TwinkleToes87

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. Break ups can be very hard. I had a bad one when I was about your age & went through a period of depression & anxiety. Ended up leaving my job & moving back home. The depression coloured everything in my life. It may be doing the same for you too & causing you to regret the surgery & a change of behaviour that has bought you many benefits (weight loss, health improvements, more active, fewer restrictions, etc,).
Yes, I’m considerably older than you & that means I can look at things differently than you so I don’t mind if you think I’m talking rubbish & don’t understand. 🙂 My friends are big eaters & drinkers & the first couple of times we went out after my surgery I felt a little uncomfortable & conspicuous because I sipped one alcoholic drink for hours, took a while to eat & ordered small plates. Then I realised, I wasn’t going out with them to eat & drink, I was going out with them to spend time with them. What I ate or didn’t eat & what I drank or didn’t drink was irrelevant. It was our friendship that was important. We socialise often (though likely not as often as you). At each others’ homes, bars, fine dining restaurants, etc. My surgery & food choices haven’t stopped us or slowed us down once (oh, except when they wanted to go to an high tea with unlimited champagne - I rarely eat sweet & one glass of champagne would be ample so not worth it. We did dinner instead.)
Actually one of my friends decided to have surgery the year after me though she is more flexible in her food & drinking choices than me. Another one wants to have the surgery. And the fourth in our group, has slowed her eating & is making better food & alcohol choices. Not for anything I’ve said. I guess I’ve become a bit of a role model for a healthier life. LOL!
Maybe have a chat with someone, like a therapist, about how you’re feeling to help you work through this.

All of the reasons above plus the heightened risk of lung collapse due to the surgery. I found that when my cpap readings fell short, it was mostly due to my mask not being tight enough for a proper seal. The stronger my oxygen levels, the better I started sleeping. Keeping fingers crossed for you!!

I think it’s about ensuring your blood is well oxygenated & also poor breathing and sleep affects your heart & blood pressure. But most importantly, sleep apnea puts you at higher risk with anaesthesia which slows your already compromised breathing resulting in complications during & immediately after surgery.
Certainly worth a conversation with your surgeon & maybe your respiratory doctor as well.

A little about me. 45-year-old, male. Fought my weight my entire adult life. Chronic IBS. GERD. Heart attack in 2016. Heart disease. Diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea in 2022. Fatty liver disease. Metabolic syndrome. Diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos - Hypermobility Type in 1997. Currently have chronic pain in both shoulders and both hips, especially when sleeping. This is due to the EDS. I have SLAP tears in both shoulders as well as partial rotator cuff tears, and frozen shoulder on the right side. Married. Twin 13-year-olds.
Quality of life really hit bottom. I decided to take control of my life. I had my first appointment with the Dr back in November. Just had VSG on May 18th. Severe gas pains for about the first 5 hours after surgery. Like really bad. Gave me dilaudid to help with the pain, and it did knock the edge off. I was able to get up and walk, drink a little, and pee. Let me go home about 6.5 hours in recovery. The first nights sleep was brutal. THE HICCUPS! Why did no one tell me about the hiccups?! I was able to wear my apnea mask just fine, but every time I got up to pee (about 5 times total), the hiccups would start almost immediately and last for 30 minutes or more. I was shaking the bed and keeping the wife awake, they were so bad. Also had some mild reflux with a little bit of the foamies (I got those before the surgery when the reflux would flare).
1st day after surgery, much better. Very few hiccups. No nausea. Got all of my fluids and Protein in. Even walked about 8000 steps (I would've done anything to make sure the gas pain didn't return).
Now I'm on the third full day after surgery, and each day has been better than the last. Still tired. Off pain meds for the entire day today. I can't stomach the clear protein, so I'm drinking full (creamy) protein diluted 50/50 with Water. No issues so far.
I think I have overdone it with walking too much too soon, because I feel really tired and weak. I'm going to cut the walking down to 5000 steps and see if that helps.
My ABS are pretty sore, especially immediately after sitting/laying. They tighten up pretty quick.
Still a long road ahead, with 1-2 shoulder surgeries later this year. And I know there's still a long road ahead with my weight loss journey. I appreciate everyone's candidness describing their issues (poop, slime/foamies, etc). I like to know what to expect.
No regrets.

Check out Fluscheeitaway on IG. She had the SADI 2 years ago and her husband had it as well a few months back. She also recently started a podcast with her bariatric surgeon so that might be a good source of information. It definitely isn't as common as the sleeve and bypass since it's a bit newer and not all insurances cover it, but I have heard it is slightly easier to go from a sleeve to the SADI since they may not have to resleeve you just reroute the rest.

Woohoo..... after a crappy 8 months post surgery I have finally gone from being in the obese class 3 category to the overweight category according to the BMI charts.
I am delighted as I wasn't sure I would get here given all my post op complications. I still have a way to go to get into what they call the healthy range but I am already much healthier and fitter than I was before the surgery so it is already a win.

same, same, as the other posters above.
i am really, really good at losing weight. I am (was) also really, really good at finding that weight again.
i've lost 50-75 lbs three separate times prior to wls, and each time managed to regain it within a year or so, plus a few more pounds for good measure, until i finally hit my highest weight of 235 lbs (i'm 5'2" so thats alot of weight for my height).
with WLS (sleeve for me), i lost 120-ish lbs and kept it ALL off (give or take 5lbs) since reaching goal...almost 5 YEARS ago...
whats more, maintaining this weight seems relatively effortless compared to before. because i eat so very little in volume (added to the fact that i somehow developed an affection for exercise and activity!), i have quite a bit of leeway in food choices to reach my maintenance calories. i am very grateful for this aspect of my surgery experience, i tell ya.
BUT... i will add a disclaimer here that not everyone has the same WLS experience. you won't know what yours will be until you know. though we all of us here already sort of know that low calorie diets alone aren't sustainable long term for us. i mean, that's why we are all here, no?

Doing many different duets including several VLC & deliberately skipping meals had done a number on my metabolism. Started doing this at 15 so did this for 40 years. The last VLC diet I did (<500 calories) I barely lost a thing - a couple of kilos over 6 or more weeks.
The surgery works because it changes your hormones & boosts your metabolism. It also resets your weight set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at & will keep returning to or makes it harder to lose the weight in the first place. I went from really not being able to lose anything to losing all my weight & more. I weigh
The other difference was if I did lose weight on a diet in the past as soon as I stopped I invariably went back to eating the exact same way as I did before & regained my weight. Which kept my set point high.
I’ve been able to maintain because I took the time while losing to change my relationship with food & changed how & what I ate. I took advantage of the benefits of the surgery. I look at flood differently. I adopted a way of eating (not a diet - to many negative connotations to that word) that works for me because it’s sustainable, complements my lifestyle, ensures I’m making nutrient rich food choices & I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
You may find these links informative. Dr Matthew Weiner (Pound of Cure) has excellent resources es as does Dr John Pilcher.
https://courses.poundofcureweightloss.com/courses/weight-loss-hormones/

No this isn't my experience. If I stuck to a low calorie diet (VLCD) I invariably lost weight. I've done that numerous times since my teens. What I could not do was keep that weight off. I regained it all plus more, every time. WLS seems to have changed that for me (so far - 2+ years post op).
Can you give us a little more info? What diet were you sticking to, when and for how long?? I think it would be very unusual not to lose ANYTHING ever on a low calorie diet? Far more common to lose a bit, stall, lose a bit more...etc etc

I had a really physical job and could do really restricted diets without a problem. Three times I lost 70 pounds and three times I regained and added 30 pounds more. Then I retired, got old, covid happened, stopped smoking, got ailments etc. At around 350 pounds I was classed as disabled I could not diet and exercise anymore, I couldn't stick to a restricted diet. I stopped enjoying life and hid at home. I wanted to end the cycle of diet and regain +.
I clutched at a chance of stability and am really working to keep my weight off. So far its easier than before.

I don't know about not losing weight AT ALL with a low calorie diet, but for most of us, the pattern before weight loss surgery was that we'd lose weight but then gain it all back within a few months. It's because you're fighting biology. Your hunger hormones, your gut biome - everything is fighting against you to get back to your previous weight. Weight loss surgery resets a lot of that. That's not to say you won't gain it all back. Some people let bad habits slip back in and take over. But as long as you watch that, the loss is "maintainable".

Just scheduled for March 6th for VSG!

I just scheduled mine for March 12th! I’ll be having SADI/duodenal switch. I’m so nervous about anesthesia but excited to get this part of the journey over with! 😁

had the sleeve, gained it back. 7 months out from sadi-s and 70lbs down (more than i ever lost with sleeve) but very big bathroom issues!! make sure you're investigating all procedures is my advice.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to answer me. It’s been over 2 months , so that’s why I’m kinda freaking out (my younger brother died of stomach cancer in his 30s… sooo the thought not getting my erosions to heal and this surgery not having been a success is really depressing me). I have an endoscopy scheduled for 3/15.. I can’t bear the thought of this revision not being a success … thank you , again 😢🙏🏽

I was so disappointed that my stall lasted so long, I took out the tape measure one day and decided to measure myself. In all I lost 15 inches !!!! That made me happy again


PS.... I'm still KathyLev ...I got a new computer,but I couldn't sign in ...so I had to start over with a new acct. *sigh*

As far as expectations the only important measurements I can think of is the waist to hip ratio. It is used to measure visceral fat as it directly corresponds to several health concerns but besides that it’s totally individualized.
I did take a lot measurements before WLS and a few years later after plastics (but it was mostly for tailoring clothing).

Talk with your doctor to see what's right for you, my insurance covered 80 percent and I had to pay around 6K out of pocket. I am only 3 weeks post op but I don't regret the surgery one bit. I can see changes in my body and progress. 😁

Hi there!! Thanks for sharing your experience! I will let you know that Mounjaro does make my reflux worse!! because it slows down my digestion. It also causes Constipation in some people. But if you don’t have these issues it’s good! I have not had it yet but I’m going to get vsg. However I do wish I could get the SADI but my insurance won’t cover that one. I have heard people do so well with the weight loss and reversing diabetes. It’s just expensive without insurance. But would if I had the financial freedom! Bypass is also very successful too! Check out some podcasts like “the skinny truth” or check out Dr. Roller’s instagram. I listen to “Core Bariatrics” and “The Bariatric Grind”! They’re good listens in the car and super informative. Of course following your trusted surgeon’s recs are #1!

if you can afford to pay the difference, I'd go for the full Tummy Tuck. The results are going to look a lot more natural.

Some of this should have been put in bold.
"But make sure you like your surgeon's work. Often plastic surgeons who take insurance aren't always the ones with the most pleasing outcomes."

I have 2 insurances - Medicare and United health care. From about a $75K bill,I've only paid about $600 out of pocket. I got my money's worth this year !

This varies greatly by state, as each states' laws govern what is essential vs cosmetic medical procedures. For example, my work insurance is based in Tennessee, and all bariatric procedures are 100% cosmetic, so no coverage at all! To further complicate things, individual companies within these states can have varying coverage depending on how much business they get from your employer. Even if a company like Blue Cross or Aetna cover it for employees of one company, they won't for others.
You will really need to look into the offerings you have available, and call them directly. You may have to get assertive with them to get a straight answer. I had one make me go through programs and jump through hoops to prepare for it, only to tell me they wouldn't cover anything when I went to schedule surgery. One even told me they would not cover any future medical procedures if I have it done anyway!
I'm with another company and insurance plan now which didn't cover it either, but they didn't blacklist me for having a self-pay procedure.
Good luck, hopefully you're more successful than I was with the insurance company.

I'm not sure what she actually meant by that, but I know I take certain comments differently now that I'm normal size than I did when I weighed almost 400 lbs. If I was eating dessert now and some friend or relative called me a "piggy" (that is, if they said it in a joking manner), I would have just assumed they were teasing me was because I was eating dessert. Before my surgery, I most definitely would have assumed they were referring to my weight. I also remember my mother-in-law teasing my 20-something niece once when we were having pizza for someone's birthday. My niece was wearing some new outfit or something - can't remember - and when she grabbed her third piece of pizza, my mother-in-law jokingly said "you'd better watch it or those pants aren't going to fit" (or something to that effect). She said it in a joking manner and I knew she wasn't referring to Sarah's weight, but Sarah is obese so at the same time, I knew exactly how she (Sarah) would have taken it - and she did. My mother-in-law has never been obese, so she wouldn't have understood how that comment was taken. When I explained it to her afterward (when the party was over and it was just me and her and my husband), she felt terrible about it. I knew she did because she brought it up several times over the course of the next week or so (she also apologized profusely to Sarah)

I think it is probably a lot of trauma related to my weight specifically! People, especially family, should know better as you say.

A thicker skin is needed at times, I agree. It is just a shame that we have to develop that, rather than people just being kinder.
I need to adopt that haha, I am glad you confronted them!
I currently have therapy and it is definitely something I need to talk about!
Thank you for your reply