Question:
Not to be a naysayer but can someone tell me where I can find negative side of WLS?

I don't want to be negative because I am interested in having one of these procedures and I truely understand where everyone is coming from when they talk about how weight has caused health, emtional and social problems. However I am now concerned after reading some sites this one specifically http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/ about long term affects of this surgery. I notice this site has mostly positive things to say [that's not a criticism because it's what has motivated me to check into it. But I wonder do any of you know of the Negative WLS sites and what are your thoughts about the lack of long term studies and the apparent evasivness that some of these surgeons display when asked pointed questions about long term. Also I notice a lot of people are put on liquid diets after surgery - Would the same amount of weight be lost if you were on a monitored liquid diet [let's say under medical supervision - in a hostipal - if there is such a place that does that] without the surgery. Meaning is it the smaller stomach or the liquid diet / pureed foods etc that is cauing weight loss in the beginning ... the rapid 2 week 40 lb loss I hear a lot of people talking about.    — Lynn W. (posted on December 19, 2001)

December 19, 2001
is that sue widmark's site? If it is you should know she is rabidly anti wls and also has been banned from certain groups, like ossg on yahoo, for quoting out of context, twisting words etc. For example, a woman who had wls over a year earlier died of meningitis. Sue blamed the wls saying the woman didn't have the immunity to fight it off. What she didn't mention was the woman lived in England, and that others get meningitis who've never had wls and sadly it is fatal sometimes. I am not saying don't read factual stuff, but go to the national health institute or someone reputable, and when reading sue's stuff, consider the source.
   — Becky K.

December 19, 2001
LYNN,There is a site of the people that didn't make it thru the surgery It is called wls memorial. There you will read from family members that wished there love one didn't do the surgery and they don't reconmend this type of surgery. I asked my Dr.about the long term he said that if you don't have the surgery you don't have much chance of living but with surgery you will add years to your life .I hope this has helped. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY i am so glad I HAD THIS SURGERY.i've lost 55 pounds and I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER ALL READY.i had my lap. gastric bypass surgery on 11-5-01.If you would like to ask me any questions e-mail me at [email protected]. good luck. NANCY M.
   — NANCY M.

December 19, 2001
Hi Lynn...my surgeon doesn't require liquid food or pureed food stage....all his patients are on solids before leaving the hospital. All the folks I've kept in touch with have had decent weight losses...I am 5 months post op and down 74lbs. I had open proximal RNY 7/17. I had some complications but am doing very well now.
   — KimBo36

December 19, 2001
I found out about WLS because I went to a session about a LIQUID DIET sponsored by a hospital. When I called my insurance they said they wouldn't pay for it, but would pay for the operation.That's when I started asking questions about "what operation." The liquid diet is VERY expensive! I was shocked that a hospital would even advocate that type of "diet." To me that's not helping people at all, but robbing them. You get ONLY 3 liquid "meals" per day. As soon as you start eating real food you'll start gaining. At least with WLS you DO get to eat real food. Oprah couldn't even keep it off doing the liquid diet. I have had very few problems. Those minor problems I did have I caused myself: eating/drinking too fast & my chest would get very tight or throwing up because I didn't chew food very well. The only real exercise I get is walking. My weightloss has been somewhat slower than others but I am happy with it. The only other problem is there seem to be a few "green eyed monsters" that come out when you start losing weight. It's kind of funny, but sometimes it does hurt my feelings because these are supposed to be friends. But, that just lets me know that I'm starting to look good. I would have this operation again without thinking twice. I had RNY proximal on 1/8/01 and have lost 98 lbs. Size 18/20 & some 22/24's down to size 14.
   — Betty Todd

December 19, 2001
Lynn, I read everything I could about the surgery before I had mine. I spent well over 100 hours reading about it (and I'm a fast reader). I read every memorial on this site, visited Sue Widmark's page, read every article on it, and visited every link she mentioned. <br> After all that, I still chose to have the surgery. Life isn't perfect post-op. There are times I've been sick, tired, and uncomfortable. So what??? I was all those things and a lot worse off 45 pounds ago. <br> One of the reasons there aren't a lot of long-term studies is because many of the procedures currently being used are relatively new. Another reason is many doctors either didn't have long-term aftercare programs or the patients choose not to participate in them. I've read long-term results from some of the older procedures. I personally know some people who had the surgery well over ten years ago. They all say they would do it again in a heartbeat - in fact one did. <br> My long-term health is my responsibility, but my surgeon has a wonderful after-care program. He requires patients to sign a form agreeing to life time follow-up visits before he does the surgery. Blood work is done on a regular basis and all patients are monitored carefully. My life expectancy without the surgery was much shorter than it will be once I've lost all my excess weight.<br> You have to make an informed decision that is right for you. There are other ways to lose weight. We've all done it! It's keeping it off that's hard. <br> The reason you can't follow the post-op diet pre-op is because you would be hungry all the time. As I understand it, the nerves in your stomach that tell the brain it's full are located in the top part - the part that is used to make the pouch in an rny. If you ate the small amount that a post-op does without the surgery, food would never reach that part of the stomach and you would be hungry all the time. Some people could live with that - I couldn't. Good luck with whatever decision you make.
   — [Anonymous]

December 19, 2001
The liquid diet that many of us go on at the beginning does cause rapid weight loss - but most of the reason that we are put on this diet is to allow our pouches to heal, not for the quick results. I personally can't get solid food to go down at 7 weeks post op. Also, very few are put on the same type of liquid diet as a medically supervised diet. That diet is basically all protein suppliment. The liquid diet most of us go on consists of any food in an easy to swallow liquid form. This includes creamy soups. The goal with the plan we go on is to gradually go on to normal solid foods. Once we do, we just don't have the capacity to eat large enough amounts to gain weight and continue to lose. As others have said - the medical liquid diet fails because once you go back to normal foods you have your regular appetite to contend with again. If you want a negative - it is VERY VERY difficult to adjust to not being able to eat the same again. No matter how much you think that you are mentally prepared for it, it is shocking how hard it actually is. And, yes, I am one of those who would do it again given the chance even though I am only down 30 lbs, in 7 weeks.
   — Julie S.

December 19, 2001
You aren't being negative....you are being smart. I wanted to know all the pro's and cons before I made my decision also. I attended several of my surgeons support group meetings and I also had my surgeon connect me with a patient who had wls and regretted the dceision. Yahoo.com has many wls groups. You might be interested in the Yahoo Ossg-revision group. http://groups.yahoo.com/
   — [Anonymous]

December 20, 2001
Thanks for all the responces I will be writing some of you offlist. I guess I am trying to find a reason to not have the surgery. I keep saying to myself , maybe if I try a little harder with exercise, maybe if I go to a boot camp or something like that. But I am 36 and 255 pounds. I have had that conversation with myself for years. It's time to deal with reality. One thing though that I am starting to realize is that I am somewhat attached to my body - even the fat , it's been with me for so long I am becoming emotional thinking about removing it. I know that's weird but ... I sulked for weeks after a root canal , cursing myself for not taking better care of my teeth. So I am one of those who gets worked up over loss of self I guess... and I keep saying how did you let yourself get so big that you have to resort to surgery. Anyhow I am still excited and nervous and have made 3 appointments [seminars] and can't wait to go. As far as risks - My thinking is if some new information comes out about this after 20 years or so with so many people having had the surgery [why didn't anyone tell me - I'm pissed about that - you secretive skinny people!] I'd think there are enough doctors researchers etc who can remedy the problems. I see a lot of overweight people but I didn't realize so many people had the same feelings about it as I do. I choke up when I read the journals about isolation, and sadness that often times comes with being outcast socially because of weight. I keep saying this is me , this is me - this is what I feel. I'm not worried about taking vitamins etc. I am a bit of a health freak now - if you can believe that - I eat organic and take supplements, and I enjoy exercise. I believe medical science when they say much of this [obesity] is genetic. I am thinking about the AGB because it's reversible [just in case : ) ]but the doctors I am seeing don't do it. Nazarian, Livingston and Wittgrove. I don't know that I am confident about the surgery since most of this well known doctors don't do it. anyway sorry to ramble like this ..
   — Lynn W.