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Hi All, So after 6 months of the dietary classes and surgery around the corner on November 7th. All of a sudden some of my co-workers (nurses) are expressing there opinions and concerns about me getting the sleeve. I have had plenty of time to think about the surgery and I am ready. A friend asked me yesterday why I have to make such a drastic change by removing part of my stomach and that if I really put my mine to it I could just lose the weight. As you guys know it is not like that. I also told her that this is not the easy way, it is the necessary way. With my autoimmune liver disease and now facing the fatty liver by yo-you dieting I am doing more harm than good to my body. This whole sleeve is going to happen and my liver doctor in Denver said it is the best thing I can do for myself. I do realize that this is a huge life style change and is something I have to do for myself to feel good again. So friends what would you say to someone that questions why you can't just do it yourself? Neani
Please do not let them talk you out of this. This is no easy thing at all, it is not taking an easy way to lose weight. My blood pressure has come down, my blood sugar levels are great and my cholesterol is wonderful just after 21/2 months from surgery. We all do this for our own personal reasons, stick to yours!
sorry for posting so many times, it wouldn't post
What I say is that "I am 61 years old and if I was going to figure out how to take the weight off and KEEP it OFF I would have done so by now - so this is my opportunity to take my health back"...once I throw in my age and that I have spent most of my life being overweight the doubters seem to support me a lot. I had the surgery August 23rd and have not regretted it one second! 38 pounds gone forever...50 more to go.
You are going to have those who support you and those who think it is the stupidest thing you have done. One of my sisters stopped speaking to me for a while when I told her I was having surgery; she was more overweight than I was so I think there was other issues present. I had my surgery in may and so far have lost 50+ pounds. Plus sized clothing is too big for me to wear; my arthritis has abated. My cholesterol has gone down 70+ points and my blood pressure meds have been reduced. This is not a quick fix, and there are challenges post-surgery. But I do not regret one minute doing this. I tell everyone that I did this for me and my health and not for anyone else. And despite the occasional vomiting and still sorting out food frustration I have not regretted it one bit. Have your surgery and live your life.
You are going to have those who support you and those who think it is the stupidest thing you have done. I had my surgery in may and so far have lost 50+ pounds. Plus sized clothing is too big for me to wear; my arthritis has abated. My cholesterol has gone down 70+ points and my blood pressure meds have been reduced. Have the surgery and get your life back
You are going to have those who support you and those who think it is the stupidest thing you have done. In the end however more will support than hate. I had my surgery in may and so far have lost 50+ pounds. Plus sized clothing is too big for me to wear; my arthritis has abated. My cholesterol has gone down 70+ points and my blood pressure meds have been reduced. I feel lighter. I am beginning to feel that I have my life back. You will too. Don't think twice
We all have simalar reasons to do this. Our health. My husband and I both had our sleeves done almost 6 months ago. It was the best thing we ever did for ourselves. YES it is a big life style change and you have to be a willing participant. Everyone has had friends and coworkers say why can't you do it yourself. My answer was always if I could have I would have. We are off blood pressure meds, I can walk 4 miles a day when before I could not walk 20 feet and my knee was killing me and I could not breath. I feel like we got our lives back and could not be happier with the progress we made. I am 86 lbs lighter and only 24 lbs from goal and my husband is 96lbs and is 14 from his goal weight. It is such a thrill to look in a mirror and see the progress that is made in such a small amount of time. It makes you want to stick to the life long dietary change.
Agree agree agree!! I am 56 years old. I was 300# at my highest. I have spent my entire life overweight and tried every thing that came along and nothing was permanent because I could not control myself. I even dissed the lap band because I knew, for me, it would be temporary. I had the sleeve done June 20, 2012. It is my new birthdate, because my new life began then. I have lost 50 pounds and too many inches to count. Years of being overweight have destroyed the elasticity in my skin, so I have many, many wrinkles. But guess what, it doesn't matter because I feel great and can move like never before. I was spending $1,000.00 a month on meds. (Cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, skin disorders, yeast infections, etc.) Now, not one thing!!! It was all weight related. I told my family this, I am quickly dying now, so I am willing to take the chances. I am glad I did!
Do this for yourself. There are all kinds of "experts" who have no idea what they are talking about. The fact is, your health is much more at risk without the surgery. There will always be naysayers. They just don't get it.
Nurses know too much for their own good sometimes, meaning they are seeing any possible complication. Take it as them being worried for you. Just reassure them you've done all the work, have a great support team (including us ) and have seen the ups and downs of doing this after 50. I had surgery at 52, 335 lbs. I'm at 219 this morning. Every lb is a struggle now but the first 110 came off like silk, and even now if I'm having a hard time and slip back into my sugar addiction I can only eat so much and if I go up a lb or two I can take it back off in a day or two, as it's all water. Otherwise, it's relatively easy to maintain. I want to drop 25 more lbs over the next year, which will put me at 140 lbs off in 2 yrs. It's not as dramatic as some but to me it's more than worth it even if you avg it out to 70 lbs a year off, right? When could we EVER do that before...AND... be so certain we'll be able to maintain with much less effort than losing weight was before?
You have to be ready to make this decision for yourself, not anyone else. It's certainly not an easy way out of anything, as there are many changes, both physically and emotionally, connected w/the surgery. I felt that at 61, I was ready to do something for me and my health. I was an insulin dependent diabetic with an AIC of 9-10, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and probably other medical conditions to come. I decided to have the surgery after much research, and never looked back. I am now off insulin, AIC is 5, no blood pressure meds, and no CPAP. I wear a size 8-10 pants, M-L shirts, and am down 140 lbs. from my heighest weight. It was hard in the beginning, but not it's just my lifestyle, and I'm loving life. Please breathe, do your research, and move forward to a better life. Don't let anyone stop you, if you decide this surgery is for you. Continued success!
Also, there are many ways to loose weight. We have all done it , MANY times. The differance with the sleeve is that it will help us maintain weight loss. That is why I did it. I am 3 months out and have lost 46 lbs. I can not believe it. I thought I would be fat forever. Well, I'm still fat at 234, but I feel fantastic. Off the bp meds and Lipitor. My blood sugar is perfect. Actually all my blood work is perfect. My doctor is thrilled and so am I. I often tell people to write out the challenges they are presently experienceing. Then write out the challenges you can anticipate 10 years from now. How will your life look? Next, allow yourself to fantasize about h\what your life could be like if youe lost substancial weight and were healthy again. Then make your choice. I chose the sleeve and am thrilled I did. My 19 year old daughter also had it done as she has had horrible problems with her weight. She feels she has now set herself up for a life time of better health and happiness. We will be committed to small portions and vitamins forever, but gee, I think I can live with that!!!!! We are not all nuts on here. We are a group of people who are brave enough to do the right thing for ourselves.Take care and do your research. You'll find that the sleeve is an excellent tool to loose and maintaine weight loss!!
It is a wonderful thing I have done for my health, to have a gastric sleeve at age 60. My husband told me he was walking on air after I told him my decision because he was so afraid that with my health problems I would not last all that much longer. Now we both feel we have a few decades of better health to look forward to. I have lost 75 pounds in 6 months, 290 to 215. have not lost anything in the last month. I need to rev up exercise and watch the wine. The rest of my family at first was very unhappy with my decision, but they are very supportive now and know that none of this has been easy for me, but at last it is do-able for me. I thought I would be so unhappy not being able to indulge in my favorite foods, my comfort foods. But I am okay. I can eat what I like, just not very much of it. Like I recently told an overweight friend with health problems, if you could have lost the weight yourself, you would have done it before now. It is a great tool, but not an answer to every problem. Because I am 61, I have much loose skin, but, that is the least of my worries!
Git r done! I'm 63, after 10 yrs research; I finally settled on the sleeve accomplished 7 Feb. That was 100 lbs ago and still improving. Life is good, don't cave now git ur done. You will not regret it.
I agree with all of the responses. I am scheduled to be sleeved in 3 weeks at 52. I have ran into a few non supporters and that's ok. They are entitled to their opinions and you like me and everyone else here are entitled to live! I had one girlfriend tell me that the surgery will compromise my mental capacity due to the lack of nutrition my body will experience. I calmly explained how vitamins and supplements and regular check ups with my doctor will combat any type of deficiencies. She finally admitted that she would do the surgery but her husband would never agree. She is now one of my support people that has asked to stay the night with me. The choice is yours! Don't let the insecurities of others keep you from living a healthier life!
Absolutely agree with what everyone else has said - I got the sleeve 6 months ago and I am 50 lbs lighter. I still have about 50 to go - but what a difference this has made! I feel so much better! If I was eating better, I'd be losing more quickly - but as they say, the sleeve is just a tool :-) If you choose a hot fudge sundae instead of a salad - you're not going to lose as quickly. Go for it and remember that the only opinion that really matters in your own life is YOURS!! Good luck! Lori
Thank you to all my friends on this forum. I really appreciate all your support. I will do what makes me happy because if I can't be happy with myself then no body can. Thank you
My friend had the surgery in June and she had a huge extended stomach. She never went to a doctor and I suspected her liver was giving her trouble. She went to Mexico, has the surgery, and now looks and is a whole new person. Everyone tried to talk her out of it, except me. I am just waiting for money now so I can have it done. Let them talk! Jealousy!
Take them two 50lb sacks of potatoes, and when they ask what that is for... ask them to pick them both up and try carrying that around all the time, because that is less than the extra weight that you are carrying around every day.
Neaner, if we could do it on our own, we would. People say that we are taking the easy way out. I don't think those people could go through what we are going through. It is not easy, but it is worth it. I am very glad I had the sleeve done and only wish I would have done this first instead of the band first. Only you know what is best for you, don't let them talk you out of something that you decided to do. It is so worth having. Good luck. Remember, many of our friends, even in the medical world, are not informed on the sleeve and therefore can't give us the true picture. Ask your friends here who have had it done and go by what you learn here.
Neaner, if we could do it on our own, we would. People say that we are taking the easy way out. I don't think those people could go through what we are going through. It is not easy, but it is worth it. I am very glad I had the sleeve done and only wish I would have done this first instead of the band first. Only you know what is best for you, don't let them talk you out of something that you decided to do. It is so worth having. Good luck. Remember, many of our friends, even in the medical world, are not informed on the sleeve and therefore can't give us the true picture. Ask your friends here who have had it done and go by what you learn here. I am no longer taking insulin. Blood pressure is normal. GERD is gone. The good is so much more than I can explain!
