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I weighed myself on Sunday--137 lbs. My lowest weight after the sleeve was 132 and I'd really like not to go below that with the bypass. I have been trying to get the chewable bariatric vitamins down (BariSlim with 45mg iron) but they just seem to irritate my intestines and they make my poop orange, which is weird to see. The nutritionist at the hospital suggested Flintstones but Amazon reviews say the formula has changed and there isn't enough iron, even at a double dose. I have almost a full bottle of Costco Mature Multi vitamins that I was taking before the bypass and tolerated well and I can cut the tablets in half to make them easier to swallow. I'm thinking if I take 2x the dose, and supplement with the Feosol iron and the sublingual B12 I was taking with the sleeve, that should be adequate supplementation. I have to contact my endocrinologist about calcium, my levels were high last December and he cut the dosage to 500mg/day. No reflux, no dumping (but haven't challenged myself) no regurgitation. Walking a mile a day. Sometimes have to take a nap in the afternoon but not always.

I feel it's time to tell me story as best I can and hopefully it will give the new comers some hope and take away their worries or anxiety about surgery. Okay I have a very dysfunctional childhood and I think maybe subconsciously I turned to movies and food as a way to cope until alcohol came along but all those things combined made me gain weight massively in my teen years. As a child I was tiny but after my father passed and my stepfather came in the picture; he was a tyrant; life changed dramatically. Anyway fast forward to the end of high school I had reached over 250lbs and by 21 I was 320lbs and my weight fluctuated over the years between 300-320 until I finally found a way to get bariatric surgery.. I always believed surgery was for the rich people and I was never rich... But I found out randomly that health insurance would cover most of surgery and I'd never had health insurance before because here in Australia we have an amazing Medicare system that covers pretty much everything to do with doctors and hospitals except for elective surgery like bariatrics; unless you're like super morbidly obese and even then it can take 3 years and numerous hurdles.... So I researched and researched for months and months and spoke to multiple surgeons offices until I found the perfect surgeon; I needed to get health insurance first then do the waiting period which I used to save up the gap and that gap covered absolutely everything from first meeting until surgery and hospital was covered. I met the surgeon and his doctor and got information and told them I wanted ROUX EN Y BYPASS; and we all agreed that was the best decision as I had bad type 2 diabetes and it would only get worse. I weighed in at 322 there and then and I just wished and hoped the surgery would help me to get down to at least 200 maybe 190; I just wanted to be healthy and happy and of course to look better and feel better in myself. Anyway from first consultation until the surgery day was about 4 months had a few meetings with surgeon and he does a very direct approach no need for all the tests and stuff just my medical history and some blood tests and a big discussion was about it and he was ready to go. I was advised to do at least 2-3 weeks low carbs/protein shake diet before surgery and to try lose at least 10lbs; but I literally woke up one morning 2 months before surgery and decided there and then to kick start my journey and started on protein shakes and I actually found a brand and flavor that I actually loved. It tasted just like chocolate milkshake even though I only used water to mix it up i tried a few different brands but they were either too bland or no taste at all I like flavor and I like a little sweetness in my shakes... And I've been using the same shakes in bulk powder form for months without any issues at all... So I started on shakes and they literally filled me up and I was determined to show the surgeon I meant business. i was amazed how quickly the weight came off because I was ONLY on shakes Max 600cal preop; I dropped so much water weight it was amazing. By surgery day I had already dropped from 322 to 257lbs and the surgeon was so proud. i went into the hospital early without only water that morning so my sugar was actually low so they made me wait a few hours longer and I went in to surgery I think 3pm and next thing I know I was awake in ICU a few hours later and surgery was done but oh boy was it painful for me; I'm not sure why but I was in pain for like 2 days luckily I was given good drugs through the IV and slept most of the 2 days... By the 3rd day I started drinking a small glass of protein shake and was sipping water each day; here in Australia the surgeon is very cautious so I actually spent 6 days in hospital was fine I had my own private room and bathroom and was really well looked after.... By the 3rd day they finally took the drain out and I had a shower for the first time and a BM which was like sticky black green like a baby; oh the shower felt amazing on my poor sore belly; I think I had 5 incisions sites and a very tight bloated belly. Each day I would walk the halls of the hospital and say hello to the nurses and other times I would rest and watch TV but by like the 5th day I was feeling really good and was ready to go home but because I lived over 2hrs from the surgeon and hospital they made sure I was 110% fit and healthy; they checked my blood sugar and blood pressure multiple times a day and they said everything was fine, by the time I left the hospital they had taken me off multiple medications and it felt Great. The ride home in my mates car was a little rough but it felt Great to be home and in my own bed my big bed not the single bed in hospital... It's hard to remember everything I went through its been over 8 months since I left the hospital but I do know I was still a little sore when bending or carrying shopping bags for the first few weeks I had to be careful.... Showering was amazing my bandages on my incisions came off on their own after like 3 weeks.. I was given a guideline diet but Ive always been a strong independent personality so I just chose to do things my way; of course I was glad for the surgery and the surgeons advice but I felt is my body; my life I need to do it my way so maybe I was lucky but I didn't even think about food for months like literally I lived off shakes and yoghurt for months before I really started actual food and of course the weight kept coming off everyday it was amazing. For the first 3 months I think I was on maybe 500cal a day with next to no carbs or sugars... I didn't feel hungry at all... Shakes kept me going... Every couple of months I had to buy new clothes, I couldn't believe how much I changed one month to the next and people who hasn't seen me in a few months were shocked ever time they saw me.... i never kept it secret from anyone; I was proud of my decision to finally change my life and possibly extend my life, I was enjoying the complements and I was lucky I don't think I stalled for more than a week and I never had any complications at all except for diarrhoea BM for a while and sure I threw up a few times when trying different things or eating too quickly... i started drinking regular coffee by 3 months and my surgeon said it was fine as long as I don't get dehydrated.. I was drinking tea as well and by 6 months I actually decided to treat myself here and there with some sugar free energy drinks and it has not impacted me or my weight loss one bit. Now I'm over 8 months out I can eat most things just small portions; I've even had bread a few times just have to take it very slowly... I've had pasta a few times and even had some chocolate over Easter without any issues at all and still continued to lose weight... i will admit recently I've had some treats here and there but that was once I got in to maintenance mode... I've pretty much been in maintenance now over 2 months and pretty much sit around 165lbs but just this week I've seen 163lbs on the scales... i don't log my food much now but I do keep a mental tally of my calories and such and I do still check my weight regularly to make sure I'm doing well.. i had the RNY bypass and it was 120cm and it was amazing; I've had a blast and I've lost pretty much 50% of my original weight. FROM highest of 322 to the lowest 162.8lbs just the other day.... i felt the need to share my story everything has been positive for me. It has totally changed my life and transformed my life and the way I see myself... I'll be 36 in 3 weeks but I feel better than I have in 20 years... i want everyone to read my story and see it is possible to have the BYPASS without any issues and also my 3 months blood tests were perfect so no issues with vitamins either just have to remember to take them everyday.. The one issue I will say was my hair did get thinner and would grow slower but never fell out.... I'm sure in time it will get better I've gone from being the FAT friend to the SKINNY friend... i look and feel amazing and my BMI has gone from 43 to 22. I've dropped 159lbs or 72KGS in 10 months including my preop... From 146KG to 74KG and below every goal I thought I wanted. I don't mind because most people will bounce back 10-20lbs anyway plus when I do start to build muscle that will add a little weight because right now I'm kinda skin and bones LOL feels weird saying that about myself but its pretty good... I'm really hoping I'll meet someone soon and start a family and live a long long life 😁😁😁 So if anybody is curious about RNY BYPASS don't be afraid... Success is possible!!!! A few pics before and after

My bypass was 120cm

I was on medication for type 2 and soon as I had bypass I was off meds and normal blood glucose levels since then

Hello all I got the bypass july 6th 2020. I am 5'3 and at my heaviest I was 333 I got down to 321 before surgery and now I am 309. This has been a struggle for me because I couldn't keep liquids in. I just now started yesterday being able to drink a full bottle of water in just a few hours as opposed to a whole day. But I'm excited for the journey and the weightloss.

I am a type 1.5. Can any type 1’s comment on what WLS you are getting? I’m afraid if I get the bypass that I’ll get dumping syndrome if I go hypo and need to ingest sugar to get my bg back to normal again. I’m using the tandem x2 / dexcom g6 / controlIQ closed loop system and it is da bomb! But I do still have occasional very low lows.

I’m a type 1.5 diabetic too. I looked through @modymatey ‘s story twice and I can’t figure out which WLS he had. I’m deciding between bypass and sleeve and I’m worried about if I go severely hypoglycemic and need to ingest sugar to bring up my blood glucose l might dump if I get the bypass. Can anyone speak to that? (Type 1.5 diabetes is when you have both issues... your pancreas won’t make insulin (type 1) and you are insulin resistant (type2)).

I am having bypass on the 29th as well! Whoo!

I’m in the same boat. Only lost 10 lbs in the first 3 weeks and had a very strict protocol. 2 weeks of clear, 1 week full liquids and then mushies - only 2 ounces at a time and walking 2miles a day. Even my surgeon was surprised. I started walking 3 miles a day and said I wouldn’t weight myself for another 3 weeks because I know what Head games that does to me. I spend 3 days “cheating” with an .5- 1 oz of pirate booty because I felt like 2 ounces of food was nothing. Like what’s the point, it’s over in a few minutes or a few bites, and family dinners were / are hard. So I ate the pirate booty because it felt like a lot of chewing but didn’t have a problem going down. Even tried a few potato chips, which were waaaay to easy to go down. Then I freaked out because I could feel my bad habits coming back and I kept hearing the saying “those who find a way to cheat the bypass are the ones who fail”. So then I threw the both bags away. The head game is real.

I had gastric bypass surgery at GBMC in Maryland. My surgeon was Dr. Betsie Dovec. Her and her t were absolutely amazing! Highly recommended.

I had my sleeve post-menopause at age 55. I lost 100 lbs and kept it off. Developed GERD and converted to bypass 2 weeks ago. I don't think being post-menopausal had anything to do with my success, I think it was the right surgery for me at the time and I had a great surgeon. If I had it to do all over again I'd still have a sleeve first. catwoman is right when she says the surgery helps but it's not going to work if you don't do your part. Chocolate and ice cream slide down a sleeve very easily. I saw the scale start to creep up when I relaxed my vigilance but fortunately resolved the problem before it became more than 5 lbs, which were not too difficult to lose.

Again, this is a dream. I'm 32 days post op and stalled at a 17 pound weight loss. Been 200 pounds for 10 days. My surgeon did a "short bypass". Only 100 cm. Because I only had 65 pounds to lose and I didn't want to dump or malabsorb. I hope I will still lose the 65 pounds. I'd love to be saying what you two are in a year. Wishing you continued success!

My office submitted paperwork to my insurance for approval. Now is a waiting game. My doctor said that my surgery will be most likely done mid August or end. This will be a revision since the sleeve only helped me for 2 years a my stomach pouches dilated throughout those years. Now I'm getting the bypass. Best of luck to all. Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Okay well I sat down and went over every concern that I have with myself. I did a pros and cons listened to a podcast that gave the specifics of when to choose one surgery versus the other. I have decided that because I am pre-diabetic with family history of type 2 diabetes and strong history or heart disease and a genetic disorder that pre-disposes me to increased clotting, that gastric bypass will be the prudent choice in the long run. I do have reflux but it’s mild at the moment. I don’t want to chance it getting worse. Thank you all for your responses. I’m so glad I have people to discuss this with in the middle of the night!

recovery from both surgeries is about the same. I've never seen any anecdotes about recovery from sleeve being easier than recovery from bypass. bypass: statistically, bypassers lose more weight, but we're talking a few lbs, and besides, those are just averages. Some sleevers lose a lot more than bypassers, and vice versa. It comes down to the individual and how committed they are to their plan. There are people on here who've been wildly successfully with both surgeries, and people who have failed both surgeries. It comes down to commitment. If you stick to the rules, you'll lose the weight. weight loss is faster with bypass, but not by that much. And they equal out after a few months. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you're going to have loose skin no matter how fast or slow the weight comes off and no matter which surgery you have. I don't think it makes a difference at all which surgery you have when it comes to loose skin. there is malabsorption of vitamins with the bypass, but deficiencies are rare as long as you keep on top of your vitamins (you'll have to take vitamins with the sleeve as well) (p.s. the malabsorption that Mikey mentioned - the malabsorption of calories with the bypass - that is temporary. Lasts maybe two years tops. Your system gets smart and at some point is able to suck every calorie out of whatever food you eat again. I'm talking here about malabsorption of vitamins. That is permanent, but if you keep on top of your vitamins, you're very unlikely to have problems with this) only about 30% of bypassers dump, so don't count on that happening. I, unfortunately, have no trouble at all eating sugar. I wish I did, but...no. sleeve - I'm not sure why people think this surgery is less "drastic", although many do think this. Cutting out 80% of your stomach and throwing it on the garbage doesn't seem much less radical to me than sectioning off your stomach with staples and moving your small intestine up. They're both pretty radical... stomach stretching - this actually isn't very common, from what I've read. If it happens, it's due to chronic overeating - day after day of overstuffing your stomach. Which hopefully you would not do after going through something as drastic as surgery. We all have our days, but you'd have to really work at stretching your stomach. the only things that really should be strongly considered when making a decision is if you have health issues that would make one surgery more appropriate than the other. If you have GERD, go with bypass. If you have diabetes - well, either surgery can help with that, but the bypass tends to be more effective with putting it into remission. Otherwise....??? It really comes down to personal choice. as far as your past eating disorders go, if you're still dealing with those, or are worried about those coming back, therapy is the best way to deal with that. Surgery doesn't really help with that. There are many bariatric patients who work with therapists, and there's nothing wrong with that!!

people on average supposedly lose more weight with the bypass, but it's really not by a significant amount. We're talking a few pounds. And that's just an average anyway - some sleevers end up losing more than bypassers, so YMMV. Your level of commitment to your plan has a lot more to do with your ultimate success than which surgery you go with. There are people on here who've been wildly successful with both - and other people who have failed on both. It comes down to how committed you are. If you follow the rules, you'll be successful. you do have to put in a lot of work to get the weight off and keep it off. The way I like to describe the surgery is that it gives you a strong "tail wind", which really helps you get to where you want to go. For once in my life, my efforts actually worked. I lost all of my excess weight and I'm not obese anymore. But - it was still effort - and it's also still an effort to maintain my loss. Five years out, I still have to monitor myself - weigh myself often, log everything I eat. If I stop paying attention for more than a few days, my weight starts heading north. as far as risks, yes, there are slightly more risks with the bypass, but both are extremely low risk surgeries. Many of us never had any complications, and of those who do, most are minor and "fixable". Major complications with these surgeries are pretty rare. Malabsorption of nutrients with the bypass is rare as long as you keep on top of your vitamins. The one exception seems to be iron. Some people don't absorb iron from tablets very well and have to get occasional infusions. But that's not very common - most of us absorb iron from tablets just fine. As far as other vitamin deficiencies - again, very rare. Most people who experience those aren't keeping to top of their supplements. as long as you don't have GERD, it really comes down to personal preference. I went with the bypass because I had GERD prior to surgery, so it was a no-brainer. If that weren't the case, I probably still would have gone with the bypass because at the time I had surgery (five years ago), the sleeve was still kind of new, so I was a little leery about going with it. That was the time people were having tons of problems with lapbands and many people were having them removed, and I was afraid of the sleeve becoming "lapband 2". However, it's been around long enough now that it's proved itself, so I wouldn't have that fear anymore. btw - I was 55 when I had surgery and post-menopausal.

Newbie here! I am in menopause and have been for at least 5 years. I have a BMI of 42 with approximately 100 lbs to lose, which is about 78% of my excess weight. The reason why I gained this much weight is because I was in perimenopause since the age of 32 and my weight kept creeping up year after year. No diet or exercise regimen has worked and I see surgery as the only way I can lose without gaining it back and then some. I am working with a bariatric surgeon in a bariatric center of excellence in my area. She is very good at what she does, and has done 300 surgeries a year for the last 4 years, and does bariatric surgeries exclusively. After examining me and hearing my concerns she has given me the choices of Gastric bypass "Roux en Y" or Gastric sleeve and said it is up to me which I would rather do, and I'm researching this now. I do not have any GERD/acid reflux. Before I even walked into her office, I wanted the gastric sleeve because of the lower risks and not losing any nutrient absorption in my small intestine. BUT... the more research I do seems to point to menopausal women losing a much more statistically significant amount of weight with Roux en Y Gastric Bypass. I am also nervous about gaining back the weight after the initial 1 year of weight loss after surgery... surgery doesn't affect "those" hormones and I don't want to lose my 100 lbs just to have it keep creeping up and up again. Given your experiences, which surgery would you go with in my shoes? If you ruled out all of the health risks and only took into account the ability to get down to a good goal weight and stay there, is one procedure much better than the other or are they about even? Thanks in advance for your insight.

Okay I'll start by saying I had the bypass but I've been dealing with obesity for like 20 years I would lose weight then regain it until I got the bypass now it is like I cannot gain weight. I've lost 159lbs in only 8 months

Mate the malabsorption is the whole reason for the bypass. I've lost weight so QUICKLY and still losing weight in maintenance mode without even trying and that is only because of the bypass...

It's amazing that's why I say get the bypass

I’m definitely a picker and I have a big problem with ice cream. I can eat a pint in ten minutes. I’m not a foodie but boy I love junk. I had an eating disorder when I was young and oddly enough I feel like the idea of getting surgery is kind of triggering it a little. I’m not purging but definitely binging a little more then before I decided. The bypass punishes you if you eat sweets. That could be a positive or a negative. I think if I put it in a pro and cons list it would be better. Bypass: Pros- I will lose more weight, I will keep it off easier, discourages sweets by causing dumping syndrome. Cons- faster weight lost causes more loose skin, chance of malnourishment increased, my history of purging could cause me not to be deterred by dumping syndrome Sleeve: Pros- less drastic, faster surgical recovery, slower loss = less loose skin Cons: may not reach goal weight, stomach pouch can stretch that’s what I come up with so far.

I had the sleeve and 7 years on I wish I had gone for the bypass. It's a really personal decision, but I tend to eat compulsively throughout the day, not large meals. Overtime my sleeve stretched and I regained a lot of weight due to eating small amounts regularly. I am now scheduled to have a mini bypass. So when you are weighing up your options, remember that the initial restriction from the sleeve is not permanent, I can now eat the same size meals as my husband. I hope that helps 🙂

Did anyone find themselves start to go back and forth between procedures before getting a surgery date? I find myself flip flopping between roux en y and gastric sleeve. At first I picked the sleeve but then I thought since it's the same prep I should go for the bypass since it gives better weight loss results. Now I'm thinking I don't want to be having malabsorption and the sleeve is fast to recover. Arggggg! Sent from my SM-A102U using BariatricPal mobile app

I also had bypass on July 6 and was supposed to be starting puréed foods on July 13. Unfortunately I had a bump in the road two days ago and did not eat anything (water only) for over 24 hours. After 24 hours with nothing, the only thing I could talk myself into trying was the cottage cheese from my puréed list. I had a couple tablespoons last night and it was heaven. I tried a couple tablespoons of protein shake this morning with nausea after 1 tablespoon, so I waited an hour and now I am eating 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese. I guess I am starting puréed early🤷‍♀️ Btw, pretty sure my “bump” in the road was dumping from too much bone broth at a time (about 4 oz). It was not a good time. Going to stick with 2 tablespoon portions for several more days and try protein shakes again in another day or two.

I had my surgery July 6th a gastric bypass. I'm on full liquids until after my first week visit which is another 5 days away. How soon did they put you guys on pureed diet?