Advice??? - ThinnerTimes

andrea25 · 06-07-2004, 03:24 PM

I am in the process of deciding on whether to have the surgery or not. I am looking for people's advice on the good, bad & ugly sides to the surgery & what to expect!! Thanks so much!!!
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Andrea

katlover66 · 06-07-2004, 08:14 PM

Welcome and only you can decide whether this is for you or not. I had my surgery almost 7 months ago. I have lost a little over 100 pounds and I am under 200 pounds for the 1st time in 10 years. My surgery went fine with no complications. I did everything I was told to do and it went well. I did not get scared until I arrived at the hospital and I almost split. This is all natural and everyone gets scared. This is life altering and you must be committed to the changes. No fried foods and High low fat proteins and very low carbs. Excercise is also key to the success of this surgery. Make a list of all your pros and cons and this will help you out.

brutherford · 06-08-2004, 09:04 AM

I understand your hesitation - it took me six months to even consider the option of surgery (my primary care physician thought it was a good idea for me). Once I started going to the information meetings, I was confronted by so many things that could be alleviate or resolved by the surgery, it became obvious that I needed to do this for myself. Fortunately, I didn't have a lot of the co-morbidities of obesity like diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, etc. But I quickly realized that unless I did something serious about my weight, I was going to have those problems in the next few years.

Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since my surgery, and I feel great. Here's a list of the good and bad:

Bad
You have to re-learn how to eat.
If food is your friend and/or coping mechanism, you're losing it.
You may be tired for weeks.
If you don't follow the doctor's orders to a "t" you may throw up or get sick.
You can't sleep on your stomach for at least 6 weeks (I still haven't made it.)
Your breath is often bad, and body odor is stronger.
Many people start losing hair at about 3 months, and it stops at 6 months.
Many people have excess skin that may necessitate plastic surgery.

Good
You have to re-learn how to eat.

You're not hungry.
Your energy gets better each day, and finally one day, you feel back to "normal."
If you follow the doctor's orders, you will not be sick or throw up (I've been totally fine.)
Many people are immediately healthier and don't need their medications (for diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) My husband says that I stopped snoring before I even got home from the hospital.

You will lose weight - pretty fast at first.
You feel lighter, more nimble, and flexible.
I have changed my association with food - I no longer need it to cope or to socialize. Food is no longer the most important thing in my life.
You have the peace of mind knowing that this is not a "diet" that will fail the moment that you assume your regular eating - it is a life change. So, get rid of those big clothes that don't fit any longer - you're never going to need them again.

Of course, all of these things are subjective. My experience is not the same as any others' experience. There are complications that can happen with surgery, and you may be sick through no fault of your own. But the chances of that are relatively slim, considering the seriousness of the surgery.

If you decide to do this, decide to do it right, and listen to everything that's said, read everything you're given (at least twice), and invest the time and effort to make this work for you.

Good luck with your decision!

lealphachienne · 06-08-2004, 11:04 AM

The first week post-op is hell, but then you suddenly get better and it all fades away quickly when you see the results.

This is not the easy way out. It is difficult to completely change everything about your life. It goes beyond what you're eating or not eating. It will affect your relationships. If you're fortunate, you will have lots of support. Here you will get plenty of support.

You may lose friends over this. You may have major complications. There was a recent post on the old Yahoo Groups site (which is now closed, but the archives are there) of a person who had many complications that took a year of recovery. In spite of the complications, most would do it all over again.

Read, read, read. There's plenty of info out there. I started a binder of all the information I pulled out of magazines and downloaded from the internet to refer to and also to use as ammo with the insurance if necessary. With obesity the number one preventable death in America today, it's worth the serious thought.

It's okay if you decide NOT to have WLS. It's a decision only you can make. I have talked to several people who are 400-500 lbs and won't even entertain the thought of having surgery.

Good luck in your quest.

Marie
lap 5/28/04
235/221/120

bridgetgirl · 06-08-2004, 02:55 PM

Hello! I just wanted to share with you that I looked into having the surgery for 5 years. I met with several surgeons from all over the county, and realized I was "home" when I met Dr. Callery. Such an awesome surgeon, with no "God" complex... that is very refreshing. I am not sure how many surgeons you have looked into for yourself, but here at Dr. Callery's office I didn't feel like a number. The attention is very personalized which eases your mind in the comfort of knowing you are doing the right thing for yourself.
I had my surgery done laproscopic, becuase I wanted a quicker recovery time. I am a single mother with 2 young boys and this idea worked best for me. About a week after surgery I was feeling really sick and knew something was wrong. I went to the E.R. and was diagnosed with pancreatitis. I went back to Pomerado where Dr. Callery is so I could follow up with him. To the best of my knowledge I am the only case of post operative pancreatitis he has had. It was painful and I was miserable for about 6 weeks. But the thing about it is, as long as you dont ingnore your symptoms your going to be just fine. Because I looked into the surgery for so long I heard many horror stories, and the worst can happen if you IGNORE SYMPTOMS or lie to your surgeon regarding your health history. There is always more to what you hear about surgery gone wrong... usually the patient cheats themself.
Dr. Callery's office is honest with you, will tell you how many surgeries they have performed and how many patients died from related complications. I liked that alot about this office.
If you have heard any myths or horror stories and want to discuss them with someone please feel free to email me privately. I work for a surgeon myself, and I knew what to look out for, what questions to ask and to know what was bogus information. That's why I went on a surgeon hunt when I made the decision it was right for me. I knew I was ready when I wasnt finding myself saying "But what about...." eating, drinking, hair, body odor, etc., There comes a time in your life when you realize this weight is going to bring you down, keep making you sick or eventually kill you and you will do anything to escape it.... that's what I did and I feel fantastic. I welcome hearing from you anytime. Remember NO question is too dumb or stupid to ask.
Best wishes!

bridgetgirl · 05-22-2008, 11:25 PM

barbara used to give out the best advice, i miss her. im gonna call her this weekend!

I felt this to be bump worthy for new pre-bes