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@RJ'S/beginning First, you belong here on BP. You are a wonderful host, and you bring a different perspective. All that you have been through makes you uniquely qualified to discuss the painful complications you've had that others would benefit from hearing. If I were going through something like that, I would come to sites like this and look for someone like you, because I would want to know that there is hope. You offer that people. Second, you are a success, and no one can take that away from you, and most certainly not with words. One thing I've learned about the medical community, is that they tend to be single minded in approach, and their single mind is focused around their specialty. If you had back pain and you went to a surgeon, he'd want to operate. If you went to a pain specialist, he'd want to inject you. If you went to a psychiatrist, he'd want to treat you with imagery. If you went to a GP, he'd try to manage it with pain meds. If you went to a sports medicine, he'd try to treat you with physical therapy. All of that's a little simplistic, but you get the picture. I wonder if you aren't focusing too much on his words? Just because he is calling you a survivor, it doesn't take away the fact that you are also successful, does it? It's just semantics, and in truth, he's right. You've survived A LOT, and are still dealing with that outcome. And I think surviving all that you have speaks to your wonderful spirit! I think you should be proud that you survived AND succeeded! He's just simply looking at it from his perspective, and that is treating the reactive hypoglycemia. I do hope he can figure out how to make that happen soon, so you can feel better an move on with the wonderful life you have successfully created for yourself!

I had to go to a specialist for my reactive hypoglycemia. Nothing is working. I have tried it all so far and have passed out several times. Anyway. I went two days ago and I am not saying the guy was a jerk because he wasn't. He was very nice and said that he can help me....They are sending me to a dietitian that specializes in difficult situations like mine where nothing is working. He said I was a survivor not a success at WLS. He told me that I am going to be turned into someone that Bariatrics does not like and that is a grazer. I am going to eat every hour. All day long. And the food that I will be given will regulate my sugars. This is his plan..... Now back to my shock and hurt over his comment. I said what are you talking about...I am at goal, and thin....He said so what it is healthy we aim for not thin. Sounded right to me. But then I asked if he had ever been fat in his life and he said..NO..Well I said, You have not got one clue what it is like to be fat and what we go through....He said true but I recommend WLS to a lot of my patients because of Diabetes. I said almost before he finished...And then what!? they get the surgery and are left hanging with no support or help from the medical community. He asked me what I meant and I told him that for most of the complications I have had they have sent me right back to my original surgeon. And there were times when it was not necessary. He said. That's not fair. I said that didn't matter it is the way it is around my area. He said that the wait time is now 7 years here. I said well then a person who really needs it has 2 problems right. He looked at me...first they are in a place where you feel they need this surgery and then they can't get it because of the lists.....Why don't you just write a death certificate and get it over with. He told me to stop crying and put myself together. He asked me why I was so upset. I told him that losing my weight was me being a success story and he repeated again. No! I said I am alive and I was dead before just not in the ground. He said look at you...You are weak and sick and now I have to find out why this stuff keeps happening to you. You obviously have unresolved food issues. I said yes doesn't everyone. Doesn't every one go through periods in their lives where they eat to be happy. Look at the new WW commercial. He then asked me if I would like to see a shrink and I said NO..I have been to enough of them to know they know less them me.. ( sorry if any of you are shrinks, it is not personal ) So I left his office after 2 hours of questions and tears and a solution to my hypoglycemia problem...Soon... So I am still upset and I talk to someone I trust and still crying and in the conversation she says to me. I really don't understand why you even bother with Bariatric Pal. They have not helped you and the only thing you could say to anyone is maybe how to live through a botched surgery....Crushed I listened to the rest of the call without much commenting. This place has been a home for me for over 2 years......And then someone says that I have no right to be here. That I am not needed here. This has really sent me into a spin.... I am not looking for compliments. I want to know what you think about the situation. Am I unsuccessful or should I leave this site that has helped me so much? If there is nothing to offer others then my place here is for not!? Am I only a survivor of WLS? Are others going through similar things as I am? I feel so disheartened!

It definitely sounds like reactive hypoglycemia, but with your meds and medical issues you need to see your doctor. An English muffin and peanut butter has too many carbs in it. To many simple carbs and your blood sugar shoots up then crashes. The crash is going to make you feel horrible. You'll struggle to keep your eyes open, your hands get really shaky and you may start sweating. You feel like you need to eat more carbs, but resist and eat some protein like cheese, nuts, or lunch meat. The best way to manage it is to have 5-6 small meals a day and avoid simple carbs. No bread, Pasta, rice, sugar, or peanut butter with sugar in it.

I have not been tested for reactive hypoglycemia. How do you test for that? Also, an interesting development...a family member I live with was just diagnosed with acute Epstein Barr (mono). I'm thinking reactive hypoglycemia and possibly mono might be what is going on.

Have you been tested for reactive hypoglycemia?

Some people get that with to much sugar or fats. It could also be reactive hypoglycemia I would contact your surgeon.

With the holiday season in full swing you may find yourself in the company of people who you avoid most of the year, people who "push your buttons:" who can trigger you to be reactive or defensive. People who USED to trigger you to overeat. A few things you can do to prepare for this: 1. Have realistic expectations. Don't expect them to all of a sudden be different this year. 2. Don't take their words or actions personally. (Whatever anyone says or does is a reflection of what's going on for them; it has nothing to do with you. Think about it: if someone feels good about themselves they see good in others, if someone does't feel good about themselves they won't see good in others; they will be angry, jealous, judgmental, etc.) 3. Set an intention to enjoy the holiday. Wear a bracelet or carry something in your pocket that every time you see or touch it you remember to LOOK FOR THE JOY in this moment. 4. Every time you think of the person/people who you dread seeing say a prayer for and send light and love to them, envision them happy and healthy. 5. And if someone says something that makes you nervous or upset remember the 4 R's of Responsible Respectful Responding: 1. RECENTER: Take a deep breath. If you are anxious or upset you are not centered and your breathing is shallow. Taking a couple deep breaths will help you get out of your head and back into your body; to your Center wherein lies your power (when you are not centered you lose your personal power) . 2. REFOCUS: Remind yourself of your intentions for your life and Focus on how you can handle this situation (in a kind and respectful manner) that will support those intentions. 3. RELAX: Once you are Centered and Focused you can then Relax: do a quick body scan and release any tension you might still be holding. 4.RESPOND: Now instead of impulsively reacting (from a state of fear or anxiety) you can Responsibly and Respectfully Respond to the situation with Clarity, Calm, Compassion, and Confidence! Affirmation: Recenter, Refocus, Relax, and Respond: That's how I roll! Happy Thanksgiving!! Live in Love, Louisa

I've been wondering the same thing! I deleted my Facebook (gave it up for lent) and then reactivated when the Facebook group was mentioned. I never received an invite, so I deactivated it again.

I've never really experienced dumping but if I eat something with too much sugar, I get reactive hypoglycemia. My blood sugar bottoms out quickly and i just feel crappy so I have to eat something to bring it back up. I try avoid this by limiting my sugar intake.

I forgot to mention that I have to eat more often because I have reactive hypoglycemia as a result of my surgery. When I eat popcorn it's a normal serving according the package and I always have it with Protein. I only eat it twice a day for like lunch and maybe a late night snack and again always with protein. The Protein Bars I have more of then I probably should but I have a hard time getting meat protein down a lot of times so I compensate with the bars. I need to go back I think to having more shakes like I used to. Well thanks James for your input. The exercise I do get is going up and down the stairs at least a dozen times a day so i'm not totally immobile. I suffer from osteoarthritis, RSD, fibromyalgia and stenosis of the spine so exercise recently has been more difficult to go to the gym but I have confidence I'll get back there.

Hi All. I'm preparing for gastric bypass reversal December 3. I had gastric bypass RNY in 2004. I had little to no complications the first 2 years. Then I started having extreme stomach pain. After several tests they found no cause and decided I had slow bowels that were causing painful constipation. After several years of on and off stomach pain, I ended up in the ER where they found an internal hernia that was strangulated between my liver and my kidneys. Apparently during the time of my original gastric bypass there was an area of the abdomen that was left vulnerable to internal hernias. They say that they no longer have that problem in current surgeries. Anyways, I died on the table that night. But they revived me, and corrected the hernia. My original rny was laparoscopic. With the internal hernia, I went into the ER with the severe stomach pain, then woke up with a long vertical scar on my stomach that looked like a large zipper, was a little shocking. 1 year later I ended up in the ER because the scar tissue from the open stomach surgery a year before, had given me a blocked bowel. Once again I woke up with the whole zipper down the front. This time they had to go around the other side of my belly button for some reason, so I now had "train tracks" down the lower part of my stomach. 2 years later, after I'd been working out quite a bit, they found that the seam line of my scar hadn't healed all the way properly. One surgeon said it was like Swiss cheese. So, they went back in and sewed in a mesh to protect my seam line from further hernias. After the first emergency surgery, I noticed I had hypoglycemia every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Year by year, I started needing to eat more often. But I was able to keep the weight off. About a year ago, I got to where I need to eat every 40-50 minutes or I get "sick." And started gaining weight. I asked my primary care for help, but he told me he too has hypoglycemia and just make sure I eat properly. I finally researched severe reactive hypoglycemia, and severe dumping syndrome, printed out info from the NIH website, and took it with me. Finally I got sent to a bariatric surgeon for help. He sent me to an endocrinologist who implanted a Continuous blood glucose monitor for 6 days. (That thing was so cool! It takes your blood sugar reading every 5 minutes.) It was found that any time I ate even just 1 1/2 grams of carbs my blood sugar would drop by 60-80 points within 40-60 minutes...causing me to need to eat again, to keep from passing out. When I ate only Protein, my blood sugar would stay on the low side, which left me no energy at all. I could go for about 90 minutes before my blood sugar would drop...but even just eating protein would trigger the blood sugar drop. It was found that the hole between my stomach pouch, which is still quite small, and the attached intestine has become over large, so the food is dropping straight into my intestines, and triggering my pancreas to produce extra insulin. The hardest part is going to the store etc, and if I get involved and don't pay attention to the clock, I can suddenly feel a flushing feeling, and feel like I'm going to pass out immediately if I don't eat. It's become very difficult to go anywhere away from the house. Would I have gastric bypass if I knew all about this, NO. I have grown to appreciate Energy. Energy levels. I enjoy working with horses and being active, but have been unable to for the past 2 years. I cannot count on maintaining enough energy from hour to hour. My goal, to be able to eat something and maintain good stable energy for 3 hours or so. I didn't have the gastric bypass so I could need to lie down all the time. I envisioned being more active and having More energy as as a thinner person. If you have good energy, and you just don't like the way you look etc, Please don't have this surgery. I only recommend it for people who have immediate heart and serious medical issues due to their weight. I looked my new bariatric surgeon in the eye and told him I wouldn't mind gaining all my weight back, if it means I can have good consistent energy every day. Gastric bypass so drastically alters our anatomy. I may never have proper digestion again. I hope my story helps someone!

Holiday celebrations are all about food, right? Save up every year, to overeat and not keep yourself in check. It’s a losing mindset from the get-go. The end of the year is really about memories, gratitude and those who we care for in life, not just the Thanksgiving feast or the Christmas Day buffet. What makes a holiday special also makes it filled with emotions and triggers that enable our unhealthy excessive eating behaviors to be acceptable at this time of year. A few things that may sound familiar and affect many of us during the holiday season are: Family traditions and ethnic backgrounds with food memories that have followed us through life. Trauma, hardships or losses that make holiday cheer tough to enjoy or even tolerate on some levels. Falling back on a diet mindset and thinking it’s ok to eat recreate old habits from October 31-January 2. Awareness of mental and emotional struggles feeling more acute during the holiday season. For bariatric patients, an immediate fear presents itself: “How can I survive all the parties and family celebrations while embracing my post-surgery food choices so I don’t lose control with holiday eating and drinking this year?” The practical answer: Prepare for it, just as if the surgery was ahead of you. Think and plan for success with the least amount of guilt and destruction possible. Holiday foods are not “rewards” or “treats” or a reason to fall off the mindful thinking that you use every day. We all have family and cultural traditions of holiday foods, and the meanings behind them; that often follow us into adulthood. The connection is to people, not food itself. Holiday time often intensifies many people’s mental and emotional struggle with life issues. Food can often be an immediate distraction and way to receive immediate gratification in tough times. The trouble is, the stresses and issues remain after the food is consumed. Often, alcohol consumption increases at holiday time as well, so mindset is altered by allowing more uninhibited behavior to prevail. Using good judgment often decreases as well. So, if we can use the model of being prepared and accountable for ourselves, what would it look like? Think of the season on your terms. Where can you plan and take the lead on making good choices for yourself while still feeling the holiday spirit? Find control where you can make food to bring to others parties or meals. Host at your home to take pressure off of yourself. Be honest and ask to be considered when food is being prepared and served so that you can also taste but be flooded by the excessive choices and behaviors all around us. Find ways to relax and refresh so you are not overwhelmed or drained by the holiday madness. Keep a journal of your thoughts, fears, successes and challenges to remind you of the proud journey you are on now. Use meditative activities to bring a more even and peaceful attitude to the business of the season and the potential for burnout and self-destruction. Give of yourself to others that need to be uplifted. Find a community, group hobby or counselor if the season is troubling of extremely unmanageable. Many times the holiday triggers are too hard to handle alone. Ask for help and know that you are being proactive (helping yourself) instead of reactive (always behind and at the mercy of others decisions and actions). The key is to stay connected to the resources, the people, places and things that bring successful experiences to us, and avoid harmful or undermining circumstances that reinforce low self-esteem and bad, and often destructive, behaviors. As a bariatric patient, being accountable is helping yourself stay focused on a positive and productive mindset with help provide a fulfilling and peaceful holiday season each and every year. Yes, this is you, enjoying your life during the holidays.

A few things that may sound familiar and affect many of us during the holiday season are: Family traditions and ethnic backgrounds with food memories that have followed us through life. Trauma, hardships or losses that make holiday cheer tough to enjoy or even tolerate on some levels. Falling back on a diet mindset and thinking it’s ok to eat recreate old habits from October 31-January 2. Awareness of mental and emotional struggles feeling more acute during the holiday season. For bariatric patients, an immediate fear presents itself: “How can I survive all the parties and family celebrations while embracing my post-surgery food choices so I don’t lose control with holiday eating and drinking this year?” The practical answer: Prepare for it, just as if the surgery was ahead of you. Think and plan for success with the least amount of guilt and destruction possible. Holiday foods are not “rewards” or “treats” or a reason to fall off the mindful thinking that you use every day. We all have family and cultural traditions of holiday foods, and the meanings behind them; that often follow us into adulthood. The connection is to people, not food itself. Holiday time often intensifies many people’s mental and emotional struggle with life issues. Food can often be an immediate distraction and way to receive immediate gratification in tough times. The trouble is, the stresses and issues remain after the food is consumed. Often, alcohol consumption increases at holiday time as well, so mindset is altered by allowing more uninhibited behavior to prevail. Using good judgment often decreases as well. So, if we can use the model of being prepared and accountable for ourselves, what would it look like? Think of the season on your terms. Where can you plan and take the lead on making good choices for yourself while still feeling the holiday spirit? Find control where you can make food to bring to others parties or meals. Host at your home to take pressure off of yourself. Be honest and ask to be considered when food is being prepared and served so that you can also taste but be flooded by the excessive choices and behaviors all around us. Find ways to relax and refresh so you are not overwhelmed or drained by the holiday madness. Keep a journal of your thoughts, fears, successes and challenges to remind you of the proud journey you are on now. Use meditative activities to bring a more even and peaceful attitude to the business of the season and the potential for burnout and self-destruction. Give of yourself to others that need to be uplifted. Find a community, group hobby or counselor if the season is troubling of extremely unmanageable. Many times the holiday triggers are too hard to handle alone. Ask for help and know that you are being proactive (helping yourself) instead of reactive (always behind and at the mercy of others decisions and actions). The key is to stay connected to the resources, the people, places and things that bring successful experiences to us, and avoid harmful or undermining circumstances that reinforce low self-esteem and bad, and often destructive, behaviors. As a bariatric patient, being accountable is helping yourself stay focused on a positive and productive mindset with help provide a fulfilling and peaceful holiday season each and every year. Yes, this is you, enjoying your life during the holidays.

Hi, I am Type 1 on a pump and have a date for Surgery in January 2015, I'm having the gastric by pass , any ideas on how to keep blood sugars normal after the op? Bit worried about having a lot of hypos as I won't be eating many Carbs

Expressing your feeling is not wrong but you do have control over the way you express them. The last thing you want is to develop a new coping mechanism (food no longer available) to deal with stress and becoming a A-hole is very possible. Specially since your statements will get some attention. It's amazing how the human mind can settle for negative attention and even crave it in the absence of what it needs. You will have to dig deep and find the things that make you happy and support you in order not to be so dependent on the negative attention. Try a time out before saying something rash. work the words in your head before saying them. Ask, is it necessary, what will it accomplish, is it kind, will it help me? any thought process to delay reactive responses is always good. If you find that you cannot control your emotions/statements then Therapy would be advisable.

Congrats! I also got reactive hypoglycemia that Bothers me too with the sleeve.

Hi Lisa, I started first seeing the surgeon in May and had surgery in September. I had to have 4 meetings with my PCP for weight management, 1 meeting with a psychiatrist, 4 meetings with nutritionist, loose 10% of my weight before surgery, a sleep study, stress test, EEG (in your case it would probably be an EKG), a throat scope and 1 bariatric meeting. I had bypass surgery and am very pleased with the results of that surgery. You ask about draw backs and the only one I have had is a developed reactive hypoglycemia which 1% to 2% get it and of course I had to be one of them. It's manageable with my what I eat. That's the only thing I can say was a draw back and if I had to choose again I would do it even knowing this could happen. Good luck with your decision and being a healthier you.

I'm 16 months post op and haven't lost a thing in 6 months! I've been having a terrible time with low blood sugar (they think I might have reactive hypoglycemia). Whenever I get these lows I feel ravenous and eat more than I normally would! I feel like an epic failure. I want to get back on track and I've tried, but every time I try to eat like I did before having these low blood sugar episodes I get the episodes again. It's a vicious cycle! I'm discouraged and ready to give up on ever being a normal weight again.

It expands your stomach and since we have little room it can cause some serious issues. Also it is a big red flag as there is no nutritional value to it at all and pushes the need for artificial sugars or the refined sugar to the extreme. My nut told me that if she sees a patient who drinks soda of any kind it means they are doomed. I took that seriously. I do not drink soda of any kind. Others can handle it. Me nope, and now that I have hypoglycemia (reactive) It is no longer even a thought.

I've been sleeved since April 2014 and have lost 73 lbs since my surgery date, and NO diarhea. Not at all. In fact I need to take Fiber if i want to ensure regularity. As for a doc like yours who sounds somewhat behind the times in his research, definitely get another option, or you could be back in a few years with worse complications and having gained more weight (mine crept up year after year anyway). It might be that your excess weight isn't high enough for this (not sure your height or BMI or anything), but it'd be far better to know and be advised by someone who's more up to date on the real life of WLS patients than one who's sounding somewhat reactive from old hype. So glad you're looking at options for a healthier life though!

Hi Julie, My band is very reactive to stress. When my stress level goes up, my band with tighten, to the point of being too tight and throwing up at every meal. I went through a period when I wasn't following up with my dr. and when I did it was because I was so miserable. I now know the signs and will gladly pay the $40 copay to get my band where it needs to be. Awesome job on your weight loss!

I'm the same as you (eat way less and better and think about food all the time) but I like it (? ) I enjoy finding the most nutritious food instead now. I can't do fly by seat of pants like him either, I find I put on when I eat reactively.

I ended up with emergency surgery. Leak reappeared and spleen abscess reactivated. My surgery was 5.5 hours. The stomach leak was fixed. Spleen fused to liver and pancreas so my spleen was removed along with a small piece of liver and pancreas. Due to the way sleeve was done they were able to just snip off a leakey piece of stomach. So far i am doing good.

Chelly, how do you manage your reactive hypoglycemia?

If you suffer from acid reflux then bypass is the best option. I know this because when I originally was going to have surgery I wanted the sleeve and was preparing for the sleeve but when I met with my gastric doctor he told me to have the bypass because of GERDS. I listened and I've had great success and even though I got Reactive Hypoglycemia which only 2% of gastric bypass patients get it I would do it all over again in minute. Reactive Hypoglycemia is different then regular Hypoglycemia and is really a very low risk of getting it. Good luck in your decision and best to you on your journey to a healthier you. P.S. I hope I haven't scared you with what I disclosed to you and if it worries you discuss it with your surgeon or nutritionist.