anyone 10 -20 years post

I know it seems weird to ask but I just had surgery on Monday and I am SCARED that I will not make it to see my kids graduate from college. They are only 4 & 5. I have not heard of anyone living all these years yet. The longest I have ever seen is like 4 or 5 years. I think I made the biggest mistake of my life and now I will not be able to live to see my kids grow up.

Don't believe the hype. Go read the graduates board. There are plenty of people who live long.

The key? TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. And obey the rules. Protein first! Water, excersize, vitamins. I know of plenty of WLS graduates who are 10, 20 and more years and still going.

You will be around!

The same thing crossed my mind but BEFORE surgery. I looked at my life as a MO middle aged woman...I could possibly live to see 65 the way I was. That's about 15 more years. Not enough time. I figure I've added 20 years to my life. I'm thinking 85 might be very attainable.

That being said...You still have responsibility for your health. You have to eat right and take your vitamins and get all your water in. That's a life long commitment. Take your vitamins! That's the biggest thing I can tell you.

You didn't make a mistake. You lengthened your life. I'm almost 3 years out have friends in my local support group who are 10 years out. They are doing great and have no health issues but they take their vitamins and their bodies seriously...You do the same and you should be fine.

You have a much better chance of seeing your kids graduate now than you did before the surgery. You have added years to your life, but it comes at a cost. You will forever be on a diet, not like before, a different kind of diet. You will see your eating habits have changed, follow the rules, eat the proper foods, drink plenty of water and you will not go hungry or gain weight. Read the posts here on OH for some of the best advise you can get. Congradulations and good luck.

Oh crap! that means i only have 1 yr to live. I am 4 yrs post op.

"I think I made the biggest mistake of my life"........

This is a normal reaction after major surgery, I know many post-ops that felt fear, depression, anxiety after surgery.  Hang in there, the first couple of months can be tough but know that it gets better.

As for long-term post-ops, I know Vitalady and Don are almost 15 years out and there are others that are living a great life, taking their supplements and being very proactive with there health.  So yea there are MANY that are years out from WLS.

WLS was the BEST for me; I am thankful to not have active co-morbidities I had before and I DO believe I'll see my kids graduate from college, unless God has other plans for me.....I don't believe it'll be because WLS shortened my lifespan.

Hi Tina, you are definitely going through a normal reaction "What the heck did I do to myself" but following in line with all the above successful post-ops who've written above, you now have more of a chance of seeing your children graduate, but Not only that, You will now be able to be active with them, you will be able to play with them, and have fun with them without being winded, tired, aching, etc.  

Give your body a few weeks to heal, and you are gonna be on cloud nine, feeling better, more energetic, happier, etc.  :)

Keep us posted on your progress!

~Shannon

Well I am nine years out, will that help?  I am doing fine and would do it a zillion times again!

I will be eight years out next month.  I would do it again in a minute.  I clearly remember the night after I came home from the hospital  I was sure "that I had made the most horrible mistake of my life!"  I have had minimal concerns.  Take your vitamins and any supplements that will help you in the long run.  I continue to take a vitamin, calcium, fish oil, probiotic everyday, and I still continue to not drink with my meals.  Rarely, I will drink my coffee with a fiber muffin!   Things will get better for you; I promise!

I just passed year 5....and I don't feel like I am dying anytime soon...Definitely getting older though...

My kid decided to make me a grandmother and I am so not my grandmother!  I build houses and thought since my friends call me Mrs. Bob Villa (House building TV personality) That I could let my grandkid call me that...or just "Bob"....LOL  But that would be a little weird...but no stranger to me than Nana or Mee maw!  UGH!  Will work on a name when the kid starts talking!  LOL My point:  I am 44 years old and look and feel better than I did in my mid 20's and 30's....I do more things now with energy and confidence that I didn't have then...My hair skin and nails are amazingly healthy....I eat well...have no diseases...On no meds at the moment...and in NO pain like I was being MO....

The one thing that I did learn is that mal-absorption is real...and you need to take your vitamins and get yearly labs of all the vitamin levels as well as your regular blood tests...Keep track copies of labs and compare to see where you need to up vitamin doses or watch them!  Prevention is a mighty thing!  I did have vit deficiencies at year 4...and I had slacked off taking them....It's common at 3-5 years anyway to have vit defs show up...You have to take care of yourself and KNOW your body...It takes some work getting in your vitamins daily and eating right and getting labs yearly (or more when things go off.) ..You HAVE more to keep an eye on, but RNY cuts diabetes and cancer and high blood pressure waaaay down!   The surgery itself is too new to have very long stats on...Those that had surgery 20 years ago didn;t have the same surgery they do now...It is improved GREATLY!  Plus it was not nearly as common as it is now....So it's going to be hard to find hundreds of folks that are 20 years out.  I have no doubt that as long as I continue to take care of myself ...I will live longer than I would have MO...and with a much higher quality of life!

Relax...enjoy the journey and just take care of yourself! Pay attention to symptoms and get them checked out if you don't feel right.