What made you do it?

[marymoon 18]

Chunky all my life, most of my excessive weight piled on after the birth of my second child. After several failed attempts at losing the weight with Weight Watchers, Slim Fast and other programs, I decided to see a bariatric doc & a nutritionist. Under their care (and diet pills) I was able to lose 60lbs thru self control and exercise. I started at 260 and got down to 200, never getting into blessed Onderland. I fell off the wagon as far as exercise goes last June and the weight started creeping back up when the diet pills lost their effectiveness. By last October, I had gained back 40 of the 60lbs I had lost and was disgusted with myself. I knew I needed more help in controlling what I ate than I could give myself so I started exploring WLS.

At the end of January 2011 I went to a local seminar and begun researching my options. I decided I wanted VSG because it was the best fit for me. Discovered that insurance wouldn't pay and even if I appealed the decision, they only covered 50% of the allowable charges anyway. Hubby & I talked it over and decided that we wanted to avoid the wait, hassle and expense of the appeal, nut and psych visits, etc. and made plans for me to go to Mexico as soon as possible.

There is quite a bit of heart disease in my family - my oldest brother dropped dead at 44 from a massive heart attack, my dad died of complications of open heart surgery and he had congestive heart failure and suffered his first heart attack at 56, both my other brothers are over 300lbs, cousins weigh in at 400 and just last month another cousin dropped dead of a heart attack at 52. The writing on the wall couldn't have been any clearer for me. I turned 40 this year and I'll be damned if I spend the second half of my life trapped in an unhealthy and gross body.

[Monica_Lynn 0]

I had been researching WLS for a couple years before but was never "big enough" according to the guidelines. I was ignorant to the Mexico surgeons and how well known they are. Then I was in to see a cardiologist for chest pains and high blood pressure. Then a second heart medication was added to slow down my heart rate. Everything spiraled downhill from there..I had a sleep study to find I had mild sleep apnea and my blood work showed I had high cholesterol. At that point enough was enough and I was determined to get my requirements in and have the insurance approve this life changing procedure! Now my surgery date is September 28, 2011 and my deductible has already been met for the year so this will cost me zero dollars and a lifetime of success!

[Candace2314 117]

In January I went to the doctor and weight in at 312lbs. My doctor prescribed me 5 different medications, most were for pains and the diagnosis line on each prescription said- MORBIDLY OBESE.... that did it. I just could just imagine it.... I'm 23 now, it was only going to get worse the older I got. I have been off and on diets since I was 13 yrs old, but the last 6 years I had gained over 100lbs and was at my all time high... needed a drastic change. My dad's father had a heart attack at 40, so did my dad and I didn't want to be next.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

I had a great many reasons on why I went with WLS. Even more as I ventured into a SECOND one! And a much better one if I may say so.

However my major contributor for going for surgery was the fact that I had gotten Hypertension AKA High Blood Pressure. I watched my Uncle who was in his early 40's at the time die from it. His was so bad he blew out his Kidneys and lived on dialysis for 3 years. Then once he finally got called to have the Kidney transplant, he ended up with a brain tumor from his anti-rejection medication and ended up passing away not even a year later. Again... in his early Forties.

I was diagnosed with Hypertension at the very young age of 31 years old.

I was killing myself. I had to stop it immediately.

I did stop it. Today my blood pressure is very well controlled and I'm healthier today than I have ever been. I was even a very active and athletic teenager.

I regret nothing in my life, for all my trials have made me who I am today.

[Papa Jack 86]

I am 56 & was 290 ( 232 ) I couldn't keep up with the grandkids this year. My blood pressure was going up, & other health issues was just starting to start. PLUS I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH MYSELF!!!!

Do not wait. This is a life changing event.

[Papa Jack 86]

On 4/9/10, I went to the dr. because I was having chest pains. I had to lay on the table at 280lb, naked, and have an EKG done, while 2 women a man, and my dr. starred at me!!!Thankfully, nothing was wrong with my heart and to make a long story short, it was just a pulled muscle! That scared the crap outta me and I stopped smoking that day and haven't smoked since!! YAY ME!

I was alread diabetic and taking high blood pressure medication at that time. I thought a lot about what my life would be like if I didn't change it. I cried a lot for the next two weeks and knew that I could loose weight, but would just blow back up in a matter of time because that is what I did over and over again!

I had researched WLS in the past, but never went thru with it. I didn't like the idea of having my guts re-routed and the band was weird for me, but that was the only other option that I knew. I emailed my dr. and asked if I could do it! He referred me instantly and her I am 104lbs thinner, healthier and happier!

I love my sleeve!

Kelly

Love your story. Wow! 104pounds off. I am 5 weeks out from the sleeve myslf. You are right, LOVE MY SLEEVE!!

[MegInNOLA 531]

I tried and failed AGAIN to lose the excess weight last summer. I was sick and tired of being so flipping FAT. I had no current comorbidities; however, I had a family history of hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes, and my numbers were gradually creeping up into "high normal." My husband had just been sleeved and was dropping weight like crazy. However, I had determined I was not going to have surgery--surgery was "his" way, and I wanted to lose weight "my way" (under the delusion that surgery was "the easy way out"). Of course, this lasted for 3 months or so and then I was back to the usual and still gaining.

In October, I ran into a colleague at a professional conference who had been sleeved and looked fantastic. I talked with her extensively about her experience with sleeve surgery and began researching and thinking about it seriously. When I finally decided it was the best (and maybe my only) option to lose the weight once and for all, things moved pretty quickly. I actually had to gain a couple of pounds to hit the target BMI for insurance approval, but that wasn't difficult. Everyone was seriously supportive, from my husband and my family to my physician to my colleagues at work. And the rest is history.

[MeMeMEEE 206]

Last year was full of planning my oldest daughters wedding. When it came time to find a "mother of the bride" outfit I was disgusted by how I looked. At that point I knew I had to lose weight when it was all over. At some point I made a reservation for the Weight Loss Surgery program's Seminar for 1 week after my daughters wedding. This was BEFORE I saw myself in the pictures haha! I was thinking Lapband at the time and when I went I knew it wasn't for me. I had never heard of the Sleeve before. I came away from the seminar needing a referral from my Dr and I just knew he wouldn't give me one. At one point my daughter was going to the Dr and I had her ask if he would refer me and he said he would. So I made an appointment and then canceled the day of it and joined a gym. That lasted a week. A few weeks later I had my referral and the appointments began. It hasn't been an easy road so far at a month out, I would probably trade for an RNY right now because of the reflux, but ask me again in a few months and see what I might say.

[kellyw74 258]

Thank you!

KElly

Love your story. Wow! 104pounds off. I am 5 weeks out from the sleeve myslf. You are right, LOVE MY SLEEVE!!

[Indymom 132]

I was the typical yo-yo dieter for years - Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach . . . exercise, etc. etc. I'd lose some, gain it back, lose some, gain it back plus more. I had lost a lot of weight before meeting my husband, then of course when we got together it crept back on slowly. Got pregnant right after we got married and then the baby weight stuck around, and I tacked a little more on as well. My mom had lapband last October and I finally started considering WLS (though I had always written it off as an "easy way out" in the past).

I went to the seminar originally thinking about lapband also, but the surgeon recommended against it due to my ulcerative colitis. I knew I didn't want RNY because it impacted the intestines, but I had never heard of the sleeve. I was nervous about being cut internally but once he started talking about it (and once I started researching online) I knew it was the best option for me. I'm thrilled with it so far at 4 weeks out!!

[Papa Jack 86]

I tried and failed AGAIN to lose the excess weight last summer. I was sick and tired of being so flipping FAT. I had no current comorbidities; however, I had a family history of hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes, and my numbers were gradually creeping up into "high normal." My husband had just been sleeved and was dropping weight like crazy. However, I had determined I was not going to have surgery--surgery was "his" way, and I wanted to lose weight "my way" (under the delusion that surgery was "the easy way out"). Of course, this lasted for 3 months or so and then I was back to the usual and still gaining.

In October, I ran into a colleague at a professional conference who had been sleeved and looked fantastic. I talked with her extensively about her experience with sleeve surgery and began researching and thinking about it seriously. When I finally decided it was the best (and maybe my only) option to lose the weight once and for all, things moved pretty quickly. I actually had to gain a couple of pounds to hit the target BMI for insurance approval, but that wasn't difficult. Everyone was seriously supportive, from my husband and my family to my physician to my colleagues at work. And the rest is history.

Why do wives not listen to there husbands. You are livening with some one that you could see this was working. It took a colleague to convince you. My wifes does the same thing. I can suggest something... nothing, but when a friend suggest the same thing she likes it.

It's a husband & wife thing I guess..

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Not for me, I do take my Hubby's suggestions seriously always. In fact he and I discussed this thoroughly before proceeding. He was completely supportive and he was the driving force to make the final decision. He's never led me astray! But this is another topic entirely.

[MegInNOLA 531]

Why do wives not listen to there husbands. You are livening with some one that you could see this was working. It took a colleague to convince you. My wifes does the same thing. I can suggest something... nothing, but when a friend suggest the same thing she likes it.

It's a husband & wife thing I guess..

You know what it was? My husband never tried to lose weight before he had the surgery, I mean not seriously. He had a remarkable recovery and no problems whatsoever eating whatever he wanted, just in smaller quantities. It seemed to me at the time that he had just taken "the easy way out" and I needed to do it "the natural way," aka, "I got myself into this position, I don't really deserve to have it fixed so quickly, therefore I can't do surgery because it's not going to punish me enough" way.

It wasn't that I wasn't listening to him. It was that I somehow felt the need to punish myself for getting so fat to begin with. Once I talked with my colleague and realized that the sleeve was just a tool, not a magic cure, I began wondering why I had automatically excluded this tool from my consideration, and that's when my mindset shifted. And getting the right mindset was key to everything.

[MegInNOLA 531]

Not for me, I do take my Hubby's suggestions seriously always. In fact he and I discussed this thoroughly before proceeding. He was completely supportive and he was the driving force to make the final decision. He's never led me astray! But this is another topic entirely.

I also consider my husband's suggestions seriously. He was pushing for me to have the sleeve, not for my looks but for my long-term health. He also had the good sense to back off when I asked him to, although I know that was super hard for him! After I had researched and it looked like I was going to see my doctor about the surgery, I told him about it, and he was so thrilled and supportive! He's my best friend and supporter, and that's also why I decided to have the surgery--I want to be around for as long as possible to spend my life with him.

[Brian66 85]

Great Topic.

I've been heavy my whole life and I thought about my weight everyday for as long as I could remember. I was fortunate enough to meet my wife in high school and she loved me for who I was, weight and all, so I was able to coast along for many years, gaining weight gradually over the years. We had three wonderful kids and life was going pretty well. My world came crashing down around me the night before Thanksgiving in 2004 when my wife was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of abdominal cancer. After fighting it with all she had for two and half years, she died in February 2004 and I was left as a single dad of our three kids ages 12, 7 and 6. I probably gained another 30 pounds over the next three years as I dealt with the lonliness, stress, sadness and anger and was just hitting my heaviest weight of 300 pounds. Each time I went to my doctor for a checkup, there was more bad news...high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, back pain, etc. When my doctor suggested weight loss surgery, I was highly insulted...I was not that guy. However, the seed was planted and I began to think about it more and more. I felt like I was standing on the railroad tracks facing an oncoming train of additional health problems, diabetes and maybe even early death. My children suffered so much with the loss of their mother, I just felt like I had to so something to lose the weight and regain my health so that I could be there to take care of them. I also felt like I needed a way to lose the weight and keep it off as I had been told or read somewhere that of people who lose 100 pounds or more with diet and exercise, only about 2% keep it off. I found that statistic chilling and thought that even if I could lose the weight with diet and exercise (highly unlikely), I could not take the chance of gaining it all back. I started looking for a doctor to do the gastric bypass as I'd read negative things about the band, but I was delighted when my surgeon, Dr. Mitchell Roslin told me about the VSG and suggested that I was an ideal candidate. The more research I did, the more I became convinced that this was the right decision for me. Now, almost 14 months ago, having lost just about 125 pounds, I am absolutely convinced that, with the exception of marrying my wife and having our kids, the decision to have this surgery was the best decision I have ever made!