I need balanced information!

Anita,  You are so very well spoken I love your "book" thank you so much for this post, as a pre-op looking to see what people who are further out (same reaon as original post) are saying you helped me so much THANK YOU ~ THANK YOU~THANK YOU!

3 years out and feeling great with no regain.  I am Hypoglycemic I just don't eat sugar.  I take my vitamins religiously and work out 4 to 5 days a week.  It's all about the committment to a life style change.  Testing the waters is what will get most in trouble as far as regain, complications can happen and does.  However, there is no predictor as to whom and why. Good luck.

Hi there, I am over 8 years out and am doing great. I have anemia, which I had before surgery, that is controlled by taking a prescription iron pill. I have had no complications and I credit that to my surgeon. Good luck!

You do not HAVE to have vitamin deficiencies. You don't say who your doc is, but if you wanted to tell me PM, I could hint at whether you will have them or not. Very few programs actually are preventitive in nature. Most are intervention. Fix it after it happens. Even if you start on a full coverage program, you will still forever "tweak" your vites to fit YOU, but that's way better than tweaking your meds for co-morbs!

As for the hypoglycemia, well, that seems to come free in the box with RNY. I seem to have mine under control right now, but it took me years to figure out the triggers.

If I could change ONE thing about my surgery, the hypoglycemia would be the one thing I'd give right back. But I KNOW my vites were never this good pre-op, that's for sure! LOL

You may also want to pop in and pose the same question on the Lightweights board:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/wls_lightweights/

Lots of different surgery types and stages represented on there...

Bekah

Can I post? I had surgery 18 mos ago.  I lost 135 lbs.  I did have complications.  I was told that I was on a fast trip to diabetes, I have PCOS, Insulin Resistance, was on 2 depression meds (wellbutrin & lexapro, lexapro for PMDD), and had 3 out of 5 cardiac risks.  I had only one adult boyfriend prior to wls.  I saw no potential of ever being married, having a boyfriend, I hated life as I merely "existed".  I felt terrible.  Who would have thought that I would be a 2/4 in size?  I had no clue that my frame was so small.  My feet hurt all the time from carrying the weight.  My shoulders hurt so bad that I had to take steroid shots in them.  After surgery, I had to go back in the hospital for dehydration one month postop.  Then 2 1/2 mos postop, went in for 6 days, had to be fed through a tube, had a stricture.  They opened it up, all was better.   9 mos later, ended back in the hospital for 40-50 gallstones (point? take actigall.  I didn't) and had to have emergency gallbladder removal.  a stone fell into the bile duct, and five days later I had another emergency surgery to remove it.  They found scar tissue from my wls and I had 3 procedures in one week...  Then finally one month to the day later, I had my tummy tuck. My body went thorugh a lot. I do have low blood sugar issues.  I eat 6 or 7 times a day and have learned what works for me.  I control it very well.  I pack a lunch on weekends and eat routinely throughout the week.  Weekends I try to plan and control it...  Would I do it again? YES YES YES YES YES.  My roommate had not one single complication and he had his two months prior to mine.  Would he do it again?  YES YES YES YES YES.  The health problems I encountered as a result of wls is nothing compared to what I was headed towards without gastric bypass. Yes there are complications/risks involved.  There is with any surgery.  There are complcations when you get a tooth pulled.  You have to make the best informed decision and what you feel is right for you.  There are people who are always for, and always against.  You have to do what you feel is best for you.  Good luck!

I am nearing my 5 yr mark. Have I had compications? YES, severe vit deficiencies in the last year that almost killed me. I was just recently asked if I had the chance would I do this again? At the shock of others my answer was YES! I would of followed the vit rules and realized that I had a problem and to seek help for it instead of thinking that I could handle it all on my own. My regrets lie within myself. I am thankful for the near 200lb loss, and unfortunatly the regain of some of it, although I have been told I look much better than when I was lighter, I was too sick looking. I will never be "normal" and will always have to take into account things that non-WLS people dont have to, but thats ok. But my story does not have to be yours, only you can decide to take the steps to take your life back and to do it right and reap all the benefits.

My complications came on late (after two years) I have had these wonderful stomach cramps from moving the wrong way.....not often but boy when they come they hurt!  Its not a structure problem something with stomach muscle.  I had a very low white cell count ever since my by pass which was not a problem until this past August when I got shingles - now I have post herpatic pain which is so horrible - pain does not seem to want to leave.  I believe I got this from not taking enough B complex - not educated enough on the vitamins that your body needs after doing an RNY - now I am trying to turn that around and hopefully the damage done can be reversed.   Be sure you truly understand what vitamins and dosages you should be taking to be healthy - its a big help with this surgery.  You want to lose weight but you want to be healthy too!   I am grateful for the surgery - not sure I would be typing this email if I didn't do it.  You can overcome a lot of the problems by just paying attention to your body and be educated on your needs. Debbie