Emh2459

I am 68 and had the R&Y on Feb. 15.
I came through surgery fine. Don't listen to your friends. If you haven't lost the weight by now, you probably never will, that was the conclusion I came to. In the end your health will improve. I'm less than 2 months from surgery and I've already dropped one and a half BP medications.
The surgery isn't all roses. Foods you enjoyed before will likely become disgusting to you. This is a side effect that occurs in a very high percentage of patients of R&Y. It's usually not a longterm problem. My friend had it and his tastes returned in about 8 months. The good thing is, you're having this surgery to lose weight and if you have an aversion to most foods, that will only help you lose more. I pretty much live on smoked salmon, Starkist tuna packets, protein bars and Genepro protein powder. I mix the Genepro with diluted fruit juice. Trust me, the protein shakes you drink before surgery will not taste the same. I can't stand them now but the Genepro is tasteless. I'll eat a few crackers at times. I am at about where I'm supposed to be. I've lost 70 lbs so far.
Be sure your surgeon prescribes medication to avoid gall stones. Rapid weight loss can cause them. Also, eat nuts sparingly while drinking lots of water. Lots of nuts and low water intake can cause kidney stones.
You'll do fine. You're not old. I'm old!

Yes, you need to take vitamins after surgery. Taking vitamins isn’t a bad idea for most people.
I use the PatchMD ones. I take enough pills as it is & I don’t want to take anymore orally. My daughter takes the BariatricPal ones. Others take chewable children’s vitamins (I couldn’t stand those & a kid).
I had a RNY because I had previous surgery to fix a hiatal hernia that had failed & it was causing me a great deal of acid reflux again.

Talk with your doctor to pick the best surgery for you!

I'm an introvert with few friends but in my smallish 15-person department at work, three people have had bariatric surgeries within the last two years so I get a lot of support/guidance there. My one close personal friend is also very supportive, as are my three adult children. My two siblings, both of whom are bigger than me, are the voices of doom and gloom and tell me I'm making a big mistake. I think it's just because they aren't brave enough to do something about their own situations.

Checked in at 9am on day of surgery, walked out the next day around 1pm.

I'm so nervous and excited at the same time. I don't really have many friends and the ones I do have think I shouldn't do it. So I thank you for taking time to help me know what to expect[emoji173] Good luck with your surgery[emoji173]

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These things are more dictated by your medical insurance rather than being the physician's requirements (assuming you expect coverage by your insurance company). Naturally, any reputable doctor should only take on patients that he/she believes will be successful but the actual hoops you have to jump through prior to surgery are mainly based on insurance requirements. You physician's office will check into what your particular insurance requires and guide you along the way. For example, many patients have to: have a psych eval, have a sleep study/use CPAP, have nutritionist/dietician appointments, get a cardiac eval, and show some weight loss prior to insurance approval for surgery. The length of time to do these things is also dictated by insurance. Some only require 3 months of effort, but most seem to require 6 months of effort. I started in October 2020 and my surgery is scheduled for April 20, 2021.
It's all doable and the time passes more quickly than you think it will!

I think I'm an unusual case. I had RNY three months ago. I can eat almost anything, as long as it's in moderation. The only time I have "dumped" is when I foolishly scarfed down a bagel from Dunkin' Donuts when I was in a hurry to eat at work before a meeting. If I had chewed slowly and mindfully, and only eaten half the bagel with cream cheese, I would have tolerated it with no issues. I love my surgery. One of my worst fears pre-surgery is that I wouldn't be able to enjoy Mexican food again, which is my favorite food on the planet. I can! But I only eat about a quarter of what I used to, and feel very satisfied. PLUS I get a ton of yummy leftovers to take to work!
Here's my final take. The main reason why I love this surgery is that food is no longer this constant, mentally-intrusive, all-consuming desire for me like it used to be. I'm not consumed by gnawing hunger and spending all my free will just trying to keep the monster at bay. Food is just...food. I don't obsess over it. I'm not overly hungry. I just feel...normal. I still enjoy eating and a little goes a very long way. I feel like I have my life back.

Maybe I was lucky. I felt very well cared for in the hospital and was so excited about my future. Every day was a new adventure. and like THE GREATER FOOL said above....I never regretted my choice for an instant.

Oh my gosh!!!!! This is the BEST thing I ever did? My one regret: (and I have heard this SO many times...). I wish I would have done it sooner! I was 57 when I had the sleeve done 10 years ago. I lost 80 lbs and just in the last couple of years I have put 15-20 lbs back on which is why I am back here to figure out how to stop the gain. I went in with the mindset that this was a very exciting time in my life and I was finally going to get a handle on it and I did!!! I wrote a book called Queen of Crop where I kept a blog faithfully each week....I suggest you do as well because it will be a very exciting year for you. You will be in the Honeymoon phase for the first year....but listen and learn so you don't regain. Sadly, my surgery was very early on and I was traveling for a year so had very little (if any) follow up support so here I am fighting some weight gain. But oh, the freedom of feeling thin!!!! Good luck and have fun with it. My passport photos taken exactly one year apart!

Does anyone here regret having had gastric bypass surgery?
** nope. Not for a minute. I'd do it every year if I had to. Best decision I've ever made!!
I keep hearing about the downsides: adhesions, forever being careful of what to eat, dumping, stricture, malabsorption, etc.
** first, the downside of remaining obese - high risk of diabetes, heart issues, early death.
As far as gastric bypass downsides that you mentioned:
Adhesions - very rare
Forever being careful of what to eat: you'd have to do this if you lost weight the old-fashioned way, too, if you wanted to maintain your loss.
Dumping: 30% of us dump. I never have -- and I know lots of others who never have, either. If you turn out to be a dumper, it's controlled by avoiding or limiting sugar (or fats - some people dump on fats). These are things we should be doing anyway.
Stricture: happens to 5% of us. Minor issue and very easy fix.
Malabsorption: 1) calorie malabsorption is what gives us a leg up on weight loss. It lasts a year or two. 2) nutrient malabsorption - rare as long as you keep on top of your vitamins
I think a lot of us once had the same concerns. I did too - which is why it took me ten years to take the plunge. And now my only regret is that I waited so long to do it.
If you don't feel you're mentally ready for it, then maybe now isn't the time to do it. It takes some serious dedication and I think you really have to be in the right mindset to be successful. But seriously, it really is the best decision I've ever made. Should have done it years ago.

Hi Elaine, welcome.
The doctor is just gonna talk with you about your weight, your dieting history, what the surgery is like, what to expect from the surgery & help you decide which surgery is right for you.
If you have acid reflux at all you should have a RNY.
From what I’ve seen in the boards, your age isn’t a concern at all.

Toodles, Rue

I appreciate your help thank you.

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They'll give you a lists of things you'll need to do before they'll approve and schedule you. Each doctor is different, but most will want a history of weight loss effort, a medically supervised diet with visits to dietician and some weight loss, clearance from a bariatric therapist, medical tests...some want support group attendence, fitness classes, etc. Just very much depends on your surgeon's group policies. They will likely discuss benefits and drawbacks of each different surgery. They'll measure you and weigh you and give you a list of things to schedule.

Wow! Checkin our your progress. Great work! Lookin awesome!

Hello everyone. I’m Marissa and I had gastric bypass in October of 2020. I’m roughly 5.5 months post op from having the surgery at Baptist Bariatrics. With my surgeon being Dr H. I’m writing to introduce myself. HW 292 SW 273 CW 207 GW 150. I’m doing my best to reach Onederland so any advise is welcome.

MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
Good luck, whatever you decide.

I have Medicare and Medicaid they only require 3 month nutritionist. I started on Feb and my surgery is April 30th. Also remember all the pre appointments you have to see depending on your doctor

Anyone with Medicare? How is/was the approval process and coverage for the surgery? I have BCBS thru my husband's employer, and the coverage and benefits are excellent, but I'm wondering if the coverage requirements for the gastric sleeve surgery might be better with Medicare coverage so I don't have to wait so long. I can get my coverage back because I'm entitled to it with my SSDI, so I would just like to check my options. I only have part A right now, but I can get the other benefits back as well.
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