Different Opinions about Weight Loss Surgery

 When I read someone's opinion about their surgery, I look at two things. Their surgery type and their surgery date.

If the person is less than three years out from surgery, I know that they have not lived with it long enough to have personal knowledge of how well it works for them.  Everyone loves their surgery for the first two years.

Everyone follows their plan, gets their exercise and loses weight (at least almost everyone).

Boredom, complications, lack of compliance, failure to take vitamins and supplement, larger pouch, stretched stoma or larger sleeve, resistence to dumping, issues with sagging skin, decreased malabsorption, and lack of novelty can set in after month 24.  Increased weight comes along with that.  Most attitudes are very different at month 6 than at month 36.  

Before getting upset with others, I try to picture how I felt at that point in the process and understand that experience can only come with time.

Those are some very valid points, marycatherine.  When I was year out I had no idea that someday I'd be working to get off weight that I'd regained.  I was the poster child for WLS compliance.  It's been a sobering experience.

I agree. The term "vet" always used to mean 5 years plus (I can remember being really excited about joining a vets group and it closed about 2 months before my 5 year anniversary LOL!)

Living with RNY at 7+ years out is nothing like it was in the first 2 or 3 years ... I like to think I am honest about any health difficulties I have, but feel that there are so few vets on here, there are not too many that would be able to empathise and so don't bother posting about them.

I think in general I have a very different view to most of the posters on here (newbies excepted of course) and so just end up ******g people off when I give my perspective about long term living. I will be honest and say that I tend to eyeroll rather than confront what seems to me to be an inexperienced pedantic view of life after WLS.

ETA: I also think the process of getting WLS has changed a lot since I got mine - all these liquid diets, long term programs and 6 month waits were not the norm in my day LOL!

You post is spot on, at least for me.  I was in love with my first WLS for the first 2 years.  No matter what I did, or didn't do, I lost weight.  I thought I had found the holy grail.  By about 2 years it was less about my WLS.  It just wasn't the main thing on my mind.  By year 5 I had regained but not enough to worry me.  By year 8 I had regained 100lbs and regretted ever getting surgery.  I had all the complications and not one benefit.  I begged for a reversal.
When I hear people going on about how great their surgery is, like you I just look at their surgery date.  Nine out of ten times it is someone in their first 2 years.  Talk to me in 5 years and see how you are doing.  Oh, you aren't around.  I guess you are busy "living life".
If you really want to have fun look at threads from 5, 8 years ago.  I'll bet there isn't a name there that is famillar.
They may get on my nerves sometimes but I really do appreciate the people who have stuck around and share their experience.  Not only does it help a lot of people it also seems to help them stay on track and accountable.

I've seen a recurring pattern.  People stop posting and then they come back a couple of years later upset because they've regained a lot.  It's sad.

Not saying that everybody that leaves OH is doomed to failure, but being here has definitely provided me with support and that weight loss ticker in my signature makes it hard to hide weight gain.

 totally makes sense - just being here is useful in being more mindful of eating choices.  not necessarily meaning you do better but mindfulness is a good start.

I agree with you too.  One of the reasons I make it a point to participate on OH is I know I still need the interaction with other WLS people that includes support and understanding.  I also feel offering my experience brings something (however big or small) to those starting out and/or living with WLS.  I don't have any support locally since I moved here after having surgery and the few surgeons locally do VSG and lapbands 99% of the time. 

I also continue to learn as more is known about long-term life as a RNY post-ops. 

That is also something I noticed, that folks who leave mostly come back to say they are in trouble.

I figure, with my history, I might as well stick around and stay reminded about WHY I needed to be here in the first place.  I remind me and anyone who will listen that the path back to who I used to be only LOOKS grown over.

Its a short trip back to self deluded self destructionville.  It reminds me now matter how folks in the real world treat me like I am a normie - I have a screwed up relationship with food, and sometimes my only saving grace is sharing with someone what has or has not been helpful to me thus far. 

I'm here because it keeps me grounded - I have a food diary, I exercise and I come here for drama and love (not necessarily from the same Boards) LOL!!!

I am by no means perfect and I fight regain every day (as do most non WLS women at 49, I'm sure!). Hanging out on here reminds me to exercise (EVERY DAY!) take my vitamins, to eat as healthily as I can and to stay healthy (including having pap smears, mammograms, colonoscopies etc).

I have some long term health problems (some of which I had before RNY, and others that have probably been exacerbated by it) and I like to share my experiences if I think they might help others.

I definitely do NOT set myself up as a WLS expert - I can only say what successes and failures I have had - but I do think long termers have a place on here - even those that might not have maintained - they have lessons for us all to learn too!