catwoman7

I wish I dumped. Unfortunately, I'm one of the lucky ones - or UNLUCKY ones, depending on your perspective. Sure would make me think twice about downing a bowl of ice cream...

in response to what someone said above, most people lose their hunger for several months with bypass, too. I'm currently taking a graduate-level nutrition course on weight loss and obesity, and ghrelin level was extremely low on RNY patients at one year out in a fairly large research study. both sleeve and RNY are good surgeries, and both have their pros and cons. There are some conditions that make one surgery more appropriate for you than the other, but if you don't have those conditions (which from what you said, it doesn't sound like you do), it really comes down to personal preference. lots of people who've had WLS - both RNY and sleeve folks - take antidepressants. Shouldn't be a problem. With some medications they need to adjust your dosage or put you on a different med, but there are workarounds for almost everything.

yes that seems normal to me. Once I got to around the year mark my weight loss slowed down to a crawl. We're talking maybe two lbs a month. But I kept at it and it eventually came off... also, stalls late in the game seem to be more frequent and last longer. So many times I said "well, this must be it...", and then I'd end up dropping a couple more pounds.

the value even more critical is ferritin. That's the amount of stored iron in your body. When that gets too low, they usually recommend an infusion.

swelling will go away. as far as weight, most of us "gain" a few lbs while at the hospital (some people have reported "gaining" up to 10 lbs!). It's because you're pumped up with IV fluids while you're there, which is essentially salt water, which some people retain. It takes a few days for it to work its way out of your system. I don't think I weighed myself until about the second week, because I was afraid I'd see a higher number on my scale then when I entered the hospital and freak out about it, even though in my mind I knew what was going on..

I took three weeks off, but could have gone back after two. I felt fine at that point, just tired in the afternoons.

I have "big pouch days" and "small pouch days". Like Tek said, my pouch is the boss. Unfortunately, I seem to have more "big pouch days" than small. It's a constant battle...

if adding more iron supplements doesn't work (and they don't for everyone), they may suggest an infusion. That'll do the trick if nothing else does.

btw - in the long run, it was worth the pain and discomfort. I have a normal-looking body again, and my clothes fit better. I'm very happy with the results!

the surgeon who did my body surgeries will not keep patients under anesthesia for more than six hours. He starts getting tired, and some surgeons (including him) consider it dangerous for patients to be under anesthesia for longer than that. I was OK with that - I didn't want anyone operating on me if they were really tired! My lower body lift took four hours. He did the breast and arm procedures during the second surgery. That took close to six hours, I think. The face/neck lift was an afterthought - I originally wasn't going to do it. I had that done a couple of years after my body surgeries and by a different surgeon - one who specializes in faces. That one didn't take as long - maybe three hours?? the lower body lift was the worst pain-wise. It was really painful for about a week, and after that it was mostly just discomfort, but that went on for quite awhile - it's been a few years now so I don't remember how long- - maybe a month or two? I couldn't stand up straight for a couple of weeks because it was too painful. I used a walker for the first week or two. Again, after that it was mostly just discomfort. yes they were to remove loose skin. They also did liposuction and tightened my abdominal muscles, which were all stretched out (I think that's why that particular surgery is so painful - it's the muscle tightening).

I don't think it matters if you lose it quickly or slowly. If there's a difference, it's probably negligible, because stretched out skin is stretched out skin. It might not get that stretched out if someone is 20 lbs overweight, but at 100 lbs or more, a lot of the skin just isn't going to bounce back. I wouldn't try to intentionally slow down my weight loss. You want to lose as much as you can during the first 12-18 months, when you're in the "honeymoon" period, because it gets a lot harder after that. Of course, follow your clinic's plan and don't starve yourself, either. You want to stay healthy. the cost depends on how much you have done, and again where and by whom. I had a face/neck lift, but I don't think most people do. But then, I'm also in my 60s, which was another factor in choosing to get one. Lower body lift or tummy tuck (tummy tuck is just the front part - lower body lift is both front and back) is the most common surgery people get- so if you just get that, it'd be a lot less than $60,000. Quotes I was getting for my lower body lift (which as I said is usually more than the tummy tuck since they do both front and back) were $16,000-$21,000. But I also had mine done in Chicago, so I was playing Chicago prices. And I chose well-known surgeons for my consults. But that surgery was also five years ago - so I'm not sure what people are paying these days. But at least that gives you an idea.

unfortunately, yes. I had my surgeries (three of them) over the last four years. The first one I had three years after my WLS, so that would have been in 2018. I was told by people on this site (BariatricPal) and/or a similar one to expect to pay about $8000-$10,000 per procedure. with a lower body lift counting as two procedures since they do both front and back. I had three consultations in the US, and those estimates were pretty accurate. I had a fourth estimate by a plastic surgeon in Mexico, and his estimate was about half that, if I remember correctly (however, I decided to stay in the US) although keep in mind that it really depends on where you have it done, and the experience & reputation of the surgeon. You're probably going to pay more in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles than you will in Knoxville, Tennessee. Also, a surgeon who's nationally known and has 20 years of experience is probably going to be more costly than someone with only a couple years of experience under their belt. Other procedures I had were breast lift, arm lift, and face/neck lift. Those all fell into that range too (each of those are considered one procedure). Face/neck lift was a little cheaper, I think - but not much. I think it was $7000. insurance usually doesn't cover it, but if you have some medical issues due to the loose skin - like a chronic rash that doesn't clear up with more conventional treatments, then it *might* cover it. Or at least some of it. If you do have such issues, go see your doctor about it so its documented. Then if you decide to pursue plastic surgery and think part or all of it should be covered because of medical issues caused by the skin, you'll have documentation of the problem - because the insurance company will want to see that before approving it.

I forgot that you asked about exercise. I was allowed (in fact, ENCOURAGED) to start walking right away. At one month out, I was cleared to do everything except for weights. I was cleared for weights at about eight weeks out, I think.

there's nothing you can take to prevent it. How much you have and how much elasticity it still has depends on age and genetics, as summerseeker said, as well as how much weight you lose. If you're talking 100+ lbs, you will probably have loose skin. Seriously stretched skin is damaged skin and isn't going to bounce back. I lost over 200 lbs so I had a ton of it. It was easy to hide in clothes so no one knew it was there, but I eventually had it removed because *I* knew it was there, and it was driving me crazy...

a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain after hitting your lowest weight is EXTREMELY common. It's just your body settling in to its new set point. That gain is not inevitable, but it seems to happen to the vast majority of us during year 2/3. if you don't like it, you can always eat less and lose it, but if your body wants to weigh around 148 lbs, then it'll be a lifelong struggle to keep it at 125. Is it worth the struggle? That's a question only you can answer. For some yes, for others, no. I finally gave up the ghost. It just wasn't worth it to me, and I'm at a healthy weight, so...??? I am also 5'6". Our normal BMI weight range goes up to 154 lbs, so at 148 lbs, you're within the normal range. You're fine where you are. Your surgeon will almost certainly agree with that.

I wouldn't do that. Stick to your clinic's food plan.

it IS more painful and takes longer to recover from than WLS. And every time I had one (I had three plastic surgeries altogether), i said I'd never do it again, but then, a year later - I was back on the table doing it again! It was worth it to me in the long run since i now have a normal-looking body, but yes - those are definitely tougher surgeries than WLS.

not much you can do about the hair loss. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. And not everyone loses hair - I lost some, but very little. I noticed more strands of hair than usual during months 5-8, but just looking at my hair in the mirror, I couldn't tell - so neither could anyone else. Most people do lose some, but usually, you're the only one who notices. If you're one of the folks who loses a noticeable amount (and it's more like shedding - not big clumps), a shorter style will make it look less noticeable. dying hair - I can't remember if there are any issues with that (I do dye my hair, but I'm several years post-op) but I don't think there are walking - re: sticks - up to you. I didn't have any vaccines - you can get those any time, before or after. It's pretty late in the season for flu shots (although that doesn't mean you can't get one). Tetanus is every 10 years, so if it's been 10 years, I'd get one. puree - I just used a regular blender, but a hand blender would work, too.

^^ that's what I was thinking - might still be the effects of the anesthesia

if you're sticking to your food plan and not losing weight for a few weeks (generally 1-3 weeks), then it's just a routine stall. If you're frequently going off your food plan, though, then you need to get back on track. I looked at it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose a massive amount of weight, and I didn't want to blow it!! I know it's hard - but I was determined to do whatever it took to get rid of that weight once and for all!!

P.S. weight loss does slow down a lot the further out you get from surgery. After i hit the year mark, my weight loss slowed down to a crawl - some months I'd lose like a whopping 2 lbs. But I kept at it, and it did eventually come off. The issue is, the smaller you get, the fewer calories your body needs to function. If at your previous weight your body required say, 3000 kcal/day to function, and you were only eating 1000, you're going to lose weight fairly quickly. But if at a lesser weight it only takes 1600 to maintain that weight and you're eating 1000, you're still going to lose weight, but it's going to come off slower.

to gain 4.6 lbs in a week, you would have had to have eaten 16,100 extra calories - that is, calories above and beyond what your body needs. So unless you've eaten that many extra calories this week, then the "gain" is likely due to water retention or very full intestines. In either case, it should be gone in a couple of days. and yes - you do have to monitor your food intake for life, unfortunately. I gradually put on 10 lbs over the course of a year because I wasn't monitoring myself as closely as I usually do. Working on taking that off now (have lost 7 lbs of it it so far - YAY!). This is a lifelong battle.

check with the insurance company or your employer. It looks like they generally do not cover bariatric surgery, but there might be some exceptions. With some insurance companies, employers have the option to purchase "riders" for various services that aren't covered by the basic policy. If this is true in this situation, it could be that your company may have purchased the bariatric surgery rider, but there's no way of knowing that unless you check with them (your employer) or the insurance company. If the company doesn't offer an optional rider to the employers, then it could be that they just don't cover bariatric surgery except in specific situations. If that's the case, only the insurance company can answer that question for you.

Taking vitamins for life is required for bypass patients (as well as many sleeve patients - although the consequences are worse for bypass patients if they slack off on taking vitamins). And yes, the fact you don't feel well could very well be due to vitamin deficiency.

P.S. just wanted to add that I didn't intend AT ALL to offend you. I see from what you wrote that you know what dumping is. I just mentioned that because a lot of people on here think that every time they vomit, it's "dumping". That's not dumping. What you described above are some of the actual symptoms of dumping. But again, the most critical thing at this point is the dehydration - and some of the symptoms you mentioned - like dizziness and feeling unwell - can also be from dehydration. That can land you back in the hospital if it goes on too long. I'm glad you're seeing your surgeon tomorrow.