Open bypass surgery for short people?

Hi! I'm having open WLS August 3. I'm very short! 5'1". I weigh 296.5 down from 315 at my highest. I'm 53 and wonder if there are any open surgery patients that can walk me through the process. Since I'm short and old will I lose slowly or quickly. I'm beside myself worrying about another failure. Luann

Luann, I am not much taller....5'3". I am 51.....I was 319 to start....pre-surgery weight was 251...now I am at 205.....My surgery was open and had no complications. Just do what your surgeon tells you and you will do fine! I had my surgery on 6/1 and am now walking over 3 miles a day! I think everyone loses at their own pace so it isn't fair to compare yourself to someone else. All I know is that I feel great! My knees don't hurt anymore.....I am not short of breath....I want to continue to walk but right now it is just too hot to walk much over the 3 miles. I do have an issue with water....it doesn't go down so I don't get enough fluids in. But I am working on it! My weight doesn't seem to be dropping as fast as others but considering that I have already lost 114 pounds I don't expect to lose 10 pounds a week! My surgeon is happy with my weight loss....sometimes I am a little frustrated but then I am following everything to the letter so I know I am not screwing it up....I just have to have patience.....not one of my virtues! Good luck with your journey! Sue

Thanks, Sue. Just knowing that there's other shorties out there helps. You've done great! in less than two months almost over 50 lbs. gone. Plus what you've lost preop. My office is in a old school building on the second floor! No elevators. I'll be glad just to walk the steps without using an inhaler and stopping to catch my breath. I also want to go up and down the steps with alternating feet. Luann

Hi Luann, I can't speak for shorter people (since I'm 5'8") but I can DEFINITELY speak for older people. I was 54 on surgery date, and it didn't seem to hurt my recuperation or weight loss a bit, didn't cause any extra complications. I was relatively healthy to start with (considering I was morbidly obese) but was not a fitness person by any means. Weight loss rates vary completely from person to person, regardless of age or height. I have looked for common denominators among all the WLS people that I see on these boards, and the only thing they seem to have in common is that everybody's body is different. You just kinda have to go into this thing without exact expectations, and follow where it takes you. You will definitely lose, though - that's pretty much a "given" with this surgery. Just follow your doc's directions, always remember you can call him/her if you have questions or problems. And be sure to post here regularly! You've got many, many people here who will be wishing, hoping and praying for your successful surgery and easy recovery. It's normal to worry. We all did! But you will not fail. Hugs, Kitty B. RNY 12/13/04 251 then / 155 now / 145 someday

Kitty, Thanks for the kind words. I'm kind of freaking out about another failed attempt. Take care Luann

Hi Luann, When I had surgery I was 47 yrs old, 523 lbs and 5 ft. tall. It's difficult to say if you will lose weight slow or fast based on your height because we all are different, have different Dr's/nutritionist with different stratigies. One thing for sure is that you will lose. I wish you the best on your journey. Georgeann

Hi i am 5'2 and had open a year ago was 246 at start and am down to 122 my goal and i had no problems with anything just follow the rules. Pattie