ChunkCat

Bypass is pretty amazing for GERD sufferers. There are a fair number of those that have had revisions from sleeve to bypass on this site. That said, my surgeon says there is a way to make a sleeve that is less likely to cause GERD if they already know you have issues with it. Something about the top being a bit wider? I'm most likely going with the DS which causes much more malabsorption than the bypass. The way I see it though, I'd rather trade my meds and chronic illnesses for daily vitamins and stable weight maintenance. It is important to remember that each person has a surgery that is right for them. I have gone over the medication malabsorption issue with my psych several times. But she says that in the end it comes down to the individual. Sometimes even sleevers need med adjustments after surgery. And sometimes bypass and DS people do fine with no adjustments. It all depends on the person and their individual system. Things can be adjusted, there are always options. I'm lucky that my ADHD meds are a disintegrating tablet because its most often given to children. And I have always chewed my benzos so they kick in faster (I only take them in emergencies). My biggest worry is my anti-depressant but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. DSers tend to absorb tablet vitamins well so I'm hoping the tablet anti-depressant will do equally well!

I love this!! Studies that talk about WLS adding years to your life really miss talking about how it adds LIFE to your YEARS! I am so happy for you! It really is never too late to follow your dreams! How inspiring!

I missed pumpkin pie and all the pumpkin pie flavored things when I lived in New Zealand. They have pumpkin in everything but it is all savory foods, not sweet. Boggled my mind because their pumpkins are sooooo good and make amazing pies! But no one eats sweet pumpkin stuff. LOL I keep thinking maybe one day it'll catch on with the American food trend (they have actual bbq places there now!). But that's probably wishful thinking. ?

I remember the first time I had anesthesia, I was a nervous wreck! But as soon as they put those happy meds in my IV line I was as good as gold and the OR nurse even had me yelling "Roll Tide!!!" as they wheeled me back, which was surely the meds talking as I'm not a sports fan. LOL Tell them when you get to the nurses that you are really anxious, they can give you meds to ease the worry a bit. My favorite technique for anxiety is to tell myself "Oh, I'll worry about that tomorrow." Then I put it in a box on a shelf in my brain closet for tomorrow and endeavor to keep it there! Every time it creeps in I tell it that it's not tomorrow yet and back in the closet it goes! Then I remind myself that the only thing I can truly control and affect in life is in the PRESENT MOMENT. So I bring my focus to whatever is in front of me in my day and take the next small step in the process towards whatever I am trying to accomplish. That paired with remembering my "Why" and envisioning the end goal I desire usually is enough mental gymnastics to keep the anxiety at bay. Worrying about these things is normal, just don't let it get so bad it incapacitates you. Talk it out with someone you trust or talk it out on a post here, there are plenty of listening ears who will get what you are saying. You can do this!!

I went to my nutrition thing today and they told us no blending things into our protein drinks for several months because of indigestible fiber bits? I don't know. I was bummed out, I like adding things to shakes! But every program is different so you might ask your dietician about it? They also said it is really important to progress the stages even if you have food aversion. To keep trying because the body needs more nutrition than you are getting in those shakes and the stomach needs to progress gradually towards normal foods. I thought that was really interesting. I hate pureed things so I figured I'd just keep doing liquids but after that I've spent the rest of the day thinking about things I can eat that don't have weird pureed textures. Like yogurt, protein puddings, sugar free puddings, blended soups and stews, instant oatmeal, more yogurt, etc... I think I can handle a week of that! Especially after all those liquids... I've also found a lot of good pureed recipes in bariatric cookbooks too! Things I never thought of like sugar free custard, blended lentil soups, eating hummus by the spoonful, cold soups like cucumber soup (the cooked kind) and the ever famous ricotta bake!

Yeah I've read this, you aren't crazy. I am sure it was something one person's nutritionist said and now it is everywhere on the internet. LOL I think it is the change in moisture content too, I can see how it would be a particular issue with meat early on. Otherwise it is just your tummy being sensitive. Food changes texture when it is microwaved! For instance, I loathe microwaved homemade mashed potatoes, it is just not the same and the texture gets weird. But I am super texture sensitive so that might be why I notice it. I really hope I don't have that issue post surgery!

Oh I agree with you, I'd be concerned something else was going on too. I think an ultrasound and labwork is completely within reason to ask for. The ultrasound can show the position of the IUD as well as the thickness of the lining, that should be useful information whether you leave it in place or remove it! I wish you much luck with this, I know how stressful it is when you are bleeding every damned day!

Oh good choice!! Maybe it really is just a combo of chewing, your tummy getting used to food, and maybe a little too much roughage in the veggies for so early on? It seems like a lot of people have issues getting used to food again, those new tummies have strong opinions! LOL

I'd hate for you to end up with an ablation for an issue that may just be caused by hormone fluctuations due to weight loss that will ease as your weight loss levels out. IUDs can be fussy things. My guess is that after surgery your hormones surged high enough to overpower the IUD's hormones and that's what caused the bleeding. It is also possible the lining hasn't shed properly either due to those hormones, or those hormones combined with the IUD and now you are stuck with daily breakthrough bleeding. Getting the IUD out might help or it may do nothing for the bleeding, it is hard to say. Did they do an ultrasound to see if the lining is built up? I'm really surprised everyone there is acting like they have no clue what caused this... This sucks! I can totally understand why you are miserable!

Yes! I forgot to add that! Everyone gets their own anesthesiologist or nurse anesthesiologist. They are AMAZING people, there for you and only you, from start to finish! They manage your breathing, your anesthesia, and stay with you through the whole procedure. I always love meeting the anesthesiologist before surgery because they check over everything so carefully and while everyone else is focused on the surgery itself they are 100% focused on YOU. Plus they are the ones with the happy drugs! ?

You may have to travel to a big city with more skilled surgeons, but I agree, I'd definitely get another few opinions. Skill varies a lot in the bariatric world and what one surgeon might not touch (and you wouldn't want them to!) another may be able to do with ease... It is worth a try at least!

Yay Kay, that's wonderful!! I'm ready to get rid of this HBP pill too! LOL I think changing food habits when there are cultural influences that add to the mix is challenging. My partner is Chinese and I can definitely see the cultural food influences there. As you change your food habits there will be new rituals to include supportive family and friends in, which isn't the same thing, but does help maintain that sense of community. In our house part of this looks like going back to the roots of true Chinese cooking and identifying the things that we can incorporate which support our health goals. Chinese food is often medicinal within their culture, which is not something we think about when consuming our version of Chinese food in the US! It makes me wonder what other food traditions have roots in good foods for the body and soul, but have gotten obscured by other traditions as time has passed, you know?

You can buy them in shops like Amazon. These are my favorite ones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0897RWF54/ The Zeta Plus Size Leg Sleeves. I wear them a lot when traveling and love that the foot is open so I can wear them with socks that actually fit in the foot, or sandals! LOL Every doctor has different opinions about wearing them and about abdominal binders. I find these comfortable but you need to be careful to measure and get the correct size. I like them but still look forward to taking them off at night to sleep!

I have pretty severe sleep apnea (though only when dreaming, weirdly enough) and have been under anesthesia multiple times. They carefully control and monitor your breathing while you are out. When you are awake just wear your c-pap when you are resting and think you might fall asleep. Definitely bring it to the hospital with you!!

Did you eat rice with the poke bowl? I've read on the forums that bread, tortilla, rice, etc...can all sit heavy early on and tend to clump together when you eat them which causes that lump feeling in your belly. I bet even certain veggies can do that. They are all on my "wait a while" food list.

New To This 23 is right, when you book your ticket you can request medical assistance like a trip to the gate and help with your luggage! Its a bit of a pain and it makes me self conscious but I have medical issues that make it impossible for me to walk all the way to the gate or lift my own bags so I always have to request this to have a wheelchair available to get through the airport. It makes travel much easier and much less stressful. Have you heard of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower card? Some airports participate in the program. You wear the card on a lanyard when traveling and it signals to staff you have disabilities that may not be apparent that can cause you to need extra assistance. https://hdsunflower.com/ You can order a card at that link! I've found it to be helpful when traveling... Also, welcome to the forum!!

I am on a number of psych meds for PTSD and depression. I had a hysterectomy with no changes to my meds for anesthesia, they adjust the meds they use to your own particular cocktail. I've been told there will be no issues with my meds and surgery. I talked with my psych about meds and absorption and she said that she doesn't usually have issues with sleeve patients, the most she has to do is a tweak here and there, but you might want to consider more weight neutral formulations. She said she's had more issues with RNY and DS patients, but again, nothing is impossible and there are solutions for even those patients, it just takes more work to maintain therapeutic levels like compounded liquid formulations for some patients. It really depends on your particular meds and what wiggle room you have. My surgeon wasn't concerned at all with my meds and surgery/recovery, so I think maybe your doctor isn't educated enough on the subject? Patients on psych meds have surgery all the time with no problems... ETA: I'm on other meds too and the only adjustment to those was to skip my morning doses as one of them could have interacted with the anesthesia they were using. I was able to take it that night with no problem. They go over every med you are on during your pre-surgical appointment.

This made me giggle, the picture paired with it was perfect!! The others are right though, it really is just spending a few minutes on your feet, getting your blood moving in your legs. I usually take this time to make the cats chase their feather toy which becomes a self perpetuating game because cats can tell time and will nag you to get up every hour so they can play. LOL It is amazing how quickly time adds up by the time you've used the bathroom, made a drink, and harassed the cats. My watch fusses at me every hour to get up and move!

It's nice to know not everyone has to avoid those things long term with the RNY. I was going by what I've read and heard from other RNY patients I've met, many of whom still avoid those things, especially dry meat. I suppose it is one of those things where there are a variety of experiences due to individual needs and the variety of plans from doctors and dietitians. I could have included the statistics for everything but it would have been a much longer post and probably a bit overwhelming to read. I find when comparing features of surgery that statistics don't matter to me much, a chance of something is a chance of something and still goes into my weighing and balancing of the surgeries overall, but I'm sure everyone differs on that. My goal was to write a post that was easy to understand and fairly neutral, as I've noticed most surgery patients are heavily biased to their own surgeries unless they are experiencing complications and have plans of revision. We have a lot of bypass patients on this board so I figured you guys would chime in. Sadly we don't have many that have had the SADI or the DS, which is unfortunate because these are really great surgeries for the right person. Thanks for chiming in with your experience Catwoman7, your weight loss and maintenance is truly impressive and you always add great things to a discussion!

Congrats on your appointment tomorrow! Good luck! I can't comment experience wise because I haven't has surgery yet and my BMI is MUCH higher than yours, but most insurance companies will cover weight loss surgery if you have a BMI of over 35 and a co-morbidity. It sounds like you have a few co-morbidities so you should be good! One liter of water sounds very doable after the first few days of recovery, so that should be easy for you to do with frequent drinking by the time you can go back to a physically demanding job. You may not be able to gulp it, but you should be able to drink it at regular intervals between meals just fine...

The SADI and the Duodenal Switch (they are different) are the two surgeries with the highest percentage of excess weight loss, the lowest rate of regain and the best reputation for significant weight loss in people with high BMIs. You can read studies about this. That said there are plenty of people with high BMIs that go with Gastric Bypass instead and plenty of them do keep the weight off. Both surgeries have restrictive and malabsorptive components, though their malabsorption is rather different. The bypass tends to be better for people with GERD issues but has a higher risk of ulcers and strictures. The SADI-S tends to be better for people at risk of developing ulcers, for those that smoke or vape and plan on going back to it after surgery healing is complete, and for those that may need to take NSAIDS in the future. The bypass involves a modified stomach with smaller capacity (about that of an egg) while the SADI has a sleeve stomach (banana shaped) so will eat bigger portions. Both still restrict enough calories for weight loss. The SADI is pylorus sparing so the stomach still has the valve in it that keeps food in so digestion happens in a more normal way, the bypass has no pyloric valve so you have to be extra mindful to chew thoroughly as things pass through the stomach differently. Both have to supplement vitamins but do so in a different way--but they are not optional. If you stop taking the vitamins you run a high risk of nutritional deficiencies. The diets are a bit different for the two. I believe bypass patients need to be mindful of seeds, skins, and meat that is overly dry. They need to be more particular with lean protein as they don't have malabsorption of fats to the same degree a SADI patient will. There is some conflicting data that suggests fat absorption in SADI-S patients normalize in the second year post surgery so they need to be careful about not eating too much fat, but the studies are by no means conclusive at this point. SADI patients need a bit more protein than bypass patients since the SADI bypasses a larger amount of the small intestine. Dumping syndrome is more common with bypass. Diarrhea may be more common with SADI-S though I've been told most tend towards constipation like with the bypass. SADI people may have more gut issues with carb consumption but don't tend to have dumping syndrome. SADI-S is a much newer procedure and we don't know as much about it as the bypass. That doesn't mean it is bad and it isn't considered experimental by many insurances anymore, but the fact remains we still don't understand as much about it as we do the Gastric Bypass or Duodenal Switch. In the end it is very much a matter of preference and which patient profile you fit best. You have to pick the surgery that works best for you! I wish you much luck in deciding, I'm debating the sleeve vs DS myself. ETA: The SADI has a bit better chance of resolving metabolic conditions like diabetes and other co-morbidities. Though the bypass does a good job of resolving those too compared to the sleeve!

I've heard of it but I haven't had it done. Hopefully someone else will chime in. Just wanted to wish you much luck on your procedure! Do you have to do the whole liquid diet again?

I don't have any experience with this insurance provider, hopefully someone else has. Have you called your insurance to ask what specific forms need to be submitted for the referral? Sometimes doctors think a blanket referral will cover things when it won't. Someone at the insurance company should be able to give you the specific info needed to get the ball rolling. Then you can take the form in to your doctor or send it on your portal and get things handled properly. It is so frustrating, navigating the various insurers. Each one is different, even between regions in the same state! And they ALL make it SO hard to get the proper care. I wish you lots of luck in figuring this out. I'm really thankful my GP was happy to refer me, she has a sister who had bariatric surgery and did well so she's a huge fan!

I'm having a lot of the feels about things and I don't even have a date yet! I think that's normal. Navigating the changes with other humans around is hard. My partner is diabetic too and very, very emotionally attached to food. And while they are very supportive of my choices and willing to change things around a bit, I think there may be some rough spots because food is a control issue and a comfort issue for them. I've had so many problems with food over the years that I'm pretty detached about it now. But I'm still sure these upcoming changes will be hard on us all. I did manage to quit vaping by just packing it all away. Out of sight, out of mind actually works for me for most things. I tend to eat out of boredom or vape out of boredom so putting things away and substituting other habits has been effective. But having conversations with my head hunger is still pretty hard. I'm not looking forward to the liquid phases of this experience. LOL I've fasted on liquids for days before for other procedures and the first few days are always the hardest, but I have never had to sustain it for weeks! I bet most of us are afraid of screwing things up. I had this whole panic thing the other day about possibly having the DS and then a world catastrophe happening and me not being able to get my vitamins and me dying of malnourishment---when my brain panics it does so EPICALLY! I finally reassured myself I could stockpile vitamins for a year once I find what works, you know, kind of like preppers do? I could be a vitamin prepper! ???

I take that Spoiled Child collagen, it is a mango flavored liquid. I got tired of trying to mix powders! I put it in sugar free fruit drinks or tea but you have to dissolve the other drink powder first if you use one or the collagen will make it clump for some weird reason. So far I like it... But your waffle looked seriously delicious!