Weight Loss Surgery

acorsaut89
acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So this morning, I went to my doctor for a regular female checkup and it turned into something completely different. I live in Ontario, Canada, for reference. He mentioned to me that the Ontario government has a completely free bariatric surgery program for people who qualify (specific age, weight and height along with additional health issues). It's totally free - the closest program is about an hour away from me . .. so completely doable, and not a huge deal.

I am still very hesitant. I said yes, refer me to the program so I can go through some information sessions and get some more information but I'm really hesitant. My biggest was 350 lbs, my lowest was 250lbs but I've creeped back up for about 275 lately (my own fault). I feel like this is a copout and I'm saying well I can't do this myself, and I totally ate myself to 275lbs and I've been slacking so here, government fix this problem.

I know people have had fantastic results, and I'm only 28 so he really thinks I'm a great candidate for the program because it will add a whole lot more quality of life for me but I'm just hesitant. Any advice or information or experiences did you have? I know I'll have to give up certain foods and I will struggle with that, for a while I'm sure, but being only 28 is it worth it? Does it really add that much more to your life?

Any information you have would be greatly appreciated . . . I'm a little scared and I've never had surgery so I guess this whole thing is just really scary for me. Also a little scary that I'm a candidate for this when I've worked so hard to lose the weight I have . . . I am not degrading anyone's weight but I just never thought I was "big enough" for the surgery you know?
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Replies

  • BarneyRubbleMD
    BarneyRubbleMD Posts: 1,092 Member
    There is a fairly active Group on here that participates in this topic. Just search for the group and join.

    Gastric ByPass/VSG/LapBand

  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,894 Member
    Definitely ask your questions in the WLS group, people on the general boards are not as informed and also tend to be judgmental about WLS. I am almost 4 years out from surgery so if you have any questions please feel free to ask, I will be brutally honest.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/637-gastric-bypass-vsg-lapband
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited June 2017
    There is another group 100+ without surgery. In case you decide not to have it.http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3322-100-pounds-with-no-surgery
    I have an inlaw that had it years ago. She re-gained some weight back. She still has to struggle.
  • evilpoptart63
    evilpoptart63 Posts: 397 Member
    My mom had the lab band and it fused to her stomach and the tissues went neurotic. She went into septic shock and had to have emergency surgery to take it out. I think surgery would be a great option for extreme cases when people are too big to get moving and their weight is an immediate threat to their lives. There are definite risks associated with it though and surgery doesn't address the psychological aspect of WHY you are overweight. Id you dont get that under control its very possible to gain the weight back. Judging by your picture, you seem like an able body person who could lose weight with willpower and I have a feeling your weight isn't an immediate threat to your health. Is it more for aesthetic reasons? Could you possibly give yourself a year of counting calories and working out and reevaluate then if you even want it?
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    edited June 2017
    It is definitely NOT for aesthetic reasons as I'm looking at a lot of saggy skin should this work and that surgery is not covered.

    This was brought up since I've been trying to lose since 2013 - and I have, from 350 to (now) 275 - and I've stalled out. This was not something I approached him about, he brought it up. It's about getting me to a weight I can maintain - this program comes with social workers, dietitians, psychologists, surgeons, etc. It's not just here's the surgery and away you go . . . there's a lengthy process before they do it, and years (10) of support after I have it.

    Also, this is NOT the lap band . . . this is bypass or VSG (I think it's called - the sleeve).

    While my weight is not an immediate threat, true, going from 350 to 250 (at my lowest) is 100lbs of weight loss so I'd say the will power is there but the weight I am at is a long-term threat and I'm a high risk for diabetes as I was pre-diabetic previously (at 350lbs) and at 250lbs it's still a huge amount of damage to my knees and joints - it's just not a healthy weight. I am able bodied but I've given it 3 years now and I am still struggling. I know it's always a struggle - I get that - and maintenance is always going to be hard but if I can get to maintenance then figure how to maintain, half the battle is there. I come from a family that has struggled with weight for years, this weight and continuing to stay at a reasonable weight will be a struggle forever.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    edited June 2017
    I'd have to ask, what else was discussed in this conversation? Just because you qualify, doesn't mean you need it or that it would be the best option. I qualified for it at my highest weight, and it was suggested to me, but I clearly didn't need it since I've lost over 100 lbs on my own by using MFP and walking, and I'm just a few lbs away from healthy BMI and have graduated from walking to running. WLS could be the best thing you could do for yourself, or it could be the worst. Definitely a double-edged sword.

    ETA: just saw your last reply. WLS could be for you, but as long as you understand that the struggle doesn't end with the surgery, and you're willing to make a life-long commitment, it could be worth looking into.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    Well he's been my doctor for years, so he saw me at my biggest and then when I started losing he has seen me progress but he noticed over my last couple visits the loss has stalled. It's about improving my quality of life as I age since I am only 28, and it will only continue to get worse. I have done some of the loss on my own, but I am stalling.
  • Sheisinlove109
    Sheisinlove109 Posts: 516 Member
    Everyone is different, it may be the option for you...definitely do your research. I have friends that have done the various surgeries and I feel like they all have come out with bigger/different problems. Food allergies being a big one, serious food allergies.

    My thoughts: get to a counselor. Try to figure out and work through why you are eating the way you are and working on tackling that problem.

    Also, get back with the nutritionist. Make a conscious decision to be determined and build a major support/accountability network. Cook right, eat right (most of the time).

    Gym: get there, get moving and make it count. I started going to the gym at 354lbs. I think most days people thought...omg! That big girl is going to fly off that thing and die! I worked at it so hard and just didn't care. I came out red faced, sopping sweat, and so dang tired. At 6.5 miles a day on that thing...no one was laughing a month later. All the Barbies and Kens couldn't keep up.

    Stay hydrated and get sleep...good sleep.

    It's all a mind game for me. I don't have cheat days, I eat within my calories. If I want a cupcake, spinach and chicken for dinner it is.

    No one can chose what is right for you but I am happily here you support you in any road you chose and would be more than happy to chat in detail if you'd like to message/friend me.
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
    My mom is in the same program. The orientation will give you all the information you'll need about the program, how it works and how the process goes. It's two hours long and full of a lot of information (I went with her for support). There are a lot of appointments before you even get to surgery and you will be shown all the options available. Ultimately though it will be your decision whether you go with the sleeve or the bypass or end up successfully doing it through diet. Or change your mind.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    sunsweet77 wrote: »
    Everyone is different, it may be the option for you...definitely do your research. I have friends that have done the various surgeries and I feel like they all have come out with bigger/different problems. Food allergies being a big one, serious food allergies.

    My thoughts: get to a counselor. Try to figure out and work through why you are eating the way you are and working on tackling that problem.

    Also, get back with the nutritionist. Make a conscious decision to be determined and build a major support/accountability network. Cook right, eat right (most of the time).

    Gym: get there, get moving and make it count. I started going to the gym at 354lbs. I think most days people thought...omg! That big girl is going to fly off that thing and die! I worked at it so hard and just didn't care. I came out red faced, sopping sweat, and so dang tired. At 6.5 miles a day on that thing...no one was laughing a month later. All the Barbies and Kens couldn't keep up.

    Stay hydrated and get sleep...good sleep.

    It's all a mind game for me. I don't have cheat days, I eat within my calories. If I want a cupcake, spinach and chicken for dinner it is.

    No one can chose what is right for you but I am happily here you support you in any road you chose and would be more than happy to chat in detail if you'd like to message/friend me.

    Nutritionist: I see her once every 6 - 8 weeks. I'm there

    Gym: I'm there 4 - 5 (sometimes 6 days a week) I'm there

    Stay hydrated: about 3L of water/day . . . enough for me, I'm doing it.

    Sleep: in bed at 10, up at 6. That's 8 hours every night.

    I've done all these things; I've lost 100 lbs on my own but it's just stalling at this point. Yes I could cut more calories, potentially, who knows? I'm not saying nothing is working - cutting more calories would work probably. I don't know . . . I'm doing them, I also have been slacking lately . . . I know that. I've been doing this these things and while some people fall into the "this is the lazy way to do it for people who lack discipline" camp (I used to, too) this is now a real possibility for someone who has already lost 100lbs on my own. I must have done something right to have that kind of loss, no?
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    Even if you have weight loss surgery, you still MUST eat a particular way or else you will get complications. you have to change your eating and the things that cause you to overeat, with or without surgery.
  • YaYasMom12
    YaYasMom12 Posts: 6 Member
    I had it 14ish years ago. I was ALWAYS hungry. i mean seriously. I could go out to dinner, appetizers, main course, dessert, and 2 hours later I'm in the fridge hungry. Not head hungry, but real hunger. I NEVER understood full, and stuffed was not in my vocabulary. Post surgery, I get full. i get hungry. i eat too much I puke. It isn't the end all be all, or I wouldn't be here. You can out eat your surgery, whichever one it is. If I eat like *kitten*, I feel like *kitten*. If I eat healthy, and I exercise, I can lose weight still, without feeling like I'm starving. pre surgery, 1200 calories felt like a death sentence. I can live on that now. Sometimes i don't WANT to but i can with the right choices. I could never lose more than 30lbs on my own. I had blood clots, and was miserable. i was 30. i have saggy skin, i have a big scar, but i'm way healthier than I was. Would I do it again? Yes. I'd just make sure that I reminded my 37 year old self that I should pay attention to the scale and not get in denial about eating my way through a *kitten* relationship.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    Wtn_Gurl wrote: »
    Even if you have weight loss surgery, you still MUST eat a particular way or else you will get complications. you have to change your eating and the things that cause you to overeat, with or without surgery.

    Yes I understand that. Sorry but I get what this means for me, and if you notice I said I'm hesitant about it . . . I understand this is such a scary thing and it doesn't mean it's going to work. I'm not jumping up and down and saying "Do it tomorrow". If I didn't understand the commitment/decision I was making do you think I'd be as hesitant about it as I am?
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
    Will say this, if you go through the program they'll have you see all sorts of people from a dietician to a psychiatrist/psychologist (I forget which one) and will have all sorts of tests done first. To see where you're at.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »
    Will say this, if you go through the program they'll have you see all sorts of people from a dietician to a psychiatrist/psychologist (I forget which one) and will have all sorts of tests done first. To see where you're at.

    Yeh I read about that on the website which I think is really great - I mean if they're investing this much into your health they want to make sure you're ready for what it means for you. Some people ( potentially me included) might think they're ready and can handle it but they can't and it was a waste of time for everyone.
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
    acorsaut89 wrote: »
    Yeh I read about that on the website which I think is really great - I mean if they're investing this much into your health they want to make sure you're ready for what it means for you. Some people ( potentially me included) might think they're ready and can handle it but they can't and it was a waste of time for everyone.

    I think also because it's a government funded program, they want to make sure you're going to stick with it. The orientation really gives you a good idea whether it's something you want to proceed with or not. They even gave you an idea of how much you'd be spending to prep for surgery, which was also helpful.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    edited June 2017
    MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »
    acorsaut89 wrote: »
    Yeh I read about that on the website which I think is really great - I mean if they're investing this much into your health they want to make sure you're ready for what it means for you. Some people ( potentially me included) might think they're ready and can handle it but they can't and it was a waste of time for everyone.

    I think also because it's a government funded program, they want to make sure you're going to stick with it. The orientation really gives you a good idea whether it's something you want to proceed with or not. They even gave you an idea of how much you'd be spending to prep for surgery, which was also helpful.

    Is that the 5 day liquid diet thing I read about prior to surgery (if you get that far)?

    And yeh, that's what I'm saying . . . you aren't paying for it so why should they invest $25K + into you if you aren't going to get maximum benefit out of it?

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