Guest guest Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 HI Lilka, I am one of those that is approaching my 3 year anniversary. On Jan 13 it will be 3 years. The journey has been remarkable. I never got down to those numbers that everyone is talking about I stayed around 232. For me it is Ok. I lost 125 pounds and for me to have kept it off is amazing. I have accepted my body for what it is and I am happy. My health has never been better. The only Thing is that I do have a slight problem with low iron but I have had that for some time. I have added some iron to my daily pill regimen. For a bit I was forgetting to take my vitamins and such but I have since corrected that I don't forget any more. As for Depression, you do have to remember that it you have had problems in the past they are not solved by surgery. I suffered from depression long before surgery and it really isn't related to my weight. There are just a multitude of problems that I am faced with that become sometimes so overwhelming. I have sought help and I would really recommend that you encourage your friend to do likewise. If you have a problem before surgery with binging I would recommend that you seek help before surgery because once you have surgery there is no going back. I do know of people who have regained the weight back but it is because they thought they could go on eating just like they did before surgery, As for meds you can not take Advil or Ibuprofen or things like that. I have no problem with that. I can get my migraines under control if I catch them right as they are about to start with Tylenol other wise I have prescription drugs that take care of that problem. I have never regretted having the surgery and I am healthy. I will never allow myself to gain the weight back that I have lost because I never want to become trapped within my body again. Ramona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 Lilka, Just had my 6 month check up. My blood sugar, cholesterol, triglercyrides and other things are normal. They used to all be high. I can wear clothes that look good and that are comfortable. I don't need to worry about being horribly uncomfortable in the airplane seat I'll be occupying en route to Europe. I had the courage to take a chance on an Internet romance that I probably wouldn't have done otherwise. i went through a period of feeling weak, physically. A tiny bit of anemia...a moment or two of depression. sometimes i fear that I'll gain weight. And sometimes I eat more than I should. but, otherwise, everything is just great. For me, it's definitely been worth it. Good luck, RobynnLilka wrote: OK. I have worked my self down to 10%. Now I want the truth from the 500 or so people who belong to this list and who are not afraid of telling the truth. How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain from other causes that can not be helped with Advil? Do you have problems from long term malnutrition? Are you depressed and can not feel better? I have a friend who is suicidal and not taking her vitamins. Is this happening to many? What about that nagging need to eat eat eat? Are you gaining weight and can't stop it? I know the good guys who actually almost reach goal but what about the rest? This is a drastic move which I have decided is my only choice but I don't want to come in in 5 years just as fat as I am now. There are so many meds we can't take after surgery that we may need or want. Do any of you really regret this move and are just not telling us? Do I have illusions borne of so much pain in being fat that I am willing to do this incredible thing, surgery on my stomach, just to fulfill my illusions and fantasies? I hope some of you that hover around here will answer me, those that have been around for many years. I know someone who is out 3 years and is so depressed it is frightening. Please tell me the truth. Thankfully, Lilka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 Lilka I am only 8 months post op, I did have problems right after the surgery which was severe diarrhea for about 4 weeks, so I did have to stay on stage 2 a couple extra weeks. Then all went well, I stayed right to what I was suppose to eat and at 5 months I was at goal, and very happy. At 6 months I became anemic and wasn't absorbing all the vitamins right and feeling very tired, I have not been depressed and I would do this again in a minute. The doctor upped my vitamins a lot and I feel good again and will do lab work again in Jan. I'm not sure yet if vitamins are right, but I feel good again and even if I have to take vitamins all day long it's worth it to me. My knee my not have to be replaced, it doesn't buckle all the time now and the pain is so much less. The Fybromialgia is still there and so is the Arthritis, but if I exercise almost every day the pain is actually less. I have screws in my feet and I use to have severe pain carrying the weight, now and can go all day and my feet aren't a problem. My asthma has gone from severe, to where I don't even know it's there and soon I might get to come off my last inhaler. I had sleep apnea so bad that I stopped breathing 44 times an hour and was looking at dieing, guess what I don't have sleep apnea any more and I'm off the CPAP machine. My list could go on I went from 19 pills a day, down to 3 plus vitamins and yes I'm taking a lot of vitamins at the time, but it's so worth it, I'm 139 now and in a size 6, feel wonderful, so now it's just getting the labs under control with vitamins. I still believe it is so worth it, and you can learn to eat things that work, take your own food when you go places, give yourself SF stuff on special occasions, working out things so you don't feel your missing out. It's mind over food, and it does get better with time. Every one is different and this surgery isn't for every one, but I'm glad for me it gives me a new chance at life. DonnaLilka wrote: OK. I have worked my self down to 10%. Now I want the truth from the 500 or so people who belong to this list and who are not afraid of telling the truth. How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain from other causes that can not be helped with Advil? Do you have problems from long term malnutrition? Are you depressed and can not feel better? I have a friend who is suicidal and not taking her vitamins. Is this happening to many? What about that nagging need to eat eat eat? Are you gaining weight and can't stop it? I know the good guys who actually almost reach goal but what about the rest? This is a drastic move which I have decided is my only choice but I don't want to come in in 5 years just as fat as I am now. There are so many meds we can't take after surgery that we may need or want. Do any of you really regret this move and are just not telling us? Do I have illusions borne of so much pain in being fat that I am willing to do this incredible thing, surgery on my stomach, just to fulfill my illusions and fantasies? I hope some of you that hover around here will answer me, those that have been around for many years. I know someone who is out 3 years and is so depressed it is frightening. Please tell me the truth. Thankfully, Lilka Donna JordonDSJordon@...__________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2005 Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 Sorry I didn't write earlier. I let my real life interfere with my group e-mails, but am slowly catching up. I had my surgery in July of 2003, and I think it's the second best decision I ever made for myself. The best was marrying my husband. Are there nutritional issues? Yes, but they can be treated, so I don't even consider those. One thing I have just within the last few days caught myself doing is squatting to look on the bottom shelf at a store or something like that. I mean not knealing, but squatting. AND GETTING BACK UP! I do hold onto something to steady myself, since my balance has always been pretty bad, but I don't need to pull myself up. Given that when I was being evaluated for surgery, my qualifying comorbidity was bilateral prearthritis changes in the knees, I think that's pretty cool! I don't pay much attention to how far away I have to park. If it's hot, I quite willingly park much further away if I can find a shaded parking space. I am not going to tell you there aren't potential psychological effects, because there are. Some of them I am ABSOLUTELY convinced are chemical. We are used to getting serotonin from food. Why do you think we crave chocolate during " that time of the month " ? Post-op, we aren't getting as much of it. In addition, our hormones can get TOTALLY screwed up, because things like estrogen get stored in the fat, and they are released when we lose weight. Sometimes we need pharmacological assistance to balance our brain chemistry, or as a tool to help us through the rough spots. Hey, that's what I needed to do when I was unexpectedly widowed more than ten years ago. Hm, the medications can be a tool. Just like the surgery can. I have said it many times before, and I'm sure I'll say it many more times. Since I have lost my weight (more than half my original weight), I feel like, maybe for the first time EVER, I'm an active participant in my own life, rather than a passive observer. I can take my son (five) to some place like an amusement park, and he tires out before I do! He does not remember me fat, and I want to make sure he never again sees me that way! Not sure if this made any sense. Don't worry though, I will tell you the truth! Ain't got the time or the temperament for anything else! By the way, I highly recommend the Graduates group if you want to read the real truth about long term. Anyone is welcome to join, but you have to be at least a year post-op before you can post. I started reading that group months before my own surgery, because I too wanted to know what to expect long-term. I will warn you that it is NOT a warm fuzzy rahrah type of group. There are a lot of very passionate, opinionated people there, who can get very in-your-face. Part of the reason I respect that is that they have their reasons. There are a couple who are very vocal about B vitamins, because of permanent, painful disabilities caused by deficiencies in B vitamins. The reason they tend to be so passionate is that they have learned the hard way! Hope this helps! You are just starting out on a life-long journey. Yes, there will be times when it may be scary, and that's okay! You are not alone! So hang on tight, and enjoy the ride! The rest of your life awaits! Lilka wrote: >OK. I have worked my self down to 10%. Now I want the truth from the >500 or so people who belong to this list and who are not afraid of >telling the truth. How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain from >other causes that can not be helped with Advil? Do you have problems >from long term malnutrition? Are you depressed and can not feel >better? I have a friend who is suicidal and not taking her vitamins. >Is this happening to many? What about that nagging need to eat eat >eat? Are you gaining weight and can't stop it? I know the good guys >who actually almost reach goal but what about the rest? This is a >drastic move which I have decided is my only choice but I don't want >to come in in 5 years just as fat as I am now. There are so many meds >we can't take after surgery that we may need or want. Do any of you >really regret this move and are just not telling us? Do I have >illusions borne of so much pain in being fat that I am willing to do >this incredible thing, surgery on my stomach, just to fulfill my >illusions and fantasies? I hope some of you that hover around here >will answer me, those that have been around for many years. I know >someone who is out 3 years and is so depressed it is frightening. >Please tell me the truth. Thankfully, Lilka > > -- Eleanor Oster eleanor@... (personal address) www.smallboxes.com/gastricbypass.htm San , CA Open RNY (100 cm bypassed) 07/15/2003 P. Fisher, M.D., Kaiser Richmond (CA) ~5'9 " tall 05/09/2003 319 Orientation 07/15/2003 ~290 Surgery Current 157±2 Goal until plastics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2005 Report Share Posted December 28, 2005 WTG Eleanor!! This is what its all about!! Huggles > > >OK. I have worked my self down to 10%. Now I want the truth from the > >500 or so people who belong to this list and who are not afraid of > >telling the truth. How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain from > >other causes that can not be helped with Advil? Do you have problems > >from long term malnutrition? Are you depressed and can not feel > >better? I have a friend who is suicidal and not taking her vitamins. > >Is this happening to many? What about that nagging need to eat eat > >eat? Are you gaining weight and can't stop it? I know the good guys > >who actually almost reach goal but what about the rest? This is a > >drastic move which I have decided is my only choice but I don't want > >to come in in 5 years just as fat as I am now. There are so many meds > >we can't take after surgery that we may need or want. Do any of you > >really regret this move and are just not telling us? Do I have > >illusions borne of so much pain in being fat that I am willing to do > >this incredible thing, surgery on my stomach, just to fulfill my > >illusions and fantasies? I hope some of you that hover around here > >will answer me, those that have been around for many years. I know > >someone who is out 3 years and is so depressed it is frightening. > >Please tell me the truth. Thankfully, Lilka > > > > > -- > Eleanor Oster > eleanor@s... (personal address) > www.smallboxes.com/gastricbypass.htm > San , CA > Open RNY (100 cm bypassed) 07/15/2003 > P. Fisher, M.D., Kaiser Richmond (CA) > ~5'9 " tall > 05/09/2003 319 Orientation > 07/15/2003 ~290 Surgery > Current 157±2 Goal until plastics? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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