meghuffman

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a few years ago and take Synthroid every day. My levels are stable, but because I have had trouble losing weight in the past, I was wondering if any of you have the same health problem. If so, were you able to lose much weight quickly after surgery? Or does this ailment prevent quick weight loss after surgery, as it can without surgery? I just wanna know what to expect. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

I am not an emotional eater- my problem is that I have a HUGE appetite and love good tasting good (for me, that's meat, potatoes, cheese, etc.) I'm not really a fruit/vegetable type of person. My main concern was that after surgery (and for the rest of my life), I'd crave something, not be supposed to eat it, eat it anyway, and gain back all of my weight. I have been told that after a while, you can still have things you crave (although I've also been told that your cravings change), but that you will be able to eat these things in smaller amounts. That made me feel better. I know that I can't have loaded mashed potatoes and green beans cooked in bacon every day of my life after surgery, but I just never wanted to set myself up to fail by giving in to cravings (which I've always done when dieting).

You sound like me- I'm glad that I'm not the only one who can wrap their mind around the sleeve much better than the bypass. I never wanted the lapband because if I'm gonna go through surgery, I want to loss weight quickly and effectively. I've never known anyone with lapband who has dropped a significant amount of weight. I was gonna get bypass because I had done very little research on sleeve and just didn't think I wanted it. But I kept saying, "I don't like the finality of the bypass. I can't just quit like I can when I'm on a diet". I attended a Seminar and immediately knew the Sleeve was for me. I know that it's the same principle of it not being reversible and you can't just quit. But I feel more comfortable in having a smaller stomach rather than everything being re-routed. I know many people who've gotten bypassed. Some have done great and others haven't. There's too many nutritional deficiences associated with the bypass. I know people have thought I was crazy about my reasoning, so I'm glad there's another one of us out there. I haven't had one question or fear since I decided to get the Sleeve. My initial consultation is tomorrow. Hope you do well!

Thanks for the information. I used to work at a smoke-free workplace so I chewed Nicotine gum throughout the day. That took the cravings away- but when I'd get off work, I'd smoke a pack before the next morning! LOL I'll definitely try the Patches. My sister quit several years ago and was in a TERRIBLE mood. Nobody wanted to be around her. She's since started back (I don't know?). I guess I'd rather gain any "quitting smoking" weight before the surgery instead of screwing up my surgery by eventually trying to quit later. I know I need to quit. My whole life revolves around it- and I don't like being controlled by something like this. I want to want to quit, but I've never wanted to quit. But this is as goog a time as ever. I wanna continue to try to get pregnant when I'm able to after the surgery. If I quit now, I won't have to worry about it if I do get pregnant. I'm sorry for rambling. I'm just throwing out things here that may help me to want to quit. Thanks again for the info!

I'll tell you what was explained to me by my cousin's wife, who had gastric bypass 8 years ago. I've told this in another post, so I'm sorry to anyone who has already read it. I can't remember where I posted it, but I think it's very important here. She said that she was hungry when she went into surgery and when she came out. She said that the surgery (now remember, this is bypass) did not remove her feelings of hunger. 'This is when she made the statement that after a few weeks, her mind caught up with her stomach. What she meant was that before the surgery, she would eat whenever- bored, stressed, happy, etc. Because she had always eaten much more than what was needed to survive, her body thought it was starving after the surgery because she was eating so little food compared to what she used to eat. This caused her to think she was hungry even when she wasn't. After a few weeks, her brain realized that her body wasn't going to starve and her hunger began to subside. She says that she now eats to live, instead of living to eat. We are so used to eating whenever- whether we are hungry or not. Just because we have surgery that limits the amount of food we eat, our brains don't know this and for whatever reason we ate before (unless we were truly hungry), our brains are telling us that we still need to eat at these times. It takes a while before our brain realizes that something has changed. That's what is meant by your mind (or brain) catching up with your stomach. I hope this clarifies it for you. I haven't read anybody else's posts, so there may be other reasons for this saying. But, I think that what my cousin's wife said makes a lot of sense.

Please don't think that you're alone. I was thin (5'7"- 110-125 lbs in high school) and although I gained weight in college, I lost it and stayed at around 150 most of my adult life. My mother has had weight problems all of her adult life, and when I was younger, I would get so frustrated when she would constantly say, "Am I as big as she" when we were out in public. I now find myself constantly comparing my size to that of other women. My sister and I would get upset with Mama because when it was time for her class reunions, she worried for months before the event, scared about the fact that she gained weight. Now, I can relate to with what she's had to go through. I have moved away from my home town and if my high school reunion was this year (it's next year), I wouldn't go. I've had people that I was close to in high school not recognize me. I'm a Social Worker and was working at a dialysis center when I began to put on weight (I've put on probably 50 pounds since I quit in 2008). The patients and staff would say the rudest things to me about my weight gain. I started trying to get pregnant in 2004, but have never been able to. I remember once, I saw a dialysis staff member that I had not seen in several months. Her comment to me was, "Meg- are you pregnant or are you just fat?" At that time I probably weighed 180 pounds, which was big, but not morbidly obese. I cried for an hour afterwards. I remember we had a Priest who would provide various services to our patients. He came into my office after I had been crying and asked me if I was ok. I told him that somebody had hurt my feelings and went to pieces again. He asked if he could pray for me. He stood behind me (I was sitting down) with his hands on my shoulders and as he prayed, I completely lost it. I couldn't understand what possessed someone to say something so hurtful. Since that time, others have made similar comments. My mother says things because she knows what I'm going through. But what she doesn't understand is that sometimes her comments are hurtful. I know how big I've gotten. I see myself naked everyday. I don't need anybody to tell me how much weight I've gained. In addition, my health has gotten completely out of hand. I had my mind set on gastric bypass, having read a little about the sleeve and deciding that it was not for me. When I attended the Seminar, the surgeon went into detail about it and I knew then and there that this was the option for me. Since I haven't been "morbidly obese" for 3+ years, insurance won't pay. Bypass is more expensive ($12,000.00 more if I had gotten it from this surgeon) and my insurance won't pay for Sleeve since it is considered a new procedure. I'm glad that I have to pay out-of-pocket because I don't have to jump through insurance hoops, but mainly because I am able to choose an option that is right for me instead of settling on something just because insurance pays. I've really been considering weightloss surgery for several months, but when I found out just how bad my health is, I kicked it in gear. I am the type that when I decide on something, whether it's to get my hair cut or to have weight loss surgery, I want it done immediately. My initial consult is on Tuesday, 6-7-11. I honestly feel that this is a great decision for me. The money isn't a problem since I will be able to get a personal loan. I figured that would be the biggest obstacle for me and since I was able to get past that, I'm hoping and praying that everything runs smoothly. Please don't hesitate to send me a message if you need support or just vent. I can relate to how you feel and know just how important support is from those who understand. You're in my prayers.

I do appreciate all the responses I've gotten. This is all so new to me, because as I stated earlier, I was totally "gastric bypass" until that seminar. In the past 2 weeks, I've done more research on this than I have anything else in my life- including the bypass. I don't have a "Pollyanna" attitude and know that this isn't going to be a piece of cake (sorry! LOL). But, I also know that one day, my new eating habits will be just that- habits- and I won't remember what it's been like to be miserable and unhealthy. I know that won't happen overnight, but I'm ready. I will certainly be asking more questions as this progresses. Although we are all different and our bodies respond differently to surgery, food, supplements, etc., there's no one better than those who have done this to tell me what to expect. So, thanks again. Best wishes!

Well, my story is just beginning. I am 37 years old and was thin (sometimes downright skinny) for most of my life. I gained weight in college, but was able to lose it and stayed at 150 pounds for several years (I am 5'6"). After I married, I gained 20 pounds and lost it within 6 weeks of Weight Watchers. In 1998, I began having back problems, that over the years, have become severe. After losing the weight in WW, I began taking Lyrica and gained 40 pounds within 6 months. After getting off the Lyrica, I couldn't get the weight off. I tried Jenny Craig and lost pretty much nothing except a couple thousand dollars and tried WW again. The weight would not come off. As I gradually got bigger, I developed Thyroid problems, High Blood Pressure, Pre-Diabetes, and sleep Apnea. I pretty much meet all health qualifications for insurance to pay for gastric bypass surgery, but because I haven't had this problem for 3 years, they won't pay. Since I was diagnosed with the majority of health problems in the past year, I'd have to weight 2 years before I qualify. My triglycerides are so high I won't even tell ya'll the number, so do I wait 2 years and hope and pray I don't fall over with a stroke or heart attack or do I go on and have weight loss surgery? I've decided to finance the surgery. BC/BS of Alabama won't pay for Sleeve and Gastric Bypass is $26,000.00. I attended a seminar last weekend and feel that the Sleeve is a better option for me anyway, so this is the choice I've decided upon. I have my initial consulation with the doctor on 6/7/11. At the seminar, I found that he has criteria that patients must meet, but these things seem to be pretty easy: attend 1 support group, attend a nutritional class to teach me how to eat after surgery, and since I take an anti-depressant, I'll probably have to have a psych evaluation. He said this was for anyone suffering from depression. I was diagnosed with this in high school and am not severely depressed. I'm hoping that since I'm "stable" on medication and don't have any problems, he won't require the psych eval, but if he does, then he does. I'm alright with it. I just want to get going as soon as possible. I'm a little nervous, but seem to be more at ease since I decided to choose the sleeve. I know many people who have had gastric bypass. Some have done very well, some have not. I kept finding myself nervous about making the decision to have gastric bypass, but have not had those same feelings since learning all I can, and deciding to go with, gastric sleeve. I think the thought of everything having to be "re-wired" made me feel that the bypass was so "final". For some reason, I can wrap my head around having a smaller stomach, while everything else stays in place. Well, that's pretty much it. I'd love to hear from anyone who is just starting out in this process, as I am. I would also like to know of anyone who has had a psych eval. Of course I'd love to look great, but I'm not severely obese (BMI of 37-38). I have thought about weight loss surgery for several months, but In the past month, I have really started to worry about my health. I know this is what they want to know during psych eval, but I'd like to have some idea of what kinds of questions they ask. I think a support forum like this is terrific. I look forward to "meeting" several of you as we go through this together. With love and prayers, Meg

Boy we really are in the same boat- with our health issues, out-of-pocket pay, and decisions regarding our medical care. I, too, have heard terrific things about both. I liked that Dr. Schmitt explained what he could do for us if we used him as our surgeon, but didn't "toot his own horn". He would say things like, "Whichever surgeon you choose, make sure he does this, that, and the other." He was open to having everyone there make an appointment with him, but wanted us to have the best care- no matter who we used. I really respected that. I also liked how he explained everything, but didn't ramble. I had gone, certain that I was going to have gastric bypass. I had read a little (very little) about the sleeve and didn't want it. But, when he explained it, I knew that was route I needed to take. Good luck and thanks for all the support. I'm sure we'll be crossing paths again.

Thanks.

This may be answered throughout other posts, but I haven't see anything specific. Is the length of the pre-op diet based on each individual doctor? What seems to be a basic pre-op diet and how long can the diet last? And what exactly is the reason for the diet? I'm assuming that the doctor doesn't want to cut into a stomach that is full of digested food (YUCK!) and am guessing that's one reason for the diet. I'm assuming another reason is so that we can be used to a smaller amount of food so it's not such a shock on our system (and emotions) once we've had the surgery. Am I close to the mark? Thanks for the information!

Thanks. I smoke WAY TOO MUCH- over a pack a day. I've wanted to want to quit, but I haven't wanted to quit. Does that make sense? My husband, who dips tobacco and smokes a cigarette every now and then, is very supportive of me quitting since I've been told that it will help me heal. I know people who've had bypass surgery and never stopped. But I don't want to go through all of this for health reasons and have my body fail to heal properly because I haven't stopped smoking. I know I'm gonna have to stop and I know that I need to stop- surgery or not. I guess it would be a good idea to go ahead and try to cut down so that when the time comes for me to stop, I will already be on my way. And since people usually gain weight when they stop smoking, I guess it's better to do that now before surgery, than to have problems losing weight after surgery. Thanks. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who has gone through this.

No. His middle name is Scott. Well, now that we've gotten all of that taken care of- LOL- I've got some questions for you about the Sleeve. How long have you had your's? How did you feel after surgery? How long did it take you to get over surgery and get back to feeling like your old self? Do you work, and if you do, how long before you went back after surgery?

My cousin had gastric bypass about 8 years ago and has done GREAT! Before I decided on VSG, I was contemplating gastric bypass. I called to talk to her and she said that she was hungry when they wheeled her into surgery and hungry when they wheeled her out. She said that she was hungry for about 2 weeks, but that after that time period, her head caught up with her stomach. She explained it this way: for so long, we have eaten WAY MORE than we need to be healthy and survive. Once you've decreased your food intake to basically nothing, your body thinks it's going to starve and sends signals that your hungry. After a couple of weeks, your body realizes that it's not going to starve and calms down a bit. I know that she had bypass, but I'm assuming the same principles apply with VSG. Good luck. I'm just starting- initial doctors appointment this Tuesday, the 7th. So I can't identify with what you're going through, but I hope the above puts it into some sort of perspective for you. Meg

Oh, and I'm "Meggie" too! My sister and parents call me that, as well as alot of friends from high school!

My husband's name is MICHAEL! How funny is this? Except, he's the opposite of your husband. His family calls him Michael, but I know him as "Mike". As an adult, he wanted to be called "Mike".

Ok. I haven't read anyone else's replies so I hope I'm not just saying what others are saying. I have my initial appointment with doctor next Tuesday and am paying for this out of pocket. So I think we are pretty close to being in the same boat. So here are my thoughts: First of all, if it was as easy as going to the gym for us to lose the weight, we'd have done that already. Right? Second, you aren't thinking one thought that I haven't thought. I'm not scared to die, so my philosophy is: when it's my time, it's my time and there isn't anything I'll be able to do about it. Therefore, the "death" thing doesn't bother me. BUT, I have a cloud that follows me wherever I go. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen to me. I'm terrified that I won't lose any weight. At the Seminar, the doctor gave the average # of pounds that are lost with VSG. He said some people lose more and some don't lose any. That FREAKED ME OUT! BUT, he said that if you don't lose, it's because you've haven't changed your eating habits. Changing my eating habits also freaks me out. I'm not an emotional eater, but I love fattening, tasty foods and I have a HUGE appetite. Like you, I don't see myself as big as I am. I was thin all of my life (until a couple of years ago), so I don't really see the "fat person" until I see myself in pictures. My stepdaughter graduated from high school the other night and I've only seen one pic that was taken of me. I don't think that I look that big in real life, but I could be wrong. I'll catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror or a store window and I realize that I'm bigger than I think I am. But, I still don't consider myself to be "morbidly obese". Since I was thin most of my life, however, I think I'll be able to handle my "new" self. Don't worry about feeling "normal" after losing the weight. You've felt "normal" after gaining weight, right? 3) I worry about the skin, too. My sister-in-law had bypass surgery several years and you would have never known it. She was wearing a two piece the next summer and didn't have ANY loose skin. She's battled her weight all of her life so does that mean I'll have sagging skin because this is a new thing for me? I try to think that maybe my skin hasn't had enough time to stay this stretched out, so hopefully, it won't sag. I'm 37, so I'm also hoping that my age will prevent sagging. They say the key is drinking lots of Water and using a good lotion. Even if we have sagging skin, at least we will be able to cover it up in clothes. At the seminar, a nurse who had the surgery (and has also had several cosmetic surgeries to get rid of loose skin) said that when you have plastic surgery, you trade the skin for scars. She also said that the sagging skin should be last on your list of concerns. But like you, I worry about it too. However, I'd rather have loose skin than to continue being overweight. 4) I'm not worried about a leak. I'm hoping that my doctor is good enough that a) this won't occur or if it does, he will know what to do. As a matter of fact, my doctor (who spoke at the seminar) said that it's important to pick a doctor who will know what to do in the event of a complication and how to know if a complication is really a complication. The bottom line is this: I'll bet that everyone who has had weight loss surgery, or is contemplating surgery, has the same fears. You don't need to do anything you don't want to do or don't feel comfortable doing. So ask yourself this: Is your excess weight causing you problems that have, or will, prevent you from being able to do anything you wanna do. If the answer is "Yes", then I don't think you have anything to lose by having the surgery- except bunches of weight! I hope I've helped you think about these things. I also hope that I've made you realize that you are not alone with regards to your fears. I have them, but my answer the question above is "Yes". I'm ready for a change so that I won't have anything standing in the way of doing what I want to do- whether that's being confident seeing people from high school (which I avoid now) or having my picture made (which I also avoid if at all possible). You're in my prayers. Keep me posted. Meg

23 pounds in 2 weeks? That's TERRIFIC! I get my motivation by seeing the results of weight loss, which is why, when I thought I'd have bypass, I thought I could do pretty good at keeping the weight off. I know I'm gonna dread the day when the weight loss starts to slow down, but hopefully, I will have lost so much that I'll be happy with how I look by then. I am really impressed. That's probably almost a couple of clothing sizes! Keep me posted. Meg

I am Margaret! I always get, "Where did you get Meg from"? I really can't understand why that's so hard to figure out. I HATE being called "Megan" and when I was younger, my sister would make me irate by calling me "Margie". I know a couple of other Megs, but didn't know them until I was an adult. I worked with a Meg whose real name was Megan. My sister's name is Kara and I've always liked the fact that we have names that aren't overused or "trendy".

I'm sleepy, so I'll reply to you tomorrow. But I had to tell you this since you said that about not knowing any other "Meg"s. My maiden name is May. I am a Social Worker in Alabama and have a checking account at Regions bank. There is another Meg May (her married name) in Alabama, who is a Social Worker, and has a Regions account. I know this because they got our accounts mixed up once. I have been sent her SW license and have had people come up to me at conferences (we wear name tags) and act like they know me, only to say, "you don't look like I remembered". In November, I began working for Public Health and had several trainings to attend. Guess who has been to two of the trainings as a presenter? Meg May! I've told her the several things that have happened to me with regards to getting us mixed up. I had to laugh when I saw her. I"m tall, dark hair and eyes. She's petite, blond, blue-eyed, and is alot older than me. It cracks me up to think that anybody could get me confused with her. So, not only have I met other "Meg"s, but I've met another "Meg May". Small world! Will reply to your post later. Have a great day tomorrow! Meg

Vickie, I think 10 pounds in 2 weeks is great! I completely understand your being frustrated because I think all of us figure that if we are eating nothing, compared to what we normally eat, the pounds should melt away in no time. But I think that's great. That's 20 pounds a month! I know the weight loss probably slows down, but by Christmas you might have lost 100 pounds or more. That's alot to lose in just a few months. I've read alot of "success stories" of people losing 75 pounds in 6 months. Don't get frustrated! I know I can't really talk since I haven't had the surgery and don't know what you're feeling. I'm certainly not looking forward to the "adjustment period" and learning how to eat a) when I'm not hungry and foods that I don't want. But I'm proud of you. Just think how long it would have taken you to lose that 10 pounds if you hadn't have had the surgery. I know that my metabolism has died and it would've taken me months. But, keep your chin up! And I really appreciate the information you shared,- good, bad, and ugly. I want to know what to expect no matter what that reality is. I've heard the surgery is similar to gallbladder surgery. I had my gallbladder out on a Thursday and by Friday night, I was sitting at a Church social, eating. I'm assuming this surgery is more painful, plus we have the added "emotional aspects" of it. I keep trying to stay focused on how I hope I'll feel about 1 month after I've had the surgery. I do have one more question (and probably many more before it's over). Do you work, and if so, have you gone back to work? I was thinking about having my surgery on a Friday and taking off the next week, returning to work on the following Monday. (Well, maybe two more questions! lol) What about your energy levels? I know with bypass, I've heard it takes several weeks before the energy returns. How do you feel physically? Thanks for all information. Hang in there! Meg

Gina, I agree about the lap band. I have an aunt and a cousin who chose to go that route and I don't think either have lost a great amount of weight. If I'm going to pay $14,000 and have surgery, I'm going with something that is going to help me lose this weight. I don't want to go through all of this for 20 pounds or so. I hate that you have to go through the 6 month supervised diet. At the Seminar I went to, the doctor said that he has written several letters to insurance companies, trying to get them to understand that if we could lose weight, we wouldn't be having surgery. He feels that having to go through another diet is prolonging the surgery. BC/BS wrote back to him and told him that his patients did not have to meet this criteria- but if they didn't do this, insurance wouldn't pay for the surgery. We all laughed, of course, but I completely agreed with what he said. But, insurance companies do what they do. At least you're getting on your way. Just don't lose too much. If you do, you won't qualify anymore! LOL