windfaerie

I have severe reflux. My gastro doctor recommended me to a surgeon to help with the reflux as I was taking a ton of medications that were not working and had gained 68 pounds in about 6 months. EDG and upper GI showed hernia and reflux.

I saw 2 reflux surgeons who both said I needed surgery to take care of the reflux plus bariatric surgery because my BMI is too high for success on getting rid of GERD.

I did not go in for weight loss to begin with. But the pain is constant and bad so I will do anything to get rid of it. Add to that the eating just to stop the burning and you can see what lays ahead as far as health.

I have erosion on the esophagus which must be stopped and can no longer tell the difference between hunger and reflux pain. I wake up in the morning with heartburn and it goes on all day.

I do not have high blood pressure or diabetes. I did find out in December that I have hypothyroidism. The weight gain and swelling in my neck from thyroid has caused sleep apnea.

I was thinking about having the gastric sleeve and wanted to ask about it when I saw my surgeon but after he ran all the tests was when he told me in order to fix this I needed bariatric surgery. He said because of the severity of the reflux I had to have a gastric bypass.

He did not seem to think a medical diet would be effective or that I would lose weight quickly enough to stop complications from the GERD. Especially with having Thyroid disease which slow metabolism and hinders weight loss and taking all the reflux meds which slow digestion and cause you to obsorb more calories.

I expressed concerns about vitamin deficiencies and such. He just said he was more worried about esophageal cancer and a hole in my esophagus.

I had a temper fit for a couple of days because I could not choose which procedure and then realized it was the right thing to do for my health.