Yes, I had WLS and YES, I *AM* doing this on my own.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Butterthebean said:

This surgery is no more the easy way out than chemotherapy for cancer patients.

As a 2 time cancer surviver (double mastectomy and aggresive chemo) and a 50+ year fighter of the food wars I would like to say that, for me, although the cancer was scarier, the battle with food has been harder and more demoralizing. It' hard to keep fighting the battle when you "know" in the deep recesses of your mind that you don't have a snowball's chance of winning.

That's why I am having this surgery at 71 years old. I'm scheduled for Feb. 3 and for the first time I really think I can win this battle.

I've been reading here for two months and the excitement of the newbies is catching. But the inspiration comes from the people who are further out and winning the war.

Thank you all for being here

Best of luck with your surgery. You beat cancer....you can beat this. With the sleeve in your arsenal, and your inner strength and courage....you'll succeed.

[chris1142 148]

Butterthebean said:

This surgery is no more the easy way out than chemotherapy for cancer patients.

As a 2 time cancer surviver (double mastectomy and aggresive chemo) and a 50+ year fighter of the food wars I would like to say that, for me, although the cancer was scarier, the battle with food has been harder and more demoralizing. It' hard to keep fighting the battle when you "know" in the deep recesses of your mind that you don't have a snowball's chance of winning.

That's why I am having this surgery at 71 years old. I'm scheduled for Feb. 3 and for the first time I really think I can win this battle.

I've been reading here for two months and the excitement of the newbies is catching. But the inspiration comes from the people who are further out and winning the war.

Thank you all for being here

Thanks for the support folks

[SassyTink 78]

When somebody says something to me about it being the easy way out I respond, "Would you be willing to cut off 75% of your stomach to make weight loss easy?" Easy is the incorrect word ....... brave is more like it!

[McButterpants 2,846]

My husband called me brave the other day and I threw me off a little. I didn't think of myself as brave when I was scared $hitless!!!! He said "It takes a lot of guts to do what you did and I admire you."

[Indigo1991 1,612]

My doc said to me this week that I was brave to have the surgery - and that I was to be applauded for saving my own life :-)))))

[Barbarah 18]

Thank you for this post. I was feeling a little down because of some negative comments from people around me . There is so much judgement out there . Sometimes I feel like I can't win . Before the surgery I was judged because I was too fat. After

the surgery I was judged because I had surgery to lose weight and "Took the easy way out " EASY my butt! Ugh makes me crazy.

[sdocforce 55]

AMEN! and from now on...I'm going to reframe my own thoughts and behaviors. As before I read your post, I think I wasn't giving myself or any of us enough credit. I was still swirling in low self esteem, self doubt and feelings of failure that seem to plague the overweight and obese. Thank you for the new perspective. I feel like I just watched GI Jane, which always makes me feel like pumping Iron, kicking ass and taking names. I'm not going to apologize or belittle my accomplishments anymore. You are right...I am doing this myself too...I am changing my behaviors and choices and patterns. The VSG is why, but it doesn't change the fact that it is happening, because I chose this tool to make it happen. Thank you for being courageous enough to point this out and give me a healthier perspective.

[semplycomplx 40]

Loved this post!! And definitely need to hear it. Like most of us here, I too was dealing with how others would feel about my decision to have surgery. IT IS NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS! I made the decision to do this for me and not for anyone else. I'm doing it myself. This process has not been easy. I started in August and my surgery is in a few days. I had to get through Christmas and will have to get through New Years while trying to maintain a liquid diet and showing extreme self control! I'm proud of me and screw whoever doesn't like it... ****vent complete*** LOL

[BellaHugz 331]

I just love you refreshing words of truth!!

[Nurse_B 270]

This should be printed out and glued to my forehead.

[Kiap82 239]

I have had mostly support but on Christmas I was talking to my best friend of forever and she told me she was worried that I was going to go through all this and just gain all the weight back anyway. I hadn't even thought of that as an option an now I'm scared. Sometimes I wish people would just keep their mouths to themselves. I might have failed every other time I have tried but this time I am making the commitment to change. I'm only 9 days post op, and nervous for what the year has to bring.

[Indigo1991 1,612]

I posted exactly the same thing earlier - someone asked why I had thrown away my old clothes, was I so sure I wouldn't put on weight. I was almost 8 months out and it had never occurred to me I might do that so sure was I of my commitment to my sleeve.

I wobbled for a few days then got a grip. Our success or failure lies only in our hands. Ignore the inner critic who will now have come to the surface because of that friend's comment. You have a choice of how to respond to her comments - cave in, agree and give up before you start or let it go and focus on what lies ahead, not behind you.

I know you can do this, you are committed to change and are ready. Good luck, hope it goes well and keep on this forum, there will always be support for you. X

[gamergirl 4,609]

Oh I can't believe I missed this post! Beautifully written LL and it was one the most helpful things anyone ever said to me on this site during my first few weeks. I was whining about how I had failed to do this on my own and you said "I'm confused. You're not doing this on your own? Who is doing it for you?"

Not only did it make me laugh but it also made me realize how silly I was being. Changed my attitude entirely, thanks to you.

[gamergirl 4,609]

So just to play devil's advocate for a minute, let's say we did take the "easy way out". What's wrong with that? I don't think it's easy getting surgery and making a commitment for life, but let's say it is. Isn't the end game losing weight and keeping it off?

Is someone giving out awards for doing things the hard way? Because if so, they owe me a few hundred I'd like to claim for always having to learn things the hard way.

My ex-husband encouraged me to take pain meds during childbirth. I didn't take them but he was right when he said there are no awards for suffering through childbirth with maximum pain. Either way, you'll still have a baby at the end of it. It's the same here. No awards for losing weight one way or another.

My husband told me to stop looking at this as failure and start looking at is as troubleshooting success. Finally, finally after fricking YEARS of trying, we've found something that seems to work for us. How is that not success?

And I do think the tool helps me, so I agree with the earlier posts that we're better off than people who are trying this without a sleeve. I could never eat this little food without hunger pangs without my sleeve. So yes, we are better off than those who don't have a sleeve.

But that's why we chose it. Because 90% of people who lose weight without a sleeve gain it back. While some people gain back some of the weight after a sleeve, the number is less than 50% of weight regained for less than 50% of those sleeved.

I'll take those odds.

Edited December 28, 2013 by gamergirl

[DebbieRenee 16]

YOU'RE AWESOME LL !! I plan to follow you and I begin my journey 12-31... I will need that wisdom and those brass balls!

Blessing!