Weight Loss Surgery If you've had it, or are considering it, share your discussions here

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Old 10-07-2013, 12:50 AM   #1  
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Unhappy Wls

My health has declined in the last 3 years or so and I am constantly sick and hurting. The doctors they haven't really come up with anything decent in regards to a resolution they keep saying its because I am fat. I don't have any medical diagnosed issue and have been tested for lots of things.

After being beat over the head hearing you just are too fat I said well the only way I'll get decent medical care is to loose the weight maybe I should do something drastic and have WLS.

I've attended two seminars one of which was last year and I put everything off because I thought I had to for insurance and now I know that is inaccurate so I've started over with the entire process. I wanted to do the band, but the last surgeon I met with explained they are on the way out because they are no longer lasting or holding up to the use I guess is a good way of saying it. I wanted the band because it was less evasive and I could remove it later if I wanted too. He said I should opt for the sleeve because of my current eating habits.

When I got sick some years ago I had to drastically change my diet not even because I wanted to but I had too so I don't eat processed foods, I don't drink soda, I don't really eat sweets or candy, I don't have any vices I can't live without and I even went vegetarian for about 200 days.

The surgeon said if I am not eating all those things then its a good chance I have horrid metabolism. IDK that could be I don't move around a lot either right now I have a sit down job and only get up for breaks and such.

I'm really scared to commit to the surgery being put to sleep is the scariest of it all it bothers me. My household family supports me, but my extended family does not and I haven't discussed it with my parents at all. I am not sure how they will respond.

Some days I can't even get out of bed and the world seems so dark to me on the inside and lonely. Not because I'm fat because I am totally comfortable with that - note this is why I'm fat because I love myself just fine the way I am. But I seriously can't handle being so sick all the time. I am so mean and rude to my family, and I am snappy everything annoys me. My mind can't get passed the pain sometimes and I just sit and sulk. I don't like that most of the time someone else has to do all the little things because I just can't do them.

I am also worried about what if after surgery I am still this sick? no one really can answer will I feel better?

My surgeon that I am seeing now is a training doctor totally up to date on all the procedures and techniques. He has also seen many types of patients and people and seems to have a good view on the issue. Its funny I know they have no crystal ball or anything but I wish I did to see what it will all end as?
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Old 10-07-2013, 09:23 AM   #2  
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feeling a little overwhelmed here? don't blame you a bit. I noticed from your other posts that you've taken on another fast. I wish you the best of luck with it - and it can help you get at least some of the weight off, but the real measure of success is KEEPING IT OFF. yeah. easy to say, isn't it?

Before my surgery, i was bedridden. i didn't like the idea of surgery either, but i faced a choice of a slow death or the surgery. And i agreed to the surgery because it offered me the best chance of losing large amounts of weight and KEEPING IT OFF.

and i'm still here and alive.

As for whether the surgery will cure your current illnesses - that's hard to say. much of it depends on what they are. Sounds like you need a heart-to-heart with your doc[s].

the band is a good choice for many people, and a not-so-good choice for others. my surgeon said that i was NOT a good candidate for the band because i needed to get large amounts of weight off really fast, and the band would have given me a much slower weight loss.

Gotta tell you, though, that if the sleeve had been available 10+ years ago, i would have given it serious thought. You keep your pyloric valve, so there's no vomiting or dumping like with the gastric bypass. It limits the amount of food you can eat, so there's no problem absorbing the nutrients. And it's always possible to add a malabsorption component [like rerouting your intestines] later if needed.

HOWEVER, you'll have to be 100% comfortable with your decision here, and it's yours alone to make [not your family's and certainly not your extended family's]. Ask a lot of Qs. and then ask more. do your research. think about how you're willing to live, what you can live with [and without].

and keep posting!
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Old 10-07-2013, 01:27 PM   #3  
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Jiffypop, I haven't done a fast in over a year? maybe your looking at an extremely old post? Although its probably not a bad idea to do LOL I am on the 6mth Atkins plan my surgeon wants me to drop 40-50lbs by March.

That's the biggest problems heart to heart with the doctors they all just really are awful. Its the effects of poor health care and lots of other dramatics in this area. Sadly the people suffer in the end for the lack of support above them. I have had many sessions where I literally cry because I am sick and tired of being sick and the only response I ever get is "oh well". Its tragic and disappointing to say the least.

I did cover all these concerns with the surgeon,and he was pretty straight forward but in the end no idea how this would affect me being ill daily its a game of Russian Roulette I suppose.

I'm going to try and get through the pre diet first its a little weird to me outside of all the research I've done since getting sick. Its a huge challenge trying to overcome those hurdles.

Do I say can't I just get a new stomach take this one out and give me a new one? transplant idk anything would be great
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Old 10-07-2013, 08:06 PM   #4  
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there are no guarantees with anything - unfortunately. I can tell you, though, that i've gone from being bedridden and on oxygen to being, ummm, active, employed. out of bed. in grad school. actually LIVING. but the knees ache [they don't get fixed with weight loss, unfortunately], and i have some residual asthma from the problems with my lungs, but it's much MUCH easier to deal with at a lower weight.

and you're 100% correct - doctors DO deal with you differently after a large weight loss. they actually listen to me and try to do something, instead of just saying 'oh well, it's your weight.'

all i can suggest is to put one foot in front of the other, keep your options open, do your research. If it helps, think of it as a chance to re-learn everything that you ever thought you knew about food and eating.

After all, we didn't get to this point by having a healthy relationship with food! does that mean that you shouldn't love yourself? absolutely not. it actually means that you're showing your love for yourself by listening to your body and your emotions.

is this 6 month atkins diet the pre-op diet? and why do you think it's a bit weird?
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Old 10-08-2013, 12:06 AM   #5  
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Originally Posted by jiffypop View Post
is this 6 month atkins diet the pre-op diet? and why do you think it's a bit weird?
Yep I have to do it appears phase 1 Atkins for six months prior to surgery an insurance requirement.

It's weird/offsetting because the theory of the diet is to not eat many vegetables and no fruit. When I became sick I threw out all the processed foods in the house we eat very little of that most of the stuff I make now its from scratch.

My regular diet consist of beans, veggies, fruit, seafood, meat in a huge moderation. I can't eat a lot of meat because I get severely sick.

Prior to going in for the seminar, surgeon visit, and even dietician I did lots of research I actually have a binder of pamphlets, notes, journals, things that cause me great pain, issues, I have everything pretty much food, doctor and surgery related in it I went with that book and all my don'ts and questions and the first thing I expressed because I knew it was a high protein low carb diet was that I wasn't sure that was something I could handle. In addition, to it being all "meat" and all that jazz.

Since I've gotten sick I've done so much food research and the in's and outs of almost everything I ingest. What I've learned is astonishing and was a life changing for me because I view the world and how I eat totally different now. However, in theory my body needs fruits and veggies within reason there shouldn't be a limit to those items.

Like my daily eating now I eat veggies in very large portions and snack on fruits and veggies all day. I eat very little meat maybe if any at all 10 oz a day.

I expressed that to the dietician and the doctor and its odd the response I get. What I am thinking is that I will have to just work around it and try to just basically instead of portions and adding meat I just remove wild rice, brown rice, whole grain flour noodles potatoes etc. Those are the only things left that I don't make from scratch.

Basically I feel like one of those peg blocks you try to fit in the wrong sized hole with that diet I'm like wow that just wont fit me at all
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Old 10-08-2013, 12:17 AM   #6  
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I forgot to add by the way I did explain to him my daily eating habits this is them prior to dieting and after becoming ill...

Breakfast - protein shake made of protein powder oatmeal flax seed and sometimes fresh fruit.

Lunch - proportioned home cooked tv dinner
(we make home made tv dinners they are in like you buy in the freezer section portioned out and labeled per person we are an extremely busy family, and this is the only way our entire family can eat a nourishing healthy meal sort of like TV Dinners on steroids with no additives or unnecessary contaminants.
an example of one would be
3oz of broccoli
6oz meat balls (2)
3oz whole grain noodles
3oz tomato sauce (made from scratch of tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and roasted garlic)
garlic bread slice

Dinner - proportioned home cooked 2cup soup and a salad
example of soup is wild rice, mushroom and chicken YUMMY
salad is lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, black beans sometimes and a homemade dressing of olive oil and roasted garlic

Snacks -
might include fresh fruit or cantaloupe, hummus, celery, steamed broccoli etc.

and water for drinking

My surgeon looked at me in total shock which is normal for this area they eat horrid but I don't I was like I have pictures LOL I seriously eat this way daily I am home 7 days a week. When we get out as a special treat or have to eat out the house we don't eat fast food at all we opt to eat at places whom cook from scratch or almost scratch also. He thought maybe my metabolism was just that bad and recommended the RYN - that is a bit drastic for me I am barely dealing with not getting the band and having to opt for the sleeve.

I absolutely DO NOT use MSG in anything and no added sugar.
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Old 10-08-2013, 09:35 AM   #7  
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could i move into your house? these dinners sound WONDERFUL. And it also sounds as if you're carrying a lot of guilt.

please put it down. tuck it into a drawer or stuff it into the back of a closet. stop carrying it.

Now. I gained weight on an in-hospital, 800 calories a day. the doc was furious and decided that people were sneaking food to me. they weren't.

It's true - your metabolism can be THAT BAD. BTW, do you have sleep apnea? that can affect your metabolism.

Does your doc want you to stay on Phase 1 of atkins all this time? i know you can have some carbs on that - with a focus on the low glycemic index ones - which means mostly veggies and small amounts of fruit.

It looks to me as if you need to bump up your protein at dinner, and for your snacks. add cheese, if you can tolerate it. And don't eat carbs without protein. So, some peanut butter on the celery, for example. cottage cheese or yogurt with the cantaloupe.

Ya gotta make this livable for yourself.

Please understand - WLS is NOT a punishment. It's a tool to help us regain health. Attitude in this is EVERYTHING. If you view this as misery or punishment or some other negative concept, you will be miserable and will do your darndest to figure out how get around the surgery. OTOH, if you view this as a chance to hit the reset button [yes, like rebooting your computer], and to give yourself a whole new life with changed habits and all, then you'll stand the best chance of WORKING WITH your new tool.

Easy??? HECK NO! but do-able.
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Old 10-08-2013, 09:42 AM   #8  
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oh. and one more thing. that concept of 'high protein' diet after surgery? trust me - it's not like you'll be eating a pound of meat! right after the surgery - no matter which one you end up with - you'll be lucky to eat TWO TABLESPOONS of meat. I'm serious.

Right after the surgery - liquids. then thicker liquids. Then small amounts of real food. it's a graduated eating plan mostly to help you recover from surgery. you'll be using protein shakes, because it'll be the only way you'll be able to meet your protein goals.

i found that i had to eat 15 grams of protein every 3 hours or i'd get dizzy. Please note i'm not calling this A MEAL. they were 'eating events' for about 3 months.

some foods will work better than others, and some days one food will work and the next day it won't - and vice versa.

and it's ALL OK. the first three months will be HARD, but you'll get through them. i promise. By the time all is said and done - let's say 2 years out - you'll be eating a meal of 3 oz of meat, some veggies, some fruit, a small amount of heavy duty carbs [rice, pasta, potato, whatever], JUST LIKE YOU'RE DOING NOW!!!

also, feel free to print out anything around here you find interesting and add it to your folder - share it with your docs. There are a lot of people around here with a lot of smarts who have contributed huge amounts of information.

Last edited by jiffypop; 10-08-2013 at 09:44 AM.
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Old 10-08-2013, 07:58 PM   #9  
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If I can interject here weight loss surgery is not waving a magic wand and all your medical problems will disappear BUT I'm almost certain that losing weight will not make any of them worse. Likely it will improve your life in ways that you can't even see right now.

I echo Jiffy, your meals sound wonderful!!
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Old 10-09-2013, 05:55 PM   #10  
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Atkins is not a high protein low carb diet. It is high fat, moderate protein and actually a lot of vegetables - 20 net carbs on induction phase from vegetables. If you need clarification, the Atkins website has everything you need to do the whole plan for free. Just click on the learn Atkins tab.
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Old 10-09-2013, 09:34 PM   #11  
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Red face WLS Comment

My cousin actually had WLS in Mexico last year and said it was the best decision she has ever made. At first we were all against her leaving the U.S. but she did it anyway, and i have to say she is one HOT chick! She's always been a pretty face and a beautiful person but sadly alot of vain people do not see beauty when all they focus on is fat. So it was really nice to see her true self emerge and her confidence level sky rocket! Not to mention her energy levels, im so envious, i wish i had her courage.

I am going to consider going through her facilitator to start saving up for the WLS. Maybe then I can dancing fearlessly just like she does
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Old 10-10-2013, 11:41 AM   #12  
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not sure that I have much guilt but I do resent the health care system here

years and years ago I wondered about surgery but didn't give it a lot of thought because I am terrified of being put to sleep after becoming so sick and not getting any help I thought well maybe I should consider it first it was this is the way out because then there is no reason to say well your too fat go home my aches and pains can be looked into (well we'd hope) if I was smaller. After lots and lots of research over a year now and by the time I actually commit and have surgery it will be almost two years of researching WLS. I read every resource, I ask every question, I get involved in discussions, and I try to make sure that my judgement is a sound one.

I've weighted out my options pro's con's and I if I run across something I am not positive of I try to find a solid reason to either let it go or stick to it. The surgeons nurse did a pre session with me and so did the dietician, and I found both of there comments thought provoking. In different words but in the same concept they both said that I had to have some other reason besides wanting to be "medically" acceptable as opposed to wanting to wear a bikini.

Like to say your justification for wanting surgery is medically motivated, and that's not going to work. I think this to be extremely odd coming from doctors. Maybe I'm just over complicated IDK .. but isn't that most people who do WLS goal to be medically compliant? it has been known to reverse diabetes, apnea, heart trouble, and many other medical illnesses.

Even though I found their comments odd I took it for what it was and I have tried to make a list of other things I see the surgery changing

Maybe my medical anomaly will improve
I will have more energy and can keep up with my teenager
I will be able to enjoy all the outdoor and vacation activities we do
I might be able to take an airplane again
With age I may be able to deter some of those unavoidable things like diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, severe arthritis etc.

There are many others that I can list. Bikini I know is on others list not really mine. I guess I expected it to be in reverse bikini should not be your ultimate goal right??? maybe I am wrong lol I didn't get that at all.
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Old 10-10-2013, 11:43 AM   #13  
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I bought several Atkins diet books and will spend at least the next three weeks trying to figure that all out and how I can make it work on my terms so to speak (less meat) I'm kinda excited about the books they have some great information in them.
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Old 10-10-2013, 11:47 AM   #14  
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PS Thank YOU for the support I love the variance in discussion it has triggered a few questions and strikes more "food" for thought! Its exercising by BRAIN muscle is that the most important or second important to the Heart?? what'da think?


Also, the premade meals is a life savor I see you guys said you were moving in LOL

I'm a born raised Cajun/SoulFood girl and the secret is cooking with LOVE my family still has to eat even though I'm on a mission so I try to make sure I keep them all fed and happy besides they would turn into an angry mob if I didn't I've seen them viciously hungry LOL

Otherwise anyone is always welcome to our table to eat
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