Has anyone here had gastric bypass surgery?

i havent had it but I would be VERY intrested in hearing about anyone who has I am looking into having it done but am a little nervous about it.
Take Care,
~Cooki

I haven't had it myself, but a very close friend had the gastric bypass surgery. She has been quite pleased with it.

Personally though, having seen what she's been through because of it, I would never consider it. She can no longer eat normally...only a few bites at a time. She's had to have several follow-up surgeries; some of them to remove the excess skin that was hanging off her body because she lost the weight so fast, but some of the surgeries were as a direct result of the gastric bypass surgery. She also now has frequent diarrhea, which I understand is a common side effect of this surgery.

On the other hand, my friend weighed well over 300 pounds before the surgery, and she's only 5 feet tall. She now weighs 120. And, as I said above, she thinks it was worth it.

Just be sure you consider all factors before making the final decision. It's not for everybody.

I would do it in a heart beat, but I am not morbidly obese or at least 100 lbs over with other health problems, which you have to be. I'm about 50 pounds overweight.

I know three women that have had it done, all more than a year after surgery and each of them wishes that they had NOT had it done. Problems range from losing most of their hair (despite taking supplements), to horrible gas that is uncontrollable, to body odor from the body not breaking down foods, to complications digesting food and infections.

I could go on about their scenarios, but to sum up their experiences, the doctors are not being upfront about the side-effects and how likely they are to encounter them. As it's not something that can be reversed very easily, please weigh ALL your options and research the situation carefully. There are a lot of new procedures on the forefront that are a lot less drastic and produce better results - ie Large Volume Liposuction.

Just please be fully informed before doing anything so drastic!

Someone in the Weight Loss forum posted that she had it done recently - she posted within the last two weeks.

Will Medicaid/Medicaire cover the procedure if your doctor prescribes it be done?An uncle had some type surgery to lose weight about 15 years ago...He lost weight rapidly,couldn't eat but a few bites at a time and developed Hernia's requiring more surgery...It made him sick...I know a woman that had the stapling done,she weighed around 218 pounds before surgery...Everytime I saw her she was munching on something constantly...I guess I know one woman that had the Bypass done...She is doing well since...I know a few other people that had the stapling done and like my uncle they had probs and gained back what they lost plus some..If you receive Medicaid/Medicare I know for a fact they won't cover medicine like Xenical but was unsure of the surgery...

Medicade did pay for me to have xenical, your doctor has to request it for you and then you have to meet the requirements that medicade has. I have been taking it for a few months and have not had much luck over that last few months I have lost 3lbs. It is very discuriging(sp?) I know that they said it would come off slowly but 1 pound a month! I am looking in to having medicade pay for a surgery I have found out that they have paid for surgerys here in Maine before, if you go to yahoo and type in obesity there is a site there that will tell you if your state Medicade program will allow the surgery. Good luck in your search and I hope this helps.
Take Care
~Cooki

Hi, I'm new to the board,and the reason i have seeked this message board out is, I went to a knee dr yesterday and i was told about this stomach stapling surgery, Well i told her if i eat once aday i was doing good and my fiancee was with me and he confermed that. But i told her, my worry was i'm not over weight because i'm a over eater and how does she think something like this is going to help me, and the said it does something to the hormones to my body and helps my metabolism, and she said that everyone that has this done hse has realy good results and very fast, and that this is not just for over eaters its for people like me as well. I'm sorry i was like really letting her have it and i told her i didint trust her that this was something just to make me have it done and because dr's blame everything on weight she was telling me what i wanted to hear. And i feel in her mind she was like "If she was small her knees wouldnt hurt" not hearing me at all and see i'm new to Winchester VA and i need a knee dr i have had 2 surgeries on my right knee and 1 on my left and my knee dr where i lived before didnt treat me like this and it really hurt my feelings i had all my med, records with me and everything and i was trying to tell her that the reason i had messed up knees was where my EX beat me for 11yrs and he took a 4x4 and beat my knees to keep me from leaveing and she just wouldnt hear me and i just feel like my last knee dr understood me but he is 4 hr away now http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif, I know i need to loose weight i would love it OH GOD YES!!!! But that just hurt and threw up a RED FLAG!!! After i had my first son i took birth control pills and my dr at the time run blood test and he took me off real fast and said one of the side afect's has not went well with my body, and he "WAS SORRY" well i was gaining wight fast i went from a size 10 to a 18 in no time and i just kept going and he said it has caused me to retain water and he also said it has done some other things to me and now i'm at a size 24 and it hurts so bad. So please someone tell me what to do i'm so scared. And mad all at the same time.

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Rebecca Toney

Hi Cooki,
When I took Xenical,Medicaid wouldn't pay for it and my doctor didn't have samples.I lost weight using it,but had to stop because I couldn't afford to continue buying it.If your not having luck losing weight,you may want to talk to your doctor.

Thanks,
Jassy

Some people are doing really good and lose a lot of weight after gastric bypass surgery. Some people are doing good but don't lose too much weight because they feel hungry all the time and can't keep themselves from eatting liquid food (like ice cream) all the time. Some people develop significant complications (anastomosis leak) and even die soon after the surgery. Laparoscopic gastric bypass usually has higher risks compared to open approach. I guess insurance would pay for the surgery if some of your medical diseases (for example, heart problems or lung disorder called obesity hypoventilation syndrome) are directly related to obesity.

What does it take for a surgeon to recommend gastric bypass? My mom's making noise about getting her stomach stapled. She's just over the line for obesity. She doesn't eat right and doesn't exercize, so I'm thinking that a surgeon will tell her to do her part before he does his.

Becca,
Im sorry that this new dr. has treated you so badly. I hope you find a new dr. who will treat you with respect, and understanding. Good luck!

Jassy,
Thank you for your reply I am going back to the dr. soon and we are going to discuss what is the next step for me. Thank you

Take Care
~Cooki

Becca,
From what you've said, it sounds like you might have a hormonal connection to the weight gain. There's a condition called PCOS - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - it's pretty easy to diagnose with basic bloodwork. There's the body type of having the weight in the tummy/lower abdomen, tending to lose hair on the head while having heavier peach-fuzz on the face and the rest of the body. I was dx with it a little over a year ago - made some drastic diet changes - eliminating pasta, bread, sugar and diet sodas from my life. I now eat a modified Atkins-type diet - focusing on salmon and olive oil instead of bacon and butter that they profess. Dropped weight pretty effortlessly. I still crave those foods from time to time, but I learned that even "dabbling" with those foods leads to weight gain with me. I went off the diet for a week - didn't go "hog wild" but ate what a "normal" person would - staying under 1200 calories and working out daily and I still gained 12 lbs in a week. Realized it's not worth it to me. You can find info about PCOS by searching on google, etc. Read up and see if it fits you - you'll know immediately. There's no point in endangering your health by having such a drastic surgery when there are more reasonable solutions available.

I had gastric bypass surgery (open roux-en-y procedure) in March 1999 at 37 yrs of age. It is the BEST thing I ever did for myself! Since I had it, 4 people at work had it because of how well I did, and they all did great too. I weighed 292# (I'm female 5'5"). I had a weight problem since age 11 or so after being a skinny kid. I dieted on and off since age 12, anything from something sensible like Weight Watchers (4 times!) to almost total starvation where I almost passed out. I lost 130# in a little over 1 year of having the surgery. By no means did the loss of weight solve all my problems, but it definitely changed my life in only positive ways. Surgery is a big decision, and you need to research the surgeon well. I was lucky because I live in an area where we have a great surgeon with a very comprehensive program that includes a wonderful post-op support group and terrific follow-up care. I also had total support of family and friends, which was very helpful. I have minor problems that result from the surgery, like increased gas and change in hair/skin texture, but believe me well worth the results. I now wear a size 12 (I wore 24's and 26's pre-op). I never dreamed I would be able to wear a 12! Not to mention, I no longer have hypertension, and severe knee pain that I had before.
Whatever you decide to do, best of luck, and don't be afraid to consider surgery as an option if you are more than 100# overweight.

I too have looked into WLS for an answer to my dilemma. I am 600+ pounds, 5'4", 45 years old, and have been fat my entire life. The duodenal switch surgery seems to be the answer for me. Yes you will have to take vitamins and calcium supplements for the rest of your life. This inconvenience more than compensates for the quality of life you will be regaining. My problem is getting the insurance company to pay for it, I surely can't afford it myself.

I guess what confuses me about people who want this surgery is this.....if you have the surgery you will only be able to eat small amounts of food at one time, right? So why not do that now and lose the weight on your own? Why put yourself through a painful and potentially dangerous operation when the end result will still be the same, i.e. eating smaller portions.

I just don't get it.

scbagrrl - First of all 'normal' people do not eat BELOW 1200 calories. Second of all, the 12lb gain you saw within a week's time was water weight. Its impossible to gain weight that quickly without eating a HUGE amount of food. It takes 3,500 EXTRA calories to gain one pound of fat. MOST women require almost 2000 calories for daily functioning so you'd have had to eat 56,000 calories to gain that much weight in one week.

I don't doubt that some people's body works with foods differently, but you didn't gain 12lbs of fat in a week.

THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE POST OF LADY^

If it were that simple to just cut back to 5 tiny meals a day, we would all be twiggy. Don't see what you don't get about the surgery .... it is a tool to aid one in accomplishing being able to live on 5 tiny meals a day without feeling deprived or punished, on a long term basis.

In response to Lady's post. It isn't just about eating small meals like the surgery makes you do. The surgery also modifies your intestines. It makes it so the food doesn't spend as much time there so your body is not asorbing the calories or nutrients that is why you have to take vitimins for life. So you are not only limited by the amount of food you eat but by the amount of calories absorbed.

OK, I didn't mean to sound insensitive about this issue. But it seems to me that it is a very drastic thing to do. I mean, if there are any complications from this surgery you could be adversly affected for the rest of your life.

I've struggled with my weight since I was a kid. I've yo-yo'd my entire life, usually ending up over 100 pounds more than what the docs think is my "Ideal weight". What made me lose weight was being diagnosed with diabetes last year. It finally sunk in that if I didn't change my eating habits I would die from it, and have all sorts of complications in the mean time. I don't want to lose my sight, or a limb. Before the diagnosis I didn't think I could lose the weight and I had given up. Now I've lost alot of it and I realized that it was my mindset and attitude that kept me overweight. And have to be careful cause it's so easy to slip back into the old habits.

I guess I just feel like if I was finally able to do it that others could too. I hate to think of anyone having to have this surgery.....it's scary.

My cousin had the surgery and is miserable. She was only 75lbs over weight but wanted to have the surgery so she made herself gain the extra 30lbs to be more than 100lbs over and regrets it now. She can't stop loosing weight. She is at about 120lbs now down from 250. But since she can't eat to much she's just losing more and more. Plus she stays nauseated(sp?)alot.
I wouldn't recomend it unless you are over 100lbs over weight. Also another thing I would be sure I was doing it for health reasons intead of vanity.
I am a bit heafty myself at 240lbs. But I am happy being me, and I love my self for me. My battle with weight if purely for health reasons and so that I can have a child. I am only 5'2" and Doctors say it would cause serious problems for me to gain that much more weight.
I hope you make the right decision for you and no one else.
Good luck
katelin

[This message has been edited by Katelinrose28 (edited 12-16-2002).]

The operation is well worth it if you were like me and 380lbs overweight, a year latter I have 120 or so to go the enrgey is unbelivable for somebody like me who was gonna die anyway I was given 50/50 of dieing on table and got pneumonia and spent a month in the hospital and rehab to learn to walk if you can do it some other way please try, as for leaks, in NJ they are considered very rare. GOD bless all who suffer

I had the surgury March 20th of 2002. Since then I have lost 95 pounds. I was 300 pounds before surgury (about 3 months before surgury) 280 pounds at the time of surgury, and I am now 185 pounds. I was a size 44. now I wear a size 34. And it is getting loose.
Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask, i will drop by from time to time.

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[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 12-20-2002).]

Your situation sounded so much like mine, I felt compelled to reply. I noticed you did not have any responses so I guess it is about time you got one. I understand that putting on weight after children is very easy to do for some of us. I have 5 kids myself and was also up to a size 24. I had problems with my knees and my feet. When I went to a dr. in my area he also told me that skinny people have problems with their joints too and it wasn't just the weight that makes people have knee and feet problems. (of course this made me feel better, he told me what i wanted to hear.) It does hurt your feelings when people "hint" that losing weight would help. I just wanted to let you know that after a couple of years of painful joints, and several heavy friends having gastric bypass surgery, I chose to go that route myself. When you tell yourself that you can't help that you are heavy and always look for a reason, like your pills or metabolism etc., that just means you aren't ready to accept the truth. When I finally faced the truth and had the surgery, I have never been happier. I still have about 35 more pounds to go, but I feel great. I eat whatever I want and I eat all day long. When your new stomach only holds 2oz. (considering an average stomach holds 5 cups, and mine was probably bigger than that LOLO), anyways in less than a year I am buying different clothes every week because I lose so quickly. I bought 14 pants last week and had to go back to the store this week for 12s, because the now baggy 14s felt unflattering. That is a great feeling! I tried lots of other things and had lost a good deal on my own, but as soon as I bought new clothes I had to turn around and go back to bigger ones because I would put it right back on! With this surgery that is not a worry because there is no way I could eat enough to put it back on. If you'd like to reply feel free, but I just wanted to see if you still felt the same or had done some more research or whatever. Mainly I just didn't want you to have a wrong opinion about gastric bypass, I went from around a 22 or 24 to 12 and that is in several months, not even a year, and I am still losing!

I have had gastric bypass surgery and I do not regret it for one instant, and whoever would dream of suggesting large areas of liposuction, is very much misinformed. I know people who have had liposuction and people who have had gastric bypass. I am almost to goal in less than a year, I've lost over 92 pounds in 8 months. I know of people who have to have repeated liposuction because having it doesn't stop you from going right back and putting on more fat. The problem is that wherever it was "sucked" from, it does not return but it returns all around it, thus a dimpling or concave appearance. You can honestly look deformed. With my bypass I have learned to eat in very small proportions and with the way it changes your metabolism and your desires for different foods, you turn out much healthier than staying obese.

Originally posted by catndogma01:
Has anyone here had gastric bypass surgery?

Hi all - I had the laproscopic bypass on January 24, 2002. I am very happy. My health already has made extreme positive changes....feel free to contact me if you wish.

hi im 26 5"5 210 lb i have 5 kids 10,8,6,4,3, i gained the weight as i had the kids im dying to lose weight but its hard my husband says i dont need to but im tired so now im stuck in the decision should i or shouldnt i because of my kids im just always sad though what do i do

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thanx for listening please respond back

Dear Chinkusa

Is the surgury you had done the one where they attach some elastic to you rather then really operate with a small camera???

Please write me and let me know more about the surgury.

I am leaning towards this one if it's covered by insurance and when I get to the dr they will suggest that I can have this type done.

I rather not have the one where they cut you open more and insert the camera .

Write me at BSidrer@aol.com


Thank you
Barbara

Believe it or not I have 4 co-workers who have all had this surgey. Each one different. One has been almost 2 years ago and you would never know she had it done. She is still fat! Sure she lost some weight, but in my opinion it is not worth it. She still eats whatever she wants and all the things Dr. told her she wouldn't be able to eat, she can. Another had it done about 2 months ago and can't even keep liquid down. Seriously if you want to loose weight why risk surgery. STOP eatting so much and start exercising. I know its hard , I'm overweight myself, but I think unless you have a serious medical condition and your life depends on the surgery..DON'T DO IT! I really think it is pretty pathetic that if someone can't control their own eatting that they would have to have surgery. Loose weight the smart way, you'll be prouder you did

Please careful with GBP....I have researched it, and some of the leading surgeons who performed this procedure call it "controlled starvation," and induced bulemia." It ages the body 10 years within the first year of surgery. Dr. Louis Flancbaum who wrote the doctor's guide to weight loss surgery (NY 2001) states..."weight loss surgery does not make most people thin--it makes very obese people less obese." Plus you may have to deal with early osteopororis, permanently damaged metabolism, and lupus....I was one week away ffdrom my consultation and decided to not take the easy way out, and to learn to put down the fork...it sounds simple, it will be hell, but I have to fight this addiction to food. If WLS is so successful, why do so many have to have it repeated within five years. Just research! My boss had the ilial switch, and she smells like a bowel movement all the time; she looks like death warmed over, and frankly you dare not go to the bathroom after her; she looks old, and she told me she would do it again, even though she feels good maybe three days out of every seven. For myself, I honestly have not tried to lose weight, I look for the miracles; the I have to realize the miracle will be me....i have the key...the key is ME!

Lady,

I've thought the same thing but I think it's because you don't feel hungry anymore so you naturally eat less with the surgery.

Originally posted by Lady^:
I guess what confuses me about people who want this surgery is this.....if you have the surgery you will only be able to eat small amounts of food at one time, right? So why not do that now and lose the weight on your own? Why put yourself through a painful and potentially dangerous operation when the end result will still be the same, i.e. eating smaller portions.

I just don't get it.

I managed to get on public assistance to cover my surgery...I'm 5'6 and 330 pounds (Down from the 350 previously since I'm pregnant)

Well, two weeks after being granted the insurance, I go to the doc and low and behold! I'm pregnant.

I'm planning an appointment as soon as I give birth next month to start the ball rolling. I want to LIVE to see my baby grow up

Lady - what did you do to lose weight?

To all who had the surgery - what was the recouperation time like? How long were you in the hospital - laid up - out of work?

Hello everyone I just would like to say that I have had the Gastric Bypass in 2001 of july and the procedure went excellent, I have had no complications or anything. It is something to really think about before doing it though because it is a very major surgery. As for me only reason I had it is because i couldnt lose weight any other way and no kind of diet would do it for me, and considering my age at that time (23) doctors was very concerned and they recomended me right away i weighed 535 and i am 6'1 so you could imagine the struggle of being obese i was going through. but i must say i carried my weight well i really didnt look my weight thank God for my height! but anyway i couldnt tell you how much weight i loss because after my surgery i weighed in one last time and i was down to 480 and that was just a couple weeks after, but i do know after like 6 months i went from size 34 to 28 and thats all i know i just didnt feel the need to weight till i got skinny http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif but unfortunately that never happend. seemed like i plateaued after about 8 months. and eventually i started gaining weight. to make a long story short. but the cold thing about i dont eat alot of food at all , but i do make up for it in sweets. somethin that can go down with ease, and you can find alot of high calorie foods in that catagory. so you really must follow the eatin plan in order to be succesful, otherwise having the surgery would be for nothing if you dont change the way you eat. it just helps you a lil to get fuller faster by having a small stomache. as for me i want to try zetacap to see if it works since i alreay have a small stomache maybe it can slow me down with the sweets!

I'm hoping my posting will be helpful. I had my surgery a looooong time ago. In fact, I had to wait almost a year in order to have my surger approved because I was so young. My surgery was in 1989.
From talking to other men and women, and meeting other men and women who have had the surgery, I think I may have a broad perspective.
So I'd like to say this.

The surgery is serious, and it requires a great deal of thought before you consider it. There is really no way to know ahead of time which of the many side effects you may experience, so make sure you listen very very closely to what the doctor says to you before you sign up. Some of the side effects won't come about in the first few months, or even years. You must make sure that those side effects are worth it. For some people it will be, for some it will not.

Know this, the surgery is not a 'final solution'. I highly urge anyone who decides to have the surgery (and this recommendation is in accord with others I know who've had it) to have #1 nutritional counseling to relearn a proper way of eating because you will regain an ability to eat more over time, and even if you didnt' -- if you continue to eat in a way that isn't the most healthy for YOU personally -- you will have weight problems. #2 and maybe more importantly, get regular counseling because people will treat you differently as a thinner individual and it can really mess with your mind. I know, I know ,,, everyone things.. ooh it will be so great when I'm skinny and confident and attractive. BUT ... when people you've known your whole life begin to treat you differently, it can be very disturbing. Also, if you think that people will no longer focus on your weight (oh, you're so smart and so pretty if you could JUST lose weight) .. think again! For the entire first two years after surgery all anyone could say to me was "ooh you look like you've lost more weight!" Now ... I know we all dream of that, but trust me ... after a while ... when no one notices your intellectual accomplishments, or your abilities and still they focus on talking about your weight, it can make you nuts.

Now as far as side effects, mine were mild .. besides eventually regaining some of the weight. I lost most of my hair, and for almost two years there were foods I couldn't digest ... proteins mostly. I still can't eat some dairy and absolutely no ice cream, ever. For the first year I could only eat a few soda crackers and a small piece of meat or cheese and be stuffed beyond belief. You realize then how much social eating occurs because barbeques, dinner parties, receptions .. well you see my point. I also experienced gall stones which seems to be common for those who have had this surgery. This did not occur for 5 or 6 years post surgery.

Of course, there is the vomiting. Sorry to be graphic but every single time you overeat initially, you will vomit. If you have an aversion to that .. well... you'll have to get over it. And, you'll have to be careful to not overeat because all that bile and acid coming up can damage your teeth and esophagus. Many people also experience other 'digestion' problems. I did find that eating a lot of fresh pineapple helped me in that arena -- now I know that is because of the digestive enzymes in pineapple and papaya.

I have experienced 'female' problems as well. These may be related. My best friend's aunt had the surgery 6 months ago and is presently in the hospital having a hysterectomy and has had cervical cancer diagnosed. Her doctor said that when women lose a great deal of weight very quickly, they often experience problems because of excess estrogen that is now in the body as the fat cells have reduced in size. I hadn't heard this before but it does make some sense as fat cells seem to go hand in hand with excess estrogen in the body.

A woman I work with had the surgery and has had to have quite a number of follow-up surgeries for 'related problems'. A good friend's cousin who lives in Alaska had wonderful results ala losing weight and starting a new life, but she also has had gall bladder and liver problems as a result. While she loves her new body, she isn't exactly thrilled at being on her 4th surgery after her weight loss surgery.

Am I sorry I had the surgery? I can say that I don't know that I'd make the same decision in retrospect. I can say it's been an interesting experience. I've seen life as a fat person, an almost thin person, and now as a chubby person again. I've learned to love myself in my body and focus on 'health' instead of weight. I can say as an Italian woman who loves food, the first two years were very difficult. Even now, there is much I cannot eat, and the weight loss did not last for me. Had I had more counseling, particularly nutritional - it may have been different.

But please, if you do decide to do this surgery - know you may very well lose a lot of weight very quickly - and you will probably sustain health problems over time because of it, and it is very likely you will regain some or all of the weight over time if you don't take precautions. SO take care of yourself first and foremost .. learn about nutrition and health, and about your own emotions and needs.

Best of luck with your decision.

[This message has been edited by LadyIris313 (edited 10-05-2003).]

i am having it 05/24/04. I have friends who have had it and have had great results.

Problems range from losing most of their hair (despite taking supplements), to horrible gas that is uncontrollable, to body odor from the body not breaking down foods, to complications digesting food and infections.
Gas? What causes the gas?

Hi all. I just wanted to say that i had gastric Bypass done in Dec, 2002. I have lost nearly 100 pounds with 30 more to go! I have not had a single complication and feel wonderful! If I could just lose these last 30 im sure i would feel even better. What people have to realize is that Gastric Bypass is a tool to help you lose weight. The way you eat will be modified drastically. Granted, after about a year or so, you can eat most things just at smaller portions. I did lose some of my hair, mostly my arms and some on my head. The head hair did come back and it came back thinner, which i love cuz i had had extremely thick hair. Also, gas as mentioned is sometimes intolerable, especially in the beginning. It gets better as time passes i think. Mine has anyway :) I havent had any BO or complications. If anyone wants to talk more with me, feel free! Im a surgery advocate at my job as they call me. Ive had 4 people do it. Just like another poster here had! :) Yay us. lol

Good luck!
Rhea

I had it July 8th 2003, best thing I ever did for myself I have lost 149 lbs. to date. I was only in the hospital for 4 days on the 4th day I got scramble eggs and then the doc sent me home. I've only had to go back to the doctor for my check ups. I'm having a very good results but this surgery like any other is a big step and if you don't follow the doctors orders you'll be sorry in the long run. I wish I could post a before after pic it would really knock your eyes out. I have ran across old friends that didn't know me.
Now I have to think about having the excess skin removed so if any of you want to donate to the cause or want to recomend me for extreme make overs go for it LOL.

If you want to know anymore about my experiences contact me.
Carol

I had gastric bypass surgery in June of 2000. My highest weight was 311 pounds. I lost approximately 120 pounds within the first 18 months. Then it just stopped. You get your appetite back, even though the doctor told me I wouldn't. I've gained back about 25 pounds. I'm now trying the South Beach Diet to attempt to lose more (I want to lose about 70 more pounds).

this post is kinda old but you guys are still replying to it so I might as well...My mom got it in dec 2000, She was 100 lbs overweight. She was about 250 and she got down to 150, now she's in the 160's. She doesn't regret getting the surgery done, she did it for health reasons. The only thing is if you eat the wrong thing, it comes right back up! That's the bad part. She had the roux en y, and it wasnt laparoscopic sp?. I was thinking about getting it also, but you have to have a bmi of 40, or have a bmi of 35 with weight related problems. This surgery is different for everyone, it reacts to everyone differently, Some people have health problems that majorly outweigh the risks of surgery

In response to Lady's post. It isn't just about eating small meals like the surgery makes you do. The surgery also modifies your intestines. It makes it so the food doesn't spend as much time there so your body is not asorbing the calories or nutrients that is why you have to take vitimins for life. So you are not only limited by the amount of food you eat but by the amount of calories absorbed.

thank you i was wondering what else the surgery did to make you lose weight so fast you answered my question. I also wanted to know if you knew anyone who had the surgery and if so how did they do. I am considering

I had it July 8th 2003, best thing I ever did for myself I have lost 149 lbs. to date. I was only in the hospital for 4 days on the 4th day I got scramble eggs and then the doc sent me home. I've only had to go back to the doctor for my check ups. I'm having a very good results but this surgery like any other is a big step and if you don't follow the doctors orders you'll be sorry in the long run. I wish I could post a before after pic it would really knock your eyes out. I have ran across old friends that didn't know me.
Now I have to think about having the excess skin removed so if any of you want to donate to the cause or want to recomend me for extreme make overs go for it LOL.

If you want to know anymore about my experiences contact me.
Carol
congratulations I am seriously considering the surgery, how long did it take to lose the first 100

I want to have it! However, my ins. excludes any WLS or meds related to weight loss. I have several friends who have had it and are VERY satisfied. They have all lost around 80+ lbs, and they look & feel great. Everyone of them is very happy they had it done. Best Wishes, Beth

I want A Gastric Bypass soooooo bad but my insurance wont pay for it. Do you have any suggestions about how I can get one? can you finance or do you have to pay all at once?? I don' tknow hot it all works?

Kielso-
what kind of assistance did you get for your surgery and how did you get it!! My insurance won't pay for it and I need to have it soon. '

Thanks

There are times when I wish that it was THAT easy to lose the weight. I mean, it isnt easy, but you lose the weight without taking stupid pills and busting your butt at the gym.....However.... my brother got it done 11 months ago. And after seeing the pain he was and sometimes still is in, and all of the side effects, there is no way I would get it done. It is way too risky anyway. I dont even come close to meeting the requirements, but even if I did, I couldnt see myself doing it. He is about 5'5" or 5'6" and I think he was close to 300lbs. He is now weighing about 150ish, I think. For months, he was always throwing up, diarrhea constantly, and you have to give up so many of the things that you love. Yeah, nothing is without its sacrifice, but there are certain things that you eat (rice, potatoes, etc) that are off limits and you get violently sick. So regardless if you get the surgery or you just opt to exercise and stay away from certain foods - you will lose the weight. But at what cost are you willing to do it. It is a quick fix for a lifelong problem for most. I wouldnt do it, personally.

Will Medicaid/Medicaire cover the procedure if your doctor prescribes it be done?An uncle had some type surgery to lose weight about 15 years ago...He lost weight rapidly,couldn't eat but a few bites at a time and developed Hernia's requiring more surgery...It made him sick...I know a woman that had the stapling done,she weighed around 218 pounds before surgery...Everytime I saw her she was munching on something constantly...I guess I know one woman that had the Bypass done...She is doing well since...I know a few other people that had the stapling done and like my uncle they had probs and gained back what they lost plus some..If you receive Medicaid/Medicare I know for a fact they won't cover medicine like Xenical but was unsure of the surgery...


It is risky. If your dr helps you get it pre-approved with Medicaid, you may be able to get it done. However, as I posted earlier, my brother had it done. Because of his severe medical problems related to obesity, he is on Medicaid. They said they would pay it, then, about 3 months after the surgery, they turned around and changed their minds and now he is stuck with a $30,000 hospital and dr bill.

Has anyone heard about the stomach pacemaker?

pacemaker is not proving to have much success. look at gastric banding (lapband)...appears much safter than bypass--and effective.

I personally want to get the microscopic banding done. Less side effects, lower mortality rates than bypass, you still digest all of the nutrients you eat, but you eat less and feel full. Also great recovery time compared to bypass. You still lose 60-80% of your excess weight which would bring me down to about 175 after 2 years compared with 285 now. I would do it in a minute if I could find someone to accept medicaid. I am having a hard time walking, back pain, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression. Yeah, if surgery could help me move better and feel better and be healthier I would do it.