What about medication?

[speifer]

I'm new to all of this. I just got Alissa's book & DVDs the other day. I've watched the DVDs and am reading the book. Neither my husband nor myself have felt good for a long time and we both need to lose a lot of weight. I think this might be the answer.

My husband's doctors have encouraged him to have gastric bypass surgery as he is having severe problems with his knees and the doctor will not do a knee replacement unless he loses a lot of weight. He also has COPD as well as cardiac problems for the past 22 years after having a triple bypass at the age of 39. Our health insurance does not cover gastric bypass so that is not an option. I'm thinking it is a good thing as I don't think that would solve the problem.

My husband is concerned about all the medication that he takes and how his body will react if he starts eating 100% raw. I've heard a lot of people don't need medication after going raw but do you need watch out for the medicine becoming too strong as your body gets 'cleaned up'? Checking with his doctors I know is a good idea but remember, these are the people who want him to have his stomach stapled.

Any guidance or experience anyone has on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Sharon in Colorado]

This is a very sensitive topic as none of us are qualified medical staff that can answer those kinds of questions.

However I highly recommend calling the pharmicist and going through his meds one by one asking if there are foods that would be a problem. I know when I was taking statins I wasn't supposed to have grapefruit. So be very careful.

It may take some time and your doc may suggest cutting some of them in half when he doesn't need them as much. Eventually on the raw diet he won't need them but the determning factor is his own health and raw journey, you just have to play that by ear and blood tests!

By the way, my father died of a heart attack at age 39. Many relatives with the same condition died young, late 30's and early 40's of heart attacks. I am now 39 and last time I checked my cholesterol dropped over 100 points on my current plan, from being a cooked vegetarian, which was over 350.

I have genetic high cholesterol and most of my relatives with the same condition are on meds. I am not currently on any meds aside from baby aspirin, but I have to watch my fat intake and excercise on a regular basis. I can't fool around with my family history, I suggest getting super serious about your hubby's diet and lifestyle plan, because meds are just a bandaid for a deepeer more serious condition.

The best thing I'd suggest which is what has helped me, especially for your husband's heart condition and bypass history is to seriously watch the fat intake, eat a ton of fruits and greens and get plenty of activity, slowly at first with the doctor's okay. Good fats in moderation are okay (like 10-20% of calories) but do be careful with too much.

[Sharon in Colorado]

P.S. I strongly encourage and recommend checking out the site http://www.ibeatobesity.com/ which really gives a good insight on gastric bypass surgery. This lady was obese and lost just as much weight on the raw diet and didn't have to limit her food intake and be on a severely restricted diet as many post-up patients have.

[speifer]

Thanks so much for the information. Yes, I'm glad I found this website also. I guess I would have to thank the Tyra Banks show as I was having one of those sleepless nights and was flipping through the TV channels when I stopped to watch the results of the three diets for the contest that they had. That was the first time I had heard about Alissa Cohen. I've been reading as much as I can find ever since then.

Keeping the fat intake below 20% does make a lot of sense. And I did check with the pharmacist who looked at my husband's medication list and said it would probably be much healthier and to just avoid a lot of grapefruit (which isn't a problem as he doesn't like grapefruit at all).

We'll have to see what the doctor says at his next appointment in a couple of months. I guess we just to have make the decision to do it.

[DavidZaneMason]

Opinion:

-Great questions / comments.

-Work with your health professional. I think working in more of the fruits and vegetables that you love.....at a pace that is right for YOU..........and working with your health professional to wean off of.....and reduce one's dependence on medication as a lifestyle.....can only be to your long-term benefit.

-Health and success to you and your loved ones!

-David Z. Mason

[RowanC]

What a brilliant website that is!
I sent the link to my "good" daughter in law. . . I'm trying to get her on the raw wagon.

Thanks!

[luckitri]

Perhaps my memory fails me but I thought that some gastric - bypass people started their own thread on here awhile back and possibly took it somewhere else. Please try searching with the banana.

Also I thought that some with more than 100 lbs to lose started communicating together around here somewhere.

I have seen successful gastric bypass and unsuccessful. I have seen people die from it. And I have seen people have horribly limited lives after having the surgery. I have also seen success. But more failures. I know a woman who has to eat constantly since having the surgery. I don't ask - I just see it 5 days a week. But I also work with another who is model georgeous and if she suffers she covers it well.

Once your body is cut open you are never the same after. I have plenty of my own surgery horror stories and I still have daily pain from what has been done to me.

Also the loose skin after major weight loss has been discussed on here quite a bit. I have read that it will tighten up on its own but not as quickly as it does with surgery but better cause no scarring.

Edit: 100 lb or more are supporting each other in the Personal Growth section.

[aubrey]

I am not in the medical profession, but I can relate some of my own experiences.

I had chronic illnesses and was also scheduled for a surgery to remove a very large endometriosis-caused ovarian cyst. I was on 14 different medications.

I went to my doctor and told him I wanted to be taken off everything and that I wanted to be 100% raw. He made me come in once a week for blood work, and made sure that my health was doing well despite the abrupt discontinuation of medicine. The first week I was pretty ill...we think it was detox. I kept getting better and better, and so did my blood work. After 4 weeks 100% raw and medication free, I was in complete remission. When I went in to have my surgery and they did the ultrasound to locate the cyst before the operation, it had completely vanished. No surgery required!

I was supervised by a health professional the first time I went raw, and I'm glad that he was supportive and worked through it with me, even though he didn't think it was a great idea medically. I proved him wrong and it was an awesome feeling to teach the doctor something new!

Best wishes to you...