Had a gastric bypass? Help.

Fieldsy

I have had the surgery

read my journal...entry (a never ending journey) it may help

I lost about 230lbs, but in no way is it easy to do that.....trust me

I am able to eat normal portions again because I stretched out my stomach soon after having it done. The only thing that makes me a little sick is too much ice cream. I am talking about 2-3 servings of ice cream......I can eat everything else just fine. I began a solid diet and work out to keep reaching my goals.



Again, people who think its the easy way out are very misinformed. All the surgery does is force you to eat smaller portions in the beginning....after that you are on your own to eat right.

Fieldsy

A facebook friend had the surgery, and after losing a bunch of weight, she is now dealing with hair breakage, which she was told was one of the side affects.

It sounds like it really messes you up. It doesn't sound like you can eat a well balanced diet.

You can eat normal again if you want to. It is a lot of work, but if you have the surgery, you have to make a big commitment.

I never had a hair issue or any issue for that matter.

hasiangirl

the hair issue is from protien when u have the surgery u need i think my bfs mom said about 100grams atleast a day

SHBoss1673

here is a good article describing the surgery and it's outcomes and risks. Little scary IMHO, but you decide, it may or may not be worth it for you.


http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-bypass

Fieldsy

the hair issue is from protien when u have the surgery u need i think my bfs mom said about 100grams atleast a day

yup, I was told to get atleast 80 grams a day for me......but I aimed for 200 a day.

AwMyLoLo

This is very concerning to me... I posted a thread a while back about my 71 year old Grandmother that just had the surgery done on July 29th. She has been overweight her entire life due to her bad food choices. She told me once that her father would tell her she was fat, and she would go hide and eat an entire jar of peanut butter. Whenever we go to her house, we would have huge meals, we would go to chinese buffet, or like Hometown Buffet. I don't think they made her lose any weight before the surgery. Her decision to have the surgery was life or death. I guess with her heart conditions and arthiritis, it was something she had to do. She bounced back from the surgery very quickly, I was surprised. When I talked to her earlier this week and she sounded absolutely amazing. She has lost 26 pounds. She said she's been doing things she hasn't been able to do in years. I just hope that after the initial excitement of losing all kinds of weight wears off, she will be able to stick to the strict diet that she will have to. I mean, I can't imagine her being able to resist mashed potatoes & gravy, homemade noodles, pasta salad, green bean casserole, deserts, etc... at big family get-togethers.

adopt4

yeah, he doesn't have as much to lose, if he were a lot bigger i would feel differently about it. also, he drinks alot, so fieldsy, i am sending him your journal. and we could never afford the surgery to get rid of the excess skin you get from losing weight so fast...

adopt4

here is a good article describing the surgery and it's outcomes and risks. Little scary IMHO, but you decide, it may or may not be worth it for you.


http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-bypass

thanks banks. although this isn't for me, i am totally against it for my spouse. i want to wake him up that he CAN do this if he becomes accountable for what he eats and does. he doesn't have to lose weight quickly, he doesn't have to lose weight for me to love him... but he needs to lose weight so he will be around to raise our 3 little boys. i am so scared for his health (and he smokes on top of it) and our boys need him so badly. but i can't convince him to lose weight, he doesn't want to do the work that it requires, which is why surgery would also be a failure for him...

how do i convince him to stop being lazy (he admits he is, although he works like a dog and is very committed at work, but at home he's lazy) and to just "do it"???

adopt4

""Hi Doc,,,

I have the attention span of a goldfish and the self control of a 4 year old. I simply cannot stop shoving crap in my mouth.

Please perform a dangerous, invasive surgery on me to make me physically incapable of shoving too much crap in my mouth. Alter my stomach or break my elbows - your call.

Thanks,,,:bigsmile: ""


Good luck, men are hardheaded (and I oughtta know).

LOL... I am sending him this!!!

Fieldsy

yeah, he doesn't have as much to lose, if he were a lot bigger i would feel differently about it. also, he drinks alot, so fieldsy, i am sending him your journal. and we could never afford the surgery to get rid of the excess skin you get from losing weight so fast...

You will get excess skin from losing huge amounts of weight regardless. I lost all my weight over a 4 year span so it wasn't really "fast"

I am young, but I had a ton of excess skin. One of the reasons for this is that I was never skinny. My skin was always stretching out year after year. The longer your skin is stretched, the harder it is to retract.

I have done a ton of research on it and wouldn't mind talking to your husband if you want. The surgery changed my life, but I had to change my lifestyle for it to work.

goodluck!

CasperO

""Hi Doc,,,

I have the attention span of a goldfish and the self control of a 4 year old. I simply cannot stop shoving crap in my mouth.

Please perform a dangerous, invasive surgery on me to make me physically incapable of shoving too much crap in my mouth. Alter my stomach or break my elbows - your call.

Thanks,,,:bigsmile: ""


Good luck, men are hardheaded (and I oughtta know).

LOL... I am sending him this!!!

Well, I didn't mean to start any trouble. I do realize how insulting that pithy little thing is to people who've had the surgery, and I'm sorry. I started my weightloss journey at 270 pounds and about 35% bodyfat. While I've made excellent progress, I really have no right to insult people who are in the 300's and 40% plus. Maybe they really can't do what I've done.

Anywho, if you think it'll help, show him my little description,,, and show him my pics too. Or the shots from the "before & after" thread. Show him what diet and exercise can do. We're real people, there's no money an the table, this isn't a 3am infomercial and there's no scam.

Good luck,

msarro

My reason for never getting the surgery?
My cousin died because of it. From what we were told, during the surgery the stitches began to rip out and tore a hole in her stomach. Internal bleeding proceeded to kill her. She left behind 3 children and a husband.

Walking, to my knowledge, has never killed anyone so long as they're not doing something silly like walking through a minefield.

tabstattooed

I had it done 8 yrs ago

I lost 100 pounds, but have regained 40 due to many many things....like my not following the rules, not working out, stress, poor eating habits, drinking with meals, drinking sodas, and so on.

There is good and bad with everyone and every surgery. You can not predict the outcome, just as you can not predict if you will die in a horrible accident while going to buy ice cream.

I do have an ulcer now.....could be related

I did have hair issues BUT I also have THYROID issues and that messes with hair and nails.

I have excess skin on my tummy need a tummy tuck but its not a health issue as it is not an APRON. I have had my "girls" done....they were a 36 long....now 36 DDD

I like how so many people post the horror stories of this surgery......women die giving birth does that stop people from having babies??????

I have been struggling with my surgery, I moved away from my doc and no support groups for my eating habits. No docs here want to take me on as they see it as WE DID NOT OPERATE YOU ARE NOT OUR PATIENT.

It is a decision he needs to make. It is his body and life. Some people truly can not adhere to just eating right, some people need to DUMP on that cookie or ice cream. Yes you need to express your concerns but do not sway his decision because you are scared....Would you rather he die to obesity complications???? It can happen and does quite often.

To me it was no big deal physically.....its the day to day mental part that gets me....it is going to be a life time of work....but so is eating right and exercising. No one is cured from Obesity.....we only survive it!

Weight loss surgery (lap band or gastric bypass) is a TOOL.....NOT A CURE.....you must work the tool to its best ability .

These surgeries change with each passing year.....mine is different than those being done today. Each doc has a different protocol. Some you have to do liquids for 6 weeks and lose weight before surgery,.,,,,,I did not.....

Yes you need to talk to him and express your concerns, you need to research both options, meet with the docs, check out the obesityhelp.com site as well.

Remember there are risks in everything we do or dont do......

Some people can lose weight with changing their lifestyles and habits...it works for some and not others. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Fieldsy

tab, I think I saw my doctor twice after the surgery and just stopped going to him

mrd232

I know two personally who have had these surgeries performed - one had gastric bypass surgery, the other had a lap band put in. The one who had GB performed lost a fair amount of weight initially but has gained some back. She also has issues with excess skin and never had it removed after the surgery. I’d say her diet consists of small portions but seems to be awful carb/sugar heavy. That’s not going to keep any long term results, IMO. The other recently had the LB put in and is now following a very strict low carb / high protein diet. He’s lost weight quite rapidly following the surgery. Both had previously (from what I understand) battled weight issues for quite a long time (10+ years). So there is some benefit, but there are indeed risks and the potential to require extensive plastic surgery.

Another friend of the family lost 300 pounds on a strict diet and continual consultation with a dietitian. I think he may have gained only 40-50 lbs of it back and had lost it well over 15 years ago. He did not have GB surgery - lost his weight with diet only, but rather had extensive plastic surgery to remove all excess skin. Along with the surgery he had some severe complications (apparently the doctor was not very skilled in dealing with this sort of surgery) which took some time to resolve and it took a lot of time to fully heal. Unlike GB-ers, he has more flexibility in his diet nowadays.

So, either way, there are risks.

Wecandothis

It is a decision he needs to make. It is his body and life. Some people truly can not adhere to just eating right, some people need to DUMP on that cookie or ice cream. Yes you need to express your concerns but do not sway his decision because you are scared....Would you rather he die to obesity complications???? It can happen and does quite often.

I don't mean to be rude, but it is not just his decision to make. He is married. He has a partner. What he does certainly affects his family. When you take that vow it means decisions are made together. A spouse has every right in the world to express their opinions, especially if they are afraid.

I am glad that your surgery worked out. And I am happy that you are here at this wonderful and supportive place. I just don't agree with your above statement. At all. YMMV.

:flowerforyou:

Wecandothis

I just can't let this go. It's been bothering me for the last few minutes.

No one is cured from Obesity.....we only survive it!

Obesity is not a disease. It's something that happened to me because I was not living well. I had very poor habits, for most of my life. I lacked the knowledge to change things.

But now I have changed things. I am not on a diet. I've changed the way I live. I actually eat MORE every day now, but consume much fewer calories.

So no there is no cure because obesity is not a disease. But if we change the way we live, we no longer have to be obese.

Fieldsy

It is a decision he needs to make. It is his body and life. Some people truly can not adhere to just eating right, some people need to DUMP on that cookie or ice cream. Yes you need to express your concerns but do not sway his decision because you are scared....Would you rather he die to obesity complications???? It can happen and does quite often.

I don't mean to be rude, but it is not just his decision to make. He is married. He has a partner. What he does certainly affects his family. When you take that vow it means decisions are made together. A spouse has every right in the world to express their opinions, especially if they are afraid.

I am glad that your surgery worked out. And I am happy that you are here at this wonderful and supportive place. I just don't agree with your above statement. At all. YMMV.

:flowerforyou:

I am torn with what you believe, because I understand 100% how you feel, but I was also on the other end of it saying I am getting it done regardless. If my girlfriend ever had to have a major surgery I would lose my mind and just be very concerned. My mother and I had 100 arguments about the surgery. She did not want me having it at all. We even argued driving up to the hospital on the day of surgery, argued even after the surgery. It was rough.

The best advice I could give you is make your husband research the hell out of it, make sure he is 100% dedicated to this surgery...its a huge lifestyle change in the beginning. Make sure he gets a good doctor. The surgery is a safe procedure, the only downfall is a lot of people who have it think its easy street and do not commit themselves.

I know your scared for your husband, but I feel you also have to respect his wishes. You can tell him how you feel and just see what happens. Its good he has someone that cares for him that much.

tabstattooed

well and you are entitled to your opinion, just as I am.

I know people who are obese and eat very healthy......hmmmm wonder why they are overweight.

As I stated she needs to express her concerns, but it is his decision. If we all thought of our family and so on everytime we walked out the door no one would leave the house.

Innocent people get killed daily going to work school or church, do you think they weighed those options before walking out the door?

Yes surgery has risks, yes some people fail in the process, yes some do great, yes some die in surgery or from comps. Thats why the doc does a thorough workup with blood, ekgs, mris,and so on.

You can say it is not a disease all you want but thats your opinion. I feel you are wrong. Oh well no one agrees on everything,,,,,always controversy......always pros and cons.....

enough out of me on the topic.......

Wecandothis

You can say it is not a disease all you want but thats your opinion. I feel you are wrong. Oh well no one agrees on everything,,,,,always controversy......always pros and cons.....

Err... I was wrong. Below is a quote from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/4650.php.

"The Internal Revenue Service ruled last year that, for tax purposes, obesity is a disease, allowing Americans for the first time to claim a deduction for some health expenses related to obesity, just as they can for those related to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other illnesses. "

If the Internal Revenue Service says it's so, it must be so!!!!!

Wow. :ohwell:

Medicaid and Medicare are still pondering. The Food and Drug administration hasn't yet weighed in on the subject.

A little baffled, but that's just the facts.