Hi from Victoria

Don't worry about that too much - my title is totally boring!

It's really great to have a place that you can vent. Also it's nice to look back on from time to time to see how far you've come.

I also like to think it's a helpful resource for newbies. When I was new here I spent hours reading other people's journals and was amazed at how many people I could relate to - all these strangers who felt just like me!

Okay awesome! I've never been any good at journaling but I think this could work. Just gotta try (and fail) to think of a clever diary name lol!

Yes, just start a new topic in the diary section, give it a name and off you go!

It's your personal place to update your thoughts but others can (and will!) pop in to say hi and to give your support and encouragement.

Lisa66
I think I might copy your idea of having social/emotional and physical/health pros and cons that will help keep things much more organised! I haven't checked out the diary section yet but I will do it straight away, thanks!!
I read somewhere about giving the items on your list numbers out of 5 or 10 for "importance" and that can help you weigh each side against each other For instance if you had a small amount of pros but tons of cons but the pros were all 10s and the cons were all 1s then your pros would be worth more in total and "win" even though there were technically more cons. So I think I will do that too!

With the diary section do you just make a thread and then post replies on it as diary updates?

Hi Babs,

Here's my pros and cons list - taken from my diary in the diary section. Obviously yours will be very different! If you have a look through some of the diaries in the diary section you'll probably find other pros and cons list you can have a look at. 

Pros Physical/health Likely reduction or elimination of high blood pressure Possible reduction/elimination of snoring/mild sleep apnoea Hopeful improvement in osteoarthritis Improved mobility/fitness - hopeful that I'll be able to exercise properly again Lose the shortness of breath when I have to climb stairs or walk up an incline Stop constantly worrying that I'm going to have a heart attack or a stroke. Social/emotional Not be too embarrassed to swim at the beach with my kids More confident when giving author talks/workshops/at signings. Will be able to focus on the event instead of worrying that everyone is judging me on my appearance Able to travel with more ease - not spend time worrying about whether the plane's seatbelt will fit or not Be able to buy clothes from a wider range of stores Never have to worry about whether my fat arse will fit in a chair or not Never again feel embarrassed that the doctor had to get the "big cuff" to take my blood pressure Hopefully be able to wear heels again. I can't now because of my back pain. Hoping that will improve enough that I can wear small heels to formal occasions Able to participate in all the active things my family do instead of being a bystander Stop greeting every social invitation I receive with internal panic that I have nothing to wear. Stop declining invitations because I have nothing to wear Cons pain after the surgery and possible nausea wasn't a problem  possible complications like leak, DVT, PE or other surgical complications none so far possible extended hospital stay if complications occur hasn't happened so far very small risk of death still here highly possible my gastric reflux will worsen, at least in the short term reflux no worse at this stage not being able to eat "normally". (although not sure if this is actually a con! My normal eating is not that normal!) possible loose skin possible that I don't achieve the weight loss I'm after. I'm sure there are more for each list, but that's all I can think of right now. Seems like the pros are winning hands down. I'll do a risk management assessment too, but not tonight!

Thanks for the replies and advice!

Aussiearies, I was thinking about doing a pro/con list but I honestly have only ever done very simple ones and I'm not sure how I would include things in the list like potential side effects would be a con but how to you weigh things like that that might just not happen but that probably should still be considered. If that makes any sense? Do you just have them count for less or only include things that are 100% sure?

Lisa66, I have the almost exact same thought processes that you mentioned with social situations, I don't know anyone who's had weight problems like I do (except grandparents but we don't exactly talk about this kind of stuff) so it's almost comforting to read that I'm not the only one that thinks like that. 

Lizzbeth, you must be so excited, I'm excited for you haha! I wish you the absolute best of luck.

I think I've pretty much made my decision but I've always been an indecisive person so having doubts like I am right now isn't very surprising at all lol. I think the more information I have the more I can settle my mind even if I know what I'm going to end up doing in the end.

Even thinking about doing this and having that control and support within my own body to give me a nudge to make better decisions just makes me really so so happy so I don't see myself deciding not to.

Can't get too excited yet though, I still have to get past the appointment with the doctor and the psych. I honestly don't know how the psych appointment is going to go but I guess all I can do it wait and see. :\

Hi Babs!

I'm from Vic too!

I am a researcher too and have spent many hours glued to the computer!  I agree, make a pros and cons list.  I am being sleeved in 9 days. I am started to get nervous but for me, I know that after trying every diet, lotion and potion, this is extreme but my best chance of becoming the healthy person I want to be 😊

Good luck with you decision
Lizz x

Hi Babs, (have always wanted to know a Babs - LOL)

I would never presume to tell someone whether the sleeve is right for them, however I can tell you about my decision making process.

I'm turning 50 this year and have been overweight since the birth of my first child 20 years ago - yes he's your age! Although I was overweight, back then I wasn't obese, and hid my weight pretty well. I didn't have any health issues. whilst I didn't love being overweight, it didn't really bother me that much.

Fast forward ten years and I was now obese. I gained weight with each pregnancy and become a serial yo-yo dieter - losing big chunks of weight and then gaining it all back plus some. By now I was starting to have some health issues - high blood pressure and uncontrolled reflux. (I've had reflux my whole life but it is far worse when I'm carrying too much weight.) I also developed IBS.

After years of yo-yo dieting I started looking at other alternatives. I first started seriously considering a sleeve two years ago. Like you I'm "research girl" and I collected lots of evidence to support the idea of a sleeve, but mentally I wasn't ready. I did a mindful eating course and gained ten kilos instead!

By this time I had developed more health issues. I have arthritis in my lower spine and all the extra weight was making it hard to move around. Doing the groceries was agony for me. I have suspected sleep apnoea (haven't had a sleep study yet, but GP thinks weight loss should solve the problem anyway.) 

In August 2015 I'd had enough. I was really worried I was going to die of a heart attack in my sleep. I could no longer do many of the things I loved, like walking on the beach with my dogs. Every social invitation was met with anxiety instead of anticipation - what would I wear? Would I have to stand up for an extended period? What if I couldn't park close to the venue and had to walk a distance? What if there were stairs? My life was totally miserable.

I went to my GP and got a referral to my surgeon. I was sleeved last Tuesday. so far I've lost about 8 kilos since the start of Optifast. I'm not even a week out from surgery yet. Already I'm starting to feel healthier and better than I have in a long while. I have no regrets - apart from perhaps wishing I'd done it earlier.

Best of luck with your decision.

L x

Hi Babs

I can understand your quandary re whether to have the sleeve or not, and although you are young it would seem that all the medical staff appear to think that you are a good candidate for it before you start to have the medical problems that go with being overweight.


Did a quick calculation of the amount of weight you might need to lose which is why assume that the surgeon feels that the sleeve is appropriate for you.

You obviously understand that it is only a tool, and does not guarantee that you will never put the weight back on, it does limit the amount of food you can eat, so would limit the damage you could do if you tried to binge once sleeved.

However the type of food that you might eat could cause your weight to increase again, even after the sleeve. So you do need to be able to commit to eating healthier food.

What I did was write down all the pros and cons and see which makes the strongest argument. If it is the pros, then you know that you should seriously consider the sleeve, but if the cons far outweigh the pros perhaps it is not the right time for you to do this.

I can see why you would want to go for the sleeve rather than the band, I looked into the band but decided it was not for me and although I spent more years overweight I am glad that I didn't go that route, given there appears to be a number of those with bands having them removed and being sleeved.

Good luck with your decision.

Hey everyone :),

I am currently trying to work out whether I 100% completely without a doubt want to get a sleeve. 

I have already had a consult with a surgeon and I've got the doctor and dietitian and psych booked.

I currently way 116kg and I am 167cm tall.
I am 20 years old.

I worry I am too young to do this and that I haven't tried long enough to lose weight "normally" etc...

My psychiatrist and doctor are actually the ones who suggested that I get a lap band done (I decided if I was going to get bariatric surgery it was going to be a sleeve because of the unreliability of the lap band). I hadn't even considered it before this I didn't think that it was for someone like me (young and not currently dying, capable of walking around etc - I had quite a few misconceptions obviously).

My psych thinks that this would be good for me and help me get back onto "the bandwagon" and start exercising and dieting (I know that bariatric surgery is just a tool and only really works combined with exercise and diet but I mean that surgery itself would give a push/support needed) and start a positive cycle rather than the negative one I am on currently.
I guess she knows me well enough in that regard so there's that.
I still worry that I would not stick to it and would just waste this/do damage. (I'd like to think I could but I mean there's no way could never KNOW and that worries me)

I currently struggle to leave the house most of the time because I am too embarrassed about how I look (even though I know that is very illogical) and I have other psychiatric issues that could be helped a bit by exercising more.

The more research I do (I have a huge folder in my computer with information and things) the more positive I feel about this but also the more ambivalent and nervous I become if that makes sense at all. 
I feel right now that I am going to get it done (I keep thinking about clothes I will wear or how I am going to go for a swim etc) (and that's what I feel like 90% of the time) but then every now and then I will have a little (or big) niggling doubt.

I really would like to not waste my younger years (and life) being tired and sore all the time or die young and very unwell.

I don't really have any weight related illnesses like diabetes or anything (other than a mildly fatty liver which I think is pretty much unavoidable at this weight) but I do have IBS (or something else - we aren't sure -  basically my bowels hate me) and life long sleep problems and which I think would all be helped (or at least not hurt) by diet control and weight loss that comes with the sleeve.

I'm so sorry for the wall of text, I don't know how much I was supposed to put here so I guess I went for EVERYTHING >.<

I am excited to be able to get you guys' support with this journey.

P.S. I already have so many pages from this forum saved it has been an absolute blessing. I can't thank you enough and I haven't even posted anything yet!

P.P.S. You can call me Barbara or Babs or ANYTHING honestly  - it's not my real name (obviously) but I mean who doesn't want to be Batgirl :P

tl;dr I am a 20 yr old weighing 116 kg and standing at 167 cm who is feeling a mostly positive (with a large bit of completely logical nervousness) but a also a bit indecisive about my decision to get a sleeve.