miss_smiles

Good luck!

I am having my sleeve revision to bypass tomorrow morning. I never thought I'd be doing this again, but 4 years later, here I am. Fingers crossed for no more reflux and more weight loss!

Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Congrats! I am 6 days post op from sleeve to bypass so I don’t have enough experience yet but my recovery is easier than the sleeve thus far.
i too was a bit pressured into the sleeve vs. bypass 7 years ago. I never even heard of it back then. Only the band and bypass; I wanted the bypass for the restriction & malabsorption.
i didn’t lost about 40 pounds with my sleeve and gained it all back. I also had no restriction after about a year. GERD also developed
welcome to the revision crew!

My sleeve is in May 23. I’m excited but nervous

HI everyone,
Just wondering how you are all getting on with the pre-op diet. It's the morning of day 6 for me, I've been surprised how well I am feeling! It's a really interesting insight for me about the times I 'want' or 'expect' to eat - when over this weekend I have been tempted (but resisted!). I use the kids as an excuse - and buy them things that are a big temptation - I think I pretend I am buying things for the children because I want them myself - I am going to be very careful I don't become a 'feeder'. My kids are all skinny and healthy but I want to keep them in healthy habits!
ALso the afternoons at the weekends - every time I walked through the kitchen my brain told me to eat. Standing by the toaster, near the fridge, near the larder - my brain is screaming to me to get in there and snack!
SO, I've lost 8 lbs in 5 days of the pre op diet so far. No problems with Constipation. Yesterday I cleared my wardrobe - got rid of the things in my current size that I won't wear in the next couple of months, put all the size down (and 2 sizes down) clothes in big bags under the bed to pull out when I need them, and tidied up. Feels great.
HOpe you guys are all doing well too
I am pretty darn excited! 10 days till my op!

Awesome! I too am having surgery on May 30th. Gastric sleeve. I am both hugely excited and hugely nervous! My doctor has me on a modified diet of 2 Protein Shakes a day and one light meal of Protein and veggies only. On the 28th (2 days before surgery) I have a totally liquid diet that includes the protein shakes, coffee (decaf), tea, broth, Jello and I can actually have a creamy Soup made by Pacific - they have Tomato, french onion, butternut squash.
I have to say that having that one small meal (I save mine for dinner) has made a HUGE difference in not being so hungry. I've also found that sugar-free hard candies help me when I am hungry, as I have something in my mouth so my mouth thinks I'm eating and my brain is distracted from the hunger, if that makes any sense.
I am new to this forum and am really looking forward to all the support and stories I will find. Quick question, my doctor says I will be in the hospital one (possibly two) nights. Any suggestions on what to pack for the hospital stay?

Ahhh congrats! So exciting. & thanks for the words of wisdom. I can have broth, but only after I finish my Protein. I think I will get some today! Glad to know it gets better, I constantly feel lightheaded, but on a positive note I lost 3 pounds in 1 day how much did you lose already?

Hi everyone,
I'm having gastric bypass on 30th May - my 43rd birthday! I'm hugely excited and terrified in almost equal measure.
Been on the milk only diet - just finished day three. Think I am about 5 lbs down so far.

Keep on girls, your Finish Line is now in sight!

Thanks girl. Almost done with day 2, I just had a breakdown at work. It is so hard to concentrate. And, last night my hunger pains woke me up at 5am. Good to know it gets better!

Day 9 on a similar 2 week liquid diet for surgery on the 23rd. Down 9 pounds. Days 3,4 and 5 were the hardest for me. Hang in there.

3 pounds is great! I haven’t checked BUT my clothes fit a little looser. Definitely gets better— the first 2 days my head felt like a Pez dispenser. Oh and for your coffee you can mix your flavored Protein in like a Creamer. I have the pre-mixed liquid Premiere shakes, so it actually tastes like a flavored creamer. I will probably continue that trick post-surgery!


“I know that I’m in my own little world—but it’s ok, they like me here.”

Hey everyone! I actually got gastric sleeve 2 years ago in March, and it was a failed surgery due to the surgeon not taking out enough of my stomach. I'm scheduled to get a revision bypass done on May 30th! Is anyone else having surgery on that date? (different hospital and different surgeon!)
Also, my doc has an extremely strict 2 weeks pre op liquid diet, where I can only drink 5 GNC lean Protein Shakes, black coffee, and sugar/calorie free drinks... I'm on day 2 and it sucks! Any one else have to do something like this?

I had my surgery March 2016, and after 1.5 years I gained back the 50 pounds I lost and am now at my weight before surgery (230, 5 ft 4 around 40 BMI). My lowest was only 185 from 240. I believe the first surgery pouch wasn't small enough and I do have gastric re-flux occasionally. I started gaining after 6 months - a year. I will admit after 6 months, I was not exercising as much (went from cardio every day for an hour, to only 3x a week), and I was more lenient with food adding in some carbs whereas I was only eating Protein and veggies ~1,000 calories daily to ~1,200-1,500. I have an appointment with a new doctor in a few weeks to go over my options, but I just want to know if anyone has been resleeved, or changed to a bypass or DS and if yes, did insurance cover the second procedure? (note: please do not comment about changing diet, a pouch reset and/or about habits and how a 2nd surgery won't help, only comment if you have knowledge of a resleeve or additional surgery, thanks).

The DS is rarely performed. I think statistically it accounts for 0.5% of weight loss surgeries, meaning it might not be the most appropriate option. Getting a re-sleeve less than 2 years after an original sleeve is absolutely ridiculous and I have no idea why any insurance would cover it or surgeon would perform it.
Having a sleeve to a bypass is a reasonable option. Especially if you think reflux is a factor.

I just noticed this post is almost 2 months old though, so im gonna stop here.

Thank you for the post, Rick! I also was thinking about the DS as a first choice, but don't know if I would be eligible without speaking with the new surgeon. I will keep all this in mind!

THANK YOU so much for responding! Especially knowing it may not require the 3-6 month diet like the first time around. I definitely DO want a bypass now, especially since the sleeve failed. I would hate to have a re-sleeve just to have it happen again. I really hope it is indeed the surgeon who messed up and that my occasional bad habits isn't the culprit. Please keep me posted, and good luck to you!

If your insurance doesn't have any restrictions on the number of WLS per lifetime (some limit to one WLS per lifetime) then the usual insurance rules generally apply - BMI of 40 and above, or 35 with comorbidities. So, that's the good news - if you were covered before and have regained to that point, then you should be covered again.
The bad news that you probably don't want to hear is that it won't likely do you much good in the long term, unless there was something seriously defective with your first procedure that needs to be corrected. Changing to a bypass may get you back on track again for a while, but ultimately you will be in the same position as the two procedures are very similar in overall strength or outcome. Think of your WLS as more of a "do-over" than a metabolic reset - it gives you the chance to get things in order to live sustainably and maintain your weight, but it doesn't do it for you.
While I don't agree with everything this doc says, he is one of the few that acknowledges that our meal capacity will increase over time (to around half of our pre-op capacity), and has a viable prescription for living with that fact. His numbers are consistent with my experience over the years. Also, that sleeve/pouch size has little to do with long term capacity or success - my wife has a huge sleeve on VSG terms (from her DS, which typically uses a sleeve of about twice the size of a stand alone VSG sleeve,) and our meal sizes are pretty much the same several years out. It is very much a matter of food choices and habits rather than absolute restriction minimizing how much we eat.
A good part of the game here is matching the right procedure with the patient - think in terms of the WLS procedures having somewhat different personalities, and you have to find the right "fit", just as you do with friends and associates. The RNY isn't any mover powerful overall than the VSG, but may be a better fit for you. Or it may not - research and talk to as many people with the bypass as you can to see if it is right for you, as one of its' drawbacks is that it is very difficult to revise to something else if it doesn't fit. With either procedure, it would not be uncommon for women of average and below height to maintain in the 1000-1200 calorie range long term. If you are having problems at 12-1500 calories now, a bypass or resleeve isn't going to help much if you can't find a way to maintain at whatever level your metabolism dictates.
The DS does offer a better metabolic kick long term and may be your best option if you can't make the long term diet/lifestyle adjustments to make the VSG work; its' caloric malabsorption is long term vs the bypass which sees its caloric malabsorption dissipate after a year or two.. But it requires more serious commitment to supplementing and follow up lab work for life (that's part of its' "personality" that you have to live with. But I have seen many be successful over 10-20 years with it, often eating a less than "ideal" diet.

I am so glad to have came across you post!! I am in the same boat. Had sleeve done in 11/2013. Started at 290 and I am 5’5. I got down to 208.. then started going up. Almost 4 years later I am at 27 and 246lbs now.

I met with a surgeon about 2 months ago, she mentioned possibly doing a revision to bypass but that’s not what I wanted... I had an upper GI done, and she pulled he OP report from my previous surgeon and it showed that they didn’t take enough out. She said she is optimistic that she can revise the current sleeve and take what should have been taken from day 1. So I was sent for approval yesterday 10/24.

I have Aetna POS II. They do not require a 3 or 6 month diet like the first time. So everything was sent...

I will say that my surgeon told me she has never done a revision before. She said that if I won’t let her do the bypass then she will go in there, she if/what she can take out of my stomach, and if she can’t she will close me up and tell me I’m SOL. Kind of frustrating but I feel like she wouldn’t have sent me into surgery unless she WAS going to take more of my stomach.

Sigh... lol I guess I will keep you posted!

Just an update for whoever wants to know: Sleeved on 3/28 - 6 months out as of 9/28. These are just my personal experiences, it may vary from individual to individual. Also, I do not know the long term effects, these are just the immediate effects. (please no judging, I am writing this to try to help people, not get berated)
Weed: Same effect as pre-surgery. Still get high, but also still get the munchies. Make sure you do not give into temptation because you may overeat. I was a lightweight pre-surgery and still am after so not sure if quantity makes a difference.
Coke/Molly/E: same effect as pre-surgery. Watch out for quantity. Your body will process this much quicker then before because of your smaller stomach. Be sure to stay hydrated. Do not need to worry about eating, because you will have no appetite.
Alcohol: same effects as pre-surgery. Watch out for quantity at first. As you drink more, you may notice your tolerance will go up, not quite as much as pre-surgery. But I can go out and have 6 drinks easily without getting sick. I just end up tipsy/drunk depending on how fast I drank, how much Water I drank, or if I ate a few hours before drinking. Also what I drink - wine or mixed drinks. I stay away from beer and carbonated mixers. That still upsets my stomach.
Cigarettes: same effects as pre-surgery. I quit then started up a couple months after surgery. Would not recommend smoking because it does more damage in the long term. Wish I would never have picked it up again.
Hope this helps. Again, I just want to say I am not endorsing these behaviors, just sharing my experience.

Just an update for whoever wants to know. I had the surgery on March 28th and I went to a festival this past weekend. I ended up doing Molly and was 100% fine i just stayed hydrated. It honestly felt the same as it did pre-surgery. I also drank a lot (6-8 drinks) non carbonated Smirnoff filled with sugar (unfortunately) and was fine as well. The only thing was it hit me faster, and less alcohol got me drunk (also could of been because I did not eat). I also tried wine and was fine with that. A sip of beer did not sit well bc of the carbonation. I also ended up smoking about 2 packs of cigarettes in 2 days ( i was a smoker pre-op). But overall, I did not get sick, I did not throw up, I am back to normal, although it took my body a day to recover (which would of been the same pre -op). Everyone's body is different so please don't think you will have the same results. Just wanted to share my experience. The only bad thing was that I didn't really eat for two days trying to counteract the calories from the alcohol, and it messed up my weight loss progress and set me back about a week - because in addition I didn't make it to the gym. My ending point is, I had tons of fun, and I do not regret anything but for me, I will def stay away from that stuff again for awhile to continue on my weight loss journey!

Hi Everyone,
I'm almost ashamed of putting this post out there because I swore I would not become one of these people!
I'm 6 months out, down 60 pounds from 230 to 170. The sleeve has been the best thing I could have done for myself but I'm heading down a bad road now... The first 2-3 months I was doing everything right. Getting in my fluids, Proteins, Vitamins, etc. Lately I cannot stop eating bad food! Every time I do it I feel gross and regret it but then I do it again!
Also I am hungry almost every hour of the day! Can't stop thinking of food. I eat very small amounts but find myself grazing alll day long. I have to walk around with Snacks (almonds, grapes, string cheese) in my purse because I get hungry so often.
How can I stop this? The addiction is back and even though I'm still losing I know this is only going to get worse. Has anyone been bad like this and if so what did you do to get better? I'm feeling "lucky" that I eat whatever I want and still losing (at a very slow rate) but I know this will catch up with me eventually!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Has anyone tried the 5 or 10 day pouch reset? Essentially it is the below, and is supposed to mimic the first few weeks after the surgery to reset the pouch and get you back on track, but on a smaller scale.
Days 1 & 2: liquid Protein
low-carb Protein shakes, broth, clear or cream Soups, sugar-free Gelatin and pudding.
Day 3: Soft Protein
canned fish (tuna or salmon) eggs, fresh soft fish (tilapia, sole, etc)
Day 4: Firm Protein
ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken, lamb), shellfish, scallops, lobster, fresh salmon or halibut.
Day 5: Solid Protein
white meat poultry, beef steak, pork, lamb, wild game
Or 10 day - which is same concept spread out. [Day 1 - Clear liquids only. Day 2 and 3 Full liquids. Day 4 to 6 pureed foods. Day 7 to 9 Soft foods.
Day 10 and Beyond Normal diet] I need to get back on track with losing, portion size control, no snacking, etc. so I was wondering if anyone did this and if so, if it worked. Thanks!

Just an update for whoever wants to know: Sleeved on 3/28 - 6 months out as of 9/28. These are just my personal experiences, it may vary from individual to individual. Also, I do not know the long term effects, these are just the immediate effects. (please no judging, I am writing this to try to help people, not get berated)
Weed: Same effect as pre-surgery. Still get high, but also still get the munchies. Make sure you do not give into temptation because you may overeat. I was a lightweight pre-surgery and still am after so not sure if quantity makes a difference.
Coke/Molly/E: same effect as pre-surgery. Watch out for quantity. Your body will process this much quicker then before because of your smaller stomach. Be sure to stay hydrated. Do not need to worry about eating, because you will have no appetite.
Alcohol: same effects as pre-surgery. Watch out for quantity at first. As you drink more, you may notice your tolerance will go up, not quite as much as pre-surgery. But I can go out and have 6 drinks easily without getting sick. I just end up tipsy/drunk depending on how fast I drank, how much Water I drank, or if I ate a few hours before drinking. Also what I drink - wine or mixed drinks. I stay away from beer and carbonated mixers. That still upsets my stomach.
Cigarettes: same effects as pre-surgery. I quit then started up a couple months after surgery. Would not recommend smoking because it does more damage in the long term. Wish I would never have picked it up again.
Hope this helps. Again, I just want to say I am not endorsing these behaviors, just sharing my experience.

Just an update for whoever wants to know: Sleeved on 3/28 - 6 months out as of 9/28. These are just my personal experiences, it may vary from individual to individual. Also, I do not know the long term effects, these are just the immediate effects. (please no judging, I am writing this to try to help people, not get berated)
Weed: Same effect as pre-surgery. Still get high, but also still get the munchies. Make sure you do not give into temptation because you may overeat. I was a lightweight pre-surgery and still am after so not sure if quantity makes a difference.
Coke/Molly/E: same effect as pre-surgery. Watch out for quantity. Your body will process this much quicker then before because of your smaller stomach. Be sure to stay hydrated. Do not need to worry about eating, because you will have no appetite.
Alcohol: same effects as pre-surgery. Watch out for quantity at first. As you drink more, you may notice your tolerance will go up, not quite as much as pre-surgery. But I can go out and have 6 drinks easily without getting sick. I just end up tipsy/drunk depending on how fast I drank, how much Water I drank, or if I ate a few hours before drinking. Also what I drink - wine or mixed drinks. I stay away from beer and carbonated mixers. That still upsets my stomach.
Cigarettes: same effects as pre-surgery. I quit then started up a couple months after surgery. Would not recommend smoking because it does more damage in the long term. Wish I would never have picked it up again.
Hope this helps. Again, I just want to say I am not endorsing these behaviors, just sharing my experience.