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Unfortunately, we will be tested like this everyday, and every time we open the fridge, the pantry, or go out to eat. The surgeons can fix the stomach, but they cannot fix the brain, and all the triggers that make us crave the foods that got us into the situations that caused us to have gastric bypass surgery. You need to be strong, things will get better, you will learn to find healthier choices to the foods that you crave. Eventually you we be able to introduce some of the things that you like, back into your diet in moderation. It is also great motivation to keep on tract when your weight starts to drop weight like you're melting away. I have now lost 112 lbs in 5 1/2 months and it feels great! Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk

For me it was gas or a burp that caused that problem. It was from drinking too fast. They did keep me on nexium for the first 30 days post op and then we stopped that. Bypass is supposed to cure acid reflux. I had very severe reflux and Gerd prior to RNY. I have never had another episode. My chest pain always comes from drinking or eating too fast. I have learned to avoid that and then I don't get the burps stuck. Sometimes when I have to take a pill I find myself gulping instead of sipping and that creates gas in my tummy. I am 9 months post op and even now if I get a burp stuck it is uncomfortable until it comes up. Drinking through a straw can cause that as well. Adds more air into your pouch.

@Reina73 you have a desk job. it might be a little easier to return to the office if you are not too tired. if you can financially afford it/and time is given to you - i suggest one - two weeks if you are feeling "ok", only a little tired. - BUT don't push yourself,it's not worth it. maybe go back at first taking 1/2 days then full days. See what works for you. i have said this before, in my case i returned to "work" the second i was home. i am happily retired☺️ good luck w/bypass next month. speedy recovery kathy

Glad to see a Men's section. Oh no I am cross posting!!! Hello: I am going through the process of all my tests/appointments. I am on a 3 month diet for insurance purposes. I was hoping for Bypass surgery, though, The Doctor and I thought a Lap-band be the safer route. The reason is that I had a colon resection of the large intestine in my 20's. I have been overweight all my life. About every couple years,I end up on Weight Watchers 6 months then gain it all back. Though, I become obese and morbidly obese in the last 10 years. I got involved in a bad relationship which ended in a nasty divorce. With going through all the evaluations and Doc appointments, I was able to identify key events in my childhood when I started gaining weight and turning inward. My outlook on life has changed recently, I am looking forward to the surgery and my new lifestyle. I am happy to find this forum exists.

Hi all, just got my surgery Friday November 19, got out of the hospital today(Saturday 20th) and I am feeling hunger. I didn't think I was going to for a while. I cant tell if it is from my pouch or what is left of my stomach. Did anyone else experience this?

I hope it goes smoothly today 3Grand - start of your new life! Come and join the November forum when you get out the far side.

It's funny you mention the McDonalds right after groceries. I would always go grocery shopping then pick up something quick for dinner...after I just BOUGHT food!! Made no sense to me, but it was habit. Congrats for bypassing the bad food!! I knew the first 10 lbs I dropped were Water weight, but it didn't matter...it was 10 lbs gone!! Feels good, right?

Hello! I am new to this group. I had my band put in November 2007. I was well over 350 and the lowest I have gotten is down to 210. I have been TTC since April 2009. I went to an RE and have been on injectibles and so I gained some weight. I am 40 yrs old and have 3 adopted children and have been TTC to have just one biological. I had a early MC in October 2010. I found out I was pregnant on a sunday and by that wednesday I was bleeding and my beta #'s were dropping. I had my band loosened immediately after finding out I was pregnant b/c I was having a hard time taking my prenatals and I was so tight I really wasn't getting any nutrition in me. Fast forward to now, I am 5w4d pregnant and everything is going well so far. I have an US on March 11 and that will make me feel so much better!! I am not having any nauseous and generally don't really feel pregnant with the exception of being tired in mid afternoon and taking 2hr naps daily. My lap band doctor told me in October that I should have a C-section and I am not really sure why, is that what usually happens to all lap band people? Any advice is welcome!

So I was banded today with the standard lapband. I had such a great experience. I had to be at the center at 6 for a 730 start time. I was the first one of the day. I must say I loved that I felt like I was in and out. I got there and they took me right back. My nurse was Amy and she is such a kind soul. She has truly found her calling. After that I got my IV and had lots of people who were in the OR come talk to me. Everyone was so kind every step of the way. Then Dr. Malley came in to see if I had any questions at all. I didnt so we got to start early. I was in and out in 40 min. When I was done I was told that the Dr. went and spoke with my husband in the lobby. What a great Dr. He is so kind. He had bypass about 10 years ago so he knows what his patients are going threw. My nurse was so attentive during my recovery. I had my swallow test and was in the car by 1145. Less than 6 hours. I am not in any pain. Every now and then I get some gas but I just walk for a min. and I burp like a baby and I feel much better. I am so excited to start this journey. My goal for now after recovery is to work towards a 5k. It will be a big step for me but I am ready and going to meet my goal.

Hello, I had my surgery a little over 3 weeks ago. The surgery went very well and I've been doing well so far. I was having a problem with anxiety for a bit. It's all so new and there is so much to think about. My primary doctor has put me on a very low dose anxiety med (I did suffer from mild anxiety years ago); and I feel so much better. I'm currently on soft solids and am starting to run out of food choice ideas. I'll take any suggestions. I do get to add in fibrous veggies in a few weeks; so I know that will help. I have a friend that had the band done, a friend that had the sleeve done; and a friend that had the full bypass done; but I'm hoping to find some people to talk with that are currently going through the same thing. My friend that had the bad done is almost three years out and doesn't remember a lot of the stuff from just after she had the surgery. I hope I can help others with any questions they may have too. I guess that's about it for now. Hope to talk with people soon!!!

I received this email last week concerning changes to the support group meetings ~Mel Dear Support Group Participants, The Program for Weight Loss Surgery at Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals (BW/F PWLS) is dedicated to providing excellent care and support to all of our patients. In order to best serve our patients, the gastric lap band and gastric bypass support groups will be merging to allow each post-operative patient and surgical candidate to get the most out of each support group. There will continue to be one support group held at Brigham and Women's Hospital and at Faulkner Hospital each month for the convenience of our patients. As always, you are welcome to attend a support group at any location. The support group held at Brigham and Women's Hospital will take place the 1st Tuesday of each month from 6-8pm in the Carrie Hall Conference Room. The support group held at Faulkner Hospital will take place the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6-8pm in Atrium 2. As always, please check with the information desks to confirm the location. The new schedule at Brigham and Women's Hospital will be effective December 2011, while the new schedule at Faulkner Hospital will be effective January 2012. Please see the attached support group schedule for 2011/2012 dates. In addition, we would like to announce that we will be holding a Winter cooking demonstration at Brigham and Women's Hospital for all support group participants on Tuesday, December 6th at 6:00pm. We look forward to working with you in the New Year and hope you will share the updated schedule with your BW/F PWLS friends and family. All the best, Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals Program for Weight Loss Surgery 2012 Faulkner Hospital Location Gastric Bypass, Band, and Sleeve 6:00-8:00pm 3rd Wednesday of the month Atrium 2* January 18th February 15th March 21st April 18th May 16th June 20th July 18th August 15th September 19th October 17th November 21st December 19th DIRECTIONS to Atrium 2 Conference Room: For Centre Street/Atrium entrance, walk straight past the first bank of elevators and down the corridor. At the end of the corridor, take the elevators on your right to the 2nd floor. Turn left and Atrium 2 will be on your left. For the 3rd floor rear entrance take the elevators on your left to the 2nd floor, turn left and walk down the corridor for until you see Atrium 2 on the left. Please note that this group is sometimes held in Atrium 1 or Suite 4420, which will be indicated at the Information Desks. 2012 Brigham and Women's Location Gastric Bypass, Band, and Sleeve 1st Tuesday of the month Carrie Hall January 3rd February 7th March 6th April 3rd May 1st June 5th July 3rd August 7th September 4th October 2nd November 6th December 4th DIRECTIONS to Carrie Hall: Enter at the 75 Francis Street entrance. Bear to left and take the elevators or stairs up to the second floor. Follow the main hallway down the Brigham and Women's "Pike". Follow the Pike past the 45 &15 Francis St entrance. You will see Carrie Hall at the end of the second floor hallway.

I will having my band over bypass on May 10th, so its this Friday! Super nervous. Anyone else?

I chose the sleeve for a few reasons. It is less risky and the chance of death is about half that of the bypass. There are much less long term complications that can occur with the sleeve than with the bypass. The whole malabsorbtion issue mentioned by others. With the sleeve you are supposed to be able to eat all foods in moderation. With the bypass if you eat certain foods you will get very sick.

At my surgeons office they advertise that they do RNY, sleeve and banding, but it became clear from the very first seminar that they want to do RNY as the default for everyone. The doctor I saw on my first visit was very candid that they want to do the bypass because all us fatties cannot control ourselves and there is immediate negative feedback for life in the fo of dumping when you get the bypass. She asked me which surgery I wanted and I told her that I was leaning toward the sleeve but was willing to listen to medical reasons if the surgeon disagreed. She said I just needed to decide no later than my surgeon visit just before surgery date. It turned out, of course that I really needed to decide before all the paperwork was submitted to insurance. They called and said the surgeon had approved me for both the bypass and the sleeve. I told them the sleeve. So fast forward to my first appointment with the surgeon the Friday before my scheduled Monday surgery. He hands me the consent to sign and it says--RNY! I said, "you are going to have to get me a new consent for the sleeve". He responds, "oh, you're not having the bypass"? "No", I say, "I am having the sleeve". He then asks me why I don't want to have bypass. I told him that if I can accomplish what I want (100 lb weight loss) with less trauma to my systems, that is what I want. Our bodies work, for the most part, best when left alone. I can accomplish my goal without re-routing my intestines and without malabsorption that goes with it for life. Oh, and I told the surgeon that I was going to take a sharpie and write SLEEVE across my tummy the morning of surgery so he wouldn't forget!

I was banded on Dec. 3rd. I had my first weigh in this morning and I have lost 30 pounds. My last weigh was November 17th at my pre-op appointment. I am so excited, I have lost a total of 50 pounds since August when I started my 3 month clinical weight loss required by the insurance company.

Hey everyone! I'm scheduled to have gastric bypass on April 4th and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on things maybe the dr left out or things from a patients perspective on what to expect. I was also curious on some food ideas once I am able to eat solids...maybe an idea on Protein shakes or food people like when they go out. I was thinking of drinking Isopure for its whey protein isolate. Any feedback is so very appreciated. Thank you all Ashley

Great job with your weight loss jaylow! When I went for my follow up at 4 weeks, I too had lost the required weight and they went ahead and booked me for the surgery (which was almost a month later). Yes there are a lot of bypass people and I've questioned whether maybe I should have gone that route, but for me it was just too invasive with the rerouting, the malabsorption, etc. I can be a really good dieter when I want to be, so I'm hopeful that I can work with the band as a tool to get results. Let me rephrase that...I KNOW I can work with the band and get results!! :thumbdown:

Hi Everyone! I have been checking this forum out for the past few days and just registered today. There is so much knowledge and support available here. It should be a requirement for patients to register for this site! I am currently saving for my lap band surgery since my insurance doesn't cover it. My main reasons for having surgery are for my future health. Diabetes and heart disease run rampant in my family and it's just a matter of time before I am diagnosed. Also, my joints have been really bothering me lately. I went through the posts and have seen numerous questions regarding excess skin, cosmetic surgery etc..... What I ask may seem to repeat other posts however I want to see if there are others my height, size shape etc.. that can tell me their experiences. I am 33 years old, have never had children and am engaged to be married. I have been overweight my entire life however I have always remained active. In High School I was a 3 sport champion athlete yet still managed to graduate weighing 235lbs. I am tall (5'10) and my body has always been pretty well proportioned. My great grandmother was 6'6 350lbs (I'm not kidding!!) :smile2: I have always had a lower "pooch" belly but it does not hang down real low like a lot of others that I have seen. I've always been told that I have a shapely figure. (just a bigger one) My weight is currently at 305lbs. I wear a size 42D bra and wear a size 24 at Lane Bryant. I have steadily put on weight since High School and have not lost or gained anything significant other than 25lbs on weight watchers. Unfortunately, my lower stomach now has an upstairs neighbor. I've had stretch marks since I was young however all of the stretch marks that I have are very faint and thin. I can still see them if I really look but they are nothing like the stretch marks that I have seen on some people that have had children. I know that everyone is different but I am wondering how many other people like me faired with their skin bouncing back after weight loss.. Are my chances good that my skin won't be saggy since I will lose weight slower than gastric bypass? I appreciate all responses........ Thanks for listening.... Emily ..........waiting for the day where I can wear ultra low rise jeans and LOOK GOOD!!!!!! :thumbup:

I all I'm finding some comfort reading your stories. I am due for bypass surgery next week and am a little bit afraid. X

For me it was not having to worry about significant vitamin deficiencies due to the malabsorption from the bypass.

Wow this is what I needed !!! I do t know anyone with sleeve or bypass and hearing first hand for actual sleevers is great . !!! My first initial visit the PA said I should get bypass so she threw me off. I'm going to stick to sleeve it's best for long term not just getting the weight off ... I wanna live healthy Thank you so much for your help .. And I'm going to write on my tummy with a sharpie SLEEVE . Lol

The three most important elements after RNY gastric bypass surgery are to meet your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. Weight loss is achieved after surgery through volume control. You begin at 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per meal and gradually over the next year and a half increase the volume to 1 cup per meal. With this minuscule amount of food, it is next to impossible to meet your protein daily requirements by food alone, so therefore you need to rely on supplements such as Protein shakes. After surgery, the Weight Loss phase is very short. I transitioned into the Maintenance phase at around 7 months. So you need to adhere to the program requirements that you were given in order to maximize your weight loss.

I was sleeved March 17, 2014. I have lost 100 pounds since my journey started in November 2013. That's 45 pounds pre op and 55 pounds since surgery. I am at a stall. How much have you lost in all? Please share. Am I behind????? I feel like I should have lost more. I still need to lose 55 more pounds. Should I be worried that I haven't met my goal in one year?

Hey Jenny, I'm only 3 1/2 months out, but I'll let you know about my journey so far and hopefully that'll help some lol. I have always been a short and chubby guy, but made the decision in February that I wanted to change it. After talking to my coworkers who have had the surgery (one bypass and one sleeve), I decided to look into it and get a consult. My doctor suggested/approved me for the sleeve surgery. My date was set for July 2 and I all the other stuff (psych eval, bloodwork, etc.) were all done rather quickly and were no problem. I didn't have to do any pre-op diet or anything, but started to practice what they expect for afterwards (smaller meals, smaller bites, chewing 30 times, no drinking 30 min before or after, etc). I had my surgery early July 2 and it went well. I had the earliest appointment and my best friend drove me in and stayed with me. Basic pre-op stuff and then went in the room and woke up like 2 hours later in recovery (4 small incisions). They had me up and walking pretty much right after I had a room and they had me walk every hour or so and sip water. After a day, I was home and starting my journey. After surgery, you're just having fluids like water and a small amount of clear soups (you're honestly not all that hungry for a little bit). Then you're on the fuller liquids for a little while (make sure you get your protein shakes in you cuz it helps you heal better). Next, you can eat a little bit of food, but its mostly unbearable stuff lol. I got by this by having small low-sodium V8 cans as sort of a tomato soup...really enjoyed that. After that, you can finally incorporate normal food in which was nice. Eating is def different now, it needs to be slowed down and sometimes it sucks not being able to drink water with your dry chicken lol. I get by by having a good amount of 4 oz Veggie burgers with protein that my mom found on QVC. Haven't really had any stomach probs since either, which is really good considering life before surgery lol. 33 down now and people say they can see the difference.

My turn to "weigh in"! I'm 5'4" and had my surgery 12/29/08. I've had one complication (my surgeon had to move my port 4 weeks ago), but that has almost healed and despite that, I've lost 30 pounds! I'm thrilled with my success, but it hasn't been easy ... I follow the Protein and eating guidelines to a t and exercise 5-6 times a week. I say go with what your psychologist says! You might also ask why your surgeon thinks gastric bypass is better for you. Also, follow your "gut" ~ your 6th sense will usually guide you to the right decision. Hope this helps!