With regards to the topic of the safety of Gastric Bypass Surgery, I have to say that yes it is a safe procedure. It is a safe procedure that requires a lot follow up and life change. Any kind of surgery is risky, and doctor will tell you that. Anytime that the body is opened up there is room for infection or complications. I had Gastric Bypass surgery three years ago and it was the best decision that I ever made with regards to my physical and mental health. It was not the easy fix that many speak of and it still is not. I work at it each and every day and I work on everything from eating right to exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. There is much controversy over this procedure and has always been for a long time. I did a large amount of research before making my decision to have the surgery, I took criticism, and listened to everyone and their brother who had a friend of a friend of a cousin’s sister’s aunt whom I am not exactly sure even really existed who had some sort of horrendous issue with the surgery. Don’t get me wrong, I have talked to people that have post surgery complications, but they got through them and are doing great now. Gastric Bypass is not for everyone, you have to be dedicated to wanting to change your life, and it is harder than you can believe. There are times when I want to have that Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Egg at Easter or that piece of cake at a birthday party, and I do have them, I admit it, I do, but I have 1 and not 5 Eggs, or I have half the piece of cake instead of a piece that could feed three small children.
I was very lucky to have gone to a great group of doctors and staff that really prepared me for surgery and life after surgery. I have always been heavy all of my life and have spend money on all of the diet fads and been a Jenny Craig drop out and a Weight Watcher’s failure, I had ingested all sorts of diet pills as well as ate right and exercised like a crazy woman, but it did not work for me. Gastric Bypass worked for me. I have more energy and have been involved with so many more things such as playing Roller Derby and taking dance classes. I found the life that I had always wanted and it has been a journey. So people say that Gastric Bypass is dangerous, well I say beating up your body with fad diets and pills is more dangerous. Nothing is a quick fix, not even surgery.
I always said, some people are addicted to alcohol or drugs. Well my addiction was food. I was addicted to the fun of food, the taste the texture, the planning when I was going to eat next. My addiction was more difficult to overcome or deal with that alcohol or drugs because with alcohol and drugs, you don’t need them to live or survive, you need food to survive, so going day in and day out face to face with you addiction is hard. People who do not have this problem don’t understand it. Many of my friends didn’t understand that, and that was OK, but I certainly wasn’t and won’t go up to a smoker and say, oh come on just put the cigarette out and quit today, it’s not big deal. I can’t tell someone with an addiction to stop something they are addicted to because I don’t understand it, yet people had no problem passing judgment on me or others, call it cheating or an easy way out. I have found a great deal of power from negative comments and it only makes me want to reach out to others who are going through what I go through to help them. I always promote being healthy and making changes to better ones life, and if the surgery is right for you, then it’s right for you, and if it’s not, then so be it, but in my opinion, it is something that everyone should at least consider if they have been struggling for a long time. It’s time to take your life back, like I took mine back, and I am enjoying every moment of it.
