I need revision surgery from VBG to Bypass

krness

I am new to the board. I had vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) in 1988. Lost 130 lbs. Started gaining weight in 1999 and have gained 90 lbs. over the past 10 years. All doctors recommending revision to a gastric bypass. I have several complications that have developed as a result of the VBG, but still the Insurance Bean Counters require me to submit to a 6 month "weight management program" - rididulous - but I must comply before they will cover the revision surgery, which all my doctors are recommending and in agreement about. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a similar story and how you prepared for the revision surgery, what your experiences were after the surgery, and how your eating has changed from VBG to bypass. I will most likely be having the surgery in January 2010. Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.

Wecandothis

I have not had surgery, but I did want to welcome you to the board.

Perhaps you could consider this required 'weight management program' a new adventure, and opportunity to gain the knowledge that you will need to lose and maintain the weight after your surgery?

I can only speak from experience, but during my short time here I've gained a world of knowledge about what it takes to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle. And I've learned that being healthy does not mean starvation and hunger all the time. In fact - believe it or not - I am eating MORE food than I ever did before, and losing weight.

It wasn't how much I was eating, it was what I was eating. It was startling for me to learn that, quite shocking.

So WELCOME! We're glad you're here!!! I'm betting that if you keep an open mind, are honest with the food diary, and read the boards that you may become kinda fond of this place and the people in it, and may appreciate the required 'weight management program'! :-)

SHBoss1673

IMHO, surgery for weight loss should be the absolute last resort. It's dangerous (as I'm sure you know) and in most cases both unnecessary and counter productive to a healthy lifestyle.

I say this because like a diet pill it changes the symptoms (different eating patterns) but doesn't change the underlying reasons for the weight gain. I realize there is s small percentage of people that have some kind of metabolic condition that makes it nearly impossible to maintain a healthy weight, but for the rest of us, changing how we view food, and how we think about our body is the answer, surgery is only a fix to the symptom (being overweight) and not a solution to the problem (how we eat).

This is in no way an indictment on your eating habits, just some thoughts I have based on knowing 3 different people who've had the surgery (and one who almost died from it), and many many others who lost weight without it.

Which ever way you go, I wish you the best of luck, and hope you find a solution that helps you achieve lifetime success!

-Banks

Wecandothis

I am praying that you learn so much here, and lose weight in a healthy steady way that you decide in 6 months time that you don't need or want the surgery.

But like Banks said, we're here for you whatever you decide!!!

krness

Thank you. Appreciate your comments.

BrendaLee

If you're having complications (other than just gaining back the weight), it's not fair for you to have to jump through any hoops before the surgery. That's the medical/ insurance world for ya though. They forget there's a human being on the other end of their big business.

If the issue were only the re-gained weight, I too would hope you would go another direction, but if it's to fix complications, what can ya do?

krness

Exactly. Thank you. The other comments were kindly intended, I am sure, but clueless - completely. I, of course, have been discouraged by the weight gain but living with the effects of surgery for the past 21 years and was dealing with that the best I could. Complications have been increasing and now unbearable, which is what brought me into the docs office in the first place to find out what was wrong, and what my options were. That's been a 4 month process already - only to find I have another 6 months to jump before I can get the help I need. The insurance company would not consider my unique circumstances. The final decision maker was not a medical professional, rather a bean counter. I could have appealed, but that's just more time, stress, pressure and money. Better just to do this thing for 6 months. You might have noticed my questions weren't related to weight loss. I was hopeful to find someone on this site who has a similar experience to mine. Not to get a lecture about weight loss or some uninformed and patronizing offer of prayer to manipulate and change me.

SHBoss1673

Well that was relatively mean.

Wecandothis

I had in no way meant to offend you. You are obviously angry about what I said, and I offer you my most sincere apology.

czewwhat

Not to get a lecture about weight loss or some uninformed and patronizing offer of prayer to manipulate and change me.

Wow, now that should get everyone to jump right up to help! Good luck with that!

BrendaLee

I agree, that reply was needlessly harsh. Most MFP'ers aren't going to advocate or support weight loss surgery because we're struggling the old fashioned way to lose the weight and get healthy. I picked up on the word "complications", and understand the frustration with not being able to get the medical help you need because of technicalities and red tape, but there's no need to be mean to those just trying to offer some support.

krness

Not angry at all - not mean either. Pretty tired of the same old canned responses without thought to the person. After 20+ years you can imagine it's quite irritating. I was clear in my post, and what my situation was. The first two comments on this board were off point. Arguably, one (with thin skin) could even say those comments were mean and thoughtless, as well. If you had read with knowlege and wisdom, what I wrote to begin with, you might not have been so quick to make the assumptions you did about me. This is obviously not the forum for my needs. I'll be on my way now ...

czewwhat

I am from a huge family of Hawaiian people who just never know when to quit eating. all the women top 300 pounds plus and every one of them have had or are going to have surgery. all of them have had complications and half are in wheel chairs. One has had both surgeries you speak of, she weighs 425 pounds and is in a wheel chair. I can not be around her when she is eating because she eats till the food comes up her esophagus and gags on the food! From my knowledge of their situations surgery did not fix anything. I chose to change my eating habits and exercise before that happened to me. it was my choice to do it that way. from what I see personally surgery is not the quick fix.

I hope your choice works for you. I wish you well. Not one person on this site would fail to give advice or support another member. No one was attacking you. It did seem you have a big chip on your shoulder that was there before you got here. God bless you in your journey to health, whichever path you choose.

krness

Surgery is not a quick fix. You are right and I have said to many, many people over the years that if I had it to do over I would not. I do not recommend it to anyone. My reality is tough - I have scar tissue that is growing in mass and interfering with my ability to eat regular foods. I cannot eat (physically cannot tolerate) many foods and if I try, I also experience pain and throw up. I've learned how to avoid that - a disgusting and embarrassing problem that causes extreme shame - by choosing foods that move through my system easily. Those foods are often high calorie, high fat foods - thus the weight gain. You are right - I have a chip on my shoulder but it is more related to frustration with myself than anything else. The social implications are tough too - so many social activities center around food and I person like me has to either disclose my condition or make up excuses. Both options are problematic on a number of levels. I did say in an earlier post that I appreciated the comments (yes, I do appreciate the well intentioned hearts behind the responses) but I also wanted to make a point that if you don't know what you are talking about - don't talk. Your agenda for yourself doesn't necessarily help the next person and may even do more harm than good. Better to listen carefully and thoughtfully before launching your proven and effective agenda upon another. One size doesn't fit all ...

czewwhat

Surgery is not a quick fix. You are right and I have said to many, many people over the years that if I had it to do over I would not. I do not recommend it to anyone. My reality is tough - I have scar tissue that is growing in mass and interfering with my ability to eat regular foods. I cannot eat (physically cannot tolerate) many foods and if I try, I also experience pain and throw up. I've learned how to avoid that - a disgusting and embarrassing problem that causes extreme shame - by choosing foods that move through my system easily. Those foods are often high calorie, high fat foods - thus the weight gain. You are right - I have a chip on my shoulder but it is more related to frustration with myself than anything else. The social implications are tough too - so many social activities center around food and I person like me has to either disclose my condition or make up excuses. Both options are problematic on a number of levels. I did say in an earlier post that I appreciated the comments (yes, I do appreciate the well intentioned hearts behind the responses) but I also wanted to make a point that if you don't know what you are talking about - don't talk. Your agenda for yourself doesn't necessarily help the next person and may even do more harm than good. Better to listen carefully and thoughtfully before launching your proven and effective agenda upon another. One size doesn't fit all ...

I hope the next go round for you is in the hands of a talented surgeon. having additional surgery must truly be an unhappy outcome of what you had hoped would be a solution. I have had surgical things back fire not related to weight control but never the less had to have work redone and it was not fun, very expensive and frustrating. I hope you get some real answers for your questions and do not suffer any longer than you have to in your insurance mess. Good luck.

April0815

I wish you the best of luck. I worked in the medical field and we would have to jump through hoops to get surgeries approved for patients. It was awful.

I can also tell you I haven't met anyone on this site that would ever judge people and disrespect someone. In the beginning of your post you said that you had a VBG done in 1988 and gained weight by 1999. You did say you had complications but didn't list them. I think they were just supporting you and giving advice on the weight gain, whether that was caused by the complications we wouldn't know because you didn't go into details. I hope everything works out for you and this site helps you. I also hope you realize we are here to help not judge. Sorry if you took it that way.

ivykivy

There are several people here who have had weight loss surgery here one is MacMadame perhaps you can bump your post later or PM her.

I did not find you post mean at all. You ask a specific question to a specific group of people and others who were not in that particular group responded.

I'm sorry your are having difficulties.

Surgery is not a quick fix. You are right and I have said to many, many people over the years that if I had it to do over I would not. I do not recommend it to anyone. My reality is tough - I have scar tissue that is growing in mass and interfering with my ability to eat regular foods. I cannot eat (physically cannot tolerate) many foods and if I try, I also experience pain and throw up. I've learned how to avoid that - a disgusting and embarrassing problem that causes extreme shame - by choosing foods that move through my system easily. Those foods are often high calorie, high fat foods - thus the weight gain. You are right - I have a chip on my shoulder but it is more related to frustration with myself than anything else. The social implications are tough too - so many social activities center around food and I person like me has to either disclose my condition or make up excuses. Both options are problematic on a number of levels. I did say in an earlier post that I appreciated the comments (yes, I do appreciate the well intentioned hearts behind the responses) but I also wanted to make a point that if you don't know what you are talking about - don't talk. Your agenda for yourself doesn't necessarily help the next person and may even do more harm than good. Better to listen carefully and thoughtfully before launching your proven and effective agenda upon another. One size doesn't fit all ...

AprilShill

Hello I just joined myself. I did not have the VGB done, but I did just recently have the Gastric Lap Band done. I work in the field and the hospital I work for is a center of excellence in the Gastric Bypass Bariatric surgery. I chose the Lap Band because the thought of having my stomach rerouted was a little disturbing, not to mention that I have seen alot of people have complications after the surgery. Its not to say that people dont have succsess, but sometime people dont always follow the guidlines for the bypass and either stretch their stomach, perf their stomach, or sometimes get GI fistulas or hernias. Not to mention that you have excessivly stretched skin which will need to be removed and your also malnourished. I have seen people in the doctors post op who are loosing their hair.
The Lap Band on the other hand although is not ment to be removed, is totally reversable if necessary. You just have to eat right, exercise consistantly, and get the band adjusted every 6 weeks. the guidlines you need to follow is not to eat protions bigger than your fist, dont drink 30mins before or 30mins after you eat (which you have to do anyway with the bypass) and wait about 3-5 mins between each bite so food dosn't get stuck. I know its hard to follow as I am finding out, but I am soooooo tired of fighting this, I just need to suck it up and do it. I have deffinetly had my struggles, but I am starting to make it work.
As you can tell I am totally against the Gastric Bypass. My sister had it done, and she was not only non compliant, but she has had NOTHING but problems since she had it done. I don't want to scare you, but maybe the Gastric Band might be worth looking at. Good luck to you.

adopt4

I read thru this thread and I think that you might be being a bit oversensitive.... I've seen these people, apparently the ones that pissed you off, although I'm not positive they were the specific ones, give information and advice and be supportive to all kinds of people. I can pretty much guarantee you the people I know on this site that posted did not in any way mean to attack you or make you feel bad or make you feel judged. It is, in essence, true - too many calories in will cause weight gain. To say you're special in that regard, well, I don't get that. I might be misreading that. You are special in the way that you can't eat a lot of foods and have a lot of problems processing food, well, that is very special, and when most of the foods you can eat are high processed, high fat, etc. then yeah, it's gonna affect your weight. It doesn't mean that the original statement is untrue, it just means that you have a different set of circumstances (which you didn't go into, and unless you changed your original post on here, would not have led anyone to believe you could only eat certain foods). You have more challenges in that than the average person. That doesn't mean that you can't still work with your restrictions and lose weight - it will just take a lot more effort on your part. And having to redo a surgery due to complications has nothing to do with that, you know? It's a separate issue.

I do know many people who have posted on here and started this journey, then went with surgery because "it's too hard, I don't want to exercise", etc. which in reality, as you are well aware, regardless of the gastric bypass or lap band or whatever surgery, you still have to watch what you eat to be successful. But you already know that because you were successful the first time around. Most people who go that route don't seem to "get" that, hence people saying "You don't need the surgery to be successful" because if you had come on here 20 years ago before your surgery (assuming this had existed) hopefully people would have tried to talk you out of it. But for you it's a done deal and done way back, so it's not a judgement on you that you already had it done. 20 years ago I'm not sure they even published how strict one had to be with a diet on it, lots of people weren't successful. Do you see the difference in intent? From patronizing and mean to well-intentioned but uninformed?

And if what someone says in a general comment like "no one ever needs that surgery" well, people are allowed their opinions too. There's lots of people on here who I don't agree with on things but that doesn't mean that we can't also get along or one has to be offended because they have a different opinion.

In general, I've been on MFP since Jan and have found everyone I deal with to be supportive, non judgemental, helpful, sometimes wrong in what they say but their intent is pure, their intent is to help. Of course there's always a few bad apples in every bunch, that's just life, you know?

Is this site for you? I dont' know. Will you find someone with very similiar circumstances? dunno, never heard of that, but I don't read every post in every group either. Will this site and these people help you in being accountable for what you eat, exercising in a way that you can, give you support and help you thru when you want that package of Oreos (in my case) so you don't give in. Yep, absolutely. Bottom line, this site is for people who want to lose OR gain weight by controlling what they eat, and who need support in being successful. It's not necessarily particular to your situation, but that doesn't mean it can't be helpful to you. It doesn't mean that you can't help someone else since you know so much about this particular subject. You might be the key for someone who was thinking of having it done, and you say, well, here's the reality of it for me...

maurierose

adopt4 - very, very well said.

:flowerforyou: