Hi, I've got questions... - ThinnerTimes

gwbp · 02-15-2007, 04:21 PM

I'm 44, mom of two in Northern CA.
I've had consult-letter is off to insurance (lap rny) & I'm reading alot
of posts.
First, COFFEE--I love it, Only one cup in the am. will i be able to tolerate after surgery?
I get bad headache and real cranky

http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/ima...ons/icon12.gif
Second, is I'm concerned about rny and weight gain

Not a popular subject
but I must look at it all.
Yes, I was going to be that 5% who didn't gain all the weight back after opti-fast (remember when Oprah did it?)--I did and 100 extra, it was very painful. I can't stand the thought of another failure.
I'm considering DS for this reason.. Insurance won't do a thing
so self-pay is going to be that reality. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do that. (No, I'm not WAnting to do it this way)
Any stories, suggestions, support on lap rny. I'm just so unsure
Oh another thing is DISTALl vs PROXIMITAL (sp) I though I'd see if my Dr.
will do a distal to give me a better chance of success w/ RNY,--any thought on that also?? Oh, I'm 294 & 5'7
Thank you !!!

Gina in NY · 02-15-2007, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwbp

http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/images/icons/icon12.gif[/url]
Second, is I'm concerned about rny and weight gain

Not a popular subject
but I must look at it all.
Yes, I was going to be that 5% who didn't gain all the weight back after opti-fast (remember when Oprah did it?)--I did and 100 extra, it was very painful. I can't stand the thought of another failure.
I'm considering DS for this reason.. Insurance won't do a thing
so self-pay is going to be that reality. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do that. (No, I'm not WAnting to do it this way)
Any stories, suggestions, support on lap rny. I'm just so unsure
Oh another thing is DISTALl vs PROXIMITAL (sp) I though I'd see if my Dr.
will do a distal to give me a better chance of success w/ RNY,--any thought on that also?? Oh, I'm 294 & 5'7
Thank you !!!

First off, welcome to the forum. You sound like you're well on your way.

So - coffee - you will not believe how much your tastes change after surgery. You can certainly tolerate coffee, but most likely not at first. It is hard to describe to someone pre-op, but trust me - you won't care. I was so worried about all the food I thought I'd never eat again, and now I can't even remember what it might have been!

About re-gaining the weight - it is all up to you, but you will always have the tool. I think the main way to stay on the straight and narrow is to make the permanent life changes needed to live at a healthy weight, like exercise, learning to say no to certain foods etc. If you aren't ready to change your life in order to be healthy, GBP isn't going to magically "cure" you of all your bad habits. You need a lot of support and have to be very committed. That said, it can work and has worked for many, many people. The difference is knowing how it is going to happen. My surgeon says the bypass does about 20% of the work and I do the other 80%. I get to the gym, I put down the food, I wait 30 minutes after drinking to eat etc. It is my adherence to good habits that make this work. That being said, I was never able to stick with any diet I ever tried (I did Opti-fast too) but this one works for me.

You have to know yourself. No one can tell you this will or won't work for you. You read all you can, get all the info there is and look at yourself. You'll know.

Good luck!

Hunnyblonde · 02-15-2007, 11:13 PM

Welcome to the forum! I'm early post-op so I don't have much advice for you, but what Gina said about your tastes changing is sooooo true.

Good luck in your journey!

gwbp · 02-16-2007, 09:33 PM

Hi< thank you for the help..
I got approval today for lap RNY.
I'm gonna talk to the Dr. about my options.
Looks like April is gonna be the time-- don't have scheduled
just yet!~
I'll be in touch!

Rachel · 02-16-2007, 10:02 PM

Well congratulations to you! and WELCOME!! Please do keep up posted

Dyann · 02-18-2007, 06:21 AM

Welcome

I echo Gina's comments. You and I are exactly the same height and my starting weight. I feel my success will come from me retraining my thoughts and actions. I took everyones warnings very seriously and the changes came much easier than I thought. By the time any sense of hunger or desire for food kicked in, those good patterns which serve as a solid foundation keep me staying where I should. I avoided my trigger foods for at least 6 months and set up a good regular exercise program.

On the subject of your tastes changing. Pre op I hated veggies and now I love them. I loved French fries pre op and still do, but I have the self control to eat two or three instead of a supersized one. I never liked to exercise, and I still do not like it, but it doesn't hurt and it isn't a big deal like it used to be.

The distal vs. proximal bypass is a surgeons choice and usually reserved for the super morbid obese.
I wish you luck.

LisaM · 02-18-2007, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwbp

I'm 44, mom of two in Northern CA.
I've had consult-letter is off to insurance (lap rny) & I'm reading alot
of posts.
First, COFFEE--I love it, Only one cup in the am. will i be able to tolerate after surgery?
I get bad headache and real cranky

Second, is I'm concerned about rny and weight gain

Not a popular subject
but I must look at it all.
Yes, I was going to be that 5% who didn't gain all the weight back after opti-fast (remember when Oprah did it?)--I did and 100 extra, it was very painful. I can't stand the thought of another failure.
I'm considering DS for this reason.. Insurance won't do a thing
so self-pay is going to be that reality. I'm fortunate enough to be able to do that. (No, I'm not WAnting to do it this way)
Any stories, suggestions, support on lap rny. I'm just so unsure
Oh another thing is DISTALl vs PROXIMITAL (sp) I though I'd see if my Dr.
will do a distal to give me a better chance of success w/ RNY,--any thought on that also?? Oh, I'm 294 & 5'7
Thank you !!!

First, you've started the right way - the more educated you are, the better off you are. Here are the answers I have for you...

Coffee: My doc's requirements were no caffeine for a month, after that I was on my own. Don't sweat the headache thing--you're on pain meds for the first week or so after surgery, according to your tolerance, and the caffeine headache disappears into the other aches and pains you're suffering from having major surgery.

Weight gain: As Gina and everyone else has said, that's up to you. No one can see into the future, but once you've had the surgery (in my opinion) you have to work at staying slender. Those who gain the weight back are those who choose to make bad choices. Again - my opinion - apologies to those who feel differently. Dieting failure pre-op is almost a given, 99% of the people who diet in any way gain the weight back. Gaining weight post-op GBS is NOT a given--it's actually an effort.

Stories/suggestions/support: Keep researching, keep asking questions, just like you're doing now. The more you know, the more you will trust in your own decision. Stories and support you can find here any time, and reaching out like you're doing now is the best thing you can do. Keep reading the forum!

Distal/proximal: As Dyann says, this is usually the doctor's choice, and distal tends to be reserved for the super-obese, according to my own research. There tends to be TOO much weight loss, and it is much harder to stop it with the more radical surgery if it's done on someone who's not extremely large. I'm 5'2", so I was shorter than you and slightly heavier--my BMI was quite high, but my surgery was still the less radical of the two, and has been completely successful to date.

Good luck with your research, and on your journey. If it leads you to RNY, you will find no better place to support you on your way to the losing side!

gwbp · 02-18-2007, 11:56 AM

Thanks to those of you who posted!~ I'm more confused than ever!
I actually have approval for rny--that's great. I got the news fri. My Dr. is going to cALL THIS WEEK SOMETIME AND WE are gonna talk about it his variations on the surgery. (He said he can do about 35 different approaches to the 4 WLS they offer) I'm excited and very scared. My DH has been an angel of a cyber widow. Gotta LOVE em!
Thanks

gwbp · 02-23-2007, 02:07 PM

Hi All,
Yes I'm going to go for the DS. Insurance approval pending.
I have researched it, talked to Dr. today and he says it's ok for me~ and people change there mind all the time.
He was (am) willing to go for the longer arm approach of RNY,
He was going to do 150 bypass and that would make me happier
I think.
Thanks for alll the input.
4/4/07 My new day

Courtneylicious · 02-23-2007, 08:34 PM

Hi there, I'm new to this site too. I had my surgery 6 months ago, but I have been there every step of the way with my best friend with her's for the last 4years. I also know quite a few people who have had the surgery, so I feel like I know a thing or two

First, about the coffee...Everyone is different in what they can and cannot tolerate after surgery. Also, you may not be able to tolerate something at 1 month out and then it is fine when you are 6 months out...it just depends. I don't have a problem with coffee, but I also don't have a problem with most things I eat. My best friend could hardly tolerate anything for the first 6 months, while it has been rare for me to get really sick.

Second, the weight gain issue: In my opinion, that is totally up to you. I know people who have had both the DS and the RNY...and I have known people who have gained weight back with both surgeries. You really have to think of the surgery as a tool and be willing to make changes. I can tell you why I did not want the DS, but it is only my opinion. I felt that, with my eating issues, being able to tolerate large amounts of food and sugar would be a disaster for me. I truely believe that I would not be successful with the DS. Now, I know people who are totally happy with the DS...and if that were my only option, I'd have it in a heartbeat. It is really about what you think will make you the most successful in your weight loss.
hope that helps!
~Courtney