Chronic Health problems post-op?

What, if any, chronic health problems remain or have developed for you long term post-op? (I don't want to set myself up for disappointment when I don't achieve 100% health!...after all, I've had years of constant damage that may or may not be reversible!)

Bad knees before surgery, still have bad knees. Even with the bad knees I still work out once or twice a day for 45 minutes, work in my yards non stop for hours on end. Before surgery I tried to exercise, but could only do 3 minutes the first day due to pain. There are problems that develop for some people like low blood sugar, vitamin/iron deficiencies, etc. In reading the boards most people who have problems still think the surgery was the right decision for them. Basically weight related problems seem to go away, or get better after surgery for most people. For me personally I am prescription free. I'm no longer taking the five prescriptions for Diabetes, blood pressure and cholestrol. Blood work is fantastic without the medicine. I've been given back my quality of life, which I celebrate daily. Best of luck in making the right decision for you.

I also have a bad knee that won't get better. I'm looking at knee surgery in the fture. I did develop ulcers. But I think it was self-inflicted and it's treatable. MY iron was a little low for awhile, but after taking Solgar Easy Iron, it's where it needs to be. Other than that I feel great! No HBP, no diabetes (I'm actually hypoglycemic), no GERD, No backpain and best of all I can go anywhere I want without restrictions. Ride in airplanes, sit in any chair, chase my kid around, go hiking, walk at amusement parks all day, run up a flight of stairs and list goes on. Cheers, Jane

i'm totally fine! haven't had any real health problems at all. i had back/hip pain before wls and now they rarely, if ever give me any trouble. my cholesterol is down from 216 to 130. i feel awesome. i had an incisional hernia that i had repaired and now i'm ok. in fact, i'm probably healthier than i've been in years! i think all the vitamins i take really help a lot. good luck, you should be fine! Lisa B

Pre-op Health problems: High cholesterol hypothyroid no periods w/out BCP insulin resistant borderline anemia PCOS dry skin, Eczema & psoriasis chronic back problems due to car accidents, et al Obesity (of course) Post-op Health problems Hypothyroid (but vastly improved) chronic back problems (which temporarily got worse due to readjusting my center of gravity when I lost weight) Still have skin issues (especially in the folds of excess skin), but I think its genetic Everything else is resolved.

I was hypertensive before; I am still hypertensive. Having said that, my history (prior heart attack, diabetes, DVTs, etc) dictates that I keep my BP low. Family history of diabetes and heart disease dictates the same. I take an anti-hypertensive med. I do so because my PCP wants my BP at 110/70. W/o it, it sits around 130/80. As I said, had I walked in fir the first time, I might not be considered hypertensive, but due to history I am. Some people do realize complete remission from existing conditions, but I think what they are observing is somewhat fleeting. In my estimation, the weight loss arrests the progression of the diseases and/or reduces the current severity, bringing them to a managable state. It would be extremely unwise to turn your back on them and ignore them post-op. Likewise, I do not think that it is accurate to say that WLS was not successful if a person is still left taking a medication that you did prior to surgery. Nowhere Man/jay

Jewel: All of my preop comorbidities are gone, but now, postop, I've got anemia that my docs can't figure out. It's not based on low iron levels, but they don't know what's causing it. And, off and on over the past couple of years, I've had spells of light-headedness, also of unknown origin. Neither problem is particularly dangerous or devastating to me, just curious and annoying. Bette

The only chronic health problems I have five years after my open RNY are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, losing weight won't make the joints well, but it does allow for joint replacement if necessary. I never had high blood pressure or diabetes but I did have very high cholesterol and now it's on the low side at 120. So, other than the pain from the arthritis and the fibro, I'm healthy as a horse and take no medication other than vitamins, calcium and the pain medications. Patty Butler Open RNY 11/29/01