Question:
Is there anyone out there who has had the surgery at least 5 years or more ago??

Ok!! My nerves are getting the best of me.. I need to know that there is someone who is out there who had this surgery at least five years ago. Every web site I look at says there is no long term (5 years) data. I don't want to have the surgery and live only 5 years..(thinking the worse here)I found a site yesterday that has me sooo rethinking my choice.It said that you have a high chance of MS and LUPUS after the surgery. What's with that?? I don't mean to bum anybody out, but I guess at this point I am scared. My surgery date is May 11th..Will I make it before I lose my mind??LOL    — Stephanie B. (posted on April 1, 2001)

April 1, 2001
Yes, there are some of us. I'd love to be 16 yrs out, but will 6+ do? My husband is 5+, also. I have friends who are further out, too. What did you want to know specifically? I'm a little skeptical of claims that our endocrine system goes berserk. My docs been doing these since 1963. Life is not perfect after WLS, but with some digging, you can avoid the pitfalls that you most often hear about, like osteoporosis and anemia--stuff like that. My lungs work. My feet work. My heart works. And so do my husband's. As we were, no, nothing was working right.
   — vitalady

April 1, 2001
Hi Stephanie, I am pre op at the moment, but after reading your post, I felt the need to respond. I read your profile and noticed you already have your date and it's not too far away, I'm sure this is part of the reason your nerves are getting the best of you. I wanted to tell you first of all, I belong to a mailing list of people who have had wls, or are going to have wls. In order to join this list you have to meet certain size requirments, one being over 400 pounds pre surgery. I'm telling you this because in your post you ask about people over five years out, and there are several on this list. You also voice the fear of only living a short time after surgery, and this is why I chose to answer you. You see, today someone posted on our mailing list that a young woman died in her husband's arms last night. The woman was almost two years post op and had lost over two hundred pounds. Her last post touched many people, as she shared with us an intimate moment in which she felt free enough to dance for her husband. She reached the ultimate goal those of us seeking wls want for ourselves. She had finally accepted herself as a person. Sadly, she died of a virus, which had absolutely nothing to do with her surgery. My point here is that we don't have guarantees in this life. She had worked so hard and still her time came too soon. This story is so sad, but the glory I see in it is this: She got to LIVE before she died! I see this surgery as a CHANCE to live again, and I'm willing to take a chance. There aren't any guarantees, but if it DOES work, imagine the rewards. And it works for SO many people. I know this is a big decision and I will be thinking of you on your surgery day. I wish you much success and good health.
   — [Anonymous]

April 1, 2001
Hi, I am also pre-op...my surgery is sscheduled for May 29th....I just wanted to share with you that my best friend is 17 years post-op....She started at about 260 now weighs around 145 and fluctuates up and down 15#s....she does have osteoporois that is not wholely contributed to the weight loss surgery..only partially....science has come a long way in the past 10 years....so she is on meds for it and is keeping it from progressing. When asked if she would change anything, she said absolutely NOT and was the one who encouraged me when I asked her about her feelings on having the surgery!! Hope this helps...Karan
   — chance2lv

April 2, 2001
There is a place on this sight to see wls anniversaries they are 1,2,3,4,or 5 maybe more it is only one day at a time but check everyday and you might find some. The place to go is gallery it is a new page so look for the new sign and there it is. Then if you have more ques. e-mail these people I,m sure they will E-mail you back or check on your update page where it says have your dr. seen this report click on this and this will bring up names of people that have had the surgery with your DR. Some times it takes awile to find all the info. this sight has to offer. So just keep ooking or go to the chat room they will answer ques. there too.
   — Angela S.

April 2, 2001
Stephanie...this is a little off the subject...but I just wanted to share with you something very special that happened to me today....I REACHED 50 LBS LOST FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE TODAY...I am 45 years old and in 25 years I have not lost more than 20 lbs(and gained it back)...Have faith...I spent over a year researching before I had the surgery Jan 16th of this year...I feel SOOOOO good. If I were to die tom...it still would have been worth it...I'm now dreaming of myself thin for the first time in my life...I actualy am excited about the summer comming....If you're...ready GO FOR IT!!!!!!(by the way..I got progressivly more nervous as my date neared until the day before my surgery I was shaking all over..so it's normal that you get more and more nervous as your date gets closer) (LAP RNY 1/16/01 50lbs down)
   — Debora H.

April 10, 2001
First let me wish you the best. I am 40 years old with an auto-immune disorder similar to lupus. I have a 40BMI. My gallbladder is very tiny but is literally full of stones and I have a fatty liver. Since I am facing gallbladder surgery anyway, I look forward to enhancing my health with a rny. The surgery may cause my auto-immune disorder to have a flare-up but I can deal with that. So to answer your question about this type of disease, many people who have a flare-up after surgery already had the disease before surgery, only it was in a dormant state or remission. Also, I can speak of second-hand experience as my older sister had rny 7 years ago. Her complications involved a hysterectomy 6 months after her bypass. She was also so absorbed with never wanting to be obese again that she become somewhat anorexic. She also had joint damage from her obesity and had to have her knees replaced. Now ask me why I would still have surgery knowing her history. Today she looks great. If she hadn't had surgery, her medical problems would have only multiplied. I love her and she will be my greatest inspiration during my upcoming challenges. By the way, now our baby sister is also considering surgery.
   — Pamela W.

September 3, 2001
I only had my surgery 5/11/01, but I am 53 years old and have a fatty liver. It was so enlargd that the doctor was unable to do it lap. He also had to remove my gall bladder and repair a hernia. I was also a diabetic and had sleep apnea. So far I have lost 54 pounds, no longer have sleep apnea, and take NOTHING for my diabetes. No insulin, no pills. My liver is still enlarged, but I am told it goes down as long as I don't drink and stay away from fried foods. I also heard that rapid weight loss is associated with the progression of fatty liver disease, however, obesity would have surely killed me sooner!
   — Janelle H.