justhere4theshow

I have suffered from severe depression and fibromyalgia for years. I have had several hospitalizations, and so many med changes I lost count. I even had electro-convulsive therapy. I had to give up my career and take my disability.That's a story all on its own. I opted for the sleeve, because my health had begun to fail me and I had to get the weight off. A lot of it is from medications I have taken over the years. Research your meds, and if any of them cause weight gain, you have to switch or you'll have a hard time losing. I ended up having severe bile reflux--my gallbladder was removed years before my WLS, so bile just backed up into my sleeve and into my esophagus. It was torture. I had to have a revision to bypass to cure the reflux. My psychiatrist had to change two of my meds because they were extended release and I need immediate release now. I have never felt better psychologically. My meds are working great, and the weight loss helps immensely. I still have to do the work in therapy, but for now I am doing surprisingly well. This is a decision that will always fall under great scrutiny; so many people know nothing about WLS and some of them believe in incorrect information. You will have to defend your decision often in the beginning. You are the one who has to live with it and make all the changes. You may just have to wait until you prove them wrong before they will accept it. Some people never will. They will maintain that you should have done it on your own. I make no apologies for my decision. It was right for me. All you can do is try to educate them as to why this is the choice you have made. If you truly believe it is best for you, then do it. Just make sure you are ready to change every aspect of your relationship with food if you have to. It is worth it. Even if you feel alone at first, trust in your decision and follow your instinct about it. Good luck to you. I hope you find your way to what is best for you.

My Mom decided to take our entire family on a cruise to the Bahamas for an early Christmas present, and I just had my sleeve to bypass conversion 10/26/16. The swimsuits were the biggest challenge. I had to take measurements and order online, then pray for delivery in time to still be the right size for the trip...great problem to have, but it's been nerve-wracking. I have caught sales for most of the other things I needed. I have three sizes of jeans in my closet, and I am finding that I now hate boot-cut jeans on my changing frame, so I have bought a lot of new jeans. Not great for my budget. But as I get smaller, cute jeans get easier to find in second-hand shops. I can't wait to get to goal and/or find my comfortable maintenance weight. Once I level off, I am getting new stuff without the guilt! Good luck to you, and let yourself have a splurge when you can. It's really nice to wear clothes that make you feel good about your journey. After all, we've earned it!

@@nique4life2002@gmail.com So glad you have been one of the lucky ones! I think it's strange how some of us just cannot get it controlled, but I imagine it depends on a lot of different factors. My sleeve was just uncooperative from the beginning. It never quite settled down for me. I'm glad I now have no reflux! (now I battle air bubbles, lol)

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch Potted meat is gross! Ingredients: Beef Tripe, Mechanically Separated chicken, Beef Hearts, Partially Defatted Cooked BeefFatty Tissue, Meat broth, Vinegar, Salt, Flavoring, Sugar, Sodium Nitrite. Friends don't let friends eat potted meat, LOL.

That's not meat...don't do it! At least look at the nutrition information first...I don't think it's good for anyone to eat it.

I had the sleeve first, then RNY five months later. That was a long five months. I woke up four to five nights a week choking on bile. Do NOT take the chance if you have ever had Gerd before. Two surgeries in five months sucked. I am so much happier with the RNY. Good luck to you!!

@@Aggiemae I meant no offense...I was trying to be funny but when I re-read it, I think I missed the mark. I respect your point of view. Hope you have a great evening.

@@Aggiemae my panties are pleasantly un-bunched, just in case mine are the panties to which you refer. Just offering a different perspective than yours.

I worded that wrong. Thanks for clarifying.

I am 47 years old and I am on Medicare because I am disabled. I worked for many years, and I worked hard. I earned every bit of my benefits; they are not entitlements. I worked in health care and encountered all types of people with all types of insurance coverage. To stereotype and judge people based on what type of insurance they have is pretty crappy. There will always be people who aren't necessarily the most gracious, but I have encountered some real a**holes with private insurance, too. I draw conclusions about people based on behavior. It's really none of anyone's business what kind of insurance other people have. Jerks are jerks. Kind people are rare. Life is harder for some than others.

I stayed until the next day and then went home. The sleeve did not work for me because of severe reflux. I also didn't lose much weight, but I think that may have been because I had a hard time eating right because the reflux was so bad. I had more pain with the bypass, and I don't know if it was because I had surgery only 5 months prior, or if it was just the complexity of the surgery. I feel a lot better now, and the only thing that still bothers me is fatigue. I am losing pretty well, so overall I am very pleased with the outcome so far. Let me know if I can answer anything else!

I can advance my diet today and I am so happy! I am very pleased with my restriction when I eat, rather than drinking everything. My pain is *almost* gone, but still have some soreness on the left side. I don't anticipate it lasting much longer. I hope all is well for all of you!

Not to beat a dead horse, but never push past "full". You can stretch your sleeve and make yourself miserable at the same time. You've gotten some good advice here, so all I really have to add is to wish you luck and I hope you are able to find what works for you.

I had the sleeve in May 2016, and my mild, occasional reflux became reflux from hell. I had a revision to bypass October 26. I am not sure if my experience is normal, but I have had a lot more difficulty healing from the revision than the sleeve. I am still very sore internally, and it seems like it is taking forever to heal this time. I can't help but wonder if I would have had a better experience had I gone with the bypass initially. Don't let this discourage you, but if you have ever had issues with reflux, do NOT have the sleeve. Best of luck to you!

Be sure your plan doesn't have a provision that states "Only when medically necessary". My plan shows weight loss surgery on the list of excluded services, but it has an exception for medical necessity. If your BMI is 40 or above, you should have no trouble claiming medical necessity. BMI of 35-40 also qualifies if you have a comorbidity like sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and a few others. It's worth looking into, just to be sure. Good luck to you!!

English Breakfast tea (decaffeinated)...Alex and Ani bangle bracelets, and waiting patiently for the day when I can see my collar bones again.

Don't take a chance like I did. I only made it five months with my sleeve and I just had conversion to RNY 10/26/16. I have never in my life been so miserable...I had constant backwashing of bile into my sleeve and into the bottom of my esophagus. My recovery from the RNY has been a little harder, but I have no reflux now and I am so relieved. Best wishes to you no matter which you choose. It's all worth it!

I just had my sleeve converted to RNY 10/26/16. I had to do it because of severe reflux. My reflux is gone and I am losing weight pretty well. I had slowed down a lot losing weight with the sleeve. The best advice I can give you is just be prepared for a little more pain after the RNY compared to the sleeve. My incisions are very sore, and any movement pulls them and makes them painful. It's temporary, so I am fine with it. I think my results are going to be so much better with the RNY. Just follow your doctor's plan for your recovery, and take it easy until you get healed up. Best wishes to you!

@@bearhugs1975 So sorry to hear that things are not going well for you. The conversion to bypass absolutely cured my reflux. I am glad you are taking some time to think about it. It's a difficult surgery. It is more complicated than the sleeve, and the recovery has been so different from my first surgery. The two incisions on the left side hurt! Just prepare yourself for a little bit harder recovery than before. It's definitely worth it, though. I still have a long way to go, but now I am free of the reflux, and the pain from the surgery is temporary. I wish you all the best. Keep us posted on how things go for you!

I will just tell you this: I felt so much better having no more reflux. THEN, I got sore. OMG the belly soreness is vicious with this surgery! DON'T overdo it! I felt good and went on a short shopping trip yesterday and it was a mistake. It set me back a bit. Be easy on yourself and let your belly heal. I am 6 days out and have lost 5 pounds. Might be Fluid, but I don't care, lol. Oh, and your abdomen may be swollen worse than last time. This surgery is just longer and more involved, so I have more swelling and bruising. I am so happy to have these problems, though. It means I had my surgery and I am on my way again! I wish y'all good luck and I hope you do well!

@@lectrashep I never thought I would do anything that hard again, but I had such extreme reflux. I couldn't get it scheduled fast enough. Yes, I had to start over, starting with the two week pre-op liquid diet, and now I am working on the three week post-op liquids. I was so sore this time, and I didn't really know how bad it was going to be compared to the sleeve. It was definitely harder. And the bloating...ugh, I look pregnant. I just need to be sure I get enough liquids and I am sure everything will go down. Hang in there! I know it's hard, but it is worth it!

I hope it's okay...I am only 2 days post-op, so I guess time will tell if it is going to work for me as far as the weight loss goes. I had only had my sleeve for five months and hadn't lost a good amount of weight yet. Hope I can get about 55 more pounds off.

My RNY feels very different from my sleeve. The sleeve was very restrictive, which is good, but it felt much more uncomfortable. I have good restriction with my pouch also, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable. I just feel satisfied--not stretched or stuffed. I am so glad to be rid of the reflux!

I am home from the hospital and sore as all hell! My nausea and burning reflux are gone! I got to have tomato soup and orange Crystal Light in the hospital and NO burning! I am not very hungry, and I do have a lot of abdominal pain, so I am taking it very easy and sipping my water. I hope you all are well!