AW:One year anniversary

Brie2010

Brie...hope you don't mind the thread jack. I know some people have the inner strength and determination to lose 100+ pounds on their own, but my mom wasn't a very strong person. She had very severe lifelong depression. She went through decades of yoyo dieting and periods where she exercised nearly daily, but the results were never below 200 lbs and they never stuck. And she was only 120 when she had me, so she definitely had the potential to be thin.She started to have chronic back and knee pain and all sorts of obesity related illnesses. When my dad died and she saw how hard it was for me to lose a parent she chose to have the surgery so she wouldn't die young. Turns out she did anyways, but it wasn't from the obesity. I really admire your story Brie and commend you, but you are lucky that you are able to be so strong and committed. Oh, sascha, I know every situation is different.  I have a relative that I really wish would get a bypass--she has just tried and tried and is now in her 50s with diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems.  She's depressed and because of all her medical problems, isn't very mobile.  She wants it, she just isn't sure HOW to surmount all her medical issues to get there.  Your mom's situation sounds like that, and I know nothing about jen's situation.  The main problem I see with gastric surgeries in general is that there is just so much misinformation out there and I have read about so much abuse of it.  I've read about lots of great success stories, where the person has used the gastric bypass as a springboard into a healthier lifestyle of eating right and exercise...but I've also seen a lot of stories where people lose weight eating junk just because they're eating less of it.  I know there are a lot of great doctors and clinics out there with great approaches, but in some places it doesn't seem like the "getting healthy" aspect is pushed as much as the "lose weight quick!!@!11!" part.  I also think a lot of people don't realize what a MAJOR surgery it is and how it can have serious health consequences is you abuse it.I'm young and I have a great metabolism when I push it and take care of myself.  I'm lucky.  I have no idea what I'd do if I had other obstacles facing me.

saschaduran

I agree with that line of thinking brie.  You are 100% right about the doctors needing to promote a healthy lifestyle after the surgery.  The surgery alone is so major and hard.  The lack of support for a healthy lifestyle and how to deal with the mental changes that went along with her weight loss could have made a huge difference for her.And being so long ago my mom actually did encounter some pretty bad complications from that surgery and a later major tummy tuck, which that doctor should not have performed.

missy68

Congratulations, jen - I'm very late to this, but that's terrific.  I'm a little over 5 years out on mine, so I know what you went through. Terrific job!

jen629

thanks Missy!