Gastric Bypass...
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I just had gastric bypass on july 13, 2011. So i am freshly out of it, i have lost about 22 pound so far. The first week the physcial pain was horrible, but I had attended all the support groups and dr. apt's but I was surprised the emotional end of more then anything.....i have been working thru the pain from the physcial part of it, but emotionally it has been rough......all the people I know that had it done said it is rough the first couple months the emotional end of it and that will fade and will be happy with it! So I am taking it one day at a time and have a awesome support system and a great family that has been my cheerleaders thru this! I have about 100 pounds to lose! and down the 22 so about 88 more to go!0
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The single biggest predictor of complications is the surgeon's skill level. Mine had done 3000 WLSs and doesn't staple anything (it's fast and easy for the less skilled, but has a higher risk of leaks).
Do your research, follow the guidelines and use your tool, find out why you eat (want to avoid addiction transfer if it is addiction) and try to "fix your head", take your vitamins and get your protein, and you'll do fine.
Edit to add:
About gallstones... With rapid weight loss, there's about a 30% chance of developing gallstones. The surgeon should prescribe something like Actigall which prevents their formation. Mine prescribes it for 6 months (from month 2-8) and that brings the chance down to less than 1%.0 -
Bypass isnt a great way to get rid of the problem. Its just the easy way out because people are too lazy to work out like everyone else in society. It only lasts five years I think. Why not work it off and just eat right? Yes it takes longer but you will appreciate yourself and your body in the meantime.
I don't mean to be rude but come on, you serious? I appreciate bigger people who go to the gym and eat right everyday because they want to make a change for themselves. I say "more power to them!" People who just sit around or get surgery are people who sound like they are giving up. I see tons of people in Zumba classes of all shapes and sizes. We don't care because they are getting a work out and having fun doing it. Don't take the easy way out because its not worth it, just go to the gym and spend that bypass money somewhere else. Save up your money so you can go on a nice cruise and have a good time.0 -
Bypass isnt a great way to get rid of the problem. Its just the easy way out because people are too lazy to work out like everyone else in society. It only lasts five years I think. Why not work it off and just eat right? Yes it takes longer but you will appreciate yourself and your body in the meantime.
That's because you're ignorant. :-) Do some research. GBS post-ops have the highest rate of long-term success. Research long term results and research the hormone Ghrelin. You'll learn something that will make you say fewer ignorant things like fat people are lazy.
I worked out regularly for YEARS and ate <1000 calories a day and couldn't lose much. GBS causes metabolic changes too and this is often overlooked. It's not just about forcing you to eat less (which makes sense because some don't have a problem with overeating).0 -
There is a stigma in my small town associated with weight loss surgery. It is referred to as the "cheat surgery" and those who decide to get it are deemed slackers. And although it isn't really vocalized, it is highly insinuated that those who get the surgery are not only lazy but also ignorant. *They must not understand how detrimental it is to their body for surely if they understood, they wouldn't do it.* They are also considered users because a good portion of them use government funding of various sorts to pay for the surgery.
Most of those in this area who have had WLS don't come to my gym. When they do, I can hear other people banter behind their backs. They make fun of them and criticize them. Along with losing weight, they also lose a little bit of reputation.
I'm sorry but those people are the ignorant ones. Most of the time you have to go through a program before you can get the surgery because they want you to fully understand & know what your getting into. They wont sugar-coat it either. Think about this, they may use government aid to pay but in the long run the gov. saves money because most of the problems they have are related to being obese. You lose that weight the problems diminish or are gone. 90% of the people that had GBS with diabeties no longer have it because they lost the weight. (I'm not sure if that 90% is just in Maine or all across the board.) What do they care if people get the surgery done anyways! They dont have to deal with it!0 -
Bypass isnt a great way to get rid of the problem. Its just the easy way out because people are too lazy to work out like everyone else in society. It only lasts five years I think. Why not work it off and just eat right? Yes it takes longer but you will appreciate yourself and your body in the meantime.
That's because you're ignorant. :-) Do some research. GBS post-ops have the highest rate of long-term success. Research long term results and research the hormone Ghrelin. You'll learn something that will make you say fewer ignorant things like fat people are lazy.
I worked out regularly for YEARS and ate <1000 calories a day and couldn't lose much. GBS causes metabolic changes too and this is often overlooked. It's not just about forcing you to eat less (which makes sense because some don't have a problem with overeating).
I agree with anilyze!0 -
Bypass isnt a great way to get rid of the problem. Its just the easy way out because people are too lazy to work out like everyone else in society. It only lasts five years I think. Why not work it off and just eat right? Yes it takes longer but you will appreciate yourself and your body in the meantime.
I don't mean to be rude but come on, you serious? I appreciate bigger people who go to the gym and eat right everyday because they want to make a change for themselves. I say "more power to them!" People who just sit around or get surgery are people who sound like they are giving up. I see tons of people in Zumba classes of all shapes and sizes. We don't care because they are getting a work out and having fun doing it. Don't take the easy way out because its not worth it, just go to the gym and spend that bypass money somewhere else. Save up your money so you can go on a nice cruise and have a good time.
I don't mean to open a dead thread but I have some serious issues with what you just said.
First of all, it's your opinion, and that's cool. But in looking at your pictures (and not seeing excess skin, or other obvious signs of previously being obese) you have obviously never been 100+ pounds overweight with health issues and no hope. Also, it is people of your size and ignorance that when I GO to the gym, call me "fattass, jumbo, and elephant."0 -
Also, I had lap-band in 2007 and I had an allergic reaction to the band. I had it removed in 2008, after 4 other surgeries to try and correct the problem. Despite all thatl, I would still get a gastric bypass revision. Sometimes obesity and helplessness just makes you that desperate.0
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My older sister had gastric bypass almost eight years ago. She started losing weight, but didn't bother to change her eating habits or exercise, so she gained most of it back, with the addition of not being able to digest foods well. She had to have her gall bladder removed, which has added a whole other host of digestive issues.0
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I only think it's the "lazy way out" when the person has not tried to change at all and they're just using the surgery as an easy fix. I remember watching True Life on MTV where a few people were getting gastric bypass and the one boy had no interest in changing his eating habits no matter how his healthy mom tried.
For many people it's a great option to get on the right trac and I'm glad it's available for those people.0 -
and for some , its their last chance of hope...........when youre at 650 and you cant walk or barely breathe, what are you to do? Your options are very limited
for me, to make it a tool ,I would, if I ve exhausted all my other resources. I guess I could have met the criteria, i.e, the high blood pressure, the high BMI and sleep apnea, but for me.................and again, this applies to me only
I chose to try and do it without the operation...........I suceeded, thank God, no more high blood pressure, no more meds, all good , but I think I was lucky.............
I did work at it ,it was hard, but sometimes people just cant stay motivated or focused...........theyre not bad people, they just lack will power.
I know this is a touchy subject , so again, we all have opinions , and I think , IMHO , that if a person has done everything, and this is the only option they have, other than death, ..........do it................
watch this video, it says alot about some peoples options and the fact that they are facing death if they dont make a change..........really a good video, esp the man whos on the boat with his 2 young sons...........hes running out of time and he needs to make a decision
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2fycNd4y7w&feature=related
be warned, its kinda graphic, I looked away at a few minutes of this video, but it really could be a help to those who are thinking about it...
thanks, just stating my opinion..................Lloyd0 -
I'm not against it. But the only person in real life I've ever known to have it died from a heart attack from complications. He was my best friend's father. So I'm a little leery of it. But I have never been heavy enough to even qualify for lap band, so it's not an option for me.0
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Well I have a lap band, I have had some issues, but I am losing weight, I worked out most days, and I am fitter than I have been in years and I am looking alright so far. Best thing I ever did. I wasn't NHS, I was private and so it's my money to do as I wish with my body
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So with the extreme diet and exercise you have to do before and after (reading things about only drinking juice and chewing food until its liquid), don't you think if you just did that without the GBS you would lose weight anyways? For some reason (don't get mad at me here!) to me it sounds like the procedure mostly just takes down a mental block to allow you to lose the weight. I'm sure it has other benefits as well, but from what I have read I think the diet and exercise is what is taking most the weight off in the end anyways.0
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So with the extreme diet and exercise you have to do before and after (reading things about only drinking juice and chewing food until its liquid), don't you think if you just did that without the GBS you would lose weight anyways? For some reason (don't get mad at me here!) to me it sounds like the procedure mostly just takes down a mental block to allow you to lose the weight. I'm sure it has other benefits as well, but from what I have read I think the diet and exercise is what is taking most the weight off in the end anyways.
Most/All surgeons require patients to follow a liquid protein diet for two weeks before surgery to prepare their system for the transition and it can decrease the size of the liver, which can shorten operating time.
If you ask why can't you just do this and not have surgery...
Does a liquid diet seem realistic for the rest of your entire life? Does only eating 500 calories a day seem realistic for the rest of your life? Would you eat if you felt hungry?
Gastric bypass surgery makes your stomach much much smaller, so you feel full after eating only a small amount of food. For a person to eat the same amount of food a GB patient eats and not feel hungry is basically impossible. I'm sure it could be done, essentially, but the person would likely be friggin miserable and hungry all the time.
Not to mention with Gastric Bypass, the calories contained in the foods that you eat aren't absorbed as well by your system due to the intestinal bypass, further reducing total calories taken in. So a GB eats 500 calories, and 250 are absorbed. A person without a GB absorbs them all.
On top of all that, Ghrelin; a hormone that is released in the stomach that stimulates hunger and food intake changes after gastric bypass so GB patients basically lose their appetite.
It REALLY REALLY REALLY isn't as simple as "just do the before diet" or "put down the fork"0 -
So with the extreme diet and exercise you have to do before and after (reading things about only drinking juice and chewing food until its liquid), don't you think if you just did that without the GBS you would lose weight anyways? For some reason (don't get mad at me here!) to me it sounds like the procedure mostly just takes down a mental block to allow you to lose the weight. I'm sure it has other benefits as well, but from what I have read I think the diet and exercise is what is taking most the weight off in the end anyways.
Most/All surgeons require patients to follow a liquid protein diet for two weeks before surgery to prepare their system for the transition and it can decrease the size of the liver, which can shorten operating time.
If you ask why can't you just do this and not have surgery...
Does a liquid diet seem realistic for the rest of your entire life? Does only eating 500 calories a day seem realistic for the rest of your life? Would you eat if you felt hungry?
Gastric bypass surgery makes your stomach much much smaller, so you feel full after eating only a small amount of food. For a person to eat the same amount of food a GB patient eats and not feel hungry is basically impossible. I'm sure it could be done, essentially, but the person would likely be friggin miserable and hungry all the time.
Not to mention with Gastric Bypass, the calories contained in the foods that you eat aren't absorbed as well by your system due to the intestinal bypass, further reducing total calories taken in. So a GB eats 500 calories, and 250 are absorbed. A person without a GB absorbs them all.
On top of all that, Ghrelin; a hormone that is released in the stomach that stimulates hunger and food intake changes after gastric bypass so GB patients basically lose their appetite.
It REALLY REALLY REALLY isn't as simple as "just do the before diet" or "put down the fork"
But then isnt eating only 250 calories a day (if you absorb half) completely horrible for your body? I would be dizzy and tired ALL the time if thats all my body absorbed. I guess that's what you have to live with then hey. Suppliments and vitamins all your life. YIkes! I really feel for the people who have no other options!0 -
But then isnt eating only 250 calories a day (if you absorb half) completely horrible for your body? I would be dizzy and tired ALL the time if thats all my body absorbed. I guess that's what you have to live with then hey. Suppliments and vitamins all your life. YIkes! I really feel for the people who have no other options!
It wouldn't be 250 for very long. As you're further and further along, you can eat a bit more. Also, there's less and less fat to burn for energy, so increasing the calories a bit works out. Surprisingly, I thought I would feel awful, but I didn't. If I feel any "low sugar" symptoms, I have a little juice (or eat if it's meal time) and I'm fine. The intestines also compensate for the macro nutrient loss and by a year or so out we will be absorbing 100% of the calories we put in our mouths again.
People should generally take a multi-vitamin anyway, but taking a couple vitamins and calcium chews a day is really not a big deal.0 -
It's sad when major surgeries become so routine that people start taking it very lightly. It's one of the reasons why the US has such a high c-section rate.0
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I haven't read the posts, but generally I think they only work if you eat a good diet anyway, and largely you could do that and lose weight without having an operation with a mortality rate of 1/100.
I applied and was accepted for having a GB a couple of years ago, instead I decided to really LEARN what my diet should be and I've lost nearly 40 lbs anyway.
It seems like a quick way to do things, and sure I get that when you are fat you'd much rather lose it quickly but it rarely lasts.0 -
WOW!
Really opinionate and judgemental people on this post.
When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.
Wayne Dyer
Having struggled with my weight since childhood. And have lost before and put it back on, it used to take up most of my energy and make me feel extremey down!
I'm hoping to have found a tool that will enable me to gain my life back. Or gain a life.
I have my demons with food, a not much has helped, CBT, strict diets etc......
Having looked at people stories and met people this can help change peoples lives. Like in life sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Everyone is different, we should accept everyone.
Again i refer to the quote above. People who point a finger, will always end up have 3 pointing back at them.
I'm grateful to have found a tool that is working for me.0 -
I think a lot of peoples opinions on gastric bypass come from lack of information. If you think you can just walk in, have surgery, and do nothing else- you are completely wrong. I had gastric bypass back 10/25/2010 and am down 120lbs from my highest. I had done everything under the book, exercise(have always been atheletic, was three sport athelete in high school), medically supervised weight loss diet, weight watchers, nutrisystem, personal trainer, la weight loss. It is hard to qualify for surgery- not only do you have to pass physical tests, but also psycological evals, behavior modification classes, nutritionist classes etc.
They tell you straight out that it is not the easy way out. I agree, it is a quick way to lose weight- but when you have hundreds of lbs to lose- sometimes you need the kick start or it all seems overwhelming. That's what it was for me. I am 5'11" and at nine months, im stuck at 215lbs. I pretty much have accepted that this is as far as surgery alone will get me, but I am determined to get under 200lbs. I have been walking since day of surgery. At three weeks when I got the all clear to workout, I started doing aerobics at the gym 3 days a week and moved eventually to 5 days. I climed Mt. Major at 4 weeks post op. I have completed three, 5k's this summer alone. Yes, there are people that get surgery as the easy way out...but how are they any different than people who take appetite suppressants or some pill that stops them from absorbing fat- aren't they taking the easy way out as well?
As far as complications- I was in good shape before surgery and had no complications what so ever. I make sure to take al my vitamins and mineral supplements and eat healthy. Believe me, Not everyone gets sick off bad food with surgery-wish it was that easy!! I can still eat chips, crackers, bread, ice cream etc without getting sick- contrary to popular belief- you need will power just as much as those who didn't have surgery.
Everyone has a story about someone they know who had it and gained it back or who had it and had tons of complications....but ever wonder why you never hear stories of people that do well with it? That's probably bc you encounter them at the gym or the store or the restaurant and never even know they have had it. It's the way society is- no one comes on a says great things about a procedure or company- its only the ones with the bad experiences, or the ones we see with bad experiences that we hear from.
So i really do encourage everyone to do their research before they pass judgement on those who chose surgery as an option. Before I did my research, I thought it was the easy way out as well. Information is power!
~Laurie0 -
grat reply svno. I now am even more understanding and I support anyone who will do anything to save thier life. I wonder if some folks think that its done for just the physical appearance only....of course, when people weight 500 , 600 and even 700 lbs, their choices are few and limited
I know of one girl who I went to school with, had surgery and took off 100 lbs and keeps it off..........not the same for her 2 sisters who had surgery and gained even more back
her third sister has refused to have surgery, the whole family is super morbidly obese.......this last sister had her first heart attack at the age of 41.........
you did what you did to save your life.....I applaud you and am more sympathetic to people now . Thanks for sharing0 -
I am 5'11" and at nine months, im stuck at 215lbs. I pretty much have accepted that this is as far as surgery alone will get me, but I am determined to get under 200lbs. I have been walking since day of surgery. At three weeks when I got the all clear to workout, I started doing aerobics at the gym 3 days a week and moved eventually to 5 days. I climed Mt. Major at 4 weeks post op. I have completed three, 5k's this summer alone.
Laurie-
I am 5 years out and have been maintaining (actually losing now that I have been using MFP). At nine months out you are probably just plateau-ing. The weight loss will definitely be slower, but I lost weight until the 18 month mark and then I stabilized. Continue to exercise, drink your water, and eat your protein! Best of luck to you!0 -
Whatever you do, be careful and get the best surgeon you can. 2 yrs. ago my sister-in-law died from complications of GPB.0
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It can be a very effective tool for those who have exhausted all options. But if you can't change your lifestyle then it's not going to work. It's very easy to binge eat and gain it all back only then you have a stretched out stomach and malnutrition issues for the rest of your life. But I know many that HAVE made the lifestyle changes and have really maximized the benefits of WLS and it's been a life saver/changer for them. But I also know some that have gained it back (plus some) because they just assumed it was the answer to their prayers and didn't want to do their part of the bargain.
If it's something you are interested in....just be sure to do lots and lots of research (and perhaps even spend 6 months living a post surgery lifestyle to see if it's something you could maintain the rest of your life). You may even fine you can do it w/out the actual surgery.....0
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