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will a bypass really change your life?

Big an Bouncy

Big an Bouncy

New Member
After reading some of the postings,I wonder if some people are expecting too much from the op?Sure you will lose the weight that has dogged you for years and gain confidence but all the other problems in your life are still there to be dealt with.Just cos you feel good about yourself does not mean everything that is cxxp in your life will change.Some people need proper evaluation before undergoing this op.Not just telling the surgeon what he needs to know.I know they are not stupid but they only see you for a short time and dont know anything about your past or personality,problems etc.I do understand friends and relatives being concerned,they know you better than any surgeon.I have training in councelling,plus my own weight problems so I do empathise.I was referred for banding and asked to lose weight meantime,this I have done and lost just over 2st in three months.Now I think if I can get this far without surgery perhaps I can go all the way myself.
 
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Hi if you can lose weight on your own you are extremely lucky. I think the people opting for surgery have tried every method possible to lose the weight (I know I have) and they have not been able to do it. The main reason I want the surgery is the co morbidities that I and many surgery patients suffer from. The vast marjority of patients also get assessed with a psychologist so they are given a chance to go into more detail. I for one know that by having the surgery it will cure my sleep apnea which means when I wake of a morning I will not have the sickly headache that lasts all day of which I can get 5-7 a week! This affects my employment and I love to work so that causes me stress that I cant do it all the time. That is just one effect, can you imagine planning a great social night out and really looking forward to it and then the morning of the day you get up after having a lousy nights sleep due to being not able to breath and your head hurts and that only gets worse through the day. The last thing you want to do is get dressed up and go out and be sociable. Sometimes I feet so tired I cannot stand to boil a kettle to make a comforting drink. That has gone on for a long long time. I cannot walk along to the shops with a friend and talk on the way as I cant breath. We have tried every method and putting ourselves through risky surgery is not a decision taken lightly. Whilst I have no worries about me dying on the table I think my kids might be broken heart. I can only give you my point of view but I have no doubt there will be a lot to follow. The reason one person can lose weight and another cannot is not just down to the amount of food they eat or the exercise they do, its a lot more indepth than that....
 
I will confess that the primary reason for me having the op (apart from health, blah blah!) is to improve fertility - yes, really! I have 'tried' tried for a baby for 23 years (a long time to be broody!) & always been told my weight is the problem.

Of course, also heard that if it was that important to me, then I would have lost the weight. Maybe so but ... :break_diet:


Good for you losing the weight &, like you say, maybe you CAN do it on your own. Each person has their own reasons & personal criteria. I know I am only early days so the road is still a wee bit bumpy but, if it wasn't for the above reason, which I know comes with no guaratees but a last resort ... I know that I wouldn't have had it done. :eek: And that is a fact :cry:
 
When i went to see my GP for help with my weight neither he or i were looking at WLS i had lost 3 stone on LT but platued. My GP refered me to a weight management clinic and after spending about half an hour with 2 endocrainologists they surgested that bypass would probably be the best way forward. i was then refered to the surgeon but along the way had a 2 hr appointment with a psycologist who again highly recomended me for surgery. I have open access to her if i feel i need to see her again. And she has asked me if after my op i would go back to her to give her feedback of my whole experiance. Bariatric surgery is a new thing at the hospital i am attending but the surgeon and his team are very experianced and bought in to perform the operation.
I was hoping to go all the way with diet but the fact that my health is starting to suffer because of it the quicker it comes off the better but more importantly stays off.
good luck on yr journey
take care
hc
 
Well done on your weight loss.

If I could do it like you then I would. I have done! a number of times! only to regain it all plus more.

Will this WLS change my life? YES IT WILL. Its all about how we feel about ourselves. I don't hate myself because I am FAT but I do hate the FAT. I also know that when I lost 7 stone I was halthier and much happier. I was healthier and my problems were easier to deal with as I had more conifence. I do understand that losing this weight won't solve all my problems in life and lets face it anyone who thinks that WLS will solve everything then they are not a suitables canidate for the WLS. I am sure anyone on here only has one wish and that is to be healthy. What more could anyone want?

Good luck with your weight loss journey.
 
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WLS has already changed my life. So the short answer is yes.

The long answer is I have undergone thorough psychological assessment, with a psyche I still see on a regular basis. I have also undergone 1 year of one to one work with a bariatric co-ordinator, which covered things like looking at my eating habits, food triggers etc.

I don't think anyone expects their life to suddenly be marvellous after the surgery or after losing weight. My life has improved dramatically because I have more self confidence, which makes me better able to deal with the cr@p life throws at you, and because my health has dramatically improved. I am no longer a slave to food.

Congratulations to you on losing 2 stone your way, I'm doing it my way and I'm just fine with that :)
 
Congrats on your weight loss, that is fab!

Have to agree with what the others have said. I've tried diets and exercise and slimming pills and everything - but always end up falling off the wagon and putting all my weight back on with more besides.

I actually think I look good as it is; I don't think I'm unattractive and am pretty confident. If it was purely about looks and confidence, from my point of view I don't think I'd bother trying to lose weight at all.

BUT my weight is so high these days that I'm at risk of a whole range of associated illnesses. I'm already starting to have problems with my joints and I'm not even 25! Enough is enough; I should have all my life ahead of me and my weight is putting that at risk. If my self-esteem is increased further due to weight loss then that is fortunate, but largely incidental.

So in light of my utter failures with other weight loss options I'm going to have WLS to reduce my risk of illnesses. If there was another practical way I would have chosen that.

Well done again and best of luck for the rest of your diet!

K xo
 
My primary reason for having my gastric band is I do not want to die from the complications of diabetes, high cholestorol and possible heart failure.

If I end up looking better that with will be a very nice side effect.

And surgery is not the easy option, it's painful and still needs as much dedication and strong will as conventional methods.
 
Hi Big an Bouncy

I am not like my fellow friends on here in the sense i am a chose to have a bypass but it wasnt completed due to the operation being carried out by laparoscopy and finding my liver was too large.

So not being beaten i decided to have the intragastric balloon fitted,the process is alot easier in the sense you dont have a operation.The balloon is fitted under local anesthetic or not if you prefer and inserted down your asophigas then inflated with 500ml of saline.

The first few days are the worse as your tummy gets used to having a foriegn body in it,in the sense that you are sick quite a few times.I stayed in hospital for 3 days after the proceedure whilst my input and output levels were monitored,(i cannot fault the NHS in anyway over my care)but i must add on the internet it does say you are out after 3/4 hours observation so maybe that the differnece between private and nhs,i am not sure,maybe you could ask the question if you decide to persue this avenue.

I am now a week into having it fitted and i am already keeping "normal"food down my meal size is very small but i have been very careful what food i have actually eaten.Maybe i am very lucky but what i am trying to get across is,you dont have to have WLS if you dont want it,or afraid of it,there is another option that can help your weight loss and help with the worries you may have regarding reducing diabetes,high blood pressure and heart failure.
Also the balloon has to be removed in 6 months so it isnt there for life.

Hope this helps

Di xx
 
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Big an Bouncy said:
After reading some of the postings,I wonder if some people are expecting too much from the op?Sure you will lose the weight that has dogged you for years and gain confidence but all the other problems in your life are still there to be dealt with.Just cos you feel good about yourself does not mean everything that is cxxp in your life will change.Some people need proper evaluation before undergoing this op.Not just telling the surgeon what he needs to know.I know they are not stupid but they only see you for a short time and dont know anything about your past or personality,problems etc.I do understand friends and relatives being concerned,they know you better than any surgeon.I have training in councelling,plus my own weight problems so I do empathise.I was referred for banding and asked to lose weight meantime,this I have done and lost just over 2st in three months.Now I think if I can get this far without surgery perhaps I can go all the way myself.
Click to expand...

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
 
Hi,

For me like others have said...its not always been the problem of losing the weight, its the keeping it off. The amount of weight I have lost and gained over the years is scary! I've got to goal countless times but I could never maintain. Having WLS means that you have tried everything else, and it hasnt worked. So whats so wrong with trying to make yourself feel and look better, if that is what you want? With my bypass I know I have a much better chance of keeping the weight off, due to not being able to overeat..low sugar and low fat is a fact for life after a bypass for many! My tastes have changed, I dont actually like the taste of sweet things, and I certainly do not want fatty or greasy foods! Food is no longer ruling my life...and that is the best feeling ever! I've wasted so much of my life worrying about my weight, and that I feel is quite sad.

I personally hate being fat, and now that I am finally shrinking I am feeling good about myself. My insecurities are all weight related. My life is changing for the better. I have more confidence, and i am enjoying life once again. My home life is great, as I am so much happier! My joints are not under so much pressure, and I am getting healthy! I found an answer to my problem and I feel blessed that I am able to sort my problem.

Having surgery is a personal decision. If you dont agree with it, dont do it...simple!! If you are one of the minority that can lose weight through diet/exercise and be able to maintain that for the rest of your life, then you are certainly very lucky, and I congratulate you, and I really mean that.

WLS has changed my life for the better in only 3 short months, and I am so happy about my choice for surgery. I stopped moaning about my weight issues and did something about it in a way that was right for me.


Kel xxx
 
well done on managing you weight loss on your own. i have struggled with my weight for years and yes i acn lose it and yes i put it all back on. WLS was my life line without it my health and weight was out of control, maybe i am weak not managing without it but i don't really care it has worked for me and many others and i am happier with myself than i can ever remember.

i will reach my target and maintain it without the fear of piling it all back on so i'm am happy with my decision and would recommend it to anyone
 
I'm not against surgery, I just think to many people think its the answer and it isnt just about the op. Firstly you still need to change your lifestyle and excersize even if you have the op and secondly I dont think everyone researches the op and its long term effects properly. The op must, must be the very last available option wich I know it is for most but not all in my experience.
I'm far from anti op, just not sure that ALL those who have it havent exhausted every other option.
Sorry if I sound anti op or negative about it I dont meen to but I just want everyone to realise what there taking on if they do have the op.
 
Thanks for replying I have yet to come across anyone either on this site or off it that has not weighed up all the facts. When I spoke to the surgeon he was quite inpressed in my research. I never rush into things but when my mind is made up thats it. Also unless you go private there is a stack of hoops you go through to get to the end, its stressful with no guarantees I think this helps to sort the ones that are serious and the ones that are only half heartedly looking for a solution. I have to say if I did not know that you had had surgery I would of thought you were dead against it sorry but thats how your posts come across or maybe its the way I read them lol...each and every person has a right to surgery if they meet the criteria and its what they want. For me it will give me back my life and allow me to live longer for me its a no brainer....x
 
Hi all im not saying I am against the ops just that some people seem to have suprisingly low bmis did they go private?The criteria is 40 or 35 with other health issues yet someone only had a bmi of 28!I have been referred to a surgeon, he asked me to try to lose some weight, get more exersize and use orlistat(again!)to help my health as I was verging on diabetic,high bp,high colesterol,snoring probs,joint pain,enlarged fatty liver,urinary incontinence and depression.I have been overweight most of my life,yo yo dieted for many years.Finally gone from 18.5st to 16.5st in 12 weeks,doc will give me wls.I think to help me keep the weight off permanently,but I had to prove I could live with a changed attitude to food.
 
So are you looking at surgery or not in yr first post you say you now feel that you may be able to do it yourseld and your latest one sound like it is being offered not to loose weight but just to keep whatever weight you manage to loose off.
I know where your coming from regarding people with low BMI's and there is a post somewhere on here regarding that subject.
After many years of yo yo dieting and never getting to target this is my last resort, not a desision taken lightly and certainly not a first choice. For me my size isnt the main issue although it will be fantastic to be abe to wear smaller clother it really is about reducing health risks. Any other benifits that come along will just e an added bonus.
hc
 
Big an Bouncy said:
...some people seem to have suprisingly low bmis...
gone from 18.5st to 16.5st ...
Click to expand...

I have often thought that too, that some people seem to have low BMIs to have surgery & well, :eek: why? And, how?

Having said this, I would have been happy enough at YOUR weight to start with!! :) I'm not even there yet at 8 weeks post-op!
 
I have a current BMI of 45. I'm obease. I have always been obease. I have never weighed what I should for my height and age. I have lost weight several times but put it back on. I can lose weight by myself, I have proven that to myself and others. But I have failed to maintain or keep it off. Does that make me weak and a failure? Probably yes. If I had been married for 10 years and then got divorced, does that make me a failure? No, that makes me human and human emotion can change a person.

I have suffered with depression since the age of 19. How sad is that?
I became so used to crying and hiding away from the world that it became my comfort zone. The only good thing in my life I felt was things that made me feel better. Food being one of them. Food has also been my biggest enemy, or has it? Am I the enemy for eating it?
The food hasnt done anything to be blamed, it just tastes nice!
Will I like myself more when I have lost weight due to my surgery? Yes I know I will. Others will like me more too because I will not be the person who fakes a smile most days and cracks jokes at herself to stop others from getting in there first. I wont feel the outcast when I go shopping, cinema, restaurant, etc....

Being fat makes me depressed.

All the other c**p life throws at me joins the pile until i no longer feel I can cope. By ridding myself of the core of my mental health problems, I shall be able to deal with other c**p in my life in a better way. I am not ashamed to admit that I can't keep to a healthy weight. I know I am not alone. People have to do what is right for them, whether your BMI is 50 or 28. Overweight is overweight. Anyone deserves to be happy. If you can't keep the weight off at a BMI of 28 then you do what you need to do to be healthy and contented within yourself.

If someone has a small cancerous tumor, they will still need the treatment as much as another person who has a much larger cancerous tumor.

My experiance on this site so far has been brilliant. No one judges no matter what diet, size or weight you are. Everyone who is taking steps to better themselves and their lives needs to be given a round of applause.

I do not have my surgery for another 2 days, but in the time that I have woken up and admitted that my problems are due to my weight, I have gone from taking 40mg of prozac per day to 20 mg every other day and I feel great for that!

If I have to take an antidepressant everyday to make me feel like I can cope with life, Id do it. If I needed to take a painkiller for a headache, I'd do it. If I want to have an operation to help me lose and maintain a healthy weight then I'd do it.

Everyone has different reasons for doing things, who are we to argue with their life choices?
 
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Well said Cowgirl.

Depression can be caused through a chemical imbalance in the brain for some people (A large portion). It is something beyond their control and they may have to stay on anti depressants for life in order to keep the balance right. Other people suffer depression due to outside factors ie being over weight. If a person can help themselves to remove some of the causes then it is not a sign of weakness, we are all entitled to lead a happy and healthy live and if we want this surgery to do that we should be allowed to have it. Who should say who should and should not have this surgery? How can you meet the criteria ie BMI and/or co morbities and still have to jump through hoops to get it? If I won major on the lottary I would open a clinic to do free ops on people who the PCT have refused dispite them meeting the criteria.....which reminds me I better go put the lottary on...xx:)
 
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