Does anyone regret having had Gastric Bypass?

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  • summersbest
    summersbest Posts: 194 Member
    I just celebrated my one year anniversary and do not regret the surgery one single bit. Only wish I had had it sooner. I have lost 100lbs. and feel great. Is it possible for me to gain it back? Absolutely. But I took the time that was needed beforehand to research the surgery and knew what I was in for in the long run. Many people go in with the attitude that surgery is the magical answer to their weight problem and forget that it only works as well as you work it.

    I make healthy choices for my meals and snacks, focusing mainly on protein, and measure everything. I have accepted that this is a way of life for me in order not to regain. I take the necessary daily vitamins and work out when I can. I suffer from fibromyalgia so working out daily is a struggle for me. I lost all my weight from eating properly. I also make sure to get in all my fluids for the day as I find this really helps with the weight loss. I can no longer drink plain water since the surgery but am fine with Crystal Light or diet juices. And because of all of this, I can splurge once in a while and have the pizza and chocolate in moderation.

    This surgery gave me a jump start on my weight loss but it's totally up to me to use the tools provided to be a success down the road. ~
  • Gw3nJa
    Gw3nJa Posts: 40 Member
    I was thinking about creating a new topic for this question, but I figure maybe I'll ask my question here instead.

    To those of you who have had, or have thought about having, the gastric bypass surgery, or even lap band, or anything alike... why? I'm not criticizing or anything, I'm just wondering.... why'd you do it? Or why do you WANT to do it? It's a TON of money, a LOT of pain, and you STILL have to diet - extremely, at that - and exercise after healing. Like I said, I'm not criticizing... I've thought about doing one of these surgeries myself at one point, then I researched and researched and found that the first few months (even a year or two!) you have to go on a pretty extreme diet, and ease your way into eating new foods.... if you could do that POST-op, why not just do it all by yourself anyway? How much do the surgeries REALLY help? And for those who have to lose some weight in order to even get the surgeries done... why not just continue to do it yourself instead of putting yourself through all that?

    Love and Alohas,
    Ihilani Kapuniai

    My mom is looking into it and wants to have this surgery. She's a diabetic and in a slew of medications for everything under the sun. Despite her being at a lower weight she is in far worse health. Losing the weight would get her off a bunch of meds get her healthy and in turn save a lot of money. Her biggest fear I think is that if she lost it traditionally that she wouldn't keep it off. Even if you do gain weight with those I know that it's not the full amount.
    I mean I don't want to do it myself. But seeing her in tears talking about how much pains she's in, I can at least emphasize and hope she can have this surgery.
  • jantura
    jantura Posts: 14 Member
    Bump so my dear SIL sees this
  • jantura
    jantura Posts: 14 Member
    Bumping again
  • clt052902
    clt052902 Posts: 6
    I had the gastric sleeve. I did it because I wasn't losing weight on diet alone. I barely ate anything and rarely ate junk. we bake a lot in my house but nothing I tried worked. I had a lot of medical problems and my surgery was covered by my insurance since it was a medical necessity. yes I do have days when I think what on earth was I thinking and others I feel great and am glad I did it. for me it's been 8 weeks and I have lost 37 pounds. I have come off 7 medications alone. it really varies from person to person as to why they do this and what is their motivation but for me I wanted to feel better and needed help doing it since the dieting wasn't helping. had my surgery not been covered by insurance I would not have been able to do this and I am very grateful it was.
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Maybe 2 of the 20 or so people that I know that have had this surgery have not gained back the weight they lost, and in many cases more than they lost post surgery. It is unfortunate, but it is a fact. I just wonder what happens long term. I watched my wife's grandparents live into their 80's, nether of them had weight problems, had all of their stomachs eat like birds for the last few years of their lives. They were not poor or starving, they, just like many older people, did not have much of an appetite. They had the ability to get all of the nutrients out of the food that they were eating. What happens when you only have 1/4 or 1/8th of your stomach. Are there long term studies of the effects of this surgery? I mean 20 or 30 years, on people that are now in their 60s to 80s.

    At least a sleeve can be removed, or adjusted. I don't think a bypass can be reversed.
  • paulei1975
    paulei1975 Posts: 52 Member
    I have 2 friends who went through with it, and both of them stated that it was the best decision they ever made. They also look amazing.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    Maybe 2 of the 20 or so people that I know that have had this surgery have not gained back the weight they lost, and in many cases more than they lost post surgery. It is unfortunate, but it is a fact. I just wonder what happens long term. I watched my wife's grandparents live into their 80's, nether of them had weight problems, had all of their stomachs eat like birds for the last few years of their lives. They were not poor or starving, they, just like many older people, did not have much of an appetite. They had the ability to get all of the nutrients out of the food that they were eating. What happens when you only have 1/4 or 1/8th of your stomach. Are there long term studies of the effects of this surgery? I mean 20 or 30 years, on people that are now in their 60s to 80s.

    At least a sleeve can be removed, or adjusted. I don't think a bypass can be reversed.

    Why did those 18 people regain the weight?
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Overrating little by little until they stretched their stomachs back. I agree with the above post. Deal with the psychological reasons for overeating, and refocus that to something else.

    Everything takes effort. I have had 3 back surgeries. There is never a time that I am not totally aware of my limitations. How I move, what I lift, or how I lift things. I didn't go through all of that to screw things up. I have degenerative disk disease. I may need surgery again one day. Who knows, but it is not going to be from doing something I know I shouldn't be doing. My boys are 17 and 14. I have not picked up my second son since he was 2 years old. He was 11 lbs, and two weeks early. He was always a big child. That wasn't easy. Try telling a hurt and crying 2 year old that you can't pick them up.
  • thebr0kenwriter
    thebr0kenwriter Posts: 9 Member
    I will be having the vertical sleeve surgery on Nov 6 at Duke.

    The vertical sleeve is not a removable, reversible surgery. They remove 85% of the stomach which includes the hormone that creates hunger and appetite. It has recently became more popular of the surgeries. I know at least a dozen people who have had a form of WLS and they said it was the best thing they ever did. A friend had it done due to stomach cancer and he is a completely (more positive) person.

    I also, lost 120lbs of my own. From 2011-2012, exercising 3hrs a day and restricting calories. What happened? I gained all but 10lbs of it back despite exercising still. Losing weight naturally is not always the permanent fix for everyone. Some need help. Losing weight naturally does not erase your appetite, which is one reason I have chosen WLS for.
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Today we buried the friend that was in my posts on another thread about gastric bypass. He was 47, and was expecting his first grandchild by the end of this year.
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