Who Ahs Been Through It

Hi Elenor,

I went through this in July 2004, like everyone else the 1st few weeks you are uncomfortable from the gas bloat, since they fill you up to lift the organs out of the way in order to perform the stapling. I will be 40 in August and decided to have another child, which I am pretty nervous about because I know I am constantly at a nutritional deficiency. I have an apt with my doc next week and I believe I'm one month along. I would love to talk with you, my email is ____@____.com we get on a personal level I can tell you about my experience. I went from 267 to 168 at my lowest and now am about 180 (or so I think, I'm scared to weight myself lately and things are getting a little snug :)).

Please consider instead getting an adjustible gastric band (lapband). It is MUCH safer. There is no easy way, you have to work at it no matter what, but it is a great tool to help you if you need it.
http://www.vegetarianbandster.com

Good luck!

Elenor, I had open RNY surgery on 12/2001. I have lost almost 200lbs and have kept it off. Yes, surgery is only a tool, you still have to fight your demonds. I will suggest that you seek therapy before and after surgery to learn how to deal with your eating disorder. I don't know what yours is, but I am a compulsive eater, specially under stress. I have learned to deal with the triggers and find other ways to satisfy them.

All in all, I have been blessed that it is almost 7 years and have not had any complications and have been able to keep the weight off.

Good luck and if you would like more information or just support send me an email, always happy to help out.

I have not had the surgery myself, but have a very good friend who did. I also know two women who had it done around the same time. Very different results. Just like anyone does to lose weight you have to change your life style. If you don't you will end up not liking the results. My friend didn't do anything different and while she is not as big as she use to be, she has not changed her eating habits at all and is bigger than she wants to be. The two ladies who had it done at the same time-one followed her diet she was suppose to after and looks great. The other has not really lost any weight. So like I said just like diet and exercise it takes work the same way.

I had my gastric bypass surgery in April of 2002 and do not regret it. Your recovery all depends on whether they can do laproscopic or if the have to fully cut you open. They have you on your feet right after surgery and zi was feeling better but still could not lift more then 10 lbs after 3 weeks and went back to work after 6 weeks. i recommend the doctors over at Valley Care. i have a great surgeon Dr. Estakria she is awesome and has been doing them quite a while.

J.

I had it about 4 years ago. I lost over 100 lbs, and feel much better. It is as successful as you make it, use it as a tool and know that it isn't the holy grail...You have to put the effort into it. The first year is the key, you will lose the majority of your weight in that first year without much effort, so the more effort you put into it the more you lose.
As far as recovery, it depends on the surgery. I had the open surgery, but still felt good enough to go back to work in two weeks. I was only in the hospital over night.
I had high blood pressure, which is now gone.

As you can see it can be very successful but as one responder mentioned it can also be devastating. You need to truly understand why you are overweight. If there is any unresolved emotional component, surgery will not make that go away and it may very likely manifest itself in a new addiction at some point down the road. Due to the fact that fluid intake is not limited as a result of the surgery alcoholism is a fairly common replacement as I understand it. If you have any history of alcoholism in your family or other addictive behaviors I would be even more careful.

Regardless of whether you feel there are unresolved emotional components to your weight I would suggest getting some therapy. After the surgery you will have a whole new image and the world will have a whole new image of you. Make sure you've set yourself up with good emotional support before you take the steps to make these changes happen.

Good luck and more power to you for wanting to take action and take control of your weight.

C.

My sister-in-law traded one addiction (e.g., food) for another - alcohol and has ended up with tremendous health problems. We are not sure if she will make it. She just came home from the hospital yesterday after weeks of battling for her life. She now will have a nurse come-in 3 days a week to help her recover – if ever. She developed ulcers and a blood infection, as well as alcohol induced hepatitis C. Her biggest issue now is that she just can’t eat enough food to help herself heal.

My advice would be to find out why you have ended up with weight issues (emotional eating, compulsive eating, poor eating habits, etc.) and fix them. Spend your time at the therapist’s office rather than the quick fix.

Hi my name is Joann Z. and my husband had the gastric bypass 3 yrs ago. The recovery was not to bad he was down from work for about 3 wks. But it is different for everyone!! He is very sucessful; he started at 500lbs and is now at 175 which is to small so were trying to put some back on but it doesn't seem to happen!! The women that we met that had the surgery looked so awsome you would have never guessed that they were ever over weight. You have to be totaly dedicated and do the arobics and eat what they suggest and it will work for you!! If you choose to do it I wish you the best of luck and do it for yourself!!

Sincerely,

Joann Z.

My co-worker was off work for 6 weeks when she had it. It was successful. It would be more successful if she ate healthier, but some habits die hard I suppose.
Off topic, I saw your note about having time to yourself? I really like what I've found on www.flylady.com hope it may help you too. Good luck!
K

Hello, I have had the Vertical ring, r -y- bypass. This is the procedure they did on me. I had surgery in 2000. I have lost 188 lbs, and I have kept it off. I have had NO problems. I knew I had to lose weight, and to do that, I had to change my whole way of life. I thought of the surgery for 2 yrs before I had it. I did not let my family know, hey would have talked me out of it. One of my friends took me to my appts, to the hospital and they came and took me home. My daughter took care of me for 2 weeks, then I could get up and around on my own. I had a wonderful surgeon, Dr Jamshid Nazarian, in Beverly Hills. The people at Temple Community Hosp. were the greatest. Surfe, there are different foods you can eat, and cannot eat, but, that is the way in anything. I REALLY WOULD DO IT AGAIN !!! If you would like to email me, it is ____@____.com. I would be glad to answer any questions you have. I have also worked in the medical field since 1969. Good Luck, and enjoy being you !!! P.

I had the Bypass surgery on Jan 10, 2007. I was the best thig that ever happened to me. I have a 5 years daughter with more engery than I thought possible. I couldn't get off the couch to play with her. I had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Kaiser Permanente requires almost 1 year of classes and you must lose 10% of your body weight before they will do surgery. I feel you have to do this to prepare yourself. I know poeple who just had the surgery with preparation and did not do well.
I have lost over 130 pounds, my blood pressure is in the low normal range, cholesterol is normal and the diabetes is GONE! You will only regret that you didn't do it sooner. I have surgery at 10a on Jan 10 and was discharged at 7 on Jan 11. I was back at work 2 weeks later but was ready about 5 days after surgery. if you are mental, emotional and physically ready GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear E.,
What if you could spend the money the surgery would cost you to get on a program that improves your health, rather than compromises it like surgery would? Would it be worth $280 a month to lose the weight and regain great health and increased energy with super foods that your family could eat too? Would changing your lifestyle be the ultimate answer as it gives a better message to your children? Please go to this web site,www.drspeaksout.com, and then call me at ###-###-#### and tell me if you think this could be a better alternative to your surgery. Anything non-invasive is far better in the long run and bypass patients still need this kind of help to get as close to healthy as possible. Please consider something safer for the sake of your family.
in love and light,
A. Papangellin
###-###-####

E.,

I have not been throught it personally but my Aunt has. She had it done the first of last year and has been in and out of the hospital serveral times and almost died. Since her ordeal, I have decided against doing it myself. The problems that she has had to me were not worth the chance. I know others who have had it and are ok but it is still a scary thing.

Good Luck,

W. C.

I haven't been through it, but I am an RN and I have seen numerous people who have. PLEASE research this very carefully before you consider it. The post-surgical complications are considered "normal" and they are life long. A new research article has just come out about the high correlation of suicide among people who have had this done. You also need to know that this surgery would be illegal for anyone but the obese due to the high mortality rate Up to 50% of the people die in the first 6 months.
I am also very big and considered "morbidly obese". I will NEVER have this done. It is too dangerous and the quality of you life goes down the toilet. You can not drink when you eat; it is one or the other. This is a very isolating thing that makes what and how much you eat a lifetime obsession. You are forever isolated from the social occasions that revolve around dinner. For every "success" story you find, I could tell you 3 about people who are always sick from this, had necrosis in their abdomen from the tangles in their guts, or died from infection.
You are no doubt beautiful just as you are...you only need to accept that. It is far more important to be fit than thin. Stay active (not that you have much choice) and enjoy every minute of your life now (instead of waiting for "someday when I lose the weight"). Also check out this website http://www.fatso.com. Good luck.

E.,

Being obese myself, I have struggled with the pros and cons of this surgery too. I have decided against it for the following reasons:
1. every surgery brings a risk of serious complications, including death, and my family needs me
2. I have seen two people in my life have this surgery, and it went badly
When I say badly, I don't mean they didn't lose weight, because they did, but that the abject misery they were in wasn't worth it. It changed my female friend permanently, She is in pain still (5 years later), doesn't laugh or smile like she used to, has had to have 2 follow surgeries to correct adhesions from the surgery. My male cousin had it as well. He lost too much weight and couldn't stop. He was depressed and he ended up committing suicide (not entirely from the operation, but it was a component).
I know it turns out well for some people, but why take the chance like that?
I wish you well, whatever your decision.

I have not gone thru the procedure myself but I am my mother's caregiver. She had the surgery 5 years ago in May. She was 45 years old, 5'10", 297lbs, with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and chronic pain from 3 back surgeries.
Since the surgery she has had numerous health problems related to the bypass, starting with an ulcer and hernia within 2 months of the procedure.
She lost 120 lbs to start out with which we thought was wonderful. What we didn't know at the time is that along with not absorbing the extra fats and calories she also was not absorbing enough of the vitamins and minerals she needed to live from the food she was eating.
She is chronically dehydrated and malnurished no matter what or how much she eats or drinks. She takes a liquid vitamin twice a day, chewable calcium twice a day, a sublingual vitamin every other day, and I give her weekly vitamin b-1 & b-12 shots. Without these she could die.
She is very weak and uncoordinated. She has parkinson's like tremors in her hands. She has broken both ankles multiple times because her legs don't always work. She has to change clothes multiple times a day because she spills everything she tries to drink.
She still has to do her blood glucose tests multiple times a day so that her blood sugar does not get too low.
I know there are many many people out there that have had this surgery with no problems, but there are almost as many that have the same kinds of problems as my mother. You have children you need to think of. If you are willing to modify you diet and lifestyle for the new stomache the bypass will give you, then do it without the surgery and you will have much safer results. See a dietician and trainer instead of a surgeon.

Of course this is just MY opinion, from MY experience. You make up your own mind.

Hi E.,

My mom had gastric bypass five years ago...so have my two uncles and one cousin (I guess you'd say obesity runs in our family!). They've all had great success, but this was after trying truly every other option and the change in lifestyle afterward is not neccessarily easy. No carbonated beverages and very small meals that aren't too high in fat or sugar or you get very ill. Some people have a bigger struggle with this change and develop other unhealthy habits. So, it is a big decision.

I don't have a lot of recollection of the recovery time (I was a newlywed and have since had a baby, so my memory is shot!), but I think that should be easy to find out with a little research. I was living with my mom at the time and I do remember that she needed some help for a while, but mostly it was obvious stuff like lifting things for her and preparing broths and jello for her (this was all she could eat for a little while). There were also a couple times that I helped her change her bandages, but nothing too scary.

If you're in the Tri-valley area, I recommend checking into Valley Care's program: http://www.valleycare.com/programs/bariatrics.html
This is where my mom had her surgery and she received great care and a lot of support. My mom's surgeon was Mary E. Estakhri, M.D. and she's lovely and highly respected. You can find some testimonials, etc. on the site as well.

Bariatric surgery is not the only way, but it really helped people in my family. I would say none of them regret it and they're all looking fabulous.

I hope this is helpful to you...best of luck to you.

Hi E.,

I had the RNY laproscopic gastric bypass surgery in February 2002, and within two years had lost 140 pounds and gotten down to below my goal weight. Unfortunately I developed a bleeding ulcer as a result of the surgery. Also my stoma closed up a little, which prevented food from passing through, so it would just get stuck in there. These problems were scary and painful and -- I WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT!! It was the first time in over a decade that I could walk around and not feel like everyone was staring at the fat girl.
I would recommend this surgery to everyone who is thinking of doing it. It changed my life. If you ever have any questions, or just need support from someone who's been there, feel free to email me anytime. Good luck!