I know four women who've had gastric bypass surgery

[Orrex]

The most recent was two years ago. All four have gained back about 80% of the weight they lost, and all of them can eat meals at least as large as their pre-surgical meals. Seems like a lot of pain and effort to go through just to get back to where you started.

Does anyone have a similar experience?

[auntAgonist]

1. I have to wonder what sort of gastric bypass

they had done. Some are more successful than others.

aA

[Orrex]

3. A worthy question

I don't know for sure, other than to say that all four have described their post-operative stomachs as being "the size of my thumb."

That's swell, but two years later I see them stuff half a pizza into that thumb.

They're friends and coworkers, so I wish them the best, but it baffles me that such a life-altering course of surgery isn't accompanied by extensive psychological counseling to equip the patient with the tools for living that new life.

[auntAgonist]

5. ....

TMI I guess.

aA

[MissMillie]

16. In some instances it is

But not all bariatric surgery programs are created equal.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Without psychological counseling, it's not worth much.

But I do know people for whom it's been a godsend.

Like so many things, it all depends on how seriously the doctor takes it and how seriously the patient takes it.

[w8liftinglady]

4. i've had gastric bypass surgery

I would highly recommend having bypass versus the lap-band.I have had good results with mine.I counseling is very important to deal with the demons that lay under the fat.the surgery is a tool,not a cure.

[auntAgonist]

6. hiya w8liftinglady!

I've been wondering how you're doing :)

:hug:

aA

[w8liftinglady]

11. I am doing great-I've lost 80 pounds since august 31

[auntAgonist]

12. awesome! I have stabilized quite nicely.

I bounce between 137 and 141 which is quite normal for anyone. (depending on the time of the month etc)

:hug:
wtg!!!!


aA

[w8liftinglady]

13. thanks!your guidance helped me SO much!

there are still times I want to revert back to old behaviors...but,fortunately,I can't...and then don't.

[auntAgonist]

14. I'm here anytime you need a shoulder

or help with anything.

I had to laugh. I actually had someone tell me I took 'the easy way' out. :rofl:

I nodded and said 'yah, I know'

aA
:)

[Orrex]

7. Congratulations on your successful procedure!

I know for sure that at least two of the women had the actual bypass, rather than the band. One woman was just nineteen (and a rather immature 19 IMO) when she underwent the procedure. I remember my horror when I asked, in the days leading up to it, if she had received any nutrition counseling or would be placed on a more restrictive diet.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "I can't eat anything for 24 hours before surgery."

But it sounds like you did it the right way--congratulations again!

[w8liftinglady]

9. I will say-my surgeons were excellent

they have a very holistic program regarding this surgery.I am lucky,in that my insurance recognizes the benefits of this..plus I am a nurse in the hospital where i had the surgery.it;s sad that society has come to this.I have no regrets about having the surgery,however.I have control like I never had before..without drugs.

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

8. I heard

you gain the weight back in places you weren't fat in before. Doesn't the surgery basically suck fat cells out of a certain area. I've heard people getting fat on their backs, hand and feet.

[auntAgonist]

10. I've never heard that.

I doubt very seriously that could happen. The surgery isn't something that sucks fat cells out of your system. Read my post upthread :) that may help to explain.

:hi:

aA

[bluethruandthru]

19. You're thinking of Liposuction.

Not the same as Gastric Bypass Surgery.

[RebelOne]

15. My daughter had bypass surgery about 3 years ago.

She lost over 200 pounds, gained a little weight back, but is still keeping most of it off.

[MissMillie]

17. With my surgery I did not lose as much as some

but what I did lose is staying off. Exercise is a HUGE part of being able to keep the weight off.


The "pouch" does indeed stretch over time, but it is my understanding that if you follow the dietary rules (eating slowly is a big one, and sticking to protein) that a stretched pouch should hold about 1 cup of food.

[Wapsie B]

18. Unless you completely change your eating habits

a gastric bypass will do no good. I'm doing it the long way with counseling, diet and exercise.10# down, 90 to go.

[auntAgonist]

20. There is SO much misinformation out there ..

I had 'the' surgery. But what surgery you ask? It wasn't the same surgery as MissMillie had and it wasn't a LapBand. Our results vary as you can see by other posts. (Miss Millie I mentioned your name because you've already posted, hope that's ok) :)

I had a biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch. BPD/DS for short. I had my surgery 2 years ago, lost 160lbs and eat quite normally now. I did go through a battery of tests, blood, physical, bone density and psychological testing/counseling to determine fitness and compliance.

I have friends who had their surgery 6- 9 years ago and they report an 8% weight gain (8% of what they lost) That's NOT bad at all.

Surgery is not for anyone who isn't committed to change. There are many options out there. It took me 3 years to decide on the BPD/DS

hope this isn't too much information :)

aA


http://www.johnhustedmd.com/switch.htm

This procedure modestly restricts food intake while radically limiting the absorption of calories, especially the obesity causing calories from fat, complex carbohydrates, and starches. Approximately 3/4 of the stomach is removed, but the natural outlet of the stomach, the pylorus, is left in, allowing the stomach pouch to function more naturally. As the stomach pouch stretches out in the first year after surgery, patients are moderately limited in the amount of food they can eat, reduced to about 2/3 of what they could eat before surgery. However, patients are not limited in the types of food they are able to eat, tolerating meats and whole vegetables without difficulty.

The food is rerouted through a radically altered intestine, limiting the amount of food that is absorbed, which is what results in weight loss, despite the patient eating freely. The intestine is essentially reduced to less than half of its length and the digestive juices (the biliopancreatic secretions) mix with the food at only the last 10% of the intestine. This arrangement means that not only are the total amount of calories eaten not absorbed, but especially fats, complex carbohydrates, and starches - the things that contribute to obesity.

Patients undergoing duodenal switch eat normally and have bowel habit changes characterized by frequent (2-4 per day) soft stools and a propensity for gas. Both of which are generally malodorous unless a stool deodorant (such as Devrom) is taken.

Read more here.

http://www.johnhustedmd.com/switch.htm

[MissMillie]

22. no problem

I had the RNY gastric bypass.

One of the expected side-effects of the surgery (difficulty digesting processed sugar) did not occur with me. So, where lots of gastric bypass patients have to live on Sweet n' Low, Equal or Splenda, sugar did not make me sick. It may be why I didn't lose as much.

But I did lose about 100 lbs. and like I said, I'm keeping it off. Even though I can eat more than when I started, I am much more physically active than I ever was. For me, this has been the biggest change in my behavior since the surgery.

[auntAgonist]

25. You've done so well

and you're running and exercising!! There's no way any of us could have done that with the excess weight. :hug: 100lbs is awesome!

:loveya:

aA

[Taverner]

21. Better to go with appetite supressants

You can always stop taking them

[auntAgonist]

23. that is the most dangerous thing ..

Appetite suppressants can wreak havoc with your heart and your entire system. That is NOT the way to go. And let me tell you, I've tried them in the past and some folks become addicted to them. Not so easy to kick.

aA

[Taverner]

30. Ever try Hoodia?

Safe and effective

[Orrex]

36. And, let's be frank, poorly supported by empirical evidence

Though I agree that it's all the rage as the latest weight-loss fad.

[Orrex]

24. I should clarify that I'm not considering this treatment

I'm a little soft around the middle, but nothing that can't be cured by getting up off my lazy ass a few times a week.

Thank you to everyone for the candid insights!

[MissMillie]

26. this surgery isn't for those who are a little soft around the middle

It's for those people who are AT LEAST 100 lbs. overweight. I don't know of any surgeons who would perform the surgery on anyone w/ a BMI (Body Mass Index) of atleast 35.

:hi:

[Orrex]

27. That's what I was trying to get at

I realized this morning that my original question sounded obliquely like "how should I prepare myself for this procedure."

Sorry for any confusion!

[auntAgonist]

29. I didn't think you were considering

the surgery. I just figured you were commenting about other people who had. It's a good discussion to have. There is so much misinformation out there. Thanks for the opportunity to discuss it rationally with folks.

aA

[Connonym]

31. There's also a lot of judgment and negativity

Thank you aA for posting about your experience. It takes a lot of courage and hard work to make the decision to have surgery and then follow through with changing your entire life. Anyone who thinks it's the easy way out needs a thump with a clue stick. Good on you aA for your success and for being a good example of the way it works when properly used as a tool and not a panacea.

[auntAgonist]

33. thanks Connonym! Your thoughts

are much appreciated. I can sure relate to something you said in your post earlier. I'm amazed at how I'm treated differently by some folks at work. Those in the corporate offices have suddenly 'noticed' me. I'm now worthy of conversation. I'm never rude to those people, but I have NO time for them. These people used to walk by me like I wasn't even there when I weighed my highest, and now all of a sudden because I'm a size 8 I'm worthy of their time.

It is a disgrace the way people are treated because they don't look like we think they should, or dress like we think they should.

aA

[MissMillie]

32. I didn't either

And I agree... clearing up misinformation is a good thing!

[Connonym]

28. That's pretty sad

I too wonder what kind of surgery they had. It's a shame to go through so much and not have lasting results. I think part of the problem is that it's become a big money making surgery for doctors and they probably operate on people who aren't suitable candidates. I know a lot of people who have had gastric bypass and it can be amazingly life altering. It's in no way, shape or form the "easy way" out. It's a tool but it still takes a lot of hard work. One of my friends has lost over 200 lb and it's been an amazing journey. She completed her first triathlon last fall. She still cooks and enjoys gourmet meals but never eats more than a couple forkfuls of anything. It makes me choked up because she is so smart and has such a beautiful spirit but before the surgery most people wouldn't look twice at her except in disgust.

It's unfortunate that there seems to be a trend of not being selective about proper surgical candidates but under the right circumstances gastric bypass can literally be the difference between life and death.

[Orrex]

34. Please forgive a cynical observation

My understanding is that, in addition to possible financial motives for the surgeons, insurance companies favor this procedure because--expensive though it is--it's still cheaper than the cardiac surgery (etc.) that they'd likely otherwise have to pay for a few years down the line.

I suppose there's an ethical debate wrapped up in that, but that's another issue.

If a person injures her back and receives some sort of insurance-based compensation (suppose that it's a jobsite injury), we've all heard of private detectives spying on these people to make sure that they're really injured, and not bungee jumping, jet skiing, or the like. So you'd think that it would be in the insurance companies' interest to keep an eye on these patients following their gastric bypass surgeries, but this doesn't appear to be the case.

Upthread I mentioned the 19 year old who underwent the procedure. Within three months she was back to eating four slices of pizza chased with 32 ounces of soda--a habit whose persistence I blame on the utter lack of dietary and psychological counseling pre- and post-op. I'd have thought that the insurance company that paid for the surgery would keep tabs on her to make sure that she wasn't squandering the procedure's benefits.

I've read and re-read this about a dozen times, and it still sounds like I'm being offensively insensitive, though I don't mean to be. My concern at the time was that my coworker might suddenly be sacked with $80,000 in bills because the insurance company found her to be in some violation, but happily this hasn't happened.

Am I making any sense?

[Connonym]

37. Yes

I'm glad you clarified because my first impression was that you did mean it meanly. I've fought weight issues and eating disorders since I was a teenager and it's an issue that pushes my buttons. Even on really liberal-thinking (and supposedly open minded) web pages like Salon the mention of obesity gets people frothed up into a self-righteous lather about self-control and out and out accusations of a moral deficiency. Fat is really the last "acceptable" prejudice.

Regarding your query, part of the problem is that insurance companies won't provide the counseling and follow up because counseling is expensive. Not just for gastric bypass patients but for patients in general. It's a lot cheaper to throw prozac at everyone with a problem than to give them counseling. I have no chip on my shoulder against antidepressants, I take one myself, but for most people counseling is an essential component of recovery. Obesity is very much like an addiction and the recovery from it needs to be taken every bit as seriously. Would you tell a heroin addict that if only they'd cut down to 3 sensible portions of heroin a day their addiction would be cured? The issue that I don't think a lot of people get is that you can't just quit eating (been there, done that, have the T shirt). It's a lot harder than people think.

:rant:

[auntAgonist]

39. ..

:applause: :applause: :applause:

:hug:

aA
kesha

[MissMillie]

41. This is a great post

a while back when there was talk about a governmental policy for treating obesity (or for trying to deal with an obesity epidemic) I mentioned that I thought food addiction needed to get the same kind of attention as alcoholism and drug addiction, and a couple of people slammed me for it.

[MissMillie]

40. I have not heard you be thoughtless or insensitive

you have expressed a concern about the effects of the surgery on someone who has not been given the nutritional training and behavioral counseling necessary to make the surgery a success.

I am 2+ years out of surgery and I just had a slice of pizza. ONE slice, and I'm stuffed. For sure in a couple of hours I'll be looking for more food. I have a 6 oz cup of chicken noodle soup that I got w/ my pizza (I thought I'd be able to eat it) so I'll probably turn to that.

When I had my surgery, I had to go to 4 2-hr group sessions on compulsive eating. I had 3 months of one-on-one sessions w/ a psychologist in the behavioral medicine group. I attended a 3 hour session on proper post-op nutrition, and after my surgery I had to check in w/ the nutritionist at 3 weeks, at 10 weeks at at 6 months.

I am fully aware that very few bariatric surgery programs go through this much trouble with their patient's behavioral over-eating. It's too bad.

You are not out of line to bring up the topic. It's a valid discussion.

[youthere]

35. My 460 lb Step-Mother-in law..

Had it done about five years ago. She was only a week post-op and began taking "a nibble here" and a "bite there" of things she wasn't supposed to, all of which made her horribly horribly sick, but she kept doing it anyway.
She did lose a great deal of weight in the first year or so...about 120 pounds worth We kept trying to convince her to pursue therapy-that the surgery in and of itself was not a solution (the doctors told her the same thing)-but she didn't think she needed it.
Five years later she is only about 40 pounds lighter than she was when she had the surgery and gaining.
She eats just like she did before, and thinks the doctors "messed up" . What are ya' gonna' do?

EDIT TO ADD: I do not know which kind of surgery she had (I know it wasn't the Lap-band though). It doesn't really matter because the point is that the surgery didn't fail, she failed to change her behavior.

[zonkers]

38. My cousin has had it once and now has it again. She has fought weight

gain her whole life but her problems I suspect are to a great extent psychological. She has been to medical health retreats, tried all kinds of diets. She just makes too big a deal out of eating.

[MissMillie]

42. for food addicts

eating is a big deal.

[zonkers]

44. I pity people who struggle with food addiction. It must be horrible. I love

food. Really love it. Eating is one of life's great pleasures. To have this positive experience turned into a negative addiction must be awful.

[Deja Q]

43. Tragic.

I do know the stomach will enlarge itself over time, and conversely it will shrink if given enough time as well. Though I understand the need for such surgeries... (and as much fun as buffets are, trust me on that, I've been curtailing my use of their establishments... especially the ones where the food quality is really good and it all doesn't taste like it was fried in a fishy oil...)

[auntAgonist]

45. my stomach will NEVER return to the size it was

I have had 2/3 of it removed. I now eat 'normal' sized portions of food. Drink lots of water and take my supplements religiously.

:hi:

aA

[Bridget Burke]

46. I've known 2 ladies who had surgery to lose weight.

Don't know the exact procedures. One of them eats sparingly & is in good shape. (I didn't know here before.)

Another almost died because of her surgeon's "skills." The surgeons who "repaired" her were appalled.

[ScreamingMeemie]

47. Nope. The three I know lost the weight and it appears gone for good

:hi:

[AlCzervik]

48. i know 2 people that have had it, one was 7 years ago and she's kept it all

off and the other one had it year ago, he's not quite done with the losing process yet.