My Friend Died 9 Yrs After RNY, DS & Reversal

I'm so very angry right now because a good friend of mine died this morning.  She had RNY 9 years ago.  She went through all these years and gained back weight just like everyone else does.  She had gone through a tummy tuck and brachioplasty (twice) years ago.  From what I've heard she had DS sometime last year due to her weight gain.  Evidently she started having heart problems and blot clots began forming in all of her limbs.  She underwent reveral this month and then passed away this morning.

I'm angry because people EVERYWHERE are DYING to be thin!  Being thin is more important than life itself.  WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE PEOPLE THINKING FOR GOD'S SAKE????  SERIOUSLY???

SURE, we gain weight back because our stomachs STRETCH!  We gain weight because we go back to eating like we did before surgery.  Then, we put our lives back on the line and undergo MORE SURGERY because we don't have self control!  SERIOUSLY?????

This woman led a vibrant life and was a teacher who was loved by her students and everyone around her.  She was obsessed with how people thought of her.  She was a mere 49 years young and lived life to the fullest!  People who knew her are shocked and still reeling from this news.  No one understands how SERIOUS gastric bypass surgery is!  They ESPECIALLY don't know how serious it is to undergo TWO gastric bypass surgeries and THEN HAVE THEM REVERSED! 

I'm writing this to somehow get through to people who are thinking about having this surgery!  BEING THIN IS NOT WORTH DYING FOR!  Think about this and talk to people who are ten years out from surgery!  See what the long term complications are before you make up your mind!  KNOW that if you don't CONTINUE to eat mostly proteins THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND EXERCISE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE you will GAIN the weight back!   (READ THAT AGAIN!)

You will gain your weight back if you don't diet and exercise the rest of your life!  Say it outloud until it sinks in! 

THIS SURGERY is only a temporary tool to a permanent problem!  ARE YOU WILLING TO DIE for a temporary fix?

I'm extremely shocked and angry that this precious woman had to die to be an example of what kind of people are out there today who are willing to do to ANY LENGTHS to be thin!

I don't come here much so if you want to write to me personally you can do so at:  macrobin2000@yahoo.com.

Please, for your own sakes, try some other way to lose the weight!  There are better ways than giving up your life to do it!

I'm so sorry for your loss..I'm sorry that you're hurting.

Yes, the surgery is NOT the cure all that it's advertised to be..we all know (those of us who have had the surgery) that it's not the easy way out..It's not about being thin..it's about being healthy..it's about having the last chance to be healthy and that's the long and short of it..

The surgery doesn't fail us..we fail the surgery..it's an addiction...Treat it as such!

Dear Robin,

I'm so sorry to read about your loss and frustration with WLS. I had RNY 5 years ago and it was one of the best things I've ever done. Yes, I exercise daily because I CAN. Before my RNY I was in extreme pain and needed a hip replacement. The combination of these 2 surgeries gave me back my life. I'm grateful to modern medicine that I'm not only alive today, but active and enjoy every step I take.

May you find peace and comfort in your life journey.

THIS SURGERY is only a temporary tool to a permanent problem!  ARE YOU WILLING TO DIE for a temporary fix?

How long surgery "lasts" is up to the individual and their demons.  As I often say: There is no fate but that which you make.

I seem to recall my doctor saying RNY had about a 5% complication rate after surgery.  Was I willing to die?         Yes.

I figured I could not have surgery and die sooner or have surgery and hopefully die (a lot) later.  I chose the latter.

That is so so sad & I am so very sorry for your loss. I hear & feel your frustration, anger & hurt.

I think we've all heard of the chances of death or something seriously like this happening, but think that wont happen to us. I know personally, i was willing to take that chance, twice as I had a revision this past Feb. My addiction to food & obsession w/ being thin with out the ability or resolve to consistently make those sacrifices (eat mostly proteins THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND EXERCISE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE) is something I battle with daily.
When i went into this in 2004, i really thought i would never have to "diet" again. That I would be thin & healthier for the rest of my life. But you are completely right in that these procedures are nothing more than temporary fixes if we aren't willing to make those sacrifices. It has at least caused me to consider other forms of "treatment" & to value & accept more of who I am as a person.
However, knowing what i know now - would i still have chosen to have the procedure? Yes - a thousand times YES b/c not having done so is like not having truly lived at all.... even if only for a little bit.
One can only imagine the inner demons another faces & the sacrifices their willing to make to silence those demons.

Again, Im sorry for your loss & pray the Lord brings you & your friends & family peace.