MsMocie

you're probably not going to find anyone that far out because a standalone sleeve surgery isn't that old. It became popular 5-10 years ago when they started phasing out the lapband. Although there may be some long-time DS people (who have a sleeved stomach) who might be able to address this
although I don't know about VSG per se (since it's a newer surgery), complications that far out from WLS are pretty rare. GERD is the most common complication of VSG (although the majority of sleevers never have issues with GERD), but it'll usually appears within the first couple of years if it's going to appear.

It might be referred pain from gas trapped under the diaphragm. If so, it should resolve in the next few days. Can you sleep propped up a bit to alleviate the pain?

Well that’s the prettiest presentation of Diner food I have ever seen. Lol
Was it good?

Celebrating a small win! 7 days post Gastric Bypass and 15 pounds/8 inches lighter... since I'm still on a Fluid diet I don't seem to be as "swollen " as I normally would be. Wedding ring fits and hasn't in 3 yrs
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I’m thrilled to have reached goal today! Coincidentally, it happened on the anniversary of my initial consult with my surgeon. I’m down 100lbs and feel lighter than air!

Pics are below! For those that wonder about loose skin, yeah I gots it! I’m having PS to remove it, but I’ll take the loose skin over fat any day! Tried to show what I look like with clothes on, with shirt pulled up and with loose skin untucked out of my pants! LOL!

Thanks so much! Biggest benefit is definitely the way I'm able to move, run up a flight of stairs, carry in groceries without huffing and puffing. Basically the things that non-obese people take for granted!
Favorite snack is greek yogurt, esp Dannon light n' fit caramel apple pie.
Best NSV is hard, b/c there have been so many. I would choose buying clothes off the clearance rack. The reason being is that clearance rack clothes always seem to be size S or XS. Now I'm small enough to get the great deals! LOL!

Congrats on your surgery & I’m glad you’re feeling so well.
Remember, you are healing after your surgery. Your nerves have been cut, your digestive system is working differently & you may not feel/experience things the same way. The restrictive diet & volume limits are to allow your body to heal.
My first thought regarding your hunger is are you really hungry? Head hunger or habit eating hunger is real & can mess with you bad. We all have to work through understanding the difference & learning about about mindful eating. It’s part of this journey. You’ll work your way through this too.
Also because your ‘drinking’ your meals at the moment you can consume more because the liquids go through your tummy more quickly.
If you are really concerned & can’t speak with your dietician, contact your surgical team.
Good luck.

I found that my tastes for certain foods has changed. For instance pre surgery I could not stand canned sardines or mackerel or liver Today I can eat them with no problem. Others I know have sworn off certain foods that they ate pre op. It's something that affects some but not all and for the most part cannot be explained.

I try to limit my consumption since these are basically candy bars, but when I am really hungry, Quest Nutrition chocolate Hazelnut Protein Bar (fake Nutella) or Built Bar Cookies 'N Cream.

Right after surgery I was able to lose weight faster than a speeding bullet, my restriction was more powerful than a locomotive and my metabolism could easily leap a tall building with a single bound. Today, my kryptonite is time. Time has made me once again a weight loss mortal. I am able to gain weigh even though my diet has remained healthy. I don't lose the weight gained as fast and I am able to eat more. What to do? I actually fore saw this problem.
The first year of my WLS journey when I was researching and going through the process to be approved I went to as many group meetings that I was allowed to attend. I always picked the brain of the people in attendance. Like many on this board they were ALL newbies with the success stories only newbies can tell. Not a single failure in the group. That is until one day a woman showed up and started telling us her story. She was five years out from surgery lost a lot of weight and put most of it back on. She warned everyone that things would change as you get further out from surgery and that it wouldn't necessarily be for the better. She had wished that she did not get caught up in the euphoria of her early success. She said that it's like winning the lottery. One day you have more money than you'd ever dream of having. If you don't plan on saving it you'll go bankrupt. That's what happened to her. She won the weight loss lottery. She lost more weight than she could have dreamed losing. Trouble was, she didn't plan her long term weight loss and now, she went "bankrupt".
As I went through my daily routine I came across others who had WLS and many had indeed gained the weight back. I was in my doctors office and the medical attendant there told me about her failure when I told her that I was going through the process to get approved for WLS. She told me that it creeps up on you. Two pounds turns to four, four to eight than you're back to where you started. You start to Feel helpless and give up. As I went to the group meetings pre and post surgery I noticed not many people stuck around. There were no veterans in the group just eager newbies who can attest to the success of WLS. Seems as if the veterans drift away and either gain the weight back in silence or just get tired of hearing the same stories of success over and over.
I knew that I would probably lose my WLS super powers someday and I had hoped to plan for it. First, I did lose a lot of weight in the mid 90's and I never thought that I'd get back to being obese. I was so wrong. Like my medical attendant experienced, five pounds turned to ten then to 20 and you know the rest. It took me less that four years to gain back the weight and then some. It took another 17 years to get WLS. I decided that I would use every tool that I could in order to keep the weight off and maintain my health. I joined Over Eaters Anonymous. It's another support group away from the support group my surgeon has. I started seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. ( I'm a compulsive over eater) and I have family and friends who have had WLS who I can call to get and give support to. I also weigh myself every week at the same time on the same scale and set a "Red Alert" weight of 160lbs. ( Have a log since the day of my surgery) If I go above the 160 I know that I must redouble my efforts. Here is where my lost WLS super powers comes in. Despite all this I am having a difficult time losing the five pounds that I am over. I feel as if I am now a mere weight loss mortal who has to work two to three times harder to lose and maintain the weight loss.
I can't say it wasn't expected. From all the people I spoke to I knew this day would come. It's that, I was once a WLS immortal and now I have to struggle like all others to lose weight. My saving grace (I hope it is) I planned for it since I went through it before and I took the advice of those who went before me seriously. For all of you newbies who are experiencing the euphoria of being WLS immortal plan for day like me when you lose that super power.
Just a note, there are many who do maintain their WLS super powers. They are on this forum and they are truly superstars. They unfortunately are the exception to the trend. I find their advice to be invaluable and I look for their posts for such advice. To everyone, good luck with your new found health.

Hi everyone,
I am having a lot of anxiety regarding my decision to do this surgery. I had my surgery set in July and I chickened out, then September, now finally in October. Here is the thing, I am in my final year of my PhD studies and it is very stressful. I am not eating healthy and just the thought of all the work needed to do this surgery is stressing me out.
I had a spinal fusion surgery in February and I have been dealing with chronic back pain. I suffer from depression because of it. I feel like doing the surgery now is too overwhelming. But I feel a lot guilt for not prioritizing my health. What if I put of the VSG surgery and my back gets worse in a years time?
My worse fear is that if I get the surgery, I will blow this opportunity because of bad timing. Should I wait until my studies is over in a few weeks? Or should I just do the surgery?
Ideally I want to finish my studies and then get the surgery when I can commit to a healthy lifestyle, right now I can barely get out of bed in the morning. This has been going on for a year.
I would really appreciate any advice or people with similar situations. Please let me know what you think.

I wanted to come back and say I have my lab results and all my levels were normal!

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I had my VSG in December of 2019. I had a VSG to RNY in August 2020 because of severe GERD that was so bad I was on 3 different acid reducers and a bland diet. I didn’t have reflux issues before my VSG outside of pregnancy. However a pretty bad hiatal hernia with the GERD lead me to choose revision.

Two months out, I’m glad I chose the revision because my throat isn’t constantly sore and I’m not chewing 8-12 tums a day anymore.

I’m not sure what confused you... simply asking a question, isn’t that what these forums are for? I’m all alone here and thought what better place to ask about this then a place where possibly others have gone through it too.... as for imagining, I’m on a waitlist

Good points and considerations that helped me to move forward with conversion to RNY rather than play Russian Roulette with a preventable cancer

That's the 5 year survival rate, mind you. If it has spread to local lymph nodes make that a 25%.

I agree on getting a second opinion - but re: the first part of your comment. esophageal cancer (although getting it is definitely not a sure thing - but a risk nonetheless) would be worse than most complications of RNY would be. And mortality rate on RNY is 0.3% - which is pretty low. Either way is a crap shoot, of course - but I think I'd be more afraid of potential esophageal cancer. There are deadlier cancers for sure, but the survival rate on that is only about 50%.

I felt like you and did everything in my power to NOT have a bypass, but in the end the GERD was just too awful to go on with. I was at goal and didn't want to lose more weight. I lost 10 lbs the first postop week on liquids but haven't lost any more. Look in the Revision forum for lots of people's stories about sleeve to RNY revisions for GERD.

Girl how can you be a former fat person if you didn't like bananas or pancakes??
But yummy those sound pretty good

I was a pretty healthy person up until 2008, when my liver enzymes first became elevated. I had reached my then highest weight of 304, and then managed to get down to 263 through diet and exercise. My enzymes went back to normal. Then I got pregnant in 2010 and after I had my son, my health got worse. I was diagnosed with severe asthma around 2014, and my liver enzymes were elevated again. I started gaining weight steadily until I reached my all time high of 393 with a bmi of 69 (I am 5'3"). Back in January, I had my gallbladder removed.. I mentioned to the surgeon that I would be seeing a liver specialist because my liver enzymes kept getting higher and he did a biopsy while he was in there. The results were not good. I was diagnosed with Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatic fibrosis. The surgeon said my liver looked really bad, and he didn't see me living past 60. I'm an RN and have seen people die of liver failure and it's awful. I was 48 (just turned 49), and I had wanted wls for a long time but our insurance doesn't cover it. What that surgeon said was a wake up call, and so I made the decision to pay for the surgery myself. I wanted a sleeve, but the first bariatric surgeon recommended RNY because of my weight. I had planned to get that, but then COVID happened and they laid off that surgeon so I went to a different one that my cousin had RNY with 10 years ago. He told me about the Loop DS. He said I was a good candidate for it because of my high bmi and since I was self pay. It's still investigational and not covered by insurance. So I decided to do it. I had surgery on July 23rd. I was 368 on surgery day. The surgery went well but I was very nauseated the first few days and vomited old blood just like NovaLuna described. After that, and a kidney stone 11 days post op, recovery has been pretty smooth. I never really had much pain. As of today, I'm 322 pounds, walking every day, and feeling amazing, even though I'm still significantly obese. I was to the point of barely being able to walk anymore, and personal hygiene was hard. I had just been diagnosed with high BP and put on meds in May. I've been off the meds since surgery. I just had my first labs and everything was normal. My liver enzymes are still elevated, but about half of what they were. It's wonderful to be active again and being able to walk with my husband and son, who is a very active boy! I still have a long way to go but I'm so happy I did the surgery and don't regret it one bit! Good luck to you!


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I first looked into weight loss surgery about 15 years ago. Things were different back then; the sleeve was not a common procedure (and not covered by some insurance companies), and the place where I attended an information session was mainly doing gastric bypass as an open procedure. They would only do laparoscopic surgery on patients with lower BMIs, and I wouldn't have qualified. I didn't go through with it because my family talked me out of it. The risks of complications were higher then.
I have been lucky enough to have good health for most of my life. I'm in my late 30s and until the past year, I never went to the doctor or took any prescriptions during my adult lifetime. For all those years, I thought it would be crazy to take the risk of having weight loss surgery when I was perfectly healthy. I was afraid I would lose my good health to complications of weight loss surgery. I looked into it every so often, and when I remembered all the restrictions, I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my diet sodas and pizza and ice cream, letting my pouch rule my life, getting sick if I eat the wrong things, and having to take pills every day for the rest of my life.
But aging takes a toll and my good health was starting to slip away. I found out from my work physical that I had high blood pressure, and they urged me to see a doctor. When I went to a doctor, I was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. It's gotten increasingly difficult for me to get around, which became a vicious cycle as I became more sedentary and gained even more weight, and the weight gain continued to decrease my mobility. I had a BMI over 60 at my highest weight.
I came to the realization that I had a choice: I could keep going the way I was, keep gaining weight and losing mobility, see my health continue to decline, and probably die of a heart attack or stroke before I turned 50. Or I could have weight loss surgery, because I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to lose that kind of weight on my own. All that stuff I couldn't bear to give up for a chance at losing weight started to look a lot smaller compared to the life I was already giving up more and more every day at that weight, not just health-wise, but in my social life and my career as well.
I went into it thinking that I wanted the gastric sleeve. It seemed less extreme, less risky than gastric bypass, My surgeon recommended gastric bypass because my BMI was so high. He said that for lower BMI patients, there's not a big difference in outcomes between sleeve and bypass, but for high BMI patients, the difference can be significant. Both are very safe procedures with low complication rates nowadays. So I ended up getting gastric bypass. I've since read a lot more information that has confirmed in my mind that gastric bypass was the right choice for me. I've seen a lot of people get their sleeves revised to bypass because of GERD and/or unsuccessful weight loss, and I don't want to have to get a revision.
I had my surgery on July 16, and it went well. I was discharged from the hospital the next afternoon, and I had surprisingly little pain. I didn't need any pain medication, even Tylenol. The first few days were miserable (mainly due to gas pain from the gas pumped into my abdomen during the surgery), but I healed quickly and went back to work in a week and a half. I've stuck to the post-op progression plan very closely, and not gonna lie, the liquid phase is hell, but it went by quickly and it was much easier once I got to purees and soft foods. I haven't had any issues with anything I've eaten so far other than a feeling of food getting stuck sometimes (which isn't pleasant, but it works its way through after a few minutes).
I lost 70 pounds before surgery and 40 pounds so far after surgery, for a total of 110 pounds. And now my BMI is about the same as yours, which is kind of depressing. But I have had great improvements in my health, like my blood pressure in the normal range and my latest A1C was 5.2 (down from 8.1 in February). My mobility is improving. I started out wearing size 26-28 and now I'm wearing 20-22. I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there.
I'm not far enough out yet to know how this is going to work out for me in the long run. Obviously, I'm pleased with my results so far, but from what I've read here, the first year is easy. Here are some of the cons that are not so obvious:
I haven't told anybody other than medical professionals about my surgery because people can be very judgmental about it. How many people you tell is a very personal choice that can be difficult. It is really stressful to keep this secret and try to hide this surgery that affects my life so very much! (But also stressful to endure judgment from people who are clueless about WLS.) The fear of regain keeps me up at night. I'm doing well now, but I've seen soooo many people lose a ton of weight and gain most or all of it back. I've yo-yo dieted all my life and I would be absolutely devastated if I went through all of this only to gain the weight back. Food is everywhere. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded with ads for food and restaurants, seeing decadent recipes on social media, and watching other people eat foods I love but can no longer eat. It's rough going to the grocery store and seeing a great sale on something I love only to remember I can't have it. Maybe you get used to it after a while, but right now, I have these sad moments every day where I miss the food I used to eat. Even if you reach your goal weight, you're still not going to have a great body... unless you go through the pain and expense of plastic surgery. It will still be a heck of a lot better than where you started, but not the same as someone the same height and weight who was never obese. I think it's important to go into this with your eyes wide open, understand what the tradeoffs are, and accept the things you will have to give up or deal with for this shot at changing your life. Most people say it's worth it.

The first is imitation crab meat salad made with light mayo, gochujang, fish sauce, and soy sauce and tossed with orange peppers and kimchi. I ended up eating it over 2 meals and my kids pilfered my leftover nori from the first meal.

The second is a weird tart I made from fat free vegetarian refried black Beans, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and an extreme wellness spinach tortilla. Ended up eating 3 slices and the rest might go in the garbage because the bottom didn’t crisp and I’m not about to eat soggy tart. 😬

Warning!!! Warning!!!
Saturday we celebrated our 1 year anniversary and "shared"... (i had my normal 4oz) Bite of everything. Except the Foie Gras... and the scallops .... OMG they were so good. Topped it off with a glass of wine we brought back from our trip to Italy.
Menu:
Foie gras with shiitake mushrooms  Bone-in filet (med rare) Sea scallops Grilled Brussel sprouts Greyre and chive potatoes Dessert: we shared one Petit Four (these are beyond delicious)

I am almost twice your age, have been struggling with my weight for 44 years. I had PCOS too, eventually developed hypertension and type II diabetes. I had to take fertility drugs to get pregnant with my second child and never was able to get pregnant again. I've yo-yo dieted for years. Now I am waiting to get insurance approval for the gastric sleeve. I say GO FOR IT!!! Don't waste years of your life hoping that this time this diet or that diet will work. Get healthy while you are young and enjoy your life. Good luck to you!

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im really sorry for the long post ahead i just don't know who to talk to about what im currently feeling...
about two years ago, my endo recommended wls to me and i immediately shot him down and was upset he'd even mention it bc i didn't think i was overweight enough to need it. i didn't really understand it or understand what it could do for me that I've always struggled with doing for myself. i'm 209lbs and 5'2" which puts me at 38 BMI, but i have so many complications. my health is atrocious- im a type 2 diabetic (treated like type 1) thats insulin dependent (pump) while also taking xigduo and cycloset to help lower my sugars. i have sleep apnea, i have high triglycerides and have had pancreatitis 5 times from a range of 2 1/2 years (every 6 months like clockwork). i have gastroparesis, depression and anxiety. i have a history of eating disorders. after a recent hospital stay- where the cause of my admission is still unclear, but gastritis and fatty liver were determined- i finally started doing research and seriously considering wls. it was so embarrassing hearing the nurses talk during each shift change. having to tell my whole history, knowing that so many of these issues could have been controlled. i just felt so defeated. i talked to my mom abt it at the time and she's been a great support. i told my endo during my followup and he recommended me to a surgeon. i have my first consultation in a week but im scared. i told two of my closest friends, one of who is the most supportive person ever. but the other one.. hasn't really said much. and i feel discouraged by her because she doesn't believe i am "fat." my grandmother is the same way. they don't understand that i want this surgery for my health because I've tried long term dieting and exercise but with the amount of insulin i take daily its SO HARD to lose weight. i just want out of this hellhole of medication and hospital visits.... i don't take my meds and i feel like sh*t... i take my meds and i feel like sh*t... i just want to not rely on medication, and to just be someone thats healthy. and of course i have issues mentally with my size but i try not to share them because my friends are all heavier than i am, so i feel like no one takes how i feel seriously. i want to not be so defined by my weight. its hard when 2 of the people you expect to support you the most are so against you doing something that can help you. its almost making me believe that i shouldn't do it bc im not fat enough or unhealthy enough.. almost like i don't even "deserve" it...