PROS & CONS

[Ashleyconder 6]

I am in the process of getting Bariatric surgery.

Long story short.

I have a Hiatal hernia, sleep apnea, pre diabetic, PCOS, GERD, Gastritis, etc..

I am looking for PROS and CONS to getting this surgery.

My mom had this surgery 8 years ago.

Everyone on my mom's side of their family has died in their 50's from weight complications.

I want to fix all my problems before it turns into a bigger issue than it already is.

My sister is thin, taller than me, younger than me and is a very natural person.

She eats very healthy and does not take even Advil for a headache.

She doesn't think the surgery for me is necessary.

She tells me eat better and exercise.

How can I exercise when I can't bend without acid splashing into my throat?!

I'm just venting-or making excuses, or both.

She said that there has to be a natural remedy for the hernia and GERD/Gastritis without taking medications.

(coming from the girl who puts coconut oil in her coffee)

She's a 22 yr old hippie basically lol.

She doesn't have any heath problems.

I've had health problems my whole life.

I was born 3 months early and weighed 1 lb. 6 oz.

I have always had a horrible immune system.

Thank you all for listening.

I'm just scared.

[TLW 163]

Personally I cannot think of any cons for you!, but only you can. Your sister has given you her opinion, but she doesn't live in your body.

You must know through your mom, the surgery is only one aspect, to keep the weight off, you are going to change your lifestyle and eating habits. I am one year out and find that the summer season it harder to follow the nutritional guideline while everyone else is eating hamburgers, hotdogs, Pasta salad... If you know you have the will power to fight off high sugar, high carb foods, medically you will fell 100% better than you do now.

[KristenLe 5,979]

Here's a few things to consider...

- It is extremely difficult to lose weight by diet and exercise with PCOS.

- Only 5% of obese people who lose weight on their own keep it off.

- WLS will help you to lose weight and resolve all or most of your comorbities.

- I was like you but waited until I was 289 lbs and 48 years old to do anything about it. Don't wait!

- WLS is a tool to help you lose weight but you still need to eat healthy and exercise.

- It is very difficult to get pregnant with PCOS and WLS reduces the symptoms of PCOS and increases fertility (although you need to wait @2 years to get pregnant).

- You aren't your sister and what works for her most likely won't work for you so don't let her get in your head!

Stay strong and good luck!

[Ashleyconder 6]

@@TLW thank you so much. I have so much to gain (hehe-lose) from getting this surgery done.

I really feel like in my heart this would nip everything in the bud and live the rest of my life healthier and with a new mindset of how my lifestyle should be.

[Ashleyconder 6]

@@KristenLe i'm not my sister. It is so hard not to be jealous of the beautiful smart woman she is becoming.

Struggling with depression and anxiety since I was 14. She never dealt with that. She never had depression.

When I was starting my depression meds when i was 15, she said i didn't need it because I had/have a great life and i have no reason to be sad.

It's just something she doesn't understand, i guess.

I guess i always thought there was something wrong with me because she said it wasn't normal for me to be depressed.

Growing up i was underweight.

My lowest was 98 lbs when i was 14.

My high school counselor had me and other underweight girls in our school in group therapy to deal with our anorexia and bulimia.

Fast forward to now, i'm the heaviest I've ever been and i can't stop eating.

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@Ashleyconder Obesity and depression are diseases - just like diabetes, asthma, etc. You can't just decide "I'm not going to be depressed today". It could very well be hormonal - similar to post partum depression. Depression symptoms need to be treated just like diabetes symptoms. With PCOS, you have hormonal issues going on, increased testosterone, weight gain, slow metabolism, etc.- which can all contribute to your mental health - and it's all a vicious cycle. It's unfortunate that your high school got involved in anyone's weight "issues" (if they are even issues - especially if they're going by the unrealistic BMI chart). I was considered obese in High School - I weighed 140 lbs (5'2"). I'd be dancing in the streets if I weight ONLY 140 lbs right now.

This is your journey - don't let anyone interfere! I'm also the fat sister of a beautiful, normal-sized, smart and successful woman but I'm never jealous of her - she has her own battles to fight and no one is perfect!

One thing I strongly encourage is for you to go to therapy with someone with bariatric WLS experience. I've been since April - and it really has helped me - in more than just food related issues.

Good luck - I look forward to watching you journey!!!

Kristen

Edited June 15, 2016 by KristenLe

[Ashleyconder 6]

@@KristenLe thank you so much for your response.

i'm going to try to be more active on this website. Every single response i've seen on here has been so positive.

I will check out what options they have for me, I'm in Orlando, Florida.

It was really weird being one of five girls in a room being told not eating is bad.

They made us watch really sad documentaries. One in particular of a ballerina who so desperatly wanting to lose weight that she would throw up so much her teeth fell out.

I don't remember too much but i remember crying because i didn't want to keep throwing up but i had to to look "beautiful".

I'm really curvy now, and i'm terrified if i lose tooooo much weight i'll revert to my old ways to "stay thin"

if that makes any sense at all.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@Ashleyconder

Hi Ashley! I struggled with my weight my whole life. When I was young I was called horrible names and bullied because I was too thin. String bean, bean pole......the list goes on and on. I am also tall and have been the same height since I was 12.

After I had my children (I was done with childbirth at 19). I started to put on weight just by looking at food. I did not understand what was happening to me. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I remember telling my husband how scared I was that I was going to gain weight. Well I was 51 when I was so sick from comorbitities that my kidneys were actually failing. I had severe arthritis in my spine, knees, shoulders and hands. My kidney doctor suggested I consider Bariatric surgery.

I immediately went home and began researching on line. I attended a course on line and then immediately got into a Bariatric program at my clinic. They were a Bariatric center of excellence.

Like you I had gerd, mine was severe. I was 5'10" and weighed 310 lbs. as I began gaining weight I explained it to myself that I was simply big boned. I chose gastric bypass because it is known for curing gerd completely. In my case it did and I had very severe gerd that caused me to cough for a whole year all day long. I disrupted meetings at work or movies. You name it I disrupted it with my constant coughing before docs figured out that was what was happening.

Well I am not big boned at all. I am now 161lbs just below my goal.

All of my comorbitities disappeared very quickly.

Unfortunately I waited way to long and did a lot of damage to my bones. So although I am very very healthy now, I am paying for waiting too long.

If I can give you any advice at all it would be don't wait start your research and decide to get well again.

As far as your sister goes, just remember she does not understand that obesity is actually a metabolic disease. As the disease progresses it becomes harder and harder to lose and keep the weight off with diet and exercise. Also keep in mind that the surgery is not a magical key that changes you forever. You have to do your part to make it work. You have to eat right and exercise. The surgery helps you do that.

The best of luck to you!

[Ashleyconder 6]

@@Djmohr thank you so much for your response.

I cannot deal with this GERD anymore.

Think of my esophagus as a Water bottle without a lid..when i bend over i can feel acid splashing into my throat as if there was no lid to keep it in the "bottle"...that's the best way i have been describing it.

I have been choking on my vomit and acid in my sleep. (yes i sleep with a special pillow that keeps me angled or i sleep in the recliner when it is reallly bad.)

I cannot deal with this forever. Tums only help for a few minutes and I'm off all of my prilosec and other meds since it doesn't work for me anymore.

I have hope that with this surgery my GERD and gastritis will be managed better if not, completely gone.

[Djmohr 6,965]

@@Ashleyconder

I would defiantly talk to your bariatric team about this. With RNY mine is 100 percent gone from the very first minute after my surgery.

They had me take Nexium for the first 30 days post surgery as a preventative of ulcer while healing but stopped it. I eat things that used to give me such a belly ache that I would walk the floors all night. Now, nothing causes gerd.

I am excited for you. You can feel so much better in the near future!

[James Marusek 5,244]

I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. Before surgery I had diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and severe acid reflux (GERD). All those conditions went into remission within a couple weeks after surgery and stayed there. The following article describes my experience with the operation. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

It is remarkable how much changes can occur in 6 months. Here is my before and after photo.