A few days ago I had my regular appointment with my Rheumatologist who monitors my injections of Humira for my Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. I advised him that I had started on a path towards weight loss surgery and I wanted to get his input towards med management after, etc.

He basically told me my weight is definitely a factor in some of the issues he's involved with treating, my med regimen won't need to change and with weight loss most patients find relief of symptoms BUT. (Ugh, there it is.) But, he has some patients that have had the surgery and been successful but tell him they 'wish they would have just eaten correctly prior to getting the surgery and they wouldn't have needed it.'

I get that point. I still felt agitated and a little insulted. I have tried eating correctly but I can't sustain it long term and gain it back plus and weight loss is very slow for me. Also, with my conditions and recent injury (broken leg/ankle) if I don't get some weight off exercise is a very slow build that may not get much of anywhere, but I'm working on it.

Am I flawed in thinking that weight loss surgery is going to help me? Aren't there factors having to do with hormones the stomach produces etc. that will be impacted? If I've done my research and listened to my WLS Doctor why is this Doctor's conflicting attitude shaking me so bad? This is common, right? Help talk me down a bit please.

Dont know about gastric bypass, im banded, but I literally can't eat past the band. Too much food and it comes back up. As far as surgery ? I wouldn't of had WLS if I had better results with Weight Watchers, but 12 lbs in a year wasn't impressive. Enter Lap band, immediate success ! Back to healthy and strong and a better quality of life. Its fine to consider your Dr, s and others opinions, but its your life and your body, so make those decisions for your self, not anybody else !

At one point in my life I was seeing 5 different Dr.'s every 4 months....I had that much going on and it was all out of whack.

It was my GP who suggested WLS, knowing me and knowing I have struggled at dieting with no success and the majority of my problems can be weight related.

I started to share this prospect to the other Dr.'s, and every one took a double take and said "You? WLS? All you really need to do is eat right and exercise"

The one that really shockd me was my cardiologist....I thought he would be onboard, but he was not that enthusiastic. I thought he would not clear me.

Long story short. I had Lap band surgery, lost all my excess weight being at a weight I was in High School 45 years ago....

All my co-morbidities have been reversed...no more diabetes so no more endocronologist,

I still see my GP and cardiologist but only once a year now instead of every 4 months.

The most amusing thing of all is how pleased my cardiologist is...he refers to me as one of his best patients, success stories ever, saying I am consistantly moving in the opposite direction than the direction most of his patients do.

I want to be in his face about how negative he was with my WLS...but why bother....I wonder if he even remembers.

I don't know why so many people, including health care professionals, are so negative about WLS when so many people have had thier lives saved by this and returned to a normal weight - lifestyle.

I know many of my friends and workmates get regular Botox-filler treatments....is that natural? But I am not one to cast stones.

I've lost 95 % of my excess weight and 95 % of my health problems are permanently gone. Coincidence ? I think not.

I am not sure what prompted me to reread this thread but I take issue with a very basic issue that is being ignored. The disease process of obesity.

I believe with all my heart that if I'd had daily support, counseling, support groups and online information sources I could have contained the 40-50# overweight in my youth. The trouble was, by the time it was 150# I was genuinely unable to lose meaningful amounts of weight.

For other people it might be lower weights where they cross that disease threshold, I don't know.

I completely agree with the lifestyle aspect ...don't get me wrong but most people who are morbidly obese cannot "will themselves " to become thin.

I speak as someone who was driven by hunger...to someone who now experiences hunger at appropriate times. It is night and day experience and I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen both sides.

I am not sure what prompted me to reread this thread but I take issue with a very basic issue that is being ignored. The disease process of obesity.

I believe with all my heart that if I'd had daily support, counseling, support groups and online information sources I could have contained the 40-50# overweight in my youth. The trouble was, by the time it was 150# I was genuinely unable to lose meaningful amounts of weight.

For other people it might be lower weights where they cross that disease threshold, I don't know.

I completely agree with the lifestyle aspect ...don't get me wrong but most people who are morbidly obese cannot "will themselves " to become thin.

I speak as someone who was driven by hunger...to someone who now experiences hunger at appropriate times. It is night and day experience and I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen both sides.

I agree.

What is striking to me how little this is understood, not just by the general public, and by those of us who are obese, but most-importantly the medical community.

Was the doctor skinny?

LOL... He was fit but I wouldn't say skinny. He's definitely never had a weight challenge.

One thing being a Nurse had taught me is let each Physician do what they are meant to do.

Let your Primary handle general medical.

Go to the Neurologist for neuro stuff.

Let your Cardiologist be the one to regulate your blood pressure meds.

So let your surgeon be your guide through your surgery and what's best for you not the rheumatologist.

I have gotten those types of comments when I went for my pre op appointments. I just accepted their opinion said thank you and kept moving! They are not me, they don't live in this body and the decision to have surgery is between myself and my surgeon.

Good luck and don't let anyone talk you out of something you want for yourself.

A very wise woman once told me

"Be true to yourself and you can never go wrong"