Any Regrets?

[KateinMichigan 24]

Let’s not pressure anyone into a surgery with risks. This isn’t “treatable” GERD. Many convert from a VSG to a bypass because the “gerd” is that bad. (A simple search here will show you what kind of GERD this is.) in fact, I don’t thing they should call it GERD at all. It’s like calling a “cluster headache” just a headache.

I do agree with one thing - if obesity is killing you - get the surgery (the risk makes sense). If it’s not, then pass.

For some weird reason, men aren’t experiencing this sort of GERD at the same rate or intensity - (Google 2022 study). Best of luck with whatever you choose.

This is one time when you need to look at overall statistics- not individual experiences. Not even mine. If you’re OK with a 40% chance of horrible acid reflux (I never experienced it until after surgery) because your health is failing you - then I completely understand that. But it’s not a “pop a few tums” sort of GERD. Google long term PPI use.

[carpeediem 6]

5 hours ago, KateinMichigan said:

A new 2022 study was just published about results 6 months out. 20% of men /40% of women end up with reflux. This is not the reflux you think you know. This is a sip of Water needs meds /and or tums. If you’re just fat, but relatively healthy - this isn’t for you. I regret it. If you’re going to die without it - then YES - get it.

If you have kids, jumping and playing with them gets risky - so does most exercise. Yes, you might get lucky and be part of the 60% - but those aren’t great odds….and many get reflux a few years later, and this study is only 6 months out.

Many are ok taking the PPI medication because it seems to do the trick and doctors just want you out of their hair.< br />

The meds are a huge cancer risk and makes many nauseous. I’ve been nauseous for 17 years!

I’m thin, but have been sickly the entire time. I so miss the “fat” me. I had to leave a profession I loved, am always exhausted, need Iron infusions, etc.…search “iron infusions”, “vsg revision”, . “gerd”in here.

I find the people who are most happy with vSG are people who were losing their life to obesity. if you’re just “fat”, but can walk, work, love, play, etc. - don’t do it.

I wish I had read this post weeks ago! I also wish I would've just learned to love the "fat" me instead of having this surgery

[fourmonthspreop 510]

What’s one thing you wish someone had told you before you had surgery?

-ultimately it doesn't matter your weight or bmi so long as you qualify. It mostly matters where your heads at, how important weight loss is to you, and how ready you feel for the drastic measure.
-I also wish my team made it clear that the first few weeks are depressing, no sugar coating it. You feel bad and unhappy.
-I also wish my team was clear about how long it takes to feel like yourself again. I'm 1 month post op and am just starting to feel a little bit normal but the exhaustion and fatigue is real . I feel the most out of shape in my life. Pre op I was training for a half marathon able to take 2 hours to walk 11 miles. Now i feel winded and dizzy after 1 mile.

I've lost 47 lbs total now and don't feel physically good most days. I don't like when people ask me how happy I must be. I won't be truly happy until I feel healthy but I know it happens. I just wish my team was more honest about how difficult the first couple of months can be post op.

But ultimately, I decided to do it because I'm losing my 20s to obesity. I'm sick of battling against myself to do the right thing. I was tired of always feeling hungry. My knees are messed up from my weight and I lost and gained in huge amounts for years. So yes, to me, it's worth it but IT'S NOT EASY.

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[blackcatsandbaddecisions 851]

I could have loved and accepted my body all I wanted at almost 50 bmi and the health problems coming my way would have still been a reality. I’m watching my mother die a long drawn out miserable death from kidney failure brought on by type two diabetes. There are real heath impacts to being drastically overweight, and what’s not a problem in your 20s or even 40s can lead to issues later.

Gerd is a definite concern. I’ll say from my perspective at almost a year and a half out that my heartburn is better post op than it was pre op. I exercise every day and I am living a life I could only have dreamed of prior to my surgery. This surgery isn’t without risks, but living life as an obese person isn’t without risks either.

[Jaelzion 1,127]

48 minutes ago, blackcatsandbaddecisions said:

I could have loved and accepted my body all I wanted at almost 50 bmi and the health problems coming my way would have still been a reality. I’m watching my mother die a long drawn out miserable death from kidney failure brought on by type two diabetes. There are real heath impacts to being drastically overweight, and what’s not a problem in your 20s or even 40s can lead to issues later.

Agreed. I didn't want to wait until I was dealing with multiple comorbidities of my obesity before addressing it. I was willing to assume the risk of surgery, but not the near-certainty of obesity-related diseases as I progressed in age.

[Tony B - NJ 642]

17 hours ago, carpeediem said:

I wish I had read this post weeks ago! I also wish I would've just learned to love the "fat" me instead of having this surgery

I don't think one study is enough to change someone's opinion or make a certain outcome fact. There are studies done every day on various things coming up with totally different conclusions. The outcome is often, whether on purpose or not, supporting the opinion the study team goes in with and they prove their point. in real life, in the support groups I attend and the research I do online and through my Doctor, I have not seen what this is saying and if so, I see very few people who would not accept a trade off. I am one of those people who were obese, could run, jump, swim etc, etc but how long can someone at a 43-45% bmi continue to live like that? Along with the weight comes diabetes type II, High blood pressure, high cholesterol etc. These are all warning signs for heart disease. Given the choice of GERD or dying 15 years early due to heart disease, stroke, diabetes complications etc I would choose the GERD. The quality of life i have right now at 100 pounds less is incredible. The way I feel about myself and the confidence I have now is incredible. The feeling that I am not being looked at and scorned or fat shamed is incredible. The ability to run and play with my 5 y/o granddaughter and not struggle during and after is incredible. Don't let yourself be influenced by one study or one person. There are millions of positive testimonials out there, thousands of doctors and dieticians out there. The benefits far outweigh the few issues that SOME people may be having.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 804]

Post weight loss surgery GERD is real. GERD so bad that PPI's can't touch it. PPI's have very bad side effects. I got a kidney stone from overuse of PPI's for post weight loss surgery GERD.

GERD is causing wls patients to get Barrett's esophagus and Barrett's esophagus can become esophageal cancer.

These are serious effects of weight loss surgery that should be taken seriously and all potential weight loss surgery patients should be aware that it's not just heartburn or reflux and depending on which surgery you choose, it could happen to you...

It's an individual decision that one must weigh their own personal comorbidities/issues for deciding on wls against the benefits and risks of wls.

And there's also other weight loss surgeries than the sleeve. Each surgery has it's own benefits and risks. It's best to get all of the information and read about personal outcomes to help decide which surgery is best for you or if surgery is even an option. But discounting real side effects/complications of wls is just foolish and chidlish.

Edited March 16, 2022 by WhispersOfAngel

[Happy Stylist 86]

23 hours ago, Tony B - NJ said:

Many people have GERD or will develop GERD with or without the surgery. People that are obese have a good chance of developing GERD as they age. My question would be would you rather be obese or of healthy weight and have GERD? I would rather be healthy weight and have a treatable GERD problem over obesity and all the many health issues that come with that that I no longer have like Type 2 diabetes, High blood pressure, high cholesterol etc

I'm scheduled for surgery and acid reflux after surgery is what scares me more then anything else. I only get it now after drinking coffee or going a long time with out eating. After reading these regrets 🤦‍♀️ And after reading your reply I'm now wondering. Is there a medication that will help acid reflux after surgery (if it happens to me) or is the gastric bypass the only way to correct it?

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 804]

2 minutes ago, Robz said:

I'm scheduled for surgery and acid reflux after surgery is what scares me more then anything else. I only get it now after drinking coffee or going a long time with out eating. After reading these regrets 🤦‍♀️ And after reading your reply I'm now wondering. Is there a medication that will help acid reflux after surgery (if it happens to me) or is the gastric bypass the only way to correct it?

Which surgery are you having? Could you please fill out your surgery stats in the sidebar so we know your details and how to address replies to you? Thx.

And yes, PPI's are often prescribed for acid issues, but in my case, they didn't help and I had to stay awake all night until my food digested so I wouldn't regurgiate food into my mouth or worse, aspirate it into my lungs. So I'd go to sleep sitting up in a recliner at about 5 am every morning.

Don't bank on the PPI's to solve your GERD or acid issues, because sometimes the acid issues are so bad nothing helps. Speaking from personal experience here...

Lap Band and Sleeve surgeries operate under a high pressure system and put increased pressure on the esophageal sphincter which can leads stomach acids refluxing into the throat in some patients.

[Tony B - NJ 642]

30 minutes ago, WhispersOfAngel said:

Post weight loss surgery GERD is real. GERD so bad that PPI's can't touch it. PPI's have very bad side effects. I got a kidney stone from overuse of PPI's for post weight loss surgery GERD.

GERD is causing wls patients to get Barrett's esophagus and Barrett's esophagus can become esophageal cancer.

These are serious effects of weight loss surgery that should be taken seriously and all potential weight loss surgery patients should be aware that it's not just heartburn or reflux and depending on which surgery you choose, it could happen to you...

It's an individual decision that one must weigh their own personal comorbidities/issues for deciding on wls against the benefits and risks of wls.

And there's also other weight loss surgeries than the sleeve. Each surgery has it's own benefits and risks. It's best to get all of the information and read about personal outcomes to help decide which surgery is best for you or if surgery is even an option. But discounting real side effects/complications of wls is just foolish and chidlish.

No one is discounting anything. All I am saying is that people should educate themselves and get a variety of opinions and sources. I am sure there are complications from GERD, but there are many, many, many complications from being morbidly obese. There are so many complications from morbid obesity that insurance companies and the FDA approve of these surgeries for these people. It is not because they want skinny people but because the overwhelming cost the insurance companies endure because of the complications of morbidly obese people. If the chance of GERD was as great as you are assuming, they would not pay for this costly procedure and use that as their crutch to get out of it. That is just business. The fact is, the cost to human life from morbid obesity is much, much greater than many give it credit for. Look at Covid alone, the obesity factor in death and bad outcomes was HUGE. And obesity, even moderate obesity in the high thirties and low 40 BMI ranges are devastating long term for cardiovascular health. That is a fact that is NOT disputed by medical doctors. I get that you are having a bad experience with GERD, but again, I say that I would rather have GERD than die a premature death because I was too afraid to have the surgery. The severity of GERD you are referring to does not happen at the rates that were previously identified in the "study". GERD, yes, but to the point you mention, absolutely not. I would say it is extremely rare and the medical professionals I spoke to confirm that.

[fourmonthspreop 510]

True that. My surgeon gave me the bypass because I already had issues with GERD pre op. He said if there's certain foods that give you acid pre op like coffee, tomatoes, citrus the sleeve is going to make it worse...at least the chances are incredibly high.

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[Happy Stylist 86]

4 minutes ago, WhispersOfAngel said:

Which surgery are you having? Could you please fill out your surgery stats in the sidebar so we know your details and how to address replies to you? Thx.

And yes, PPI's are often prescribed for acid issues, but in my case, they didn't help and I had to stay awake all night until my food digested so I wouldn't regurgiate food into my mouth or worse, aspirate it into my lungs. So I'd go to sleep sitting up in a recliner at about 5 am every morning.

Don't bank on the PPI's to solve your GERD or acid issues, because sometimes the acid issues are so bad nothing helps. Speaking from personal experience here...

Lap Band and Sleeve surgeries operate under a high pressure system and put increased pressure on the esophageal sphincter which can leads stomach acids refluxing into the throat in some patients.

I'm getting the sleeve. I've tried to figure out how to fill out my surgery status but I haven't been able to yet 🤦‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 804]

5 minutes ago, Tony B - NJ said:

No one is discounting anything. All I am saying is that people should educate themselves and get a variety of opinions and sources. I am sure there are complications from GERD, but there are many, many, many complications from being morbidly obese. There are so many complications from morbid obesity that insurance companies and the FDA approve of these surgeries for these people. It is not because they want skinny people but because the overwhelming cost the insurance companies endure because of the complications of morbidly obese people. If the chance of GERD was as great as you are assuming, they would not pay for this costly procedure and use that as their crutch to get out of it. That is just business. The fact is, the cost to human life from morbid obesity is much, much greater than many give it credit for. Look at Covid alone, the obesity factor in death and bad outcomes was HUGE. And obesity, even moderate obesity in the high thirties and low 40 BMI ranges are devastating long term for cardiovascular health. That is a fact that is NOT disputed by medical doctors. I get that you are having a bad experience with GERD, but again, I say that I would rather have GERD than die a premature death because I was too afraid to have the surgery. The severity of GERD you are referring to does not happen at the rates that were previously identified in the "study". GERD, yes, but to the point you mention, absolutely not. I would say it is extremely rare and the medical professionals I spoke to confirm that.

🤦‍♀️

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31279562/#:~:text=Background%3A The development of gastroesophageal,LSG is up to 35%.

35% is more than 1/3 of sleeve patients. That seems significant to me. And yes, it's not typical GERD.

Please stop being so condescending on these posts. I've noticed that even via text you are very condescending. The point of these threads is to be informative and supportive. It's not my surgery vs your surgery, etc. We're sharing information (often our personal experiences from years of living with weight loss surgery) to allow people to make informed decisions and to sit back and type, "GERD, yes, but to the point you mention, absolutely not. I would say it is extremely rare and the medical professionals I spoke to confirm that."

It is not rare. When patients experience post weight loss surgery GERD it is not typical. The strongest PPI's on a double dose doesn't touch it.

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 804]

8 minutes ago, Robz said:

I'm getting the sleeve. I've tried to figure out how to fill out my surgery status but I haven't been able to yet 🤦‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

Here's a thread that helps to explain how to fill out your info!

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 804]

10 minutes ago, fourmonthspreop said:

True that. My surgeon gave me the bypass because I already had issues with GERD pre op. He said if there's certain foods that give you acid pre op like coffee, tomatoes, citrus the sleeve is going to make it worse...at least the chances are incredibly high.

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Yep!