Like a lot of you, I've struggled with weight for YEARS. I keep thinking I should be able to lose weight on my own. After all, I know how. I've done it- several times! I've considered WLS several times in the past, but talked myself out of it. Now I'm 55 and wondering if I'm too old. I decided I'm not!

I see there is a lot of information out there. Both for and against. ("It's the best thing I've ever done" vs. "It has ruined my life.") This time, I've gone a little farther in. I've picked out and seen the Bariactric team. I've watched all the videos. Started on the plan.... Letter of Necessity, consults from other specialties, dietician, etc.

I just don't feel that commitment. Even though I'm jumping through all the hoops headed that way.

Has anyone been here? What got you past that unsure feeling? Help!

Edited January 28, 20188 yr by annette17

Hey! kakatlady612

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! LOL I just got home from my presurgery Psych eval. And aside from that 300+questionnaire... That is exactly what we talked about.

She asked (on a percentage scale) where I am to making the absolute decision. I said 75%. I can get to 100% pretty soon. Thanks for your input!

So Annette17, it's been 10 days, I hope you are still going forward with your surgery. I've been looking forward to going through this journey together. Have you gotten far to be given a tenative date yet. I'm still hoping for early-mid March but have run into a minor snafu. Should be able to be ironed out this coming week. Good thoughts gratefully appreciated.

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kakatlady612

I am. I have my 3rd group meeting on Tuesday. I meet with the surgeon for the first time on Wednesday, if I can get someone to go with me. I sat in on a post surgery meeting last week. I don't have a tenative date yet. My insurance does not have many requirements. I am having an issue with the sleep apnea compliance requirement. I can't do it. WHich was a huge reason I considered the surgery in the first place. Hopefully that can be waived. The only other hoop that I'm aware of is an endoscopy. NOT looking forward to that.

Are there any questions I should ask the surgeon?

Good Thoughts. Keep me posted.

Well the sleep apnea might be a yellow flag but not a show stopper.They might put you in the. ICU or a PCAU after your surgery to,monitor your breathing.Do you have a folder or notebook

from,your bariatric program? If so,read it and see if you see anything that doesn't seem covered. I would want to know if he requires a liquid diet presurgery, some doctors do to sirink the size and fatness of your liver, makes it easier to,move out of the way. My own doctor doesn't require it, just a balanced low fat for,the 2 b weeks before. Some doctors move you thru the postsurgical diets fast, some Make you stay on each 2-3 weeks. You probably,already know the sequence, clear liquid[ full liquids/url], soft puree, puree and soft regular. Then after all that at a appropriate time you are on your new regular diet. Ask him if he has weight restrictions, usually 5 to 10 pounds until healed. Are you allowed to bend over? I mentioned that because one of the girls was told she couldn't for 2or 3 weeks. Just play it by ear and I'm sure you'll be fine. You could ask about exercise, but since they get you up soon after surgery walking is encouraged. I know of one person who went to the mall on her way home and walked for 2 hours. I'm surely not that gung go.I'll probably do what I can until I have to sit down and rest but that's just me. Hey update me on anything that happens okay?

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The sleep apnea testing has me a little freaked out too. I'm fairly certain that I don't have it (I only snore when I'm sick or dealing with seasonal allergies, and the only thing that wakes me up at night is my husband's snoring or my bladder) but my nurse and my surgeon are pretty convinced that I do because I have a short neck. I just don't want to be diagnosed with something I don't have based on assumptions based on my physiology. (Sorry for the rambling comment)

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Will do.

Unfortunately, about 90% of people with a BMI of 45 do have sleep apnea. Most of the time it will completely resolve with weight loss. So..... It's kind of a "chicken and the egg" in reverse.

Hello neighbor, Alabama native here. I too have been on the fence, sitting about 75% sure, but this past weekend I became 95% positive I am going through with surgery. I suffer from high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea, edema of the lower legs, the beginning stages of arthritis etc etc etc.

What changed this weekend? I found Jersey Jules' youtube channel and binged the heck out of it. Granted his channel presents VSG from a mans perspective, but his honest approach and advice in every video just set my drive alive. Jersey Jules is also a member on this forum...

Best of luck to you, I hope you find your goals and surpass them.

Get a fitbit that can monitor your sleep/wake cycles, it will show how many times you are wakeful, etc. The data can be downloaded into a report and shown to the sleep study doc I did not have to do a sleep study.

On 2/8/2018 at 1:11 PM, kakatlady612 said:

10 reasons I hesitated to seek WLS
1. I'm not good enough, I've done something bad in the past and I'm being punished
2. I'm too old, if I do it now people will think I'm silly and foolish.
3. I can't make a success of it. People have told me I am inept and incapable of anything worthwhile for years.
4.My body is too broke down to,make it worthwhile.
5. I will die during the surgery. Sure but I could walk out the door and be run over by a speeding car.
6. You're too close to death anyway, not worth the surgeon's efforts
7. I'll disappoint my family, shouldn't I think of them instead of myself?
8. There isn't a hospital that would consider,doing surgery.Another in the same line of the too old.
9 You're too ugly and surgery won't make you look better. Anything has got to be better than looking like Bip the Michelin Man.
10. God made you this way and you were created in his image. Do you have the right to be mutilated internally for what some people would call variety?
FYI I made list out before I made a surgical commitment. Ive always been a list maker weighing pros and cons. More than a tad resistant about life in general, if I don't venture out no one can hurt me. I am good enough and need to love. I am old but why not regard it as extra time to gain wisdom.Not make a success? You've come a long way on your life journey and with the help of surgery you can keep on with the journey. Sure your body won't return to the state it was in your 20s but if you remember the 20s were not perfect for me. Things will work out for us all in the end if you don't lose sight of our final target. Have a good day and a good life everyone.


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Normal to be unsure and have anxiety,

I'm saying this to you because I've had to say these things to myself.

You deserve this. You deserve to make peace with your life, heal from past hurts and negative outer comments that you are now saying to yourself. Part of this journey in the mental side of weight loss. Forgive and love yourself. You come first.

Why would anyone want to go back to our 20's lol Be your own awesome at any age! We have your back!