Bariatric (Gastric Bypass) surgery experiences? (1 Viewer)

[Sam Posten]

Kinda surprised I havent seen this subject come up before, at least if it did I missed it....

Seriously considering having some form of Bariatric surgery. I'm aware there are multiple different kinds with wildly varying pros and cons to each. I'm curious as to whether anyone here has had personal experiences that they can share. Alternatively, pointers to favorite web resources would be good too, as I have found a few helpful ones but most searches return direct links to individual surgeons. I'm not interested in picking my doctor by choosing the one that paid the most to Yahoo =/

BTW, in case its not clear, I am interested in hearing experiences bot positive and negative, as applicable.

Thanks!

Sam

 

[DonRoeber]

I have no direct experince with this, but one of my friends is getting it done soon. I'm kinda worried about it actually. She's 26, and this is going to seriosuly impact her life, for the rest of her life. She's heavy yeah, but she's never tried dieting or exercising or anything to lose weight by herself. She's just going to pay to have her problems go away. Supposedly it won't have any affect on her ability to provide nutrients to a baby when she decides to have children, but I have my doubts.

She's getting it done in a month or so, so I can provide you with an update then, if you want one.

 

[Sam Posten]

I've read a few articles that deal with the 'phenomenon' of people viewing Bariatrics as a quick fix, but that doesnt really apply in my case. Morbid obesity is described as being more than 100 pounds overweight, and I am considerably past that, and if my weight is not somehow contained, will surely be the death of me. I have 'done' diets for most of my life, but none have ever worked for more than the lenth of time that I was on them. That is, almost immediately after going off them, I shot right back up.

I am prepared for a very unpleasant and painful aftermath, and am committed to augmenting it with both healthy eating and exercise. I can only hope that the surgery helps maintain that committment for longer than previous diets have, which is alleged to be its strong point. =)

Sam

 

[Eric_L]

I admire you for realizing the urgency of doing something and considerng even extreme measures. I have no experience to offer, but I too find irreversible surgery scary. Having to take nutritional suppliments for life....

Have you considered other radical options? Hypnotism? medication? eating at subway?

 

[Greg_R]

My cousin's wife had this surgery and nearly died. She was in critical condition for weeks and finally got out of the hospital after 4 months. It was some form of recurring infection (we think her bowel may have been nicked during surgery, the doctor didn't think so but was covering his a**). This isn't a simple outpatient surgery. If you are really going to go forward with this I would find the best surgeon to perform the operation. The good news is that she has already lost ~ 90lbs.

 

[Stefan A]

My stepmother and stepsister had this done. Yes, you can lose a lot of weight. But, your mind has not been changed. You can fill up on cookies, or you can fill up on proper food and still lose weight (as I witnessed). They each had 2 different forms of the surgery. One had a gastric bypass and one had a stomach stapeling. With the bypass, I think there is an extreme amount of gas. With the stapeling, I think there is stretching out over time. I don't think the stomach stretches out to full size again, but enough to make you gain weight if you don't change your lifestyle.

Again, these were just my observations.

Stefan

 

[Brian Perry]

I have 'done' diets for most of my life, but none have ever worked for more than the lenth of time that I was on them. That is, almost immediately after going off them, I shot right back up.

I am prepared for a very unpleasant and painful aftermath, and am committed to augmenting it with both healthy eating and exercise.

Before undertaking such a serious procedure, I would make sure I was truly committed to the lifestyle changes. You mentioned that diets had some success and that it was going off of them that was your downfall. After having the surgery, do you think you will have the motivation to stay within a healthier regimen? Do people who have had liposuction suddenly start exercising and eating right or do they get complacent?

Whatever you do, I wish you the best.

 

[Brian Harnish]

I would like to chime in. Keep in mind, I'm not bashing surgery or anything -- just voicing my own opinion on the surgery and showing that surgery isn't the only option for weight loss. I think anyone with dedication and commitment doesn't have to go through surgery to reach their weight loss goals.

I am a perfect example of losing weight . Let me explain:

In July of last year I weighed 266 lbs. at 5'10.5". I got sick and tired of being sick and not being able to do energetic things and so I went on the Body For Life program and never looked back. Today, I am at 202 lbs. and I still have about 27 more to lose to reach my ultimate weight loss goal: 170-175. However, it CAN be done. Of course, you have to make lifestyle CHANGES. Not just temporary changes. Of course, you definitely *ARE* going to gain the weight back when you go back to unhealthy eating. There's no way around that unless you commit to CHANGING your mind and CHANGING your habits. Healthy habits = weight loss and overall good health. Unhealthy habits = fat gain, risks for diabetes, coronary disease, high blood pressure, and a host of other diseases associated with being overweight or obese.

One of my observations about the weight-loss world is that many people are looking for a quick fix. They will buy the latest exercise gadgets and latest supplements or take risky surgery in the hopes of shedding those lbs. in a matter of days as the advertisement states. When it doesn't work, they get depressed or discouraged and go back to their own unhealthy way of eating and gain even more weight back. While this does not bode well for anyone's health, it, unfortunately, remains a prevalent way for advertisers to make money.

While I cannot make decisions for you, I hope you consider doing the Body For Life program by Bill Phillips and seeing what you can do to lose weight the healthy way. Of course, you will need to keep motivated and have a lot of patience to be able to do this. IMO, it is much safer and healthier to change your habits and watch the lbs. melt away than having "instant" surgery. For me, my motivation is finally being able to see that six pack of abs and be in optimum health. I'd MUCH rather do it the natural, healthy way than risk potential problems during and after surgery. However, that is only my preference. I urge you to give at least a three month commitment to changing your habits before undergoing surgery. You'll be surprised at how much weight you can lose and how you can change your habits in just three months.

If you need help and motivation, check out John Stone's (member here at the HTF) transformation photos and weight loss information on his site: http://www.twowiresthin.com/

Of course, if you also need other resources, please let me know and I'll give you the links.

 

[Richard Travale]

IMO, it is much safer and healthier to change your habits and watch the lbs. melt away than having "instant" surgery

Do you people honestly believe that someone goes in for surgery at 400 pounds and comes out 4 hours later at 170?
It will still take a good two years and a lot of hard work to lose the weight. Bariatric surgery is just a tool to aid you in weight loss. You still have to change your way of eating and living habits for it to be successful.

 

[Brian Harnish]

Do you people honestly believe that someone goes in for surgery at 400 pounds and comes out 4 hours later at 170?

Richard, it is not my intention to flame, but please read my post again. I wrote the word instant with quotes around it for a reason.

 

[Richard Travale]

I wrote the word instant with quotes around it for a reason.

Well, maybe I'm just thick as the quotes didn't really explain what you meant by "Instant" to me.

 

[Simon_Lepine]

My sister had this surgery last year. I was against it early on but now I'm happy for her. She lost over 140 pounds with it and she seems quite happy with herself these days. It wasn't easy in the beginning, she was vomiting often when she ate too much, but she seems to handle it better now.

You should try it as a last resort though, my sister tried diet and exercise for years but it didn't help much. It's not the best solution, but at one point in your life,if you doctor tells your life expectancy is 40 years if you don't change something ...

Of course this doesn't take care of the psychological aspect, it was my main problem with my sister doing this, but it helps because it's such a drastic measure it's a huge kick in the butt.

 

[Sam Posten]

Hello thread resurection.

Just reporting that I had my roux en y Gastirc Bypass on tuesday, was released yesterday, and am here to tell the tale on HTF today =) I'm on liquids till next thursday, at which time I hope to move to pureed foods.

The surgery is not for everyone. I have the best of intentions and good willpower to make it a life long change, and am excited to get past the pain and into my new life.

Good luck to any of you out there considering it. Best advice i can give is to go to www.obesityhelp.com and see what options are open to you. I could no longer function as an obese person and decided that no matter what the results were that I would proceed with a positive attitude. So far so good, will keep you all up to date as I go on.

First meeting with my Bariatric Surgeon I weighed 423 pounds, the most in my life.

The day of my surgery I was down to 401.5, not quite the under 400 I set as my goal, but close enough. Now begins the real journey!

Sam

 

[Sam Posten]

PS, check the date on the first post in this thread!

 

[Garrett Lundy]

No blending Pepperoni pizzas! (FX joke, sorry)

 

[D. Scott MacDonald]

A guy that I know had this surgery (he may want to chime in since he is a member of the forum). As far as I can tell, if you are grossly overweight and have tried just about everything else, then this surgery could be a good option. This person has lost about 230lbs, but the surgery itslef almost killed him (it was pretty touch and go there for a few days). After the initial badness, however, it has definitely changed his life for the better.

 

[BrianB]

Can I ask why you chose gastric bypass over something like lapband?

 

[Citizen87645]

Hey, glad to hear you made it through the surgery. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[D. Scott MacDonald]

Can I ask why you chose gastric bypass over something like lapband?

I obviously cannot answer for Posten and I don't know any of his specifics, but when my friend had it done, the insurance company pretty much dictated the procedure. They were spending a lot of money to help lower the risks associated with obesity, and they certainly wanted to make sure that the obesity was dealt with. I have no idea if this was a factor in this case or not, however.

 

[BrianB]

I know a lot of insurance companies aren't covering lapband (particularly Blue Cross), however more & more are - United HealthCare are big pushers of it now as the costs are lower to them vs the gastric bypass with a much less invasive initial procedure.

My wife had lapband surgery last year covered by insurance.