Are most of you happy with your decision to have this surgery?
I had my RNY 13 years ago and have never regretted it for an instant! I can eat all the food I ate before but am much more selective in what I put in my mouth. I lost 100 lbs and over the years managed to regain 30 lbs so over the past 4 months I paid more attention to my choices and got back on track. I lost 20 lbs and am quite happy with where I am now...not worried about the 10 lbs...it's common to regain a couple of pounds and at the age of 70 if I lose much more I'll look haggard! So yes, I would do it again with no regrets and yes, you can enjoy holiday meals and celebration dinners, you just won't eat as much!
Yes, I am. However, I think that I would have been better off with the gastric sleeve or duodenal switch in stead of the bypass. I've had too many nutritional deficiencies owing to the bypass. Despite taking gobs of vitamins they are not properly absorbed because the part of the intestine where enzymes empty into from the gall bladder and pancreas is bypassed. This has had serious health implications and serious financial burden. The sleeve was not available when I had WLS in 2003 and my surgeon did not do the DS. So I chose the bypass. It really was "THE" surgery at the time.
Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life
There is some disagreement on that within the medical community and the intestinal bypass is different between the two surgeries (RNY - DS). That said, I think the sleeve is the best option. In addition to the aspect of nutritional health it is a far simpler surgery with less risk overall.
Living larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life
I had VSG 3 weeks ago. I was disappointed at first because I felt incredibly hungry that lasted for 2 weeks. I thought something was wrong but was told that was normal. Acid blockers help. I'm still not able to eat solid food yet but I do have head hunger / cravings. I've lost 16 lbs in 3 weeks so I can find comfort in that.
When Thanksgiving comes around I will enjoy being able to eat a small portion and walking away. My previous normal had others staring at me eating multiple plates of food. I will not miss those moments.
Overall I am still glad to have the surgery, just wish I could fast forward to see what life is like in a few months. Best of luck!
I am two years out and maintaining with no problem. We do eat out a lot, but I have found many ways to do it so that I don't gain. My husband and I usually share a meal - I eat what I can and he eats the rest. In the end, it still comes down to calories in, calories out. It has been a great tool and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I am very happy with the decision I made and I would do it all over again, but having said that, one should not make this decision lightly and without real commitment. It is truly not worth it to have surgery if you are not willing to commit yourself to a major lifestyle change and stick to it permanently. I have a family member and a close friend who had the surgery and neither of them have been particularly committed to it, but both are quite committed to coming up with excuses. Both initially lost weight, one more than the other, and both have gained it back. It is possible to "eat around" your VSG, so if you don't use it as a weight loss tool and make the appropriate level of commitment, it will be a mistake. Just my two cents.
And a bit more on that...if you have a significant weight problem that could put your health and well-being at risk, it is a good idea to start thinking of what is important in your life, and if you're not feeling the motivation to take great big steps when they're needed, perhaps some counseling would be helpful.
