Search the Community

I got RNY 04/2017. HW: 226, LW: 150, CW: 195 I did all of the right things until I had transfer addiction in 2019 and started drinking daily. It escalated and I was a full blown alcoholic. I have now been sober a year and I’m depressed. I’m almost back to my pre surgery weight, I’m working my butt off to lose the weight and it’s not coming off. I never feel well and my chest always hurts. I always have heartburn and I’m always hungry. I need help so I went to a new surgeon the other day about a potential revision and she wants me to see a nutritionist and get a endoscopy. I got my results from my upper GI testing today and there’s NOTHING wrong. I feel like everything is wrong and I’m not okay. I’m on antidepressants, I’m now sober, I’m exercising and eating properly but I’m still fat and I hate myself so much for it. I feel like the biggest failure at 30 years old and it makes me so sad. Has anyone else been able to lose regain?

My doctor let me start back weightlifting at 4 weeks. I had bypass. I had started about 12 weeks before surgery -- worked with a personal trainer -- and got right back into it. I KNOW my results would not have been as great as they've been if I wasn't working out with weights. If you can possibly do it, buy at least a few sessions with a trainer, talk about your goals and have them help you set up a program and teach you proper form.

Hi all! I have been considering getting a lap band for a while now. I couldn't before because of my insurance but it looks like my husband's new insurance *might* actually cover it... knock on wood. I went to a meeting a while back and the doctors were saying that, in order to succeed with a lap band, one must have a lot of self control and, if not, one should opt for the bypass instead. Personally, I could probably keep myself in check if I was single but I have 2 children and a husband that ALWAYS attempts to sabotage my weight loss attempts. I don't think it's conscious but he is not willing to get the lap band with me and I fear that if I get it he will only encourage me to push it to it's limits. I don't like the idea of rearranging my organs, (at all), but I don't want to get a lap band and then not be able to keep myself in check, with him taunting me along the way. Has anyone had a similar situation and, if so, what came of it and your weight loss decision? Please, no "no one can sabotage you, you can only sabotage yourself" kind of comments. I have heard them all and have learned one thing over the years: if it's in front of me, I will probably eat it, (and like it). Thank you, in advance, for your experience! Shannon

Ante que se me olvide, especialmente para las mujeres, el bypass requiere suplementario hiero. Lo que he leído es que ciertas formas de hiero son mas digestibles que otras. Dependiendo de la cirugia, el duodeno no puede ayudar con las absorción de hiero. Si estas consultando con una Nutricionista pregúntale sobre cuando es mejor tomarse las vitaminas. Ciertas combinaciones benefician la absorción, otras combinaciones son detrimental a la absorción. El hiero con vitamina C. El calcio citrato con la vitamina D y magnesio van juntos <<Calcium Citrate, Magnesium and Vitamin D3>>. Por favor disculpes mi español, ha sido décadas que no lo escribo. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirug%C3%ADa_bari%C3%A1trica

I had RNY gastric bypass not a sleeve but no pain once left hospital after 4 days. I think pain depends on incision and level of care. I was on an IV with pain killers post op so had no issues. Didn't need pain killers when home. I had laparoscopic surgery so incisions are tiny. It was the best decision for me to lose my excess weight. I'm 2 years post op and very happy and healthy. It is surgery so expect some discomfort and pain but honestly a couple of days of discomfort is nothing compared to the multitude of benefits from losing weight, getting healthy and gaining confidence.

I chose lap-band over bypass 1) because of the cost. Bypass is at least twice as much 2) My BMI was also 37, and my Dr. told me my age, along with a lower BMI, made me a better candidate for the lapband rather than the bypass. Plus, bypass and the sleeve just scared the hell out of me.

I selected the lapband because: 1) My husband had gastric bypass in August and has lost 95 lbs, BUT it took him a long time to recover - probably a good six weeks. There were times he was sooo sick. The idea of actually having your parts cut and rerouted just werent for me. 2) The cost of the gastric bypass for my hubby was around $35,000 which was covered by insurance. The cost of my lapband is around $14,000 which is NOT covered by insurance. 3) I do not have 6 - 8 weeks that I can miss for work. 1 - 2 weeks is about all I can take off due to workload. BTW, your BMI is not all that high which would be another reason I would select the lapband. Hope this helps!

My BMI was 38 when I started with my surgeon. He was willing to do either surgery on me, it was my choice. If I had been diabetic vs. pre-diabetic, this would not have been the case. But with my BMI and health history, he said either procedure would be fine for me. My reasons for choosing the lapband are listed below. There is a list of reasons to pick bypass and also lists of reasons to not choose either. You have to decide which list is more powerful. 1. Hubby did not support gastric bypass, was much more comfy with the idea of the band. 2. That rubbed off on me as well. The bypass re-routes your innards and totally scrambles things up. Lapband doesn't. 3. If food gets stuck, band can be unfilled and food passes. With bypass, they must go down the throat and remove it. 4. Should I become ill and need more nutrition, band can be unfilled. 5. Weight loss is slower at first than bypass. I think this lessens the questions from people about your weight loss. Slow and steady is the way I want it. 6. I am in control of my restriction, if there is too much, I ask for an unfill, too litte, I ask for a fill. With bypass, what you have is what you have. I did not do any research into the Sleeve procedure, thus cannot speak to that. Denise

Hello fellow Bypassers. This evening before my VFW Auxiliary Meeting I went to our local Rutter's Convenience Store and got the sugar free French vanilla cappachino. Figured it would be a win win for me since I am now on puréed and at that point I was hungry. I dumped for the first time today and it sucked! Hot flashes, red face, emergency running to bathroom diarrhea (sorry tmi!) and I even vomited! Did anyone else experience this with sugar free products before? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I will be an online buddy I am 67 and had bypass on 5/8/17 and am loosing well but have issues with vitamin and figuring out meals this early

I went to my first dietary consultation and was asked what kind of surgery I was interested in. I said adjustable band and was told not to get that because 30 to 50% of them had to come out, and that there was no hunger loss either; they hadn't done one in 3 years. That's not what the introductory class literature said; they had nothing but praise for it. I took the class 10 years ago and banding had been around for 8 years and they were pushing it as the next new thing. Now its the gastric sleeve. I was told that nutrient absorption was very high, better than gastric bypass and everyone was getting it, plus you would have no sensation of hunger. I would now need 60 grams of Protein and it pretty much has to be animal protein. Strange thing is I still feel like I am getting the pitch here. I saw the suggested diet and it was pretty severe. like one boiled egg and a half a English muffin for Breakfast. Anybody here been through this. How honest is the presentation I was given do you think? Man I am eating like a horse and still losing weight atm. Only been a few days since my first appointment so I have time to start this. I do wonder about the veracity of what I have been told though. ​

@@CowgirlJane I'm not the one that considers it simply restrictive...the medical community does. I was just pointing out the differences between the sleeve and the bypass, and by definition, the sleeve is just a restrictive surgery. But I also understand there is the ghrelin that gets removed which helps hunger. Believe me, it's turned into so much more for me other than a restrictive surgery.

Ha! One boiled egg and half an English muffin? The first 5 or 6 months, you can barely eat just the egg! Sleeve surgery is a RESTRICTIVE surgery alone (although you do get a little extra help with hunger from the ghrelin that is cut away) Bypass uses a combination of restriction and malabsorbtion. Although the bypass is the "gold standard" of weight loss surgeries, the Sleeve is becoming more popular because of the sheer safety of it and lack of side effects. As a rule, weight loss is slower at first with the sleeve as opposed to the bypass, but long term losses seem comparable. Both cause restriction where little food can be consumed in one sitting. With the bypass, Vitamins will need to be taken seriously for the rest of your life. Any surgery is just a tool. You'll still struggle with head hunger, and food choices should still be smart and nutritious. Forever. So choose the tool you feel will serve you the best for the long haul. Do your research to weigh the pros and cons of each. Good luck!

I had bypass in 1983. Long story short....I'm at 280 again... I am having bypass revision on Sept. 29. The best advise I can give you is this..the first time I had this done I thought it was a miracle. This time I understand that it is a tool. That IM responsible for doing what's right not the surgery. If you follow the "rules" and keep yourself on track...it will be the best thing you ever do for yourself..

Nope, no list. There probably more than 50 doing it now but a lot of them are newcomers with little experience. Many of them treat their sleeve patients exactly like their bypass patients too, which is annoying. :001_tt2:

I was also confused on what to do. I was 319 before I had my lap band. And I love my sweets. But I have a couple of friends who had Gastric Bypass done and I knew it was not for me. I dont know if that is the same thing you are looking into or not. But I know for me the band was the best choice. I am losing slowely now. But I have had no complications and feel better then ever. I just did not want to have to deal with all the side effects and complications that can come from the other surgery. But it is a very important decision. Good luck to you on what ever you choose.

i think most bariatric doctors, etc would recommend bypass to you simply because you arent going to lose as much weight with the sleeve. you will lose only a percentage of excess weight not matter what route you go, bypass will allow you to lose the most. i am not sure you are a candidate for any wls right now though. i know the hospital i was at will only operate on people 400 pounds and under, its simply too risky for most people at 450 pounds. but it might depend on your co-morbidities. if you are generally healthy, which at your age, you might be, they might agree to do it. have you gone to see a bariatric doctor yet? really this is all about how bad you want this. if you are ready to do whatever it takes to be normal weight, then you accept the risks... 'cause seriously, what is your quality of life right now? honestly? if you can be truly honest and really look at what your life is as a morbidly obese person, versus what it would be like if you weighed a third of what you do... well then the surgery doesnt seem so invasive anymore, yk? do some heavy duty soul searching and then you will have your answer. good luck.

Oh so much to talk about with this..... Sorry, but I'm going to ramble a bit. First off, there are risks and benefits to each of the three surgeries (as background I had a lap-band, miserable with it, prolapsed, lead to emergency removal, and now have a gastric bypass. I'm also a family practice physician assistant. I'm not a bariatric expert, but I've been around this a bit). On average, lap-band patients do not lose as much as the other 2 surgeries. That is why surgeons typically don't recommend lap-band above a certain weight. That said, I know people that have lost 200+ pounds with the lap-band. Average weight loss is just that, an average. For everyone that loses 10%, there's someone that loses 80% of their excess weight. It's impossible to predict where you'll fall in that spectrum. Some of it is how good your surgeon is, some of it is how dedicated you are to lifestyle change, some of it is sheer luck. As far as the band, I won't say don't do it. I will say research your butt off. Again, weight loss tends to not be as much as compared to the other 2 surgeries. I would like to add that, while the band is known for it's reversibility, that is not entirely an accurate statement. My personal story was that my band prolapsed, stomach herniated (and before i get jumped for being a bad band patient, I wasn't a bad band patient....sometime crap just happens). I had an emergency removal and was supposed to revise to gastric bypass, however, once the surgeon got in to remove the band I had so much swelling and inflammation that he was not able to do the revision. They removed my band, sewed me up, sent me home to heal for 6 months, then I had my revision. I know of at least 2 individuals in my area that had band removal and had so much damage that they could not revise to another surgery....while the band is removable, I don't really feel the term reversible is 100% accurate. Another point I'd like to share is 'invasive' truth be told, you're having major surgery. All 3 surgeries are invasive. The sleeve does not have the malabsorption issues or dumping associated with the RNY. However, they are essentially cutting off a large section of your stomach. The RNY does have malabsorption and possibly dumping (most people don't dump, I happen to be in the minority that dump easily, it's really not a huge deal if I watch what I eat). Yes they are making a small pouch in your stomach and bypassing and small portion of your intestine, you are getting some replumbing done with the RNY. That said, RNY is reversible (again, subject to scar tissue and such associated with previous surgeries) IF you need reversal. The vast majority of us will never consider reversal because we need this surgery to maintain a healthy weight.....(reversibility was not a factor in my choosing RNY). I know people that have been hugely successful with all 3 surgeries. I know people that have lost almost nothing with all 3 surgeries. I know people that have had bad complications, hospitalizations, ICU admissions with all 3 surgeries. None of them are magic. None of them work without a commitment from the patient. It is not something to step into lightly..... My advice, research, research, research. Find a surgeon that you trust and listen to what they say and what they suggest. Ultimately you have to make a decision that you are comfortable with and that you can commit to. But know that every day you spend morbidly obese is taking a toll on your body and your health. Most of us just cannot lose an maintain a healthy weight without surgery. Most of us have lost and gained a thousand times. There are some that regret the surgery but the vast majority of us wish we'd done it sooner. The RNY is right for me, I wish i'd done it in the first place. But I'm not you. I wish you the best of luck with the decision and applaud your choice to start considering surgery. If you ever have questions I'm happy to try to help. Best of luck with this decision and congrats on trying I take control of your health. It's a tough choice but at least you're considering it. That's a step in the right direction.

I think three months is too much too! I think they should realize that if you could have gotten it off without help then you would have already done it on your own. I don't know about y'all but my weight has been a struggle for me all my life. I don't have to weigh-in monthly....I am just waiting for insurance to decide if they are going to cover a lap band revision. I really think that sucks that some insurance companies make you wait HALF a YEAR! That's ridiculous!!

I'm also band to bypass and my surgeon also was pushing for me to do the sleeve but I insisted on the bypass and so far I'm very happy with my choice its been a little less than 3 and a 1/2 months and I'm down 64lbs HW 363lbs SD 4/16/13 CW 299lbs

Hello All! I was banded in '09 and was having issues as well as not losing and gaining even being tight. My Dr. want me to convert to either sleeve or bypass (sleeve being his preference I believe). Anyway it was my preference. I was scheduled for pre-op this week and band removal on the 6th of this month. Due to my B/P that's too high, He wants me to get a clearance from my personal Dr. I'm glad I took time to check out these posts while waiting for my appt. b/c I'm finding out that there are some folks that still have to have bypass after being sleeved. I regret that I chose the band over bypass anyway, so even though my Dr. said that I could still convert to bypass if the sleeve doesn't work out, Why not just go with the bypass. Anyone else feel this way? I need help with this b/c my weight is at 215 right now and my diabetes is climbing along w/ all of my other numbers.

Hello everyone I am new to this page I am 5 months in to my insurance approval process, and I just met with my surgeon here in Birmingham Alabama. Before i met with him i was looking at the Gastric bypass mainly for the reasons of negative reinforcement from dumping. Once i met with him he recommended the sleeve. I know in the end its up to me iI have done a ton of research lately and the sleeve and bypass seem to have the same weight loss percentage just a different amount of time. I also worry about weight gain after the fact i know it can happen with both. My Surgeon told me that a lot of the reason he recommends the sleeve is because of my job which is 75 to 80 percent of the time behind a desk. but the other i might be doing a lot of heavy lifting and walking with heavy loads. I am 6'3 420 currently and not sure which way to go I would love as much advice as i can get I am also putting this on the Gastric Sleeve board as i am confused as ever.

Gastric bypass causes your body to not absorb all of the calories in the food that is eaten. Your colon has like finger-like appendages called villi that grab food and hold it against the wall of the intestine until it can be absorbed. When a portion of the intestines is bypassed, then calories do not get absorbed. It takes the body about two years to grow enough new villi so that all of the calories in food can be absorbed again. Then an average of 20 pounds is gained during the third year after surgery. To stop the weight loss you have to eat less calories. The honeymoon is over and there is no more free ride. There is no pouch reset. Everything you eat will get absorbed now. Two years is where counting calories and following a diet is the only way to stop regain. Many people regain half of the lost weight by year five. Some regain all of it. Start fighting it now, it will not stop on its own.

Hello, I’m new to this site and also am on Day 3 of Liquid Diet. My surgeon limited me to 2.5 protein shakes per day and only water, crystal light, decaf tea, or any broth in between. So yes, I’m feeling miserable and so hungry I am even craving food I wasn’t too fond of before. I am having the gastric bypass surgery on June 27th. Thanks in advance for any support.

Hi guys and gals, I am new to this forum and have been inspired to go ahead and pursue the sleeve. I just finally made the decision last week and spoke to my PCP today about getting the bariactric surgery. My PCP promptly wrote out the referral to the surgeon and I go to the seminar tomorrow morning. Some things about me, I am currently at my highest weight ever of 352. I always thought that I was the "healthy fat girl", that is until I started having a hard time climbing my own stairs and walking through the parking lot to get to my car. That's when I knew that I had to do something to save me from myself. I have tried numerous attempts at weightloss, and unfortunately have dieted my way to my current weight. I have told a couple of people about my decision, a few are supportive, many are not. I have learned my lesson, and will confide only in those who are supportive of this process. I am so grateful that there is a forum that I can go to to receive additional support and information on VSG, it seems like everything out on the web is about the bypass or lap band procedures. Can you guys tell me some of your stories about the actual process and what I shoould prepare myself for mentally and physically on this journey. I am so ready to start this journey!!!!