MarinaGirl

I’m so sorry; that sucks. How about Zantac or Tagamet? They’re also H2 Blockers and may work differently (hopefully better) than Pepcid.

My surgeon refused to do a VSG on me due to pre-existing GERD. I’m glad that I had gastric bypass as reflux is a serious issue. For most people, RNY resolves or lessens GERD. Note that a lot of insurance plans only pay for 1 WLS per lifetime so if you get VSG and need to revise to another surgery due to GERD or insufficient weight loss, you may end up having to pay out-of-pocket.

You can’t “reset” your pouch. Pouch reset is a fad diet that was started by someone that wanted to sell products on the Internet. It is bogus and is not necessary. If you’re fighting regain you should go back to the basics and eat dense protein first followed by non-starchy vegetables. Cut out simple carbs, sugar, processed food, soda, alcohol, and fast food. Your pouch/tool is fine and hasn’t stretched, you’re just eating too many slider foods that don’t let you feel restriction. If you’re struggling with emotional or binge eating, see a therapist to work through your issues. Trying to fix this with fad dieting or that mindset won’t work long term as it never did pre-WLS and is not sustainable. It’s about healthy strategies & coping mechanisms now. You can do this! Good luck.

Sounds like you did go back to work too soon. Do you have restrictions on how much weight you can pick up or move around? If you do you may need some accommodations until those restrictions are lifted. You’re most likely nauseous because you’re dehydrated. Please be a squeaky wheel about your need for a doctor’s note with your surgeon’s office. No time to be nice or a people pleaser. Advocate for yourself and if they won’t help, try contacting your PCP for assistance. Be determined about this, not defeated. Good luck.

I would not have VSG with pre-existing GERD. My surgeon refused to do a VSG on me because of my history of acid reflux. Being on PPIs long term is not a good idea because cellular damage may still occur; PPIs only mask the symptoms not cure the problem. They also weren’t developed/studied/approved for long term use and doing so can possibly lead to other health conditions (e.g. calcium/magnesium absorption issues, c.diificile infections, pneumonia, heart or kidney problems, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis).

I went from a 40D to 34B. I’m very happy with my size and shape, and am below goal right now.

Yes, my surgeon did the stitch that is supposed to minimize the risk of bile reflux after MGB. I had bariatric surgery in April 2017 and started experiencing bile reflux in December 2017, which was confirmed with an EGD endoscopy.

Hard to say. But if you’re eating well (no sugar, processed food, simple carbs, liquid calories, or alcohol) and not overeating, you should be able to lose more weight if that is your goal. Good luck!

Yes. I developed bile reflux, which is a known risk for MGB, so I wish I had RNY as my original surgery.

No gallstones or gallbladder surgery for me post-gastric bypass. (I had WLS 18 months ago.)

I weigh myselff naked first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom. I always follow this routine so my scale results aren’t skewed by other factors such as weight of clothes, time of day, or how much I eat or drink before getting on the scale. I also find that if I don’t have a bowel movement or have been constipated for a day or more that the scale may go up or not move. I find walking everyday helps keep me regular, which helps my weight on the scale. Remember: post-bariatric surgery weight loss is a marathon not a sprint. Good luck and keep the faith.

Her name calling is mean and toxic to your marriage. I recommend you seek couple’s therapy to work through what’s bothering her. The worst is that she has your daughters behaving the same. That’s horrible and is not what a good mother does. It is not ok for her to also sabotage your relationship with your children.

I had a swallow test after gastric bypass. I’m glad they did one to ensure no issues before leaving the hospital.

That is a fad diet. It is a myth that you can “reset your pouch.” It was invented by someone selling products on the Internet and is not based on science. You need to go back to basics which are eat dense protein first, followed by non-starchy vegetables, weigh and track your food, don’t drink alcohol or soda, cut out simple carbs & processed food, don’t drink during and after meals, limit snacking, and go to therapy if you’re struggling with emotional and/or binge eating. As well, if you’re gaining or maintaining, instead of losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories. As you lose weight, your body requires less calories to subsist.

Not cool. This is a public forum so everyone is allowed to comment, assuming they’re in compliance with BariatricPal’s Terms & Conditions. What Rick wrote was very respectful and valid.

If your surgeon has recommended you get another endoscopy then I think that’s what you should do and is a great thing. It’s important that your MDs have the best data to diagnose your issue(s) quickly and accurately. Good luck!

“I thought the weight would be flying off.” Who told you that? To be frank, your expectation is wrong. Everyone loses at a different rate and for most of us it happens in a stair step fashion; meaning, lose some, plateau for a bit, then lose some more. You’re only 3 weeks out. The first few weeks are impacted by all the fluids that were pumped into your body during surgery, which is why many programs recommend staying off the scale during the first month or so. And many experience a stall 3-4 weeks post-op that can last 1-3 weeks. During this period, keep the faith and continue to follow your surgeon’s plan faithfully. Why are you drinking wine already? Does your bariatric surgeon condone imbibing so soon post-op? The fact that you’re rationalizing it because you’re exercising is concerning. The last thing you want to do is eat or drink additional calories because you’ve worked out, because in almost all cases, people overestimate how many calories they’ve actually burned off. What are you eating? Please provide your total calories and examples of what you eat for each meal so we can provide feedback /suggestions. Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym.

Reminder: Just because you can eat a lot doesn’t mean you should. During surgery, many nerves are cut, which makes it possible to overeat in the early stages as you may not feel much restriction. As well, many foods/purées are slider foods so you won’t feel restriction the way you will with dense protein. Don’t try to test your limits or seek fullness; instead, measure your food with a scale and only eat appropriate amounts per the stage you’re in. Eye balling portion sizes is a poor strategy as we weren’t very good at it pre-WLS. Therefore, until we’re in maintenance mode and have months/years of practice weighing our food we can’t just guess.

I like UNJURY unflavored protein powder the best. You can order little sample-sized packets to try it out before committing to a large container.

Good luck with your upcoming gastric bypass!! I hope you’re working on resolving any emotional eating issues as the new surgery won’t prevent you from eating poorly or overeating. It is also common to lose less weight with a revision versus an original surgery. But if you follow recommendations to eat dense protein first then non-starchy vegetables, and to avoid sugar, processed food, simple carbs, alcohol, and liquid calories, you should be successful. This new way of eating needs to be a long term lifestyle change, and not just until you reach your goal weight. You can do this!

My surgeon and PCP said NO to the patches. I’m following their direction because I don’t want to become deficient in any vitamins as trying to raise values can be very difficult.

PIC or PICC Line (not “pick”) stands for Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter, and is a form of intravenous access that can be used for a long period of time (e.g. chemotherapy regimens, extended antibiotic therapy, or total parenteral nutrition).

If you’re not losing weight but are instead maintaining weight then you need to cut your calories for additional weight loss. Many people only lose weight in the 800-1000 range and maintain at 1200+ calories. You need to remember that as you get closer to goal weight your body requires fewer total calories. Are you seeing a therapist to work through your binge eating tendencies? This will also sabotage your weight loss. Good luck! We’re rooting for you! Weight loss happens in the kitchen not the gym

My surgeon was adamant to not take Flinstones or children’s vitamins post-WLS. He recommends Centrum or One A Day vitamins or their generics (e.g. Kirkland brand vitamins at Costco). I take One A Day Women’s 50+ Healthy Advantage vitamins (2x per day) because they don’t contain iron, which I take at another time. Note: You don’t have to be over 50 or a woman to take them. Heme iron absorbs better and doesn’t cause GI issues like ferrous sulfate. I take Proferrin ES, which I buy online. Most chewable vitamins contain sugar alcohols, which I can’t take post-GB because they cause nausea & vomiting. YMMV You do not have to take chewable vitamins after bariatric surgery. Make sure you get complete lab work at least once a year to see if you need to take more or less of any vitamins or minerals as every BODY has unique requirements. And if you have vitamin deficiencies BEFORE surgery you should correct them as quickly as possible and discuss them with your surgeon and PCP.

I have had many major surgeries in the U.S. and abroad and have never been instructed to give myself shots for clot prevention due to venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk. While in the hospital I wore special inflatable stockings (intermittent pneumatic compression) and was told to walk frequently.