Gastric Bypass, Lap Band Surgery and the Like.

[Luv]

alot of people use babyfood,,and also campbells has that soup on hand its pureed veggie soup,chicken soup and tortilla soup and creamy tomato soup..also get some sugar free popsicles those seemed to help me alot

I had the Roux-en-Y procedure done 6 years ago this past August. I had some complications the first 3 years. I will not lie It was difficult. However honestly as I sit here typing this to you I am glad I did it. There are days even today 6 years later I still get bad sick (vomit -if I eat more than I should) - Bottom line I was overweight bad - I was not happy for many reasons so I used food as my escape. That made me more depressed - Go figure. Its one vicious cycle as we all know.
I have lost about 270 pounds total in those 6 years. I still lose, but not like I had when I first did the surgery. I am happy. I am healthy.
Basically its portion control and exercise even 6 years later.
I opted for the Roux-en-Y procedure over the Lap band because I had it in my head I could gain the weight back if I went with Lap banding. You can gain it with any procedure. I just choose to not get myself to where I was before. Weight loss surgery is a life changing experience.
I will never forget right after my surgery driving past McDonald's and the tears rolled down my face...Because...I couldn't eat there,I was 34 years old.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure you have a support system in place. I ran a support group 3 years ago for folks who had undergone weight loss procedures - I have some pretty good sites I'd share if anyone was interested.
Best of luck to anyone who is on this journey and know that you are not alone...Take it one day at a time and the reward at the ends is awesome. I will not lie - its not a easy walk in the park -it takes work.

[Soft*Silver]

I had the equivelent of the sleeve surgery done this spring and have lost about 50 lbs so far. I hope not to drop too much more weight as I am at a comfortable weight for me. I am a size 16 now, down from a 24. My surgery was performed because of a hiatal hernia, not for weight loss so thats one reason its different. Its modified, to eliminate the hernia from coming back and the end result was weight reduction but at a slower pace than the typical surgeries. I continue to drop weight, and am more active now and am toning up the loose skin too.

I have no regurge anymore, which use to be a 24/7 fiery monster within me. I am so happy thats gone! I no longer have pain on my breast bone, which use to be a constant, because the hernia is no longer pressing on my heart. And, i can breath better, tho my lungs have been compromised from the years of dealing with the hernia. My diaphragm is also affected. I cant bend over and do labor...it cuts off my breathing.

When I had the surgery, I almost died right afterwards, so be very sure you want this. I developed multiple blod clots and was rushed back into surgery. I lost a few days, being in critical condition. I was a mess anyway, when I went into the hospital, medically speaking, so this was almost a given. Be good to yourself and make sure you get as healthy as you can before you go in. I had to go in "as is" because it was a life saving surgery.

I hated the damn first month diet. I had hiatal hernia surgery a few months before this one and it didnt take. Some because I I pushed myself too fast with labor and alot because I didnt follow the diet they gave me. So, I paid the price. The second surgery, the sleeve, made it impossible for me to eat anything solid for a month. My sweet submissive made all my liquids for me while I healed...damn near killed me by reading the amount wrong...he insisted I hd to have ten times the amount of food I was able to consume..lol. (in oz)at one feeding. I was able to find it in my book they sent me home with, exactly how much I was to have. So DONT overeat! even the liquids.

other tips..stay away from straws. They put air in your stumach and you dont have alot of room left anymore, regardless of what kind of surgery you do. Dont drink extra liquid with meals. Stick with your nutrients and save the liquids for later. Stay away from carbonated drinks! God those will kill you! some people after surgery cant consume sugar because it will dump right out of them. Not me. Maybe thats part of my modification. I can eat a candy bar and be ok. But now, a candy bar fills me and I dont want a Little Debbie and ice cream too that night!

My size would actually be a 14 if I didnt have the swelling around my stumach area. I had a partner who use to make fun of me and call me an apple. Well, i was and always will be an apple because of this medical problem I have. I swell there. Now that my weight is off, you can actually see the pronounced swelling. Its normal and ok, for my medical condition. Dr says so. I just wear clothes that conceal it. I still look damn hot!

[Delish]

Yes the first part diet sucks! Broth BLAH!! Thankfully I'm now on the puree part and so far so good I actually have pureed meatloaf, tuna and grilled chicken. It didn't look so hot but the taste was still there.

[Rockinonahigh]

For a while I had seriously thought of haveing some form of stomach surgery done to lose weight,I applaud those who have done this,but in rality I know me better than ever.I tryed the food plan for after care but just didnt have it in me to deal with it,I know if it was the only way or my life depended on it I would have to buck up and do the plan.I have friends who have done this with mixed results and most ended up gaining it back and more cause they didnt do the followup plan.

[sierragirrl]

Bumpity BUMP!
i have my first doctors appointment on Sept.18th to meet with the doctor who will perform weight lose surgery.
i gained about 140 when i got married 20 yrs ago. stopped workin went to beauty college and had a kid.2 now
i am tired of being this heavy and it keeps me from doing things i want to do.
My 8 yr old is catching flack from the girls at school for being chubby.i have done this to her with my bad eating habbits.
i look forward to people posting some updates plz.

[yotlyolqualli]

I had the roux en y gastric bypass surgery, laproscopically, in Dec. of 2007. My heaviest weight was 359 and I got down to 135 (way too low, my dr's were NOT thrilled lol). I've gained some of it back, but it's slowly coming back off as well.

This is not the "easy way out"! In fact, I have had major health issues since the surgery. I did not have the surgery to look better, nor to even FEEL better. I had it because I was dependant on massive doses of insulin, my diabetes was still out of control, the insulin was beginning to damage my kidneys and there was no where to go but down the road my sister (who died 3 weeks ago from complications of diabetes at the age of 51) was headed down. So... I opted for surgery.

The hardest part was and is for me, getting in the nutrition I need. I will NEVER be able to get the nutrition I need for health, through diet, ever again. Not only is your intake restricted through the surgery, your body's ability to absorb nutrition has also been permanently altered (reduced). I have been chronically anemic and malnourished since the surgery.

Also, I've had a stomach ulcer, bowel blockage, complications with adhesions (scar tissue) in the abdomen, my gall bladder removed, low hemoglobin, a catastrophic GI bleed and a resulting exploratory abdominal surgery, since, and both directly and indirectly caused by, the bypass.

However, the diabetes, that was the death sentence hanging over my head, has been completely resolved. My H A1C's have been normal since, I am on no medications whatsoever for diabetes. My bp's (I was pre-hypertensive before the bypass) now has a tendency to run low and my cholesterol is well within the normal range.

I feel better. More energetic, I can do things that I haven't done since my early teens and I feel better about myself. Those things, however, are just the peripheal side effects.

Life is crazy... this time in my life, right now, I am possibly facing another GI bleed (my hemoglobin has dropped 2 points in the last month) I am also anemic, off the scale anemic and of course, malnourished. The question I get asked most often is... if you could go back, would you do it again...

My answer is an unequivacable YES! Yes, I would do it again! At 42 (my age right now) my sister had already lost toes, her eyesight and her kidney function was already becoming compromised. I would do it again, but I'm also in the place now, where I can, knowledgeably, warn people. This is NOT easy nor for the faint at heart. It's hard! Hard hard hard and it is PERMANENT! Once it is done, there is no going back. Nor is it a perm. fix. People can and HAVE gained all their lost weight, back. It is not something you have and forget about it. It is definitely a lifestyle change and if you don't understand that before going into it, it will be devastating for you.

Everything changes, especially your relationship with food. Even now, food tastes differently, you see it differently, you want it differently and, believe it or not, part of healing from this surgery, is grieving your past relationship with food. You lose weight (for most) so fast that your psyche can't keep up. I still, 5 years out, look at chairs and wonder if they will hold my weight. I had to force myself (before beginning to dress plainly again) to stop clothes shopping in the BBW sections. The first time was exciting, the consequent times could cause me to almost go into panic attacks. Everything changes.

But, to me, for me, even with all the changes, both good and bad, the surgery was "worth it". I only speak so strongly about the negative aspects, to caution those who are considering it, to truly look at ALL the aspects of it, and then decide.

Good luck!