The Surgeon

June 24- Meeting Dr. Weiss was scary. I heard he was a military man and could be a bit rough at times. I think it was a lot of poppycock. He is a sweetheart, my kind of doctor, a straight shooter. Pretty much like my orthopedist. Tells you the truth, not what you WANT to hear.
My biggest concern was that Barrett's Esophagus. He was surprised at my choice of Banding vs. by-pass. He explained that Banded people tend to throw up more which is not what I want to do.
While by-pass surgery doesn't cure ALL diabetics, it does in 80% of the cases, not so with Banding. The weight loss is much slower with banding, with all I have going on, seems by-pass would be the better choice. Yes there is a higher risk, but it's pretty risky crossing the street these days. We had a nice talk and he also explained that a lot has changed since that man needed 14 pints of blood 8 years ago (that surgery was also not done in Cooperstown). I had been walking the wire at that point. Not really sure which surgery I wanted. It was something I would have to discuss with Rich and do more research. Ask more questions.
At this point I have lost 4 pounds of the 16 I have to lose before 7-15. I'm spending more time on the Gazelle and the bike, eating a lot less. This seems to be the hardest part of all according to what I'm reading on the thread. So many of the women are struggling to lose the weight. For most of us it is 13 to 18 pounds. The post op people are very helpful and supportive...There are times you feel almost alien. Hard to explain, like your from your own little planet where people there have all had surgery to achieve weight loss, you start to feel very disconnected from "normal" people. I thought it was just my own paranoia but in talking to the group I realize we all feel sort of the same way. We are different. Someone recently said to me "You're taking the easy way out"...My response was "you're kidding me right?".......Easy? They give you plenty of time to think, they are very graphic in explaining what you will go through. This is NOT an easy process and there is a great deal more involved then "simple" surgery and fast weight loss.
For some of us it is the only answer and so many factors play into the disease of obesity, you end up feeling like a doctor yourself with each passing day. Well perhaps not everyone gets as involved in this process as I am....but hey, if I'm going to have my stomach stapled and change my life forever, I'm not going in blind that's for damn sure.
I first had to convince myself that I couldn't do this any other way, so while keeping all these appointments, I also joined a gym. Perhaps diet and exercise would work.......