New to forum, considering GS but I have some questions

[MIMISAN 404]

Hi everyone I am new to this forum and have not had any surgery yet. I am just set to visit the Dr. next week but I was hoping to get first hand answers to a few questions. I will be 62 in September and I worry that I might have waited to long. I work full time and have insurance that I am hoping will at least help with the costs. Have others had the surgery that late?

I am a happily married female, we married when I was about 200 lbs but since then I have gone to 300 plus. I know my husband worries about my weight but he is far to kind to say something that might upset me. I am sure he would prefer me to be thinner, but he is also an enabler in his own way. For years I have thought people that went the surgery route were cheats because we should be able to do it ourselves but I have found I just haven't been able to do it myself. I can lose it and I generally gain it back within a year plus 5 or 10 more.

I would love to be more active but when your as heavy as I am that becomes a vicious circle. When I try to be active, I hurt myself or become mortified and then I sit to recover and so on and so on. My feet, hips and legs constantly hurt and that also encourages me to sit on my butt and while I am there I might as well have ice cream. I know this is what has gotten me where I am and I am ready for help!!!!!!!

One of my big concerns is Hair loss. When I had my hysterectomy at 38 they had to put me on hormones to help me stop the hair loss. Even with that my hair is now fairly thin on top and I do not want to be bald or patchy. Is there a way to avoid this?

My last concern is that since I am older and have been fat for much of my life, won't I just look like a defated bloodhound with skin folds everywhere? Will that be harder on me than fat?

Any help is appreciated.

[joatsaint 2,814]

Being a guy and being a few years younger than you, I can only answer the last question. I decided that I would rather be thin with flappy skin, than be fat and have tight skin. My loose skin is primarily in my gut, but I have some "draping" around my shoulder blades, and I have a minor "bat wing" thing going on. :-P

My last concern is that since I am older and have been fat for much of my life, won't I just look like a defated bloodhound with skin folds everywhere? Will that be harder on me than fat?

Any help is appreciated.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

hair loss is something that does happen to most of us post-op. There are many theories on how to prevent it, but the truth is, it is just different for everyone. The most important thing is to get all your Protein and Vitamins in. Some will suggest taking Biotin, Vitamin e, zinc, etc. But most of those things will only help regrowth, not prevent loss. The good news is, I think I've only seen posts from maybe two or three people on these forums in the 12-ish months I've been here who didn't eventually regrow their hair. Almost everyone goes through a period of loss form maybe 3-9 months, but it does eventually start to regrow. I only lost hair in any significant amount for about 1.5 months. It started at about 3.5 months post op and at 5 months post-op I was already seeing new growth.

As for skin, again, there are some things you can do to improve your situation, but age and genetics play a huge role as well. Losing slowly allows skin a chance to bounce back, but you may not have a ton of control over your rate of loss, especially in the beginning. Strength training can help "fill-in" loose skin with muscle where the fat's been lost. Moisturizing daily and taking supplements can help with skin elasticity. I take Vitamin C and beef Gelatin daily. And finally, get in lots of water! Hydration is key to healthy skin!

[AvaFern 3,516]

I can understand your concerns. I lost weight naturally a lot of times and it just never worked out for the long term, so I too had to reconcile with the fact that I felt like I was cheating. I have read about a lot of people losing hair and I was one of them. My hair really thinned out at around 6-12 months or so and then it slowly started growing back. I am now 21 months out from surgery and my hair is slowly getting back to its old thickness. In terms of loose skin- that seems to be the way things work unfortunately. I ended up having 3 plastics procedures to fix all of my skin concerns, although to be fair they had been issues when I had lost weight in the past, so it wasn't a surprise to find I was saggy.

I have a sleeve that likes to make me barf at least once a day, it hates anything that has been anywhere near butter, oils, fats, sugar, or milk, it made my hair fall out, and it cost me 40K+ in plastic surgeries. I would still choose to have the surgery every single day. Being thin is absolutely worth the tradeoffs of the surgery.

Good luck!

[LAG4ahealthierme 76]

I am not sure that I can offer any answers to your concerns as I too am new to this forum. I have a sleep study to get through before I can schedule my surgery. I can tell you that I will turn 60 next month and struggled with my age issue for a year before deciding to go forward with WLS. I have always struggled with obesity and 'diets' that helped me to take off weight, but never keep it off. I too, looked at WLS as an option for the 'weak' but with lots of research, reading, and a new primary care doctor that doesn't equate obesity with laziness, I am looking forward to using the gastric sleeve as a tool to healthier living, a longer life, and a better me. My husband says he loves me just the way I am, but that's not good enough for me. I can't run with my grandchildren like I want to as I am. I tend to avoid family outings and get togethers because it's a struggle to participate in the yard games and such. I don't love me as I am and I want to change that. Though I am not particularly looking forward to my 60th birthday (I don't know that I've accomplished much- there is still so much I have yet to do) I am looking forward to celebrating my 70th. My odds of making it without WLS are significantly against it. If you have a mindset for WLS and a medical team who will work with you, then I do not think 62 is too old.

With every diet I've ever been on I experienced hair loss and that was devastating to me at those times. It still concerns me and Hair loss is natural as we get older, but when I stop and think about what really matters, like a hugg from one of my grandbabies, hair loss doesn't seem nearly as important to me.

As for sagging skin, well my current lumps, bumps, rolls and stretch marks are not a pretty sight either.

I know that staying focused on the positive will be key to getting me through this process of WLS and beyond. I am counting on these forums for support and hope that I can be of support to others as well.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

I have seen plenty of people, both here at this forum, and at my surgeon's support group, who are older than you and getting surgery and doing fine. If your surgeon is comfortable with your health and ability to get through surgery, that's all you need to know IMO.

As far as Hair loss goes, I shared your worry. I also had super thin hair before surgery. And yes, I lost a lot more. Because my hair was so thin before surgery (thinner than most people's AFTER surgery), mine was pretty visible. I ended up with a topper, kind of like a mini-wig that blends in with my own hair. You know what? I love it! I get compliments on my pretty hair all the time now, and I sure never did before. Thinning hair is really something you can work around and find a solution for. Obesity and the associated health risks and lifestyle detriments, not so much.

I have some saggy skin after losing almost 200 lbs, but not as much as I feared. Do I look like a shiny, glossy, playboy pet with my clothes off? No! But I look a lot better than I did at 300+ pounds. I am kidding myself if I thought I was some glamor puss then. When I was 300+ pounds, everyone could see all my body flaws, there was no hiding them. But now, the only people who can see the wrinkles etc. are people who see me naked -- partners and medical professionals. And they can handle it. And frankly, the wrinkles and sags are only noticeable at all when I am both naked and standing upright. That doesn't happen very often. Anyway, I love my new body, wrinkles and all. It gives me health and freedom and strength instead of being a prison. Never going back!

[gomezk2 24]

I would recommend the gastric bypass for you. I say this because of my eyewitness accounts of siblings who have gotten WLS in their 60's and the gastric bypass has worked very good for them. Hair loss is something that can be handled with proper nutrition, supplement intake. Look at taking some Biotin for the hair. It makes the hair stronger and less prone to fall off..

[lfry925 38]

All I'm going to say is it's NEVER too late to get your life back.

[mdlange 50]

I was sleeved in February at 234 pounds. I have lost 84 pounds, and have just started the hair loss issue. I had super thick hair and have lost about 2/3 of it. No scalp showing yet, but definitely thinning out at the temples. I take Biotin every day and keep waiting for this to stop.

That being said, I WOULD DO THIS SURGERY AGAIN IN A HOT MINUTE!!!

Thinning hair is NOTHING compared to the torture the extra weight was!! The change is dramatic as far as my lifestyle is concerned. I am off all blood pressure meds. My pre-diabetic issues are GONE! I can enjoy my grandkids, and SEX has never been better! Yes, there is loose skin, but is is nothing compare to FAT ROLLS! VSG was the best decision I ever made. I have NEVER puked, can eat anything I want except tuna, it gets stuck every time I try it.

So, buy a wig, some scarves and hats, invest in some Spanx and DO THIS!