remaininlite

Hello, my name is Jared and I am seriously considering having gast. bypass. I'm 22, have been overweight since about 8 yrs old and severely obese since about 15 yrs old. I am 5'6" and weight about 420. I have been thinking about the surgery since 2001, and have been deciding whether or not to have it done since this past January. I haven't tried everything in terms of dieting and weightloss, but need to do something. Whether it's surgery or losing weight on my own. So, I have a few questions and would really appreciate feedback from those who have (or have not) had the surgery done.

- How long after the surgery is diet soda tolerable?

- Is not being able to drink soda legit enough a reason to not have the surgery (like a smoker is addicted to cigarettes, I'm addicted to soda )

- After attending a seminar, how long, typically, will you be ok'd for the surgery?

- How much pain is to be expected immediately after and a while after the procedure?

- Does the surgery itself aid in weight loss, or is it the diet/lifestyle after the surgery alone that attributes to the weight loss?

- If I've thought about the surgery for 4 years, and have barely started seriously thinking about it mean I'll probably never be ready mentally?

Thanks for any feedback.

melanie hirschorn

jared,
i had surgery 2 years ago. i'm 48 and i had tried several diets. this was my last resort. i also was in deteriorating health as a result of my weight. everything has gone away.
first, as far as diet soda, when i had my surgery i was told you could never drink diet soda again. it can cause problems and cause you to gain back weight. some people drink it. i just don't want to get started on it and have substituted other drinks, such as water, ice tea, coffee, etc.
it is a diet-lifestyle change. yes, you eat smaller quantities, but if you eat the wrong food you're going to gain weight back.
you're young and i think before doing this kind of surgery you have to exhaust other diets out there and do this as a last means. i think mentally you're not ready for this without doing a lot of research and being well informed and trying other diets. it used to be they wouldn't do this surgery unless you tried every diet and it was a matter of life and death. i think now a days the doctors are trying to do it more and more, but the insurance companies are starting to crack down on it. good luck
melanie

HapBird

I'm glad to see you're looking at ways to improve your life. This is a terrific goal to have, and by reaching out here you are taking a positive step forward. Since I don't know you, your situation, your history, etc., and am not a doctor, I can't say one way or the other whether you should have the surgery; I CAN say that your life will improve dramatically if you can find a way to shed the excess weight. Mine sure did! And I wish I'd done it a LONG time ago.

I'll take a stab at your questions; hopefully others on this board will do the same, because there's a LOT of wisdom here; no one of us has all of it.

- How long after the surgery is diet soda tolerable?

As Melanie pointed out, they advise us strongly NOT to drink carbonated beverages at all after surgery. There's a lot of debate about this - some feel strongly that it can lead to failure to maintain weight loss, there's some conjecture that it can cause the stomach pouch to expand too much, etc. etc. etc. Lots of post-op gastric bypass patients drink it, and they do okay. Others not - but you can say this about any one food or drink. It's not really so much what you eat or drink, or don't eat or don't drink, after the surgery, as it is how you alter your lifestyle and your food choices and eating patterns. I suspect that if we're unwilling or unable to make significant CHANGES in how/what/why we eat, we'll have less success than if we DO make those changes. The surgery doesn't fix the reasons we overeat - we have to find out what those reasons are and fix them.

- Is not being able to drink soda legit enough a reason to not have the surgery (like a smoker is addicted to cigarettes, I'm addicted to soda)

The key word you use is "addicted" - yep, food/drink certainly can be addictions. In fact, Overeaters Anonymous - and lots of other 12-step programs - are patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous - and they all help us deal with the addiction underlying our behaviors. An alcoholic won't be "fixed" just by casually deciding to stop drinking, an addicted overeater won't be "fixed" by casually going off on a "diet" or whatever. We have to find the reasons lurking behind the behavior and work on them. This can be scary, but it is well worth doing.

- After attending a seminar, how long, typically, will you be ok'd for the surgery?

This is highly variable. It can range from two to three months to a year or more. In my own case, I went to the first seminar in early June last year, and had the surgery at the end of September. I think this was pretty fast. Often, insurance companies step in and want you to try this or that program for six months or more before they'll approve you - this is a common delay for lots of us. Those of us who are older face serious and imminent health crises, so the insurance companies may be a little more likely to approve us than younger people (this is conjecture on my part, I really don't know this to be true...) Surgeries have been done on people starting at about age 18; I have no idea whether there's any real age difference in rates of approval.

- How much pain is to be expected immediately after and a while after the procedure?

Hard to say - again, we're all different, our surgeries are done different ways, some have painful complications afterwards, others don't. Also, we all have different tolerances for pain - some people experience pain more severely than others. I can only speak for my own experience - it was far less painful than several episodes of lower back pain I've had over the years. And while there was some pain for the first couple of weeks, it didn't last long, and even during it I had the compensating feeling that finally I'd done something truly brave and constructive towards improving my life, so the pain was worth it. The daily pain I suffered - emotionally - at being morbidly obese was a heck of a lot harder to bear than the couple of weeks of physical pain after the surgery.

- Does the surgery itself aid in weight loss, or is it the diet/lifestyle after the surgery alone that attributes to the weight loss?

Weirdly, nobody really knows for sure! Obviously, if you cut your food intake drastically over an extended period of time, you'll lose weight. Some people manage this by reducing their food intake on their own; others have it happen by being sick and losing their appetite; us "losers" have done it by having the surgery. I think that the key to LONGTERM success, though, is through the lifestyle and behavior modification changes we undergo. If you don't fix a food addiction, you can consume enough calories in a day even with a small stomach to make you regain weight.

- If I've thought about the surgery for 4 years, and have barely started seriously thinking about it mean I'll probably never be ready mentally?

No - it means you're right to be cautious. This surgery is MAJOR; it's not like having an ear pierced. Nobody should go through with it without very good reasons. I was aware of people having the surgery for several years before I decided on it for myself - I saw some wonderful successes, but was too afraid to seek out the surgery, and in my sick addict moments, tried to talk myself out of even considering it - in fact, when my doctor suggested it, my immediate reaction was NO, not ME! I'll lose enough weight so I don't qualify for the surgery... HA! That idea lasted about two weeks, then I was back to bingeing again. Denial is powerful.

There's also a fear of losing our "friend" - we turn to food for comfort, to soothe life's aches and psychic pains (even physical ones - I always ate a lot when I was sick!) and it's hard to contemplate losing the warm and fuzzy feelings that food seems to give us.

But believe me, this is something worth pursuing. Surgery is not the only answer, and it's not THE final fix for everything.

Best of luck to you - and keep studying the issues, learn as much as you can about the pros and cons of the surgery, and see what else you can do to get healthy. It's worth it!

__________________

Phil Darby / LAP RNY Dr. Callery 09/27/04........|Max:280+|Min:±155|Now:±175|

LizardQueen

You have some good questions. I, too, was addicted to diet Coke. I never thought I could quit, but 11 weeks later I don't miss it at all. Hard to believe but very true. You can kick the pop habit! Time is different for everyone. For me it was from October 2004 to february 2005. Again, pain is different for everyone. I think it was worth it. Your lifestyle will change and you will be glad it did! You will like things you never did before and hate things you used to love. There is a mouring period after surgery whe nyou miss food but it does pass and pass quickly with each pound you lose. This is a major decision. You should take as much time as you need to decide. I almost backed out the day of surgery. I wasn't emotional ready, but with the help of these fine folks I got that way.

Amber

TabFox

Welcome to the board! Here's my two cents. First of all, I, too, am a soda addict. I drink Diet Pepsi everyday. My surgeon said it's perfectly fine to drink. I also drink milk, water, Crystal Light, and decaf coffee and tea. I've always been a big drinker, only now I can't guzzle. I sip. I watched a friend go through the surgery and decided to go for it also. Then that big, ugly, doubting demon in the back of my head made me chicken out 3 days before surgery. I told myself I could lose weight on my own. Over the next year, I lost a whopping 2 pounds. Then reality hit. I was 36 and there was no way I was going to lose it on my own. I've tried every diet known to man with no long term success. So, I decided to go through with the surgery. I figured that giving up candy, cake, etc. was a small price to pay to be healthy and thin. The first few months, my belly was finicky and I missed food. However, as the weight dropped and my tastes changed, I'm so glad I did it. I eat normal food, just not "normal" portions. I like exercising now. Before, you couldn't have paid me to exercise. My advice would be to research everything you can about surgery. Try traditional diets if you're not ready for major surgery. Do what you can to be healthier. And, by all means, keep posting. This is a great support group!

__________________
Tabitha
Open 5/26/04
321/171/Passed Goal!

remaininlite

Thanks for all your input and insight. I'm essentially taking the first step tomorrow - I'm attending a seminar. I'm strongly considering it now more than before. Thanks again.

right_on

goodluck! i am only 8 days post op. i haven't regret so far... the first few days was hard for me. but adjusting is not a problem... i heard if you do it at a younger age, it will be a lot easier and less complication.

remaininlite

right_on, thanks for your words.

I attended the seminar last night, and while none of the info was new to me, it was a step that needed to be taken - technically and emotionally. It was nice to see the surgeons that could possibly be performing the operation on me. The info I found most interesting and useful was the timeline of it all.

I recently talked to my regular, family doctor and he said he commends me for considering it and says I would be a perfect candidate, so getting a referral from him shouldn't be a big deal.

Now it's a matter of doing all the things before making an appointment with the surgeon.

I'm actually kind of excited about getting the surgery, now. I'm defintely still having doubts and fears, but nowhere near as much as before.

bridgetgirl

Hey Jared! Thats awesome! You must be excited! Im excited for you.

First of all you will have to begin a 6 month documented weightloss plan with your primary, get that ball rolling, theres no way out of it, ALL insurances require it, actually depending on where you live and the type of insurance you have sometimes you only have to do a 3month documented weightloss plan. Dont get discouraged whether it be 3 or 6 months, that time is going to apss anyways! Good luck and congrats, welcome to the board brother!

Where are you from anyways?

__________________
J.Bridget Fisher aka koi-pea
2/9/04 lap 5'11"
298/170-trying to lose another 10

www.myspace.com/caliclovercutie
What Sawyer would call me on LOST: ladybug

"People will argue with you that getting what you want in life isn’t something you can learn, if you’re destined to be one of the worlds winners as opposed to one of its perpetual whiners, its because you have been born with the right talents and temperament and have a big dose of self-esteem, ambition, and good judgment." Kate White

remaininlite

Bridget,

It seems like I'm a bit North of the majority of people here. I'm in Hanford, which is near Fresno, where I will be getting the surgery.