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I also have bipolar disorder and my surgeon and psychopharmacologist both suggested I do sleeve rather than bypass, which I wanted due to possible GERD. I don't take anything that is extended release, but they still felt it would be better for absorption. I got a second opinion from a different surgeon, and she didn't think I'd have any problem with bypass, but she still recommended sleeve as it's an easier operation. I decided to go with sleeve... I'm still nervous about the surgery upending my mental health, but I am taking the risk to be able to be more active. Just stay in touch with your mental health providers so you can let them know right away if you're starting to struggle.

I just had my pre-op appointment with my Dr....they are moving sleeve patients to outpatient surgery, but there's a chance that my bypass will have to be rescheduled....I'm going to be so devastated!!!! I've even had 3 Covid shots!!!! Sent from my SM-G998U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes, I had a simple gastroplasty (stomach stapling) in 1980. I lost 75 lbs by 6 months and then stopped losing. Over the next ten years I gained it all back. I had NO nutritional or psych guidance at all. In 1990 I had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and the same thing happened. I lost about 75 lbs by six months and stopped losing. Again, I had NO nutritional guidance or follow up. I returned to my original set point of over 300 lbs, where I remained despite many attempts at weight loss. Fast forward 30 years... Just before COVID hit, I met a man who told me he had RNY revision as a prerequisite for knee replacement surgery. I had no idea that a revision was possible. I was certainly interested, but then the pandemic arrived. Six months ago, I started thinking about it again and contacted a bariatric center 90 miles from my home. A barium swallow and an endoscopy revealed that the staples from the prior surgery had given way allowing a fistula (opening) between pouch and stomach, which back then was not cut away, just separated from the pouch by staples. It was obvious that there was a physical cause for the failure of the earlier surgeries. The surgeon assured me that the staple failure was not my fault due to up-chucking or pouch stretching, but was actually caused by the peristalsis of the stomach. He said that about 75% of the earlier WLS failed for this reason. Today, different kinds of staples and closure protocol are in place to prevent this kind of failure. I was put in the bariatric program to have a revision. I've lost 44 lbs to date and still have a couple of requirements to complete before revision surgery is scheduled. I'm hoping to have it in October. I'm excited but wary. Deep down I am afraid that the same thing will happen. My age (73) and prior surgeries are hurdles so I don't expect miraculous results. My hopeful goal is to get under 200 lbs. My dream goal is to reach 175 lbs. or lower. In the past six months, I've read over a dozen books about bariatric surgery and food addiction and collected a slew of bariatric cookbooks. I'm much better prepared than I was for the earlier surgeries. I now realize that I am a sugar/food addict, that "maintenance" doesn't work for me. I have to be continually vigilant about avoiding sugar, flour, wheat, rice, and processed foods. The only successful way to conquer addiction is abstinence. How Weight Loss Surgery Really Works, by Matthew Weiner ** Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies, By Marina Kurian, Barbara Thompson, Brian Davidson ** Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction, by Vera Tarman *** Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Treat Food Addiction, by Connie Stapleton *** Why Diets Fail (because youʼre addicted to sugar), by Nicole Avena & John Talbott *** Bariatric Surgery & Food Addiction, by Philip Werdell *** (written for the clinician, but I found it valuable} The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook*** A Pound of Cure, by Matthew Weiner (Focus on plant-based eating, not as restrictive as Bright Line Eating) Bright Line Eating, by Susan Peirce Thompson (similar to Kay Shepardʼs food plan without the 12-step program) Food Addiction: The Body Knows, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging) From The First Bite: A Complete Guide to Recovery, by Kay Sheppard (12-step program, Focus on binging) Never Binge Again, by Glenn Livingston Lick the Sugar Habit, by Nancy Appleton (A bit outdated)

Is anyone 20 plus years post GBP?

Happy birthday Arual85, I am 2 days away from my bypass surgery. I've been lucky in my pre-op to be able to have some foods (more keto focused) but I finally understand that sugar and carbs are my go-to food choices. A little nervous but I think everything is finally going right. Good luck x Sent from my RMX2001 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm the day before you, though I'm a sleever, not a bypasser. I had my upper GI, EKG, chest x-ray, and bloodwork last week and I have my final appointment with my PCP on Thursday to clear me for surgery. Tomorrow is nearly-all-liquids diet for a week (my choice, not a requirement, but applauded by my surgeon). I am RIGHT THERE with you on the anxiety! It's been ramping up bigtime. That's why I've been posting like a caffeinated squirrel on here.

GeminiA, I am so glad to read about your experiences. I had surgery on Monday, August 30, and since I had surgery in the morning I had much of the day to get used to my new situation. First, this was a conversion from sleeve to bypass, I initially had the sleeve in February of 2014 after illness left me obese. In October of 2018, I was forced to stop working due to continuous, severe pain on my left side which was found to be due to CRPS, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. I required multiple pain and neurological meds, in addition to different types of injections which had little to no impact on my pain. With the pain and inability to do anything that involved my hands, I became depressed, gained weight and required conversion surgery. When I had gastric sleeve surgery, there were no post-op issues out of the ordinary. I was also able to keep the weight off until after I became ill and told I could never work again. Anyway I digress, on August 31, I went home, exercised a little, sipped 45 grams of protein, sipped water and took my medication. On September 1, only able to sip 30 grams protein, little water and some pain and discomfort. On September 3, abdominal aches and pain are worse and involuntary vomiting begins, and only able to sip water all day with a little broth. On September 4th, unable to sip cold or room temperature water without excruciating pain. In addition, my CRPS pain is off due to med schedule being off. At this point I am praying. I cannot drink anything without more pain and vomiting, including my meds. By the afternoon of September 4th, I started heating my liquids to see if temperature was the issue, and it was. I was able to sip hot liquids, harder to take pills but doable! Today, I am able to drink cooler liquids, no longer need to boil everything. Thus, the pain of September 3 and 4th were so severe, that I too regretted having this surgery until I figured out another way to resolve the issue of vomiting and pain. If we continue to read these foums, they can be helpful.

Elp93 thanks mine is November 8th

I had my gastric bypass revision on August 26, 2021 which was 3 days before Cat 4 Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans. I live just outside of New Orleans. Due to the hurricane, for several days, it was impossible to buy the food I needed. Everything was sold out. And Amazon isn’t able to deliver packages due to damages. Also I gained 12 lbs. following my surgery. I have not cheated on the diet and I’m hoping it’s fluid buildup. I have left my nutritionist many voice mails starting August 30. I have also left voice messages for my doctor. I haven’t heard from either one of them. Also when I was discharged, the nutritionist gave me a 5 page hand out. She didn’t explain anything. On the hand out it says what food I can eat but there is no mention of the amount. Is it a cup of bouillon or 3 tablespoons of bullion? I have no idea. Thanks for listening.

For VSG, can probably get away with OTC but with gastric bypass, the duodenum, distal stomach and proximal jejunum are bypassed so there is a higher potential for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Only for the first weeks/months. I drink now immediately before eating - I’m Bypass 8 years on. I don’t drink while I’m eating because I don’t want to fill up on liquid. My daughter can, though, eat and drink at the same time. She’s 10 years out. To start with when my stomach was tiny I did the 30 minute before, 45 after thingy - then narrowed it to 15 mins before, and then eventually no delay after drinking. It depends on the size of your stomach…

SORRY JUST NOTICED I’M ON THE GASTRIC SLEEVE FORUM - I’M A BYPASS PATIENT hence the comments below about injecting B12… SORRY! I’m in the UK and 8 years out from my op - the first few weeks I was forced to take liquid vitamins that were disgusting (drinks that fizz!!) but I’m now on permanent prescription tablets here in the UK and because I’m over 60 I get it free at the point of delivery (all working individuals pay into a national insurance scheme). I do know that we were told categorically that 1) we had to take multivitamins (bariatric grade), plus zinc, calcium, (and if you’re a pre-menopausal lady) iron daily; and 2) that we had to do B12 injections. I take 500mg chewable Calcium with vitamin D (daily), Zinc 220 mg (2 0r 1 alternate days), Iron 210mg twice a week and Foreceval multivits & minerals (daily). B12 can be done either intramuscular (absorbs quicker, but done generally by a health care professional) or intradermal which is easy to do yourself. I do the latter, as I do the injections once a month by myself. There are videos on YouTube about how to self-inject. The syringes are only small like insulin needles, and painless. I source these myself as the UK is very behind the US in their appreciation of the merits of B12! Oh - and I barely, if any, lost any hair… maybe a few more than usual when washing for a couple of weeks, when the weight was coming off quickly, but nothing I could ever see.

I struggled with water right after surgery, but I'm a little over a year out from gastric bypass and I can drink water at a normal pace now. I still log my fluid consumption in MyFitnessPal, but I always drink way more than 64 ounces without really having to try. I wasn't very good about drinking water before surgery, but the surgery got me in the habit of drinking a lot of water, so I actually drink a lot more now than I did before surgery. Occasionally, I will take too big of a gulp and it will be a little uncomfortable, but other than that, I have no issues.

I had RNY in 2007, went from 325 to 170 and kept if off for 11 years, which felt awesome. When I had my baby (225 lbs) I just never took the baby weight off, got lax and gained a 50 lbs of weight on top of that. I had a revision to the bypass to reduce my stomach size and really want to get below 200lbs again. So far am down to 255 from 275 day of surgery but am struggling with weakness. Eating soft foods now and hovering below 600 calories a day with 30 minutes of walking. Should I be eating less? Exercising more? I forget everything I did in 2007 to be successful and am still in shock that I’m back here again. Thank you.

Removing most of one’s stomach is hardly “less invasive”. I’m surprised that your surgeon didn’t tell you that RNY gastric bypass usually resolves pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. RNY is still the gold standard of WLS.

I originally thought that I would have Gastric Bypass, but after meeting with the doctor and discussing it with him, we thought that the sleeve was a better choice for me as it was less invasive. Like you, I had high blood pressure, PCOS, and already had my gallbladder out years ago. I was pre-diabetic. I did not get heartburn/acid reflux and that was one of the criteria that would have made him suggest RNY instead. I think that he also looks at diabetes & A1C levels to help determine which surgery to recommend. It may be helpful to discuss your options again with your doctor after all your testing comes back & after you continue your research on both surgeries. Asking people on here about their surgeries is a great way to hear about personal experiences. I wish you success with whichever surgery you choose! Lots of luck!😁🍀

While this is classically a bypass problem (look up the "Al Roker White House Shart" story - yes, it happened to him at the White House) it can certainly happen to sleevers early out. This is mostly due to the radical dietary changes and the body working to adapt to it. I had both diarrhea and constipation at the same time for a while. It passes (so to speak) fairly quickly for us as out diets and GI tracts get to know each other again. Probiotics may be helpful in helping the gut flora adapt to the changes.

I think it's very introspective that you are asking yourself that question! I had a gastric bypass and I regained 55 pounds from the 100 I lost. I stopped my support group meetings, and stopped using many of the tools I learned before I had surgery. For me, stopping the carb intake is huge. Eating carbs I am constantly hungry. I went back to see the weight management people, I am seeing a dietician again, and I started Ozempic for appetite suppression as well as treatment for diabetes. Don't despair, you have sooo many options available to you. I think if you can get the carbs under control, you will see you still have the tool of the RNY available to you! You've just learned to eat around it. Much luck to you!

I live and work in the Bronx. I’m almost 9 months out from gastric bypass and I’ve eaten out a few times while on vacation. My restriction varies day to day. I’ve eaten salads, sushi even a cheeseburger. But I try to plan my meals by looking at the menus ahead of time. If I’m treating myself to a burger then I will skip the toast for breakfast and stick to eggs and a mandarin orange. Sometimes I eat a bun less burger. I always order unsweetened iced tea and ask for Stevia. I try to find balance.

When I told my dr that I thought I wanted bypass he asked me if I had gerd and if I was a big sugar eater. I guess either of those things would justify the higher risks (which are still VERY low). The answer to both of those questions is no. I decided because absorption issues were less with sleeve that I would have less issues to work through with my bipolar meds and probably need less extra vitamins in the long run plus it had the lower risk so I went with it.

Hi ready for new me…I am also new to this forum. My surgeon has set my date of November 9th. I will have one week clear liquid diet before surgery. I have chronic gerd so I am having the gastric bypass. I have been jumping thru hoops since March 2021 so glad to have a date set. Covid is really bad here so dates may shift..but I am glad to just be in the rotation.

Hello and welcome to this great site. My nearest private hospital was once Bupa and now is Spire. I started this process in late March. I saw the doctor at the end of April. I have been given my date, 10th November 2021.. I think many people have had the same thought that life is too short and the NHS is too busy to reinstate Bariatrics any time soon, So even going private isn't quick. I have had to see a raft of people to see if I am suitable. I dont know if the long wait time is due to the hospital being busy because of covid and the amount of surgery cases postponed by the NHS

I love your positive attitude and that you don't compare yourself to others. You have your own personal goals and that's how it should be! I started at 350. In 11 days I'll be 1 year post op and only at -135. Not bad, but it should be a lot more. I don't follow what I should be doing because I can only tolerate a few select foods. But many are not that good, so I eat smaller amounts. My dietician is NOT happy. He's VERY rude. (Thought he was going to have a major melt down when I said pizza. Like I eat it all at one sitting!) But my doctor said I can do it this way, so I'm listening to him. I think my goal wgt is another 35 lbs, but I'm having the skin removal surgery too, so it may be less. Not sure how much weight that'll be when removed. That consult appt is in 10 days. Also in process of the first knee replacement surgery in November. No cartilage left. Can only do one at a time. Should be all fixed up by spring of next year. Can't wait! Best of luck and stay your positive self! Sent from my SM-G781U using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m Education Class told me not to drink or drugs like pot and no baby aspirin etc ., I wish a lot of people’s took this education classes it’s very helpful and prepare you., I never get or have the Sleeve was never explained anything like I’m learning now going in for bypass and alot more Education in general