catwoman7

it's been a few years, but I think the pre-op screening was more basic panels - like metabolic panels, glucose, etc. After surgery they started doing all the nutritional ones.

some people don't have to give it up. I think most of us do - at least temporarily. A few are told to give it up for life.

I suppose there's a chance you could, but it's a lot less likely if you lose a lot of weight.

I mostly just do cardio that I happen to like - such as bicycling and water aerobics. Otherwise, it doesn't "stick".

I could eat eggs sometime within the first month or so (don't remember exactly when because it's been a few years since I had surgery), but I know for some people, it's a few months before they can handle eggs.

most surgeons will recommend that patients who have reflux issues go the bypass route rather than the sleeve route. Bypass usually improves if not outright cures reflux. Sleeve can make it worse. It doesn't happen to everyone - in fact, some sleevers have said theirs improved, but for about 30%, it does get worse. Those odds were too high for me, so i went with bypass (like you, I had issues with it before surgery). Many cases can be controlled medically (by taking PPI's), but some people end up revising to bypass. regardless of which surgery you get, a lot surgeons automatically put their patients on PPI's for the first 3-6 months post surgery just so any potential acid issues don't affect the healing. If yours doesn't, and if you start having issues, ask. They'll probably put you on one.

acidic things can be hard on stomachs. I still to this day (over seven years out) occasionally have trouble with tomatoes and some fruits - also, certain beverages that are acidic. And acidic coffee - UGH! So I understand!! Crystal Light never bothered me, though. Not sure what to tell you. Sorry you're having to deal with this!

I don't do beef so I can't advise you on that, but like others have said, dry meats are tough to handle the first few weeks. I know chicken (like a chicken breast, for example) can be hard for a lot of people, too - too dry. I started with things like deli turkey and canned tuna. oh yea - like someone else said, lettuce (and other raw vegetables) can be really hard on some people's stomachs, too. I think I was at least four months out before I tried that.

it's highly doubtful you'll need a home health nurse. My husband took a week off to be home with me, and he ended up going back to work after three days. I just didn't need him. I mean, it was nice to have someone go get beverages and protein shakes for me, but I could have done it myself. it's also doubtful you'll need to take 4-6 weeks off. Most of us take two, but many have said they could have gone back earlier. I took three weeks off and definitely could have gone back after two - maybe even a little earlier. I had a desk job.

I don't think the mini gastric bypass is very common in the US, but as I recall, there are several people on here from Europe who've had it.

I also had elevated liver numbers for about a year after surgery. As others have said, it's not uncommon and it's because weight loss (esp rapid weight loss) is really hard on livers. My numbers normalized after my weight loss slowed way down. I don't know about that particular test or the GGT, though. Hopefully this is just the normal liver-going-nuts-about-the-weight-loss thing, and not anything worrisome. The biopsy is probably a good idea if the GI doctor is concerned about something. The good thing about livers is, depending on the issue, they can regenerate.

same here. Amazingly, at well over 300 lbs, my bloodwork was always in the normal range, but on the very high end. Now it's all on the very low end of normal. My borderline sleep apnea is long gone.

what's the bariatric specialist setting like? Is it in his/her office where you get the surgery and then get sent home after a couple of hours? If so, I know some people do that - although personally I'd rather be in a hospital that first night in case anything happened.

VSG is actually stage one of the DS. Years ago many surgeons did the DS in two stages (first, the sleeved stomach, then a few months later, the bypassed small intestine). Some patients did really well just with stage 1, so they started offering the sleeved stomach as a standalone surgery. Ta da! The VSG was born! so yes - lots of DS'ers had their DS done in two stages (esp those who had it done several years ago), and there are definitely people who've revised from VSG to DS. It's a more straightforward surgery than going from VSG to RNY, since you're already halfway to the DS when you have a VSG.

that's pretty average. That's about what I lost, and we started out around the same weight. I don't know of too many people who've lost more than that at that juncture - a few lucky ones, and those who started out MUCH heavier than us. But otherwise, no. That's a pretty normal loss for three months out.

I agree with Arabesque - my first thought was lactose intolerance - or maybe an intolerance to an artificial sweetener. Neither is uncommon....

after the first month, a lot of us lose about 10 lbs a month, give or take----and then as you get further out, it drops to around 5 lbs a month (and after the first year, mine dropped to a pokey 2 lbs +/- until my weight loss finally stopped at 20 months out). So it may be a stretch to hope for a 19 lb drop at five months out (not that it's impossible - but not likely). Regardless, looks like you're doing pretty well so far!

I do Leslie Sansone sometimes. I also really like Reps to the Rhythm.

you're lucky. My pre-op diet was two weeks of no-cal (or ultra-low-cal) liquids, SF popsicles, SF Jello, and 4-5 protein shakes a day. It was dreadful.

I get that sometimes from medications. PPIs are known for that, for one - are you taking one of those? Like omeprazole? Things like Biotene spray, gel, and toothpaste can help - or SF gum or candy that's made with xylitol.

there are people who've lost quite a bit of weight after WLS even without exercise (for similar reasons as yours). Exercise is great for your overall health and people should do it if they can, but as far as weight loss, 90% of that is diet.

it does go by fast. Spend time online on this and other bariatric forums, reading everything you can. I did this to pass the time, and by the time my surgery rolled around, I felt I was very prepared for it...

re: marriages - some get better, some don't. And some stay the same. I think it might depend somewhat on how it was going BEFORE the surgery. Mine got better. My husband was always really active and always on the go, and I rarely had the energy to keep up with him when I weighed over 300 lbs. And some things he liked to do I just flat out couldn't do at that weight (like biking, hiking, and kayaking). Now...I can! And I have no trouble keeping up with him! So now we're able to do a lot together. I think we're both happier for it. he was fine with my post-surgery eating since he knew it was a means to an end. I can eat more-or-less normally now (except my portions are much smaller), and have been able to since I was about a year out.

I think SIPS is a modified version of the DS (duodenal switch). I've heard of it but don't know anyone who's had it. IIRC, the traditional DS has a double anastomosis rather than a single (the SIPS has a single)

12 lbs in three weeks at your starting weight is normal. Unless someone is the size of the people on "My 600 lb Life", they usually lose somewhere in the 15-25 lb range that first month post-surgery. Yes - you'll sometimes find people who lose more or less than that range, but they're outliers. I lost 16 lbs the first month post-op (not sure where I was at the three week mark since it's been over seven years, but I was probably exactly where you are - about 12 lbs down), and I ended up losing 100% of my excess weight - over 200 lbs. if you stick to your program, you WILL lose the weight, whether fast or slow. In the end, your level of commitment to your program is what determines your success, not your rate of weight loss.