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Hi there from Campbellsville, KY. Hopefully your insurance co will tell you everything you need. I did not have to do the pre-op diet as my health records showed that I had continously been trying to lose weight via, pills, slim fast, med-fast, Jenny C., weight watcher, Healthy heart diet, Atkins, South Beach, Mayo diet, etc.(I always told my dr. what I was trying so it would be charted). I had documented back pain, arthritis, reflux, high BP, hx of blood clots, and hypo-hyperglycemia. So instead I just had to have the x-rays, bloodwork, stress test, sleep apnea test, ultrasound and H-pylori test done. I had to have a letter of referral from my family physician but, I also submitted one from my neuro dr that I saw for my back problems. Hope all this info helps...

Well we all have our stories and with them we have success and failures. My is failure but it will be a success soon. I started out not knowing how sick I truly was. I had a stroke and 3 TIA which are like mini strokes, High blood pressure, Diabetes, Hypo- thyroid, A blockage in the vein in my brain and a ton of minor problems. After surgery I had a bad infection that was caused by the hospital staff and a Minor heart attack. With all this I do not regret having this surgery. So remember that we are all not a like and the horror stories are not every bodies. I did loss some hair but it was a lack of vit. Also some of the stories are about people not being honest with themselves and have problems afterwards. Good luck I hope it helps.

@AuthorLizzy thanks so much for your insight. I really feel motivated now ! thank you so much ! i will be " following you '' and your journey for sure. Can you give me some tips please ? do you know any others who have hypo and wls surgery that has lost slower also ? congrats and blessings on everything !! here is my personal email address also smaries_21@yahoo.com thank you!😍😍

I had my surgery in March and had hypothyroidism for 24 years and was on 100 mcg of synthroid. After losing 45 lbs in the first three months o went from hypo to hyperthyroid so doctor has taken me off synthroid completely. Just had blood work again last week and TSH and others thyroid levels are perfect. Just stay in contact with your doctor if you start feeling sluggish or have mental fog after losing some of your weight. I am thrilled that my metabolism has reset and I no longer need synthroid 🙂

I was hypothyroid and have been taken off my synthroid now. Weird because I was told I would be on it for the rest of my life... Just to be clear though, my hypo was NEVER due to any disease or malfunction of the actual thyroid gland, it had to do with how my body USED the hormone. It was like no matter how much my thyroid made, my body would scream for MORE because it couldn't use it properly. Now that I'm off WHEAT, my body is no longer suffering inflammation and is better able to use the hormone that my body makes. Being able to get off of thyroid medication is really rare, I don't want to give people the impression that getting sleeved or giving up wheat will heal their thyroid.

Hi there, Sorry to hear of your struggles. We don't have the same type of surgery but I have reactive hypoglycemia. Some of us will develop this as a complication from surgery. Sounds like you are managing it. I use a glucose meter. I usually know when my blood sugar is crashing. I can feel it coming on. I agree this takes work even years out. I have times when I'm doing well. When I'm not, I peek back in here to get back on track. Wishing you the best, Jenn

I'm just one person, but I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (hypo) and I had lapband done in Feb 2011. I had a personal trainer I worked out with for 6 months and worked out at Lifetime Fitness with him twice, sometimes three times a week, and worked out at home also. I bought a Polar to monitor my progress. I started jogging along with my walking regimen. lost 30 lbs--that's it. No more. Not one ounce, not one gram. It is September of 2012 now, and I'm still sitting at 30 pounds down. I went through intense feelings of guilt, disappointment, every negative you can think of, that was me. It still is to some degree. I am now coming out of my funk, well over a year later, and realizing that I have to live my life anyway, that I might just be fat the rest of my life; but I don't have to be out of breath all the time, and I don't have to be tired all the time, so the working out has started up again. Just be prepared, and be informed. Good luck.

My thyroid blanked out on me while I was pregnant and we didn't catch it until 2 years later. I remember the end of the day feeling bone-crushingly tired. My levels have been played with and my old doctor (insert bad words here) would never listen to me. My new doctor is the best, she is young and willing to listen and help me however she can. She got my levels up to high end of normal, and she told me that she really wants me to pursue lap band because it will be hard for me to loose it on my own. She whipped up my referral right quick as soon as I said I think that's the way I should go. So far no one has said anything to me about my hypo being a problem as far as WLS is concerned. The main concern is scar tissue from 2 c-sections and a gallbladder removal and the fact that my BMI is so high that any surgery is a risk.

For the people who have hypo what were your numbers before meds if you don't mind. Just want to know where I fall. I'm like right I'm te edge but since there is such a huge "normal" range I'm curious. I hope this all make me feel better bc right now I feel like crap. Taking my first rx sleep pill even though I've had insomnia all my life. Taking my first thyroid med tomorrow and I got an X-ray of my back and might have to start pain injections. It's nice to start gettin answers about my health and start doing something about it

Here is an web site on bariatrics and reactive hypoglycemia (reoccurring low blood sugar) http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/2010/10/reactive-hypoglycemia-after-bariatric.html. Since I have lost the majority of my weight. My blood sugars have been hitting mind numbing lows in the 50's. I found some resources that have information on diet to manage blood sugar levels. Examples of meals and snacks that work well for stabilizing blood sugar include: lowfat cheese and whole grain crackers slice of whole grain toast with peanut butter sandwich made with whole grain bread fat free plain Greek yogurt with a small piece of fruit or 1/2 cup berries large salad with abundant veggies and a source of protein (chicken, tuna, beans, egg) Keeping a food and lifestyle diary may help you determine which foods and other factors lead up to a blood sugar crash. First and foremost, you want to follow a diet designed to regulate your blood sugar level. This generally includes eating small, frequent meals spaced evenly throughout the day, such as every 2-3 hours. Meals should consist of moderate portions of high-fiber whole grains (such as 100% whole grain cereal or bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, sweet potato), some lean protein (such as turkey, ham, fish, egg, beans, lowfat yogurt or cheese), and healthy fat (such as nuts, nut butters, olive oil, avocado). Sugars, especially in the form of beverages (juice, soda, etc.) and sweets (candy, jelly, table sugar, syrup, honey, cookies, cakes), should be avoided as much as possible, as they stimulate the pancreas the most because the sugar rushes into your bloodstream rapidly. Starchy carbohydrates digest down into sugar as well, so it is important to eat these in moderate amounts Starchy carbohydrates digest down into sugar as well, so it is important to eat these in moderate amounts (such as 1/2-1 cup), and choose whole grains over refined flours. White pasta, rices, breads, and cereals are more or less guaranteed to make you feel lousy after eating them as they are digested quickly and raise insulin levels. Fruits also need to be consumed in small amounts, as they contain the natural sugar, fructose, and are best consumed with a source of protein, such as cottage cheese or nuts. Even though fruits are an excellent source of fiber, the sugar content is enough to cause your pancreas to over-react if eaten on an empty stomach. The goal is essentially to not eat carbohydrate foods without including a source of protein or fat at the same time. Proteins and fat help stabilize blood sugars by making the carbohydrate digest more slowly, as proteins and fats take longer to digest and do not convert into significant amounts of sugar. Strenuous exercise burns sugar out of your muscles and bloodstream quickly, so you may be more prone to low blood sugar during extended periods of activity as well. Eating a snack contain a small amount of carbohydrate and protein (such as yogurt or trail mix) within 1 hour of strenuous activity may be enough to keep you going strong. Developing a habit of eating small, frequent meals and taking healthy foods with you for work, school, and when on-the-go, is your best weapon against suffering the symptoms of low blood sugar. If you find incorporating the above suggestions is still not improving your symptoms, you may need to sit down with a dietitian to develop a personalized meal plan to meet your schedule, food preferences, and overall lifestyle needs. Contact your dietician for more information. There is no point in living day-in and day-out with symptoms of hypoglycemia when there is a common sense way to tackle the issue and regain your quality of life!

The three most important elements after weight loss surgery are to meet your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. You are at least 10 weeks post-op. If you can't keep Water down, you may have a stricture. If you are unable to meet your daily protein, fluid and vitamin requirements, you need to seek medical attention and resolve the issue. Your problems may be caused by dehydration. They may be caused by a lack of Vitamins and minerals. It may be caused by reactive hypoglycemia. The fact that you were dizzy and took soda (sugar) rested and then felt better does point towards reactive hypoglycemia but you may have a whole slew of problems to deal with.

they are general health readings. if things go as planned, this is virtually bloodless surgery but it can be lenght surgery and put you at rsk for clots in the leg etc from lying in one spot. they need to know that sodium, potassium and other electrolytes are in a good range as all this can affect the amount of fluids and drugs they use in OT an post op. they may not do as many tests for smaller ops but this is classed as major surgery and we are slightly higher risk patients simply because we are bigger. the chest xray is saftey too. you will be ntubated ( tube into lungs to breath for you while you are under) and they simply want to make sure you lungs are in good nick before OT, no chest infections etc that they did no know about- not worth doing that too soon before surgery date though as it is like a snap shot only. the tests you have donein the assessment period are to make sure there are no major reasons why you are not a good candidate for this type of surgery. the next round of tests are just so they have enough information to hopefully avoid any problems but also so they have the information in the case that something did crop up. its all about being prepared rather than being reactive- a sign of good management. try not to get too anxious about t all. talk to you surgeon or his support staff if you have any specific worries too. they can get into a real routine about taking these tests and may not stop to realise how anxious you may be going through all this, particularly if you have not had much surgery in the past. good luck

Most any surgery that you can contemplate, in addition to the basic risks associated with surgery, hospitals and anesthesia, will have some risk of side effects that may be less than desirable, however we take those risks in order to correct a problem that we have created by injury, disease or genetics, with the intent that the result will be much better than what we started with. The various bariatric procedures have different predispositions to consider - conditions that happen more commonly than in the general population. The VSG is predisposed to GERD as the stomach volume is reduced much more than its' acid producing potential, and while usually the body adjusts and corrects the problem, sometimes it doesn't completely. Similarly, the RNY is predisposed to marginal ulcers (typically around the anastomosis) because the part of intestine to which the stomach pouch is attached is not resistant to the stomach acid like the duodenum is (the part of intestine immediately below the stomach outlet, which is bypassed along with the remnant stomach.) Likewise, it is also predisposed to dumping and reactive hypoglycemia owing to more rapid stomach emptying due to the lack of pyloric valve. Usually, these problems don't hit most patients, or don't persist if they do, but sometimes they are long term problems. These are things to consider ahead of time, particularly if one has any relevant pre-existing condition. Another consideration is that the VSG is fairly easy to revise if it does run into a problem that can't be resolved otherwise, while the RNY is difficult to revise or reverse. Another point to consider is that while the sleeve leaves behind a relatively "normal" anatomy, the bypass leaves a blind stomach and upper intestine which is more difficult to examine endoscopically, so some problems may not be diagnosed until they are more advanced and symptomatic. For instance, if one is subject to stomach polyps, that is a pre-cancerous condition that should be monitored, but is difficult to do after a bypass. An pre-op endoscopy is a good idea to understand what is happening inside you, even if your program doesn't require one. On the diabetes front, they both do well, typically seeing 75-85% remission rates (remission is what it is, rather than a "cure" - it can come back, particularly with some weight regain) though the bypass is generally considered to be marginally better. The best results come from the Duodenal Switch which typically shows remission rates in the 98-99% range, but that is a more complex procedure that few surgeons offer. However, if the diabetes fails to go into remission, or comes back, after a VSG, a revision to the DS is straightforward (as the DS uses the VSG as its basis) while revising an RNY to a DS is very complicated, which only a handful of surgeons are able to perform. So, while the VSG may not be quite as good as the RNY in that respect, it has a much more viable "plan B".

Had my surgery dec 16 and dropped the weight quite quick. I was 85kgs now 65kgs. With high BP and medicated with two lots of meds and hypothyroidism.. Off one lot of bp meds and halved the other bp med. hypo hasn't changed still on 200 micros a day Unfortunately I have developed reflux after the op which is ****...

I dont have a sleeve. Does that matter? I had gastric bypass. Plus I have reactive hypoglycemia, what do I do about that? Sent from my SM-G970U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm a newbie here on bandsters as my lapband surgery is scheduled for this Friday the 27th. However, I'm definitely not a Newbie to thyroid issues. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease in the late 90's and hypothyroid. In 2004 I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. I had my whole thyroid removed at that time and follow up with radioactive iodine treatments 2 yrs in a row and have been fine since then.I am now considered hyPERthyroid as I am on high doeses of synthroid. One would think" Hyper"thyroid would help me lose weight easily but it hasn't. It's nice to find a forum here where I can relate to with this problem and know that it's possible to lose the weight, maybe slower then those who are not hypo or hyperthyroid. :-)

Thyroid disorder bandsters- curious as to if you think your thyroid complications hold up your weightloss with the band? Whats your overall opinion-- on how you work through it? I have Graves, but am hypothyroid now, treated with sinthrod and my levels seem to be stable for a year + now. There were quite a few bumps along the way to get physically heaalthy from all that. It certainly encouraged me to get banded since no matter what I kept a slow gain.... I was banded in March 2010, and loose 4lbs a month. Lots and lots of exercise, a healthy diet and finally better restriction- as I am a pretty new bandster. What is your average weight loss? Heaviest weight 244, Surgery weight 221, now I'm hovering at 204. If I knew how to set up a poll, I'd do one. Is anyone having better success? Did your meds require a different dosage as you lost? Any success secrets out there?

hi, i am also hypo and while i was in the hospital they dissolved it for me but when i got home i called my doc for another reason but i asked if i could take it with out dissolving it and he said yes because its small enough it shouldnt get stuck. Im 3 weeks out and have had no problems. Good Luck!

I have hypo too- I have lost fairly steadily since being banded Nov. 2009. My levels have been where they should be. My doc. wants to keep an eye on it though- he said dosage is weight related.

I am hypo and was banded in feb 2010 and have lost only 26 pounds....its super frustrating because I work out and eat right for the most part and have decent restriction...i take 100 mcg of synthroid and just recently had my levels checked and they are fine...

I'm supposed to eat 4 oz every hour. I can't, it's too much in one shot. So I eat 2 oz every half hour. For the food portion, I Water down Campbells broccoli and cheese. I make a big pot (1 can-skim milk based) and put it in the fridge. Then when I need some, I just measure out my 2 oz. Because it cools quick, I make it nice and hot and eat with a spoon. For my powder I do: 8 oz skim milk 8 oz Crystal Lite Orange (sugar free Tang is even better, if you can find it.) 2 scoops whey vanilla (contains 60g protein) purchased at Walmart. BLEND WELL. Chill a tray of orange ice cubes. Either drink (or nurse )4 oz ever few hours, or nurse an 8 oz glass half the day, and the other, the second half. The orange ice cubes help keep the taste going, and it really takes like an orange smoothie. I'm sure other Crystal Lite Flavors would substitute well, like strawberry. OH and I keep a diary so I don't forget. Weird, before the lapband, I could get up in the morning and not even think about food until 6 hours later. Now, I'm HUNGRY. I guess it's completely psychological. As a large person I knew I was supposed to eat three meals a day to keep up a good metabolism (and mind is sluggish and hypo), but I just couldn't bring myself to doing it. BUT was forced to to keep that diary and eat all those meals to prepare for the surgery. Now that I'm used to eating all day, going liquid sure is hard. I feel that I just need to immerse myself in some work and I'll forget how hungry I am all the time. So that when I set the timer to remind me to eat, I'll be pleasantly happy OR maybe disillusional.:eek:

As reassuring as it is to know that we are all in this 'left shoulder boat' I am concerned about it. It had all but subsided after day 4 and the day (day 6) that I had my drain removed, it came searing back at that very moment. I'll try to walk more and I'm keeping up with the Tylenol and ice pack but, wow, does it hurt. Same exact place that you've described (in the joint). Maybe the drain being pulled out somehow 'reactivated' the nerve irritation that had subsided?? Any thoughts or support would be appreciated, Amy )

I am dealing with tjis too. My dr dx it as RHG its called Reactive Hypoglycemia. It comes on from losing weight and malabsorption. Whenever eating a carb i have to have protein to balance it out. An by carbs i mean even in fruits veggies an such. If you gpogle RHG it gives tons of info HTH

I think that would be pretty rare. Some people develop reactive hypoglycemia (I emphasize SOME people - certainly nowhere near everyone!!), but you usually just get dizzy with that, and you can prevent that by eating something every 3-4 hours and really limiting (or avoiding) sugar. But totally passing out would be very unusual. Plus I'm not even sure her passing out is related to weight loss surgery in the first place. And like the above person said, it could be that she was dehydrated and eating way too few calories, too. Hard to say without a lot more info. edited to add that in answer to your question, no, it is not normal. If it were, we'd hear about that all the time on here. I don't even remember if I've ever heard that at all in the four (??) years I've been on this forum.

If I don't eat enough Protein I drink a protein juice drink. I like the flavor and it is from Syntrax....nector. They have some cool flavors. I also have protein meals from Blissfull Wellness. I like their hot chocolate. They range from 15 to 30 g of protein per serving. I have just found out that I am reactive Hypoglycemic so now instead of eating 4 times a day I have to try to eat 3 meals and 3 Snacks. I had no idea that I could get that but they said they did not want to tell me because why add another thing onto what I have already have..But like me I got it so they say.LOL I drink 64 oz of Water a day. Ii love water and when it gets closer to summer I will drink more....I can't handle boiled eggs. They are too dense for me so I eat scrambled. Weird to be able to eat it one way but not another. I try very hard to make food interesting and different as much as possible. I eat so many different kinds of things now. Except. Beef it hates me. Pork does not care for me either. But I eat a lot of Beans and legumes, peas, nuts and seeds like squirrels do..lol If I am shopping it takes me forever to buy food because I always look for salt content. Calories and amount of protein. Their are a lot of tasty recipes on Pinterest for salads and healthy meals that look and taste great. I never count calories and I eat very slow....I sometimes can eat more then I need and other times I can't eat much. But I put a plate together. Protein, veggies and carb and I always eat the protein first. Then the veggies and last but not least the carbs. I am a true believer that we need everything in our diets as we live in the real world. But in moderation and balance..... Hope this is what you were looking for.....