Honesty about WLS

[Leesh]

Hi all, I have been hovering and reading posts for ages but never posted, hope I am doing it right. I have been to my first appointment with Bariatric surgeon (sorry I'm dyslexic) and had originally wanted to have a band fitted but the at the appointment the surgeon thought a bypass would be my best option and said I should think about it. This is all I have thought about since and both frighten me I must admit. I have been reading all your posts and think you are all an inspiration and I know you will be honest with me. I think what I want to know is what is the worst that can happen. I have spent ages on the internet but I think what I want is a human honest perspective. I know WLS is the right thing for me but I cant help being scared. I think the main thing that frightens me about the bypass is the 1 in 200 death rate, dumping and also I have heard that you can loose your hair and teeth through malnutrition!!! With the band I think its slippage and simply that it wont work, Oh and this burping thing! With both I admit that I worry I will never be able to eat chocolate again or drink my beloved red wine (just a glass). I know this all sounds negative but I dont mean it to be, I just have to know what I am getting myself into.

Sorry for going on,

Leesh

 

[mandyl]

hi leesh
my brother said something to the nurse he said when my sister cant get what she wants she gets upsets and looks for someone to help. prob doesnt make sense but hes right. i had probs after my op, some physical some in my head. i panicked got upset and looked for help.
i had my op and some complications after but can honestly say that even though the emotional side is still tough i dont regret it.xx

 

[Glenville]

Hi Leesh and welcome to WLSurgery.

Your fears are completely normal, what sane person would want to put themselves through major surgery unless they have tried all alternatives to lose weight. You have obviously done all the things the rest of us have tried without success and have realised that wls is the only way forward.

1 in 200 is just a number, I'm convinced that the actual number is much smaller, especially with someone your weight. The stats include everyone, even those who weigh twice as much as you. You obviously have to consider your loved ones but don't beat yourself up about it. Just think how you would relate to them in the years to come if you don't have wls.

Dumping can be a side effect of the bypass, having said that I have not experienced it myself, yet. Hairloss can happen to some patients but there are supplelents available to try and counter that, it is not something that particularly bothers me, as you can see from my photo. Tooth loss is not one I have heard of but I suspect you would need to be very malnourished to experience that.

As far as which op is going to be best for you, be lead by your consultant. They will have your history and food habits and are best placed to advise. But you mention chocolate and wine and the bypass would probably be best to prevent them from sabotageing your progress as the choc would probably bring on dumping and when you were able to drink any alcohol, maybe after 6-12 months very little would get you tiddly.

I was convinced that I was going for the band until I was told that the best way to get respite from my diabetes was to have the bypass. I had my op 6 weeks ago and have never looked back.

Good luck with your journey and keep us informed of how you get on.

John xx

 

[fatbutnot4long]

hi i was told it 1 in 100 people with the bypass and 1 in 300 with the band BUT what about the 99 in 100 and the 299 with the band! u can have those things just in little amounts.. i havent tryed either yet as im only 3 weeks post op BUT the girl i had it done with has an advent calender and has had chocolate for day 4! i wouldnt do that thou... the bypass has a higher success rate than the band... and with your vitamins and meds these possibilities are minimal but they have to tell you the bad aswell as the good. i was terrified when i had my op i even cryed when i was admitted! but i can honestly say i dont regret it at all... i have dumped twice - once with twiglets and once with chicken and it only lasts for a hour.. but i like the fat my body lets me know if it dont like something. hope this helps xx

 

[Delly]

I wanted a band like you for safety but then after reading stories on here that people have to plead beg and jump thru hoops to get nhs funding, i changed my mind as ii thought it was a one in a llife time chance to be thinner!
I opted for a gastric sleeve which is similar (effects wise) to by pass but according to my surgeon marginally safer than by pass.

Im now 10 days post op and yes its an emotional roller coaster its scary exciting i was full of doubt but now post op (only just) i can honestly say so far i have no regrets and enjoy jumping on the scales.

good luck x

 

[claudia24]

im 2 weeks post bypass and at first i hates it i totally regretted it and at the moment i still do but not as much as i used to, u have to give it time to get used to the life changin change i have put ur self and ur body thru, in time u may b able to have choclate but i mean just a bite or a nibble not a whole bar,
if i could go back in time would i have this op done again, in complete honesty and not wantin to sond ungrate ful because im glad in away i had it done, but no i wouldnt have it done again. xx

 

[CCPM]

There are risks with any operation as it involves a general anaesthetic which has its own risks. Like most people I weighed up everything for a very long time before making this decision but my main concern was not the death rate but that had I any other option. I was 30 stones when I started first dieting 3 years ago. Yet despite getting over 8 stone off i just could not sustain it and knew I was off back up the scales. Without the bypass I would have been heading for over 30 stones as I always regain more than I lose. Without the bypass I didn't feel life would be worth it and I would probably have faced an early death anyhow. 8 months later I've lost 101lbs after the bypass (218lbs in all) and life is much better. I had some regrets early on as the reality struck but that passed. Even today I had a few regretful thoughts about Xmas and how it will be without masses of food, thats natural and it passed I'll find a way to celebrate and enjoy it in a different, better way.


Hope that helps

M

 

[Leesh]

Thank you all so much for your honest replies, that is just what I needed. i think every little bit of information you collect helps you to feel that you are making an informed decision. My consultant says go for the bypass and I am leaning towards it. Its just such a difficult decision to make even though I know it is something I need to do to have a longer, healthier life.

Thanks again for your replies and I will continue reading. This site helps so much. xx

 

[Sappho]

It is such a scary decision I know but my consultant said he does many many more operations correcting problems with the band within the first five years of it being put in, I cant remember his exact statistics. Also, he finds so many people come back after having the band and then go on to have a bypass as the band is relatively easy to "cheat" with. You can still eat anything liquid but with a bypass high sugar /fat is generally not possible.

As with all surgery there are risks but what you need to work out is whether the risks of staying at the weight you are or putting more on outway the risks of surgery for you.

Good luck with your journey x

 

[jayney3252]

I must admit my surgeon guided me to bypass but i chickened out and went for the band. I felt the bypass was too final and even though when I do get slim I wont want to go back to being fat I do want to be able to have a normal life but with the right choices. My willpower is normally very weak but since my op and the pain i felt afterwards I am not going to wreck this opportunity. I have decided my life is no longer about food it is about living. My family are the toughest as they see Christmas as a big feast and keep saying things like oh no you wont be abe to have this or that so we had a discussion last night about not teling me I cant have something as it makes me think about it. I am eating very small portions and not hungry in between meals and havent had band adjusted yet as losing 3 - 4lbs a week and dont feel hungry or ill so all good. My surgeon said the bypass is a guaranteed plan whereas the band is like belt and bracies it gives you the tool but you have to work with it and I like that sound to it I like to be able to say i helped it along. Good luck in whatever you decide

 

[phatgirl]

It was always the bypass for me, I know myself and knew that I needed to do something drastic about my weight. I wasn't really concerned about dying because at my weight with my health problems and the amount of heart disease in my family, I was not looking at a long life anyway. However I was concerned that I would be one of those unlucky few that would experience post-op complications like stomach or bowel leaks, damage to internal organs, infection, gallstones. These things are all possible after the bypass and do happen. Make sure you fully understand what the risks are before you decide. Also many of the complications I listed can happen with bypass, sleeve or band.

My personal experience has been outstanding, I have lost all of my excess weight in a year. I have resolved all of my major health issues (hypertension & diabetes) and am now planning on getting pregnant. I am coming up now on my second Christmas as a bypasser and I can honestly say I don't feel deprived. I can have small amounts of chocolate and the occasional glass of wine, but this does vary from person to person. I have learned some low-sugar recipes for holiday treats so I can enjoy without fear of dumping but I have not dumped over the 13+ months I have been a bypasser. I have only had to be sick after eating one time because I ate too fast & did not chew enough, learned that lesson quickly I tell you! I have been able to keep my love of food (love to eat & love to cook) by making healthy choices and learning a new way to eat. My bypass is the best gift I have ever received and I would do it over and over again.

Best of luck making your choice,
Nic

 

[cazbandy]

I am a bander and although it's tough sometimes, I would not change it for the world.

This will be my second Christmas with my band, and my restriction is good still, even though its been 5 months since last one. (Due for one in January)

My weightloss has slowed but thats ok, as a band only promises to help you lose 30-50 percent of your "excess weight" in the first year, so going on that, it's already done it's job, as I have lost 5 and a half stone. So that's a great acheivement.

Once Christmas is over and the next fill is done, I will push myself to lose another 4 stone in 12 months.

The band is slower in general than a bypass and you can still eat everything you ate before if you are canny enough to work out how.

But why do that? I see my band as a gift, I have to work with it to make it work.

I still treat myself now and then but portions are so much smaller and I have control where as before I binged.

The whole thing is quite scarey, but dying young before my time scared me more.

Be brave, read as much info as you can on all options and eventually your gut instinct will guide you. A surgeon can only advise what he thinks is best but it is your choice at the end of the day.

Good luck on whatever journey you choose...

 

[ChrystalK]

I am still pre-op and wanted to say I orginally wanted a band too but my surgeon advised a bypass as long as I got my bmi to 55. I was a bit shocked by this but I realised that he knows what would give the best results for me. I have since been put on the waiting list for a gastric sleeve but on the day (when I get a date) I could wake up and find I have had a bypass.

As for the death rate, I asked the same thing and my surgeon quoted the national figures and also his own figures. You may want to ask your surgeon for this complication/death rate.

If you want to ask anything else do not hesitate there will always be someone on here who can assist.

 

[kathleen1960]

I had my op on tuesday and was out on thursday (rny lap) as i was about to sign the consent form i told the surgeon i was worried about the 1 in 200 and he said, "I can't guarantee you that wont happen, we don't forsee it but i can't guarantee it, but what i can guarantee is if you change your mind about the op and don't lose weight, you will 100% certainty end up with some morbidity related conditions which could prove fatal" 'nuff said i signed the form without another thought and now here i am, done and dusted and on the losing side ....

 

[gillabean]

Yes, I agree it's a big decision. I was a chocoholic, big time! And now I don't even fancy any chocolate. I was governed by food, thought about it from waking to bed-time. Now, as I'm not hungry, I feel free. I realise how little food the body actually needs in order to function. I thought I didn't eat much before, but now whenever I see the heaped plates that the rest of the family eat and I think 'OMG, how can you eat that much!'

I would have preferred the gastric band but with my dieting history (20 years of yo-yoing, chocolate lover) I knew that the bypass would be the answer. Like most people, I wish I hadn't had to do it. But after 20 years of up, down, up, down I knew that I'd never do it on my own.

 

[wannaloose18stone]

I don't think bantering the statistics about is really of any help, the fact is that Bypass is very effective and the chances of dying from the op are extremely remote. The fact that the operation works is pretty much undesputed but its all about where you are now and what you want.
Without the op I was destined to die anyway. My life was misserable and I was a prisoner in my own body. With this in mind surgery was my only option, whatever the risks I had to try and get a life back.
Surgery must only be taken as a LAST option. If you have nowhere else to turn and really are desperately unhappy then it's the answer.
Yes there are complications involved and having surgery will meen a life long commitment from yourself to take care of your mind and your body. There are complications in remaining obese and unhappy though aswell, at least with surgery you can be happy.
It's a tough road but the rewards are well worth every bit of it. You will get out of it what you put in and more.
I'm now 16 months post op and 17 stone 9lbs lighter, to say that I don't regret having the op would be a major understatement. My life is back and I'm a free person again, no longer imprisoned in my own body. If I only lived a couple of years now what a bloody great happy couple of years it will be .................

 

[ditzeeblonde]

Hi Leesh...

I am at the start of my journey & am seeing a surgeon for the first time in Jan. I initially came into this process wanting to have a band without really considering a bypass (also worried about the mortality rate).

But having read alot of posts on here & researching online I now believe that a bypass will be the best option for me (if I get the funding). The mortality rate is really not an issue for me now, as like others have said, I will end up with issues that would kill me if I carry on like I am.

In a funny kind of way I'm looking forward to the restriction & the journey my body & mind would have to go thru... I know thats what I need to do!

Good luck with your journey. xxx

 

[jean13]

I started of wanting the band and when I had my first consulatation with the surgeon he suggested it, but when I researched it I thought the sleeve would be best for me. So I went back and asked if I could have this procedure, I had to explain my reasons why and luckily was given this. I have never looked back, and I'm so happy with my Sleeve. Hope you get the opp you want and wish you luck.

Jeanx

 

[quetiapina]

Hi Leesh, I hope that you are able to decide which op will suit you best and no doubt this will be an informed choice - good luck.

Despite having a high BMI I decided to go for a band for a number of reasons. I will say that it can be hard work but I am really pleased with the results so far. It is a little depressing when I am now at the weight where a lot of people opt for bands but even so I am so pleased with what I have achieved. The band is a tool for weight loss and it is up to the individual to use it effectively - it is trial and error and sometimes I have to go back to basics but I'm v happy with it x

 

[dreamofbeingslim]

Hi I went to the dr at the hospital where I hope to have surgery if I get my funding in January. He told me that the statisitics across the whole country are 1 in 300 for bypass but that is for people that are at higher risk than me. I found that to be very comforting because I thought I would of been one of the higher risk people. I am going for this op because I like many others have exhausted all other options and if I don't have it then I doubt I will live to an old age as my mobility is going downhill as is my health. Hope you manage to make a decision the more research you can do the better, I have been researching it for over a year now.