I'm pre-op for gastric bypass...

Just SAY NO!!! I am a nurse and this surgery is full of complication after complication. I have seen many post op patients years later and it is never good. This surgery is surgically induced anorexia. You will vomit after every meal. Your hair, nail, and skin will become very brittle. Malnutrition is huge, because this surgery does not teach you to eat right. I encourage you to do more research before you go under the knife. Best of luck to you.

I have a friend who had it done and only lost a few pounds afterwards which she went on to gain back. A few years later she had another procedure done and it has helped some but she really owes her weight loss success to working out / walking for exercise. There is a male friend in our church who had a band put around his stomach to make it a smaller pouch (can't remember what they call that surgery) and he really lost alot of weight and looked so good that my daughter and I both had it done. Neither of us has had any success which is discouraging! I really have to agree with what MaryMooster has to share. Best of luck in your decision whichever way you decide to go!

I personally have an uncle who had the bypass and he has nothing but problem after problem. He did lose quite a bit of weight but some of his stitches came undone and he almost died. I have also heard that in young adults with the bypass surgery there is a 1 in 10 chance of dying. This is a big and personal choice. I would really look into all my options. Good Luck and congrats on the 10lbs lost, it's a start.

Thanks all for your insights; I am pretty set on doing the surgery. Over the years it has become safer and can be done laproscopically (spelling?). Also because I am young the surgeon told me I had less of a chance for complications. I'm kind of looking for people who have had it done to answer specific questions, for example "What are some obstacles that have come up that the doctors do not tell you?". Also would be great to have some who are doing the process I am, just to throw ideas off of and advice. I appreciate the opinions of those who say don't; but I'm looking for support with those who say do.

Since you have decided, the most important thing is do do as debbielou says. and commit to it... mentally emotionally and physically.
I only know about problems from people I know who have had it done and from being a nurse.. but food tolerence, vomiting, emotional distress diarrhea malnutrition with long term effects. The trick is know that they could be present... just don't invite them. Deal with them as they come..... but know the whole time you are incharge and you are able to do anything . If the mind can perceive it we can acheive it... not my quote. but a good one.best wishes... good luck... keep us posted on your progress

Just SAY NO!!! I am a nurse and this surgery is full of complication after complication. I have seen many post op patients years later and it is never good. This surgery is surgically induced anorexia. You will vomit after every meal. Your hair, nail, and skin will become very brittle. Malnutrition is huge, because this surgery does not teach you to eat right. I encourage you to do more research before you go under the knife. Best of luck to you.

There are many complications to ANY TYPE of surgery. Just like regular surgeries have many benefits to those will to follow doctor's orders. The same is true for all WLS available now. Unfortuantely there are many anti WLS medical professionals. I always notice there is almost never any mention of the many people who have benefited from these surgeries.

Example: Knee surgeries? Many complications and sometimes their can be many but I don't see people telling people not to have knee surgery. Many cancer surgeires have many complications. It is up the the individual whether or not they want to risk the complications. It is up to the individual to decide if the benefits of the surgery in question out weigh the complications that are absolutely a risk. All surgeries have their risk.

Congrats on your 100 pound weight loss!! your chances of long term weight loss is very good if you have RNY or LB. RNY has a higher percentage of success but both surgeries have come a long ways as far as success. And just like with losing weight thru exercise and diet your sucess depends on you. Your application of the your doctors orders and recommendations.

I had RNY in 2004 and it is the best gift I ever gave myself. Even though I gained almost a 3rd of my weight back I know I needed the surgery. Just like normal people gain weight, I did also over a 3 year period. Do your research. I have seen many successes with both surgeries. I know many who have the LB and end up have RNY 2 to 3 years later. Good luck to you!!

I did consider having this operation done, but when I looked at the way you change your eating habits/ how quickly the weight comes off/price I decided that for 1/3 of the cost I could employ a personal trainer for 6 months, learn to eat small meals six times day anyway, fall in love with exercise and lose the same amount of weight while getting fit and feeling fantastic because I worked hard for it xxx

Just SAY NO!!! I am a nurse and this surgery is full of complication after complication. I have seen many post op patients years later and it is never good. This surgery is surgically induced anorexia. You will vomit after every meal. Your hair, nail, and skin will become very brittle. Malnutrition is huge, because this surgery does not teach you to eat right. I encourage you to do more research before you go under the knife. Best of luck to you.

Couldn't agree with you more. IMO this is a quick fix for lazy people. I am sorry that it may sound rude but anyone that wants it bad enough can lose weight with proper diet and exercise.

Wow!!! Lazy people......:-( Yes,,,so SAD indeed. I just pray for people with these interesting and narrow minded opinions and statements. It doesn't sound rude. It sounds like a person who has never walked in a super morbibly obese person shoes and has no empathy for their issues. And narrows it down to plain old LAZY. Again all I can say is WOW!

OH really? I was 338lbs 2 years ago and 5 years ago I was 170lbs. I am now down to 221. So please tell me that again?

Once again lazy and lack of will power. Call me close minded but I have heard the "I can't lose weight, I have dieted, I have tried everything" excuse. I was one of those people that just couldn't lose it and thought about operation after operation but I seem to be losing it.

Just SAY NO!!! I am a nurse and this surgery is full of complication after complication. I have seen many post op patients years later and it is never good. This surgery is surgically induced anorexia. You will vomit after every meal. Your hair, nail, and skin will become very brittle. Malnutrition is huge, because this surgery does not teach you to eat right. I encourage you to do more research before you go under the knife. Best of luck to you.

I agree! I know you have to decide for yourself, but most of the patients that I dealt with post op had more than 1 complication. I also know at least 3 people who gained back at least half of the weight. If you start putting it back on this can also cause complications. IMHO I wouldn't have it done, and would do whatever I could to talk a friend out of having it done.

lapband is not near as bad. looked into it myself. did not think i could be compliant in the long run. i was pre-op too and for medical reasons i had to address them first. would like to drink a carbonated beverages and nuts. it takes more will power than i have so i am glad i did not do it. good luck 2 u.

wow, this is a topic that has encouraged me to write about my own weight loss surgery - performed earlier this year (May in fact).
I've always thought of myself as quite a strong minded person who encourages others to be empowered and strong of mind, body and spirit. I trained as a social worker although had a paralegal background also. After about 3 years of toing and froing as to whether I would require a RnY (gastric bypass) I finally ended up having it carried out. It was not an easy decision. But I have jumped ahead of myself. For whatever reason - and my reasons were many - there are some blockages some of us just cannot get over, whether we see a NUT (nutritionist) or therapist or do every diet imaginable. I was never a weighty kid, and nor in fact an overweight adult - till I went through menopause and also had a number of other issues that piled up so much so I just needed some serious help. So, I decided after a locum doctor suggested I was depressed and would I benefit from some therapy I decided to take control of myself - before I asked to be referred to therapy. Soooo, I sat myself down one day with my husband and told him all of my woes - hey, from child abuse, to rape, to fighting family in court to retain our family land and other family issues that try as I might - I could not hold it all together. Decision was made to at least go and talk with the surgeon (WLS) and his team - and there were many - a nurse, a psychiatrist, a nutritionist and also the surgeon. The information that they gave to me was beneficial and I came away thinking that I had not been in control of my life for such a long time. How in the world could I have been helping everyone else and yet I couldn't even help myself?
Like I said previously I have not been severely obese but was becoming hypertensive, had had no history of high blood pressure but this was fast becoming an issue, my knees ached, I had sleep apnoea, physically I was brassed off with myself because I love to walk and exercise but it hurt so much I just couldn't tolerate it.
The RnY operation was fine - it was 2 weeks of feeling a little uncomfortable but I did exactly what I was told - I walked and I sipped and I walked again and I sipped.... until I could eat the mush stuff - and I continue to walk and I have now become an avid fan again of gourmet cooking - the healthy way. I would do this over again in a heartbeat...... but, there are some folk that get severely depressed because they used to be able to eat whatever and their diets pre op were appalling - and they begin to be that way again if they let themselves slip back into those old habits. Why people do this I don't know although, just recently I've been having a health scare (in fact am due for a biopsy next Monday) and for the last couple of days I have had myself in "that place" again where I was putting food into my mouth without realising it. This morning I have listed down everything that I put in and if I continue along this path well, I will end up putting weight back on. It's not a nice place to be in....depression is a major factor in this battle of the bulge. However, we don't want to admit it to ourselves for fear of weakness or showing our weakness to others. This is how it was for me. I've put a lid on so many things in my life that at some point it had to combust and combust it did. I am over the moon I had my surgery - I am over the moon that I have continued to lose weight, I am over the moon that I now breathe and live for myself first and my family next..... when do we put ourselves first? With a family history of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension I didn't want to kick the bucket before I was 60!

RnY is a "tool" - and that is all it is. What we do with the tool is up to us. It aids us only so far.... the rest is up to us - and its not about weakness or strength - it's about facing up to the reality of this life of ours. Choosing our paths wisely. I get miffed when I hear people making generalisations about why people have this invasive surgery. I tell you, its a huge step and one to be considered very carefully.

For some people they would look at me and say I wasn't overweight - but now I've lost 30kg I'm back to where I was 5 years ago - no more pain, no more heart probs or even joint problems, no more breathlessness. I am happy and eternally grateful to the team who performed my surgery and continue to monitor my progress. Yes, here in NZ we have a "team" who stick with us for the first 12 months of this journey. They are there whenever we need them - to guide us, to give us tips on nutrition and whatever else we need to know.

I have not dumped nor have I thrown up, food has not become stuck... mostly because I am serious about what goes in. I enjoy a high protein, low carb diet... no alcohol, no fizzy, no bread, pasta or rice.... I do however make the meanest stuffed baked fish and enjoy gourmet delights. I can even eat pancakes (made with oatmeal instead of flour) - fresh fruit and low fat yoghurt. I am not missing out on anything.

I believe there are misconceptions out there in the world - for whatever reason..... not sure who begins some of these - obviously people who are not in the know.

There are specific weight loss surgery websites - one is www.thinnertimes.com and its a very informative site to be involved with. I am on there as well as here. I enjoy myfitness plan because it gives me just that...... I can log everything in and be true to myself. I can easily see how people can become complacent with weight loss surgery (after it) - easy to put that extra piece of food in your mouth at times - this is the cause of vomiting.

I will be on supplements for the rest of my life. My hair hasn't fallen out much - in fact, it all grows back and some say even more lusterous than previously. As recipients of this new tool we need a good multivitamin daily, iron tablet daily and calcium tablet daily...... these are very very important. I have a friend who had surgery 3 years ago and she stopped taking her vitamins and stopped eating the right foods - she spent all her time at McDonalds. She kept losing weight but she also became quite forgetful and had no energy - she slept all the time. Since she's been back to her surgeon and talked with him she is now back on her vitamins and eating a correct amount of food. Sometimes we do have to remind ourselves to eat 3 meals per day (or for some 6 smaller meals) and drink 8 glasses of water. I'm looking forward to the rest of my life with my new "tool" - I envisage participating in the New York marathon (a bucketlist wish) in the future - am giving myself 2 years - although 1 yr sounds even better.

Thanks for allowing me to throw my comments on here... am happy to answer any questions regarding my journey to date.....I realise I am still fairly new to this. Cheers

My surgery was in March of 2006 and it was the best thing that I could have done. I had no complications at all from my RNY bypass and feel so much better. The pain in my feet, knees, hips and back has disappeared, I am no longer on diabetic medication, my blood pressure has returned to normal and, best of all, my resting heart rate hovers around 70 (used to be in the 90's.) I am a nurse and several of my co-workers had previously had the same surgery with minor or no complications. All of them agreed that their only regret was not having had the surgery sooner. Best of luck to you!

i agree with nicrus!!! if you can get the support i highly recommend you try it on your own!!! when i first started i had 114lbs to go and although it has been a long process for me...i really feel that it was worth the effort of doing with surgical assistance!! i have lost 50lbs and it is possible without the surgery! and he is right it has so many complications!! i also work in healthcare and have seen too many things go wrong to ever want to do it myself or anyone that i know and care about to do it either. you can do it!!

I haven't had WLS, but I've known a few people that have. Wish I was more informed about the types of procedures.

My aunt had a gastric bypass surgery about 10 years ago and lost a LOT of weight. Like she looked malnourished. She's since gained about half of it back (a lot due to being on steroids for other medical issues), but is happy as a clam. She can eat a normal-sized meal now too (half a sandwich, chips, grapes...stuff like that).

Her daughter had the same surgery 2-3 years ago. She was in her early 20's at the time. When she was in high school she'd lost about 60 lbs with Jenny Craig very quickly and had her gallbladder removed following that weight loss because she was having so much trouble with gallstones, so she was more prepared than your average patient for that aspect of the surgery (with the type she had, they remove the gallbladder at the same time as the gastric bypass because so many patients end up having them out anyway). The reason she had the surgery at such a young age was that she'd had back problems as a result of an injury and, after several back surgeries, she was still experiencing a lot of pain but couldn't exercise [though if her mother hadn't had the surgery, I don't think she would have had it]. She lost quite a bit of weight in her face and upper body, but not so much in her lower body. She [says she] spends 2 hours/day on an exercise bike. She's also had a lot of complications with the opening to her stomach closing up entirely and having to go have it re-opened because she can't eat/drink at all. She also has to take a lot of supplements. I worry about her health in the future because she's not the most compliant patient (eating small quantities yes, but not nutrient dense foods- no wonder her hair is falling out!).

And I have a different aunt on the other side of the family who did not have a weight problem until she gained 100 lbs with a pregnancy, then gained about 50 more, then had the surgery and lost all of it. And maybe more. And she looks fantastic. She can't tolerate sugar at all, even in fruit, but doesn't seem to have any other problems. However, IMHO, if she'd cut out sugar and scaled back her portions before the surgery it wouldn't have been necessary and she could eat a strawberry now without feeling like death.

You know what is best for you. I agree with some previous posters that said to make changes now as if you'd already had the surgery so you're used to them. I'd also add to look into what happens when people have gallbladder issues big enough to require the removal of the gallbladder, because I understand that can be a side effect of losing weight quickly and I'd hate for you to be caught by surprise.