I need some advice.

sleepyjean · October 8, 2005

I had a physical on Tuesday to get a referral to a surgeon and find out if I had any “ammo” that I could put on my medical history. My doctor is a 1st year resident and she said she’d give me a referral, but when she consulted with the attending physician he said no. We made a deal that I would give it three months and then we’d talk about it again. In the meantime, I’ve been directed to exercise three times a week and I have to go back and see her once a month so she can check on my progress. I also found out that – except for the obesity thing – I am in perfect health. No pre-indicators of heart disease, high cholesterol, apnea, high blood pressure, etc. In fact, my blood pressure is *lower* than most people’s.

I am 31, 5’6” and I weigh 233. My goal is 140. (That may seem like a low weight, but I have a smallish frame. At that size, I was a comfortable size 10 and by no means “skinny.”)

I don’t know what to do. Should I *try* to lose weight in the next three months or not? I bet I could lose 10 pounds in 3 months. But that would push me further away from eligibility for the surgery. Part of me thinks I should say screw it and try to gain another 10 pounds or so. But that’s so…I don’t know…dishonest.

What would you do?

SJ

ReneBean · October 9, 2005

Try another doctor? I don't know. It certainly wouldn't hurt to do the diet and excercise - but it sounds like this doc is not very band-friendly.

Havve you tried the whole diet & excercise thing, before? Has it worked for you? I know that I can LOSE the weight - but after 40 yrs of living, I know that it is KEEPING it off that is the hard part.

If you are certain that the band is what you want and what you need, then change your doctor...

lovecats85 · October 9, 2005

try another doc - alot say 75 pounds overweight is enough and they considered my "sore knees and back" and acid reflux and hiatal hernia comorbities - course I'm a self pay so maybe it's different.

sleepyjean · October 9, 2005

Havve you tried the whole diet & excercise thing, before? Has it worked for you? I know that I can LOSE the weight - but after 40 yrs of living, I know that it is KEEPING it off that is the hard part.

I'm on the same page with you. I have dieted down to 135 twice, and both times, I immediately began regaining the weight. I guess that's a big reason why I'm so frustrated. I know I can't keep it off. And knowing that makes it even harder to motivate myself to even try. It takes a lot of willpower to lose that much weight. Unfortunately, it's hard to have willpower in the absence of hope (sigh)

ReneBean · October 9, 2005

That's what the band is all about - KEEPING the weight off. If you are like me, you have lost your body weight at least once - but you lose is in 20-30 lb increments and gain it all back...

The band gives me hope that I will be able to KEEP it off, and that will give me the incentive to lose the weight ONE MORE TIME... I say, find a doc that is more Band Friendly.

vinesqueen · October 9, 2005

this is a real tough one. One the one hand, that is excellent news about your health. Just excellent. Heh, I know what you mean about the low blood pressure. I have normal BP, except for the first week or so that I'm back in ID.. the change in altitude from sea level to 4,000 feet plus takes me a lttle while to get used to. It's funny when a new person takes my BP... they always have to double check the results.

So, I would advise that you start excersizing. No matter what happens with your band process, you will be in better health.

The band is about changing your lifestyle--it's not an easy quick fix. It's about changing your eating habbits, it's about changing your mind set towards food and probably food too. It's about getting excersize 3x a week too.

I have not lost 10 pounds in 3 months even being banded, in the last 4 months I've lost 8 pounds. But I suppose that is one of the reasons I'm the spokes model for the Turtles.

tztmama · October 9, 2005

Try another doctor and say whatever it takes. I think of this as saving my life. Would I exaggerate the truth to keep from dying young and hurting all who love me? You betcha!

tztmama · October 9, 2005

Oh, also. I started a year ago with going in to urgent care with back spasm. It is hard to "see" back spasm but having documentation that I'd had so many problems with it made my request for surgery look more urgent.

Bensmum1109 · October 9, 2005

Although I do have co-morbidities (hypertension, high cholesterol, and severe arthritis exacerbated by my weight), my surgeon would have done the surgery simply if I was 100 pounds overweight.

If you are 5'6" and 233, it's reasonable to say you are 100 pounds overweight. Even if your goal is 140 (that's my goal as well, and I am 5'5 1/2"), go to another doctor and tell him your goal is 133. Also, it will definitely help to tell him that you have a family history of heart disease and/or cancer. My surgeon initally told me that this is definitely a consideration for the surgery, regardless of my current health.

I should note that I am a self-pay, so my surgeon gave me the surgery even though I only had 72 pounds to lose and was a 34.9 BMI. But again, I definitely have the co-morbidities.

Jachut · October 10, 2005

This is the biggest frustration when talking about the band. Everyone insists you havent really tried properly before. No doubt you could lose weight but tell them to look at the freaking statistics. Nobody loses that much weight and keeps it off. Its a losing battle, and the chances of you being one of the .0000005% who actually win it is pretty remote.

I would make sure I lost no weight to be honest. My DH is thinking the same thing. He has a BMI of about 33 and in Australia, its becoming more and more accepted to operate on patients of that size - he has quite high blood pressure so he'd probably be a candidate. He's not really sure he would want to take that step but he said to me, "I dont want to lose 10kg and then be stuck being fat but not being fat enough".

I'd also play the family history thing - I was armed with all sorts of info about the diabetes and high blood pressure on my mother's side of the family - and I'd complain about foot, knee or hip pain and fatigue too, say you cant keep up with the daily grind (which more often than not is true when you're overweight) etc.

sleepyjean · October 10, 2005

This is the biggest frustration when talking about the band. Everyone insists you havent really tried properly before.

That's it EXACTLY. You hit it right on the head.

Maybe there are people out there who wake up one day and say "oh dear, I'm obese. When did that happen? I guess I'll have that surgery because I just can't be bothered to exercise and watch what I eat." Maybe there are people who look at the surgery as an easy fix, but they're the exception, not the rule.

Is there *anyone* here who hasn't tried a million diets? Anyone who doesn't know that an apple is better for you than a Big Mac? Anyone who hasn't dieted their way into larger and larger sizes?

I guess the doctors have to do their due diligence, but I can't think of anything less helpful than a pat on the head and a lecture about trying harder.