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I live in Southern California and have been on several boards for about four years and was unfamiliar with Callery's name. So I looked him up on OH. Do you know how many lap bands he has actually done? That is a VERY important to your future success with the band. It's all about follow-up and and RnY surgeons tend to become a little frustrated with band patients who need far more ongoing support than bypass patients. It's a whole different ball game than the bypass and a surgeon who is used to bypass patients may find a band patient to be far too time-consuming. Also, I asked because the comment about not leading a food-centered-life kind of concerns me. It isn't about the food. Not really. It's about self-soothing and self-medicating and taking care of ourselves in the best way we could at the time...which was food. It's no longer a good way to get through the day, but it did serve a purpose. People often THINK it's about the food and stop with compulsive eating...and take up compulsive gambling or excessive drinking or compulsive shopping or way-too-may-sex-partners...or they even become trainers and start exercising in a compulsive way. Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying anything negative about his skills...I have no idea what they may be. But surgeons in general tend to have a "let's fix it and get out of here" kind of approach as opposed to...say...psychologists, who want to talk about everything. And the band is all about follow-up and our eating problems aren't really about food. They're more about dealing with life. I've corresponded with hundreds and hundreds--maybe more--of banded people over the years and I don't think I've heard of more than one or two who had a "losing too much" problem. And THEY simply substituted one eating disorder (compulsive eating) for another (bulemia.)

[emoji1374] and good luck with everything. I dont mean that in a bad way either. Just be prepared, idk if it was just me put everyone said their pain was worst with the sleeve but mine is worst this time it hurts to breath and that may be cause of my complications before and what they found after. I have Acid reflux, kidney infection, dehydration been in the hospital 2x for dehydration and kidney infection. Now that im out of surgery my pancreas was irritated. Dont have ll the details yet havent seen the doctor since i came out of recovery a few hours ago I pray it gets better and i hope yours go smoothly i was 7m out from having the sleeve 12/2/17 bypass 07/28/17

I am going in for the sleeve to bypass on aug.8. Let me know how u r doing when you can. Sent from my SM-T817T using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello all, Eight days until my bypass and I just came back from an appointment that totally surprised me! It was with a clinical pharmacist who was explaining how to give myself the blood thinner shots for 10 days after the surgery. I'm not too squeamish about these kinds of things, but I was surprised this wasn't mentioned in any of the classes, appointments, handouts, or other information I've been getting since January. What will also be a surprise is how much the prescription is going to cost me. I'm waiting to hear back from insurance, but it could be a lot. Any experience or thought about this!! Having to give myself a daily shot in the stomach for 10 days seems like adding insult to injury...I'm just saying...

After surgery, I found that I could no longer swallow large or medium size pill and Vitamins. I used a pill splitter or a pill crusher. The worse was the large Calcium horsepills. After around 2 months I was able to again swallow these. After my RNY gastric bypass surgery, I had to take a variety of vitamins. This is because my body no longer has the ability to make vitamins from the food that I eat. Thus this is a requirement for the rest of my life. These Vitamin requirements are specific and your surgeon's office will provide you with a list. This is definitely more than your Multivitamin will give you. Your body may not be able to absorb some chemistries or delivery methods. For example any gummy vitamin will not work properly. Around once a year, you will undergo blood work which will focus on your vitamin levels. Therefore any deficiencies will be noted and your vitamin regiment may be changed to match your current needs. Medicine is designed with various layers so that as they react with the acid in your stomach, they will dissolve and be absorbed into your body properly. Therefore crushing and splitting medicine may have a downside. Since your stomach will be a lot smaller after surgery, this process may pose a problem. You may need to work this problem out with your surgeon's office.

My bypass surgery is May 12. I will be using celebrate vitamins & bariatric advantage. Also, celebrate essential 3 in 1 drink mix. Great taste. CW: 319 SD:May 2017 GW: 128

I use the Bariatric Pal patch vitamins. They work well. I bought the ones suggested for the gastric bypass. I had surgery 11/11 and have been using them since. Works great.

One major factor is what is causing your GERD. Many obese people have hiatal hernias, which cause GERD. If that is the case, the hernia is typically repaired at the same time as the sleeve surgery and that can cause your GERD to resolve or improve. But if it is not caused by a hernia, some surgeons will refuse to perform a sleeve, or strongly recommend bypass, because bypass is typically much better for GERD. A lot of it depends on how bad your GERD is, as well. You will typically have an upper GI series or endoscopy prior to surgery, and that can help figure out what is causing your GERD, i.e., do you have a hiatal hernia.

GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease. People often suffer heartburn or have acid indigestion as a result. RNY gastric bypass removes most of your stomach and re-arranges your intestines and you'll be on vitamins for the rest of your life because your body will not be able to absorb the nutrients it needs due to the changes to your digestive tract. Gastric sleeve only cuts out 85% of your stomach, but otherwise leaves your digestive tract alone. You'll probably be on vitamins for at least the first six months since you'll be limited by your small stomach, but eventually you'll be able to get what you need from food with little to no supplementation. People lose faster on bypass, but after one year out, the weight loss is about the same for both procedures. There is no "better choice" - there's only what's the best choice for you. If you are over 50 BMI, have GERD, and/or have an addiction to sugar, bypass is often recommended. If you don't have any of those issues, usually sleeve is recommended.

Soy and whey are both excellent sources of Protein. Both are complete Proteins (meaning they have all nine essential amino acids which the body cannot produce on its own) and both have a perfect 1.0 score on the PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score) which ranks proteins based on their digestibility and has been adopted by the Institute of Medicine, the FDA and the World Health Organization. Soy is a plant based protein which makes it ideal for vegetarians or folks who are lactose intolerant. Whey protein is made from cow's milk and may or may not be tolerated by those who are lactose intolerant depending on the how highly the whey is filtered. If you're not vegetarian or lactose intolerant, you really can't go wrong with either soy or whey protein. There is a difference in taste so a good starting point might be to buy one of each and see what you think. I always caution folks to stay away from most (not all) products marketed as protein "shots" or "bullets". With one exception that I am aware of, all the rest are made with collagen protein which has a PDCAAS score of 0.08. These products are attractive to bypass patients because they are low volume - usually around 3 oz, and high protein - usually 30 to 50g. But any amount of protein, high or low, is useless if the body can't absorb it. The one exception which I learned from another forum member is "Yes Whey" which does not contain collagen protein. Hope that helps!!

Hi Everyone, I've been sorta lurking around in here & on a group I belong to on Facebook. I have, what I feel to be, a frustrating issue & am not sure how to address it. A little background. back in 2011 I had a gastric sleeve done in Mexico, 2012 the acid reflux started & now it's out of hand. I was referred to a gastro & my 1st meeting with him we discussed him doing a bypass, which I have no problem with. He did an endoscopy & then I had to start seeing the round of Dr's to be fast tracked. Well on May 3 I had to go for my final green light, and I was given a yellow light from the psychologist. Reason 1) I was 4 days away from being smoke free for 60 days, 2) they have to talk to my therapist that I have been seeing since the end of February, and 3) I have to read a book called "End Emotional Eating". I was told that I have to read this, not because I'm an emotional eater, which I'm not, but because she says that I graze because I eat smaller meals spread throughout the day because of my sleeve, but I felt that she was just not understanding that I am NOT grazing. She is an intern, and I even tried telling her attending that I am not grazing, but I don't think that she knows enough of the story. Needless to say I have tried to read this book, I have tried to listen to this book, but I just can't get into it & I have to give her my take on the book before she will green light me. Also too, as of this past Wed, she has not called my therapist, and he has been waiting for the phone call from her so that he can get me part B of the green light. I am open to suggestions because this is beyond frustrating & I don't know what to do. Thanks, Lauri

Catwoman, I sort of think sugar may be bad for my reflux; so I need to get a handle on that anyway. Problem is, I love sweets. That's probably what put on my weight in the first place. Right now, though, not even sweets appeal to me. I called my bariatric surgeon and left a message I need to make an appointment. One thing holding me back is the thought of going through what I went through with the lapband and not getting relief. That's why I appreciate hearing from bypass patients.

Hi everyone! I'm going thru the process to get GBS so I'm wondering I've been following a lady who has had gastric bypass and after she was released to eat regular foods she is eating a keto diet which is high in fat high in protein low in cards... which I think is another term for Atkins diet?? But won't all the high fats upset your pouch and put you through dumping? Any thoughts?

I had thought about which surgery to have also. My doctor suggested bypass due to better results and since I have heard. He said my heartburn may get worse with the sleeve. I have a father in law that had bypass several years ago and he still has problems with vomiting, diarrhea. I chose the sleeve and haven't had single problem. I am so glad I did this. 53 lbs down since July. Nancy C

Im still at the hospital in pain, nauseous and can't keep liquids down. Yesterday I was vomiting blood. Today its just liquids. I also can't pee- so ive had catheters. I had my band removed in April. Then on july 8th a gastric bypass and hital hernia repair.

i haven't had surgery yet.. scheduled on the 12 of march.. Just saw my doctor yesterday and i asked about the heartburn because i already have it and have been taking nexium everyday for a few years. He said that we need to be careful because with the sleeve a lot of ppl get heartburn. what he had told me was if it gets to bad that they suggest having bypass surgery. I am certainly not hoping to have to do that. Not that great of news i suppose but it is what i was prewarned. Just wanted to pass that information on. I would suggest ridding it out for as long as you can to see if it changes with time.

I've had my band 2 years and still have questions. The group that did my surgery requires followup each year. That's to maintain their status of center of excellence. What I wish they had was a more structured program with more followups not just once a year. There support groups were not very good. They had both bypass and band meet together, with the majority being bypass. That said, I have to call for an appointment and see the doctor. I think if your losing or maintaining if you have made it to goal you don't need to see the drs or have a fill.

Nope. I am going through the Ontario Bariatric Network. My doctor referred me for the sleeve procedure specifically, but I've heard in Ontario that Gastric Bypass is the golden standard, so I'm really hoping that when I hear news it's to meet about the sleeve procedure, but I am open to hearing more about Gastric Bypass as well. I previously went to two orientation on Gastric Bypass but I was only 18 and just wasn't ready.

oh man, that's my concern but i've kind of faced the facts now haha. I really wanted to get the VSG surgery, but if they think bypass is best then i'll go with that.

My insurance approved my surgery and I’m scheduled for a gastric bypass on August 28! Excited + anxious....💙💙💙 Who else is scheduled for an August surgery? 💙

So far I've opted for the Gastric Bypass (I may ultimately decide on the duodenal switch) because it not only makes your stomach smaller, it also, unlike the sleeve, bypasses some intestine and reduces the nutrients/calories you absorb, increasing the weight loss.

Welcome my new friend and fellow Edema-mate Lisa. Like this 2 previous posters I too have lymphedema, mine was bad enough my surgeon lifted one eyebrow and Said" You are taking your diuretics, right?". And like @ Creek Imp and @ Mattymatt won this battle with SwellMonster with. Baiatric Surgery's help, I too hope to claim victory. I suspect mine is one part bad valves, one part the fluid is trapped at the thigh- pelvic junction by upper body weight. But I do have surgery upcoming in September, the 5th of September to be exact when I will have a RnY bypass, and will claim this victory with the others of weight loss. So let's agree to be friends, if you like I'll tell you more of my past life and future hopes. A new friend Frustr8. PS I HATE pressure stockings!👣

Sitting on the tarmac, that's a great analogy! My process has been long, for lack of a better word! I decided while visiting family July 4th weekend that it was time to pursue bariatric surgery, after considering it off and on for 20 years or so. Did some research, found a doctor that I felt looked super credible, asked my endocrinologist for a reference, and they referred me to the doctor I had already picked. Called the surgeons office to get the ball rolling and found out our insurance didnt cover the surgery. I went back and forth about just doing self pay and getting the surgery asap, but instead opted to change our insurance to a plan with bariatric coverage during the next insurance enrollment period, which thankfully was in August. New insurance started 10/1, and I called the surgeon that day and got the initial preauthorization and an appointment for the following week! My insurance requires 6 months of medically managed weightloss, and nutrition classes. At first I was bummed that I had to jump through all the hoops to finally get to the surgery but in retrospect Im so glad I've had to 'practice' eating healthier, moving more, etc. I've been to all of the nutrition appointments as of last week, and I've only got two more surgeon appointments left (net week, and March 17). I've already had cardiac clearance, and psych clearance, but need to get primary care physician clearance still (going to see him in March, for that, and prescription refills!) It just hit me last week that I'm almost done with all those 'hoops' and surgery is coming up faster than I realized! The past 4 months kind of sped by, probably because of all the holidays packed in there! I've had good luck with the change in diet. I basically just stopped eating fast food and chocolate, donuts, Cookies, brownies, ice cream, etc. i have a major sweet tooth, so I've substituted fruit for desert. I have apples/oranges/pineapple/bananas/etc after or with almost every meal Using the myfitnesspal ap helped out a ton when I first started too. I stopped using it religiously around Thanksgiving and have just been mindful of each meal being somewhere in the vicinity of 500 calories, as well as ensuring I am eating enough Protein and vegetables. I've managed to continue to lose weight regardless, but I need to get back on track with the ap in the coming weeks. I'm down 30lbs from my initial surgeon visit, insurance required I lose 25, surgeon wanted me to lose 33. So I have 3 more pounds to get off in the next 6 weeks. At the rate Im dropping weight I think I'll bypass that! I hope! This is probably waaaay more information than you were expecting! Fingers crossed for your appointment and a quick surgery date!

Vertical gastric sleeve (VGS) to Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB) ? I was sleeved about 7 years ago in Mexico. The operation added about 90 pounds of weight loss over 18 months. However unfortunately, after several years and a couple of babies, the weight has come back on. I’m exactly where I was seven years ago. 😔 I feel my pouch has been stretched slowly over the years and my metabolism is shot. Not uncommonly, one of the side effects of the sleeve was terrible heartburn. I’ve been taking a prescription grade antacid since my surgery. I recently read that this particular bariatric side affect has been linked to stomach cancer. 😳 I recently consulted with bariatric surgeon in Mexico to see what my options are and he suggested I convert to a mini gastric bypass. He said it would resolve the acid reflux complication and also I would lose the weight I have regained. Has anyone gone from VGS to a MGB that could share their experiences with me? Either here or privately? I’d really appreciate it. 🙏🏼

I have heard that the mini bypass is a high risk for reflux. Maybe you should be looking at a full bypass - the sleeve is part 1 of a DS you could get that next stage