in need of advice--thinking about surgery

[dropitlikeitsho 0]

I am 28, 5 foot 10 inches tall, i flucuate daily from 378-385,(my weight jumps around like a crazy) I used to be athletic, and lean, 180 lbs, then i turned 18, left my abusive parents (used to lock me out of the kitchen, fed me inferior foods compared to them at dinner time, would put padlocks on fridge) when i left home, I had no job, money etc, so I would eat when and where i could, then i got a job...and got big...fast. I balooned up to 240-250 range, got married, my wife got pregnant, i and i got bigger..and bigger, and bigger...I am now a heffalump and I hate it, but my compulsive eating has ended, I no longer "pig out" and eat when im emotional, i have 2 really really huge weaknesses, thats midnight eating of meals (late hours, and big bowls of Cereal, sandwiches, etc.) and when i eat maybe 2-3 times a day, , my portions are usually 2-3 times the size of whats reccomended.....I went to the dr. finally expecting horrid test results about the shape I am in...and to my suprise, he said that my cholestrol is very low, so low in fact he said people who exercise and eat right their whole lives would envy my results (my good cholestrol is a little low tho, that was the only negative thing) my blood sugar is just fine, not a hint of a sign of diabetes, my blood pressure was slightly higher then normal, but still below anything alarming...my pulse was right on, I checked out with a great bill of health...which is odd because I still enjoy fast food, and suckin down mt. dews, but...

he said i shouldnt have surgery, that someone in my condition shouldnt resort to that extreme. so that got me thinking...

should I do it?

I am have little patience, and lower then average willpower, such as, when i diet, and moderate my servings, i eat..and sit there still hungry, all pissed off, and that goes on for a few days before I get mad and eat until i am full (or gorge myself on the rare occasion of lasagna) I drop weight fairly fast when I diet, and pick it right back up just as fast when I stop...I want fast results, something like 200 lbs, i would be happy to drop that in 1 years time..is that unreasonable? thats like a little under 20 lbs a month....I am typically lazy, but i think part of that is because i get worn out quickly nowadays, I am strong as an ox, and still play basketball for 2 hours once a week at a local gym, but simple stuff wears on me, and its getting worse now that I am getting older, 3 or 4 years ago, I would go out, play basketball, play football, mow the yard, do whatever, now, I reached down to pick up socks, and my back is killing me, i threw it out...im like COME ON HERE!

also keep in mind, I am selling my pickup, to pay for the surgery out of pocket in Mexico...meaning I am going to get stuck with some beater car for awhile until I can save up for something nice again.

I feel guilty for thinking about spending that much money on this, my wife supports it, but i still feel bad, but on the other hand, I so want to be 200 lbs or less again, and i secretly think that I might want to join the army when its all over (typically they dont allow surgery patients in, but i think i can get a medical waiver for an unfilled band, or as extreme as it would sound, having it removed.

sorry I rambled, but i need advice, should i or shouldnt i, are my expectations out of wack? do i even need surgery, or is my dr. right? he prescribed Merida, but that just makes me feel like an air bubble is stuck in my chest, but i still grill up a steak, hamburger, or whatever....

thanks everyone!!

[flowers 0]

Im not one of the cheerleaders, but I got the surgery in Mexico like you are thinking of. So, I may not have the answers you want. The lapband will help you eating too much at one time and give you a feeling of not being as hungry. I dont think it will stop emotional eating, or grazing or eating the wrong food choices. Ice cream slides right down as they say. Im a grazer, not a over eater. Lots of us have issues with food that go back to your parents. Its hard to put behind you, but now that you know why you eat, hopefully you can.

With the lapband you can still eat continually, grazing I call it. You can still make bad food choices. I talked to someone who didnt have diabetes when she got the band but gained weight on it and now has diabetes. You are young, age 28. If you continue to eat bad foods, you could have insulin issues later on in life. Im twice your age, I didnt have problems either at your age with sugar, now I do.

I think you need to do more soul searching if this is the right WLS for you. You have to do a lot of work to make the lapband tool work for you. All its going to do is make you feel fuller, not stop emotional eating (which Im guilty of too, I eat even when Im not hungry).

[Bunkey1965 2]

You are saying that when you diet you are all pissed off about the amounts you have. WITH the band and proper restriction you dont get all pissed off cause you CANT eat that much. The issue with that is you feel like crap if you overeat and you may just PB it up. Trust me. Thats not fun. Then you DONT set yourself up for a binge later because you arnt feeling deprived. You ate til you coudnt eat anymore. Not just stopped on your own with sheer wilpower. It also makes you aware of what your eating and you get more choozy about what you put in there. You think of your stomack as prime relestate, you dont what the riff-raff moving in there and taking up space for your right choices. And if you do fall off the wagon, the band will re-enforce what you should be doing, and its alot easier to pick yourself up and get going again.

Banded April 1 2008

Dr. Rumbout, Monterrey Mx

240/196/140

Edited August 15, 2008 by Bunkey1965

[theviking 0]

Hey Dropit, I was in pretty much the same sinking boat. I am 5'7" and weighed 363 when I made the call on July 1. I had my surgery last Thur. by Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana. It was a piece of cake. Really an non event for me. I had the surgery Thurs. morning and didn't even stay at the clinic that night. I am on day 6 of Clear Liquids and am feeling good. I am down 43 lbs. since July 1. I never had any gas pains or really any pain at all. We went to the San Diego Zoo and Old town on Sat., flew home on Sun. and back to work like nothing happened on Mon. So far, I have no complaints at all. I just keep waiting for something bad though, but good luck to you.

[canadagirl33 0]

Hi there :wink2:

I think the replies that you got are all good ones and should give you food for thought (no pun intended :wink:) Always remember that the band is nothing but a tool, albeit a great tool, but the work is still for you to do. The emotional issues (even if that emotion is just plain boredom) that cause you to binge or eat your midnight Snacks will still be there and you'll need to deal with them...but you can do it !!!

The only thing in your post that concerns me is the amount of weight you want to loose and the time frame you're thinking of (200lbs in a year) My personal opinion is that it's not very realistic. Any literature you read says that you should lose between 1 and 2lbs a week, and I know, men loose WAY faster generally so you'll definitely be loosing more than 'they' say so you'll lose considerably more than that especially at first. But 1 of the healthy things about the band is that it is considered a slow and steady loss which is far better for you and tends to last over the long-run.

I lost 100lbs my first year and since that put me pretty close to goal weight I slacked off some and have maintained for the last 8 months (something I could NEVER do pre-band) So big losses are most certainly do-able but be careful about setting a pre-concieved goal that may or may not be atainable. The best thing would probably be to speak to a surgeon and ask them if they think your goals are realistic, they are the ones who have seen what is really achievable with the band.

This was a lot of babble and I'm not really even sure I made my point !!! I guess my thought is that I went into it with a thought of 'average and consistant' weight loss and when I achieved that I was very pleased with myself. From past experience I know that when I set my expectations too high and don't meet them, I get frustrated and generally fail in the long-run.

All the best to you and good luck !!!!!

Patricia

11/16/06

NWWLS

306/202/175ish - 6'

Surgery/Today/Goal - Height

[Ceradad 10]

Dropit, you sound alot like me about 10 yrs ago. I wasn't as big then, but I was big. All my tests would come back about like yours and my bp was never outside of normal range. Even last summer when I reached my highest weight of 280.

Now, 10 yrs older than you are, and 130 lbs down from last summer, I am extremely happy.

I am with Canadagirl in that if you are looking to drop 200 lbs in a year, the lapband may not be for you. You can achieve some amazing results in one year, but you have to work for it. I'm in no way suggesting you are not willing to do that as I don't know you, just saying. Since about 2 wks post op, I have been in the gym 6-7 mornings a week for cardio and 4 nights a week lifting. This is important to remember. You must exercise to have the greatest results. Especially if you are planning on joining the Army (which if you do decide to do so, GREAT! We need more willing to make the sacrifice of their service).

Wish you the best of luck in your journey. Keep asking questions to make sure you make the right decision.

[nina874 48]

I am with everyone else.

I think that for your doctor to wait until you DO develop co-morbidties is just insane! That means that if and when you do start to get health complaints you will have a huge mountain to climb, why not nip it in the bud now?

Keep your expectations realistic, the band will help you, it wont do the work for you. You can still graze - trust me on that one!- and certain foods will still slip through (think along the lines of chips and cookies) so there is a fair amount of work left up to you.

All of that said, I have found it to be an invaluable tool, as long as I remember that it is ONLY a tool.

I would recommend that you go and get a private consult and self pay, for what people go through in the USA waiting to pass all the tests for their insurance, for me it isnt worth it, just cough up the dough and start the rest of your life!