Gastric Bypass; has anyone here had one?

I'm not here to dissuade you from getting gastric bypass. And I'm certainly not putting down anyone who has had it done. But what I will say is that I think something like this should be reserved for when you have absolutely no other choice--lose the weight, or die. All other methods of weight loss should be attempted before resorting to this. 2 years ago I weighed 315 lbs. I had terrible self-esteem, hated my body and honestly couldn't see any other way but to have surgery. But I wanted to at least try to lose weight before resorting to that. I started seeing a nutritional counsellor, who put me on a 1200 calorie per day diet that consisted of LOTS of green vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. I started walking for an hour every day. I totally eliminated junk food from my diet and started reading about weight loss and educating myself about proper eating. I joined a weight loss support group so I'd have that support system in place for when I was feeling like giving up. And I've lost, in total, 105 lbs. I still have about 45 more to go to get to where I want to be. But I feel better than I ever have, and am glad I didn't get the surgery. So before you consider something drastic, consider all other options. Get counselling to take care of any emotional issues that are causing you to overeat. And then if you're still having difficulty, consider having it done.

I never had the procedure but a close friend of mine has. From what I hear there are after affects also too aside from the typical risk. I believe that is something that you should pray on before actually making a decision. I believe that you will make the right decision if you just let God guide you through.

my eldest son has have coeliac and his wife has recently been diagnosed with it , I think it will be much harder for you to go on a calorie controlled diet as all gluten free foods are really high in calories , I can't say If you should or should not go for the op but I wish you luck in whatever you decide xx

Hi, Blueskies! I don't have any advice or personal experience with this surgery, but I just wanted to say that I support you whatever decision you make. People don't understand reasons why people get overweight. The misconception is that it's just overeating, but there are many factors, like illness, medications, depression and stress (and I know you have a lot to deal with!), and other things people don't consider. What I'm trying to say is don't let anyone judge you! You do what's best for you and your family! We'll be here to pray and support you, sweetie! :-)

It's not for everyone. I can tell you about friends that have had it that love it and are successful. I can tell you about the ones that loved the IDEA of it but thought it was a quick fix with no work and ended up fat again or so severely depressed it was horrible. I think ultimately it's a mental decision. For me, I've thought that I'm NOT willing to give up my love of food and cooking. I obviously cannot control my eating habits enough to be 'thin', as I'm not now so what would make me think that having a surgery that forces me to change for a time being would work? Some people can do it and be so very successful. I have a friend that did it long before it became a "fad" and she has been so happy with it all. The one thing that makes me say absolutely NO is the fact that when you lose the weight at that extreme you get that very ugly, hanging skin. It's so disgusting. AND most medical insurances will NOT pay for that to be removed. Most consider it "cosmetic" as it's not detrimental to your health to have it, it's just ugly! So my preference is to lose weight the hard way and if I can't then I'm not ready. But that's ME. Good luck in your decision. Make a decision based on tons of facts and knowledge and don't listen to any ONE person's story of horror or success as we are all very much individuals. And most of all, realize it's not a fix all for weight problems. Most weight issues center around many things including lifestyle, genes, mental issues and general food issues. You have to address all of the issues involved when you make this decision and knowing that will make it an easier road to travel. Good luck!

I have not had it done, however, my best friends husband had it done. His recovery went remarkably well. He followed the doctors orders for the six weeks. He drank a daily liquid vitamin and took a vitamin B6 and B12 everyday as well. It has been a little over a year and he has lost about 90 lbs. He looks like a completely different person. He still eats what he wants though. He said that there may be some foods that don't agree with your tummy, like nuts and things. He said if he snacks on nuts he stays full feeling for the rest of the day, so he really limits those. He loves nuts and used to eat a container by himself at one time, now he eats only a handful and he is fine with that. He said at first, they say not to have any sugar, but he did not listen to that as he grew up in the south drinking very sweet tea, and could not give that up. He also said that they advise a liquid diet for the first 5 or 6 weeks but he did not do that either. he said after the first week he added mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and other soft foods and he did not have any problems with it. His surgery was fine and his recovery was fine. He said he felt a little sore and tender, but not in any pain. so long as no one pushed on his tummy. ;) He had to have the surgery because he refused to diet and he was in beginning stages of congestive heart failure.. combined with sleep apnea. It seems to have helped both of those problems. Though the sleep apnea is probably better because of the weight loss. He dearly loved spicy food and still eats that, so I guess the surgery has not affected his diet at all, only how much he eats before he feels full. I hope this helps.

I personally can't share a experience of my own, however, there are 2 ladies at my job who has had both..One has had the laparoscopic procedure and the other had open surgery...I watched them loose weight. The one who had the procedure said with that you have to have a body mass under 55 with no upper midline surgeries and One lost about 95lbs (she was about 297 pounds-had the laparoscopic procedure) and the other lady lost about 160 pounds (she was about 341 pounds)The eat small very very small..They said their stomach won't allow them to eat much.. The problem that they are both finding is all the excess skin. They said once they get down to their ideal weight, they plan to have cosmetic surgery to remove it.. I will talk to them tomorrow and ask a bit more and let you know...

I only wish I could say I've had the surgery. But I am on the waiting list for one of the top hospitals in California (because it's a hospital that is on the approved list from my insurance). I have several friends that have gone through it and don't regret a single moment. One of them has lost almost 100 pounds, and she only had the procedure done about 8 months ago. Here's a site that is very helpful and where you can find other people that have had the surgery: www.obesityhelp.com . It's a really wonderful site, and they even have links to find surgeons, support groups, etc.

I don't know what I would do, in your situation. I understand what you mean about eating healthy, not over-eating, an not losing more than 20 -25 lbs EVER. I am like that too. People make all sorts of assumptions. But my weight never goes up, and never goes down. I am not at a point where it is effeecting my body though, so I am just focused on beign a Big Beautiful Woman now. But it sounds like your knees would thank you if you did it. I guess what it comes down to is, if you were to have serious comlications - woudl it be worth it? Or woudl it be better off staying as is and not takign the risk? Only you can really decide. Best of luck.

Great discussion! I haven't had it done but I considered it for a very long time. After doing alot of research I decided it was too much of a risk. But I would love to have the lapband done but my insurance won't cover it so unless I can come up with a very large amount of money, then it's not going to happen for me. I wish you all the luck in the world if you end up having it done. I know it's not an easy decision to make.

I haven't had it myself, from what I've been told they won't consider you for the procedure unless you are at least 100 lbs overweight. But my aunt and my uncle have both had it because they were that much overweight and both had adult onset diabetes. They both look fantastic, and neither have diabetes any longer. They have had to change their eating habits considerably, and exercise regularly, but neither of them regret having the surgery. My aunt did have to have a tummy tuck and some excess skin taken off her inner thighs and arms due to the rapid weight loss, but she feels even that was worth it to have the health she now enjoys. Not to mention the much more attractive body.

I had 2 friends who had this done. 1 was a female and she lost a lot of weight and kept it off for awhile and then gained not all but most of it back. To be honest she looked better heavier then she did after the Surgery. The other person was a male and he lost a lot of weight also but he looked a lot better when he was heavier then he did when he was thinner. The problem is that after the Surgery he wanted to eat certain things but could not. I think if you can let nature take its course. If had a lot of weight on me I would not have the Surgery.

I know somebody who had a "lap band" surgery and it seemed to me to be far supperior to a gastric bypass. You can actually easily modify the lap band surgery because you go in and either add saline or take saline out to adjust the size of the stomach.

Hi, I have had a gastric bypass surgery done. I had several health issues that led to my decision to have the surgery. Most notably, I had high blood pressure and sleep apnea. These were serious enough for me to take action. I had the surgery in November of 2001, I lost 180lbs. I went from 350lbs to 170lbs, in the last year I have been going through so stress and have put 40lbs back on. I also have lost alot of hair but overall I am very happy with my results. Even though I have put back on 40lbs I am still alot smaller, more comfotable, and most important heathier than I was at 350lbs. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about gastric bypass. I have a profile on http://www.obesityhelp.org pm me if you want the info to find me on there. It is a very helpful site full of people who have been through the surgery and also people who want more information on it. It has chat rooms, forums, and much more.

I know you don't want medical advice but I just want to mention that there are after effects as well which I'm sure you are aware of, and I have heard that it's possible for it to "undo itself" over time. But you know what? The benefits and risks of the gastric bypass might be worth it when weighted against your current weight problem and related health issues.

Hello. I had a Lap RNY in November 2004. At the time I weighed 240. I was only heavy for maybe 2 or 3 years. The rest of my life I was very athletic and slim. I started gaining weight and doctors finally took notice of some of my other health problems. I had had acid reflux (gerd) since I was a teen. I was taking prescription meds twice a day with no relief. Had it not been for the surgery and me being heavy I would still be in a great deal of pain today. Within a year I had to have two esophegeal dilitations because the gerd was causing my throat to close. It sucked. Another problem was my heart rate. In college when I would work out I would notice my heart rate was super high. I could go from 70-160 in 3 minutes. At the time I was a size 5. I went to the doctor, they did an EKG and attributed it to nerves. They did nothing. For 8 years I dealt with my heart rate shooting up to 180, while I was resting. I also had low blood pressure. Finally I got a cardiologist to look at me. She didn't believe what I told her, but humored me and gave me a monitor to wear. Within 6 hours of calling in my first even they placed me on medication. Which was difficult because meds that lower your heart rate typically lower your blood pressure too. I have family things like diabeties, heart issues, etc. I had two friends that had the surgery and went for the consult after finding out that it would probably rid me of my acid reflux. That is all they had to say and I was ready to go ahead with the surgery. Have I had complications? Yes. But my answer to that is I have had complications with my pregnancy, other surgeries, etc. My life has always been filled with complications. Would I have the surgery again? Yes, even with my complications. I went from 240 to 110. If you want to send me a message we can talk further.

Check out this website www.beforeandafterchat.com it is a great site!

My sister had this operation. Before the surgery, she had lots of breathing issues, as she was (is) also a smoker. The weight was holding her back from living. She lost over 150 lbs. and just had her hernia fixed and excess skin taken off her stomach. It's very good to see her moving around freer and enjoying a more active lifestyle, because of her choice. Her whole outlook and perspective have changed due to feeling better and healthy again.

My cousin's wife had this done several years back. She never had any complications except if she would overeat, she would get sick. She couldn't eat some foods, either. BUT..her doc told her about it. It wasn't like a big surprise to her. :) She lost over 100 lbs on it and has kept it off for the last 3 years. I have heard about people who still stretch out their stomachs again and gain weight back, but I think that may be rare since you will get sick if you eat too much. I have thought about it and I would do it in a heartbeat if I could get the money, but I can't right now. Good luck to you.

i've had 2 friends have this done and the results were great, however, it's not a miracle solution. you have to be ready to tone up and eat properly. both friends still continued to eat junky foods, just less quantities. they both lost tons of weight, but they weren't toning and tightening up b/c they weren't increasing their physical activity at all. so, from what i've experienced, second hand, it's a great procedure and really does help you lose weight, however, you still need to find that extra motivaton inside of yourself to work out, eat properly and still "work" on yourself. take care.