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I can’t wait to eat solids again. This is now on my list of things to try! Height 5’6 HW - 275 SW - 265 CW - 209 GW - 150ish Sleeved 12/14/17 Revision to bypass due to complications 2/13/18

I haven't had any experience with them yet. I am going to have Dr. Pleatman do my surgery though. I've researched him and read all of the reviews about him and haven't found a bad one yet. A lot of people say that he has a very dry sense of humor. That's the most negative thing anyone has said about him. As for his surgical competence, I haven't read of anyone that had any complications or infections or any type of bad surgical experience with him. His office manager had surgery with him 3 yrs ago and hasn't had a single problem. I chose Dr Pleatman because of the reviews and he's the most affordable ($11,200) cash pay and I only live about 2 hours from him so he's relatively close. I hope that I have been somewhat helpful, and I wish you nothing but the best no matter who you choose. D.R. Potential Sleever

Your Surgeon's office will give you information on risks. They will also monitor your weight loss. Losing too much weight is rare. You would have to ask the person who looked "sick" if they had complications or health issues.

Your surgeon's office will give you great information on risks with surgery. You would have to ask the person that looked "sick" if they had complications or health issues. Your Dr. is going to monitor your health. Too much weight loss is rare. I'm not saying this is the same situation....I'm a healthy body mass index.(BMI) I've had comments that I've lost too much weight and looked sick. people were just used to seeing me big.

I got the sleeve in September of 2016 after complications with the band. I am always hungry and never full. With the band, I lost 101 lbs. With the sleeve, i have regained 50 of those pounds. I see the surgeon on Monday to talk about a bypass or the switch.

Going well, zero complications, no issues with food or liquids , everything running smoothing. Not much weight loss yet, but as everyone says, it will come... feeling really good though, no complaints.

My Wednesday weigh in, a day late. Pre-op: 291 Surgery: jan 25- 281 Current: 254 Weight loss has slowed down a bit, in the last week or two. But probably my body making up for the quick loss so soon after surgery. Saw nutritionist yesterday, said I can basically start experimenting with anything, other than rice, pasta, bread, salad,pork and red meat. Got past the puréed stage and feeling good. Have sometimes eaten a little too much. Never necessary to throw up or anything, but a very tired, uncomfortably full feeling comes on. Despite a complication a week post op, feeling great, no regrets.

Even though this is a very safe surgery, remember that it is major surgery and that complications happen. Having moral support around at a time like that is extremely helpful. Clearly, you're gonna need a ride home. My doc was pretty stringent about having someone with you the first three days after surgery (so in my case, the first two days I was home). My hubby stayed home with me the first day and it was nice to have him around (I like having him around anyway...lol), and my mom came over the second day. After I brought her coffee and made her lunch and started picking up my house (all to her horror)...lol...I convinced her she could go home around 2pm. I felt perfectly able to take care of myself...but I was off all Rx pain killers. Pain killers are the bottle neck. If you're on them...you really should have someone around. You should also use extreme caution and preferably use the stove/shower/anything potentially dangerous when you've got backup.. in the event you get dizzy or have an issue. Lay in a good supply or all your clear liquids and protein drinks. Don't go too crazy, since your tastes might change. I loved cherry sugar free jello before surgery and couldn't stand it afterward...who knew? If you don't have someone physically with you....at least consider doing a telephone lifeline with a support person....someone you call or text just to touch base with several times a day on a schedule....so if you turn up mysteriously missing they know you need help. Also, for the first few days.....hiring a nursing student from a community college is win-win. You get a helpful young person who works cheap, and they get a professional reference. You could ask an instructor for a recommendation. Any health profession student would work,,,physical therapy assistant, nurse, EMT, imaging tech, respiratory therapist, etc... The short answer is....I could have easily been ok without any help. The long answer is that you never know when you're going to have complications, so it's good to be prepared...and it's nice to have someone there.

It's going to come down to how well your surgery goes. For many they feel like they can do anything. Others are on lifting restrictions, deal with a lot of pain, and find they have little to no energy to do much. Once I was home (note I had a prolonged hospital stay due to complications) I was okay on my own during the day while my wife was at work. However trying to manage the house and dogs without her would have been a struggle that first week. I recall having a really bad dizzy spell in the shower one day and damn near passed out. Luckily I didn't and my wife was at home, but that could have easily turned badly for me in a hurry. Not trying to scare you...just things to consider. I hate to give a non-answer but this is one of those things where it really will come down to how you feel afterwards. Hopefully you have somebody that could at least stop by to check on you or be able to ring somebody up in a jiffy if needed. An alternative would be to consider looking into having somebody short term. Kind of like that Visiting Angel service for seniors. Even if it isn't about the physical need for help have somebody check in on you. Keep in mind as well that typically they (1) won't let you drive home from the hospital by yourself and (2) don't want you driving the first few days if you're on pain killers.

I was sleeved on December 4. I lost 20 lbs pre surgery, and am down 20 lbs post surgery. My body fat seems to be dropping, but the scale is not moving. The losses feel slower than I was expecting, but I have also been doing more social eating than I had been doing in many months. So that's on me. I am back to protein shakes and veggies for the moment in order to get the scale to move again. I haven't really had complications. Learning to eat slower has been a challenge, and learning that I still do not cope well with access to snacky foods (even ones considered healthy) was a bummer, but unsurprising I suppose. All in all, I am very happy with my decision to get the surgery, and I believe that I will reach my goal weight, however slowly.

I am so happy for you! I hope the rest of your recovery goes smoothly! Height 5’6 HW - 275 SW - 265 CW - 209 GW - 150ish Sleeved 12/14/17 Revision to bypass due to complications 2/13/18

Wow that’s really neat. The price isn’t bad either! Thanks for sharing! Height 5’6 HW - 275 SW - 265 CW - 209 GW - 150ish Sleeved 12/14/17 Revision to bypass due to complications 2/13/18

Here are a few more reasons to choose COE Another important feature of an accredited Center of Excellence is the training that is required. Below are a few of the required training courses that the hospital’s staff are required to take. Obesity Sensitivity Training Proper Moving of an Obese Patient Recognizing the signs and symptoms of bariatric surgery complications Post-op care of the bariatric patient Bariatric surgery post-op nutrition For these reasons its a good idea to have your surgery done at a COE even if your insurance doesn’t require it.

Thank you very much everyone. So this is thelist of questions I have compiled so far, that I believe are important for me to know one way or the other before I take this huge leap of faith. 1. Based on my age and my profile, what kind of surgery would you recommend? (Even though I have almost decided to go with gastric sleeve, I would still like to hear his opinion) 2. How long have you been doing these surgeries and how many patients have you operated on so far? 3. What kind of complications based on my medical profile I should be aware of for this surgery? 4. What are the chances of any complications, what has been your success ratio? 5. How should I prep for the surgery? Diet? Lifestyle? 6. What hospital will I be getting this surgery at? Is that a center of excellence? 7. What does typical day or 2 days before surgery look like for a patient? What kind of pre-op diet should I have? 8. What happens on the day of surgery? How long is the surgery? What happens if I develop any complications? How long is the surgery? How long will I be under? 9. How will I feel immediately post-surgery? 10. How long after will the anesthesia wane off? How long after will I start feeling ‘OK’ again? 11. How long after the surgery will I be discharged from the hospital? 12. What would be my post-op diet plan? How will my diet and lifestyle change in weeks and months after surgery? 13. How long after my surgery will I need to be seen again? 14. What will be my follow up appointments plan/schedule? 15. How much time should I take off from work based on my work profile? 16. How long would you expect an out of state patient to stay local (for post-op follow ups) after the surgery? 17. What percentage of my excess body weight will/ can I loose in first 1st month/3months/6months/1year and 18months? What do you guys think about these questions? What would you recommend I add or edit? Some of these questions may sound stupid and redundant, some others have easy answers which many have shared in their posts, but my intentions behind asking all of these from my doctor would be to hear from him first hand and clarify any doubts.

Ask if the hospital you are going to is a center of excellence. Ask the doctor how many sleeves he does each year, and how many he's done in his career. Ask him what his complication rate is. Ask how you'll be able to get help after surgery. Does his office have a dedicated emergency line? Ask what percentage of excess weight his patients typically lose in 18 months. Ask what sort of support you'll get post surgically.

Hello I'm new to this I am 39 going through a divorce wanting to get the gastric sleeve have MS everyone's telling me I shouldn't get it done I really want to get it done I'm wondering how many people have got it done with multiple sclerosis and have had no complications or minimal I was diagnosed late 2015 I'm pretty much fine with my multiple sclerosis I don't have money problems at all with it so far I would love to hear from someone thank you Suzanne

My surgery center believes you are at a higher risk of complications for the first 8 weeks so they prefer that you don't travel during that time. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I was sleeved on 12/14/17 and it was not a good choice for me. I ended up with severe reflux/GERD and a stricture that made life unbearable. I couldn’t eat or drink anything without vomiting. After having 3 endoscopies that didn’t last, my surgeon and I decided the best route was a sleeve to bypass revision. That was on 2/13/18 and I feel it was the best option for me. I haven’t had any heartburn or nausea since. As far as the pain/healing process goes this time around I’m more sore, but I’ve also had 2 major surgeries in two months. This was just my experience, but had I been more informed prior to my 1st surgery I would have gone with the bypass just based on the reflux relief. Height 5’6 HW - 275 SW - 265 CW - 209 GW - 150ish Sleeved 12/14/17 Revision to bypass due to complications 2/13/18

That we are and it’s so nice to see everyone surgeries go off without any complications. At first I was bummed about being the last day of the month. But watching everyone else be successful is just the encouragement I needed! The Road 2 A Better Me

I was in 2 nights, home for a bit over 12 hours and back for another 4 nights due to a complication. The looks I got coming back onto the floor were priceless

I was a lap-band patient for 12 years and had my band removed last June due to complications from the band. Now looking at revision surgery and was recommended to do the gastric sleeve. I've attended the sessions to review and my surgeon has done these for the past 8 years. Feel comfortable going this route. Wish me luck!

Hello to everyone here. I'll be 58 this year..where did the time go! Just coming up to 2 years waiting for my first consult so maybe a bit early to join, but impressed with all the write ups, thought I'd start off anyway. Obviously worried about surgery and complications but it seems that most people do really well after these. I hope I will be able to say the same. I have lost and gained and lost and gained so many times..and I didn't even realize this was something I should seriously look at until my gynecologist suggested it. Now have oesteo in both knees..go figure. Looking forward to following the progress of new patients and the success of those who are now post-op.

I don't have tons to offer on the recert process, but am sort of in a similar place. I have Aetna PPO. Had RNY in 1992 (gulp) dropped 100#s, regained most and tried to have a revision 8 years after initial and went through ALL the hoops only for insurance to deny saying I didn't have any comorbidities. I'm hoping that was a LONG time go and things have changed since. I went to surgeon in October (had to view online webinar or go to in person session first). Even for a revision the nurse who does pre-certs said Aetna would require me to do the 3 month diet/multi disciplinary approach. Had to meet with dietitian x 3 1 1:1 sesssion and 2 group sessions-- the group sessions were pretty lame), exercise specialist (not super helpful), get a pysch eval and met with physician a couple times. I had an EGD and upper GI done. Upper GI showed my stomach was near normal capacity, stoma stretched out and small intestines enlarged-- I didn't need the test to tell me that I can tell by the quantity of food I can eat. My insurance actually covered all the pre-op visits with no co-pay except for the psych eval. If I went through their office it was going to be $300 cash. I asked about using a provider in my plan, they made a suggestion and I did my psych eval with her for my regular behavioral health co-pay. She is a eating disorder specialist (all kinds) and I actually opted to end up continuing sessions with her for the time being. It's covered as part of my behavioral health benefit. If I can't figure out what is driving me to eat so much and eat through my surgery having another won't do much good for the long term. I had everything done as of the end of January. The office could have submitted as of Jan 20th but I guess forgot and I didn't think to call to remind. I was in yesterday meeting with their bariatrician and asked and they said they would submit for pre-cert right away. It takes 2-3 weeks. The gal in the office said she's 80-85% sure it will be approved. Since I went through all this years ago and was rejected I'm super anxious. I read through my insurer's coverage documentation for WLS before going to see the doctor. One of the options he recommended is not covered by my insurer because they consider it experimental-- even though it is the least expensive and least invasive. So that is off the table. He said revisions can have A LOT of complications, so I need to think long and hard about revision surgery. If it's approved...I'm going for it. In addition to continuing with seeing the counselor I also opted to see the bariatrician they have in their medical group (they are affiliated / part of the large health system in our area) just yesterday. I figured if surgery isn't approved, I need a plan B and even if it is I need as much concerted effort/focus on trying to make this work as possible. The counselor has suggested medication with or without surgery as an adjunct after our third session based on my eating patterns/habits. The bariatrician prescribed Qsymia which I started today (I'd already had a batter of labs, tests, etc. so knew I was healthy enough to start). She said she has a lot of WLS patients who use medications in addition to or after surgery once they plateau or if they start to regain. She listed out all the med options and I chose this one in particular. It was also the one she said her patients have the best results and least side effects with. She also had me start a food diary and replacing one meal per day with protein shake and gave me an exercise plan-- so not just the script for meds. My insurance won't cover but got a manufacturer's card to help reduce the price. I did find in their coverage determination documentation IF I had tried to lose with for months and was not successful then they would have covered. I don't want to wait around... She said the variety of medications provide a nice arsenal of adjunct support and she has moved patients between different medications if they build up a tolerance. In the past I've responded really well to phentermine and this has that in it, so I'm hopeful. Before hooking up with the bariatric group at the health system I couldn't find a counselor who specialized in eating disorders for adults who are overweight and finding a physician to prescribe the newer WL meds was impossible (I tried both independently). SO, if nothing else, the process has helped me connect with those resources. While I do feel a little like they "herd" patients through the process in some ways (group dietitian visits that weren't super great) they really seem to know how to manage the process. I know I overshared-- more than what you asked about-- but thought some of this might be of use since we are in a similar spot having regained after our first surgery. Curious to hear from anyone else AND how your process shakes out. Best of luck to you! Jolie

Scheduled for 2 nights but ended up being 5 or nights due to complications. By the last day I was about to climb out the window to escape. Loved the staff but after nearly a week there I had my fill.

Just went back and read your other posts... sounds like they’ve ruled out a stricture? There are meds that speed gastric motility as well. Swallowing csn definitely be a symptom of GERD damage as can the intolerance and vomiting, but not usually motility. Swallowing difficulties and intolerances and vomiting can definitely be anxiety symptoms too. Perhaps the motility issues you have could even have triggered the anxiety and the follow up symptoms, so it can get complicated when some are physical symptoms (motility) and others could be psychological symptoms triggered by anxiety about the initial symptoms. Do think about taking a multi modal approach and including counseling, meditation and anxiety medication. The anxiety meds don’t interfere with the GI tract typically but make sure you confirm that with any doctors and with the specific anxiety Med you consider (if you do).