mi75

I am SEVEN YEARS post op next week. Oh. My. Lanta!!!! How time has flown by.
Feeling good, looking pretty good still working on it every single day.
Where are all the long time vets at and what's your update?

Hi vets- It's been TEN years this year since I had my surgery. I hate that I'm writing this, realizing that I became the stereotypical regain person that I NEVER pictured I would be. I had so many life events- parent death, spouse job change, personal job change, night time job, kiddo diagnosed with severe anxiety/depression, etc etc and have had some regain.
Has anyone got a good 'recipe' for regain/reset? I've read multiple posts here from someone recommending 2 shakes plus 1 meal a day. Ideas?
Can anyone offer some wisdom to a failed sleever?

So as I mentioned in my last thread, I had VSG in 2014. I did quite well for a decent amount of time but after really losing focus of my diet and lifestyle I have had significant regain.
I have literally had GERD my entire life. When my surgeon initially told me that VSG WAS an option, I decided to go ahead with it thinking it was a much 'safer' option than RNY. He did reassure me that the GERD I had was directly related to my significant abdominal weight and that with weight loss it would subside.
It DID, and eventually I went from a double strength PPI twice a day to a H2 blocker (at my lowest weight) a few times a week. I thought I was over the moon with this!
However, fast forward about 4 years and now my GERD is worse than ever, I literally have productive reflux now. I will be sitting and talking to my husband and what I ate a couple hours ago will just shoot up to my throat without warning (I just read another thread saying this same thing). I get it SO bad when I lay in bed that I will run to the bathroom and literally spit out acid. When I had my VSG I had a hiatal hernia repair too, and I was under the impression that was a permanent fix but i'm thinking maybe not.
I have EGD this Thursday and frankly, I am petrified scared of what she will find. I'm not worried about my sleeve but I AM worried that there is irreversible damaged to my esophagus or God forbid, esophageal cancer is found.
IF I am found to not have anything significant, I've decided to go ahead with a revision for my longterm health. I have been on PPIs for decades. I want off of them. And I want to conquer the regain.

So as I mentioned in my last thread, I had VSG in 2014. I did quite well for a decent amount of time but after really losing focus of my diet and lifestyle I have had significant regain.
I have literally had GERD my entire life. When my surgeon initially told me that VSG WAS an option, I decided to go ahead with it thinking it was a much 'safer' option than RNY. He did reassure me that the GERD I had was directly related to my significant abdominal weight and that with weight loss it would subside.
It DID, and eventually I went from a double strength PPI twice a day to a H2 blocker (at my lowest weight) a few times a week. I thought I was over the moon with this!
However, fast forward about 4 years and now my GERD is worse than ever, I literally have productive reflux now. I will be sitting and talking to my husband and what I ate a couple hours ago will just shoot up to my throat without warning (I just read another thread saying this same thing). I get it SO bad when I lay in bed that I will run to the bathroom and literally spit out acid. When I had my VSG I had a hiatal hernia repair too, and I was under the impression that was a permanent fix but i'm thinking maybe not.
I have EGD this Thursday and frankly, I am petrified scared of what she will find. I'm not worried about my sleeve but I AM worried that there is irreversible damaged to my esophagus or God forbid, esophageal cancer is found.
IF I am found to not have anything significant, I've decided to go ahead with a revision for my longterm health. I have been on PPIs for decades. I want off of them. And I want to conquer the regain.

So as I mentioned in my last thread, I had VSG in 2014. I did quite well for a decent amount of time but after really losing focus of my diet and lifestyle I have had significant regain.
I have literally had GERD my entire life. When my surgeon initially told me that VSG WAS an option, I decided to go ahead with it thinking it was a much 'safer' option than RNY. He did reassure me that the GERD I had was directly related to my significant abdominal weight and that with weight loss it would subside.
It DID, and eventually I went from a double strength PPI twice a day to a H2 blocker (at my lowest weight) a few times a week. I thought I was over the moon with this!
However, fast forward about 4 years and now my GERD is worse than ever, I literally have productive reflux now. I will be sitting and talking to my husband and what I ate a couple hours ago will just shoot up to my throat without warning (I just read another thread saying this same thing). I get it SO bad when I lay in bed that I will run to the bathroom and literally spit out acid. When I had my VSG I had a hiatal hernia repair too, and I was under the impression that was a permanent fix but i'm thinking maybe not.
I have EGD this Thursday and frankly, I am petrified scared of what she will find. I'm not worried about my sleeve but I AM worried that there is irreversible damaged to my esophagus or God forbid, esophageal cancer is found.
IF I am found to not have anything significant, I've decided to go ahead with a revision for my longterm health. I have been on PPIs for decades. I want off of them. And I want to conquer the regain.

I'm an old VSG Vet, had my surgery in 2014. Initially lost a successful amount of weight. had some serious 'life' events- change of job, change to night shift, loss of parent, went to grad school and graduated, went to a second grad program, changed career path, etc. I was told in 2017 I had a serious metabolic issue with my liver and that helped me really get focused, went to Keto and lost all the regain I had plus much more, resulting in 100lb total loss. Since then, though, I've regained probably 50-60 lbs. I still feel some restriction which is great.
Long time issue has been GERD, it was severe PRE surgery but my quite renowned surgeon assured me that with the weight loss, the GERD would subside. It did. But with the weight gain over last 2 yrs, it's back and BAD.
I have EGD and colonoscopy coming up in a few weeks to assess the damage. I'm very scared due to the ongoing severe nature of the symptoms I'm having. I'm a healthcare provider so I know all of the 'things' that could present.
Because of all this, I'm heavily considering a revision. I have been on PPI for over 20 years. While my magnesium is fine, my bones are already having a lot of issues AND I'm scared to death of the brain effects.
What should I consider with revision, same doctor, different doctor, etc? Also I know that weight loss can be slower, but what type of rate of weight loss can be expected? Lastly, what kind of time off from my career can I hope for? I took 6 solid weeks with my VSG and it helped get my brain, behaviors etc really corrected before going back into the workplace.

Hi vets- It's been TEN years this year since I had my surgery. I hate that I'm writing this, realizing that I became the stereotypical regain person that I NEVER pictured I would be. I had so many life events- parent death, spouse job change, personal job change, night time job, kiddo diagnosed with severe anxiety/depression, etc etc and have had some regain.
Has anyone got a good 'recipe' for regain/reset? I've read multiple posts here from someone recommending 2 shakes plus 1 meal a day. Ideas?
Can anyone offer some wisdom to a failed sleever?

i have to eat a few meals out every week and right now i'm 8 wks post op. i have done Wendy's chili, hard shell taco from taco bell, 1/4 of a mcdonald's hamburger with 90% of bun removed, and Soups from different places.
i am TRYING to figure out how to make eating out a healthy option but truthfully most eat-out places have a ton of sodium. i am not carb phobic and can eat a very small portion of them several times a day (following my bariatric program) but most of the carbs are over done too (HUGE carb portions). i went to subway and got a turkey 3" and took ALL of the white spongy bread out of the bun and just had the very crusty outer shell. it was good but still couldn't eat most of that either

I'll be 8 years out this June!! I was doing great but have struggled with a 25 lb regain over the last year since I had covid. ordered some new Protein earlier this week and plan to get totally refocused over the weekend (once it arrives)!
Was doing Keto for the last 6 years and did great initially but have realized that I'm not losing anymore with it because my fat intake was just too high, so going back to a strict post-surgery eating plan.

Well I think that when people reach out for help from regain, they're looking for advice from others that experienced regain and what worked for them. Obviously not every approach works for every person but MANY here have found great success conquering their regain. For me, when I had regain and saw my bariatric team, they told me all the things that I knew they would say- do a post opt diet, go back to Protein Shakes, Portion Control, etc. A health issue required me to achieve nutritional ketosis and that's actually what helped me lose all of my regain and more. I conquered the health issue and lost my regain and have maintained over 5 yrs.

Almost 8 yrs VSG and had severe GERD beforehand. It significantly decreased post op but I've remained on PPI medication the entire time. I was down to 1-2 total doses per week, however I had some regain over the last year and am up to THREE TIMES daily!! It's everything to do with how I carry my weight- all in my middle. While I was quite satisfied with the GERD being almost totally resolved initially, I'm fearful that even IF I lose the current regain it won't go away to the extend that it was in the past.
I have been told by my bariatric team that a revision is likely the ONLY way to get the GERD to go away with 100% certainty. That sounds pretty good to me but I am quite fearful of surgery in general because I'm a nurse practitioner and we make terrible patients...
I would love to know what the loss pattern was like for those who had the revision and can I plan to see awesome results? I mean, BESIDES the GERD clearing up?
I am currently about 40 lbs about my ULTIMATE goal- I never reached that goal with my VSG, stopping about 12 lbs away from it...

I have had GERD for about 30 years, literally. I have been on some old school meds, and then on a PPI for about 19 years now. Even post VSG, and losing all my regain, my GERD persists. yes I am still taking a PPI. I've been on them all: Protonix, Nexium, Prevacid, Aciphex, etc.
I was told that after all my loss if it still persists then yes, RNY revision is my only option. I'm now 4.5 years post VSG and STILL hoping it will clear up...

Seven years ago today I got a second chance at life. I had multiple comorbidities and 2 organs were quite literally failing. I would have died within a couple years for sure. Surgery saved my life. Literally.
I've had a great post op course. I had some regain, one of my health issues returned, I focused and got even more serious and have been on track since.
What an incredible seven years I've had. Without VSG I may have very well not seen my child graduate high school this year. Or been here to support my mom when my dad died very quickly from cancer. Finished Nurse Practitioner school. Helped my husband through a complete 180 in his career. Or a million other things.
What a massive gratitude I have for this surgery. I will always identify as a WLS patient. I'll never take it for granted. Yes, I'll always have to work at it (I'm unfortunately not a patient who reached goal easily and moved on) but it's worth it.
My life is worth it.

I actually had severe diagnosed GERD for nearly 20 years pre-surgery and took ridiculous amounts of PPI. I also had my heart set on RNY because I was under the impression that VSG wasn't an option. My surgeon gave me the choice, saying that post surgery, once I lost the weight, the GERD would go away.
I chose VSG. I'm glad I did. During my surgery I also got a hiatal hernia repair and a fundoplication. Once I lost my weight the GERD was GONE. In total transparency, I've had a small amount of regain and it DID return but I'm working my way back down so meds are also gradually decreasing.
The main reason I'm glad I did VSG is because I had absolutely ZERO complications, no healing issues, had no malabsorption and just felt great in general. I did eventually develop lactose intolerance, but I'm told that can happen with either surgery.

I actually had severe diagnosed GERD for nearly 20 years pre-surgery and took ridiculous amounts of PPI. I also had my heart set on RNY because I was under the impression that VSG wasn't an option. My surgeon gave me the choice, saying that post surgery, once I lost the weight, the GERD would go away.
I chose VSG. I'm glad I did. During my surgery I also got a hiatal hernia repair and a fundoplication. Once I lost my weight the GERD was GONE. In total transparency, I've had a small amount of regain and it DID return but I'm working my way back down so meds are also gradually decreasing.
The main reason I'm glad I did VSG is because I had absolutely ZERO complications, no healing issues, had no malabsorption and just felt great in general. I did eventually develop lactose intolerance, but I'm told that can happen with either surgery.

YES it is Body Groove!!!!! Thanks so much! I think i'm gonna try this out for a month and see how it goes. Looks like a lot of fun!!
THANKS so much!

Is it Body Groove?
It's a bunch of people in what looks like a dance studio... the leaders has long dark hair, I think. I've done some of them on YouTube and I like them. I also found a guy who does Zumba on YouTube, and I like his stuff. He's Zumba Sulu.

Well I think that when people reach out for help from regain, they're looking for advice from others that experienced regain and what worked for them. Obviously not every approach works for every person but MANY here have found great success conquering their regain. For me, when I had regain and saw my bariatric team, they told me all the things that I knew they would say- do a post opt diet, go back to Protein Shakes, Portion Control, etc. A health issue required me to achieve nutritional ketosis and that's actually what helped me lose all of my regain and more. I conquered the health issue and lost my regain and have maintained over 5 yrs.

The end of 2021 is upon us! I can't believe how FAST this year went.
Anyone here planning to 'get on track', 'refocus', 'reset' etc in 2022?
I fell off the rails a bit in the last several months and looking to get myself back on track. I've been doing very traditional Keto level eating for the last 5 years but I would really like to go back to a more traditional 'bariatric' style eating with lower fat etc. Would like to keep my carbs low but really focus on Protein again and I honestly don't really remember what that would look like-having been so submerged in traditional keto for the last several years....
Anyone have any good resources for this? I never reached my ultimate goal (came within 20 lbs). Had a health scare and although it's under control I do have some weight that I would still like to move off.

The end of 2021 is upon us! I can't believe how FAST this year went.
Anyone here planning to 'get on track', 'refocus', 'reset' etc in 2022?
I fell off the rails a bit in the last several months and looking to get myself back on track. I've been doing very traditional Keto level eating for the last 5 years but I would really like to go back to a more traditional 'bariatric' style eating with lower fat etc. Would like to keep my carbs low but really focus on Protein again and I honestly don't really remember what that would look like-having been so submerged in traditional keto for the last several years....
Anyone have any good resources for this? I never reached my ultimate goal (came within 20 lbs). Had a health scare and although it's under control I do have some weight that I would still like to move off.

I can totally relate. I'm 2 years post sleeve and gained 10 lbs back with COVID and am working now on getting it back off. It's working! I can tell you that it's possible. I am eating like I did at the beginning with focus on Protein of 60 g or more per day, getting in my 8-10 glasses of Water a day, limiting carbs to fewer than 10 g per day. I haven't exercised yet. I've been back on the "reboot" for 2 weeks and lost 4 lbs so that's encouraging. My stomach hasn't stretched because I can still eat very little during a meal, so that's good news. My downfall was eating sweets all the time. I'm not doing that now. I think you can do it if you just remember why you had WLS in the first place and focus on the basics. Good luck!

Well I think that when people reach out for help from regain, they're looking for advice from others that experienced regain and what worked for them. Obviously not every approach works for every person but MANY here have found great success conquering their regain. For me, when I had regain and saw my bariatric team, they told me all the things that I knew they would say- do a post opt diet, go back to Protein Shakes, Portion Control, etc. A health issue required me to achieve nutritional ketosis and that's actually what helped me lose all of my regain and more. I conquered the health issue and lost my regain and have maintained over 5 yrs.

Well I think that when people reach out for help from regain, they're looking for advice from others that experienced regain and what worked for them. Obviously not every approach works for every person but MANY here have found great success conquering their regain. For me, when I had regain and saw my bariatric team, they told me all the things that I knew they would say- do a post opt diet, go back to Protein Shakes, Portion Control, etc. A health issue required me to achieve nutritional ketosis and that's actually what helped me lose all of my regain and more. I conquered the health issue and lost my regain and have maintained over 5 yrs.

Well I think that when people reach out for help from regain, they're looking for advice from others that experienced regain and what worked for them. Obviously not every approach works for every person but MANY here have found great success conquering their regain. For me, when I had regain and saw my bariatric team, they told me all the things that I knew they would say- do a post opt diet, go back to Protein Shakes, Portion Control, etc. A health issue required me to achieve nutritional ketosis and that's actually what helped me lose all of my regain and more. I conquered the health issue and lost my regain and have maintained over 5 yrs.

quite simply, you gotta get really real with yourself. Have a serious come to Jesus moment. What's more important? THIS is the moment where you either sink or swim. Seriously.
I had gradual regain. I KNEW I was eating the wrong stuff but I ate small amounts and figured i'd 'deal with it later'.....after some scary health news, I got myself focused and back on track.
It was that day when I realized that sadly, this is a DAILY battle for me. For many WLS patient, they lose their weight, they move on, and they have a 'regular' life. Not me. For ME, this is still a battle. 6 years out. still a battle. But my health is worth it.