Gastric Bypass?

[Chicago526]

My best friend has been over weight since she was 12. She is now 28, 5'10" and almost 300 pounds. She's tried it all, and can't (won't) keep it off. She was doing so well, having lost about 60 pounds about a year ago. Then she moved from IL to FL to start a new job, and let it all go. She's gained it back.

Now she has problems with her back and knees, both due to her weight. She was born with a double functional heart murmur, and the weight isn't helping, and she's steps away from diabetes.

She is going to have gastric bypass surgery in June, if the insurance company give the green light. Has anyone gone through it? Does it work long term? Benifits vs. drawbacks?

At first I was against it, the surgery is dangerous and people have gained weight back after having it done due to not following the diet restrictions. But since her weight is causeing so many other health problems, I don't know if her body can take another failed diet. I'm very worried about her.

Any first hand info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Only thing I know somewhat personally, is that two DIS'ers, Robin, in her 20's, and Beverly Lynn, in her 30's, both passed away shortly after the operation.

Good wishes for your friend.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I know of 5 people that have died from it as well.

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

Dan I did not know that about Beverly and Robin. I have seen their photos and heard of their deaths but did not know it was related to gastric bypass surgery. How awful for their families.

 

[snoopy]

5'10" and 300 pounds doesn't sound that overweight to me. I would encourage your friend to use gastric bypass as the last resort, when it comes to the point that she will die without it. Then again, that is based on my experience that of the 4 people who had this surgery, 3 of them are now dead.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

From what I know, from someone I know of who had it, it's dangerous, and it won't work unless she can keep to a diet afterwards.

If she can't keep to a diet now, I'd be worried. I'm not a doctor, but I've heard this from many places. It's not meant to be a quick fix. She has to be willing to stick to her diet after it's done.

I just keep thinking if she was able to lose 60 lbs by dieting, she might not need this kind of surgery. I always thought it was really meant to be for people who could not lose weight simply by excercise and diet (metabolism probles, etc.)

What does her doctor think? Does she have a nutrtionalist/dietician?

I wish her luck with whatever she chooses.

 

[disneysnowflake]

I used to work with a lady who had gastic bypass in 1994.
She was home for months after she had the operation. When she came back to work we didn't even recognize her. She looked fabulous.

However, she was never counselled about nutrition. Today she weighs more than she did when she got her bypass. She went right back to eating the way she did before the surgery.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

I had it done two years ago, and did well with it. If she does have it done, she definitely needs the nutritional counseling beforehand. It helps.
In my case though, I think I'm having thyroid problems now, so it looks like I'm going to have to visit the doctor to see about that. Even with this though, I've only gained about ten lbs. back, and that was before I realized that my thyroid is working against me.
Tell your friend good luck.
Kim

 

[DVC-Don]

A daughter of one of our employees had the operation a couple of years ago. Worked great at first and she and her hubby moved to Orlando. She landed a nursing job at a hospital there, but things went wrong. She got a really bad absess from a leak and wound up being sent to NYC to correct. She survived and is now living in Conn. She is not so small now.

 

[Chicago526]

This is what I'm afraid of. Either the surgery will kill her, or she won't stick to the diet afterwards and gain it all back again.

The problem is, that if she doesn't have the surgery, her weight will kill her for certain.

We talked about this about 2 years ago. She was in the hospital (non-weight related, believe it or not, it was due to a cat bite of all things!) and I was visiting her one evening. We were watching t.v. and I think Primetime (or maybe it was Dateline) came on and they had a report on GBS. The women in the report did so well, other's in her family did it too. After, we talked about it and she asked me what I thought. Now, I've known her since we were 15, and in all that time I've NEVER talked to her about her weight. She gets so much grief from her mom and sister about it that I've always thought she doesn't need it from me.

But I told her that surgery is a major thing (I've had two myself) and that she'll spend at least 1 month feeling like cr@p, and after she STILL won't be able to eat what she wants, in fact, it will be even worse than a normal diet. I told her she should give it a big try to lose it the old fashioned way, and if she couldn't , then maybe think about the surgery.

She followed my advise. She got a personal trainer at a health club, journeled all her food, cut out pop and fast food, everything you could want. And she was doing so well! Then she moved to FL for a job, got cut off from family and friends, got depressed and turned to food for comfort.

She just started on Prozac not too long ago. I'm hoping that if she can get the depression under control, maybe she can try the diet route again. I really want her to move back home, I think being near family and friends, for her, is crucial to success.

I just wanted to know if anyone had any success with it, and that maybe the negative press was overblown. So far, it looks like it isn't overblown at all. If anyone else has something to share, please do!

 

[jkovick]

One of my dear friend's mother had the surgery. It was botched badly. Instead of creating the "pouch" or "pocket" the surgeon closed off her stomach altogether. By the time they figured out what was going on she was in a coma in the hospital. She lived, but when she came out of the coma she had lost her vision. She is now leagally blind due to malnutrition. She continues to have other health issues and weighs more now than she did before the surgery. A very sad thing to happen to such a wonderful lady.

 

[my3kids]

A friend(male) was told by doctors to have the surgery. He resisted and continued to gain weight. Eventually he ended up in the ICU near death because of his weight, and was then too unstable to have the surgery and was no longer considered a candidate. He was told to lose about 100 pounds then have the surgery. Nothing has happened yet.

 

[Crankyshank]

I know 5 people that have had it in the past year. 2 are still alive. Gastric Bypass is not the miracle cure for weightloss that it's being touted as being

5'10 and 300lbs is not that overweight where you can't lose by simple diet and exercise.
When you have gastric bypass you can only eat tiny amounts of food. Why can't she just do that without having the surgery?

I am overweight and have obstacles that make it extremely difficult for me to lose weight (hypothyroidism) and there is no way I would get the gastric bypass unless I was so overweight I couldn't perform even the most simple activities of daily life without assistance.

 

[Shugardrawers]

I had the surgery in May of 2001. I lost 150# and I'm doing great. Not a single problem. Frequently, those who have major problems or even die, do so because of other health complications or because their surgeon wasn't a specialist. I strongly recommend you do some research at obesityhelp.com. Please remember, that while there are deaths associated with this surgery, there are many more success stories as well. If she is determined to do this then she needs to see a board certified bariatric surgeon. He will put her through a battery of physical and psychological testing to determine whether this surgery is for her. Obesityhelp.com can give her some names of surgeons to see in her area. After having been tested and counselled it is ultimately up to your friend to make this decision for herself. I decided that in the end, my weight was going to kill me anyway and the risk was worth it. I thought I'd have trouble following the restrictions but I really haven't. I've learned my bodies limits and sometimes I push them but I pay dearly when I do with unpleasant side effects such as nausea and diahrhea. If your friend is concerned about side effects, there are other procedures available now that don't have so many associated with them. The gastric banding is one of them. It simply restricts the amount of food you can take in, not the types, and doesn't involved major surgery to your intestines.

Here is my obesityhelp.com profile http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=C991266925&NoStatic=1

Candidates need to be at least 100# overweight (she probably meets that) and most surgeons require at least 3 directly related health conditions as well such as backaches, diabetes, arthritis, incontinence etc.

In answer to those who say "why doesn't she just lose the weight on her own?" You have to remember that there is a reason 95% of those who lose weight by dieting alone gain it back. People do not get to be clinically obese solely because they ate too much. In fact, studies show that the vast majority of those who are clinically obese DON'T eat more or differently than their thinner counterparts. Their metabolism and genetics have developed over time to work against them. As generations have passed we have learned to make our lives easier and more convenient. We don't hunt and gather all day or work nearly as hard as our ancestors did as little as 50 years ago. We don't get the exercise our bodies need. It's the survival of the fittest theory. Believe it or not, the very people who are fattest are actually fittest!! Their bodies think they are experiencing prosperous times and so store fat for the lean times that must surely be ahead. We never see those lean times though. When you diet, the body thinks it has hit that lean time and will fight to hold on to every ounce to preserve itself. It's not laziness, it's just damn good genetics. Couple that with our fat and sugar laden American diet and you have trouble. Sure, dieting and exercising can work but for most it's very short term and not very successful.

Gastric bypass is not a magic pill. It's a tool. Patients must be willing to follow the dietary restrictions for it to work long term. Gaining back some weight is normal. I regained 10 pounds. There are risks but for me the risks of not having it were greater.

Let me finish with a little story. In 1999 I went on the trip of a lifetime to Paris with my DSis who was very pregnant at the time. I weighed 300#. Europe is not big on trams or elevators or escalators. We walked all over the city. I was exhausted. We went to the Eiffel Tower. I couldn't climb the stairs from the main observation deck to the very top. We went to Disneyland Paris (my first Disney trip ever) and I had to push DSis in a wheelchair because her feet were too swollen to walk. Disneyland Paris is very hilly. It was HARD. I couldn't breathe well with all the exertion. I wanted to go on Dumbo. They wouldn't let me. They said I was too fat. I went to the bathroom and cried. My trip of a lifetime was a disaster because I couldn't participate fully. And we won't even talk about the horrible comments made by not only the europeans but the americans in our tour group as well that I pretended not to hear. Something had to give. Since every diet known to man had only given me short term weight loss and only in tiny amounts I looked in to gastric bypass. Two years later I had it done. I did extremely well. On my next disney trip our motto was Dumbo or Die and I got to ride Dumbo! At 39 years old I cried as Dumbo spun around and the wind whipped through my hair. I collect Dumbo things now. It's a reminder of how far I've come. My surgery was painful, I was constantly nauseas for several months and my hair got pretty thin. Then I evened out. I regretted it even, for a couple of months. But I tell ya, nothing beats the way I feel now. There are millions of success stories just like mine.

Encourage your friend to research the procedures thoroughly and get a 2nd opinion as well. But PLEASE do not discourage her. Her surgeon will inform her of all risks associated with the surgery and together THEY will decide if it's the right thing for her to do. For you it might not be worth the risks, for her it might not be worth the risk not to do it.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

You look great, Tammy!

Congrats on your success!

 

[laurie31]

1 out of 200 people who has the surgery dies. To me, that's like playing Russian Roulette!

I have never shared this on the DIS, but I was 100 pounds overweight. It seems so overwhelming to try to lose that much. I investigated the surgery as it seemed like a great option. No way would I do it. That 1 of 200 figure only counts the people who die immediately, not those who die later of complications. And it doesn't even address those like other posters have mentioned, those with serious permanent complications like blindness. The biggest thing that convinced me was when I read that the long term survival after surgery is 10 years! Hellooooo! I do NOT want to be dead in ten years! I am not DYING to be thin! I was fat, but no one realized how overweight I was because I was active and "carried it well" and had no health problems. I should not have been a candidate for the surgery, but I found plenty of places that would gladly do it, because of my BMI (body mass index - if it's over 40, you're considered morbidly obese )

Originally the surgery was intended for those who were so overweight (and suffering from complications of obesity, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, etc) that they had only a year to live. In their case, going from 1 year to 10 would be wonderful. Now, everyone who just needs to get off the couch and quit eating so much junk is having it, and it's really sad to me, as they often have no idea what they're doing to themselves. They think it will be the "quick fix" they been looking for all these years.

As for myself, I joined a gym and went low carb. I've lost 82 pounds and I feel great However, I am human and sometimes I cheat. This just means I work harder at the gym the next day. If someone who had the surgery cheats they can get very sick. I have a co-worker who had the surgery 8 months go. She's nauseous most of the time and can only eat 1 jar of baby food at a meal (ugh!) I can't imagine being trapped into only being able to eat that tiny amount of food. At least I can have a piece of cake for my birthday, if I want, without worrying about getting dumping symdrome (don't ask - you do NOT want to know!). Losing weight is NOT easy. I never realized how much food there is in our daily lives, in things that have nothing to do with hunger. If you get together with friends, there's food. If there's a meeting at work, there's food. People give gifts of food. When you don't eat at a meeting or social gathering, people get insulted. They say, "Oh, you can just eat a little. Come on, you've got to try this - it's wonderful!" It's SOOO hard to smile and say, "No thanks, I'm not hungry right now," or "I don't care for any, thank you," when what you really want to do is either have a huge serving of the stuff that looks so wonderful, or tell the person to please shut up and quit trying to sabatoge my diet!

I feel for your friend. It is SO hard to lose weight. But if she can't stick to a diet now, she probably won't after the surgery either and she could end up feeling miserable all the time, or being much worse off physically that she was before, and that's if she is one of the "lucky" 199...

Laurie

 

[Chicago526]

Shugardrawers, I'm so glad the surgery was successfull for you! It's why I posted this. I wanted to get the complete picture, the good and the bad.

I know weight loss by dieting isn't easy. I was bout 30# over weight last year and did Weight Watchers to lose it. I was successfull and have maintained for about 6 months now. I have to be firm with myself to stay on track and not start eating the way I used to. I'm not big into exercise, and lost the weight using just the program, the only exercise I got was walking my dog about 20 mintues a day, which I have to do no mater what.

I think my friends problem is that she is an emotional eater. It's why I think the Prozac and some counseling may be a better answer that surgery. Think she's addicted to food the way a drug addict is to drugs. The differance being you need to eat to live, so you can never truely "kick the habit".

Anyway, all I want is what is best for my friend. If surgery is the answer, then I'll support her 100%. I just want to make sure it IS the right choice. Maybe the band is a better choice. I know she's been to several specialists regarding her back and knee problems, (also she had an MRI on her hips but the results aren't in yet) but they say it's all due to weight. They've got her seeing a nutritionalist as a first step to getting the insurance to pay for the procedure. I'm going to find out exactly who she is planning the surgery with and help her check him out top to bottom to make sure he (or she!) is qualified to do this.

Thanks again!

Edited to add: laurie31, I just read your post, too! I think I may print out you answer and sugardrawers answer to show to my friend. I want her to have all the info on it. At the end of the day, she needs to make the decision. And she dosent think of this as a quick fix. She's terrified of the idea of it and feels like if she does have it then she's a failure.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Ah, emotional eating, now that could be a problem and is the main reason people regain too much weight. It would take counselling to get past that so I'm glad to hear that she's seeing a nutritionist and thinking about counselling. It can be a real addiction and those who have it are just as addicted as herion users. I had a sugar problem. My surgery keeps me from eating too much since I get very ill when I do. I still push the limits at times, I'm not a perfect patient. Sounds like your friend is on the right path, and YES, definitely check out the surgeon thoroughly to make sure he's well qualified.

Sheri-- THANKS! I think I look good too and DH agrees. But then he loved me at 300# too.

 

[AllyandJack]

My mother had gastric bypass 4 years ago. People see it as a miracle cure, but it's not. If you don't follow the diet, you will not lose weight. My aunt also had it and has actually gained 40 pounds. She went through all that for nothing.

It has changed my mother's life. She doesn't require as much medication for blood pressure, stomach problems, etc. She made new friends (the old ones dropped her as soon as she became better looking) and she goes out and has fun. She can walk and enjoy herself in Vegas.

It wasn't easy at first. She was very sick in the beginning. But, she did what she was supposed to. She recently gained about 10 pounds and is trying to lose that. She's already lost 5 of it in the past 2 weeks. She learned good eating habits - portion control, as well as nutrition.

She's a success story. My aunt is not. And, yes, it can be dangerous. But, any surgery on a person who is obese is dangerous.

It wouldn't have been my FIRST choice for my mother and it was not easy at first. She was very sick. She did what she was supposed to and it all worked out. Four years later, she can eat the same amount as most of us! Probably explains her 10 pound weight gain.

You just have to make sure to go to a reputable doctor. The doctor who did my mother is a friend of the family and also one of the pioneers in this surgery. He does not do the laproscopic version, nor does he do the drastic version that Roseanne had. He feels they are too much of a risk.

So many people think they'll have the surgery and magically look like a model. It's hard work to keep the diet. It's not pretty once the weight comes off. My mother has had to have plastic surgery to remove pounds of skin. But, she's healthier and that's why she did it.

Good Luck to your friend!

 

[Disney01]

What I don't understand...Several posters have mentioned nutritional counseling to learn how to eat right. Why don't those who are overweight have that before the surgery? There's no mystery...Eat right and exercise. If they can't stick to healthy eating and exercise BEFORE surgery, why do they think they can do it after? I've also heard that many people die (maybe not right away, but later) and that most people gain the wieght back eventually. Face it, if you're overeating, and you don't fix those habits, those habits are going to still be there after the surgery. It's not a fix for the underlying problems that cause the obesity to begin with.