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The things I packed that I used the most were a pair of sweat pants (keeps you from mooning everyone when you walk around), an eye mask (lets you sleep even if your roommate has a light on all night) and ear plugs also for sleep. I used my phone and ipad a bit, but not a lot, most of the time I was asleep or walking. I was able to shower at the hospital and brining my own hypo allergenic shampoo and soap was important and useful.

Now I know it's true!! :faint: I have a friend that told me a similar thing and I didn't want to believe, but when I would have to resubmit or call several times b/c the insurance company said they didn't have the info, it did raise my curiosity. Like I said in an earlier post, I feel like I have to fight to get my honest claims paid and paid in a timely manner in which does not affect my credit rating. This attitude that so many of us have experienced, shows that consumers are forced into a reactive mode instead of being proactive in most cases. It's no wonder some people feel it necessary to put quarters or sand in their pockets. They are just playing the game that insurance companies create. I'm not condoning these actions and hope that I'm never in a position to choose. What if one of my children needed a life-saving procedure? You can bet the house, barn, AND the land that insurance would have everything they needed to approve any such issue regarding my family. I would walk on Water with the help of the Lord if I had to. Bottom line.....insurance companies hold too much power to determine our health care. The sad truth is that some of these people that make final decisions are not properly trained in EVERY field that they are covering. This is wrong and should be fixed. Anyone have any ideas?

I've been reading that reactive hypoglycemia is pretty common for WLS patients that are 18+ months out. I've been having episodes of it and finding that I need to eat more frequent meals and a snack before bed. I have it when I'm sleeping and wake up with horrible night sweats.

Thanks you guys for responding. I was over at OH reading the bypass patients' accounts. Then someone suggested reactive hyperglycemia and after reading what that's about, it scared the snot out of me, talk of seizures, etc. OMG, how do those folks survive that stuff?! Scary, very scary. I had to keep reminding myself that I HAVE a stomach, just a much smaller one. I never reacted to sugars before. I don't eat high fat foods. This whole thing took a new turn when I had the honeycomb and yes, little pieces of cheese. Tonight I had a low fat "taco soup" which is mainly proteins (recipe from WW old time), and was OK after dinner. Of course I was watching my watch and timing things to SEE IF anything would happen. I got myself so worked up by "sensing" heart rate, etc., that I had to go take a Xanax to come down from the ceiling where I was putting myself. No dumping occurred, but the anxiety about whether it would occur is enough to set off an adrenaline rush all on its own. I don't want to be having these problems whatsoever. I stick pretty much with the Medifast diet plan and eat their healthy snacks, etc. I get that the combination of the cheese and honey was not a winner. I just want to KNOW that I'll be OK, no seizures or anything of that nature in the future. Thanks for talking me through this; I PRAY that I am over it.

I'm three plus years post surgery & still my longest lasting complication is acid. Here's how I manage it: I take an Omeprazole in the morning & a Tums just before bed. Together that allows me to produce less acid & combat the acid my body does produce. Proactive & reactive, if you will. Good luck. You are not alone.

I just had the most aggressive phone call with my surgeon, Dr. Cirangle. I had my sleeve done Monday (5 days ago) and left the hospital on Tuesday. I was given liquid pain meds (hydrocodone-something) - and it was prescribed as 10-25ml every 4-6 hours. I was taking the meds on a reactive basis and on Weds, the IV drugs clearly left my system and I was in horrible horrible pain. I called his office, his physician's asst. almost scolded me for not taking the pain meds as subscribed and that I should take them regularly every 4 hours if I was in that much pain.... BEFORE I got pain. So I did. Exactly as told and as it was prescribed on the bottle. I took my last dose this morning around 4 AM and my husband went to the pharmacy to get the refill. They said they couldn't refill it until Monday. So I called the Dr. Cirangle and was berated and told that I was taking too much and that I shouldn't even be in pain 5 days post op. I did the math. 1 pint = 473ml Prescription called for 25 ml every 4-6 hours. 473ml/25ml = 19 doses 24 hours a day/4 hours = 6 times a day I should take the meds 19 doses, 6 times a day = the medicine should last me for 3.16666 days. I'm on day 5. He said it was supposed to last for 10 days. Am I missing something??? And at day 5 should I not be having sharp pains where I can't stand up, roll over, or bend over? (He says no.) I have discoloration/brusing like color around the area that I have the pain. No where else do I have this discoloration. I'm supposed to have a follow up this week. AND I never want to see him again. I feel so violated after being so vulnerable to trust and be open to him only to be screamed at and told to "stop being so dramatic." Feeling totally alone and so upset. There's one thing to not have bed-side manners... it's another thing to be a complete asshole to your patients who are reaching out to you for help.

Until you have a complete blood work up for Hypothyroidism, a complete work up for Adrenal function and a complete hormone level check. If your doctor fails to preform these not so basic tests, he or she could be selling you a surgery you do not need. Or a surgery that will not give you results like you expect. You need to be sure your labs include Free T4 and Free T3, Cortisol levels via saliva or urine, and hormone levels. Too much estrogen will keep weight on you as well. Look into Liver Detox, the best plan for weight loss will not work if your liver is not functioning properly. I found out I was hypothryoid. I dropped 18 lbs on medication in the first 2 months. I've slowed down to a hault. But that is the plight of hypo patients and no amount of intake restriction is going to resolve the weight gain issues of a hypothryoid person. I'm still reading, but thus far it's a no. I'm waiting for my 6 mo mark on meds to have my levels drawn, then I might get an increase in medication and drop more. At the same time I was going through my journey to dx. My bf went in for LB surgery. She lost some weight during the pre-op and 2 wk post-op and then stopped. She stopped while still on a liquid and soft diet! She has had another fill and still no more weight loss. She is in debt, depressed, and still just as fat as she was in September. She did not get the lab work ups she should have had IMO. She was sold up the river that a surgery was the answer to her problems. She still suffers from depression which is a major sign of hypothryoidism in additon to low energy and lack of weight loss. Just don't get sold up the river is all I'm saying. You have to be your own advocate for better health. Be sure you find out if you have underlying causes. Doctors usually only run the TSH thyroid test and for millions it will come back fine when in fact the main hormone tellers T3 and T4 are not fine and have not been checked. I spent almost a year finding a doctor to actually run the right tests and then he was so shocked I spent another 3 months going to another doctor who was a jack a$$ and back again to my doc. The JA would not run the thyroid antibody tests, the cortisol and adrenal tests, the hormone tests, nothing total waste of my time and money. All he saw was a fat woman w a normal TSH test, he ignorned my super low T4 and T3 levels. There is a stigma against fat -- I'm fat only b/c I over indulge or am lazy. I'm not lazy, I'm not an over indulger. And docs can't get their heads around it. I was told a doc automatically triples what a fat person tells them they eat and subtracts 3X what a fat person tells them they exercise. I'm shot down just by walking in the freakin door! Just don't get sold up the river like my bf. I feel for her, I really do. I so want her to go to a doctor and insist on the right tests.

I am 2.5 years out from gastric bypass. I had lost 100 lbs but have gained about 15 back. In November my blood sugar started dropping out of nowhere. I have seen my both my gastric doctor and my pcp and they both tell me to cut carbs and eat every two hours. Those are both ok but I have found that if I eat some carbs along with protein I have many less episodes which is great except I'm scared I'm going to gain. Anyone with experience or advice on this? I have an apt with a endocrinologist that specializes in bariatric patients but it is not until November. Sent from my SM-J700T using BariatricPal mobile app

I had the same symptoms as ms.sss. At 3 & 1/2 months on Thanksgiving, I tried Ben and Jerry’s lactose free ice cream. I had 1/4 cup and it hit me half an hour later, maybe less. I’m finding any sugar/carby food can trigger it, or sometimes it’s a reactive sugar drop a few hours later. Air popped light salt popcorn triggered it last time. I was never diabetic. I find dumping does keep me on the straight and narrow which is good! If you do want to try new foods, it helps to be at home with a time block of a few hours and a protein shake to counter the sugar lows. For those who think dumping is a get out of jail free card; there’s no weight loss. There may be a slight loss sometimes, but it’s water from the both ends pushing it all out. Mostly I find I still gain weight and trigger an asthma attack from all the inflammation. I have even measured my ankles and found them to be 2-3 centimeters bigger the day after a carb incident.

My doctor once told me I have reactive hypoglycemia and well that's unfortunate that it could get worse now that I've gotten wls. I've episodes pre-op for a few years and my doctors solution was "make sure you eat regularly and stay away from the triggers when you don't".

Hi Maryjo, I'm glad to hear from you. I had lap-band in 2006, did fairly well with it, but it got too tight and I had it removed last year. I tried life without it, but unfortunately gained a good portion of my weight back, so had a mini gastric bypass in September. I have PCOS and have had gestational diabetes 3 times. I'd been on metformin (long acting 1000mg) for several years to manage symptoms and as a preventative to DMII. All was going well and I was losing weight fairly steadily. However, about a month ago I started getting low readings (3.0) and was symptomatic. I went off the metformin about 3 weeks ago, but continue to have reactive lows (fasting is fine) about 2 hours after eating. I've cut out all simple sugars and am really trying hard with the protein, but still struggling. My GP thinks the metformin is still in my system. I'm trying to figure out if this is just big sensitivity to carbs and late dumping or something more significant. My GP isn't too concerned and the surgeon is across the country. I called the nurse and dietician at the surgeon's office, but they didn't seem to know much about the phenomenon. I'm thinking I'd like to discuss this with an endocrinologist. I'm pretty worried about this. Kerri MGB Sep 28/17

Hi forum... I am 13 years out from RNY and I am back into the cycle of insulin resistance and reactive hypo ... anyone else struggling with this? It all started about 7 years ago when I became allergic to wheat and had to switch to a rice based diet cause of my allergy... my body just pushes too much insulin out when I eat carbs... and rice really make a me spike... then crash and burn. Would love to hear from others who have struggled with this due to PCOS... that is what started he whole cycle for me. MaryJo RNY on 8/2/04 290/130/215 current

Thanks everyone. I went to PCP today and I am Hypo. I start on meds tomorrow morning. I have psychologist appt 12/1 and surgeon 12/6. Really hoping this doesn't prolong surgery. Sent from my Z988 using the BariatricPal App

Are you lactose intolerant? It honestly sounds like dumping to me. I had it just last night cuz I chose to have a crappy dinner instead of my planned dinner. Sucked. It sounds exactly like reactive hypoglycemia and some of the sugar alcohols cause this same reaction in bari-patients.

I have Hoshimoto's which is the thyroid autoimmune disease. I have flares where I swing back and forth between Hyper and Hypo but for the majority I am hypo and so are all of my symptoms. I was on Levo and Synthroid for 6-10 years until last fall when I had enough. I switched to Armour 120mg a day and it has changed my life. Unfortunately, the weight didn't change at all but that is fairly typical at least for women. However, my symptoms, tired, achy, brain fog, lethargic feeling all decreased dramatically…some of them completely. I found a doc who treats by the symptoms not just blood work. Just because you are in the 'appropriate" blood work range doesn't mean that you feel any better. I know for me I am at my best when my blood work comes back at around a 1.5-2.0. Some people do better lower. My doc is not an endo either. She is internal med. I had 4 prominent endos in KC and they all refused to listen and went solely on blood work results not how I felt. Their answer to everything was losing 50 lbs. Well autoimmune disease and thyroid issues typically aren't affected by weight high or low. One key to the success I have with Armour is I chew it up and i take it the same time every night with water… nothing else because it can affect absorption. The nice thing about Armour too is that if you are having a flare you can break a pill in half during the day and supplement so it will counter the flare. Your doc could explain more about that. The best thing I did for myself was research, research, research. http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ is by far one of the best thyroid sites out there. Please check it out. It helped me tremendously. Good luck!

not quitting smoking could be really detrimental to your surgery, so i'd honestly at least try to quit. i've seen some surgeries where people didn't stop smoking & it messes with your healing time, your skin as well as other stuff.. it's not pretty. "Smoking does two things in terms of the cardiovascular system that anesthesiologists area concerned about. First, smoking increases the amount of carbon monoxide attached to hemoglobin in the blood. This has the effect of decreasing oxygen supply. Carbon monoxide also makes the heart pump more poorly, also decreasing the amount of oxygen that is delivered to the body. Second, nicotine increases the amount of oxygen that the body needs. So, oxygen supply is being compromised at the same time that more oxygen is being utilized. Smoking obviously also affects the lungs. Among other thigns, smoking causes an increase in the amount of mucus secreted while at the same time decreasing the ability of the lungs to clear these secretions. In addition, smoking causes the small airways in the lungs to be narrowed and more prone to collapse. The end result of these effects are an increased susceptibility to infection, chronic cough and increased chance of pulmonary complications. Lastly, smokers also have increased sensitivity to stimuli and increased bronchial reactivity, increasing the chance for bronchospasm and other life threatening pulmonary processes. This is not just theory. There have been multiple studies confirming that smoking increases the incidence of pulmonary complications after an anesthetic as much as six times. Smoking has been shown to be an independent risk factor for complications ranging from complications of lung function to wound healing to cardiovascular events such as heart attack." source: http://anesthesiolog...es/12012003.php also: Q: What specifically does smoking do to inhibit healing and recovery from surgery? A: Nicotine closes the blood vessels responsible for bringing oxygenated blood to the tissues. In addition to its healing power, oxygen also fights infection and helps to keep tissue alive, as well as being instrumental in delivering important medications like antibiotics. Furthermore, smoking clogs the lungs, and thus increases risk of pulmonary infection such as pneumonia. Q: What are the worst-case scenario consequences of smoking before and after surgery? A: Smoking significantly increases the risk of severe infections, pneumonia, and tissue death. Q: Are there specific surgeries that you will refuse to perform on a smoker? A: Certain procedures which involve a lot of pulling or altering of blood supply would present more risk for a smoker. These procedures include face lifts, tummy tucks, and the use of tissue flaps as in reconstructive surgery. Q: Aside from quitting entirely, how long do you recommend patients avoid smoking before and after surgery? A: Ideally, the patient would quit altogether. However, this is obviously not going to happen with a lot of patients. Generally, it is recommended that a patient avoid smoking for at least 3 weeks before and after surgery. Source: http://plasticsurger.../smoking_PS.htm

Also, its possible your diabetes would be better controlled if you did cut out the carbs. A lot of what you mentioned in your diet is carb based. If you aren't using appropriate insulin to counteract the carbs, then you'll never get it in control. That is true. Remember I ate what was left around the house and from when my parents were here with me but they have returned to Canada now. I really don't know how much insulin to take based on a new restricted diet. I used to take 70 units of long acting and 50 units of rapid acting in the morning and at night when I was close to 300 lbs. Now I am taking 35 units of long acting in the morning and 20 units of rapid acting at night (so I don't go hypo when I sleep) But I am reaching between 15-18 in my glucose readings by the time I take the rapid acting at night. So today I took 40 units of long acting to see if that works better

The regulation of type I and type 2 will differ as yours is autoimmune and mine is metabolic. You do not have any information on your profile so not seeing how much you currently weigh. I am still very large at 265 lbs. As my weight comes down my BG will also change as it has already changed due to weight loss. I am taking a lot less insulin now than 5 weeks ago. The ultimate goal is NO insulin resulting from a large weight loss. I know its possible. When my BG gets to 5 I start to feel hypo. Everyone is different I really wish that I could just 'go back' to protein shakes. Very early post op i could not eat or drink much. But the hunger I am experiencing NOW is what is throwing me off and I am trying to satiate myself. I did not get to almost 300 lbs because I decided I could just not eat. Said no morbidly obese person. LOL that is funny. I am going to check with my doctor in Mexico if they will allow me to take an appetite suppressant since my blood pressure is now very good

Hi I enjoy your food pics in the other thread. I am glad you are approaching your doc about this. I will say sometimes pouch decides it doesn’t like a food all the sudden even if I’ve had it before then I just ban that food for awhile and try to reintroduce it later. I do recommend you to have a glucometer just the cheap one. I am one of the lucky ones who has non diabetic reactive hypoglycemia as a result of the rny. I would not have known if I didn’t check the sugar in a “nap desiring” state after consuming a little higher carb than my norm

It could be a Vitamin issue. For example B12. If your taking it using a time release tablet instead of a subliminal tablet or if you are taking the wrong type of B12 (it should be methylcobalamin). But I don't think that is the problem in your case. The clue is in the symptoms that you described. Low blood pressure reading, tired, lightheaded, fainting. Some patients after weight loss surgery develop a condition called "reactive hypoglycemia". Here is a link. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/reactive-hypoglycemia/faq-20057778 and another link http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/060415p48tip.shtml If this is the cause, you want to become aware of the problem and the simple steps that need to be taken before it progresses to passing out.

I still have restriction but nothing like I did. I used to eat 4 bites and then feel so full. Then around 18 months like 5 oz now I can eat a full burger. Not like a huge restaurant one but a fast food one. Eat pretty healthy. Mostly nuts, cheese, meat veggies but I do have whatever I want in moderation. It's just not my daily diet. It's def harder to maintain the further out I get I'm not hungry but I just can eat so my h more do I have to be more cautious of what I eat. I weigh every day because of this and try to eat dense Protein at each meal so I get full faster. I still do a protein shake each day for bfast. I also now have pretty crappy Iron levels. Just did labs Saturday. I also now have reactive hypoglycemia due to eating small amounts so I have watch my sugars. Y eating very balanced food not high sugar n not going too long without food

My body has decided to partake in this. Anyone else? Any tips?

@@cuddletime Yep, I have reactive hyperglycemia. It is manageable. Consult your surgery team.

people always look at me and when I say how much I weigh etc they are "shocked" I am same ht wt bmi as you almost. yet when I see photos or video of myself I am sick..... I am very happy at 130 so I want to be there. I feel good , look good and can wear the clothes i want. better body image. I am trying to advoid any further health issues, now I am hypo thyroid, and have joint problems.

There is a good reason to avoid the RNY revision if you can - the reactive hypoglycemia and marginal ulcer (and all of the medical care limitations that stem from it) issues, but it's not the end of the world, either if that's what you need. It's a common procedure that's been done in one form or another for 140 years, so its quirks and features are well known (but I would rather avoid its quirks if I can). I would certainly get a second, and even third, opinion on it, as while the sleeve is a fairly straightforward procedure most to do these days, repairing one that isn't working correctly is not necessarily so. Most bariatric surgeons started out with the bypass, so that is their comfort zone and they often prefer to go back to the familiar when things get a bit complicated, while there are some who have gone deeper into the sleeve and specialized in it and related procedures, such as the DS, and they are more comfortable doing things that others wouldn't do. We sometimes hear on these forums that "you can't do a Nissen (fundoplication) on a sleeve as there isn't any fundus left (well, not much) yet there are some who routinely perform them. Between that and meshing, there are options, and an RNY doesn't necessarily fix the potential recurring problem, as it, too, yield a small stomach pouch that is subject to herniating. If possible, for a second opinion, I would seek out a surgeon who does the DS (duodenal switch) as that is a good proxy for one who is well experienced with dealing with sleeves, and is more comfortable with more complex procedures as well. If they recommend an RNY revision, too, then that's a pretty solid confirmation of what's appropriate for your specific case.