After 6 Years I Ave Regained Every Ounce and Now Have a Host of Horrible Side Effects

I went to a leading diabetic dr. and he told me that my stomsche was dumping almost right after eating also. I was told to add fiber or more good fats to keep it from doing this as fast. I now have IBS and food can go right through me but many days. And at other times it just slows up and won't move, if you know what I mean? But either way the fiber helps! It also asorbs fats! And we know fiber helps with weight lost. I know without it the food just dumps and sits in my bowels and all the fats just get asorbed, becaus eteh food doesn't have time to get broken down in the stomache, like it should. I really do hope this will help you. There are fiber pills to make it easier to get fiber with every meal. God bless and help you and all the others on this site!

I am 6 years out and I wanted to know how did you know your stoma was enlarged? I have gained back 10 pounds and on occassion, I have had it where I eat and then 30 minutes to an hour I am hungry so I was just wondering what I should be looking out for to ask my PCP. Thanks.

Hi There
Everyone who has this operation will have thier stomach stretch back to some point. It depends how much and how long you push it. You can tell that you are stretching it out when you are able to eat and keep down more. Anyone who has experienced the horrid pain that shoots up your back when you push it too far knows thier limits in thier capacity to eat. As with me I can pretty much get a full Christmas dinner down now without feeling anything more than wanting to unbutton my top button on my pants, but that doe's not give me the green light to go ahead and eat whenever or whatever I want. Now you cannot depend on your operation to keep you in check. It is time for you to take charge and know when to say no to yourself.
As adults we sometimes need to parent ourselves and this is one of those times.
There are foods that we digest much slower than others. To stay full these foods eaten early in the day will help in keeping you full. You know which foods these are as these are the one that we are still burping up 3 days after eating as it takes longer for the acids to break them down. My food is steak or even ground beef. I rairly feel hungry if I have these heavy protiens sitting in my stomach. ones that digest quickly are the high calorie items like dairy and flour. the more you push the limits of your stomach the more you will be able to take in then you end up relieing on just yourself to maintain your wieght loss as your operation has been sabotaged by yourself.
good luck and good life

@ Fairfield2531

I went to my bariatric surgeon and the did an upper endoscopy to find this out. But, in my experience there is nothing they can do for it, at least in my area.

Thank you so much for your testimony. It was helpful. I continue to struggle.

I am so glad to hear your comments. I am 8 years out and lost from 291 down to 171. In the last 6 months I've picked up about 20lbs and am at 191. I am 5'8 in height. As soon as I realized my weight gain I began to get worried and go get a physical. I found out that my stoma was enlarged and that I have low thyroid issues. I am on the thyroid meds and have more energy than ever before. I workout every morning or walk 2 miles every evening. I watch what I eat as well. Gastric Bypass is not for everyone. Some people seem to think that you need to just lose and not maintain. Follow the pre surgery rules...I didn't before and wish I had.

1989 was the year I had my operation. I am going on 25 years and still over a hundred pounds lighter than I was. Mostly because of my size I am able to move around and burn energy rather than storing it now. My problem was that there was so much weight there was not a chance I was willing or even able to do much moving . Now I am aware of how easy it is to gain and even though it is a daily fight with temptation. I rise to the challenge and do whatever is needed to maintain the best I can. In my day I was the only fat kid ,now your lucky if your the only slim kid. And in that thought makes obesty acceptable. So Sad. I have issue directly or indirectly with my operation. But you do not cry over something you cannot control you just strive to learn from others experences and make the best choices for yourself to succeed in staying somewhat healthy. My advice.Take your vitamines, Tons of water, walk, stand, play as much as you can. It becomes injoyable and a way of life after a while. Take your vitamines and do your blood test religeously every year whether you want to or not. Results will keep you in check as to what your body needs and how it is doing. And get off the aspartame. BAD STUFF Work towards your reconstruction surgery. Start small if you have to. Self worh and self esteem are HUGE. I know what looking like a sack of skin and bones looks like. No money/ Insurance? Chew gum all through and after losing weight I have no double roaster gobble going on under my chin because of it. Wear Black tights when running and exersicing keep everything tight to you and not flapping and being stretched and pulled. Those spandex biking shorts are the best and can be worn under dresses and skirts. Stay away from heavy upperbody exersicing as when your able to wear sleevless again you will have minimized the heavy purple stretch marks.And if the plastic surgery afterwards is out of your reach then you do not want those breasts even more mis shapen Wear wide side band bras and stay with briefs to minnimize the appearance of rolls of the skin showing. Remember to accept everyone has issues just different ones and you work around them the best you can.

Geewiz I am nearly ten years out. I started at 260 and lost 130 and have kept it off. I was 47 when I had surgery and I tell women that we have years of perfecting the art of disquise trying to cover our obesity. Loose skin can be covered as well. I did eventually go on to have reconstructive surgery but I met my husband and married with the loose skin. I don't know if we can post links but I have some pictures of me before reconstructive surgery. A pair of tight jeans and a good bra go a long way. I also have a video of about 20 women and men showing their before and after shots that I could share. It is so important to address the psychological aspects and know that we have to deal with why we used food to self medicate our pain away. Support is super important. I volunteer full time in order to help others walk a smoother journey because I can tell them where the speedbumps are. Cross addiction is REAL. If you educate yourself this can be the most incredible miracle of your life. If you nurture and respect your surgery, it will do the same for you. I'm here to help. This is no easy way out. Every day I have to put in the effort to keep this going and I'm grateful to have this second chance at life.

Yvonne, I am 5 years out and still down about 140 lbs (I have gained and lost the same 3 lbs). I am 5'7 1/2 and weigh 145 lbs. I am one of the blessed people who got to have the body and breast, arm and thigh lifts. I am 51 and am often mistaken for 38. I have started ice skating and know I have to remain physically active in order to maintain my weight loss.

I honestly think the follow up plastic surgery has been one of the greatest factors in maintaining this weight loss. When you reach the pinnacle of success and get down into size 4-6, you will do whatever you can to maintain the loss.

I know many/most people cannot afford plastic surgery and I feel sooooo sad about that. Insurance companies should pay for this reconstructive surgery; especially because it will result in people more likely remaining their loss and remain healthy.

If you are someone who can afford to take out a loan for the post surgery (In other words, you work and can afford the payments), I would encourage you to do so.

I am grateful everyday of my life that I had gastric bypass and am so much healthier now. That alone is a blessing; the other surgeries are the cherry on top.

"maintaining" their weight loss (typo)

Hey Gbeana! Better late than never. I don't think I was notified when you posted. I love your story and can definitely relate. I'm very pleased that you have been able to maintain. Unfortunately there are many factors in whether or not we maintain. First we have to be educated about our disease. The education is lacking across the board and many of us are trying as hard as we can to share our experience. I do know many people who have gotten to the weight they want and maintained it without reconstructive surgery. I also know some that have had the reconstructive surgery that gained some back. A lot also depends on how severe their need for using food (or other things) as a coping mechanism and how self aware they are. Self awareness is all about knowing yourself, identifying old habits that are destructive and changing those to good habits into positive outcomes.

I work on my head every single day in 24 hour segments. Sometimes it all gets overwhelming and it's better to know that I just have to these things just for today. We can worry into the next ten years and that only stresses us more. The next day I start all over....fresh....no matter what. We cannot change the past.

When you look at the results from weight loss surgery you will find as many variations as sand on the ocean. Everybody's journey is different and sometimes the perception of how that journey has turned out gets turned around. Gbeana I see exactly why you are doing well and that's because you come from a place of gratefulness. Every day I remember where I was and how much better it is today. Nothing will ever be perfect but I can appreciate all that I have instead of concentrating on all that I don't have. It's a total waste of time and it brings those things into your life. My favorite most recent quote :"Worrying is praying for what you don't want". I'm really happy for you Gbeana and I wish you a continued, grateful journey.

quit worrying about looks. Who gives a rats a3s about turkey necks and sagging arms! What about before they lost weight when they were fat roll after fat roll. Oh...that Is attractive compared to turkey necks???

Nice comment. Congrats on your success!

So your thinking is that these women should stay fat and diabetic and at risk of early death from heart failure because they might have excess skin that can be removed with surgery. I have many friends who are over 5 years out and none of them have any regrets. Yes, they have all had cosmetic surgery and they look great and feel great too. Your skin might not contract but that can be easily fixed. But you can't regrow a heart of magically cure diabetes. You have to lose the weight for that and surgery has almost triple the success rate of long term weight loss than diet change....especially 5 years out.

IT is a really personal decision whether or not to have a tummy tuck, lose the skin under the arms, on the thighs, etc. Sometimes money is a factor, sometimes a person just does not want to have any more surgery, sometimes the vast improvement in health and mobility are enough to satisfy. Let us not rip into one another over personal choices or push our choices onto others. I really appreciate reading supportive and positive comments. It gives me joy and a push to continue on in my lifelong journey to fight obesity.