I sent to see a Dr yesterday about one of these procedures I am thinking of having one done ( I know which one) but i want your feed back and if you had one done or know of anyone who had one done and how you/they are doing after.

So what you think let me know , Thank you

Are you sure you really want to know? Some of the things that can happen are pretty awful. I think it's all in your determination but they're both pretty drastic procedures. As long as you've made a commitment to really stick with the eating part of it you shouldn't have a problem. A friend of mine did it and she really lost weight. The biggest problem is that she still has enough skin for both of us and it's hanging on her little tiny body. She sags from the top of her head to her toes. As long as she wears long pants/dresses and long sleeves she doesn't look too bad but when summer hits and she drags out the shorts, shhheeewww. I'm not sure how long it takes for the skin to catch up with the weight loss or if it ever does.

I cannot imagine me having either. But if I really had to, I would go with the band. The by-pass is a very drastic procedure and will affect what you can eat, drink, and even what meds you will be able to take for the rest of your life. The band is more forgiving and can actually be removed if necessary down the road. I have an aunt who had the band and it was a good thing. She actually lost weight too fast and they had to relax it.

Well yea you have to do some toning exercise that will help some and some people tone uo good and some want I thought about that also. i am going to try toning excercise preparing myself until i decide to have it and then i will finish after the procedure

Good luck.

I have been thinking of the same thing. I have a friend who just had the gastric by-pass and he has lost 65lbs in two months.

Good luck with the procedure you have decided upon. I would love to hear more about it so that I can make my decision.

I have 2 friends that had the gastric bypass and did great. My mom (age 66) had it done March 22 of this year. She had a problem with striction and they had to balloon her intestine. They say it happens once in a while. Also there is a higher risk of having gallbladder problems. My mom already had hers removed before her bypass. I can say all 3 have lost weight, diabetes and high bloodpressure are GONE. My mom takes less meds now than she did before. She feels so much better and is active now. I have heard the risks and I believe you need to be very committed to following the diet plan to help prevent any adverse effects. The lose skin is an issue but for the three I know, they say its worth losing the joint pain and health problems. Good luck and get all the info you can before you make your decision.

I also know a friend that is going to have lap band surg.
BUT Are you going through the pre-course surg.??????
That is where you learn soooo much of what is instore for you after surg. There are some ins.co. that DON"T pay for this and it is really needed, so you know what to expect.
Best of luck

My niece had the lap band. As soon as she could she went into an exercise program and looks AWESOME! She has a fold at her stomach.....but in her (and my) opinion, it's better than the big folds she had before.

My friend had gastric bypass, he lost 200# and does have extra folds....but he feels better, too. In fact, he went from 6 insulin shots a day, 3 pills for diabetes, 2 pills for arthritis, BP meds, to NONE!!!! He doesn't take anything except the thyroid pill because his thyroid was removed years ago.

Both of them had to have something done....their health was in such bad shape that it was that or die.

Yes, both went thru what I consider hell because of having to change eating habits....but both, after a year, are the happiest I've ever seen.

The choice is up to you.....if you feel it's time, and your doctor think it's time....then go for it and best of luck!!!!

Jerrie, I'm going to discourage either procedure. Both surgeries are only to FORCE you into dieting. The problem is, you only have surgery on your tummy and not your brain, which still wants to eat too much of the wrong things...and unless you convince your brain that it's wrong, then neither surgery will be long term successful. I have a brother in law and a niece that have both had the bypass surgery. The brother in law did really good with it for about a year, until he coaxed his "new" body to accept sugars, etc. He's now back over 300lbs. The niece did not have a good experience from the get-go and nearly died...could not eat solid foods for over a year, and while she now wears a size 14, instead of a size 30, she is constantly ill, because she eats the wrong things...

The lap band is less invasive, but it's still surgery, and some of the same problems exist. If you don't retrain your brain to eat the right foods, and the right amounts of them, then it won't be successful, long term.

Please, please, please try one more time to lose weight without surgery!! I know you can do it, I've seen your photo and can see a goodly amount of "stubborn" in your eyes!! That's all it takes is to be stubborn about eating right...decide that YOU rule food, and not the other way around! Use food as a tool for survival, and use it like you would any other tool...when you need to.

As for loose skin? At our age, we're stuck with it. I've lost 105 lbs, and the only way I'm going to lose the skin is to have surgery. Skin looses elasticity as we age....hence the wrinkles as we get older. If and when I get to have that surgery, they estimate that I will lose another 15 lbs! Some will shrink back, but most of it is just going to "hang around". ("Nude" is NOT a pretty picture at my house!! ;) )

All of that being said, however you choose to lose weight, it's going to be a good thing to get the excess weight gone! You're going to have more energy, be able to do more, and live longer! I had gotten to the point that I couldn't walk across a parking lot without chest pains...now I can run across the same parking lot and not be out of breath!

~hugs~

The one lady I know who had bypass lost a ton of weight and had the loose skin issue. When she had kept the weight off 5 years, she went in and had plastic surgery to tighten up the skin. She has maintained the weight loss for 15 years now. I'm sure it's not always easy, but she has done it.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of drastic surgeries, but if you can't get the weight off any other way, it's probably worth it. Of course there are risk factors, but there are major risk factors to being overweight, too.

Good luck in getting the weight off no matter how you decide to do it.

I was all set to have the gastric bypass, but backed out. I know 10 people who had it done and 7 of them had major problems. The very least was horrible hanging skin the worst was not being able to eat anything and living on ensure. It scared the snot out of me. I am going to look into the lapband and see what my Doc says. Part of my problem is some of the meds that I take. They suppress the metabolism. Whatever you do, I hope and pray that you get the results that you want and that everything goes well.

My sister had the gastric bypass a little over a year ago and has lost a lot of weight. She opted for bypass vs. lapband because her doctor told her that the band can sometimes slip.

Also, be aware, she was told (by someone at the hospital) that insurance would cover the plastic surgery she would need afterwards. She found out later that that was not true.

As for the skin readjusting, as we get older, our skin elasticity diminishes and is not as able to shrink as when we're younger.

The upside is her diabetes basically went away along with the high blood pressure. Unfortunately, the pain in her joints did not go away; she's been diagnosed with arthritis in her back, something we share.

Best of luck on whatever you decide!

My sister-in-law had this done in January. She has lost 65#. She had other health issues that require wieght loss first. Listen to the Doctors and go to support groups. Nothing is perfect. There was more than 6 months of pre-surgical counciling for her. There were a number of professionals that had to ok her having the procedure. They really wanted to make sure that she knew the risks.

Jerrie, a gal at work had it done about two years ago and she's lost more than 150 lbs. She looks great. She did was she was told afterward and had very little problems.

Like Charlee, I would like to discourage you from having surgery and re-train your brain to think differently. There are so many complications that can come from surgery. There are tons of programs out there that can help with the thinking process.

I wish you luck in what ever you decide. {{{{{hugs}}}}}

The committment to following orders after the surgery is a life long one. Here, they have you go through a program first. It explains everything, so you know exactly what to expect. I went to these with a gal I was caring for and they were a real eye opener. Many drop out of the program, and other's are removed from the surgical list if the opinion is they won't be able to follow through with the after care program. If you don't follow them, there are complications, some life threatening. I am sure that your doctor/surgeon will explain all of this with you.

Learn all you can about both surgeries, and then make an informed decision. The "apron" that usually remains, as well as other major folds of skin, can be removed and be covered by insurance, but usually there has to be a medical reason behind it. My friend had it done and it was covered but she had medical issues with them (recurrent yeast type of infections.)

I have a friend who had the lapband. It was totally unsuccessful and she has never regained her health. Her body rejected the band and she had it removed on the fourth surgery but was left with massive infection. Dr said had never had it happen before but it is her reality. Please try to change your diet for awhile. Don't diet but just change to eating healthy and reduce sugar and fat and then you can gradually reduce portion. Good luck.

In 2006 & part of 2007 I worked for a Surgery Center that did the Weight Loss Surgeries. My job was to get the people that were interested, signed up for the Seminars "before" they could even see the Drs. They had to go through these to get their questions answers and to become educated on the procedures. If they later had questions, they would call me and I had to find the answers for them. When they had their surgeries, I followed them through it and afterward as well with calls regarding questions or just their success or failure. Before surgery they had to go through quite a bit of testing. Otherwise no surgery would even be considered. Even a Psyche evaluation & sleep study had to be done.

I had coworkers that had the Gastric Bypass done. My DD had it done. All in this time frame. NO serious issues occurred. You DO HAVE TO DO what you are told to do. There is a very slim chance like with any type of surgery, that a problem might occur. Strictures can happen. Some Drs patiens have more strictures than other Drs patients. IF you start out on the liquids, graduate to like a pureed food, then go to a soft food, all in a certain amt of time & give your new pouch time to heal well, rarely do bad things happen. And yes, exercise is very important.

Insurance sometimes helps with these surgeries and sometimes not. Rarely do they help with plastics afterward. Unless like Amma said, a health risks could be cured by plastics like a consistent yeast infection. My DD was nearly dead before she had GB in Oct. '06. Serious! She was a walking, ticking time bomb about to go off. Could barely walk. Now she is a sz 10 and off of all meds but a Sinus pill once a day, never sick at all, has more energy than most teens & she followed her Drs orders to a T & still adheres to the diet which is basically No pasta, potatoes, rice or bread or sugar. At all!!!

So do your homework. Talk, talk, talk to your Dr & it would not hurt to talk to more than one Dr. Ask for their success rate. Weigh out your risks. Only you can decide what to do.

With the Lap Band, as you lose weight, you will have to go in and have the band injected or tightened from time to time in order for that to work. From now on you will have that to deal with if you gain a few pounds here or there. That is a cost to eat. Ins. will only cover a few visits the 1st year.

As for being a Diabetic, after Gastric Bypass, you no longer will be Diabetic. Usually by the time you are released from the hospital. High Blood Pressure is almost always cured after GB as the weight comes off. I know this as a fact from my DD & a few close friends that had it. I am not trying to persuade anyone to have this surgery!!! Just telling you what I know about it & how it has worked for my DD and ex-coworkers and sev close friends. And after anyone loses a great deal of weight, any way shape or form, they may have gall bladder issues. With ANY surgery, there is always a risk. Do take that into consideration. Living as a morbid obese person has risks also, so it is your choice. We love you here & just want you healthy.

God Bless you in whatever you decide. Your health is what is important. I wish you well & pray for much success.

Of the people that I know who have had weight loss surgery, very few have not regained a good bit of weight and thus are still considered overweight. Having said that, although I personally would not do either, I would, if I had to choose, go for the band.

Best wishes.

While working there, it scared me so bad that I really went on a smart eating plan. Eating good, healthy foods. I was wearing sz 20-22 clothes & am 5'4. I have fluctuated down and back but mostly stay around a sz 18. I am now counting calories and staying under 1800 a day and eating less sugars & fat. I struggle daily with my weight & always have. If I had not gone to work for these Drs, I would have ended up needing a surgery myself. I did not see me as being obese or morbidly obese. I would give a lot to be down to a sz 14 but may never make it. As long as I can remain off of insulin meds and keep my BP normal & my cholesterol normal, I should just be happy. And I pretty much am. Round is how I have always been. At 56 yrs old & mother of 4, I will never look 25 or 30 again. LOL I just want to be healthy. And I wish all of you to be healthy, regardless of what it takes to get there.

I had a gastric bypass done in Oct, 1996. Due to adhesions from a prior surgery the operation took 12 1/2 hours instead of 4. My husband was going nuts as no one told him anything.

I had to go through a lot of procedures before they would consider me for the GB, including seeing a Psych.

I think it was the best decision I have ever made.

Has it been tough? Well,I had to figure out what my body would allow me to eat and follow the doctor's directions. I no longer LIKE anything sweet. I love spices! I cannot eat beef as it makes me nausious and I get tired of waitresses asking me if the food was all right because there is so much left on a plate. One normal meal usually lasts me four meals, unless my DH eats it.

Would I do it again knowing all the consequences? Yes, I honestly do not believe I would be alive now. I feel so much better and definitely look better and have less health issues.

Was it successful? Yes, I lost about 95 lbs of which I have gained back 20. I'm told you always gain some back.

I love having more energy and feel so much better about myself.

Am I saggy? My chin is a little saggy and so are my upper arms. I look hideous in a bathing suit or without clothes, but partly because of the previous surgery I have a scar from my breast all the way down. I did have a very small bit of plastic surgery done a year after my operation on my stomach as I tried a leg press with weights and got 3 hernias. That was because of the large scar I had. Now they can do the procedure with a laporoscomy and you do not have a huge scar. But I am over 50 and almost everyone gets saggy then.

I was told one thing that I firmly believe is true.
Year 1 after the operation, the weight is 100% bypass.
Year 2 after the operation, it is down to 80% bypass, the rest is retraining yourself and willpower.
Year 3 after the operaion, it is down to 50% bypass.
Year 4 and the rest of your life it is strictly the retraining yourself and willpower.

Even though they (in my case) stapled off part of the stomach and seperated it, and added a band at the top of the new stomach, it can stretch. If you start eating as you did before the surgery you will regain your weight.
Listen to your doctor's, exercise, and have a picture of the before operation picture available.

I can eat 1/4 of a sandwich and be totally full. A friend who also had the surgery can eat a whole sub, bag of chips, and a huge slice of cake and then still look for a snack shortly thereafter. Needless to say, she regained her weight plus more.

The decision is yours. Get informed! And if you decide to have the operation, go see a nutritionist who deals in bypass patients. I have one. She monitors all of my blood counts as once you have the surgery your body doesn't absorb as many nutrients. She/he will tell you what foods to eat and monitor your success.

People say that bypass surgery is an easy out, far from it! It takes a lot of determination and guts to have it done. But if it means that you can live longer with better health and more energy ...?

Good luck and if you have any more questions you can PM me. I can only tell you of my experience, not speak for others.

No1jan your story sounds so much like the story of my DD regarding the before as well as after care of GB. It is a lifetime thing and lifestyle change. And it is far from easy. I'm proud of you. Personally for me I knew I would cheat and not stick with it. Might as well be honest & admit it. My DD on the other hand was more drastically ill and had very little choice. It gave her her life back. She faithfully attends support group meetings and sees a Nutritionist. Since Oct.'06 she has lost over 200 lbs. & is keeping it off. But this is not for everyone. It is a measure that an individual has to decide on for themself. And it is strictly a tool, not a miracle. Again, I'm proud of your success.

Thank you, tell you DD I wish her the best. She is off to a great start.

:thumbup:

Any surgery is risky. If your surgeon is experienced and has many successful operations like this then it's your decision. I know you have to commit to a healthy life style change and that is very hard for some people to follow. A co worker had weight loss surgery, not sure which one and lost all the excess weight. She was able to get off a lot of her meds. She did not eat healthy or exercise and all her weight came back in a few years. Good luck! I think any action is better then no action to solve a problem.

i had it done in 2002, lost 135lbs, gained back about 40 from some meds i was taking, once i figured that out, i've lost it again (back down to 125) and have kept it off for the last 8 years. i can eat 1/2 sand for lunch meat and veg for dinner, slimfast for breakfast and i'm stuffed. it worked for me, my doc is jealous of my blood work, my bones aren't too happy, but for 55, its not too bad a trade off considering the trade off. each person needs to make their own decision with their doctor. don't let strangers tell you what to do, let the people who take care of you who know you best help you decide and go from there. it might work for you, it might not. it did for me.

My niece had gastric bypass done January 2009, to date she has lost 285 pounds and is doing really well! The excess skin problem will be resolved with plastic surgery, no amount of exercise will tone up that amount of loose skin.

Jerrie, I know exactly how you feel - I am in the same boat! My sil had the gastric bypass done and she is even heavier than before the surgery 4 years ago. A friend - who was a nurse - had the lapband done 2 or maybe 3 times, but ate the wrong foods, and lost maybe 5 pounds at the most. Then she dieted and exercised and has lost about 90 pounds or more. Have you thought about Biggest Loser retreat in Utah? I have been looking into it - I just can't lose by myself!! I HATE being fat but I am stuck!

One of the women I work with weighed almost 400lbs and went to doctors asking about both procedures. The company's health insurance at the time wouldn't pay for all of it and she didn't want huge medical bills.
So she decided to just change her eating to match the gastric bypass eating. Small amounts of the foods and liquids on the post surgery eating plan, several times a day, etc. She ended up losing weight on her own. She made herself not cheat or eat more that they'd let a real gastric bypass patient.

This is something I have thought about but never seriously considered. My DH did not like the idea of such an invasive surgery. My mother has suggested I look into it, I don't even know if my insurance pays for it. My primary care doctor has no endorsed it. We have talked about how I need to lose weight.
I have a lot of joint problems and I keep thinking that if I can just get the weight off I would be able to move more and then able to keep it off. I could lose at least 125 lbs, that's a whole person!!!! I have been, sort of, working on an eating plan. I have lost 20 lbs since October. That's not much, I know, I need to do better.
If this is the route you choose to go. I hope that it goes well and you are successful at it!!!

Tell your niece congratulations! That is wonderful that she lost that much weight. I bet her confindence has sprang up!

My BIL sister also had the surgery and lost over 200 lbs. She had the plastic surgery this winter and looks fantastic!! She could hardly walk before the surgery now she does pushups, situps, bowls, bike rides, etc. She was so thrilled when she started losing the weight she started dating again. She hadn't dated in almost 30 years! She met a man and married him this spring. She has regained her happiness along with her figure and confidence.

See what your niece has to look forward to!

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Yes, I went through that yesterday and i also talk to the dietitian

I'll throw in my 2 cents worth.

I had a gastric bypass 15 years ago. I lost 128 lbs., and have stayed within that weight +/- 10 lbs. I weigh less during the summer when I'm more active than I do doing the winter.

I investigated all the surgeries available for weight loss before making the decision (there were around 60 of them at the time). When I decided on the procedure and surgeon, I attended support meetings and got a list of women to call and talk to about their experience. They were all very candid and honest.

It's a very evasive surgery, I religiously followed all the post-op instructions. I did have an "apron" after I lost all the weight and, because of hygenic issues, was able to have a tummy tuck covered by my insurance. Oddly enough, I thought the tummy tuck was far worse than the bypass.

I'm lactose intolerant, I crave sugar but it doesn't like me so I have to be careful, I will have vitamin deficiencies for the rest of my life so will always have to take supplements, I cannot eat hamburger, steak, or prime rib because I cannot break it down and digest it. I cannot eat rice because it "clumps" on me, I cannot eat dense fish either. I have kidney stones because of a calcium issue which is common in people with bypasses.

Am I thin. No. Do I look normal. Yes. Can I sit in a seat on a plane without an extension. Yes. Can I sit comfortably in a movie theater seat with room to spare. Yes. If I sit in a school desk, am I able to get up without taking the desk with me. Yes. (When I was in college I used to wait until everyone left the room before I tried to get out of my chair). Did I live to see my son graduate from high school when there was a real possibility I wouldn't. Yes. He's now 29 and I look forward to seeing him married and enjoying my grandchildren.

This is a real personal choice, it isn't for everyone. I know people that have been successful, and unsuccessful, with stomach stapling, gastric bypass, and lap band. None of these procedures should be taken lightly. It took me 6 months to make the decision, I pulled my mom and brother into the decision making process to get their opinions (my mother was all for it, my brother was scared to death I was going to die from it). I don't regret doing it but if I were to gain all the weight back, I would not do it again.

Although my niece is doing great now, she didn't come through it with flying colors. She had the surgery January 2009, but didn't leave the hospital until December 2009! She had major complications that required four additional surgeries.

Even with all the complications she would do it again. Her diabetes and sleep apnea are gone, she is now walking without the aid of a walker and cane...before surgery she was in a wheel chair and pretty much confined to her home. Now she's out walking every day! :)

Isn't that wonderful about how diabetes goes away with gastric bypass surgery? I'm always happy to hear about that "plus" with it. I had a cousin who was a brittle diabetic. No matter how careful she was with food and exercise she never could get her sugar stablized and had to poke her fingers 4 times a day and then give herself the insulin shots. Awful.
I'm wondering when they'll start recommending a type of stomach surgery (not as drastic as bypass) to halt diabetes for all who have it, instead of insulin shots. That'd be great.

That is great i have Diabetic, Congestive heart Failure, Pulmonary Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)) Sleep Apnea, and I walk with a cane.

:lol: Try"Biggestloser.com. My Husband and I have lost at this point 25 lbs in Three months. I know it is slow but we are in our late 70's and early 80"s . My husband is diabetic and his blood sugar count has gone way down. we can't excerciuae easily but we try to walk.
T^ry watching them on TV first then joining for just three months for a beginning trial. This program works
ceegee

Thank you for letting me know your decission you made and the dos and dont

A friend of ours had a gastic bypass and nearly died from complications. She was in intensive care for two months. I do understand, however, that these procedures treat people whose lives are already in danger. It's one of those "between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place" decisions. Good luck to you.

Jerrie, I'm a widow, 62, and had gastric "sleeve" done Feb 8. Had discussed with my husband and he fully supported my decision. Took me 2 years (after his passing) to have it done. This was an informed life-changing decision. Was not morbidly obese, but not happy in my body. I've stopped thyroid, cholesterol medicine. Was on verge of diabetes and that's gone. Once my weight is down, I WILL have surgery to remove skin.. if needed. I'm not a vain person, just want a healthier body going into my later years. My mom is 87 ... I want to be live to be 115, slim and pert !! Go for it. It's your life, your body. God Bless. Send me private message and I'll share more details.

Jerri
Sent you a pm!