Ask the woman who had a BMI of 36, had gastric bypass surgery a year ago and is thrilled about it

In My Humble Opinion
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Note: this thread is not intended for posts of the: “if you had just put the fork down and exercised, fattie, your wouldn’t have needed the surgeon to fix your mess for you” variety. Those people have had plenty opportunity to vent in my two previous threads (see below) or they can start a Pit thread, in which I won’t participate.

Talk me out of having a “luxury” mini gastric bypass (long)
Talk me IN to having a “luxury” gastric bypass

Okay. With that out of the way, I started this thread in the hopes of spreading a more realistic, yet also more realistically positive view of weight loss surgery in general and the Mini Gastric Bypass in particular.
Sure, there are people who use this tool badly and as a magic fix, and have the bad results one could expect.
But there are in my opinion and in some medics opinion even more people who could benefit immensely from this surgery and yet don’t get it. Because they don’t know what it can do for them, because of fear of the unknown, Because of lack of information, or because of a prejudice that such a surgery is only for the extremely morbidly obese, or the weakwilled or… well, name any derogatory term you want.

So here are some facts to start off the topic:

[ul]
[li]Bariatric surgery is not just for the extremely obese. This study says people with BMI’s between 30 and 35 also have a net health benefit from weight loss surgery. [/li]
[li]Weight loss surgery has about 60-70 percent long term success. More if corrected for method of surgery (gastric bypass works better then the lap band). The traditional advised method of dieting and exercise has a long term succes rate (with people already morbidly obese) of about 20 percent. [/li]
[li]The laparoscopic mini gastric bypass is the most modern type of weight loss surgery, a slight improvement over the traditional RouxenY gastric bypass. In this six-year-study of over 2000 patients,[/li]

[li]The surgery can be paid out of pocket for those without adequate health insurance for prices between 9000 and 15.000 US dollars. Those afraid of complications afterward can get an all-in insured surgery for about the same price, where the treatment of complications is insured. Insuracen should cover the surgery (according to WHO guidelines) in patients with a BMI over 40 or an BMI of 35 accompanied by some comorbidity like diabetes. Calculate your BMI here, for instance[/li]
[li] Don’t know where to start? Try this book or this website www.clos.net [/li]
[li]Gastric bypass is the most effective treatment for diabetes type 2. [/li]
[li] Gastric bypass (both laparoscopic Roux enY and Mini) are superior to older forms of surgery, including the lap band. [/li][/ul]
As for me, I went looking from this to this in a year.
I had extensive bloodwork done three-monthly and everything indicates I am much healthier then before surgery.

I was lucky in that I went into surgery well informed, and without a real eating disorder; iI did eat to much, but didn’t have uncontrollable binging episodes. I was also lucky that I didn’t have medical complications of the surgery. But about 90% of the people with my kind of surgery (laparoscopic mini gastric bypass, or LGMB for short) don’t have complications, so my luck is fairly standard.

I was lucky in that for me, my hunger and taste for certain foods changed both after surgery. I like veggies more; starches and sweets, less. I also have far, far less appetite and the appetite I do have, is far easier to control. That is why it makes me so mad to hear the old willpower meme. I didn’t get surgery on my brain or my character; I just got surgery on my stomach, influencing the hunger hormones it produces, like ghrelin. Yet I have now no trouble at all to eat like those with “willpower”. So if the only difference between me then and now is my susceptibility to a hormone, where does that leave the concept of willpower and character?

So yes, the surgery is not for everyone, yes, there is still a risk to consider and to compare to the risks of obesity; and yes, it is only a tool, not a magic fix. You’ll still need to change your diet and exercise, and not everyone does that. This study looked up all bariatric patients of a certain hospital, not just the ones coming in for follow-up, and found that the surgery still had acceptible results.

But I will recommed bariatric surgery as an option to those who vaguely think they should be able to lose weight " the right way" and yet, year after, year, stay obese and keep feeling increasingly guilty. That is no way to live. Not when there is an alternative, and only ignorance and prejudices stand in the way of considering it objectively for one’s own situation.

Ask away.

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Good for you, I say.

I take it you were not diabetic?
A close friend is very obese and diabetic. She lost about 80 lbs four years ago and kept it off, yay her, but has since had severe complications from the diabetes. Inexplicably, her insurance company refused to pony up for gastric bypass surgery even though her doctor and everything I’ve read indicates is as close to a cure for diabetes as one can get.

Do you feel more energetic now? Are you on any sort of exercise regimen?

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No, I wasn’t diabetic. Yet. I had near-diabetic bloodwork in my pregnancy, and my (obese) mom has type 2 diabetes.

Energy? Sure, but not that much more. Of course, moving is much, much easier without that 80 pound backpack to carry around. But I haven’t become the Duracell bunny. :slight_smile:

Exercise… I was always, and still am, fairly active physically, even when I was obese. I was on my bike pedalling at top speed around town at least an 45 minutes a day, and I love hiking in the weekends. That is still the case. But, with household chores, a garden to maintain and a toddler to chase, I don’t take the time to do other exercise. In the past year, when recovering was still a priority, I visited the gym about a dozen times and started a couch to 5 K project, but all that has returned to the land of Good Intentions.

I’ sorry to hear about your friends insurance troubles. Has she tried to fight the insurance company? You are right, Gastric bypass surgery is at the moment the most effective cure for diabetes. Yet it is pretty much standard for insurance companies to deny all requests for weight loss surgery initially. In the WLS community, it has become standard to fight that decision and that usually works.

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Many insurance companies won’t cover any sort of bariactric surgery, including Medicare, even for the morbidly obese. They consider it cosmetic, even though the condition can lead to death. $15k is a lot of money in this financial climate. I know I can’t afford it.

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I don’t have any questions, but I had been following your previous threads. I’m really pleased it worked out so well for you!

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Congrats on your weight loss.

Being fit feels great!

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Thank you for the update! I’m so glad it’s worked out well for you!

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Yes she did, to no avail. Then she went into kidney failure, about a year later. And someone at the hospital ordered the wrong drug. Which set off some sort of horrific internal bleeding event. There was also MRSA. She was in ICU for over a month and now has permanently fucked up kidneys and is classified as 100 percent disabled.

A little part of me (and her and us, her friends) wonders if this all could have been averted had her insurance ponied up for the surgery. My friend has always been very compliant with meds and lifestyle choices - except she found it utterly impossible to lose that last 100 lbs.

At some point she’ll probably get a pay-off from the hospital; but she’d rather have not gotten so sick in the first place and been able to keep working.

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chiroptera, I agree, your friend would have been much better off with surgery when she applied for it. I hope and believe that in the future people like her will get the help they need sooner.

Picunurse, prices start at 9000 dollars if you shop around. Experienced, specialized surgeons are actually cheaper, because they have excellent supporting staff and they do surgery almost routinely.
And in most cases, what you pay is tax-deductable, so the actual costs out of pocket might be even less. The book I linked has a whole chapter on financing surgery.

IN my other thread, a poster said he might need surgery but would never consider it because of his fear of throwing up. Well, with my surgery (MGB) I have thrown up four times in the past year since surgery.
Well now, I was all up on my soap box, geared up for a fiery debate. And all I get are friendly nods and congratulations from you guys. I’m almost disappointed. :slight_smile:

Mods, could you move this thread to IMHO? I’d like to have a little more debate about it.

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Because smart people realise that sometimes it’s not as easy as “eat less, excercise more” for the truly obese? Especially someone who’s never been thin, even as a child, or active or athletic. I was a thin and active kid and raised eating well; I don’t like the way I look or feel when I gain a bit of weight so in my 50s I’m still pretty skinny. But I have a different baseline than someone raised on unhealthy food choices and not encouraged to be physically active so “eat less, excercise more” to dislodge a few pounds isn’t a big deal. If I gained 150 lbs overnight and had to lose it? Oy. A whole 'nother thing.

With more and more overweight and under-active kids these days we’re going to see an increasing number of people for whom losing a lot of weight and changing lifestyles is going to be incredibly difficult. My prediction also: this type of surgery will be more common going forward.

Since this might be headed towards IMHO, I’ll offer this theory: that in the case of some people, food is a true addiction. If you smoke (I do) or drink or use drugs, you can’t simply cut down. You must completely stop using your drug of choice. You can’t do that with food. So I understand how incredibly difficult and daunting it must be to have to lose 100 or more pounds. The friend I mentioned said she hit a wall when she was losing weight (Atkins) - she felt shaky and faint without food and became obsessed with thoughts of food and eating, moreso than when she wasn’t trying to lose weight. I had another obse friend - sadly now passed away - who told me he was addicted to food. He couldn’t go an hour without food, even woke up during the night to eat. Looking back, perhaps counseling would have helped him, or a 12-step program.

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Moved MPSIMS --> IMHO

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Congrats on the loss Maastricht! I would like to know more about the surgery itself and the recovery time. How long did you stay in the hospital? What was the general recovery like and what changes did you have to make after?
A friend of mine had a bypass when we were in college and she said she couldn’t eat anything solid for months. She said she had a really hard time recovering and getting used to a liquid diet for a while.
It’s possible her surgery was a different type than yours, it sounds like your recovery wasn’t as bad?
Also do they have a strict food plan for you to be on afterwards?

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No questions.

Just want to say congrats on the weight loss, and good luck in the future. Regardless of the method, losing it and keeping it off is an accomplishment, and something to feel proud of. :slight_smile:

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I had gastric bypass surgery in February of 2008, mostly because of my diabetes. The weight loss was just an added bonus. Right after the surgery I was off insulin and five or six weeks later I was off the other diabetes meds I had been taking. I lost a total of 110 pounds, but have put back on 20-25 pounds. (the surgeon said this would happen) I went from a size 22 to a 4, back up to a size 8 But the big thing is my blood sugar is normal now!

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I came into this thread mostly to see what the pricing was and am leaving it sorely disappointed. There’s no way I could ever afford that and I’m like chiroptera said, in that I have NEVER been thin. I’ve been on a diet constantly since I can remember, even as a child and have only succeeded in gaining more and more weight. Even though my BMI is WELL over 50% (ugh I hate even admitting that), my insurance refuses to pay for it until I have high blood pressure AND diabetes.

I am glad it worked out for you though and hopefully one day I can afford it. I’ve definitely bookmarked the links provided :slight_smile:

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Angelsoft, with a BMI over 50, there is no way your insurance company can keep it up to refuse you. The book I linked to. Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies, (don’t let the name fool you, it is one of the best books out there) has a whole chapter on dealing with insurance companies, including example letters and info on changing insurance companies if you have to. Many people on the fora (like this one) say that battling the insurance companies was the most difficult part of getting the surgery, but they are glad they kept at it, and they all share practical tips on the fora. Don’t give up. A BMI of 50 is very likely to be a debilitating health hazard for you. You deserve getting help.

Frankly, I think it is sick that insurance companies don’t follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization that say surgery is indicated (and safe and effective) with BMI’s over 40, or 35 with comorbidities like diabetes or hypertension or sleep apnea. Both conditions, especially untreated, are damaging to the body, and this studysays it is quite likely for refused patiens to develop one or more of these conditions if denied surgery.
It is also shortsighted: the economic net benefits of bariatric surgery for society as a whole outweigh the costs.. The economic costs just for insurance companies themselves are about even, depending on the surgery. Patients undergoing the mini gastric bypass surgery have far fewer complications requiring additional medical help (about 5% in the long run) then for instance gastric banding (50 % in the long run). But that does not figure in the quality of life.

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Elysium, I got laparoscopic surgery Friday morning, stayed in the hospital overnight. My friend drove me to a nearby hotel Saturday morning ( I could walk to the car) and I stayed there, near the hospital, until Monday morning. I felt good enough for a little walk in the park near the hospital on Sunday. Monday morning I returned to the hospital for a check up and removal of the drains, then we drove home. I stayed home for a week, but I could have returned to my desk job on Thursday.

I ate pureed and liquid food for a week, then I returned to other foods, but chewed very carefully. My booksays it is common to return to solids after 4 to 6 weeks, but it also depends on the type of surgery (the Mini is better) and the method ( laparoscopic is better) and on your health (going in to surgery relatively healthy is better).

My general recovery was pretty easy. Changes I had to make after?
Well, in a nutshell, the first half year:
[ul]
[li]At every meal: eat proteins first, then greens, if you have any room left, eat healty (complex, wholewheat) carbs.[/li][li]Everything with sugar as the first, second or third ingredient on the ingredient list is out. [/li][li]Eat slowly (chew chew chew) and “listen” very careful to how full you feel and how well eating something feels. If it doesn’t feel right, stop eating it immediately. One or two more bites then you can handle might cause throwing up. About half of patients (depending on the type of surgery) can “dump”, meaning that if they eat something with too much sugar or fat, they feel awful for about half an hour. It is a very strong learning reinforcement, but it can become very unpractical. the mini gastric bypass has lees chanche of dumping (about a third) then the traditional Roux en Y gastric bypass. [/li][li]No drinking beverages within half an hour after a meal.[/li][li] Pretty much no drinking alcohol (more then a shot glass) ever again. [/li][li] Every morning an evening, take a calcium supplement. Every noon, take a (special) multivitamin tablet. [/li][li]Exercise as much as you can. [/li][/ul]
Now, after a year, I am more lax with the drinking with a meal rule and I do have sugar ocasionally again. All other rules have become part of my life.

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From what I know of it, eating too much can have both an psychological and physical element of addiction. There is a reason depression and obesity are linked, in ways not yet well understood (apart from the obvious ways). But there is more and more evidence for physical mechanisms that fight weight loss. These are part “natural” mechanisms, (the body wants to store food for bad times) but also mechanisms caused by modern food. Those mechnisms are different for different people, complicating the picture. This bookand community makes a convincing case for refined sugar screwing up some peoples metabolism, for instance.

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My older brother is considering this surgery, and went to a hospital seminar two weeks ago. There are three different kinds of surgery? At any rate, this is the one I think he has decided to do. (Click on the little video that give a brief description of how the procedure is done.)
They mentioned that it does seem to stop diabetes almost immediately, and that there were few side effects. They went on to mention that, yes, you can cheat and drink high calorie drinks (milk shakes) that will make weight loss slower, but for most people it is quite effective.
I think he is planning to have this done in November - and in his case, it is probably the wisest thing to do. Sadly, he had ballooned in weight in just the past 8 years and really needs to do something. Of course, this feeds on his depression and makes him eat even more - the vicious cycle.
Congrats to you, and I am glad it was/is successful. I will encourage my brother to have this done, although I think it is already a done deal in his mind.

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Are ALL carbonated drinks (coke, etc) off limits for you now?