C'mon...everybody! Let's play!!!!

I have my own opinions and questions about all of this. And I just don't quite understand.  Ok so you say all of these negative things about RNY but you are going to go through with it yourself. I mean yes I know you have the co morbities, but you're taking the risk of....like you say in your own words...dying, or more less wanting too. You could possibly end up with something far worse than what you are dealing with now.  And it looks as if you are doing well by losing weight on your own. So I'm just not understanding? I'm probably going to get alot of slack for posting this but I always feel the need to voice how I feel. "RNY provides risks that include severe lifelong problems, and death. To risk death to look good is madness. I have known people who died, and others who wished they had-- it's pretty convincing."

It's a fair question. To my mind, there *are* things worse than death-- and constant pain is among them.  I was in *constant* pain, or sick. My health was compromised to the point that it was becoming excrutiating. I was becoming unable to sleep, to exercise, to walk, to do my job.  To my mind, I was risking very little, since there was very little left. I'm not one for half-measures. I was quite literally at the place where I believed I had to decide to either do something drastic, or end up possibly killing myself because the daily struggle just to live was simply wearing me out. I decided to give WLS a shot because it was worth the risk, since, frankly, I was dying anyway. I can't imagine being able to make that choice for any other reason, and I know I am in a serious minority for feeling as I do. As for why I am continuing, even though I have had some success? The surgeons, doctors and nutritionists I spoke with all seem to agree that given my genetics and history, the chances of me losing enough to ameliorate the pain *and* keep it off were somewhere between slim and none. I spoke not only with bariatric surgeons (who have a stake in surgery) but many other medical people. I have little choice but to trust their judgement-- I pay them to know more about this than I do, after all.  Hope that makes sense.

There's only one thing I don't get.  Can you not just keep on doing what you're doing until you know for yourself that it ISN'T working, and THEN get the surgery?  They say you are unlikely to keep it off, but surely you would know when you were at that point where you "just couldn't do it any more."  From your posts, you seem to know yourself pretty well.

I agree with you BFrench. Because I remember my mother being really big...in the 300's as well, and she did it she got down to 190 I believe, and kept it off for years....I mean yea it slowly crept back on but she did it with diet and exercise alone. She s not that big these days so not all of it came back...actually she isn't even close to where she used to be , she's only in the 200's now. But it is possible to do. Because anything is possible, atleast I believe.  SO I am going with BFrench....

100% I am behind Shari's decision here to have RNY...she has run out of time to "see if balanced diet & exercise" will help in the long term.  As you all know, her journey does not end with wls, it continues, except she has a bigger chance of defeating sum pretty serious co-morbids.  A young person ( by this I mean like 20-35 years old), yes, great, it would be imperative that s/he tries the old fashioned way. Once a body is ~40, it is time to call a spade a spade. It ain't coming off.

I support her decision.  I just must be missing something.  She's lost over 50 pounds in approximately 3 months.  How much faster does she need to lose in order to keep her co-morbs from killing her?  Yeah, she's 40, but it IS coming off, and rather quickly too.  From what I've gathered, she (or rather the drs) seem dubious as to her ability to keep it off.   "Thanks for the well wishes. I wish I could do what I am doing now and continue my success, but since the pros say it's doubtful, I guess I'll be moseyin' on! "    Shari in a previous post. If it's not the losing, but the keeping it off  part that they are worried about, couldn't she have the surgery when she knew within herself that she would no longer be able to maintain her current lifestyle that is making her lose weight so well.  If she's at that point now, it doesn't sound like it from her posts.  I'm not trying to be negative, I am just truly trying to understand.

I can phrase it this way:  how many times have many of us lost 50 + pounds? Some might say, so try again for the tenth time. Maybe that time will work.  Sure, it is a hard question, why not the old way? I point to the stats after five years.  25% of people who have wls will keep it off.  1-2% of people with no wls will keep it off. That's over 10x the amount of people. As has been said, 75% of wls patients will fail, true.  But ten times the success rate of old ways? Shari has all the earmarks of keeping it off...she has proven to all of us that she can establish habits that will help her succeed. Her age is the one of the strongest indicators to me that time is a wasting and I would go for 10X the success rate given those numbers.

Neecee, I understand what you're saying.  I kinda  hate speaking for Shari, cause no one can speak for her better than she can for herself.  So, Shari's case not withstanding because she has so many co-morbidities, I come down on the side of trying to lose the weight without WLS.  Yes, the success rate for keeping the weight off is much greater for people who have had WLS than those that haven't.  But, the reason for the 25% success rate for the people who have had the surgery is because they changed their lifestyle.  So, the common denominater for those who succeed with or without the surgery is lifestyle change.  If having WLS meant that you could eat whatever you wanted whenever you wanted it, and not gain any weight, I would probably kill ....maybe not kill....but certainly maim someone ....to have it done.  But, if I'm going to have to change my lifestyle no matter what I do, than the potential risk of having WLS (during and after the surgery), the rearranging of my intestines and permanently changing how my body processes and tolerates food, is unacceptable. 

Hi Shari, I know I'm a newbie on this forum, am still on my surg. forum (VSG), but Iam taking the summer off to re-evaulate WLS, see how I can do, yada, yada...lol... Anyway, I musta missed something, I didn't see a debate about WLS and "looks"?  If anyone has WLS or not, I hate to see them/you leave.  I haven't been here long enough to glean from your posts :(  I do have a question...Have you looked into "less invasive/side effects" of other surgeries? I realize people's ins. may only pay for certain types of WLS.  Many people on the VSG boars have self paid to get the surg. they want/ can live with. Sorry if Iam beating a dead horse, and you have already answered this! Take care, and I hope you will keep us updated on your progress.  Please keep the positive thought that there really are many people who have the RNY, and are perfectly healthy and happy.

Gael:  To see what you missed that they are talking about, see the thread titled WARNING: Very contoversial thread  original poster Donnamarie.  If I was more computer savvy I would post a link, but alas, I am not.  It could also be said now, Warning: Very LONG thread.