Considering surgery

LennyLentils

Hi all - just wanted to get some advice, thoughts, comments etc on weight-loss surgery (sleeve). This is probably my 4th attempt at MFP and it's going the best it has, slowly but surely (12kgs lost since January). I'm happy with my progress and feel like I'm finally on the right track.

Now....my family has offered to pay for weight loss surgery (sleeve) and of course I can't help.consider it.

Has anyone had it? Difficulties faced? Pros / Cons etc.

Thanks

Helen

TwistedSassette

I haven't had it, but have a dozen or so friends who have, so I can share a little of their experiences.
A little over half of them regret having the surgery, as it wasn't the simple process they thought it would be (I think they were hoping for that magic solution, but didn't realise how much hard work and will power they would need afterwards - several have told me that if they had realised the will power they were capable of, they would have tried harder at traditional weight loss methods).

One friend in particular has had a LOT of health issues ranging from muscle loss and severe hair loss due to lack of protein & iron, dehydration due to not being able to take in enough liquids, passing out several times due to low blood sugar (one time hitting her head pretty badly and needing stitches), amongst others. She fell pregnant about a year post-surgery, and had a lot of issues getting enough nutrition to feed a growing fetus, particularly iron.

Another friend fell pregnant around 6 months post-surgery (against recommendations) and really struggled throughout her pregnancy to get adequate nutrition. That baby is almost a year old now and has many health issues, like eczema, allergies and asthma (may be unrelated but she doesn't think so). Since her surgery, she has lost a lot of weight very quickly and has a lot of loose skin, and looks gaunt especially around the face. She's now so unhappy with her looks that she's getting botox fillers regularly, wearing a lot of makeup to contour her face (which she never used to do), and spending tons of money on skin and haircare products to try to get her vitality back.

At least one has gained weight back (one noticeably, others maybe just didn't lose as much to start with).

The ones who were successful with it and don't regret it are mostly male - I don't know if that's representative of a broader trend.

No judgement here if you decide to head down that path, but just be aware that there is a lot more work in bariatric surgery than you might think. Personally, based on seeing the experiences of so many friends, I would see any WLS as an absolute last resort. I can see it's place where there is an immediate threat to life, but the ongoing detriments seem abhorrent to me. The vast majority of my friends who have had WLS are now thin, but they are not healthy - and personally I think health is more important than size.

Xavier736

I know 3 who had it and they all regret and have had medical problems following. One girl had it and lost a ton of weight bit is now 100 pounds and unable to eat without vomiting. She also has a feeling in her esophagus that makes her feel like she is always choking. They are thinking of reversing her procedure as a last resort. She has been very sick for years. I know others who ended up with problems with pancreas and gall bladder. I have been losing the good old fashioned way. No meds, no surgery. Just eating healthy and exercising and it is working! This way I'm not altering my body. Some may have huge success from it. Everyone react differently.

Xavier736

And I forgot to mention one of the people I know struggles with severe anemia following surgery. It makes her dizzy and sick all the time.

ama3387

I had the sleeve in June of this year. It took a lot of contemplation and therapy to know if I was truly ready for the commitment. I am happy and while I’m not losing super quickly I am definitely losing faster than I was. But most importantly I feel great. My energy is way up and I am happy. I have my bad days. But they are few and far between.

age_is_just_a_number

My mom had her stomach stapled when I was 15 (40 years ago). Honestly, it ruined her life.
1) she had a major post surgery infection
2) yes, she did lose weight — but within 5 or so years, gained nearly all of it back
3) she was never able to eat normal solid food again. This meant she resorted to soft, easy to digest, highly processed foods. I. Other words, not real food.
4) she had nearly constant abdominal discomfort
5) after gaining nearly all the weight back, she decided to take things into her own hands and started to be more mindful about what she ate and how much she ate. It was only then that she lost the weight and kept it off.

My recommendation: don’t waste your money and time or risk your health. Instead, decide you want to live a better life and treat yourself with respect and make healthy food and lifestyle choices.

When you are feeling overwhelmed or defeated, log into MFP and get some support from the rest of us.

I wish you success.

LennyLentils

Appreciate the detailed responses. I really feel like I'm on a good path at the moment. And will look at as an option but not a magical solution. For now I'm going to focus on myself and carrying on this good path before considering alternative options. If after a couple of months my progress is non existent I might re-look at it 🙂

Cravens2005

Hello,. I know it's been awhile since you posted. I had the gastric bypass. And I had it done in 2010. Truly the life changing thing for me. I also had a cousin in 2011 have the gastric Sleeve. We both lived it. So personally it's up to each individual. My life has totally changed. If I had to do mine over again I would I'm a fast minute. The reason I'm in fitness pal is my husband past and I truly went into a deep depression and went back into my addiction which caused me to lose so much weight to I was bones. Near our death. Went through recovery program and am now feeling better just gained some weight back. Not my heaviest but really want to stop before I get any more back the healthy way.

I hope this helps you,
Chris