catwoman7

yes - you should be able to eat it again. Maybe not for the first few weeks or months, though - that kind of stuff can be hard on healing stomachs. But at some point, yes.

What he said ^^^

if you're going to lose it, you're going to lose it - there's really nothing that will stop it. But keeping on top of your protein and vitamins will probably keep it from getting any worse than it is. The good news is, it's temporary. It'll all grow back. And with most people, you're the only one who will notice it.

they're both good surgeries and I've seen plenty of examples of very successful patients with both kinds of surgeries. Your commitment to your program is going to make a *much* bigger difference than which surgery you have. Sleeve patients often lose more slowly, but at the two-year mark, the results are about the same. one of the biggest reasons for having bypass over sleeve is GERD. The sleeve can often (but not always...) make that worse, whereas a bypass can often (but not always...) cure it. If GERD isn't a problem for you, then either surgery would be a good choice.

it depends on your program. Mine was more of a balanced one, so they would have been fine with that. Some are ultra-low-carb. It also depends on how carb-sensitive you are. I'm not very - but some people are *really* sensitive to carbs.

100% whey protein isolate tends to be really expensive regardless of the manufacturer. I like Unjury, and I also like Syntrax Nectar products, which are also pricey. Protein blends are cheaper, but we were told to stick with 100% whey isolate the first few weeks or months because it's the most easily absorbed type of protein, and early on you're getting most of your protein from shakes. Later on you can switch to blends or dump the shakes altogether. So yes - they're expensive, but also, you're eating a lot less food, so it's kind of a wash. And you won't be drinking shakes forever, either...

I didn't speed it up - it was fairly slow-going all the way. The thing is, after the first six months or so, it's pretty much slow-going for everyone, so after that point, we were all pretty much in the same boat. I just stuck to the plan, that's all. It came off slowly but surely. I almost never went off my plan - I suspect I was more compliant than a lot of others in my group, so I had great success with it (losing 100% of my excess weight). And yes - I did have two or three major stalls along the way (some people have more than that). My first one lasted two weeks (it was weeks 2 & 3 post-surgery. My weight loss started up again week 4 post-surgery - I dropped like 6-8 lbs within a couple of days, then the "slowly but surely" thing started up again). I don't remember how long the other stalls lasted - maybe 2-4 weeks? I remember thinking during those times that this was it, I wasn't going to lose anymore, but then....it would start up again. I did work out (still do), but I'm not a gym rat. I mostly went to water aerobics a couple times a week and yoga a couple times a week. A lot of it was weighing & measuring my food, tracking, weighing myself several times a week, and not going off plan. I was determined to lose as much as humanly possible!!

I've had some big ones as well. If stuff isn't moving through your system fast enough, it could definitely accumulate.

my starting weight was 373 lbs and yes, I was a slow loser. I was behind my cohort for at least the first six months (although I think I ultimately blew all of them out of the water - I was *very* compliant and lost 100% of my excess weight)

yes I do think that's a big part of the misunderstanding. A lot of people's exposure to WLS is "My 600 lb Life". Yes - those people drop 30 lbs the first few months, but they also start out at 600 lbs (and over). A more average WLS patient who starts out at something like 250 lbs? I'm sure there are some who drop that much that first month, but they would be outliers. From what I can tell having hung out on these boards for a few years is that something in the 15-25 lb range that first month is more standard. And maybe 10-12 lbs a month after that (and of course, the further out you go, the more that declines). I lost nowhere near 30 lbs the first month (I lost 16 lbs, in fact), and I started at well over 300 lbs. I like the fact that "My 600 lb Life" has made a lot of people aware of the WLS option, but because those people are far from the "normal" WLS patient (in fact, most surgeons would never operate on anyone that heavy), it gives people a skewed perception and unrealistic expectations.

from what I understand, they have to do a complete takedown of the bypass and THEN do the DS, so it's a pretty complicated operation.

no - the big drops you see are usually in the first 2-4 weeks. Then many of us hit our first stall. After that the weight loss resumes, but not nearly as fast. Slow but steady. Just stick to your plan and it'll come off, though... Compliance is key.

I don't think I've ever heard of a bypass to sleeve revision. I do hear of the other way around (sleeve to bypass), but that's usually because of problems with GERD. And yes - I've heard of bypass to DS, but like the poster above said, it's a very complicated surgery that very few surgeons are trained/qualified to do.

No, I did not. I wanted to make sure everything would be A-OK for surgery.

I only had problems swallowing one of my pills - and after a couple of weeks, I could swallow that one as well.

you lost it faster than I did. #1 rule with this - do NOT compare yourself to others. Rate of weight loss can vary tremendously depending on a number of factors - age, gender, starting weight, genetics, metabolism rate, whether or not you lost a lot of weight pre-surgery, etc. Stick to your plan and the weight will come off.

I'm sure they want to see an OVERALL loss. I doubt they care about month-to-month fluctuations. But if you want to be 100% sure, call them. And the above poster is right - you wouldn't be disqualified unless you dropped below a 35 BMI (and even that can vary - some companies only go by the BMI you had at the very beginning of your journey).

constipation is a chronic problem for a lot of us - I'm guessing the big BMs are related to this. Experiment with some different treatments and combos of treatments and see what works for you just to keep on top of it. I'm currently taking Miralax (a capful in my morning protein shake) and magnesium capsules every day. Others have used Smooth Move tea, stool softeners, fiber supplements, prunes. Some have to occasionally use glycerin suppositories or Milk of Magnesia (I use the latter for a night or two if I get backed up - it works pretty well for me). Also, I would not use a fiber supplement if I was already backed up - it could make things worse. But if you're not backed up, then fiber can keep things moving.

you won't feel full until you start eating dense protein, so don't chase the full feeling - you won't get it for awhile. Also, with being hungry - sometimes acid will cause that. Are you on some kind of acid med, like a PPI?

I think they asked me the morning of surgery if I wanted something for anxiety, but I said no because I wasn't really feeling all that anxious.

she's crazy. 1) very few bypass patients have terrible side effects 2) almost all surgeons do the sleeve. It's currently the most popular form of WLS. I'd switch PCPs!

I don't know what to make about the vomiting blood (but I would demand some answers!), but with the pain stuff, since they had to give you Narcan, I would assume they discovered you have a bad reaction to opiates. That may be way they're being careful about giving you things for the pain, too. Sorry to hear this - what an awful experience! I hope they figure it out soon!!

a lot of us go through that "what have I done" stage right after surgery. It'll pass pretty quickly. As for failing, if you stick to your program, you won't fail.

lots of us take Miralax. Some people take magnesium pills or drink Smooth Move tea. Just experiment with different treatments and combos of treatments and see what works for you. Just keep on top of it. You can get badly backed up fast!

I started out *way* bigger than you. I have it, but it's very easy to hide. No one knows it's there except for me, my husband, and my doctor. You're starting out much lighter than I did, so you most l likely won't have as much as I do. Of course, *you'll* see it and it might bother you, but other people probably won't. So having plastic surgery will most likely be a choice rather than a necessity (well, that's true in my case, too..)