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My gastric bypass was on 9/17! I’m officially 2 weeks out and down 17 lbs from my surgical weight. I’m psyched I found this thread- I feel like there are more people that get the sleeve than get the bypass. I’ve suffered from acid reflux since childhood, so when they asked which surgery I was interested in, it seemed to me like a 2 birds, 1 stone thing, you know? How is everyone doing?

When I was in the hospital for my gastric bypass surgery, the first meal tray they brought me had a bowl of fruit cocktail! Apparently, they were out of sugar-free Jello, and they decided that fruit cocktail was the best substitution they had. When the nurse came in and saw it, she gasped and said, "You didn't eat any of that, did you?" and went to give the food service people a talking-to.

Generally, VSG is only a bit of restriction. All the plumbing is as it was pre-op. So, generally, there is no reason tolerances or much else should change. In some VSG folks, and depending on circumstances, alcohol may dump through the pyloric valve quick than pre-op, causing an effect similar to Gastric Bypass below. There could also be an impact that because you eat less and weigh less that eventually the buzz could hit slightly harder. For Gastric Bypass, in addition to the restriction, the pyloric valve is no longer in play so any alcohol dumps straight into the intestines. Generally this would cause the alcohol to hit nearly all at once, making it feel like it's hitting harder because it's processing all at once. Because all you drink is processed immediately my Doc* felt it was harder on the liver, so with my severe fatty liver he cautioned me not to overdrink if I could avoid it. As with all things, your mileage may vary. Good luck, Tek * I took what Doc said as fact though I don't recall researching it on my own as I usually would.

Hi there has anyone experienced an extremely slow weight loss after getting a bypass? I am close to my 5 month check up and have lost 45 pounds here but 10 of those were lost in the last two months. It’s been very discouraging to only lose 5 lbs per month. I have 22 more lbs to go to reach my goal here. I do understand that when you get to a lower weight it’s slows but this feels very slow... I do walk 3 miles daily drink 50oz of water, and keep calories under 700 daily with 80 grams of protein. The only thing I’ve done differently is add coffee back into my diet but have only been drinking one cup daily, I can’t imagine that would be enough to affect my weight loss, but I did make this change in the last two months.. I’m curious to know if anyone else has experienced similar issues and if so what changes did you make to get back on track thank you in advance for any suggestions you may have!

I’m scheduled to have my revision finally. I’m excited and nervous. Any surgery buddies in November?

Hello Bariatric Buddies (corny right? lol) I thought I'd come on here and share my experience so far for those who may be thinking about weight loss surgery OR are scheduled to undergo surgery soon. I started my bariatric surgery journey May 4th 2021 after YEARS of wanting to do it but not having the courage to start. At that point i was 298LBS. At my heaviest i was 305LBS. What prompted me to just go for it and conquer my fears was just wanting to be healthy again. I was tired of making excuses and as sad as it sounds i was tired of looking in the mirror every day staring at myself morphing into this person i no longer wanted to be. Fortunately for me, i didn't have any MAJOR health issues, however i did/do suffer from PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome). For anyone who knows the struggles of PCOS you know trying fad diets and exercising isn't really helpful when trying to lose weight when your hormones are so imbalanced. Any who, going forward - i contacted my local bariatric surgery center and set up my initial consult. Since we're still being affected by covid, majority of my appointments were via video. My first consult they went over my eligibility requirements, health history and goals. After speaking with the nurse navigator they then scheduled my next visit with the Surgeon who would then change my life forever. So, two weeks later, i meet my surgeon VIA zoom (and let me say, i love that she was blunt, super honest and made sure my goals and perception of the surgery was realistic), she told me about herself, she asked me a few questions about my life, health history in depth, and she then went over my surgery options and what she felt would be my best choice (Gastric Bypass RNY). We ended the appointment on a good note. At that point i was feeling good, motivated and just proud of myself, like - GOSH, I'M FINALLY DOING THIS! At this point in the process, i have scheduled an appointment to get an EKG, chest X-RAY, cardiology, pulmonary, and a behavioral specialist. Over the course of 4 months i would complete each appointment and the specialists would send over their impressions over to the surgeon. September 3rd. I had my pre op class (with a dietitian). I signed a bunch of papers stating that i would not consume alcohol or use tobacco. I watched a video and then the dietitian stated that starting September 9th - until September 19th i will need to be on a full liquid pre op diet - at that point in the liquid diet you are not allowed to take any vitamin supplements, and or specific medications (they would go over that with you). September 9th came around and i started my three protein shakes a day, with drinking 64OZ of water until September 19th as advised. Let me tell you, that was the single most hardest thing that i have EVER done, but in the end i was so proud of myself. September 20th at 10:00AM i had to drink 10OZ of Magnesium Citrate to bowel cleanse in preparation for surgery the next morning. I spent all day in the bathroom. Around 1:30PM i received a call from the hospital letting me know what time i needed to be at the hospital for surgery the next day (9/21/21) which ended up being 7AM. I had so much trouble falling asleep that night as i was so excited yet SO nervous! Surgery day rolls around and i am up getting ready. We (my boyfriend and i) then make our way to the hospital, check in, and head to my pre op room to be prepped. They took my temperature, and my weight. When i started, i was 298 - the day of surgery i was 282LBS! At 9:40AM i went in for surgery and was in the OR for about 4HOURS. I spent about an hour and a half in recovery where they gave me 1OZ water every half hour, that would continue as i was transported to my room that i would stay for the next 24HOURS. My hospital stay wasn't bad, and my nurses/doctors were super attentive, supportive and courteous! They came in almost every hour to check my temperature, blood pressure, and incisions. I went home 9/22/21 at 9:40AM. 1st day home was challenging. I was in so much pain and discomfort. That quickly subsided as the days passed. But in those days, i attempted to drink water and protein and move around as much as possible because walking truly helps with the pain. Here i am 9 days post op and i am not at 100% yet but i am improving i still feel slight pain only where i have internal sutures, and i am gassy (like burping and stomach feeling bloated) - for that i use GAS-X - it's amazing! I currently weigh 273LBS which makes a total of 25LBS lost and 9LBS lost since surgery. 6 Day's post op i was back at work (I KNOW I KNOW I AM CRAZY - BUT I WORK IN AN OFFICE AT MY DESK MAJORITY OF THE DAY SO I AM OKAY).. Hopefully this helps! & if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask :)

Hello all! I just found these forums and I'm so glad I did. Just had my gastric bypass on Tuesday!!!! Hoping to find good support here, nobody irl has a clue what we go thru!

oct 6 sleeve to gastric bypass my birthday is the 8th lost alot of weight @ goal weight but gerd and heart burn has been kicking my butt. been hospitalized to many times. can’t wait need relief

Hi. I have had a lap band for 11 and half years. I lost around 100 lbs with it but it turned me into a bulimic because I could eat whatever I wanted and just "regurgitate" it back up. It was a bad cycle to be in, but it kept my weight off. Finally last year I went to my bariatric surgeon and confessed up. He did some tests and realized my esophagus was "floppy" and dilated. He did a complete unfill of my band at the time. I was able to maintain my original weight loss on the keto diet, but after 10 months I fell off the keto wagon and the weight QUICKLY returned. I gained around 50 lbs in 4 months!! I went back to my surgeon a year later and we have decided to remove my lap band and switch to the gastric bypass. He is not a fan of the lap band surgery anymore and is not recommending them to his patients. I have my surgery next week on October 6th. I am nervous because I am 52 now and postmenopausal. Im definitely not as active as I was when I first had my lap band surgery almost 12 years ago. How many people on this forum have had the lap band to bypass? How was their weight loss compared to the first surgery? What differences do you notice with restriction? Anyone having the surgery soon? or recently? Thanks in advance!

The learning curve is steep for me this time around. I was revised from VSG to bypass recently. I really have to watch the size of my bites now, it has to be really super super suuuper tiny or I risk feeling plugged or get pressure in my throat. If I do that, I'm good to go. I know that as time goes on, I'll be able to eat more at one sitting (I fear that actually lol) but those of you who are further out, do the size of the bites also change? No complaints here, I'm so glad I did this but I'm curious how things will change with time. Thanks in advance.

Hi I'm new on here had my bypass on the 23rd August and I've just gone on the second stage which is pure and smooth texture , I had my surgery at Stoke university I had to have 3 pints of milk a day 2 50grm pots of yoghurt and tea and coffee I cooked all my other halfs meals and it didn't bother me one bit I've only just got sorted out with a Dietician but now finally know what I'm doing good luck to you all who are having or waiting for the op

I’ve started with the Flintstones with iron. I have B vitamins in a meltable tab for under the tongue. Then there’s chewable calcium citrate with vitamin D. I had a bypass, other surgeries have different requirements. I might have to change up my vitamins when I get blood work done. Right now I’m seeing if the Flintstones is ok for me. I would call your dietitian. At my center they kind of run the show.

Well, I have not had surgery yet, but have started the process. Going to have the bypass unless the doc says otherwise. I am 68 (!) years old, 4-11 and 195 lbs. Personally, the joy will be be fitting into allllll the clothes I have handing in my closet!

My surgeon gave me ondansetron sublingual pills, and many refills. I didn't need it but it was nice having it available if I did. I needed it when I had my VSG but not for the revision. It worked within minutes back then. Perhaps you can give your team a call and see if they can give that to you. As far as restriction, I felt it as soon as I went to solids.

Hello I'm 3 weeks post op sleeve revision to bypass. I don't feel any restriction and am able to get in all my protein. On to pureed and yesterday I tried some pureed chili and have felt awful since. I am very nauseated. I don't think it's the chili anymore but perhaps I'm moving too quickly to pureed foods. With the sleeve, I could tell right away if I was full. With bypass, I'm not feeling restriction so it's difficult. I have been weighing and tracking everything. I'm hoping once I'm healed I will feel some restriction. I'm not getting in 64oz of fluid and I'm wondering if this could be the issue. Why are we so dehydrated after WLS? UGH. I love bypass as I had complications with the sleeve right out of surgery. Is there anything I can do for this nausea? I have read some older posts that the 3 week mark tends to be like this but improves around 6 to 8 weeks. I hope so cause I feel pukey. TIA ❤️

I had my bypass about 7 weeks ago. I lost about 50 pounds leading up to surgery and 20 pounds after. I also choose not to tell people I had surgery. Now that it's noticeable, I've had people comment on my weight loss. Most people just say something like "You lost weight! You look great!" However....there are those people that want to know "How much weight did you lose?" I really don't want to give a number - for a lot of reasons. Usually I just say something like "a lot". Just wondering how other people respond to that question. Thanks!

Hi! I am having lapband to gastric bypass revision done this Thursday September 30. Anybody within a few days of that date? I need a surgery buddy! 🤗

Hi! I am having revision from Lapband to gastric bypass this Thursday sept 30. Would love a buddy to go on this journey with! I am so beyond excited for my surgery

As others have indicated, there isn't a lot of difference, once beyond the first few months' transition period, between the two as far as eating and socializing. We eat out monthly with a group of DS patients (somewhat more extreme malabsorption than the RNY - no dumping tendencies but sometimes reputed to be worse on potential bathroom issues) and you can't tell who is who - DS, RNY, VSG or no WLS. There is a transition period the first few months or year where the body is adjusting to the changes, both physical and dietary, where GI issues are not uncommon (do a search for the Al Roker White House SHART story; yeah, he pooped himself at the WH.) The VSG leans more toward constipation for a while (RNY can, too) but that's primarily from the limited diet - lots of protein and minimal carbohydrate/fiber and fats to keep things moving,) Fiber supplements are the order of the day for a while, and probiotics can help with general adaptation of the gut. The RNY will be somewhat fussier on supplement need, all things being equal, to counter the malabsorption. That usually isn't a problem if people are reasonably diligent on such things, but can be problematic if one tends toward being overly casual on such things. Some things may not respond to normal oral supplements; infusions to maintain iron levels are not unusual with the RNY (or DS) but are uncommon with a sleeve. You may run into medication tolerance issues - NSAIDs are the most common class of drugs that are sited (a big NONO with the RNY, but a better tolerated little nono with the sleeve or DS) but one may run into other drugs during ones life that may be restricted with the bypass (some of the osteoporosis drugs come to mind.) Other things that may be of concern, particularly as we get older, that aren't specifically lifestyle oriented are some common medical treatments and diagnostics are off the table with a bypass - owing to the blind remnant stomach and upper GI, a number of common endoscopic procedures aren't available (they're available by normal surgical means, but not endoscopically.) You mention longevity, which I assume you are referring to longevity of weight loss or resistance to regain. From what I have seen over the years, there doesn't seem to be a significant difference between the two - people seem to be as prone to major regain problems with either, to a roughly equal degree. The caloric malabsorption of the RNY tends to dissipate after a year or two, so metabolically, one is left in about the same position as one who had a sleeve (though the bypass patient may have lost weight a bit more easily.) To get a significant difference in regain resistance, one needs to look into the DS, particularly the "traditional" BPD/DS. It has a somewhat different set of trade offs, but is worth considering (particularly since the bypass is so difficult to revise if it doesn't yield the desired results.) Good luck - lots to think about, and none of it is easy!

Yes, on the same day they are removing my band and then doing the bypass. I am nervous about the pain and recovery afterwards and if I will be up and moving the same time as everyone else.

I do my gastric bypass surgery September 28th so y'all wish me luck

Yes. Every year after my vsg surgery, I did two things: Full blood test and have a check up visit with my team including a barium swallow to check my sleeve. I was always paranoid I had stretched it. I will probably do the same now with my revision. Sent from my SM-N986U using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my gallbladder out in 2015 after a terrible gallstone attack that sent me to Emergency. The gallbladder removal was honestly almost painless post-op. It was done laparoscopically by the same surgeon who did my WLS, and I was in hospital overnight. The discomfort was mild and the only time it peaked was when I was jostled - like when in a car going over a bump. I was given the all clear to travel interstate a couple of weeks after (as it was near Christmas), and the bumping from the plane landing hurt, but that was it. It's an absolute breeze compared to my bypass, which has been very sore post op. The bypass left me feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, and five days out, I still feel like I've taken several hard punches to the gut. The incisions from the gallbladder removal were also much smaller! No more than a centimetre, versus over an inch with the bypass incisions. I've had 3 surgeries, and in order of pain levels, they're: 1(most pain) - Bypass 2(still painful) - knee reconstruction ACL 3(barely any pain) - gallbladder removal. EDIT: It's worth noting that I also had a hiatal hernia repair with my bypass, which has made my post-op pain greater!

honestly, they are pretty much the same as far as lifestyle and eating go. I do pretty much the same things I did before surgery, other than I eat less now. I love my bypass and I'd choose it again if I had to make the decision today. But there are definitely fans of both surgeries, and the "after life" is pretty much the same. P.S. with both surgeries, there are a lot of restrictions the first couple of months - but once you're a ways out, there really aren't any food restrictions with either surgery.

My daughter had a RNY bypass up 2011 and went on to run over 100 marathons in a year… She loved it. She found she eventually tolerated the gels, although they wrecked her teeth! She ran most weekends until her dog pulled her over during a walk and she hit her hip and damaged the cartilege. She found she needed to eat almost every waking hour if she wasn’t running to keep her weight up. It was hard work managing as she also couldn’t eat much before she ran. Taking on fluids was the most important thing and she would need the salt tablets too. She was also a vegan at the time… It can be done!