just curious if you can join the military after you've had wls?

You used to be able to, way back when. I'm not sure if you still can. Your best bet would be to talk with a recruiter, they will be able to look up the regulations and let you know with certainty.

I have heard no, that bariatric surgery automatically excludes you.

found my answer: http://army.com/forum/weight-loss-surgery

That's interesting....I wonder what the logic behind that is..

just curious if you can join the military after you've had wls?

That's interesting....I wonder what the logic behind that is..

No mater what M.O.S. a soldier chooses, he/she is first and foremost a soldier. Soldiers are exposed to a number of situations that keep you from eating for many hours and possibly days at a time. When you do get to eat you may not have much time to do so. Therefore a WLS patient is a less than ideal candidate for the US armed services.

That being said I think a strong case could be made for someone who has been sleeved as opposed to an RNY. With liquid Meal Replacements a sleeve patient could conceivably get the nourishment he/she needs.

I wouldnt give up. Get all the facts together, and make your case. This may be your opportunity to make history. You may be the one to get the ball rolling on a DoD policy modification.

thanks, O.T.R.sleever <3

I gotta tell you---I know someone who told the military that they had a partial gastrectomy when in fact they had the sleeve and got in. Not saying it's right--just saying they did it. A partial gastrectomy is where they remove part of the stomach due to ulcers or cancer so it's sort of like the sleeve. He told them it was from ulcers lol.

lol guess there's always loopholes. xD

i am going to talk to a recruiter about it. i also have an allergy to tylenol which caused some liver problems (how i found out i was sensitive to tylenol in the first place).. so i have to make sure i can even join.. IF i will for certain be excluded, because i was hospitalized for liver failure (which my liver is fine now & doesn't have any issues & no permanent damage), then i won't care & will get the sleeve anyway.. but if the recruiter thinks i will be able to get in, despite my liver issue, then i'll try again really hard to lose the weight again on my own.. because it'd be awesome to go from being a fat worthless turd to being career military. talk about a totally new life!! WOO HOO!

actually, to be honest, i'm conflicted. i wanna get the sleeve to ensure success.. i don't have a problem with the diet.. just don't wanna take any opportunities away from myself if i don't have to.. :/ i keep going back & forth in my head about the surgery.. cause it's such a huge deal! all i know is that i'm tired of being so huge, i hate it.. and i really would like to join the military.

maybe it's different for women in the military, because they have laws against sending women into the trenches, so to speak. who knows. i will ask a recruiter & find out for sure... so i guess we'll see! lol hope all goes well!

lol guess there's always loopholes. xD

i am going to talk to a recruiter about it. i also have an allergy to tylenol which caused some liver problems (how i found out i was sensitive to tylenol in the first place).. so i have to make sure i can even join.. IF i will for certain be excluded' date=' because i was hospitalized for liver failure (which my liver is fine now & doesn't have any issues & no permanent damage), then i won't care & will get the sleeve anyway.. but if the recruiter thinks i will be able to get in, despite my liver issue, then i'll try again really hard to lose the weight again on my own.. because it'd be awesome to go from being a fat worthless turd to being career military. talk about a totally new life!! WOO HOO!

actually, to be honest, i'm conflicted. i wanna get the sleeve to ensure success.. i don't have a problem with the diet.. just don't wanna take any opportunities away from myself if i don't have to.. :/ i keep going back & forth in my head about the surgery.. cause it's such a huge deal! all i know is that i'm tired of being so huge, i hate it.. and i really would like to join the military.

maybe it's different for women in the military, because they have laws against sending women into the trenches, so to speak. who knows. i will ask a recruiter & find out for sure... so i guess we'll see! lol hope all goes well! [/quote']

Have you considered gastric ballooning?

Have you considered gastric ballooning?

i have!! i have been really looking into all the different kinds of stuff that can be done & i think that would be awesome. i just worry that it's not legal here in the states & if i go to Mexico or canada or europe or wherever to get one put in, what if it pops or something?.. lol i'd have to go to the ER & try to explain why there's a silicone balloon in my belly.. "NO, Doc, i wasn't trying to eat that breast implant, i swear!!!"

lol

i have!! i have been really looking into all the different kinds of stuff that can be done & i think that would be awesome. i just worry that it's not legal here in the states & if i go to Mexico or canada or europe or wherever to get one put in' date=' what if it pops or something?.. lol i'd have to go to the ER & try to explain why there's a silicone balloon in my belly.. "NO, Doc, i wasn't trying to eat that breast implant, i swear!!!"

lol [/quote']

Ha ha ha. That's funny,

I wouldn't worry about that(but that's just me). The sleeve was done in mexico for many years before it was approved here in the United States I'm sure most people in the medical community are well aware of it. I think you might end up with a lot of inquires as to how well it was working pre failure. It is really surprising (now hat my eyes have been opened) how many people in he medical community have gone to Mexico for surgeries such as this.

I wanted to join the military since I was 14 and even joined JROTC and ROTC, in high school and college, respectively. Unfortunately, that dream was killed when I discovered I had hypothyroid when I was 24. When I was 20, I looked into having RNY surgery, because the sleeve wasn't really thought of as a single step procedure at the time, and ended up backing out a week before surgery because my husband at the time wanted a divorce. When I talked to the recruiter at that time, you could join, with a waiver. I would think because the sleeve doesn't involve rearranging intestines, that it would be waived easier than the RNY procedure.

I gotta tell you---I know someone who told the military that they had a partial gastrectomy when in fact they had the sleeve and got in. Not saying it's right--just saying they did it. A partial gastrectomy is where they remove part of the stomach due to ulcers or cancer so it's sort of like the sleeve. He told them it was from ulcers lol.

They didn't ask for any paperwork or medical records to show any information about it?

Edited January 5, 201610 yr by Brianna Beland

lol guess there's always loopholes. xD

i am going to talk to a recruiter about it. i also have an allergy to tylenol which caused some liver problems (how i found out i was sensitive to tylenol in the first place).. so i have to make sure i can even join.. IF i will for certain be excluded, because i was hospitalized for liver failure (which my liver is fine now & doesn't have any issues & no permanent damage), then i won't care & will get the sleeve anyway.. but if the recruiter thinks i will be able to get in, despite my liver issue, then i'll try again really hard to lose the weight again on my own.. because it'd be awesome to go from being a fat worthless turd to being career military. talk about a totally new life!! WOO HOO!

actually, to be honest, i'm conflicted. i wanna get the sleeve to ensure success.. i don't have a problem with the diet.. just don't wanna take any opportunities away from myself if i don't have to.. :/ i keep going back & forth in my head about the surgery.. cause it's such a huge deal! all i know is that i'm tired of being so huge, i hate it.. and i really would like to join the military.

maybe it's different for women in the military, because they have laws against sending women into the trenches, so to speak. who knows. i will ask a recruiter & find out for sure... so i guess we'll see! lol hope all goes well!

I can tell you, being someone who struggles with your weight is very difficult. I lost 60 pounds when I was 19 and joined the Air Force. The next six years were a constant struggle with yo-yo dieting to meet standards and physical fitness requirements. I was very good at my job, but my weight issues were always holding me back.

Just some things to think about if you decide to "try again to lose the weight on your own." It's not an easy thing.

~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~