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I didn’t know what to title this. My surgery was April 29th, I ended up in the ER the day after my release from the hospital with pneumonia, critically low potassium and acute UTI. I was also diagnosed with esophageal dysphasia. Because of that my follow up appointments got thrown off course. I had two appointments close together. The second appointment he had me go for a upper gi fluoroscopy and endoscopy. Which found stoma stricture, Schatzki ring, sliding hiatal hernia and ulcers. TBH after the endoscopy I didn’t want to schedule my next follow up appointment. And the doctor hadn’t said when. It should have been 2-3 months post-op but it’s almost 4 1/2 months. I see my surgeon on Thursday and because I need medical transportation it turns into practically an all day affair. I am actually dreading this appointment. He is a great surgeon but my communication skills, especially when I’m fatigued are sorely lacking. I’m at a loss what to say since I feel like I can’t do anything right. While yes my weight has gone down (rather slow) and I think I’ve hit around 53lb loss - I haven’t been able to progress in certain things and have to keep my calories very low otherwise I stall. Due to the esophageal dysphasia I’m not drinking a lot of water. I haven’t attempted purées again and should probably even be into regular foods by now. The most I’ve been able to manage is yogurt mixed with protein powder for breakfast (sometimes a shake) cottage cheese, BariatricPal protein soup (if I have any) juice flavor protein mixes, and sometimes soft boiled egg but I get kind of sick from it so not too often. It’s more an allergy thing with that. My surgeon never really said anything after the endoscopy. I read on the results that he balloon dilated the stricture which it seems to me he did it too much at once and I don’t feel better. The fluoroscopy showed it at 3mm and he dilated 10mm and assumed it was ok because the scope passed? I find it perplexing. And maybe they think the other issues too minor? I don’t. I don’t want to be stuck on proton pump inhibitors. They cause constipation and are not safe long term for things like magnesium, bone density etc. which I have enough bone density loss as is. I told My gastroenterologist about new issues with this of course they said talk to the surgeon and also my PCP. I’ve been having crushing chest pain. And weird strong spasms below my ribs on the left side. Of course I forgot to mention it to my PCP I was too annoyed by her attitude when I caught her up on the surgery and everything after it (she was on maternity leave a few months) well that’s a long story I won’t bore anyone with. My gastroenterologist scheduled me for a colonoscopy the end of this month to rule out possible colitis (a ct scan result said colitis) I was supposed to have had it before my RNY but it didn’t work out that way. I’m not sure how I’ll manage prep. They gave me a prescription for one that is less to drink but I’m allergic to it. Ill have to do clear liquids two days prior to the colonoscopy. Does clear protein count as a clear liquid or do I not have protein? I’ve had colonoscopies before but this is my first after RNY. Also. I have endometriosis and it’s possible he won’t see the problem in the colonoscopy since that won’t show up if it’s on the outside. I worry it won’t answer the problems there. As for endometriosis. I saw my uro/gyn because of hemorrhagic cysts on my one remaining ovary. Which also has endometriosis on it. I guess it’s time to have it out now and I’m scheduled for that October 14th. Which means .............. menopause. But I’m hoping it will ease the endometriosis and pcos symptoms. He had removed my other ovary that was covered with endometriosis during other procedures he was doing at the time. I’m too chicken to ask him about an issue with one of the other procedures he did. Just like my follow up with my bariatric surgeon. I’m at a loss what to say and when I’m exhausted I lose my words. Also doesn’t help that I speak to several people before he enters the room. I feel like they expect me to be cured of all my ailments after surgery, even my pcp had that attitude but with lifelong chronic illness it doesn’t work that way. In fact I knew things likely would get worse for me but this was my last chance at a tool to fight my out of control weight gain. You can only eat so little calories without help of some kind. My surgery wasn’t reliant on comorbidities since my BMI was 40. I have them. But most wont just go away with weight loss. But it doesn’t mean I regret the surgery. (My pcp had the attitude of why did I have it if it didn’t help those things ... well I was already at least 208lbs and BMI 40 (height 5’) like isn’t that enough of a reason? Im sorry I just wrote a very long rant. My memory is so terrible I don’t remember when my last two appointments were and what was discussed at the last one. I don’t think they even mentioned my bloodwork. All I know is that was when he scheduled the tests. Now I’m following up on that. I almost don’t even want to go. I feel like I won’t be able to explain anything. And honestly surgeons just want to hear that you lost a huge amount of weight and that you’re doing great not “it’s complicated. “

Did any of you take out a medical tourism insurance policy that would cover costs of complications upon arrival home? Sent from my Pixel 2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I asked the surgeon: What is the % of complications during surgery? How many surgeries have you performed? What is the success rate of VSG surgery?

It's so important that you stay on that liver-shrinking pre-op diet to avoid complications with surgery. You can do it! Hang in there! Your body is just wondering where all the good stuff has gone and is giving you heck about it. Your body will adjust and it won't be so bad. Good luck on your WLS journey.

The only complication that I would count is a little bit of nighttime reflux. Comparatively speaking, this reflux is nothing compared with the reflux I experienced with the lap band. It has been easily managed with PPIs and lifestyle changes.

How has it been since being sleeved? Any complications?

I am 6 weeks post sleeve. Today I had extensive hemroid surgery. My hope is that I will heal quickly and my body will get back to loosing weight. I am getting water and protein in. First 2 weeks post sleeve I lost 15 pounds. Past month I have lost 3-4 pounds. Does this seem low? Could constipation be contributing to slow lost? GVS 210 7/23/19 CW. 192 New_Me 2019

There are other forms of these meds which will enable you to take them post op. But after my own experience with my opiates for other problems I cannot stress enough to you to get this side of things sorted BEFORE you have your operation. I ended up in absolute agony not just from the complications of my surgery but my uncontrolled back pain too. People do not understand my back pain as they could see me pacing the corridors, my back pain was as severe as my surgical issues and I was climbing the walls in pain, so please get it sorted ASAP

most people do lose some bone density after all that weight loss because your body doesn't need all that bone to hold up the weight anymore. That said, yes - osteoporosis/osteopenia can be a complication of WLS - esp the malabsorptive types. I have osteoporosis that was discovered two years after surgery. I have no idea if it was caused by WLS or not since they didn't do a baseline before surgery, but osteoporosis runs rampant among women in my family, so it could have already been there. I'm 60 years old. and yes - you can have osteoporosis/osteopenia that early. I have a 400 lb friend who has it (age 57), and a normal-weight friend who has it at age 62. Neither have had WLS. As I recall, my mother had it early as well. So although yours could be due to WLS, it may have happened regardless, too.

Pros DEFINITELY outweighs cons for sure!!!!! The pictures are amazing!! Very natural, not overdone and anything that decreases complications is a GO for me!! Good luck deciding!! It's a good place to be [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106] Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I think I decided on a surgeon!! I had a phone consult last week with another out of state surgeon, calling him Dr. N. I instantly liked him, and he was the easiest to talk to out of all the surgeons. His approach is a little bit different than others I had consulted with. My wish list was LBL with lipo, fat transfer to butt & inner (crescent) thigh lift. Well, he doesn't do inner (crescent) thigh lifts, because of the high complication rate, seriousness of complications and often unsatisfactory results. But he does believe I will have significant improvement to my inner thighs with the LBL alone. His gallery online does bear that out. His results are particularity lean and taunt. He also doesn't do buttocks fat transfer, also due to risk factors, and low survival rate of transferred fat. So I will be left with a flatter butt that I would prefer. Finally, he doesn't believe I will need lipo. He will remove the fat on my stomach with the LBL. He wouldn't recommend lipo-ing my thighs unless I was doing a medial thigh lift. Removing fat will exacerbate the sag. And overall he thinks I'm relatively lean, and my figure wouldn't benefit from lipo. I got off the phone and took sometime to process, and scroll through the gallery again. Not having an inner thigh lift is a bit of a relief. The risks and complications are no joke scary. I also don't need perfect thighs, just greatly improved would be trade off. I was and am still disappointed knowing that my butt will be flattened out by the procedure. I realize though a lot of my butt volume currently is excess skin, which isn't attractive outside of spanx, you know? The benefit of going with a simpler operation is less expense and recovery time. Recovery time and pain is especially an issue, since I'll be going out of state, and will be alone. So realizing this would only be a 3 hour operation, I reached back out and asked if a BA/BL could be done at the same time. Answer was YES! So I sent off pics and had a second phone consult. We talked extensively about the result I wanted, natural, tear drop & full. With that he said my breasts still had a good enough shape, and since my nipples point outwards, vs. down, I would most likely be satisfied with a BA only. I could skip the pain, recovery and scars of a BL. So I am going to think on it over the weekend, but most likely I will go with a LBL & BA with Dr. N! Here's where my thoughts are right now Cons Flattened butt without a fat transfer Inner thigh improvement will be more subtle than with a lift Breasts won't be as perky without a lift Pros Get my top 3 priorities, tummy, boobs, thighs resolved in 1 surgery Easier recovery & less risk of complications, especially since I'll be far from home Cost, this will be SIGNIFICANTLY less expensive than any other quote I received. (even the care facility is 1/3rd the cost per night!) Right now I'm strongly leaning towards to pros outweighing the cons and booking it! Here are pics from Dr. N's gallery, where the patient has the most similar thigh or breast type to mine. Input appreciated!

I personally vote for what gives you the most time with medical coverage during what can sometimes be the harder months/weeks of this journey and that is the post-op recovering and moving on through the different stages. Not saying you will have any complications, but I'd rather know my insurance was 'there' to handle such things...if I'm reading your email correctly about your insurance situation. Critical to still do prep and headwork even with or especially with a smaller countdown window

It’s heart-breaking, isn’t it? My friend and her sister (who is just as SUPER-MO) live together, work together, and will most likely die together decades before they “should”. Their mother died in her mid-60’s from complications of MO and during this spring when I could get to the CICU, I got to spend time with their father. Poor man. He’s lost his wife to MO, and you can see in his eyes he knows there’s a better than even chance he will lost 1– if not both daughters- to MO. Sadly I think it’s too late for my friend. She’ll more than likely never get that transplant bc she’s too far gone to even be a realistic candidate at this point. As unbelievable as it seems, she’s noticeably put on even more weight since her 2-3 month stint in ICU. It simultaneously makes me so relieved that I was able to find my way out of that horrible labyrinth, but terribly sad that she never made it through. Meanwhile I still have who knows how many more years to watch her slowly kill her self. I hate it

Found this article, though complicated. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/92/4/704/4597483 I do find it confusing trying to research the malabsorption aspect of RNY “gastric bypass is known as a restrictive operation as it restricts both food intake and the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs.” you’d think bypassing part of the small intestine would cause less absorption of calories. yet I also see a quote which says: ”Mr James Ramus MD, FRCS - Consultant General, Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon at Berkshire Independent Hospital in Reading comments on a common misunderstanding in modern Bariatric procedures. 'The gastric bypass is not meant to be a 'malabsorptive' procedure. i.e. you do not malabsorb calories. The bypass works partly as a restrictive procedure but perhaps the main benefits in the procedure are the changes in gut hormones that occur afterwards' ... but is that just one opinion? How much does anyone really understand how the procedure works? I mean they don’t really know the true mechanics of it. Especially since surgeons don’t seem to mention changes in things like how medications are absorbed Or utilized post op. Another quote “You had gastric bypass surgery. This surgery made your stomach smaller by closing off most of your stomach with staples. It changed the way your body handles the food you eat. You will eat less food, and your body will not absorb all the calories from the food you eat.” im not sure there is a clear or simple answer out there

Thank you. Although it’s true muscle burns more calories than fat I wish it were that simple a solution for me. I live with lifelong chronic illness, I studied holistic health and nutrition as well as fitness and tried everything under the sun that I could try. I’d get very sick. My body couldn’t tolerate exercise let alone basic living activities. I found out the hard way and recently research proved that the medical condition I have had nearly all my life is one of few of only conditions that exertion, mental or physical causes disabling symptoms. Actually damaging muscles (aging them) it’s complicated. And one of the things that makes all this so difficult. I have always tried to find some balance, but most days it’s a struggle to just keep going. I have a long list of medical conditions and had gotten to the point this was my last hope to at least have a tool to fight my weight problems. I don’t have a way to build muscle mass. I try to keep moving. But just day to day life tasks are physically like running a marathon. I get constant muscle spasms and pain. Ive spent my life never really feeling human. But I’m not seeking pity. It is what it is and isn’t changing any time soon, except for the worse. Each piece I lose in pushing myself a little too far. I don’t get it back. anyway. All that aside. It is interesting that muscles at rest burn 50 calories a day per lb of muscle vs fat cells only require 3 calories a day per lb.

My surgeon told me the same thing [emoji4] I guess I was just scared and emotional in general . Thanke you so much for explaining. It makes sense that it has to close from inside out . I'm just scared of infections and complications . You helped a lot [emoji8] Sent from my SM-J500FN using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey Kaiser crew, lol. I'm now surgery approved and called to get my date this morning for January and was advised to wait until November for my date. Kaiser doesn't book 4 months in advance, only 2 max. The scheduler was also able to answer a few questions for me. The surgeons generally have 5 surgeries a day, the bypass being first then up to 4 sleeves. My surgeon is the Chief of the Bariatric surgeons and etc., the sleeve w/o complications takes about 30-45 minutes. He does answer his emails , so any questions missed during our appointment he will answer via email.

I realize people don't really share their complications on here or struggles after wls. Or maybe it's the post I'm seeing lately idk... Sent from my SM-G925T using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Johnny, we're here to help. I was sleeved in Feb. 2018, then revised to RnY in Oct. 2018 due to reflux. I think it was worth it. 1. How long did you take off work? I'm told 2 weeks. I usually work from home at a computer. Was there much pain? I took 2 weeks to return to a desk job. Pretty much the same as the sleeve and similar pain level. 2. How long before you could work out again? I had other complications that skewed this one, so I won't comment. 3. Did you lose more weight than you wanted? No, I still had about 20# to goal and it took me 4-5 months to get there. 4. Did it resolve your acid reflux (if that was the reason)? Absolutely and immediately. 5. Were you able to enjoy good food at special meals (holidays, etc.) with RNY? I'm terrified of losing ability to have a nice meal with family. What does a normal meal capacity look like at a year out? I have less restriction with my RnY than I did with the sleeve. I am eating 1-2 cup meals now (10 months out). 6. Are bowel movements normal at some point? No problems, in general. 7. Could you drink alcohol again? I'm fine going months without but at some point would like to enjoy a glass of champagne again. I can't right now as carbonation is brutal. I enjoy the occasional 1-2 glasses of wine. I can't handle carbonation, though.

Good to know! I read some horror stories about complications insurance refused to cover. I'm thinking that is more common with an ***, or even more common with a closed *** like Kaiser, rather than a PPO.

I called my insurance company and made them verify up their chain-of-command that if I had complications from plastics that they would be covered. They assured me they would because they'd be "medical" at that point. Going in for my bra-line excision this Friday which is "minor" so... this could be a trial run of their accuracy. LOL.

Actually the phone consult Doc was the most unintentionally brutal to date. "Oh, all that excess skin must be so uncomfortable." "Your skin just drapes and hangs there" "I can get rid of those bannan rolls over your hips" "Your butt has no shape left at all" I'm hoping my luck holds. I have had no medical issues in my life, and my VSG recovery was extremely easy. Also, with local traffic, most (all?) qualified surgeons are over an hour away. It took me nearly 3 hrs to get home after my second consult, which was about 30 miles away. I can definitely see how that can happen. None of my consults were pushy. But if I was less certain about what I want and what I don't want, it would be easy to get swayed by the possibilities. Honestly, I could use a complete overhaul. But I know that I want at most 1 major, and one minor surgery. I also don't want extensive scarring. Finally, I can't afford a whole body procedure, even if I wanted one. So even though I don't love my arms, or my knees, I can deal with those problem areas, because I'd rather fix my tummy, thighs, boobs and butt. My first out of state consult addressed this concern without me even asking. He said he had local associates he trained, or he trained under, that would do follow ups and treat any complications.

Don't be worried. I didn't have any pre OP diet and I did fine. Surgery went well and had no complications. My surgeon has not found any improved outcomes with or without the pre OP "liver shrinking" diet. To each it's own. 🧡[emoji169] Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

... I have this almost irresistible urge to talk to them about my WLS. At first, this was happening with some family and friends. One month after I had WLS, one of my good friends who is super-MO,had a heart attack (at the age of 45) and spent over 2 months in the hospital, had multiple surgeries and now has to wear an LVAT and will either die early or need a transplant. I desperately wanted to talk to her and our other MO friends who I would meet at the hospital, but obviously it wasn’t the appropriate moment. Since then as I edge ever-closer to GW, I find myself being drawn to MO and super-MO people and I want to scream at the top of my lungs that there is a way out of that living hell. It’s also complicated by the fact that I’m a healthcare professional so I see these guys day in and day out. I’ve had SUCH a positive experience and my life and well-being have done a complete 180 that I feel almost as if I have a personal responsibility to let anyone and everyone know about WLS.

I have been a thick girl my entire life. I had the lap band in 2012 and lost 80 pounds but gained 30 back. The band has been nothing but a complication. So I am having it removed and replaced with the sleeve. I am nervous 😬 that I will loose too much weight and become skinny. My husband and I want me to be healthy. I’m am in tears over being skinny. I know this seems weird but I am really nervous. I have always been thick and afraid for how I will look after. What I I don’t like what I see what if I hate myself. I even cried today due to this fear. This is me now the second picture at 230 and the first one is at my lowest weight 186. My doctor wants me down to 130 I just can imagine that!!