I started reading on OH a little bit more than a month before surgery and it validated everything I thought the VSG would be for me. I'm not sure if I would have gotten it sooner had I heard about it sooner because I did pretty well losing weight on my own, but I had to eat huge volumes of food to feel full, even with dense foods, so I might have done it sooner. I'm sure I would have done it at least a year sooner had I heard of it when I finally got on the scale and realized I'd gained everything back that I lost.

gettin older and fatter and sicker in spite of dietary changes, drugs ... Final straw gettin diabetes II dx. ...goin on diabetic diet in one final attempt to do it myself without medical invervention...lost a bunch of weight...but labs; A1cs still abnormally high.  Fam. history diabetes related death .......it twernt gonna be ME! Enter WLS!
All obesity related comorbidities resolved 3 months post VSG....been at GOAL ever since!
Me n my VSG is F-N awesome! lol  I do not take it for granted!

Well for me I had been looking into it for a while.  I had friends who had the RNY and lapband down and some were successful as others were not.  I kept gaining weight and losing but never like I am now.  I lost my dad in 2007 from a Heartattck and I thought ok Im next.  I have HTN but since I had VSG I am off all my HTN meds!!!!!  I did more research and decided that this was for me.  I am glad I had it done.  My mom is so proud of me she is thinking of doing it herself.  My DH had the lapband and is doing great!  Weighing 311 pounds is gone for ever!!! I weight currently 268 and I am 1 month out!

Great question! My tipping point came after spending 10 months on weigh****chers in 2009, losing 8 pounds and gaining back five. It took some time off to regroup and did some research on what REALLY works. I found the sleeve and haven't looked back. I've been working the insurance system since last summer. I hope to report soon that I have a date, even if it's self pay.

Weight has been a battle all my life, coming from a family of very small women who were not only petite but short, I took after the family men who were extremely tall.  They were all hard workers and had robust, bodies.  Even as a teen I felt fat and over large even tho my weight was appropriate. I started gaining weight when I was about 25.   When I tried to lose weight my mother would tell me how sick I looked, of course she was large by that time and ours was not your typical mother daughter relationship.  My mother was very competitive towards me and was not embarrassed to tell people how fat I was or what a bad daughter I was.  My mother died from diabetes complications and I watched my blood sugar like a hawk but it was always good.  I was diagnosed with non alcoholic, autoimmune, primary biliary cirrhosis 3 years ago and after biopsy was stage 3.  I was told by my hepatologist I had to lose weight or I would possibly be denied transplant.   I tried to lose on my own but after losing about 20 lbs I gain it all back plus friends.  He then referred me to a WLS program which my insurance denied as he was out of my insurance.  So they referred me to my current dr and the rest is history.

i was getting sicker and sicker, and i think i was in denial that most of my health issues were related to my weight...  but this picture is what did me in - it was taken at a family reunion, and my neice posted it on facebook...  i was so mortified i begged her to delete it - i didn't want anyone to see it!  i really had no idea that things had gotten that bad.... 



it was taken in august of 2009 - i had my surgery 6 weeks later in september....  definitely my tipping point.....

i like me much better now!!


jeris

I had always been dead set against WLS.

As a matter of fact, two years ago I went on WW (for the millionth time) and lost weight.  I got below my current weight, as a matter of fact.  I was doing ok.  I told myself I had finally learned the secet of how to handle food, cravings and emotions.  I was going to get thin and be one of the luck 2% who keeps it off.

Well, last March, my husband had a mild stroke.  Luckily it wasn't worse, but we did find out that he would no longer be able to return to his job as a truck driver, and would have to go out on disability.  He recovered about 80%.  He still has some numbness and, if he walks too long, his gait looks a little bit like a drunk's. 

While he was at inpatient physical therapy after the stroke, I had to arrange for short term state disability, which paid next to nothing.  We had to wait six months before SS disability was made available.  During that time, I ate and ate and ate because of the stress and gained almost 60 lbs in 7 months. My blood sugar was in the stratosphere, my cholesterol and BP were inching up and I got sleep apnea.  I realized at that time that I would never get a handle on this eating alone.  That my addiction to food and bad choices of food was too strong, and that I had a switch I did not know how to turn off.  When I was happy I ate, when I was miserable I ate.  It was my answer to everything.

While wondering what I was going to do on a rare day of clarity into the situation, from out of the blue "WLS" popped into my head and I was surprised by it, having been against it and afraid of it for so long.  But I really started to think about how WLS had changed for the better over the years, and before you know it, I made appointments with my pcp and endocrinologist, who both gave their blessing.  I really started wondering if I could do this, so I asked my pcp for a referral, then called up and made a reservation at the next seminar.  My DH and DD accompanied me.  They gave their blessing afterwards.  I called up family members and bounced it off them, and they were all positive.  I thought about it some more, then made the decision and never looked back.

I think I'm lucky to have had as much support as I have.  Its hard to do this without it.  But its the best decision I've ever made and the best gift I've ever given myself.

My weight had been creeping up for a number of years and my BP med had to be increased because of my weight. I had sore knees and lack of energy. A woman I know through another forum had VSG surgery and posted about her experience. I had never heard of the surgery but absolutely refused to have my intestines rearranged, so I thought ****il that time) that I would never consider weight loss surgery.

I asked some questions about VSG surgery and did some research and made an appt with Dr Cirangle for a consultation. I wanted to know more about the surgery and whether he would operate on my with a low BMI.

In my pre-op lab, he found I had a parathyroid adenoma which I had to have removed before I could have VSG surgery. Both surgeries were in August 2010 and I'm very happy that I'm close to goal now.

 
Just about when I couldn't wipe my own ass on stiff days........

It was either lose weight or get my arms lengthened...

Keepin it real......

frisco