Hi, I had my surgery 2 years ago and initially lost 162 lbs in the first 6 months. Since then I have put weight on. I have put on 34lbs which may not sound alot but it sure is creeping on. I have had no support since losing weight. I was sent to an eating disorder specialist who said they could not help as my disorder is too complicated. My psychistrist has sent me to many psychologists who all say the same. It's as if they are scared of failing so won't take the risk.
I am terrified of the increase. Due to my severe arthritis I am unable to exercise very much. I love swimming but cannot get to a pool due to finances and locality and inability to drive. I can graze as I did before surgery and it is out of control as it was before surgery. I have never suffered "Dumping Syndrome" and actually eat and adore chocolate which I hated pre surgery!!!
Im so sorry to hear the surgery didnt work for you! But dont give up!! You can do this all on your own, just stay motivated, even if some days you cant do that much. My mom has fibromyalgia to and it hurts her everyday, so I can understand the pain your going through, just dont give up!!
Thanks for your kind messages and good wishes.
Sadly I have now regained all my lost weight and am back at square one. The only difference is that I now have life long complications following the surgery. Everything that could have gone wrong during and since surgery has happened to me. I am told I am very unlucky and a rare story of unsuccess!!!
Would I recommend the op? Yes I would as thousands succeed. I am rare afterall. So good luck to all of you that go in for this. Well done to those of you who lose weight via healthy eating plans.
Hi! I too had WLS in 2003. I started at 312# got down to 150. I was super pleased with the results. I had a baby in 2008 and the weight somehow is creeping back on. I am currently at 214#, but plan to start Atkins as I feel depression setting in as this is not how I should be.
If this does not work for me, I am going to go and see if I can get a lap band.
Good luck to you all and I can completely understand what you are going through.
bethilda - drinking soda and coffee alone are only SOME of the reasons that people might regain weight after surgery. there's grazing, and eating sweets, for example. but there's also the issue [that's only now being explored] that the body might adjust to surgery. or that the pouch expands. or that the outlet relaxes.
in short, just as there's no perfect diet for people to follow, there's also no perfect surgery.
surgeons are looking into a variety of revisions - and some of them may offer some help, but we also have to be VERY honest with ourselves - are we doing what we should to manage our weight? i know that i've fallen off the wagon [and NOT with coffee and soda], but i'm still working on getting back on it.
chubchub - i'm so sorry to read about what happened with you and the surgery. how can we help?
you are ALWAYS welcome to post and hang out here - this is NOT A forum that caters to people who have lost their weight and maintained it. we're here to help each other get through our challenges and to be as healthy as we can be.
Hi;
I'm so sorry you are struggling with regaining your weight. I'm assuming you had a gastric bypass. You may be a possible candidate for revision to the Duodenal Switch surgery. There are a number of folks on another forum I frequent who have had succesful RNY to DS revisions. There are only a few surgeons out there who are capable of such a thing; Dr. John Rabkin in San Francisco, and Dr. Ara Keshishian in Gendale, CA. are a couple that I know of. You can google them or PM me for more info if you're interested.
Good luck with everything.
I say keep trying to find a counselor that is willing to help you with your eating issues....I can't believe that there isn't someone that isn't chicken! I strongly recommend finding someone that is trained in EMDR. It changed my life!
I was raised in a violent household with a raging, physically abusive father, a Histrionic, Sociopathic, Narcissist of a mother, was sexually abused by a neighbor for 2 years as a preteen, a heavy food and serious drug addict, had a nervous breakdown when I was 24 that was caused by feeling trapped in an abusive marriage, I didn't leave my house between 1992 and 1994, I have turned to food and hated myself for being weak and therefore fat as a result of my abuse of food but couldn't put it down without horrid anxiety....AND now, I am recovering! I found 3 good counselors that have helped me to recover in layers. It has taken me 12 years but I have been able to except the tool of WLS, lose weight (for the most part kept it off), come to peace with what happened to me, and found true and real love, satisfaction, and joy in my life. There is hope for all that are willing to work their buns off to recover...I am living proof of that!
Don't give up, honey...love yourself enough to fight for yourself. Think of it this way... someone you love, a mother...your child....you favorite pet....a friend that has been there for you....needs help….most of us would do anything for THEM....you would fight for their right to be cared for, healthy, happy…Now, think of yourself in the same way. YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT!!!!
Come here often and talk, help other people that have had your experience too. It really does help you to help others!
Angela
Last edited by missangelaks; 01-01-2011 at 05:37 PM.
I am so sorry, I didn't mean to come across as being insensitive or unempathetic to the struggles of weight. I have gained back about 30 pounds myself due to grazing and not being strict with avoiding carbs and sweets. I know that even after surgery, weight gain is going to be something I will struggle with for the rest of my life. There just isn't a quick fix and GB is a TOUGH way to lose the weight, right?
I know so many people who have had the surgery and gained most, all or more weight back and all of them started drinking soda and caffeinated drinks again.
Keeping off almost 130 lbs isn't failure, but thinking it is does set you up for more. When you see yourself as successful, it can motivate you to be even more successful. When you see failure, it can also reinforce failure. If you tell yourself you're failing, you're probably going to stay on that path. Since your surgeon would still be counting you as a success story, I don't think you should be counting your failure before it's occurred either (most people do regain some weight, and it's still considered success by bariatric surgeons - Even gaining back up to half of the weight back is often still counted as success).
Sorry, I did miss that. That is terribly rough, but sadly not all that rare. It's one of the reasons I decided against surgery for myself, because I'm in too many high-risk categories for worst complications and the statistics I could find weren't very promising for people in my situation. The best statistics I could find for the surgeries I was considering, suggested that 30 to 60% regained all the lost weight or more within six years.
I'm NOT saying it isn't a good choice for most people who decide on it, but my personal risk factors are just very scary (especially my tendency towards infection and vitamin/mineral deficiency even on a balanced diet with supplements).
My prayers are with you, and hope you can find a counselor and a support system that can help.
Failed WL Surgery
Don't be so hard on yourself. Just start over and love yourself.
Gastric Bypass failed me
