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After a forum from yesterday. The worry I had about getting GERD is a lot stronger. The thought of it happening to me scares me. When I do do acid reflux (which is not often ) it does make me sick. This is a out of pocket surgery for me. My insurance doesn't cover wls. So I can't afford this surgery and then have to pay to get bypass if I get GERD. My mood now is so different. I was so happy I made the decision to get the surgery. And after yesterday today I'm scared and sad. I need positive thoughts ❤️

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Educate yourself...talk to the Doctor, don't take everything on here as gospel. People have personal stories to tell that you may not know the entire picture of their situation which may explain some of the issues that they have and you may or may not have.

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7 minutes ago, Tony B - NJ said:

Educate yourself...talk to the Doctor, don't take everything on here as gospel. People have personal stories to tell that you may not know the entire picture of their situation which may explain some of the issues that they have and you may or may not have.

YESSSSSS 1000%!!! These sites are great for so many reasons, but they are personal to each person. They are not doctors, they are not surgeons.

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Is there a reason you do not want to do bypass in lieu of sleeve? I started down the sleeve route and switched to bypass due to the whole GERD/hiatal hernia issue (I already suffered and did not want it to continue or get worse).

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Only you can decide if the risks are worth the payoff. It is especially acute when you are self pay, which I understand because I also was self pay. I'm also afraid of GERD, but the risk for me is worth the payoff. But, I have many weight related issues and knew the surgery was key for me making a major change. I needed to in order to literally save my life and make it past 60. I also wasn't comfortable with bypass, so I am taking a calculated risk. I know that GERD is a serious risk, but will deal with that if it comes.

I'll be honest - if I were your BMI I am not sure what my choice would have been but this choice is so individual it is hard to give good advice. I would definitely have a frank and honest conversation with your surgical team regarding potential risks vs. payoff. If you still are nervous, then I wouldn't do it. Maybe give yourself time to process things, and reassess in a few months. This surgery really requires that you are mentally ready for it, so if you aren't, don't do it.

Good luck!

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Can't you get RNY or MGB then?

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I was given the option of Sleeve vs Bypass but chose bypass because I didn't want the risk of revision if GERD and also wanted a surgery that had better statistics to back up given my history of PCOS.

So have you considered of Bypass? I think out of pocket means it may little more expensive for you to get bypass but do give it a thought and do your research to ease your nerves.

Also like others mentioned, you shouldn't get intimidated by certain some a experiences. If some have had not so great experience, there are also others out here who have found success and turned a new leaf in their lives. Every experience is different and not everyone is going to describe their detailed medical history here.

So best option for you is to speak to your surgical team and see what they have to say about your dilemma.

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1 hour ago, Robz said:

After a forum from yesterday. The worry I had about getting GERD is a lot stronger. The thought of it happening to me scares me. When I do do acid reflux (which is not often ) it does make me sick. This is a out of pocket surgery for me. My insurance doesn't cover wls. So I can't afford this surgery and then have to pay to get bypass if I get GERD. My mood now is so different. I was so happy I made the decision to get the surgery. And after yesterday today I'm scared and sad. I need positive thoughts ❤️

Read this article! It helped me.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579881/

It goes into depth about rates of GERD post gastric sleeve. In many cases, it actually reduces GERD. It is rare that GERD develops if you don't already have it. And the rate of GERD after 3 years is very low. Lower than your risk by just being an obese person. I read those horror stories and then did some looking into the actual research. This is a metanalysis of many studies, not just one study. The one quoted recently in the forums has a sample size of 16 people.

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29 minutes ago, Flab-U-Less Forever said:

Is there a reason you do not want to do bypass in lieu of sleeve? I started down the sleeve route and switched to bypass due to the whole GERD/hiatal hernia issue (I already suffered and did not want it to continue or get worse).

I'm not big enough for bypass. I have health reasons to get the wls now. But my bmi is only 36

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43 minutes ago, Tony B - NJ said:

Educate yourself...talk to the Doctor, don't take everything on here as gospel. People have personal stories to tell that you may not know the entire picture of their situation which may explain some of the issues that they have and you may or may not have.

I am. I guess I came to this forum to put to rest the fear of GERD but it's only elevated it. My coworker had it done in January and is doing great. She had GERD and was on 2 pills a day for it. Now she down to 1. I was ok until I read people saying it can happen year or more after surgery. The only people I know that has had the surgery has been with in this last year.

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5 minutes ago, tristynftw said:

Thanks for sharing. Meta-analysis is the best kinda literature and trumps any single study.

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6 minutes ago, Robz said:

I'm not big enough for bypass. I have health reasons to get the wls now. But my bmi is only 36

My BMI was 35 and the surgeon said he recommended sleeve for me and felt that bypass was overkill for me but said he would still do it if I was really adamant in getting it. Maybe if you explain your concerns your feelings would too.

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1 hour ago, Robz said:

This is a out of pocket surgery for me. My insurance doesn't cover wls. So I can't afford this surgery and then have to pay to get bypass if I get GERD.

MGB, man. Give it a look.

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I was really worried about GERD, but there are medication absorption issues with bypass that made me a bad candidate for that. I am six months out and have had zero issues with GERD. Before surgery I would have GERD if I overate. of course, now it's hard to overeat, but even when I feel uncomfortably full, I still don't get GERD.

You might decide to wait on surgery, but if you have other health conditions, you might be at risk. Just keep in mind that surgery may not fix co-morbidities, even if the surgeon says it will.

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1 hour ago, Robz said:

I'm not big enough for bypass. I have health reasons to get the wls now. But my bmi is only 36

Mine was 35 and I got RNY. Who says you aren't big enough? If this is self pay, you can certainly get RNY.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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