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My mom had the band and had a lot of those complications right after having it placed. It just depends on the person!! I have second guessed myself before also, but then I bring myself right back to "ok I might be able to lose some weight on my own, but will I be able to keep it off? NO!!" You can do this!!

Regardless of how marijuana is taken (i.e. smoked, inhaled or eaten) the effects are the same. The majority of people who use marijuana describe a sensation of relaxation and euphoria (the “high”). Some people however react badly to the drug which can result in a state of panic, anxiousness and fear, or in some cases even hallucinations if they take too much. Of particular relevance to bariatric or weight loss surgery, is the fact that marijuana impacts the part of your brain that controls appetite. Have you heard of the “munchies”? Yep, that’s right, the “munchies” are a real thing! Marijuana can increase your appetite, causing you to eat more, which obviously is not great if your goal is weight loss. Interestingly, a recent study on weight and marijuana use actually showed that marijuana use may very slightly (and we mean VERY slightly) reduce body weight (about a 0.5% reduction in BMI) (1). This study however was conducted on a group of people with an average BMI of 27 kg/m2, which is way below the average bariatric or weight loss surgery patients’ BMI pre-surgery. This unfortunately means that this mild weight loss effect cannot be applied to the typical bariatric or weight loss surgery patient. We did however find one recent study done in 2016 that is more relevant to the bariatric or weight loss surgery population (2). The study was run on a group of 50 patients (62% being RYGB patients) all 2 years after surgery. The results of the study showed that the patients who had smoked marijuana within the last 30 days and the patients who had started smoking more since surgery, were all more likely to have disordered eating habits, specifically “loss of controlled food intake” (2). Although the study did not look at weight outcomes related to marijuana use, we know that disordered eating habits such as grazing and bingeing are risk factors for weight regain after bariatric or weight loss surgery. We asked a Canadian-based bariatric surgeon for his opinion on the subject of marijuana use after surgery. Here is what he said: “Although currently there is a lack of available research on the effects of marijuana on the bariatric surgery population, there are a few concerns to note. Regular marijuana use could increase the risk of postoperative complications including bleeding, infection and pulmonary embolism. Secondly, THC increases feelings of hunger, thus the degree of weight loss post-surgery may suffer due to continued marijuana use.” Dr. Simon Chow, Bariatric Surgeon, MD MSc FRCSC FACS In conclusion, we do not yet fully understand the effects of marijuana use after surgery with respect to weight loss and longer term weight maintenance outcomes. The field of research is still very young (3). Regular marijuana use however may pose medical risks after surgery, therefore speak with your surgeon if you have been prescribed marijuana for medical reasons. Furthermore, if you choose to use marijuana for recreational reasons on a regular basis, it is worth discussing this habit with your bariatric nurse and dietitian. – Monica & Lisa ******* Join our monthly newsletter to receive access to all our blogs and exclusive dietitian-approved tips to optimizing your weight loss and maintaining your weigh long-term! http://eepurl.com/c-qfcL ******* References: 1. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hec.3267/full 2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550728915002063 3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24913244

Hi there, I'm in my pre-op stages. I'm also a nurse. If you're having a fever with the aches, need to contact your doctor. I can go through a list of questions to try and point you in the right direction of what it "may" be, but it'll take awhile. As for the anti-inflammatory teas or any other herbal anti-inflammatory products, I'd suggest to stay clear from them. Just because it's a herbal supplement, it's still an anti-inflammatory. This can cause complications with surgery. Sent from my XT1650 using BariatricPal mobile app

I had a 2-day hospital stay after surgery, with no complications. I took a week off but didn't really feel I needed to. Now 1-month out I wish I could take some time to adjust to my diet more.

I've been meaning to share this for a while. For a long time I'd been under the impression that bariatric surgery was covered by my health plan through work. Someone else in the company had it and said "Yeah, CIGNA covered it for me." Well, what I didn't know was he had the CIGNA *** plan and I was on the PPO. And when I compared the exemptions between the two plans, the only difference was that the *** covered weight loss programs and bariatric surgery while the PPO didn't because it was classified as "cosmetic." Switching to the *** plan was not an option for me or my family. So I went to our HR department and explained the situation. They contacted our insurance broker and the got bariatric coverage added to the PPO plan effective 1/1/18. My appointment with the doctor is 1/3/18 at which point I'll kick off the whole process. But the point is: If your insurance doesn't cover what you need, just ask about it. More and more companies are covering weight loss surgery when there is a demonstrated need. I actually work for a health plan and I know that the numbers show it's much more cost effective to help the member lose the weight than to pay for all of the medical complications that will arise if obesity is left untreated. Here's the letter I sent to our HR director that got the ball rolling. Feel free to edit it and send to your own HR directors if you think it will help:

Ugh. I'm on my pre-op diet 8 days in with 6 to go and I'm not doing great. I am eating low carb, definitely, but putting in Atkins snacks and I think that's affecting me. I see some of you are doing liquid protein diets, and I'm thinking of switching to that. How do you all feel on those pre-op diets? What obstacles did you face and how did you deal with them? I'm not a large bariatric patient, so I don't foresee complications (hope, hope, hope), but also want to do what's best for my body.

Hello everyone. Great to hear how we Octobers are doing so well. I was sleeved 10/27 and my weight was 237lbs, this morning I was 213 and I can sure tell. I have pulled clothes out of the closet that had not been worn in a while and it feels good! Actually, feels great. I had no complications at all from surgery, just a LOT of gas discomfort the first couple of days but not really much pain. I am still on liquids and purees and have no hunger. I pretty much have to remind myself to eat and while my Dr doesn't care about me counting calories I am maybe averaging 500-600 if that. But what I do eat I have no problem at all eating, just bored to death with it. Does this resonate with anyone? Now my big question for those of you out longer is what should I expect when I start eating solids? I have yet to feel full, though I don't feel hungry, and quite frankly given the amount of liquids I can easily drink it sort of surprises me I don't feel full. I know it's just my old obese brain f'ing with me but I keep feeling like am doing something wrong. My Dr said I can have a fluffy omelette tomorrow (Woohoo!) and flaky white fish Friday before I see him on Saturday again. I will also meet the exercise guru Saturday and she will hopefully clear me for some restricted gym time though with my current energy levels am not sure how much I will do. Maybe they will ask me to force myself to down more protein which for now they have kept me at about 30 grams, and YES from reading everyone else's posts I do realize this is low but who am I to argue with this awesome Dr who I've had such great results with so far and has been doing this for 20+ years. At any rate, any advice/prep-talk I can get for solids and hopefully feeling full will be very welcomed.

Help!! I can't seem to find an app that I can log my daily meals and print out monthly for my doctor. I tried myfitnesspal and it's too complicated. Is there anybody who has to keep track and how are you doing it?? Sent from my SM-S902L using BariatricPal mobile app

I have never been more thankful for the 6 month lead up to surgery. In the past, the 6 months always caused me to give up and decide not to proceed with surgery. I was indignant about it and I let it piss me off to the point of raging against the surgery machine for 8 whole years. When I finally reconsidered, it was after my dad died. In the lead up to him dying, I put myself on the "If the people on My 600lb Life can do it, so can I liquid diet" ( not the actual name, but what I actually called it) Before I knew it, I had followed that diet for 3 whole months and at the end thought "Damn...I could be halfway to surgery." So when my dad died, I actually called the surgeon and started the process. I went on modified keto which for me was eating a 1400 calorie keto diet Monday through Friday. On the weekends, I ate what I wanted, but I stuck to 1400 calories. I also started a walking regimen which by the day of surgery I was walking 5-7 miles per day. I really made changes in that 6 months mainly because I wanted post surgery to be as easy as possible. Truth be told there were still many changes to be made post surgery. I stick to the program and I work out 5-6 days a week. I run now about 20 miles per week. I'm totally living my life now. No weight struggles. No complications. Life is about evolving. Every change you make now will have an affect on your future and you never stop changing.

If you have say "please don't scream" then you know exactly what you are doing wrong. So fix it. It's that simple. Follow your diet and let your yes mean yes and no mean no when it comes to food. Don't make it complicated. Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

I have only been walking doctor did not give me the go ahead to workout I'm trying to follow the orders so to have no complications I'm a stage 2.. stage 3 the 16th..

Oh, I'm sorry you've had these complications Let's hope it'll all be up from here. I have seen someone else on the board have a blood clot... wanna say it was near the spleen, not sure. Pretty sure it turned out ok for them. [Hugs] One day you'll be on the other side of this, and say it was a rough start, but all worth it!

I was sleeved October 30th and have lost 27 pounds in two weeks. No Complications - No Nausea- Or Vomitting. I am still in the Stage 1 Phase & sticking to my clear liquid and protein diet. I workout 3x's a week/30 minutes. I have some minimal pain on my right side but nothing too crazy! I am already back at work and my co-workers immediately noticed I looked smaller. My clothes are very loose and probably have one more month before it's too big to wear. I still have hunger.. but once I have my protein drink, I am satisfied

I believe it's complicated because there are so many factors genetically, physically, physiologically, and mentally. (We can talk ourselves into and out of things in a nano second.) As far as rules - don't we all live by rules with everything? Pay your bills on time, go to school by 8:05, get to work by 7:45, no alcohol at work, drive responsibly? If you could apply that logic to eating instead of how it makes you 'feel' there would be less confusion. But then - chemically - food supplies neurotransmitters that signal pleasure to our brains the same as drugs. Some of us are more sensitive to this than others. Okay now add society's ills and mental health issues. Put some viruses and bad gut bacteria and fast food in there and you have the perfect storm. But back to rules for just a minute. Two of my four children, now adults, are type I diabetics - they have no choice but to follow the rules, if they want to live. Eat on time, eat correctly as possible, test, monitor, exercise, get checkups and hope for the best research. One wears a monitor that constantly tells her phone what her blood sugar levels are as she can go low very quickly, have a convulsion, and die. I have given so many glucagon shots to this child to save her from a coma and death. (Her monitor alerts several family members as well.) And yet she is so grateful to be a mother and to have this technology now, and the laser technology to save her eyesight when diabetic retinopathy builds unneeded blood vessels and she works hard at it every day. So tell me again how hard it is to follow a few healthy rules? Forget how other people made fun of you as a fat child, or the father that threatened to whip you for not finishing your food, or the anorexic mother that made you ashamed, the b!tchy cheerleader that taunted you, or the girl that wouldn't date you because you were fat, forget the golden arches - LIVE. Live like you have no choice. This isn't meant to make anyone feel guilty for their choices or situations, but to make you see that the gift of this chance should be celebrated and utilized to its full extent. Honor yourself and what you mean to your family by working hard at this. Figure out what you have to do to achieve this. Don't give food any more due than it deserves.

Most of my questions were related to trying to decide which surgery to have. I also asked about complication rates and potential complications down the road, as well as long term success rates. Is there support offered for patients 1, 2, or 5 years later so they don't regain? I was concerned because my surgeon is >70 miles from where I live so if I had complications and had to go to the ER, would they transfer me to his hospital or would he consult by phone? I wanted to make sure I'd be kept comfortable after surgery - I have issues with nausea after anesthesia. I wanted to know about recovery time and when I would be able to go back to work comfortably, post op diet expectations, and vitamin regimen. How long do I wait before being able to lift anything or exercise? Drive? I was concerned about malabsorption issues and asked how often they check vitamin levels and do post op visits. How easy is it to speak to someone at the office if I am having a problem that is not emergency but important to me? There were probably more but I can't think of them now. If I find my list I'll come back and update.

So sorry for your friend. I hope she heals and gains her health back. Lapbands can erode, twist, cause scar tissue and so many complications, she may have had someof those problems. You will never have those pre-existing issues for your surgery. You can ask the surgeon for his complication rate, what type, has he had to do any repairs and under what circumstances, etc. The complication rate is very low, lower than gallbladder surgery. Take a deep breath. Make a calm and informed decision. I wish you well.

Revision procedures are riskier than virgin sleeve gastrectomies due to the amount of scar tissue and erosion, especially in those who revise from lap band to sleeve. Since you aren't a revision, your chance of developing complications is less than 1 percent. However, remaining obese is a greater risk to your life than getting sleeved. Good luck with your decision. I hope your friend recuperates.

I wish Bellabloom would lead with some info about herself. She's not an average WLS patient and what works for her isn't what will work for many of us. She struggled pre and post op with severe eating disorders, including anorexia. She had major complications requiring revisions. It's GOOD for her to not obsess or overthink what she eats. Yeah she should probably take her vitamins. But please don't look at what works for her and think it's a good way to eat. Maybe when you are four years out like she is, you can try what she does. I can't, if I ate that way I would be back over 200lbs in a heartbeat. We are all different and different things work for us. But I think Bella's posts need to come with a disclaimer.

Hey everyone. [emoji4] I haven’t posted for awhile but i just want to share my story as there are lots of new people flowing through surgery and I’d love to help anyone with my experience. I had wls dec 2014. It was quite an ordeal for me, very painful and I had complications. I weight 243 lbs at my surgery and I’m 5’6. I ended up having five or six surgeries on my stomach over the next 6 months. Gallbladder went, exploratory, revision surgery, a endoscopy for a super bad stricture, a granuloma removed from my belly button ... After my wls I was unable to eat solid food for 10 months due to a severe stricture. I could only eat broth and sometimes cheese. So in a way this helped me reach my weight loss goal and surpass it. At my lowest I weighed 114 lbs. Going through the surgery I realized I had a major eating disorder. I had to come to terms with a lot of emotional turmoil and self hatred, guilt and shame and fear of food and regain. I’m still going through some of it. I was very reluctant to return to normal eating post op even once I could. Losing weight became an unhealthy addiction. I ended up having to seek eating disorder therapy. What I discovered as I clawed my way to better health was that dieting had no place in my life and would never work for me. It made me miserable and there was no future for me if I didn’t stop. I had to fully accept the possibility of regaining weight in order to embrace a non diet approach to weight maintenance. 4 years later I no longer diet or weigh myself on a regular basis. I eat through a method called “intuitive eating” and it has changed my life. I have worked very hard to try and embrace my body even as my weight fluctuates. Some days are easy, some are harder. Many people regain weight after wls. Many people struggle to lose enough. I personally believe this is due to dieting being the reason many of us gain weight in the first place. Most people who are obese are suffering from an eating disorder. I wish I had know that before surgery. I don’t regret surgery in fact I am a huge proponent to weight loss surgery. But I feel a combination approach is necessary long term to keep weight off and also have quality of life. Wls combined with I Intuitive eating has really worked for me. Today I think I weigh around 130 lbs. I’m very thin, I struggle to keep weight on especially as food becomes more and more neutral to me. I forget to eat a lot and I have trouble getting regular meals in because I get busy. But I’m not underweight any more so that’s a big improvement. My health is good but I suffer from dumping syndrome which can be stressful and exhausting. If I eat tom much sugar and fat together I will get it, or if I eat too much food, or put fluid with my food it can happen. I also throw up occasionally especially if I drink while I eat. But if I follow the “rules” I’m mostly okay. But eating slowly and eating the right things becomes very hard and impractical at times so there are still plenty of times I break the rules and suffer for it. For one thing with dumping- I can eat very little protein before I get full. If I wanted to not dump I would have to be low carb- but even eating tons of carbs, sweets and fats I can scarcely maintain my weight, I lose very easily. So a low carb diet is not an option for me even if I wanted to do it. Wls is not something that is an easy fix. It’s a very hard surgery with a lot of longer term consequences. I still feel it was worth it however. Here’s some pics and I’m happy to chat which whoever needs advice.

I’m glad to see you are doing well today, again wishing you a well nice recovery, also it’s ok to have oatmeal soo soon? I tho the idea was the stomach was not “so heal” to withstand the heavy ness. I pray that you keep feeling better .. but tell your doc, [emoji37] I get scared to complications( god forbid) “There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” —Michael Phelps

@Fiskgyrl, what you’re experiencing is more common that you think. I think MOST of us rejected the thought of surgery at first. Most of us were certain we would be the unlucky ones that would end up with complications. For me it just came a time when I couldn’t keep pretending I was going to lose the weight naturally anymore. I was scared but I was more scared of spending the rest of my life stuck in this fat suit. It’s been a little over a month for me and it was the best thing I could have done for myself. It was really hard for about a month, but life is totally normal now and other than eating small amounts, you wouldn’t know I had WLS. There is no shame in being afraid, and it’s ok if you’re not ready for this yet. But if you do want to go through with it, my advice is try and commit. Say “I’m doing this, I’m rocking it, and there’s no looking back”. It’ll make you so much stronger for the liquid and recovery phases. Good luck in whatever you decide [emoji173]️

Oh yes, surgery will bring up emotions for some of us. Fear of the unknown can cause anxiety. Over thinking, going back in forth second guessing your decision, questioning if you are doing the right thing, worrying that you won't be successful and struggling with the idea of having complications. know that your feelings are normal pre surgery. If you are still undecided you can cancel and back out. If you change your mind in the future, you can start this long process all over again. Think of the the reasons why you wanted surgery. you said "I became so hopeless and desperate enough to attend a seminar August 2017" this is about getting your health back. This will not be like the weight loss attempts in your past. Know that you can and will be successful with your weight loss long term. Best of luck with whatever decision you make, Jenn By the way, I'm three years out and still doing fine. I had no complications. I bounced back from surgery quickly. Off many medications, I have no regrets.

Hi. I was against wls for years also until one day while laying in the hospital with kidney stones I had a change of heart. I just felt gross and embarrassed and felt like a whale. I previously researched wls and was very nervous about complications and life long decisions. I was never excited even up until dec 6 2016 the day of my gastric sleeve. I laid in pre op for 8 hours because my surgeon had an emergency. During that time i tried to leave twice out of anger and anxiety but with help of my parents i stayed. To be honest after surgery I had ups and downs. Nausea and pain and no appetite and was sick of damn protein shakes! Month after month I got better and better and slowly introduced food items back into my diet. I am currently 11 months post op. I went from 388 lbs the day of surgery to 258 today. I completely understand how you feel and everyone has different experience. Good luck and stay strong! Sent from my SM-G920P using BariatricPal mobile app

Have you talked to your Nut or Dr. about this complication? Could be scarring or Acid Reflux

I think many people are nervous in the time leading up to WLS, and those emotions can then amplify the feelings of being overwhelmed with other tasks. Even if you were a frequent flyer, chances are you'd have a little more anxiety about this trip than other ones, simply because it's different than travel for business or pleasure. What you're feeling is totally valid, and common. I was also nervous about traveling to Mexico for the VSG, even though I wasn't flying since I live in SoCal a drivable distance away. I actually had a surprisingly pleasant experience there. My surgery went very smoothly, I had minimal pain and no complications, the clinic was very clean and comfortable, the staff were attentive, the hotel was nice and everyone working there was friendly and attentive, and the transportation across the border was easy. I was worried I'd be in pain on the ride home, but I actually felt well enough to spend a few hours shopping at the outlet mall on the California side of the border, and to make touristy stops on the way home. The only discomfort was from a mild allergic reaction to the surgical tape over the incisions. Once I replaced it, I was fine. I'm sorry your husband isn't supportive. Mine wasn't at first either, but he did eventually get on board after I showed him medical research about the long-term benefits of WLS. I'd make a list of things you want to get done before the surgery, in the order of their priority, and then try to focus on one task at a time so you're not as overwhelmed. You'll probably feel more at peace once the travel is finalized. I recommend doing a search of VSG packing suggestions and gathering what you want to bring with you well in advance, so that you can have that sorted. The most important items for me were - a heating pad, Gas-X strips, slippers, comfortable clothing, slip-on shoes, and entertainment. Though I ended up sleeping most of the time during recovery, I'd brought my laptop and a HDMI cable to hook up to the TV in my room so I could watch movies when I was awake and not doing laps around the hall. I've read that people who have flown for the surgery feel more comfortable on the return flight with a small pillow, to place between their lap and the seat belt so it's not right on top of the incisions. I arranged for a house cleaning service to come a couple of times in the weeks post-op when I was recovering and not able to lift things like the laundry hampers, because with my husband's schedule already being full I didn't want him to have to do all the chores I usually handle, in addition to the ones he does. I also recommend making yourself aware of common feelings and frustrations people have post-op, so that you're prepared, and you won't worry something is wrong with you when what you're experiencing is normal. For example, most people experience the "dreaded three week stall" so it's good to anticipate it and know it's temporary. This forum as well as YouTube videos were helpful to me because I could read about what others went through and have a better idea as to what expect. Having the VSG changed my life for the better, and I'm so grateful for it. I am down to a size 2 now, which I never thought possible, and I am living my life so much more fully than before. This surgery can immensely improve your health and your quality of life. I think it could do wonders for you, too.