Search the Community

Hello everybody, I am just wanting to share my progress hopefully it can inspire someone who is considering surgery! My first doctors appointment was June 6 2022 I weighed in at 245 lbs. (I am 5’4). Got on a diet before surgery and was down to 217 on surgery day November 30 2022. Now almost six months later I weigh 145!I’ve lost 100 lbs total, 72 since my surgery. My BMI is officially in the normal range. I am 15 lbs away from my goal weight of 130. I feel great! If anyone wants me to share before and after pics I would be happy to! Thanks for taking the time to read about my journey!

sleeve or bypass?

I had my surgery 10/4/2022 and my surgeon is amazing! The whole team at the office is great and very helpful. Dr. Semeret Munie was my surgeon and now I mostly see the nurse practitioner, Kelly Columbus-Kline who is amazing as well. Dr. Munie made all the right calls when it came to my care and helping me select the right surgery for me. I was approved for gastric bypass until my pre-op day the week before I was scheduled. At that appointment we chose to change my procedure to gastric sleeve because my iron levels were so low she was afraid I may become infusion dependent on iron. I'm glad she didn't go ahead with the bypass and paid attention to my bloodwork so closely! The person I've had the most contact with through classes, appointments, and support groups is the dietician, Marsha Copley. She has been SO helpful and has helped me feel less guilty about being human regarding some of the choices I've made and has definitely steered me in the right direction with her guidance. I love them all so much. I didn't see any posts about Dr. Munie on here so I wanted to write one so that people can find this information about them.

I am having a gastric bypass on May 20th. I am on my 3rd day of liquids and it is really tough

Wow wow wow!! I'm insanely jealous! Did you have VSG or bypass? Please share what you're doing!

It all kicks off for me early next week when I start the pre-op diet in preparation for my bypass on 1st; I just cant wit now! We have choice of two pre-op diets and I have chosen the liquid diet. This weekend, I'm trying out protein rich recipe's that are easily pureed for after the surgery. Here we Goooooooooo!

im just about to look into posting my story and update my surgery details but could not do so easily and without not first attempting to seek any help I can before I literally lose the plot! I am now coming upto 13 weeks post mini gastric bypass. (Tuesday) on Valentines Day I underwent the surgeons scalpels I paid privately after the usual circumstances of hitting rock bottom and saying quite literally… ENOUGH! Money is not plentiful and I used my small inheritance from my late father. Lucky, I was able to do so. I live near Manchester in the UK and am seeing my surgeon next Wednesday after discussing my symptoms with the dietician. but… I’m struggling. I have zero support network with experience. A loving family yes but no one I feel can validate or reassure me. I have medical study experience but not enough experience or knowledge to explain my symptoms away. my most recent message I’m still awaiting reply to from my surgeons medical secretary as follows:- Hi (name removed for anonymity) Did you receive my message yesterday please? I spoke to the Dieticians yesterday too and they’ve arranged a consultation with surgeon to discuss further issues. Next Wednesday. I am hoping to attend in person but currently struggling with flu type symptoms. I don’t have other people who have had bariatric surgery to speak to who could be a support network or provide support. Do you know if there is a professional forum, overseen contact group or other network or other supportive services? I don’t feel I am having a good recovery and feel I am struggling. Plus, I feel I am that poorly now perhaps I was dismissed too readily or swiftly in my previous contacts. I am losing weight much much faster than all my peers I read. I’ve lost over 4 stones in just 13 weeks. Far too fast and I’m drained, lethargic, can barely hold my head up (albeit have flu too) but in May too! Not normally a fluey month as the norm?? Infact, I microsecond passed out yesterday and cracked my head on our bathroom sink - simply due to standing up from the loo! I do not have a supportive GP or GP surgery and am currently in the process of changing surgeries now BUT am writing to them and conducting a private appointment firstly as I do not trust full follow through handover transparency. My surgery requires professional evidence or correspondence of everything to even follow up. For example, they have borderline eGFR results and two scans showing kidney stone and cyst in situ YET won’t conduct further tests or refer until surgeon sends a letter too! It’s absurd! it’s the main reason I paid to get this surgery completed to try to be well and improve my life and stay away from GP Doctors who possibly practiced nothing more than general medicine for 5 years! I’m constantly having to contact you directly, but seem dismissed by quotes of it’s week 4, or week 6, or only week 8 or now it’s only week 16, go back to Soups and fluids, try a quarter of an egg instead of a full Egg. I’ve gone back to fluids only 3 times now! When then can I tolerate real food? Something I can use my teeth with would be nice now? I cant eat any meat barely at all now, (not even minced), swallowing gets more difficult, indigestion, heartburn is agony, my nails are like paper, my periods have disappeared completely albeit this could be normal as I’m 10 years post menopausal, my face is gray and sallowed. I look like death. I’ve just returned back from holiday but spent 5 days in bed due to tummy pain, bowel problems, agonising indigestion, feeling unwell. I also take 3 x baricol chewables a day, a Multivitamin tablet and a calcichew a day. I’ve read everything I can find, researched this surgery for 6 months prior to having it, watched videos on YouTube, nothing seems to validate or reassure me. I studied medicine myself for 2 years albeit I know this is extra bit of knowledge of human anatomy and practice, I certainly do not have the knowledge to explain my symptoms away. I know this is not psychological as I cannot tolerate warm, cold, mashed, puréed, anything I’ve been told to try and going back a step to try again. When then am I to carry on until? Perhaps until I pass out again or end up in A&E on a drip? I cant get anything down me. If I do manage one meal a day, it’s a quarter of a starter portion and I’ll nearly always vomit it back up or experience the pain in my tummy or severely painful heartburn or severely offensive and debilitating flatulence. How long until I can eat? How long until I can drink plentiful fluids without issues? Ie. More than 500 ml in a 24 hour period? How long until I feel well? How long until I can eat what my family eats albeit in a starter portion? A healthy clean hearty non processed meal! How long until I look and feel well? How long until I can eat without severely offensive flatulence? It’s disgusting and far too painful to keep inside or even attempt to get to a more private location! Once it’s there, it’s impossible to hide and I don’t feel confident even in taking my children to school! How long will my stools be pale yellow or grey? How long will this horrendous pain in my tummy last? Because it’s interfering with my daily life now too. I’m now buying omaprezol over the counter. Lamazeprol isn’t available over the counter like I was advised yesterday. How long until I can sleep a full Night without being woken by agonising heartburn or stomach pain? These are the questions I’d like to ask a support network rather than mither yourself, to then mither surgeon to then mither dieticians or worse my GP. I’m getting very frustrated now, mainly through a lack of support I think. I don’t like to join public forums or online networks normally but I don’t feel I can get the answers of validation or reassurance currently. Yet, I’ve paid over £12000 for the surgery and 2 years post surgery support. Where is the support please? Once I receive your reply I’ll Know whether to mention the letter requirements in my appointment too. I am so sorry I have to keep contacting you, mithering surgeon but I’m getting frustrated and upset now. I want to be well not worse. Plus, the more issues, symptoms I have the more neurotic I feel, yet I have nowhere else to ask. Regards So after reading this I hope you or anyone could offer some guidance or insight. simply put I am also at my wits end and do not want to regret this life changing surgery but I’m beginning to do so with intent and massive frustration. looking forward to any replies. I have copied and pasted this from my post yesterday. I don’t know what further info you’d like but am willing to explain absolutely anything if it will help you to support / advise. I can say today is a better day - I’m not well by any comparison and sleep deprivation is definitely affecting my cognitive function BUT I have managed one full bladder toilet trip and eaten twice today. Two rice cakes with 3 cheese dress and some pickled tiny chopped shallots. tiny fresh plum tomatoes with 3 x tender soft grilled bacon medalions on a slightly toasted Oatcake. all chewed three times (within an inch if their life) and each meal takes an average of an hour to eat and get down me. tummy pain 6 / 10 which is absolutely amazing in comparison to norm. nausea in situ but no vomiting today. a normal opening of bowels with the exception of colour as above. wind still offensive embarrassing but not as repetitive. 2 small cups of tea. 200ml sugar free cordial.

It sucks to not see the scale moving. It makes me feel like im failing. I know it's normal, but ahh! I only lost 39.5 pounds since surgery (2/21/23). What could I be doing wrong? What could I do to get it moving again? Am I eating too many calories? I don't even know how many calories I'm supposed to be having. I don't have anything in my papers. One things for sure, a lot of stuff doesn't feel like I get restriction? The only thing I can't eat really so far is bread, pancakes/waffles. That I know of. I know each meal is supposed to be 3 to 4 ounces. How do you guys figure out your entire meal size. 2oz protein, 1 ounce veggies, 1 ounce starch? Ugh. My next appointment is the 25th or 26th

Hi, I understand how you might find this difficult and overwhelming, but what is very important is that you can learn a lot by doing simple searches. My bypass is coming up on June 5th and the other night I was simply wondering if anyone that completed this surgery had regrets. I just typed in the word “regret” in the search box and a vast array of information, some very old some newer came up. I could go to sleep that night calm, after I read all those posts. I learned that while initially some go through a regret stage, in time everyone is content with the life decision they made. This website is amazing when it comes to information. I hope this helps.

40 days til my scheduled bypass. Love reading all your posts but I’m super overwhelmed with the amount of posts and the format of this app. Any suggestions on navigating around here?

I am 2 yrs post gastric bypass I have had similar issue re flatulence ect it turns out to be fat malabsorption I battled for ages until I started taking probotics which have helped alot I can't take tablets so use the powder form maybe give it a try you never know it may work to help you a bit and you can start feeling a bit well nothing worse then feeling like that I hope you get results sooner rather than later

Yes I had my april 3rd and it went good, I had a bypass.

I have joined this forum simply for one reason. A post I saw and YOU. The kind reader who I hope can offer absolutely any advice, help, insight - anything! I can be honest and say immediately, thank you for any reply and I’m desperate for your reply with insight. im just about to look into posting my story but could not do so without first attempting to seek any help I can before I literally lose the plot! I am now around 16 weeks post mini gastric bypass. Valentines Day I underwent the surgeons scalpels I paid privately after the usual circumstances of hitting rock bottom and saying quite literally… ENOUGH! Money is not plentiful and I used my small inheritance from my late father. Lucky, I was able to do so. but… I’m struggling. I have zero support network with experience. A loving family yes but no one I feel can validate or reassure me. I have medical study experience but not enough experience or knowledge to explain my symptoms away. my most recent message I’m still awaiting reply to from my surgeons medical secretary as follows:- Hi (name removed for anonymity) Did you receive my message yesterday please? I spoke to the Dieticians yesterday too and they’ve arranged a consultation with surgeon to discuss further issues. Next Wednesday. I am hoping to attend in person but currently struggling with flu type symptoms. I don’t have other people who have had bariatric surgery to speak to who could be a support network or provide support. Do you know if there is a professional forum, overseen contact group or other network or other supportive services? I don’t feel I am having a good recovery and feel I am struggling. Plus, I feel I am that poorly now perhaps I was dismissed too readily or swiftly in my previous contacts. I am losing weight much much faster than all my peers I read. I’ve lost over 4 stones in just 13 weeks. Far too fast and I’m drained, lethargic, can barely hold my head up (albeit have flu too) but in May too! Not normally a fluey month as the norm?? Infact, I microsecond passed out yesterday and cracked my head on our bathroom sink - simply due to standing up from the loo! I do not have a supportive GP or GP surgery and am currently in the process of changing surgeries now BUT am writing to them and conducting a private appointment firstly as I do not trust full follow through handover transparency. My surgery requires professional evidence or correspondence of everything to even follow up. For example, they have borderline eGFR results and two scans showing kidney stone and cyst in situ YET won’t conduct further tests or refer until surgeon sends a letter too! It’s absurd! it’s the main reason I paid to get this surgery completed to try to be well and improve my life and stay away from GP Doctors who possibly practiced nothing more than general medicine for 5 years! I’m constantly having to contact you directly, but seem dismissed by quotes of it’s week 4, or week 6, or only week 8 or now it’s only week 16, go back to Soups and fluids, try a quarter of an egg instead of a full Egg. I’ve gone back to fluids only 3 times now! When then can I tolerate real food? Something I can use my teeth with would be nice now? I cant eat any meat barely at all now, (not even minced), swallowing gets more difficult, indigestion, heartburn is agony, my nails are like paper, my periods have disappeared completely albeit this could be normal as I’m 10 years post menopausal, my face is gray and sallowed. I look like death. I’ve just returned back from holiday but spent 5 days in bed due to tummy pain, bowel problems, agonising indigestion, feeling unwell. I also take 3 x baricol chewables a day, a Multivitamin tablet and a calcichew a day. I’ve read everything I can find, researched this surgery for 6 months prior to having it, watched videos on YouTube, nothing seems to validate or reassure me. I studied medicine myself for 2 years albeit I know this is extra bit of knowledge of human anatomy and practice, I certainly do not have the knowledge to explain my symptoms away. I know this is not psychological as I cannot tolerate warm, cold, mashed, puréed, anything I’ve been told to try and going back a step to try again. When then am I to carry on until? Perhaps until I pass out again or end up in A&E on a drip? I cant get anything down me. If I do manage one meal a day, it’s a quarter of a starter portion and I’ll nearly always vomit it back up or experience the pain in my tummy or severely painful heartburn or severely offensive and debilitating flatulence. How long until I can eat? How long until I can drink plentiful fluids without issues? Ie. More than 500 ml in a 24 hour period? How long until I feel well? How long until I can eat what my family eats albeit in a starter portion? A healthy clean hearty non processed meal! How long until I look and feel well? How long until I can eat without severely offensive flatulence? It’s disgusting and far too painful to keep inside or even attempt to get to a more private location! Once it’s there, it’s impossible to hide and I don’t feel confident even in taking my children to school! How long will my stools be pale yellow or grey? How long will this horrendous pain in my tummy last? Because it’s interfering with my daily life now too. I’m now buying omaprezol over the counter. Lamazeprol isn’t available over the counter like I was advised yesterday. How long until I can sleep a full Night without being woken by agonising heartburn or stomach pain? These are the questions I’d like to ask a support network rather than mither yourself, to then mither surgeon to then mither dieticians or worse my GP. I’m getting very frustrated now, mainly through a lack of support I think. I don’t like to join public forums or online networks normally but I don’t feel I can get the answers of validation or reassurance currently. Yet, I’ve paid over £12000 for the surgery and 2 years post surgery support. Where is the support please? Once I receive your reply I’ll Know whether to mention the letter requirements in my appointment too. I am so sorry I have to keep contacting you, mithering surgeon but I’m getting frustrated and upset now. I want to be well not worse. Plus, the more issues, symptoms I have the more neurotic I feel, yet I have nowhere else to ask. Regards So after reading this I hope you or anyone could offer some guidance or insight. simply put I am also at my wits end and do not want to regret this life changing surgery but I’m beginning to do so with intent and massive frustration. looking forward to any replies. ❤️❤️💕💕💞

I have joined this forum simply for one reason. Your Post. I relate so drastically I can be honest and say thank you and I’m desperate for your reply with insight. im just about to look into posting my story but could not do so without first replying to you. I am now around 16 weeks post mini gastric bypass. Valentines Day I underwent the surgeons scalpels I paid privately after the usual circumstances of hitting rock bottom and saying quite literally… ENOUGH! Money is not plentiful and I used my small inheritance from my late father. Lucky, I was able to do so. but… I’m struggling. I have zero support network with experience. A loving family yes but no one I feel can validate or reassure me. I have medical study experience but not enough experience or knowledge to explain my symptoms away. my most recent message I’m still awaiting reply to from my surgeons medical secretary as follows:- Hi (name removed for anonymity) Did you receive my message yesterday please? I spoke to the Dieticians yesterday too and they’ve arranged a consultation with surgeon to discuss further issues. Next Wednesday. I am hoping to attend in person but currently struggling with flu type symptoms. I don’t have other people who have had bariatric surgery to speak to who could be a support network or provide support. Do you know if there is a professional forum, overseen contact group or other network or other supportive services? I don’t feel I am having a good recovery and feel I am struggling. Plus, I feel I am that poorly now perhaps I was dismissed too readily or swiftly in my previous contacts. I am losing weight much much faster than all my peers I read. I’ve lost over 4 stones in just 13 weeks. Far too fast and I’m drained, lethargic, can barely hold my head up (albeit have flu too) but in May too! Not normally a fluey month as the norm?? Infact, I microsecond passed out yesterday and cracked my head on our bathroom sink - simply due to standing up from the loo! I do not have a supportive GP or GP surgery and am currently in the process of changing surgeries now BUT am writing to them and conducting a private appointment firstly as I do not trust full follow through handover transparency. My surgery requires professional evidence or correspondence of everything to even follow up. For example, they have borderline eGFR results and two scans showing kidney stone and cyst in situ YET won’t conduct further tests or refer until surgeon sends a letter too! It’s absurd! it’s the main reason I paid to get this surgery completed to try to be well and improve my life and stay away from GP Doctors who possibly practiced nothing more than general medicine for 5 years! I’m constantly having to contact you directly, but seem dismissed by quotes of it’s week 4, or week 6, or only week 8 or now it’s only week 16, go back to soups and fluids, try a quarter of an egg instead of a full Egg. I’ve gone back to fluids only 3 times now! When then can I tolerate real food? Something I can use my teeth with would be nice now? I cant eat any meat barely at all now, (not even minced), swallowing gets more difficult, indigestion, heartburn is agony, my nails are like paper, my periods have disappeared completely albeit this could be normal as I’m 10 years post menopausal, my face is gray and sallowed. I look like death. I’ve just returned back from holiday but spent 5 days in bed due to tummy pain, bowel problems, agonising indigestion, feeling unwell. I also take 3 x baricol chewables a day, a multivitamin tablet and a calcichew a day. I’ve read everything I can find, researched this surgery for 6 months prior to having it, watched videos on YouTube, nothing seems to validate or reassure me. I studied medicine myself for 2 years albeit I know this is extra bit of knowledge of human anatomy and practice, I certainly do not have the knowledge to explain my symptoms away. I know this is not psychological as I cannot tolerate warm, cold, mashed, puréed, anything I’ve been told to try and going back a step to try again. When then am I to carry on until? Perhaps until I pass out again or end up in A&E on a drip? I cant get anything down me. If I do manage one meal a day, it’s a quarter of a starter portion and I’ll nearly always vomit it back up or experience the pain in my tummy or severely painful heartburn or severely offensive and debilitating flatulence. How long until I can eat? How long until I can drink plentiful fluids without issues? Ie. More than 500 ml in a 24 hour period? How long until I feel well? How long until I can eat what my family eats albeit in a starter portion? A healthy clean hearty non processed meal! How long until I look and feel well? How long until I can eat without severely offensive flatulence? It’s disgusting and far too painful to keep inside or even attempt to get to a more private location! Once it’s there, it’s impossible to hide and I don’t feel confident even in taking my children to school! How long will my stools be pale yellow or grey? How long will this horrendous pain in my tummy last? Because it’s interfering with my daily life now too. I’m now buying omaprezol over the counter. Lamazeprol isn’t available over the counter like I was advised yesterday. How long until I can sleep a full Night without being woken by agonising heartburn or stomach pain? These are the questions I’d like to ask a support network rather than mither yourself, to then mither surgeon to then mither dieticians or worse my GP. I’m getting very frustrated now, mainly through a lack of support I think. I don’t like to join public forums or online networks normally but I don’t feel I can get the answers of validation or reassurance currently. Yet, I’ve paid over £12000 for the surgery and 2 years post surgery support. Where is the support please? Once I receive your reply I’ll Know whether to mention the letter requirements in my appointment too. I am so sorry I have to keep contacting you, mithering surgeon but I’m getting frustrated and upset now. I want to be well not worse. Plus, the more issues, symptoms I have the more neurotic I feel, yet I have nowhere else to ask. Regards So after reading this I hope you or anyone could offer some guidance or insight. simply put I am also at my wits end and do not want to regret this life changing surgery but I’m beginning to do so with intent and massive frustration. looking forward to any replies. ❤️❤️💕💕💞

Same! Had band since 2007. Removal in November 22. Bypass schedule for June. I gained 22 pound after band removed. Super depressing.

Hello everyone, I'm Stephanie and I've been on this journey for a little bit over a year I had my surgery April 24, 2023 weighing in at 291. I started this journey March 7, 2022 at my heaviest weight ever 382 lbs. All my life I had always been overweight but never had I ever been given the diagnosis of morbidly obese. September of 2019 I had the biggest scare of my life, I almost died. My heart was in Congested heart failure, I was going septic, and was put into a ketamine trip so they could shock my heart. After that I ended up having atrial flutters on the right side of my heart. I was put on Lasix and while I was still in the hospital I lost 13 lbs of water weight. I've had tachycardia for years, was a smoker and extremely overweight. The doctor didn't sugarcoat it for me at all he flat out told me my smoking and my weight was killing me. He said I qualified for bariatric surgery and that I should look into it. 2020 I had an ablation done to fry the nerves to the right side of my heart so it will beat normal and it worked I haven't had any issues with my heart since. I've been on a beta blocker; and I had to do a sleep study and I have sleep apnea. I stopped breathing 13 times in an hour. Which brought me to bariatric surgery. November 13, 2020 I quit smoking cigarettes, before my surgery I had lost 82 lbs had the duodenal switch surgery and as of May 5, 2023 I have lost a total of 100 pounds. The most weight I have ever lost in my life. I don't regret my decision at all about getting surgery cause I feel better and healthier and I want to get out of bed and I want to exercise and I just love the way I'm feeling everyday. Stephanie Ellis

Hey y’all hey, just joined the group but so excited to have people to talk to about my experience vs. their experience through this process. I started my liquid diet on April 23, 2023 and had gastric bypass surgery May 3, 2023. So today I’m one week post-op and had eggs for breakfast. Hardest thing so far is getting 64oz of fluid in a day but that god we can could all liquids🤣😂

This is my second bypass surgery. I had my 1st in 2019. Found out the end of last year that staples had come loose and I was leaking into old stomach that was still attached to pouch. This time they took out the rest of my stomach. I woke up from surgery with horrible pain on left side. This is the start of the fourth week for me and the first time I’ve had no pain. Went to family doctor and he prescribed Gabapentin for nerve pain and a muscle relaxer. I had a horrible cough for 2 weeks after surgery and he told me he was sure I had pulled the muscles on my left side. It hurt from my lower back left side all the way around to just above belly button. Talk to your surgeon to be sure there is nothing wrong. My dr. Checked for hernias. Last time it took about 4 weeks before I started feeling “normal” again. Stay strong. It is worth it. I lost 130 pounds with 1st surgery and 26 so far with this surgery.

I found a flavorless protein powder that dissolves in hot or cold food or drinks. “Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides unflavored.” It has 18 grams of protein for 2 scoops. I put it in my coffee in the morning. I’ve put it in broth and cold vitamin water in the evening if I haven’t reached my protein goal. I started on soft foods on week 3 and I’m 25 days out from bypass.

Update- I had my revision from VSG to bypass on 2/7. As of today I’ve lost 33 pounds. I lost 13 prior to surgery so it is definitely coming off much slower this time. I seem to stall out for a couple of weeks at a time and then lose. This surgery was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I’m worried this is all I will lose. I have a torn meniscus in my knee and really need this weight off. Of course it is affecting me working out. Going for a gel shot for it today.

Had bypass on March 20th. Down 18lbs since surgery. On soft foods. Stall a lot. Good energy. Restless sleep. Blood sugar, blood pressure numbers are way down. Struggle a bit with keeping my fiber numbers on track but still having a daily bowel movement

Hi all. I had bypass on March 10th down 2.5 stone. Its stalls (on second stall) and goes again. Restriction much better, eating everything now. Energy great. Loving how my clothes fit now! Im wondering if not racing my protein/fluid intake have something to do with it??? But so happy

I had surgery April 27th (9 days ago) I am drinking 64 ozs of fluids a day and now up to 1 cup of broth once a day. I am struggling to reach my protein intake though. My question is should I be feeling full or anything when I drink water or the broth? I don't have any feelings of being full at all almost like my stomach is the same. I can drink a 10 Oz bottle of water in 20 mins and take normal drinks not sips. I am still in excruciating pain on my left side when I move sit up or walk. It feels like I'm being stabbed and someone is ripping through my stomach on that side is that normal?

Hi there - I had a gastric band for 16 years; i went from 280lbs to 91lbs (im very short!). I had it removed last year as it had slipped and im having a bypass in a few weeks. Why not try eating a meal / snack high in protein in the evening. It will make you feel fuller for a longer period of time. Good luck with it xx