GSFan

He's allowed to have an opinion. The part that's a worry is the 'controlling' bit.
If he says 'I don't think you should do it because of x y z, but it's your choice'
Is a lot different to 'I don't think you should do it and you're not doing it'

I'm new to the forum here and just wanted to introduce myself. I'm 10 months after surgery and truly loving life. I began my journey needing to drop 98 lbs. I am down 88 lbs post surgery, not having to do any kind of pre surgery diet, so all has been lost since May 1st 2012.
I can't tell you how wonderful the experience has been. I've been very blessed in not having any complications and no problems with any foods or hunger. This has given me a real sense of FREEDOM from all things food, for the first time in my 54 years of life.
As I am reaching my personal goal weight, I thank God each day and can't wait for all the future holds.

Krissymbr, that is what you call being a "hater!" That person is jealous!!! Let's see her lose over sixty pounds in five months!!! Let them eat their hearts out!!! You go!!!!!

What has changed in my life since I have lost 105 pounds? I was thinking as my husband and I are planning a trip to Europe in September 2011 how much my life has changed in the last 2 ½ years. 5 years ago I would not have considered going on this type of long vacation. If you are thinking about having Weight Loss Surgery, these things don’t even hit your radar screen right now, because I had NO clue that so many things would change in my life after losing weight.
1. I always liked myself; I just hated the body I was stuck in. WOW I had no idea how different I would feel about myself after my weight loss.
2. I know I walked with much more confidence after my weight loss and I look people in the eye.
3. I have no problem standing up for others that I feel are being picked on or bullied, or judged by how they looked—their weight, their clothing, the color of their skin. I hate bullies and adult bullies are 10 times worse. LET’S STOP THEM OK!!!!!!!!
4. I wanted to give back something to my community and let others know that they could do what I hadn’t been able to do with JUST diet and exercise. I needed to have WLS so that I had the tool to achieve my goal. My tool is the restriction I have with “sleeve surgery.”
5. I am retired and went back and started teaching at an Alternative High School. So many of my students were from dysfunctional homes. I know without a doubt I have made a difference in their lives (they certainly have changed mine.) I am giving 2 of them scholarships to college. Maybe more of us can give something back, big or small. It all makes a difference. Your time helping kids really can make a difference.
6. I am willing to try to educate others about what Weight Loss Surgery really is.
7. I am here to support and encourage others on their WLS journey and I thought that would be a short term thing…now I know I will always be willing to help them in the years ahead. Pay it forward; you may change someone’s life by helping them with words and encouragement.
8. Life is very short, none of us know how long we will be here, and the time is NOW to have your weight loss surgery. This has to be ALL about you and NO one else in your life. It is nice if your family supports you but don’t count on it. And don’t let them discourage you.
9. I get up every morning feeling 20 years younger.
10. I know without a doubt that I will ALWAYS maintain my weight loss. Something I was never able to do before in my life.
11. Eating healthy is really fun. You can cook yummy healthy food that tastes great.
12. Exercise is something that I have always hated, now I want to exercise it actually feels good.
13. I have become a much better cook than I ever was before.

The standard things that I am enjoying and they are all the things that you are thinking about if you are about to have WLS or have already had it:

1. Feeling and looking better.
2. Better health and I got off a lot of medications that you I taking.
3. New clothes, shoes, and shopping in places that I never could shop at before
4. Being comfortable and being able to move without my entire body hurting.
5. Wondering if you are the “one” person that WLS will not work on? I promise you it will work for you.
6. Having people notice that I have lost a ton of weight and being able to tell them how I did it.
7. Having someone call me SKINNY—what a GRAND feeling that was.
8. Going on vacations and walking every place I wanted to without having to stop and rest.
9. Giving away all my “fat people” clothes to a shelter where I know they will be need and use.
10. Getting hugs!:kiss:
Please consider how YOUR life can or will change if you have WLS. When I was considering this, I want the best doctor I could find who had done numerous “Sleeves” surgeries with great success and after all my research I knew it was Dr. Aceves. If you are going to do this WHY not have the best there is?:messenger:

Suzanne
Sleeved by Dr. Aceves Oct 21, 2011
Starting Weight 225 lbs,
Goal Weight 125 lbs
Weight now 120 lbs

Hi Everyone,

Are you scared about having WLS? I was too, and I am willing to bet that 99% of all of on this site were too.
We have talked ourselves in and out of going ahead and taking that big step at least 75 to 100 times. We have been convinced that there is something weak or wrong about having weight loss surgery and that is really all wrong—it take a lot of courage to have weight loss surgery.
For so many of us we have a disease and just like any other disease we need some form of treatment. If you needed surgery for something you wouldn’t think twice about going to the hospital and having that surgery because if you didn’t you could die.
Well the same this will happen from be fat, we are going to die faster from being fat than we are from weight loss surgery. I know it is scary and the unknown is what scares us the most.
Never give up on your dreams of losing this weight and being able to keep it off. It will require WORK and EFFORT on your part to be successful—it does not just melt off of you. You will be given the tool (WLS) to achieve this. You are on the right track if you are thinking about it.
I did it 2.5 years ago and lost 105 pounds and have kept it off. I am here to help you, answer any questions you might have about WLS—I had the sleeve. You are WORTH the effort it will take. It can happen and your only regret you will have is that you didn’t do it sooner.
Hugs,

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who have very supportive friends and family. But I know where you're coming from. I think our society is so youth centered, that they consider anything done at an older age as a waste of resources. If you couldn't get it right by 60, then give up. Well, we're here to prove that philosophy wrong by living a long, healthy and productive life.

Hi,

I had weight loss surgery when I was 63 and I am now 65 . I have been sleeved of 2 1/2 years. I lost 105 pounds on my journey. So I do know a little about what I am going to say. I have done what you want to do or have already done.

So I have been thinking about this. WHY do so many of our friends not say Yay! or I am happy for you?

1. They know NOTHING about weight loss surgery let alone when we say we are have the "sleeve" done?

2. They have not heard of any positive things about WLS.

3. They are scared for us because we are having some kind of surgery they no nothing about.

4. They think we are having gastric bypass (we know it isn't but they don't) and they have heard nothing but bad thing when it comes to this surgery. Dumping, malnutrition, people gaining weight back again, because they have stretched out their pouch.

5. The are sure we are going to die during the surgery.:thumbs_down:

6. They have never had a weight problem in their life.:censored:

7. They view this as the easy way out--it take more courage to have this surgery than to do nothing at all, but they beleive it is the easy way out.

8. How will you stop losing weight.

9. Is this healthy--they are sure it isn't.:hurt:

10. It cost too much money and you will never keep the weight off and WHY if you are over 60 would you want to do this to yourself?

So those are the top ten reason I can think of that the people are thinking all these things. I think if we are willing to talk more about it to them "AFTER" we have had the surgery and explain things to them--I say educate the uneducated friends that we have, they may be more willing to listen. There are so many people that just can't image that we would have surgery to lose weight, so they really have to see with their own eyes that you are OK and healthy and this is working for you. I know you want their support, but honestly sometimes it is just not going to happen.

This isn't something that we just woke up one morning and said hey I think I will have someone remove 80% of my stomach and then I will solve all my weight issues. We thought about this for a long time, we did some research, we checked with other people and joined web sites to educated ourselves.

So, don't let the uneducated people in your life stop you from doing what you know is right for you.

If you had a tooth ache you would go see a dentist to get it fixed--and they would think that is the right thing to do. We have an addiction to food and an emotional connection to food. What is wrong with going and getting the help we need to stop our addiction. This is our tool that we are going to use to accomplish the weight loss with.

It isn't a magical cure by any means. It takes time, work and effort on our part to become successful. A little support along the way also helps a heap!

Finding the right doctor to trust our life with and one who is highly skilled in the field of WLS is the next step. For me that was Dr. Aceves, and I can't say enough kind words about him and his skills and he GREAT staff and wonderful hospital.

I knew at 63 if I was going to take this giant step, it had to be with someone that I trusted and that had done a lot of these with no complications and was a skilled surgeon.

So when the next person you talk to rolls their eyes around because you are over 60 and going to have weight loss surgery, please just have some patients with them. The are very UNEDUCATED. We will work at educating them and letting them know that this really isn't about them at all. It is ALL about you and you have earned and deserved the right to have this surgery.

You will be making a lifestyle change and not be on a diet any more. You are going to put yourself first, for the first time in a long time. I want you to feel good about what you are doing because it is going to be a life changing event that is going to be so fabulous. Someone is going to call your "skinny" for the first time and you are going to smile and say "yes" I did it.

I am here every step of the way to assist, you and help you. I will answer your million questions you may have and help you deal with the emotions that you are feeling. I want you to know that you are doing the right thing by wanting to become healthy and add years to your life.

Hugs to you and you go for what you want in life. If not now then WHEN????

Suzanne

Congratulations on taking your first steps to becoming a sleever. We are all here for you. Any question you have someone on here will be more than happy to answer. Again welcome :-)

Welcome Welcome!!!

Hi! Welcome!! While you are zooming around in the scooter, just remember, this will be the last time you'll ever need one!!! I loved my 'lasts' as my weight went down.

Congrats on switching from lurker to poster! I too was a lurker for a while before making my 1st post.

I am very new to all of this.. I will go to orientation on Feb 19. I've been lurking on this board for a couple of weeks trying to absorb all I can.
About 25 years ago I lost 140 pounds by literally starving myself. I maintained the loss for 5 years by walking 3 miles a day and continuing my starvation diet. Life's stressors kicked in and I started gaining and stopped exercising and I am at my highest weight ever now.
I never thought I would consider WLS because a dear friend of mine died a few years ago, from complications from gastric bypass surgery, one week after the procedure. I have other friends ( married couple) who had gastric bypass surgery and both are heavier now than before the surgery.
Reading stories on this board has given me new hope. I m just so tired of being sick and tired! And I want to be around to enjoy my grandchildren. We are taking our two oldest grandchildren to Disneyland this weekend, and while I am excited for them, all I can do is worry about fitting in the airplane seat, making it through all the walking at the airport, and facing the reality that I will probably have to rent a scooter at the parks.
I wish all of you the best and hope we can soon compare our success stories!

I am very new to all of this.. I will go to orientation on Feb 19. I've been lurking on this board for a couple of weeks trying to absorb all I can.
About 25 years ago I lost 140 pounds by literally starving myself. I maintained the loss for 5 years by walking 3 miles a day and continuing my starvation diet. Life's stressors kicked in and I started gaining and stopped exercising and I am at my highest weight ever now.
I never thought I would consider WLS because a dear friend of mine died a few years ago, from complications from gastric bypass surgery, one week after the procedure. I have other friends ( married couple) who had gastric bypass surgery and both are heavier now than before the surgery.
Reading stories on this board has given me new hope. I m just so tired of being sick and tired! And I want to be around to enjoy my grandchildren. We are taking our two oldest grandchildren to Disneyland this weekend, and while I am excited for them, all I can do is worry about fitting in the airplane seat, making it through all the walking at the airport, and facing the reality that I will probably have to rent a scooter at the parks.
I wish all of you the best and hope we can soon compare our success stories!

I could have written the original post. I have thought and thought about this, gave myself every reason not to have surgery. But then I went to a seminar and started researching. I am having surgery 2/28/13. I can't wait. I have had enough of being fat, being in pain every time I walk, tired if always being sick.
Like you, I have a mother who would never get this. So I am not telling her. We'll see what she has to say after the fact!
We'll all get healthy together!

I know that as a nurse, there are actually shorthand notations we use for gastric bypasses gone wrong. It happens quite a bit. I also know a woman who had gastric bypass that isn't big but she's certainly not small, either. I know three people who have lap bands who have lost some weight but are not near their goal. The good thing is that VGS doesn't do the same rerouting that gastric bypass does, so there is less chance for infection. It is still a scary thing, but I really feel my life has to change and this is the only way to get it to change permanently.
Why is it that we have to make ourselves so miserable to get our weight down, I wonder? That's another aspect that sold me on the VGS, the reports that it decreases hunger so much and that diabetes and prediabetes can be resolved in nearly 80% of the cases within just a few months of surgery.
Because I have been obese since literally before kindergarten, I have never known how to eat properly. My body has been given the signal to overeat and those hormones have been at work in my body FOREVER. Part of me blames my family for this, since I look at pictures of myself as a little girl with huge rolls on my arms and legs and asked my mother and grandmother, "How did you NOT see that there was a problem? Why did you keep feeding me??" They just shrug and tell me that it was cute when I was little. NICE. Then they look at me like, so why don't you change it now, you're an adult and it isn't our fault your fat NOW. Well, science tells us it kind of IS. Setting all that into motion, the hormonals situations that my body has been bathed in since the beginning, the preprograming of the cells...well, yeah, they set me up for a lifetime of being fat or fighting like hell to change it. My body always fights back and wins.
Not anymore...