Serious Question. How is WLS the "wrong way"?

[drmeow 323]

I don't plan on telling anyone but my kids and 1-2 close friends in the beginning. My boss is super-thin, vegetarian and runs high mileage daily. She and I have had discussions about vegetarianism vs. low-carb that I do and I think neither of us are going to accept the other's choice as our own I am sure she would be very condescending about WLS and the "easy way out" since what she does works for her. However, I'm pretty sure if she stopped running and relaxed her diet a bit, she might gain a total of 10 lbs. It's just her genes. So people like that really can't understand what we obese people go through - they have no concept to relate to it. Yes, she works hard to be fit, but I'll be working just as hard for me.

[LPSteven 22]

Some may think it's the wrong way to do WLS , yet with consistent bounce back to gaining weight. Per choice of what surgery you would work towards "if you did" I suggest lap band simply because they do not modify your stomach , by cutting or making smaller. The band is just a restrictive tool that helps us eat slower and realize what we are putting in our body. I've had the band for over 7 years and am blessed for making that choice - I have never gained a large amount of weight back : only 20 pounds is the most I've gained and and am able to loose easily

[Rogofulm 2,440]

Please don't hate me but I was one of those people. From my perspective, having surgery that is not absolutely necessary is a foolish risk. It always seemed to me like weight loss was a battle that needed to be fought but not with surgery. The idea of a potential infection, leak, malnutrition, blood clot, etc. seemed like a great risk for a surgery that might not be successful. It probably didn't help that the first person I knew with gastric bypass had 8 infections the first year after surgery and was not well for years!

Surgery really is an extreme option. For those younger folks (around 20-30) I still cringe a little bit as I wonder how this will affect them in 20 years, or if there will be a more effective non-operative method available if they had just waited a little bit longer.

Just my thoughts....

Interesting perspective. I've gotta give you props for having the guts to share a dissenting opinion. I'd like to hear what finally convinced you to have the surgery yourself. What changed? Is there a lesson that younger WLS candidates can gain from your experience? Thanks!

[samuelsmom 670]

Interesting perspective. I've gotta give you props for having the guts to share a dissenting opinion. I'd like to hear what finally convinced you to have the surgery yourself. What changed? Is there a lesson that younger WLS candidates can gain from your experience? Thanks!

As you may imagine this was not an easy decision. I had been trying to change my lifestyle and eating habits for the last 5 years and always had success before the inevitable fall and regain. In July 2013 I started having injections in both knees due to arthritis. The shots worked wonders. So I joined a swim class and had to quit because I got shin splints so severe I couldn't continue. I tried to walk more and got terrible foot pain so that each step hurt. I tried to go to a gym and the trainer told me to just do stretches in the Water because I couldn't handle anything else. I tried to follow various plans (I know them all) and in one year saw that I had gained and loss 15 pounds 3 times. I was one pound lighter at the one year mark.

There comes a point that you realize that good luck and great genes will only get you so far. I felt like crap and realized that at that moment I had no co-morbidities (with the exception of borderline hypertension) and that like the bank's "grace period" mine would soon be over. Also, being past 50, I knew that even if a new wonder drug came out it would be years before FDA approval and I probably would not live to see it, or be disabled.

I did a lot of research and my first appointment was July 28th 2014 and my surgery was November 19th.

What would I like younger WLS candidates to learn from my lesson?

1) This is not a surgery to go into without a lot of soul searching

2) Seriously work on your weight issues before even thinking about surgery

3) Consider the possible side effects and decide if you are willing to go ahead. While they are rare, they do happen.

Thanks for asking!

[Rogofulm 2,440]

Thanks for sharing your story, @@samuelsmom! You make some excellent points that everyone, but particularly those who are early in life, should consider before choosing weight loss surgery. I wish you great success in your journey to healthfulness and better mobility!!!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

So, I think WLS is a very good choice, but I do still cringe a bit at the very young, and even more so, the not very overweight. I get they have their reasons, but I sometimes feel that the serious nature of this business is not well understood. I am not talking about the direct surgical risk - I mean the unknowns of altering your body for a lifetime. For me, it was that or die young. If one of my sons (who are not obese, but one of them is slightly overweight) decided to do it, i would have a very strong opinion against it for them. Young people have metabolism on their side and genuinely believe that if anyone can make without surgery it is young people, particularly lower BMI. They are a good audeince for the "lifestyle" type programs like 20/20 that work on changing your healthy habits wholeistcally.

I knew it was bad when the 2 year program i reached out to wouldn't take my money. Told me I didn't have a prayer without surgery- I was too obese for too long - my body had been changed by the obesity. Their honesty was one of the kicks in the gut I needed to revise from my failed band to the sleeve.

[samuelsmom 670]

@@Rogofulm Thanks for the kind words. I am happy to say that the surgeon's group I went with has an in house fitness center staffed by exercise physiologists. I have been working with them since August and can now "bike ride" for 5 1/2 miles and even do some strength training! If you didn't know I have severe knee arthritis you couldn't tell as I am pain free most of the time.

The other day my next cubicle over co-worker heard me coming in and asked who was there because she was used to the sound of my gait and I was moving so much faster she thought it was someone else. That is a a great feeling!

[amponder 396]

@@samuelsmom I think there is a big difference in worrying about the safety of it, I personally know 1 person who died after the sleeve a year later, he wasn't taking his niacin I believe, and a cousin of mine was very sick after his surgery, I was considering WLS and I asked him one question, "knowing what you do now, would you still do this?" He said "absolutely" I made up my mind that if I died during surgery or after for some reason I died trying. It finally sunk in that my high blood pressure was going to kill me if surgery didn't, and I don't hate you before I became obese I used to be critical of obese people I used to stare too. It's all about perspective isn't it.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

@@samuelsmom I personally know 1 person who died after the sleeve a year later, he wasn't taking his niacin I believe

Is niacin deficiency an issue with sleeve patients? I have never heard of such a thing and seems unlikely given that we're on a high Protein diet (most meats contain niacin) and on Multivitamins.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Yeah, niacin shortage doesn't make much sense to me.

BTW, VSG patients aren't instructed to take niacin separately, although 100% of a day's niacin needs are in the Multivitamin I take.

People do die of niacin deficiencies. They tend to be people who live in poverty, are alcoholics, and are generally malnourished.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacin

[MichiganChic 3,262]

The "wrong way" is not something I've encountered. In fact, I've not encountered one person I've told who judged me (though I've been very selective in who I've told). My family has been really supportive, so the "wrong way" is a strange concept to me.

I suppose people might think it's wrong because the right way would be a traditional diet. I don't care what they think because they are either stupid or uninformed or just judgmental. Life is too short for that shitt.

[shugal 48]

Easy?? S'cuse me? There is nothing Easy about the lap band, it's a tool to work with to help me lose weight and become healthy but it's not easy! Surgery of ANY kind is dangerous , there is the risk of dying, especially when one is obese and having surgery. There are also MANY post op complications that can occur incld the risk ones body may reject foreign objects in it....

I know that "skinny" people think fat people are lazy, over eat, ect., food is an addiction just like drugs, gambling, alcohol, smoking ect., just it SHOWS ...IF we brought fat on ourselves then SO did every druggie alcoholic, gambler, sex ect ect addict out there!!

Plus one can NOT STOP eating, one can STOP all other addictions and Never have to have them ever again, but you can't stop eating food. For that reason I consider a Food Addiction worse than any other. Also some obese people have truly legit medical issues.

I, for instance, have PCOS which makes it VERY HARD to lose weight..even WITH the lap band, I have to eat less, and work harder than the average person to lose weight because of it, & I may never be as thin as I want to be simply because my body fights me on it. There is NO cure for PCOS and it wreaks havoc on my body. I am NOT using PCOS as an excuse by any means I am simply stating it makes it That much harder to lose weight

I quit smoking cold turkey over a year ago...never looked back..I will never smoke again,

yet food...I can't not eat...Oh how I wish I could...one has to eat to survive, so one has to Re-learn what to eat, portion control....it's hard ...everything in our society promotes Over eating and Huge portions...Yet...it also promotes Thinness...an oxymoron if you ask me!

I agree Mountaingirl, if there were a surgery for those things it would be hailed as genius! Fat is the last frontier that can be abused...Overweight ppl are discriminated against, abused, made fun of..looked down on...you name it and fat people have had to endure it!!

Do NOT be ashamed about getting WLS! Stand tall & proud! It is NOT an easy way out! Be PROUD of who you are and what you have accomplished with WLS! it is a tool that you used to help become a healthy person! Never be ashamed of that!

If someone puts you down for having WLS...tell them to kiss your newly skinny butt! HA! Holy crap I just saw how much you lost in 5 months! OMG you go girl!!! I think I will think I'm in heaven if I lose that much!!! I am the same height as you and only 5 lbs more than you! course I just started this 2 weeks ago...but a girl can dream!

So...Yup I had WLS...Look at ME....I stand proud and tall and anyone who wants to put me down for it can kiss my butt!!!

[1Day1Life4Now 882]

There is no "wrong way" to lose weight. Some diets work for some people and not for others, we are all different. We've each selected WLS for pretty much the same reasons. Our struggles may vary a bit but we've all struggled. When people make these comments they are just expressing their opinions, stupid as they are. I knew opinions would come out of the woodwork if I were to share my WLS decision so I decided early on to not share this info. Only my husband, my daughter and best friend know about the surgery. It's been a year now and I see no reason to change this. It is nobody else's business, I don't care about their opinions, and this is now my life to live as I choose. I don't want people judging me when I eat or drink something that is a variation from the accepted diet. I have too much pressure in my life from other things, I don't want or need this additional hassle from people who are judgemental and want to share their worthless opinion. Other than that.... Life is awesome. LOL

[SlimJill 291]

I have not gotten surgery yet, but I will be in the next few months.

I have told only a few people and every single one of them gave me backlash.

"It's the easy way out, but you're so young, just exercise and eat right... it's not that hard... you just have to want it."

I did not think I would receive this much opposition from people who have seen me struggle my entire life, who have witnessed me go through depressions, weight loss, and huge weight gains. It wasn't until a year ago I realized this was a food addiction that I started understanding myself. Not everyone has caught up yet.

If a smoker uses a nicotine patch, or rehab no one calls them a cheater or a little bitch. They applaud their efforts for trying to save their life! This surgery should be no different.

I have an addiction. I am seeking help. I want to save my life.

And in my opinion taking the easy way out, or the wrong way, is to sit at home and pretend that nothing is wrong.

[ProjectMe 909]

I think one of the primary reasons WLS is seen as as the "wrong" or "easy" way is a perspective many have because unfortunately some WLS surgery patients believe it is the "easy" way out. You see posts on this and other WLS boards of patients saying they feel like they "cheated" or are afraid of judgement because they took the "easy way out". You also see a good number of posts about husbands/parents/significant others who are against WLS...mainly out of fear of long term consequences for the patient.

IMO, it would help tremendously if patients took responsibility by educating themselves on the disease Obesity and how WLS is a tool like any other surgical intervention. Until we patients change our mindset, how can we expect anyone else will change theirs?

Edited February 28, 2015 by ProjectMe