WLS... on "60 Minutes" Tonight

I see that too!  My friends are all gaining 20-30 lbs...and complaining too...(40's and 50's)...So sure, we are no different.  The same goes with the holidays ...Most everyone in the country gains weight at the holidays and most have to diet from New Years til summer!  LOL It's so typical. So why should we all look at ourselves diffferently? I don't believe we are. I accepted a few pounds and left them there. I know I'll work harder to keep big pounds off than my friends who have no had surgery, because I know I have the tendency to give up if I allow too much weight gain back...and I don't want it to get away from me.

Hi, Wanda... I heard that the intestine grows from a 1" diameter to about 3" diameters to absorb calories sometime during 1 1/2 years post-op.  At about 2 years post-op, the colon is also able to absorb calories, which is quite different from it's intended "job" of removing additional water from the bowel.  Now this does not mean that the body is able to absorb more vits / minerals... just calories.  The body "finds a way" to increase it's calorie intake... so our job is to monitor the amount of healthy foods that we provide our new systems.  I believe that this was discussed by one of the RD's on the Nutrition board several months ago.   I'm with you on the slower metabolism idea, especially for non-WLS people hitting around 50.    It's always something!!!!! Ro

Really on Target!!!! Thanks for this info... Ro

Here's a bit more info... I believe that I have the same article link posted above in my reply to a friend.   Added a few comments that concern DH & me, since we've heard differing info prior to this show...  Hi, Bea... Here's the CBS article that describes the segment: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/17/60minutes/main4023451.shtml Basically, it seems that that act of separating the pouch from the stomach has added benefits... diabetic / cancers... so this would mean that primarily RNYs would benefit. The panel of 6 -8 people had all stopped taking their diabetic meds soon after surgery, so the effect came much sooner than their weight loss. This alone was a positive, as many diabetics are not MO, so their focus might end up being on getting well and trying not to lose too much weight. As a positive...their health could be improved, but WLS comes with it's own set of requirements. When I was in the hospital for my RNY, a LapBand patient was taken off of her Humilin so there must be more to it. My Support Group Leader mentioned that staff meetings were ongoing as doctors would like more people (not obese / over-weight) to be considered by insurance companies, if their diabetes requires another treatment. Over the last few months, I have heard that the diabetes "returns" in a milder form, I have also heard about "resistant hypogycemia", which I still don't fully understand... but that would suggest that there is more to learn within the medical community. The Main board received a few comments on the second "page" from members. One made a good point. Although increased suicides after WLS was brought up in the segment, the answer was vague at best. I think that it was a good beginning discussion and that WLS was seen in a positive light. Follow-ups should be interesting. Ro & DH, who thought that the segment was very good!

OH YES!  I forgot about the cancer...I can't remember the percentage...but RNYer's are a significant percent less likely to get any / all types of cancers than people who have not had RNY surgery. Pretty cool!!!!! It was something I had not heard. As for diabetes, they did RNY on a rat with diabetes and it too went into diabetes remission.  (BTW, I was off insulin in two days in the hospital and have maintained normal sugars since)  Anyway so they tried just disconnecting the Duodenum and that is where they found the problem with diabetes.  The rat was cured...So they reversed the surgery and put the duodenum back where it was and the rat got its diabetes back!  It was quite remarkable...Enough to begin trying this on non-morbidly obese diabetics.  The suicide rates surprised me. The one doctor when asked about it only had this to say..."I guess, some people do not have all their problems resolved before/after ( ???) surgery."  (I'm quoting from memory...so I can't remember his exact words)  Depression and suicide is too personal and dire a situation to blame on RNY...I believe the doctor is correct to say that it is issues that were there before surgery and not resolved after.  I went thru ten years of therapy and group support for my childhood abuse and a rape...and spent another 15 years deep soul searching...I was ready to shed my wall of security...My obesity. I embraced being thin and I became so much less depressed because I was ready for it .  It's sad to me that people don't get help first and believe that being thinner will make all their deep problems go away.  If you don't look into your own soul where weight is not the issue but the result of underlying problems...after weight loss you are still facing the same YOU and if the problems are external, well it's obvious that being thinner won't help external problems either...So yes...I can see people expecting to be someone else or having someone else's life and finding they are still themselves only thinner. And that can be very tragic for some people especially if they have no loving support to help them through rough spots.  Just my opinion...It reminds me of people who blame childhood suicide on the music they listen to...Why do we always need to pass blame to find peace?  Why not just face the problem and accept it happened...understand it and and leave it behind to find peace.  We first need to find someone or something to blame our pain on instead...and that's such a long sad way to never take responsibility for anything. Sorry for going off on a tangent there!   I'm still so surprised that only 200,000 have had RNY!  I really thought it was at least triple that!  I don't know why I thought there were so many more...No wonder the stats are so varied and so vague yet.  There isn't enough of us...or long enough to really make any serious claims either for or against RNY or any WLS for that matter.

Hi, Anita... I thought that I heard the same 1% as the total, but the artical in the link above said: (CBS) But now researchers are studying people who've had bypass surgery, because they tend to keep the weight off. "And in those populations, very interestingly, the cancer, overall cancer risk, is greatly reduced, cut in half," Calle explains. The number of people having weight loss operations grows every year. But it's still a small number compared to the millions who are eligible for the surgery and the many more who could benefit. "So, what percent of the people who are eligible for this operation, actually eligible, get it?" Stahl asks. "Actually, less than one per cent," Dr. Hutcher says. "And how many had the operation this year," Stahl asks. "About 200,000. So it's one percent," he says. ______________________________________________________________________ If there are 200,000 / year, where are they?  I've met about 3 of them so far.   Ro

Kudos on kicking the insulin!!! Your explanation on suicide makes a lot of sense.  I wish that the show had put more focus on the current thinking on the increase in suicides.  Thanks for sharing! Ro