theReality of a bypass & its effects on your body! bad & good please

[Tinkerbellx]

I would have my operation... Again any day...

Pros

Being able to walk up the stairs without stopping and looking like I'm gonna flake out before I reach the top.

No more rashes in my inner thighs where my legs rubbed together

No more infections In my navel

More sex

More confidence

Being able to go into any shop and buy a dress not a ten man tent.

Cons

Not really cons if you think hard about it ...

Vits daily And Meds daily
B12 injections every eight weeks

Biggest con I have is osteoporosis, saying that I could have had it before my bypass but now they check me for everything.... Ie bloods every three months and bone scan the works.

If I hadn't had the surgery would I be happy in my skin hell no I would still be a shrinking flower stuffed in the corner.

I have taken control of my life not life taking control of me.

Vix x

 

[chelleN]

i just had my surgery on May 10th so i am 4 days post op and i can say i at this point i have not had any problems. I have been pretty much living on Popsicle but i guess this is the course we all take our 1st couple of days out of surgery.

I with you the best of luck with your decisions.

 

[brad scott]

sicknote i had my bypass on the 9th of march only side affect i had was a pain in my right hand side which delayed me going back to work as i have job that involes lifting dont over think your op i did and scared my self trust me it will be the best thing u ever do and for the bad stories yes your always gonna get that but you only ever hear bad ones coz its more interesting to read in mags or papers bad news go ahead with it dont let anyone put u off its really not that bad 9 weeks out im eating normal just small portions xx

 

[831phil]

Brad, just when i was starting to wobble about Friday - along came your post and brightened my day xx

 

[sicknote]

I thank you all for your comments,advice,support and detailed information xxxx i was worried about getting a negative reaction from my question but have been pleasently surprised x I'm an honest and some times to the point person and when there's a bee in my bonnet i crave answers and i like them to be blunt and to the point x i do hope to hear more because knowledge is paramount in my world atm xxxx you are all truly inspiring people and i'm grateful for the heads up xxx I'm waiting for my funding form to come through with a choice of hospitals on it .... so i'm sure that will be my next tread/question xx hope you good people could steer me well xxx take care and Thank you xx p.s I will be Having surgery there is no doubt in my mind about that! there is no alternative! I have several health conditions that has blighted me for nearly 5 years and post surgery it should be resolved. i just wanted the reality of my choice x love to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[ravelling]

I've been trying to think about the negatives now that I'm over a year post op.

To be absolutely truthful, they are few and in comparison with the negatives of my pre-op life they are really minor:

- lots of excess skin. I've lost 13 stones, so no surprises there. In my clothes, I look good (really good ;0 !) but naked it's quite shocking. (Agree with lotsabeefy about the wobbly lady bits) I'm looking into having it corrected this year and I'm going to have to pay for it. It will be £10 000 to have my boobs put back on place and my tummy lifted. That's the big issue. I would probably feel more distressed by this if I was younger (I'm 48) and was single (I've been married to DH for 20 years).

- I dump sometimes, but my eating is so organised that I only ever try new things in the privacy of my own home. It's not that big a deal. If it happens I lie down for a couple of hours.

- I get tired a bit when my B12 is due. Not really an issue - I was tired all the time when I weighed more than 23 stones!

- I've got some issues about my body size/appearence in my head. I still see myself as a size 32 woman, although I know the labels say 10. I feel as though I still occupy the same amount of space and sometimes that inhibits me a bit. I think it may be the fact that things have changed so rapidly and my fat head mught catch up with my thin body eventually. Or, I may need some counselling. Like before, this is really nothing compared with the issues I had about confidence and self esteem before.

I hope this helps.

If you want to learn more about the day to day issues I would follow Shell's advice and read the diaries. I have kept mine in the general diary section on purpose so new members can access it. Sometimes I read back over it and am amazed by my journey.

I would do it again in a heartbeat. (But I'd do it sooner!)

Good luck.

 

[Lisa J]

Hi, im 2 years post op now and have gone from 22 stone 3 lbs to 10 stone 6lbs and without sounding arrogant for me it has been a doddle, i've had no complications or side effects whatsoever infact the hardest part for me was the pre-op diet!! I now eat a healthy diet but i do still have treats for example takeaways, chocolate, crisps the only difference for me is that i now know when to stop! I live a totally normal life now, i eat just under an average portion of an adult sized meal but i now feel full where as before my op i never did. I have to take 3 tablets aday, multi vits, calcium and iron. I have been having my blood tested for two years and they always come back fine. I also have some loose skin worst being the top of my arms and legs but it really isnt that bad and a very small price to pay for the way i feel now. I cant really put it into words how i feel since losing the weight it's like ive been given a second chance and i owe it all to my gastric bypass, i now live each day i go for long walks on the beach with my dog, i go for cycle rides with my 9 year old daughter i even go on her trampoline with her without sending her into orbit!!! I buy size 10/12 clothes and love shopping instead of a size 28/30 and crying at the thought of what i looked like in them. I now want to go out of the house everyday instead of staying at home hiding and eating infront of the tv all day. I'm going to Turkey in a weeks time and am so excited about being able to fit in an areoplane seat and being able to wear lovely summer dresses without my legs rubbing together in the heat. So all in all for me there are no negatives, my gastric bypass is now my best friend and hopefully it will be yours to!!!! xxx

 

[boots]

Positives

Being able to cross my legs like a true lady

Not worrying before I go out to eat that the portion is going to be big enough

Not being stared at when I eat

Having men approach me in a bar and not thinking this is part of a bet with there mates (really hurts that)

Being smiled at more by men, woman and children (fat sometimes equals scary I guess)

Believing that I am entitled to be happy, to have the best of everything and not feel guilty about it

Doing my first run in the treadmill (made me smile for days that)

Not hating the words let's; go for a walk, bike ride, swim etc

Running after my little boy without the embarrassment and feeling like I don't have to stand at the edge of the play ground when I pick him up from school

Walking into any shop and finding something that not only fits but you actually want to buy (wardrobe now bulges at the seems)

Packing light!!! And I mean the clothes are half the size, but I still take as many lol

Negatives
The loose skin and yes i have the wobbly lady parts too (not something I had anticipated)


I could go on and on about the positives and having read a lot of peoples diaries/ posts on here, we all have had very similar experiences of being overweight and the misery it can add to our lives, I can honestly say the only regret I have from having the surgery is not doing it ten years ago!! When I think of all the time I have wasted trapped inside
My fat body I could scream

Sent from my iPhone using WLSurgery

 

[POPPET]

Some very honest & inspiring posts-
only positives for me so far

 

[Stellap]

My experiences are similar to lisa's. Im 18 months out and live a normal life. I can eat anything on a menu when eating out, just slightly smaller,have bundles of energy and am interested in health and nutrition. I meditate and do yoga and think about what goes into my body. I went from 17 stone to 10 sone - size 24 to 10 and feel fitter than I did in my 20s. I'm 47 and the only negative is the state of my skin. I'm very wrinkly around the upper arms, belly and boobs and I didn't realise how being fat pushes out the wrinkles so my face now looks it's age whereas before I looked younger. I'm trying to accept the way my skin looks and concentrate more on the internal rather than the external - i would prob have issues with skin with any diet and because of my age. I'm no longer actively diabetic or high cholesterol and bmi is normal at 23. My life has changed completely for the better. Have to say I sailed through surgery and post op and have only had a few minor issues with dehydration and sickness due to my own fault.

 

[jo_ jo]

I find I cant put into words how much better I feel. From every days things to confidence.I cant say anything that anyone else has already said. I am 2 years out this week. Life is good. Very good. I have been big all my life never knew what it was like to be normal.I like myself which I have never done that. Doing things with the kids is nice and not feeling embarrased about been big is lovely. It is still there in my head tho its not until I look in a mirror that I like what I see with clothes on.
I am hopefully finishing off my plastics in a few weeks. That is the icing on the cake for me.The plastics that I have already done is fanastic, I feel like a women now.
Did it hurt yes but would I do it again yes I would.

Good luck

Jo
xx

 

[sicknote]

wow!! Thank you all so much, this is the reality.... i'v never read such honest accounts into after bypass since i started this journey nearly 2 years ago x I't is most definatly an eye opener, and i'm grateful too you, when something happens, having injection,pain, twinge,dumping,fainting or a dash to the loo, i need to know before surgery that its ok and completely normal otherwise i'd be freaking out and on the blower every 5mins to the surgeon lol x you have all been great and i'm sure plenty of newbies (me included) have taken much comfort in seeing your posts and i'm sure you have answered many if not all questions/worrys xx I'm certain when i'm post op i will share my stories to help like you have helped us x


All the best, take care and congratulations on the new you! I can't wait to be the new me! xxxxx