Went to a bariatric surgery meeting last night

_VoV

Honesly Todd...I have 5 friends that did bariatric.... all of them gained the weight back and then some. They also now have to deal with NUMEROUS health issues because of it. They do not lead a normal life anymore. I think you can do this without resorting to surgery...just got to hang tough and get with the program! It DOES work!

I can give testimony to this, I had RNY (many many years ago) and it is NOT easily reversible, I have numerous health problems. If I knew then, all that I know now, life would be much different.

Totally agree with this. Bypassing the lower stomach and upper part of the jejunum means you are likely to have trouble absorbing many vitamins and minerals since that is the main site for absorption. Vitamin B12, calcium, iron are a few major ones. Bone density can suffer, along with your hematological status. Often, many years out, you are as fat as ever, yet you can experience these health complications which don't go away, and need to be medically managed.

andreamkelly

I have a lap band and as mentioned above, without commitment and lifestyle change, it won't work. I call it doctor assisted bulimia. If you don't chew small enough or eat something too dry, you will be making a quick trip to the bathroom, if you make it that far. (sorry to be so graphic). I learned to eat what didn't make me sick and that was the foods that aren't on a healthy diet, ice cream, chips, etc. The weight came back on. I still have it, but it is really only a nuisance at this point. I'm losing weight by being committed to watching my calorie and sodium intake and working out, if not daily, several times a week. Another thing I didn't care for about the lap band is you are not supposed to drink any liquids for 1/2 hour before or after a meal. I was always taught to drink a lot before meals to curb your appetite. I followed the 1/2 hour rule for about 1 1/2 years and then I just gave up and now I drink before and during meals again. Good Luck in making your decision and with your weight loss goals.

AllyBooMommyof2

I'd say take time to do this on your own. I'd be glad to be one of your supporters! I am extrememly against surgery oo risky as in chance of dying from complications etc. If you want to change your life you have to just do it, eat right (most of the time it can't be a thing where you let yourself have some huge 1000 calorie treat a day), and start off slow exercising and the weight will fall off, no need for the extra money or life threatening surgery. You CAN do this all on your own just add some support and get started, ask questions, whatever you have to do to eat healthy and exercise. You will lose all that weight on your own and you will be SO SO proud!

shamr0ck

RnY works, but most folks have problems with malabsorption and have to take megavitamins, and i've heard that the body adapts after a couple of years, which can result in weight gain.

I can speak from personal experience with the gastric band, and i don't recommend it. Mine had to come out in an emergency procedure less than 2 weeks ago, after having it for 17 months. My body never formed scar tissue at the site, which helps hold the band in place, and it slipped. This was the second time it had slipped, the first time it was able to auto-correct after having the saline removed. However, as soon as we put some back in, i started having issues, and this time it slipped hard, and had to come out immediately less it start killing off stomach tissues. I was given the option of replacing it, and chose not to. However, i am only 3 pounds away from goal.

I will be researching the sleeve, and if i start to regain weight, that may be an option. However, i honestly feel that while the band helped me change my eating habits, what really worked was portion reduction and exercise. With the band, i was literally unable to eat bread and pasta - even small amounts would cause pain and vomiting. However, fresh vegestables and some fruits had the same reaction, and forget about eating chicken. This happens a lot, and if folks resort to "slider" foods to get in calories, weight gain can occur. Many "slider" foods (foods which was slide right by the band without causing restriction) are high calorie with no nutritional value.

Please, please make sure you research before you have surgery.

Edit to add - and for the folks that think surgery is "cheating", "taking the easy way out" or "not doing it yourself" you have no bloody clue. i am in the gym 12-14 hours a week (or was, before i got sidelined by the removal surgery), and had to work for every bloody ounce that i lost. Not to mention that meal planning and eating itself were a lot more work, because something i could eat on Monday might cause pain on Tuesday, due to the fickleness of my band.

geohow11

Todd, YOU CAN DO IT!!!
And you can do it your way and without surgery!!!
After being over 300 lbs. for most of my 55 years last year I changed my mind and it changed my LIFE!
Last May 2011 I weighed in @ 360 lbs. This May 2012 I weigh 185 lbs. YOU CAN TO!!!! If you need anything just message or friend me

Peace
Geo

DO IT YOUR WAY 2012 & Beyond!

hallie_b

I don't have personal experience, but I would suggest that a good bariatric team will have a therapist on hand to walk you through the process of making the lifestyle change necessary (plus many other professionals to aid in your goals). A very close friend of our family had lapband in place and following that surgery did have to enter rehabilitation for alcoholism (apparently it is very common for people to supplement alcohol for their previous addiction to food). I had an associate professor in grad school(psych) who's primary job was working with one of these surgery teams and addressing those types of common issues. She had many clients who found success in their decision to have the surgery, but the successful clients were always the ones who stayed in touch with the doctor and his/her team, kept food and feeling journals, and worked hard to make mental changes to go along with their physcial changes.

XXXMinnieXXX

At 301lbs I thought the only way out was surgery. I was sure of it. I got turned down for surgery. Something snapped in my head and I decided I wanted it off! I'm 60lbs down and going strong. Nothing will stop me. I had ill health and a lot of things against me. If I can do it without surgery anyone can! Sorry if its not what you wanted to hear! X

trud72

Hi i have had the rny in mid april this year,yes done a fair wack of the work myself!(reasons why i cant do as much now),but i AM so glad i have got it done,yes you still have to measure your food intake,vitimans ect and exersice really helps too!
as many have said it is still a lifestyle change and i have seen people fail on all the surgerys avalible!(mostly bands)!
The dr's in the uk recomend that if you have 100lbs or more to lose to have and rny/sleeve done! :bigsmile:

Good luckwith which ever path you choose x

vim_n_vigor

My belief is that if you can do it with the surgery, you can do it without. I have had 3 abdominal surgeries, none of them bariatric, but what I can tell you is that it is major. The recovery is horribly painful, much more painful than exercise and counting calories. 4 years later and I am still recovering in some ways. Please don't make this decision quickly.

skinnybearlyndsay

I was actually talking about this with my mom and sister two nights ago because this is what my dad wants to do (the gastric bypass). Apparently, there is research on how it can reverse Type 2 diabetes (which is what he has). I think it's a bad idea for him, just because he doesn't care what he eats. He has said numerous times that he should eat better, but he doesn't do it. The three of us (meaning my mom, my sister, and myself) make healthy dinners since that we can control, but it breaks my heart when he gets fast food for lunch and then comes home with a large slurpee. I seriously doubt his eating healthier if he gets the surgery. I can also see him eating more if he doesn't.

Aside from my dad, I think that trying to go the natural route is a great idea. I have (and I even considered surgery in the beginning) and I have learned so much about myself and how to push myself and how to fuel my body that I can't imagine doing it any other way. Give it maybe 3 months to see if you can lose weight on your own. If by then you still want the surgery, then do it. It really depends on how much work and effort you want to put in to being a healthier version of you.

jfrog123

I think it is wonderful that you are weighing all your options, but do not assume that information that you read on the internet is accurate. Roux en y gastric bypass is not considered reversable. The stomach is divided and a section of intestine is actually bypassed. While it is technically possible to reverse most of the procedure, it is complicated and risky. The lapband is the only fully reversible form of weightloss surgery, but I might add it is statistically the least effective for long term loss in chronically morbidly obese patients. The sleeve has many things in common with the RNY procedure, but has less risk of mal-absorptive issues (inability to absorb nutrients from food) because they bypass of the intestine is not part of the sleeve procedure. The sleeve is considered the best alternative for people who have had stomach issues in the past (over-production of acid, uclers, etc) or who have to take daily medication which puts them at greater risk for future stomach issues (for example, people who take prescription arthritis medication are more likely to be better suited for the sleeve).

All that being said, I will tell you that I had RNY 10 years ago. I went from 388 to 212 over the course of about 18 months. I thought it was great. I was so excited to feel like a normal person. Unfortunately, they did surgery on my stomach but I still had a problem with my head. I never changed my relationship with food or established healthy habits after the surgery. Over time I was able to eat more. My "dumping" reflex lessened, and I was able to eat sweets without getting sick. I started to nibble on high calorie foods, essentially grazing all day. I did not have any kind of follow-up program after surgery, and I never learned how to really treat my body to keep the weight off. I ate my way back up to 280+ pounds.

Last year I faced a major health issue, and decided I wanted to try to improve my health as much as possible. I started learning more about nutrition and exercise. I found mfp when I was at 272 pounds, the end of August. Since then I have lost 57 pounds. I have done it slowly, because I am trying to build habits that I can stick with. I want to do it right this time. I feel healthier than ever.

After all that, here is the bottom line: I do not regret my surgery at all, but it was not the permanent fix I once believed it to be. Now if I want to lose weight I know I need to move my butt and keep track of what I put in my mouth. Only you can decide if the surgical route is the right one for you. You really need to do as much research as you can, and understand that surgery or no surgery you have to change your life if you want to be healthy. Either way, try making small changes now. It will help you along your way, no matter which path you choose. I wish you much success on your journey.

beachlover317

I do not know anything important to say about the surgery. I only know that your story has touched me from the first time I read your posts. I have a friend who is in the same position you are. He is a fantastic person and for some reason he has a hard time losing any weight. I want you to know that nothing is impossible - no matter how impossible it seems. There are a lot of thoughts and support coming your way on this site and I am among them. Please, take your time, weigh your options and then make a decision that is best for YOU. We are all pulling for you! Stay strong!

radish67

I have always wanted to do the complete bypass surgery, but was unsuccessful in finding a dr to agree when i had insurance that would cover. and wheni found a DR and insurance, they wanted 500$ upfront for the consolutation, so needless to say I have not been successful in getting th esurgery, but i have know alot of people who have gotten it and everyone has had great results,

ChelleDJM

My sister had gastric bypass and I went to an info meeting in January of this year. Then I started seeing a weight loss doctor as a prerequisite for the sleeve, but told her I was not sure I was going to do it. Now just over 5 months in, I am more sure that I will not do the surgery. I am not comfortable with being cut, rearranged, and having to go through that first few months of recovery. I do believe that I need to fix my mind and that will fix my body. So, for the last few months I have been learning how to exercise and logging food and am down almost 50 pounds. Yes, will the surgery, I would lose more faster. But I would not be exercising and eating the nutrients my body needs. I would be dropping weight, losing hair, and feeling gross with my gray skin. In a year, I will be down 100 pounds and feel AWESOME about what I have done for my body and I will be STRONG. If I had surgery, I would be down more than that, but not be strong and healthy. Skinny is not healthy and I intend to be healthy.

Yes, I am still seeing the weight loss doctor, I go with my bad knees and plantar faciitis 4 days a week to the gym and am getting bored doing the same things. BUT I am going out of my comfort zone to do it, I have signed up for 2 classes this summer and I am showing my kids and others around me that it cm be done.

Good luck to you. If you do it, I would suggest some continuous nutritional counseling along the way. So many that do wls do not do it the right way. it's a tool, not a solution.

juliebmomof3

We are discussing the lap band for my husband who is 6ft 8 and 520lbs. We will not consider gastric bypass at all. Way too risky for someone who is relatively healthy other then being very heavy. The idea is to get his butt in shape while he is still young and before he starts dealing with diabetes and high blood pressure etc. Also he has been doing really well using MFP that he is losing about as much as he would with the lap band (according to the info we have, most only lose 2-3lbs a week) without any risk or complications. I told him the other day that he is capable of doing this without surgery, it is possible!

SamanthaD23

I've had a lap band for 2 years.

I did an AWFUL lot of research before I chose this option - this is what I learned:

Weight-loss surgery techniques are mostly suited to how overweight/in danger your health is because of your weight:

Balloon: reversible, least invasive: Obese
Gastric Band: not reversible (only to bypass), moderately invasive and life-long: Obese > morbidly obese
Gastric Bypass: Most invasive: morbidly obese

I would agree with everyone else here - do your research and be COMMITTED to long term weight loss.

None of these are "MAGIC" wands, they all involve you making changes to your diet for EVER.

Personally, I had no after care post-op, and had some trouble with fill levels - but once that is sorted out I STILL have to make right food choices, I can cheat my band.

Along with my band I had a year of professional therapy to help me understand and recognise the reasons I overeat. It is STILL a daily, minute-by-minute struggle for me.

Make sure your friends and family are on board with it - especially with a band - I've spent more than one "friends night out" with my head down the toilet for an hour because I lost focus.

That said, I love my band and what it is capable of HELPing me do. I've found a fill-nurse that does home visits and I know my limits with my fill levels and diet. It's still a slow process and can be dangerous if you aren't completely committed.

Talk to people who actually HAVE these procedures and are living with them.

I would advise you chatting to your friends, family and a therapist also - if you go down one of these routes, for the most part - there's no turning back,

Best of luck to you mate. I hope you make the right choice.

Samantha

sixfootaliw

Unfortunately, they did surgery on my stomach but I still had a problem with my head. I never changed my relationship with food or established healthy habits after the surgery.

I think that jfrog123 makes a good point here. Part of what works for me on MFP is the fact that I am being trained to think differently about food and exercise and how I balance them.

After surgery you will still have to be careful to watch what you eat, which to me is not that different to what I am doing on MFP. I know that the surgery means that you will be physically unable to overeat, but if you are prone to doing that, how does the surgery prevent you doing it again in future? It seems to me that this is why people often gain the weight back again.

Another plus for the non-surgical approach is that I am proud of myself for my weight loss. It is all down to me. I cannot give any credit to anything surgical, just to my hard work. That is as great for my self-esteem as the weight loss is. And building my self-esteem helps me to avoid the emotional over-eating. :-)

It is down to your personal choice of course and nobody can make the decision for you, but I echo those who suggest that you try MFP first. There are loads of great people who can support you, many of whom have also had lots of weight to lose so they know how you feel.

Whatever you choose, good luck!
Ali

douglasmobbs

If you can lose the weight naturally you should.

For me one of the key triggers was the fear of having to have the surgery to lose weight. This is a big motivation to do it naturally, the 1:3000 risk that was quoted scared me. That being said there are the risks of living with the massively exercise weight whilst trying to lose it naturally, especially if you do not succeed in the weight loss.

onedayillbeamilf

I would say if you do choose to do it, please make sure you deal with the mental and emotional aspects of your food addiction first so you can enjoy the results. I know a few people personally who wish they had the money to get their lap bands taken out because food has always been their comfort and now it's so limited. It has made them miserable. Just make sure you really think it through before deciding

fishergreen

I hope if you go forward with surgery that you have counciling. My friend had surgery and never talked over or explored why she was overweight to begin with so her problems just carried over with her. Yes she lost lots of weight but she also over ate, ate more sugar then her body now allowed and would throw up. That's no way to live. If you don't figure out why you got where you are now, how will you guarantee you won't gain the weight back? And if you receive counciling and figure out different coping mechanism instead of eating then could you not take that same approach and lose weight naturallyl and slowly? I wish you the best in which ever road you chose.