Question:
Why would you NOT have WLS again?
Having seen the resounding positive reply to the yes or no about doing WLS again, I am wondering about why someone would decide to NOT have the surgery again. I think this is a valuable part of the information that those of us who are in the pre-surgery phase need to know. So, if you are willing to share I would love to know. — Arizona_Sun (posted on October 6, 2003)
October 6, 2003
I would do it again in a HEART BEAT! I ran to the operating table when i
had it done, and 3 months out and 56lbs. down, with no more health
problems, it's a no brainer!
— Michele B.
October 6, 2003
I had my surgery on 7/22/03 and at this point I can honestly say that I
curse the day I have had this done. I did this surgery to try and relieve
back pain. I was told that there wasn't any assurances that this would
happen because the surgery wouldn't change what is anatomically incorrect
and I understood this. However, I have had a stomach ache every day since
I have had this surgery. I can barely eat and am always in pain. Last
week, I ended up having surgery again. They found that they had to remove
my gall bladder, I had a small twist in my intestine, and adhesions that
made my opening too small so it needed to be stretched. Now, I am in pain
again from the surgery although it isn't as bad as the pain from the
bypass. I am also finding that I still have a terrible stomach ache when I
try to eat or drink. I have been in tears because I can't take this pain
everyday and have missed so much work. Not to mention the chronic fight
with constipation, not being able to get my protein in because it makes me
sick, etc.
I always read this boards and everyone always talks about how great the
surgery is and they would do it again in a heartbeat. I hope that some day
I will feel that as well. However, I think people need to know the
problems and when we tell them, we should be made to feel like we are so
negative. The board should be negative and positive, especially about
things that we can't control. It isn't like I don't follow the diet, etc.
Anyway, perhaps if you ask me this question a year from now, my answer
would be different. Make sure you try to find sites that don't just rave
about the surgery but have honest answers about the problems that people
have suffered from. This isn't to say this isn't a good site. I love
reading all the posts and do so every day but sometimes all the good news
can be depressing for those of us not experiencing it.
Good luck
— Melody B.
October 6, 2003
Melody.......at 2-3 months out, the discomfort I felt after the surgery may
have atr times made me feel like I regretted the surgery BUT after I was
honest with myself I realized that it was nowhere near the pain I gave
myself letting my body and weight get to such a terrible extreme as it
was.
5 months later now, all the discomfort is gone, I can eat a wider variety
of food, and Im down 103 pounds with about 50 to go. Im 35 and after a
lifetime of yo-yo dieting, I am sooooo thankful for being able to have this
surgery and be done with a lifetime of poor body image and low self esteem
as a result of a weight problem.
Lastly, I am a 20 year veteran of the health care industry and trust me, I
don't gush about this surgery for the sake of gushing about it. (like I see
on other weight loss boards like atkindfriends) I am not on this website
and Q&A board just to be part of the cheerleading crew. I am, however,
here because it is an informative place supported by a very honest group of
people who have similarly found the courage to take such an extreme step to
allow themselves to conquer a demon that has taken so much from them
already.
Sorry to go on.............. best of luck in whatever each person decides
is best for them!
— Ted D.
October 6, 2003
The first 2 months of recovery were HORRIBLE!! I had nausea 24/7 and
couldn't eat anymore then 300 calories a day. I wondered what I had done
to myself and thought I made a HUGE mistake for the rest of my life. Then,
my body started to heal and I was able to exercise. This caused me to WANT
to eat and I was finally starting to feel better. So even though I felt
crappy for 2 months, the long term advantange and the way I look and feel
now was well worth it.
— Patty H.
October 6, 2003
My reasons for not wanting this surgery again are probably just trivial ,
but they are my reasons. First off I am a baby when it comes to pain. I
have had a couple abdominal surgeries but this one was the worst. I flew
through the other ones with ease. I was in pain for 2 months following
surgery. I was expecting pain but not like this. I also have a hard time
eating certain foods, mostly the foods that I am supposed to eat. Give me
junk food and I do great. I don't dump on sugar or fat, but hand me some
protein and I am praying to the porcelain god. If it wasn't for peanuts
and string cheese I would starve. I still have yet to feel hungry and I
will be one year post op in November. I suffered from depression over not
being able to eat and still have my bouts with that. All in all I guess I
feel alright but am not any happier. If I knew back then what all I would
go through with this surgery I would not do it again. I did my research
and talked to several people so I knew what to expect but think that it was
just more than I could handle. I would go back to being that 284 pound
girl in a heartbeat if I could, I was definitely alot more at ease with
myself and I think even happier than I am now. But that is just my
opinion, most people do not feel the way I feel. I always have to be one
of the oddballs. Open RNY 11/4/02 284/153/145 -131 pounds
— Bonnie C.
October 6, 2003
Realistic expectations and goals is what can carry you through the rough
times. It seems that those that do have more than their share of problems
seems to cross over that bridge around 3-4 months and if you ask them at 6
months they are happy with their new life, even though it was a horrible
start. Very few have really serious problems that go on long term.
<p>I had a sizeable hole in my incision for 4-1/2 months. While it
wasn't exciting it also wasn't the end of the earth. It was a nusiance. I
had a 2nd surgery at about 3 months which went in and removed the stitiches
that would not dissolve in the fascia. 5-6 weeks later it was all healed
shut. I also had about 6-8 weeks of throwing up, which did not start till
around 6 weeks PO, but eventually it resolved itself. I can eat almost
anything now and I do not find this post-op life difficult to live with.
It's just a new normal. The old normal did not work for me, so far this
one has and I have great hopes it will.
<p>Know going in that there can be complications and that it will
take all you have to deal with them, but also know it is worth it all in
the end. JMO
— zoedogcbr
October 6, 2003
Just a very informal observation on my part (as I'm one of the happy ones),
BUT it seems to me that the majority of the ones who would not do this
again were not of a high bmi to begin with. Sure they were MO, but I've
yet to talk to anyone with a bmi of around 50 who regrets the surgery. This
is also true of those with lower BMI's and <i>extreme</i>
health problems brought on by their weight. I can't help but wonder if
there is a direct correlation. Those of us with a beginning high BMI
(being SMO) and/or signifcant health problems are more than willing to
happily trade the changes that WLS has dealt us (including pain, eating
issues, bowels issues, etc.) than those who've had less weight issues to
begin with. Please don't bash me over this - it could be totally wrong.
It's just an observation. I'm happy because I've had no complications and
only minor side-effects, but I was also SMO and I see my side effects as
VERY minor compared to the side effects of being SMO.
— [Deactivated Member]
October 7, 2003
I have a friend who is sick (nausea and vomiting) every day of her life at
over 2 years post-op, so that's one reason you'd regret it (she does).
Another woman that I know can't keep her iron up or her weight, and feels
like a dish rag every day. She has to have transfusions and lives in our
PCP's office at four years out. I think the people with major health
problems pre-op are less likely to regret it post-op if they have
complications since their health was in the toilet anyway. I would think
if the main issue pre-op was appearance, then it would be more likely to be
disillusioned if you had complications post-op. That's why I think
everyone should ask themselves that questions pre-op.. "If I have
complications, will I still think I made the right decision?"
— mom2jtx3
October 7, 2003
Hi Sandra! I feel just like Bonnie, I could have posted her response and
just changed the name. I do want to add that this surgery is not only a
physical change but it is a mental adjustment as well. Had I understood how
it would have affected me mentally I would have had to reconsider. I think
that if I would have used my brain instead of my heart I never would have
done this. Perhaps the person who said that we lightweights have way more
regrets the SMO people is correct. I think that this surgery was originally
intended for SMO people and it has now been taken to another level. I
honestly do not think that I needed to resort to surgery to lose weight.
Now at the time in my head that was the ONLY way. Well I lost where I was
going with this, but my point is you need to be both mentally and
physically prepared to change your life forever. No psych. evaluation in
the world can really determine if you are ready and neither can a doctor,
you have to be true to yourself. Only you know if it is time....Good luck.
Reace
— Laureace A.
October 7, 2003
It is always a good thing to hear both negative and postive. I am almost 3
months post op with a loss of 57lbs and I am not sure I would do it again
in a heartbeat. I was pretty sick for the 1st 6 weeks and have just
recently been able to eat without many problems. It definetly is a life
change and you need to make sure you are ready for it. I researched it for
7 months prior to surgery and I still was not totally prepared for the
intolerance of some foods. Some days I am hungry and other days I could
care less about food. I am sure once I am farther out I will feel more
like I would do it again. I am just not there yet. God Bless!!!
— laurab
October 7, 2003
Thank you all for your great responses. I am a very big fan of knowing the
good and the bad of an action. I feel education is our best friend when it
comes to making complicated life altering decisions. I am 54 (almost 55),
BMI 40.7, Type II Diabetic, bad knee pain, etc etc. and for me I think the
trade off will end up being worth it. I already live with irritable bowel
syndrome and have for 40 years. I live with chronic pain and find just
doing a small task to be a problem. So, when I weigh the odds for myself I
come down on the "it is worth a try" side to see if I can change
my life for the better. I can certainly see where each person has a
perspective unique to themselves that weighs into the final decision. My
sincere wish for those of you who are experiencing such a rough time is
that you are soon on the feel good side so that this will end up being a
success for you. There is nothing worse than chronic pain to affect how
you view your life and the world. Again thanks for all the wonderful
responses.
— Arizona_Sun
October 8, 2003
Hi Sandra, My name is Carey, I'm 30, started at 5'6, around 350, over 2
years post op, and there are days that I am so happy I did this, and then
there are days where I feel I should have lost the weight on my own. I
didn't have any major complications, except gigantic kidney stones, but I
have found that I am still doing the same patterns I did before surgery,
the diet. My surgeon told me at my first initial consultation that I would
never diet again, yeah right. If I don't stay on the Atkins diet, and even
stray for a few days, I have easily picked up 10 to 15 lbs. This really
makes me angry. Not because I have to watch what I eat, I knew going in
that I would change my eating habits, but I have to stay on the extreme
diet to even maintain, and I exercise everyday. I feel that I went
through all of this, and still have to diet like a bird. If I had known
that my end result would be dieting, I would have just done that in the
first place. I enjoy the compliments, buying thin people clothes, and
living a normal life. It has it's pros and cons.
— Carey N.
October 8, 2003
Here is a pre-surgery perspective on the "never diet again"
thought. I expect to go back to an Atkins lifestyle post-surgery. I feel
better when my carb count is lower although that does not mean I
successfully keep it low enough to lose weight without surgery. I just
know that I feel better. I tend to view the low carb way of eating as a
lifestyle and not as a diet and most days I can keep my carb count way
down. I do believe that had I done Atkins with the proper perspective on
lifestyle back when it was only 50 pounds to lose I probably would not be
looking at surgery today. But, once the 150 pounds happened and the pain
and fatigue took over, it became impossible to lose weight via a dietary
lifestyle alone. So, here I am looking at WLS as a <u>tool</u>
to lose my weight so that I can then implement a lifestyle that will help
me reach goal and maintain goal. It sounds simple, but I know it won't be.
There are many components to how I became morbidly obese and many have
been worked through, but I wonder what is yet to be discovered and worked
through. I also know that I MUST incorporate regular exercise into my
daily life in order to have success and feel that is especially true at my
age. So, I am entering into this decision attempting to be as fully
informed as I can be and with what I hope are realistic expectations of the
journey ahead. From there I just have to pray that I have no complications
that cause serious health issues beyond what I currently have.
— Arizona_Sun
October 9, 2003
Well, I am only 22 days post-op, but I have constantly thought that I
should NOT have had this surgery. Why? Well, constant vomiting, inability
to keep any protein down, weakness, fuzzy brain ... I had no
"real" complications during surgery. 2 days out, however, the
anastomosis closed up. I vomited dried blood mixed with bile about 6
times/day until the swelling went down. I was released from the hospital,
and then the thing closed again. I had my FIRST endoscopy/dilation this
week. Things are marginally better. However, I absorb less than 100
calories/day and have only lost 14 pounds. I just had to resign from a job
that I really wanted (tutoring a college student who is deaf and has
cerebral palsy) because I have neither the stamina nor the mental acuity to
keep up with her classes. Every time I try to drink (no "eating"
yet), I have as much pain as when I had a kidney infection. Sounds awful,
doesn't it? It is, I assure you. HOWEVER, I am still optimistic that
everything will work out. Crazy, I know. I have a very good friend who had
the surgery in May. She is doing great, has lost 90 pounds, started a new
job, went back to college ... I want so badly for that to be me. So, RIGHT
NOW, I think that the surgery was a mistake. But I'll let you know how I
feel in a few months.
— Annie H.
October 9, 2003
Sandra I don't think I could have said it better myself. Your response was
excellent in how I feel also pre-WLS. I know the road with be hard but if
I don't at least try I KNOW THE ROAD WILL BE HARD. Darned if you do and
darned if you don't I think I will!
— Vitabella
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