Surgery?! Why??

In the words of David Burne, how did I get here?

Well, part of getting here, the weight, was not an over night process.  That part you already know, if you read my history post.  Clearly, there's more to it than that; there's the mental aspect.

I've thought about it from time to time.  I'm a researcher when it comes to new things.  When I thought about shaving my head, I consulted the internet.  I found videos, recommendations, etc. By the time I started, I had something new to share with a colleague who had been doing it for years, having turned him on to a great shave cream.  So, when you research "gastric bypass" or the like, the first thing you discover is that the patient is on a liquid diet for a month, post-op.  I would think, "of course you're going to loose weight like that!"  So I never really looked further.

When I began seeing my PCP, Dr. Schneider, when we discussed my weight, I more or less got the old, "move more, eat less" response.  Which, at its core, is really what it all boils down to, right?  The problem is the old, "easier said than done" when it comes to keeping the weight off.  Sure, anybody can drop 20 pounds, but keeping it off... that's where it's not so easy.

Medical factors

About 6 years ago - before I started seeing Dr. Schneider, I developed acid reflux, and have now been on Prilosec to keep that in check.  

About 3-4 years ago, my wife really started complaining about my snoring.  One time, she said she thought I was pretending, it sounded soooo over-the-top.  Then I found that I was just tired all the time.  Finally, I spoke with Dr. Schneider who referred me to Dr. Rai for a sleep study.  Sure enough, I have sleep apnea.  It's been a while now, but he said I was stopping breathing over 40 times per hour.  Wow!  No wonder I was always tired.  Now, I sleep like Darth Vader, wearing a CPAP machine.  Sexy!

Most recently, a little over 2 years ago, after a routine physical, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.  It's well under control with only one medication.  Maybe too well under control.  I actually find that I'm fighting to keep my blood sugar high enough.  That's right.  If I don't eat well enough - especially at breakfast - by 11 or 12 o'clock, I get nauseated and jittery from my blood sugar being too low.

Medically speaking, that makes me "morbidly" obese.  Lovely.

So, I go to see Dr. Schneider for this back problem I'd been having.  While I'm there, I start a new topic like this: "I know you're not... and advocate of weight loss surgery, but do you think it's something I should be considering?"  It turned out to be a good way to go about it, I think.  He got a little defensive in saying that, it's not that he's against it, but rather, it's not his go-to solution.  He said he'd be happy to refer me to a bariatric surgeon.  

A couple of days later, I got a call from someone at his office referring me to Dr. Krahn.  I called the office and the woman I spoke with had my info all there in front of her.

And so it begins.  I've started to do more research, and I got a great opportunity to speak candidly with a friend who is now around 4-years post-op with VSG.  In a couple of days, I will be attending one of Dr. Krahn's required seminars.