I am reading all of these and just crying...I am trying to decide what to do. I am at my final straw and I need help. My doctor has given me the card for a surgeon. My doctor has given me the number for the Surgeon before but I always think I can lose weight and get heathly by myself on my own. I always lose some weight but It always comes back and I am heaver than when I started. I need any advice you ladies can share. What do you wish someone would had told you before you had your surgery? Thanks SO much for the help.

At 32 my dr told me my blood preassure was heart attack or stroke high..That was last November... After that i asked him about the Options class he referred me and that was it. Bein plus size for the pass 10 years has put a strain on my own body image. I had the sleeve July 24th and so far i have lost 23 pounds. Its an adjustment but i am ready for it! A new me!!!!

I had 2 motivators

the first was a picture I saw of myself at a wedding. OMG, I didn't even recognize the obese woman. I thought I'd looked cute that day, and I just cried and cried.

The 2nd was that I have an autoimmune disorder. I'd been having more and more trouble walking, to the point where hubby could come out and help me out of my car. I could barely do steps in my house. I was on Prednisone and felt icky all the time. I went to my rheumatologist, who did some blood test for inflammatory markers, which measure your inflammation, and they came back NORMAL! He very kindly told me that my pain was most likely due to just being morbidly obese.

I knew things needed to change, and looked up a Bariatric program that very day :)

Mine was that I had to lie to my kids to get out of doing fun things with them. I love roller coasters and I had to tell them I didn't because I wouldn't fit on the rides. All of our friends wanted to go camping or to the lake and I'd say no because I was always too hot with all the clothes I'd have to wear! I want to LIVE my life!!! Im having surgery on Tuesday!!!! I've already lost 20lbs on the Pre-op diet! My Birthday is in September so I'm hoping by then I'll have lost enough weight to go on ALL the rides in the park! Can't wait!!!

I thought about this surgery 10 years ago and just kept trying to lose it myself. My final straw was menopause. I was exercising 5 days a week, two of them with a trainer who worked me harder than I'd ever worked before. I had stabilized for about 10 years at 235 lbs and in the last 3 years put on another 20 lbs, despite all the exercise. That was when I decided if I was to keep gaining, I soon wouldn't even be able to walk. My last few vacations, my knees, or my feet, or my hip would be hurting and I would slow the others down. About a year ago, when I was well into the process, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I came home and cryed that day. I always thought I was a fat, but healthy person. That day I was a fat, old, unhealthy person. But it did confirm that I was doing the right thing. I had surgery on June 8, 2012 and as of today am down 50 lbs! It is awesome watching yourself shrink! finally!

I never saw myself as big as I really was. I didnt have a lot of the health issues that normally plague obese people, but at nearly 300 pounds, I nknew that the issues I did have could be improved by losing weight. I never had the strength to diet for long and toyed with the idea of WLS for many years. A few years ago, a friend got a lap band and had great success with it. When I found out my husband had an affair, my life was turned upside down. The weight was falling off and it was during this time (through support) that I knew it was time to take care of ME for a change. After losing 80 pounds on my own preparing for the band, and constant communication with my friend who had one, I took the plunge to help me maintain my weight and possibly lose some more in the process. Its never an easy road, but dying young from weight related issues wasnt the way I wanted to go.

In 2009 I was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on my kidney. The surgeon wasn't sure he COULD do the surgery, let alone do it laporosocopic, on me at 326 lbs. He said he would pray about it and contact me in a few days. He agreed to do it but would have his partner assisting in the OR. He would start lap but would not hesitate to open me if I started to bleed or was in danger. He told me to expect a large incision when I woke up. To my joy, he was able to do it with just 5 little incisions. It was a difficult recovery because of my size and my weight ballooned to 341 lbs. I was emotionally numb and couldn't see beyond my next meal. When I saw him for my 18 month follow up he took my hands and said 'we've give you a future now you need to decide if this is how you want to live it." Then he talked to me about RNY. He begged me to give it serious thought. I never would have considered this on my own. I went to several information meetings and saw what my life could be like. Once I made the decision I never questioned it or wavered once. I looked at it as a lifeline.

I saw him for my 3 year follow up a couple weeks ago. I weigh 150 lbs less than the last time he saw me. To say he was shocked and thrilled at the transformation is putting it mildly. I thanked him for planting the seed that changed my future.

This is the best gift I've ever given myelf.

I have thought about wls for several years, have seen several friends have surgery and are doing great, but never pursued it. Last summer i had an umbilical hernia repaired. This spring I developed another umbilical hernia and went to the surgeon who repaired it last summer but he retired so I saw his partner. When I saw him he told me that I needed to see a wls surgeon and at least discuss surgery with him before he would fix my hernia. He told meif I didnt lose weight the hernia would keep co.ing back. That is what pushed me to look into wls. Plus I have bad knees and my blood pressure is creeping up. I feel older than 45 and I am tired of sitting out on my life. I want to enjoy my life and where I am now that isnt possible.

My surgery is scheduled for one month from tomorrow 9/12) and while I am scared, I absolutely can't wait!!

I was tired of waking up having inhaled stomach acid! I wanted to have my hiatal hernia fixed. My gastro doc suggested GBS as a better all around alternative. After some research, I agreed with him. Now, no more GERD, no more diabetes, better BP control.....just all around healthier and way, way happier. :)

I remember how it feels to be healthy. I can loss the weight but not able to keep it off. About six years ago, i was very fit. However sitting here today 100+ pounds gain. I do not like this feeling. I am not able to be active. I enjoy jogging and working out. I need help!!! I am ashamed how i allowed myself to get this big again. My family and friends saw me six years ago, i chose to avoid them. I am very embrassed. I will have the surgery in January 2013!!! Praise the lord!!! I have test scheduled in Novembe before surgery.

In December I was at my heavest at 360. I work in retail and I was physically and mentally tired. I realized I needed help and I wanted more out of life. Things I had been living with I was just sick an tired of living with. Like struggling to get out a car, not fitting in chairs or being scared I was going to sit some where and break the seat. I also worked at a plus size clothing store and the largest size pants were becoming tight on me.

I got tired of being treated the way I am. I've been thinner from crash diets, and it's a completely different world. As a fat person, I am treated as stupid, as lazy, dismissed, and invisible. People don't listen to me. Or they think it's OK to insult me.
I am perfectly healthy. Diabetes and heart disease are in my future if I stay fat, but currently, I have no issues. So what's the issue? Every time I see a doctor, I get The Talk- you are fat, there are all sorts of dangers, you should eat better (always assuming I eat crap all the time) and exercise (always assuming I don't). Always in a pandering tone, as if chastising a small child. Always with an undertone of thin privilege, the assumption that I am inherently doing something bad or wrong to purposely stay fat. Even when I went in for a freakin' spider bite, I got The Talk! It's maddening.
As with so many others here, I've tried and tried to lose weight on my own, simply to re-gain more and more. I did my research. I found out about the failure and complication rates of the major surgeries. And while my doctor wasn't interested in prescribing weight-loss pills, she started the referral process for surgery immediately.
It was a long time coming, but I want to stop being treated as Less Than.

I remember thinking that I had so much respect for myself in several areas of my life....like being a good mom, wife, daughter, professional, etc...but that I had no respect for my body. I had to give some real thought as to why I could be so good to myself in so many ways...but continually ignore and abuse my body.

I remember not being able to get up off of the sofa without a struggle and thought...."How old are you?!" I was 45 years old at that time.

This was the best gift I could have given myself. For those of you that have not had your weight loss surgery yet...feel good about your decision to giving yourself a beautiful gift of better health

My last straw was everything in my body ached. my ankle started swelling and all i could think about was how uncomfortable my mom was before she passed and then i realized i was following right in her footsteps. i had my surgery 5/15 weighing 239 and now today i weigh 185 i still have a little bit of pain but key word is a little bit :)