• Hi, If you cannot get into the site, be sure to Contact Us. Please be advised that the app is no longer in use!

Bypass and later life...

Porpo

New Member
Hi, now I'm on the verge of getting my bypass op I'm having alsorts of panics. Did anyone ask about whether there are any issues when you get older if you've had a bypass? I'm 30 and Im wondering what impact the bypass could have on my life expectancy/other issues it could cause in old age. I appreciate that not having the bypass likely means I wont see old age but what happens if you do have it???
 
Hi Porpo
To be honest i never asked like you mentioned, pre op i would'nt have seen much of old age so anything i get out of this will be a bonus in years. I'm not sure but hopefully won't cause any major issues later on in life either. It's so natural to have lots of panics pre surgery just keeping coming on here and someone will help out x
 
I had quite a negative reaction from a friend today (her husband is a consultant) and he had told her I will almost certainly get osteoporosis when I am older.
Other than I don't know, probably should have asked before the op. I was just worried about getting to later life!
Rx
 
Me too, my family want me to have band rather than bypass and if Im going to change my mind I need to do it very quickly but I think bypass would be best for me. That said Im scared of finding out at 60 that ive caused some other problem, I suppose Im just having a scared day - have also been worrying about complications and the aesthetic (sp?) and well just about everything you could imagine!!
x
 
It's one of these calculated risk scenarios, i'm taking calichew and hopefully that will keep osteoporisis at bay like you Rose i feel i've given myself a better chance at life than what i had previously. I can't comment on bands i know there are so many successful banders on here but for me i needed the finality of the bypass to help me acheive my dreams and i have no regrets especially when i see the success stories that are part of minis. Porpo the worries and concerns you are going through are all perfectly natural i was all over the place but you will come to a decision that is right for you but take as much time as you can so you get it right x
 
my dr told me that i had alreasdy reduced my life by over ten years at my age and weight when i first sawe him. but he assured me and my husband he would get me this back. he did explain the importance of maintaining contact as i grew older so he could ensure optimised health and said there is no reason why it should not be a healthy one as long as i stick to the vitamin regime etc. xxxx
 
Long term effects I think are down to each individual case, I looked at it as what are my long term effects of being so Obese? The odds were deffinately in favour of Bypass :)
 
There are loads of studies online about this - possible problems mainly come from lack of certain vits and mins. Most common being iron, b12, calcium, copper and a few other minor minerals. Regular blood tests should highlight any problems which can be addressed. Then dexa scans every 2/3 years is now becoming more standard place to check bone density.

Most of the studies say that obesity surgery obviously sorts out lots of co-morbidities etc, but when it comes to longevity there is not much in it (a few years gained for most) - so it comes down to quality of life. I asked Mr Somers about all this and he said that these sorts of problems do occur but they simply sort them out. I was worried I would be swapping one set of problems for another - he said that this wouldn't be the case as long as I took my vits, did not abuse the surgery and looked after myself - could even think about making babies...

Also, don't forget that in 30 years time when you are 60 medical advancements will probably have eliminated many of the ailments we suffer from today - and hopefully by then bypasses will be a thing of the past and drug/gene therapy will actually work - so who know what the future holds, I just want to get a life now!
 
I do have questions about the effects in later life but then I have to stop myself and live in the present....I could walk out the door and be hit by a bus, you know what I mean?

Just have to do what is right for ME right Now...what the future holds nobody knows .
 
I'm gladly taking the risk of complications in later life rather than not having a later life at all!
 
well am 60 and having a bypass on 19th october i just wish i could have had it 30 years ago. so ive had the 30 years of bein fat that your on about the yoyo dieting and belive me you are all doing the right thing having bands and bypasses now so that you can enjoy your lives to the full. life is short enough it only seams like yesterday that i was in my 20 n 30s and every thing was like second best because of my weight now i can hardly walk and can only stand for a few mins whilst doink house work because of pain in my back i never go out anywere , days out or shopping, because of this and i feel if i had to stay like this they might aswell bring me my box nowbecause i have no life. i am hoping this op will give me the chance to enjoy my life if only for a few years so dont worry about wat will happen in 30 years or so have your ops and live for today ..........kath x
 
Sorry I can't help you but would like to say that the reason I opted for the band was because its reversible if need be (plus the fact I was'nt brave enough to have the bypass) in later lifexx

Hi Thinkbethin,

The bypass IS reversable if medically needed according to my provider.

But I know what you mean about the bypass, I was scared to death when I opted for the bypass instead of the band. :)


xxx
 
Porpo, you sound just how I felt before I was due to have my G.Bypass. I was absolutely sure that a bypass is what I wanted, until about 6 days before my op, where, out of nowhere, huge doubt and major fear set in: I couldn’t even sleep wondering whether I was doing the right thing. Some of the things going through my mind at the time included: ‘what am I doing? I don’t suffer from any of the ailments associated with obesity (i.e. high blood pressure, sleep disorders, diabetes, etc, etc, etc – although, i was aware that with time, I’d probably them, which is why I decided to go for it) and by having the surgery, I was afraid that I would be adopting a whole new set of problems with it, such as mineral/vitamin deficiency, hair loss, and above all, the thing that scared me the most (when fear set in) was ‘dumping syndrome’. I started to worry that at only 33 years of age (ok, I’m no spring chicken, but I still have a good few years left in me), I did not want ‘choice’ to be taken away from me... that, if for example, one day I wanted a piece of cake/ or a chocolate/ or fish and chips, etc, that I wanted the option to eat it... and that if I did eat it, I didn’t want to be violently sick (however, by having joined this forum, I have found that some bypassers are indeed able to eat the occasional treat without ‘dumping’ – or that it gets less severe with time).
When I started to have doubts, I called the bariatric nurse and psychologist and they were both wonderful. They both saw me, and we talked through my options again (i.e. banding and bypass) and we all decided that because of my eating habits, and the doubts I was having about the bypass, that the band was a sensible option for me. I finally got my operation in June this year – and I’m so happy with the decision I made.
Please don’t think for a second that I’m advising you against a bypass – I would never do that, we’re all individuals and what’s best for one person may be different for someone else. It is also extremely obvious that there are many, many, many people on this forum who have had the bypass and are very happy with their operation/decision and wouldn’t change it for the world...
Good luck with whatever decision you make – and I hope your bariatric team is as helpful and supportive as mine was when I was in a panic as to which operation to go for.
 
Hi there, I'm due my weight loss surgery in 4 weeks and I understand your concerns. However, for me there is no choice - I teacher 6-7 year old children and I am very active during the day (especially PE days). This often leads to a huge problem when I get home - I can't walk up the stairs - my weight has pushed my knee joints out of place. I do think about the future and it just makes me adamant to take my vitamins etc. I can't see my children worry about me not getting upstairs anymore. If I don't have this surgery my future will be in a wheelchair. Be positive and be mentally prepared for surgery and the changes afterwards :0)
 
I am 45.

My sister died at 50 and the cause of death on her death certificate is "gross morbid obesity".

She was not much bigger than I am now and had similar health problems to the ones I have developed - diabetes, mobility problems etc.

My decision to have WLS has been a bit of a no-brainer really.

love

TillyBob
 
I do have questions about the effects in later life but then I have to stop myself and live in the present....I could walk out the door and be hit by a bus, you know what I mean?

Just have to do what is right for ME right Now...what the future holds nobody knows .

That about sums it up, well said !!!! :)
 
Back
Top