KateinMichigan

You are a saint for keeping us updated! We are all rooting for you and I’m so glad to hear that it’s getting better! I’m assuming that there is no acid reflux - but without food to trigger it Im sure it must be an odd feeling. These updates are going to help so much when I have the surgery- now I know what to expected. I can’t wait until the day where you don’t have any diaphragm soreness and the day you have your first real meal!!!! Hang in there:)

I am in your boat and it's been 15 years. It's important that you're in here sharing...it's a gift. Now people know what questions to ask, what doctor to avoid, etc.

Actually - this isn't rare. 30-50% of patients struggle with this INTENSE VGS GERD after (it shouldn't even be called GERD because it's unrelenting. I'm only correcting you because so many downplay it - and it really is a painful side effect that everyone should be aware of before choosing this surgery. EVERYONE should ask their surgeon how they are preventing this from happening with their patients - and check here to see if the doctor's name is associated with a sufferer. Many patients just live and suffer with it and don't post. I was one of them. Unfortunately, the drugs that manage it eventually cause Cancer....

This is always true. Nurses know; I'm glad they are advocating for you. The stinginess with the pain meds has gotten out of control...I get they don't want to create an addiction but 5??!!! Let me know how your surgeon responds to your request. I just had a call with someone who had the same surgery in March - she had the same issues but said the pain subsided within 2 weeks. She's happy she did it. She said she did have a bit of Reflux the first week but it went away (could have been an intense rebound from the PPI's working their way out of her system). She also said her stool is now loose/runny. I have no idea why/how this would happen - but it's still only been a few months so she's still recovering. I'm going to be checking in on you. Please keep me filled in - bad and good.

I’m so sorry you are going through this pain! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’ve met with several doctors, and they never tell you about things like this. It’s so important for people to share their experiences. Please keep me updated as the days go on. I praying to hear that it all gets better. How long did your surgeon tell you you’ll be in pain for?

Hi! I’m scheduled for this surgery as well. Wow! Did they detect that much sleeve in the esophagus before surgery or did it come up in pre tests? How are you feeling? Any acid?

Everything SleevedK said is true! Same here.

See my post on My sleeve experience - it’s long and detailed. The pluses - weight loss to goal, no vitamin deficiencies. The negs - GERD!!! Do it again? Tough to answer, because it’s been 15 years and I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have it. Dead? Massive Stroke? Or maybe a healthy, but fat 51 year old? Who knows? Lol. Quality of life is severely diminished with GERD, but my friends have had the bypass, and that’s a tough road too. My advice? If your happy, healthy, but fat - don’t do anything. Wear beautiful clothes, don’t take yourself too seriously, laugh, enjoy your friends and your life! If you’re suffering and the future is looking bleak, grill your doctor about GERD and find a surgeon that understands it and mitigates the risks. See my post for all the right questions! I’d do the sleeve, but find the right surgeon. The ones who’ve been doing for over 20 years are the best - they know some tricks to avoid GERD, and they test you for GERD before surgery. If your surgeon doesn’t mention GERD or downplays it - RUN!

Who was your surgeon?

Yes!!! Congratulations! Could you share your HH surgeon?

I went to WL support groups for 1 year before I had the sleeve. GERD was very common; but I discounted it because I didn’t understand that it’s NOT Your garden variety Pop-a-tums GERD. (I don’t think many of the Doctors really know how bad this type of GERD is.) The Bypass patients seemed to have really intense energy problems “, mal-nutrition and gas - so I opted for what I thought would be occasion TUMS. LOL - yeah - NO. People don’t go in for revision for that! I wish I could jump in a time machine and cancel the surgery.

Same!

Don’t worry about the weight, it’ll happen. And the slow eating will be second nature after a while. The fluids thing is very important - sounds like you are off to a fantastic start!

https://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/laparoscopic-repair-of-hiatal-hernia-with-dor-fundoplication-after-sleeve-gastrectomy-in-a-patient-with-intractable-gerd-and-retained-gastric-body/

?Always good to post the name with success stories. How are you feeling?

This is such good news!!! Who was your doctor?

It’s a class of drug. Prilosec/ Nexium / Prevacid/ etc

No PPI’s?

My surgeon did do a EGD. He did not find a hernia, and because I never had GERD, he assured me that the odds of me developing acid reflux were “extremely unlikely”. They’ve learned a lot since my surgery- it was so long ago. The real question is - how many of your surgeons patients suffer from it? What is the exact percent - not a guesstimate. How do they keep track? How do they address it when it happens? My surgeon told me “it’s really rare”, and his partner recently wrote a paper (2020) stating 30% of their patients ended up on PPI’s. That’s not “rare” to me. And the practice I went to was highly regarded and considered “the best” in California. I did extensive research. Unfortunately the internet wasn’t what it is today. When patients started begging to get a bypass because the pain/medicine side effects were too great, I think some Doctors started listening and altered techniques. Ask if he automatically puts you on a PPI after surgery. Not a good sign. Many put you on PPI’s, and are completely out of the picture when you start developing PPI problems - dependency months , years down the line. Some doctors attach the sleeve to something else in the body to keep it from slipping up and causing a hernia, some do a “hernia repair” using mesh. Some will tell you upfront - you should have bypass because.... always get a second opinion (and a third), and find a surgeon who doesn’t downplay it. I recently listens to a surgeon giving a presentation at a medical conference. He advised his fellow surgeons to decline sleeves to certain patients because “the reflux would keep them banging at your door”. He jokingly suggested that you send patients with HH or GERD to “your enemy” if they want the sleeve. This was a video from 2019. I am grateful for those door bangers, because while I just suffered silently- they demanded help and brought awareness. They are hero’s. Please share your story and your surgeon, especially if you are PPI free.

You are a wealth of knowledge! Loved both links. Hope!

I sent you an email with my phone number. Please text if you get the chance. I’m seeing 3 doctors in the next 2 weeks and thought we could share research!

It’s been a dance. PPI’s for a few weeks, then Pepcid and Tums, then eating window of 1-5 / protein only/ with tums. No sugar 95% of the time. Carbs and sugar hurt ? - below if from my diary on day three of going off PPI’s yesterday. I had to take 4 tums throughout last night - kept waking up with GERD. The mug has homemade chowder - 3 tablespoons. The greens are avo and cucumber. Gotta avoid hot Tea at night...Have not been diagnosed with Barrett’s yet.

I hear you sister. No one tells you it's 30%, and no one tells you this isn't garden variety GERD. I call it VSG GERD - very different.

Found this too: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33483233/

This is great! I'm going to steal the link to this article and repost on my post. I have covered this topic and I'm currently on the hunt for a surgeon. Read my latest post and follow me for updates. I was recently told that RNY confession was my only option and as someone with Anemia - this isn't an option.