Recidivist

I have an acquaintance who had type 2 diabetes that resulted in extreme swings in blood sugar levels, making her almost incoherent at times. She qualified for surgery based on that alone, although she was not hugely overweight. (I'm guessing her BMI was similar to yours.) I don't know the science behind it, but the surgery did address her diabetes. It's worth consulting a doctor.

I had rather severe sleep apnea before surgery as well. I had a CPAP as well, but I generally didn't use it because it really bothered me. My apnea has disappeared completely, but I'm afraid I can't say at what point it did--which I realize isn't terribly helpful.

My general response when I'm asked about my weight loss is that I did a year-long medically supervised weight loss program, which is also basically true.
The two people who were the most hostile about my decision to undergo surgery were my sister and a close friend, both of whom are quite obese themselves. I don't think it was about protecting me. My guess is that they felt threatened by the fact that I was taking a positive step to improve my life and lose the weight.

I was/am exactly the same way. I told only a very small circle of people about the surgery. However, when an acquaintance with a weight issue asks about it, I feel it's important to let them know about the surgery. What I accomplished is really not possible with diet and exercise alone, and I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking it is.

I was/am exactly the same way. I told only a very small circle of people about the surgery. However, when an acquaintance with a weight issue asks about it, I feel it's important to let them know about the surgery. What I accomplished is really not possible with diet and exercise alone, and I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking it is.

I was/am exactly the same way. I told only a very small circle of people about the surgery. However, when an acquaintance with a weight issue asks about it, I feel it's important to let them know about the surgery. What I accomplished is really not possible with diet and exercise alone, and I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking it is.

Hello all,

Lurked here for a while over the years. Figured I’d pop in and tell my story.

Former professional American football player (Arena league, not NFL), played one year got injured, used my degree and got a desk job. My playing weight was 330 lb, so I was a big guy most of my life… then I got the desk job… kept eating like a professional football player but sitting on my butt all day. That went on for 10 years. Had to do a physical for work and life insurance. Weighed 390… the nurse asked me if I wanted to lay down after taking my BP 210/150.

Oh and I had my first child a few months earlier…

In that ten years, I had tried every diet in the book. Same old story. Would lose a decent amount of weight if only to add it back, plus some. The BP meds I was put on killed my libido. I was in a dead end job. Something had to give…

I had casually looked into WLS a few times throughout the years, but dismissed it. I thought I was weak minded and just needed more will power. There may be some truth to that, I don’t know. I know in the moment I felt like I could die any moment and it wouldn’t surprise me. I decided to do the surgery.

I was lucky to have insurance that covered the surgery and I could move through the process quickly. This is probably not the best approach for everyone, but it worked for me. I feel like I would’ve sabotaged myself if given longer.

Anyways, had VSG surgery in May 2019. I have a high pain tolerance and recovered quickly. I followed the Dr’s orders to a T. Lost weight quickly. Within 6 months, I went from 390 to 230.

I am now about 225. My weight stays in a range of 225-235. I have come to love the gym, got into CrossFit and love that scene. I stayed in the same career but pivoted to a different path and have almost tripled my salary. Had another kid, and I’m not on any meds.

This surgery really was a life saver for me. Everything has gone spectacularly smoothly and I’ve gotten a new outlook on life and a much healthier relationship with food!

I think you pretty much have to with bypass because of the malabsorption component. Sleevers don't have malabsorption, so it may be different for them (depending on the person and their labs, of course...)

Very interesting thread. I'm still taking Vitamins at 3.5 years out, and my surgeon said I would need to take them for the rest of my life. My labs are also great, and it never occurred to me to stop taking vitamins.

This might sound strange, but I've found that if I brush my teeth and floss right after dinner, I'm less likely to snack in the evening. It might not work for everyone, but it has for me.

Congratulations on your new home and your WL journey. It sounds like you’ve got two kids with sensory issues around foods, my son has ASD so I can relate. You just got to take care of you. The old saying about putting your own oxygen mask on in the airplane before you help other people is true.

At first my family ate separately, but we all got over that and we eat together now. I just measure my portions out. The kid eats what he wants, some kid version of what I have like dinosaur chicken nugget when I have chicken. He has veggies on his plate that he might pass on, but he’s being offered healthy choices. He likes the veggie catchup and eats enough of that to qualify as a vegetable. He also started drinking a splash of coffee in a Protein Shake for breakfast! You just balance as best as you can, but take care of you first!

Oh how awful. But I do understand about that ‘i can probably do that without issue now’ or ‘just a little bit will be fine’ thinking. Last night I ate a large bite of steak & vegetables & within a couple of minutes there was my restriction, the foamies & up came that bite. No, I can’t take large bites. No I can’t mix my Protein with vegetables in a single bite (except with Soup when everything is soft & mushy). Nothing like an unpleasant experience to reinforce a learning. 😁

So, here I am, 3.5 years out from surgery, and I decided to treat myself to a small bowl of ice cream to Celebrate a special occasion. (My regular followers will know that I never eat processed sugar.). Well, it took about ten seconds before I had to run to the bathroom and puke my guts out. That had never happened to me before, not even shortly after surgery. It was quite a surprise. I guess it's good that my body will continue to let me know that sugar is still a no-no. 🙂

So, here I am, 3.5 years out from surgery, and I decided to treat myself to a small bowl of ice cream to Celebrate a special occasion. (My regular followers will know that I never eat processed sugar.). Well, it took about ten seconds before I had to run to the bathroom and puke my guts out. That had never happened to me before, not even shortly after surgery. It was quite a surprise. I guess it's good that my body will continue to let me know that sugar is still a no-no. 🙂

Yep. I had a leak and they discovered it at the hospital based on a high white blood cell count and tachycardia (rapid heartbeat). It got fixed before I was discharged, but it did extend my stay by several days. (And it had no lasting impact on my success.)

Hi, Sue. I can relate to most of the things in your post. I was particularly shocked at how much older I looked after surgery with all of the loose skin on my face and neck.
One thing struck me in your post, which is all the time and energy you spend ensuring that you eat the right things and focusing on your weight. I did that in the beginning of maintenance, but I've really lightened up and don't pay much attention to either at this point. By now I know instinctively what I can and can't eat and approximately portions, but I don't obsess about it. I eat more or less normally (but differently than before), don't weigh myself, and don't freak out if I gain a bit. I'm wondering whether you could try doing the same thing, perhaps with the help of a nutritionist and/or therapist.

I was 59 when I had my surgery and had a BMI in the high 30s, so I was in a similar position. I also hesitated for the same reasons you mention.
As SpartanMaker said, nobody else can tell you whether you should or shouldn't have the surgery. I can tell you that, 3.5 years later, the improvement in my quality of life and overall physical and emotional well-being are tremendous. I have more energy than I did 20 years ago and have a new lease on life. Also, at this point I'm eating more or less normally (just smaller quantities and a healthier diet), and I don't feel I've sacrificed anything.
As you can tell, I haven't regretted my decision for a moment. I've said it often: my only regret is that I didn't do this decades earlier!

Yep. I had a leak and they discovered it at the hospital based on a high white blood cell count and tachycardia (rapid heartbeat). It got fixed before I was discharged, but it did extend my stay by several days. (And it had no lasting impact on my success.)

Yep. I had a leak and they discovered it at the hospital based on a high white blood cell count and tachycardia (rapid heartbeat). It got fixed before I was discharged, but it did extend my stay by several days. (And it had no lasting impact on my success.)

Ummm.....no.

Ummm.....no.

Ummm.....no.

Ummm.....no.

I want to add that food and eating ruled my life before surgery. I would wake thinking about what I would eat, and food was constantly on my mind--when I would eat next, what I was craving, where I needed to go to buy the things I craved, etc. I definitely still think a lot about food now as well, which is of course necessary to maintain weight loss. However, I don't feel like my life revolves around food the way it did when I was fat. Quite the opposite: I now view food as fuel, not as reward, comfort or a treat.

I was exactly the same and can definitely relate to your situation. I realized that it wasn't even because I was hungry, but because eating in certain situations had become a matter of habit for me.
I'm not sure whether it will help you, but I've replaced it with drinking. (No, not martinis!). I never drank coffee in my life before surgery, but I have developed a new coffee obsession. When meeting friends, I now have a couple of cups with skim milk and artificial sweetener, and that satisfies me. I sometimes have hot tea, as well as sugar-free drinks from powder if I'm at home. (Plain Water doesn't always cut it--I need some flavor.)