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Re: Gastric By-Pass surgery

From: Kimberly (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 31 Jan 2002 01:30:40 -0600 (CST)

Hi alicia,

After I had my son almost two years ago, I had gained 70lbs. and even with strict diet I could not drop hardly a pound. I decided then and there that I would make a plan. I decided that I would seek proper help for my PCOS and do my damdest to lose the weight with diet, exercise and meds - and if that didn't work I would seriously look into surgery because I absolutely decided I could not live obese for the rest of my life. After waiting 5months to get an appointment with my endocrinologist (and gaining 10 more lbs.)I found out not only was my PCOS as bad as ever, but that I had also developed thyroid disease and that was why I couldn't lose the weight. I went on Glucophage and thyroid meds and joined the online diet e-diets - and voila! the weight started coming off. It has been exactly 6 months and I've lost 46 lbs. I still have about 55 to go - but I feel better than I have in ages. Almost all my symptoms are gone and I am just so pleased with the results from all the energy I've put into this. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm really feeling like a normal person again. Honestly I must say that I am so glad I did not consider surgery until I had done everything within my power to avoid it. Gastric bypass is not just a physical change - it is a complete change in your diet and nutritional requirements FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. There is no going back to ever being able to eat normally agian. At your age, that is an awful lot of years left of eating a very restrictive, controlled diet. I figure if one is going to do that to themselves, it makes more sense to go on a very restrictive diet for a year or two and then work yourself into good enough shape so that you can eat the way you wish every now and then. It doesn't sound as if you are trying glucophage (since you aren't taking your BCP due to insurance issues)- and in my opinion, if you haven't tried an insulin sensitizing drug you haven't taken the most important step in managing PCOS. Weight loss alone will simply not cure you of PCOS - and you would probably have to go on insulin sensitizing drugs eventually even with weight loss and surgery. About the cost of Glucophage - it's a heck of a lot cheaper than gastric bypass surgery! :) I just wanted to share my story because I have read about many women who have been happy with their gastric bypass surgery - but in my heart I really feel that I am by far happier than them because I got the results without permanently altering my body. You may or may not have the same experience - but if you haven't truly tried with meds, diet and exercise, you might be making a premature decision. The fact that you will more than likely have to eventually treat the root cause of the PCOS and obesity makes the surgery mostly cosmetic rather than a treatment plan. About the women who got their periods after losing weight through surgery- it is very important to think about the fact that after gastric bypass surgery one must be on a VERY low carbohydrate diet with lots of protien. This is often enough to control PCOS and all it's symptoms and could possibly be the cause of their regular cycles, rather than the weight loss. So I guess the point is that having surgery seems like the easy solution to the problem, but it actually is the more difficult way - because EITHER way (if one is seeking treatment), one will have to be on a low sugar, restrictive diet. I am not against the surgery - and if you try everything and still can't lose the weight I say jump right on that operating table- but please consider the fact that a low carb diet, glucophage (or actos or avandia) and exercise are often enough to control insulin resistance to a degree that no amount of weight loss will ever be able to. I would hate to see you go through the surgery and extreme low-carb low-calorie diet, only to find that you still have to go on meds and an exercise program (as that helps the body properly use insulin) to get your PCOS and all it's evil symptoms under control. Seems most reasonable to try those things without the surgery first. I wish you the best of luck and truly hope you find what is right for you, whatever that may be. :)

At Wed, 30 Jan 2002, tera wrote: >
>Hi Alicia!
>
>Excess weight can certainly exacerbate PCOS symptoms by raising androgen
>levels and it does nothing for your general sense of wellness or self
>esteem.
>
>I have a few things to say regarding your situation. First I sympathize
>because I know what you're going through. Second, my cousin also has
>PCOS. She has had many symptoms - cystic ovaries, irregular or
>non-existant periods, infertility, excess body and facial hair, thinning
>head hair and weight gain. LOTS of weight gain. Over the past year
>though she has lost a TON of weight. I would even joke that she is half
>the woman she used to be! She worked SOOO hard and looks great - she's
>probably a size six now and her muscles are so huge from all of her Tae
>Bo that she could definately kick my behind! Anyway, I hate to tell you
>this Alicia, but the weight loss has not helped her PCOS. If anything
>she said that a few of her symptoms have gotten worse. She thinks
>they've gotten worse from the progression of her PCOS though and not her
>weight loss.
>
>I have heard of a few women with PCOS being able to get more regular
>cycles after losing weight but not many. I'm sure you already know this
>but PCOS is not caused by weight. I think the percentage of obese PCOS
>women is about 60%. That means that there are plenty of THIN PCOS women
>walking around with irregular periods, insulin resistance, excess body
>hair, etc., etc. A Gastric Bypass is not an easy surgery. I'm not
>telling you not to do it. I just don't want you to go into the surgery
>with high expectations when it comes to taking care of your PCOS. My
>cousin knew intellectually that her weight loss would not "cure" her but
>she said that in her heart she hoped for a miracle. It did not happen
>and she was very disappointed. She said she would do it all again,
>though just for her general health and self esteem.
>
>About your problem with irregular periods and insurance. It's unhealthy
>to go a long time without a period since we need to shed our lining
>regularly. If you do not get a period soon I would call your doctor and
>ask him if he could put you on Provera so that you can get a period. He
>probably will not need to see you - my doctor is used to this and
>doesn't ask to see me. Explain that you don't have any insurance right
>now and cannot pay for an office visit but he can call in a prescription
>for Provera for you. You take it for about ten days and then you should
>get a period. I believe that the last time I purchased this it was
>about nine dollars. My doctor has me call her if I do not get a period
>for two consecutive months so that she can call in a prescription for
>Provera for me so that I can get a period and shed my lining. It's
>called a "cheap period"! Sorry so long, Alicia. I hope the best for
>you, dear! God bless and may He be with you no matter what you decide!
>Tera
>
>At Tue, 29 Jan 2002, Panacea wrote:
>>
>>Well all I can say I guess is good luck; it sounds like you've made up
>>your mind. Just remember that it is the kind of foods you eat that
>>impact your weight and not just how much.
>>
>>At Tue, 29 Jan 2002, Alicia wrote:
>>>
>>>Hello,
>>>
>>>I have been slowly doing research and trying to get through the steps to
>>>have the surgery approved (Kaiser). I do believe that this will help me
>>>in a lot a ways. Since it has now been proven that with weight loss,
>>>PCOS and its multiple symtoms decrease and or even go away, I feel I
>>>need to take these measures. I have loss my medical benefits
>>>temporarily because of changing jobs so I have not been on my high level
>>>birth control pill in over a month and of couse like clockwork... no
>>>period. I now have more symptoms of PCO than I did years ago, like my
>>>weight it is progressing. I was diagnosed at 17 and I am now 32. I
>>>have met other woman that may not have been diagnosed with PCO (because
>>>they were not looking for it) but they were overweight, had no periods,
>>>and never got pregnate. They had the surgery, and after losing about
>>>70-100 lbs; all of the sudden they were mensturating. Soon after that
>>>they got pregnate and did not even realize it untill the kept having
>>>morning sickness. All of it happened within 1 year of the surgery.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Alicia
>>>
>>--
>>Panacea
>>
>--
>Tera
>

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