Circus321

I’m also February 8th! Just got my date!

I’ve been thinking about having wls for years but only started pursuing it in the last few months. I was approved yesterday for a gastric sleeve! I’m paying out of pocket so it was easier for me to qualify but I didn’t expect this process to be so quick. I was originally hoping to get it done this summer but my doctor was shocked I wanted to wait so long and we decided to have it done spring break (I’m a teacher so I wanted a time I wouldn’t have to take any sick days). The nurse is supposed to call me this week for sure to book it and set up the payment plan. It’s kind of scary that it’s going so fast. I was expecting at least a 6 month process between asking my doctor and getting it done but it’s zipping on by. Sorry for the rant, I’m excited and nervous!

Thanks for sharing your experience. I never had any reflux until I got pregnant 4 years ago. I had hyperemesis and was hospitalized for 2 weeks and I’ve had severe reflux ever since. So idk how surgery will affect it

I have epilepsy but I haven’t had my surgery yet. My doctor said there wasn’t any issue with it. The only thing is that some people might have to adjust meds because after surgery you can’t take Extended-Release meds anymore. If that’s the case for you I’d try to make the switch before surgery if you can to ensure that you tolerate the new meds first. Good luck!

Sounds like you need to get a different doctor. I’m sorry you’re going through this, I hope you can find someone who listens. I thought you had to be at least 18 before you could get surgery?

I’m just basing that statement on what my doctor said. That was his reason for wanting to do the sleeve over the RNY. I’ll probably get a second opinion. Thanks!

He also mentioned medications and other non-surgical treatment options if it gets worse. I was surprised he recommended it too based on how all my research said not to do the sleeve if you have reflux problems. Idk, I’ll get a second opinion for sure

That’s great! I’m hoping that’s what’ll happen for me too

I’ve been on PPIs for years and the only long-term effect my doctor told me I had to worry about was the increased risk of osteoporosis and I only have to worry about that because I also have celiac disease. Your reflux sounds like mine now pre-surgery and PPIs almost completely knock it out. You might want to try them again. Any small long-term effect is worth not being miserable IMO. My doctor also said they could put in a magnetic band around my diaphragm that would help with reflux, maybe you could look into that if you’re against the meds. Thanks for sharing your experience ?

So it has improved after your sleeve? I know with the sleeve it won’t make the reflux go away, I’m just worried it’ll make it worse

I was set to do the bypass but my doctor is really pushing for the sleeve. He said that most of his patients have less reflux after the sleeve and if it does get worse they can do a revision or put a magnetic band around my diaphragm which is something I had never heard of. I do not want to have a revision, especially since I’ll be paying out of pocket, but he was pretty sure the reflux wouldn’t be a problem. The sleeve is definitely a less scary sounding procedure and as I’m 22 I have a lot more time for long-term complications to happen and the sleeve has a much lower risk of those than the bypass. Decisions decisions

Anyone have GERD before gastric sleeve that got better with the sleeve? Or reflux that got worse? My doctor said I’m a better fit for the sleeve despite my reflux problems and I’m more comfortable with it too, I’m just worried about having more reflux problems afterwards. I’d always read that you weren’t supposed to get a sleeve if you had preexisting reflux problems.

I have to self-pay and I can’t afford any local surgeons. I’ve been looking at a clinic a few hours away or doing medical tourism but I know they have basically nonexistent follow up care. That’s another thing I’m worried about. I have a GI I see regularly and he’s agreed to provide my follow up care after the procedure which will help

I know I need to lose the weight eventually or it’ll cause problems, but right now I’m 22 and healthy so it’s hard to motivate myself with complications that seem “so far away”. I will be able to keep up with my kids better which is a big reason why I’m doing this. I’ve just heard from others that their recovery was a nightmare and they could barely move for weeks and were in severe pain for a long time afterwards and with 3 young children to care for that’s not really an option. Thanks for sharing your experience, I can deal with low energy for a few weeks so hopefully that’s what it’s like for me as well

It’s great to hear that recovery wasn’t that bad for you. I’ve heard horror stories which makes me hesitant but it sounds like that’s the minority lol. I know I’ll gain much more from losing weight than from staying obese, I’m just nervous. My kids are 2, 3, and 4 (all boys). My mom who lives nearby has agreed to help out with them for a while but she works full time so I’ll still have to manage on my own for most of the day. I’ll try to see if they could go to a summer camp or something so it’d give me a big of a break during the day for a few weeks. Thanks!

All I’ve heard is bad recovery stories on other forums and YouTube videos of people’s experience with wls. Thank you for your recovery story, it makes me feel better. Maybe it won’t be so bad

I haven’t had surgery yet but I’ve had bowel prep for colonoscopies before (colon cancer) and it usually dehydrates me and I feel weak and dizzy for a while before and afterwards. Good luck!

Anyone get pregnant after surgery? I can’t decide if I should wait until after I’m done having kids to get my surgery or not. If I don’t wait my pregnancies will be easier and I’ll be able to keep up with my kids better. But I’m likely to gain weight back when I do get pregnant. If I wait until after my pregnancies to get surgery I won’t have to worry about gaining all the weight back when I’m pregnant. Any stories or advice?

I’ll have to self-pay for my gastric bypass so obviously I’ve been drawn to getting it done in Mexico instead of the US because of price. I’ve also been interested in it because the follow-up care of the place I’m looking at is more extensive than it would be in the US. However, I know that some places in Mexico aren’t as reputable as in the US. How did you choose your location? How could you tell that your care would be good there? I don’t want to die on the operating table because I tried to save money on my surgery.

I’ve been looking into wls for years. I’ve tried everything else and feel like it’s the only option left for me to lose weight. I’ve finally been approved and have my gastric bypass scheduled for the end of May, but I’m scared. I was so sure I wanted this before and now that it’s happening it’s kinda scary. I know that if I don’t do it I’ll eventually get diabetes, heart problems, joint problems, high bp, etc., and that my weight will eventually kill me. But Wls changes the way you eat and the way your body processes food forever. I know that’s the point, it just feels a bit daunting. Plus, I’ve heard that the recovery is horrible and I’m a single parent so I won’t be able to get much of a break while I recover. Any advice?