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Re: Gastric By-Pass surgery
From: Alicia (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 31 Jan 2002 16:25:49 -0600 (CST)
Hi Penhead,
WOW all of you have given me so much good advice. I new about the
calicum and B12 and iron ect but I did not think about when I am 60
years old. Never crossed my mind. I tried the glucophage and it messed
me all up. Jacked up my stomach gave me gas ALL THE TIME and left me
with male pattern BEER BELLY!! I have now been diagnosed with acid
reflux and gasteraitous (mispelt)degenerative disk disease lower back
sciatica. They keep saying I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT WELL DUHHHH. It is so
hard.
Alicia
At Thu, 31 Jan 2002, Penhead wrote:
>
>Hi Alicia,
>
>I have to share my Mom's experience with gastric bypass. She does not
>have PCOS. But she was severely overweight when I was young and had
>gastric bypass years ago. Immediately after the surgery she lost a ton
>of (too much) weight and was about a size 7/8. She stabilized after a
>year or so and stayed at a size 12 for years. She had to really watch
>what she ate as anything with high carbs would make her vomit. Then
>slowly over the last 5 years, the stomach staples stretched and she
>gained weight (despite watching what she ate). She is now about a size
>20.
>
>The larger problem, that they didn't warn her about prior to the
>surgery, was the long term effects. She has struggled for years since
>the surgery with anemia and calcium and B12 deficiency. And now that
>she is going through menopause, she is have a lot of problems with the
>absorption of hormones and nutrients. It is all related to the bypass
>surgery. She is seeing a lot of specialist because of this. The clinic
>who did her surgery has told her that they are seeing a lot of people
>who had the gastric bypass surgery with this problem.
>
>Now I, like the other posts, am not encourageing you not to do it. Just
>weigh the long terms benefits and risks. I, too, have contemplated
>having the surgery. But after being diagnosed with IR and PCOS and
>getting stablized on glucophage, I am beginning to slowly loose weight.
>Plus, after seeing what my mom has been through have decided against it.
>But we each have to make decisions in our life that we can live with.
>
>Best of luck!
>
>--
>Penhead
>
>At Thu, 31 Jan 2002, Kimberly wrote:
>>
>>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
>>>
--
Alicia
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