Weight loss surgery - not a good idea (BMI, overweight, supplements)
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So...I was way overweight with a bad back, bad knees and had tried a whole lot of different ways to lose weight. A friend had a Lap-Band procedure performed and lost a fair amount of weight from it. That got me thinking...why not? So I started to look into weight loss surgery. I was approved by my insurance and had a Gastric Sleeve procedure performed in September of last year.
Let me tell you in detail why I strongly urge anyone looking into this option to really do your research before going forward. Its true that most people do not experience serious side effects. What they don't tell you is what happens to those that are in that small percentage. A year ago, at the age of 53, I was over 100 lbs overweight but did not have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or any other disease that could contribute to my death. I was just fat. Other than taking an occasional Advil I took no medications. I still exercised but also loved to eat. Now at 54, I am in a constant battle to try and get enough nutrition in me to keep myself alive. In February, I had to have another surgery, an emergency surgery, to convert the Gastric Sleeve to a Gastric Bypass because of severe acid reflux and bleeding esophageal ulcers. I've been hospitalized 9 times in the last 10 months for dehydration and much more serious issues. Twice for magnesium levels so low the doctors were afraid that my heart would be affected. I am constantly nauseated and have to force myself to eat and drink to stay alive.
Will it ever level out? No one can tell me. I have done more research and what I have found really scares me. What can happen when you are in that small percentage? You can die. Very easily, this procedure could be fatal for me. This is NOT what I signed up for. Its part of that fine print that the doctor will tell you not to worry about because its only a small percentage of people that it refers to. When you ARE part of that small percentage its very relevant. I can't go back and undo what I have done. My digestive system is now forever altered. What I can do is reach out and tell others what happens when you experience complications. You won't just experience just one complication. When it goes wrong, it goes wrong in a major way. Please, please learn from my mistake. Unless you are going to die from being overweight do NOT consider this surgery.
Jeepers--what a nightmare. Three people (1 male, 2 females) in my extended family have had that surgery, or some other type of similar weight-loss surgical procedure. All three of these people have chronic digestive issues, and two of the three are still considerably overweight even thought the surgeries were well over 5 years ago. Luckily, none of them have had the severe complications you describe.
I like the question from Pikantari above---what went wrong with yours? Is it a matter of your body rejecting it?
It's good that you're trying to dissuade others from doing what you did. I always try to talk people out of having these types of surgeries. Unless it's a matter of life or death, why do it? Good luck to you and I sincerely hope something can be done to ease your digestive issues.
It is exactly what you signed up for. This kind of delusional thinking that it's not what you were promised is what made you obese in the first place and made you rush to something as severe as surgery in the second. Now you will probably jump to the next seemingly easy way out.
I was almost going to say this same thing ^^^ but I decided to offer some love instead of scolding.
Last edited by Oldhag1; 06-13-2014 at 06:57 AM..
Reason: Fixed formatting
"Successful" people are STILL very fat as far as body fat percentage. Big cotage cheese legs to smaller cottage cheese legs is the situation. Smaller versions of your fat self is NOT success. That is what these VICTIMS have.
They are still fatty pieces of human meat. Obesity is complex. We have not even begun to figure it out, nor fat cell regulation/dysregulation. ALL of this DESPITE eating 1/3 of what normal people eat and being NOWHERE near as lean as even an aaverage person.
Speaking as someone over 2 years out from gastric bypass surgery I'm very sorry to hear of your struggles. I'm sending you lots of healing vibes.
That being said... I've lost over 119 pounds and have had no complications other than a bout with dehydration a few weeks out.
I'm meticulous and very anal about taking my supplements/vitamins as recommended by the ASMBS. I have blood work performed every three months, by choice, to track my levels to ensure I'm where my body needs to be.
I went from total couch potato to loving the gym, yoga, pilates, kettle bells. I'm not among the "skinny fat". I work out 5-6 days a week for a minimum of two hours, including a 2-5 mile run.
Yes I have some loose skin on my abdomen- where I carried the majority of my weight. I didn't expect to have a perfect body (or life) following surgery. And I've worked hard on increasing my fitness level and overall health.
All that being said, I did my due diligence in investigating the different kinds of WLS and decided on what I felt, along with my surgeon, would best suit me and the results I desired.
Three major things that put me off the sleeve w a:
1- removal of 60-80% of the stomach. With gbs the stomach is sectioned and tied off leaving the remnant intact and able to be reconnected if necessary.
2- overwhelming amount of people who suffer terrible reflux after the sleeve. Especially amongst those that never had the issue preoperative.
3- the sleeve is about 15 years young with incomplete medical literature and research available vs. the nearly 60 years of solid data available for GBS.
I'm so over the criticism I see and the misconceptions surrounding WLS.
It is exactly what you signed up for. This kind of delusional thinking that it's not what you were promised is what made you obese in the first place and made you rush to something as severe as surgery in the second. Now you will probably jump to the next seemingly easy way out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeSneedman
Damn right it is NOT a ood idea. It is a failure.
"Successful" people are STILL very fat as far as body fat percentage. Big cotage cheese legs to smaller cottage cheese legs is the situation. Smaller versions of your fat self is NOT success. That is what these VICTIMS have.
They are still fatty pieces of human meat. Obesity is complex. We have not even begun to figure it out, nor fat cell regulation/dysregulation. ALL of this DESPITE eating 1/3 of what normal people eat and being NOWHERE near as lean as even an aaverage person.
To Eurotrash: Since you don't know me, my history or how I put on weight, save your judgments for someone that gives a ....hoot. I'll give your reply all the consideration it warrants based an its intelligence quotient..zero. Now to MikeSneedman, you have absolutely no clue what you are taking about regarding BMI and weight surgery. The people who have this surgery are more active than most of the population and have a LOWER BMI that is average in this country. So please do some homework on the procedure before make such ridiculous and inaccurate remarks.
My post was a warning for anyone that is looking to have the surgery. Again...go in as informed as possible.
Last edited by Oldhag1; 06-13-2014 at 07:00 AM..
Reason: Fixed formatting
These procedures have complications at an alarming rate.
I will never forget the one patient who wasted away to nothing.
Last I saw her, her bones were sticking out everywhere and she was getting TPN because her body was no longer accepting nutrition orally.
But we see a lot of these patients post op.
And many more who remain insanely overweight.
These procedures have complications at an alarming rate.
I will never forget the one patient who wasted away to nothing.
Last I saw her, her bones were sticking out everywhere and she was getting TPN because her body was no longer accepting nutrition orally.
But we see a lot of these patients post op.
And many more who remain insanely overweight.
There's medical literature that correlates rate of complications to surgeon skill. Again, due diligence is of the utmost importance. I went thru an accredited Center of Excellence. They are strictly monitored and must meet stringent criteria to obtain and maintain their accreditation.
Any surgery, imo, requires those considering them to be fully investigated prior. In general, people hear of only the extreme outcomes and not the stories of those of us who've been quite successful and come thru thankful for the "second chance". Everybody knows someone who died.
Fact is mortality rate is less than .5% for over 200,000 surgeries performed annually. And among that .5% are those deemed the most risky of patients to operate on. Rarely is it the "healthy" obese that die from complications directly related to surgery. It's those with other high mortality rate comorbidities likely to pass away- heart attacks, strokes, etc. High risks they face with or without surgery.
It reminds me of women discussing their labor stories. Everyone knows someone who fits the extreme end.
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