Getting bariatric surgery in March! (page 2)

Bruja-del-Sol

Wishing you the best of luck and hope you'll reach your goals after the operation. I can imagine it's hard to be on chocolate shakes.... once I've tried the Cambridge diet, a lot of shakes as well... YUK!!! But you just hang in there, shakes and all, you know it'll be worth it.

Band on the Run

I decided to try a low carb diet b/c I am a diabetic. It feels as tho I am addicted to carbs. The more I eat, the more I want. I made the change by ordering a good recipe book. I cooked the best sounding recipes and served it on fine china and crystal. Freshly cut flowers were placed on the table. I live alone so it was a lot of work. Once I invested in the diet, I found I was able to keep going. Without counting calories, I lost 10 lbs. in a month. I was doing great for nine months. I was reluctant to announce my experiment to my doctors. On the other hand, I wasn't going to lie. To my shock, all my doctors thought it was great.

The problem is that I wanted some fresh fruit after 9 mos. It seemed a small request considering the cakes and cookies I used to consume. Well, some raspberries did me in. Soon, I was carb crazed again. I've heard word of mouth that few people can stay on the low carb diet long.

I tend to love control in life. Always craving carbs was bad for my self-esteem. I did Overeaters Anonymous and Weight Watchers. My weight was never substantial.

I can't find food to eat for diabetes when I am out. If I wanted to spend $45. a meal, I could. When I am out and about, I look at the food and the prices. All I see is poison. I could eat at home so much better for the money. The problem is I am not at home. Now I've moved and I'm facing class issues relating to food. I never realized that different foods exist in different neighborhoods. It makes sense. I thought there was some bland yet tolerable All American food out there. My new apartment is in a zone undergoing long term gentrification. I went to the local supermaket which was filthy. The labels were not in English. I hunted aisle after aisle for something I would like to eat (and not get sick looking at it). When I am in Manhattan, I looked at one of those tiny stores that is not a bodega. Within a few feet, all my treasured foods awaited me.

Have others had similar experiences? Are you going to go thru a rehab program? I was ill for a long period once. They warned me to set very modest goals.

Faithful Witness

Marmot:

I had gastric bypass 5 years ago. I am a success story. I am female, 5'8". My highest weight (non-pregnant) was 335#. I was 390-395# at the time of delivery for both my children. My son was 8 months old when I had the surgery. It has changed my life dramatically.

I am currently 185#, but that is my post-holiday weight. I will be back down to my normal 165# by summer time. I now know that I CAN lose weight. That is an amazaing realization.

I have always been overweight, so it has been a challenge for me to make the lifestyle changes. You will be a success. You have great goals and reasons for getting this lifesaving procedure.

Feel free to contact me privately if you would like to chat or just vent. It has been quite a journey for me.

Unless you've been there, it is hard to understand how small the world becomes for a large person.

poppers

Good luck and good health, marmot. I have a niece who has been on an exercise regimen for about 2 years now and has lost 160 lbs. She finally decided to do something about her weight when she was not allowed to go on a ride at Disney World because of her size. No amount of encouragement and prodding from family and friends worked prior to that. She still has a ways to go, but she looks and feels great.

NewYork44M

Good luck. I have see more than a few success stories. I wish the best for you.

Band on the Run

May I ask why there is such a long wait list time?

Xanthippe

I hope it all goes well for you and you can be out in the fresh air soon enjoying yourself

UN informed

Marmot,

I had lap band surgery in 2009. Prior to my surgery I had hit close to 270. I am currently up and down from 210 but my goal is still about 190-195.

i would happily do it all over again, possibly though instead of the lap band, would seriously consider gastric sleeve. My understanding is that the sleeve is a little more difficult to deal with, but the weight loss is better. I know a couple of people that have had it and they are also very happy to have had it done.

the full gastric bypass may have some advantages for you....it also has more dangers, but the advantage to full bypass is that you immediately lose type II diabetes---immediately.

however, I admire whatever you do. You will love yourself for doing this! At least I did. Feel really good, not so many aches and pains and 60 pounds lighter. Look fairly good too for an old coot.

pm me if you need further encouragement.

Brant

El Nunya

Margot,

I work in the medical field with lots of people who've had one or another of the various bariatric surgeries. Of those
I know, the one that got the gastric sleeve has faired the best. The weight seemed to melt off of her. She dropped weight so fast that she started to get worried that it wouldn't stop. But it did. She's now at her goal weight and she feels fantastic. It was a rough beginning, but in the end she said she would do it again in a heartbeat.

Godspeed on your journey.

marmot

Thanks again for all the support and kind words! Someone mentioned gastric bypass versus the sleeve, my surgeon determined that due to my very high BMI it would be safer to go with just a sleeve because there is less risk of complications. I have a friend who had the RnY bypass done and he literally melted over the course of a year, a bit too much if you ask me. He's 6'0" 165lbs now and that's with approximately 30 pounds of excess skin still hanging on him, to give you an idea of how skinny he got.

Getting bariatric surgery in March!

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