Comments on: Life After Gastric Bypass Surgery

By: Irene

Irene — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:04:33 +0000

I had gastric by pass surgery about 13 years ago and would do it all over again. I was almost 300 lbs and didn’t really have any health issues other than sever depression.
I had the surgery, and after 6 weeks of rest and yes feeling like I had no energy I forced myself to get out and run, lift weights etc. My energy level started to go up and now 13 years later I’m super fit, look and feel great. YES I have had some side effect, bloating, painful gas, kidney stones and gall stones but I would do it all again. I think people think it’s just an easy way but it isn’t and still requires working out and eating healthy. It’s like a second shot at respecting and treating your body they way we always should have in the first place. I should also mention before my surgery I suffered from depression and was on meds for years, a year after my surgery I went off my meds and turned to exercise as my new drug and feel great! No regrets here!

By: jamie

jamie — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:15:56 +0000

Hello i had my by gastric bypass in 02/2002 I lost 105 lbs. I knew going into this, that this was not going to be easy. I myself did really well. almost 10 years out now. with having 3 kids in there I am about 30 lbs. I am struggling with anemia right now. and learning how to boost vitamins. I can tell you from my own experience. If i could do it over again. absolutely. I tell this to everyone. it is not for everyone do your research know that your life is going to change. you have to work hard to maintain. it’s not a quick fix. you think eating all that food over years is going to come off and it’s like a miracle no.

By: Katina

Katina — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:25:37 +0000

I am 38 years old 5’8″ 315lbs. I literally hate my body and hate myself for allowing it to get this bad. My mom stuggled with severe obesity and died in her 40′s of heart failure yet I am following in her footsteps. I have tried so many things yet always gain it back. I am wanting surgery but do not have a supportive family. I have started to want to give up, not suicide, but just not try anymore. I still have some hope(right now) and I beieve it is surgery. I am willing to take the risk because I am NOT happy and dwell on my body and self image. I just am scared without support I will not be able to do this. Give any advise you can. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for listening!

By: Gayle

Gayle — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 04:16:27 +0000

I am a POST OP Gastric Bypass Surgery Patient… Life SUCKS! Sorry, but true. Most days, I simply lay in bed. That’s all, just lay there. I do not have the energy to move!
I stay in a constant state of depression because I do not have the energy to do anything. Nothing brings me joy (and if it did, I wouldn’t have the energy to do it).
Wheter I take vitamins or not, it is the same, no difference at all.

Honestly, I don’t know if I would do it again… Yes I lost 230 pounds and I would consider myself to be very attractive (no one can tell I was ever even overweight, let alone super morbidly obese), but at what cost? At least when I was big I had a life… I was able to do things and live… Now with my new, much smaller, healthy looking body, I suffer every day.

By: Lori Montalbano

Lori Montalbano — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:24:36 +0000

I had my gastric bypass surgery in 2003. It is now 2/2011, I would not suggest it to anyone. I have regained half of my weight loss back.I find myself on a poor diet and am eating all I have in the past except for carbonated beverages. After 3yrs.of my surgery I had iron infusions every Friday for a year straight. I still get my iron checked every 6 mnths. I find the only way to feel healthy is to drink 5 Medfast diet shakes daily but still crave unbhealthy foods. It is like falling off the diet wagon. Good luck to all!

By: alta

alta — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:43:20 +0000

Thank you for speaking your mind, and giving me more than just a hint as to why I want to crawl into bed the minute I get home from work. I am 3 months out, female, had no co-morbidities I suffer with pain everyday from arthritis and fibromyalgia so I got the surgery done. So far I would recommend this to anyone, but I really have not had bad results.
I have been getting better about taking my 3 flinstone vitamins a day, 3 to 4 calcium chews, 2 vitamin D3, biotin(cuz I love my hair) and omega 3 gummies, but have not been on a good sched with my b vits. Now I understand part of why im so fricken tired most every day. I used to take my handful of vitamins all at once during the day and now having to space everything out I just find hard to always remember. Sometimes I take a vitamin in the middle of the night when I wake up in pain and need to take a pain pill to go back to sleep.

Over the last year that I was trying to get the surgery authorized I kept hearing from everyone from my chiropractor to my pain management dr that once I lose some weight I will start feeling better. As of today I am down 38 lbs and while I can get out and do more, I am nowhere near being pain free. I have done too much damage to my spine to expect weight to have that great of an affect on my pain levels.

Oh, one more thing. My original surgery date was postponed the morning of surgery due to an inflated white blood cell count. My family and I converged on my pcp’s office to find out why this had not been addressed. I was sent to a hemotologist who looked at my past blood tests and my current and past medications and said that it was do to inflamation. That bariatric patients have a tendency to have increased wbc counts and especially patients who have arthritis and fibro who now find themselves unable to take the anti-inflamitory medications. So he wrote a letter to my surgeon stating this and that it shouldnt proclude me from having the surgery. I hope this helps anyone who may read this.

good luck

By: billy labelle

billy labelle — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:43:34 +0000

Hello! My name is billy Before surgery, I weighed in at 584 pounds. More than 1 years later, I’m maintaining at between 340 and 350 Some say gastric bypass is the “easy way out.” I beg to differ. There are many things I wish I had known befor the surgery Would I do it again? yes i would love to git moer of this lbs of me i whant to be at 215 lbs any one out there whant two halpe me out

By: catherine

catherine — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:51:09 +0000

If I had the chance I would get it done. Taking vit.and iron would be worth it to me. Iam diabetic 2. Isuffer at the weight that I’m at. I’ve tryed every thing . to no avail I cant loose this weight. I cant afford the cost of the surgery. I have no health insurance. I would love to have the band or surgery.