Gastric Bypass surgery used to treat Type II Diabetes page 2

[Horsewoman]

And yet there are success stories with the surgery too...my husband had it last year - he was morbidly obese and could not seem to lose weight - he tried Atkins, Weight Watchers, etc. His surgeon had the same surgery about 10 years ago, and a coworker of mine had it about 6 years ago...they are both doing fine. My husband has lost 125 pounds so far...he is also off of all 4 of his blood pressure meds, his gout med, his cholesterol med...

I agree that i wish he could have done something less radical...but i didn't really get into the primal idea until after he had the surgery, so the knowledge was not there. His diet is pretty similar to mine though - he limits carbs to fruit and vegetables, makes sure he eats protein first, no sweets, etc. I don't know if he would have stuck to a primal diet, but he has to stick with the bariatric diet or he gets violently ill.

Desperate people make desperate choices...he was not as bad as the guy stuck to his chair, but he was not going to live much longer the way he was going. So not all choices are workable for all people...

Indeed. And I'm very glad it's worked out well so far for your husband. But the problem is, you never know before the surgery who will be the lucky ones.

[LJH]

I know one woman who's had gastric bypass and two who went the lapband route. The two who did lapband lost a ton of weight but look sickly to me. I don't think they changed anything except the amount they eat and I wonder how healthy they'll be a few years from now.

The woman who went the bypass route was very high risk but her doctor said it was worth the chance because she was surely going to die without it. She's 5' tall with tiny bone structure and was probably approaching 400 lbs. She could barely walk and her organs were ready to throw in the towel.

She nearly died from the proceedure due to her incision breaking open and infections. It took many, many months and several more hospitalizations just to recover from the surgery but she did loose weight for the first couple of years. She never got to where a person with such a small fame should be, but it was a huge improvement. Lately she's been gaining again.

[floridapiper]

My husband did not have an easy time of it for the first couple of months - pain, inability to eat- but he has stabilized now. Horsewoman, yu are right, you don't know if you will be one of the fortunate ones - he put the odds more in hid favor by choosng a good doctor.

the problem with bariatric diets, and even primal - the health issues return with the return to old patterns of eating. My husband's doc told the story of a woman who was eating one of those huge bags of MMs very day - she would eat them one at a time. Not that's determination...but not in a good way...

[Horsewoman]

My friend also is not losing weight. She lost quite a bit in the first few months but now she's stalled, and she's still obese and can hardly eat without pain and vomiting.

[DFH]

.

the problem with bariatric diets, and even primal - the health issues return with the return to old patterns of eating. My husband's doc told the story of a woman who was eating one of those huge bags of MMs very day - she would eat them one at a time. Not that's determination...but not in a good way...

That is just sad.

[Digby]

I know two people who've had gastric bypass, and they can't eat sugar without getting sick, so something's going on there. But the bypass people tend to get all kinds of anemia and other hormonal problems. I know a couple successes with banding: my sil had it and has done wonderfully; a colleague has done okay, but still struggles since she still eats too much carb food. Banding can be reversed, which is a plus. I think with obesity at such a raging epidemic, the desire for a quick fix is high. No doubt it will get a lot worse before it gets better.

[Kenzington]

I've HAD a gastric bypass. It was for sure the best thing I ever did for myself but it's a TOOL. It's not a magic cure all and of course, people want to treat it that way. IF you do you do what your doctor tells you to do.... you ought to be living on a very healthy diet with the inclusion of vitamins on a daily basis. However, where it goes bad is when people think that they just have the surgery and they're done. No. You still have to make healthy choices and change your behavior. You can 'beat' the surgery easily.

For me, it was the beginning of a new quest for health. It's been about 18 months and I've steadily made improvements to my life. The surgery helped me lose the weight, and continues to help me in certain ways. For example, my body REJECTS a lot of sugar and carbs. I go into what they call 'dumping' syndrome. If you know that eating that ice cream is going to make you want to die for about an hour afterward, you think a lot longer and harder before you touch it. And yes, I've had to have some major negative feedback programming! (I don't learn so good) I couldn't have done this on my own. I mean, now I can, but I needed a lot of help and I got it with the surgery.

The other thing I would say is - where are these people who have these horror stories having the surgery? I went to one of the best teams in the country to have it done. I didn't fly down to Mexico to have the cheap surgery where standards about who can have the surgery and how are severely lacking. It's not all equal.

[Digby]

Kensington: The two people I know, both of whom have had problems, which is not to say they aren't of their own making; one had the surgery here in Philadelphia, the other in upstate NY. In both cases, they are better off for having had the surgery. You stated it nicely, that the surgery is not an easy fix, and the person must follow the protocols for success. But, like many other options for weight loss that I've seen come down the pike for the last forty plus years, many people are not as conscientious as you are, and one hopes that people will really understand the effort that has to go into any successful weight loss program. This actually applies to lots of things beyond gastric bypass. I had major back surgery, and know a couple other people who have, but some people don't follow their therapy and don't get the same results. It is a legitimate concern that if gbs becomes a routine recommendation for Type 2 diabetes the results will reflect the variability in people's willingness to follow through.

[roshan123]

The Paleo diet recipes are for the whole family. There is something that any kid can enjoy like scrumptious bacon and eggs recipes to mouthwatering pasta dishes and refreshing salads. Health starts with good nutrition and it is the foundation for a healthier body. Take advantage of the fantastic offer that you can get. Download the Paleo cookbooks now and if you are not satisfied within a 3 month period, you can have 100% of your money back, guaranteed!

[Kenzington]

Kensington: The two people I know, both of whom have had problems, which is not to say they aren't of their own making; one had the surgery here in Philadelphia, the other in upstate NY. In both cases, they are better off for having had the surgery. You stated it nicely, that the surgery is not an easy fix, and the person must follow the protocols for success. But, like many other options for weight loss that I've seen come down the pike for the last forty plus years, many people are not as conscientious as you are, and one hopes that people will really understand the effort that has to go into any successful weight loss program. This actually applies to lots of things beyond gastric bypass. I had major back surgery, and know a couple other people who have, but some people don't follow their therapy and don't get the same results. It is a legitimate concern that if gbs becomes a routine recommendation for Type 2 diabetes the results will reflect the variability in people's willingness to follow through.

Oh you're absolutely right. The surgery is a great tool. People who look at it like a magic fix drive me nuts for two reasons: 1) People who haven't had the surgery think you've taken an easy way out. 2) Many of the people who have the surgery suffer under the delusion that there will be no effort required on their part. I know a lady who had a lap band placed and is now telling me she wants to have the Roux en y Gastric bypass done because she hasn't lost enough weight/regained about half of what she had initially lost. Realistically the protocols for lifestyle following either surgeries are the same. When I asked her if she was doing what she should (lean protein, lots of produce etc), knowing fully well she was not. I was then labeled unsupportive. haha

All weight loss - no matter how you do it is difficult and you HAVE to commit to making lasting changes in your life to see any manner of success. Nothing is going to do it FOR YOU. That's the bottom line. Doctors should know better. But I suppose touting personal responsibility makes you quite unpopular.