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Newbie (Vulnerability)

GoodandReady

GoodandReady

Member
I have started my required classes for VSG. My doctor told me that I have to lose 15lbs., honestly, he may as well had told me to lose 150lbs bc 15lbs seems imply to me. In every area of my life EXCEPT this one, I feel confident, positive, and empowered. I really need this surgery but I am afraid. I pray that I move forward with what’s required of me to be successful. It feels like my last hope. I am shedding tears even as I type.
 
I understand the feeling of “last hope” it’s tough. For me it was “how did I let myself get here” but the psychologist I worked with was incredible. However you CAN do this! I find making small changes at first really helped me like “this week no pop.” I completed that goal, then I added one each week. It was hard, and retraining my brain personally was hard (still is) but this group is so so supportive and helpful! I wish you many great things!!
 
May your journey be all you want it to be. There are ups there are downs. The real ticket is how are you going to approach those trials. Best option think of it with positive thoughts. This is a key to achieving your goals. Read the posts, search for questions and answers. Along the way you will meet many fine people here, we believe in you.
 
Welcome to this wonderful support group! There's tons of info here if you read some of the old posts. And feel free to ask any questions you have. I know it can be overwhelming going through this process and a little scary too! The reason the doctor require you to lose some weight before surgery is to shrink your liver down which make the surgery easier and safer. I know when I found out that reason it helped me do what I needed to do.

Make small changes at first. You'd be surprised how much cutting out extras can make a difference. Cut down on your portion size and/or no second helpings. It all adds up. I started to swap out breakfast or lunch with a protein shake and that helped me pre-surgery, I lost 44 lbs doing all those small things a little at a time.

Good luck on your journey!
 
GoodandReady said:
I have started my required classes for VSG. My doctor told me that I have to lose 15lbs., honestly, he may as well had told me to lose 150lbs bc 15lbs seems imply to me. In every area of my life EXCEPT this one, I feel confident, positive, and empowered. I really need this surgery but I am afraid. I pray that I move forward with what’s required of me to be successful. It feels like my last hope. I am shedding tears even as I type.
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Of course you can. It seems overwhelming but you can. In a way it’s a good preparation for your recovery journey, because you will be also facing big challenges then (maybe even bigger) because the post op diet is very hard. You can do it. You are going to change your life. Keep us posted!
 
I was never told I needed to loose a specific amount of weight before surgery. I naturally just starting loosing weight when putting into practice what i am learning. tracking food, sticking with the calories allowed by the nutritionist, less sweets.. etc. Everyone I know in "the real world" was told they needed to loose a specific amount and I keep seeing it on here. And I am even seeing the same bariatric team as some people I know who were told they had to loose some weight, and I know at least 2 of them weigh less than me. Maybe when I go to my pre-op apt they will give me a requirement that I have to loose with the pre-op diet. Or maybe it depends on the insurance requirements? Regardless, since I started the process I have been steadily loosing 5-6 lbs a month. Good enough for me!
 
I think the higher the starting weight & BMI, the riskier the surgery. As others can tell you, having a fatty liver makes doing the surgery more difficult, so shrinking the liver is often necessary pre-surgery. But not everyone needs to lose before surgery, including me. If your starting BMI is close to 40, for example, insurance may not cover surgery if you drop below 40.
 
suzannethemom said:
Just curious, why do some surgeons require a patient to lose weight before surgery? Is there a maximum BMI requirement?
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I think there is few reasons. They want your sugar stable and excess sodium out of your system to make the surgery less risky and increase the outcome.it also makes the post-op diet easier.
There is also a lot of people who are not ready to make real changes - they look for an “easy fix” and think they can cut off their stomach and call it a day. I witnessed many times patients asking the nutritionist when they would be able to eat pizza or cake. So the pre-surgery diet is meant to demonstrate the commitment. Surgery without putting in the work is pretty much just a body mutilation.
 
suzannethemom said:
Just curious, why do some surgeons require a patient to lose weight before surgery? Is there a maximum BMI requirement?
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I don’t know about a maximum, but my insurance had a minimum. I had to be careful not to lose too much before surgery because I was on the edge of losing eligibility. I didn’t have any other conditions, so my surgery was based solely on my BMI. Also, the pre op diet is used to help navigate around the liver, so that’s another consideration.
 
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