catwoman7

it actually usually does alleviate it. I think the OP's case is a bit unusual...

I agree with the others - I've never heard of that, and I've been hanging out on bariatric boards for a few years now. It's probably just a coincidence.

yes - it will get better. I really don't notice a difference now that I'm a few years out (and haven't in a long time). The only thing is, I can't eat nearly as much at one sitting as I could pre-surgery.

Yes - I would ask to speak to a supervisor at the FSA company. FSA will usually cover these with an LOMN. The people who normally answer the phone usually aren't in a position to make changes to the computer system to override things, even if they're incorrect - but a supervisor should be able to do that.

DS patients malabsorb a lot more calories than other patients - so you'll likely be able to eat a lot more than your current 1500-1600. I'm not a DS patient and there aren't too many of them around, but I know a lot of them seem to eat a lot of fat - that would certainly bump up your calories pretty significantly... are you still in touch with your clinic? Maybe a dietitian could help with this? Or else check on one of the DS threads if they're still active and see what others who've had that surgery have done.

all of my food restrictions were lifted once I was about six months out or so. At 1.5 years out, I could have definitely eaten that - if not before then. You're not going to stretch your sleeve on that.

that's odd - normally bypass improves it (if you had it before) if not totally cures it. It's not that it couldn't happen but....certainly not a common thing. I wonder if it's something like a hernia (??). It's good they're doing the endoscopy - then you'll know for sure. Sorry you're going through this!

wow! You are lucky - congrats! Usually they just cover the panniculectomy - if they even agree to cover that much!

I had to do an EKG, a nuclear stress test (since my surgeon required it for patients over 50 years old), a sleep study...that might have been it (in addition to the labs and the various meetings). You'll almost certainly have to have a COVID test a couple of days before surgery, too, since that seems to be standard before any hospital procedure these days.

I was almost never hungry and had little to no interest in food until I was about five months out, when my hunger came back. I loved it and wished my hunger had never come back! It felt so liberating not having food on my mind all the time for about the first time in my life, and it was so easy to lose weight when I didn't give a hoot about food!. So..."enjoy" it while it lasts... as far as the protein goes, getting that and your fluids are your #1 goals right now, so do whatever you can to make sure you're meeting requirements.

if it's been 18 months, I bet a lot of "normies" would believe you if you said you lost it on your own. That's over a year, so.... My first year or two out I told normal weight people that I was working with a dietitian, low carbing, and exercising like a fiend. Skinny people believe that schlock. I was honest with other obese people, though. But yea - after 18 months, it would be entirely believable by most people that you did it via diet and exercise, since that calculates out to 3-4 lbs per month

I was that way for the first year or two, but not anymore. I think it depends on the person. For some, it's permanent, for others, it's just temporary...

just wanted to say I can relate - and my weight has headed up a little (a couple of lbs - but I need to rein this in before it becomes a real problem). Right now I'm just trying to find ways to stay out of the house in the afternoons, when the temptation is the strongest. Whatever it takes...

I'd be really careful the first few months and follow your clinic's program. Yes - the time will come when you don't have any restrictions and can eat most/all things in reasonable portions as long as your stomach will tolerate it, but the first few months are pretty critical. You're in that magical period when it's not that hard to lose weight as long as you follow the rules - so take full advantage of that!

leaks are apparent right away - usually before you ever leave the hospital. You've been healed for years, so it wouldn't be that. And like toodlerue said, it might not even be related to your surgery. I'd see a doctor if it were me.

that's the same as ursodiol. One is a brand name, the other is a generic. I can't remember which is which, but it's the same drug.

yep - a lot of people have trouble with eggs the first few weeks/months. Also, sausage is kind of heavy and has spices (even though it's turkey rather than pork). So that might have contributed as well. I ate pretty blandly the first month or two.

that's a pretty standard medication for the first few months after weight loss surgery. I think I had to take it for six months. It doesn't ENSURE you won't get gallstones, but it cuts the risk of getting them pretty considerably.

Foodie here as well. The first few months are hard because there are a lot of restrictions, but after that, there really aren't. You just eat much smaller portions. I'm OK with that. I can eat pretty much anything, I just don't eat a lot at one sitting anymore. But honestly, neither do most of my never-been-obese women friends. When we meet for a meal, for example, they (and I) will usually just order an appetizer - or else order an entree and take half of it home. I think that's the way a lot of "normies" eat. note that I am several years out. Of course, the first few weeks you aren't eating half an entree - you're eating maybe 1/4 cup of something. But that's temporary.

yes - I've been hanging out this and other boards for about seven years - and I've read several posts from revision patients saying the weight loss is slower after a revision.

# 1 rule - don't compare yourself to others. People lose weight at all different rates due a bunch of different factors, many of which you have little to no control over - starting BMI, age, gender, genetics, metabolic rate, body composition (how much muscle vs fat vs bone you have), how much weight you lost prior to surgery, etc. The only two things you DO have a lot of control over is how closely you stick to your clinic's eating plan and your activity level. If you do well with both of those things, then you WILL lose the weight, whether fast or slow. I was a slow loser from the get-go. I was behind my "co-hort" pretty much the whole time (I know this because of an insensitive comment by a medical resident who did a couple of my follow-up appts). But I kept plugging away and ended up losing ALL of my excess weight, over 200 lbs. if you follow your program, stay active, and your general weight trend is down, you're golden.

you really do need to take your vitamins. Gastric bypass involves malabsorption of nutrients, so you could develop deficiencies over time. Some deficiencies you can recover from, and others not. Taking vitamins for life is part of the deal. on your other topic, if you stick to your plan, you'll eventually get to your goal. The closer you get to it, the slower the weight loss will be. The last few months I lost like 2 lbs (about a kilo) a month, but I kept at it and the weight loss didn't stop until I was 20 months out.

I think those thoughts are pretty normal. I had them myself. BUT....I know what would happen because it happened a million times before. I tried to lose weight for DECADES (I'm in my 60s). On my more successful attempts, I'd lose 50 or 60 lbs. I'd sit there for a couple of months, and then the weight would start piling back on. On my less successful attempts, I'd lose maybe 20 lbs. Same thing. Every time. Over and over. For decades. I was over 200 lbs overweight. I finally had to get real with myself. If I couldn't even keep 50 lbs off, how in the heck was I going to lose and keep off 200 lbs? I came to the conclusion that weight loss surgery was the only way I was ever going to get the weight off and keep it off. I'd do it again in a heartbeat and my only regret is that I didn't do it years ago.

pre-surgery I never thought Tylenol did much for me, but actually, it does. I mostly take it for headaches, but oddly, I rarely get them anymore. I had pretty much zero pain after surgery. They sent me home with pain meds which I never even bothered to open. I think I might have taken Tylenol the first couple of days, though (I can't really remember since it's been a few years). Pain with these surgeries is really across the board - some people have none, some people have a lot. Most people seem to have little to none, though. But if you're one of the unfortunate ones who has pain with this surgery, you'll have the pain meds - just take them as directed to keep on top of it, and it should be pretty manageable.

Gummies supposedly have fewer vitamins in them other forms of multis. Most surgeons tell you not to take them. ibuprofen (and all NSAIDs) have been "banned" for gastric bypass patients for years because they can cause ulcers. But more and more surgeons are now telling their sleeve patients not to take them, either. I take Tylenol instead now.