This evening (9/6) I go for my initial intro class/insurance verification for bariatric/weight loss surgery. It’s going to be at least 6 months from now for the surgery due to insurance requirements.
I’m really excited about this step in my life. My wife and I are both going to do it. We’ve been researching this over the past year and we’ve both been dieting to some degree of success and failure over the past 20 years so a complete lifestyle change is in order and I’m looking for any stories you may have or any advice you could give.
I had a gastric sleeve about 2 years ago and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. 5 years before that I lost 60 pounds through dieting then gradually and gruelingly regained it all. When I finally gained back everything I had lost I started looking into surgery.
The key thing I would share with anyone considering surgery is that it is a really profound lifestyle change. For me it was exactly what I needed, but it completely changed my relationship with food and eating. I don’t ever really feel physically hungry and have little appetite to speak of. You have to eat 6 small meals a day, so between that and the lack of appetite, eating is quite a chore. I get the impression I may have less desire to eat than the average case, but I discussed it with my surgeon at a follow up and he agreed eating can become very mechanical after surgery.
For me it’s well worth it to not have the daily/hourly battle in my head over whether I want to eat or reach a healthy weight. It’s really amazing how deeply a surgery could change something I always thought of as a psychological problem or a part of my personality. All the stuff they teach you about nutrition and exercise and committing to lifestyle changes is important, but I feel like my hospital oversold how important it is. It’s important so you stay healthy, for sure. It’s just that unlike my pre-surgery diet, there isn’t really a mental conflict or commitment required to keep making healthy choices. You have to be conscientious of what you eat but there’s not really will power involved anymore, for me.
I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in 2008 and am very glad I did it. My doctor at the time recommended a gastric band and I’m so thankful I didn’t follow that advice; if it’s still being done it shouldn’t be.
I find it odd you didn’t mention which surgery you chose.
I meet with the surgeon on 9/21 and we will discuss my options. I think I am going to go with gastric bypass. If he thinks that’s not a good idea, I’ll go with the sleeve. Either way, it will work.
As for as the Lap Band, the doctor explained that it’s percentage of effectiveness is low and he does quite a few surgeries where he either removes it or transitions it to a traditional sleeve surgery. There are just more complications with having something that can slip and puncture and wear on the stomach lining.
