Hello all,

I am a 56 year old female who knows for health reasons I need to have bariatric surgery. I am also tired of feeling like garbage and limited with activities. However because of severe GERD, I am not a candidate for the sleeve the gastric bypass is what I would have to, and that scares me. Perhaps I just haven't had all my questions answered yet as I don't see the surgeon until 7/18, afraid of complications and the thought of not losing weight. I seem to always be hungry and way overeat. I am hoping that I can learn from all of you and relieve many fears I have. Have a great day.

Edited July 10, 20188 yr by Fish495

While you're obsessing over the risks of bypass....(and yes, there is some risk)....it's important to also give equal thought to obsessing over the risks of remaining morbidly obese.

Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

What will happen if your remain obese? How is it affecting your health and mobility? What is projected for the future?

Don't ignore the peril you are in currently....just because you experience more passively.

Good points, the road I am going down I will probably be lucky to make it to 65 or 70. I want to get healthier and even do a 5k next year. I try to jog now and it's too hard on my knees, Thanks, great things to think about.

Hiya @ Fish495, need a friend? Ready,to step into this batting cage, my new friend. My,name on here is Frustr8,I am 72 years old, and I too wi'll be having an RnY bypass. I meet with Dr Needleman, my bariatric Surgeon 7/17/18, the Final step before I get my surgical date. I have been posting on Bariatric Pal 7 months, have learned a lot here, done a lot of studies, drowned my fears in tears long ago and am moving proudly forward. I am MotherHen/Bariatric Godmother to many on here, always happy to have helped others.
Obese- I have been off and on obese since babyhood. Even in childhood when I fell within normal weight charts I was never that muscular, if you hugged me I felt "fluffy".
Health conditions Arthritis since I was 25, before that I was considered double-jointed, people with that have. 85% chance of early onset arthritis. I have both kinds but happy to say RA has been dormant for a while.2 knee replacements, one in December 2014 the other in February of 2017
GERD severe enough I have been on Dexilant, an uncheap PPI, would cost $350 a month if I didn't have insurance
Sleep Apnea and I sleep every night with a C Pap machine. Hereditary in my family, so I may not escape it after surgery, but many people do!
I stand 5ft8in, down from a height of 6ft when I was young, you almost always lose height after menopause.
Weight currently 321 lbs down from a lifetime high of 356 last October
Diets I think I have tried each and every one known to mankind and womankind. If it is weird and offbeat either a family member or doctor has had me on it.
Family I was an only child ,married 44 years to my late husband, on here called the Late Lamented, died 4th of July 2012.
Had 3 children, oldest RD short for Rotten Daughter, she gets in touch with me infrequently,usually when she wants money or sympathy. Both grandmothers spoiled her unmercilly, still thinks the world owes her everything. Yes every family has one, it is to my everlasting shame I have given birth to mine. She is the mother of myb2 grand-girls Naomi 22 and Amy almost 21. RD will be 50 in January.
My second child, were he living would be 42, he died in 2008 ai 31 of underdiagnosed cardiac condition and there is not a day,i still don't miss him. He was a wonderful young man, full of promise for the future, great to know And everyone who knew him wanted to be his friend. Walked into our local fleabag hospital under his own,power and 17 hours later he was dead. The attending doctor who,did little for him to save him and admitted I Don't Know Why He Died is still practicing in this community and my wonderful son is no longer living. Life is not fair, indeed,not as it should be.
My youngest, my Tomkitten lives with me, incredibly,supportive of my Bariatric Plans and makes,up for his rotten sister in spades.
Now that you k,ow a little more about me,I hope you will want to be friends. Oh yes, I live in Central Ohio, lived within 60 miles of here my entire life.? PS you are not garbage,neither am I. We all have a reason to,be,here! ?

@Frustr8, . Thanks for the warm welcome. I am single and always have been. I was a dispatcher for 36 years and retired last year. I live with Labrador Retriever who I adopted and is between 8-10 years old. I have three sisters. My oldest sister will be 66 and has been supportive of me, my other sister who is 60 just says it a personal decision and my youngest sister who will be 50 next month is strongly opposed to my decision even though she says she will be there for me. She is the one I am closest to and was hoping she be much more supportive of my decision. She has always been the thin one in the family and her idea is to just stop eating. She doesn't get it not being in my shoes.

We lost both are parents my mother at age 69 in 2003 due to diabeties, COPD, and congestive heart failure. I was the one that took care of her through most of her illness when she was diagnosed in 1995. I promised my mother I would stay with my father until he died. We lost him in Dec 2011 at the age of 79.

I have always been the heavy kid. I would lose the weight only to gain it back mo this or years later. After discoverying in 1999 I had stage IV endometriosis I have a full hysterectomy at the age of 37 and from there I blew up within a year and continued to expand. My highest weight has been 253 pounds which was last year. I felt bad at my nieces wedding after seeing some pictures of me. I took 20 pounds off and know I need to get on a different path in life. I want to live longer than my mother or father.

I am afraid of failing with this surgery as I continually have lost weight and found it again. I do enjoy food and know I eat too much and so much of the wrong things. I feel like I am so addicted to carbs. I want to break the cycle so I can lose weight get healthier, run a 5K, go hiking, camping, fly. I want to enjoy sports again without the bad things that go along with being overweight.

i too am on dexilant, my GI says it's the best thing out there, thankfully my insurance covers it too. I too sleep with a cpap, have a history of medical issues that I believe is all related to my weight.

I was all set to have the sleeve surgery but with a recent scope and bravo monitor that won't be happening, my GERD is too bad. I am afraid of the bypass as it seems there can be many complications. If a complication can happen believe me, I would be the one to get it.

I have been writing many questions down for the surgeon and home he can relieve my fears next week. I have even thought about doing the new direction liquid diet which is medically supervised instead of surgery but not sure if that is a good option either.

@Frustr8, sorry to hear that RD isn't a more loving daughter, geez I loved my folks and would do anything for them. We even worked things out in the family and I bought the house from them so they could still enjoy the comfort of the home they knew and loved for so long. My sister helped out too when they could but were also busy with their families. Thankfully today we are all so very close to each other.

i can't the pain you live with with RD and the loss of your son at such a young age.i am so so sorry , hugs to you. Thankfully you have one heck of a sweetheart who is so loving. Sounds like he is a huge help for you.

Bypass was really uneventful for me - what are some of your fears and maybe we can help ease them a bit?

I fear I will have a leak and require additional surgeries or be on a feeding tube. I have always been a fast eater and know I have to slow way down and chew my food which I been working on to slow down. I am worried I will have the dumping syndrome with everything I try to eat. Concerned about pain after surgery as I can not take any type of opioids or anti inflammatory meds and allergic to tramodal also.

Well @Fish495 it has been months and months, I hope you had your surgery and everything went well. If you still are active, we would love to hear from you!