Hello all, Natalie here. I am 31, 5’2” SW: 255/GW: 135, no co-morbidities. I am just getting started on my WLS journey. I just had my initial consult yesterday and am a little overwhelmed. I have been overweight for most of my adult life and just am ready to make a major change in my life. I never considered surgery until my spouse and I had a frank conversation about it. I’ve done quite a bit of research...maybe that’s why I’m so overwhelmed, haha. I went to see the doctor yesterday pretty sure I wanted to go with the sleeve, but he has mentioned that the RNY gastric bypass is better for keeping the weight off long-term. So I am now kind of stuck on what to choose. The bypass concerns me because of not being able to absorb as many nutrients and it being a surgery that involves more (like the small intestine connection). And with the sleeve, I’m afraid it won’t be a long-term solution/treatment. Also, the doctor talked about increased heartburn, which I also struggle with. I’ve heard of people gaining back the weight even if they have changed their lifestyle. Any advice you have for me just starting out, that would be great! How did you make this difficult choice? Thank you and excited to be here!
Starting a new journey
- Thread starter Ntlmill77
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Roseanne37
Member
Welcome to the group. I know it can be overwhelming at the beginning, but it is well worth it. At my initial consultation, I was given a list of insurance requirements. I had to have certain tests and consults with certain Doctors, such as a Cardiologist, Pulmonary Dr, Gastroenterologist, Psychological Evaluation, and 6 nutrition counseling visits. The next day, I made appointments with a couple of the doctors. My surgeon recommended the Gastric Sleeve for me. To make a long story short, I had a date for surgery in March but it was cancelled due the cancellation of elective surgeries, due to the pandemic. I had the surgery on August 17th and am very happy with how I feel and the results so far.. There are many people on this board that had the RNY that I'm sure can advise you better than me. BUT, remember that you have to be happy with your choice of surgery type, it makes the whole process and recovery go smoother. Good luck.
LisaLisa
Member
Hi Natalie-
I'm about four days pre-op but have absorbed a lot of information from this site. I made my choice for the sleeve because it is less invasive with no rearrangement of my innards. For some reason that makes me feel better about the process. Also, the long term maintenance of the bypass seemed harder--with the one aspect you listed--dealing with nutrient malabsorption being key. The most important thing to understand, and I think all here will agree, is this surgery is a weight loss tool and even though the immediate loss is easier (they say), the long term commitment to eating right and self awareness is the challenge. I know the rest of the gang will weigh in on their choice to give you more information, however, the choice is yours. This is a huge life change, but on that will give you a chance at a healthy long life. Glad you're here!.
I'm about four days pre-op but have absorbed a lot of information from this site. I made my choice for the sleeve because it is less invasive with no rearrangement of my innards. For some reason that makes me feel better about the process. Also, the long term maintenance of the bypass seemed harder--with the one aspect you listed--dealing with nutrient malabsorption being key. The most important thing to understand, and I think all here will agree, is this surgery is a weight loss tool and even though the immediate loss is easier (they say), the long term commitment to eating right and self awareness is the challenge. I know the rest of the gang will weigh in on their choice to give you more information, however, the choice is yours. This is a huge life change, but on that will give you a chance at a healthy long life. Glad you're here!.
dianeseattle
Member
Hi Natalie, and welcome to the group. You are really smart to be approaching this decision at this point in your life. You are so young and you have not let your weight get extremely out of control to the point of super obesity. You're going to find yourself feeling like a new woman, thin, attractive, and healthy in no time at all.
I'm 5 foot 3 and the highest recorded weight I know was 247 and on day of surgery I weighed 241. I was 56 years old but I tend to look and act much younger.
I had RYGB surgery 13 years ago. The sleeve was not available to me. And I had never heard of the duodenal switch. So I just went with the gold standard, which for the last 40 years has been RYGB. Unlike most people today, I had an open procedure, so it was major surgery and my recovery was different. However, I was hardy and it just didn't take that long before I was feeling great. And I lost an enormous amount of weight very quickly. 35 lb the first month, 25 lb the second month, and 15 lb the third month. Then I hit a stall and my weight loss was iffy for the next five months or so.
It took me 14 months to lose 115 lb. I didn't have a support group because the one at the hospital was only once a month and because I was post-op, I felt like an animal in a zoo. All the pre-op people who were there were just staring at me. It is great to have an online group where we hear each other's words and we understand each other's feelings no matter where we are on our journey.
Malabsorption is the principle upon which all weight loss surgery is based. It doesn't matter if you have the sleeve or the DS or RYGB. Whatever you eat is going to pass through a very small pouch and digest mostly in your intestine. This would be the same with the sleeve as with any other choice you make.
However, if your doctor is recommending RYGB, and if GERD is a problem for you, it sounds like that is the right choice. It's sometimes difficult for people to decide, but in the end, I don't think it really matters what you choose. What matters is how you use your tool. That's all weight loss surgery is, is a tool.
If I were you I would just start from zero, assuming that you are going to have a new tool to help you choose foods and activities that will build a new life for you. Study nutrition, really really really get educated about protein grams, figure out what foods you like and what you hate, and be prepared for the loss you will feel afterward. I don't mean weight loss. I mean the little heartbreak you're going to have when you're not going to be able to eat some of the very sugary or fatty foods you ate before. In many cases, people try to eat the same foods and they can't stomach them. But mentally, they still miss them.
People don't gain their weight back because they had the wrong surgery. They gain their weight back because they cannot admit they have an eating disorder. People get absolutely riled up if you suggest they have an eating disorder, even though the mirror is right there in front of them and there is some reason they aren't happy with their reflection. No one gains their weight back unless they ignore the demon inside. For whatever reason, you drew that card and you became obese.
However, you are absolutely blessed to be able to have a simple surgery that will allow you to follow a sensible eating plan and develop new feelings about your self-esteem, your image, and food.
Having weight loss surgery was the best thing I ever did in my whole life except for my decision to have a child. And some days, those two blessings run neck-and-neck. But I didn't have a child to please myself. There are many reasons why people have children. On the other hand, having weight loss surgery was all about pleasing me. I wanted to do something good for myself. And after the surgery, that desire grew and manifested into many many different good things. Lots of them related to my self-esteem, but a lot of them also related to things I would do for other people, or activities I would participate in that I would hide out from before.
Most people have stories that are very similar to mine and as you do research, you will be able to make your decision without a lot of agony. I really don't think it matters what kind of surgery you have. But I confess, I feel I had a really good surgeon and he did a really good job. The 7 inch scar I have running from my navel to my sternum is not a problem since I don't wear bikinis anymore. It was a process, and it took a long time, and even after I reached my goal weight, I still had challenges. But it would have been arrogant for me to assume that everything would have been fine simply by having the surgery. I needed to change my life. I did it. And I am overjoyed. And I don't graze or nibble, which is the way people gain their weight back. They just eat small amounts of high-calorie food 20 or 30 times a day.
So, you have made a decision to make an investment in yourself. Imagine it like putting $10,000 in stocks and then wait for the returns. You will do a lot better in this analogy than anyone would ever do in the stock market. The dividends will come back in baskets of joy.
Check out my profile and look through my photographs. A picture really is worth a thousand words, and I think in this case, for those of us who have become disfigured by obesity and then reclaimed our bodies, the value of a picture is a lot more than that.
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WazzuCoug
Member
Either surgery can succeed or fail. It is your diet and choices after surgery that drive the success of either method. Statistically, there is a difference between RNY and VSG as far as regain goes. About 5%-10% of RNY patients will regain all of their weight in 5-10 years. In VSG patience, it's around 10%-20%. So, if you flip that around 80% or more of RNY and VSG patients successfully keep most of the weight off after surgery. It is natural to gain some back. Those are pretty damn good odds. Much better odds that dieting that many of us tried to do before surgery. Although the 95% of all diets fail stat is thrown around a lot, the actual stats are a bit more elusive, but long term success from going on fad diets has about the opposite long term success rate than WLS post-op success.
Choosing which surgery is right for you is mainly a conversation between you, your doctor and perhaps your bariatric psychologist. Issues with acid reflux are more common with VSG, but if you've never had acid reflux, it probably wouldn't be an issue (however, some people do still develop it post-surgery). I chose VSG because it was more appealing to me to keep my digestive tract in tacts vs bypassing the natural flow of things, but that was just me. Obviously the bypass has worked for thousands and thousands of people quite well. That was just me.
In the end, both surgeries can help you succeed, but both depend on life long changes in your relationship with food and exercise. Those are the things you have to commit to.
Choosing which surgery is right for you is mainly a conversation between you, your doctor and perhaps your bariatric psychologist. Issues with acid reflux are more common with VSG, but if you've never had acid reflux, it probably wouldn't be an issue (however, some people do still develop it post-surgery). I chose VSG because it was more appealing to me to keep my digestive tract in tacts vs bypassing the natural flow of things, but that was just me. Obviously the bypass has worked for thousands and thousands of people quite well. That was just me.
In the end, both surgeries can help you succeed, but both depend on life long changes in your relationship with food and exercise. Those are the things you have to commit to.
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3momchaos
Member
I started my journey in January, and I’m finally having the surgery on the 26th. I initially wanted the sleeve, but ultimately chose the gastric bypass. It was a decision I made with my medical team, but if I wanted to stick with the sleeve they would have supported that decision. I chose the bypass because of the weight I need to lose, my thyroid disease, long term goals, and I didn’t want a revision if the sleeve didn’t help me get to my goal weight or I have more acid reflux issues. This can be overwhelming in the beginning, and discussing the pros and cons of both surgeries will be important, but in the end, it’s the surgery that you feel more comfortable with and will help you achieve your goals.