Thesis - Gastric Bypass

nchandler22

Hey all,

I am in the process of doing my final paper for an argumentative class. My final paper is on Gastric Bypass, just curious if anyone out there has any views to share that you might be willing to let me quote you on. Experiences, friends with experiences, likes, dislikes anything

Thanks!!

nchandler22

Hey all,

I am in the process of doing my final paper for an argumentative class. My final paper is on Gastric Bypass, just curious if anyone out there has any views to share that you might be willing to let me quote you on. Experiences, friends with experiences, likes, dislikes anything

Thanks!!

BrandNewLaura

I do have a few friends who have had this surgery, but the best information I've seen on this topic is in the book "Calorie Queens." This is the book that encouraged me to begin losing weight and to stick with it, and it has a segment toward the end about gastric bypass. I found it interesting to read, and although I was considering the surgery, it is not quite as much a solution for me at this time because of the information I read.

nchandler22

I will definitely try to find the book, thank you! I am very against the surgery, I have had 5 friends pass away from it and I believe both the mental and physical damages it can cause to your body is not worth the risk

petunia

Hi there!.. Funny, this will be my first post, but I felt compelled to help you out by giving you some information about someone close to me that has had this surgery…

My father had the surgery in 2002. Prior to the surgery, by dad battled an alcohol addiction. He was an alcoholic for years, but then was sober for 10 years prior to the surgery. During his sobriety, he gained a lot of weight. My personal opinion is that he replaced his addiction to alcohol with an addiction to food.

When he told me about his plans to have the surgery, I was concerned. I told him I thought he should try to understand and reconcile the reason he was overweight, instead of fixing the 'symptom' (his obesity). He ultimately didn't take my advice and had the surgery.

At first, things were great. He sailed through the surgery and lost 100 pounds within six months. Everything seemed great, and he acted happy for about a year.

My dad was prescribed pain killers for the surgery, and then again later for an unrelated back issue (I often wonder if the back issue wasn’t a farce). Anyway, it turns out my dad went from an addiction to alcohol, to an addiction to food, to an addiction to pain killers. He hasn't been the same since. He's battling the problems to this day. While I 'think' he's currently sober, I'm never completely sure. He's been on and off the wagon for the past 6 years. He is not the same jovial, fun, loving, father and grandfather he was before the surgery. He now just seems to be just going through the motions of life.

Do I blame the surgery for my dad's addiction? No. That has been around since he was young. I do blame the surgery for the 'quick fix' solution that it gives people, without dealing with the issues as to why they are overweight in the first place. If someone is overweight for a medical reason, that's one thing, but I'm of the opinion that a lot of overweight people (me included) use food as a source of comfort, and are eating for reasons other than hunger.

I think if you asked my dad and he answered honestly, he would say that if he had it to do over again he would not have the surgery. Even though he was beginning to have medical problems as a result of his weight, I think those problems would be preferable to the emotional problems that have since plagued him. Who knows, without the surgery, he may have been forced to confront the demons that drove him to eat the way he did, and he would have lost the weight naturally. I know now he looks at food as a necessity only, there is no enjoyment left for him.

Hope this helps you (and possibly someone else considering having the surgery). This is only one person’s opinion, and it’s certainly possible that my dad’s surgery had nothing to do with his current situation. It’s just what I think! Good luck to you!

debuckl

I agree with the previous post. My sister in law had this surgery and is now dependent on vitamin injections because her body can no longer process them on her own. Seven years later...she has gained all the weight back plus some.

There are almost always underlying issues for weight gain (or loss for that matter). Those issues are the only true path to recovery.

sdjurek

I think one of the great downfalls to this surgery is that it never gives a person the opportunity to learn to eat properly. I know some people who have had the surgery and they were overweight because of awful eating habits- constant fast food, fried food and always drinking soda, never water. Those same people are still eating the same things and while they lost weigh for awhile, most of them are still battling obesity.
I know this isn't a new idea or anything scholarly to add to your paper but really, even if the surgery doesn't give you long-term negative effects, it certainly doesn't improve your way of life.

nchandler22

Hi there!.. Funny, this will be my first post, but I felt compelled to help you out by giving you some information about someone close to me that has had this surgery…

My father had the surgery in 2002. Prior to the surgery, by dad battled an alcohol addiction. He was an alcoholic for years, but then was sober for 10 years prior to the surgery. During his sobriety, he gained a lot of weight. My personal opinion is that he replaced his addiction to alcohol with an addiction to food.

When he told me about his plans to have the surgery, I was concerned. I told him I thought he should try to understand and reconcile the reason he was overweight, instead of fixing the 'symptom' (his obesity). He ultimately didn't take my advice and had the surgery.

At first, things were great. He sailed through the surgery and lost 100 pounds within six months. Everything seemed great, and he acted happy for about a year.

My dad was prescribed pain killers for the surgery, and then again later for an unrelated back issue (I often wonder if the back issue wasn’t a farce). Anyway, it turns out my dad went from an addiction to alcohol, to an addiction to food, to an addiction to pain killers. He hasn't been the same since. He's battling the problems to this day. While I 'think' he's currently sober, I'm never completely sure. He's been on and off the wagon for the past 6 years. He is not the same jovial, fun, loving, father and grandfather he was before the surgery. He now just seems to be just going through the motions of life.

Do I blame the surgery for my dad's addiction? No. That has been around since he was young. I do blame the surgery for the 'quick fix' solution that it gives people, without dealing with the issues as to why they are overweight in the first place. If someone is overweight for a medical reason, that's one thing, but I'm of the opinion that a lot of overweight people (me included) use food as a source of comfort, and are eating for reasons other than hunger.

I think if you asked my dad and he answered honestly, he would say that if he had it to do over again he would not have the surgery. Even though he was beginning to have medical problems as a result of his weight, I think those problems would be preferable to the emotional problems that have since plagued him. Who knows, without the surgery, he may have been forced to confront the demons that drove him to eat the way he did, and he would have lost the weight naturally. I know now he looks at food as a necessity only, there is no enjoyment left for him.

Hope this helps you (and possibly someone else considering having the surgery). This is only one person’s opinion, and it’s certainly possible that my dad’s surgery had nothing to do with his current situation. It’s just what I think! Good luck to you!

nchandler22

He now just seems to be just going through the motions of life.

Do I blame the surgery for my dad's addiction? No. That has been around since he was young. I do blame the surgery for the 'quick fix' solution that it gives people, without dealing with the issues as to why they are overweight in the first place. If someone is overweight for a medical reason, that's one thing, but I'm of the opinion that a lot of overweight people (me included) use food as a source of comfort, and are eating for reasons other than hunger.

Iroush99

I wanted to thank you for sharing your personal experience with me, I haven't been able to get on here until now but thoughts of what you wrote has stayed with me all weekend. First, let me say welcome to this list, I hope you grow to enjoy it and welcome the company and friends you can find here.

I have to agree with you that if people do not deal with why they overeat to begin with, it doesn't matter if you have the surgery, if you lose the weight with hard work or whatever method of choice, fact is if you don't look inside yourself and face whatever it is that has you captive, I believe we as people will continue with the addiction...

I really appreciate you sharing this, thank you!!

Nicole :flowerforyou:

nchandler22

I'm glad I am not alone in how I view the surgery!!! Thank you for responding

nchandler22

I have lost 5 friends to this surgery, 2 that have survived but have so many medical problems, Out of the 7 people only 1 person had to have the surgery, I understood but I didn't like it. She was and is mentally stable, still staying on track but never will be the same I think

GravyGurl

Many people view the WLS as a cure all. It's not... it is a tool for losing weight just like watching calories or exercising. If the tool isn't used properly then it will do no good at all. I have seen many successes with the WLS with the people that I have known that have had it through the years... and the one's that failed, failed because they didn't use the tool correctly and fell back into their own bad habits of eating the wrong thing and not following directions that come along with the surgery.

nannie834

I had gastric bypass surgery Dec. 26, 2007. It has been a little over six months. I have lost 165 pounds and truly feel that had I not had this surgery, I would not be here today to enjoy life. I still have a great deal to lose, but I feel that with hard work and determination, I should be able to meet my goal of a healthy weight. I do, however, realize, because of working in a nursing home setting, that gastric bypass surgery can be dangerous. I've seen first hand gastric bypass patients come through our doors with many complications. However, even the ones I've witnessed feel that, even with the complications, they made the right choice because after recovering they were able to enjoy a quality of life that they hadn't for a very long time.

Lifeisgood2008

I have a friend that had the surgery almost two years ago. She swears by it..despite all the complications that she had and being in and out of hospital.

I got to the point that I was so depressed about how much weight I had gained that I felt that I had to do that..then I heard about lapband surgery. Not as drastic apparently as gastric bypass. I toiled over it for weeks. The cost of it certainly helped me decide.

I then took a long long look in the mirror...snapped back to reality and said to myself...I didn't get this heavy overnight and I won't lose it overnight..GET A GRIP and start taking care of yourself and prove to yourself that you alone have the POWER to do this. I was so happy that on that same day, I came across the MFP website and it has been a Godsend.

I have only lost 7 pounds in the month since I joined, but that's 7 less pounds than I had a month ago. With all my swimming I have already lost 3 inches and gone down a size.. slowly but surely I WILL get there.

Sorry if I got off topic there. Good luck with your thesis.
:blushing: sorry to be long winded lol