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Hi there! I had my bypass on Sept. 26,2014 HW - 315 SW - 310 CW - 199 I hit Onederland last Monday and have been bouncing back and forth between 199 and 200 all week. I am looking forward to getting another 5 lbs down so I never have to look at that 200 number again. I am recuperating from a serious spine surgery so I am on restriction from anything but walking and am up to a little over a mile a day until I can't take it anymore. Hopefully I will be able to extend to more this week. It's kind of a bummer because I was doing an hour of cardio every day prior to this little set back. Makes me feel like I am back to 310lbs, I get so tired and sore. However, I will not let it get the best of me. I have 34 lbs to go to get to goal and I can see that light coming closer all the time! Having this bypass gave me my life back! And other than my spine I am the healthiest I have been since my mid 20's! No more comorbitities! Woot, woot!

I had a gastric bypass on April 8, 2014. I was in the pre-op room when my daughter took a picture for Facebook. That's the last thing I remembered until 3+ weeks later. The surgery took a little longer than normal because my stomach had adhered to my liver & they needed to be separated. I came out of surgery fine. Then apparently I began having severe pain in my lower abdomen. Thank God the nurses & my surgeon were on the ball. He sent me for a CT scan which showed a leak. I was taken back into surgery where I had to be opened. I had had other abdominal surgeries which caused a lot of scar tissue. When the doc went to pull up the intestine for the bypass, it ripped, causing a leak. This caused me to become septic. I was in ICU on a ventilator for over 2 weeks. I was also kept basically comatose for that time. After coming off the vent, I was confused, didn't understand what happened. It was almost impossible to move my legs, turn myself in the bed. I had lost function, strength & a think a little of my mind. I was in the hospital for nearly 2 months. Then I had to go to rehab for 2 weeks to learn how to walk again. When I look back, I'm just thankful. I was on death's door, but God pulled me back. My family was even called in from out of state. So blessed I am. I am still weak, but I'm working on that & endurance. I walk on the treadmill nearly everyday. I'm lucky if I get 20 minutes of walking done. I get so frustrated! They tell me it may take several months to get back to normal. But I'm working hard, trying to do a little more each day. I want to be able to walk thru the mall, the park. I'm tired of having to use a wheelchair when it's going to be a longer walk. But I WILL get there! My highest weight was 350. On the day of surgery I was 303. Today I weigh 243. That's a total weight loss of 107 lbs. 60lbs from the day of surgery. I'm having to buy new clothes, I can see a difference in the mirror & although I'm not 100%, I will get there. Would I have the surgery again? Absolutely!!

Thank you so much for sharing this. I was in a dark place after my gastric bypass surgery. My body went into sensory overload and I was bed bound because of its impact on my chronic illness. I want thigh tuck so bad at some point and maybe some other things. I’d definitely have to go to Mexico probably would do BariatricPal Mx hospital. I do worry about those first days after even though I have high pain tolerance it takes its toll body and mind. I am sorry your first days were hellish and hope that each day of recovery gets better (and it will) I’m glad you shared an open honest story since that’s what I look for. And the result is already looking great.

Gastric bypass plus a hiatal hernia and umbilical hernia

I had VGS surgery on 9/15/16; this was almost 18 months from my introductory class for the program. I put off the decision to have surgery almost 6 months, and then due to scheduling issues rescheduled a couple of times before finally having the surgery. My high weight once I decided to start the program was 287- so I have lost 104 pounds as of this morning. I was pretty dutiful in following the eating plan, both pre- and post- surgery until I was about 9 months post-op. By that time, I'd bypassed my surgeon's weight goal for me by about 7 pounds. At that point, I did some serious thinking about what I wanted out of this surgery, and made the following decisions: First, I didn't have this surgery, this elective mutilation, to NOT be successful. There is no way on this Earth that I am going to backslide and let my weight creep up. Second, I also decided that I don't want to be "on a diet" for the rest of my life. I have ALWAYS been on a diet, for as long as I can remember. I didn't have this surgery so I'd have to continue to always be on a diet. Third, I have to be happy with my life. SO... I decided that I was going to have to balance these things, figure out how to make eating "normal" food work without gaining weight. I've tested things out, learned my limits, learned how to eat and drink that work with my insides and my head. OCCASIONALLY I will eat pizza, nachos, drink beer, have ice cream or pie, etc., but NOT all the time, and NOT in large quantity. Fortunately my sleeve restriction is still snug; I can eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food at a sitting, depending on the food. What does this mean for something like pizza? I take one piece, I eat a couple of bites of the edge and also the toppings. I don't eat any of the crust, except those 2 bites of the edge. Believe me, it's enough for me, and if it's not, I"ll eat the topping only from part of another piece. I've tested out all my favorite foods, and yes, sadly, there are some things that I just don't eat because I can't, because they make me feel gross (haven't given up on 'good' bread yet, but rice and pasta are things of my past). I've learned that some things go down way too easily, and so I know where to be careful, what to avoid. I've also learned (take a deep breath, hard to admit) that I'm probably never going to weigh 135 pounds again, and that, regardless of my weight, I'll always feel like I need to lose 10 or 20 pounds. I don't think that's the after effect of being fat... I think it's the association of being a woman in the USA. It's OK... I can accept these things, because I have come so far and been so successful- in my doctor's eyes, in my husband's and daughter's eyes, and mostly, IN MY OWN OPINION. There are still things I can't do (eat and drink at the same time) or things I forget to do (eat slowly/chew lots) and I pay the price. HOWEVER... It's all been worth it. I am HAPPY. I don't wake up in the morning and hate myself for being weak, for being fat, for eating and drinking when I swore I wasn't going to. I went to Disney World with my daughter this summer and for the first time EVER (we've been going annually for 20 years), I happily posed for photos. She and I haven't had a photo in front of the castle since she was 6 (and she'll be 25 next week). I don't hate shopping for clothes anymore. I went to the pool in a bathing suit IN PUBLIC this summer and wasn't embarrassed. Most importantly, I look in the mirror and LIKE what I see there. Sometimes I even think, "Wow, you look cute!" I realize how much of my life I let go by because I felt fat, miserable, unsuccessful, unlovable, and I wish I'd done this surgery 10 years ago. I don't hate myself and my life anymore, and that is worth SO MUCH MORE than anything I could ever eat, in any quantity, at any restaurant. You know how they say, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels?" That's sort-of true, but being skinny (and I'm not) doesn't hold a candle to not hating yourself all the time. I am just so damned happy now!

I just banded a week ago. I had gastric bypass 14 yrs ago but drank some of it back on. Surgery is a tool. Helps with the capacity, not the compulsion. Now I have to stay away from alcohol and it's hard. Good luck. Guess if my self- esteem was better I would feel better. Still am a smart ass fat chick at heart. Kiss of death for relationships . :-(

I did. I bought a necklace from sticky j jewelry online. They use medical grade stainless steel. I like mine. One funny thing...the chain it was on seemed too short and I mentioned it to a friend of mine who had had gastric bypass surgery and lost over 100 pounds. She told me to keep that chain because it would get longer as I lost weight. Sure enough, it is a looong chain now! sticky j also has a variety of bracelets including some beaded ones that look pretty. My doctor does not recommend a medical ID, but I felt better having one. I live in a rural area and he is the only doctor who does lap band. I have my name, his name and phone number, and LAP BAND on it. hiddn

It has been a week since I attempted to get my information submitted to the insurance company. I was under the impression that my case was submitted but the insurance coordinator mixed me up with another person. How does that happen?? Anyways, I have called the insurance company and doctors office nearly every day to check on the status. Friday it still wasn't submitted. It is so frustrating because I started the process about 8 months ago. I did the 6 months, all of the testing, psych eval, you name it. My surgery was scheduled for November but my insurance at the time wouldn't cover it. It was rescheduled for December. At the end of November I was notified that the surgeons were leaving. Basically I was SOL. So I contacted another surgeon in my area and transferred. I told them the importance of having my surgery in December because I have a winter break from school and my husband has a week off from work. I was told that they couldn't schedule me until insurance officially approved me. How frustrating! I feel overwhelmed because I am not at 40 BMI and I only have high cholesterol and GERD. I'm expecting appeals. I'm nervous about being denied. Every thought one could have, I have had it. I'm chalking it up to my anxiety disorder but I think that many people go through this. Is anyone else going through this hell? I have BCBS IL. Has anyone dealt or is dealing with them? Needing some encouragement and prayers would help as well

I was banded on November 3 at West Jeff by Dr. Belott, same practice as Dr. Treen.

OK, so do we want to do Tuesday, November 24 at 6 PM at Picadilly iin Gretna? Everybody up for this day and time?

Great to hear from you. I was banded November 3 then had some complications and slipped into a coma for ten days, nothing to do with the surgery, just my body had problems. I'm now 70 pounds lighter and feel good. I still have problems with vomiting but I can relate that to something I am doing wrong like not chewing enough or eating too fast. Still have troubles with red meats but chicken seems to do fine for me.

Get a second opinion. Make sure you've researched all of your options though too, as different weight loss surgeries focus on different eating issues. You've "heard" about the complications associated with bypass, but take the time to actually research it and you may be surprised at what you find. Ultimately, don't go with a surgery that you don't feel comfortable with, but also do your homework so you have a good understanding of what you're looking at. Good luck to you!

Had my first visit with the surgeon today and he advised me and my husband to go with gastric bypass despite the fact that we had already decided to go with the band. He said we would lose more weight with bypass and that the lap band was like using a tiny hammer to hit a big problem, it doesn't make much of a difference. I had decided long ago never to get bypass because I've heard of so many people who got sick after bypass. I've looked at before and after photos and almost all of them just look sick to me. The doctor ultimately said it was my body and the decision was mine but he basically tried to convince me that most people do very well, most dont get sick, and the risks and complications are minimal. He also said that the proceedures doctors use have evolved and improved over even just over the last 5 years and it's much better now. Now I'm all confused, frustrated, and upset because I don't know what to do. I don't want to cut my insides all up and not be able to reverse it if I get sick. I know of people who have been on their death beds off and on since they had bypass, and some who have died. I haven't heard of a lot of this with the band and all the before/after photos people look healthier after. But insurance will pay for all but maybe $500 for bypass but it will not cover over $5000 for the band. When you put me and my husband together that's $10,000 spent on bands and we don't have that kind of money so we're talking a lot of debt. $10,000 versus $1,000... amazing what an extra zero will do. So confused. :sad: :confused:

Hey everyone , I'm new to this. I just had my first consultation with my surgeon. I'm starting my 6-month diet with my primary care physician. 23 years old and 300+ lbs. I'm considering the surgery for many reasons. From anyone's point of view what do you believe pros and cons are of having gastric bypass surgery? Thank You in Advance for any answers

I had bypass 8/23. I've lost 75 pounds total(55 since surgery). The problem that I'm having is no matter what type of socks I wear, my leg swells at the top of the sock. I've tried ankle high , no show,crew, knee etc. They are not tight at the band but I still swell. Does this happen to anyone else? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am having a revision from bypass. What is the difference from bypass to switch??

Anybody in the Denver/Boulder area who has had bypass or is going through the process? I am currently going through the process of tests and medical dietary supervision in order to get insurance approval for my surgery. Would love to find pals in this area who are doing the same or have been through the process.

Hi, I am a newbie her to the forum. I was on approve on October 7th to have surgery.. My date is November the 7th.. Whoooohoooo.. Well not really.. The submitted my paper work for the bypass.. I soooo don't wanna that procedure.. I will meet with the surgeon on Monday and they will resubmit my claim... Good news you might say.. Well again, not really my insurance is in negotiating with the hospital.. Basically if the cannot come to an agreement by December insurance will not cover the procedure after Dec 9th..SUCKS RIGHT!! I know.. The forum has been so helpful and motivational.. Do you think I should go ahead with the bypass since it has already been approve or take my chances and wait to see if I get the quick approval for the sleeve? I was gonna call my coordinator and commit to the bypass, but I changed my mind.. Please help.. Send some encouragement my way... By the way I have BCBS federal..????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????. Oh I forgot to add my surgeon is booked the entire month of Nov.. Some one cancelled that's how I got my date.. Help help..

@@Faithluvhope84 Are you on US Masters? One year membership is $35 and is from Jan to Dec (you can join in November and it goes for 14 months). They have a number of things that will help you. Do you have any masters' teams near you?

My doc made me wait 6 months between band removal and bypass cuz he said if he'd done it when he did the band removal he would have had to have made a bigger pouch. Ack!!! Fingers crossed its just a flue and all is okay!!! HW 312, pre-op (lap-band) 294, pre-op (RNY) 255, surgery date 2/11/13, goal weight 154, current weight 231.4

wow! you look great!!! I am pre-surgery still, just have my psych eval last week and now they have me scheduled for my nutrition consult.. Then I guess its the preop diet time. Thanks for sharing the success story, it makes my decision alot easier. My Dr said that the band was not as effective as the bypass, but I can see it definintly is just as effective with your story. Thanks again for sharing

is that including workouts? Because even though I wasn't wearing it the whole day I had like a 1700 calorie deficit. (My job is such that I'm on my feet my whole shift and walking around, bending and lifting, I'm an LVT, basically a nurse for animals) That includes my workout that burned over 500 calories. Doesn't a 500 calorie deficit only make you lose one pound per week? I'm guessing you mean that is without workouts and get the other 500 from working out. So maybe I truly do need to eat more.I'm going to see what happened today and tomorrow morning (my weigh in) because this morning the scale had actually moved (my official weigh in is Thursday, so it doesn't count today). after today, we'll see what my calorie burn actually is (though today is usually my day off, but I'm covering at work, but it's a short shift so may not truly reflect my normal work day) and maybe I'll try to eat more tomorrow. If I do need to eat more, do you have any suggestions on healthy things to eat, because I do not want to start eating the wrong things due to this. I have a recheck appointment next Thursday with my surgeon and as of right now, I' dreading going since my loos in the past 5 weeks has been 1.5 lb which is very sad to me and I'm sure he'll be supportive, but I don't like it. Also my sister is getting married in November and I had hopes of being like 170 by then, since this plateau it's not gonna happen. Maybe if I do increase my calories, my weight will drop quick, not sure. I always like your advice reverie, so I'd love to hear more.

Has anyone else needed physical therapy after gastric bypass surgery to regain their strength. My mom had surgery 1 weeks ago. She went into the surgery with existing back problems and the pain Meds masked the back pain. Now that it’s worn off her back is starting to hurt. She says her legs are weak and she’s unable to put pressure on her legs and can only walk short distances. She mainly lays in the bed because it helps her back and stomach not to hurt. I Don’t know if the weakness is due to effects of surgery or her back problems. She needs to be able to walk to help her heal and get rid of gas and prevent blood clots. Think it would be a good idea to have PT come in the house to help her regain her strength? Thanks

HI: Good question. I go to my doctor for my first fill tomorrow and will ask, as I am scheduled for a colonoscopy the first week of November. I will let you know tomorrow. Rosie