OT:Freaked out!!!

[littlekitty81]

My partners doctor wants her to have gastric bypass surgery.He says her weight is making her sleep apnea worse and if she doesn't have surgery she would get worse.The surgery itself is common and seems to have a short recovery time,but I'm still scared.Afterwards she won't be able to eat anything but liquids for at least 2 weeks and I still think that sounds like she won't be getting enough to eat.I'm sorry if this is an inapropriate subject,I'm just really scared and wondered if any of you had been through this surgery or knows someone that has.Thanks.

[dolllover]

My uncle had a surgery like that, and he is fine now.

[trvnbrn]

HI,

Thoughts & prayers to you & your partner. I have no knowledge or experience w/ the type of surgery she requires, but I would suggest you both gather as much information as possible & get a second opinion. Any surgery is risky & the best way to prepare is knowledge. Find out all you can & ask lots of questions. Hope everything turns out just fine. [img]graemlins/rainbow.gif[/img]

Bren [img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img]

[Ashley1972]

My brother's girlfriend had the surgery years ago and although it was done laparascopically, they have a different procedure that she would rather have done called the lap-band. It's when they put a band around the stomach and it's done to every patients needs. The gastric bypass is permant whereas the lap-band can be removed or made smaller or larger. I don't know a lot about it so you might want to look online for more information. With the GP, your partners stomach will never get larger than a fist but she will be able to eat normally after some time. She will start off only able to eat about a tablespoon at a time. A normal persons stomach is as large as a football. All this info is coming from SIL so don't quote me as I might have misunderstood a thing or two. I hope this helps and good luck to you both!

[thepidget]

I hope she'll be okay!!!! [img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/rainbow.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/sun.gif[/img]

[schillil]

If I were you I'd look into the lap band procedure. It's reversible.

There are a few long term side effects that may cause problems in the future. Mainly in that most of my patients (I'm a pharmacist) cannot take any medications that are in a capsule because the acid, at least in part, is what breaks the gel down. If the capsule doesn't break down you don't get the med.

What ever you both decide, I wish you all the luck and will be praying for you.

[lorak79]

I work on a surgical floor where we take care of patients who have had this surgery. I find that there are some serious side effects that can occur and it is well worth looking into ALL the different options like the lap band, personal training, privite nutritionists, some insurance companies will pay for these services if it is medically warrented. Most patients who have the gastric bypass do just fine and have great results, but there are serious side effects that can occur and that shouldnt be taken lightly. If your partner has any doubts she should talk more with her doctor or even get a 2nd opinion. Sometimes doctors can be a little pushy when they think their idea is the best one, dont let your partner be pushed into making a decision that isnt right for her. I wish you both luck with this journey to better health!

[prep912112]

My mom had that surgerey its been a little over a year and her health has improved like 110%.

[Prewitt05]

As everyone else says, gather all the information you can, ask questions, get a second opinion, see if there is an "after" support group in you area where people will talk to you. My brother is a geriatric physician and he always says life is a trade-off so know the risks and gains.

Lastly as big brother also likes to tell me: "surgeons love to cut" so talk to a doctor who has patients that have had the procedure but doesn't perform it himself. (I didn't listen to him on this one and had painful and long recuperating back surgery).

Wishing your partner the best in making a difficult decision.

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ May 22, 2006 10:47 AM: Message edited by: havimom ]</font>

[Momof2agfans]

Does your partner wear a C-Pap at night? The reason I ask is, my DH has had sleep apnea for 10 years now. He wears the C-Pap at night, and gets checked once a year, and he's fine.

He is overweight, and the Dr. tells him that if he would lose some weight, they may back off the pressure on the C-Pap. He also said that skinny people have sleep apnea too, soooo....?????

We've just resigned ourselves to the fact that he'll always need to sleep with the C-Pap, but that's ok, he feels fine now!

My niece just had the band surgery. She has 5 small incisions on her stomach. The recovery time is minimal. She's still eating pureed food, and can start solid food in 3 more weeks. Like everybody said, I'd research all other alternatives before committing to that drastic measure. JMHO

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk!