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Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 8:50:50 AM

SweetSarijane

Posts: 3788
Joined: 10/7/2005
From: KC area Missouri
Status: offline

I would like feedback from those who've had weight loss surgery whether bands or gastric bypass, etc. I am now going through the process to get approval from my insurance to have it done. I have tried low carb and other diets and can only seem to lose so much and then no more no matter what I do and the weight is damaging my knees and other areas. I am overall save for my knees in decent health and shape for my size. I work out at my gym 3+ days a week which helps a lot, but I have reached the point of surgical weight loss being likely the only way I can finally drop the weight I need to lose.

I think hearing stories of those who've gone through it will help me better prepare for it and I will appreciate any feedback given. Thank you.

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RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 10:27:12 AM

cuddleheart50

Posts: 9718
Joined: 2/20/2006
From: Kentucky
Status: offline

Well, I have never had the surgery, but a friend of mine has, and she lost alot of weight, and looks really great now. But, in my opinion, she looked really great before she lost the weight.

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RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 10:44:03 AM

sasshay

Posts: 38
Joined: 3/5/2006
Status: offline

Hi Sarah, I had the gastric bypass 11 years ago and the weight is still off. I lost 162 lbs. People ask me if it was worth it. I say yes and no. Because, back then I was one of the "pioneers" of the surgery. I have an incision scar from stem to stern. So it was very painful and tough to recover. But it ended up saving my life (in more ways than one) because a year later I became ill when a rare birth defect that finally became obvious. If I'd gone to the ER overweight, they would have said it was heart burn and sent me home and then later die. I ended up losing one foot of intestine. So, I know they took me seriously. Overweight people are in pain in so many ways. It took a year for me to realize I'd been in pain (my knees are permanently damaged from carrying so much weight around for so long.) because with the weight loss it disappeared. My mom had the laparoscopy surgery in October 2005 and has since lost over 100 pounds. My brother is developing diabetes from obesity and will most likely have the band surgery. If you are approved for the surgery, I have 2 suggestions. Listen to your doctor and dietician. Do EVERYTHING they tell you to do. The other suggestion is walk, walk, walk when you are able to get around. Take your supplements. I hope this helps you. :)

Sherry

_____________________________

It's not the size of the dog in the fight
it's the size of the fight in the dog.
~Mark Twain~

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Post #: 3

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 11:37:14 AM

GentleDominantx2

Posts: 34
Joined: 12/10/2004
From: Canada
Status: offline

We are in the process of this surgery. As well two of our close friends have had this done. I hestitate to give any information on the board however if you'd like to mail, please feel free.

GDx2

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Post #: 4

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 2:10:03 PM

proudsub

Posts: 6142
Joined: 1/31/2004
From: Washington
Status: offline

My sister-in-law and nephew both had it and they are doing great. My sister-in-law had to have a lot of plastic surgery for the loose skin, so check to see if your insurance will cover that if it is needed. Also, she likes to drink and found she gets drunk much quicker now with such a small stomach. Good luck with it.

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"Without goals you become what you were. With goals you become what you wish." .

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Post #: 5

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 3:47:28 PM

sub4hire

Posts: 6775
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline

There are pro's and cons. I think as time goes on they are becomming a little more educated on it all.
I have had 7 friends die due to issues with the surgery. However...about the same amount who had it with very few issues.
A couple who have thrown up everything they ate for the first year. Though that is also something they are supposedly working the bugs out of.
A friend had lap band and hasn't lost an ounce yet.

I've never had it and won't ever have it...though I suggest you research the doctor who is going to do it. Also are there support groups and counseling available to you before and after.
It seems the key to having a successful surgery is the more research the better.

(in reply to SweetSarijane)

Post #: 6

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 4:59:50 PM

SweetSarijane

Posts: 3788
Joined: 10/7/2005
From: KC area Missouri
Status: offline

Hi Sherry,

I know how that scar looks believe me. My Mother, Father and brother all had the Mason gastric bypass done between 1979 and 1981 and they all had the loooong scar. Mom had problems quite often keeping food down while my brother and Dad had only minimal problems that way. My Dad was so heavy that besides the stitches to close the big incision, he also had 6 big plastic clamps stitched over the incision in various places to help keep it closed. I know that things have come a long way in the years since and learning of more recent, in the last 5-10 or so years, experiences of weight loss surgery I believe will help me make a better informed decision. I would rather learn as much as I can before than go in blind so to speak. I very much appreciate your input. Thank you.

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Deviant Mind
Wild Side Readers KCSass

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Post #: 7

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 5:03:05 PM

SweetSarijane

Posts: 3788
Joined: 10/7/2005
From: KC area Missouri
Status: offline

proudsub,

That is something that has concerned me as well, loose skin from rapid weight loss and I will be checking on possible plastic surgery but am hoping to avoid that being a necessity. I work out regularly including abdominal excercises and hope to be back doing my work outs as soon as possible after the surgery if all works out for me to have it.

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Deviant Mind
Wild Side Readers KCSass

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Post #: 8

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 5:07:54 PM

SweetSarijane

Posts: 3788
Joined: 10/7/2005
From: KC area Missouri
Status: offline

sub4hire,

Yes, I will be asking lots of questions of and about the doctor(s) I end up going to for this. Besides the family members I mentioned having the Mason gastric bypass, I know of 4 other family friends who had it. Of the 4, only 1 did well and kept the weight off. The other 3 gained back the weight and even more and each had the surgery redone 1-3 more times.

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Sarah2
Deviant Mind
Wild Side Readers KCSass

(in reply to sub4hire)

Post #: 9

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 5:12:01 PM

DiurnalVampire

Posts: 8125
Joined: 1/19/2006
From: Nashville, TN
Status: offline

I can only speak second hand, My exhusband had the gastric bypass. I was the one in charge of taking care of him afterwards, learning how to cook for it, dealing with the dietary and the clothing issues and everythig else. Feel free to message me privately if you want to know more, but it isnt the most pleasant of things for me, since along with his new body came a very disturbing new attitude and that began the downfall of our rlelationship. Having nothing to do with the surgery itself, of course, but with how he handeled remaking himself once he lost the weight.

DV

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VampiresLair

(in reply to SweetSarijane)

Post #: 10

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 5:28:22 PM

sublizzie

Posts: 1252
Joined: 5/26/2004
Status: offline

I haven't had the surgery but it's been suggested on a regular basis for the past 3 years so I've done some research on it. I also know a number of people who've had it done. I know some people who LOVE their bypass and the changes that it's made in their lives. I've also run into people who became extremely sick because of it and years later are still not doing well. I've talked with people who gained all of their weight back but couldn't have the surgery again because of the procedure that was used. They used to say it would cure high blood pressure and diabetes. Now they aren't saying that, at least around here. They can't guarantee either anymore. The diabetes will go away for a little while but generally comes back in a couple of years, though that depends on the person. I also know a lot of people who get divorced after their bypass.

I've thought about having it long and hard. I've decided against it for now. I may not be the physical size/shape that someone else would want, but if I'm not going to gain any real physical benefits from the surgery, why spend that much money? Between the bypass surgery, the multitudinous plastic surgeries, the clothing changes, and the expensive supplements, I think I'd rather save my money and just work on getting more physically active.

(in reply to SweetSarijane)

Post #: 11

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 5:58:22 PM

SweetSarijane

Posts: 3788
Joined: 10/7/2005
From: KC area Missouri
Status: offline

For me it's come down to this as a last alternative to getting the weight off. I'm very tall and so don't look like I weigh as much as I do, but it is taking it's toll on me. My knees are damaged and in the next few years I will need surgery on them if I am unable to lose weight. I have asthma and the weight puts extra pressure on my respiratory system. Even though I work out regularly and don't eat a lot, I cannot lose the amount of weight I need to. I can only lose so much and then can never get any more pounds off. It is very frustrating and I am limited in what I can do and I hate that. My main reason in considering this is my health. My self esteem is actually pretty high and I am accepted as I am. I'll be honest and say hell yes I'd like to be thinner than I am, but it's not my primary motivation for this.

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Sarah2
Deviant Mind
Wild Side Readers KCSass

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Post #: 12

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 6:11:19 PM

Owned1

Posts: 847
Joined: 7/6/2005
From: Toronto, Ontario
Status: offline

These surgeries are not the magic cure everyone thinks they are. They are a tool to assist in weight loss. If you in fact eat very little and work out then I would suggest it is something else that is your issue, perhaps something in the endocrine system.

Once you have many of the surgeries there is little you can eat, however junk food and high calorie foods you CAN eat without issue. There are complications that are long term that I am sure we do not know about yet, malabsorption type issues, more from the inability to consume the foods needed to fuel a body. Hair loss is a huge issue with many I have seen, as well as dental issues. Once can only imagine what is happening to the bones and the inner structure of the body.

I know in Canada you need to be morbidly obese before you are considered for the surgery, morbidly obese is greater than 100 lbs over what you should weigh.

This is a high risk surgery, post operative complications lead to many deaths, it is inherent in the risks involved when performing any surgery on someone so overweight.

The biggest thing to remember this is only a tool to help in weight loss, you will still need to eat a low fat, low calorie diet, exersize and take a huge amount of supplements. The supplements can cost a huge amount of money, if you are unable to afford them for the rest of your life your health will fail. This is because you are unable to consume the required amounts of good food.

Owned

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Post #: 13

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 7:11:42 PM

sasshay

Posts: 38
Joined: 3/5/2006
Status: offline

There were many issues brought in responsesthat I would like to address.

1. Yes, I can only drink 3 beers and I'm wasted. Cheap date.
2. I do not eat at a buffet anymore because you cannot get a doggy bag to take home. It is a waste of food as far as I'm concerned. The way they rearrange the plumbing, food and liquids are absorbed quickly. Again, cheap date.
3. There are some foods I still cannot eat without throwing up. Sometimes, I feel I need to blend my food. You eat too much, you run to the bathroom. If I drnk liquids right before eating, I will throw up. The surgery works the way it was designed to, to keep intake down. Although, I attribute all the throwing up over the years to the decay of my teeth. That and most likely not enough supplements.
4. The reason I stress listening to your doctor and dietician pre-op and post-op is because they know what happens when you do not listen. Apparently, my doctor (Donald Duncan, St. Micheal's Texarkana, Tx) warned me effectively because I went by the letter. I did not lose any hair. My mom did because she insisted in doing it her way.
5. In pre-op counseling, they warned my group that 50% of all marriages end in divorce after the surgery. In my case, they were 100% correct. My then husband became insecure and hell to live with. Apparently, he was a BBW lover and I was no longer one.
6. The main reason I had the surgery was I had sleep apnea, kept my then husband up all night worrying that I would stop altogether. I was border-diabetic and hurt all the time. The only thing my obesity did not affect was my blood pressure. My mom had a stroke 11 years ago and has been living on her bp meds. Scared to death she's gonna have another one. She is now suffering from low blood pressure, cuz the weight did its job and she no longer needs the meds.
7. In America, you have to be at least 100 lbs overweight before being considered for the surgery. Although, I've seen reports they are talking about lowering that weight limit.
8. I am lucky. I do not need to have plastic surgery. I have found a very inexpensive supplement in a health food store. There are no excuses for the successful outcome to this surgery. Expect a year before feeling totally up to par. That's alot of healing to do. My mom's finally feeling her oats for the first time in 40 years. She's like a kid again.

I am a survivor. If my life is in jeopardy, I do something about it. I attribute the surgery to me being to able to see my first grandchild be born 9 years later.

_____________________________

It's not the size of the dog in the fight
it's the size of the fight in the dog.
~Mark Twain~

(in reply to Owned1)

Post #: 14

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 9/23/2006 9:50:17 PM

sasshay

Posts: 38
Joined: 3/5/2006
Status: offline

http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/bariatricedge/?ap=800

http://www.bariatricedge.com/dtcf/pages/post_surgery.htm?SOURCE=GOOG&KEYWORD=p

I have pasted 2 sites that might give you more information than I can. I do have to add that the reason my insurance at the time approved the surgery was when I told them of my mom just having a stroke and that she weighed just a lil bit more than me. They said "Do it".
If you think this surgery will help your daily life, lengthen your life span and give you spring in your step again, it is well worth the discomfort, the healing time, the new diet, the lifetime of vitamins and supplements, a new wardrobe!, less physical pain.Then the pleasure of someone being able to wrap their arms completely around you in a hug. There are more positives than negatives. Think positive!

Sherry (been there and glad I did)

_____________________________

It's not the size of the dog in the fight
it's the size of the fight in the dog.
~Mark Twain~

(in reply to SweetSarijane)

Post #: 15

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 10/22/2006 10:22:52 AM

namemeMistress

Posts: 3
Joined: 10/18/2006
Status: offline

i have had a gastic band for a year and a half now, although sometimes it has been hard to deal with the sickness it can causeit has been worth it, the weight does take longer to come off than with some other types of weight loss surgery but mine was done keyhole and i was in and out of hospital within 48 hours.
i have lost 3 1/2 stone, which is a reasonable start as my skin has kept up with the weight loss, i still have to watch certain foods as the bad stuff like milkshake and ice cream goes right though the band and so sometimes i've gone a while without changing weight but in that time i've lost inches.
i'm also now able to walk without pain, exercise better, and my diabetes is much better controlled, i also just feel better about myself - it was me i did this for, not the people who made commments about my needing to lost weight or about how i have 'such a pretty fact' (talk about double edged compliment <lol>).
i think it is worth it, though sometimes wish i'd gone for a d/s, i think the adjustability of the band is good for me and my surgeon is great and happy for me to contact him whenever i have a question.
so that is my experience :0)

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Post #: 16

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 10/22/2006 6:14:54 PM

jthorne

Posts: 99
Joined: 10/18/2006
Status: offline

Sarijane, be careful of your surgeon. I have been watching my friend die for years now...her surgeon was drunk when he operated on her. He killed many, she won't go nicely when she does finally give up the fight, and worst of all...they've only suspended his license in Texas, despite his being on 48 Hours and the like! He can practice outside the state, and be drunk, and kill more.

A friend of mine is going through it locally in December...he and his doctor have decided it's the best way to get his diabetes under control. He really isn't that overweight, but he can't lose and it's messing up his health, so there we have it. He feels confident. I had a teacher go through it and she lost a lot of weight and was very happy with the results, so really it can go either way...

...just PLEASE be aware of your surgeon, his/her record, and all of that. I wish I remembered the bastard who nearly killed my friend's name. If you want I can go look it up.

(in reply to SweetSarijane)

Post #: 17

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 10/22/2006 6:28:26 PM

subjected2006

Posts: 248
Joined: 1/20/2006
Status: offline

hey
my oldest sister just had the lap band
shes really doing well
there will be a group you will hve to meet with before you can get approved.

you will have to lose 15 pounds.
and the incision is tiny and the only problem i can see with having it would be the
drugs you need to take for the surgery..but think about it
no more back sliding on your diet..
yes
you can stretch your stomach if you are really an overeater type..but if you do what they say you will be fine.
your biggest problem will be extra skin..
good luck..
if i decide to go for it i will let every one know..

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Post #: 18

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 10/22/2006 6:32:10 PM

subjected2006

Posts: 248
Joined: 1/20/2006
Status: offline

namemeMistress,
i found a "whey" low carb protien drink for my sister..and shes getting her energy back..
and it gives her some bulk

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a rose is a rose..

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Post #: 19

RE: Weight Loss Surgery - 10/22/2006 6:40:46 PM

MasterRobsalayna

Posts: 212
Joined: 4/20/2006
Status: offline

alayna had the surgery in September of 2000. Lost 110 and regained over half back. There are lots of "dirty little secrets" they don't tell you. alayna knows that for some people it is a lifesaver, for others it hastens death. alayna would be happy to discuss it in email on the other side. If someone is a food addict or believes it will cure or fix them, then alayna would suggest they try other things first, because it won't fix what is going on in the head and the heart.

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Master Rob's alayna
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The only thing in life that i regret is living too many days regretting too many things. Life is for the living and i choose to live!

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Post #: 20

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