gastric bypass

[Cynobyte]

heres a question i have yet found an answer for.  has anyone here had gastric bypass surgery in the last couple years?

i was talking with my councelor and this has been an surgery i am thinking about for my health since im stuck in bed alot.  im always starving, and since the cross from t to e, (plus the medical pot), i have been gaining weight and been unsuccessful at reversing it:(

this seems like such a good elective on the surface, done for the right reasons.  but in the future, im worried about things like skin wrinkles, like i saw in a recent episode of botched if i loose too much.  im only 250 and 150 is my goal..

im scared of my breasts shrinking, since i dysphoria issues.  i know your gonna say, go talk to your shrink, but thats the issue..  they dont know.  only someone who has gone through this will know.  and as for meds, does this bypass make the meds less effective?  im talking any type!  im on tons of pain meds for lupis, im scared they would become ineffective.. 
if anyone willing to share their bypass story, i beg your story.  if anything, please just pm me and say just the good and the bad.. 

as for now, im all in on it for aug, even if i have to pay..  im just worried about skin shrinkage and medication effectiveness after. 
oh, if anyone knows a good dr in the el paso tx area..  i dont trust them, so most of my time will be trying to find their work and get references.  my life is too short from my illness to get or want to fix a botched job.  but a successful surgery may make these last years more enjoyable:)

[LordKAT]

I know 3 people who had it done. After the weight loss, another surgery was done to remove the excess loose skin that happens from losing weight so fast.

[Cynobyte]

there is one of my fears, the excess skin.  do you think they lost more than 100 lbs.  im just on the edge of qualifying, but its for future issues more..  i can always fill the boobs, but whats poking my brain is how much weight is lost before skin sag becomes too much.  a little i can live with.  im going to kick myself if i should have done this months ago before it got out of hand..   but then i didnt think i had an issue..  thank you lord kat:)

[MacG]

I had gastric bypass in feb 2013. Lost over 100lbs. And have kept it off. I do have loose skin. It sucks, but I feel so much better and am able to do so much more.

Meds... I can't take NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen) ever, after having had a perforated ulcer due to gastric bypass. NSAIDs are highly discouraged. I also have to take vitamins and calcium. It's actually a lot of pills, plus a monthly B12 injection. That part also sucks.
And not supposed to drink 15 minutes before or after eating.

Also, it's very, very easy to "eat around" this surgery. I certainly can't eat much food at once, but if I snack or graze, weight comes back on.  Drinking anything with calories will put weight right back on, over time.

If I eat too fast or don't chew well enough, or eat the wrong thing, I get super nauseous.

I only learned after having this surgery what my problem with food is. And I've addressed it through therapy, and have to be constantly vigilant.

This surgery is merely a tool. An expensive, life-long life altering tool.

[MacG]

There is surgery to remove loose skin, but this may not be covered by insurance.

[Cynobyte]

thank you MacG.  may i ask the type of gastric bypass?  and lastly, did it curb your hunger?  i have issues now where i associate hunger with pain since not much helps.  eating helps me sleep..  baaaad habbit!  plus ya mix a little medical pot in the mix, the munchies are bad since food tastes sooo great.  (i think i had a mental orgasm in vegas between the pot pills and e while eating these extravagant deserts at treasure island:)  I dont think id give that up, but waking up with food in bed and blood sugar counts that could put me in the hospital:(  im hoping to curb this!  tried medical pills, but no luck!

my biggest hope is the ability to control my diabetes.  its a dream, but possibly a great side effect;)

[MacG]

My appetite was way less for about the first three months. It's normal, now. But I've learned the difference between real hunger and "head hunger."  Not that that makes me want to not eat. I have to avoid excessive snacking just like anybody else. But at least I can't eat too much in one meal.

I had RNY gastric bypass.

[Cynobyte]

thank you for that input macg.  i can always hope for a little appetite, then start from there.  but if i could cut my insulin in half, that would make it all worth it:)  j

[ErinWDK]

My primary care physician is trying to push gastric bypass on me.  I did go to the information session last fall and moved my opinion on the topic from NO to EXPLETIVE NO.  As noted above it is easy to "eat around" this surgery.  Four types of "bypass" were discussed.  The one the presenter was pushing involved reducing the stomach to a narrow passage and removing the rest of it from the body.  The advantage pointed out is that the hormone that makes you hungry (grehlin) is produced by the stomach and removing as much of the stomach as possible reduces this hormone.  It looked really radical to me.  That's my NSHO...

If your body mass index is 35 or over and you have a "complication" (diabetes qualifies) they WILL find a way to get your insurance to pay for it.  The idea is to make it so you can live longer.  As noted by other posters you will need to learn to eat all over again.  Some foods will get stuck - not sure what that means but it sounds really disgusting.  Some medications may require real caution - that is a topic to discuss with your other doctors.

A friend had this done about eight years ago.  She has kept some weight off.  She has been able to stay off insulin.  This has been life altering.  She did it because she was legitimately afraid she would die (as in soon) if she didn't.

I would strongly second discussing the issues with a good therapist.  This is a REALLY big change.

Best of luck.


Erin

[MacG]

Totally agree with therapist first. If there's any way at all you can achieve your health goal without this surgery, that would be better. This surgery is a drastic change. There can be many complications. I had a life-threatening one, a perforated ulcer. Losing weight as fast as you do after this surgery is not great, but may be seen as less risky than continuing to carry the weight.
Insurance often pays for surgery, but less often for skin removal.

[Cynobyte]

im only at 255lbs, but really 75 over a good weight when i was working out, but years of chemo, being stuck in bed, tons of meds, and this issue with muscle inflammation from simple things as walking, its just getting old.  i found some relief last year from the pain in the for of medical pot candy (since im on o2 too!).  but the pot took away the kinda pain you wanna just goto sleep and not wake up from!  but then came "the munchies".  food tastes great, but then again im diabetic on insulin and metforman.  i cant have any synthetic sugar junk since it makes me sick:(
my biggest jump this year was adderall, to get me active and cut the munchies..  pot has a stronger urge, plus to me, when i hurt, food and my hottub helps inflammation.  i even got out and went to vegas a week, was more active that week than all year together, but gained 5 to 7 lbs:( 
if i can stop the gain now, i hopefully wont have much skin issues?  but as for complications, i was diagnosed a few years to live back in 2008 by several drs.  so anything i can do  to prolong it and help enjoy life?
i have done stuff that my drs cringed, but see why now..  basically thats why i ask your opinions, i just dont trust drs anymore..  id be dead if i listen to them, yet here i still am.  my wife thinks its just to torment her, but that what haunting is for:)
so far i appreciate your comments!  i do see my councelor, i served with her and the only medical specialist i do trust now.  we will be talking about this, and she thinks it may be good as well.  the worst can be pain and death, but i deal with that nightly already:(  sad, but if i die on the table, im ready, at least i tried!
  i just wanna make sure if i do this, i pick the best procedure based on others experience.  the drs can say it does one thing, but do they really know unless they had it done!

thanks all for listening to my rants, ever since i heard about this, i felt maybe i can fix a couple more "good" years.  i want to see my full transition, but last winter was hard and i dont want to meet it without a chance again:(  the gender issues and hrt really helped once addressed, but who knows this winter..

[MacG]

You should google "obesity help" and you'll find a large website with an active forum. Lots of info there.

[Cynobyte]

ill look into it when i wake up.  lots of pills tonight as usual.  too active today, thats supposed to be a good thing:(  hungry, but tired, so nap first!  night..

[Cynobyte]

too many good things possible if i get it.  it has a 1 in 200 chance of death and up to 4x greater with fibrosis, and add to that with my autoimmune problems.  sad, but i may have to lie about health on this one.  id rather enjoy a few more years out of bed, than rest of life stuck in it!  death is just a chance to find happiness.  ive had enough time to talk it out with my councelor even.  what scares me is telling my whole medical history, only to get rejected, then have to do it in another place like mexico when i really could have issues due to my illnesses..  has anyone lied to their dr like this?  there are 3 outcomes here:  death from surgery, in bed to dead from no surgery (death by diabetic, pain, drug reaction, or just tired of waiting!)  or the only outcome i can live with is that i did it and survived!  this could mean, no insulin, weight loss, pain loss, less meds, less pain meds, less complications with future health.  less heart issues..)

im scared about it, but winter and bad weather scares me more.  ive lived 5 years in pain, and if assisted suicide was legal, id be on the list for that night to come:(  i know it sounds stupid, but if you could imagine breaking your fingers on one hand, how would that feel.  better than how i feel most nights.  but now imagine having to break your fingers every night and knowing it will happen the next night too:(  what would you do then..  to me, this surgery looks like a chance.  i still have not seen any real reason to say no..  the odds are bad, the pain could be worse, but there is a chance.  a chance i have found no where else!  odd, i shouldn't be posting this here, but still looking for options..  there a 3 types, any 3 would work..  looking for pointers to raise my chances of survival:)  i cant believe you read all this, thank you.. jamie

[Jill F]

Google Ron Lester.  I knew him before and after.  I lost count of how many subsequent surgeries he had, but he flatlined on the table during the initial one. 

This is what you do as a last resort.

[Cynobyte]

oh, this is..  like i said weightloss is not the goal here, but would be great!  less pain and diabetic control for me since my meds throw everything out of wack.  this is the goal..  gonna google him and see..  thanks for the info;) 

[Cynobyte]

read alot i could find about him.  he did have issues but he was a big boy!  i still have issues, but at least i have a decade of drs practicing since him to get it right;)  im  only 50 to 60 over, but thats not the issue, but it will be another reason todo it;)  wanna look good, but all resources show i can be from 130 to 150 after..  im worried my wife will get jealous and can kick my butt at that point;)  she did see how the estrogen stripped a decade off my appearance after a year.  she smokes and sadly getting that "leather face" like all smokers, but ya cant tell her that.  i just say its genetics:) she complains about my health issues, but she around a pack and a half..  i told her id never leave her, but i also worry she will have a short life..  her mom died of lukemia because her dad smoked indoors.  drs flat out told him it was his fault she got it.. 
thank you for the info jill;)  still a go for me.  just debate if i should tell whole history in fear of getting rejected and forced to use a hack in the end?

[ErinWDK]

just debate if i should tell whole history in fear of getting rejected and forced to use a hack in the end?

This is REALLY major surgery.  You need to tell the doctor the whole story.  The clinics that do this are used to handing all manner of complications; so you are not likely to be rejected.  Even if the first surgeon is concerned about helping you she will refer you to someone competent (not a hack but a specialist's specialist).  If you withold information about something they could have dealt with and they don't try to deal with it because they don't know you may end up with a bad outcome for no reason.

The whole idea of getting gastric bypass is so that you live longer.

I hope things work out much better for you than they have been.  Here's pulling for you!


Erin

[LordKAT]

The friend I was talking about lost well over 100 lbs. Almost double in fact.

[shirleybstephens]

Good morning.  I had gastric bypass 8 years ago and have lost 150 lbs and managed to keep it off. I am one of the regimented ones who have gotten in to weight training and dedicated myself to ensuring that I don't fall back in to old patterns and regain my weight. As others have said below, it is very easy to eat around this surgery if you really wanted to not so much through large portions but through meal choices and grazing. Honestly, I'd say if there's a real downside to this surgery it's that. The fact that it doesn't so much fix the brain, but alter the body in a way that allows the patient time to lose weight and relearn new skills (some of these skills can be unhealthy). One thing you need to be aware of as well is that it's been kicked around that post surgery patients have a higher incidence of chemical addiction. I see that you smoke medical marijuana and I'm all for medicinal pot, but I just wanted to make you aware if you weren't.

I haven't had issues with skin wrinkling and I seem to be aging very well (I'm 38 and still ID'd at bars.) I am not sure if that's genetics or not but I do put a lot of energy in to my skin and use products that are natural and as chemical free as possible. The one thing I do use is a topical face wash that is prescription from my dermatologist for acne that helps keep adult acne under control. I had a mild form of it a few years back and it's surpressed the little buggers very well for me so I just have kept using it. I moisturize with Cetaphil SPF 15 on my face and organic coconut oil all over.

Medications I've found haven't been any less effective. Some things have to be prescribed differently however. You need to get things that you currently get in extended release switched to a capsule or tablet that breaks down in a normal amount of time because chances are an extended release will not fully dissolve by the time it's expelled. You will want to make sure you use bariatric vitamins that aren't full of fillers. I've tried many and many surgeons have their preferences. I prefer Vita4Life over any other for a few reasons. First, they come in capsule form and I don't need to worry about gross chalky chewy vitamins. I also found Bariatric Advantage chewables were staining my teeth a funny brown color after about a week of usage and I was SOOOO constipated between that and their calcium supplement. You should look them up: www.vita4Life.net

Extra skin: I had extra skin around my tummy and I wound up getting a tummy tuck in 2008. I'd be more than willing to share those photos with you if you like and any other photos of my post op journey.
My surgeon is Dr. William O'Malley out of Buffalo NY. I honestly can't say enough about him and his staff. He performed a laparoscopic gastric bypass on me, and he was attentive and caring from the moment I became his patient until the moment I left the hospital. Good man. Amazing skills. I've had no side effects that are unexpected for this surgery (I've had minor ones such as excessive gas and bloating occasionally SORRY!!)
General rules of gastric bypass are: Take your vitamins and make sound food choices. Exercise. Pay attention to your body and how you feel as you eat and don't be a mindless eater (IE: don't watch TV and eat or drive and eat.) Pamper your body and rub cream on it all over it daily as you lose weight, and there's a chance you'll require cosmetic surgery after but worry about that if it comes. Just worry about your weight loss process for now.  Good luck!