It's quite evident in the number of 'views' with 0 replies.

I'm happy to see the group grow.

I wish you ALL , nothing but the best.

aA
kesha

I just don't check in here very often.

Yes, most people think surgery is some kind of magic bullet and don't realize that those of us that have had surgery have to take vitamins and be obsessive about what we eat forever. I have to be especially careful about what I eat because I'm a "late dumper" in that even small amounts of the wrong carbs make my blood sugar skyrocket and then plunge, leaving me hypoglycemic. I'm not quite at Atkins levels, but my diet is very low in carbs, which come mostly from blueberries, low-carb vegetables, and beans. My idea of a real treat nowadays is a bowl of oatmeal. I've come to accept the idea that I will never ever again have a doughnut.

On the plus side, though, I'm within five pounds of a "normal" BMI and can walk miles and miles. Before surgery, I was seriously worried that I soon wouldn't be able to walk at all because of knee and foot issues. I still have my collection of bone spurs and calcified tendons, but now they don't matter as much.

K & R

A very good read. I wish every skinny person would read it.

out of my life anyway. Bariatric surgery is a new lease on life for many thousands of people. It's what they and their doctors think that count.

this argument:

Taking the easy way out vs. it's not taking the easy way out.

I agree. It's not "cheating." If a person is so morbidly obese that they can't exercise, what are their chances at losing weight? I know at 265lbs and steadily rising, this could easily have become a discussion I had with my doc. If my knees were any worse, I might have had the conversation right now.

And it is sad that on a health board there are hundreds of people who feel it's cheating. They need to start seeing obesity as the disease it is, not a "character flaw." In my book, that's the crux of the whole argument. First it was immoral to put the weight on, and then it was immoral not to work hard to take it off. (Which is a lack of information on their part. People who have gastric surgery still have to watch what they eat and exercise. The surgery just helps them get to a place where they can start to do those things in a safer, more effective way.)

Surgery is no panacea for sure.

I have health issues now that might have to do with surgery or maybe not.

I'm iron deficient anemic. I always was low on iron all my life. Could surgery have worsened it? Maybe.

I have malabsorption issues but I knew that going in. That's what the surgery does. It makes you malabsorb so that you do have to take in more supplements to make up for what you're not able to get from your food.

My stomach is smaller now too. It's not a pouch. It's a stomach albeit 1/3 of the size it was in 2005.

Would I do it all over again?

YES.

I might not be here otherwise.

Do people radically alter their diet or is it just a matter of following the same old diet just in less quantity.?
And if the diet is altered what does your doctor advise as a dietary plan of action?

is that I must concentrate on protein first.

I can't eat as much as I used to because my stomach, not a pouch is much smaller so fill up a lot quicker.

My surgery causes malabsorption and so I do need to take a boat load of vitamins and minerals too.

aA
kesha

that scared me enough to stick to a low calorie diet he advised. I've heard all the draw-backs involved - bariatric surgery is no one's idea of a free ride!

Now I'm expecting to have my very painful gallbladder removed. One cause for painful gallstones - losing weight too quickly!

Still better than having to face bariatric surgery.