I need info on Gastric By Pass surgery---anyone know anyone that has had it?

[Poohbear123]

Was it succesful? How was the recovery time? Did they gain the weight back? Thanks!

 

[grinningghost]

Many moons ago, my ex BF's mom had it done. It worked great and she stayed pretty slim - at least for as long as I knew her.

 

[wovenwonder]

I know of two beautiful ladies that had the surgery. Both of their children are now without their mommies. Was it because of the surgery? Maybe? Maybe not. We probably will never know.


We hear so much about the success stories -- but these two cases always way heavy on my mind.

 

[poohandwendy]

My sister is having it done next month, I am curious also.

It makes me nervous because she had surgery to remove a lung tumor last year and I really hate to see her go through another major operation anytime soon. But, apparently, her doctors feel that her weight is taking a major toll on her health, they feel that it is the lesser of the two evils. It just is such a massive lifestyle change, I don't know if I could do it. But, then again, I haven't lived with a weight problem, so it's kind of hard to relate.

 

[dzneprincess]

I read a startling statistic about this surgery a few months back, that majority of patients only live 10 to 15 years after this surgery It is not worth it to me, and I am a big girl. That is almost like making a Faustian deal! No Thanks

 

[Beauty]

I know the same two people WW is talking about. If you will read my tag you will see one of them. I absolutly without a single solitary doubt in my mind know this surgery killed one of my best friends in the entire world. I miss her daily.

She had the surgery and dropped dead in her bathroom months later. She left behind a gorgeous daughter.


Now in my town there have been 4 women who had the surgery. One passed away on the table, one passed away 2 months later, one looks AWFUL! She is pitafully thin and looked 150% better and healthier fat! The last person looks good, she is slim and very pretty, the only BUT is that if you ask her would she do it again she says NO WAY! She simply can't keep anything down. She feels sick and nauseated all the time.

So nope, I won't have it and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I'm currently dieting and have lost close to 20 pounds in about 2 months. Its not easy! Its hard as heck!!! Still, if I can't do it this way I won't be doing it. God made me who I am for a reason and if he wants me to succeed in getting this weigh off then he will be my strength. If he doesn't then I was meant to be a big girl.

Can you tell I'm VERY VERY opinionated on this subject.

Oh and the statistics listed above are true. Many people won't live even 20 years after that surgery.

 

[dzneprincess]

Originally posted by Beauty
[B
Oh and the statistics listed above are true. Many people won't live even 20 years after that surgery. [/B]

Beauty,
do you by chance know where I may have read this? When I tell people this statistic they look at me like I am crazy and I can not tell them where I learned this from. Now way is that worth it! not at all. And I agree with you about the diet and exercise. I have lost 20 lbs and am trying to get back on track. I have been putting in at least 10 miles a week for 2 weeks now. I may not be skinnier for it, but at least I'll be healthier.

 

[Mickey's sunshine]

Oprah had a show on this last Friday, Randy from American Idol was talking about his experience and he said the statistics are that approx 1 in 200 people die from this.

Faith, I know a lady from work who was part of that statistic and we lost 2 DIS friends from this.....of course the doctors said it was not directly from this but they did not live long after the surgery.

There is a website on it..... www.obesityhelp.com

There are alot of succes stories on there as well as a memorial page - I have read many of those. This is major surgery and you have to be prepared to die.

I thought about it but I am not ready to deal with the fact that I have a good chance of not recovering and then going through the surgery and the weeks/months after. I wish I had the courage to go through with it because when it is successful it is great. Your life has to change though, you can gain the weight back if you are not careful.

(sorry if this sounded preachy but you are a good friend to me and I wanted to give it to you straight)

 

[Breezy_Carol]

One of my home health patients had the surgery and now is fed by a feeding tube because of the complications. I would think long and hard before considering that drastric surgery.

 

[snoopy]

I know 5 people that have had this surgery, 3 are dead. Of those 3 that are dead, all were under 40 years old.

I think gastric bypass surgery should ONLY be done when the person will die without it. When the risks of dying are greater than the risks of surgery. Of the 3 people that I know who died following this surgery, only 1 would have met that criteria.

 

[Mishetta]

I have a cousin in FL who had the surgery last year & to date she has lost 132 lbs. She has to make a conscious effort now not to lose anymore weight as she has gotten too thin. She's happy as can be since she had a weight problem all her life. She did say though that there were some complications from the surgery (I just don't know exactly but it had something to do with a drainage tube which she had to have for a while). YUCK!

My best friend in CA had this surgery too & she lost over 100 lbs. She looked fantastic but after about 3 years of losing the weight, she started to re-gain some of it. She got to a pretty hefty size again. She died about 7 years after her surgery.

Anyway, I am overweight & my Doc suggested I have this surgery but there is no way in 'you know where' that I would consider it. I am finally working on my weight problem (on WW program & also joined Curves) & I know it will take a very long time to be a normal size again & then after that, it's a life long commitment to staying a healthy size. This is the only way I would consider losing weight. I could die tonight of a heart attack but I think it's a more certain road to death by taking the chance of having this surgery. Of course, that's JMHO.

 

[hercamore]

Hi,

Mayo Clinic has some pretty good info on the subject. Sounds like they only recommend it for people with BMI's over 35 who have diabetes or high blood pressure. After surgery, you stomach will be the size of an egg and will accept only 2 ounches of food at a time.

Do a search on www.mayoclinic.com


herc

 

[shleybird]

Being an RN and having worked with many patients in my hospital's gastric bypass program, I have to chime in and tell about some success stories, because there are alot of them. The hospital I work for has a very strict program, patients must go through months of therapy, group, individual, and nutritional. Alot of these patients would not live more than a few years without the surgery. They often have multiple medical problems besides morbid obesity. Diabetes, cardiac disease, hypertension just to name a few. The risks of the surgery are less than the risk of living with the excessive weight.

I have watched people go from being able to only walk a few steps, to being able to work out at the gym 3 times a week. (hospital gym supervised by clinical staff). I worked with a patient who was on multiple medications for Diabetes, and hypertension, as the weight came off she got rid of the meds for high blood pressure, and now controls her diabetes with diet only. The emotional changes are fantastic for people. I had one patient who hadn't been into a store to buy clothes for years.

Any type of surgery has risks, make sure if you are considering this type of surgery, that they have a program set up. Make sure that you will have after care, and support groups. Make sure that you are willing to make the life style changes, and are willing to follow the diet, But most of all make sure it is the right thing for you.

 

[janette]

I know 3 people who have had the surgery. 2 are dead, both I knew from the DIS. One I'm sure the surgery was the cause the other isn't as sure but I can't help but feel like if she hadn't had the surgery she'd still be with us.

The only reason I can think of to have the surgery is if your health is in immediate risk. This surgery is riskier than a heart bypass and has more complications. Ask yourself if your children or family would rather have you heavy but alive. It is a very real risk, go to the memorial page and read about Beverly & Robin and ask if you want that for yourself. I wish every day we could have talked them out of it and they could have been happy with who they were.

It is more than lifesyle changes, your body will no longer digest food the same. There are very serious side effects, is being thinner worth it? There are many successful weight loss plans. Please go to the WISH board and find the support to loss weight with a safer method.

 

[jipsy]

I met a lady several years ago who had this surgery. She was morbidly obese and it was her last option. She was about 5' 10" tall and when I met her she was down to around 120 lbs. She looked good, but when I talked to her at length about this surgery she had alot to say about it.

She had tried every diet program around, every exercise program she could muster and even had her mouth wired shut and lived off milkshakes. GBS was her last option. She was very happy with the results and said she would do it again in a heartbeat, but it did require a MAJOR lifestyle change on her part, especially dietary. We would go out to eat, and she would barely eat a handful of food before she was full. She had to take many nutrition supplements because of the fact that she just could not eat.

She really stressed the risks she took for this and that it truly was her absolute last option. If she didn't do this, she told me she figured she would die anyway from complications of being so large. She showed me pictures of what she looked like; it was very hard to believe she was the same woman in the pics.

On the other side, there was a lady who frequented these boards (Beverly Lynn) who died after having this surgery.

From what I understand about it, it is very risky, can cause alot of complications, and you are probably trading quantity of life for quality of life.

Please exhaust ALL other options before choosing this one.

 

[janette]

Originally posted by Mickey's sunshine
Oprah had a show on this last Friday, Randy from American Idol was talking about his experience and he said the statistics are that approx 1 in 200 people die from this.

These are the ones that die before leaving the hospital, others like Beverly who die later from side effects are not counted.

 

[aprilgail2]

My friend and I both had Adjustable Gastric Banding done this year and we are both doing fine. She had hers done in Jan and is down 50 pounds so far and I had mine done March 9th and am down 31 so far. There are very few deaths from gastric banding. From Gastric Bypass 1 in 200 never leave the hospital. I also have 2 friends who had the gastric bypass done and both are doing great, down from 300 pounds to 120's....but that surgery was not what I was interested in. I went with the "safer" of the two. I will loose the weight much slower but that is ok, I didn't put it on overnight and it won't come off overnight.

 

[Nancy]

A friend of mine had it done 2 years ago..she looks great, feels freat and has had no problems with it..other then having to watch everything you put in your mouth.

Your stomach cannot hold alot of foods and you have to be very careful to follow the doctors instructions exactly. It is not an "easy" fix.

Lori is very happy she did it...her biggest complaint now is all the excess skin from losing all the weight.

 

[DocRafiki]

I only know of one person. She was still overweight but losing when I last knew her, but she was puking all of the time. I don't get it. If someone makes themselves puke to lose weight, we call them bulemic and tell them they need help for their disease. But then you can turn around and have a surgery that pretty much turns you into a bulemic.

 

[catsrule]

Please don't do it unless it is a medical necessity. As others have said, we lost 2 very precious Dissers who had this done.