New - looking for pros/cons of WLS

Dumping happens to about 30% of RNY patients, so most of us do not dump. And if you're one who does, you can control that by limiting or avoiding sugar, which we should be doing anyway.

I think a lot of people don't know exactly what dumping is because I see people use that term when they vomit after eating. That is often NOT true dumping. Dumping CAN involve vomiting, but for most people who dump, it's more often diarrhea, sweating, dizziness, heart palpitations after eating too much sugar.

btw - vomiting after WLS is WAY easier than it is pre-WLS. First of all, we have tiny stomachs, so there's not much in there to vomit, and secondly, you don't have all that acid in your stomach anymore, so you don't get that awful taste in your mouth, either. I don't mind vomiting NEARLY as much as I did before I had WLS. And although I vomited occasionally during the first few weeks when I was trying to figure out what my stomach would tolerate, at this point, I don't vomit any more than I did before I had WLS.

Malnutrition isn't common as long as you keep on top of your supplements.

If you are able to take off 150 lbs and maintain that lost, then go for it - but according to statistics, fewer than 5% of people are able to do that. Having WLS won't guarantee you can do it, but it will greatly improve your odds. Personally, I would be more concerned about staying 150 lbs overweight than I would with having WLS. Being that overweight is much more risky than WLS is.

100% agreed

Honestly, your chances of reaching 75 years old while morbidly obese are slim. Also, people who are MO are often malnourished - I'll bet I'm better nourished than any 58 year old who is 100lbs + overweight.

The DS and RNY are more likely to give you malnutrition if you are not 100 percent compliant with vitamin supplements - but that is a choice you make.

I'm 16 years out and it's the best decision I ever made for my health - no doubt. I'm looking forward to my golden years.

I totally agree with this. You rarely see a 75-year-old who's morbidly obese. To be honest, I was afraid I wouldn't live to see my 65th birthday if I didn't get the damn weight off.

I watched my mother die in a nursing home simply because she was too obese to rehab a broken leg. The last 5 years of her life her feet never touched the ground. She had to be hoyle lifted from bed to chair to bed. She ultimately died of complications from Type 2 diabetes (again, due to her obesity). She was the reason I decided to have WLS because I knew I'd be her if I didn't do something.

I have never second-guessed my decision to have the DS and stand by that decision.

Sorry about your mum, Janet.

I agree, the slight inconveniences of taking vitamins and eating well to be healthy and keep the weight off, just don't compare to the sickness and comorbidities of being morbidly obese as we advance in age.

Obesity is also a big factor with Covid-19 too, particularly among the under 60s, so I'm grateful for ticking off that box too.

I thought long and hard about the process as well...10 plus years to be exact. I went to a mass consult at a hospital in 2007 and decided I could just "lose it on my own" after learning my insurance required me to see my primary care physician monthly for 6 months prior to approval. I was around 265# at that time. Fast forward to 2016...alot of life changes in my household. My husband worked out of the country for the year, my oldest graduated high school, my youngest started high school, my parents "temporarily" moved in but wouldn't move out. So I decided I wanted something for ME to focus on and getting healthy was just that. So I went to a consult with a different hospital/surgical group after a friend of mine had had gastric bypass with them and looked and felt AMAZING.

Long story short I had gastric bypass November 2017. First consult I was 315# and have maintained between 165-175 since then.

I have NEVER once thought that I "should not have done it" I have recommeneded it to anyone that asks. I have NEVER had dumping issues. I can pretty much eat anything I could before if I wanted to but lets be honest, I'd be 300# again if I did that. I tell this part of the story b/c so many people were SO negative about the procedure b/c things would "never be the same" with foods I eat and liquids I drink.

I was going to a gym 3-4 days a week before COVID hit, but now the extent of my exercise is walking outdoors b/c I haven't quite decided I want to cram into a gym with a bunch of people yet. (And I work with immune compromised patients at my job)

I would say go for it and follow your surgeons/nutrionist rules and you'll be sucessful.