Gastric Bypass (bladder, back pain, hair, teeth)

[aween]

I know of a site that only deals with the lapband. There are thousands of members who have the band.
A poller started a thread that asked if the banders would do it again?
Results so far~

Yes, I would do it again-202
No, I would not do it again-17

It seems like the lapband is getting more and more popular everyday.

[foma]

Originally Posted by jhlcomp

I have struggled with my weight all my life .. I know here is no silver bullet.

Oh there's a silver bullet all right. It's working your butt off at the gym! It's SO HARD, I know, but let me tell you, if you do nothing else, walking, staying active, exercising can work wonders.

I know it is totally easier said than done and I, too, have thought about surgery but I just thought to myself, I can't give up on myself that easily. It's a day by day process. One should definitely consider surgery as a serious risk.

[Miss Blue]

My son had gastric bypass 13 months ago. He is 6ft 1in and weighed 378 pounds. He is at his ideal weight of 190 now. He had been on every diet for ten years trying to loose it. (he is a truck driver). He finally opted for the surgery. He was 42 and in excellent health otherwise. He tells everybody that he was counseled before the surgery, and learned that the surgery is not a cure, but a tool. He follows the nutritionists reccommendations faithfully, has had no complications and is eating healthy. The surgery is not for everyone, remember, it is not a cure, it is a tool. I am soo proud of my son

[Lezlea]

I had gastric bypass surgery almost 17 years ago - when not too much was known about the adverse side effects.

Bottom Line - if your weight problem is not life threatening, DONT DO THE SURGERY. It is not worth it.

I am an athletic person and always have been. Swimming, Canoeing and Hiking are my sports of choice. After the surgery - although I lost weight - I felt that I aged rapidly and no longer had the strength or stamina to perform the activites I love so much.

That was not my imagination. I now know that those feelings are part of the B12 and Iron Anemias I developed as a result of my Gastric Bypass.

Following the surgery, I lost lots of weight - and gained lots back. My doc told me in advance that genetically my body was designed to weigh a certain amount and that it would eventually find a way to maintain that weight even if it meant stealing nutrients from other parts of my body. He was right. He also told me to take my vitamins for life. That is the best advice I can give anyone who has had a gastric bypass.

Through different jobs, different insurance providers, etc. I have visited many different doctors and have given them all my medical history. It took losing my ability to think and speak correctly - due to severe B12 anemia - and me freaking out about it - to finally get the attention of the doctors at the clinic I am required to deal with here (insurance restrictions).

Because it took so long to conclude that my symptoms - sores in my mouth, dizziness, falling down all the time, etc, were not related to my inner ear or allergies - but to anemia, I now have some permanent neuropathy and physical pain.

Like I stated at the begining of this diatribe, If your weight problem is not life-threatening, don't have a gastric bypass - the price your body will pay later because of the bypass is not worth it! This surgery should never be considered an easy fix.

Mine was done on the advice of a reputable surgeon as part of a study. I did not seek out to have weight loss surgery. It was done during another surgery to remove my very infected gall bladder. Given the same choice today, now that there is more knowledge of the side effects, I would not have had the surgery.

[gary boyd]

my step daughter had the surgury 5 months ago. she had it in mexico. she has been in and out of the hospital ever since. her staples came out and she got infected. just today she passed out and was rushed to the hospital. her mom is a nervous reck. im afraid she is going to die. she looks ematiated. im not sure what to do.

[brokencrayola]

I know someone that had the lapband and lost around 80 lbs. She has gained over 20 lbs. back by doing things like eating ice cream, shakes etc., things that slide right through the system and put on the lbs. but don't remain in the stomach long. I have known 2 people that had gastric bypass surgery and lost all their needed weight and then in time gained it back and more. You can stretch your stomach back to where it used to be.

[brokencrayola]

Another thing with any Bariatric surgery is that you have to take multiple vitams daily for the rest of your life.
Multivitamin with iron
Extra iron
Calcium with D
B complex
Vit. C
Vit. D 3
Biotin for hair loss (yes you have hair loss about 3-5 months after surgery and it can last for months)

AND, you must get at least 60 grams of protein everyday.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Unjury.com sells a multivitamin that is optimized for gastric bypass patients. It's chewable, berry flavored and guaranteed to not contain any ingredients from China.

[brokencrayola]

Unjury sells a lot of things that people that have had Bariatric surgery can use. Their prices are higher though. People still have to add more vitamins to those vitamins to have enough. People that have had the surgery have problems absorbing vitamin etc., so taking 1 or 2 mylivitamins a day isn't enough. The body can only take in so much at a time so you would end up taking vitamins scattered all through the day. For instance you should not take your calcium with your mutivitamin, so they have to be scheduled at different times.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

My surgery was in March 2010 and their multivitamin is all I take. Every single blood test (including the 10 vial one at one yr) showed I am healthy. Everyone is different and not everyone needs extra vitamins.