nancyell18

Isnt funny how everyone wants to tell us how small we are and that we dont need it. Yet we have family that has gone down this road of obesity and bad health so the history is there and by all means you do not want to repeat it. I say do what is right for you! Continue to see your doctor and go through all the hoops to get the surgery! Good luck to ya.

Looking for your opinions. My BMI hovers around 40, no comorbids, although family history of all them. I'm going through all the pre-op steps. This morning at upper GI the radiology tech said he didn't think I was big enough to go through "all that", meaning wls. My surgeon, who is obviously on board with me getting surgery, also mentioned that I was "skinny" which was very weird to hear. Maybe he meant in relation to other patients? He was talking about how that makes me a good candidate for easier recovery, I think.
I feel very fat. Can't walk more than a couple of blocks. Wear 2x clothes. I don't feel small by any stretch of the imagination. I have at least 80 lbs to lose to be in the "normal" range. I know I could do it through diet/exercise. Well, maybe not all of it, but probably 40-50, and I'd still be pretty overweight. I've done it many times. I've been on phentermine four times, each time for about a year. Even that isnt' working anymore. Whatever weight I get to -it's not sustainable. My mother died last year from so many things related to/made worse by her obesity I know where I am headed and don't want that life.
I've done a lot of research and know what is involved with surgery. I want the sleeve because I want this tool to help me get to and stay at a good weight. I know that most of the work will be mine (not the sleeve's) and that psychologically it's a big change as well. But now that I've heard these two comments I am questioning my judgement.
No one in my life knows I am going to do this. I think I know what the general public thinks of weight loss surgery. I want to ask this generally pro-sleeve community what it thinks. Are some people "too small" for everything involved in the sleeve surgery to be worth it? Is there a chance this is a bad idea and I'll regret it in the long term? Knowing what you know, are there people in your life who are very overweight that you think should not do surgery even if they want to? What is your opinion? Any input welcome!
Thank you in advance.

Search out the low BMIers we have here. A lot of folks self-pay for BMI as low as 35 - some even lower than that!
I was 45 day of surgery, so I was larger but heard many of the same things you are hearing. Is it possible you'll regret surgery? Sure. It's possible that could happen if your BMI was higher or lower, too. Most regrets don't stem from actual complications or problems - they stem from your mindset.
Have you tried to diet and failed? I'm not sure about you but I didn't go from skinny one night to being morbidly obese the next morning. I struggled with my weight for more than a decade before having surgery.
Dieting wasn't cutting it. If it worked for me, the first one I tried as a teen would have been the miracle cure and I'd still have a whole stomach. Even with a sleeve I've had to fight for most of my pounds to come off. It has not been easy.
People that shouldn't get a sleeve:
Are unwilling or unable to change disordered eating behaviors that have contributed to their obesity
Are expecting a fast, effortless trip from fat to goal in just a few months
Expect to see loss every single time on the scale
Plan to treat the sleeve like part two of a special diet
Aren't prepared for the real possibility (though remote) of complications or the accompanying pain and expense
Are not able to tolerate pain or discomfort for the brief healing period
Are not able to accept lifestyle changes as necessary for success
Are unwilling to follow doctor or surgeon's orders post op, or adhere to the special post op dietary guidelines
The sleeve will change your life. I would do mine again in a heartbeat. Had the opportunity and knowledge come to me at 41 or 40 or even in the high 30s BMI range I would have done it then, too. I regret that I waited until I was diabetic and had so much more weight to shed.
But that's just my experience. You'll need to think on this and if you're ready for the changes it entails. If you are prepared, this process is much easier.
~Cheri

That's who I have he is wonderful never had a dr with a bed side manner as dr g

I'm in CT! Going to my first meet up with Dr. Gedeon on the 27th! So excited! And anxious!

I too am hearing I am taking the easy way out. I beg to differ, this decision is not easy, and is very hard to maintain. My health has declined and at 41 I have high BP high cholesterol,and borderline diabetes, and now after my test sleep apnea. To the naked eye, I appear to look " chunky" not overweight I wear it well, I have been told. The bottom line is, it is your life and you did what was best for you. You look amazing, I hope I look that good in a year

Good Morning Everyone.. I wanted to share a post with you. I have two Facebook accounts, of course 1 for my WLS and my everybody account!! I posted this on my Everybody account last night.. Yesterday I turned a year older!!! This is a new year, new, plans, new goals, and I’m living in the new me. I have come FULL CIRCLE and I am Free!!! This post is long but Have a Wonderful Hump Day!!!!

Hi Every...one!!!! So again I will say a lot of folks wont see or read this and I'm ok with that.. I wanted to let you all know that earlier this year I made a very profound statement on my Facebook page about myself, here is another one.. 1 year ago Yesterday 7/16/13. I made a decision that would change my life forever.. A lot of you know that I had been sick for a long time, it had gotten to a point that I thought Slick would find me dead lying next to him. My sickness had gotten that bad. Although I had a few people that would check on me and Slick during that time, the support needed was not there by many.. Anyway, during March of last year when I was finally diagnosed with my illness, I also decided to have weight loss surgery. I started telling people that I thought would be in my corner and stand by my side but instead was slapped in the face person after person when I would tell them even family members. I had phones hung up in my face, people stopped calling, others would say why when you can lose the weight on your own.. If you had seen me and or if you knew that I was very sick you would have know that it was out of my own hands to do it alone. You would also know that for years I had been trying very hard to lose the weight on my own. I had been on bed rest for months!!!! I was very offended by all of the negative responses that I was receiving from friends and family that I completely shut down. I stopped telling people.. I told less than 6 people... Folks was more concerned about me not losing weight on my own than they were that I could barely move, breath, or take care of myself and was near deaf. It was Just me and Slick!!! On 7/16/13... I had weight loss surgery!! I also lost a lot of friends and family along the way.. I slowly started posting pics here and there and when someone would ask me how did you loss or how are you losing weight, I would say, "high Protein, low carb, no sodas, no sweets, no alcohol, etc..." these were and are still all true but I left out the weight loss surgery part... I am at a place in my life now that as I said in my previous profound post, you can either be on my bus or not.. But I didn't do this for Vanity reasons, If you really knew me, you would know I did it to live.. I have a 2 year old Granddaughter that I could not play with, a family that I could not hang out with.. a husband that I could not take care of.. I Can do all those things now and so much More... I'm living NOW!!! I am Very Happy, I have lots of Energy!! I'm Stronger than before!!! I'm 122lbs lighter!!! I work out 5-7 days a week, I have done several 5k's and I'm running when I was told that I would NEVER run again. I have told quite a few people since and I felt that it was time for me to let you all know.. I did this for me and my Family no one else.. It was time to put me 1st.. For years I have taken care of others and I was the one dying.. I'm loving and living life at the age of 40!!! and Next April I will be running my 1st Half Marathon!!! I am ALIVE!!! and I LOVE ME!!

I also cannot tolerate artificial sweeteners. I make my own Water flavors. I use either Monkfruit, stevia or nectresse. I find they don't bother me. I add a variety of flavors of extracts or flavors with a little bit of sweetener to my water. I have almond, raspberry, lavender, cinnamon, lime, orange, lemon, ginger and coconut. I mix them up. It makes my water much more enjoyable and I can sweeten to my taste.

About once a week or every two weeks I have lunch with my mom. We also spend lots of time shopping on the weekends together so its not like she hasnt seen in eons or anything. Anyway, she picks me up for lunch at my work this week and it was such a nice day that I decided to wait outside for her. I saw her pull up in front and I started walking towards the car. I get in the car and she goes "ok, I was like "who is this girl walking towards my car"" She didnt even recognize me at first. Her own daughter who she sees all the time. What a compliment!

Promise, there are TONS of people on here that had smooth surgery and complication-free recovery ... certainly not trying to downplay the possibility of complications that can range from minor to major, but if you've done your research on your surgeon and feel confident in his abilities, and are committed to following your post-op plan, the odds are definitely in your favor that you'll be one of the ones telling success story. Good luck!