docbree

Statistically speaking, I think only around 1% of people who lose significant amounts of weight keep it off long term. If you want to find out whether or not you can be a statistical outlier, then put off the surgery. But just remember, there's a reason people who lose over 100lb (without surgery) often make the news: it doesn't happen that often.
Are you sure you only qualify for the bypass? My acid reflux was entirely due to my food choices, and during the pre-op diet when I was eating totally clean, it completely went away. Every once and while I get that acidic hungry feeling, but at over 3 months post-op, that only happens one or two times a month and then I just take pill for it. I know I would have been a lot more hesitant about surgery if the bypass were the only thing I qualified for. I know lots of people are happy with it and it's a tried and true tool for weight loss, but personally, I didn't feel ready it. My sleeve, on the other hand, I'm very happy with.

From February of this year until my surgery in June I lost (in just 4 months!) 85 pounds. Now, part of that was because I had SO MUCH to lose and the first 40 came off really easily. I did it mostly without exercise. I ate high Protein and low carbs and I cut out starches, fruit, and sugar. Honestly, it wasn't a hard diet to stay on because even though I cut calories dramatically, I was still eating quite a bit but GOOD food.
My own primary care doctor said "You're doing so well without surgery, do you still want to do it?" I honestly considered not having the surgery but I'm so glad I went ahead with it. Even though I haven't lost as much as some people have in 2.5 months, I've still lost 40ish pounds since then and I know that I'm better equipped now with this new tool to keep on losing.
Who knows how long I could have kept up losing on my own? I definitely noticed a slow down as my body adjusted to getting less food. You mention that you think (based on this six months) you could lose all of it in another year. Anything is possible but I heartily say: do not count on it. As you lose more and more weight your body needs less calories to sustain itself and you'll have to eat less and less to accomplish weight loss. As you add exercise your body will also need (nearly demand!) more food because you're running it harder.
Only you can determine if WLS will be a right fit for you. Look at all the pros and cons and make a choice based on what you've done in your lifetime, not in the last six months. Good luck!

That's amazing progress! Congratulations!!!

That obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis just saved your life. A lot of people are in your shoes and have no idea, and that's very scary. I see so many patients that have OSA and don't know it, and before they get discharged from the hospital, I put the fear of God into them and also inform their families. WLS will most likely completely cure you of this problem, but until then, get your CPAP and wear it. Over time OSA puts a bad strain on your heart (especially on the left side) and those changes sometimes can't be corrected. So please take care of yourself and I hope that you'll soon meet all of the requirements and get your sleeve done. Good luck to you.

First check out the obesity statistics:
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
You are FAAAAAAR from the only person in the U.S. One-third of the country apparently can't do it either, so please don't beat yourself up.
As @@BitterSweet* said, that diagnosis very well could have saved your life. You're on the right track!
I was on a CPAP for seven years. When the machine broke I couldn't sleep for two days because of choking. Now post-sleeve, I'm actually seeing my sleep doctor next week to determine if I even need the CPAP anymore.
You can do it too. You're beating yourself up for how you got "this point" but aren't realizing there is a way DOWN. The sleeve is working for tens of thousands of people. You're not alone.
Peace be with you.

Thinking of you dear. They are usually not cancerous so remember the odds are in your favor. You have a greater chance of it being benign. I'll be sending prayers your way. I'm sure it weighs heavily on your mind though. I had a cancerous tumor 16 years ago but I kicked that tumor's butt!!!! We are all here for you.....keep us posted honey

@@vsgchick and @@Luvin_Life125 Thank you so much for your encouragement and support. It really helps to know I'm not alone. I will be thinking of both of you and wishing you well on your journeys. Please keep me posted on your progress.

Greetings
Just changed my date from Sept 15 to Oct 20 so I could attend an important function. Not so I could eat....lol....but to be well/strong enough to attend the function which was just six days after my September surgery date. Soooooo I accepted my Surgeons very next available which is October 20.
I've been living the pre-op lifestyle for approx 10wks and have already lost 30+ lbs....."healthily" if that's a word. Of course - it's no doubt easier (for whatever reason) for men to lose weight, but, I have really embraced the lifestyle (meal plans, exercise, attending support groups, mindfulness, etc). I suppose it helps that I'm (now) single with no children/family to deal with as I begin this journey. Yep, was married with children for 30yrs, and, while I lost the weight, often, sooner - rather than later - I gained it back +. It was just too difficult to be focused and/or considerate of the family while I attempted to get healthy......again! To this end - I applaud all who are beginning this journey in the midst of 'family life'. Best wishes to you.
Soooo 51, single, retired, new home/lifestyle/attitude. The time is right for me, and I'm SUPER excited.
My main topic(s) within my new circles and with my medical team are - now that I'm no longer 100lbs over weight, a) will I no longer qualify for the surgery, and, since - with or without the surgery - success/long-term maintenance depends 100% on compliance with the lifestyle - what is the real benefit of going ahead with the surgery? Thankfully, my medical team assured me I would never be disqualified from the program because I lost too much "pre-op" weight.....YaY! My support circles helped me to understand - if I didn't have any objections or medical concerns - the procedure would just be another 'tool' in my tool belt to maintain life-long success. Truth be told - I really don't have any objections to having less space to pack away food.
Spent the weekend with a friend, who did it on her own and isn't a fan of the surgery. She shares that with her method, she's a) successful (has lost and maintains the weight loss), and can still PIG OUT whenever she wants without getting sick, and because she still has her entire stomach. I had to think about that and ask myself - "do I still want to PIG OUT?" Or do I really want to remove those types of behaviors from my life completely? I've resolved that I want to remove them completely. I want to learn to be happy/satisfied/healthy without the need/desire to PIG OUT! After all - why do we pig out? I can't really answer that logically.
Blah, blah....so, here I am - reading/enjoying your posts, studying up, asking questions, etc. And, uh, that is all.
Wishing all GREAT success!

One thing else you will find is that you may have to ditch the negative Nancy"s for a while so that you can keep focused on following through with your surgery. This is about YOU, not them.

Hang in there! Gastric polyps are unusual from what I understand and I thought I was all alone in that respect. You are my second polyp person on the forums I have found so far. The doc biopsies them just to make double sure you are ok for VSG. I have faith yours will be benign too. Keep hanging on!

Good Luck with everything. I have RA as well and was recommended to do sleeve over bypass. My surgeon said my overactive immune system would essentially kill the band, so that was out from the beginning. I manage the RA with a low dose of Mobic right now. Hoping that removing excess weight off my joints will help me step away from it completely.

Mine was set back because I contracted ischemic colitis wwhich had to be dealt with before bariatric surgery. Otherwise, any knick on the bowel would have cause catastrophic infection. I had to wait, but I was alive to wait.

i have been helping a friend who is in the pipeline for this surgery. my suggestions for you are the same i gave her:
log every single thing you put in your mouth, every single day, honestly and faithfully. no exceptions.
learn to drink between meals, not with meals, eat slowly, take small bites, chew well. measure your food before you serve yourself.
start researching and practicing ways to soothe yourself without food.
start walking every day, 10 minutes. no exceptions.
good luck!

Congratulations on choosing your healthy future -- that's what's important, that you are showing up for yourself and for your daughter -- you're going to do beautifully no matter what WLS you choose. And it is your choice. Tere are plenty of very successful high BMI Banders here but the band is not for every one. Glad you have support in place, upcoming meetings with surgeon and nutritionist, etc. And that you are committed to cleaning up your diet in advance -- good for you. I cook and freeze a lot -- sounds like you are that kind of person, too. Do you like curries, stews, etc.? I cook with stock a lot for that rich savory high-protein kind of food. And they freeze well. Best wishes to you -- these coming weeks will be very exciting and the anticipation, oh boy, do I remember that.

Shell, you are such a beauty - can't help but comment on that!
I read both the posts you started and your comment on the b*tch thread. I have so much to say, yet don't really know what to say. This is all food for thought... take what is useful and leave the rest behind. My intention is to be supportive but I remember how tender the heart is at the preop phase too.
Amazing success IS possible with any WLS. It really is. research it HARD though. I had the band for 10 years and didn't do well. Frankly, i suffered alot. I am told the band is better now, I can't comment on that, but in 2001 it pretty much resulted in eventual issues and removal for everybody I knew. I thought the reversible thing was good... like all I had to do was lose weight and life would be easy breezy...haha... Queen of DeNile.
Others have done well so I am not trying to talk you out of it, but, for a high BMI person ... there are considerations. Again, take it or leave it. The best advice I can give is to consult with more than one surgeon (I found out THEY are very biased too!!!) and go to some support groups. It was very educational to go to support groups of post ops... pretty much everyone therehad bypasss (that surgeon really preferred bypass) and only one other person was awaiting revision from band. I remember thinking how thin she looked, I couldn't imagine why she needed WLS. of course, when you weigh over 300... lots of other people look "thin".
I was too chicken to go for the bypass, the band didn't really work for me... so I wound up sleeved. I learned alot from that support group even though they were mostly bypass patients.
I had a BMI over 50 when I was revised to the sleeve. Right now, my BMI is about 23... so yes, i lost more than half my body weight. Losing that much weight (168# lost since sleeved - now weigh about 140-145 range) was not always easy but it was really worth it. I had reached the age in life (late 40s) where I was seriously getting concerned about longevity and disabiliy due to my weight. I had reasons to be SUPER motivated. The changes to my looks were just a side benefit.
Recently, my 40 year old niece died of a heart attack. She was very very overweight - heavier than I was. It was so sad, she had half a lifetime ahead of her and it was gone in an instant, largely due to her obesity.
I advise you to take the time to research, really understand pros and cons of each procedure (trust me, they ALL have negatives) and decide which you think you have the best odds of success. I spent about a year in anguish over the revision decision. It was not pleasant, but i think that painful year of indecision actually helped me when the going got rough post sleeve.
Whatever you decide - best of luck. You deserve good health and freedom from obesity.
People you know who might be 10, 20, 50# overweight... well... they kinda understand but frankly we are in a little different situation. It is hard to express how enlightening it was to meet with a surgeon who helped me understand the metabolic issue of obesity and just how complex it is. i hope you get that chance too.

First off DETOX is a myth made up by naturalpaths. One's liver does a very good job keeping toxins out of your blood. For example, I just lost over 80 in a couple of months. If my fat cells were so full of the toxins as the natural non-science crowd says. I would be dead or close to it. As someone else said drink lots of Water and you will adapt to the pre-op diet.

Thanks for sharing your photos. My belly looks very similar to yours. I already consulted with a plastic surgeon a couple of weeks ago. She told me to come back when I stop losing weight. I didn't want to wait! I hate my wobbly bits. But seeing your photos makes me realize that loose skin isn't really that big a deal. You look great.
Since I'm 60 and I was obese for a long time, it isn't likely that my skin will tighten up much on its own. But look how great you look in your clothes. Instead of obsessing about loose skin, I should learn how to dress better.

docbree good suggestion about the gout! I didn't even think of that, but I won't forget it next time

Hey Nairobi78 in Texas......Good Morning. Since I am up thinkin' when I ought to be sleepin', I will go ahead and say good morning. Welcome to the bariatric forums. I hope you will find us to be an interesting and informative bunch of folks. For sure, opinions and moods vary, but will surely get a passionate response ot two to your questions.

It's possible the pain in your clavicles could be gout due to the high Protein diet they recommend for us. I hope your doctor is able to determine the cause of your pain and help you get some relief!

Autumn thanks for being so candid. These photos do not deter me. Like you, I know after the sleeve surgery life will be so much better. Saggy skin is Very small price to pay to be healthy.
By the way, good job on the weight loss. Wishing you continued success

So today I was asked about excess skin. So I wanted to share my skin. Warning there are photos of me in my bra.
So a little about me.
I had gastric bypass on Halloween 2013.
Hw: 333 pounds
Surgery weight: 283 pounds
Current weight: 180 pounds
Estimated excess skin weight from doctor: 20 pounds
Height 5 foot 6 inches
Size 10 stretchy, size 12 regular fit, size 14 tight fit.
Size M shirts
Size WHEN I started 4xl
I will try to attach some before, after and skin photos.
Goal weight 140-150 pounds.
Goal life: healthy, and live life to the fullest
I wanted to share these because I look not so bad with clothing. I don't like having the excess skin, but it doesn't define me.
Remember it can take up to two years for skin to shrink.
I am not ashamed of my excess skin. Do I wish it was gone, yes I do, but life unhealthy was much worse
I hope this does not deter you to lose weight and have this surgery, because this life is so much better and it is worth it!
Let me know if you have any questions
I will likely do this again when I hit goal weight. As you can see in the below pictures, I still have a lot of adipose tissue in the skin, so I am sure it will get better
Cheers!

I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, at times severe edema in both ankles. So I am being treated for all of the above. I started at 303. Then my husband had a heart attack, between being in the hospital for 18 days including his bypass, i barely ate. After I went back to work and was almost done caring for him. I smell food and gain. But I fluctuate awful. I have been going to 3 more nut visits but I had to cancel August because of my work schedule. I'm calling every morning to see if there are any cancelations. Thank u all for ur support and giving me ur thoughts. I am doing 3 more months, if I have to start over so be it. Like Grammy said, what's another few months for a lifetime of happiness and health!! I'm just so down. Thanks again guys

@@mz.newlife54. Congratulations!!! I'm so happy for you

@@VSGAnn2014 and @@lose4life - thank you for your replies. The NSAID question is one I've had several conversations with my surgeon about. In my particular case, he is allowing them. I know everyone's situation and surgeon are different. The reason I said I'm getting the VSG is that it can possibly make esophagitis worse, but I'm not a candidate for bypass.
My biggest concern right now is the polyps. I'm over my shock now and am confident they will come back benign .