has anyone here had weight loss surgery?

[Thatgirl71]

If so, how is it working out for you? I went to my first seminar about it last night and am very interested in maybe having it.

Although I hate saying it, I am considered morbidly obese.

Also a diabetic the benefits of this surgery outweigh the negative. For me it is no way an easy way out. It would help lower my blood pressure, and after losing a significant amount of weight, I might be able to come off most of the meds I am on, including insulin. Thinking of all the money I'd save not having to pay for prescriptions alone is awesome. I'd like to be able to stand for longer than 4 hours at work and not be in pain and miserable at the end of the day. I'd like to travel on a plane comfortably and not be embarassed about squeezing into a seat and having to ask for a seatbelt extender. My weight is really doing a number on me.
I also know that having this surgery is NOT a cure, like any weight loss you have to work at it and work hard, which I intend to. The doctor hosting the seminar was very honest and has said that people have gone back to their bad habits and have regained some of the weight they lost, but that's only if you stop exercising and eating right. It definately is a lifestyle change and I am ready for it. I really feel like I can do this.

[blas]

My step grandmother (although nearly 6 feet tall) once weighed nearly 400 pounds.

She had gastric bypass surgery in 2008, and now keeps a weight of about 200.

[Mytical]

Not sure of the benefits for diabetics (need to do my research), but might also consider a lap band instead. Less invasive, and can be adjusted easier. If I had the money, I would probably get the surgery.

[Aislin]

DO NOT get the surgery if you are in the USA of the 24 people who had the surgery the day my dad had it all but 3 died of "obesity" within a month of the operation . Most said in the hospital less than 4 days after surgery and did not have the proper follow up care and of the 4 surgical nurses I talked to this is all too common. My father was one of the lucky ones. He was in a coma for over 3 months then spent the next 2 years learning to walk and use his hands again. Another wonderful side effect is acholism. Digestive issues created by the surgery can be crippling and malnutrition from protien loss. Please pm for more info. The gastric band and lapband are better safer options

[BookstoreEscapee]

Not sure of the benefits for diabetics (need to do my research), but might also consider a lap band instead. Less invasive, and can be adjusted easier. If I had the money, I would probably get the surgery.

I actually just saw a thing in a magazine this morning that said they lowered the recommended BMI for lap band surgery if you also have a weight-related condition such as diabetes.

[Aethian]

Two of my coworkers have had it. One I's back to where he was before and worst off. The other has lost almost 80lbs and six pant sizes. She says it's rough going specially when she tried eating one of her former favorite foods and now can't handle it.

[Heksubah]

I had lap band surgery in 2005. At the time I weighed 430 pounds. Within 9 months I had lost 100lbs and I was slower at it than my friend who went at the same time.

He was 50 and had said that rather than have a mid life crisis and buy a car he wanted to save his life. He'd had heart issues and was diabetic. He started dropping weight at an amazing rate and within a couple months they took him off coumadin and his diabetes medications. His legs had been purple from poor circulation and they cleared up after only a couple months.

As for me, exercise really helped with the weight I lost (he didn't exercise so keep in mind it really depends on the person) and once I went back into a sedentary job I started gaining again. I'm now back about where I was in weight, but I think I messed up early on and that my band may have slipped.

I'd be happy to answer any questions as my friend and I used to do seminars and he even made the news because of his miraculous loss. I know a lot about the various types of the surgery.

[Thatgirl71]

Unfortunately my insurance will not pay for the lap band or the gastric sleeve, both surgeries are still deemed by them as new. I wish I could have the lap band, believe me.
I also know there are tons of risks, including death, but at the rate I am going with my weight issues, I could die from just being overweight.
I think because I know that for myself this is the last option. I've done all the rest. I know that if I fail, that it would be MY fault and I would be held accountable.

[Victory Sabre]

A woman at work had it a little over a year ago, and she's lost 150 pounds. She still has a long way to go.

She said that it isn't a cure for the problem, but a tool to help her get to a more normal weight. If you have that attitude, you'll probably do better. Just remember to do research on the surgery. It is major surgery, and there's a chance you could die from it.

[42_42_42]

One of my cousins had it about 2 years ago. She lost weight so fast! You really have to stick to the program and eat what/when/amount they tell you to. You can't ever return to eating the way you did before, so it's a MAJOR commitment and change.

[DeltaSierra]

I have 2 friends who have had it, and while the intial weight loss was amazing, what doctors need to stress in the patients that get this (both had lap band) is it is a TOOL to help with weight loss, its not a miracle pill. Unfortunatley, neither of my friends were willing to change their lifestyles to let this tool help them, and after a couple years, they both are back to where they were before the surgery (and one is about 30 pounds heavier.) You have to be committed to living a healthy, active lifestyle, and not fall back on whatever habits that got you there in the first place. If you aren't committed to that change, then no weight loss sugery in the world will work, as the pounds will eventually come back on. I strongly recommend that anybody who is interested in this seek counselling before and after, to ensure that they have somebody to discuss their issues with, and to have a guiding hand in making sure that bad choices aren't revisited.

[1756GR2]

Two friends here, too. One had stomach reduction some years back and is doing well (except that she can't eat even a bite of a potato chip without agonizing pain...but that's a good deterrent). She had very few difficulties with it and adjusted well to new ways of eating, has kept the weight off.

Another had one of the lap band type surgeries two years ago and, though doing well now and having lost a good amount of weight, spent a solid year in hospital with serious complications and a four-month coma that twice had his family planning the funeral.

As others have said, it depends on the person and how they tolerate the procedure, and certainly depends on the individual's commitment to making the lifestyle changes that are critical to maintaining the weight loss. I wouldn't dream of making a judgment about it for someone else - get all your information, talk at length and often with your doctor about it, and decide for yourself.

[trailerparkmedic]

This is totally not a medical opinion so don't take it as such.

There are risks with any major medical procedure. However, you already have some serious diseases that present long term risks for your health that could be fixed or lessened by the surgery. You have to weigh the risks of gastric bypass vs the long term risks that your diseases pose.

One of my cousins had some sort of surgery--I don't know if it was lap band or gastric bypass or what. She did very well for the first year or so, and she lost almost all the extra weight. Then she went back to her old ways and gained most of the weight back. You are really making a commitment to major, life long changes.

[AriGriffin]

My Mom, Grandma (Dad's Mom), Aunt (Mom's Oldest Sister), and a friend of the family have had the gastric bypass surgery. Mom had hers a little over a year ago. She has gone from 330s (3X shirt) to 220s (18/20 shirt). She is still on medication for diabetes and all the other meds she was on before plus the vitamins needed after the surgery.
Mom has said if she had to do it all over again, she wouldn't. She said the protein shakes were the worst part of the process. Well, that and having to buy new clothes when she couldn't afford to and not being able to eat certain foods (milk and biscuits).
My aunt has lost some weight but gained most of it back.
I haven't seen my Grandma in years, but from her letters/photos she is keeping the weight off.
The friend has kept the weight off and is doing well but he was in the hospital after the surgery for a while due to complications.

Try looking into http://www.sparkpeople.com/ You can keep track of what you eat and what you do for exercise, learn new recipes/exercises, and have a support system- all for free.

[AccountingDrone]

Let me chime in here ... going by the wife of a friend that had the procedure done [lap band]

She has to constantly eat, her pocket is microscopic, like 2 bites of food. She can't drink at the same time she eats something. In the summer she has dehydration issues because of this.

her recommendation is to spend a couple weeks eating exactly as if you have had the procedure done, to see if you can do it comfortably.

I told my doctor that I would not consider it in the slightest, as I follow the nutritionists food plan scrupulously, and I can't eat any *less* so trying to make me eat less would be very unhealthy for me. The minimum size I would require is 12 oz, which is about the size of one of my 6 minimeals of the day. The doc's contention was that amount was so close to the *normal* size of the human stomach, it would be silly to operate on me for that and he would *require* at most 4 oz ... I am not going to deal with a doctor that has unreasonable requirements for me. If I get dehydrated, my freaking pseudogout flares up. I am not going to spend my life in pain, thanks/


[and i would like to point out from watching a friend of my parents who had the old style cut the stomach to pieces version back in the 80s that you can still manage to eat totally unhealthily on a tiny stomach ... he gained weight]