Gastric by-Pass Surgery

healthybabs

I have a cousin who is having a gastric by-pass next week. I have very mixed feelings about this for many reasons. My cousin is seriously over weight and really does need to lose the weight. While I want to commend her for taking steps towards doing this, I don't think this is going to end up being the fix she is looking for. She has never dieted a day in her life, is an extremely unhealthy cook and has never exercised at all. I seriously question a doctor who would do such a surgery when other non-evasive alternatives have not even been attempted. Her husband is also a ticking time bomb and I have a hard time believing he will accept the extreme changes that will be underway here shortly.
I will wish her good luck (on face book) and I will compliment her when I see her if she achieves positive results but somehow I am still hesitant to get too overly excited about this.

kapeluza

Does she realize that she will need to keep a healthy diet after the surgery? Otherwise, she will end up where she started in a few months.

healthybabs

Does she realize that she will need to keep a healthy diet after the surgery? Otherwise, she will end up where she started in a few months.

I guess that is part of what really bothers me here.....don't you think the doc would be obligated to explain all that to her? I don't think she has a clue of what a healthy diet even is!!

sreed12

i wanted to have the surgery, but after seeing the diet- I was pretty sure it wouldn't work for me. The thing is, after you have the surgery, you're physically unable to eat the way you used to. Carbonation is 100% out and so is sugar.
At first, you're unable to eat anything other than what your body will allow, which is mostly small bites of protein and not much else. Gradually, you can add things back in, as well as upping the quantities, but then your stomach starts stretching and growing again. many people end up right back where they were or even heavier within about 5 years.
I think even if you sit through all of the consultations and doctor meetings, the promise of being practically guaranteed to lose 100+ pounds without a ton of effort on your part is just fantastic that the diet and exercise portion of the program gets overlooked.
It sounds like she's looking for a quick fix, and while this might work for a short time, unless she changes her routine and starts eating more healthily - she can't be successful.

Smokey19

I had intestinal bypass surgery and stomach reduction in Sept. 2011 and have lost 65 lbs. so far, but I have 90 lbs. to go. She just has to remember that the surgery is a tool and not a cure to obesity. I screwed up and platued for the last month. That is why I am on this site. I've learned a lot.

Smokey19

I had intestinal bypass surgery and stomach reduction in Sept. 2011 and have lost 65 lbs. so far, but I have 90 lbs. to go. She just has to remember that the surgery is a tool and not a cure to obesity. I screwed up and platued for the last month. That is why I am on this site. I've learned a lot.

Jessicak02

I've known 2 people who hav e had the surgery and both of them are now larger than they were before. I would hope she has a great mind frame to continue her journey to health and maintain! I'm sure you can help with that.

Demwitted

I've known 2 people who hav e had the surgery and both of them are now larger than they were before. I would hope she has a great mind frame to continue her journey to health and maintain! I'm sure you can help with that.

Me too! One lives on peanut butter. The other would break the diet to the point of getting sick less than a month out. I think she developed an immunity or something. I'm not sure she lost any weight at all. If you aren't committed to it, it is a waste of time and money.

TurtleCrush

I have a cousin who is having a gastric by-pass next week. I have very mixed feelings about this for many reasons. My cousin is seriously over weight and really does need to lose the weight. While I want to commend her for taking steps towards doing this, I don't think this is going to end up being the fix she is looking for. She has never dieted a day in her life, is an extremely unhealthy cook and has never exercised at all. I seriously question a doctor who would do such a surgery when other non-evasive alternatives have not even been attempted. Her husband is also a ticking time bomb and I have a hard time believing he will accept the extreme changes that will be underway here shortly.
I will wish her good luck (on face book) and I will compliment her when I see her if she achieves positive results but somehow I am still hesitant to get too overly excited about this.

I know 3 people who have had it done and 1 of them died because he ate horrible just as he had and the other 2 lost their hair and looked terrible because they were told by the doctor to drink these adkins shakes which would have been fine if they could have stopped vomiting. They also kept eating the way they used to which made them malnurished. Pretty soon they stretched what stomach they had left back to it was and got big again. I was going to get it done too but once I saw what happened to them I decided not to.

AnninStPaul

Two former co-workers (at different jobs) had the surgery.

One was very successful; the interesting part was that another person in our office when on the same diet and was just as successful without going under the knife.

The second didn't change her lifestyle. It turns out that you can't lose weight on alcohol and milkshakes, but you can land yourself back in the hospital for malnourishment.

kimjoan

I had gastric bypass surgery almost 8 years ago and have kept my weight off. I read the comments on this thread and it makes me crazy the myths that persist about gastric bypass surgery. Re. the first post:

*You are right to question the doctor. Any credible bariatric surgeon would make sure that the patient had tried other weight loss measures prior to agreeing to do surgery. They also would require the patient to loose 10-20% of their weight prior to surgery, start an exercise program and visit a phychiatrist prior to setting up surgery.

*65% of all gastric bypass patients gain all of their weight back within the first 5 years of having surgery and I strongly believe that this is because the issue of why they are morbidly obese to begin with has not been addressed. We have to remember that a large percentago of people who are morbidly obese are so because they are food addicts. We become addicts to mask other problems and until those problems are addressed there will not be weight loss success or the addiction will be transferred to something else.

*Gastric bypass surgery is NOT an easy fix! It is a life threatening surgery that has a lot of risks and it is a life changing surgery. There are things that you will not be able to eat ever again, you must keep your portion sizes under control or you will get very, very sick, and numerous other things.

*You will NOT loose all the weight you want with just the surgery - you must exercise and you must eat exactly to plan and you have to continue that for the rest of your life.

Please show your cousin this information. For her health she should really consider talking to another bariatric surgeon as well as a psychiatrist. Feel free to put her in contact with me, or you can contact me your self - my email is kimjoanmc@att.net

I have had many people talk to me that want to have gastric bypass surgery and I have encouraged very few of them to proceed with the surgery. Hope this information is helpful.

spottedlee

At first, you're unable to eat anything other than what your body will allow, which is mostly small bites of protein and not much else. Gradually, you can add things back in, as well as upping the quantities, but then your stomach starts stretching and growing again. many people end up right back where they were or even heavier within about 5 years.

That is EXACTLY why I decided not to go through with it. I thought to give MFP a chance and so far, I lost 19 pounds since October,, it is working -- change your lifestyle. I know several people who had the surgery and they lost so much then got most of it back.

Like the other poster said, I too am surprised that she's getting the surgery without pre-surgery attempts or counselings.

PlunderBunneh

^Awesome post by kimjoan.

I wanted to add that I have three family members that have all had the gastric bypass surgery. My father has kept the weight off, and he sticks to the diet recommended pretty closely, although he does have a beer every night. My mother went from 315 to 135 pounds and looked sickly (she has a larger body frame), and took our concerns as an excuse to fall back to old eating habits. She gained back to 210. She has lost down to 190 again, this time with watching her intake more closely. My aunt also had the surgery. She became obsessed with her weight. She barely eats, she doesn't take vitamins. She refuses to workout because she is so afraid of gaining weight, even if it is muscle. She looks horrible. She aged herself over 30 years in the one year post-op, while both my parents look years younger than they did.
It's really important to have a team of doctors evaluate you before you make this decision. There are so many ways that this can go wrong. I really hope your cousin looks into the details closer. I highly recommend wandering around http://www.obesityhelp.com/, seems they had a really great support system for weight loss surgery patients, whereas here on mfp some people get really prickly about it.
Best of luck, I hope things go well for her after all.

lloydrt

copied and pasted from a previous post of mine

desparate times require desparate measures.............I think, IMHO, that each case is unique and different

If I weighed 600 lbs, as there are people that weigh that much, and if I have EVERY known obesity related disease, ie, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, etc, then I would do what I had to.........to save my life. I d take care of myself and not worry about what people thought........think about it, if you weigh 600 lbs, its obvious what you are doing ISNT working, Sleep apnea can kill you, asthma can kill you, congestive heart disease can kill you.........If Im plagued with all these chronic illnesses, then I need to make a life saving decision because its obvious all my other choices arent working...............So I think its a right decision to use the surgery as a tool.........

I used the gym for 15 months as a tool, to get healthy and lose the weight.......I used the gym as my tool to get healthy, along with a healthy diet........... I made a life saving decision and Ive never felt better and plan to stay that way. I have stumbled for sure, Im human , but Im not going back to that black hole I was living in , prior my weight loss............

If a person uses the surgery as a tool, to help them save their life, so be it ........I support their decision.

Happy and Healthy New Years to all...................Lloyd

jallen0347

I agree 100%..... When your health is radically out of control and your health problems a life threatening and getting worse and your ready to make the change then you need to make radical changes, what ever works for you....

sandy2006

My mom, dad and sister all had gastic by-pass sx. They are all 3 successful
sister 400 lbs to now 165
mom 340lbs to now 150
dad all I know is was a 42 pants now a 32 waist

It was hard watching all 3 go throught he whole liquid diet thing to start with. It was also hard watching my mom go down to 120 lbs and knowing she had many of those pounds in lose skin. I have seen her naked and boy! yuck. I feel for her. But now she is up to 150 and looks much better. They have all kept it off for more than 4 and 5 yrs.

My dad was on insulin for diabetes and almost imediately after surgery he came off it. He is so glad no more shots and checking BS all the time.

The only negative I have experienced in watching their lives change is their personalities changes as well. Lets see my sister left her husband and 2 children after she gained self confidence, my mom has become a major control freak who's hard to be around anymore and my dad has become a liar and had an affair on my mom after 42 yrs of marriage. So yes it has its pos and cons.

lloydrt

Sandy,I read somewhere, sorry I cant remember the book, but it stated that about 70% of people who get the by pass or reduction end up leaving or getting a divorce after their major weight loss.............go figure

my nephews wife had it, lost tons of weight,divorced him, remarried, and now shes gained about half of her weight back.........and shes definitely a control freak too........

I knew 4 sisters, all morbidly obese, all of them, ..........the oldest got bi pass about 5 years ago and its working, shes maintained her weight,
the 2 other sisters both had the surgery, had complications and have now gained it all back, and then some

the youngest who is about 39, had her first major heart attack and did not opt to have the surgery.......she weighs about 360 or so......

a complicated decision for sure.............Happy New Year.............Lloyd

LovelyLibra79

What I don't understand and I'm not sure if the patient's fully understanding IS...YOU ARE STILL REQUIRED TO DIET!
So why risk serious complications to end up doing the very same thing you could do without the surgery.

Maggie_Pie1

What I don't understand and I'm not sure if the patient's fully understanding IS...YOU ARE STILL REQUIRED TO DIET!
So why risk serious complications to end up doing the very same thing you could do without the surgery.

That's what I don't understand. Unless it's so that you full feel faster after a smaller amount, making it easier to have 'willpower'? That's the only benefit I can see out it...

mellymclaughlin

I'm one of those dullards who really hates the idea of having an operation. Unless it was something like a heart transplant, I can't imagine choosing to go under the knife. Queasy chat!

Anyway, my mother had a gastric bypass this year. She is 50 now and has been obese for about 25 years. Before the operation, she ate tons and tons of ****ty foods and exercise was almost a dirty word to her! She paid to have the operation private which is why I assumed she wasn't told to try and lose weight naturally first although judging from the comments here, I sense that this doesn't always happen with NHS/state funded procedures either.

Before the operation (July) she was about 215lbs and now she is about 135lb. She still does no exercise at all but she eats hardly anything. I went to visit her the other day and we went out to do some shopping. We went to a cafe for lunch and I swear, she had about a tea spoon of her curry and felt full and sick. This has been how things are for her since the operation. She's a food lover but food is now her nemesis. She can't enjoy anything. I personally believe being obese was probably less of a burdon than her current situation. She seems happy that she can wear nicer clothing and gets compliments about her weight loss but I know her and can sense her frustration.

My mum is the sort of person who doesn't really think things through. She didn't take time to properly consider the implications of the bypass and I honestly think the fact that it's an irreversible procedure was lost on her. People see the phrase "life changing" and immediately think that life changing means good. But sometimes, changes to your life are not glamorous or easy.

People tell her it's amazing she has lost weight. Frankly, I don't see the big deal - she's put no effort into losing it, she just physically can't eat. I wish she had just got off her *kitten* to diet and exercise normally because I think she has a lollypop head now and she has loads of saggy skin. It's sad to see her looking all droopy. Other people have actually - out of shock at seeing what she has lost in such a short space of time - accidentally blurted out that she looked better before. I can tell that is hurtful but sort of agree. She does look better in some ways - nobody suits a great big belly. But she looks frail...I dunno, I don't like it!

She has implied that if she could go back in time, she'd not have had the surgery. It's definitely put me off wanting to lose weight in another way than a sensible, natural way.

mellymclaughlin

What I don't understand and I'm not sure if the patient's fully understanding IS...YOU ARE STILL REQUIRED TO DIET!
So why risk serious complications to end up doing the very same thing you could do without the surgery.

That's the thing though - as I just touched on in my prev post, my mother hasn't been "required to diet". She's physically unable to eat much food but that's due to force, not a choice she has made.

seehawkmomma

I want the surgery. Sooo bad.

I get so discouraged when I dont see the weight loss when i work my *kitten* off.

I know two friends who got it and they look amazing and just keep getting smaller. They eat right and are doing great. I'm jealous of what they have accomplished as well as proud for them to keeping it up.

lloydrt

seahawk, I once had a renowned Dr tell me, and at the time he was in his 60s and practicing , but he point blank said.........."If you can at any cost, dont have surgery........unless you have no options" basically, he was saying that if I could possibly prevent getting cut open, dont do it, unless I HAD TO.......... " stay away from elective surgery"

Basically, what his implication was to make me aware that if you can avoid surgery with another option, do it.....I did read that for the bi pass surgery, and again, this was a while back, but 1 in 200 of the people having the surgery die during surgery/ after surgery complications.......

Im a wooz when it comes to Drs and hospitals.....literally, I have an irrational fear of Drs and hospitals, but now that Im thinner, Im not so scared.......I used to be afraid that if I had surgery, as big as I was, that the weight would be what would take me, not the disease/ illness during surgery............I was so ashamed and scared of having a surgery, that instead, I lost 150 lbs and now Im normal sized and feel really secure and not so aprehensive about hosptials, but they still make me nervous

Seahawk, you really dont have tons to lose, I see how much you have left to lose.......again, Im not a professional, but I averaged about 10 lbs a month, then went thru some plateaus and then lost more..........again, I gained some during the holidays, very stressful this year, lost a very dear friend of 30 years, did some emotional eating, but thats what got me to where I was in the first place.........Im 15 lbs heavier than my lowest, but is ok, Im great at keeping New Years resolutions.....
there are many complications after surgery as well, ie, infections, fevers, and then some...........

just know your options before you do...........Im not saying that you shouldnt, just be informed and then make the decision..........If you were 600 lbs and barely breathing, then yeah, I do it, but I lost 150 in about 17 months and in perfect health........it can be done...............Best wishes on your choice and Happy New Year.............Lloyd

ngory07

I am very proud of my weight loss. 149 lbs since Jan and I had VSG. Yes I can't eat a lot and at first that what lost the weight. But I am almost a yr out and I can eat more and if I chose crappy things I would gain it back. I work my *kitten* off. And just b/c I had surgery does not make my journey any less special for the those of you that didnt. There are a lot of uneducated ppl on this thread. First of all sugery is just a tool. You have to change your relationship with food. Second of all to the ppl who said "why do it if u can lose weight on your own?" Yeah I could and did. But I woule gain it back. The point of surgery is to lose and maintain. And while yes some do gain some back there are a whole lot of do not. I am so happy I had it done and I am healthy and happy. I eat what I want. In moderation. I exercise and weight lift and eat healthy 90% of the time. Do not judge people who have chosen to get healthy. It makes you look ignorant.

Stacivogue

copied and pasted from a previous post of mine

desparate times require desparate measures.............I think, IMHO, that each case is unique and different

If I weighed 600 lbs, as there are people that weigh that much, and if I have EVERY known obesity related disease, ie, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, etc, then I would do what I had to.........to save my life. I d take care of myself and not worry about what people thought........think about it, if you weigh 600 lbs, its obvious what you are doing ISNT working, Sleep apnea can kill you, asthma can kill you, congestive heart disease can kill you.........If Im plagued with all these chronic illnesses, then I need to make a life saving decision because its obvious all my other choices arent working...............So I think its a right decision to use the surgery as a tool.........

Well said. My mother and sister did it with varying degrees of success. My mother gained a bunch back drinking frappacinos. My sister has lost a lot and has stayed steady, though she is still overweight. A coworker of mine as lost a lot of weight too, and takes it seriously. He is a coach for other patients. If you are in such a state, and it is something to take a first drastic step, it is your choice.

I used the gym for 15 months as a tool, to get healthy and lose the weight.......I used the gym as my tool to get healthy, along with a healthy diet........... I made a life saving decision and Ive never felt better and plan to stay that way. I have stumbled for sure, Im human , but Im not going back to that black hole I was living in , prior my weight loss............

If a person uses the surgery as a tool, to help them save their life, so be it ........I support their decision.

Happy and Healthy New Years to all...................Lloyd