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I had surgery on July 28th 2009, just 2 days ago. I am 20 years old and have been very over weight all my life. After going through diet after diet, nothing was working. I watched a couple of my friends go through the gastric bypass and my roommate had the realize band surgery. after seeing their progress I decided I needed to make a decision. There were so many things I liked about both but the fact of having something that couldn't be reversed scared me. Even though I know I will probably never have the band removed, if something were to go wrong I would want the option to have it taken off. So far things are going good, although I'm not sure what I can and cannot have. Good luck to you all!

Hello All! My name is Lynetta. I am 31 year old mother of 2. I had the RNY gastric bypass on 6/22/12 so far the road has been rocky and I'm still waiting for the moment I am sure will come where I will say it was all worth it or I will do it all again. Since my surgery I have been back and forth to the hospital almost every week with severe pain and dehydration being some of my previous diagnosis. A week ago I told my Dr. that I was unable to keep down any food and whatever I managed to get down came up. I was admitted to ER to find out I have an ulcer and a few days later had to have my gallbladder removed. So I have been officially home for 5 days now and just trying to deal with these issues on my own to avoid going back to the hospital. I found this app on my phone and you seem very encouraging and believe me I could use all I could get right now. I can't eat or drink, and I am very unhappy right now. Everything has become a task for me eating, drinking, moving. I don't know when I will feel like my old self or even a new motivated self. I would appreciate any positive feedback to get me on the right track. Thanks

Hi, I am just beginning my journey! My doctor is Francis Teng, MD, out of Las Vegas, and I have been following his work for almost 6 years. I have my consultation on the 15th, seeing the psychologist and nutritionist next week. My insurance is not paying, so I'm doing it all myself, with a little help from my mother. LOL! But, I have a 12 year old daughter who is at weight loss camp now and she has been there 2 weeks and has lost over 13 lbs so far. I want to set a good example for her, because she is doing it for me. I have entertained the idea of weight loss surgery for years now. My brother had the bypass done last year and has lost over 150 lbs. He had so many health problems so the surgery probably saved his life. I was set on having the same surgery when I learned more about the lap band. I like the idea of losing slowly, no cutting, less complication/risk, among other things, so I decided to go this route. I have about 140-150 lbs to lose. I would be ecstatic with 100. I found this site yesterday and I'm looking forward to learning from everyone here.:thumbup:

I had bypass in 1983. Long story short....I'm at 280 again... I am having bypass revision on Sept. 29. The best advise I can give you is this..the first time I had this done I thought it was a miracle. This time I understand that it is a tool. That IM responsible for doing what's right not the surgery. If you follow the "rules" and keep yourself on track...it will be the best thing you ever do for yourself..

Congrats on your surgery date! Make sure you follow all your program's guidelines leading up to surgery. Each one is different, but yours should lay out what you need to do. Now's a good time to try to start losing some extra weight if you haven't already. As they've probably explained, the lighter you are going in, the easier surgery is. Also, taking steps to shrink your liver makes the procedure much more successful, since they have to move it out of the way. My program put me on Clear liquids for two weeks before surgery, the exception being I got to drink Protein shakes to get all the protein I needed (for me it was 90 grams a day.) Again, your mileage may vary. Keep reading up on what to expect for surgery, it will help you put your mind at ease. Prepare your home for when you get back, too. And get active! They'll make you move and walk around non stop after your surgery, so you might as well invest in yourself and get it going now. I had my bypass not long ago at all, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Welcome Sarah, You're in a great place for support here. Congrats on deciding to reclaim your health. Bypass surgery is a great gift to give yourself. Keep us updated on how you are doing and also come often to talk. Take care and best wishes for your upcoming surgery.

I had my bypass 11.8.16 and still can not eat chicken. Cottage cheese, Rigotta, ground turkey, Soup

there is a very famous opera singer who had bypass surgery and my mom said it did not affect her singing...i will find out who she is...maybe it's you? my mom is in new york and always goes to the opera..seaview

Same here. Also although the sleeve seems to be a good option I still think I would be quite hesitant to revise to one . The surgical and post surgical risks and complications sound so scary compared to a band. If something went wrong with my band I would be hoping that they could replace it. If they couldn't then I would probably go for a sleeve but I imagine it would take a lot of work to convince my DH that it was an option.

The adjustable gastric band (Lap-Band or Realize Band) is not all that new any more. The Lap-Band has been approved for use in the USA since 2001, the Realize Band since 2007, and other brands of bands have been used in the rest of the world since the 1980's. I had a band slip (resolved with a complete unfill) and a port flip (corrected with surgery), but I loved my band. You're correct that band surgery is reversible, though I wouldn't recommend doing that unless it was to treat a complication. Just because it's reversible doesn't mean that the band is easy to remove. RNY (gastric bypass) is also reversible, though not easily. VSG (vertical sleeve gastrectomy) is not reversible, and only the "switch" part of DS (duodenal switch) is reversible. Good luck with your decision. It's good that you're doing research. I suggest thatyou carefully weigh what other bariatric patients and a bariatric surgeon tell you, and pick the procedure that feels right for you, to meet your weight loss needs and your post-op lifestyle. Jean

I had my sleeve surgery on a Wednesday and flew home the Saturday. I had planned on staying longer after my surgery but due to possible plane cancellations (coronavirus) I flew home earlier. Surgeon said I could fly home the Friday if I wanted, I definitely wasn't up to the Friday. Decided to see how I felt the the following day and I felt fine to fly. I travelled solo, so my issue was my suitcase, thankfully I had packed light and used proper manual handling technique to put my case on the belt at check in, and again when picking up the case at arrivals. That was more a drag off the belt and onto the floor. My flight was about 1hr 45minutes - all good there. I didn't need to get up and walk about due to gas pains or anything. I think the biggest worry for you is (1) you don't know yet how you are going to feel after the surgery and if you will be feeling well enough to travel (2) lack of possible social distancing after surgery, not sure I would want the risk of catching covid19 (just after surgery or anytime for that matter) now that it has blown out...hopefully more reined in by then though. (There was only 19 people on my flight home due to massive cancellations back in March and I had no one around at all). What surgery are you having? You may need more time following a bypass? Is your surgeon happy for you to fly four hours after surgery two days before ? Not able to stay an extra night at a hotel somewhere?

My surgery date was 1/26/12, and I have lost 59 lbs this far. Starting weight was 268, current weight is 209. I truly believe the surgery has already given me my life back, and I am excited about the future. I have had struggles, as probably many RNY patients have. Recovery was definitely a lot more difficult than I had anticipated, though I would do it over at the drop of a hat, if I had it to do over again. I'm finally feeling "normal" for the most part, although I still have some occaisons when my food will come back up. And, I still have some discomfort with some foods. I am fine, most of the time, if I remember to eat very slowly and chew up my food VERY well. But, still can't get much down at a sitting. I had my 3 month post op appointment with the surgeon and he gave me disappointing news that I was not expecting and am sure I had never heard up to that point. He said that when I started my BMI was 41 and that for patients that have this surgery at that point, the average loses about 60% of their excess body weight, which in my case means only a 50 - 65 lb weight loss total. He could sense my disappointment and asked what I had expected and I told him I was expecting at least 100 lb weight loss. He said that is possible, but not probable. I am very grateful for the almost 60 lbs I have already lost, but I have determined I will NOT be a statistic. I'm going to lose 100 lbs regardless of what the averages are. That would put me at 168 and I would be healthy - not skinny, but healthy, and that has always been my goal. I am thankful to have come off all medications (Type II diabetes, cholestoral, blood pressure, GERD) but I want to live life to the fullest, and I will feel that I have accomplished what I had believed the surgery would help me to do when I reach the 100 lb weight loss goal. Wish me luck.

I am looking very hard at Bariatric Surgery, and I am still not sure which way to go, Lap-Band or Bypass ? I have been big all my life I have been as big as 525, down to 250, and I am back at 385 with a BMI of 43. I have been a type 2 diabetic for about 9 years. and I had a 5 way cadiac bypass a year ago. I have done alot of reading, a great deal has been done in the last 24 here on this site (Great Site !) I have been told I can beat the diabeatis in a few weeks with the bypass, longer with the band. There are good and bad with both procedures I am just trying to get some more insite before I go to the clinic in a few weeks for my first interview. I would like to hear from some of you on how you decided which way to go. Doc

My best friend and I shared more than a decade of dieting attempts..some more successful than others...and in 2005 we both pursued weight loss surgery. She had gastric bypass because her insurance covered it. I got my lap band because I had to pay for the surgery myself. We have both been fantastically successful and we both love what we chose. There can be complications with both...but in our case it was me who suffered a complication totally out of my control and had to have my band replaced which was NO FUN and very expensive. But even so I am still very happy with the Lap Band. I had a 37BMI to begin with so it seemed that for me the Dr.s preferred to do the Lap Band surgery on me anyway. It's certainly your choice but based on my own and my best friends personal experience I think you might consider the gastric bypass. If you have problems with it later, there are Dr.s who are placing lapbands over the bypass so a lap-band would still be a back-up option later if it was needed.

I'm the opposite. It feels like I have hit the ground running and it is coming so stinking fast. I suspect the week of surgery will go really slow, but then again I have a ton of appointments that week, so it may go just as fast. @april042019 I'm afraid to ask about the catheter!! It completely freaks me out too. I'm a revision, so my surgery is going to be a bit longer than standard, so I'm just so sure they will say yes and I just don't think I want to know! 🤣 I haven't even met my surgeon because my original surgeon was booked out way into November and my insurance won't cover surgery starting November 1, so I had to switch to the other doctor in the practice. So naturally, most of my questions are about him or things about my pre-op testing. My x-ray showed I have a kidney stone just hanging around and no one told me, so I'd like to ask about that. My new doctor does robotic surgeries, so I want to know if mine is going to be robotic. And of course the important questions like, "Can I wear toenail polish?" I also want to know if I'll have an incision in my bellybutton, I can't stand the thought of that, it weirds me out so much. Whenever anything pops in my mind, I just write it down to take with me. Just do that and you'll surely have a good list of things to ask!

I am freshly 24 and have been overweight for as long as i can remember. I belong to a family of emotional eaters! I'm sure that many of you know exactly what I am talking about when I say those words! Bad day? Ice Cream! Good say? Ice Cream! Holidays and birthdays are planned solely with food in mind! I have told myself over the years that I am happy with who I am and what I look like, but as the years pass I realize this just isn't the case! Diets never work, and a life style change is in order! I finally made the decision that surgery is what it will take for me to be successful in losing and keeping the weight off. Earlier this year I started doing lots of research on weight loss surgeries and found that the only one my insurance covered was Gastric Bypass. Thinking it was the logical option i went ahead and started the process of getting it done. In July my mom and I attended a seminar that is required to get the ball rolling. I started the 6 months of dieting and seeing a nutritionist weekly that my insurance requires for approval. 1 month into dieting my gallbladder had to be removed because of a stone. When this was done everything changed!! The doctor that performed the removal found an interesting surprise when he got inside! (He also nicked something and I spent a week in the hospital for a bile leak!!) My intestines never rotated when i was a baby, so large is on one side of my belly and small on the other! How did I not know this after being alive for 24 years!!! So the gastric bypass just seemed like more complications going into it than I was comfortable with! Now here is where it gets interesting! During my stay in the hospital a doctor from the same office was filling in for mine and stopped by to check on me. In my family we call this one a "god thing" because this man just so happened to be a weight loss surgeon and was working with a hospital, that is actually closer to my home, on a low cost plan for the sleeve procedure! He explained more about my intestines and how the sleeve would just be more practical! Lots of research, phone calls, and doctors appointments later and I am so very close to being able to have this surgery. The only problem is, and it's a pretty big one, I can't find a co-signer who has enough good credit for me to get the full amount needed! I feel like i have worked so hard to get to this point, I have lost 10 pounds on the diet that the doc suggested I be on to soften my liver! I know that I need this surgery, but there have been so many set backs on this journey that I am starting to wonder if this is just not meant to be! I am so sorry this has been an extremely long post, but I needed to get it all out and hope that someone has some words of encouragement!! Thank you for reading!

It's a decision best made by you and your doctor (who know your medical history). I decided on bypass because I wanted the dumping syndrome to help with my addiction to carbs and sugar but also because I had pretty bad reflux and the sleeve can aggravate that. I wasn't so concerned with the rerouting of the intestines like some people who choose the sleeve. I wanted the surgery that gave me the best chance of success and didn't want to start with a different surgery and end up going to bypass if I wasn't successful. I gave it my all the first time. So far, it's going great! Just read all you can on sites like this and WebMD and the Mayo Clinic sites and you can make the best decision for you. Best wishes! Ginger

So let me start by saying this , I got the lap band to improve my quality of life. Because I have PCOS ( Poly Cystic ovarian syndrome ) and migraines I am at greater risk of things like stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure as it is. Being over weight adds to that. So I wanted the band to reduce that risk BEFORE anything bad happened to me. I am a mother of 2 boys who need me . After I first got the band things were great, I could eat what i wanted, just smaller portions and occasionally threw up after eating too much , or so I thought .. I even changed the way I ate, what i ate , i felt better so I ate better. I was , as you can ask my doctor , the model patient, i did everything I was suppose to (with the expectation of working out and that lesson has been learned trust me ) Eventually what I ate seemed to come back up more often , But after losing 125 pounds I thought I was doing ok. At a year out a slipped my band , that is where my stomach comes up through the band and can potentially be very serious. After it corrected it self I gained some weight ... It slipped again , more weight gain . I was then told my band had scar tissue build up around it and I could no longer get the fills I needed to lose the weight the opening to my stomach would be closed off it was filled again . That was around 2-3 yrs ago . As time has gone on I have slowly gotten worse. You see because of where the scar tissue is I still have " restriction" Meaning , I am still limited on what i eat , so things like steak, pork, chicken , solid Proteins wont go down . The food literally sits on top of my band until it gets either pushed through , which is very painful , or it comes back up . If I throw up too much, my stomach swells and eating any form of solid food is impossible for several days. So i have to go to liquids, milk shakes, Protein shakes , mash potatoes things like that. Those type of things are high in calorie and cause me to gain weight , but what other choices do i have ? broth, Water ? Yeah those fill you up ?? NOT ! So my day goes like this ... Breakfast: Protein shake cause eating in the morning is nearly impossible. That's if I can get it to go down if I cant and anything comes back up then its liquids for me the entire rest of the day Lunch: I try to eat something semi solid but I usually end up eating Soup Dinner: Some times a salad works but most evenings I throw up my dinner several times over and end up in pain from the swelling . By that time liquids hurt to go down ... NOW that leads me to my "other issues" Joint pain Fatigue body aches head aches My teeth are deteriorating because of how much I throw up Cold feet cold hands numb feet cysts on my feet numb hands You see they are finding out now that people who have had bands for several years are developing auto immune disorders like Fibromyalgia .. Problem ? Docs done believe it yet .. So no doc will help me out . With out insurance I cant get proper diagnoses . You can read more about that stuff here . I am now 20 or so pounds away from my original start weight before surgery . That's right I have gained nearly ALL My weight back . And at the rate I am going by next month or so I will exceed the 250 pounds i was before my surgery . I had my revision surgery on 11-14-2012 after surgery they told me the band removal went fine and they were able to repair a hiatal hernia , that was a surprise to them ( and me ) and sleeve me in one procedure. I was SO relieved to have had it done in once procedure. The day after surgery I started throwing up water and unable to keep it down . After a couple more tried they ordered an EGD for me . They told me if the scope went through easily then and showed no obstructions I should be fine and not need another surgery , but if it did not I could have excess scar tissue from the band and I could need another surgery . WHAT !! Yikes . So they did it and it showed no obstruction some swelling around the band area ( where the band was ) they told me to take liquids slow . For several days I was still throwing up just water, in fact it freaked me out because it looked like I was throwing up some blood as well. Finally around day 3 or so the water was staying down . So finally I was able to go home today . NOT an easy process that's for sure , but I am glad its over. The doc told me to progress my liquids slowly , as long as I was keeping liquids down I was fine , the minute i started if i did throwing up liquids I needed to come back . But to just take it slow . I have been home for about a week now and its still a back and forth issue with food. I encourage ANYONE reading this to NOT get the lap band, do not ever tell anyone abou the band and Hope some day it falls off the face of the earth !

Can you take Benadryl on day 3 after bypass!!!!

AGREED. I had revision to bypass on 9.04. You have to get the protein into your body. Shakes, scoops in water....whatever it takes. When you do that you will feel better.....

Hi everyone ! I am due to have my band out on 7th July and then a sleeve revision in oct/nov. I am so nervous and have an overwhelming fear of dying. I'm 27 year old and although I want this more than anything I'm terrified !! Was anyone else like this? X

I am a senior citizen with a BMI of 35 plus a couple of health conditions that would benefit from some kind of weight loss surgery, excluding a bypass. I'm in Florida. Anyone considering a doctor in FL for either a lap band or sleeve?

Thank you BrandonKea for posting this! I have been feeling so alone in my struggles. I had my bypass Oct 23rd and have since then been unable to keep any sort of foods down, sometimes liquids even become a struggle for me. Liquids seem to be getting a little easier, but I just gave up on eating much of anything. My surgeon simply said chew longer, wait longer between bites...I decided to try another GI doctor. I go Thursday so I hope that the news is not bad, but I already had to take a trip to the ER once for dehydration. I even get nauseated just thinking about eating at this point. I've had nothing but complications since this surgery happened and felt like my dr didnt take me seriously. So i just kept it to myself. I really hope your struggle is over soon. I think the most important thing for people to remember that decide to do the surgery is keeping in mind that these sorts of extreme cases happen, its rare, but it happens.

Good question. And what do they revise? If your stomach is already sleeved, then they just it up now to bypass the stomach altogether? I'm not sure I understand revisions. Does the weight loss jumpstart again like it did with the original WLS?

Is your question that you are worried about malabsorption issues? I would be more concerned with sleeve issues such as heartburn and not losing enough weight. That's why I chose the rny. I figured if I'm going o do this, it will be once, no revisions for me. I chose the surgery that provides the most weightloss. A lot of bad stuff has been coming out about the sleeve in terms of results. I think with the sleeve you need to have much more willpower. The bypass is a lot harder, nearly impossible for some, to cheat on. My best friend had bypass and her husband the sleeve. She lost 170 pounds in one year. He lost 70 pounds and gained back 35 so only a 35 pound lost. He can and could eat around the surgery the whole time. She had dumping and major restriction. Given she was more motivated but he clearly needed a stronger tool to help with his weightloss. I don't think her really made the choice to lose weight and she did. But statistically people with sleeves don't lose as much. People with rny do get Vitamin issues along the way. Not everyone, but it happens. You have to commit to taking the pills for life. I feel it's worth it to get the health benefits of weightloss even if I have to have Iron transfusions some day. I was going to end up diabetic so I would have had issues anyway. The sleeve can give you heartburn and many end up with a revision. I didn't want two surgeries