I think I'm mist nervous about hanging skin. And giving up things I love for a better body. Of course I will be getting healthier. Right now I am diabetic, have bad knees, high cholesterol, varicose viens. And risk of everything else that comes with morbid obesity.

One sister say YES and one sister says NO. I keep hearing, "you can do it on your own", "you haven't even tried yet". I am trying to walk more and swim more, but this body is difficult to move.

Any words of wisdom out there??

Coming from someone who was pre diabetes prior to surgery.. I couldn't do this on my own. The metabolic changes that offer during diabetes make it difficult to loss wait & I stayed hungry all the time. I am now no longer diabetic. My cholesterol is normal and my blood pressure is better. Have you thought about having your sister that disagrees to come with you to a seminar? Perhaps she isn't educated on the process. It is my hope for you that she is coming from a place of love for you. My family was hesitate butbut supportive and now that they see how well I am doing.. They are very supportive in my decision.

Coming from someone who was pre diabetes prior to surgery.. I couldn't do this on my own. The metabolic changes that offer during diabetes make it difficult to loss wait & I stayed hungry all the time. I am now no longer diabetic. My cholesterol is normal and my blood pressure is better. Have you thought about having your sister that disagrees to come with you to a seminar? Perhaps she isn't educated on the process. It is my hope for you that she is coming from a place of love for you. My family was hesitate butbut supportive and now that they see how well I am doing.. They are very supportive in my decision.

I hate my iPad sometimes! Sorry about the typos! Anyway.. There are quite a few people here who had full blown diabetes that were effectively cured. In my support group..I met a type 2 diabetic woman who didn't go into remission but she went from 150 units of insulin / day plus oral meds to 5 units of insulin with oral meds. So hers improved immensely and she talked about being disappointed BUT how much better her diabetes is secondary to her decision to have surgery. Obviously..surgery isn't for eeveryone, but it has changed my life for the better. I am sure that I would have developed full blown diabetes continuing on the road I was on! It sounds like you are experiencing normal feelings before your surgery. I felt the same way..regretted it 48 hours after I did it then everyday got better and better as my new stomach & me got to know each other. I was sleeved 4/3 ..I am down 67# something I was ever able to do on my own with conventional diets or methods. I wish you peace and determination with your decision. Remember..the sleeve us a tool..when the tool is used properly..there are endless possibilities! Good luck!

chills562

had surgery 12/15/11 - after a couple of months - officially no more diabetic meds. i also had high blood pressure, its gone now - no more meds.

i'm 80 lbs down, and yes i do have some hanging skin, mainly behind my thighs , excess rear and i guess a little excess skin at my tummy. a little in my face too- but i would take hanging skin any day, (some people do have plastic surgery) as opposed to continue to be obese

i wear capris in the spring & summer, no big deal covering myself that way, wear swimming suit only to Water aerboics - i'm doing excercise for myself, don't worry about people seeing me in this situation

We're all different and you might have less excess skin, or more, whichever

if its a choice of some hanging skin or being obese, i'll take some hanging skin anyday.

words of wisdom? hmmmm

i would just say, the decision of having the WLS is yours - don't let anyone talk you out of it. IMO this is the best type of of WLS there is.

I havee lost weight over the years, up and down like a yoyo - i never had the strength to stay on a diet forever, which brought the lbs. back

the sleeve gives you a new life. it is a tool that helps you lose the weight. You have to co-operate by following the proper procedures that your NUT (nutritionalist) gave you and of course your dr. The main thing is all of a sudden your meal portions will be very small, but then again your tummy will have 85% gone too - so you shouldn't be able to eat as much, and you won't be hungary

hope you make the wise decision to have the sleeve, you'll feel so much heathier

good luck

kathy

I think I'm mist nervous about hanging skin. And giving up things I love for a better body. Of course I will be getting healthier. Right now I am diabetic, have bad knees, high cholesterol, varicose viens. And risk of everything else that comes with morbid obesity.

One sister say YES and one sister says NO. I keep hearing, "you can do it on your own", "you haven't even tried yet". I am trying to walk more and swim more, but this body is difficult to move.

Any words of wisdom out there??

If I may ask, what size are your sisters? Realize that it is really hard for siblings to process a major life change for each other. I have a sister that is around 190 or less--with a great shape so she looks pretty good at 190. I told her I was having the surgery and she was happy for me. We are really really honest with each other--after expressing her support she also said, "And I hope you will give me time to adjust if I have trouble dealing with you being small and maybe even smaller than me." See,I have always been the fat one and she has always been the pretty one. I am so lucky to have her be able to be honest about what she is feeling. She has always wanted good things for me, and now is no different, but she recognizes that this may change things and there will be an adjustment.

I know without a doubt that I can lose this weight on my own--I've done it before--and I also know without a doubt that as soon as I have a major life change/stressor I will start gaining and wind up right back where I am now--plus. The deciding factor for me was that I am ready for the permanence of the sleeve. Took a while to get there.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement! I know this is the best tool for me.

I hit 270lbs in 2004. I have fluctuated since then, but never got under 240lbs. I was the type of person who felt like I could do it on my own. I had the mindset that if I could stick to the strict diet after surgery, why couldn't I do it right now without surgery?

Last November, my dad talked with me about my weight. He asked me to consider seeing a bariatric surgeon about the LapBand. I knew very little about weight loss surgery, but I made the appointment. Told the surgeon that I was just considering it, and I talked to him about all the things I didn't like about the LapBand. He told me about the sleeve. I told him I would think about it, and that I wanted to try diet and exercise again for one year. If it didn't work out, the I would have surgery. The surgeon said that at my BMI of 51 that he saw very few people (about 1 in 100) who were successful in losing weight and keeping it off. He also told me that my PCOS which caused insulin resistance would hinder my weight loss).

Well, I signed up for Weight Watchers (again) ad even went to a doctor supervised weight loss center. Needless to say, I didn't stick to either one, and six months later I had gained 9lbs. In that time, I had been reading in the forums. Saw that people were losing lots of weight in the same six month period. I didn't want to wait another six months. I was sleeved on June 28th.

I am three weeks out, and the diet that I wasn't able to stick with before surgery comes so easily now. My head hunger isn't bad. I can eat mini meals throughout the day that are high in Protein. I drink more, and I take better care of myself. It is a world of difference in trying to eat right before and after surgery.

As far as giving up things I love... I made a spaghetti dinner for my cousin's family while I was still on liquids post-op. I felt remorse that I would never eat a huge plate of spaghetti, 4 pieces of garlic bread and two sodas again. Then, I realized that didn't sound right. I would be able to eat spaghetti, but I would be able to stop at the amount my body needs and be satisfied (probably a child's size portion). As for sodas and bread, I craved them pre-op, and I haven't even desired them post-op.

Once I made my mind up to have the surgery and told a few people, I let them know that I was not coming to them for an opinion. I was having this surgery, and I want their support. It worked. I got the support I needed.

Good luck.

wow! sounds like my life story! thank u so much for sharing! i too think that way about good.... like i will miss it dearly (especially breads and sweets). i am praying that those cravings go away and will be replaced with the healthy foods that i love (salads and fruit, salmon, veggies)

how does that saying go?? "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"....