geronimo

It is costly, but it will well be worth it. And, think about how much money you'll be saving, especially this first year. You might wind up breaking even, or at least making a huge dent in the cost of the procedure.

I'm not afraid of dying in surgery; instead, I'm afraid of something going wrong with the surgery and leaving me with some sort of lifelong disability or major problem that will never go away.

The surgery isn't until the 25th, so right now going through the pre-op diet. Very excited about it, wishing the 25th was already here, and just a tad bit nervous too.

I'm in the same boat and have been wondering the same thing. As a guy, I'm curious as to how women will react if they see a slender guy with clothes, and then however much sagging skin without clothes.

They would probably start off with an endoscopy, so they can check your esophageal lining for things such as Barrett's, which would be a sign of Gerd. If they see anything of concern, then they would run pH monitoring and manometry. I was all set to have the Sleeve, but during all of my initial tests it was discovered I had Barrett's, had the rest of the tests to find I have bad acid reflux, so we switched my operation to the Bypass. Sleeve is known to cause an increase in Gerd for people who already have it, and it can cause Gerd in people who haven't had it before.

Be sure they run tests for possible Gerd. It would be a bummer if you revise to a sleeve only to have you revise again down the road to RNY.

I haven't had my surgery yet, but from people I've talked to and from everything I've read, "buyer's remorse" in the first month post-op is very common. Try to keep your focus on all the reasons you made the decision for WLS in the first place, and keep thinking about being much thinner, the clothes you'll be able to wear, and the things you'll be able to do. In fact, use some of your time to start writing down a list of everything you want to do that you weren't able to do before. Skydiving? Scuba Diving? Taking flying lessons? Sit in a tight theater and not rub elbows and arms with the people flanking you? Jogging up a flight of stairs without getting winded? Bending over to tie your shoes without sucking in your gut and holding your breath? Keep focusing on the positives, and stay strong - you'll get through this period, and it'll only get better!

In terms of exercise, I was told that for the first 6 weeks no heavy lifting 15lbs or higher, but I could do as much cardio as I wanted - walking, jogging, running - as long as it didn't cause pain.

My surgeon requires a 2-week pre-op diet of essentially Stage 1 of the Atkins diet, with the big stresser being keeping carbs below 20g/day. Then, 1 day before the surgery, clear liquids only. Then nothing 8 hours before surgery. Also, the day before surgery, at around noon, drink a full bottle of liquid Magnesium Citrate, followed immediately by 8oz Water, to help clean the system out. If it doesn't work by 6pm, then drink a second bottle (and water). 1 week before surgery hold all NSAIDs, hold Fish Oil, hold alcohol, prioritize sleep.

First, nothing to feel bad about. Slips happen. Roll with it, learn from it, and move on to the next day. The worst thing you can do is beat yourself up over it. Guilt is a useless emotion. Second, you may want to double-check with your NUT about the pre-op diet. My surgeon & NUT stressed the biggest factor by far in shrinking the liver is keeping carbs below 20g/day (and essentially Stage 1 of the Atkins diet). As such, they are having me mix my protein shakes with Water instead of any sort of milk due to lack of carbs. And then, once I'm post-op, I'll start mixing protein shakes with 1% lactose free milk or unsweetened soy milk. But, all surgeon's/NUT's diets are different, so your mileage may vary.

I'm starting my pre-op diet today, and it's not a liquid diet. My surgeon said the one important factor in shrinking the liver is carbs, and keeping the carbs below 20g/day. She has essentially put me on Stage 1 of the Atkin's Diet. But, that said, as hard as it might be, you should follow your surgeon's diet. There may be a particular reason it was given.

I found an app called Bariatric Timer that allows you to set timers to remind you when to eat and when to start/stop drinking. I saw that one too. I wish it also kept a timer for the Vitamins that have to be taken 4 times per day.

Howdy - I too am on the 25th. Starting pre-op tomorrow. Look forward to hearing everyone's progression, and am hoping everyone has a smooth transition.

I'll hop in here and represent the 20%. I'm pre-op, start my pre-op diet tomorrow, and surgery is in two weeks - 8/25. A little nervous, a lot excited! Look forward to chatting with you all through our processes!

(Just noticed I posted this in the Men's Room - can someone please move it to the General forum?) Early last year I began researching WLS and decided I wanted the sleeve. I've been set on the sleeve ever since, but in going through the pre-op investigative tests earlier this year, it was discovered that I have very bad acid reflux and Barrett's, so both the bariatric surgeon and thoracic surgeon agreed I wasn't a candidate for the sleeve, and that the bypass was my only option. I really felt deflated at hearing the news, and since then have been on the fence about getting the surgery and struggling with the decision. To me, the bypass seems much more invasive, with more risks, complications, and more unknowns, such as how nutritional malabsorption will play a role in my life down the road - 5 years, 10 years, 30 years - with brain function, osteoporosis, etc. Ulcers in my pouch. Not being able to use NSAIDs (my mother had bypass surgery and now has bad arthritis, and all she can take for it is Tylenol, which doesn't help her - and I expect I'll too have arthritis as I get older. I already take daily aspirin for blood pressure, and advil is the only pain reliever that seems to work with my headaches.). And while I am all for heavily cutting down on food portions and whatnot, the potential to never be able to eat some foods again feels a little... disturbing? And things like dumping - I don't feel I need that mechanism as part of my WLS tool, but that I'm now being forced into it. It just seems like being changed from sleeve to bypass has added an additional level of worries and possible issues to how I had initially envisioned my WLS journey. I'm also going through feelings of guilt, like I'm cheating. I've done all the diets and a couple weight loss programs (haven't we all?), and I was successful in the sense that I've dropped from 310lbs to 205lbs, and then later from 280lbs to 200lbs. I've yo-yo'ed quite a bit, but I feel like when I work hard (and torture myself ) I can slowly get it done. Of course, it doesn't take much, just a slip or two, before the weight starts creeping back on. But the thing is, I've done it before. It's like when I quit smoking many years ago - it took me two years to finally quit, I had a lot of failures and slides, but one day it finally clicked and worked. Can't the same be true of just trying to eat healthier and exercise? And isn't that what I'll be doing anyway once I get the surgery? I don't know, I'd love to get the surgery and just move on with my life in a much healthier fashion, but part of me feels like I would be failing myself. I'm really struggling here - the closer I get the more I'm fearful of the bypass over the sleeve, and the more I'm having second thoughts. Anyone else go through this, or ever feel like this? Would appreciate any and all thoughts.

Just wanted to thank everyone again for your thoughts. I'm all set, surgery is in 2 weeks from today, and pre-op diet begins tomorrow!

Just got out of my pre pre-op meeting with the staff (2 week pre-op diet begins tomorrow). I asked each of them individually, and the consensus was that most people feel no hunger for the first 6-9 months, and then it subtly comes back, but is a different feeling from the old 24/7 Hunger that we've all come to hate. They said it's a rarity for people to feel hunger after the surgery.

I have to say, this topic kind of concerns me. I've always thought to myself that if I could find something - surgery, pills, anything - that could remove my hunger, I'd be able to lose the weight and keep it off. And so that's one of the biggest reasons for me getting this surgery is because I was lead to believe I would no longer feel hunger after surgery. So hearing that people are still feeling hunger after surgery isn't good. How common is this? Is this with one particular type of surgery? Is this after some amount of time?

Great thread! Thinking about what can be done when thinner helps to get the mind off any lingering second thoughts. For me, in no particular order: - Being able to wear size L form fitting shirts again, especially t-shirts - Being able to tuck my shirt in, but even more, actually being able to buy stylish clothes and have different outfits (instead of finding the one shirt that somehow is large enough to fit me and then buying multiple copies of the same shirt in different colors) - Being able to wear a suit and not need suspenders to hold my pants up - Sitting in any seat and not bumping elbows and arms with the people flanking me, or not having my butt squeezed together by extremely small seats - Skydiving - Helicopter flying lessons - Learn how to snowboard

I can't recommend the unflavored version, but the peanut butter, cappuccino, and the latte flavors all taste good to me.

Thank you everyone for your responses! They all have been extremely helpful, and it's nice, while I've got all of these thoughts zinging around in my head, to hear everyone's rational insights and thoughts. So thank you! My parents have been extremely supportive of me in this process, and in talking with them today they pointed out a few examples that parallel my thoughts, such as the example that people recovering from heroin addiction have to take something like Methadone to get through the process, and most say they wish they could kick the habit without the need of the additional drugs. Which, reminded me that when I quit smoking, I had to use a number of tools, like the Nicotine patch, to get me through it. I simply could not have kicked my smoking habit without the use of the patch. So, while stomach surgery isn't quite on the same level as taking a pill or applying a patch, they all are tools to help achieve the wanted end result. Anyway, I'm back to a much better mindset about it all, and just wanted to say thanks to you all.

Christmas 2013 I went home and took care of my dad while he had quadruple bypass and valve replacement surgery. After the surgery, with all the tubes running in and out of him, only a machine keeping his heart pumping, he looked so frail, so deathly, and it scared the heck out of me. When I was younger, I was always very active and very fit - high school wrestler, soccer, martial arts, etc., etc. Activity level remained high until age 30 when I moved out to Seattle in 1998 to take a computer job. I decided to use the move and change of locale to quit smoking (had been trying for the previous two years, but the move allowed me to break all old habits and I was successful at it). Unfortunately, I swapped addictions, and began binge eating. I blew out to over 300 pounds, and I've spent the past 15 years as morbidly obese. I have paid $10k+ for multiple weight loss programs, and have spent $1k/month for years on personal trainers, and multiple times I was successful, going from ~300lbs to ~200lbs. I just kept thinking to myself, just as everyone else kept telling me, Keep eating healthy and exercising and it'll eventually come off. But whether it came off or not, it never stayed off. The funny thing is I still keep thinking of myself as fit, as I was back in high school. A bit of denial, and it was always a huge shock when I saw myself in a photograph (which I rarely allowed) because I was so bloated, with slits for eyes and puffy face, extended stomach beyond my chest, etc. So, I'd do more dieting, and it'd work for awhile. But with the scare of my dad's surgery, I decided to finally go in for a health check-up (which I had been avoiding), and my blood pressure and cholesterol were through the roof. My doctor was alarmed because he thought I was very high risk for stroke or heart attack. He immediately put me on two blood pressure meds and a cholesterol med. He also sent me for a sleep study because I complained of insomnia, and there it turns out again that my numbers were very off, I had extreme sleep apnia, an additional risk for stroke (so am now on a CPAP machine). There are other issues I face, other meds I take, and based upon my family history of blood pressure, cholesterol, heart, stroke, etc., problems, it finally scared me into researching WLS and starting the process. I haven't had the procedure yet, am 4-6 weeks out (waiting for insurance company final approval), but I'll be getting the Bypass (through pre-op investigative tests it was discovered I have terrible acid reflux and Barrett's, on the cusp of dysplasia - so, yet another reason to get WLS).

Thanks for your thoughts, dhrguru - I just completed the 6 month supervised diet, and am now just waiting on the final OK from the insurance company and a surgery date. The need for bypass over the sleeve wasn't solidified until just a couple months ago, so yeah, I guess I am still trying to wrap my head around a whole new surgery, doing the research on it (and trying to separate old/bad data from new good data).