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I have a lot of food sensitivities, one of which is Sucralose, because it is bonded to the chloride molecule. I discovered erythritol several months ago and used it when a little sweetness was needed. I just can't stomach many of the bariatric products because of the artificial sugars. My question is: Has anyone here had experience with it after a bypass? It is absorbed not metabolized by the body but is normally dealt with in the small intestine.

Let me guess - your doc primarily does gastric bypass and is treating his band patients with the same diet. :wink2:

I would try your insurance first. I had an exclusion and went to Mexico three years ago only to have my band fail me and the aftercare is horrible for Mexican patients in the U.S. (I did receive excellent care while having my surgery, though. The doctors really know their stuff. I just can't afford to fly down there everytime I need something.) I know the sleeve doesn't really require aftercare, but if something does go wrong, at least you have a doctor here. They treat you like the plague when you say you had surgery in Mexico! I now have insurance to cover my revision, thankfully. Don't give up! Hang in there! :thumbup1:

It's how much small intestine is bypassed. Distal= further away=more malabsorbtion, proximal= closer to the stomach=less malabsorbtion. At least this is my understanding.

Bypass was too permanent for me. My doctor explained the pros and cons of both and the one that got me was that if you gain your weight or some of it back after bypass there's nothing that can be done (surgically) to help you lose the the weight again. With the band, you can always go for an adjustment. Plus, I was scared that there would be more complications with the bypass. Good luck on your decision.

Hopefully you have a good program that educates you about the different options. You should along with your surgeon be able to make a choice that best suits your medical needs. I had a class that I had to attend to start things off that gave me two options, sleeve or gastric bypass. The surgeon spoke to the class with illustrations on a projector and took questions about both procedures. I then went home and started a 6 month diet that was laid out in detail by a nutritionist. During the 6 months before my face to face with the surgeon, I had lots of time to think about the pros and cons of both surgeries. During the 6 month diet, I would become dead set on the sleeve then read or hear something that changed my mind and I would start feeling like the bypass was the best choice. It kept going like that for about 2 or 3 months until I watched so many YouTube videos and read so many articles and forums that I decided on the bypass. Whatever you do, make sure you go into this educated and you are not pushed into making a decision based only on what one doctor says. I don't know if it will happen but I would like to go the rest of my life without another major surgery. I was determined to get this right the first time. Take it slow, do your homework and make sure you are putting your trust in a reputable center of excellence.

From what I have read the mini bypass also has an increased risk of reflux. RNY is generally regarded as the best option for reflux although it's still not 100%

No I had the regular gastric bypass.

Had mine repaired at the time of my bypass surgery. No problems and no, it did not make my recovery any more difficult.

Hello I am new to this forum so please bear with me. I am 30 years old, male 285 lbs with a bmi of 38. I have hypertention, gerd, high cholestorol, and back and joint pain, along with depression about my weight. I went to an appointment at Kaiser Permanente here is San Diego today and asked my doctor about LapBand and Sleeve. She didnt seem to know much about either or maybe did not want to talk to me about the details which really made me angry, but she did say that it might be a good choice for me. This was after she told me of the positive choice program and other options. I have had problems with weight and dieting does not help. I have been on medifast and HMR while supervised with my old doctor through insurance at a previous job. Anyway after she referred me for what she called bariatric evaluation and gave me a number I called them. They are sending me a packet and want me to come to a meeting held each monday. Here are my questions for you guys. My doctor did not say if they support the sleeve, she just said gastric bypass. Also I really dont want to have to go through 6 months of a supervised diet. I have no problem with waiting or waiting 6 months to do the classes for the surgery. Anyone have Kaiser in Southern California? Specifically San Diego? I could really use some support and advice. Thank you.

Good luck with your conversion. I had my band removed and the gastric bypass surgery on 10/19/15 (32 days ago?) I am down at least 20 pounds I have not weighed myself this week. So far so good ... My surgery was laparoscopic. I had 2 band surgeries prior. So I have 7 sort of stab wounds. I had zero pain except for a little gas in my jaw. I was up and walking immediately after surgery and only needed one night in the hospital. They gave me a scrip for Oxy but I only needed one Tylenol for the 90 minute car ride home. The incisions were a 1 on the pain scale. Lower belly ache about a 2.5. Best of all I can swallow pills with water and have no blockage! No burping or spitting no heartburn or reflux. I am never hungry and prefer svelte chocolate shakes. I am now eating fruits and cooked veggies which the band did not allow. Best wishes, Terry

Band placed in 2005...did fair for a while-- lost 110 then it seemed to stop working and I gained 60 back. Then over 2011 onward the fire backwash and reflux made my life miserable. FINALLY got the band out last spring and then gastric bypass on 11/9/15. Now I have NO REFLUX!!!! Recovery was a bit slow--way way exhausted!! So far down #21 and feeling good! Congratulations.Just saw 24 pk of premier Protein at costco.

has there ever been a group set up for lap bands I'm a new lap band and need some support? I live in Mackinaw, could go to Clinton but thats about an 90 min drive. and your right the one in Bloomington is mainly bypass, I know there is one in Peoria, but I hear if you don't have your work done by those Drs, they are not real receptive, but thats just hear say, have never gone so I personally don't know!!! Pleaase let me know I am very interested. thanks Becky:wink_smile:

I don't think the idea that you should exercise for the band to work well should scare you off the surgery. Frankly, though I'm 52 years old, I have had no regular exercise program at all until the last 6 weeks, and lost over 100 pounds in 14 months anyway. If you follow the food rules stringently, you can still lose rapidly. And as you slim down, you will feel more energy and will become more active. I love my walks now, becasue my knees don't hurt and I don't feel like I'm struggling for breath. It feels good. I don't work out an hour or more a day, I just walk for 40 minutes 5 days a week, and now am incorporating some mild strength exercising 3 times a week. It's what every healthy person should do, even bypass patients, that's all. The beauty of the band is most people can lose the weight by doing what works for them, as long as they follow the basic rules for eating.

My husband and I asked to be referred by our PCPs on Feb 22, 2013 (we preferred Kaiser Fresno; twice as far for us, but we had good referrals for there) and we attended their orientation on Mar 1, 2013. We will be called tomorrow to set up our NUT and psych appointments and we are scheduled to see the surgeon (one on one) on Mar 13, 2013. Kaiser Fresno takes your highest weight on record into account when giving your goal weight at the one on one. Even though I'm 18 pounds lighter than last year, I'm a little nervous to find out how much more they want me to lose. I'm trying to stick to 1200 calories a day now (using My Fitness Pal). Once you get cleared by the NUT and psych and reach your goal weight, they will schedule your surgery. I went thru this whole process 5 years ago at Kaiser Fremont (for bypass) but chickened out after seeing some friends have complications). This time I am determined. My 12 year old told me the other day she has never seen me at a normal weight (sigh). I'm loving this VSG community!

Hello all! God Bless everyone on the Forums. My first post! 3rd day post op Gastric Bypass by Dr Green at Plaza Hospital in Fort Worth, Hospital. Feeling alot better than I did yesterday or the day before! This Surgery is not for the faint of heart! I think the worst experience for me was the wait to eat or drink anything for 35 hours at the hospital...then having the barium swallow test sooo weak and the barium to be the first thing I tasted for that length of time. It tasted like terrible horrible chemical stuff and it had no flavor to it to hide it at all! Then the Radiologist just told me to chug the 30 ml...I could have pucked at him! With much protest and me telling him I just had a Gastric Bypass, he told me to do it anyway. I was NOT Amused!!! Walking at the hospital as weak as I felt was another joy. High on Morphine and walking with a On-Q Bupivacaine pump around my neck attached to my belly and coming from under my gown, and rolling an IV going 150 ml/hr w/a Hespan gtt at 25ml/hr...needless to say I looked like a walking zombie. And the gown was 2 sizes too big...like they only have 2 sizes for bariatric patients...normal and T-Rex size and I kept getting the T-Rex size. My boobs were half coming out! Another thing is the first Protein push-up I got in the hospital sucked butt! It was funny...here I was like okay I finally get something to eat...so I take a sip of the protein cherry stuff...and I almost barffed! Tasted TERRIBLE! Brrr! Blah! And on the package it said new improved taste...like from what??? Dog poop! There was many good points of post-op...like not having to work as a nurse or be at work...just at another hospital....and I got to be the patient for a change! Lets just say...I felt scared...and even at night, I was reassured when someone came in to check on me because I felt like I was dying, even when I knew I wasn't. I had alot of Residents following my Doctor, so I was reassured by that too. That was a great gift! Another thing is, Nurses need to check their patients more...they are supposed to check them once an hour during the day and every 2 hours at night, but I didn't get any of that...like I said, the doctors checked on me more often. I know this is like that in all hospitals...and I am guilty of being one of those nurses at work sometimes...but don't do it to post-op patients... Only check on the idiot with a boil on his butt twice in 8 hours for his meds...not the post-op patient ok!!! Ok, enough said for now...going to watch TV with my Hubby....probably NCIS or something. Love you all! Nicky :wub:

I was scared to have gastric bypass but now wish I had. If I have to get my band removed, I was leaning towards the sleeve but have bad acid reflux so that is out. I will go with GB if I don't have success with my band once I get filled again.

@@Ligaleagle86 how has your weight loss been? I have heard that most revision people loose weight slower than if they would have gone right into bypass. I only lost about 5 pounds a month with the band. I too had horrible reflux. The kind that would wake you up at night gagging. I HATE this band and cannot wait to remove it. At the same time I am scared that the bypass won't work either.

I had the band to bypass revision 5 weeks ago and so far it has been great! My band had slipped and I was having bad reflux and gained back a bunch of weight. The surgeon removed ALOT of scar tissue from the band and had to remove part of my stomach but I healing well and losing weight on track. I was just told at my last appointment that I am loosing faster than most revision patients. I should have done the bypass in the beginning. Good Luck!

I had the band in 2011, revision in 2013, and converted to sleeve in 2015. I lost 85 pounds with the band, but gained back 35 of that (started close to 300) I have lost much more with the sleeve than I ever did with the band. Good luck with your journey.

Hello kimmr... I am a band to sleeve revision too. I'm still alive!! I'm also healthier than I've ever been in my life, smaller than I've been in 2 decades and best of all HAPPIER than I can ever remember being. All the best to you in your journey.

Hey Petal...well, I went through with it and came out on other side. I did feel a huge sense of relief as soon as I woke up that was most definitely tied to the fact that the debate was over. I had revised to a sleeve, I could no longer justify that internal struggle. Does that make sense? I'm not saying that I don't still have some concerns that I made the right decision, or that I might face some unknown consequences...especially long term. But, the surgery is done, I can no longer lose sleep over whether or not I'm making the right decision. I made that decision because, with the information I know now, it was the best decision for me. My therapist has explained it nicely....regret is a choice. You CHOOSE to regret something. And if you choose to regret something, that means you're holding yourself accountable for knowing what the future holds, which is completely asinine. I made the best decision that I could for myself in 2012. If 2025 gets here, and something is wrong, well, I still won't 'regret' it, because in 2012, there's no way I could know what's going to happen in 2025. I bugs me when people post these, "do you regret it?" posts. I just don't like the term 'regret.' It seems sort of simple minded. Maybe I'm being harsh, but that's the way I see it.

I have a question for you TA. What are your stress levels before/during these weak and fever episodes? My friend had Gastric Bypass a few years ago and she's had problems ever since...anyway they finally told her that it was caused by HIGH STRESS. They told her that when she gets depressed, stressed or worried her Immune System basically shuts down. She finally left her husband and life is good and she is slowly getting better. Good luck in your search. Hopefully you find that "wonderful" doctor to help you with what you need. I pray that you find out what is going on so that you can relax and enjoy life again.

Rhonda, Your decision should be made between you and your surgeon and some self-reflection. I am 4 mos out now and feel great with my decision and my weight loss. That said, my surgeon was very clear with me that if I could not commit to regular exercise I would probably lose 20-40# tops! I am in the gym 5-7days every week since a month after surgery. For me, I had lost weight before I considered surgery. I know I can lose it and have the right mindset to succeed and keep it off. Also, I had made many lifestyle changes prior to surgery. I am young and otherwise very healthy aside from a back injury. At this point, I didn't feel I needed to go the more drastic route of RNY. I like that I am responsible for my weight loss. I have some restriction now, but I still have more control over my choices than bypass patients do. In 4 mos postop and a little over a year since starting this process I am now down almost 90# and down 6 dress sizes. So it can be done, but takes A LOT of dedication. If you are able and willing to commit to regular cardio and strength training as well as make the changes in your diet, then the band may be right for you. However, choosing the bypass is a great option as well. You will lose weight faster, but there are other possible complications and longer recovery. You can dump post bypass but not post band. With either surgery, vomiting and PB'ing can happen. Since bypass is malabsorptive, you can have Vitamin and mineral deficits, but these issues can happen after the band too, if you make poor choices. Also, do not look at the band as reversible because it should not be removed except in the extreme case of severe complications. The band is placed to help you manage your weight over time. Just because you lose X pounds doesn't mean then the band can come out. Both surgeries are major abdominal procedures and are permanent except in the rare case. RNY is more drastic and requires a lot of cutting and stapling while the band involves some internal sutures around the device. Both surgeries have been proven to be safe and effective. Remember, RNY is still considered the gold standard for WLS. In the end, both surgeries require you to exercise in order to keep the weight off. The bypass just shortens the weight loss phase. I know many people who have chosen both surgeries and each has been successful and healthy. The choice is yours, but I encourage you to be honest with yourself- your comittment, expectations, and lifestyle. Talk to your surgeon and others who have had surgery. Best of luck! I'm sure you'll come to the right decision for you. I wouldn't change my decision for anything!!

REVERSIBLE! the main reason, the second is it seems that gastric bypass is so intrusive. They reroute your intestines and make you a little tummy. I am very happy and satisfied with my choice. Armed with the knowledge that it was not something that will just happen and that I have to contribute to the weight loss has helped me become a better person. I am forced to make better food choices or I wont lose. I am also exercising and feel like a new man. The best of luck in your decision, to me it was a no brainer!