Gastric Bypass

JAGWIRE13579

I am sure there are some strong feelings and opinions out there about bariatric surgery. I would like to hear about any personal experiences. I had a lap band surgery 10 years ago and it has been a big waste of time and money. I have had so many problems with it recently the doctor would like to remove it. He is already talking about what else he can do (Roux-en-Y) to help my weight loss efforts.I am nervous about letting him slice and dice my guts. I know the best way to lose weight is healthy diet and exercise, but if I were good at that I wouldn't be over 100lbs overweight my entire adult life. I am really on the fence now, So any helpful info would be great. Thanks. (BTW I am 42yo women, 5'6 and 263lbs if that helps)

LoraF83

I'm a 5'6" woman and at my highest, I was 230lbs. So, 263 is not an impossible weight to start from. I would encourage you to try eating healthy and exercising. No, you're not good at it, but use a variety of resources to learn about healthy eating (not just crash dieting) and start off with small amounts of exercise, gradually building up over time.

Since you've been through bariatric surgery before, you know how difficult the recovery can be, and how many complications/risks could be involved.

Give this a try first. I think you would be surprised at successful you can be if you really dedicate yourself to it.

ltaylor_11

Just a thought . You may not be good at healthy eating or exercise now, but keep trying and over time good habits will replace old. Some changes came very easy to me and others I am still struggling with after 3 years of working at them. I now can do lunges even with my bad knees and have signed up for my forst 5K this September. Four years ago I was smoking half a pack a day, drinking more than was prudent and eating lots of fried foods.

Small forward progress is better than no forward progress.

Good luck on your journey!

JAGWIRE13579

Thanks for your encouragement. I'm sure not rushing into anything.

Altruista75

I started out at close to 270 lbs. It IS possible to do it with changing a few habits w/o taking such drastic measures IMO. You need to do what you are going to be comfortable with though. I've witnessed a few people completely waste their money with bypass surgery b/c they went back to their old habits and are now even bigger than they were when they first had surgery. Weightloss is 90% mental IMO and you need to fix/change your mindset before ANYTHING will work! Good luck with your decision.

darla100

I had one friend choose gastric bypass, and then her sister just had the lap band done. In both cases, they could have lost the weight heathfully, by choosing diet and exercise. I think people are wanting immediate results these days, so this is the "quick fix" People still have to figure out there relationship with food though and how to control it. They both can be reversed, if your not willing to keep working for it. And with eating right and exercising..you mind/mental state, can play catch up to what your body looks like. With these surgeries, I have seen people not know how to handle the change so quickly..they have become depressed, or worse..cheat/divorce their s.o because of the looks that they get from being thin..lots and lots to think about here..

GastricJoy

I just had gastric bypass (RNY) on June 4, 2012.

I hate when people say its the easy way out or we want a quick fix. The easy way would be eating the right food choices and exercising on a regular basis. A quick fix is taking some pills that you find on tv or in GNC. We have to take medication for the rest of our lives along with not being able to eat certain foods. there is no rewarding yourself with a piece of candy or slice of cake because you will not be able to tolerate sugars. This "quick Fix" people are referring to I have not seen it yet.

We still have to work out and eat the right foods. The surgery is just a tool or an aide to help you through. But a quick fix or easy way out it is not.

rumpusparable

I've had RNY and it's been awesome. I was one who ate right and exercised but still gained weight... worked with dieticians, nutritionist, my PCPs, personal trainers and we could never find out why I kept gaining. With the bypass I exercise and eat right and the weight is coming off finally. It's been amazing.

And with that note: you do realize that you'll have to eat a healthy diet and exercise every day to get the benefits of the bypass? If you don't you will lose much less and it'll come right back on once your Active Weightloss Phase finishes. It's a tool to use with a correct healthy lifestyle, it won't end your obesity if you eat poorly and don't exercise regularly.

A good site for all sorts of answers and info is thinnertimesforum.com.

specialemy

Research what you feel strongly is best for you and still talk to your doctor and nutritionist about your options. No two patients are alike when it comes to bariatric surgery as everyone has their own set of medical issues, weight struggles, etc. I, myself, am a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy patient and decided that this was the best procedure for me after all the research I had did on my own. My sister-in-law had the R n Y done 12 years ago (as an open surgery, not laproscopic) and has been doing fine. Depending on which bariatric center you are with most centers require that you must follow a pre-op diet and that you would need to lose some initial weight on your own before you are able to be scheduled for a surgery date. Best of luck to you...

JAGWIRE13579

thank you, I will check out that site.

belgerian

My wife is a RN and you would not believe complications that result from the sliceing and dicing you. Even if the bypass surgery went well and you lost the weight it still comes down to nutrition and excercise. I do not know the statistics of people who gain the weight right back but I imagine it is hight. It comes down to monitoring your food and trying to stay active period.

free2live72003

This can be a confusing issue for many people. The reason being is that in order to be successful at weight loss whether by traditional measures or the added tool of weight loss surgery, you still have to eat a healthy diet, exercise, and make major changes in your lifestyle.

The difference is how your body responds to these weight loss strategies. Weight loss surgery (WLS) is NOT a quick fix. But, it can be the only thing that works for some people (as was my case) because of metabolic factors.

Statistics prove that It is NOT TRUE that most morbidly obese individuals can make a few dietary changes, start moving, and eventually lose and keep off the needed weight by being patient and diligent. Statistics show that greater than 85% gain back the weight lost , plus additional weight. In many cases there are metabolic reasons why obese individuals cannot keep the weight off. They are not all lazy and unmotivated as some peole perceive.

I am a healthcare provider and an avid advocate for losing weight by eating fewer calories and exercising more, however, I have seen enough and experienced enough to know that this does not work for all individuals.

At the end of the day, my advice is CHOOSE LIFE AND START LIVING IT. If you have truly tried the traditional method for many years without success and you see the years of your life passing you by as you become more and more unhealthy, then do something different before your health becomes beyond repair.

I am 52 years old and had gastric bypass 18 months ago. I was, at my heaviest ,325lbs and am now 158lbs. I truly tried to lose weight the conventional way and failed over and over again for 40+ years. But, now I can use the same weight loss strategies and I can lose the weight and exercise daily and LIVE A FULL HAPPY LIFE. I no longer have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglygerides. All of these conditions were corrected (in my case) before I ever left the hospital and before I ever lost the weight as the surgery corrected my metabolic disorder which had prevented me from being able to lose the weight.

It is easy for people of normal metabolism to feel that if everyone tries really hard they too can lose weight by traditional means. But, unfortunately we are not all the same. I am not necessarily advocating that you have the surgery, but I would seriously consider it rather than continue to experience the damage that being 100lbs overweight causes to your body and phychological wellbeing.

But, the first thing you must do regardless of the method of weight loss you choose is get brutally honest with yourself. If you are not 100% willing to change your life, then neither traditional weight loss or weight loss surgery will work. They are both a waste of your time and money. Gastric bypass is a tool that can help you and is not as easily manipulated as the lap band. But, still it would be up to you to use that tool the way it is designed to help you reach your weight loss goals.

Good luck to you!

imaginec

I agree 100 %! People make me sick saying it is an "easy way out"' or a "quick fix." Nothing easy or quick about it. They are so clueless! :mad:

Onaughmae

Well I can only tell you about my own experience with gastric bypass. I have been overweight my whole life...and I have been diabetic since I was 16. I opted to have the RNY surgery done in April of this year. My main goal from having surgery was to be able to gain better control of my diabetes. I have accomplished that. I accomplished that quickly...before I had even lost a pound. I was still in the hospital when on the 2nd post op day my blood sugar starting dropping. I went from taking a bunch of oral drugs plus using about 200 units of insulin a day...to now using only around 35 units of insulin a day and no oral drugs at all. This surgery as a weight loss tool is just that....it is a tool. You still have to do the work. I have had people actually accuse me of taking the eay way out. O yes...its really easy having to practically become a nutritionist because you need to know the nutritional value of everything you eat. You only have so much stomach space left...you have to be sure that what you eat is nutrient dense. It is also easy working out at least 4 times a week. (can you hear the sarcasm here?) People dont understand that you have to work it just like everyone else does. Now I will say...it is an excellent tool. It keeps me honest. It is difficult for me to overeat...so I dont. It also will make me sick to eat something too high in sugar....so I dont. So....would I do this again?? You betcha...everyday and twice on Sunday! I firmly believe that I have easily added another 10 good, healthy years to my life. Good luck!

321payne

Hello I am also thinking about gastric bypass surgery. I am a RN. I have only been an RN for about a year and a half. It is the main reason I am looking into getting the surgery. I do not want to end up like the patients I see. I will weigh all mu options before I commit but i know I have to do something I have been fighting my weight for over 10 years I have tried to lose weight through diet and exercise and I do but it never stays off. i have lost and gained hundreds of pounds. this may not be the best way to lose weight and keep it off it might be the only way I can. for all the people who just bad mouth it without knowing each individuals situation shame on you. yes there are complications but not losing the weight will mean complications too. I am 36 yo and have sleep apnea , high blood pressure, high cholesterol , and back pain . what will I have By the time I am 50. I am not sedentary work 12 hour shifts and spend most of the time on my feet. I am not saying every one should do it but it may be the only way for me so for someone to say it is absolutely the wrong thing to do just seems wrong. I just think people should keep an open mind and not believe every one can do it because you did. sorry for the rant but i had to say it

heres2anewme

I will say I have to agree with you on the lapband being a big waste of time and money, mine was. I had it removed in Jan. 2011 and revised to the RNY and couldn't be happier. Yes, some people do have problems later on down the road and some do regain their weight but like anything it is up to you to do the work and no better place to learn the right way to eat than to do it here. I will give the lapband credit for teaching me how to chew my food and proper ways to eat as a WLS patient;.

Anyone that thinks any kind of weight loss surgery is the easy way out has not been down the road. Now the person that said you could never eat sweets again, must not know that only about 30% of the patients dump from sweets, I rarely dump if I eat sweets but sometimes I have a mild reaction to something sweet. If you are morbidly obese you already know that few ever make it on their own. I had tried every diet in the country prior to having my surgery and none worked and when the lapband failed me I thought I had no other chance. Thank God, I found a doctor that was kind and understanding and told me he would do the RNY on me and it would not fail but I'd probably never reach the goal I had hoped for, nor would I lose as fast as I would have had I had it done first. I have lost close to 100 lbs, feel great, diabetes is gone, high blood pressure is gone, off all statins and was on both pills and shots for my diabetes. My last A1C was 4.8, which I think is wonderful, Yes I am considered a diabetic still but it is very much under control and I plan to keep it that way.

Add me as a friend if you want and I will encourage and help you all I can. I have been down both, actually all three, roads.

JAGWIRE13579

Thank you all so much for your information. I think it so important to keep the (accurate) info flowing. I was horrified when I saw a story on a morning show the other day that seemed to suggest surgery was the answer in morbid obesity in teens. I can't imagine anyone considering this surgery to be the easy answer. The procedure is very extreme with a ton of potential complications. As I said, diet changes and exercise would be my first choice but I can't say right now what I will decide. Continued success to all you wonderful people on your chosen paths.

Dani_Detroit

I had it gone a week ago today. I have people who had it and kept the weight off, those who gained it back and those that have suffered horrible things because of it. If you are interested in it then join a couple messageboards. Read peoples stories, some are good, some are bad. We can not tell you how you will react to it.

I was going to get the lap-band but changed my mind after doing some research on it. Yes, working out more could have helped me but let's be realistic, some people need more of a push than others. This was my push. The day after my bypass I was walking those hospital halls and have done walking each day ever since. I hope I can keep it up. I hope that I will stick to small meals and not stretch my pouch more but it will take a lot of willpower. I want to eat a large pasta meal right now. But I know I will never ever be able to do that. I know that if I want to keep my weight off I had to give up on those Thanksgiving meals. Come Christmas time while people are enjoying heaps of food I'll be there eating a salad and some dark brown bread with water.

This is not a quick fix, this is a life time commitment,