Deb-wls

[Guest guest]

Deb,

Absolutely, it would be better to do something to keep yourself from getting to the point of being 100 lbs overweight than to get to that point where you feel your only option is weight loss surgery. Weight loss surgery is major surgery and some people do die from the surgery. However, there is no surgery that is without risk and when you look at the odds, there are as many people who die from a hysterectomy as there are that die from weight loss surgery. In fact, many more people die from obesity related health issues than from weight loss surgery. I wish that I had been strong enough to get the weight off and keep it off without having to have had weight loss surgery. However, for me, I was not ever successful at that. When at the age of 40, I realized that I was almost to the point of needing a seatbelt extension on an airplane, airplane seats were typically quite uncomfortable because of my size, I got out of breath from doing just about anything, I was on two different blood pressure medications and yet my blood pressure was still borderline high, I had so much pain in my right foot from plantar fasciitis that I was contemplating surgery, I had carpal tunnel syndrome in my right wrist to the point that the nerve study showed nerve damage, every time I turned around my back was going out for days at a time, I had acid reflux to the point that even with medication, I still had pain and indigestion, I was having problems with some bladder 'leakage' when I coughed or sneezed, I had problems with fluid retention to the point that at times I thought the skin on my legs would split open despite being on lasix, and it seemed no matter what diet I tried I just was not successful at getting the weight off and keeping it off. Add to that the fact that I was on either 3 or 4 stomach medications for the combination of the acid reflux and the gastric bile reflux - that's where the bile refluxes back into the bottom of your stomach and eventually destroys your stomach wall lining. The roux-en-y gastric bypass, typically known as weight loss surgery is the the exact same surgery that cures gastric bile reflux because with the rny gastric bypass, they separate your stomach, re-route things and the bottom part of your stomach is no longer used. Therefore, the bile can no longer 'reflux' or splash back into your stomach and cause damage. So, for me, the rny gastric bypass was kind of a two for one deal. It would take care of the damage in my stomach and allow me to finally get the extra weight off and keep it off.

An added bonus was that once I had the wls, I felt as though 1000 lbs of guilt had been lifted off my shoulders. I honestly felt that I was having the surgery more for health reasons than for vanity. I didn't think it really bothered me from an emotional standpoint to be overweight. Obviously, I wasn't being totally honest with myself about how much it really bothered me. Once I had the wls, I no longer had to feel guilty about what I ate. I pretty much now eat what I want to, when I want to. I have no guilt about eating too much or about not being on a diet. I don't feel the least bit deprived. when I am hungry, I eat. Yes, I do try to make good choices. Sometimes eating is a real challenge for me, but it has nothing to do with the wls, it is because I have chronic pancreatitis. Just in case anyone is curious - no the wls did not cause the pancreatitis or any of the other health issues I currently have. I had my first documented attack of acute pancreatitis in Jan 2000 and I didn't have the wls until Dec 2001. According to all my doctors, the wls may very well have saved my life. I had no idea that being overweight was so hard on the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. I knew it was hard on the heart, but so far, my heart is very healthy. Of course, I didn't find out I have autoimmune liver disease until a little more than a year after the wls, but when I found out about the liver disease and then found out how hard being overweight is on the liver, I said yet another prayer of thanks to God for leading me to have the wls. Also, when I found out that I have the antiphospholipid syndrome (an autoimmune clotting disorder), I said another prayer of thanks. The antiphospholipid syndrome causes an increased risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart disease. Add being 100 lbs overweight to that and things become much more serious. After losing weight, my carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, high blood pressure, acid reflux, gastric bile reflux, and bladder leakage totally disappeared. The fluid retention was much better until I had to go on prednisone for my liver disease. Unfortunately, fluid retention goes along not only with the use of prednisone, but also with a liver that doesn't function as well as it should, so I have pretty major problems with fluid retention at this point. But, if I were still 100 lbs overweight, I'm sure it would be worse. Also, chronic pancreatitis always eventually leads to diabetes. I was diagnosed as having type II diabetes in Jan 2003. I know that if I were still 100 lbs overweight, it would not be possible to control my diabetes simply with diet and exercise. Having chronic pancreatitis, insulin is probably a given at some point down the road, but hopefully because I am no longer overweight, I can prolong the inevitable for a longer period of time.

If I sound defensive, I guess maybe I am a little. My 22 year old daughter and I have had long talks about weight control. I urge her to do as she has done from the time she was a young teen and work at keeping her weight under control so she never gets to the point that I was at. I worry so much about her. She has got diabetes on both sides of the family. I am a diabetic (most likely because of the pancreatitis), my mother is a diabetic (despite being very active and never being overweight), and my daughter's grandmother on her dad's side died from complications caused by diabetes when she was only about 55. Additionally, Nikki has rheumatoid arthritis and the same clotting disorder (antiphospholipid syndrome) that both my sister and I have. So, staying active and keeping her weight down is absolutely critical for my daughter. She knows that and she struggles with it daily. I would cut off my right arm in a minute if doing so would mean that my daughter would never be overweight or never had to struggle any more to keep her weight down. However, it's not that easy. So far, she has done better than I had done by the time I was her age, but it is a daily battle for her.

If there is something magic that doctors can do to make things easier for my daughter or to totally prevent her from getting to the point that I was at, please someone tell me. Believe me, I beat myself up quite often telling myself I was just lazy, lacked self-discipline and that I wouldn't have to be overweight if I'd just do what I needed to do - eat less and exercise more - but for whatever reason, I was not successful. Maybe I should have just tried harder at dieting and exercising. However, I was simply tired of the battle.

I'm glad you are not at the point that you even have to consider wls. I hope you never are. I certainly pray daily that my daughter is NEVER at that point.

WLS is a very serious surgery. Your life and body will be forever changed. As I said earlier, some people die. Some people have major complications. It's not something to take lightly. However, for me, I have no doubt it was the right decision and as I've said, I'd do it again tomorrow.

However, I would never ever tell someone else that it's what they should do. I will share my experience with anyone who asks, but I will also tell them that it is a very personal decision and one that should be carefully thought over with the pros and cons investigated.

I hope I have not offended anyone who is overweight. If I did that was certainly not my intention.