Question:
need help / your thoughts
having second thoughts. My husband and I both have gone thru the whole pre op steps. we are waiting for Ins. approval. I have really worked and lost 30lbs on my own. I can walk my hubby cannot. I've been reading all the post and it seems all are having problems of a kind???? I know if things are great probably won't make posts. But still reading all these stories of painful stomachs, not being able to eat or hold it down. or not getting the right amount nutrients and so many other problems Where are the people who had this done and it went as it was suppose to. Is there reasons that some have problems? Is it that they are not following the rules?? Sorry I don't mean to suggest that your not doing what your suppose to be doing. I'm just trying to talk myself back into doing this. Aside from my bloodpressure and my insulin being elevated I have had no problems. I'm scared to death I'm going to develope diabetes it is in my family so this is why I wanted to have it done. I'm just so afraid that if I get it done I'll be one of the patients that has problems and has to be in bed for a long time. I don't want to turn myself into a sickly person. I don't mean to be so wimpy just trying to decide if I should go thru with this. Do most people get thur it with no problems? donna — BJW12 (posted on September 2, 2008)
September 2, 2008
Hello, I had RNY on 7/17/08. It has not been easy or perfect for me, but I
do not regret it at all. I have lost 35lbs and I am thrilled. I am having a
hard time tolerating most foods right now. I have trouble getting all my
liquids in because I don't like anything. I had a hard time in the
hospital, and with swallowing pills. But I am 6 weeks out now and seem to
have most things under control. That doesn't mean I won't have any problems
in the future, but again I wouldn't change it for anything. Just being
honest, I have no idea if that will help or not.
Good luck! And I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you!
Karissa
— k4rizz421
September 2, 2008
Everyone is different ... Some people have problems from the getgo and some
have none at all. It's really not a good idea to base whether or not you
think surgery is for you on the experiences that others have had or are
having. You have to consider the pros and cons for your own situation - is
it worth the risk of complications if it means overall your health is going
to improve tremendously? That's how I felt about it ... I was willing to
take the risk because I knew my life could change drastically for the
better. Talk to your physician and/or surgeon about how you're feeling ...
If they think you're a good candidate and they're not concerned about
possible complications, that should help you relax and feel better about
the surgery. DON'T WORRY YOURSELF TOO MUCH! It's normal to be nervous about
surgery but think about this ... You're pretty much getting the chance to
start your life over again, and that can be an amazing thing.
— lauren_marie
September 2, 2008
I had surgery over 4 years ago. I did not have any health problems prior
to surgery, nor do I have any now. I did have "normal" pain
which comes with any surgery. There were no major complications or pain
that was unbearable for me. I have changed my life and eating habits
tremendously. My journey was a very emotional one, but I was determined to
learn every step of the way to make my WLS surgery a victorious one
FOREVER! I have no regrets and would do it again in a hearbeat. If your
gut is telling you that this is not for you, then by all means obey your
gut. But if you know that this is part of your destiny, begin at the
beginning and go til you come to the end. Best of luck to you and contact
me anytime!! I believe that the alumni of WLS are a wealth of resources
because of each individual experience. :) :) :)
— bariatricdivalatina
September 2, 2008
I would do it again. No regrets. Have had some issues (very minor compared
to many posts I have read) but nothing that would make me regret having had
WLS. I get my blood work done every 6 months. I take my vitamins and
supplements religiously and on the average day get my protein and fluids in
- as instructed by my surgeon and nutrientionst. There are days that I
feel sick to my stomach. There are days it seems I cannot keep things down
or in. There are days that I am tired and feel run down. These days do not
outweigh (no pun intended) the good days, the way I look and feel most days
- AWESOME, FORTUNATE & THANKFUL for WLS. Did I have second thoughts
before surgery - of course, it's totally natural. I did not have any
comordbites prior to surgery - just severly obese with a family history of
lots and lots of things/issues and conditions I did not want. I decided to
be proactive with my health instead of reactive. It's a toss up. It's major
surgery. But I weighed (again, no pun intended) my options and after the
pros and cons - decided I couldn't go wrong with WLS. The path w/o WLS was
slippery and ultimately led to one outcome and I wasn't going to let it
happen. I feel fortunate everyday. I have many, many friends (through
support group) that all had positive experiences and some now very close
friends that all had very positive experiences. My highest weight 286lbs. I
am 5'8". Caucasian. 35 years old at surgery. Size 24-26 pants and size
20-22 tops. Today, I am 143lbs. Still 5'8". Still Caucasian. I wear a
size 4 pants and a small or extra small top. I am healthy, happy and again,
thankful everyday that I had WLS. Good luck with your decision.
— jammerz
September 2, 2008
Hello, I had my RNY done on 6-18-08. I have lost 44 pounds so far. I havnt
had any problems at all. The only thing that I have a "problem"
with is I sometimes find it hard to eat hamburger meat. Its just a little
too dry for me now. Nothing happens to me I just feel a little
uncomfortable at times.
You got it right when you said if things are great they wont post! If they
are feeling ok they usually dont have questions like that. Everyone is
different, this effects everyone in different ways. I wish there was a way
to look into the future to see, I had the same thoughts you did before. But
to be honest if I didnt do, I was going to be sickly later in life. SO I
took the chance and I feel great. Just this past weekend I lost 3 pounds.
You are making the right choice by doing this, you came all this way, all
you have to lose is the weight! Good Luck Kim
— Kimberlin Katayama
September 2, 2008
Billy, I had the RNY on the 2nd of July, not to lose weight, but because of
several co-morbidities. I said on the way into the operating room that
"I do not want this surgery". I couldn't see how mutilating the
one thing on my body that worked all too well was going to improve my
situation. An error on the urologist part and an incision infection
followed by a month wearing a catheter and a very bad urinary tract
infection didn't do a lot to change my mind. I'm over 60 pounds lighter as
a side effect, went from 600-700 units of insulin per day to 64, lost all
the water retention, and got off of 20 medications per day. Yes, I have
uncomfortable days and I've learned that no two people have the same
experience. You have to settle it in your mind that your willing to make
adjustments in your life that will be for life. You have to be the one to
make it work, it's not automatic. You will have to exercize and watch what
you eat, but it should be easier. Protein is the key to healing,
multivitamins and B-12 and iron for women is extremely important if you
want to have energy. Drinking enough fluids is crucial to not becoming
dehydrated. I don't know what you weigh now, but you have the best chance
of being a normal weight that you will ever have. Only YOU can decide if
it's worth it, but settle your doubts, get counseling if need be, but make
the decision for yourself and don't do this for anyone BUT you. Plain talk,
but true. Good luck on whatever you decide. I'm here if you need any help I
can give.
Good luck, Dusty @};-
— Dusty Ray Vaughn
September 2, 2008
I am 5 years post op RNY and I would do it again. I remember waking up one
day and my back didn't hurt any more. I could bend over to wash my son in
the bathtub and still breathe. I could chase after him. I no longer take
medication other than my vitamins. Those are the kinds of things that make
it all worth wild. You will just feel so much better not packing around
the extra weight. It will be wonderful that you and your husband can do
this together. Best of luck to you!
— Carlyn M.
September 2, 2008
thanks to all that have replied to my post. Hearing from you
all has helped. I think it is good to hear the good along with
the bad. I see that many have been right where I am.
I need to look at the future an you all have helped me see it
more clearly.
I thought I'd get blasted for such a question but not a one.
God bless you all.
You make me proud to be part of this big family. (no pun intended) ha.
donna
— BJW12
September 2, 2008
It's natural to be scared or worry about the possible problems that may
occur. I have to tell you that this has been the best thing that has ever
happened to me and I'm loving life. Your right when you say that the bad
things make the posts and the good...well may not. That's what it's
about...people who are having problems writing in for advise. If you can
find a support group to attend I would strongly advise it. The people
there will share their experiences and you'll feel so much better about
everything. I had little pain with my surgery and I had it open, not lap.
I was off all the pain meds within 4 days and back to work(office work) in
two weeks. Other than feeling a little tired I was fine. I've lost a
total of 114 lbs and am down to a size 6-8...depending on the make of the
clothes. Good luck to you. Dee
— deebunny38
September 2, 2008
I just had my on 7-15-08 and I have a hard time just not being hungry at
all or eating heavier things too fast. I have the worst with the shacks I
just do not like them but I have love 43 lbs. and feel so much better. I
would say go to support groups and If you can go now do it. that is what I
did and it seems to help to see what others years out have had problems
with. other wise follow the plan from your doctor, it seems to change a
little from different doctors, but follow what he have planne out. You will
be fine.
— anajera
September 2, 2008
It is the same type of drug they give you for a colonoscopy. You will be
talking and wake up not even realizing you were asleep and the procedure
will be over with. If you are having a RNY they will put a circular
stapler down your thought to connect with one that is put in through one of
the incisions to make your pouch. Your doctor just wants to make sure that
you do not have an ulcer and he understands the condition of your stomach
before the procedure. Even if you are having a Lap Band, they want to know
about the condition of your stomach insides and how well the band will work
with you. Some will tell you they never had that procedure before surgery,
and that is true, but each Surgeon has their own way of doing things for
your own well being. Just relax, and think how great you will look when
your weight is gone!. Best of Success to you.
— William (Bill) wmil
September 2, 2008
RNY seems to be very popular now, but the concerns you have are one of the
reasons I decided on lap band instead of any type of gastric bypass (RNY
was not available when I got mine done and I'm not entirely sure how it's
different that regular gastric bypass)..
What concerned me was that with gastric bypass, not only does it involve
making the stomach smaller, but a lot of the normal digestion process is
bypassed. It might work faster than lapband, but I had two very good
friends that had gastric bypass and they both had a lot of problems with
what they could and could not eat. I kind of liked the idea of my food
digesting the way it always had.. so for me lap band seemed a lot more
appealing. And.. at the time I had my lapband, I was in a wheelchair full
time due to knee problems. It's been a year.. I've had knee surgery, am
walking again and am just over 100 lbs down. At times I have problems with
some foods that don't go through the band opening.. but usually because I
eat too fast. But since it goes through the regular digestion process, I
don't have the malnutrition problems, or problems with suger (luckily
sweets wasn't one of my problems to start with.. my problem was more fast
foods). Have you been to one of the seminars yet that really talks about
the different options and what is involved in each one? Even if you have,
you might want to go again now that you know more about WLS in general..
there are a lot of choices and different procedures and there are pluses
and minuses to each one that are different.
— Maggie E.
September 2, 2008
I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy and thankful that I had RNY
Gastric Bypass 7 months ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had high blood pressure
and was a borderline diabetic. I now have very normal blood sugar and blood
pressure, without taking any medications!!!!! I have lsot 85 pounds so far,
and feel so much healthier and look better too! I try to stay away from
carbs/sugars and eat meat,fish, tuna, eggs, beans, veggies. I drink a lot
of sugar-free Crystal Light and sugar free Lattes. I drink a Protein drink
once a day, I take 2 chewable multi-vitamins a day, chewable calcium. I
have never thrown up or had any major problems. I was very tired for the
first 3 or 4 months after surgery, but that did pass. I went through the
period of missing being able to snarf-down on sweet foods and other bad
foods but I got over that, and am glad I go over that, as I was eating
myself slowly to death! I have small problems, like gas (I take Gas-x and
Digestive Advantage, both sold at Walmart), and I occasionally feel a
little nauseaous. To me ,that is NOTHING as compared to knowing that I am
not going to develop Diabetes, and that I feel so much healthier and look
better. I am so glad I had the surgery. Yes, I was scared, had doubts, had
second thoughts, but I just told myself, do it, just do it, get it over
with!!!!! I went through all of the Docto appointments before hand,
appointments with the Nutritionist, one appointment with a Psychiatrist, as
was required by Insurance, I just kept on pluggin' along and got it all
done; had an endoscopy before surgery; it was a piece of cake, I don't even
remember it. You can do it, just get it over with and soon it will all be
behind you and you'll be on your way to good health!!!!!!!
— Gina S.
September 2, 2008
Hi,
I am almost 17 months out and have lost 150 pounds. I had a few issues in
the beginning but nothing that put me in bed or made it that I was unable
to do anything. I can honestly say I would do it again!!! I also was
diabetic and have not been on medication since the day after my operation.
I feel great and can do so much more then I ever did. Best of luck.
— Alvernlaw
September 2, 2008
I had surgery 10 weeks ago and I don't have any underlining health problems
either. I also have not had any problems from the surgery. There has been 2
times in this whole process where I have gotten sick and I am sure it
because I ate too fast. I follow my drs program to a T. (Not saying others
don't either). I am very glad I have had the surgery and can't not imagine
not having it. I too could loose the weight on my own but it always came
back and more. Good luck to you!
— shackett0426
September 2, 2008
While I was waiting for my surgery day to finally arrive, I used to come
here to OH.com and spend time daily looking through the "before &
after" pictures - it was "thing" I did almost every day, and
it kept me motivated to jump through whatever hoops I had to with
insurance, nutritonists, Endoscopy, and fears/doubts. Looking at all the
wonderful people and their success stories kept me motivated and dreaming
of having my OWN "before & after."
— Gina S.
September 2, 2008
You have to take in the considerations most of the post on here are
negative in the way, someone has a concern or problem. I would say overall
there is a positive outcome. People dont poston here how there doing unless
there is a problem. Im a pre-op, have one week to go. I havent met or
talked to one postop, even with difficulties, that wouldnt still have the
surgery.
Good luck
Paula
— urbrat2
September 2, 2008
I had Lap Band surgery 3 months ago. I have not had any of the problems
that those with the RNY seem to be having. I do get food stuck in my
throat when I eat too fast. I am glad with my choice and would do it
again. I have lost about 30 lbs. My loss is slower than the RNY but I
have been told that at 5 years post op, the weight loss is the same. I
like the idea if I should over eat and stretch out my stoma, they can
tighten up the Lap Band without surgery. It is your choice but I would
chose the Lap Band for me.
— susangielda06
September 2, 2008
I think that if you have come this far... why stop now??... this is
something that will help you in so many ways... longer life number one..
better life... ofcourse... there is going to be pain.. dose that pain out
weigh the pain you go through everyday??.. being over weight. I say no...
But i do have a question for you.. im doing the 6 month thing with my Dr
right now... i am only on month 3 right now... did you have to go through
that?? if so please let me know
— playgirl2077
September 2, 2008
I had surgery over 4 years ago. I did not have any health problems prior
to surgery, nor do I have any now. I did have "normal" pain
which comes with any surgery. There were no major complications or pain
that was unbearable for me. I have changed my life and eating habits
tremendously. My journey was a very emotional one, but I was determined to
learn every step of the way to make my WLS surgery a victorious one
FOREVER! I have no regrets and would do it again in a hearbeat. If your
gut is telling you that this is not for you, then by all means obey your
gut. But if you know that this is part of your destiny, begin at the
beginning and go til you come to the end. Best of luck to you and contact
me anytime!! I believe that the alumni of WLS are a wealth of resources
because of each individual experience. :) :) :)
— bariatricdivalatina
September 2, 2008
5 years ago...I woke up after 8 hours of sleep exhausted...I had to take
insulin, thyriod meds, had a chronic sore throat and heart burn from a
hiatal hernia...I'd roll myself out of bed care not to hurt my knees or
back and grab my cane so I can make it to the bathroom where I could barely
wipe my own arse (sorry for the graphics! ) But it's true...I was in
CHRONIC pain constantly. I could not breathe well...or walk. It was
exhausting and depressing being in a 315+ lb body. Fast forward 5
years...I am off all meds....I have NO pain. I jump out of bedd and do push
ups before my shower...I hop down the stairs and make myself a protein
drink and run into the laundry room and throw on a pair of size 8 blue
jeans WITHOUT elastic waist band...and I pop several vitamins because I
have this little probelm when I DON"T take them...SO I do now and
guess what? LIFE is wonderful! I am 44 years old and look and feel better
than I did at 34. I am better. I warn about vitamin deficiencies because
it's THAT important to NOT stop the routine of taking them...like I did. I
got too confident...and complacent. Hey, before surgery, I got colds aand
viruses all the time...I have been sick with a cold twice in tha last 5
years. I would NEVER EVER EVER give back my RNY to have my surgery undone.
I would NEVER go back. I am sooooo grateful for the last 5 years of
amazing quality of life. So I have a this little nick in my otherwise
perfect journey...It's a reminder that I need to stay humble and dedicated
to myhealth as well as my diet...It's such a small price to
pay...malnutrition was easy to fix...It took a while...(6 months) But as
soone as I found out I had some probelms, I was right on top of it and I am
doing GREAT! Still not drugs...Just vitamins! No big deal...Now if I had
continued to not take my vits and go get labs...that's a different story.
I ignored my chronic symptoms and didn't go get checked out...DON'T make
the same mistake...That's what I preach...My probelms were my own
fault...If you have genetic issues, you must guard against them...Anemia
runs in my family...and I stopped taking my Iron...DUH!!! That was just
plain stoooooopid! No one wants to vomit or feel sick either...but it is
just an adjustment that takes a good year to master...What a year of on and
off again aches pains and nausea? The trade off for these minor things
(Which we all do not get) is PRICELESS! It's not easy...It's not the easy
way out either...It's work and it's sacrifice...and to me...it's all been
worth it. Good luck wth your decision!
— .Anita R.
September 2, 2008
morning :) my husband and i both had the surgery also :) team effort lol
we had textbook surgeries and recoveries -- we have never been sick --
never a complication -- nothing -- i follow the rules 95% of the time --
ross follows the rules if i'm around lol i do not drink before or after
meals -- i take my vitamins every single day -- i eat protein first -- i do
not buy bread, pasta, potatoes or rice -- we still eat at restaurants -- i
do not drink anything with carbonation or caffiene -- ross drinks regular
soda and i yell haha i never lost any hair -- i do not take biotin -- hair
is made up of protein and you can have hairloss because of the stress of
ANY TYPE of surgery -- i strongly believe in educating yourself -- you are
your own best advocate when it comes to healthcare -- we never ate baby
food -- we drink our water -- i was back to work in a physical job in 18
days on the floor in a restraint with another person -- we both had open
rny -- i went in on wednesday -- home on friday -- driving on monday --
only took 2 pain meds the whole weekend and that was to get to sleep --i do
drink protein shakes because i am not a breakfast person -- ross does not
drink any shakes and gets all his protein from real food -- ross had his
surgery 5/22/06 and i had mine on 11/22/06 -- and like i said not one
problem at all -- i have been maintaining for a year now -- good luck to
you --stay positive -- and it's all what YOU make it :) take care roberta
— RCassety
September 2, 2008
Hi Billy,
I have to agree with a few other people here that if things are going ok
people don't post that things are great. I happen to be one of those lucky
people that haven't really had any problems at all. I'll tell you what
though the day of surgery I was waiting and waiting and waiting in the
preop room. The person two people ahead having surgery had problems and
delayed everyone. Well I was about ready to walk out of the hospital. I
kept that inside though. I knew this is what I wanted to do, but the
longer I waited the more I got scared and started having second thoughts.
I am happy to say that despite the major adjustments to eating I am very
happy with my decision. I didn't really have a lot of co-morbities either,
my bmi was over 40, which was a major factor, I had slight sleep apnea and
elevated cholesterol. YOU and your husband must do what is right for you.
Getting scared and wanting to back out is normal process, talk to your
support group or your doctor, nurse or any of the bariatric professionals
in the center you are receiving treatment. Hope I helped.
— yankeefan75
September 3, 2008
I am one month out, have no regrets, even though I barfed grilled chicken
yesterday! In the last 4 weeks, I have gone off 3 blood pressure meds, a
cholesterol med, gone off my CPAP, and decreased my daily insulin
requirement from 80 units to about 25 and have lost 18 lbs so far. This FAR
outweighs any inconveniences the surgery has caused. Do it for your
future!! I know I have drastically decreased my chance of dying young from
heart or diabetes related things.
— penneynurse
September 3, 2008
First of all, it's normal to have some second thoughts before surgery. It
seems that whenever we make a big change this happens. But, I have to say
that this is the reason to research thoroughly all of the WLS and choose
the one that is good for you. My friend had the sleeve done and she is
doing great. She didn't want to have all the follow-up of the band or the
wait until she got to a point where she had restriction to start loosing.
One of the alures of GB and the sleeve are the lack of waiting. Also, the
GB has such rapid weight loss. I, however, chose the band because of the
complications of GB and I was not in a hurry to loose the weight. I lost
125 in 13 months with the pre-op program and the band. I was one of the
people that lost weight before hitting my sweet spot because I kept myself
on a 1200 calorie diet while I was waiting. It wasn't easy and I'm not
trying to make myself out a hero. I just kept telling myself that I would
have restriction soon and I could do it. I've always been one of those
people who when they make their mind up about something get anal about it.
:)
None of this is "easy". We all have to make changes in our lives
in order for this to work. I'm lousy at taking supplements or even
medication when I'm so sick I can't stand it so I knew that GB would have
to be a last resort for me. I would have been one of the people with
problems because of that.
You're not being wimpy. Just get online and research the heck out of
things. I can tell you that if you stay obese then you will have problems.
It's not an if, it's a when. If you think you can loose on your own, go
for it. The main thing is to loose weight. You're right, most people who
go through WLS and have no (or few) problems are out enjoying their new
freedom and are probably not posting. I have not had any problems and I
unfortunately do the same thing at times.
Good luck on your decission. Again, my advice is to research the heck out
of WLS and the surgeon who will be doing your surgery.
Vicki
— VickiJ
September 3, 2008
I went through EXACTLY the same thing you are now. I am 7 months post op
and have lost almost 100 lb. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter and a
wonderful husband. I was scared to death until the very last second. I
cried all the way to the surgery room. As a matter of fact, the night
before surgery was the hardest night of my life. I had panic attacks and
crying spells all night and all the next morning up until the surgery
itself. I even asked my husband if he would be disappointed with me if I
chickened out. Needless to say I went through with it and I am
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad I did. The only regret that I have is that I freaked
out so bad the night before. My daughter was born via c-section and my
gastric bypass was 10 times easier than my c-section. I only had to use
pain meds once in the hospital and that was because an air bubble from the
surgery was stuck in my rib area. Other than that it was pretty easy. I
have never vomited (not saying that I haven't wanted to). I had only one
complication and that was nothing. I had a stricture about 1-2 months after
surgery. That is where your esophagas starts to close up (doesn't effect
breathing) and food kinda gets struck. Some people vomit but I just got
uncomfortable after I took a bite of anything. All they had to do was go in
with a scope (you are sedated) and they open it back up. There was no pain
or recovery time whatsoever. As far as eating goes, I can eat almost
anything, except icecream. I just alter things to make it more protein
friendly. For instance, I make my spaghetti homemade and add alot of beef
for the protein. I eat noodles just not nearly as much. I eat sandwiches
but only with one piece of bread. The only cereal I eat is Special K
protein plus with banana and splenda or something similar. There are so
many things you can do to still enjoy some of the things that you love. Not
everyone has problems afterward. My mom also had the surgery in 1996 and
she is doing great also. She has lost 220 lb. Don't be afraid of the
surgery! It is a gift from GOD!!
Good luck and God Bless!!
Angie Kimball (sillyguts)
— Sillyguts
September 3, 2008
Billy, I was like you-at the last minute I thought I couldn't do it. I
was thinking I was gonna die in surgery, the surgeon was gonna do something
wrong and I was gonna be messed up for life. Guess what? I came through
like a champ, not only did the surgeon do a great job, my surgery was only
less than 2 hours. My husband said it was over so quick, he was shocked
when the doc came out to talk to him. I had minimal pain. Although I am
only 2 wks post-op, I feel great and grateful to be off diabetes & high
blood pressure meds. I haven't weighed, so I can't say how much I have
lost, but it doesn't matter-my thighs don't rub anymore and I feel groovy.
Don't let fear stop you from making the best change of your lives. Kim
— Godsvirtuoswoman
September 3, 2008
Hi Donna! I had lap RNY May 30 2007. I don't post to the boards much at
ALL because I have not had any problems. The boards are a wonderful place
to go to get questions answered and when you do have problems, but my guess
is that there are a LOT of folks out there like me who just want to get on
with their lives. I am healthier than I have ever been. My current
illnesses are chronic and existed at birth so were not affected (or have
improved) after my WLS. I have lost 105 pounds and have been stable for 6
months or so. If you have any questions feel free to email me. Just
wanted to let you know we are out there, but maybe no longer on the OH
boards like we were pre-op or immediately after. We're just out there
living the normal lives we always wanted. You won't even recognise us. I
was in Perkins the other day & somehow when we were checking out it
came up that I had WLS; the cashier was considering it. We were chatting
and this OTHER lady behind me says SHE had it done like 20 years ago and
has had no problems. It has been wonderful to just be a 'normal' person.
I am a RN who actually does work with the occasional GBGB (gastric bypass
gone bad) so feel free to email me if you have any questions. The GBGB's
are not as common as you would think, and even those usually turn out OK
over time. Also, even though I have worked with some that did not go
well, I still did it. I also work with people who should have had WLS but
did not and are in having knee replacements, etc... ANY surgery is
difficult on a morbidly obese person so they have more frequent
complications even from "minor" surgeries. Melanie g. :0D
— MAG
September 3, 2008
Hi Billy, I am 3 years post-op RNY. I am 5 foot, 5 inches tall and weighed
391 lbs before surgery and I now weigh 160 lbs. My only co-morbidity
pre-operatively was osteoarthritis, mainly painful knees and ankles. Aside
from the pain, my daily existence was limited by my physical ability for
endurance, fitting into chairs, travel obstacles and a general sense of
being different. My history of yo-yo dieting was always initially
successful but the weight loss was never sustained. I have been very
successful post surgery and have sustained the 230 lb weight loss for 3
years. I attribute my success to the development of a commitment; a ritual
of low carb, high protein eating, daily exercise, lots of fluids and taking
all of my supplements even if I didn't like them or they didn't taste good.
I am 56 years old and know that there are worse things than being fat. If
you are not prepared to follow a prescribed eating plan, exercise and
religiously take your nutritional supplements you could be at risk for
complications. This is not the easy solution to weight loss. For me it
has been life saving and life changing. You need to be mentally ready for
the changes and commit to a different life. Learning to handle stress,
disappointment and life's challenges without feeding those emotions is
essential to long term success. I have had little discomfort or trouble
post operatively, but again; I follow the plan, see my bariatric surgeon
annually and stay in touch with the dietitian and exercise physiologist.
Choose your surgeon and hospital wisely. You need a comprehensive program
that offers support groups, close follow-up and maintenance care. Having
the surgery provides you with two tools; a smaller stomach to tell you that
you are full and to stop eating and a shorter bowel to reduce absorption
and cause you pain if you overindulge in sweets or fat. If you follow the
plan you will lose weight and will feel more vigorous and alive. Do not
enter into this surgery lightly, your success will depend mostly your
determination, commitment and frame of mind. Your relationship with food
and your dependence on food to substitute for real feelings must change in
order to be successful. I am convinced that people can adjust to most any
change over time, it is all in what you get used to doing if you do it long
enough. If you don't like the taste of something at the first, second or
tenth try; do it anyway, you will develop a new sense of wellness as well
as taste. Best wishes for success from one who has done very well.
— Mary Lou R.
September 3, 2008
I was where you are 7 weeks ago. I had changed my mind completely about the
surgery. Then I remembered why I wanted it in the first place: diabetes,
yes; ortho prblems, yes; and several others. BUT the main reason was that I
wanted to play an active role in my grandchildren's life. I don't have any
yet... but I knew how things... how I would be when it came time for them.
I didn't want to sit on the sidelines and watch... I wanted to participate,
be an active and an intregal part of their lives. I'll be honest, I have
had a problem adjusting to some things, but when you compare those against
the (probable) years added... make those HEALTHY AND ACTIVE years added...
it's no comparison. As far as problems go, very minor ones. Mostly
adjusting from the surgery. Plus it's hard for me to drink, so I don't get
enough water. But I found a vitamin water that goes down like silk and that
problem is now over. So, as with anything in life, there are adjustments
you'll have to make. It will be all in your attitude towards them. Since
surgery, I've met dozens of people who have had the surgery (with and
without problems/complications) and have no regrets... and would do it all
over again. I keep looking ahead to imagine my life without the surgery...
then look at the minor problems I'm having now, and it's no comparison...
I'd do it all over again. It's a lifetime commitment to a healthy way of
life and who can top that? Hope this helps and good luck in your decision!
— pattschiele
September 4, 2008
Hi Donna,
I just got insurance approval yesterday for RNY. I really want to have this
done, but I'm having many of the same fears you're having. I know I will
have the surgery, but there are so many "what ifs" running
through my head.
I'd like to thank you for posting your question. All your responses have
been so helpful to me.
I think I'll take one person's advice and start following the long term
food plan now and start getting use to it. I'll also start looking into
protein drinks and vitamins now too.
I hope these posts have been as helpful to you as they have been to me.
I wish you well and hope if you do decided to have the procedure, it is a
success and all your fears turn out to be unfounded.
— Darlene E.
September 6, 2008
I am 3 days post op and have had none of the problems that everyone else
has experianced. I was only nauses for about 5 min. commimg out of the
antistesia, my surgery started at 8 a.m. and I was up walking by 8 p.m. the
surgery was the best thing I ever done.
— humper
October 13, 2008
Hi I just had gastric by pass last wendsday. I have had no problems.
Just do what you are suppose to do and everything will go great. Yes I am
still sore but that is expected after your gut are being rearranged. I get
better everyday. I hate the pain but no pain no loose. Heidi
— hlt1960
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