Ed_NW

"The hypothesis is that a distal bypass can lead to better weight loss outcomes due to a longer diversion of the digestive tract and a shorter section of common bowel for absorption.[11] The small intestine has a huge variability in length among patients and can vary between 300 to 1,000 cm.[12] Because of this, the CL length can theoretically range from 50 to 850 cm in a proximal gastric bypass as intestinal lengths are not routinely measured before reconstruction of the digestive continuity." Source: https://misjournal.net/article/view/2053

One of the best places I found to help make decisions on what surgery to have and what to expect was YouTube. Just search "weight loss surgery" and there will be a large amount of content on the subject. I watched one yesterday from somebody I haven't watched in awhile because he started doing what seemed like pyramid schemes. It touches on some of the replies on this thread.

I wish I knew that once the weight started coming off, I would experience unexpected anxiety and depression from the hormone dump. I never even knew that was a thing until after surgery and I did some research on the subject. I'm feeling better now but it would've been nice to know this was a thing. Good luck with your surgery!

I had the same problem and started using Metamucil sugar free everyday and that fixed me right up. It's never caused bloating and has always kept things flowing normally for me.

I ended up going back on effexor. I was on 225mg before surgery once daily. My doctor came up with a plan to take the same dose but 3 times daily at 75mg each. It seems to be working. Unfortunately there's not a lot of medications that have the same benefits when it comes to both mild depression and anxiety. The only problem is, you can only get extended release in the Effexor. You can't really get your regular dose of meds after gastric bypass if the med is extended release. It might be different for you having the sleeve. I know too, as long as you are in the rapid weight loss mode after surgery your body will be flooded with lots of hormones and other chemicals that was stored in fat cells. Hopefully for us this dump of chemicals will stop after we get to goal weight. I'm feeling better as of today. I hope all is well with you.

I was taking venlafaxine (Effexor) years before my surgery. After my surgery it has been difficult finding the correct dosage and I've experienced some really tough days with extreme depression and anxiety. I hope some day to find the right balance. Good luck. With gastric bypass, my extended release meds don't have the same effect.

Oh wow, that's good to know. I'll check it out on here. Thanks

This is the best. It's medical grade and dissolves really well and is flavorless. Just put a scoop in a glass with a little room temp water and mix with a fork. Add it to soup or whatever after it gets to the desired temp. There's smaller sizes than this, I just bought this one because it came out to $1 per serving and that's the best bang for the amount of absorbable protein you can get for your money. I got it on Amazon.

Good luck! It will go well. I remember the day before, I was on autopilot and just went through the process that I'd rehearsed in my mind before hand. Before you know it, you will be on the losers bench. 👍

I still get get that. I guess that means everything is still working as it should. Here's one of my favorite cat pics.

Kaiser will require you to bring your machine in with you when you have surgery. If you show up without it, they will send you home. Kaiser told me the only three things I must bring with me on the day of my surgery was ID, Insurance card and CPAP machine.

It's the main ingredient in products like Metamucil. I had problems with constipation after surgery and started using the Costco sugar free version with a scoop of Genepro protein powder and that fixed me right up. I knew right away that I didn't want to experience that traffic jam again!

Does anybody else have Kaiser Permanente as their insurance and also the medical center where their WLS will occur? It seems to be a one stop shop for me. I guess this is a good thing? Kaiser is huge anymore and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Anybody have good or bad experiences with Kaiser in the Seattle area? Ed

I don't worry too much about the timing of when I drank something before eating. Some people do what's called water loading before meals to aid in satiety. You can google that if you'd like. One of the elements that help you loose weight after a gastric bypass along with malabsorption is the restricted amount of food that you can eat at one sitting. Once you've eaten the predetermined amount of food and it's sitting in your pouch, it will have to start making it's way through the small opening (stoma) created by your surgeon from your pouch into your intestine. The stoma size is created with purpose. If too large, there will be little or no restriction. If too small, it will have to be expanded to allow food to pass. If you eat too fast or too much at one sitting, you will cause the food to clog the stoma. Anytime you have a clog in your stomach whether it's a pouch or a sleeve, your body will naturally regurgitate and force the clog out the way it came in. Drinking during or after a meal will either cause the food to pass right through defeating the purpose of the stoma and small pouch or it will cause that blocking sensation that will trigger your body's regurgitation response. I found out the hard way that contrary to my previous way of eating, drinking something to "wash down the food" will no longer work. It is a whole new lifestyle that you have to get used to. You will be consuming meals different than anyone else at the table. The timing of when you can take your first drink after eating will become more of a natural thing rather than a strictly regimented clock watching procedure as time goes by. Sometimes it's 30 minutes and sometimes it's over an hour for me. Just watch the signs and stay hydrated.

Nicotine causes marginal ulcers and slowed wound healing in bariatric patients. If you are vaping without nicotine, it won't have anymore of an adverse effect on you than it would someone who never had the surgery. There's still not much data on whether or not the chemicals in the vape juice are harmful when taken into the lungs. The medical community can only say emphatically that nicotine will break down the internal suture points especially in a gastric bypass patient causing ulcers and leakage. With all that said, I enjoyed vaping but did feel like I had pneumonia all the time. I'm pretty sure it's risky behavior and like any vice, if I started up again I would be gambling with my health. Good luck with your choice.

I had to drop 10% of my weight in 6 months.

The biggest reason is the diuretic effect. Dehydration can be a big a problem post-op. Another reason some Dr's say to refrain immediately after surgery is because they want to reduce the acid in your stomach during healing to help prevent post-op ulcers. Some argue the acid amount in coffee is minuscule as compared to orange juice, etc.. and the diuretic effect from the caffeine can be counter balanced if you're able to consume plenty of water with no problems.

Dr. Google says to take it on an empty stomach. It sounds like it repairs ulcers on contact so maybe consume nothing an hour before or after to avoid washing it out of your stomach too soon. You can also call your local pharmacy, they know more than the doctors a lot of times about the proper way to take meds.

I used these a few times the first few months after surgery. They work pretty good for breaking down and passing something tough to digest.

Spread the pills out by about thirty minutes and or take them while standing or walking around. It sounds like they are bunching up when you are in a sitting position and your body is reacting like it naturally would to a blockage. Drink plenty of water with them to help them dissolve in your intestines. If you want to take them all at the same time, you'll have to put them and your protein shake in a blender.

I don't recall how they fixed it, I just remember seeing the pictures when looking for diagrams of the different procedures. If your sleeve is damaged, they will most likely want to bypass it.

I did come across something like that when I was researching everything WLS related before my surgery. It was someone that had RNY though and the esophagus was ballooned at the pouch because of a stricture or stoma with too small of an opening and the person forced food down.

I like how you took your last big boy picture next to Bob's big boy. Nicely done!

This is the best but some people say they can taste it so you might want to add your water flavoring.

I think these surgeries are a "hope for the best but prepare for the worst" kind of scenario. It sounds like you have a good surgeon that took your complaints seriously. Too often people will feel like something isn't right and their complaints are considered by their surgical team as just a bunch of whining. I'm glad to hear you are on track with correcting this issue and will soon be on the path to recovery and your intended goals. Look at it as a positive thing that you have a team that takes you seriously and addressed the problem quickly. There's some scary stories out there where people weren't taken seriously and their conditions ended up a lot worse because they weren't addressed soon enough. Chin up, you'll be on here sharing your post-op victories in no time!