I am 31 years old and I am thinking about surgery. I think it will do me some great wonders. I am filling out papers now so I am not even sure if it is a go. Any help or ideas would be great.

It would be IMO the best gift you could give yourself.

I am so glad I did and the changes physically and mentally have be wonderful.

I'm off of almost all meds except for my mental health ones and with those I'm being weaned off of slowly to much lower dosages.

I have fibromylgia, osteo arthritis, RSD, and stenosis of the spine and the surgery has made it easier to get around. I still have pain don't get me wrong but it's still not as bad as it once was when I weighed 350 at one time.

Again IMO you will be very happy that you did the surgery if you do it.

Good luck with your decision about this and don't let anyone detour what you feel is best for you.

You have to do this for you and no one else.

The best to you.

It sounds like you are at the front end of the process so I will discuss the steps along the way from my experience.

I attended an introductory seminar at a hospital that specialized in bariatric surgery. In this seminar, the various types of surgery were discussed, I underwent an initial screening, I met with the surgeon and selected the surgery, and I met with the liaisons on insurance.

Insurance is an important consideration for this type of surgery. My insurance required that I undergo a 6 month medically supervised weight loss and exercise program in order to qualify. So I began this program.

I underwent a mandatory psychological review to see if I would qualify. Many of the weight loss problems have a psychological component to them.

I began attending free bariatric surgery support group meetings once per month. I began to diet and exercise on a daily program. I went cold turkey on caffeine and carbonated beverages. I had been on a 6 diet-coke per day habit for many decades. I went through a week of terrible withdrawal syndromes after I went cold turkey.

After 6 months my insurance indicated that I qualified for the surgery. I underwent a one day pre-op physical exam to uncover any physical problems that might endanger my operation or recovery. These uncovered a few problems, so I underwent a second round of pre-op exams with specialist in their respective fields to resolve these issues.

I attended a one-day training session that went into fine detail about the surgery, the vitamin/protein/fluid/meal volume allocation after surgery.

I underwent a RNY gastric bypass operation 17 months ago. I lost 110 pounds. I am now at 150 pounds. My diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, frequent urination problems, profuse sweating have all gone into remission. In clothes, I went from a size 3X in shirts down to a size small. In pants, I went from a size 46 down to a size 33.

Check out this video of my journey. Also the other links below will show you to other areas where I talk about my journey and you can get in touch with me personally with any questions. I am more than happy to talk with you if you need any advice or help.

It is truly the most amazing thing I have ever done. I am one year out and down almost 210lbs. I am doing things I never dreamed possible. The only thing I will urge you to do is to do your research. You need to know exactly what you are getting yourself into. I researched all aspects of the different kinds of surgical options, the preparation, recovery, hospital experience, and diet. I knew exactly what I was in for both good and bad. In this process, knowledge is power.

I promise though, if you do this, it will be the single most amazing thing and gift you can give to yourself. The process will be the most incredible journey and you will meet some of the most inspiring people you will ever get to know. There has not been a day that has gone by, good or bad, since my surgery that I have not regretted not doing it sooner. You are still young and can enjoy your new life and your new body.

If I can help in any way or you have additional questions, please let me know. I am an open book. You can contact me at the links below and be sure to check out the video of my journey so far.

http://youtu.be/7lhcbypslHQ

@Fat2FitBlue

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