Gastric Bypass Surgery

CAMSMOM1 wrote: My older sister, had GBS last year. She and I have always been the same weight. We lose weight together, and gain weight together. Well we were on the up side again.Then she went to her doctor.
After going to the doctors and finding out that she had extremly high blood pressure, her kidneys were failing, her knee was going out, she had mulitple problems because of her weight. She tried everything to lose weight. She saw a nutrionist, worked out, ate right, and couldn't lose more than 10 pounds. She was desperate and decided to look into GBS. She did a lot of research and was confident in her decision to go ahead with it. Because of her health conditions, her insurance paid for the surgery.
She did well at first, then started having problems. Her stomach started closing up, and her food couldn't go down, so it only had one way to get out, and that was up. She ended up getting a 2nd surgery to repair her stomach, and things improved for awhile. As soon as the doctor gave her the OK, she started working out every nite.
Now she's lost 100 pounds, WAY TO MUCH FOR HER FRAME! Her and I are built the same, we are curvy, big hips, big boned. She is wearing a size 3 now, she was a size 20. Everyone thinks she looks to skinny, but in her mind she still views herself as fat and a size 20. She is having major body issues, and still thinks she needs to lose weight. She finally admitted to me that she realizes she has a problem, and her doctor isn't helping. He gets on her all the time, and has scared her to death about gaining the weight back again. I am so proud of her, and what she has accomplished. But in some ways I'm jealous, because I want to lose weight so bad and because her and I look like twins (in our face) I see what I would look like if I lost the weight.
My question is, has anyone you known have gastric bypass surgery? (weight loss surgery) Is this normal for her to have body image issues. I told her it is normal because she has lost drastic amount of weight in less than a year. And it's going to take her mind time to catch up to her body.
I'm scared she's going to get to skinny, in my opionion and others, she needs to gain 10 pounds.
How can I help support her? Do you agree that she needs some counseling to help her through this?
Ann

kimberley replied: what she is going through emotionally is totally normal and i am shocked that her doctor did not advise therapy with the surgery. i thought it was customary.

it took her 20something years (sorry i dont know how old she is) to develop insecurities, body image etc.. that doesn't just change overnight with the staple of an organ. she has to relearn who she is and how she views herself. it sounds like her doc is doing more harm than good with those scare tactics. i strongly suggest she get counselling. you can change everything on the outside, but if she still sees that "fat" girl negative image on the inside, no amount of weight loss will change it. p&pt her way. keep us posted.

CosmetologyMommy replied: I don't think it was gbs, but my aunt had a surgery where they put a rubber band around to make ur stomach smaller and it came undone and she gained back all the weight she lost! She had lost like over 200 lbs! She recently got it done again and is on the way of losing it again, but she gets sick sometimes if she takes big bites and does niot chew enough. it gets stuck........eww

jcc64 replied: I know 2 people who had GBS. Unfortunately, both have gained all or most of their weight back over the last couple of years. Although it's virtually impossible to overeat initially, eventually it is possible to re-stretch the stomach to its former capacity, so your sister is right to be cautious on one level. I think the problem with GBS, while effective and dramatic,is that it doesn't address the underlying reasons why someone got so big in the first place. I am fully aware that some people have underlying metabolic problems that make it very difficult for them to lose weight easily. However, everyone can live a healthy lifestyle- regular, meaningful exercise, a good diet with reasonable portions, learning to eat for no other reason than for sustenance, etc... Whether the result of that is that one winds up a size 2 or a size 18 is beside the point. But something other than bad genetics is going on for people who become so obese that they need to be rescued by major surgery, kwim? And that's what's haunting your sister, as well as the two people I mentioned above. She needs therapy, should have been having it all along, to address the underlying issues. I actually think it was irresponsible of the dr who consented to the surgery not to make it a part of her treatment from the beginning.
Best of luck to you and her. I think the best thing you can do is let her know you love her and only want her to be happy and healthy, and you'll support her anyway you can.

A&A'smommy replied: I have known quite a few people that have done this surgery and not had any problems with looks or the surgery itself I think it just depends on the person and their doctor. Now one girl I know goes to a counselor for weight loss and that has big her big helper so maybe you should suggest one to your sister!! CONGRATUlATIONS to her for loosing the weight!!

mom21kid2dogs replied: I know 3 people personally who have had it done. The centers in our area that perform the procedure require both nutrition education and therapy for minimally, the first year. All have kept their weight off (one more than 5 years now). I recently read an article re; a study that followed GBS patients for several years post surgery. They found that a combination of therapy, nutritional counseling and exercise was the key to people maintaining their weight loss successfully. (Hmmm . . .just like any good weight loss program! ) Most do have body image issues that needed to be addressed. One thing I hadn't thought about before was the need/desire for many to have plastic surgery to address the excess skin they now have. One person I know who lost 150 lbs will not wear sleeveless stuff, shorts or a bathing suit because she thinks the excess skin looks worse than the fat.

CAMSMOM1 replied:

Surprisingly, my sister doesn't have any excess skin, or hanging skin. Since she started workign out early on in her surgery, her skin looks completly normal. You would never know that she lost 100 pounds looking at her, because her skin is so tight. She does have a little pouch underneath her belly button, but that was there before the surgery, she had 10 pound babies.

I am also surprised they didn't offer her therapy. But because she is doing so well, looks great, lost the weight, eating right, taking her vitamins, etc...they asked her to bet he guest speaker at a GBS confernece. I went there to support her. I just wish she would see what everyone else sees. I know the problems women have with body image issues, I see myself as 400 pounds, but I only weigh 200. THere is so much pressure from the media, and just people in general, that we are always self conscience.

Since my sister's surgery, everyone in my family has gotten on me, asking me when I'm going to lose weight. Every time I see my Dad, he wants me to go and join the gym. Everyone has always compared me to my sister, since we look like twins, and at this point, I'm tired of it. I'm not my sister. I'm not going to get some major surgery to lose the weight. I know I eat to much and don't exercise, so I know that I can lose the weight the "old fashion" style. I just hate all the pressure. I see how fast she lost the weight, and I know it's going to be a lot harder for me.

I have suggested to my sister to go and seeking professional hellp with her issues of weight loss. She said she will, but then doesn't. I cant' force her. But I hope she does soon. What good is it to lose 100 pounds and not enjoy it or feel like you're still fat?

Thanks for all the good replies, I know this is going to take time for her. Keep her in your prayers.
Ann

coasterqueen replied: I'm really suprised she was able to get the surgery done when she doesn't way that too terribly much. My mom weighs that and I know they'd never give her the surgery despite all the health problems she has. Course if my mom would lay off the Dove chocolate she'd probably be better off.

My uncle had the surgery done and must not have the self image issue because he cheated on his wife (whom later she took her life) and is living very happily now. My aunt didn't want to do the surgery even though my uncle wanted to because she was concerned of the health risks and wanted to be there for her children /grandchildren.

I say she should get counseling as well.

CAMSMOM1 replied:

In her doctors opionion, she was clinically obese, at 200 pounds. WTH? I guess I'm obese then too!

They did the surgery because her kidneys were failing and her BP was extremly high. Since she had the surgery, all of her medical conditions went away and she is in perfect health, besides the fact she is malnutriened.

Ann

coasterqueen replied:
well I can see being labeled clinically obese. I was considered clinically obese at 176.5. I think it was just recent they took the obese label off me.

Anyways, I can see if you have huge health reasons as to why they did it, but I think they failed her by not getting her counseling.

remtana replied: My cousin's wife has had this surgery and recently had a baby (like 2 weeks ago). She looks good, but she has had alot of problems. I think she is glad that she did it though.

Angela

ilovemybaby replied: I think that if she is now underweight then she needs to be seeing a counsellor. If she is a size 3 and she still thinks she is overweight then it sounds like she has the mindset of someone who is anorexic or bulimic. And she is only going to lose more weight.