WLS ARTICLE IN SELF MAG.
Hi All, I was flipping thru my AUG. SELF magazine last night and came across an article in there called THE WEIGHT LOSS MIRACLE THAT ISN'T.
One of our local VA Surgeons is quoted in there Dr. Neil Hutcher From Richmond. Being only two months post op. I have to say kinda scared me. Did anyone else happen to read it?? It talked about the long term negatives. Not that I did not explore all aspects of this surgery before hand, because i did for a very long time but man this was a pretty negative article.
Check it out let me know what you all think.
Thanks Lanette
One of our local VA Surgeons is quoted in there Dr. Neil Hutcher From Richmond. Being only two months post op. I have to say kinda scared me. Did anyone else happen to read it?? It talked about the long term negatives. Not that I did not explore all aspects of this surgery before hand, because i did for a very long time but man this was a pretty negative article.
Check it out let me know what you all think.
Thanks Lanette
The entire article is available online. I have not read it yet, but just printed it. Here is the link.
http://www.self.com/livingwell/articles/2008/07/0721gastricb ypass?printable=true¤tPage=all
Mary D.
Pre op: 260 lbs, 5'3"
Goal reached 14 months later: 130 lbs
Regain over next 3.5 years to a high of: 166 lbs
Current weight: 135.8 lbs and heading back to 130 lbs!!
(deactivated member)
on 7/22/08 2:45 am, edited 7/22/08 2:56 am - Between Richmond and Charlottesville, VA
on 7/22/08 2:45 am, edited 7/22/08 2:56 am - Between Richmond and Charlottesville, VA
Hi Lanette! Without even reading the article, I can already guess what points they are bringing up because these types of articles are all the same...doom and gloom about malnutrition, ulcers (not like our Lisa has; her situation is different and occurred immediately postop), weight regain, it's the easy way, etc. etc. That being said, for every one of these types of articles, there is a corresponding one that outlines the tremendous benefits of WLS surgery. The elimination of type II diabetes was recently and very prominently in the news as one of the best benefits of WLS for the long-term. Our Theresa has been able to realize this wonderful benefit at just a few weeks/months postop along with so many others here on the VA board. Indeed the doom and gloom predictions have the greatest chance of realization if a WLS patient first and foremost does not do what their doctor/care team says and does not realize that the WLS is just a tool...it does not fix the reasons we became overweight in the first place, whether physiological or psychological. It is NOT a quick fix, although it is indeed the easiest way I have ever lost weight. The catch and the hard part is this: to maintain my new lifestyle, I must work my tool. Thus, having WLS is not for the lazy or undisciplined; that's why many insurers require a psychiatric clearance before authorizing benefits. They do not want to end up paying for malnutrition or other preventable complications later. Articles like this are famous for pointing out the negative without exploring the behaviors that result in those issues. These editors also don't acknowledge that we are just now able to study the longer-term effects of WLS, because the procedures as they are performed today only have at best ten or so years of data upon which to base conclusions. In any statistical analysis, there are always "outliers", or people whose experience is going to be so far from the norm for whatever reason that they are excluded from the statistical sample...this article probably dwells on the outliers rather than a typical patient experience. I have to say in all of my research and dealings with WLS patients and doctors, the ones who have the long-term chronic problems such as vitamin deficiencies and ulcers (we are not talking strictures, adhesions, leaks, or other straight anatomical pathologies or acute pathologies that manifest immediately postop) are the ones who are not compliant with the recommended WLS lifestyle. Did they probe into the compliance issues with the outlier patients they probably quoted in their article? Probably not. So how can we, the reader, make an informed judgment? Plus, we all signed consent forms when we had this surgery listing every single possible complication both short and long term, including death. So why are people surprised when there are actually people who suffer these issues postoperatively, even if they are compliant? With anything in life there is risk, and WLS is no different. You cannot expect to undergo such a major procedure without some element of risk. There's risk in having heart bypass surgery, and certainly everyone who has that surgery isn't miraculously cured. In fact, many are still noncompliant with lifestyle changes and find themselves with worse problems later.
I get very irritated at the alarmist tone of articles like this one. Yes, it is very important for people to understand both the risks and benefits of these procedures, but people need to understand even more the importance of working the tool and being committed for life to a healthy lifestyle, particularly when hunger comes back, dietary options are expanded and the "honeymoon" period is over. At that point, we are almost no different than any other "normal" person who attempts to diet and exercise to drop or maintain their weight, except that some WLS postops still dump or get sick at that point and we have to pay attention to vitamin supplementation. And "normal" people who diet still should pay close attention to their supplementation lest they find themselves weak and malnourished during the course of their dieting. And everyone, regardless of their weight, needs to exercise and incorporate that into their permanent lifestyle.
Just my 2 cents, for whatever it is worth.
I get very irritated at the alarmist tone of articles like this one. Yes, it is very important for people to understand both the risks and benefits of these procedures, but people need to understand even more the importance of working the tool and being committed for life to a healthy lifestyle, particularly when hunger comes back, dietary options are expanded and the "honeymoon" period is over. At that point, we are almost no different than any other "normal" person who attempts to diet and exercise to drop or maintain their weight, except that some WLS postops still dump or get sick at that point and we have to pay attention to vitamin supplementation. And "normal" people who diet still should pay close attention to their supplementation lest they find themselves weak and malnourished during the course of their dieting. And everyone, regardless of their weight, needs to exercise and incorporate that into their permanent lifestyle.
Just my 2 cents, for whatever it is worth.
Wow that article is ridiculous. To read it, you'd think that having WLS is like a death sentence you chose yourself.
I like how they gloss over dumping, and don't mention that you are not SUPPOSED TO EAT SUGAR. Duh. If I don't want lung cancer, I ought not smoke, either. (this is not to say that people who adhere strictly to the rules don't dump, and people who don't smoke don't get cancer, either...)
Gallbladders....
Any surgeon worth their salt is going to do one of two things here. First, a good number of surgeons just do away with the gallbladder altogether. Mine took a different approach. During a time when I had to grind up all of my vitamins, supplements, etc, he gave me the absolute nastiest pill in the world that I had to grind up and enjoy for 6 months. Called Urso-Forte, it is supposed to be a drug to treat cirrhosis, but also has the cool benefit of preventing gallstones. Not as radical as just removing the thing, but also preventative enough.
Just like with anything, you have to take the good with the bad. Do people have complications? OF COURSE. When I was at my final preop appointment, I can't tell you how many times I saw the word DEATH as a possible "complication" or "side effect". I was willing to accept that. I was looking very squarely at a life full of diabetes (was not diabetic, but it was in my future), heart disease, heart failure (and the accompanying infections that appear in the edemic legs that are sure to follow), and the list goes on. Having a debilitating bowel obstruction (which worries me still even at 27 months out) is still FAR PREFERABLE to having a FATAL heart attack!
Not to say everything has come up all roses for me either. Currently, I am enjoying some light nerve damage in my arms because of the weight of the hanging skin, but that is pretty much it. Having brachioplasty is apparently a pretty good cure for that, too. I dump sometimes, but duh, maybe I shouldn't have had that ice cream in the first place.
Please don't let this alarmist article scare you too badly. Just do what you're supposed to do, and see your surgeon as SOON as something appears to be wrong. KEEP UP with follow up appointments. KEEP UP with labs. People don't get deficient overnight -- they should have included more information about those people with the 'beriberi', and explained why they might have gotten that way because of something they were or weren't doing.
I like how they gloss over dumping, and don't mention that you are not SUPPOSED TO EAT SUGAR. Duh. If I don't want lung cancer, I ought not smoke, either. (this is not to say that people who adhere strictly to the rules don't dump, and people who don't smoke don't get cancer, either...)
Gallbladders....
Any surgeon worth their salt is going to do one of two things here. First, a good number of surgeons just do away with the gallbladder altogether. Mine took a different approach. During a time when I had to grind up all of my vitamins, supplements, etc, he gave me the absolute nastiest pill in the world that I had to grind up and enjoy for 6 months. Called Urso-Forte, it is supposed to be a drug to treat cirrhosis, but also has the cool benefit of preventing gallstones. Not as radical as just removing the thing, but also preventative enough.
Just like with anything, you have to take the good with the bad. Do people have complications? OF COURSE. When I was at my final preop appointment, I can't tell you how many times I saw the word DEATH as a possible "complication" or "side effect". I was willing to accept that. I was looking very squarely at a life full of diabetes (was not diabetic, but it was in my future), heart disease, heart failure (and the accompanying infections that appear in the edemic legs that are sure to follow), and the list goes on. Having a debilitating bowel obstruction (which worries me still even at 27 months out) is still FAR PREFERABLE to having a FATAL heart attack!
Not to say everything has come up all roses for me either. Currently, I am enjoying some light nerve damage in my arms because of the weight of the hanging skin, but that is pretty much it. Having brachioplasty is apparently a pretty good cure for that, too. I dump sometimes, but duh, maybe I shouldn't have had that ice cream in the first place.
Please don't let this alarmist article scare you too badly. Just do what you're supposed to do, and see your surgeon as SOON as something appears to be wrong. KEEP UP with follow up appointments. KEEP UP with labs. People don't get deficient overnight -- they should have included more information about those people with the 'beriberi', and explained why they might have gotten that way because of something they were or weren't doing.
Hi all. I haven't posted on this board before because I only recently moved to VA, but I'd love to join the crowd.
Anyway, the alarmist tactics used in this article are what drain it of its credibility. Any good journalist reports on both sides of the issue. No one at Self thought to interview any of us that are several years out and the healthiest we've ever been!
Just because this woman says she did everything "right" doesn't mean she actually did. It's easy to turn around and blame the surgery for your problems, but it's hard to say, "You know, I wasn't taking my supplements" or "Yeah, I was eating small meals, but they weren't focused on lean protein and clean foods."
Granted, I don't like the cheap ads for WLS doctors and think that's a little tacky, but to mock a successful patient because they're happy about their new life reeks of jealousy. If you do regular follow ups, regular labs, and talk to your surgeon when you're having a problem/pain, a lot of the complications they mention in the article can be avoided.
Don't be fooled by this. Yes, there are risks and yes, sometimes there are complications. No surgery on any body part is guaranteed. I'd rather take the risk of WLS than the risk of obesity any day.
Anyway, the alarmist tactics used in this article are what drain it of its credibility. Any good journalist reports on both sides of the issue. No one at Self thought to interview any of us that are several years out and the healthiest we've ever been!
Just because this woman says she did everything "right" doesn't mean she actually did. It's easy to turn around and blame the surgery for your problems, but it's hard to say, "You know, I wasn't taking my supplements" or "Yeah, I was eating small meals, but they weren't focused on lean protein and clean foods."
Granted, I don't like the cheap ads for WLS doctors and think that's a little tacky, but to mock a successful patient because they're happy about their new life reeks of jealousy. If you do regular follow ups, regular labs, and talk to your surgeon when you're having a problem/pain, a lot of the complications they mention in the article can be avoided.
Don't be fooled by this. Yes, there are risks and yes, sometimes there are complications. No surgery on any body part is guaranteed. I'd rather take the risk of WLS than the risk of obesity any day.
Long-term post-ops with regain struggles, click here to see some steps for getting back on track (without the 5-day pouch fad or liquid diet): http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/bananafish711/blog/2013/04/05/don-t-panic--believe-and-you-will-succeed-/
Always cooking at www.neensnotes.com!
Need a pick-me-up? Read this: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/10/it-will-be-sunny-one-day.html
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