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Lisa, I know that I have had great weight loss the amazing thing is that I have been stalled for over a week now. As far as my diet goes ever since I was told I could advance to the mushie diet I have kinded cheated and not chopped or blended any of my food. I have had absolutely no complications with my new tummy. I see people posting that they barely get down 1 egg and I have been putting down 2 or more if I eat them alone. My typical daily diet is 2 scrambled eggs with a piece of toast for Breakfast, a greek yogurt for a snack, tuna or chicken salad for luch sometimes with whole wheat crackers, then a cheese stick or half cup of cottage cheese for another snack. All of that takes place at my work between 8 - 4 I usually have around 200 calories left for dinner where I try to have chicken, a vegetable and a potatoe. As for my hunger being an acid problem, I don't think that is the problem. I have been using liquid zantac sine the day I was able to return home after surgery. I have also tried using tums with no change. Hope this answers some of your questions and I will be looking forward to your feedback.

It's been a long while since I first posted these questions and received so many helpful answers. For my insurance to pay, I had to get to and remain at a bmi under 35 for a year. I was able to get there and remained for longer than a year (plus had to wait scheduling with two surgeons, etc.), but it's done now. HolyMotherOfPete was the pain bad. Not all the time and not the incision, seriously, all numb there, but the abdominal pressure and spasms. Coughing/sneezing are murderous for a few days. I had some complications with a few things, but also a big reaction to the bandages--blisters everywhere. Apparently, I'm allergic and didn't know it. Anyways, as so many great people have shared theirs, I'm sharing my results. Thanks again to everyone.

Oh no not 2 months out I was very sick after my surgery I started about 4 months out I had complications but once I was given the ok I went out and got it done thank you anything is possible motivation and saying no to temptation.

docsdeb- I don't know what thread you read, but keep in mind, that thread is what life is really like for that person, not for everyone. The majority of what you read is positive and for all you know that person could have just been having a bad day when they wrote the post. So far (although I have only been banded a week :confused: my experience has been very positive. I haven't had a panic attack in a long time and the band hasn't changed that. I guess you have to weigh the risks of what the changes in your life are if you do get the band vs the complications that come with obesity. For me the complications that I read associated with the band were minor compared to the complications associated with hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. I agree with poolvr, don't rush into anything, but also don't let anxiety prevent you from getting a tool that will help you overcome obesity. Best wishes, Elizabeth

@@parisshel I am so glad that you went to the ER and that they were able to help stabilize you. The symptoms of heart attack in women are so much different then what we would think they are. Here is a link to a Video by Elizabeth Banks on Heart Attacks in Women. We might think it can't be that, but sometimes it can very well be. I had one when I was very young due to medical complications after the birth of my son. https://www.goredforwomen.org/about-heart-disease/symptoms_of_heart_disease_in_women/just-a-little-heart-attack/ It is a GREAT idea to have your cardio Dr. sync up with your bariatric surgeon because the Vagus nerve can also play a role in what's going on and most Cardiologist are not familiar with WLS patients, having him consult with your surgeon will help in what ever diagnosis and treatment that may be needed. So glad you are OK. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and keep in touch let us know how your doing.

I'm sorry to hear that your surgeon would not help you. I know many people that end up with RNY because they do not or can not fight for the sleeve. Best wishes with your RNY, and during your surgery and recovery. I'm sure you are disappointed. Like I said, you could always strap some weights on your ankles, and other stuff to tip the scale in your favor. Sorry, I know it's not "right" or the moral thing to do, but I can 100% tell you that if VSG would have not been an option, I would of had my band removed, and stayed fat. The long term complications with RNY are just not worth it. I'm not trying to scare you, but if you haven't, check out the revision forum on obesityhelp.com and see just how many people are revising from RNY to either ERNY or DS. I know you need permanent, I know you need surgery. I understand all of that, but why not possibly find another surgeon that will work with you, and why is he trying to force RNY on you? Does he not sleeves? Does not have many sleeves under his belt? I mean, RNY is a more expensive surgery by several, several thousand so that is a big reason why some surgeons push it instead of the sleeve. I'm not saying that's the case for your surgeon, but it's happened, and I know people that have been in that position.

It was around January 15th of this year when I went to my first informational meeting about the sleeve. Since then I've been through all kinds of tests, physical and psychological, and waited patiently for things to fall into place. Tomorrow is the day. At 6 a.m. I show up at the hospital, and at 7:45 a.m. they begin. I am excited, scared, nervous and happy all at once. At 5' 3.5" and 237 lbs. with multiple comorbidities I know I am doing the best thing for my health and for the rest of my life. The only worries I have are about complications from the surgery, so if y'all would pray for smooth sailing for me, I'd appreciate it. Oh, and please move over, will you? You've got a wide load comin' atcha on that loser's bench!

I agree with those above. What works for one won’t work for all. We find different ways of managing our lives and bodies. Success is defined differently by everyone. It’s not black and white, this is a complicated long term commitment. A lot of doctors have changed their protocols and one surgeons strategy doesn’t always match up with another’s. Vets are qualified to give advice- because they have been through it.

I had surgery on 02/09/12. No complications or issues thank God. I didn't really have hardly any feelings of why did I do this...maybe because I was expecting it. The pain wasnt to bad either. I didn't mourn food but maybe because I was already used to it from the lapband. I didnt mourn it much then either. I do remember being at a resturaunt watching a young girl wolfing down a huge burger thinking I'll never be able to do that again but who needs that? I eat delicious healthy foods in small quantites to nourish my body. That's the way it should be.

I had surgery on 02/09/12. No complications or issues thank God. I didn't really have hardly any feelings of why did I do this...maybe because I was expecting it. The pain wasnt to bad either. I didn't mourn food but maybe because I was already used to it from the lapband. I didnt mourn it much then either. I do remember being at a resturaunt watching a young girl wolfing down a huge burger thinking I'll never be able to do that again but who needs that? I eat delicious healthy foods in small quantites to nourish my body. That's the way it should be.

I was sleeved 4/27 and i gotta say at this point in the process i have not had any complications at all ( thank god) however i am still struggling with regret as to why i did this. Its a mental challenge and i know it will get easier in time however right now it is really rough to watch ur family eat whatever they want as u eat ur small spoonfull of yogart... This is just my opinion.. And i hope everyday it starts getting easier.... Good luck to u....

For me it was life changing in every sense. The surgery was quite simple, minor pain at the incision areas, but aside from that really no serious pain. Thankfully, I didn't have some of the 'gas pains' that others have. No nausea, vomiting or extreme discomfort. Not really very hungry for the first few weeks either. I'm not sure if it's common practice, but right before my surgery and at my 6-month check up I had a "Myers Cocktail" which is basically a bunch of vitamins given through IV. Really helped with recovery and energy levels during a time where you really can't get much energy from food. YMMV, but for me recovery was super fast. I was eating pureed food by day 2 and solid foods by I think the end of week 2. Don't worry too much about calories in the beginning. Regardless of what you eat, you won't be able to eat much. Refried beans were a lifesaver for me the first few days on pureed foods, and the Ricotta bake that you see mentioned so much here was also a staple. Couple pieces of advice (again, everyone's different but some of what I see on here leads me to believe that the issue is more frequent than some others): Pay attention to your water. Sounds silly, but right after surgery I had no interest in drinking anything. I had to remind myself to drink water. So I started carrying around my water everywhere. That helped. Kept me sipping throughout the day. One of my biggest issues pre-op was that I ate fast, and when I say fast I mean really really fast. I honestly believe that was a huge part of my weight gain as it led to difficulty digesting, overeating, etc. Use the time in the beginning to re-train yourself on eating slowly and chew chew chew chew chew! Even your liquids. Even your pureed food. Even your smoothies. Chew it all. Sounds weird, but helped me monumentally. Don't try to jump into exercise too early, but don't put it off too long either. We all do this to bring about changes beyond food. We all want to be more active, make healthier choices. It's easy to want to jump right in, but I would wait until you get clearance from your doc (ask) to start, because any injury can cause complications with the surgery or set you back in your recovery or both. Also, you don't want to wait too long because it's WAY TOO EASY to fall back into old habits. Ask your doc at every checkup if you're cleared to exercise and when you are, get moving. Have a plan ready to go. Start with walks and move into beginner plans if you have to and then progressively take on more as you can, but start. Don't get discouraged with stalls. They happen. For some they happen sooner than others, but I think most of us experience them. Just stick to your plan. There are some good articles on here about how to work through stalls. Stalls will hit your ego a lot harder than your overall progress, I promise. Keep with your plan, and you'll push through. Use this time to change what you eat. Just because you can't eat as much of something does not mean that it's a good thing to eat. In the very beginning (first 1-2 weeks), you just need to get something in. Once you start back on solid foods, make sure you're choosing healthy foods. That doesn't mean you have to count calories, macros or any of that. Of course you can if that's what helps you, but I would use this time to find what works best for you. Since you can't eat a lot of different foods, chances are when you start back on solids you'll likely be eating only 1-2 different foods at a time. There won't be 3-4 sides, etc. It's a good time to see how different foods make you feel. Some people do great on a high-protein, low-carb diet. That didn't do it for me. I stuck with the physician's plan for the first 30 days (high protein), but I wanted something more balanced and more sustainable (for me) long-term. I made the change to go to a whole-foods based diet, and it's what I still do today, almost 5 years post-op. I stay away from anything processed as much as I possibly can. This doesn't limit me as much as other diets and it worked really for me. Try foods and see how they make you feel. Weed out the ones that leave you feeling bad, bloated, tired, etc. Enjoy what you couldn't enjoy pre-op. When you get out there and start enjoying the things that you may not have been able to do before your surgery, it's automatic motivation to stay on plan. If you have activities or certain things you have had to sit out because of your weight, having the opportunity to do them is like being a kid again and doing these activities for the first time. Remember those experiences. They will get you through any challenges you might face. Remember that times do get challenging, but that's why you're here. There's a lot of support here. I'm sure you have family and friends to help in that arena as well, but there's something about talking with people who've experienced everything you're going through. Don't forget that we're here. Sorry for the long-winded post, but I hope this gives you some encouragement as you start your journey. Best of luck to you and please keep us in the loop with how everything is going!

I'm so sorry you have had these problems. Gall bladder surgery is awful but complicated gall badder surger is even worse. One of my stones got loose and they had to fish it out with an ERCP and that caused me to go into pancreatitis. Ouch! Your blood pressure is probably still suffering from the stress and trauma your body has gone through. Two surgeries in a short time is hard on you. Having your bile ducts clogged with stones is hard on you. Having your liver and pancreas unhappy is hard on you. Your poor body has been through the ringer. Give yourself a little time. Do what your doctors tell you to do. It's good you have lost some weight. Think what bad complications you might have had if you were heavier. Good luck to you!

Hey Richard! I've enjoyed your posts around here:) I saw Dr. B before I got my first fill (I was empty <fill wise>, eating solid foods, and having no trouble putting the food in!). He said with no complications, that was a good sign (getting hungry, eating successfully) of everything being in place. Dr. B just wants you to call for another fill when you are following instructions the best you can, but are still hungry. I know it seems weird, and have read some folks have to wait a LONG time. Sometimes even sounds like insurance dictates when, which seems way too structured and frustrating to me. That would be so hard to wait...it's dieting without the "benefits" of being banded! They scheduled me 4 weeks out from surgery for 1st fill, my next is March 14. My nurse at the fill center said that if I was still very ravenous (constant state for me, must find diversions) and able to easily eat what I used to, I could even move up the next fill. Said it was very normal to feel this way, even after my 1st fill. I don't have a set number of fills I can get...just whatever it takes. They are pretty aggressive, but us big banders may require that! I know everyone is different, but this seems to work for me. Keep it up, love!

Other than the lifting restrictions, I was allowed to drive, hope, etc. I only took pain meds the first day after arriving at home. After that, I took liquid Tylenol a couple times just at night. But other than that, I had no complications....no nausea, very little pain. And I even had additional hernia repair along with my sleeve surgery. Again, everyone is different, so some have easier recoveries and some harder.

Staff very professional, and the doctors and surgeon superb. When I returned home my PCP was nothing but supportive and has done complete metabolic panel, waiting results now. But I did get kicked out of the weight wise program. There is a Bariatric Revisional Surgery Clinic in Edmonton should you have complications. Also, Alberta Health care has access to Dieticians and nurses and all that through the primary care network, so there is a ton o

So, my questions to all of you are: 1. Do you regret having the surgery? Not in the slightest! 2. Have you had any complications because of the LB? Nope. None. 3. Is there anything physically you can't do anymore because of the LB? Stuff my face with a cheeseburger and french fries in 3 minutes flat.... 4. What foods and drinks are off limits now or can you not handle because of the LB? No drinks. Have even had carbonated drinks without any problem. As far as foods...I steer clear from breads right now because I have a GREAT restriction, but before this I COULD eat bread. Nothing is off limits if you can successfully get it down. 5. Have you had any negative side effects? Yes. Horrible side effects....my checkbook is smoking and my bank account is depleted from all the new clothes I have purchase in the last three weeks after dropping 40+ pounds! :biggrin1:

I had the same doubt after attending my first seminar, but what helped me make this life changing decision is, the band is reversible and if god forbid any complications arise it can be adjusted. Also, there is no manipulation of your intestines or other digestive organs. It's just a band on your stomach. Now having said all that, it is a tool, you still have to do some work to be successful with weight loss. The band has been successful for me so far, since my surgery on Dec. 14,2010 I have lost 20.9 lbs for a total of 29.8 so far since I started this journey in late October. But trust your decision weigh all the odds and research every possible option and you will make the best decision for your personal situation. Best of Luck!

Those who know me at this site know what I've been through during the whole sleeve process. I've had my share of complications and difficulties and I've also had my share of regrets. But I can honestly say I have overcome all of it. The weight will start dropping and you'll feel better everyday. You'll be able to do things you either never have done or wanted to be able to do again. You will get surprising comments from people, wonderful compliments. Children will even take notice and you know how honest they can be. Food will become something for survival and necessity instead of a habit and you will wake up one morning and realize it and things will just change..your eyes will open. You are so early out, it's very difficult to put things into perspective at this time so I would just focus on doing what your supposed to do..fluids, protein, excercise,,etc..and let the warm fuzzy feelings come with time. I know it's so hard but you made a decision to take charge of your life. It doesn't seem like the perfect thing having the surgery right now but you will be so glad someday soon and all the bad experiences you are having will fade. Although it's so wonderful, it's not just about the cute clothes or the compliments for me. I'm going to be so much healthier and live my life instead of watching others around me live theirs.

No issues with insurance. The Dr. did however make me redo some qualifying items such as meeting with the NUT and a Psych Eval. The Dr. also did some additional testing, gastric emptying study, and tried conventional medicines, reglan and erythromycin first to speed the stomach emptying process to try to correct the issue. All failed but was documented and provided to the insurance to support the approval. Bile Reflux is a rare complication of the Sleeve that is not documented, however it may be corrected with medication first prior to taking a drastic route to have a revision surgery. I hope that all works out for you. Reach out if you have questions.

Ok. Glad we got that sorted out. May I offer a bit of advice? You may hear stories, but there are some important things to keep in mind. Many of the stories people pass on are about a friend of a friend's 2nd cousin (or some such distant relationship) who supposedly had such and such a problem. The first problem is that the facts are often distorted and exaggerated in the retelling because everyone loves to tell a good dramatic story, especially if they are trying to persuade you not to have surgery. You can never be sure what their agenda may be. The second problem is that you never know the details of the other person's physical condition, their age, any co-morbidities which may have contributed to the situation, how well they followed their program before and after surgery, whether they followed the surgeon's instructions precisely---or did they do something stupid like not going to the ER when complications arose or tried to eat a steak 2 days after surgery, etc.... Some people make mind-boggling choices. A friend of my family developed an infection and blood clot after surgery. It was a weekend and instead of following her doctor's instructions and calling him to report any problem or going to the ER when she had very clear symptoms of a clot and an infection, she decided not to disturb her doctor on the weekend with a phone call and not to spend $75 to go to the ER. She died when the clot broke loose. She was a warm and wonderful woman, but she made two terrible choices. Sad, but her story doesn't signify anything for your likely journey other than a warning to call your doctor or go to the ER if you have concerns. So while such stories may make you aware of some potential complications or issues, your journey will be very specifically your own, depending on your condition and history and how well you do with your program. There is so much to learn about WLS and the lifestyle changes you have to make before surgery and every day of your life thereafter. It's good to seek out information, but try to keep a balanced view and don't add unnecessarily to your own natural jitters by filling your mind with supposed horror stories. They bring you down and sap your energy just when you need to be focused on your own health and well-being. All that said, if you read the thousands of posts on this forum and several similar ones you'll learn an awful lot about the challenges people have faced, as well as see the support they've gotten and how they have worked towards solutions. I hope this helps and that you will enjoy your journey and have the weight loss you seek. I sailed through surgery and recovery, even though I am older and have heart trouble, and am so thrilled with the results. I wish you similar happiness!

Just wanted to point out that choosing the right surgeon - one with lots of experience and associated with a center for excellence - can drastically reduce your risk of complications. Even my insurance company's website recommends researching and choosing an experienced surgeon because - in their exact words - there is definitely a 'learning curve' in weight loss surgery. Choosing the right surgeon is probably the most important first step.

I so totally agree with you. I want to hear/read any informative issues people have with their process, complications, goals, achievements, etc, don't care about their personal life per se. I am 71 and lately have been reading so much petty c..p that I'm thinking this is a forum for a bunch of teenagers. Love your post.

@@My Bariatric Life @@Alex Brecher Thank you both for the article and response. I was hospitalized for malnutrition about 7 months after surgery. I literally was going to die from cachexia. I've had problems ever since then. I had GI issues before the surgery and the surgery was to fix a problem. Not only did it not, but caused a bunch of other issues. My bariatric surgeon did not test for all the items above. Only for what was "general for their patients". They also didn't know how to deal with complications, or, it appears, how to listen to a patient and not say everything was all in their heads. I would suggest, based on my experience, that people really ask about the aftercare. This is huge problem after surgery, and I've seen it on several forums. I was shocked and surprised when one post addressed it and got a lot of answers feeling the same way. My questions would be how much aftercare is performed, what types of complications have they dealt with and what ones have they dropped? I've seen "ads" that tout how great a place is, but can't take care of problems and end up really dumping them on other doctors. Please, I don't want to see others in that situation. I'm having a number of physical problems that interrupt my life and are expensive, all because a surgeon didn't know the researched complications after the surgery and didn't work with my doctors when his consult was requested (or put it in when it wasn't). Good luck to all.

Hmmm. I'm wondering why you guys have to take any of the shots at all? I didn't take ANYTHING like vit.K, lovenox, coumadin, NOTHING pre- OR post surgery. Why would surgeons be so very different when it comes to this? I had no complications whatsoever with bleeding,not bleeding, etc. Since I've been losing weight though my hormones are going a bit crazy. I have PCOS and have been bleeding for almost 2 weeks now. July 2nd I had a D&C and 2 units of blood. But none of this had anything to do with the actual surgery. (Sleeved 3/15/11--and down 71lbs since then). I hope things get better for you. Bleeding is VERY scary and should be dealt with immediately. Good luck sister. Thoughts and prayers for you.