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I agree. Four years out from a bypass it’s not very likely that it’s related (could be but less likely). I would give your family provider a call because it does sound like something is off. They will probably want to order labs at the very least.

Im glad to hear it hasn’t been a big issue for you. I have a family member who just died from it so it scared me a bit. I bet the pain is for sure the most difficult thing to deal with nowadays. Everyone is so afraid to prescribe pain meds. I guess what really doesn’t make sense to me, though, is that my liver enzymes were always normal pre surgery and now that I am 4 months post up exercising like crazy and eating great I have it?! Just seems backwards. I did read that “bypass” and “rapid weight loss” are risk factors but would that be something that’s just temporary and not the typical presentation I wonder.

Long post alert, just venting and catching up after so much time away... TLDR, I'm getting an arm lift. I want to hear from other people who got it and how it changed their body/body image, recovery, success stories, and whatever else you want to share! Wow, I haven't posted in a while. This forum got me through some dark times when I had my gastric bypass both before and after. I am posting today because I am FINALLY getting some plastics done. I have been waiting a while because I wanted to maintain my weight. I just turned 30, I'm not getting any younger and I've been doing excellent maintaining my weight loss so I finally scheduled a brachioplasty to start. I am getting an arm lift in other words. I included a pic of my arm and the skin hang-age. This is my before. Disclaimer, this pic is from a couple months ago it's the one I had handy on my desktop but I've been doing a lot of weight training and have built up my bicep a bit more. I would like to do a tummy tuck too (I have A LOT of loose skin in an apron belly shape and my boobs sag down to my ribs 😕 ) but I am okay with not getting it for now. I can't afford both and don't really have the time to recover from all that surgery. I am starting with just the brachio for now. I have spent my whole life hiding my body and after losing all this weight, I found I am concealing it even MORE because of how droopy and flappy everything has gotten. I am fed up of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin after all the hard work I put in. I'm sure a lot of people who get plastic surgery post-major weight loss can relate to this. At this point it feels like a necessity. My bat wing arms also smack against my body like crazy, I can't wear short sleeves without this happening and tops do not fit me right because of my wonky proportions. My bicep has very little fat on it and all the bulk on my arm is hanging under it so it's very uncomfortable. I've been holding off because of how expensive it is as well. I am paying out of pocket 15k and it's a chunk of my savings but I'd rather have this than a payment plan and I can start ASAP to recoup my savings. I have a lot of body image issues as one does from being morbidly obese their whole life... so honestly I am almost 100% sure this surgery is NOT going to fix the way I see myself. I am more looking at it as a way to feel more comfortable on a day-to-day basis whether I am exercising or just trying to wear a short sleeve outfit in this very hot state I live in. So that's basically my update. I have been doing well, maintaining my weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Gastric bypass has completely changed my life and made it so much easier to make better choices for my body and my longevity. I am ready for the arm lift and I am so scared but also excited to see how this all goes. I want to hear from other people who got an arm lift or any loose skin removal and how the recovery went for you and how it helped you and your confidence. Thanks and you're all wonderful people!

I had a BMI of 35 but I had a sleeve. I also didn’t have any co morbidities - I knew they were likely ahead of me though. So I’m going to respond more generally using am I glad I had weight loss surgery not a specific surgery. Simply yes, I am. The bulk of must weight came on with menopause and nothing I did shifted it. Or if it did it would be back in a very short period of time. I reached a point where I couldn’t stand it any longer and made an appointment with my doctor for a referral. I was in surgery less than 6 weeks later (benefits of living in Australia with private health). Do I have any issues post surgery? Yes but they’re minor really and I had a quirky tummy before so no real change. I struggle a bit with the foamies but no dumping. I had reflux before but it was managed with dietary choices. Still have it though I take a PPI every day now vs a handful of times a year before & the symptoms are different now. (Best is I don’t get the hideous hiccups I used to get just the regular ones now.) One of the benefits of having surgery is you simply cannot eat the same volume of food. Of course if you are determined you can eat around some of your changed digestive system. But take the time in the initial months after surgery where its benefits are strongest, to learn about things like portion size, nutritional values, etc. and start adopting new behaviours. Reflect on your relationship with food and why you ate and start making changes there too. Seek the help & support of your dietician and a therapist as needed. Many seem to be concerned they won’t lose all the weight they’d like to starting at a lower BMI. I lost all of mine and more. It is important to remember that not everyone loses all the weight they’d like. The surgery (regardless of which you have), changes your body set point that is the weight your body is happy at which often is not the weight you think you’ll be happy at. With bypass it is always best to have a conversation with the doctor who prescribes your meds as bypass does interfere with the absorption of these. It may mean you need to swap some of your meds as @SleeveToBypass2023 mentioned. All the best.

Hi, sorry if this question has already been posted. I'm now 2 months post op following a revision from mini gastric bypass to RNY. The surgeon kept the original pouch from the mini. When I eat, despite chewing well, I often vomit up the food. From those who have had RNY, did the restriction of food get any easier over time? I'm hoping I'll be able to eat a normal sized meal at some point without running to the bathroom.

I had gastric bypass surgery and did everything alone. I live alone, no husband, no kids, no local family, and I didn't tell anyone other than healthcare providers that I was having surgery. I took a taxi to the hospital. Hospital policy does not allow taking taxis/rideshare or public transportation home, so I hired a home healthcare service to pick me up from the hospital (I was in for one night), take me home, and pick up my prescriptions. After that, I had no additional assistance. The most limiting thing after surgery was not lifting more than 20 pounds for (I think) the first 6 weeks, and also not bending over, like when cleaning or doing laundry, so I had to be careful with household chores, but other than that, I didn't have any problems. I went back to work (desk job) after a week and I was fine. I will say I had a very easy recovery with no immediate complications, but you won't know how your recovery will go until you get there. I would recommend to anyone without support to have a backup plan. Is there a friend or family member who could come if needed? Could you hire a home healthcare service if you needed help? Also, if there is any physical labor your normally do, like cleaning or landscaping, consider lining up someone to do that for a while.

Wow, congratulations on your amazing progress! It’s so inspiring to hear how much your life has transformed and how active you’ve become—Zumba, Pilates, and Vinyasa Yoga sound like such a fun way to stay healthy and energized! I’m 4 months post-op now, and I find myself really curious about the science behind bypass. Sometimes I notice I’m able to eat a decent amount but still lose weight, and it fascinates me that it’s not just about restriction but also how our bodies absorb fewer calories now. It’s like my body is working with me for the first time! I’m so excited to see what I’ll look and feel like a year from now—I don’t even know myself in a skinny form yet! Stories like yours keep me motivated, so thank you for sharing.

Hi, I'm Jeremy. I'm 42 and have been fighting weight issues for decades. I will be having mini-bypass surgery on October 14th in Istanbul. Age : 42 Heaviest: 330 Now: 312 Goal: 190

1. Iron Deficiency and Anemia 10 Years After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for Severe Obesity 2. Iron Deficiency After Gastric Bypass Surgery 3. Risks of Bariatric Surgery: Anemia 4. Anemia After Bariatric Surgery: More than Just Iron Deficiency 5. Hematological Disorders following Gastric Bypass Surgery: Emerging Concepts of the Interplay between Nutritional Deficiency and Inflammation

So I have one more thing to pass before my surgery and that's being cleared by the nutritionist. My surgery was going to be scheduled for November but it's being postponed for a few weeks because the nutritionist failed me this morning because I haven't been practicing mindful eating and that apparently can completely reverse the effects of my surgery. I've been trying to practice mindful eating now for months but I honestly just don't get it and I've never gotten mindfulness in general. Being schizophrenic myself they've tried to teach me about mindfulness several times and I've never gotten it and it's never worked for me. So is this it and the end of my journey and I'll have to try to lose 150 pounds on my own (I weigh 440) or is it not as hopeless as I think? I've got two weeks to learn mindful eating before my next appointment with her so is there any tips from people who've struggled to learn mindful eating in the past?

also, your surgeon may not want to do a re-sleeve. Some still do but many consider it to be too risky and it yields too little reward (the weight loss for a second sleeve is statistically less than a virgin sleeve which is already less than the other surgeries). The typical surgery for revision is usually the bypass although a newer alternative to that is to revise to a surgery called the SADI which is what I just did and it is a little more aggressive so it yields faster loss and so far the research shows more durable loss as well. I have lost quite a bit rather quickly with it. You don’t need to know any of this yet. Your doctor of course will know if any of the options apply to you and explain them at that point but just know that it may be a little different surgery if you do go with a revision. One that alters your intestines this time which is a bit riskier.

I'm starting to doubt my decision to have the VSG rather than the Bypass. I keep hearing that the sleeve leads to an inevitable regain and I'd rather not do this surgery just to gain it all back if the bypass is better for long-term weight loss. Because it's the NHS and they only offer two surgeries I can only get VSG or bypass. I only chose the VSG because I fear the complications my mum had with the bypass. Is it inevitable that I will gain it all back? Is it too late to change my mind about the surgery? I really don't know what to do!

When my wife and I were first looking into WLS 20+ years ago, there were several newer procedures, including the MGB mini-bypass, DS duodenal switch and the VSG vertical sleeve gastrectomy, that were circling the periphery of bariatrics, which at the time was mostly lap bands and the RNY gastric bypass. These were the only procedures that were endorsed by the ASBS (American Society of Bariatric Surgeons) - the predecessor name for today's ASMBS. Since that time, the DS, VSG and newer SIPS/SADI/"Loop DS" that have gained endorsement from the ASMBS and general insurance coverage in the US. The MGB never made it past that hurdle here in the US, so isn't commonly done or covered by insurance. Bile reflux seems to be the major legacy problem that caused the profession to move away from it at the time. There are claims that some new techniques have been developed to minimize that problem, and maybe they do, but it's a hard sell to make it mainstream in the US. It has become more accepted in other countries. Overall, being in the States, I wouldn't be overly eager to go with the MGB as it is not commonly done here, so there are fewer MDs around who are familiar with its' care over the long term; the RNY, in contrast, has been done for around 140 years for reasons other than weight loss, so is a well known configuration in the medical world, as are the problems one may encounter over the years. If you have an unusual configuration like an MGB or BPD/DS, it can be harder to isolate any health problems one may have years down the road owing to the general unfamiliarity with the procedure -at least the DS has significantly better weight loss and diabetes results than the other procedures to make that a worthwhile consideration. If you live in a country where the MGB is commonly done, then it would be a worthwhile consideration, but the US has too many other mainstream procedures commonly available and accepted that do as well or better than the MGB that it doesn't make much sense here.

Hey, i do have a question about Maintenance calories in general, I lost around 135kg's in weight in the first year, and im "slowly getting there" and even considered recreational surgery now, but i have problems with the idea of Maintenance Calories and goals. So thats why i ask here now. Is the General Maintenance kcal after the surgery lower than the ones for a normal "person" ? or do we kinda "slip into" that?. i know all the math about calculating it, but is the normal Calorie intake calc. for people with a rny Bypass even a thing?

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I really appreciate it. 💕 I completely agree that what we fuel our bodies with makes a huge difference in how we feel. And I know I’ll always feel better when I’m making balanced choices. I also get that we’re still early out, and I definitely don’t want to get too relaxed either—I still have more to lose! But my main question isn’t really about regain—it’s more about will I 100% lose ALL the weight I need to? Like, I WILL do my part, I AM doing my part, but of course, there are ups and downs. My friend’s point was that bypass guarantees weight loss as long as you follow the process. I just want to know if that’s true—that no matter what, I will definitely lose the weight and reach my goal as long as I stay on track. Because while I understand regain is a separate issue, my panic is more about knowing that I will actually get to where I want to be. Do you think that’s the case? That as long as I keep working at it, it will 100% happen? That’s what I really need reassurance on. 😭

Roux-en-Y or Gastric Bypass

I am about 18 months post gastric bypass surgery. For about the last three months I have developed a condition where one or both of my eyes sting between 5 and 7 pm each evening for a period of about five minutes. At first, I thought perhaps I had something on my hands and I had touched my eyes and it had caused them to sting, however it happens without touching my eyes. It's the same kind of sensation as having sweat in your eyes. However, I'm not sweating. One thing that I have noticed is that in the evenings if I touch my forehead my skin feels very oily. So I do wonder if perhaps my eyelids could also be getting oily and therefore getting the oil onto my eyeballs. I have tried eyedrops for Dry eyes but they don't seem to work. The only relief I get is actually by rubbing my eyes, which when I was growing up my parents told me not to rub my eyes. But it does seem to give me a relief and it seems to make the sting go away faster. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Sorry for the semi-duplicate post. I was falling asleep while I was writing it, and some of it disappeared. Good luck with your GP, surgeon and dermatologist. I have also dealt with hives, even before my original gastric bypass surgery. We couldn’t find any causal reason. After trying several medications alone, my doctor and I decided to try a “cocktail.” I was on 4 medications, but I only recall Ranitidine and Zyrtec. It worked! I had the gastric bypass a few years later, and the hives left me alone.$!

Question for you all with experience with going on GLP-1s after surgery. First of all I started out at 325 before I started my pre op diet, Day of surgery i was 315 (Oct 2), Tomorrow I am 4 months post op gastric bypass and I am down to 259.8 (55 since surgery and 65 since the pre op diet)Anyways, I also have a failed attempt with the gastric band back in 2013. Lost 100 lbs only to have complications and gain it back so thats part of my side story. My Dr. recommends GLP-1 starting now because of my high BMI and how much I want to lose after surgery. Personally i would prefer to start this after I’ve lost all the weight I can with diet and exercise and have plateaued. What is your experience with this. I am always wondering if im on track. I would ultimately like to see 160-175 but I guess I wont know until I get there. Any feedback or experiences would be great! Thanks

Congratulations on your loss. I was a savory girl Lee bariatric world and post sleeve I became a sweet girl too. Then post SAFI that went away but has started to come back. I think MAYBE it’s just our bodies wanting carbs and sweet food is usually the absolute highest in carbs so the quickest way to get them. I did not have the bypass but I don’t think your friend is correct about eating whatever you want. I know that was for sure not true for the me with the sleeve. I started at 235, lost down to 168 then gained it all back plus some to 258 and was still gaining when I started the preop diet for my revision. I have also heard plenty of regain stories on here about the bypass. Now, does it malabsorb some of your food, absolutely. So if you were like 900 pounds before it’s possible you would stay a bit smaller just because you pretty much already ate all you wanted volume and calories wise before and the malabsorption would in theory make you weight a bit less if you ate the same exact food, but it would only be a bit less anyways and who of us wants that. . As far as a more common starting weight I really don’t think so because even at our high weights we still weren’t eating absolutely all we would have liked to or we could have and if we ate any and everything we wanted, even with some calories not absorbing that’s still probably giving our bodies more than we were eating before. I do know from experience that what fuel I put into my body changed how I feel, though, so even if I could get away with eating anything I wanted cosmetically, I know that I wouldn’t feel as good as I do when I eat a balanced diet and keep up my activity. That processed junk that most of us used to eat all the time is not good for us and it doesn’t give your bodies what it needs to run efficiently. Another thing to keep in mind is that we are still pretty early out to be relaxing too much. Most people have a 10–15 pound bounce back even if they keep working at it. I don’t know about you but I’ve still got more that I want to lost. I definitely don’t want to be bouncing back!! for the sweet cravings try the sugar free popsicles again. They can trick my brain sometimes and others i Have fruit. I figure calorie wise they may be more calories but at least it’s not added sugar. I try to avoid that as much as possible because that makes me have more cravings the next day and for like a week.

Hello everyone.... So my husband is supportive of my going through with a Rou-en-Y Gastric Bypass, and I'm so close to getting a date; after April 2nd I should be good to go. He happens to be a chef and lately he has been telling me that "they are selling this surgery to me", which is not okay. I think he is really telling me that he fears that I will change so much and my diet is changing so drastically already that when he cooks, he cooks out of love, and always wants to make me happy. Food has always made me happy. I tell him that I can still eat whatever he makes, I just won't be able to eat a huge plate of his lasagna, maybe 1/4th of what a "serving" would be. This of course is causing me to question my decision to go through with something that I have been researching for the last 4 years. I finally decided to have it to lose the weight that my orthopedic surgeon said I had to lose so that I could actually get a new hip, which I need desperately. So, this is not to look like Barbie for me, it is so that I can have hip surgery, a health related situation, and may cure my diabetes as well, two-for-one perhaps? Bottom line, am I right by thinking that he equates food with love, and therefore fears my changes and his inability to show his love for me? Looking forward to answers, questions, thoughts, anything.....

I so love this! In November when I finally stop working like I have 5 children (mind you I only have a dog, just like to spend money)😂, I plan on trying hot yoga. I want to go YOGA and Boxing next month. We have a May weather gym here. Work these arms out! P.S take that trip! Even if you have to go solo or leave him in the room while you do the hot stuffs 😂😂😩

Congratulations on your incredible journey and your active, healthy lifestyle—what an inspiration! I love how passionate you are about staying active, and your tip to find activities you love and obsess over them is such a great reminder to make this journey fun and sustainable. Your weight loss stats are amazing—75 lbs both before and after surgery is incredible! I can imagine how great it must feel to have maintained so well, even with the natural changes over time. I’m curious, do you think most bypassers can have a happy ending like yours if they just stick to the rules? It’s reassuring to hear about maintenance not being as scary as it seems! Also, your “smell trick” is so interesting—what a unique way to give yourself a boost when you need it. And dumping on sugar definitely seems like a blessing in disguise for keeping things in check. Thanks so much for sharing your story—it’s so motivating to hear from someone thriving years after surgery!

iron level is how much iron is currently in your blood ferritin is your body's iron stores. Your body taps into this when the iron level in your blood is too low. It's when the ferritin gets too low that people need an iron infusion however, this is more common in bypass patients than sleeve patients

Welcome PlantMom! There's already some really good advice here on your query. If you can spend some time reading this forum generally you will gain SO much knowledge in a short time. Well worth it. I'm 3 years post sleeve. It has suited me very well - I am 5'9" and was 276lbs before I started my WLS journey, so not that far off your stats. I made a positive choice to have the sleeve based on minimum changes to my anatomy. My surgeon laid out the pros of that Vs the bypass (he only did those two ops) and I decided. I would be really concerned about anyone trying to shoehorn me into what was easier for them. I did have reflux when I was morbidly obese but I lucked out and it actually improved after I lost weight (as it always had before) but if you're a fellow sufferer that might be one to consider carefully. In IRL I know people with sleeve, bypass, AND band, who have failed to lose, or lost and regained everything and more. WLS is a chance to re-think and redefine your relationship with food. I am saying this as someone still doing that and who will be negotiating that forever! It's a lifelong journey for those of us who were born with the propensity to gain gain gain weight in the obesogenic society we now live in. Choose your tool carefully and after as much research as you can. Even then it doesn't work out for everyone but I think it maxes out your chance that you'll be one of the lucky ones. I wish you all the best.