How does everyone deal with negative reactions from people? I am a couple months away from getting gastric bypass and I just had an appointment with a cardiologist. He was definitely not on board with my getting surgery. I do not have any comorbidities or anything so he thought I should just do it by diet and exercise. I was 100% on surgery and now I feel like I'm letting 1 person make me second guess my decision.

Yeah...think I'd be a bit irked if I heard that from a doctor. So, what, wait a few more years until you do actually have comorbidities and then it'll be okay? I really get tired of people that say "oh you just to diet and exercise more." Sure. Just tell somebody dealing with alcoholism to stay out of bars and all their problems will go away.

Well, in the end you're the one having surgery, not him. It's ultimately up to you. Man this burns me up reading this...lol. Put this in your pocket and break it out the next time you need it.

Thank You! I knew it would help to hear from people on here. I need to learn how to not care what people think.

10 minutes ago, lauratro said:

Thank You! I knew it would help to hear from people on here. I need to learn how to not care what people think.

Yeah, you have to learn to shrug some things off. I was lucky that my family doc was all on board for it. He knew the issues I was struggling with and felt it was a good option for me. People are going to have their opinions, but in the end you do what's best for you.

Don't listen to him. And if you encounter any other naysayers, say directly and firmly, "This is the decision I have made in consultation with my primary care physician and surgical team. I believe it is the right choice for me." Opinions are like a**holes -- everybody has one.

Thank you everyone for the support. I needed those kind words

Tell him if he even thinks this is the easy way out he's sadly mistaken and obviously has very little knowledge of what's involved in wls. Wls is anything but easy... Good luck and don't let anyone dictate what you should and shouldn't do. Your body...your decision.

It's ur body not his ? You do what's good for you and if it makes you have a better quality ov life that's all that matters x

So you had to see a cardiologist and he doesn't think you have potential comorbidities? Just curious, why were you seeing him? And shame on him! Every doctor I told (PCP, gastroenterologist, therapist and orthopedist) was very supportive. I didn't have comorbidities either, and my BMI was 36. My insurance approved the surgery because of my history of depression, which my therapist said was affected by my weight problem. And it was! The chronic dieting, with massive weight losses and gains over the years, had me near suicide. We all do this for different reasons, but ultimately it's to save our lives. I was beyond caring how big my butt was, and I'm still more concerned with my mental and emotional health.

Hope this comes across well in text - Have you tried your best with diet and exercise? I'm betting that you have, much more than he knows. For most people surgery is a last resort, not a first.

Weigh the evidence against his opinion. Does it support it? If not then he is wrong. Move forward in whatever is best for you. You are the one that has your full story. Hugs and all the best!

I had a similar reaction from my cardiologist. Nice guy and an excellent doctor. He just didn't think I was "fat enough" to go the bariatric surgery route. I'm 70-75 pounds over a maximum healthy weight, pre-diabetic, sleep apnea , knee and ankle joints that are killing me, and borderline high blood pressure. Guess I could have gain an additional 25 or more pounds to be"fat enough" and sick enough before making this well-thought-about decision to live the rest of my life (I'm 66 years old) being as heathy as possible. My gastric bypass surgery is scheduled for next Monday (March 20).

So you had to see a cardiologist and he doesn't think you have potential comorbidities? Just curious, why were you seeing him? And shame on him! Every doctor I told (PCP, gastroenterologist, therapist and orthopedist) was very supportive. I didn't have comorbidities either, and my BMI was 36. My insurance approved the surgery because of my history of depression, which my therapist said was affected by my weight problem. And it was! The chronic dieting, with massive weight losses and gains over the years, had me near suicide. We all do this for different reasons, but ultimately it's to save our lives. I was beyond caring how big my butt was, and I'm still more concerned with my mental and emotional health.

I had to do an EKG and it came back adnormal so they sent me to a cardiologist. It was the first time I've ever seen him. I want to make sure my heart is healthy before surgery so he is sending me to do an echocardiogram this Wednesday

Hope this comes across well in text - Have you tried your best with diet and exercise? I'm betting that you have, much more than he knows. For most people surgery is a last resort, not a first.

Weigh the evidence against his opinion. Does it support it? If not then he is wrong. Move forward in whatever is best for you. You are the one that has your full story. Hugs and all the best!

Thank you. Oh yeah I've tried so many different ways of losing weight. Diet after diet, gym memberships, personal trainers, medically supervised medications, ect...
Unfortunately my dad's side of the family us obese and I have been struggling since i was a teenager. I haven't been tested, but I'm sure I have some sort of sleep apnea and I do have severe GERD and Barretts esophagus.

I had a similar reaction from my cardiologist. Nice guy and an excellent doctor. He just didn't think I was "fat enough" to go the bariatric surgery route. I'm 70-75 pounds over a maximum healthy weight, pre-diabetic, sleep apnea , knee and ankle joints that are killing me, and borderline high blood pressure. Guess I could have gain an additional 25 or more pounds to be"fat enough" and sick enough before making this well-thought-about decision to live the rest of my life (I'm 66 years old) being as heathy as possible. My gastric bypass surgery is scheduled for next Monday (March 20).

I'm glad your following through to do what is best for you. Good luck with your surgery today

I know how it feels to have negative people in your way. Mine is not my health care professionals...it's my husband! He is so against me having my surgery ( bypass scheduled for June 16, 2017), that he has threatened to divorce me if I go through with it. He repeatedly tells me I will fail, and gain all my weight back. That it's a waste of money. That it's taking the lazy way out, and cheating to lose weight after being a glutton for 8 years. I have gained over 150 pounds since my mom passed away in 2008. So I guess that makes me a glutton.

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As a 16 year old having bypass surgery I was approached by many people who were either supportive or toxic. I say toxic because making the decision to undergo WLS is not something easily decided and many people try to persuade you out of it.

It required a huge team of thinkers (including me) coming together to create a plan that would help me live my best life!

A lot of people can't see what were trying to do because they lack empathy and they are scared for us, and fear manifests itself in many different ways (anger, anxiety, negativity), and yes it's true we could die on the table but we can also get hit by a bus, That's just life.

6 years out and looking back now I can say it was the best decision I ever made. I came to realize that there are three types of people in the world. People who:

1. Make things happen (Oprah, you and me)

2. Watch things happen (the spectators, the one's that root for us to fail)

3. Look at their life and say "what just happened" (the victims)

You should feel soo proud of yourself for making a step in the right direction for yourself and the lives of the people around you.

However you or any of you choose to move forward know that you're not alone and we're all hear to support you