People who know im getting gastric bypass are telling me not to get it. Two nurses who work at the hospital where im gonna get my surgery are telling me people have a alot of complications after having gastric and that it is not worth it. They say there scared for me and that it could die. It kind of makes me feel guilty for having it because i cant die, i have to be here for my chilren and i am getting the surgery for me. Anyone else experience what people are telling me and did gastric make u sicker?

Everyone is different.  All surgerys have the potential for complications.

I am a nurse...I was not afraid of the RNY.

I have not had any complications.  I lost about 90lbs.  My high BP is gone.  I exercise.  Most of my pain in my joints is gone.  I can RUN with my grandkids!  

The only issue I have...if you can all it one....is my very limited range of eating.  I don't really care...food is not important to me any longer other than a way to fuel my body.. 

My father and my sister tried talking me out of it and telling me all the bad things they heard about people who had the surgery. My sister was so verbal about her not wanting me to get the surgery that my husband started questioning it. When my surgery day came he was so nervous that he didn't leave the waiting room at all until the doctor came and spoke with him. My dad kept questioning it and telling me to get second and third opinions. When I finally told him to stop that I was going to get the surgery if he liked it or not, he then became supportive. He drove 11 hours to be with my husband and I and even stayed with me for a few days after my surgery because my husband had to go back to work.

It is a very personal decision and only you can make it for yourself. Don't let someone try and talk you out of what you want to do! Good luck with everything!

My mother tried to talk me out of it, but my orthopedist won when he told me that i'll be in a wheelchair in 5 years if I did not lose at least 100 pounds. My knees were and still are tremendously stressed.

I will admit, when I see people at 200 pounds, I kind of feel like instead of them undergoing such a major surgery whi*****ludes rerouting your digestive system and causing malabsortion, perhaps weigh****chers and a couple of days in the gym would be more practical and a lot safer. With that said, I keep my OPINIONS to myself. 

At the same time, when I see very large people, particularly riding around in a motorized chair at the grocery store, I think "wow, I wonder why they don't explore bariatric surgery". Again, I keep my OPINIONS to myself.  I have a few members of my family that I would take time off of work to escort them to a surgeons office for consult, but they are afraid. 

Oh well,  what can ya do.  I would just do what you feel is best for you. You know yourself better than anyone. Prior to my having surgery I did a Pro's and Con's list.  And I documented all of my previous weight loss failures and I surveyed my present medical conditon, and then I made my decision.  Best wishes!

No one tried to talk me out of it, no.

You can die from this surgery.  You can die from any surgery, actually.  You can also die from being morbidly obese.  Ask your doctor which is likely to kill you first, surgery or being morbidly obese?

No, RNY did not make me sicker.  Made me healthier. 

Your nurse friends see lots of people with complications because they work in a hospital.  Who goes to the hospital?  People that are sick or having complications from surgery.  People that are healthy and have no problems generally are not admitted to hospitals, so your nurse friends aren't likely to see them much.

Poet Kelly, you make a good point when you mention that nurses will see more complications due to the nature of their work.

Funny thing is that everyone that I actually knew, did well with the surgery except 1 person. Unfortunately, that person's complications started when she was in the hospital.

That's because most people do well.  When complications occur, most are fairly  minor and are easily treated.  Unfortunately, there are occasionally very severe complications and people do die sometimes.  Just not often. 

You know, women sometimes die giving birth, too.  but most people are not afraid to have a baby and they don't try to talk other women out of doing it or tell them how dangerous it is.  That's because most women do just fine.  People might be more likely to be scared of RNY but that doesn't mean complications happen a lot or that you're likely to die having surgery.

I would also say that these forums are not representative either - people come here to post of their complications and difficulties because they want to vent and get support.

MOST people who have WLS do just fine - yes, some people get complications and some people cause their own by not following protocol (vitamins, good food, exercise, regular labs etc) - but most of us do quite well!

I remember back in 2008, I was going to have the surgery. I shared it with a friend who is also morbidly obese, and she told me that her father (who she did not really speak to) died 2 days earlier in the hospital, there was a leak.  Her father was living in morraco, came home to have the surgery and then died while admitted.  That honestly scared the heck out of me, and so I didn't proceed in the bariatric program at that time.  Also, since I had no co-morbidities at the time, I just decided to try and lose weight the old fashioned way.  I was unsuccessful.

My mother was the only person that tried to talk me out of it. She tried to convince me to go on the biggest loser instead lol.