Not an Easy Decision

Not everyone who has made this choice "announces" it.  I would dare to guess that it's not a spur of the moment or a lightly made decision.

Bariatric surgery. 

Usually we have tried to lose weight but to no avail.  We starve ourselves, and if we can exercise we usually hit a plateau once a few pounds are lost.  For whatever reason, we can never achieve our goal.   Now I say if we can exercise because let's face it, to qualify for bariatric surgery to be covered by insurance you have to be at least 100lbs overweight or have a BMI over 40.  Usually at that point movement is not easy.  In my particular case it is damn near impossible.

If you read the about me section you may remember that I have severe arthritis.  I can't stand longer than 5-10 minutes without being in excruciating pain.  I can no longer walk.  Therefore I am unable to exercise.  We moved into a home with a pool, I can't do water aerobics without going to bed and taking two heavy duty pain pills.  

Each person that makes this decision has their own very personal reason.  For me it is to be able to have the most positive outcome from hip replacement surgery as possible. I want to be healthy.  I want to be able to walk again.  I want to be able to play with my grandchildren if I am ever blessed with them.  

Like I said this is not an easy decision.  You are either going to restrict the amount of food you can eat or you are going to have your gut re-arranged so that you do not absorb the calories.  Consequently with the later you have a higher degree of weight loss and a higher complication rate.  One process is called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or RNY.   The restriction methods are usually Adjustable Gastric Banding, aka Lap Band or Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy aka gastric sleeve. 

I've chosen the last.  With that decision when I am approved by insurance and have the surgery a good portion of my stomach will be removed.  Gone are the days of overeating.

Now it's time to jump through the insurance hoops.