piper

I have not had WLS surgery yet so I cannot speak to the post surgery hair loss that seems to be a result of drastic weight loss except to say that one's new cell growth is diverted from what one's body perceives as nonessential in order to maintain more fundamental functions during the adjustment phase. Hence, this process is, in my opinion, unlike the process of post pregnancy hair loss. From what I undertand during pregnancy one does not lose hair at the non pregnant rate and experiences a boost in new cell growth. So, the hair loss following pregnancy is actually "extra hair" you developed during the pregnancy as your hair volume returns to normal.

Thank you for your supportive responses. Have you found any insight into my question regarding general "aging with the sleeve" or chronic malnutrition inquiries? The latter of which was brought to my attention by a therapist I saw recently to help out with this choice. However, although she practices counseling bariatric surgery clients her thoughts are totally rooted against WLS and she holds many erroneous beliefs; E.G. "One month after WLS the majority of patients will need to return to the OR to have their galbladders removed as surgery will place one at risk for stones." However, being obese and middle aged, I am presently at risk for gallstones. I assume this risk will actually decrease if I lose the weight. She also stated that due to chronic malnutrition my cognitive acuity would decrease (as in I will "get stupid"?). Needless to say I am shopping for a new therapist.

I am 45 YO female. I have been contemplating the VSG for a couple years now. At five feet nine inches and 230-235 pounds my BMI is 34. Like many folks, I have lost and gained weight over the years with weight watchers, Atkins, Jenny, Slimfast and last but not least, Optifast. The latter cost four thousand dollars and I lost 55 lbs in six months then gained it all back, plus 20, over the next year. The Optifast experience was so discouraging and I feel like a failure for the regain. When I got off the 800 calorie a day liquid diet it seemed that anything I consumed was not burned by my body and was instead stored for a rainy day. It appears that the process itself had a negative effect on my metabolism. My self-esteem has been the greatest casualty of years of obesity. I have also begun to really feel the effects in terms of quality of life. I avoid social events, had to bail out of my daughter’s college tour due to the college being perched on a hill (I became too winded and needed to rest). My LDL cholesterol is quite high, and my blood pressure is sneaking up (140/96). I ruptured a lumbar disc last year, which I think was due to age as well as the extra 80 pounds I carry around. The weight surely aggravates the back pain. I have proceeded with the pre-op requirements and will have an endoscopy this week. The surgeon was ready to go ahead and schedule the VSG the following week but I have not been able to bring myself to the point of moving forward. My main concerns are the post op lifestyle adjustment, aging and the irreversibility. I wonder how I will adjust to this new lifestyle of eating very little, the psychological as well as social implications? I am also concerned about the aging process. How well does one progress into their elderly years having had the surgery? Does one chronically suffer from mild malnutrition? What are the effects in one’s seventies or eighties? I am sure this post is an echo of so many others. I appreciate your taking the time to address my concerns. I need to get off the fence and rule in or rule out this surgical option. I feel that without this option I may spend the remainder of my days as a reclusive obese woman with chronic back pain and escalating health issues. However, removing 80% of my tummy so that I will consume less food seems to be such a drastic and final measure. Why have I been unable to eat less food on my own? I have tried to eat only 200 calories four or five times a day but have consistently failed around day four. A fall from the wagon takes me several weeks to come back from before I try again. Being unable to maintain a restricted diet, losing ten, then regaining the same ten month after month is just so futile. Thank you.