Search the Community

I once revealed a medical condition after a long time of holding my tongue. I felt like you, I caved and wanted to tell I guess, in a way. But I have forever regretted that decision as I felt that them knowing followed me everywhere. They were good to me about it as far as time off goes. I eventually had to do FMLA. But the bottom line is, even though I think it was not of a malicious nature, it was why I was never going anywhere there. I quit last November. I have kept it to myself here at my new job and I am treated completely differently and have a lot of choices and support in my career growth. Maybe that nasty stuff won't happen in your case, but just so you know... And yeah, who knows if it really will get out, but all you can do about that is trust the system. Probably if it does, you will never know anyway, so you might as well not stress about that part. Just do what you think is right assuming it will be kept confidential. I have vacation time, so I don't plan on mentioning my surgery until it is over, and I have adjusted to the idea myself. I just work better that way. Of course, that could take a while... Good luck. Angel

Hi Dave, I hope all's well with you. By the looks of it we have a lot in common, similar age, height and starting weight - and we're both in the UK. I'm having a bypass (that's the plans anyway) on 12th July. I think, whatever way I look at it, it's bloody daunting and the closer it gets the less able you are to kid yourself about the implications. I have no more experience than being exactly where I'm at. I don't know if sharing my experience will help you, but I'm on a constant journey of working out how I feel so I'll share/ I've always been 'a bit overweight', you would have called me 'chubby' for most of my life, but have always been pretty active and relatively fit. That started to change about five and a half years ago when my son was born. Sleep went out of the window (we ended up in a residential sleep school, when he was one, for a week). To cope I ate an awful lot of carbs and would have a drink to help me relax. So gained about 5 stone (60 pounds) in a couple of years. I did a 12 week diet at one point and got 25kg off (I was living in Australia and thinking in kilos) but it came back with a vengeance. Around two to three years ago I started to have string of symptoms that were related to weight - I was glucose intolerant and heading for diabetes, sciatica, skin breakouts, never could shake colds and infection and of course just feeling tired and awful. In the last twelve months I've had a big change as we moved back to the UK. I've put on more weight. More importantly my back's always bad and my ankled always hurt and I can't run to play with my son and I sweat constantly. The weight just doesn't come off. I feel like I'm swimming against a current. I've started to worry about how much of my son's life I'll get to share with him. My confidence has been shattered as my self image has taken a dive. Going down the path of surgery is something I never expected to do. It's scary as hell as, being overweight, we're always told we're high risk for surgery anyway. I've spent a long time getting my head round it though and now I feel massively positive. Firstly I'm looking at it as a circuit breaker not a cure. I feel I need to break a cycle and the way the surgery works makes me think it can help. If I do the right things it is a tool I can use to limit my eating. I'm hoping the extreme weight loss at the start will allow me to get back up and active quickly and I can get into a virtuous cycle. Secondly I know a lot of this is in the head but it's still behaviour that needs to change. I know a lot about food and nutrition but that's never helped me too much. I need something that's more direct than education. The appetite supressing nature of the surgery will help, so will the enforced abstinence. Those will help - but I need to maintain that shift for it to be a lifelong change. Thirdly I'm not thinking about this as something 'I'm having done' or that is being done to me. It's just a part of something I'm doing. That might sound a bit abstract but for me it means I'm not thinking about 'things i'll miss' or what the limits are or whether I can eat XYZ again. Rather I'm thinking that this is now how it is - I am what I do. I don't even know if I'm expressing it properly here, but it's been a massive mindset change for me (and not one I was aiming for - it's come about recently thanks to considering a lot of stuff I see on here and because of following my pre-op eating plan rigorously). It's bene really liberating and it makes me feel optimistic about my chances of long term success. Dave, I don't know if any of that helps mate. I reckon I now know it's the right thing for me because I feel like I'm doing it for the right reasons and because I've made some kind of link between it and the future. I'm sure you'll get your head round it somehow - either way. In the meantime good luck and all the best. Cheers, John

Sleeve to RNY is very common. Sleeve to Nissen to RNY, doesn't make any sense. As far as I'm aware you can't do a Nissen after a Sleeve. The risks from a sleeve to bypass are minimal. But I doubt anybody knows exactly what this second surgery consisted of

Lots of ups & downs these past couple of weeks -- literally & figuratively! Down a few pounds, then they're right back on. Going for another fill mid-November when my Dr is back from maternity leave. Meeting with my nutritionist next week to see where I'm making mistakes. The thing is that I don't feel much restriction right now but I'm not feeling like starvation central either. I haven't been eating anything "bad" & I've been exercising. Being stuck at the same weight for the last three weeks is making me feel a little down. True, I haven't gained, but I haven't lost additional weight either. Is this normal? Any tips on how to jump start the weight loss again? Any stories/tips/advise my veteran banders would like to share? Many thanks in advance! -- Ro

Hi everyone. I'm 22 years old and having surgery on Thursday. I am 185 pounds and I couldn't be more nervous. I am having the mini gastric bypass surgery and really really don't know what to expect. I'm having the surgery for 2 reasons. One- my mother and father have always disapproved of my weight and this was a college graduation gift. The other is that I've had major surgery on my femurs and knees when I was younger, so this extra weight is no good for my bones. Does anyone have any advice for me? I'm worried about post op. The foods you can eat and the portions sizes. I've never had an issue with over eating. I gained roughly 50 pounds in college between the late night studying and the drinking. I'm worried about not being able to socialize with others over dinner and drinks. My doctor didn't put me on a pre surgery diet so I've been eating and drinking normally. Im worried about dumping syndrome and throwing up. Not to mention never being able to drink Water and eat at the same time or never eating certain foods again. My parents don't understand how I am feeling and my friends don't think I need this surgery so I have no one to go to- this is coming from the friendliest and most outgoing person you can come across. In need of some comforting words and advice. Thanks

Let's see, I added several things to make shakes more palatable!! You can use SF/FF pudding (use very little, it WILL thicken!!!), peanut butter, and fresh fruit. You can use the DaVinci or Torani SF syrups---they helped me a lot!!!! They have some new flavors of the SF/FF coffee creamers out for the holidays. Hersheys makes a SF chocolate syrup, for like chocolate milk, or ice cream topping, it is pretty good, and easy to use for shakes. You can use orange juice concentrate, for an Orange Julius type of drink. It is not a pleasant diet...and in some ways it gets harder, but other ways it will get easier. The taste may never be something you can enjoy...sorry. But the cravings for carbs, and sugars will ease as you get into the diet by several days. And the simplicity of it, will eventually be a good thing. But the thing that finally kicked in and made all the pre-op and post op dieting worth while was seeing the weight dropping--quickly!!! In the meantime, stay busy doing things, and just take your shake with you, and begin practicing the sipping as opposed to guzzling it just to get it finished ( I remember thinking that would help!!), sip and as wierd as it sounds, after the drink breath out with your mouth open (if you are home and alone...publicly it might not be too good of an idea!!), it will ease the aftertaste of some of the drinks. You can also especially at this point use a straw if that is the only way you can drink them, and put the straw further back on your tongue, bypassing some of the sweet tasting tastebuds on your tongue. Soon all this will be a mere memory, and you will be doing what you can to help someone else through it. Tis hard, but oh so worth it!!! Hang in there!!! Welcome to LBT!!! Kat

You can really learn a great deal from this website regarding the different types of surgeries. As far as what is right for you, I don't think anyone on this forum will be able to tell you 100% what is right for you. Your doctor should be able to give you his or her recommendation, although mine did not, he said the choice was mine. My reasoning to go with RNY had to do with the cravings that hopefully would be curbed from the actually bypassing that part of the stomach/intestines where cravings are created. I was a big sweets person before surgery and loved my bread, now I don't really miss either. That's why I chose this surgery. I can honestly say I had little or no pain after surgery and the post-op was really routine. Just as the post above, I see my weight loss surgery as one step in a life style change I started 4 months ago. The next being brand new healthy eating habits, and finally regular exercise. WLS will not be a "magic cure" on its own. but you can be really successful if you add the other steps. Best of luck in whatever one you decide!

Sorry ... trying to track all of this and I just want to make sure I get this straight. Are you disappointed you got pregnant less than 2 months post-op and that has thrown off you weight loss? Are you disappointed you lost 115 pounds? You do realize you are going to "lose" a bunch of "weight" when the baby is born ... right? Did you get sleeved to lose weight or lose fat? Do you consider the baby to be your fat? Do you really think that losing weight while pregnant is a good thing? I would be proud of myself for not losing during pregnancy. From what I understand, the Drs don't want you getting pregos for several months post-op. The body has enough of a hard time supporting the sleever with the drastic reduction of calories, so to take on a pregnancy so early is really tough. Disappointed you haven't lost weight since February ...? Really? To be honest, I'm rather proud of you. Good job nourishing your baby. Also, the pouch test is really for bypass folk as their pouch is made of the fundus which is still a stretchy part of the stomach. When it gets stretched out, the pouch test routine helps to get it back to size. This does not relate to sleevers. We pretty much do the pouch test thingy on a daily basis with our restriction. Are you planning on breast feeding? Be careful going on a "diet" so soon after giving birth. You are going to be sleep deprived for a while, so be careful not to be nutritionally depleted, too.

Hey there!!! I have been Type 1 diabetic since I was 6 years old. I had gastric bypass on March 16th and I had all the same questions you have. I was very anxious about how I would treat low blood sugars. To be honest, it has rarely been an issue. My blood sugars actually were running really high after surgery for about a month from the stress on the body. I was shocked at how high they were when I wasn't eating !! The few times I did have low blood sugars, I was able to treat it with glucose tabs and adjusting my temp basal rate with no problem. It was much easier then I thought it was going to be as far as low blood sugars. Please feel free to add me if you want to keep I touch about everything!!! ????

Yes you have a lactose issue....besides most women need to stay away from dairy...unsweetened almond milk is a great substitute for milk. Surgeons tell us that if your not lactose intolerant you may become that way after bypass. HW 250/1st Lapband 198/2nd Lapband 232/Pre conversion 2/6/13 to bypass 232. Currently 206 Bariatric GW 134, Realistic GW 150

I've lost 28lbs (had surgery early November), and have gone down 3 jean sizes. From a 24 to a 18 or 20 depending on the brand. I'm only 6 weeks post op and I have a PILE of jeans and shirts that are way too big for me now.

Good luck to you. Today is my 6 month bandanniversiry...I have lost over 60 pounds and haven't felt so good in many years. I look and feel like a different person. I have 60 more pounds to loose. The band was the best think I ever did for myself and once I made the decision to get it i never looked back. At one time I was thinking gastric bypass....so glad i went for the band. It may be a bit more work but the upsides are the band is better for your body.....good luck to you and keep me posted....susan

I was wondering if anyone on the forum has had the Gastric Bypass and lost to much weight? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you!

Thankyou very much. I try not to listen to the bad things that people say. All I know is that no matter how bad any complications may be, they will never be as bad as the gastric bypass. I know I will be fine. Are you excited??

my name is Kristy and i just started my process! :cursing: i am overly excited and day-dreamy. lol. i went to meet the surgeon today and he was telling me the important stuff to do after the surgery and just said a few things about it. it was SOO quick. crazy. it took 2 hours to get into the patient room, but once he came in...psshh.. 10 or so mins and we were done. i got the info and i need to make dietitian appt. very excited. the room was crazy, one wall was window and ...they have you in a chair facing it. i was like..whoa. better not fall forward lol. my mom went with me and as you can see, she's thin. she lost 150. :cryin: she had gastric bypass. in the pic, she is pointing to Angel's Stadium. perrrddyyy craaazyy. the doctor was impressed with how much i had with me lol. i had my letter, my years of records with primary doc. and my weight loss attempts. my mom joked and said that i want it done tomorrow and the doctor said .."you got cash?..haha" ......PFFT. lol. i told him 20 cents on me. he said to add a few zeros. hahah! HA. hahah. crazy. then he said with a smile, "i see you have a list of questions for me....." haha. i was too embarrassed to ask most of them HAHA. he covered the rest, so i only had a few. lol. cool stuff. i can't wait. :sad:

Welcome! I'm in the beginning stages of a required 3 month diet, which will end in mid-September. I'm hoping to have a surgery date in late October/early November. I'll also be getting the sleeve

Tomorrow is 6 weeks since my sleeve and I lost 25 pounds. I think I should have lost more. I saw Family over the holidays and no one noticed any weight loss! Feeling discouraged! I hope I'm not doing anything wrong.

“I want to lose weight and get healthy this year.” That’s what we all want, but that’s not a solid resolution. A resolution says what you will do and how you will do it. It is clear. It has purpose. Taken together, all of your resolutions can add up to losing (or maintaining) weight and getting healthy. Here are our picks for New Year’s resolutions and why. “I’ll Make the Call Now” Are you considering weight loss surgery? Are you worried about an odd feeling in your throat after getting the lap-band? Do you have a question about whether a certain protein powder is safe after gastric bypass? Get help – now! Too often, we have a tendency to delay. It may be phoning all the surgeons in town to gather WLS information, calling your nutritionist with a diet question, or being on hold with your health insurance provider to find out whether the gastric sleeve is covered. Whatever the call is, make it now. Don’t put it off. It’s a way of prioritizing your health, and the good habits will rub off in the rest of your journey. “I’ll Eat 5 Servings of Vegetables Each Day.” Does this one come as a surprise? Did you think we’d start with protein? Here are our reasons for including a veggies resolution near the top of the list. Most people don’t get enough veggies – but they do get enough protein. Even weight loss surgery patients tend to get enough protein after a few months, while they don’t get enough vegetables. Vegetables are low in calories and super filling. Long term, it’s veggies that will reduce hunger so you can keep losing weight and eventually prevent weight regain. Eating more vegetables is linked to lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis, some cancers, and even dementia. They’ll help keep you regular because of their fiber...and that’s a big benefit for weight loss surgery patients! Unless you’re on your pre-op or post-op liquid diet or you’re having trouble swallowing, there’s no reason not to aim for 5 servings of vegetables. You can have salads, raw veggies for snacks, and steamed veggies on the side. You can also sneak them in, whether you add pureed eggplant and grated carrots to turkey meatloaf, double up on tomato sauce when you have low-carb pasta, or whip pumpkin puree into protein pancakes. “I’ll Drink 10 Cups of Water Each Day.” That’s 80 ounces. The standard recommendation is at least 64 ounces, but we think more is better when it comes to water. It helps you recover faster after surgery. When you’re even a little bit dehydrated, you can get headaches, feel weak, and lose energy. Plus, your metabolism slows. Go for plain water or low-calorie, sugar-free alternatives. Have them available throughout the day, whether it’s a water bottle in your car, a mug of decaffeinated green tea on your desk at work, or a pitcher of water in the fridge at home. “I’ll Use the Tools I Have.” The sleeve, bypass, or band is one tool for weight loss, but are you using all the other possible ones? Here are a few that are at your disposal. Nutrition labels. Do you really know what’s in the food you eat? If you’re not reading labels, you might be very wrong about the ingredients, number of calories, and amount of sugar in your food. Tracking apps. Research shows tracking your food helps you lose weight and keep it off. It holds you accountable and helps you make better decisions. There are so many apps now that track calories, protein, fluid, and anything else you can think of, and it takes only minutes a day. Measuring cups and spoons and a kitchen scale. If you’re guessing about your portions, you’re probably guessing wrong. Don’t put in all the effort of losing weight, only to be disappointed by the scale if it turns out you were eating more than you thought you were. Measure your food. Smaller plates and bowls. Smaller dishes help you take smaller portions. Smaller spoons and forks. When each bite is smaller, you eat slower, and tend to eat less naturally. You don’t have to use them all at once, but you might as well give each of them at least one try. They may help you lose weight without much more effort. “I’ll Eat My Protein First.” Don’t worry, we weren’t going to skip the protein! It keeps you full for longer, helps you maintain your lean body mass, and lets your immune system stay strong. It’s also helpful in preventing hair loss after surgery. Think of protein first when you plan meals and snacks, and eat it first so you don’t fill up before you get to it. Go for lean proteins, such as skinless chicken breast, fat-free cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, canned tuna, fresh fish, tofu, and beans. Skip processed and fatty options, such as bacon, ribs, and sausage. “I Will Exercise Most Days.” It burns calories, reduces stress, and keeps you focused. It improves mood, lowers disease risk, and gives you confidence. What’s not to love? If you really don’t like exercising, keep trying! There are so many types to try, from boot camp and Zumba classes to walking around the neighborhood to exercise DVDs to rock climbing to sports leagues. If none of those appeal, hire a personal trainer to give you more ideas and match you up with something you love. We’re convinced these resolutions are do-able and useful. If you implement some of these, we’re sure you can make good progress towards your overall weight loss and health goals for 2016. Put them together with your own resolutions, and keep us posted on your progress this year!

Now Carnie Wilson had gastric bypass, not the band. She was very open about it.

I you have 6 weeks you can take -- take them. I am taking a total of 6 weeks (sleeved on September 28 and going back to work on November 14). There is no way I could have gone back after 2 weeks, and even though I am feeling better for the most part, as soon as I go back to work, the focus will be on work and not on getting my Protein and fluids in. My long-term success hinged on taking time to get myself started down this post-op path before stress and work drama get added into my mix. (That being said, I have been with my company for 10 years, and I have tremendous benefits -- short-term disability that pays at 100% for up to 13 weeks being one of them.) As far as telling your colleagues, that is your decision to make. I have been very open with everyone in my life from before the first doctor's appointment. I also lost 99 pounds during my six-month pre-op insurance-required diet program, so everyone in my life is well-aware of my journey and what is going on with me. Good luck!

Hey Guys, I am getting surgery october 1 and I wanted to ask what are the things you had or wish you had in the hospital or at home right after surgery to make things easier? Thank you in advance.

I had my revision from band to bypass in one procedure less than 2 weeks ago. I already feel ready for vacation! Everyone heals differently, just don't get a set date in your head for feeling 100%, as you may disappoint yourself. You will be ready to go by vacation time!

Girls - I am LMAO! A couple of weeks ago me and a family friend who had the procedure in November attended "Sunday Supper" at my s-i-l's with the goal of getting the family to grasp the concept that someday - about a year from now, I'll likely eat like everyone else, just a lot less. My s-i-l's usual fare - heavy cassorole, veggies covered in sauce, rolls (you know what I mean - the white/beige/brown meal with no redeeming qualities). I was at the pre-surg shake stage and the friend is on real food. I had my shake and the friend had about a 3/4 cup serving of the entree. Despite us going over and over the concepts, my s-i-l kept saying, "Can you eat this?", "How about this?" and my m-i-l cut big slabs of pie which she shoved in front of both of us... she "forgot"... My s-i-l is not the sharpest tool in the toolshed - despite her diagnosis of Type II diabetes she insists that she's not a diabetic. She can't take change of any sort so her married daughter spending Christmas morning with her hubby and child rather than at her house had her in tears as did her company telling her she had to learn a new computer program - actually stomped her foot and told her boss she didn't want to learn anything new. Her fondest wish is to be back in high school so "somebody else could take care of me". She'll never get my WLS and I'll be saying, "No" and explaining this to her for the next 20+ years. The m-i-l is another story. She comes off as the local saint but I've heard her bad mouth my two s-i-l, neighbors... Widowed for 30+ years she's always attracted male attention and she treats them like sh--. Her three sons can do no wrong and of course none of us d-i-l's does enough or is good enough for her boys. Like her daughter, she is largely clueless about critical issues like her taxes, the phone bill, why we don't leave a 4-year-old outside by herself..but she's also sneaky. So she's blabbed to just about everyone and added her own little spin about how I just didn't try hard enough... We have a family dinner tomorrow night at her house and again she's left her little charming message on our voice mail, "...um I guess you're still on your little diet but maybe you could bring one of your shakes..." There will always be people who want to keep you in your place because keeping or putting someone else down helps them feel superior - they are what they appear to be - Pathetic!

Did they try to steer people more toward Bypass? I went to three different seminars and found that my surgeon tended to steer people more to Lab Band whereas the first one leaned more toward Bypass. The third one had different types of surgeons so they were more "middle-of-the-road". Being to three seminars I was able to be more open minded to both types of surgery. It really is a personal choice. If someone has no control over food or no prior experience or sucess with losing weight and a high BMI then bypass may be the better choice. Lap Band is less invasive and adjustable but it takes a little more work to control what, when and how you eat.

hair loss is usually due to lack of Protien and occasionally lack of Vitamins. Get enough of both and you don't have to worry. Protein shales are your friend. I like good old fashioned Slim Fast High Protein (getting harder to find as they are pushing their Optima shakes - YUCK!). There are many many brands out there. This is much more of a problem with Bypass patients than with band patients.