Re: life expectancy after WLS (sorry, here's the link that works)

August 21, 2002

This is the link to the article which says our life expectancy is less than

20 years or something. It was posted by a pre-op and I said I'd post it

here to get your comments. It's from SueWidemark.

Sorry I bungled the original post with a bad link. It's very early.

http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/wlsstats.htm

in Austin

RNY April 1998

August 21, 2002

> This is the link to the article which says our life expectancy is less

than 20 years or something.

> http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/wlsstats.htm

> in Austin

Got it, read it -- no new information (nothing most of us haven't heard

before.)

I do believe the majority of post-by-pass surgery people get very little if

any good nutritional information and that can and will cause longer term

problems -- health issues, mal-absorption issues.

Those of us that are on " lists " like this and get fed information daily are

SO lucky to have the experiences of those who have gone before us. To KNOW

that 2 Tum's and CIB when we get home from the hospital are just not going

to cut it -- There are at least as many of us who don't use the internet...

who rely on what they are told to do post-op by uninformed surgeons and they

will end up with the types of problems that are discussed in that article.

One woman on these lists who (her doc said) is a medial by-pass but told

her she does NOT mal-absorb beyond the 6th month -- that kind of information

from surgeons can easily lead to a multitude of post-op problems including

death...

I strongly believe we are so lucky to have each other... to get the kind of

support and information we get here... I've never met a post RnY with more

than 14 years (that was the longest term one I've met on-line) My surgery

Angel is a post banded and she is 12 years and still maintaining her weight

and health... the rest are under 10 years post op... but, most that are

still posting, still hanging around to help those of us who are coming

behind are healthy and maintaining their weight loss.

It's true that we are actually " studied " very little either short or long

term. I wish we were studied better, more in-depth real medical studies... I

often wonder why we are not.

I don't 'know' all the things that we would die from in under 20 years but

if it is about nutrition, vit's, supps, exercise -- I feel like we get a lot

of really good information here on those issues -- so it is up to us to use

that information for ourselves to maintain our health. Keep an eye on our

own labs, making sure we get our Dex done, being pro-active in our own

health IMHO can help us to avoid a great many post-op problems discussed in

that article... other post-op medical things that happen, SLD and such are

just bridges we cross when / if / we get to them... some things are out of

our control and others we can make choices about.

Guess it it best to know all sides of the story but articles like this one

don't reflect ALL sides of the story so -- like all information -- we take

it, use it to our own advantage and our own health and do the best we can

with what we do know.

hugz,

~denise

August 21, 2002

:

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. For the sake of argument, we are studied

in a way. Morbid Obesity leads to premature death...that's why they call it

" morbid. "

IMHO, if this article were actually factual and not written by someone with

a " vendetta, "

1. I'd rather have the twenty happy, healthy and hot years I'm having now

rather than the slow death I was having before.

2. None of us get out of here alive.

3. What is the life expectancy of someone who does not have the surgery?

We are indeed lucky (*most* of the time ) to have each other to tweak our

nutrional regimes to the fullest.

Plus, the author suggests the lap-band is the first safe procedure. I'm not

knocking the procedure, but IT'S RELATIVELY BRAND-NEW! The writer leads us

down this path of innuendo, then throws a zinger like that in. Where's the

study comparing the procedures?

Like I always say, just as seriously as I am capable of, I would rather have

had this surgery than win a $100 million lottery. Hands down. Any day,

even when the VISA bill comes in!

in Austin

RNY April 1998

RE: life expectancy after WLS (sorry, here's the

link that works)

> Got it, read it -- no new information (nothing most of us haven't heard

> before.)

> I do believe the majority of post-by-pass surgery people get very little

if

> any good nutritional information and that can and will cause longer term

> problems -- health issues, mal-absorption issues.

> Those of us that are on " lists " like this and get fed information daily

are

> SO lucky to have the experiences of those who have gone before us. To KNOW

> that 2 Tum's and CIB when we get home from the hospital are just not going

> to cut it -- \

> I strongly believe we are so lucky to have each other... to get the kind

of

> support and information we get here... I've never met a post RnY with more

> than 14 years (that was the longest term one I've met on-line) My surgery

> Angel is a post banded and she is 12 years and still maintaining her

weight

> and health... the rest are under 10 years post op... but, most that are

> still posting, still hanging around to help those of us who are coming

> behind are healthy and maintaining their weight loss.

>

> Guess it it best to know all sides of the story but articles like this one

> don't reflect ALL sides of the story so -- like all information -- we take

> it, use it to our own advantage and our own health and do the best we can

> with what we do know.

>

> hugz,

> ~denise

>

> Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

>

> Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

>

August 21, 2002

Exactly my feelings, and well-put.

/johnb (-100, functioning great, but would ALSO like to win the lottery!)

RE: life expectancy after WLS (sorry, here's the

> link that works)

>

> > Got it, read it -- no new information (nothing most of us haven't heard

> > before.)

> > I do believe the majority of post-by-pass surgery people get very little

> if

> > any good nutritional information and that can and will cause longer term

> > problems -- health issues, mal-absorption issues.

> > Those of us that are on " lists " like this and get fed information daily

> are

> > SO lucky to have the experiences of those who have gone before us. To

KNOW

> > that 2 Tum's and CIB when we get home from the hospital are just not

going

> > to cut it -- \

>

> > I strongly believe we are so lucky to have each other... to get the kind

> of

> > support and information we get here... I've never met a post RnY with

more

> > than 14 years (that was the longest term one I've met on-line) My

surgery

> > Angel is a post banded and she is 12 years and still maintaining her

> weight

> > and health... the rest are under 10 years post op... but, most that are

> > still posting, still hanging around to help those of us who are coming

> > behind are healthy and maintaining their weight loss.

> >

>

> >

> > Guess it it best to know all sides of the story but articles like this

one

> > don't reflect ALL sides of the story so -- like all information -- we

take

> > it, use it to our own advantage and our own health and do the best we

can

> > with what we do know.

> >

> > hugz,

> > ~denise

> >

> > Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

> >

> > Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

> >

August 21, 2002

AMEN!

flo

RE: life expectancy after WLS (sorry, here's the

> link that works)

>

> > Got it, read it -- no new information (nothing most of us haven't heard

> > before.)

> > I do believe the majority of post-by-pass surgery people get very little

> if

> > any good nutritional information and that can and will cause longer term

> > problems -- health issues, mal-absorption issues.

> > Those of us that are on " lists " like this and get fed information daily

> are

> > SO lucky to have the experiences of those who have gone before us. To

KNOW

> > that 2 Tum's and CIB when we get home from the hospital are just not

going

> > to cut it -- \

>

> > I strongly believe we are so lucky to have each other... to get the kind

> of

> > support and information we get here... I've never met a post RnY with

more

> > than 14 years (that was the longest term one I've met on-line) My

surgery

> > Angel is a post banded and she is 12 years and still maintaining her

> weight

> > and health... the rest are under 10 years post op... but, most that are

> > still posting, still hanging around to help those of us who are coming

> > behind are healthy and maintaining their weight loss.

> >

>

> >

> > Guess it it best to know all sides of the story but articles like this

one

> > don't reflect ALL sides of the story so -- like all information -- we

take

> > it, use it to our own advantage and our own health and do the best we

can

> > with what we do know.

> >

> > hugz,

> > ~denise

> >

> > Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

> >

> > Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

> >

August 21, 2002

Good ol' Sue Widemark!

life expectancy after WLS (sorry, here's the

link that works)

http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/wlsstats.htm

August 21, 2002

> Thanks for your thoughtful reply. For the sake of argument, we are

studied in a way. Morbid Obesity leads to premature death...that's why they

call it " morbid. "

> IMHO, if this article were actually factual and not written by someone

with a " vendetta, "

Makes me wonder who or what type of person " picks " something like this

surgery to spend so much energy " downing " it -- seems like such a waste of

time but, guess everyone needs a soap box about some topic

> 1. I'd rather have the twenty happy, healthy and hot years I'm having now

rather than the slow death I was having before.<<

Have to agree -- I honestly do not believe I'd have lived 5 years, much

less 20 so if I only got 15 years out of it that's a whole lot more and much

greater " quality " than I'd have had without the surgery. I do not believe

I'd have lived to be 40... and if I did that the co-mord's would have been

life crippling and I'd have wished I didn't.

> 3. What is the life expectancy of someone who does not have the surgery?

Someone like me was a few years -- tops... others have longer and others

have shorter but mine was maybe 3ish years -- if that. No medical doctor

gave me " years " except the cardiologist who said this may be your one

chance -- maybe not but with out it you don't have the 1 chance -- he isn't

/ wasn't affiliated in any way with the " surgery " or the " surgeon " -- he

could have told me different and had I survived another heart attack he

stood to make money off me as a patient --- so to me, he didn't have an

" agenda " so I believe his answer was real accurate.

I had been sort of " wondering " where that " induced bulimia " comment came

from -- the article quoted the doctor who said that -- my guess is it was

taken way out of context but *shrug* I can't imagine having a healthy /

in-tact surgery / and throwing up all the time -- that doesn't even make

sense...

Well... 'nother Texas thunderstorm rolling in so gotta run.... take care...

hugz,

~denise

August 21, 2002