James Marusek

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago. One of the factors in my decision was the fact that I had severe acid reflux (GERD). Sleeve will only make this condition worse. Since surgery my GERD has been in remission. A couple of the other reasons why I choose RNY is because it is almost a gold standard. This type of surgery has been done for a number of years and they have worked the bugs out of it.

It takes awhile to return to a new normal. I think I finally reached my happy state at 6 months post-op when all the problems seemed to melt away.

I did not have a stricture but many people on this website have reported having them. Some have to go through dilation two or more times. So it is a little common.

One of the dangers of surgery is from blood clots. Approximately 3% of the patients undergoing major surgical procedures will experience blood clots. The symptoms of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) is a dull ache or pain in the leg or tightness or swelling in the leg. Around half of those patients that experience a blood clot then experience a pulmonary embolism. The symptoms as the blood clot moves into the lungs. The symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are a sudden shortness of breath or chest pain with breathing. My discharge instructions read to contact the surgeons office if one experienced chest pain, rapid heartbeat or dizziness.

Generally I order either something small such as an appetizer as a meal or a full meal and take the rest home as leftovers for the week. Sometimes I get the look from waiters. But I am open about my surgery. I just explain to them that I have lost over 100 pounds through surgery and now my stomach is about the size of a fist. That generally seems to satisfy them.

According to the internet: Most people diagnosed with gastroparesis have idiopathic gastroparesis, which means a health care provider cannot identify the cause, even with medical tests. Diabetes is the most common known cause of gastroparesis. People with diabetes have high levels of blood glucose, also called blood sugar. Over time, high blood glucose levels can damage the vagus nerve. Other identifiable causes of gastroparesis include intestinal surgery and nervous system diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis. For reasons that are still unclear, gastroparesis is more commonly found in women than in men. The most common symptoms of gastroparesis are nausea, a feeling of fullness after eating only a small amount of food, and vomiting undigested food—sometimes several hours after a meal. Other symptoms of gastroparesis include * gastroesophageal reflux (GER), also called acid reflux or acid regurgitation—a condition in which stomach contents flow back up into the esophagus, the organ that connects the mouth to the stomach * pain in the stomach area * abdominal bloating * lack of appetite I had RNY gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago. That quickly corrected several medical conditions that I had including GERD and diabetes. So I think that the surgery may help you with this condition but perhaps not cure you of the problem, just make it less of a problem to deal with.

I would recommend against the lapland. There seems to be the possibility of serious complications downstream.

I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit and suffered through a week of caffeine withdrawal syndrome. This consisted of severe headaches and body aches. It is best to get this over with now instead of just prior to the operation, so you don't compound the withdrawal with the recovery from surgery.

It is common to have quite a bit of bruising during the first month after the operation because you are on blood thinners. But at 6 months post-op, this is abnormal. Need to see your doctor and resolve issue.

The three most important elements after RNY gastric bypass surgery are to meet your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. Weight loss is achieved after surgery through meal volume control. You begin at 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per meal and gradually over the next year and a half increase the volume to 1 cup per meal. With this minuscule amount of food, it is next to impossible to meet your protein daily requirements by food alone, so therefore you need to rely on supplements such as protein shakes. It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Many experience problems drinking protein shakes. You do not have to like protein shakes only tolerate them. There are many varieties of protein shakes available today. Experiment until you can find one you can tolerate. Whatever Protein shake you settle on it should be low on sugar and high on protein.

The transition to solid foods can be difficult. There is no need to rush things. Take baby steps. Your body is still healing.

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago and this is my approach to the maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

Make sure you have a good before photo so that you will have something to compare it with after surgery. When you go to the hospital request a trapeze bar above your hospital bed. It will help you get up after surgery. Less painful on your stomach.

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery primarily to improve my health. I am 3 years out now and still free of diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, GERD and other problems which plagued me prior to surgery. It is so great how these issues can be put to bed by this surgery. I have even been able to cut my asthma medicine in half. Congratulations on your improved health.

Congratulations.

Congratulations on your weight loss.

First and foremost, dumping is a learning experience. Once you have done it, you never want to repeat the experience again. So a couple words of wisdom. Recognize the pre-triggers and stop eating the moment you encounter them in the future. The pre-triggers can be hiccups, sneezing, excessive mucous, a change in the way food taste, and others. Individuals are different and their pre-triggers vary. Dumping experience can last for several hours. In general maintain a vertical position instead of a horizontal. If you lay down on a bed or couch, it will only aggravate the experience. As a result it is important not to eat a meal close to bedtime. Generally when I experience dumping, I go to the toilet and force myself to vomit up some of the food I ate. That helps to relieve the condition.

Congratulations on your surgery. This article describes my experience after my RNY gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf You may find some of the information helpful.

Congratulations.

Congratulations. This article describes my experience thus far in the Maintenance phase. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf

The rate of weight loss is dependent on the type of surgery. I had RNY gastric bypass and I lost my weight quickly and leveled off at 7 months. Individuals who have sleeve surgery tend to lose weight at a much slower pace but they are in the weight loss phase for a significantly longer period of time, sometimes 2 years, until they transition into the Maintenance phase. The total weight loss can be the same for both types of surgery. Sleeve patients can experience many stalls, so be patient.

I wish you the best of luck on your upcoming surgery. Check back with us when you are on the other side. Make sure you take a good before photo so you have something to compare it with as you lose weight.

I hit my first stall around month 2 or 3. The only advise I can offer is rigidly follow the program requirements for protein, fluids, vitamins, meal size, and exercise. The three most important elements after RNY gastric bypass surgery are to meet your daily protein, fluid and vitamin requirements. Food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. Weight loss is achieved after surgery through meal volume control. You begin at 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per meal and gradually over the next year and a half increase the volume to 1 cup per meal. With this minuscule amount of food, it is next to impossible to meet your protein daily requirements by food alone, so therefore you need to rely on supplements such as protein shakes.

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery over 3 years ago. It was one of the best decisions that I ever made. Dealing with the health insurance companies was the biggest pain-in-the-neck for the entire process. So put your blinders on and charge ever forward.

I never heard of iih, so I looked it up. iih is idiopathic intracranial hypertension. An estimated 100,000 Americans have IIH, and the number is rising as more people become obese or overweight. The disorder is most common in women between the ages of 20 and 50; about 5 percent of those affected are men. Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, is a major risk factor. Intracranial hypertension is a condition due to high pressure within the spaces that surround the brain and spinal cord. These spaces are filled with cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), which cushions the brain from mechanical injury, provides nourishment, and carries away waste. The most common symptoms of intracranial hypertension are headaches and visual loss, including blind spots, poor peripheral (side) vision, double vision, and short temporary episodes of blindness. Many patients experience permanent vision loss. Other common symptoms include pulsatile tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and neck and shoulder pain. Intracranial hypertension can be either acute or chronic. In chronic intracranial hypertension, the increased CSF pressure can cause swelling and damage to the optic nerve—a condition called papilledema. Chronic intracranial hypertension can be caused by many conditions including certain drugs such as tetracycline, a blood clot in the brain, excessive intake of Vitamin A, or brain tumor. It can also occur without a detectable cause. This is idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Because the symptoms of IIH can resemble those of a brain tumor, it is sometimes known by the older name pseudotumor cerebri, which means “false brain tumor.” Although I am not a doctor, it seems to reason that if iih is caused by obesity, reversing the obesity might reverse the condition. So I would give it a little more time to jump to conclusions. Shoot towards a goal of below BMI=30.