Question:
CAN I HAVE THE RNY AFTER HAVING GUILLIAN BARRE SYSDROME?

3 YEARS AGO I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH GUILLIAN BARRE SYSDROME AND I WAS 250LBS AT THE TIME. I AM IN THE WHEELCHAIR WITH RESIDUAL DAMAGE TO MY ANCLES AND FEET(NERVE). MY PODIATRIST TELLS ME I NEED TO GET DOWN TO 121, AND MY INTERNAL MED. DOC.TELL ME 125 AND TO STOP EATING AND EXCERCIZE. I AM TIRED OF PEOPLE TELLING ME THIS. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    — [Anonymous] (posted on June 17, 1999)

June 18, 1999
Contact a good, reputable Bariatric Surgeon would be my suggestion. I am sure they have dealt with this issue and would have much more information for you than I would. Good luck to you.
   — Peggy W.

June 18, 1999
I have read that GBS can be totally recovered from. I am wondering how much of your ankle weakness is due to the GBS and how much is just muscle disuse atrophy from being unable to get up when the GBS was the most active. I would suggest that you try water-walking in a swimming pool (try the local Y). There are many cities with classes just for overweight woman, so no one has to die of embarrassment about their overexposed bodies. I think you will have a hard time trying to get a doc to operate since you are not mobile. The key to recovery from surgery is to get up and walk to help clear the sludge from the anesthesia out of your lungs and. They also make you walk to prevent throwing blood clots. They base your discharge date on how well you are walking. I advise everyone who is contemplating this surgery no matter how mobile they are, to do strenuous walking a month before surgery, as it will help prevent complications. The water-walking does not even require you to bear weight on your ankles, so there is no joint trauma, but it develops muscle tone tremendously.
   — Deborah L.