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First off take a deep breath and realize on the internet you can't always believe everything you read. Part of the issue with message boards and internet sites is many of the people who report are those with complications. I understand fear and regret, I had some myself but this is literally the best choice I've ever made. I've been overweight since I was 12, morbidly obese most my adult life and now for the first time in years I have my freedom back. I had the sleeve 12/30/16. I've had no issues with my surgery and my recovery was smooth and as easy as to be expected after major surgery. My physical pain lasted about 2 weeks with minor aches lasting about a month. I returned to work at the 2 week mark and other than being tired, I had no issues going back to work. The worst part for me was the gas pain, which you can help minimize with gas meds and walking as well as pain where my drain was but that was removed on Day 2 post op. I also has nausea on Day 1 but that is a side effect of anesthesia for me and had it after every surgery I've had. I was allowed to begin sipping about 24 hours after surgery and had no issues taking small sips. I had no swallowing issues, no pain with swallowing and have yet to have an issue eating or drinking as I move through the stages. I did have some minor heartburn early on and was prescribed Protonix once a day for 3 months. I no longer have had any issues in terms of heartburn. It's was a minor issue for me and taking a pill once a day didn't effect my life negatively or set me back. To this day, I've been able to eat almost everything I did pre surgery (though I chose to avoid unhealthy foods). I've also been able to tolerate straws, caffeine and carbonation with no issues. I also enjoy going out to eat on a regular basis with my friends and family. I've lost 101 pounds so far and wouldn't change a single thing. I had no co-morbidities but it would have only been a manner of time as I was at the highest weight of my life. My lab work (blood sugar on the climb, cholesterol was high, thyroid was off) was not great the last time I had a physical and my body ached. Now I'm in perfect health, just had my yearly physical and I was 100 pounds down since last year, my lab work was perfect and I feel 10 years younger. As for sleeve effectiveness, I have not heard that it's not recommended for weightloss. In fact at my clinic it's replaced all over forms of weightloss surgery in popularity. I have people in my local support group who are 3-5 years out and have success still.

There's a difference between "Oooopsie ate a cookie!" and causing possible harm to yourself after a major surgery where they cut out most of an organ. Don't be ignorant. Well d*mn babbs...that was pretty douchy. Obviously she feels bad enough. Name calling? Really? TFOH Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App She wasnt talking to the original poster. Sent from my SM-G930P using the BariatricPal App I am originally poster and do feel shitty about it big regret Sent from my SM-G930P using the BariatricPal App Obviously you made a mistake and should not do it again. Don't Beat yourself up because you can't undo what you have done. Just to be on the safe side call your surgeons office. Admit your mistake and ask what symptoms you should watch for that would indicate a complication. Be safe. Sent from my LGLS992 using the BariatricPal App

I had surgery June 1st, 2018. I had the RNY. It's going well so far. No complications. Just need to remember to drink lots of water.

I’m a previous lap-band patient gone haywire, thus causing it to be removed several years ago so I’m larger now than when I had it placed. I’m going to have surgery. Researching options and costs right now. How many of you would recommend the mini bypass? If so, why and is there a difference in percentage of weight lost and cost? I know that it has less chance of surgical complications. Thanks in advance.

Don't be sad, the scale will move. It takes time. Some of us loose weight faster than others. I am 18 days post op and have lost 12 pounds, which is not a lot by most people's standards. I see people on here loosing more than 30 pounds at the 3 week mark! I'm like WHAT?! So, we have to be patient and grateful that we both had no complications. The weight will come off, just maybe a little slower than we had hoped. The pureed stage is the pits isn't it? I can't wait to be done with it! Good luck to you. You will do great. Be patient, it's not a race, it's a marathon, or a journey. ????

I remember a few patients here on VST who said they cancelled their surgery and then decided to do it a few months later.... I really think everyone goes through the same thoughts. My family and friends all had the same reaction. I always explained my reasoning and looked at them dead on and said.. I am doing this. I KNOW this is what is right for me. I understand all your concerns and I've had the same concerns and I have done all my homework. You know me - I don't take major decisions lightly -- I KNOW THIS IS RIGHT FOR ME... They all eventually just accepted it and embraced it with me... Remember, 98% of patients go through the surgery and recovery with no issues.. of course there is always the possibility of complications with ANY surgery, but the risk is small. Follow YOUR head and YOUR heart.

Hi all I was wondering if any of you that have had compilations had any problems with going back to work or missing work after?

Hello Everyone! I am new to this forum, although I have been reading everyone's very informative and inspirational posts for many months now! As my gastric sleeve journey is about to take off, I thought I should finally introduce myself to the group as I hope to post here throughout my journey... About me... I am what you would consider a gastric sleeve 'lightweight', although I have never thought of myself as "light" in the past 10 years! I am 5'2" female and 210 lbs, making my BMI 38.2. I am a self-pay patient as my BMI is "too low" (under 40) for insurance coverage. I am "pre-diabetic", have borderline high blood pressure, and ahve a strong family prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. I want this surgery for my health. I used to be very fit. I was never an overweight child, but the pounds started creeping on when I went to college. Faced with buffets at the college diner and 24 hour pizza places, I gorged myself and the pounds slowly packed on. Eating became about "fun" and not nutrition, and I was tempted by sweets, fast foods, fried stuff.... I used to be very conscious about nutrition and have a wealth of information in my head about calories/protein/fiber of different foods. Somehow I am lacking the ability to translate that knowledge into my habits and hoping the sleeve will give me that missing tool I need. Fast forward 10 years later and I have never been able to "control" my weight. I have gained and lost 60+ pounds twice. My highest weight was 230 just after delivering my son... a weight that puts me at morbidly obese. Over the years, I have tried all sorts of diets--- phentermine prescribed by doctor (twice), weight watchers, atkins, medifast, slimfast, other physician controlled diets.... only to lose weight and have it come back. I am sure you are all familiar with this. I am looking forward to this surgery to get me back into a healthy range where I belong, and to give me a tool to help me eat nutritiously, and not purely for taste. My sleeve journey so far... I am planning to be sleeved my Dr. Tiffany Jessee at Suncoast Bariatrics in Tampa, FL. She has excellent reviews and very high patient satisfaction scores/very low complication rate. I met her at her informational session and am very confident in her. I have already attended the info session, nutritional counseling, and psych eval. Next up is my surgical consultation (next week), endoscopy and then pre-op diet. I am aiming to be sleeved n January. My support system is primarily my husband. He is amazingly supportive. He, too, needs to lose 30lbs or so, and I hope that with my smaller portion sizes and healthy choices (as I am the cook for us), this will also help his health. I also want to use these boards for support and plan to attend support group meetings. I realy don't want to tell anyone else in my lifea bout this surgery... I think they may hve a negative attidue about this and I am trying to surround myself with motivation and positive attitudes so I have the best chance at success here. I am really hoping I can get through the next few months fine (pre op diet, surgery and initial recovery phase) and get to a point where I dont ahve to think about the sleeve all the time and my choices are my "new normal". Thats what I am really hoping for out of this surgery. Does anyone have a similar circumstance to mine and want to stay in touch? (e.g., sleeved at the same time; similar starting stats; location in FL)? Good luck to all on your sleeve journey.... I can't wait to be on the other side and on the losers bench!

I'm not sure which forum this thread lives in but you will probably need to go into both Sleevers and Bypass forums to get both sides of the story. People tend to have intense feelings about why they chose what they chose. Sometimes, one procedure is recommended over another based on goals and co-morbids. Make your appointment and talk, talk, talk to you surgeon and team. There is sooooo much information here on these boards but you need to come to a decision WITH your surgeon. I chose the sleeve for several reasons. Some studies suggest lower weight loss with the sleeve but many are extremely successful losing 100+!pounds. I am a nurse and the sleeve just made sense to me. I also have a strong family history of digestive cancers so I didn't want a "blind pouch" sitting there that can't be scoped later if needed. I also felt the re-routing of the intestines had a higher risk of complications. But, the bypass is the older "gold standard". My surgeon didn't push me either way. But if I had been a bad diabetic, I don't think he would have agreed to the sleeve. Best of luck. I'm very excited to get this show on the road!

I was offered both options, and I went with bypass from the beginning. My reasons were because I have reflux and nausea on my own (the sleeve can make this worse), and there has been years and years of long term studies done on the bypass, but not the same for sleeve. Years ago, people thought lap band was the way to go, but we're now learning that it doesn't work all that well and there have been many complications, and lot of revisions. I'm not saying that the sleeve will turn out to be the same "fad" surgery, but the research just isn't there for it like the bypass is. Also, there have been studies that show the bypass is actually more effective at long term weight loss than the sleeve. I'm 5'2 230 pounds, so I qualify for both surgeries, but I'm not so big that I need more drastic measures, I just want to have only one surgery, done right the first time. I don't want to be sleeved and then have to do revision surgery later because it's not as effective as bypass. As far as the dumping goes, I actually WANT that as a tool to keep me, and my weight, in check. I feel like my weight is a big enough problem in my life to have surgery for it, so I'm going to go all-in, and get the bypass. My surgery is scheduled for December 29th. SO excited!!

bowel obstruction is a potential complication, but it's a rare one. On top of that, she had abdominal pain for MONTHS, and didn't see a doctor about it. Who goes for months with unexplained abdominal pain and doesn't see someone about it? If she had, she'd still be alive. My mother-in-law had two bowel obstructions (she's NOT a WLS patient). In one case, they cleared it out (since it was possible to do that), in the other, they had to do a small resection of the affected part (because it couldn't be cleared out). Lisa Marie should have seen a doctor about it. It's sad that she never did, because she didn't have to die.

@@bitingcat Thank you! I was so worried I missed my honeymoon period because of all the complications. I had a lot of trouble losing while on the TPN infusions because they were infusing 1200 calories each night while I couldn't eat. Then when I was finally able to eat a little (300-500 calories) a day I started to gain weight because they were giving me the 1200 on top of that. I was in and out of the hospital with blood infections and extreme nausea and pain. I also had (and still have) pretty bad anemia. The weight wasn't coming off like I thought it would. It was VERY frustrating. Thankfully I am feeling 100% better and am able to work out and eat all my calories on my own. Everyone loses at a different pace, when you have injuries and illnesses it just further complicates things. You can do it! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have apap. There are two schools of thought on post op care both raise some valid points. However, the apnea patients with a machine that can actually take a breath for them should definitely have their equipment in my opinion. There is some concern post op about pap use and Extra air going into the pouch that can cause complications. Apnea patients are more high risk and need extra care and not the one size fits all for every apnea patient. Recovery has its own protocols usually and most doctors are just borrowing time in a hospitals surgery room for the procedure so hospital policy trumps im going to take my pap with me and hope it works out. Of all the things that couldve went wrong you came out golden cause sleep apnea is high risk for surgery complication so take some comfort in that

2wk minimum. sometimes the anethesia is still in your system for a few days. I would request enought time to be prepared for complications, even though we pray you don't have any. I went in hoping for the best, but I was prepared for the worst.

On June18 2012 I had the sleeve done. I was released the next day and was feeling pretty good. By the 10th day post op, I was not able to keep water down. I went to the Dr. He sent me to the ER. He called down to the ER and told them what tests he wanted ran. Needless to say, I had a leak. I was admitted into the hospital and my Dr. took me into surgery to repair the leak. I woke up in intensive care with a feeding tube. 2 days later I was told I had to go back into surgery because they discovered an abscess. On to surgery I went. I was in the hospital 39 days. I was finally discharged, feeding tubes and all and so happy to go home. I was home for one week. I still could not keep anything down. I was very dehydrated and was in the hospital for 2 more weeks. Over the next month I was in and out of the hospital for dehydration and severe pain. In August I was admitted again for dehydration, pain and nausea. The feeding tube was removed and a picc was placed. I was then put on TPN (total protein & nutrients) feedings. Admitted again in September after my daughters wedding. This time a fistula was found. Another surgery and feeding tubes were placed again along with TPN bags. I was so depressed. I was not getting better, I got worse. I was in the hospital from Sept 13 to December 10th. In the middle of the night I had a hematoma. Throwing up blood. Caused my spleen to enlarge and become infected. Dr felt that stent was necessary. So one was pyt in. On thanksgiving morning I had to have my spleen removed. The stent slipped and had to be replaced. The 2nd stent was horrible and that had to be removed a few days later. I was in the hospital a total if 116 days from end of June to Dec 10 2012. Still unable to eat, nausea 24 hours a day feeding tubes in place. My Dr could not figure iut what to do. He called other Drs. Mayo and other states. I was discharged and losing weight rapidly. In January of this year I was admitted again. Severly dehydrated and still nausea. After 27 days in hospital a 3 strnt was placed. 1week later it had to be removed. In Feb. my Dr called the Cleveland Clinic in Weston FL for a second opionion. On March 1st my husband and I made the 7 hour drive. I met with the Dr there. I was sent down for uppet gi. Funny.... they found the problems immediately. I was scheduled for surgery on the 14th. I had to have the remainder of my stomach removed, my small intestine was cut and pulled up to my esophagus and attached. Plus the inflammed scar tissue had to be removed. It had been a ling 10 month journey. I have lost 94 pounds, and 10 sizes smaller. I am still not able to eat real food. I eat mashed potatoes, yogury, smoothies, applesause, popsicles, cream of wheat. I do test the waters with some soft foods. Somethings stay some don't. Dr. said It could be 6-8 months before I can tolerate food due to all surgeries. I am also battling a stomach and urinary tract infection for the last 5 weeks. Would I do it all over again. Probably not... however... I did it because my husband has a rare cancer ( due to exposure from agent Orange from Vietnam). He lost his leg and is wheelchair bound. I truly wanted to be healthier to care for him. But he is caring for me now. Please take your time. Research, ask questions, follow your heart. Dont ever let anyone make you feel that you are bothering them. Its your life and you are paying for this procedure to be done. I can sue. I've done a lot of soul searching and even tslked to attorneys. The end result.. I want to live. I want to get better. I want to eat again. Good luck to each and everyone who decides to go forward with which ever procedure. God bless and thank you for allowing me to share my journey.

My surgery was june 30. It was a complicated surgery with a lot of reconstruction from a bad hernia repair. I will try that. I am going to get rechecked next week. I wish this was easier but its not and i am in a state of regret right now...

I'm confused and I hope someone can help me out. I have read many times that Bypass surgery does not cause GERD and if you have it, the surgery will get rid of it. I have also read Possible Complications/Risks of the Gastric Bypass. in Bariatric Pal and it states: Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, with severe heartburn as a complications/risk. I do not have any probems of this nature and really don't want to develop it due to surgery. Can anyone help me understand which statement is correct?

Yes..I got approved...But it wasnt easy. The hoops I had to go through were.... 1.) A total of 7 of those once a month meetings....(6 months worth) It came out to 7 meeting though. 2.) Had to get on prescribed diet pills that lined up exactly the entire 6 months. (or more) 3.) A letter of medical necessity from the Dr. (easy if you got a cool doc.) 4.) An exercize consult. (Your surgeons office will tell you where to go.) 5.) A nutrition consult. (Your surgeons office will tell you where to go.) 6.) A psychiatric evaluation. (Your surgeons office will tell you where to go.) 7.) Proof of 5 years of morbid obesity. (or if you were at least 35 BMI with other complications.) 8.) Get your Dr. to also document that you have tried various over the counter weight loss methods. 9.) Get all of your records and copy EVERYTHING...For yourself and your Surgeon....Good luck!!

Just a quick question and this may sound silly... BUT what if you don't have a plan (or weren't given one for example...)? I mean sure, I was told to have Protein (they were vague on details. I think I was told 60g per day), loads of Water, and a Multivitamin... But that's about it! I haven't been told about the amount of carbs, fats, calories, or a specific meal plan to stick to... It's a bit perplexing when you haven't got something to guide you... Sooo to add to the original request on gaining tips. I'd like to ask, where did you 'plan' come from? Phil Not a silly question at all Phil. Following the surgery, most folks are given a plan (doctors will sometimes refer to it as a protocol) for reintroducing you to food. That progression is usually four to twelve weeks. The guidelines are different for each surgeon and each patient. It's important to strictly follow your surgeon's (or in some cases your dietician's) guidelines to avoid complications later on. The progression is usually done in stages. For example: Clear liquids > full liquids > pureed food > soft food > and finally regular diet. But again, surgeons vary widely in the diet guidelines they recommend and often change those recommendations based on each individual patient. It is vitally important that you get your surgeon's recommendations. Protein is extremely important and not something that you want to guess at. Ask your surgeon how many grams of protein he/she recommends and then do everything you can to meet that goal on a consistent, daily basis. The same goes for carbs and fat and also water. Do not guess or assume. Ask questions and keep asking until you are confident that you know exactly what your dietary plan is. That's what your team is there for and you most certainly will not be the first to ask. Beyond diet, the elements of my plan include: Stay positive - as long as you are following your plan, there is absolutely no doubt that you will lose weight. The laws of science and the universe cannot be denied. Trust the process. Stay patient - forget about a timeline. Commit to following your plan for as long as it takes. Never compare your weight loss to someone else's weight loss. Everyone is different. There are simply too many variables. Exercise - when cleared by your doctor, exercise at least three times a week. Exercise does not have to be synonymous with working your body to exhaustion. I lost 130 lbs just plain old walking. Three or more times per week. I started with 20 minutes each time. Today I walk about 3 miles at least three times a week, sometimes more. About two months ago I purchased a Total Gym and started doing strength training on the days I don't walk. So I get three days of cardio and three days of muscle toning per week. Lol - nobody is going to mistake me for Chuck Norris but I can honestly say I'm enjoying the strength training and there's no doubt that I feel even better! Stay away from the scales - we all understand the temptation. But there are going to be times when you lose weight very quickly, other times when you lose more slowly, and still other times when you don't lose at all. You know those times are coming. You know they're all perfectly normal. If you measure your success by the number on the scale, it is frustrating, stressful, discouraging and even self-defeating. Regardless of what your weight is doing, your response is a l w a y s the same - follow your plan. The weight will take care of itself. Do your best to resist the temptation to weigh more often than every two weeks. Maintain a food log - My Fitness Pal is highly recommended but there are a number of apps that do essentially the same thing. There are countless benefits to using a food log but perhaps this is the most important one - clinical studies have proven, again and again, that folks who maintain a food log lose more weight, lose it faster and are more successful at maintaining their weight than those who don't. Next to the surgery, food logs are the most powerful tool you can have in your arsenal. Forget about a weight goal - I know, this is a tough one, but it has great benefits. Commit to following your plan until your body tells you that it's at the weight it wants to be at. In my case my weight stabilized at 155 just a little under 14 months post-op. Today, a year and a half later, I'm at 153. That's where my body wants to be. Your journey will be less stressful, less frustrating, more fun, and much easier if you just trust the process, trust your body, and let it happen. Your goal is physical change but your challenge is mental discipline. Follow your plan and... You're gonna love the new you!!

First, congrats! A number of ladies experience increased fertility with weight loss, despite how much we hate it when our docs tell us weight is a factor or no matter how many times we've been told we have a number of female issues. Somehow, with the weight loss, the body gets back on track and it surprises a lot of ladies. As you can see from all of the surprise pregnancy posts you'll find here! I was two years out when I got pregnant but still had a very limited capacity. I could eat one scrambled egg with cheese and one turkey sausage link in a meal and feel stuffed. As my pregnancy has progressed my capacity has increased as well as my appetite, so while it's still a bit of a challenge to consume enough, I'm doing alright. My situation was complicated by nausea. If I ate any meat, I'd get sick. I'm already lactose intolerant and while it's supposed to improve during pregnancy mine got worse - to the point where putting a tiny bit of butter on toast would make me ill. My Protein shakes were totally off limits for several months, too. So I really do understand the concerns you're having. The solution is to go back to the way things were in the beginning, when you forced yourself to eat around the clock to hit a nutritional goal. It means choosing your meals carefully so that you can get a well balanced meal in a tiny portion. It also means trying your darnedest to get back on those shakes and make them stick. I have been able to drink mine again for the last few weeks and I feel MUCH better and have more energy since I was able to do that. And I really can eat more in a sitting now. Your stomach should relax as you get further along and the hormones are really increased. That helps a lot. When you say your stomach hurts are you talking about cramping and nausea? Is it hurting after dairy? I first developed lactose intolerance with my twin pregnancy and the first clue was really uncomfortable stomach cramping after anything dairy based. I would definitely bring this, and the fact that you've had WLS to your OB's attention ASAP. I am on two different prenatals, additional Calcium, B12 shots and a special Iron supplement to keep my levels up. I am only just now, five months in, getting enough nutrition that my labs come back in good shape. While it's been a particular challenge for me, try your hardest to shelve concerns about weight gain. I was so freaked out a few months ago because I had already put on seventeen pounds. But here I am, 24.5 weeks out and I'm only up 15 pounds - somewhere along the way I lost a couple of pounds. And it's all baby (okay...baby and boobs, but I'm not complaining about that part!) and I really do realize that I'm going to do just fine losing this weight afterward. The biggest concern is making sure the baby is getting enough, and you sound like you're already working to help this issue. My doc told me and I believe it - the baby will suck every bit of energy and nutrition from my body and leave me tired, nauseated and run down before it will go without. So if you're at least trying, even when it's not easy, you should do just fine. So, try the shakes again. Try to set a timer to eat small, regular, protein and calcium rich meals. Eat as much of what you're able to eat as you can, within reason, of course. Foods that are really good for protein, besides meat are lentils (lentil Soup saved me when I couldn't eat any meat a few months ago), cottage cheese, seitan (if you like it), and of course Beans always help, too. Good luck, ~Cheri

I met with my surgeon the day before the procedure during the NUT's seminar. Before that, I spoke to his assistant. They were able to answer all the questions I had. Same thing with my last surgeries on my spine. I first met with their PA and he did initial screening and answered all the "basic" questions, I then met with the actual surgeon a couple days prior to the surgery. I had researched the surgeon and knew he was top dog in town. That is all I cared about. I don't think this is all that uncommon. You may not like it, but I think a lot of surgeons spend their time doing surgeries, researching new information/techniques and dealing with difficults cases/complications. Surgeons are more about the procedure, not the person. As cold as that may seem, that is why they have PAs. So they can focus on the procedure. It isn't easy stuff their dealing with here. They are operating on morbidly obese people which, in and of itself, has its own complications. Ask the folks who went to Mexico how much time they got to spend with the surgeon. Most likely, they met with them when they arrived or maybe had a 20 minute phone conversation with him prior. If you are the type of person who needs a warm, fuzzy loving surgeon, then perhaps you need to shop around a bit more.

I felt like I couldn't breath a sigh of relief until it was done and I felt like I was past any complications that might come up. So, after a few weeks and I was feeling better and the weight was coming off...then I finally got excited. And that has continued. Still love to see that I haven't gained and even more excited when I loose. Wishing you much success. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

very very very bad idea. Lap bands have terrible complications and as of right now a 50% failure rate. the odds are extremely high you will do irreversible damage. there are Bariatric patients out there who have done band over RNY (never heard it for sleeve) and they can never have another revision because it could be fatal for them. my local center of excellence currently has an 80% removal rate...80%. there are countries that have banned the band. the conventional revision path from a sleeve for lack of weight loss is either RNY or DS (the sleeve is the first stage of the DS). Honestly, I"m shocked any doctor would recommend a band. my doctor says any doctor still putting them in should be sued for malpractice.

I am so sorry to hear of your complications. You will be more sore than most sleeve patients because of having 2 surgeries. I had a leak, and the recovery is very draining. Your body has been through a lot, and you'll need to just rest, walk when you can, and try to get in all of your fluids. Staying hydrated is the most important aspect right now. You'll lose weight, but I'm thinking they've pumped you full of fluids, and with all the trauma your body will hold onto weight for awhile. I had a horrific recovery that lasted 3 months, I'm not saying it will take you that long, but I do not regret this surgery one bit, and would endure my complications to live the life I have today. Hang in there, if you need anything, please contact me.

Surgery Monday 9am, no complications. Released on Thursday at 5pm.