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I'm having bypass on Halloween. I'm there at 715. Good luck!! RNY Surgery 10.31.2016

yeah, no NSAIDS unless you are doing bypass.

Just had some turkey tips- yum! It’s hard to pass up the other stuff that comes with an entree though - for me anyway! HW 242, SW 236- (Bypass 12/20/17) GW#1- 199 [emoji736] (2/11/18) GW#2- 180 [emoji736] (4/2/18) GW#3- 160 CW 174 5’6”

How long ago did you have your bypass? Is this the post-op diet phase immediately following the bypass or are you a few months out?

I go in next Friday for a revision. AND mine, they say, is just slightly tilted! But just that slight tilt has given them problems with every fill I have had except the first one. I can't even imagine what one that was totally sideways would be like.:thumbup: Good luck to you! They say it's an easy fix but dang...surgery is surgery to me! ~A

Not a sleever but having bypass at 7:30 AM on Halloween. Thought it was fitting to have it done on a day that is all about the candy which has always been my downfall. Good luck to both of you! Sent from my SM-T813 using the BariatricPal App

I had bypass on Friday of last week

I was banded 10/04/11 and between then and August '12 lost about 40lbs. In November I had redness and pain in my port area and my surgeon put me on an antibiotic and the pain and redness resolved. Then about 3 different times between November and August, I would have pain in the port area that would go away the next day after applying heat. Finally, though, in August the pain would not resolve and taking extra strength tylenol did not touch the pain. My surgeon started me on pain medication and his office went to work trying to have a port revision covered through my insurance. I paid cash for my original surgery. After a month, I was finally scheduled for an EGD and possible port revision, but when the doctor did the EGD he learned that the band had eroded into my stomach around the buckle area. This was on a Tuesday and by Thursday I had the band removed and spent 5 days in the hospital. I am not going to sugar coat it, it was awful. I've had surgeries before but this was the most difficult. In fact, it's now 5 weeks later and I'm still dealing with a lot of pain. The surgeon said that this was a very difficult surgery that would require a long recovery. He also said that if I wanted to in about 6 months I could revise to the sleeve. I am extremely down about the whole ordeal. I am so tired of being obese. I have tried every diet/program out there and have not been successful to become thin and healthy. That is why I took such drastic measures in getting the lapband, I need help outside of myself. So, I don't know what to do now. The lapband surgery was difficult, the removal was even more difficult and to consider another surgery scares me. Thanks for "listening"...I just don't know what to do. =(

Hey guys -- I've been banded for 5 years now and for most of that time my band acted just as it should. It's slipped right now so I'll be going in for revision surgery in July and I'm certain my band slipped because I had a too tight fill and waited an entire weekend before getting the fill taken out. But I thought that I'd offer my advice as an experienced bandster. I am not a doctor or any other type of health care provider. Call around to some local urgent care centers and/or emergency rooms tonight. Ask if they have anyone on staff who is willing to take your fill out (I'm assuming that you have some fill in there now). Tell them that it's the same kind of port as a port-a-cath for chemotherapy (I know from personal experience with those), fairly simple to access. They don't need flouroscopy to to un-fill you. I'm betting that with the fill out the gum will pass -- then just treat your pouch carefully for a week to 10 days -- Clear liquids to mush before trying solids again. Go to your fill Dr for a re-fill after you're all healed up.

This is a really touchy subject for most people, but I'm going to stick my neck out.... We researched weight loss surgeries for ten years. During that time, I learned a LOT about the Roux-en-Y (also called R-Y) Gastric Bypass (also called simply, Gastric Bypass), Mini-Gastric Bypass, Lap Band, the Fobi Pouch, Vertical Gastrectomy, Duodenal Switch etc., etc... I also learned a LOT about weight-loss drugs, methods, exercise, the science and treatment of obesity, ad nauseum. Here's my conclusion: chronic overweight, in many cases, acts more like a disease than anything else. Think of it as a Syndrome: a collection of symptoms, conditions, actions and reactions that culminate into a similar pattern of result we call Obesity. If you are at the point where you are considering surgery to treat your overweight, please, please, PLEASE do your research. Ask all the questions. Verify the answers. After exhaustive research, I have to say that the two most effective procedures BY FAR are the Vertical Gastrectomy, and the Duodenal Switch. The mortality, morbidity, and overall success (of losing excess weight and KEEPING IT OFF) rates blow away every other surgery being offered today. This biggest 'pros' are that your valves and structures stay in place - so afterward you can have a cheesburger, a beer, a soda, pizza, nuts, chips, whatever. You just can't have that much of it. For the rest of your life you only absorb 10% of the fat you consume (so go ahead and eat that rib-eye steak). The 'cons' are that is is a more technically demanding, and more expensive surgery - your surgeon must be skilled - versus the R-en-Y, Lap Band, etc. For instance, a typical R-en-Y patient is in-and-out in about an hour. A Duodenal Switch (or DS) patient takes on average 3.5-4 hours. From an economic standpoint, it's no wonder relatively few have heard of the DS. A less-skilled surgeon can do two or three R-en-Y's in the same time it takes a more-skilled surgeon to do one! I could go on and on about this, but here's my point: weight loss surgery is a very serious life-changing decision. Do all the research so that at the end of the day, you choose the right procedure for you. To read more, go here: Weight Loss Surgery in San Francisco. They have a pretty exstensive site the explains a lot about the weight loss surgeries offered today. They are a doctor's office; they do specialize in DS. So far, the DS patient I know has lost 280lbs in two years, been cured of diabetes and high blood pressure, and both he and his wife are very, very very happy. Good luck!

Morbid Obesity is a DISEASE. It has been recognized as a disease since 1985(!!!!) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This is going to be a long rant… I mean, post. The longer I thought about doctors who make a patient lose weight before weightloss surgery as “proof” of their commitment to a healthier lifestyle, the angrier I got. I am FURIOUS. I am INCENSED. These surgeons are making their livings “treating” obesity, and THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT OBESITY TO CALL IT A DISEASE. THEY DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT OBESITY TO REALIZE THAT IN 1991, THE NIH CONCLUDED IN ITS CONSENSUS CONFERENCE THAT DIETS, EXERCISE PROGRAMS, APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS AND BEHAVIOR MODIFCATIONS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE THERAPIES. YES, I am YELLING. Because if they DID, they would NEVER tell a patient who desperately needed their help that they must lose weight FIRST – to PROVE they are serious about getting better!!!! And to have this kind of attitude propagated on a weightloss SUPPORT board as acceptable under ANY kind of circumstances is absolutely reprehensible, and a symptom of just how well the prejudice against fat people is accepted. Not only is it tolerated, it is expected as our “just” punishment for being fat. Because after all, we are merely gluttons. The formula is so simple: too many calories in = too much fat. So diet and exercise. Too bad for you that you’re not one of the “normal” people who can regularly consume more calories than they need without getting fat – you are NOT a “normal” person, so you must just go hungry and exercise your butt off. Guess what? The formula is NOT that simple. NO ONE really knows the complete explanation of why some people become MO and some people don’t. But not understanding “why” is NO excuse for discriminating against the MO, or continuing to blame the patient for their disease. If a person could not swim, would it be acceptable for the lifeguard to say, “I could save you, but FIRST you must swim 20 feet to PROVE that you really want to be saved.”? Or better yet, “You can’t swim, so you should never have come into the Water in the first place. Why should I bother saving you? This is your fault.” Except in the extreme cases of denying organ transplants to smokers and alcoholics, I have NEVER heard of denying treatment until the patient starts to get better on their own as an acceptable medical response. (I’m not saying I agree with the transplant thing, just that I have heard that a smoker who doesn’t quit wouldn’t be considered for a lung transplant, and an alcoholic that doesn’t quit wouldn’t be considered for a liver transplant. I don’t even know if that’s true – I’ve just heard it.) Diabetics are not denied medication until they can prove they can get their blood sugar under control with a commitment to eliminating sugars from their diet and exercise. Smokers are not denied the nicotine patch until they can prove that they can quit smoking for four weeks first. A double-amputee is not denied their prosthetics to enable them to walk until they walk two blocks without the prosthetics, to PROVE that they really want to walk again FIRST. The prosthetics, after all, are just TOOLS – not “cures” for amputeeism. People with high cholesterol are not denied medication until they are able to lower their cholesterol first, through diet and exercise. If a depressed person goes to the doctor for treatment, and they meet the protocol, the doctor would NEVER say “Snap out of it first. Then I’ll give you the medication you need to maintain a non-depressed state.” Anorexics are never told "JUST eat!!" Their condition is taken very seriously, and requires medical and psychological intervention. I ask you all, then, WHY IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO REQUIRE A MO PERSON TO LOSE WEIGHT BEFORE TREATMENT?!?!?!? YES, we have to make lifestyle changes – but just like the amputee, we can’t do it without a TOOL. We have a DISEASE. I feel that I have done the emotional work. I have completed a professional counseling program specifically for compulsive overeaters. I’ve been hypnotized. I’ve done every diet known to man, and some that I made up myself. How DARE ANYONE tell me that I am NOT serious about losing weight?!?! I cried on the way into work this morning thinking about this. I am crying now. I will NOT accept punishment for this disease. I will NOT accept blame for this disease. I WILL accept the responsibility of doing something about it, however. But I cannot do it alone – because I am NOT “normal”, and I will ALWAYS need some sort of treatment to HELP me, until they find a cure. And I cannot stand by and let anyone forget that we are NOT here because of some moral failing, some character flaw, some personal weakness. We are here because we have a DISEASE. We need treatment, not judgment. If we were not serious about getting better, we would not be here. NO ONE deserves to feel badly about themselves because they have a disease. NO ONE should be made to jump through hoops to prove they want to recover from their disease. MO is NOT A CHARACTER FLAW. This is NOT my opinion – this is medical FACT. It is up to US to know and understand this, and to eradicate the long-held beliefs that we have allowed to shame us for all of our lives. We must NEVER EVER allow anyone to get away with propagating beliefs that MO is anything but a disease that requires medical treatment. *************** http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:OTJxKzuvN8QJ:www.shapeup.org/profcenter/diabesity/PoriesPres.ppt+is+morbid+obesity+a+disease%3F&hl=en "The truth is that Morbid obesity is a disease, not a moral failing." “Obesity is a chronic, lifelong, genetically-related, life-threatening disease with highly significant medical, psychological, social, physical, and economic co-morbidities.” Statement on morbid obesity and its treatment. Obesity Surgery 1997 7:40-41 “In 1991, the National Institutes of Health concluded in its Consensus Conference that diets, exercise programs, appetite suppressants and behavior modifications are not effective therapies.” Report of the Consensus Conference on Surgery of Morbid Obesity, National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC 1991 ************** http://www.rsapc1.com/morbid_obesity_surgery/ "Morbid obesity is the most common form of malnutrition in the United States and in the world today. It is considered after smoking to be the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States. It is a chronic disease which is very complex and has multiple etiologies." "We lose over 300,000 patients a year to morbid obesity and morbid obesity related medical problems." "There are social, psychosocial and economic consequences of morbid obesity that can be devastating. Unfortunately, the prejudice against the obese is very common in our society." "Conservative management of morbid obesity that includes diet, behavioral modifications, exercise programs and the like have been found to be ineffective over the long term. A person who is morbidly obese who attempts conservative management, as mentioned above, either alone or in any combination, is not expected to be successful more than 5% of the time. Over 95% of patients who are morbidly obese and meet the criteria for morbid obesity will regain their weight and often overshoot their previous weight. Surgery for morbid obesity is the only method that has resulted in long-term maintenance of weight loss and the reduction of the comorbid diseases that are associated with morbid obesity. In particular, hypertension, dibetes mellitus, risks for coronary disease, osteoarthritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease and many others. Morbid obesity is a chronic disease which is defined as a disruption of bodily function that develops slowly and persists for an extended period of time and often for life. It is multifactorial and includes genetic predisposition, environmental factors, social economic factors, cultural influences, hormonal influences and digestive abnormalities. In 1985 morbid obesity was recognized as a disease with associated comorbid diseases by the National Institute of Health. In 1991, surgical weight loss stated to be superior to nonsurgical weight loss methods and that only surgical intervention produced acceptable long-term results. In 1993 the National Institute of Health recognized the vertical banded gastroplasty and the gastric bypass procedure to be effective in significant reduction of excess body weight. The National Institute of Health recognizes morbid obesity as being an epidemic that can only be reduced significantly by surgical intervention for both morbid obesity and its associated comorbid problems." **************** http://www.landauercosmeticsurgery.co.uk/obesity/ "OBESITY: A MEDICAL CONDITION People who suffer from obesity are poorly misunderstood by those of the population who are not obese. There is a common attitude that overweight people are stupid and unable to control themselves. People who are obese are often the brunt of cruel jokes and thoughtless humour, even to the point of suffering abusive comments in public places. We now know that the medical condition of morbid obesity is a complex disorder, and not simply due to over-eating. The vast majority of people living in the Western World eat more calories than they need but it is only a small proportion that relentlessly lay down every excess calorie in their fat stores. Most people have a mechanism, by which their body knows when their stores have been refilled, but there is an unfortunate group of people where this mechanism is defective, and when they eat it can be likened to filling up the bath with the overflow blocked off. There are of course no fat people in starvation areas of the world, but this is because these are regions with chronic malnutrition and nobody there has access to even adequate calories. People who are morbidly obese often find it difficult to believe that their problem is a medical disease and not simply due to overeating. MORBID OBESITY IN FAMILIES The disorder of morbid obesity often runs in families. The chance of having morbid obesity is clearly increased if other people in your family have the condition. Studies of identical twins who were separated at birth and brought up separately show that if one twin becomes obese, then the other one is likely to become obese as well."

oops, now I see that you haven't had surgery yet. So let me revise that to say if you find a new PCP, let them know you are in the process of getting approved for surgery. If you have other medical issues, or are on meds, it's a good idea to have your PCP involved, I think, but if you don't you may as well go to a new one the next time you need an annual and let them know then.

My best friend had gastric bypass because she was told it would help with her PCOS. Her surgery was 2 years ago, she has lost 120 and at a good weight. She feels better, but her PCOS seems worse now than before. She has 3 week cycles. I feel for anyone with PCOS.

Let's see... here are some things to consider. Here's my story. I had a band for 3 years. I was successful until my band slipped and I had serious enough complications that my quality of life wasn't too good and I started regaining weight. Once that I happened I also had to admit to myself that the band was farily unpleasant even when I was losing weight. I hated the feeling of food sitting at the top of my stomach and I had frequent sliming and stuck food issues. But I had just kind of been in denial about all my issues because my weight loss was good. I fought for insurance coverage for revision for over a year so I had lots of time to do research. My insurance would cover a new band but not a revision to anything else. It was a long, soul-destroying process - no point in detailing here . For a revision, I was willing to go anywhere in the country or Mexico and I spent a lot of time reading boards and researching stats. I also found out about the sleeve and spent lots of time researching it and bypass. I also went to an OH conference, met with several surgeons, did phone consults, you name it. I even watched video of all of the surgeons I was considering doing the procedure. I admit it, I'm a compulsive researcher. Surgeons - in Washington I felt the best choice was Dr. Billing at Puget Sound Surgical. He's done more sleeves than other surgeons in the area. He's pioneered a technique he refers to as a "lap-sleeve". He's always interested in learning and sharpening his skills - I found him to be both confident and caring without the arrogance that afflicts so many surgeons. Dr. Billing removed my lap band in October of 2009. Because of the insurance issues we didn't convert at the same time. He would have but his preference was to wait because he was concerned about damage to my stomach and giving it time to flatten back out and heal before doing the sleeve. The only two other surgeons I was willing to go to were Dr. Cirangle in SF and Dr. Aceves in Mexico. In June I did end up going to Dr. Aceves. I had a scheduling issue and had to have my surgery during a specific week. I also lost my legal case and had to self-pay. Dr. Aceves and his staff were fantastic and I appreciated have 3 full days of care in the hospital. Late this summer I developed a serious hernia. My abdominal wall was separated from my sternum to below my belly button. My primary care doc actually sent me to Dr. Billing who did the repair surgery three weeks ago. Other surgeons could have been kinda pissy in this situation - after I, he didn't do my sleeve. But he understood why I had to go to Dr. Aceves and was more than happy to help me. Once again, he was great, I trusted the surgical decisions he made, and I'm doing well. (He also told me my sleeve looked great and took a picture of it for me while he was in there - nice since he wasn't the surgeon who did it). Bypass or sleeve for revision: I did a huge compilation of research on revisions as part of my legal case. You can read my summary. The bottom line is that a sleeve is an appopriate revision for a failed lap band patient. Dr. Billing believes that sleeve will overtake bypass and may completely replace lap band surgery in the next 5-10 years just because the outcomes are so good. He said something really interesting to me a week ago when I had a follow-up. He told me that his sleeve patients, even his revisions, are far and away his happiest patients. They feel great, they have little to no complications and they seem to have little or no difficultiy maintaining their weight loss. http://vsgappeal.blogspot.com/2010/07/summary-appeal-letter-studies-and.html In my case I had regained my lap band weight loss and was back at 236 when I had my surgery in June. I'm already down to 174. I really didn't expect to lose that quickly. What really amazes me about my old band vs. the sleeve is that it's not just about limiting my volume. I don't know whether it's the grehlin being gone or just how quickly the satiety switch gets set off in a smaller stomach but I just don't really crave food or want to eat to fullness. When I first started eating solids I ate too much a few times and it was really uncomfortable. I backed off a bit so I wouldn't get to that point but it's really more than that. I just feel find and completely uninterested in food after a few bites so it's very easy to stop before my little sleeve is packed full. Somehow the sleeve changed how I feel about food - what I want to eat and when I feel like pushing the plate away. I haven't heard anyone I know say that about their gastric bypass. I also was uncomfortable with the other health issues of bypass like dumping and malnutrition. Another suggestion about surgeons: I've met most of the surgeons in the Seattle area who do weight loss surgeries. I think most are good doctors and are well intentioned. But every surgeon's opinion is colored by their own experience. They have what they do well, they have their comfort zones, and some are more willing than others to push beyond them. Sleeve is new and some surgeons are just now starting to look it it. Others, like Cirangle and Billing, have been doing them awhile and feel confident in the technique and in the successes their seeing with their patients. Dr. Lauter has done some sleeves but not a huge amount. He seemed like a great guy to me but it's worth considering that if he's most comfortable with bypass then that's what he's most likely to suggest to his patients. And it stands to reason that he would. All in all I'd say my research shows the sleeve to be as good and in some ways a better revision option than bypass. I prefer Dr. Billing to other local surgeons and would suggest meeting with him if you have the time to come up north. Even if you don't go with him it's good to have another medical opinion. Take care. I'm sure whatever you decide will be right for you. Happy to answer any questions you might have. At just about 6 months in to my revision I'm no expert but I can certainly share my own experiences so far.

I had a mini Reeses PB cup. scale still said 1 pound down. Seriously, I'm not a gastric bypass patient. I can have a bite of chocolate now and then. Last weekend I had a bite of ice cream. I am NOT, I repeat: I am NOT on a diet. This is my eating for life. Diets fail and eventually you must come off a diet. To say that you'll never have a candy bar again is a sad thing. Just stick to a bite or two.

So I am a week out of surgery. First couple of days it felt like I did 10 000 sit ups. Today it feels like only doing 500. Got my walking down, sipping my liquids but need to sip a lot more to meet my goal. I know it doesn't happen overnight. I start each day with a Boost Diabetic Protein drink. Nice to see there is an app for this. Hope I get to know others here. Cheers manitobamama

Has there ever been an issue to where people have chronic back pain issues after the sleeve? I had a gastric lap band to sleeve revision about 10 years out. I've had back spasms in my back. It is in my back and in my upper leg and thigh area. Can you get the gastric sleeve be revised to other procedures? Can you get it revised to a gastric bypass? Can you get it revised back to its old way or to a duodenal stitch? Anyone heard of anything like this? Any ideas? Do you think a revision would stop the pain?

Hey everyone! I'm looking for advice and encouragement. I had my weight loss surgery in December 2016, so I'm 3.5 years out now. I dropped around 160 pounds, from my biggest being 360 and my smallest being 187. I was so blessed to lose so much in about 14 months. Maintenance was relatively easy at first. I purposefully gained 15 pounds because being 6'2 with a large build, 187 started getting me questions about being sick. 200-205 is my personal goal and sweet spot, where I feel the best and think I look the best. Fast forward to September 2019. I was having my first endoscopy since my surgery, as a follows up to Barrett's esophagus that was found when I had my bypass. What I thought would be routine, turned worst case scenario when I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Apparently I'm in that 2% that has Barrett's that actually progresses to cancer. Luckily we caught it very early stage and I have been able to have ablation therapy treatment versus the typical chemo and radiation. I've developed recurrent esophageal stricture due to scar tissue from ablation therapy, causing me to choke frequently. Needless to say, it's all been very scary, and my eating got out of whack for a while. I've quickly gained weight and I'm at 220.2 today. I need to lose 20 pounds ASAP. The current COVID-19 situation and working from home, having access to food 24/7 coupled with stress eating is proving difficult to overcome. I thought I'd post here to see if anyone has words of encouragement or advice to help me get back on track quickly. 3.5 years and I was very proud to be maintaining at my goal weight of around 200, and now I'm scared the scale will continue to creep up on me.

@@kfs5628 I've had that exact problem. Turns out I was supposed to take my iron supplement twice a day and I was only taking it once. Now my iron levels are low and I'm slowly building them back up. Not taking vitamins may work for some people but there's a reason it's standard procedure after a bypass. Also, for the rest of you, your levels may be fine now but a few years down the road, you will almost certainly have vitamin deficiencies. So keep an eye on it and ignore doctor's orders at your own peril!

I am having stomach and abdominal discomfort in that area, which feels in a way like cramping. I've been having this for months. I actually want to go to the hospital to get it removed its really bad. I spoke with the doctor he said I should have an appointment but he doesnt want to get rid of it.. This seems strange if anything. Anyone have any advice? This seems really confusing. Would there be any steps I could take before I get rid of it?

That seems like a very long time. The barium swallow does give them information though and from that they can tell if it slipped or not. Did they unfill you completely? That's what they did to me, and they said to come back in 3 months. The unfill takes most of the pressure off your stomach so it can heal again. I recently had a revision but I had the band from 2009-2016.

Hi I got my band from Dr Bright at Rockwood in November of 2011. I'm here in Spokane and would love to find a buddy. I am also near Fairchild AFB. It would be great to speak to someone going through the same thing. I've gone to the support group at Rockwood but most of the people there had the bypass so I feel like I can't relate to them.

wow, yeah, how wonderful! this has been a fantastic decision in my life, I had the gastric bypass 3 weeks ago and I'm incredibly pleased and moved. Good luck!

I am in the same situation. I had the sleeve in 2014, and converted to bypass on 6/26. There were no classes beforehand, no handouts, no pre-op diet, etc. I see my surgeon tomorrow afternoon. I’ve been doing protein shakes, protein water, and sugar free popsicles.

Hi. I’m home as of Friday afternoon. Had a really bad two days in the hospital. The lacerations are more and deeper and they took the beginning of my intestines where the revision was. He felt moving it mid intestines was the best option. It was the “y” area of the RNY that was giving me an issue and was flipping or twisting. So he moved it dead center on my small intestine. So far I’m okay. No bile vomit and nausea. Horrendously sore. My abdominal wall is a mess for sure. I had some bottom end issues as I think i was stopped up and gassy. Surgeon said use an enema today. So far so good. Had to move stuff out. It was horrendous. Worse then giving birth and felt like I was giving birth from there hahahahah Otherwise so far so good. Ty so very much for thinking of me. It’s so appreciated.