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Have any of you ever had weight loss surgery or know anyone who has? I would really like to know of your experiences.

Julie:yh_think

Teach4life wrote: Have any of you ever had weight loss surgery or know anyone who has? I would really like to know of your experiences.

Julie:yh_think


Wish I could help you, all I know is I watched it on a show once and it looks extensive.

Teach4life wrote: Have any of you ever had weight loss surgery or know anyone who has? I would really like to know of your experiences.



Julie:yh_think


I don't know if this is the same surgery but when this Man (My mothers friend son) had it they couldn't put him back together, he was designed differently and then he had like this pouch thing he wore which was his insides, no body wanted to touch him for fear of lawsuit he died about 3 years later. He went to work and everything he was on vaction when he died....still obese.

moverguy wrote: My partner had hers done in 2002, lost 140 lbs and looks great and was the best thing she ever did.

Gastric Bypass, and her nutritional and post op life are both GRADE "A"

Houston, Texas - Nuweigh Medical Center


WOW! Okay....thanks for the input. I am seriously considering the surgery.

i know two women who had the gastric bypass surgery. i am sure your doctor will explain all the pros, cons, and dangers that accompany any surgery. one of the women lost a great deal of weight and looked and felt terrific. the other one lost too much weight and became gaunt and drawn and aged 15 years in her appearance. she really looked like an old woman and her facial skin sagged and wrinkled. (don't know if the rest of her body was also saggy and wrinkled )

I know a lady who did it, and lost a 100 lbs. But she also had to have surgery to remove the extra skin afterwards. LC's advice about the doctor telling you the pros and cons is the best way.

As with all radical surgery there are pro's and cons.

My niece had the lapband operation, the band slipped cut off the blood supply

to her stomach and lost two thirds of her stomach to gangrene, and very nearly her life.

Teach4life wrote: Have any of you ever had weight loss surgery or know anyone who has? I would really like to know of your experiences.

Julie:yh_think


Sure thing, Julie! My old girlfriend from high school was a beauty in the 70's, but in the 80's and 90's she became obese. (I think it was a thyroid problem.)

She tried everything, but finally had a gastric bypass.

I saw her about a year ago, when she passed through town. It was amazing! She was as slim as a supermodel!

Now here's the problem...although this surgery will take off the weight and keep it off, it will not shrink your skin. Once the skin is stretched badly, it never goes back to it's old size. it has to be "refitted" just like a set of clothes. And believe me, the tailoring is extensive and painful.

She now has terrible scars on the inside of each arm, the inside of each leg, and of course under both breasts and down each side. I guess it's a tradeoff, and since obesity will kill you quickly, and scars won't, it's a good trade-off. But I'm sure glad I don't have to make that choice.

(I've got Swedish and Norweigan genes! No hair loss and great fitness for life!):D

I just read that you are considering it, Julie. Remember, you can hide the scars with clothing, and I must say that my old girlfriend really looked spectacular!

I should add that her poor battered self-esteem was completely healed! She was like a new woman, self-confident, relaxed and self-assured. She looked decades younger. She told me that she had much more energy now, and that she could really "live again." She was also doing better on her job. (Sadly, it's true that obese people are discriminated against.)

So I guess...if you've tried everything else and failed...I'd have to recommend it.

I know many women who have had gastric bypass and it literally saved their lives. If it is for health reason it may just save your life. If not for health reasons it still just may save your life..

It has come a long way since they first started doing this kind of surgery.. there are always risk with any surgery, so educate yourself on all the Pros and Cons of such a procedure.

All the women I know that have had it done are new women now, they are healthier, fit, and feel great about themselves..

A woman I went to church with had it, and for a year after the surgery she had a hard time. Her skin looked drawn, she looked sick, she was in a lot of pain and she had kind of a grayish cast to her. She's looking better now, but the recovery was very very hard for her. She was able to lose the extra skin somehow...I think maybe because she lost the weight gradually?

I am hearing about a new stomach surgery they do where instead of cutting they put a band around it that they can tighten and loosen...this is supposed to help the weight come off slower to help prevent the skin problem and to help with the issues of not being able to eat correctly AFTER the surgery. I would look into that if you're looking into it at all. The potential for post surgical bleeding and infection is much smaller.

actionfigurestepho wrote: A woman I went to church with had it, and for a year after the surgery she had a hard time. Her skin looked drawn, she looked sick, she was in a lot of pain and she had kind of a grayish cast to her. She's looking better now, but the recovery was very very hard for her. She was able to lose the extra skin somehow...I think maybe because she lost the weight gradually?



I am hearing about a new stomach surgery they do where instead of cutting they put a band around it that they can tighten and loosen...this is supposed to help the weight come off slower to help prevent the skin problem and to help with the issues of not being able to eat correctly AFTER the surgery. I would look into that if you're looking into it at all. The potential for post surgical bleeding and infection is much smaller.From my previous post..

As with all radical surgery there are pro's and cons.

My niece had the lapband operation, the band slipped cut off the blood supply

to her stomach and lost two thirds of her stomach to gangrene, and very nearly her life.

They do a small incision and insert the band, and pump fluid into it

to tighten it every few months, it can work well, Sharon Osbourne's had the

same op and had no probs.

My niece was very unforunate.

My FIL had it done when he was 65............he had a difficult time with the recovery because he was older. That is all I know.

I have had the LAP BAND (adjustable gastric band) and I love it! Please do the reaserch for both surgeries. I considered the gastic bypass (RNY) for a long time but went ahead with the band because::D

1)- It's minimally evasive (only 5-6 TINY incissions) and there is NO CUTTING OF any organs.

2)- It's less dangerous (proven...check the statistics)

3)- There is no dumping syndrome when you eat Sweets

4)- You lose the weight slowly and this gives your body time to adjust. This way you might not have to do the tummy tuck or need to remove the excess skin.

5)- It's adjustable so you can get your fills, 3, 5, 8 years from now if you need it.

6-) It's reversable so if you ever change your mind, you can have it removed.

7)-If you plan on having babies, you can get an UNFILL which will allow you to eat more.

Good luck with whatever choice you make.

I know this TOOL has saved my life and I would NEVER change it for anything in the world. I'm glad I went ahead with this instead of the RNY, especially with all the NEW complications.

Nona wrote: I have had the LAP BAND (adjustable gastric band) and I love it! Please do the reaserch for both surgeries. I considered the gastic bypass (RNY) for a long time but went ahead with the band because::D

1)- It's minimally evasive (only 5-6 TINY incissions) and there is NO CUTTING OF any organs.

2)- It's less dangerous (proven...check the statistics)

3)- There is no dumping syndrome when you eat Sweets

4)- You lose the weight slowly and this gives your body time to adjust. This way you might not have to do the tummy tuck or need to remove the excess skin.

5)- It's adjustable so you can get your fills, 3, 5, 8 years from now if you need it.

6-) It's reversable so if you ever change your mind, you can have it removed.

7)-If you plan on having babies, you can get an UNFILL which will allow you to eat more.

Good luck with whatever choice you make.

I know this TOOL has saved my life and I would NEVER change it for anything in the world. I'm glad I went ahead with this instead of the RNY, especially with all the NEW complications.
I actually just had the RNY last week. I have been amazed! It was very easy to recover from. I wanted the lap band but insurence wouldn't allow it. Good luck! How much have you lost?

minks wrote: Wish I could help you, all I know is I watched it on a show once and it looks extensive.


I had a friend that had the surgery. He started out weighing in at 427 lbs. He dropped to 285 lbs. in one year and in the second year to 165 lbs and then down to 115 lbs. Today, no one knows where he is and they can't find him.

Teach4life wrote: Have any of you ever had weight loss surgery or know anyone who has? I would really like to know of your experiences.

Julie:yh_think


I deal with the fallout from it.

This is a hot button topic. Having dealt with hundreds of cases, I have a true appreciation for the frustration people feel.

The advice I give to those who are considering this is as follows:

This is not akin to using a smaller bag, so you can't put as many groceries in it.

This is removing a crucial internal organ system. The digestive system is the way the body repairs itself, rebuilds itself, and fuels itself. If you remove a significant part of that system, you will severely limit your body's ability to perform these tasks. You will be suffering from malabsorption for the rest of your life. There's no going back. You will lose bone and muscle at an accelerated rate.

On the other hand, if you are willing to spend the time learning how to choose the right foods for your individual metabolic nature, between 6 months and a year, your weight will take care of itself, and you will live the rest of your life not having to worry about it. You'll eat as much delicious food as you want. Good health is not about deprivation. The right foods for you have a tendency to taste really good, because nature, essentially, made them for you.

The problem we see every day with this at our center is that people go to doctors for advice for a chronic condition that doctors aren't trained to deal with. Obesity is not a disease in the same sense that cancer, or malaria, or smallpox or polio are. It's not like setting a broken arm. It is a chronic condition brought on by incorrect nutrition.

There is no one size fits all diet. You must find a coaching relationship with counselors who recognize that and can help you individualize your diet. You won't find them at Weight Watchers, or Jenny Craig, or LA Weight Loss, or any other such place. You cannot read the latest quack doctors fad diet book and hope to succeed. You must establish a relationship with a practitioner who can make sense of all the confusing misinformation that gets bandied about.

alobar51 wrote: I deal with the fallout from it.

This is a hot button topic. Having dealt with hundreds of cases, I have a true appreciation for the frustration people feel.

The advice I give to those who are considering this is as follows:

This is not akin to using a smaller bag, so you can't put as many groceries in it.

This is removing a crucial internal organ system. The digestive system is the way the body repairs itself, rebuilds itself, and fuels itself. If you remove a significant part of that system, you will severely limit your body's ability to perform these tasks. You will be suffering from malabsorption for the rest of your life. There's no going back. You will lose bone and muscle at an accelerated rate.

On the other hand, if you are willing to spend the time learning how to choose the right foods for your individual metabolic nature, between 6 months and a year, your weight will take care of itself, and you will live the rest of your life not having to worry about it. You'll eat as much delicious food as you want. Good health is not about deprivation. The right foods for you have a tendency to taste really good, because nature, essentially, made them for you.

The problem we see every day with this at our center is that people go to doctors for advice for a chronic condition that doctors aren't trained to deal with. Obesity is not a disease in the same sense that cancer, or malaria, or smallpox or polio are. It's not like setting a broken arm. It is a chronic condition brought on by incorrect nutrition.

There is no one size fits all diet. You must find a coaching relationship with counselors who recognize that and can help you individualize your diet. You won't find them at Weight Watchers, or Jenny Craig, or LA Weight Loss, or any other such place. You cannot read the latest quack doctors fad diet book and hope to succeed. You must establish a relationship with a practitioner who can make sense of all the confusing misinformation that gets bandied about.


Thank you for your comments, however as a person who has struggled from being overweight my entire life, I have to disagree with you an several points. First of all, the bypass is reversable and absorbtion of nutrients is only slightly affected by the proceedure. Second of all, coming from one who has lost over 100 lbs TWICE in the past 4 years, it is not as simple as proper nutrition education. This is an over generalization. This is a TOOL, not a fix all. I am hopeful that I will suceed with this.

not a fan of it myself