Question:
Do you have a opinion for a definite no or yes from obesity sugery?

I am a college student, and was told to right a paper that had something to do with medical. After pondering for a while, I chose obesity. I have obesity running in the family, and one has had a gastric bypass. Do you have a strong opinion reguarding to whether obesity surgery is either very good with good results, or very bad with bad results?!?!    — Caryn R. (posted on April 16, 2003)

April 16, 2003
For most people gastric bypass is very, very good and for some it is bad. For me it was a life saver, it help me get my life back together. I had nothing but good results. I wouldn't have changed it for the world. I do believe that surgery isn't for everyone and that a person has to choose whether or not they want to go through it. I believe that most of the people on this board will tell you that it wasn't easy after having surgery, but as each day went by it got easier and that they were able to make the adjustment they needed to succeed. You must also remember that are some people who wish they had never had the surgery. Some went as far as getting it reverse. I hope this answered part of your question.
   — Sharon T.

April 16, 2003
For me it was very, very good with very good results. However, I would never want to speak for anyone else on the matter. The results are very personal and depend on the patient, the surgeon, the follow up care, and many other sometimes uncontrolable factors.
   — Amber L.

April 16, 2003
I don't think its a matter of "good or bad." Its a matter of what choices are available for the morbidly and super morbidly obese. The gastric bypass is only done when medically necessary and all other diet options have been exhausted. I think most anyone seriously considering the gastric bypass or who has had it would also consider it "necessary" as well.
   — Shelly S.

April 16, 2003
I believe that whatever you want to work for you ... will! Positive thinking/attitude goes a long way in anything you do in life. For me..I wanted this and was ready for it. I exhausted all diet possibilities and tries on my own, then I turned to the research. I read every book, article, watched every special about this surgery that I could get my hands on, after doing your homework, you best decide if you can make this work for you. Do not get me wrong here, this is no miracle cure, but the best tool that I have ever been given to make this work for me. I never had a weight problem until my Dad died and I gained 100 lbs. in one year, then I added to that and yo-yo'd for years after. Grief, stress, let alone the depression which made me quit most activity that had helped me manage my weight in the past. I believed that once I was over the grieving spell, that I would "fix me", but that never happened. I believe that I tried hard, harder than most to lose the weight on my own - I could lose, but couldn't keep it off. Who knows what really stops you dead in your tracks...I have been told it's my genetic makeup, the yo-yo dieting that threw my metabolism off course - maybe. I just know nothing worked for me and I couldn't give up. I want to enjoy life, wear normal size clothes and rollerblade, swim, bike ride, walk or whatever I can to have fun. I still am not ready to give up. God willing, I will win this fight!
   — Bonnie S.

April 16, 2003
Have you thoguth about looking at it another way??? Weight wls surgery is a good and lifesaving thing..... Im 6 months post-op and I have noticed that it seems that 90% of this surgery is in the patients' mind. If you can tackle your food demons and stay on the 'plan', you can use your tool (wls)to its fullest extent and report that you love the wls and that it is the best thing they ever did. If you cant beat your demons and stick to the plan, you wont be happy with your loss (or regain) and will report that the wls was one of the worst decisions of their life. Its not the surgery its self, its what all of us post-ops DO WITH our new tool that makes all the difference.
   — cherokey55

April 17, 2003
Caryn, on this web site you will get overwhelming responses that say it is good-we are all a little biased here. You may find a few who are unhappy with their surgery due to bad results but that is certainly the minority here. Most of us have either had weight loss surgery or are waiting for it, trying to obtain insurance approval or researching whether it is right for them. For the great majority of us, it was a last resort after years of bad health, a poor or non-existent quality of life, low or no self-esteem, and years of trying and failing at every diet out there. None of us are proud that we had to have the surgery, but most of us are grateful that it was available and that we have finally been successful at losing and hopefully keeping it off for good this time. At least now we have a fighting chance.
   — Cindy R.