[KnitterGirl]

Hi Doc,

You can call it a case of cold feet if you want, but I need some hard, honest truth here. In your medical opinion, What are the implications of this surgery ten or so years down the road? I don't know if you are familiar with Sue Widemark but she writes very anti-weight loss surgery, insisting that doctors are lying to us, blah, blah, blah. I don't want to believe anything she says, but still in the back of my mind, she freaks me out.

"By doing this surgery, you're creating a medical disease in the body. Before you expose someone to that risk, you have to be absolutely sure that you are treating an illness which is equal to or greater than the one you are creating."
(Dr Edward Livingston, bariatric surgeon in Self Magazine, 4-2001)

What is up with this? Is it true or was it true at the time, as it was seven years ago.

I know that there can be complications, but are complications the norm or the exception?

Thanks for dealing with my freak out. I apologize, but I was feeling so confident about my decision and my surgery date and now I'm feeling kinda freaky again. I hate this part of it!

[Christy0283]

Doc, any advice?

[Trulykath]

I'm anxiously awaiting her response...but personally, the complications of being obese FAR outweighed any complications this surgery could EVER cause.

[trace6417]

I am curious to see the doctor's response... I do agree with Kathy, the risks of being obese for the rest of my life outweighed the risks of surgery....

[Kenyar]

where is the rest of the article? anything taken out of context could be a bit scarey. just curious...

the wording is harsh but it is true. the surgery creates a malabsorption which is part of what causes the weight loss. the other part is the restriction. if i understand what i have read correctly, you are in a sense malnourished and starving duiring rapid weightloss.

i mean sure, we could find different ways to be creative and describe the surgery in a way that could either scare one or make them comfortable. at the end of the day you have to be secure in the research you have done and with your decision. good luck.

i too am awaiting for doc's response however, i cant exactly change my mind at this point

[KnitterGirl]

Interestingly enough, I did a Google search for the doc she quoted (and if you want to read the blog entry where I took this quote, you can read that here ) I did find this article which is not all that negative at all and so far what I can tell, her quote came from here. Even more interesting is when I Google the first part of that quote, I get exactly four links; three go back to Sue Widemark and the other one is the original quote I linked above.

Still waiting to hear from the doc to get her spin.

[qt82699]

i agree the risks of being overweight definatly outweigh anything this person has to say!! for me, think about this...my surgeon said i would have only lived 10 more years, due to the shape my liver was in from being overweight, now that i have had the surgery and lose the weight my liver will repair itself, but had i not had this surgery, i would have died no ifs, ands, or buts about it and i am only 30 right now, so at 40?!?!? and not only that, i never had any medical problems, so I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN!! well maybe when it was too late?? it will be interesting what doc has to say, but for me i am someone who speaks out for this surgery that has saved my life so i can watch my kids grow up!!!

[BOOTS]

I Agree With Everyone Else. My Being Obese Outweighed Everything Else.

Also I Just Met Someone At My Support Group Who Is I Think 13 Years Out. Yes 13. I Dont Remember If She Said 13 Or 15. Though She Said The Procedure Has Changed A Bit From When She Had It Done. She Is Healthy And Looks Gorgeous!!!!!!!! Nice And Trim!!!! And Healthy!!!! They Only Thing She Complained About Is That She Dumps Easily. Otherwise She Is Very Happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DocSanae]

Hi folks, sorry for taking my time, but please remember my time zone is about half a day ahead of y'all, so, right now, while I'm typing this, it's lunch break at work for me.

Anyway.
Kim, I think you found the answer to your own Q by googling, and being able to access the very original article the quote was drawn from.
I said a couple of days ago in another thread that there's nothing more dangerous than half truths, quotes taken out of the original context, and placed in a position to advocate the agenda of the quoter, not the quoted. Lies, if you check through, you can usually find out, quotes from experts taken out of context can really really do a lot of damage. Remember all the politicians and celebratories who lost their popularity just because of this? They said something in a certain situation and only a few words are reported by the media, bringing the said person't downfall because their words taken out of context would seem as if the opinion was totally the opposite of the true intent and thoughts. end of rant :P

Anyhow.
The original article, and the Q & A at the end of the article, says it all. It's exactly what I would say to any of my patients contemplating surgery, and the replies I will give to any/all of you whenever you ask the same questions to me.
Just as with anything else, there are always risks with any medical procedure. One needs to be aware of all the pros and cons, weigh them against how they will affect your body, your health and life, the possible consequences as well as the advantages, and be sure for yourself, about yourself.

That said, a couple of articles that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine (one of the most prestegious medical journal not only in the US but in the whole world) last August on the long term studies for gastric bypass are very favorable. After more than 20 years of weight loss surgery, finally, good results are beginning to come in, and a lot of it is due to the dilligence of the patient and the surgeons in staying in contact with eachother, and providing services and treatments to straighten out the kinks and bumps and issues that come up as the result of the surgery.
Personally, above anything else, I believe that the most important key is to contemplate why you ate till you needed surgery, and of the reason why, whether it still remains in your life--how you face life, how you deal with pressures and stress, how you see yourself, and most important, do you love yourself, who you are, what you are?--and learn to straighten them out, and deal with whatever you need to deal with. Probably, learning to feel comfortable around food and people is the key. Um...okay, I think this makes for another thread.

But, anyway.
CraigT, who hosts this board, will celebrate his 11th year anniversary this May--he had his surgery in May 1997, he turned 43 December last year, and I know he considers that this surgery gave him a new lease on life.
While over the years, granted there are some areas that he has slacked up on, but for the most part, he still sticks to the pouch rules, and is careful of what he eats. Only, he's been in this game for a long time, so most of his choices and reactions are automatic. Dealing with his pouch is now a very natural and instinctive part of his life.
You don't hear/see many people who will admit that they are long timers because for them, 1) the acceptance of WLS was most likely much less than it is now and 2) once post op life settles into its own pattern, it becomes completely a part of you, that you deal with daily, just as you deal with daily with other aspects of your life, if you know what I mean.

There will always be advocates against one thing or another. Don't let the emotional arguments upset you. Always go back to the basic data, the original source, and judge with your own knowledge and mind.

(((((((HUGS))))))

[KnitterGirl]

Thanks for weighing in, Doc. I really appreciate it. I did some extensive research on this woman and found out she considers herself an expert in any number of fields, despite the fact she is not in the medical profession. I found out that I am not the only one she has scared in the past. So I blogged what I found out in the hopes that it may help someone else who is searching for answers one day because of something this woman wrote.

Half truths are very scary indeed, as are spins on words, both of which she does. It's funny, because whether you like him or hate him, I recently watched Michael Moore's documentary "Bowling for Columbine" and one of the things that has stuck with me is how our media scares us enough that many Americans live in a constant state of fear. This women is just one more person fueling that kind of fire.