Dealing with Change after Bariatric Surgery

Dear Dr. LeCrone:

After many years of struggling with obesity because I was 150 lbs. overweight, I had bariatric surgery. I had tried many diets, joined weight loss programs, and consulted nutritionists, all to no long-term benefit. My diabetes, high blood pressure, gastric reflux, joint problems and sleep apnea all improved or disappeared after the surgery and weight loss. My improved physical health really gave me a new outlook on life but a whole set of psychological side effects appeared. Pre-surgical screening and counseling gave me a preview of possible changes that I would face, but I had no idea of how dramatic the changes in my marriage, my work, and my relationship with family and friends would become. I ended up getting a divorce, changing jobs and finding new friends. In looking back, some of these changes may have been for the best but I feel that I may have thrown out the baby with the bath water. Too many changes came too quickly when I really needed balance and a healthy perspective. The stress affecting me and a whole lot of other people took its toll and left a real trail of tears. If I had the whole thing to do over, I would have paid a lot more attention to the psychological side of weight loss. Please pass this on to your readers as it might help someone considering bariatric surgery.

-A reader in Indiana

Dear Reader:

Your experience is not uncommon for people making any radical change in their lives, especially when the change is dramatic and comes over a relatively short period of time. In your case, the change in your weight caused you to view the world and people around you in ways that were unfamiliar to you, and you needed time to process these changes. Dealing with relationships is often a very big part of your lifestyle change after weight loss. Support groups are often available to bariatric surgery patients to assist them in dealing with both the physical and psychological changes because of weight loss. A trained professional can also assist people make healthy transitions.