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I wonder if after hearing all of these perspectives if starting with a therapist that specializes in disordered eating may help. You mentioned that you haxe some behaviors that are ingrained from childhood that make things challenging for you and they may be able to help with that. Honestly it will most likely make your even more successful in the long run when you do decide whether surgery is right for you. And if you still don’t want to do it booefully you can lose something with the therapists help. Anything you lose will only make you that much healthier and if survey is the end goal you will just have that much less to lose. My only other suggestion would be that once your even beginning to lean more towards doing surgery that you make your appt and get the ball rolling because it’s a pretty lengthy process and once you do make your mind up if your like many of us the wait seems really long. Actually making that first appointment may hurt either. Make a list of your exact fears and get exact statistics to help you decide. Many of the risks are less than getting in a car and driving. But do yourself a favor and ask what your risks are if obesity related complications too if you do nothing. For most of us doing nothing comes with far greater risk.

morbidity rate is 0.3% with bypass - which is super low. These aren't the same surgeries as they were years ago. They're only slightly more risky than the sleeve. Complication rate is really low, too. The most common (other than dumping) is stricture, which happens to about 5% of bypass patients, and that's an easy fix - they just do an upper endoscopy and stretch it out (I had one of those). Dumping happens to about 30% of bypass patients, and you can prevent that by not eating a ton of sugar or fat at one sitting (most dumpers can eat *some* sugar and fat, just not a ton of it at one sitting). I've never dumped, and I know lots of other bypassers who've never dumped, either. yes you do need to take supplements forever because of the malabsorption "feature" (which makes it a more powerful surgery than sleeve). But you get used to it pretty quickly. I don't even give it a thought anymore - taking them is now just part of my regular morning, afternoon, and evening routines, Most sleeve patients have to take vitamins as well - although slacking off on them has more dire consequences with bypass than it does with sleeve. Missing a day here and there - or even a few days in a row, isn't likely to cause problems. But simply not taking them can cause huge problems over time. To be honest, cutting off 3/4 of your stomach and throwing it in the garbage doesn't really seem that less radical to me than stapling across the top of your stomach and re-attaching your small intestine, but I know that thought seems really radical to a lot of people, so you're not alone in thinking that. Although unlike the sleeve, the RNY is reversible (although they'll only do that in extreme circumstances), which seemed oddly comforting to me. I chose RNY because I had GERD prior to surgery - and it did "fix" that. I'm very happy with my decision - I've had a lot of success with mine and no problems other than the aforementioned stricture I had at four weeks out. I'd make the same decision today.

I was sleeved in March of 2015 (HW 405, SW 357, LW 238, sustained 260 for a few years), had some regain where I hit 315, so I went on a hybrid Optifast/Numetra diet through a program at Kaiser (my then insurance in California). It worked well, I dropped about 50 pounds and was happy with that, but then I had some mental health issues including some passive ideation, so I decided to move across country (technically back home) to Delaware and share a living space with my brother and his wife and pets. Since that move I've gained back the 50 pounds I lost, I have another hiatal hernia, and severe acid reflux/GERD so now I'm on the path to revision to bypass. Thing is, I never wanted bypass, that's why I had the sleeve in the first place, the reworking of my internal plumbing scares the heck out of me! I've known a ton of people who've had it with no issues, but I've also known a couple who passed away from complications (granted, that was 20 years ago, and I know things have improved medically since then). But the idea of having dumping syndrome, and malabsorption, and needing to take vitamins and supplements forever - UGH - I'm freaking out!! 😨😖 I have an anxiety disorder (SAD & GAD) and my anxiety has been through the ROOF the past few weeks! My surgery date is August 26 - 13 days from today! - and I started my pre-op diet the other day (Monday), but part of me wants to cancel everything! However, there is a part of me that can't wait for the relief from the GERD. I guess I'm not asking for anything here, mostly just venting my anxiety. 🤣

You’ll like Zepbound! I jumped on the Ozempic train 2 years ago to help push me towards my last 30lbs.a friend did WeGovy, IMO not as good as Ozempic although it’s the same med. she’s now on Zepbound and dropping 1st year surgery weight again. My doctor would like for me to lose another 20 lbs, but taking it slow because I’m kind of happy here. No health issues or complications and I look healthy. you all are doing great!

I’m never on these boards, but I guess I still get emails from this thread. Still out here. Still down around 130 (up about 15) and holding steady (with Ozempic). Still hating the side effects of massive GERD and food sensitivities to almost everything (even stuff you wouldn’t expect - dairy, raw veggies, etc). I miss Greek yogurt and carrots most of all. Sometimes I eat them, but instantly regret it. Every year at my follow up doc wants me to convert to bypass for the GERD, but the first surgery was so bad I refuse to do a second one unless I’m dying . I can only imagine what the bypass would do to my food issues. But I do fit in plane seats more easily and it’s easier to buy clothes because I can buy from most stores. I’m sure I’m healthier, although my numbers were pretty good pre-surgery. My knees hurt less. I still have fairly complicated feelings about having done it - not sure I would do it again, but do think I made the best decision I could at the time.

Reading through some of the posts (it's a lot and I'm new, I'll get them all eventually), it seems a lot of you knew for a couple of months or more that you were having your surgery in August. I'm a little jealous of that ability to plan ahead lol! I went for my follow-up appointment during the first week of August, and then they were like, "You're doing great! How about August 16th?" I'm nervously excited about it. Part of me wishes I had more time to truly get everything prepared, since I work 3 jobs. But I'm also ready to fully be on the path to a healthier me. I've been listening to audiobooks and podcasts to try to mentally prepare me for this, and to also be prepared for if there are complications. SW: 350 CW: 322

You may want to check the manufacturers website later once you are for sure settled on a vitamin to see if they are cheaper than Amazon A lot of them give discounts if you subscribe and it works out cheaper. I ordered mine to arrive a couple of weeks before I needed them and set them to auto ship just so I would always have them even if mail was a little slow or something Definitely remind yourself that them people who have a bad experience with the surgery may be louder but they are certainly not the norm These surgeries are considered relatively safe. The risks are very low. And maybe the risk of a complication of obesity doesn’t have a specific date but there are far more and they are far more likely than the risks of surgery

4 years post Gastric Bypass. Zero complications, maintained weight loss and found exercise I love. This journey inspired me to get into healthcare.

Hi everyone. I'm a bit of a complicated outlier, as my duodenal switch will be a modified duodenal switch with Demeester adjustment. I'm getting a duodenal switch for biliary diversion ( bile reflux). And I have a herniated stomach, so it will need a hernia repair. This means my stomach will not be reduced, but it will be restored in terms of hernia. And the new bile limb will only be around a 100 to a 150cm down. Enough to prevent bile from flowing into my stomach, but less malabsorption and weight loss issues. The issue is, that my stomach gas gastroptosis ( which means it is very elongated and stretched down towards my pelvis) this means it is quite painful and traumatic when vomiting occurs. I have read so many horror stories about vomiting post op or even within the first 3 to 6 months. I'm wondering, does that mainly occur due to reduction of the stomach? Or is it an unavoidable cause of the new limbs being created. I'm terrified of obstructions, ileus and other nasty complications.

The distal gastric bypass can indeed lead to more significant weight loss since it bypasses a larger portion of the intestine, but it can also come with an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies and other complications. It's crucial to discuss all potential risks and benefits with your medical team and possibly connect with others who have had the procedure to hear about their experiences. Good luck with your decision, and make sure you get all the information you need to feel confident moving forward!

Personally, I say go with the bypass. But if you're wanting super aggressive, then maybe the SADI is the way to go. How much weight are you lookin to lose? They say you don't lose as much with ANY revision. I got mine because of complications with the sleeve. But I lost 113 pounds in 8 months with the sleeve before all hell broke loose and my complications started. When I had the revision to bypass, I was told to expect to lose 45-50 pounds more, with the high side being 60. Welllll, I've lost 96 pounds since I had the revision 13 months ago...so...yeah. Bypass recovery was a breeze, corrected all my issues, and I kept losing. If you're this anxious and nervous and even scared about the SADI, maybe go with the bypass. You can certainly lose a lot, even though it's a revision. But no matter what surgery you choose, you still have to do the work, stick to the meal plan, track what you're eating, and move your body.

Sounds like I am actually a lot better off than I thought I was. As most of you probably know I am on my LSD now which is two shakes and then a low carb dinner of 3oz lean meat, 1 cup of cooked veggies, and 1 cup berries or melon. Well, I do not feel stuffed to the brim, but I am satisfied after just the meat and veggies. I end up having the berries later as a snack which cuts out one of the snacks I am allowed for the day so win-win. . What worried me was that this diet was written for someone with normal anatomy and I was getting closer than I thought I should to finishing it. That and some of the plates I’ve seen posted on here by veterans seem to be such tiny portions compared to my 8” plate full. I felt that my restriction was way-way less than anyone else with a sleeve. I worried that even if I was keeping it to healthier choices and some was being malabsorbed that the portion size would still get me in trouble if I don’t eat lean meat and veggies forever. i do realize that it’s more about what the foods are than how much I eat but I would like to add in some other options eventually (for maintenance at least). . I am fighting against a pretty complex scenario too. Not only am I asking for this surgery to help with obesity but I also have Bipolar Disorder. I have been on meds and doing okay but the meds are not a cure. I still have episodes and during those periods things like healthy food choices are…well…out the window. I try not to keep unhealthy options in the house but I have things i am allowed in moderation and my husband has some bad foods that he eats as well. On top of that I cannot go off of the meds that make me gain. Long story short, I really do need the most aggressive surgery I can get to give me the best chance at this. it sounds like my stomach is pretty normal for someone that is over a year out though. Some of the doctors redo the sleeve when during a revision which sounds ideal but mine does not. He says I that’s not worth the risks involved. Obviously I don’t want to risk more side effects, complications and lifestyle changes to get the SADI if I’m not going to get anything more out of it than I would a bypass which would also be more likely to resolve my mild gerd. I just wish there was more data to go on. I guess what it boils down to is having to trust my doctors judgement. Past experience witb doctors just make that SO difficult for me. Thank you all for sharing your experiences with the sleeve and the bypass.🩷 This does help me a great deal. Now I know that I actually am where he should expect me to be in terms of capacity. At least I know he did have all the correct information when he said the SADI was my best option.

So by 8 months post op with the sleeve, I started having complications. But before that, I was able to eat a cup to a cup and a half of food, depending on what it was. Now a year out from my revision to bypass, I have 2 cups of protein cereal, or 1 small piece of steak and 1/4 cup of cheesy peas. Or I can have a can of soup. I can have 2 chicken drum sticks and 1/4 cup of veggies. It's not so much HOW MUCH you eat as it is WHAT you eat. I'm careful with what I eat, I still log and track everything, and I avoid sugar (or go with no sugar added if it's unavoidable) and rarely use salt (but use Himalayan salt if I REALLY need it). It's about how often you eat and what you're eating. I don't graze. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. I don't drink alcohol (empty calories and carbs), I don't drink soda (again, empty calories and carbs and frankly, don't like the taste anymore), and I made sure to find alternatives to things I use to eat a lot that are healthier but still yummy. I don't feel like I'm deprived because it all tastes good.

I had to sip for a good 6-8 weeks when I had my sleeve. I really struggled with the sleeve, and ended up with a revision to bypass a year later because of complications. I didn't have to sip at all when I had the bypass. I finished an entire 20oz bottle of water the day I had the revision in 2 hours in the hospital. When they saw that, they unhooked me from the IV because they saw I was getting enough fluids lol

I am a huge fan of these new meds because: they work and it’s moving the research of obesity forward instead of continuing to moralizing it. For our population, it’s not clear whether or not this a life long commitment because there are no current trials for this. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/2022/6820377 (section 2.9. Potential Roles of GLP-1 RA on Prevention of Perioperative and Postoperative Complications of Bariatric Surgical Individual) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(19)30157-3/abstract GRAVITAS Trial from 2016-2018

I'm working on figuring out how to maintain lol I'm below goal, which is fine is I stay where I'm at. Don't really want to go any lower. I'm slowly increasing calories and carbs, but I can't go too high or I get sick. So I'm just trying to figure it out. My first year post surgery, I was half way to my goal (I needed to lose roughly 200 pounds to get to my goal). I had complications that slowed my weight loss (I lost 113 pounds in 8 months) after the 8-9 month mark. I had my revision 13 months after my initial surgery and lost another 94 pounds in a year. I also had 2 major surgeries during that time, too. Now my weight loss is (hopefully) stopping - 2 years after my initial surgery and 1 year after my revision. I've lost a total of 240 pounds from my highest weight and 207 pounds from my surgery-day weight. And it took me a total of 2 years. I hit many stalls along the way, but it's all been 100% worth it.

I had my roux-en-Y bypass in 2009. I was 5’7” and weighed 253 lbs. I had lost about 50 lbs. Then my parents began a two-year decline with an extremely complicated two years of dementia (both at the same time!), gout, broken back, shoulder, and ribs, triple valve replacement, gall bladder surgery, a search for a geriatric psychiatry bed which never came through, and multiple moves from assisted living centers, rehab centers, memory care centers, and nursing homes. There were at least a dozen ER visits over those two years. My self-care routine devolved. I developed ulcers. Five years after the surgery I went through a severe depression and started vomiting a few times a week. Two ER trips with bleeding ulcers. Deepening depression. In 2018, had surgery to remove the ulcers. I continued vomiting and dropped down to 146 lbs. I’m down to 5’4” tall because of scoliosis, a side effect of Parkinson’s I was diagnosed with a few weeks ago. I had the roux-en-Y procedure redone last week. I’m trying.

Yeah, there's a definite bias of information (unintentionally, of course) when you frequent bariatric spaces. I've been on this board almost a year, and I really enjoy it, but at five months post-op, one thing I've noticed is the vast majority of people who were posting regularly a year ago, or even 3-6 months ago, are not here any more. That's a lot of diverse experience that goes away, and I would guess that the people who remain are a combination of those who are the most dedicated (possibly to the extreme), those who get the most out of social interactions, and those who experience the most complications in their journeys, along with people who return after several years to get back on track because of significant regain or needing revisions. The people who are hitting their goals easily, losing weight at an average pace, eating and exercising in a way that isn't particularly noteworthy, maintaining within a reasonable weight range, and generally living life without stressing about bariatric issues, quickly become underrepresented voices. So it's easy to start thinking that the average person struggles a lot at every stage, can barely eat or drink for months, exercises like they're training for the olympics, tracks every bite of food and never strays from their macros every day of their life, experiences all the most severe complications regularly, and will gain back all their weight plus some if they even dare to glance at a piece of bread or a dessert on someone else's plate let alone allow a bite to pass their lips. It's easy to become very obsessive about it (raises hand: yes, that's me). And in a situation like after surgery where a lot of things change at once, sometimes it feels like the more you can control and anticipate, the better. At least it does for me. But my advice would be, especially when you are feeling particularly anxious about something, to think about whether there are perspectives you aren't getting that might reduce your anxieties if you were able to hear from them. Like, if there were 20-30 people who used to post in your surgery month group and now you're down to 4 or 5, what might those other people say if you asked them about the thing that is worrying you? My guess is, if they're not posting anymore, it's usually not because they're suffering in silence.

Hi! I got approved for the surgery in May of 2024. Doctor first told me that I would most likely have to wait until 2025 because of how the long the hospital waiting list is. Suddenly, I got called last week saying they were able to do it in October of 2024. So this is the first day of a 12 week liquid diet to lose 10% of my body weight before the surgery. My birthday is coming up and I have wedding that I'm going to next week! I'm happy that this is happening this year, but I also feel bummed because I feel like this is bad timing. I'm really happy that this journey is starting. I've always been overweight and so was my mother. We were the only one's in the family who were. We moved to the UK when I was 14 and my stepfather was also overweight and he passed away in 2022 due to pneumonia and other weight related complications. My mother had gastric bypass in 2008 and due to surgical complication, they couldn't fix a bowel perforation and she passed in 2023. She and my stepdad were the only people in my life who were really supportive of anything I did. I fell a little bit alone going through this now, but I'm feeling optimistic at the same time. Just looking for other people to share my story with.

I fully agree, I chose the sleeve initially because of what I read from YEARS and YEARS ago, with the complications and all that with the bypass. Had I just listened to everyone who tried to talk to me about the bypass TODAY and the bypass of 15, 20, 25 years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of complications and problems and additional surgeries. The bypass today is nothing like it used to be. In the end, you have to do what you feel is best for you, but please do your own research, have an open mind, and have an open and honest conversation with your primary care doctor and your bariatric surgeon about how you feel and why. Revisions are tough, and I can tell you from experience, the regret of not listening to anyone else because I let my fear take over, my lack of actual research on the bypass because I had made my mind up about the sleeve, and the subsequent complications, work and time lost, additional surgeries, and ending up with a bypass in the end anyway made it all not worth it. Just try to keep an open mind and do research and talk openly and honestly with your team about everything before you make a hard and final decision.

August 7th isn't too far away! You're close to the preop diet. I started mine a few days ago and it's testing me, but I knew it would. If I were a smaller person, I don't think it would be such an issue. If I weren't having appetite issues even before the diet, things would be easier, too. What's helped has been sipping on broth or slurping on sugar free Jell-O all day. I go slow with those so it feels like I'm eating/taking in more than I am. I'm only nervous about one thing: the gas pains immediately after surgery. I've never had surgery before, so I am not sure what to expect. I want to have a realistic expectation of pain before experiencing it. I know I will handle it better that way. Luckily, I have a few family members who have had laparoscopic procedures before and we willing to be honest about the experience. I've been avoiding stories online of others' experiences of that moment, because we all have different pain thresholds and it's too easy to go down the rabbit hole of scary stories. Especially with AI/algorithms thinking we want to see the worst of the worst. I want to share why I made my decision to have the SADI-S vs a sleeve or bypass. While I cannot speak to what things will be like after surgery, I am confident I'm making the correct decision for myself. I'm in my 30s with no kids, but would like some. I have been struggling with my weight ballooning up and down for the last 20 years. At my heaviest, I was over 320 pounds. I hit that as I made the decision for surgery. I didn't know what surgery I wanted, so I started doing research into the best bariatric surgeons in my state. I read through their websites and looked at reviews for the surgeons through my insurance provider, google, yelp, and other such websites. Then I asked a few friends in the medical field which doctors they would want doing surgery on them. All of that narrowed my list down significantly. I ultimately went on gut instinct and don't regret it at all. My surgeon is amazing. Her teams is extremely supportive. Here's some information she gave me on my options: -- Gastric Bypass: She does not recommend the procedure to any patient. It has more points for potential surgery complications and, in her medical opinion, the highest chance for weight regain. -- Sleeve: potential to lose 70% of excess weight. Less than 1% chance for complications. -- SIPS/SADI-S: potential to lose 80% of excess weight. Less than 1% chance of surgical complications. I want to have children, and she advised that the SIPS/SADI-S (there really needs to be a better name for this) is the best choice to allow me to get pregnant a year or so post-op (depending on how I'm doing) and reenter weight loss when appropriate post-birth. I will have to work very closely with my weight loss team throughout the entire pregnancy, but it really feels like a bonus to have more support. My surgeon's office also recommends patients to very talented specialists for all surgery clearances. They all treated me like they were part of a huge team dedicated to helping me get through surgery clearance. It was amazing. I was given a packet with all the possible issues I might encounter post-op, what can be done if they happen, and how to avoid them in the first place. When I read through it spelled out in black and white, it's easy to see what my life would need to be to avoid a horrible experience. The most embarrassing ones are noted as being most common with gastric bypass than sleeve or DS. Most of these complications can be avoided by chewing well, not drinking during meals, and not overeating. One of my doctors said I am going back to being a baby again, digestively. I will need to reteach my body how to process what I eat and not be afraid to push back milestones if I'm not ready to start the next leg of the journey. I'm definitely anxious. The unknown is always scary. I'm confident at the same time because of the team I'm working with. And because of the support I have at home. I know I'm extremely lucky to have the surgeon and support I do. It's definitely a burden to afford this surgery right now, but I don't believe I will feel that way in 5 or 10 years.

No. I didn't have gerd at all until I got the sleeve. It was the sleeve that caused my gerd and all the complications.

Also, check to make sure that if you have any complications later on that a local surgeon will take you on. Here in the USA, it's almost impossible to find a surgeon that will accept you as a patient if you had a procedure in another country. Hell, sometimes they won't even take you if you had it with another US surgeon in a different state. So make sure it's not that way where you live before you commit to going abroad to having your surgery.

They may still consider you for the sleeve even with GERD. It’s gets super complicated and I don’t understand how he knew exactly what was causing what but I have MILD GERD post sleeve and I take only 20mg Omeprazole which controls it. The surgeon said if I wanted to revise to bypass I was good to go but if I wanted to revise to SADI that he had to do some tests first. He did a Endoscopy which found a hiatal hernia but because of my sleeved stomach he wasn’t able to turn the camera to get a good angle to determine the exact size of it. He then ordered an upper GI (I think that’s what he called it, but some call it a barium swallow test) and also a gastric emptying study). Then when he had all the results he said that the hernia is very small and he wouldn’t even repair it. Anyways, i will still have to be on PPI’S but he thinks they should control the GERD after the SADI. Many people choose the bypass so they don’t have to take the PPI’s again or if it’s so bad that PPI’s don’t always work but being able to take the occasional NSAID and the better weight loss statistics made me choose the SADI over the bypass anyways. That being said, just be aware going in that there is a percentage of people who need a revision post sleeve because they have inadequate weight loss or regain by like 3 years out. Your surgeon should go over all that with you. I have seen a few people on here say their insurance does not cover revision surgery so that’s something to consider when you make your decision. I hope I didn’t add to your confusion but it is a big decision and the more info you have the better to know what to ask at that appointment with the surgeon. My surgeon did not make me decide at the first visit either. I got to ask the NP questions every month at my weigh in and then decide which surgery I wanted (for my sleeve, the process for the revision was a little different).

So I had the sleeve and then a year later revision to bypass (due to complications). I can tell you that I developed sensitivities and outright allergies to foods I had never had before IN MY LIFE after my surgeries. After my sleeve, I developed an allergy to peanuts. Not horrible, but I need to take something if I eat them, so I just don't eat them or anything with peanuts in them. I also became lactose intolerant. BADLY. So I avoid dairy and use almond milk and lactose free things. I also have a low tolerance for salt. I use to salt EVERYTHING and now I pretty much never use it at all because I can't tolerate the taste. It's very metallic tasting and gives me a headache. When I had my revision, all of that stayed the same PLUS I suddenly got a serious, life threatening allergy to shellfish. I have to carry an epi pen with me at all times. I can't eat it, touch it, or even be in the room when it's being cooked because even breathing in the proteins that are released into the air when it's being cooked causes a reaction. I was born and raised in Florida. Shellfish are a way of life there. I could LIVE on crab legs and shrimp. It literally BROKE MY HEART when I realized I'd never be able to eat it again. Also from the revision, I developed an allergy to surgical glue lol Didn't have that with my first surgery, or any other surgery before it, but from my revision on, can't tolerate it, and can barely tolerate band-aids lol I mean, what??? That's so strange to me, but it's true. I've had every test under the sun, and while it's common for taste buds and likes/dislikes for foods and drinks to change after these surgeries (definitely have that, as well), and even to develop sensitivities to foods like dairy and sugar and salt, it's rare to get such major allergies to foods (happens, but it's rare). So of course, my doctors were super interested in me lol Not trying to make history, ya'll, just tryin to feel better lol