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My bypass is August 23. So far I've not seen anyone else with this date. Here is something I found online about a medical alert bracelet. Hope this is okay to post. "5 reasons gastric bypass patients need a medical alert bracelet 1 ) You should not be given NSAIDS NSAIDS, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are known to have a few side effects when taken under normal use. These include ulcers, an increased chance of bleeding, and liver or kidney problems. And that's just for a person who hasn't been through a major surgery like gastric bypass! The point of a medical alert bracelet is to let people know about your condition in an emergency. NSAIDS are commonly used in medicine, so alerting the staff of your bypass can give them the chance to find another medicine to treat you. For people who have had a gastric bypass, NSAIDS can be problematic for newly constructed stomachs that haven't gotten the chance to build up protection against irritants like NSAIDS. 2 ) A Blind NG tube is dangerous for you Blind NG tubes are inserted through the nose of a patient who needs to be fed through a tube after a medical emergency. It's usually fed through with no problems, as doctors know how to do this procedure on normal anatomy. But after a gastric bypass, only a medical alert bracelet can let your healthcare team know that you no longer have "normal" anatomy. A bypass changes the way your stomach is shaped and how it sits, meaning a blind NG tube is likely to break through your stomach walls and cause vast damage. This is especially true because gastric bypass patients do have stomachs that are more sensitive to damage. If your medical team knows about your gastric bypass, then they will incorporate a different method that is equally helpful but cuts down on the risk of damaging your stomach. 3 ) A limited intake of sugar is important Hospitals have variations in the diets and medications they can give patients depending on their medical history. Gastric bypass patients need to actively avoid excess sugar intake for a few reasons. It can heighten any problems related to diabetes, which is common in overweight individuals. It can also cause severe diarrhea in people who have had a gastric bypass. It's also important for your healthcare team to know about your bypass through your medical alert bracelet so that they can continue giving you the right diet. For gastric bypass patients, this means high fiber and low sugar! 4 ) Complications can be found faster Having a gastric bypass surgery is a major operation. It's done to transform your health and quality of life, yet it can have complications. In the rare cases when a complication happens, it's important to get treatment as soon as possible! You could potentially experience bleeding, blood clots, or a rupture in your new stomach pouch. Hernias are also known to happen as well as infections, leaking, or ulcers. These cases can be fixed with usually simple procedures, but knowing is the only way staff can address them before more complications arise. So when you are brought into a hospital, a medical alert bracelet can work wonders in letting the staff narrow down what could be happening to you. It can ultimately save your life. 5 ) Your solid food will need to be limited If you need to be fed while you're in the hospital, then staff should be aware that you need to have your solid food limited. Because your stomach size has been greatly reduced through the surgery, anyone placing a feeding tube will have to know that your stomach is smaller and cannot handle a large amount of food. When someone with a gastric bypass is fed large amounts of foods, a few things can happen that your team needs to know. If they do, then they can properly adjust your in-hospital diet and look for signs that a complication from overeating is the reason you were brought in. Overeating can stretch your new pouch, rupture it, and cause your body to reject the food. Regardless of the situation, a medical alert bracelet can keep your medical team totally up-to-speed on what is going on with you so that treatment can be effective and quick. And everyone at N-Style ID loves keeping our customers up-to-date with the latest information about medical alerts and other topics on our blog. You never know when an emergency could happen, and that's why these bracelets are designed to be stylish and useful."

I just had my follow up with surgery yesterday. I was told that the sticker they put on your neck, below the ear - for nausea, also causes vision issues. He told me a patient touched it once and then touched his eyes, which caused a lot of complications with his vision. I wish they would make others more aware of that drug. The anesthesiologist did make me aware that sometimes they need to administer insulin in surgery. Even though I'm not diabetic, the sugar levels can still fluctuate.

The office came through and got me complication coverage

I am 4 weeks post op, as of yesterday. I have not had any complications, I am tolerating most foods. However I am tired of the protein shakes. Please if any of you have any High Protein Recipes to share it would be greatly appreciated. The thought of drinking another protein shake is nauseating.

At the end of the day I think your post illustrates the best in a bariatric patient. The intense thought process considering all of the possible complications for getting, revising, or removal of the surgery. Going into this blind after watching a few "My 600# life" shows is about the worst thing one can do (And yes, I watch the show myself). It sounds to me that your mind is in the right place - considering what is going to improve your life the most, and yet doing lots of research on it. I applaud you for your research and I am very sorry for what seems like an awful number of years. I'm only 3 weeks out from my revision from a band to a RNY, but there were a number of reasons I went with a RNY over the sleeve. One of which is the possibility to do a reversal. Yes, it is not without complications, and no, it is not a complete reversal, but yes, it is still possible. With the sleeve? not so much. I would imagine that something as complex as a reversal would be quite variable between patients - what reason for each reversal is probably drastically different. So while I do think it is really good to see how outcomes were, I would postulate that your surgeon is probably going to be the best to trust. I was told that my surgeon was very "conservative" when it came to revisions. I was told he would go in and remove the band, and if things were really bad from scarring, he would not do the revision, and instead allow me to heal for 3 months before coming in and doing the revision. Maybe have a frank talk with your surgeon and make the same request. Maybe when he goes in, there is an obvious problem that can be fixed without actually reversing the procedure? Just throwing out another idea, if there is someone in your life that you trust your life with, consider filling out a medical power of attorney, and have a long conversation with them about your desires. Then, if doing the surgery the doctor would have a person to turn to and present both options...Your medical power of attorney, knowing your intents, could make the decision instead of a doctor who has spent an insignificant amount of time with you determining your interests. For my revision surgery, I did the above with a family member, so I'm not recommending something I didn't do myself. I will be praying for you and I wish you the best outcome, no matter what needs to be done to improve it!

I had the SIPS surgery on Valentines day - 2/14/2018. By the way, SIPS is not an option to select on here so had to put duodenal switch since it's the closest match to the type of surgery. Anyway, I paid $17000 out of pocket because I didn't want to wait for months to go through all of the insurance harassment. It is the best $17000 dollars I ever spent in my life, and would gladly do it again. I have no regrets! To be transparent, I did have some complications less than a week after surgery and ended up on feeding bags and in the hospital for a solid month. Even with all of that, I'd still do it all over again. I'm off my CPAP machine for sleep apnea, off blood pressure meds, off cholesterol meds, off of Symbicort breathing treatment and so much more. My purse was a mobile pharmacy! Being down 80lbs has had a significant impact on my life in so many ways. I was always confident, but I feel even more embolden and comfortable in my skin. The improved health benefits I already mentioned, and of course, it doesn't hurt to be wearing much nicer clothes and heels! I've come from wearing sized 20W pants to 14 (straight no W) pants, and 24W top/dresses, to between14W and 16W (depends on the brand). Fortunately, I carry weight well, so I look even less than my current 216 lbs. While I have another 26 pounds to hit my first major goal, I am elated with the progress that I've made so far. I've cooked more in the last five months than probably the last five years. I've cut out 85% of the take out I used to do. Even when I've gone out of town for business, I've cooked. I can most times find a hotel, especially Residence Inn by Marriott, that have a small kitchen with stove, dishwasher, full refrigerator and everything. I also exercise five days a week for at least an hour. I know this was long, but I'm just over the moon!

I am getting over 80 grams of protein and close to 80 oz of fluids. I do two shakes a day, a Premier protein water, and then Propel. I have no concerns about nutrition or dehydration. I think because I had the sleeve in 2014, I am just used to the fake sweet flavor and sometimes odd consistency of protein water. I see my surgeon Friday morning and will also talk to the nutritionist. It is a great office, and are quick to get back with me. My surgeon is still nervous about me, because of how many complications I had in 2014, so he checks in with me frequently and is on top of any concern I have. I also don’t like the smell of tuna or canned fish. I do have shrimp but I’m worried they would be harder to get down since they are a little tougher and bigger. I will just keep trying things, going slow, taking one bite, and using the nausea meds as needed.

Someone who had a reversal done in 2015: "I had a laparoscopic gastric bypass in 2005. I did my research and was satisfied with everything but one issue that always nagged at me. There were little long-term studies of over 7 years post surgery at that time. The surgery itself was a success....there were no complications and I went from 230 to about 140lbs. I also developed chronic amenia. Six years ago I began to get a very strange headache and had so much pressure on my optic nerves that my eye doctor sent me to a neurologist. My sight was failing at that point too. A contrasting MRI showed there was no tumor on the brain or optic nerves and that it was a "phantom tumor"-- cranial hypertension which is quite rare. The doctor performed a spinal tap to relieve the pressure, put me on medication and monitored me for a few years. It went away and I forgot about it for a few years. On Jan 21, 2015, I had chest/stomach pain that I knew I could no longer self-medicate. I was slowly getting sick for months prior to this but made every excuse...peri-menopausal....being run down...etc. I was admitted to the ER that night with a strangled colon and sepsis due to intestinal twisting. The surgeon opened me....my vitals became too unstable and he decided to resume the surgery in the morning if I lived through the night. He was able to complete the resection the next day. He removed 1/3 of my colon and 72 inches of intestines along with my appendix. I was in a medically induced coma for nearly a week. Moved to a rehab facility for physical and occupational therapy. I was finally able to go home on February 25, 2015. This is when I began to really fail instead of recover. I now had short bowel syndrome. Another extremely rare condition. Nutrients and fats were not being absorbed from the foods I ate, my hemoglobin reached a critical level twice (3 and 4.7) requiring approximately 14 bags of blood for transfusion. I was losing weight rapidly...size 12 at Christmas to a 4 currently. Most of my hair has fallen out and I'm as weak and frail as a colt. I researched Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) and joined NORD, National Organization of Rare Disorders. I also found a closed SBS group on Facebook that connected me with 2 of the most amazing women I've ever met. Both living seven years with SBS. Living with SBS is a living hell. There isn't enough bowel to properly hold food in for absorption and I averaged about 26 explosive diarrheas daily. As soon as I took a bite or a sip of something the churning would start. It was loud and painful. Imagine the worst gas pain and diarrhea you've ever had and then imagine it 24/7. I only left the house for doctor appts. I had no energy and there was always the possibility of a public explosion. I was slowly dying.....wasting away. I had my gastric bypass reversal on August 7, 2015. I was lucky to have a good amount of viable intestines left that the surgeon used to repair the damaged portion. I was told that the surgery was a complete success. I no longer feel the weakness of being malnourished, my mind is clear which means the bacterial overgrowth is gone, food is staying in much longer and bowel movements are down to about 4-6 a day. I go back to the doctor on Wednesday, August 26 to get the staples out and for some labwork. Three interesting things that I recently learned: 1) The scar tissue from my gastric bypass caused the twisting 2) Cranial Hypertension and Short Bowel Syndrome, both very rare, are getting more notice because most of the patients with recent diagnoses have had a gastric bypass years ago....8-10 years is the average for "us patients". 3) Most people don't survive the kind of trauma that I suffered in January. There aren't many advocates speaking up about these very serious complications resulting from gastric bypass surgery." https://www.thinnertimesforum.com/topic/107174-my-gastric-bypass-emergency-resection-and-reversal/

OP: I’m so sorry you’re going through this. It sounds complicated and confusing. I would get a second opinion from another bariatric practice that has extensive revision experience. They’re the best ones to guide you and provide accurate medical assessment, not us random folks on the Internet. Good luck.

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies :) reading them is really helpful. I don’t think the surgery or even the weight loss will be some magic bullet and my life will just be perfect! I know it will still be hard. I already obsess about diet and exercise also-but then am still overweight!!!! I cannot tell you how frustrating that has been. Or to lose some of the weight, only to gain it all back and then some when I quit the crazy restrictive diet. I love the idea of having more self confidence and when I do eat well and exercise- getting lasting results. I have done a lot of researching and reading about obesity and the mechanisms of obesity surgery. It really is sooo complicated and the surgery helps lower your body to a lower set point. I think that is pretty amazing and shows obesity is so much more complicated than calories in calories out. Congrats to everyone who has lost the weight and is happy :) that is amazing and I am glad you had good results from your surgery!

No nerves here, unsure why maybe because I've had a surgery before such as Breast Lift and Augmentation, so with saying that go into it as positive as possible ladies we will all be ok and get through this with no issues or complication, IN JESUS NAME..AMEN.. God Got This! Think Positive and Bring Forth Positive. One of my saying is Change the way you think and Change your Life.

I'm having a RYGB on 19th sept. Have a sleeve now. The reading I've done re post op complications and effects is freaking me out. All the comments re bad smelling farts etc. I work in the health profession and am around people constantly all day. I want to be able to keep working without passing bad gas and offending patients. How bad is it going to be?

Seriously thinking of canceling rny . My surgeons office said that I could get complication insurance when I first was quoted fees. I got a call friday saying that they made a mistake and said revisions were not eligible. If any major complications that occur will be out of my pocket. This could ruin me financially.

Hello all, I’m knew to the group( hey y’all)! I have a surgery date of August 6. I’m excited but now I’m really nervous being that I’m less than two weeks out. So many things are in my head but tonight I got to thinking about how different my cycle maybe, currently have a cycle every 21 days and over the course of 13 years after many children (4), my cycle have went from three days minimal bleeding no cramping too many days sometimes more than seven. lots of cramps. lots of side effects. So now I’m really concerned that having gastric sleeve is going to change my cycle for the worse. Any of you ladies have complications with your cycle after surgery? Thanks in advance, An excited, impatient, nervous soon to be sleever!

It sounds like youre pretty much having a sleeve to bypass conversion, and your doctor just wants to call it something that sounds more complicated and intelligent. Having a gastric sleeve is basically the first part of a gastric bypass, so having a bypass after a sleeve is a fairly simple operation. Its possible your surgeon is doing something slightly different, but the bottom line is itll be very similar to having a sleeve > bypass revision

Quick recap- I had the sleeve on 2/5/2014 and had tons of complications. I was in the hospital a lot, I had a PICC line and then a feeding tube. It was a rough 6 months. My stomach basically didn’t tolerate food or drink, so there was a lot of puking. Fast forward to needing a revision to bypass on 6/26/2018 due to severe reflux and damage. The surgery went great, I healed well, no nausea. I was rocking it. I am doing great on full liquids but am failing miserably on soft foods. I don’t know if it’s psychological or what. I can do one cheese stick a day if I chew very well. I am okay with yogurt, just small amounts. I get sick on refried beans, cottage cheese, eggs, etc. I just keep going back to full liquids. Anyone else? Any advice?

Well I guess it’s official. Just checked my chart messages and I have been approved. I am super surprised how quick it was. I was sleeved 6 years ago and have complications. It took only 14 days. I had it in my mind that picking a date for surgery before getting approved didn’t make it real. Super real now! I just not sure how I feel about it. When I had the sleeve I was super motivated, studied the material they gave me, dreamed about shopping for new outfits, etc. but because I have barrett's syndrome with abnormal cells in my esophagus, I am just freaked out. I having really talked to my husband because he’s freaked out to. Don’t want to stress him out as well. Feeling kind of alone for this go around.

Hello everyone! I’m 12 days post op , down 14 days & I must say recovery has gone great! I’ve migrated to Purée foods on Day 10 & have been able to tolerate all that I’ve tried thus far. No issues, no complaints or any complications. Blessed! My hardest feat has been getting my 60 oz; in and I do that by starting early in the am and sip alllllllllll day! I get protein shakes in between that as well. Good luck to all those waiting for surgery! Best decision ever.

I am a member of a few WLS support pages on facebook, it saddened and frustrated me the other day to see someone three weeks post op asking if it would be too soon to eat ice cream? I was one of the first to post saying its would be best to discuss with their surgeon/nutritionist before consuming ice cream. The post and comments disappeared between my log ins so I can only assume that a comment war ensued and the post was deleted by the moderators. Yesterday the poster posted again, prefacing the post 'no food police'...saying how they had ice cream and had enjoyed it without any issues. Person says they didn't much icecream. I blocked that person so I didn't see any further posts of theirs. Why did I block the person? I couldn't bear to see the self-sabotage, the slippery slope of eating what is presumably an additive food for that person. I was saddened and frustrated that someone who would undertake surgery (along with the risks and complications that may arise) that costs thousands of dollars would risk a successful outcome so early in the game, that they would risk their health. I was frustrated that either their surgeon/nutritionist hadn't educated them properly or the person had purposely ignored or defied those who they had trusted their body with. This person could be me in the future, but I sincerly hope that should I find myself on a slippery slope that someone would attempt to offer a helping hand before I hit the hard downward slide. I am slowing learning that not everyone wants to be helped and we can try, but at some point we need to let them go so as they hit rock bottom, for them to find the what they need within themselves to stop the self sabotage and make positive moves to better outcomes. Note by the way, I realise that at some point, that people will eventually reach a point when treats and other foods are part of a balanced diet and lifestyle, my point above is not about that or ice cream in particularly, but about potentially self sabotaging a successful result or putting health at risk, and possibly not giving a shite about it...that and the fact that not everyone can be or wants to be helped.

Is it true that a person can only absorb a certain amount of protein at a time, like 20g or 30g? This is mostly FALSE. The body absorbs the amount of protein it needs at any given time – it doesn’t turn off or automatically stop at 20g or 30g or 40g. There is a myth that protein absorption is capped at a maximum amount for a given period of time. While the body is able to absorb as much as 300 to 400 grams of protein during a 24-hour period, this is not recommended because there are complications associated with a protein intake that high. The high end of protein-per-day recommendation is 100 to 120 grams. Absorption of protein relies on many factors including – source of protein, length of the Roux limb in gastric bypass, size of the sleeve or pouch and one's intake of micronutrients like zinc. The myth probably has something to do with the recommendation that it’s always better to spread out one's protein. The human body is full of variations for different circumstances – sometimes the body needs more protein such as right after surgery or sometimes less protein, as in the middle of a long sedentary workday. Five small balanced meals or three meals and two protein snacks is a universal bariatric recommendation. https://www.bariatriceating.com/2016/08/faq-dietician-told-can-absorb-20g-protein-time-limit-shake-size/ Bariatric surgery isn’t mentioned in this article, but there’s this: "while it’s technically true that we aren’t absorbing 30 grams (let alone more) of protein all at once, it will eventually be absorbed." (In other words, we don't just poop it out.) https://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-how-much-protein-can-you-absorb-and-use-from-one-meal/

Well..... I am feeling pretty bad today because I have been gaining and am now at 8 pounds above my goal and all of it is in my stomach and thighs. Stress eating due to the fact that I am in grad school and the work load is intense. Having time for myself is starting to be a luxury. Anyway, I am really looking for help/advice at this point!! I admit that I have not been following the rules and guidelines. Thinking about it, I don't think I have followed much at all. I lost 70 pounds in 10 months with no exercise, couldn't chew veggies enough to tolerate, eat chips and baked goods too many times and hydration is a problem. Thankfully, I have never been hospitalized for hydration or any complications since sleeve surgery. But today I am trying to research what to do to reset the sleeve and what to eat etc. Joined a gym and went twice already.

It gets better every day. I'm very blessed to have had a complication-free experience so far.

@Laura7 and @mercmerc I hope you both are doing well and free from complications. I convinced my surgeon to discharge me when he made his evening rounds yesterday. The main thing he was concerned with was that I could drink enough to get off of the IV fluids. I was up to 4oz per hour, so he gave me a stern talk about not "popping my pouch" by drinking too fast the first 3 weeks, then he let me go. It's good to be home.

Honestly, even those of us with unforseen complications would still do it again in a heartbeat.

I totally understand your reservations. And I agree, there isn't enough discussion on the negative side of WLS. I had the sleeve surgery May 7, 2018 and for the first 6 weeks or so I regretted it. I didn't have any complications. My problem was it hurt so bad to eat anything or drink fluids for much longer than I anticipated. I got depressed and felt like I had made a horrible mistake. I couldn't tolerate the protein shakes or anything with artificial sweeteners. I wasn't able to get enough fluids in and the chewable vitamins made me nauseous. It was rough for a while. Plus, I also had this totally unreasonable anger that I couldn't eat what I wanted to anymore. I was grieving my "breakup" with food and it was hard. At 8 weeks post-op, I finally turned a corner. I could finally eat solid food and my stomach didn't cramp at every bite. I was able to swallow whole vitamins instead of having to use chewables. And I finally got some energy back and felt like exercising. All of this made a HUGE difference. I'm so happy I chose to have the surgery. I've lost almost 50 pounds and feel so much better. My advice is to understand that the healing process is hard even if you don't have any complications but to remember that it won't feel like that forever. This site helped me tremendously. Good luck to you and I hope you realize all your goals!