Bob's story, WLS hopeful. - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Parts Guy · 06-21-2008, 11:39 AM

This is long.....

I have made my introduction post and I have been steadily reading / lurking this board since I became a member here. The amount of good information and a really good search function make this place invaluble to me. I have been truly insprired by many of the stories that I have read in this section and I am convinced now more then ever that having gastric bypass surgery is going to save my life. I am making this post so I that maybe sometime in the future someone else will be inspired to make the commitment to have surgey. I will be posting pictures before and after the procedure because they in my opinion really impact the reader alot. It was not until just recently that I changed my mind about having a gastric bypass procedure, I had always been under the impression that gastric bypass was only for people that are super super obese (500+lbs) and where on the verge of death.

That perception changed for me just a short time ago, I think it was a 20/20 special or some show similar that totally opened my eyes to how benificial this can be for someone like me. They had a group of people they where talking to that have had the surgery and it totally changed there lives. The most exciting thing for me was that almost all of them were no longer diabetics!!!!! that particular fact stood out in my mind and for weeks its all could think about. I am currently morbidly obese, I am 5'8" and right at 270lbs. right now I suffer from Type 2 diabetes with complications (no shots yet), sleep apnea, hypertension, high cholesterol, ect, ect. All of my conditions are well under control with the use of oral medications and my CPAP machine. My diabetes is VERY well controlled but my complications are from when I was un diagnosed. All my problems have been caused by my obesity and my addiction to food, I have no one to blame but me. I can control every other part of my life so easily but food is something that I have never been able to contol very well, like most of you I have been evey diet, fast, meal program only to eventually fail and gain back everything I lost and then some. I know and understand that the surgery is just a VERY EFFECTIVE tool and I have to change my way of life or I will fail again. I am at this point in my life that me failing will probably cause me to die and that is not an option. I must take this chance and do everything I can to get this diabetes gone and my weight normal.

I can pretty much pin down my weight problems starting in late 1983 at the age of 14, I had very bad neck injury in April of that year and it all started for me then. When I had the accident I was about 175lbs but almost pure muscle, I was very athletic and toned, me being in such good shape actually saved my life according to my doctors. After the accident I was not allowed to play any high school sports so I became pretty sedintary, when combined with my parents divorce I became pretty depressed and sedintary. I ended up turning to food for everything. When I graduted high school I was 260+lbs and 5'7" by that time, in 1999 I was 30 years and close to 375+lbs. It was around that time that my weight caught up to me and I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After the diagnoses I was totally devestated and scared, over the course of about 2 years I lost 125+lbs and everything got a lot better for me. I started dating once I lost all that weight my confidence got a lot better and met my wife in 2002. We have two children now, one is 26 months old and the other is just over 2 months old. I am hoping this procedure will allow me to see them grow into adults, I have been convinced until I discovered this surgery that my diabetes would kill me before I turned 50 years old (currently 39). After that initial loss of weight I have been bouncing between 250-275lb, it seems like when I get to 250 my body will fight me and I end up getting frustraded and quit. This has happened so many times I can not even count them.

The first obstacle to overcome for me was the money issue, my insurance company and employer has excluded any type of WLS from the policy so I am out of luck. I was shocked to see how much this type of thing costs. In preperation for this expense I sold my pride and joy a week or so ago, my 1994 Supra turbo that I basically hand built from the ground up and absolutely loved was sold to finance this procedure. I do not have all the money to do this yet so I will finance the remainder of it. I have gone to the orientation class and I have my first consultation on 7/16/2008. I understand that I am very lucky to one of the best bariactric center / doctor in the united states in my town.

I will update this thread with my progress, my ups and my downs, from time to time. Once I recover financially from this I am going to pay to have my wife get it also, she is very similar to me but she is 10 years younger and does not have medical problems yet so my surgery is going to be first then hers. It is my hope that we fully untilze the surgery as a tool to lose the weight and keep it off, we both know that we have to change our habits and lifestyle 100% to make this work.

Thanks for reading my sob story, wish me luck.

Bob T.

rappaport · 06-21-2008, 11:59 AM

Good for you Bob on making the tough decision. I can imagine how hard it was to sell that Supra, but your life is worth so much more.

Wanna know what's weird? For as bad as you feel right now, I've gone from 435 pounds in late October 2007 to just a few pounds under where you are right now, and I am completely free of all my co-morbidities and I am healthy as can be. Isn't it strange how two people at the same weight can feel completely different?

But there is a difference. I'm not stuck in the rut that you are now. I don't feel helpless anymore. I chose this tool to help me and it's done everything as advertised. My weight is going down, can't help but not too. I'm still obese, but it's just temporary and my mind knows it. I can't tell you how liberating that is.

And I wish you the same feelings and success. Do whatever you have to do, but make this change in your life and don't let anyone stop you.

Keep us posted on your journey.

Parts Guy · 07-01-2008, 07:54 PM

Well my wife and I both have our appointments with the new doctor on the 24th of July and today I received conformation the financing that I applied for is approved. I have worked so hard over the years to make my credit outstanding and it really paid off today. The handed over the $$$$ for both surgery's with little to no fan fair and a great rate, the loan lady said she very rarely sees folks with credit score like mine!!!

Today was good day and hopefully by early September I will on the table and on my way to healthier me, then my wife will soon follow.

Bob

Phoenixfire · 07-01-2008, 08:35 PM

Wow I haven't seen responses to your post but I remember first reading it. The part about sacrificing your "thing" albeit a precious belonging, struck me. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you won't regret it. Not one bit. A car cannot compare to the life-changing improvements that can come with successful permanent weight loss.

Get ready for the ride. It will be far more exciting and rewarding than tooling around in your Supra

(and just wait til the sex afterwards...)

Parts Guy · 07-02-2008, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenixfire

Wow I haven't seen responses to your post but I remember first reading it. The part about sacrificing your "thing" albeit a precious belonging, struck me. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you won't regret it. Not one bit. A car cannot compare to the life-changing improvements that can come with successful permanent weight loss.

Get ready for the ride. It will be far more exciting and rewarding than tooling around in your Supra

(and just wait til the sex afterwards...)

Thanks for the input, my Supra was something that was VERY difficult for me to give up but it came down to the fact that there would be no way for me to enjoy it if I was dead. It really makes me sad that my employer / insurance company have excluded this procedure when the benefits are so huge, it will benifit them and me so much that its hard for me to swallow that they are refusing to help me at all even though I pay $600+ a month for health insurance, does not seem right in my book.

Anyway this WAS my baby. 800+hp and the most prized possession I have ever had.

Vikkator · 07-02-2008, 07:26 AM

What a gorgeous car! Sweet. I'm so sorry you had to sell it.

We have what we call a 'poor man's sports car', a Subaru WRX. Nothing like that, though. I totalled our first one. We bought a regular Subaru (wagon) after that and had it for about 2 years. We couldn't stand it anymore, so we traded it in Nov '06 and got an '07. So much fun to drive! You are going to miss that baby, but it'll be worth it. It's great that both you and your wife are going through this together. You really will miss that car, but you won't regret getting the surgery. Best of luck to both of you.

rappaport · 07-02-2008, 02:36 PM

Congrats on your approval and I wish both you and your wife success.

As to the Supra, wow...beautiful car and one of my favorite "tuners". You have some serious talent. My oldest son just bought a 94 RX-7 and is having the engine rebuilt. The previous owner put in 28k in upgrades to the engine and sound system, and then never tuned it. My son didn't know this and when we found out, the engine was toast and the time for us to go after the dealer was expired. He had plans to have the engine redone anyway, just not so soon, but he will easily recoup the value with the rebuild and a bigger turbo and the engine will be warrantied. If him being in the Army and going to war wasn't enough stress, now I have 700+ HP to worry about and a kid who thrives on danger. Here's some photos:

Godsblessedme · 07-02-2008, 03:03 PM

hey Bob i thought i read that you were having your surgery first and then in a year or more your wife would have hers. So now that you are both financed will you have surgery around the same time? that is really wonderful what a great thing for you both to do together

Parts Guy · 07-24-2008, 07:06 PM

Here is an update for you all, we met with the surgeon today for the first time and we tentatively set my Surgery date for September 9th, 2008. I will be having my prelims done this next week along with my psych and nutritional evals. My wife will be just about a month or so behind me with regards to her Surgery. All thats left to do is wright those huge checks....

OUCHIE!!!

We are both very excited and thanks for all the kind words and encouragement.

Bob

RebeccaNV · 07-24-2008, 09:25 PM

Bob, that's great! I'm happy for both you and your wife!