Question:
Do the downfalls outweigh the benefits?

I am 236 pounds but am very active, have no co-morbitites, and generally get along great in life. I feel healthy, except for this extra "little" 100 pounds I'm carrying. I'm just wondering if after the surgery will I eventually feel as good as I do now, or will I always have to deal with new health issues, such as eating and bowel problems, etc? Or, will I eventually feel even better than now? My sugery date is Dec. 5th. Maybe I'm just nervous?    — Marnie K. (posted on October 26, 2000)

October 25, 2000
Marnie, the fact that you are active, happy with yourself and have no co-morbs actually make you a great candidate for WLS. My impression is that you are considering this for your health rather than appearance, or a way to 'fix' your life. To be honest, I really didn't feel the effects of obesity until I was about 260 lbs., when my knees began to ache. At your weight, I was comfortable too. But, something else I had no control over crept in...I was getting older. And as you age, it makes it more difficult to lose weight and keep it off. To answer your question, I feel great 3 months after surgery, almost as if I never had it. In fact, I feel better than I have in the last 5 years. I have no bowel problems whatsoever; in fact, because I make better choices in eating, I would say that I have almost no gas, constipation, diarrhea and tummy upset. Before WLS, these were common occurences. I have no eating difficulties either (although I wonder if I did if I would lose weight faster...hmmm?) I'm still awaiting the results of my 3 month bloodwork, but if I don't hear from them, I'm fine. My knees no longer hurt and I can last several hours on my feet again. If you feel good now, just wait until you have WLS...you won't believe how much better you can feel!
   — Allie B.

October 26, 2000
Marnie, Take a look at my profile. I started out at 228 and am now 135. I was always active too but the weight put a toll on my body. I developed bilateral plantar fascitis(which is a tearing on the tendons in the feet). I had tried to play basketball and all this weight injured my feet. I've had high blood pressure for 10 years. I'm just 41 but felt 100. Yes, I did my surgery at a "smaller" size than most. But I did meet the morbid obesity definition. My quality of life was getting bad. I couldn't tie my shoes without be- coming short of breath. Self-esteem rock bottom. I'm wearing a size 6 dress today at work. I've been off blood pressure meds for 4 months. I gave blood today(iron was good). I can run for 35 minutes without stopping(about 3-4 miles). Yes, it's been worth to me. Good luck. I got a new pic up, yall go see..Lou Ann J.
   — Lou Ann J.

October 26, 2000
You've asked some good questions. I'll offer a little food for thought. First of all, I applaud you for considering this option now when you're 236 and not 336. When I had my surgery on May 10, 2000, I weighed 298 - the heaviest I have ever been. At some point in my life I weighed 236 like you. At some point in my life as a teenager, I weighed 125 which is what my goal weight is. My point is that I have been steadily gaining weight since adolescense. As my weight climbed in adulthood (I am now 36), I was very much in denial of what my weight was doing to me healthwise. In the last 3 years I have developed sleep apnea and diabetes. Would I have developed those problems if I had dealt with the weight at 236? No way for me to know for sure and I don't waste time putting myself on a guilt trip. I now weigh 214, and I am feeling the best I have ever felt in a long time. I can't wait to lose the rest and feel even better. Because even though I feel great, the fact is that I am still 90 pounds too heavy. Granted, it's better than 175 pounds too heavy, but nonetheless, it's not healthy. I too am and always have been a very active person. But I finally admitted to myself that my health was really interferring with the activities I find important. You say that you have no co-morbidities. Bravo! But I challenge you to really look at that statement. I developed the attitude of "suck it up and deal with it - don't let things slow you down". This was another part of my denial. I wanted to pretend that getting older meant being out of breath more often and having "arthritic" joint pain. I didn't want to admit that "normal" sized people don't usually have these issues. I learned to live with all my little ailments because if I didn't, that would mean never stepping out of the house. Well, when I hit 300 pounds and feeling like 70 instead of 36, I realized something needed to be done. I think after the surgery you will feel even better than you do now. Yes, there are people who develop complications, but they are the minority not majority. In the first few months after surgery, it took my body a while to adjust which brought on very temporary things like occasional constipation, but nothing has happened that my body hasn't adjusted to. It's important to be patient with yourself. Best of luck to you. I think you're making a decision to insure your long term health and happiness!
   — Paula G.

October 26, 2000
I agree with the other posts is what they have said, but they have left a little unsaid also. Although I have lost more than 70# in 4 months (70 more to go), it has not been without some drawbacks. I often feel a bit queasy until about noon. I have tried eating many different things for breakfast, and yet it persists, even though I now take Prilosec.(Did not have this problem before surgery) I think about food much more often now because of the difficulty sometimes of finding something that will agree with me when out or in a hurry. I have not yet gotten back to feeling as good as I did emotionally before the surgery. But, on the other hand, my joints no longer hurt and I fit into all chairs. You alone must make the choice, and decide that you will live and work with the results. Good Luck.
   — [Anonymous]

October 26, 2000
Will I eventually feel even better than now? I don't know how you feel about carrying around 100 extra pounds.. But I was carrying around little over 200 pounds extra weight... Let me give you a test on your bones lift a 100 pound bag of potatoes... That's what you're carrying around with you all day every day.. How can you not feel better after that's gone... Your back and knees will thank you..Also who is to say that you will stop at that 100 pounds over weight.. Mine crept up on me also 100 pounds first then 50 more then 50 more... Now, as far as eating habits you will be able to eat as normal as you do now with some modifications.. I don't eat sugar at all once I got off it and I don't want to ever go back... My portions are small and very satisfying I feel very full for hours and very satisfied..It's the same mind set satisfaction because full is full no matter the stomach or pouch size.... As far as meals go I miss a thing, because, I eat what ever I want, I do make smart choices and cook health smart low carb, no sugar, low fat.. I'm like Barb in that I only threw up twice early on post-op both times my fault for waiting to long to eat and wolfing down my meal. Once I learned that no more problems at all ... My stool habits are once every 3 days or so.. very normal given the amount of food I ingest. I have never had diarrhea.. AND I have less gas now then I did prior to surgery.. maybe that has to do with food choices I'm sure.. The main issue I would think is can you loose this weight on your own? And do diets work? To sum this up... no one can make this decision for you BUT you..... I wish you luck in what ever you decide. <p> Open RNY/Fobi 12/8/99 Beginning Wreight 367 now 197 Dr. Husted, M.D. Nashville, TN.
   — Victoria B.

October 26, 2000
Dear Marnie, So happy for you that you have a date! I started at 233 lbs, 5' 6" so I was right on the qualifying line... at age 39 my co-morbidities were not "serious" yet like some people. However, every few months I was gaining and if I dieted I would gain even more. Most of my life I weighed about 125... until I hit my mid 30's and the weight began to come unmerciful. This is a pattern in my family on both sides. I lost my brother at 39 of a massive heart attack, my uncle is in ICU as I write this at 64 with no hope to survive... high blood pressure and type II diabeties complicating a stroke, followed by two more and his heart is in bad shape... I could go on and on with the family history... in the end you would only see that we don't live long lives. I chose to have this surgery "early" in my "obese" life so that I wouldn't (maybe) have as many complications after and so that I could watch my grand children graduate from high school and maybe even college!!! The biggest thing I noticed and the biggest risk I took is that my 3 year old grand daughter lives with us. If something happened to me... she wouldn't have anyone... however... if all went well (and it did beyond my imagination) I would be able to play with her, run after her and be the type of person she deserves in her life. We go to the park and now my rear-end fits in the swing! My next goal is to fit my rear-end into the slide. Today I can help out at the carnival at her school without worrying about getting winded or too hot and dizzy... I can manage many children at once... HEY! I can cross my leg's!!! I can drive my little red sports car that sat in the garage for the last year while I was getting too big to fit in the seat belt or the seat for that matter! The only issues I have with eating is I'm never really hungry and I run around so much I have to remember to eat on time. Have never had any bowel problems (pre-op I was IBS for more than a year) No acid reflux and my GERD has cleared up completely post-op. My "fat" related depression is all but gone because now I have hope. I've only lost 45 lbs so far but have gone from a 22W to a 16 in a little over 2 months. I'm not embarrised to go outside... and no one has asked me if I'm expecting in months!!! I actually fit into a bathing suit and plan to start water arobics in the next week or two, I ride my NEW bike every day and it is SO much fun!!! My before and afters don't "look" all that big of a deal yet but I love my new life. I love not having to look for a chair at an event that won't break under my weight and I don't mind going out to eat with friends (no more booth problems.) I could have waited a year and another 100 lbs to do this but "why"? ~denise 'n Texas 8-18-00 and -45#'s <a href=http://www.geocities.com/wls_denise/postindex.html">Home page</a>
   — blank first name B.

October 27, 2000
Marnie ... I think you might be onto something by thinking it's nerves. Your post seems like a variation on the "well, maybe if I just diet one more time ..." symphony we've all played. And, because you don't have noticeable problems today doesn't mean you won't get them tomorrow. And, if your diet experience is like most of the rest of ours, the second you go off it you'll more than likely start gaining back every ounce you lost -- and find homes for more than a few of their friends too. I speak from experience -- in 1990, I lost 100 pounds and swore from my lips to God's ear I'd never be fat again. Long story short -- within nine years I'd not only gained back every ounce of the 100 pounds, but I also gained another 70 on top of that. DIETS DON'T WORK, and they especially don't work for those classified as "morbidly obese", even if you don't have co-morbidities. As my surgeon puts it: if you took 100 randomly selected morbidly obese individuals, ALL of them would lose weight with a restricted diet and exercise. However (the mother of all howevers, in my opinion), only THREE of them would keep the weight off for more than a year. In other words, diet and exercise FAILS in 97% of the cases involving morbid obesity. As for myself, in the six months since my surgery, I've lost 108 pounds, four clothing sizes, a shoe size, and I've gained the ability to walk for hours, play with my kids, bend over without nearly fainting, tie my shoes without getting winded ... the list goes on and on. I felt good before, more or less, but I feel FABULOUS now. Good luck on the 5th!
   — Cheryl Denomy