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Hi, I’m going have my surgery in less than two weeks November 7 - looking for a few pals with the same surgery date or month. I’m going to have the bypass.

Nov 9th Bypass over here. How is everyone doing with post op so far?

My diabetes doctor referred me to lapband. He also warned me ahead time that the lapband surgeons may sway me to the bypass procedure due to numbers and quick weight loss. but, ultimately it was my choice. I read this forum for 2 yrs and watched youtube videos of ppl who had surgery. I didn't have 100 lbs to lose. I just needed to lose 60 to 70 lbs. To be healthy. So, I am 33 lbs down and had surgery in the end if May. 1. I chose lapband over bypass because I didn't like the idea of having my stomach cut and having to take Vitamins because my body wouldn't be absorbing the vitamins from food. I totally don't feel getting rid of one problem to trade it in for another. Plus, if I absolutely had problems with lapband we can get it removed. I like to leave my options open. There would be no way, I can do that with bypass. (some of the surgeons staff was surprised I was going to get lapband and not bypass due to the bypass helping diabetes immediately, but again my bmi was 37 now it 31) guess, what my diabetes improved 75% from the day I had surgery. I was maxed out on meds. But now, I am only taking one pill. I am waiting for the day to say adios. 2. I have not encountered any problems with the band, I drink Water the same, I eat small meals and still don't know what stuck feeling feels like. I am losing weight slow, but, I am still happy with my progress. I feel better all around. I am very active and I feel great buying new clothes. I just bought a size M dress and size 10 skinny jeans. I am looking forward to the next 30 lbs. Overall, I am healthier today then I was 3 months ago. I have to admit, I do feel alot more sassy. Btw, I didn't tell any friends just a select few. I feel better that way. I didn't want ppl judging me and not understanding why.

I had a SIPS approved at 48.8 BMI thru BCBSIL. But it want easy. My first surgery not a revision.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery! I had the Loop DS 18 months ago. And in my own experience the bowel prep bit was absolutely miserable. And I felt like I got hit by a truck when I woke up from surgery, but I was up and walking after about three hours. It really helps with getting rid of the gas. Some people (myself included) vomit old blood after the surgery (it was only 4x for me, but super painful) so I'm telling you incase it happens to you because they didn't tell me it was a possibility and I freaked the hell out! I went home after three days in the hospital and I stopped taking pain meds at home after two days (so on day 5 post-op was the last day I took pain meds). The part where they take your stomach out will hurt the most, especially when you get up or sit down and you may need help showering (I did), but I was a lot better by week two. I struggled to get fluids in at the hospital and they almost kept me a fourth day because I was getting all my fluid in via ice chips so they weren't able to count so they gave me a bunch of 1oz cups and told me I had to drink a certain amount for them to release me (I didn't get released until after 6pm, so they seriously almost kept me another night). Broth tasted like heaven lol, but I couldn't eat sugar free jello at all because it made me feel like my stomach was flipping (I'm odd, I guess lol). It's hard to get the protein in (in the beginning) and the powder was wayyy too sweet, I had to drink the pre-made protein drinks instead so I had one in the morning that I nursed for several hours and then one at night, that I again nursed for several hours. Fluids were a struggle for several months for me, but some don't have the same kind of issue that I had. Also, they never told me, but there is something like a 3% chance that you can get either a wheat allergy or Celiac's Disease after surgery (this is for any WLS with malabsorption. So DS/Loop DS/Gastric Bypass). It's only 3% so only 3 out a 100 people so the chances are low, but my luck is terrible and I developed a wheat allergy so if you end up getting what feels very much like dumping syndrome when eating something with wheat in it... you might want to get tested (that's how I found out). My allergy has progressed to where I break out in a rash if I even TOUCH something with wheat in it like dried noodles that aren't even cooked or hand crackers or a cookie to my niece or wipe off bread crumbs while looking after my nieces (I always have benadryl when watching my nieces lol. My 12 year old niece is always asking why I didn't just ask her to clean up so I don't end up breaking out in a rash. I just clean out of habit). Anyway, the recovery in the beginning can be tough and for the first few days I kept asking myself "why in the hell did I do this to myself", but things do get better and I'm sooooo glad that I made this choice for myself. I've reached my own personal goal weight and am hoping I can even lose a couple extra pounds before I hit maintenance! Try and stay positive and stick to nutrition guidelines you're given to the best of your ability and you'll do great, I'm sure! I wish the best in your journey and if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Right?! I thought that was odd!! Their practice really goes by statistics and average excess weight loss per month to calculate this but I think it is really unrealistic for a second timer especially. When I mentioned that I was stalled he said it was too early for a stall. He's a great doctor and I really trust him but I think he may not have real life data about what goes on post-op. Thanks! My brain still can't see the loss even though everyone else does. Band to Vsg revision: 5/23/17 HW: 315+ Starting weight: 294 Surgery Day: 281 Current: 235 Goal 170

I haven't had my bypass yet, I'm concerned because I have 4 kids ages 15 13 11 and 8. They are great but are in tons of sports aka driving all over! I also have my own day care business. I have 4 young children 2and a half and younger. I have an assistant, but how long should I hire help? I also have a great husband who is really good with our children and the house.

Hi Mieko, I am about 5 days post op. I had a Mini Gastric Bypass. I have had 3 other surgeries prior to this one (c-section, gallbladder, ovarian cyst) so it wasn't my first rodeo... but I was still a bit nervous. For me, it mainly just felt really surreal. The great thing about anesthesia is that you close your eyes.. then you open them and it's done! There is no concept of time so it feels like it happens in a blink. Day 1: When they brought me back to my room I was suuuper groggy and tired for the rest of that day. I was still able to walk around and I didn't have any pain at all, really. I did have a LITTLE discomfort from gas bubbles but it was so minor and I just went hard on Gas-X strips to make sure it stayed that way. I walked a lot on the first day, it was easy to do and it felt nice to get out of my room. The first night was very hard to sleep. Not because of pain or anything.. but I would just randomly wake up every 45min or so. The IV was annoying and the drain made it uncomfortable to move certain ways. Day 2: All of the grogginess was gone, I felt alert and more like myself. I had to drink a lot of fluid on this day so the gas was a lot more uncomfortable and caused a little pain but it wasn't awful. Still did my walking and sipping etc. By that evening I had my leak test and they removed my drain and IV (honestly the IV was the worst part for me) and they let my husband and I walk around the mall for about an hour that was across the street. Walking in the mall was pretty difficult that day. It was easy to walk, but walking at a faster pace was nearly impossible. I took a lot of breaks. That night, they gave me a Valium and I slept like a baby. Day 3: Woke up early feeling fantastic and ready to head home. Used an abdominal binder to help with the bumps in the road along the 9+ hour drive home. IT WAS A LIFE SAVER. I highly recommend it for the first few days after you leave the hospital. I was in a little pain when I got home... probably from the long ride even though we stopped every hour or so. That night was awful. I couldn't get comfortable no matter how many pillows I wedged underneath myself. Day 4: I hardly got any sleep and woke up sore from all of the adjusting and readjusting all night. I was tired all day and just altogether not a happy camper. I didn't walk as much as I should have but still managed to drink what I was supposed to. Still wasn't hungry, didn't miss food. That night I took a suggestion to wedge pillows on either side of me to help prevent the urge to roll over.. it worked! I slept great. Day 5: OHHH what a difference one day and a good night's sleep can make. Day 5 was a breeze. Went shopping, did some light cleaning, cooked dinner for the family. I missed food quite a bit more this day. Not really cravings or hunger.. but it just felt wrong that I hadn't eaten anything in so long. I missed chewing I guess? lol I LOVE to smell food but I don't have much of a desire to eat it. Water went down so much smoother today and the protein drinks weren't as much of a chore. Slept fine, was even able to get rid of most of the pillows. Day 6: That's today! I woke up feeling fine. Drove today for the first time, no issues. Bumpy roads don't bother me anymore. Sick and tired of sweet stuff. Sweet protein drinks, sweet vitamins, sweet popsicles... I'm a bit grumpy today, woke up feeling like ''am I skinny yet?'' but I'm doing what I have to do and drinking down this protein and counting down the days to eating a real meal... to be continued... I had 0 complications and my hospital stay was 2 days. I don't regret the surgery because I know that in the long run all of this will be worth it. It isn't fun at first but I know it gets better. These feelings will never be as bad as how I feel being fat. A few things I wish I knew or I'm glad I knew: 1. SOME people have gas pain. SOME people have nausea. SOME people have acid reflux. Don't be afraid because of someone else's experience. We are all affected differently and there is no point in stressing about things until they happen. 2. DO NOT let people project their fears on to you. MANY MANY people will tell you not to do this or not to do that because *insert scary reason here*. For me, it was about which procedure I chose and where I chose to have it. There were fears about mal-absorption etc. I chose that procedure because it was the best fit FOR ME. I and SO GLAD I didn't let them talk me out of it. Another one was about the fact that I decided to have it done in Mexico. I had AMAZING care in Mexico and if I had to do it again, I'd go to the same place. Just trust yourself and the decisions you've made and the research you've put in. Don't let people's fears sway you. 3. Don't go crazy having all of the things you'll miss eating. It seems like a good idea.. and it probably wouldn't hurt to do it once or twice.. but don't go overboard. All the weight that you'll put on from doing that (even just 5lbs) will be weight you'll have to lose and you'll probably regret it. Having this surgery isn't the end of eating. There will be times where you can enjoy a cheat day. Now that this is the longest post ever I think I'm done. Sorry its so long lol

I have talked to my doc. He said no aspirin and no ibprofen. But, I take baby aspirin, 81mg and it's chewable. I will continue, after surgery to take it. With Water or a shake. I can't see how the aspirin can erode the band. The band is on the outside of your stomach. As for the ibropfen, I'll see how I do without it. If I take advil liqui-gels, that is almost the same as liquid ibprofen. I always take it with something like soy milk so it doesn't irritate my stomach. Nsaid is on the list of things I can't take. My doc is really into bypass surgery. I don't think he changed many of his dos and don'ts for the lap band procedure. I'm reading my paper work and finding things that do no pertain to the lap band. And this paper work was supposed to be just for lap band patients. It's almost like he's erring on the side of caution. But it puts my health at risk in another way and I'm not willing to risk a heart attack. I have way too much to live for. That's the reason I'm having the surgery in the first place. Lowering my risk of heart attack, diabetes, stroke and many other illnesses that befall obese people. Thanks to all who have responded. You've helped me make my decisions.

Hi Solla: Be patient, and remember 1-2 pounds is what to expect with banding. Sure some people will lose more than this and some will lose less, but this is truly the average and it is a good healthy weight loss. We all need to remember that we did not get this heavy over night. And the weight will not come off like that either. I was told prior to my surgery by my surgeon that if I wanted immediate results that bypass would give that to me where Lap Band would be a slow but steady process. Your skin has time to recover with slow and steady. Therefore allowing it to not be so saggy. Just stick to the program and eating only healthy choices and excersie regularly and you will be a huge success I am certain of it. For me it is the long term that is my goal and I set mini goals for myself. Like hitting the next 10 marker. I am 4 pouns away from my second goal after surgery the 30# marker. Then it is not so overwhelming. When I look at it that way it makes the final goal more real for me. Remember you are retraining years and years of overeating and of making the wrong food choices and this takes time not only to achieve but also for our bodies to catch up. We are retraining our metabolisms as well. Your body will get the message and know it is not starving. I would recommend using something like FITDAY.com to log all of what goes into your mouth each and everyday. This will help you to eat between 1000 and 1200 calories a day which is what my nutritionist said the goal should be. I have trouble getting that much but I am losing very nicely I feel. Always eat your Protein first at every meal as well. YOU CAN DO THIS and YOU WILL succeed! Hugz,

Well I had the bypass and never had one issue and look at me now 8 months 3 weeks since I began my diet and 6.5 months post op. Bypass was the best decision for me

This is a great pre-op question! Each individual has to choose for him or herself, of course. Here was how I ultimately arrived at bypass for my choice. After learning about each procedure, I originally decided that I would have gastric sleeve. I have arthritis in my knee from an old sports injury and I was taking an NSAID for it—which you cannot take with bypass due to the high likelihood of ulcers. I also wanted a lower likelihood of dumping syndrome. After talking with my PCP, however, I changed my choice to bypass for a few reasons. First, after losing over 100 pounds to date pre-op I have been able to manage my arthritis with over-the-counter medications. Second, thinking of surgery as one tool in the weight loss toolbox, bypass is likely to result in a higher percentage of weight loss than sleeve. Last but not least, I want surgery to work as a tool to help me sustain my weight loss when I hit my goal weight. My PCP has had many patients who received sleeves require dilation and, in some cases, extension of their sleeves to bypasses. She also shared that the dumping syndrome that comes with bypass serves as a good long-term deterrent to overeating. I am having bypass surgery on Monday, February 24th. I plan to continue to post both pre- and post-surgery, so more to come!

I had GERD, Barrett's esophagitis from the acid, and even a Barrett's polyp that was removed. It was a slam dunk for gastric bypass if I wanted to avoid the acid and possible progression to cancer, I am happy to report that 10 months after surgery, a follow up EGD showed NO Barretts! I have an ulcer but no Barrett's.

My surgeon had suggested bypass. I wanted sleeve. He had recommend it as it is malabsorption for life and that would achieve the greatest results he felt. I figured why change the plumbing and was willing to make the changes I needed. He said sleeve was fine as long as i remember that it was not malabosrption for life. After the one year checkup he said I was good and surpassed their expectation of my weight loss, I lost more than was expected from either surgery.

I am!!! So glad to hear that. I decided to go with him over everyone else (and I looked worldwide) because of the absolute detail and reasoning he had behind why I needed a full gastric bypass and not a mini, like so many other doctors were recommending (it seems like this is the popular choice now, especially in Mexico). Edit: no disrespect to the mini gastric bypass! I just felt like it wasn't quite right for me despite having so many doctors tell me so. I had a couple of doctors recommend the full bypass but only Dr. Kaur did so with reasons that were connected to other health issues I have, which made me feel more secure in choosing him.

Originally, I was going to go for the sleeve surgery. My friend has already had it done and I've heard very little complaints from her. I also thought it would be nice to have something to 'share' with her. I joke that bypass is 'Frankenstein-ing your insides', but I am also a bit serious about it, too. The sleeve seems like it was just an easier procedure and I was told that you lose your hunger hormones, which seems helpful, too. However, after talking to my doctor, I was recommended to do bypass due to my acid reflux & heart burn becoming worse after the sleeve. I was also told that there is a higher percent of weight loss to be expected when going with bypass over sleeve. He warned me of possible dumping with the bypass (but since being on these forums and talking to others, it seems to happen from having either surgery). He also said that it really only happens when eating food you shouldn't be eating in the first place, and I felt that. He said I could choose either, but I'm set on bypass.

I'm choosing the sleeve because it's less evasive, with no re-routing of the intestines. Also with the sleeve you can eventually eat anything, whereas the bypass limits you and there is possible "dumping".

I chose the sleeve along with DH, we chose together. . .i had researched all the different wls and the sleeve seemed the most safest, economical and ideal. . . I really like the idea that once your healed you can literally eat whatever (within reason of course) and still lose weight. . . sorta like eat and go. . . with RNY (bypass) you have your plumbing rearranged and then have to watch everything going into your mouth or you pay the painful price of dumping syndrome. . . with the band, you spend money with fills/unfills, risk infections at the port site, and possibly end up in the hospital with slippages and so on. . . the sleeve to me is the way to go. . . the choice is yours and good luck with you decisions

I personally feel that there is a lot of misinformation being spread by well-meaning counselors, nurses, and even doctors. The gastric sleeve is a fairly new procedure in the grand scheme of things, and I think a lot of the "cautionary tales" people like to spread are actually referring to gastric banding or gastric bypass.

Hello! Band revision to sleeve 4 days ago. My dr did at the same time but I know other drs require it to be done in 2 surgeries. No, didn't take fills out beforehand. My surgery was a piece of cake... Seemed easier than the band surgery years ago.

I voluntarily unfilled my band 4 weeks before my revision. When Dr Garcia got in there, he said everything looked great and there was NO irritation (which is what I did it for...NO irritation) I was then sleeved right after he removed it

I am averaging about 600 calories a day and I feel it may not be enough calories. What is the average amount of calories should a Gastric Bypass person get in a day? I am almost up to par with my Protein requirements.

Hello everyone, I went to visit my new surgeon (I'm Kaiser now) to discuss my lap band slipping. I was thinking we could just take out a little saline and see what happens. Never heard of the sleeve before today but when he discussed this option while taking out my band at the same time- I immediately knew it was the right decision. My band has been a total nightmare. The group who performed my band surgery pretty much deserted me after my operation. Kaiser has been a dream come true for me. There were things about the band I was never told- like most people get it out about 2-5 years later and almost nobody has it in after 10 years. I was led to believe this band stayed in forever. I also thought it was going to be a simple surgery. Wrong. I have been hospitalized so many times for problems. I faint after I eat sometimes because its pushing up again my Vagal nerve. And its been too tight for months- finally after months of vomiting/getting food stuck constantly/and slime issues- it slipped. Thank God, because it slipped I pay for nothing- my insurance will cover this as well as my revision to the sleeve. I am so excited to have my surgery June 28th. It is so helpful to read all your comments and stories. Today my surgeon removed almost all of the saline explaining it helps to reduce any swelling to make surgery and revision easier. And I am so happy to NEVER have to get a fill or have this port accessed again. Yippee!

are we talking gastric bypass via protien or gastric bypass via KFC, Taco Bell, Little Caesars or McDonalds?

Good Luck to you. This is very common now. There are a ton of revisions on this site. You will do just fine.