Sunday, January 23, 2011

**Weight Loss Surgery**

At one point, I had, seriously, considered weight loss surgery. My doctor recommended it, and I could tell she thought it was a good idea because she thought it was my last hope, and, at the time, I think, I agreed. So, my hubbie and I traveled to downtown Chicago for a seminar to learn about lap bad surgery. There were so many people there - I couldn't believe it. All of us, sitting there - fat and miserable - just looking for a way out of obesity hell. By the end of the seminar, they had reeled me in good - I was caught....hook, line and sinker! So, we went home and the next day I made the appt. for my consultation - I was determined to get the surgery.

On the day of the appt., I woke up very excited. I thought - I'm on my way to doing something about it, I have found the solution. So, I get to the appt. and it turns out to be a very long day....paperwork, meetings w/ a counselor, a nutritionist, a nurse, a doctor, and with each meeting something started to change - I wasn't so sure about the surgery anymore. Suddenly, having the surgery didn't feel like my last hope - suddenly, it didn't feel right.

On the way home, I told my husband that I wasn't going to do the surgery, and, as always, he supported me. It didn't bother him, at all, that he had taken two different days off work to travel downtown with me, it didn't bother him that I was so sure just that morning, but was, now, going in a totally different direction - he just listened and supported me.

In the end, I had to be honest with myself - I hadn't REALLY tried to lose the weight on my own. I was looking for an easy way out. Now, that's not to say that weight loss surgery is an easy way out for everyone. I know it's not - some people need it, and it IS their last hope, but for me, that wasn't the case. I was just being lazy. I had never put forth the effort to do what I had to do to lose the weight. So, I decided that spending all that money for surgery wouldn't be fair to my family, or myself. I decided that before I did something as drastic as surgery I had to try to lose the weight on my own by changing my lifestyle, by beginning to exercise and eat more healthful foods.

Well, that was probably five years ago, so it's taken me a very long time to start doing what I need to do, but I'm, finally, doing it, and it's working, and I'm proud of myself, AND I'm very glad I didn't do the surgery because it wasn't necessary. What I needed was time - time to get into the right mind set, time to work through some issues, and the time has come .... I'm ready, and I know I can do this.

2 comments:

  1. I also thought about surgery when I was at my highest weight (and even before then). I think there's a misconception that surgery is a quick fix and that it's easier than committing to eat well and exercise. WL surgery is a means to a solution, but it is not a cure-all. Even with surgery, you still need to watch what you eat and get active, so why not just do that and avoid a potentially dangerous surgical procedure (plus save thousands of dollars!)? ♥ And you're right, when it's the right time for you, it happens. And now seems to be your time! Keep up the good work!

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  2. Thanks, Mary! You're so right about surgery not being a cure-all, and I'm so glad I realized that, and didn't go through with it.

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