Help! How do I make this decision?

[Fitgirl2be 4]

Df

[Fitgirl2be 4]

Sorry, for some reason it wouldn't let me post my comments/questions to my question so I'll write it here.

What I know for sure is that I have battled my weight since I was 21 years old. It got even worse after I had my two sons. I've lost 80 pounds twice but gained it back both times. I know the sleeve surgery is not going to be a magic fix for me, but feel it could be a useful tool. My bmi is 43. I'm 39 years old. I've had 2 c-sections and had my gallbladder removed.

My first worries were that my insurance wouldn't cover the surgery but I found out they will. Second, I was worried about pain after surgery,but now I have worries that I dont know if they are just normal fears before surgery or maybe I shouldn't have it done. I'm so confused. The stories I've read about people being really nauseated up to a month after surgery and not being able to keep food down. Then there's the fear of not waking up from the surgery or getting a leak.

I haven't had my appt with my surgeon yet. Maybe I'll feel better after bringing some of these concerns up to him? I guess my rambling question is how did you know you were ready for the surgery? Lol! Thanks so much for any replies! :-)

[samuelsmom 670]

The best thing to get are facts. Nausea is common after surgery, however, it is usually short lived (unfortunately, not always). Leaks are rare- the range is about 2-5% depending on what article you are reading. Death is a possibility with any surgery, however the sleeve has about the same mortality as gallbladder surgery. Considering that the clients are all obese and many have serious health concerns, this is a very safe surgery.

My recommendations which are based on my experience as an RN:

1) Ask how many procedures your surgeon has done. This is a technical surgery, you don't want a newbie

2) Ask about their mortality and complication rates. They should be open about this. '

3) Look at the Healthgrades of the hospital. This is found at

http://www.healthgrades.com

4) Find out how they manage their surgery cases. For example- one reason I picked my surgery team is because they give nausea medication IV around the clock until the IV comes out, they aggressively hydrate, they don't use catheters in the OR, the hospital has all private rooms, and you have the IV pain medication that you control with the button right after surgery.

5) Look at the intangibles. Does the surgeon seem excited and interested in his or her work? What vibe do you get from the office staff? Clearly this is not as important, but it is a factor.

6) Include your husband or significant other as much as possible. The more support you have the better.

Good Luck to you in whatever you choose!

PS: I too have had 2 c-sections and my gall bladder removed. I am a lot older than you also. Fortunately, the surgery was by far the easiest procedure I have ever had!

Edited February 17, 2015 by samuelsmom

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

I think you just received very excellent advice on the practical considerations.

My opinion is this -- you should have tried everything reasonable to get your weight under control before resorting to surgery. i sense you have. I could lose weight when I was your age too - always regained it, but at least i could lose it! I reached a point where I only gained. Obesity robbed me of so many wonderful things - and I didn't realize how cheated I was until I attained a normal/healthy size/weight. In hindsight, i wished i had the sleeve or bypass ages ago, but I guess it wasn't my journey. I can't tell you what the right decision is, but rather than just focus on the surgical risks/issues, balance against the reality of remaining obese.

I was out of control freaked out by having part of my stomach removed. The only reason I mustered the courage because it was obvious that at the weight I was at I had 100% chance of early death with a likely sidetrip through disability (I was already partially there). It was hard to argue those sort of facts. Risk of leaks is maybe 1-2%. Risk of death from bariatric surgery is similar to other surgeries like gallbladder removal, low. Risk of having your life inconvenienced by having to eat differently, feeling like crap those early weeks and months are probably about 100% too, but very temporary. Only you can do the assessment for your own situation. I wished I could have maintained a healthy weight without surgery, but I have a disease called obesity that I could not manage without help. I am a normal weight now, but still have the underlying medical condition of obesity so must remain ever vigilent.

I am guessing you posted from a tablet or phone (my kindle won't let me type on the first post either) so you probably cant see profiles. If you can, click on mine to see before and afters to get the gist. I am about half my former size and living a life about 10X bigger.

[Fitgirl2be 4]

Thank you SO much samuelsmom and cowgirljane for your great responses! Also congratulations on both of yours weight loss!!!! I will def follow your suggestions!

Thanks again! :-)

[jdatkin 1]

I had the RNY surgery 4 days ago. The day before the surgery I was 450 pounds, two days after I was down to 440. I was also very worried about the pain and discomfort after the surgery. My worries were unfounded. I had no pain from the surgery itself. The only pain I had to deal with is my throat from the intubation.