I have a friend who is trying to talk me out of having WLS and he has a friend (Yes a friend of a friend story!) who is a DR, I talked briefly with the DR and he sent me to this site...

http://www.cswd.org/docs/opposewls.html

Is this just being used as a Scare Tactic?, Is this all true...Is everyone who's ever said they were happy, wouldn't change a thing, And "Wish they had done it sooner!" gone through with a useless surgery and living the rest of their day's in a hopeless Hell with no way out?!

Are they lying?

I've just read the article. It's just... WEIRD! "The stomach is very expandable and... it will grow?!

First, this was written in 1999--- lots of advances have been made since this has been written. He also throws out a lot of "some people" this and that and makes it sound like particular problems are widespread.

What I found most revealing is his statement:

"We think people who want to lose weight should wait until doctors and scientists come up with a way that is absolutely proven to be completely safe and completely effective. Until then, find other ways to improve your health and well-being. "

Here is another statement about what his research is about:

"

http://www.case.edu/med/nutrition/fac/primary/ernsberger.html

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Our laboratory has two major overlapping foci. One is centered around genetic obesity and the role of nutrition in cardiovascular disease. The other focus is on the role of lipids in the signaling pathways of a novel receptor Protein expressed in the brain, the I1-imidazoline receptor. At any given time, tens of millions of Americans are on weight loss diets. Most will lose weight, but 95% or more will eventually gain the weight back and some will gain back more than they lost. Cycles of weight loss and regain can be harmful. Epidemiological studies show higher than expected rates of heart attacks and deaths among "yo-yo dieters". Why does losing and regaining weight seem to raise the risk of cardiovascular disease? "

So he wants everyone to *wait* until scientists (he and others) come up with something proven safe and effective. That has happened already, attested to by many members on this site.

I just read the first few statements. Partial truths but definitely a scare tactic. For instance I don't get diarhea, I get more constipated and I have never thrown up since surgery. My journey so far has been great! You must mentally prepare yourself. I had to do a strictly liquid diet for two weeks before surgery and two weeks after surgery. That's s whole month of just liquids! I also joined a gym and actually went! Several times a week! You also want a rock solid support system. It can be one person or many but I do not recommend this surgery with no help. Not just physical help but mentally. My support team was mainly my sister. Without her I would have had to go to a psych ward. The mental state after surgery has been the worst part of this procedure. 3 months out yesterday and down 50 pounds :-) This is a life changing event and for it to be successful you still have to work hard every day. The surgery itself is just a helpful tool.

Agreed.

The "Dr" also went on to tell me about a patient who was out 3 years from sleeve surgery and can't keep food down, yet has gained most of the 100lbs he lost.

I asked how is it possible he can't hold anything down yet gained all this weight back?!...

His Answer: " well, for one thing his metabolism has shifted. He's in constant "starvation mode" so the body is going to hang on to as much as it can."

I call Bull S*it...

I am 7 weeks post op & haven't had any real issues. I had little pain, no nausea or gas pain. I did what my surgeon & NUT told me to do so I think that is why my sleeve has done so well. This is not to say that some people do suffer. My niece, who had the R-N-Y bypass about 3 years ago, told me she heard a couple of bad things about sleeve surgery but I just blew it off as to just being uninformed rumors. She's the one that had issues with "dumping". She calls it her "grouch pouch".

All that to say, do as your are told & follow the program & you will do just fine. I'm really glad I did this. I'm 70 so I gave this a lot of thought. This is a life time change in how I eat. I'm on a CPAP & 24/7 oxygen. I'm hoping to get rid of both of these with the lost weight. It will also be a big help with my arthritis, gout & heart issues. All around I will be healthier. I had to have my PCP (internist/cardiologist) give his blessing for this surgery. He told me he had several "older" patients that had the sleeve & have done very well. After he said that I decided to go thru with the sleeve & haven't regretted the decision.

I hope this helps. I wish you all the best in your journey.

I have had friends that have had great success and friends that have gained it all back plus more. The ones that gained grazed all day long and never exercised. The ones that are now slim and trim and live for the beach worked at it. They stayed active and put some effort into weight loss. One did have all the problems ( drainage tube for 6 months, appendix, gallbladder and spleen removed, stayed in and out of hospital for the first year. But she is skinny now and enjoying life.

It appears as a scare tactic to me. I noticed they don't cite specific reports. If they are citing such reports, why not list them? How old are these reports? It also appears they take the worst case scenarios. As for the surgery comments, that would go for ALL surgeries, not just weight loss surgery.

Fear mongering to make people follow their wishes. LMAO This sort of site makes me glad I am older and can see with both eyes and not believe tripe. Yes, all these things are possible and there is some truth in what is written, yet, recall the title of the page..................The council of size and weight discrimination. Here are two words to go with this site..........Spin Doctors. Please remember.......just because someone posts a web page, doesn't make it fact or absolutely true. Follow your own path, research, study and if it doesn't hold true, throw it away.

As for me, I throw this away.

@@Dondie Olivia

Which is exactly why it's here, and why I posted it. I don't believe everything that is written and put up online. But I wanted the opinions of others.

I call Bull S*it...

yeah, its bullshit.

but you need to extricate yourself from the pissing contest about your medical decisions.

just walk away from it. its not your job to convince anyone your medical decisions are a good thing or that WLS in general is a good thing. (you know, unless you are really bored and have nothing better to do)

of you are discreet about your surgery, its easier to be at peace with your decision.

Almost 4 months post op and complication free. I have had some digestion issues in my first 2 weeks and have modified my diet a lot more than I thought I would to prevent hypoglycemic; but the change is for the better. The site doesn't even specify what procedure they studied and came to those conclusions. I hate scare tactics like this, but the truth is, practically all patients gain back a percent of the maximum weight loss. That shouldn't be a shocker to anyone. I've seen no study that says a majority of patients regain all the weight. This journey has helped me go through a dramatic life change. I can't see myself eating outside of the predominently whole, natural foods I do today. I eat healthier at 4 months than I did 1 month in. If only we could look in a crystal ball and predict our performance.

I have to say this is a bunch of predictions based on what? I had my surgery December 11, 2013. I don't take NSAIDS for my severe arthritis anymore. I can move with less pain than BEFORE surgery taking high dose NSAIDS. I like my chances at keeping the weight off. There hasn't been a magic pill in all the decades they've been trying to develop one. The simple fact is my stomach didn't work! It kept telling me to EAT, EAT, EAT. Now that the troublesome part of my stomach has been removed--the part that makes grehlin, (spelling?), I get a little nudge telling me--"Oh I need to eat something". NOTHING like it was before when I was an absolute beotch from Hades if you didn't get me food when I was hungry.

Yes, I went through a dark period when I missed my old constant companion of food. I had some mental issues to work through.

I've never thrown up. I can eat about 8 ounces of food--unless it's really dry. I eat fruits, vegetables and a variety of foods but it's ALWAYS Protein first. I don't have diarrhea but I do have to battle occasional constipation. If I drink the 64 ounces of Water a day, exercise and get my Fiber in---constipation is not a problem.

I have not vomited ONCE since surgery. I'm so lucky to not have any reaction to anesthesia or narcotics like some people do. Yes the gas used in surgery was very painful BUT I'd go through it again in a heartbeat to feel the way I do today.

I wouldn't trade my chances at a longer healthier life for any of the BS on that site.

Good luck,

Blessings,

Kathleen

Before my surgery, I visited several medical site pages with articles written by doctors for doctors citing studies on weight loss surgery. Overall, this surgery is highly successful and has a higher success rate than just diet alone. There is a long-term risk of Calcium deficiency so I'll need to take calcium the rest of my life, along with other Vitamins. I never took vitamins before and probably needed them so I'm already healthier.

I can now only eat about 3 - 4 tablespoons of food at a time. Could I abuse my new little pouch and shove more in? Not without discomfort but if I really worked at it, blew off the whole program, and ate until I was sick often enough, I bet I could stretch my little pouch out. Instead of eating Protein, I guess I could fill it with carbs and sugar. I'm sure I could hang on to my old eating habits, stay on the couch, and try to ensure the major surgery I just endured was for nothing.

The success of the surgery rests with your ability to make food a bit player in your life and not give it a starring role. I think of eating like a car where I just add some fuel at certain times and as I'm walking off calories I'm imagining new clothes in new sizes. Being healthy and looking good is more important to me than shoving food in my mouth. Find a doctor you trust and a Nut who can help guide you and commit yourself to your own health. If you feel that food is a mental issue for you then see a counselor to work through your dependence on food to help ensure your success.

We've all had some side effects along the way, nausea, sorting out our bowels, feeling a little sick but it was surgery so there is a recovery period. I'm still reintroducing some foods and for some reason cantelope went through me like a bomb a couple weeks ago but I can have a bite of watermelon now with no ill effects. I take it slow and if there are side effects, I deal with them and I imagine that any discomfort I feel is easier to handle than weight-induced heart disease or diabetes would have been.

That so called study feels more like a scare tactic than unbiased research. To motivate me before surgery, I just visited the success stories thread on this site. That's seems more valid and had pictures too!