Curious what the final straw was for you all? What finally pushed you over the edge and got you looking at bariatric surgery as an option? For me, it was chest pain. I was 36 years old, a single mom of a 5 year old, with a deceased ex-husband. I started having chest pain and had the frantic realization that if something happened to me, my son would be parentless (my parents would take him in a heartbeat...but still...). Soon after that I started my journey to a lap-band and eventually RNY. So, I'd love to hear your stories, how did you get here? (PS, my heart was fine, I think it was just God slapping my upside the head trying to get my attention)

Edited November 30, 201312 yr by SoccerMomma73

Finding my lovely Mom on the floor with a massive stroke. She was and had been overweight all her life and had a host of other health problems including diabetes and A Fib. Sadly, I lost her that Christmas Day 4 years ago and 3 1/2 years ago I had VSG!!!! Never regretted it one minute!!!

Finding my lovely Mom on the floor with a massive stroke. She was and had been overweight all her life and had a host of other health problems including diabetes and A Fib. Sadly, I lost her that Christmas Day 4 years ago and 3 1/2 years ago I had VSG!!!! Never regretted it one minute!!!

Wow Georgia, that is quite a tough wakeup call! Sorry for your loss, and glad it spurred you on to get the surgery!

I was at lunch with a friend and she had been approved for surgery. She is considerably smaller than me. I had been trying to lose weight on my own for years, only to be at an all time high weight of 299. I went home and looked at myself in the only full length mirror in my house, the one hiding in storage. I saw myself, really saw myself and saw a future of disease, discomfort, and denial. That night I tried to sleep but my fat was in the way (as usual). The next morning I tried to get dressed, but all I could see was the fat I had piled on. I saw it as a coat of armor I used to protect myself, but much like real armor, my fat was limiting me. I woke up and could no longer pretend that the fat wasn't there. I called my PCP for a referral to a weight management program that day.

For myself it was barely being able to wash my feet and lower legs in the shower. It mashed all of the air out of my lungs bending over like that.

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am tired of never feeling full. I want to feel full. I am tired of my knees hurting. I have been overweight and obese most of my life but have had energy to burn. But these last two years it has finally caught up with me. I want wls to be a tool to help get me back. I have my first appointment with doctor on 1/7/14. My.primary care is all for it. So....here i go!

Where to start!

I have been watching my health go down hill for the last 2 years. That being said I was hospitalized 3 times in 3 months for copd exacerbations. The last one landed my BIG butt in ICU. Again looking aty 6 kids faces ... I knew I ha to do something. I am currently diagnosed with...

Copd

Asthma

Diabeties

High blood pressure

Fluid retention

Diabetic neuropathy

Anxiety disorder

And to top it all off... I wear a bipap machine for sleep apnea at night. My 3yr old is terrified of it. Calls it mommys scary mask!

So I guess (so sorry for the long rant) that was my "omg what am I gonna do" moment. So I went to my dr and she asked if I ha thought about a WLS? I had never heard of it... And there my journey was born!!!

Finding my lovely Mom on the floor with a massive stroke. She was and had been overweight all her life and had a host of other health problems including diabetes and A Fib. Sadly, I lost her that Christmas Day 4 years ago and 3 1/2 years ago I had VSG!!!! Never regretted it one minute!!!

I am so sorry for ur loss... My love and prayers to you! My mother is sadly morbidly obese and refuses to do anything about it. I have watches her go from healthy and active... To being bound to a scooter chair and a bed on oxygen. I can't get her to stop eating mass portions and get help. She's in total denial and is thoroughly p.o.ed at me for even c

Finding my lovely Mom on the floor with a massive stroke. She was and had been overweight all her life and had a host of other health problems including diabetes and A Fib. Sadly, I lost her that Christmas Day 4 years ago and 3 1/2 years ago I had VSG!!!! Never regretted it one minute!!!

I am so sorry for ur loss... My love and prayers to you! My mother is sadly morbidly obese and refuses to do anything about it. I have watches her go from healthy and active... To being bound to a scooter chair and a bed on oxygen. I can't get her to stop eating mass portions and get help. She's in total denial and is thoroughly p.o.ed at me for even considering having WLS. But I gotta take care of me... Ya know? My kids and I need this.

I am so sorry for ur loss... My love and prayers to you! My mother is sadly morbidly obese and refuses to do anything about it. I have watches her go from healthy and active... To being bound to a scooter chair and a bed on oxygen. I can't get her to stop eating mass portions and get help. She's in total denial and is thoroughly p.o.ed at me for even considering having WLS. But I gotta take care of me... Ya know? My kids and I need this.

Do what's best for you & long term health.

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am tired of never feeling full. I want to feel full. I am tired of my knees hurting. I have been overweight and obese most of my life but have had energy to burn. But these last two years it has finally caught up with me. I want wls to be a tool to help get me back. I have my first appointment with doctor on 1/7/14. My.primary care is all for it. So....here i go!

good for you!!!! Please know we're all here for ya and can't wait to watch you succeed.

I love the new me and the fact that I don't push food around on my plate or have the look of pure agony on my face because I'm starving but unable to swallow due to being stuck... I used to get stuck so easily and toward the end of my band wouldn't have anything to eat or drink until 2 in the afternoon be cause I had to 'warm up' my band. Let me remind you I live in florida it is always hot here. It was pure nuttiness and I told myself for over a year everything was ok because I refused to admit I had a problem. I am so thankful I woke up and realized I didn't fail; rather the band failed me. It just wasnt the right answer for me. I think it is a great tool and clearly is great for some but the last year and half prior to rny was pure agony. So glad I changed.

Wow. That was my life with the band. That look of agony. My whole family knew what it meant. That is some terrible pain and it happened to me almost daily. I had the band out almost a year ago and I am having the RNY procedure next month. I love reading about how much different it is.

Simply put.......a PICTURE speaks a thousand words!!!!!!

Eeek...I know what you mean...the photographs are just horrifying....have hidden from the camera forever but once in a while there's a picture. As you say, a thousand words beginning with OMG...

I don't think there was one single moment that pushed me over the edge. Everything was just so difficult - getting up in the morning, getting dressed, getting in and out of the bath..... I was just tired all the time, and felt completely disgusted with myself. I had lost and gained weight before many times, but could never keep it off. I had all but given up all hope. I knew when I got the opportunity to have the bypass that this would be my last chance, and I was determined to give it 100%. I will never go back to being that sad, defeated person.

For me it was the birth of my son and realizing I needed to do something for my health if I was already 36 when having him and want to be around long enough to see him grow up and have a family of his own. It took me a year to finally go ahead with surgery, but not long after I made the decision, my father had a stroke, which helped reinforce my decision, as my father is not obese, but there are other health issues in our family as well. Might as well address the ones I can in hopes that it helps avoid the others.