but is there such thing as a KIND cut?
So there I was, at around 2:30 this morning, lying in bed and wanting food. I was thinking of what Soclose and Ruby had said about telling myself “this is what thin feels like” and it worked. For then.
But lately I’ve been inundated with documentaries and articles and pictures of people having gastric banding surgery and the more I think about it the more I think it might be a good idea for me.
On one of the shows, it was about a guy with Type II diabetes. This guy was sooooo fat. He weighed about 4 kgs more than I do. You can imagine how good that made me feel. Within 48 hours of having the gastric band fitted, he had lost all symptoms of the diabetes. Obviously nothing to do with weight loss, but WOW!
Then I was watching this show that had Mikey Robbins in it. Mikey’s been on the radio scene here forever. This is what he used to look like:
and this is what he looks like now:
Pretty amazing stuff.
I went to my doctor today. Still on the Zoloft, but at least only 1/2 a tablet a day, so that’s not so bad. I asked her what she thought of gastric banding. Of course it isn’t the magic pill. There is no magic pill. But maybe what I need is just some physical way of stopping me from eating too much. She’s agreed that I am a very high risk for Type II diabetes, and I have to do a fasting blood test in the next few days, and she’s agreed with me that gastric banding might be a good idea.
So I have a referral to an obesity team. On one day I see the physician, nurse and dietician, and the following week I have appointments with the surgeon and the shrink.
I hope you don’t think I’m copping out with this, but I just don’t think I can do it without some real heavy duty help. I’m fifty years old and there’s still a lot I want to fit into my life and I’m not going to be able to do it while I’m lumbering about the place with all this extra adipose tissue weighing me down. There’s the whole “I’m depressed so I eat and I’m fat so I’m depressed” thing going on with me and I don’t want to keep on with the:
I just don’t want there to be any more “next times”
I read this blog by Shut the FRONT door and love the sound of Linda Spangle’s book. And I love the idea that food has always been my best friend but now I need a new best friend.
It’s true.
I do.
Here’s a lovely winter wattle blossom thought for everyone
…oh, and why was I awake at 2:30 in the morning? Because one of my chooks had a nightmare. Seriously. Well, maybe. I got woken by this noise and couldn’t think what it was for a moment, then realised it was one of my hens. I know their pen is fox proof, but, you know, you worry. Chooks just don’t operate when it’s dark, and I needed to know why she was carrying on. Shone the torch down into their yard, and there was Boris, just standing there, looking stunned. Why wasn’t she in the hen house with the rest of them? I can only assume she’d had a nightmare or sleepwalked or something.
as they do
What ever you feel works for you, we will always be cheering you on!
As for the wattle picture, I never knew a “wattle” could be beautiful! (I’m thinking about the little jiggly developing under my chinny-chin-chin…)
Susan
a.k.a. Happy Hag
Get that book! It’s wonderful and really helped me. I too, thought of gastric bypass and think it’s an option. However, I feel that you have to fix it all… the mind and the body…. in order to be successful. I had to understand WHY I had the issues I did with food, so I could move through it. It’s really worked for me, and I’ve lost 112lbs now, and feeling great. I know my life has changed because I no longer allow food to control me. YOU can do this!
I agree with Susan. Everyone is different and you do what you think you need to do. What’s with this “copping out”? It’s not copping out. Copping out is doing nothing and just continuing to gain weight and eat junk. You do what you gotta do and don’t worry about anyone else. I am a firm believer that if there’s a way to fix something that really bothers you, you get it fixed!
Ouchies! See? That’s my anti-medical professional phobia kicking in. My dear departed mother was a nurse. Living with her for the seventeen years it took me to fly away to college made me doctor-shy for the rest of my life. Surgery??? Omigawd! But, that’s ME and you’re YOU - that’s what makes the world such an interesting place, don’t you think? I say, if you want it, GO for it, kiddo! I’ll be delighted to hear about your progress, y’know!
Nice big hugs,
Z
[...] Feathers is thinking of having gastric banding surgery & wonders if we think she’d be “copping out” if she did. I guess the awful Puritan dieting mentality is alive in well in Australia too! Feathers, dear, I say do whatever you think is right for you. As you say, there is no magic pill, but by golly, if there were, we’d all take it in a heart beat & never look back! If this surgery will get you where you want to be & help you live longer & happier, I think you should go for it. [...]
There is a blog by a gal who had some kind of weight loss surgery (not sure if it is banding or not) and she talks alot about the experience. You should check it out. It’s linked on elasticwaist.com and is called Body of Work. One thing that she has written about quite a bit is that feeling of “cheating” or “copping out” and how, oh my god, it’s so not true, because the things you deal with in the post-surgery lifestyle — it’s no “free ride.” Do your research, talk to your docs and make an informed decision that works for you.
I think we each have to find our own way, honey, and you need to do what is right for you. So explore your options and know what your choices are and then you can choose your path! We are all behind you!
Hey ms. feathers -
I would get that gastric banding if I could and I don’t think it’s cheating or anything like that - it’s medically approved to help you reach optimum health. I think some of us can try and try but the results are not always what we would like them to be - whereas serious health risks require more complicated solutions. So I think it’s a good thing that you’re doing by exploring this area.
Don’t think of it as cheating or copping out ms. feathers. This is YOUR body and YOU have to live in it - do what you need to - to ensure that you’re healthy.
The component that I think people miss (I had a co-worker who did gastric bypass) is the emotional/psychological component of over eating and that really needs to be nipped in the bud to ensure that the results are long lasting.
Be well ms. feathers -
xoxoxo
Yes, be well Ms. Feathers. I also think that you have to do what works for you, and that the band is not copping out at all.
Thank you for sharing the beautiful photo of the wattle.
Hope your chooks get a good rest tonight! You too.
I don’t see it as copping out either. Every one has to do what works for them. I would definitely get all the pros and cons though and make an informed decision instead of an emotional one.
Whatever works for you, I say go for it!!