Starting to get second thoughts

Of all WLS procedures I can't think of any safer then the VSG long term.  If one of my children (all adults now) wanted WLS I would definitely steer them towards the VSG.

As others said, the surgery itself is no more dangerous then any other surgery and because there is no rearrangement of the intestines there is less chance of deficiencies, although taking vitamins is important no matter what surgery you have.

I have a cousin and sister who are both over a dozen years post op and neither of them have had long term issues, one is in her 60s and the other in her 70s, ages they may not have reached had they remained morbidly obese.

Melisa, you look like a very nice lady, suffocated by thee excess weight.  Question you sdhoulkd ask yourself : how long do you have before that extra weight kills you ? Makes your breathing impossible ? 

My friends is currently visiting her SMO brother in ICU.. He is there because his fast ius sufocating him.  He is only  in his late 20's,,. 

VSG - is restrictive procedure.  It would help you with hunger and may change how your body metabolize things.  

Friends also may be afraid that you will change as you lose weight and they lose you as a friend.  

You need to do what you and your doc think is right.

I was already given 2 years to live because of my weight and suffocating but I beat those odds 7yrs ago they told me that. But it is not saying it still might not happen.  I'm sorry to her about your friends brother and pray he will be ok.

I keep telling my husband and friends the difference with what I am having done is there is no rearranging so less problems and I really need to worry about is the staple line leaking and getting right amount protein plus vitamin.

I have to do this for myself.  Friends and hubby stopped me 12 years ago well the surgeon did also by skipping town but because of hubby and them it prolonged everything. So now it is time to do this.

I would be trusting my medical professionals over random friends.  And this is one of the reasons I didn't bother to tell most people pre-op.. I didn't need their ignorant concern trolling.  

Trust yourself.  Trust your medical team.  

Second thoughts seem to be relatively common with WLS patients. So do nay-saying friends or family who "have your best interest at heart." Everyone has made good points in this post thus far - the real stats and studies show that you are very unlikely to die or have major complications due to this surgery.

I was lucky enough to have extremely little nay-saying to my surgery decision, but the main argument that I used with myself when I began doubting my decision were the risks staying obese had for me. At 30 years old I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea! Not only was my weight causing quality of life issues, but my co-morbidities were causing serious risks to my health, risks that would increase exponentially as I got older. Every surgery has risk, but I chose a surgeon, program, and hospital I was confident in - a Center for Excellence and I knew that the immediate risk of surgery was less than the risks associated with staying obese. 

Ask your friends who so lovingly found negative info on WLS to look at studies about obesity and the long term risks. Ask them to research heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and compare the risks associated with these co-morbidities and the risks associated with WLS - it will quickly become clear where the true risk lies. I also encourage you to look at this type of info - as I said, I found it very comforting in the last few days before surgery as I got more and more nervous (I'd never had any surgery or any kind previously and I was pretty much petrified).

Good luck!

Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement and wisdom.  I guess I needed to hear it from people who know what they're talking about.  I even had one so called friend who had the surgery tell me not to have it done.  But it is because she did lose the weight she was supposed to I guess.  She had it two yrs ago but she said she only lost 70 pounds.

She told me how it is life changing and if she could do it all over again she would of never done it.  I know all this and I told her it won't work for you if you don't change your eating habits.

But I am going to do this and if something happens I am prepared to let it happen.  At least I tried. But I will fight!  Thanks again for the support.  I don't know what I would do if this website wasn't here.

The weight loss surgeries no matter which one you choose won't work if you don't change your eating habits....choices and exercise.    Having a WLS is not a magic potion.    The weight won't melt off you unless you do your part.    i'd rather have WLS and die than to die from obesity.    That is where I was headed before my RNY almost 9 yrs. ago.    I too recommend VSG to anyone wanting WLS.   You don't have the complications that you do with the other surgeries.    I had to choose between lap band and RNY and I choose the one that I KNOW would work for me.    I have never regretted it even though i've had 2 intestional hernias due from my RNY ( 1 less than 3 weeks ago ).   I also was told horror stories about death....regain....etc.   Like I said before it is ALL ABOUT OUR CHOICES.   Good luck to you and don't regret your decision....having WLS was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Of course, not always but often, lack of success is due to a person not following the cardinal rules of surgery.  For example, I had surgery at the same time as 10 others in my clinic's support group.  Most of us have been very successful. However, there are three that are constantly calling their surgery a "failure".  At first, I felt bad for them.  However, one I saw eating a subway sub sandwich a month after surgery.  Another talked about eating Pizza Hut in shifts -- one piece, waits a half an hour and ate another (!), and the other eats only slider foods that she washes down with water stating that protein foods make her sick.  So has the surgery failed these people?  Surgery isn't a magic fix to obesity.  It's a tool to help us do the hard work necessary to make life changes.

One of the "failures" in my group has also had some complications.  In our group, she explained that she throws up nearly every day.  Even with all this vomiting, she gained two pounds in the second month post op.  Of course, she is also the one I saw eating a Subway sub after our meeting downstairs.  I can assure you that if I tried to eat a sub sandwich even now, six months post op, that I'd likely throw up!  Eating this one month post op could possibly cause other problems/complications?  I don't know, but it couldn't be good.  

The 30-day death rate from bariatric surgery is about the same as any other abdominal surgery.Consider that the current average age of WLS is 41, a BMI over 42% with 2 to 3 co-morbidities. That's pretty amazing to me considering that many of us are pretty unhealthy going into surgery.  I was still mobile and working full-time, but I was already an insulin dependent diabetic, had sleep apnea, mild high blood pressure, and back pain --- all of which was  "cured" within two weeks of surgery.  I went from a 40% risk of a heart event in the next 10 years to less than 1% within FOUR MONTHS of surgery.  The risk of surgery was much lower than my risk NOT having it.

I've read that 10 year death crap before.  It's on an anti-WLS site and it is completely falsity.  Any Center of Excellence lists their complication rates and their mortality rates (albeit 30-day).  On an anecdotal note, I know A LOT of people more than 10 years out from gastric bypass and three with VSG.  All of them have varying success with long-term maintenance, but none of them are dead or suffering like they did with obesity.  BTW, look at the sub-topic board "WLS Graduates"        A Lot of People Who are Alive Enough to Post to see that that stat is obviously not very reliable.

While your friends' intentions may be good, surrounding yourself with positive energy and supportive people would be far more productive for you right now.  I was very scared before surgery.  It was one of the reasons that I didn't share my decision with many people.  My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner.  Keep in mind that I am only six months out, but the quality of my life these past months has definitely been worth any risk.

This is how the one friend is with her WLS.  I brought pizza once to her house and she ate 2 piece which kind of surprised me because I would not think she would be able too.  Then half hour later ate another.  Even if she is 2 years out I would think that is to much?

Thanks for the info.

This is incredibly well thought out, and equally well written. Everyone debating about having surgery should read this.