Search the Community

Just wanted to vent a little, I have been looking for support groups to see if I can talk to anyone about all of this, but haven't found anything. I got VSG on march 31st 2022. The first 5 days were terrible, not only did I throw up everything but also had a really annoying cough, that made my abdomen hurt and didn't let me sleep. Got prescribed antihistamines and it got better. Stayed at home for 6-7 days. Went back to work and felt dizzy, so I had to go half days for a while (I am a veterinarian, on my feet all day). Two weeks after surgery, I started coughing again, and this time literally felt excruciating pain around the area of the incisions. I got to the doctors office crying, I was in so much pain. They did an ultrasound, bloodwork and X-rays, and sent me to the pneumologist and apparently I had bronchitis, because of the pain I had to stay home again, for a couple of days. I started treatment for it and it started getting better about after 7 days, but then three days later I started coughing. Went back to the doctor, and now had an inflamed lung. He did PCR and D-DIMER, and they were both super elevated (tested negative for COVID), and had to be put on anticoagulants and everything. Started getting better after two weeks, and lo and behold, 5 days later I get a terrible cold. Fever, congestion, and throat ache. Started getting better 3-4 days ago. Now on top of everything, I broke a toe while walking around the house barefoot. Asked the nutritionist and she said it might be because my vitamin D is low, and im not absorbing calcium as I should. Now I had to stay home as well for a week on doctors orders to rest my feet. I used to be a healthy person before surgery, never got a cold or fractured anything (and definitely have bumped my feet into chairs before). I was morbidly obese, and had joint pains but apart from that I didn't get sick. I feel very frustrated in this aspect. I have lost 50 pounds, in 10 weeks, and don't have any gastrointestinal symptoms (can tolerate basically anything, no vomiting, barely dumping syndrome), but still. I have been eager to start working out but with all these respiratory complications and now a broken toe, it's been an uphill battle.

you can revise sleeve to both gastric bypass or duodenal switch. I know of several people who've had those revisions. you can also revise a bypass to a duodenal switch, but that's a complicated surgery and only a few surgeons in the country are qualified to do it. Basically, they have to completely reverse the bypass, then create a sleeve, then do the intestinal part of the DS (DS is a sleeved stomach with a partially bypassed small intestine) I don't know the answer to your other question (about the pain) - maybe someone else will.

Had my rny on 5/16, no complications or issues. The first two weeks of recovery went great, and I went down 20 lbs pretty quickly. Unfortunately I ended up in the hospital after 2 days of vomiting and nausea with diabetic keto acidosis and dehydration. I was in the hospital for 2 days and it threw me off my recovery a little. Since then I’ve been trying to get back into walking every day again as I haven’t lost anything after the initial 20 lbs. I just had my first post-op appointment on Wednesday and spoke to the nurse practitioner about some lower abdominal pain that has remained since getting sick, and she suggested that I switch the brand of water I’m drinking to something less acidic. I feel lucky that I’m not having any bigger issues. I seem to be tolerating each new food without a problem and have no issues getting my protein and water in everyday, I’m just frustrated that the scale hasn’t moved in 2 weeks. ☹️

- Do it, you will only regret not doing it sooner - Do your research and be completely comfortable with your surgeon; make sure you ask what they will do and how they will manage complications - Get up and move around as soon as you can postop. It helps move the gas out of your system. Use a heat pack for the shoulder blade pain from trapped gas. - Don't worry about loose skin yet; deal with one step at a time. - Go to a psychologist or therapist. The mental reasons you overeat to the point of obesity are not helped by surgery. You have the aid of no appetite initially to lose weight, but once that restriction eases over time, it's just you again, with all the same issues and problems. See someone. Consider what led you to get where you are/were. I was never a believer in "therapy" and thought it was rather useless and self-indulgent to sit and "whine" to someone about your problems. I misunderstood. It is unbelievably helpful to have a professional with whom you build a good relationship, to call you out on your BS and encourage you to feel your feelings instead of eating to suppress them (if that's what you do - it's what I do). Cannot recommend strongly enough, and think it should be mandatory for before and after WLS.

I wanted to see if anyone has had a problem with insurance approving revision surgery. I feel like an absolute failure. I had a band placed in 2010 and had to have it removed because of complications and converted to a sleeve in 2015. For some reason my body just didn’t let me lose the weight as easily as I did with the band. I’ve put back all the weight since then. Im going to see my surgeon on Monday. When I called to make the appointment the lady told me that I may have a hard time with approval since I hadn’t continued to follow up with the office. I went to all my scheduled appointments and was never told I needed to continue checking in. Im just trying to mentally prepare for my appointment. Im afraid they will tell me there is nothing they can do to help me get healthier. I just feel defeated.

Hi everyone I'm new to bariatric pal. I am actually new to forums period. Never joined one but was hoping to get some help with those who have done the sleeve surgery done in southeastern MI. I am currently researching different programs in hospitals in SE MI and am struggling with settling on one. The few individuals who I know have gotten the sleeve surgery have done so in Mexico, which is not an option for me. And one individual had it done at St. Mary's in Livonia, MI put developed complications and she's really struggling. So far I have started the process at UofM Ann Arbor and to be honest with you, I was not that impressed, especially with the scheduling problems that I have encountered that have set this process back a few months more than it should. I am now looking into Beaumont Royal Oak and Troy - 2 doctors jumped out at me but again there's very little in terms of reviews out there from their patients. So would really appreciate any guidance you can provide. Thanks everyone! Struggling in MI

I wanted to see if anyone has had a problem with insurance approving revision surgery. I feel like an absolute failure. I had a band placed in 2010 and had to have it removed because of complications and converted to a sleeve in 2015. For some reason my body just didn’t let me lose the weight as easily as I did with the band. I’ve put back all the weight since then. Im going to see my surgeon on Monday. When I called to make the appointment the lady told me that I may have a hard time with approval since I hadn’t continued to follow up with the office. I went to all my scheduled appointments and was never told I needed to continue checking in. Im just trying to mentally prepare for my appointment. Im afraid they will tell me there is nothing they can do to help me get healthier. I just feel defeated.

Ugh, that's a pretty strict pre-op. Mine isn't quite as strict, but close. I can either do 3 protein shakes or two protein shakes and a lean meat and veg dinner. However, if hungry between meals I am allowed to eat some low carb veggies, sugar-free jello, sugar-free pudding, eggs, or fat free cottage cheese. So far today I've had two protein shakes and some sugar-free jello. I'm trying to be somewhat strict with myself, because I want my liver to shrink as much as possible, to avoid complications. So I will likely be sticking with three protein shakes a day, and sugar-free jello as a snack. If I get desperate for something more filling I might boil an egg. Does your plan not allow you to have any snacks at all?

I think it depends on what type of surgery you had and how you complicated it was for you or your body.

My surgery went well. Haven't had any MS flares at all. Had a bit of a slow recovery because of the incision they removed the stomach from. That one really hurt for a while. Other than that, things went well and I didn't have complications. Don't really have any restriction, and my hunger definitely never went away. I lost a lot of weight really fast, and then hit a 2 week stall, and now the weight is coming off super slow. Like SLOOOOW. But this is a marathon, not a sprint. I'll get there in the end.

As you note, programs differ, (and sometimes wildly!) both in their progressions and also in how they define food types (what's a liquid, what's a puree, etc.) and also in how much they trust their patients and in their own communication with their patients. We had yogurt and scrambled eggs in the hospital - if we could tolerated them, that was great, but if not, liquids were fine too until we could do more. As to the OP, it is concerning that at three months there has not been more progress. A stricture does sound like a possibility - that's not uncommon with a bypass (scar tissue forming around the stoma overly restricting things) and from what I have seen, they're usually fairly quick to do an endoscopic dilation (or two) to open thing up - twenty years ago, this was so common that it ceased being considered a "complication". With a sleeve, it is less common, and more indicative of a surgeon who hasn't quite got the technique down yet, so they may be more reticent about correcting it (if they know how) and just seeing if it will fix itself. I would be a squeaky wheel and get after them to address the issue, as this isn't normal.

Hi guys! I did my surgery yesterday. All went well, no complications so far. I was back home in 3 hours! The only problem I have so far is horrible heart burn. It is so horrible that it hurts to take my crushed meds and even drink water. Has anyone has this feeling?

I had my Band placed in 2007. My questions are about having it removed and getting gastric bypass. The band was curative of my heartburn and I've heard going bypass can cause heartburn, at least no citrus, tomato juice, etc. Experience with that? How about no ibuprofen? (I use Celebrex) I've heard people say docs give them tramadol for pain. Experience? Is dumping syndrome common, (to the point of "expect it". I started at #325 and after a year was #250. I stabilized for years at #260-270. October 2021 was#266. My weight loss wasn't easy. It was a lot of meal planning, and strict diet. I've had zero complications. I haven't had the "foamies" for years and maybe get a bad "stuck", (spitting for an hour). I really need to lose 70 more pounds. Have those that switched from Band to Bypass found the weight loss to be "easier"? Is there general advice for me? Last time on the forum was maybe 15 years ago. I read an entry that someone had a doc that wanted the band out, wait 3 months, then do bypass. Is that common? I've had some bad stuff going on for the past 4 years and have been having therapy and on meds and doing a lot better. In the last year I've been looking closely at bypass. I say this because I feel like I'm now in the right frame of mind to make the decision and willing to listen to advice. thanks, fobit 6-06-2022 Thank you.

I did not do any trial runs, but I can say I had to do it. I had my gallbladder removed in April of 2019 in what was my very first ever surgery/hospital visit (not including ERs or urgent cares). I had to do 10 days of the pre-op for the exact same reason as the bariatric surgery - to shrink the liver. Day 3 I remember being the worst part of it all. Day 1 & 2 you're thinking "I can do this, it ain't so bad." Then day 3 comes and you want to die. And then after that, you're just resigned to being miserable for whatever days you have left. 😂 I could only have 3 shakes a day for that one. For this diet I get 4 shakes a day, so I am hoping that it will fulfil hunger better this go around. It's hard, but it's not impossible by any means when you keep yourself in the mindset that you are doing this for YOUR health, and that if you cheat or mess up it's YOU who has to suffer with whatever complications could arise (including having to forego laparoscopic surgery and be cut open). It definitely helped to keep myself on the wagon.

I finally got my date! August 18th! It took three months to jump through all the hoops, but finally I got the call with the date I changed from the sleeve to the bypass due to a few minor complications with acid. I feel strong about my decision and I'm super excited to move forward.

These are my thoughts, coming from a patient going through a revision from Lap Band to Bypass... If you ultimately go with Sleeve, you may encounter complications like GERD years down the road. This is due to the Sleeve being a high pressure system. The high pressure created in the pouch puts pressure on the esophageal sphincter and causes it to fail, which results in GERD. It often takes years to manifest, and when it happens, it ultimately forces your hand to revise to Bypass. That's my current situation. When I got Lap Band, I was scared of Bypass. But as I've investigated more about Bypass, I understand now why it is the Gold Standard of weight loss surgeries. It's been around longer than other weight loss surgeries, so it has been perfected over the years. I wish I would've chosen Bypass from the beginning and saved myself a lot of unnecessary complications and I never made it to goal weight either. As for being self pay, and Bypass costing more... imagine a few years down the road having untreatable GERD and having to have a second surgery. So think of the increased expense of Bypass now as an investment if you choose to go that route. If you're having doubts about your PCOS causing cravings, Bypass might help to keep your eating on track, if you're a patient that gets dumping. I'd say you should trust your instincts. Best wishes on your journey!

I had sleeve surgery on May 23. I have had little complications. Still in the liquid phase of the diet. I honestly can’t believe how much weight I have lost already. I try and walk every 2-3 hours. That has helped my pain.

Hi all. My surgery was on May 16th, the 1st week was going okay, no vomiting no pain, just a lot of gas that would only come out as a belch. I was having bowel movements so the Dr said to give it more time. By Monday May 30 I was back in the hospital. I was vomiting, couldn't keep anything other than liquids down. Turns out part of my intestines was pinched shut. A full week here in the hospital, but finally feeling better after a second surgery to correct the blockage. All the posts I see people are doing great after surgery with no problems. Anyone else here have any complications?

Hi, I was banded in 2013, had it removed in 2017 due to a twist; gained most of my weight back so I just under went VSG and I'm wondering if any one has a similar experience? How fast did you lose? Any complications? Thanks Sent from my SM-A526W using BariatricPal mobile app

I’d look into surgery in a neighbouring country. There are a few Europeans on the forum who may be able to make some recommendations. There are always negative stories & a friend of a friend stories. You can find them about anything. I recently read a story about the prevalence of fungal infections in people who to go to the large nail salons so … People who have good experiences don’t always shout it from the roof tops. We do here though. 🙂 Sure, there can be hiccups & things may not go perfectly to begin but generally everything settles & works out in the end or can be remedied rather easily. Some issues arise because of complications from pre existing conditions too. Talk to people who actually had the surgery (like on here) if you can. You also get negativity from people who think the surgery is an easy way out. It is so NOT easy. They think if you just diet harder & be more committed to exercising you’ll lose weight. If it was as easy as just dieting & exercising you’d be thin now. We all would have been. The negative comments from family &/or friends are why some of us don’t tell people we’ve had the surgery. The potential for developing a drinking addiction arises in response to people not being able to satisfy their food addiction anymore so they turn to alcohol (or sex apparently). I’ve seen stats of 16% after bypass in the first year of which 6% had existing issues with alcohol. Stating a 60% statistic would only benefit the woman in the article’s business by scaring people. If you deal with the issues behind your food addiction your chance for any addiction transfer is negated. It is important to do the ‘head work’ to understand, manage & deal with the issues behind your eating habits, behaviours, cravings, etc. Many people seek the support of a therapist after surgery which benefits their weight loss success & maintenance. The hair loss lasts about three months. Your natural hair loss cycle accelerates in response to the shock of the surgery & your change & reduced diet. So the hair you shed is hair you would be losing anyway - just not as quickly. Your new hair is still growing but just at its usual rate. How many wrinkles you have is much like how much loose skin you will have. It will depend on your age, gender, skin elasticity, genetics, how long you carried your weight, etc. Yes, you likely will look more drawn & have a few additional wrinkles at first but a lot of this reduces in maintenance as your body resettles & you’re eating more & a more nutritious & balanced diet. My uncle told my mother I looked like death when I was near my lowest weight. Now, he tells me I look fabulous. I had a lot of fine lines that developed under my chin while I was losing but they almost totally disappeared in my second year. Sure my marionette lines are deeper & that’s from the skin that stretched from having a fat face. I have the face that is mine now. I have a jawline, a longer neck, cheek bones, & my eyes aren’t as hooded. A few wrinkles are nothing. I’d rather have a few wrinkles or loose skin than be obese & be compromising my health. Besides a little Botox or filler can always help with the wrinkles 😉. Ultimately it is your decision. Keep asking questions so you’re as well informed as you can be. All the best whatever path you choose.

I spoke to my surgeon today his morning and he said that if it wasn’t better by the afternoon to go to the ER. He said he didn’t think it was a complication from the surgery. So I went to the ER and they did an ultrasound to check for blood clots. No blood clots: so they gave me some pain pills and sent me home to follow up with my surgeon again. I think I’m going to make an appointment with a neurologist. Now that blood clots are ruled out I think I should have my nerves checked out. That’s the only other thing I know to do

I did tell another friend today, and she was a bit negative. She mentioned that someone she worked with had gone under the knife at the local private clinic that's still operating, and that she had complications and had to have surgery two more times. She didn't know if this person had a gastric bypass or sleeve, but it was a few years ago. She also mentioned another friend of hers who had weight loss surgery in Poland, everything went well but my friend said that this person had never looked worse in her life and that the surgery had aged her terribly. She mentioned wrinkles and hair loss, and that her friend still had very thin hair although it's been two years since her surgery. I have a neighbor who had a gastric sleeve in Eastern Europe a year ago. She does have more wrinkles than before, but her hair is just as thick as ever, so I guess it varies. This neighbor of mine had more wrinkles than average before surgery, since she was both a smoker (recently quit) and an avid sun worshipper. I have almost no wrinkles although I'm middle aged. None on my forehead or in my face in general, except for little bags under the eyes and crinkly lines in the corners of my eyes. I've used prescription retinoids since I was in my twenties, and I'm sure that helped. How likely am I to become super wrinkly if I lose 40 - 80 pounds? I understand that on the average people lose 70% of their excess weight with the gastric sleeve, so for me that would be around 56 pounds. I weighed 46 pounds less than I do now nine years ago, and I looked a lot better at that weight with no noticeable extra lines. Is it likely to be that much worse if the weight loss is through surgery? What is your experience, those of you who have already had the surgery?

I've seen statistics from the US that show that death from gastric sleeve is very rare. However, I live in a small country and there are only two places that do weight loss surgeries locally. One is a state run hospital, that has a very good track record and nobody has died from weight loss surgery there, but it's very hard to get surgery there. In order to qualify for surgery there, you first have to go to an inpatient program at a state run rehabilitation centre and the waiting list for that is measured in years, not months. There used to be two private clinics who did weight loss surgeries locally, but after two people died from gastric sleeve in 2018 and one case of serious complications, on of them closed. In all, six people had died after a gastric sleeves performed by their surgeon. They had limited aftercare and the same applies to the private clinic that is still working. Also, I wouldn't be able to go this summer if I chose the private clinic locally, since it costs more and they have a long waiting list too. We have socialised medicine, so if you have complications afterwards you are referred to the state hospital or public health clinics. In Poland, I would stay for at least two days after surgery at the hospital and up to five days, and they have an excellent track record. You can choose a trip that last for five days or seven days, and I would chose the longer one. It's similar in the other country I'm considering, which is Latvia. Does it still seem unreasonable to go overseas for the surgery in my circumstances?

I just had the sleeve done on Friday June 3, and yesterday June 5 I noticed that both my thighs (top and outside) were numb. I thought it was the way I was sleeping. I’ve been walking as much as I can. I called my dr and he said that it wasn’t a complication from surgery and that if it doesn’t improve to go to the ER.

I had my surgery May 18th. I have had zero complications, and only a little pain on the first day after surgery which was managed at the hospital. I was tired the first week after surgery, but I have been feeling more and more energetic with each passing day. I'm also dropping around one pound per day. I am off work right now and go back to work on June 13th and I feel pretty confident that I can handle it. How's everyone else doing?