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Posted June 16, 2010 - 6:48 PM hi everyone! i have read so much in this forum and want to say thankyou to every single poster! ive learned so much and sincerely appreciate verticalsleevetalk.com. im a 47 year old male living in brooklyn, new york. i currently weigh 305 lbs and have been overweight all my life. ive been hovering around the 300-315 mark for about 10 years. before that i hoovered around 280-300 for the prior 10 years. my high weight was 323, which was in 2004. the most ive lost dieting and exercising was about 40lbs on a few occasions, but i always put it back on. in 2004 i decided to have wls and was going to have gastric bypass done. after being approved by my insurance, i went to the hospital and was put in scrubs for the operation. then i was told by the nurse that the doctor had a family emergency and had to leave the hospital immediately. so my surgery was rescheduled for 4 weeks later. during these 4 weeks i ate plenty and went on a "goodbye to food" tour! this tour took me to all my favorite buffets and i ate like it was my last meal, even though i knew i shouldnt be doing that. then i again went to the hosptial and was put in scrubs and before my surgery the doctor said he couldnt operate because my sugar level was unexpectedly through the roof. i begged him to go through with it, but he said he couldnt and i needed to lose some weight and not do what i did by gaining weight and eating everything before surgery. so it was again cancelled. now i was determined to lose weight before i went back in 6 weeks for the eventual operation. in those 6 weeks i ate perfectly and lost 30 lbs. the day came and i went in a 3rd time to the hospital. again i was put in scrubs and this time all the tests, including my sugar were normal. but the doctor was surprised that i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks. he sat me down and said the operation was a serious one and if i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks, maybe i should give losing weight on my own another try. he convinced me to not have the operation. so i actually went on to lose a total of 89lbs in 7 months and got my weight down to 234 and felt great. i was actually running on a treadmill for a few miles non-stop and was in the best shape of my life. a year later i was again at 310lbs. i never considered wls surgery again because i honestly in my heart didnt want the bypass portion done. and im thankful that even though i was in the operating room 3 different times, i never had the bypass done. later in life i researched the lapband as it became popular, but again i didnt want the band either due to all the complications of it. only a few months ago i discovered the option of the sleeve, and it seemed like exactly what ive been waiting for. a tool to limit my intake, with no bypass and nothing permanently inside of me that needed followup adjustments. so im now in the process of going through everything i need to do before my dr. submits for approval to my insurance. the only thing left is the psych evaluation, which im in the process of completing and ill have it done shortly. then i meet with my dr. again on june 30th for the final time and he will submit everything to hopefully get approved. so thats my story. its seems that bypass just wasnt for me. and ironically back in 2004 i was all for it. now today, i wouldnt do a bypass ever. im thankful it never got done and i believe it wasnt meant to be. especially being in the operatiing room in scrubs 3x! i do have one fear/question that ill post in a separate thread in the post op forum as i believe that is where it should go. again, thank you to everyone who has ever posted in this forum. you do not know how much it helps, even the people like me who only read and never posted before. best of luck to everyone on their journey. UPDATE AUGUST 6 2013: back in 2010 after completing all the steps and requirements with dr. mcginty, I was denied by my insurance as the sleeve was considered experimental by them. they did offer me the gastric bypass or the lap band, but I refused both as I was only willing to have the sleeve done. so dr. mcginty said he believed that in a few years all insurance companies would be approving the sleeve as readily as they were approving the gastric bypass and lap band. and he was right! in jan 2013 I found out that my insurance now did cover the sleeve and I went back to dr. mcginty. I went through all the steps again and in march 2013 I finally got sleeved! today, august 5, 2013 I have been sleeved 4.5 months. in jan I weighed 291.5 lbs. today I weight 210 lbs. I lost 18 lbs before surgery and 63.5 lbs since surgery. this is the lightest ive been in 25 years and my goal is to reach 180. im finally on my way after waiting 9 years! so don't ever give up! the sleeve was meant to be for me...it just took me 9 years to get it done!

Hi Everyone , I had gastric bypass about 3 months ago as a revision to the gastric sleeve due to horrible GERD, and before that I had the lap band in and had to have it removed due to some of the same symptoms that I am having now and since I left the hospital I have had nothing be chronic nausea and some vomiting, I do get dry heeves almost very day and these " episodes" can last for about 10 minutes at a time, I also have left side abdominal pain that sometimes feels like gallbladder attacks, my surgeon has been trying every thing to figure out what this could be, my EGD came back normal, no structure or leak, currently taking zofran raglan acephex Zantac and care fate, I have tried to stop these and I end up feeling worse and sicker I also had an upper gi done that just showed reflux, he is sending me for a ct scan because of the pain, he does think that there may be a super small hernia, and he wants another pH study to see if the acids are really bad again. He said that he has a whole bunch of docs looking into this but I have stumped them all. He gave several options such has having a j tube or tpn so that I am getting some nutrition, he did ask if I feel better if I don't eat, and I said yes the nausea is not as bad as if I eat. He also said he is going to see if mayo clinic will look into my case due to the complex nature of it all. I just want to know has anyone else had anything like this, or any other suggestions. I a just at my wits end with all of this I am not even 25 and having all these problems, and I just feel that all of this was done in vein, and I don't know what to think or do please help Erica

Hi there, another Nervous Newbie here. I was wondering if you would mind if I asked you a few questions. This is my first time here, I have just had my Psych Eval and Dietician Eval done. Now I wait for them to write up their reports, send them to my PCP who I guess then forwards all that onto my insurance? My main question for you if with you wouldn't mind is what made up your mind to go the route of Gastric Bypass vs Gastric Sleeve? I was leaning towards the Gastric Bypass but after attending a seminar last night with the head surgeon in my area for WLS and after meeting with the Dietician, they said they prefer the Gastric Sleeve. Now I'm confused as to what I want (if I even get a choice). My insurance requires my surgery to be done at UCSF and I meet with a surgeon there but I live about 30 miles away, am able to do everything else in my home town. My other question is how long appx did it take for you to get the a pproval to meet with a surgeon after you had your Psych & Dietician Evals? Thank in advance, WTG on the Surgeon apt for 11/7

Saying goodbye. Going to drop the group as I'm officially not going to be sleeved. Not sure how this all happened, but insurance won't cover the sleeve now. I'm debating bypass, but have a couple of weeks to decide. Wish you all the best on your journeys to the new healthy you! It was fun while it lasted.

GOP Continuing Hostility to Jobs as Economy Shows Signs of Life Mon Sep 06, 2010 at 10:50:51 AM PDT Crossposted from The People's View. In the fledgling economy, Friday's jobs data showed some signs of new life. Private sector employers added 67,000 jobs in August, better than expected, while the private sector data for the rest of this summer was revised up (see chart on right, credit: New York Times). Overall, however, public sector job losses -- mostly the loss of temporary census jobs, but also about 6,000 other public sectors jobs were lost -- netted a loss of 54,000 jobs, ticking the unemployment rate up to 9.6%. There are other signs of life in the economy. Prices for single family homes have stabilized, manufacturing is gaining for the first time in a long time, and business spending on new equipment and software spending is up an impressive 22%. Half of the Federal Reserve's 12 districts have noted signs that the economy is starting to rebound. The Rockefeller Foundation finds that state tax revenues are up by 1.4%, compared to a devastating decline of 17% last year (hat tip to "Beet" in the comments). As the economy struggles to gain back some footing, Republicans are going for a full court press to try to keep it from making a comeback. The GOP leadership in the House and the Senate were hoping for far worse jobs numbers in the public sector, as they blocked and delayed the passage of a $26 billion state aid bill that is expected to save up to 300,000 jobs. Already, states and local governments have shed 170,000 jobs this year. State and local governments shed 48,000 jobs last month, bringing this year’s losses to about 170,000, according to the Labor Department. The bill would provide $16 billion to help cover states’ Medicaid bills plus $10 billion for teachers. So what's the Republicans' beef with this bill? You see, the bill was partly paid for by eliminating tax breaks on corporations that offshore American jobs to other countries in the search of slave cheap labor. The bill would be financed in part by a $10 billion tax increase on multinational corporations, which split lawmakers along party lines. Democrats said they are cracking down on the abuse of foreign tax credits intended to ensure companies aren’t taxed by both the U.S. Treasury and foreign governments on earnings abroad. Republicans, along with trade groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, called the tax increase a jobs killer. Since when is not giving tax advantages to American multinational corporations to create jobs in China a "jobs killer?" Unless of course, your intention is to create jobs in China rather than in the United States. I hope the Republicans take this message to voters in November, and I hope Democrats remind voters just what is at stake. The modern GOP simply can't stand Americans. The GOP is not just hostile to public sector jobs -- which, apparently they do not believe are real jobs. The GOP is just as hostile to job creation in the private sector. They have consistently blocked clean energy legislation that is expected to add jobs. The Republicans in the Senate are still blocking a small business jobs bill that, if passed, would create hundreds of thousands of jobs. As the Senate Republicans all voted to block the bill from even coming up for an up or down vote, they came up with an excuse even more novel than "big corporations would have to stop being coddled" -- the argument this time is that not enough GOP amendments were allowed (although each side would get votes on three amendments). Just what is wrong with an up-or-down vote on a bill to help community banks help businesses in their community, Leader McConnell? The big GOP argument on opposing everything the President supports is this: Obama is introducing all these reforms, which is rattling the markets, because they're uncertain, ergo they are not hiring. No new regulations, no new reforms, and rescind the reforms enacted so far -- that is the GOP battle cry. Ezra Klein took that hubbub to the woodsheds: For the past few months, the GOP has been arguing that the jobs numbers are grim because of the policy uncertainty caused by Barack Obama's radical legislative agenda. So, do today's numbers provide support for that? Well, no. The private sector added almost 70,000 jobs. Now, it's possible that they would have added more new jobs in the absence of the Obama agenda. But then you look at where the jobs came from: The largest gains were in the health-care sector, where 28,000 jobs came online. Health-care reform doesn't appear to be scaring that industry out of hiring, which is as you'd expect, as the bill makes demand for the services more, rather than less, likely. This evening in Milwaukee, WI, President Obama is going to lay out a $50 billion plan to invest in rebuilding and strengthening our nation's infrastructure. I am quite certain the Republicans will find a way to oppose shoring up America's infrastructure as well. There is an impediment to job creation in this country that is man-made. Insofar as the impediment to job creation is a result of policy, it is a result of conservative policies, not progressive ones. Republicans have consistently opposed aid to states, aid to the unemployed, and even aid to their own favorite talking point: small business. The professional poutrage manufacturers on the political right would like to assume the mantle of fiscal responsibility after causing the economic meltdown. They want to do so by stopping all help to ordinary Americans and small business, and delivering the money to the ultra rich. dailykos Take a look at the chart and the direction jobs are going. Is the American public really that "uninformed" as to think this is the wrong direction for this country? Would they prefer to go back to the direction it was in the last 18 months of bush? I guess I just can't understand the mindset of those who would vote for those whose policies got us into this mess - the republicans.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2159155/Obese-woman-suffocates-food-gastric-bypass-surgery-meant-couldn-t-fit-stomach.html Holy crap, I just read this from last year. A woman had gastric bypass and was still eating too much and kq

The main reason that we see limitations on NSAID pain relievers (and other stomach irritating drugs) such as Motrin is that with the RNY gastric bypass, the duodenum (the part of the small intestine immediately downstream of the stomach) is bypassed along with the stomach, and the part of the intestine that is brought up and joined with the new stomach pouch isn't resistant to stomach acid like the duodenum. Consequently, the suture line between the stomach pouch and intestine is constantly being irritated by stomach acid and never fully heals, so it can't take the added irritation of these classes of drugs. This isn't a problem with the sleeve since they're not fooling around with the duodenum or its' relationship with the stomach, and once healed a sleeved stomach is not markedly different from a normal stomach in this respect. In general, surgeons who come at this from the DS (duodenal switch, which is a sleeve with intestinal rerouting for malabsorption) perspective rather than the RNY side of things have little problem recommending the use of NSAIDs post-op - my doc suggests their use for post-op pain after things have gone below the point where the stronger narcotic pain relievers are appropriate. Indeed, this divergence is well enough known in the medical and insurance worlds that patient need for NSAIDs (or even a family history thereof,) is often used to overturn insurance decisions favoring the RNY over the DS or VSG. In short, this is far from a universal opinion, and is very much a function of a particular surgeon's background. We certainly don't want to recommend going against your surgeon's advice, but there is certainly room for discussion with him on this point, It would be worth doing a bit of research on this point to get more comfortable with it - some of the DS forums would be a good place to investigate as the VSG has a lot more in common with the DS than with the RNY Good luck, and there is hope for continued control of your pain problems; and do take instructions and limitations on Tylenol use seriously as acetaminophen poisoning is a hazard from overdoing it.

Have you talked to your surgeon about this, as they would be the most familiar with the absorption quirks of the procedure (though a pharmacist should also be familiar with it as the RNY is pretty "mainstream". Generally, time release meds (and a lot of the psych meds are time release) can have problems depending upon their delayed release mechanism. My wife has a DS, which has a different malabsorption scheme than your bypass, but she still has to research how a new ER med works and whether that is compatible with her anatomy.

Her family said it was the duodenal switch.........I thought if you already had the gastric bypass and you got sleeved that is called duodenal switch...Not sure. I know we were all told we could DIE and about all the complications. I am just sad because I never knew anyone to die of the WLS and Im just nervous and want to do good and have good results. Thanks everyone for your concerns/post.

That is really horrible to hear about your friend. I am sorry for your loss and your friend's family's loss. But, question, she had bypass then the sleeve? Not possible. Perhaps they did a revision or something on her pouch or intestines to correct damage. All surgical interventions carry risks, and revision/corrective surgeries even more so unfortunately. The best way you can honor your friend's memory is by taking care of yourself, physically and emotionally, and making the most out of your weight loss journey and your life in general. Each day is a blessing and an opportunity. Best wishes.

See I'm ok with out bday cake or sweets in general and actually I kinda want the dumping syndrome so that if I ever do get that random urge for sweets I can't eat them. I want to give up bad foods for life not just for a few months then tell myself it's ok every once in awhile then that turns into the exact same eating habits I'm currently trying to break then I've gained weight and back where I started. I think the bypass will give me a better chance to keep away from the wrong foods longer but everyone I talk to says sleeve is the way to go bc it's less risky and less invasive. I don't want to make the decision to have the sleeve just bc I'm scared of the risks of bypass if bypass would be a better option for me. Sent from my SM-G900T using the BariatricPal App

Dub. You so cracked me up. If it were me, I would wait the year to let that little pocket heal. Also, my surgeon said there were three ways to screw up this surgery: (1) smoking, (2) smoking, and (3) smoking. I believe he was talking about tobacco. I think the other ways of consuming mj besides smoking would bypass the surgeon's problems with this.

I am considering bypass surgery. My BMI is a little over 38 and I have very bad GERD with Barrette's esophagus and a hernia. Because I am obese, my surgeon as said that if the hernia were fixed, it still may not completely help the GERD because I am obese. I have been considering bypass surgery for someone time now, but had other things come up. He has told me that Bypass surgery will solve my GERD problem and he can fix the hernia while he is in there. I had originally wanted a sleeve but he said because of the GERD, he would suggest the bypass. One of my major concerns with the bypass is malabsorption. There is a lady at work who had the bypass and is on 5000 mgs of Vitamin D and is now in the beginning stages of osteoporosis. Malabsorption is a major concern of mine and one of the reasons I wanted the sleeve to begin with. I am wondering how big of a concern has this been to you? Should it be a concern? Any info is appreciated

I'm c667t ++ (homo). Also vdr+ and mtrr+ (hetero) and Maoa. Genes are against me. I too think the band ruined my metabolism. How do we k ow the next one wont. Also how many mutants are getting bypass and supplementing with cyanocobalamin and wondering why they can't get their B up? Docs should recommend methyl b for all patients (or hydroxy. I have a methyl B injection and a hydroxy b injection. They are made at at compounding pharmacy. I was severely low on many nutrients. Docs tested serum levels instead of rbc test (both are blood work but one looks at it differently and is more accurate ) I got the rbc done and found the basis of many of my problems. That's why I don't want to do bypass. I've dealt with Mal nutrition and it ruined my life. As for diet, what you said goes for me too. Nothing processed (except my raw, vegan Protein powder ). I buy meat and produce, herbs and spices and prepare everything by hand.

I will be having my revision on 4/24/14 I will gladly tell you how i am doing through the steps if you like!

I was banded 2005 had my revision 4/9/2014 and is down 15 pounds...i have no appetite and I try to walk 20 min a day everyday... Good luck

My revision starting weight was 265 and today my weight was 238. Lap band 3/6/2006 starting weight 316 lowest weight 165 revision weight 265.

I had 5 incisions for lapband 2005 and I had 5 for revision to sleeve in 4/2014

It's been 10 mths since my band to sleeve revision but I remember that 4 weeks of full liquids like it was yesterday. Definately hard. After being banded in 2009, I only made it to the 2nd week and then I cheated. Regretted it for yrs. I was single back then and it was easier to cheat. It was also easier to cheat knowing I couldn't really damage myself withe the band. But I could with a sleeve. Plus I gained a "food Nazi" husband who woulda tattled on me had I cheated. I got my hunger back on day 10 (was easy till then) and then I could eaten my arm - had I been able to suck my arm thru a straw. I ate tomato and split pea Soup, Jello, sf pudding, yogurt, and popsicles. Hot stuff satiates (not "fills" u asn liquids don't do that much) better than cold stuff. So sip tomato soup. Sip, sip, sip. Gawd, how I wanted a french fry or a taco. But then I'd be paranoid about causing a leak and my craving would go away - for about 5 minutes. Nothing I can say that will make u feel better. Hang in there. It WILL get better soon. No, u won't feel "full" while on liquids but u certainly won't die. I wouldn't rush out there and eat something - just in case ur the 4% that get a leak. When ur able to eat soft foods, it will get much better. Good luck!

I would check with your doctor to see if you're even supposed to be taking Vitamins yet, which may be why they're making you sick. I had my band to sleeve revision on the 14th and I'm not allowed to take any vitamins until my 2 week post op appt on Tuesday. And then, it supposed to be in liquid form since I'm on liquids only for 3 weeks. Your post op instructions may be different, but just a thought.

I'm so glad this has happened to someone else. What do they know that we don't, lol. My team are so unconcerned about the fact I'm losing weight so slowly, it feels reassuring but weird. How do they know I won't be the only person in the world who doesn't lose weight after bypass lol

Hi all! I am in Walnut Creek. I had my surgery done March 3, 2016...just passed my one year mark. Due to some complications from the sleeve, it looks like I'm going to have a revision to an RNY. I'd like to find people to talk to about all this. My husband is wonderful, but he hasn't experienced anything like this, so he doesn't have information or opinions to offer me. If anyone wants to chat, message me!!

I have struggled with my weight my entie life! My birth family was a red hot mess. Father was a Vietnam War Vet and as a result became an alcholic, a very violent one at that. He beat us and was emotionally and verbally abusive. Quite the monster, but that's what war does to people! My mother was mentally ill and very young. She had 12 kids all less than 10 months apart. Unable to cope with all the abuse and all those kids with no help, she abandonded us after my father took off. I was in foster care most of my early years. The sexual abuse began then. Fortunately I was adopted at age 8. That's when the food addiction began. Fearful that I would be moved again I ate any and everything in sight thinking I may be back in a home where food was scarce. But the family that adopted me was pretty great. They were so patient with me. My files had been sealed so they really had no idea what I had endured. Due to the sexual abuse I donned the "fat suit". It was my protective mechanism to keep any and everyone away from me. At that point I was very athletic and participated in MANY sports. I wasn't really that heavy. My adopted family are all very small framed skinny folks. I'm talking size 0's with no eating issues whatsoever. I on the other hand am 5'8" with very large bones. Never been a size 0! So I was dubbed the "big" one, which is code for the fat kid! My adopted dad, who as a doctor, constantly harped about my weight. He called me gross and would take food out of my hand. My adopted mom always made me wear beige clothing and I wasn't allowed Levis jeans because "big girls can't wear those!" I know they didn't mean to be humilating and demeaning. They had never dealt with a weight issue in their family. They thought it would get the desired results. It did not. I look back and I was not even heavy just had a solid, muscular build. So I entered into the neverending food cycle. Eating when I was depressed. Being depressed because I was fat. So what did I do? Ate more to comfort myself. It was maddening. I've been on every diet known to man. Lose but gain double back and feel more like a failure everytime it happened. I always thought bariatric surgery was the easy way out. Little did I know just how wrong I was! After being diagnosed with diabetes I decided enough was enough and began to research the surgery. I made an appointment with my pcp and she thought I was an ideal candidate. My bmi wasn't high enough so I honestly didn't think I would get BCBS approval. But praise God I did get approved! My surgery was April 20th. I chose the RNY bypass because I wanted to be sure the diabetes and GERD would be resolved! This has by far been one of the most challenging and difficult things I have ever done! The assessments, classes and diagnostic testing has been grueling. I have had to take a long hard look at myself and there were lots of things I didn't like. But it's been such a freeing journey. I have had counseling over the years and I have allowed the Lord to work out many things and bring healing. Now it's time to free myself from the fat suit that my abusers have held me captive in all my life. I have allowed them to steal enough of my life and now it's time to bury them forever. I have stirred up a lot of emotions and unresolved issues during this process. I am working on those and I know the Lord will continue to lead me on this journey toward complete and total healing! I am ready to live free and unhindered! I am ready for my body to reflect the freedom my spirit is experiencing! This is not the end of my journey but it is the close of a chapter. It's also the beginning of a beautiful new one. I am hopeful and so, so grateful to the Lord and everyone who has been a part of my healing. God has been so very good to me! I am blessed beyond anything I ever thought possible and more than I could ever deserve. But that's the beauty of grace and mercy, isn't it? And that's the preciousness of my God! Sissy Austin

Micah, I had the gastric bypass and eat a predominantly vegan diet... though I do occasionally still have some lean chicken and dairy. My surgeon (Garth Davis) advocates a mostly vegetarian/vegan diet... and recently wrote a book call proteinaholic. If you're on facebook, I'd recommend liking his page, and also joining the WLS Vegetarian group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1646059515642538/

What is a mini bypass?