Gastric bypass saved life, lost 200+, kept it off w/other struggles. Others? And would u tell others to do it?

At first, I thought GB was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I've been blessed to keep the weight off. While I'm thankful and better off than pre-op, I've since developed fibromyalgia and other rough health issues. And, I've definitely confirmed to myself that food, eating and weight will forever be a struggle in my life.

I wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for GB. Thank God, I was blessed to give up a wheelchair, daily insulin shots, a boatload of meds and many other problems. In the beginning, I would have suggested GB in a heartbeat.

4 yrs later, I would tell people not to do it unless they were coming from a bad enough place and needed it to save their life, (definitely not for cosmetic reasons). It truly hasn't been an easy ride.

I've also heard that so many people now are gaining most or all of the weight back.

I'm curious...

How has it been for others as a whole?
Are people able to keep the weigh off?
Would they recommend Gastric Bypass for others?

I am right there with ya......I however had the vertical banded gastroplasty....similar procedure - I had the vertical banded gastroplasty........(suppose to be so many less complications)well anyway, my stomach ruptured....and I fell, I got stuck between the shower and the comode and during the time I was stuck....I coded...my heart stopped and I was dead.....so they got me out the best they could.........tore all the muscles in my left arm.......and broke my toe...it was bad.....but I am alive to tell about it......YEAH....so now, I have some left shoulder pain, but it is more on the right side, referred pain syndrome they call it.......I have back pain, shoulder pain pretty much all the time......but I was a transcriptionist and now I cannot do it......I had to change jobs....so we will see what happens now.....

I am a QA (quality assurance specialist), I love my job but my shoulder still hurts........I will do it as long as I can....i work at home and that helps so very much....I work nights though and that is very hard on me.......

I think everything effects fibro....just from typing and reading, that is what I have found......I am writing in a journal and I have started Lyrica.....things are wild for me right now....
This is my newest trial with Lyrica.......Please read and let me know what you think about this...................
I have been taking it for one week......been a little hyper.....yesterday I started taking my second 75 mg dose...got up about 2:30..................I work nights, go to bed around 6-7am......well yesterday I got up and took my Lyrica around 2:30 - 3"00 pm.....well I got pretty hyper......by say 4....I was working around the house, cleaning and going on...getting things done......at 6:00 I ran by the church....nothing going on....so then I came home, decided to get the tree down....done......then after that, I fixed boxes up to take up stairs labeled them and got them ready....things were going good....but I did not sit down until time to go work...and I am still going strong right now and it is almost 8:00......wow...I have not felt this good in a long time....

I wonder if this is going to give me this much energy and then in a few days, I will crash and burn.....Let me know what you think................I am very worried......Please help.............

Yep...I am an active proponent for the procedure. There are side effects that result from having a GP. These include a powerful reaction if one ingests more sugar than 2 mg. in 15 mins. And if the intake of sugar is excessive, these folks experience extreme reaction which includes vomiting, diarrhea, severe diaphorisis, abdominal cramps, and the desire to die. It takes about 2 hours to pass, but during that time these folks really suffer. As well, one bite of food to much can result in uncontrolled vomiting. If the person does not eat meat in small, well chewed portions of meat, the piece of meat will clog the outlet, and prevent any food from passing through. Vomit. Bvitamins are no longer absorbed in the intestines because that portion which contains the B vit. receptors has been bypassed. So B vits have to be supplied with a monthly injection, sublingually, or with dermal patches which are available on a site on the internet. And, these people need to eat more frequently. They need some nutritional provision about every three hours. And very important is the acceptance that any alcoholic intake gets in their system about three times faster, and has stronger effect.

Both myself and my brother had GBS-RNY. He had it over 5 years ago, I had it 4 months ago. I know that I am not sure I would recommend the surgery to anyone, but remember I just had my surgery. All my hair is falling out, initially I had some depression, I am very wrinkled and flabby, but....I no longer have GERD and my BP is almost normal. I can't seem to get enough nutrition. The depression went away without meds and I am told that my hair will grow back...I hope that starts soon, and I am female.

Now, my brother had the surgery, lost 227 lbs in less than a year and had plastic surgery around his entire waist. He has put on a little weight, but since he is 6' tall, he needed to be a little heavier than 176 lbs, although the BMI calculators say that is a good weight for him. He still eats carefully, but he eats everything. He has had no additional problems medically or physically. He's a very happy guy, and he doesn't even exercise. He is 47 and just married a 36 year old flight attendant.

So you see, life after GBS can be very rewarding. You just have to fugure out how to make it work for you. Most of the things you think will help, don't really exist. Most people have no medical changes if they eat sugar or fats, so you have to learn how to cope on your own. The first few months, you are unaware that your body isn't going to help you stay away from sugars and fats because you are so afraid to eat it. Once you realise there are no ill effects from doing what you shouldn't do, the only thing that the surgery does is to keep you from eating too much. But you can stretch your tummy, it's just harder than before surgery.

So think long and hard before you try this surgery. It is very hard on most of us. You will most likely not look better because of the flab and wrinkles, but you will be healthier. Make this surgery your last resort.