MarinaGirl

Just my 2 cents: Why drink soda? It has no nutritional value, it is full of chemicals so who knows what it is really doing to your body/stomach/intestines, artificial sweeteners may impede your weight loss, and it is a waste of money to give to huge conglomerates that don’t care about consumers’ health. If you can break tour soda habit before or soon after surgery, I say don’t start up again.

Glad you finally have a diagnosis! Hope you heal and feel better soon! Did your surgeon prescribe a PPI (e.g. Prilosec, Protonix, Prevacid, Nexium) for post-op? Most do to prevent issues right after WLS. Our stomachs are used to creating acid for a normal/large-sized stomach so when they’re made smaller, excess acid is produced for a while until the body starts to make less for the new smaller stomach. So taking PPIs for the first 3-6 or 6-12 months is usually recommended.

Many centers/surgeons sell Bariatric-marketed products as a revenue stream for them, not because they’re better or necessary, but instead to make $$. IMO, don’t waste your money on new vitamins that are equivalent to the ones you already have. I got caught up in the madness and purchased chewable and dissolving vitamins prior to surgery, but then afterwards they made me nauseous or caused me to throw up because they contained Sugar Alcohols. Post-bypass, SAs no longer agree with me. You don’t need to worry about vitamins the first month post-op; instead, your #1 priority should be on getting more than 64 oz of fluids each day. Then after the first month you should be able to take vitamins in pill form, but preferably one at a time, not a big handful like what you may have done pre-wls. And the large pills may need to be cut in half. REMINDER: Iron, calcium, and thyroid medication need to all be taken separate from each other (2-4 hours apart) as they will impede absorption if taken together.

I’m very private too. I did not tell my boss anything other than I needed to take time off for surgery. He said fine and he did not ask me what kind of surgery I was having as that goes against company policy. I did not share any details with any of my colleagues either. Months before surgery I had started to adopt many of the post-WLS habits and started to lose weight, so no one commented on my smaller portions, drinking only water (and not with meals), et al, once I returned to the office. Thankfully, these behaviors and subsequent weight loss were not correlated to my surgery, which was a relief.

When slim, I’ve heard Diane Lane the most, or young Jessica Lange.

I am more than 14 months post-op. I do not dump, which happens to approx. 30% of gastric bypass (RNY or MGB) patients typically after consuming sugar. Nor do I experience Reactive Hypoglycemia (RH), which may show up 1+ years after gastric bypass; it is low blood sugar occurring 1-3 hours following a meal. Eating too fast or not chewing food properly and then getting the foamies and/or needing to vomit is not the same thing as dumping (aka rapid gastric emptying). Make sure you’re eating small, moist portions of protein and to eat slowly, and then these incidents should abate. Good luck.

Per the op report, my MGB surgeon bypassed 180 cm / 6 ft. I started out with a low BMI and am currently below goal weight, which is on the low end of the normal BMI range for my height. I look and feel great; debilitating joint pain & arthritis is MUCH improved and my energy level is awesome. I am also super dedicated to taking the right vitamins & minerals, and I get regular lab work (2x per year) to confirm doses and nutritional health.

I had this issue in the early days after bariatric surgery. Make sure you take care when you stand up; wait a little bit before moving so your body can correct its low blood pressure. My doctor also recommended regular Gatorade,, not the sugar-free G2 version, as it has better hydration properties. But the main tip is to get in more than 64 oz of fluids a day - this is your #1 job after surgery and is more important than food. Good luck!

My surgeon said not to lift more than 10 lbs for 6 weeks post-gastric bypass. And time off work for me was 2 weeks but I have a desk job and was able to work remotely week 3. You may need to take 4 weeks off due to the physicality of your job.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Have you had an EGD endoscopy to see if you’re experiencing bile reflux, which is a complication risk of MGB and could result in unintended weight loss? Your weight is still in the normal BMI range. Do you not feel well, are your labs suboptimal, or is it just you don’t like how you look? I had an MGB in April 2017 and am on the low side of the normal BMI range for my height. I’m not as concerned as you with my lower weight because my arthritis and debilitating joint pain is MUCH improved, I feel great (energy-wise), and my lab work is all normal. HOWEVER, over the last 6 months I have developed bile reflux and now suffer from stomach pain and nausea, as well as Barrett’s esophagus. Due to this, I will be revising to an RNY this summer to correct the bile reflux issue.

Poops are fine for me. I had a little constipation and diarrhea the first month post-op, but then it resolved.

What does your surgeon’s plan say? Seems a little early to eat sashimi but YMMV.

McDonald’s

I think getting an EGD endoscopy prior to surgery is a great requirement. It gives your surgeon data on your GI tract prior to cutting, which can help her/him decide on the right procedure for you, finalize their surgical approach, and identify any issues that need to be addressed prior to surgery to mitigate risks & complications. I’ve had many EGDs pre and post gastric bypass. They’re done with twilight sedation and aren’t a big deal, really.

Too much acid production can also make you feel hungry. Your body may still be making the amount of acid for your old-sized stomach, which is too much now. Are you taking any PPIs (e.g. Prilosec)? If not, you may want to start taking some (after discussing it with your surgeon). Good luck.

I had an MGB in Tijuana with low BMI and am now below goal weight. Yeah! But I recently developed bile reflux, which is quite serious, so I will be revising to an RNY next month. If I had to do it all over again, I would go to Dr. Esquerra at Mexicali Bariatric Center for an RNY. I encourage you to contact him for a consult to hear what he recommends for you post-ESG. Even if you chose another MX surgeon, it is helpful to talk to 2-3 to ensure you make the right choice of procedure for you and your situation. Please remember that WLS is just a tool. It is a great way to reset your metabolic rate but all of the surgeries can be eaten around, leading to regain. You need to get your head on straight for long term success; you may find therapy a useful tool to help you address your emotional eating tendencies. Good luck.

Dr. Esquerra at Mexicali Bariatric Center

Also some people do better with different temperatures, meaning hot, cold or tepid. Experiment to see which one(s) you tolerate best. E.g. I had a hard time with ice cold beverages and smoothies right after surgery whereas my friend could only stand things that temperature. YMMV

Another thought is you may be advancing your diet too quickly and/or consuming too much at one time. Go back a phase and eat & drink tiny amounts very slowly. You are still very early out from surgery and need to be gentle with your tender digestive system. Just make sure to get in at least 64 oz of fluids/water per day. This is more important than food. You do not want to get dehydrated. Good luck.

These are the vitamins I buy from Costco: 1. One A Day Women’s 50+ Healthy Advantage multi vitamin - I buy this one because it does not contain iron, which is important because most/all multis contain calcium. TIP: if you take iron and calcium together you will NOT absorb much of or any of either mineral; therefore, it is best to take them separately for proper supplementation. I take 2 pills a day - 1 at lunch and 1 at dinner. 2. Citracal Maximum Calcium Supplement - contains calcium citrate, which is THE recommended calcium to take post-WLS, and D3. 3. Kirkland C Chewable 4. Kirkland B12 sublingual - this is the preferred way to take B12 after gastric bypass as pill form will not be absorbed adequately. I also take Proferrin heme iron, which I buy from www.proferrin.com. Heme iron has the least side effects and absorbs better than other types of iron, which is worth the extra cost imo. Make sure you’re getting complete labs/blood tests at least once a year to monitor vitamin deficiencies and to see if you need to make any changes to your current vitamins & doses. Also track trends from year to year, so if values start going down you can make changes before getting too low. It is harder to build up from abnormal levels than to tweak small downward changes. This is one of the most important things to do post-op, for a LIFETIME, as bariatric surgery changes your plumbing so increases nutritional risks, which could lead to serious health problems if not addressed in a timely manner. Lastly, one size does not fit all. Our vitamin requirements are not all the same. The only way to determine/confirm your regimen is through labwork and medical guidance.

Sorry you’ve experienced dumping, especially right after surgery. Were you educated (pre-op) on dumping, which impacts 30% of RNY patients? You may need to stay away from sugar for a longtime, more than 1-2 years, if not forever. Does your surgeon’s post-op plan allow milkshakes 2 weeks after gastric bypass or did you just give into temptation? If the latter, you need to set yourself up for success by staying away from fast food places and removing trigger foods from your pantry and fridge. And if you didn’t receive clear nutritional guidance then you should contact your bariatric center for specifics on what you can eat when, post-RNY. Good luck! I was off work (desk job) for 2 weeks after Mini Gastric Bypass. I will be having revision surgery soon (RNY) and my surgeon said I should expect to be off work for 2-3 weeks. How long were you told?

Hopefully in July. The final hurdle is getting approval on the hospital stay from my insurance as this will be done out-of-state (by a revision WLS expert).

Cesare Peraglie, MD, FACS, FASCRS 40124 Highway 27, Suite 203 Davenport, FL 33837 His surgical focus is: Mini Gastric Bypass

Your statement that MGB is “essentially a sleeve and reconnect” is wrong. In VSG, the stomach is permanently altered; approx. 80% is cut away and removed from the body. This does not happen with MGB. It is like the RNY in that a pouch is created and the old section of the stomach is still there. Therefore, MGB is considered reversible, unlike the VSG. MGB also does not result in new diagnoses of acid reflux, unlike the VSG. MGB surgery is quicker and technically easier, so it carries a lower complication rate compared to traditional RNY gastric bypass. Again, MGB doesn’t have an increase risk of ACID reflux, but it does have an increase risk of BILE reflux. These are not the same. My acid reflux was resolved after MGB, which has been verified with multiple EGD endoscopies and Bravo pH testing. But 6 months ago I developed bile reflux; new issue and symptoms that I’m working with medical specialists to correct.

My insurance would not pay for WLS due to low BMI (35), so I decided to go to Mexico for surgery (self-pay). My surgeon in TJ did not recommend VSG because of my longtime history with GERD/acid reflux. Instead, he suggested One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (aka MGB), which is a type of gastric bypass that is popular outside of USA (i.e. in Mexico, Latin America, Asia, India, Europe). I didn’t expect to get the MGB side effect (low incidence) of bile reflux so did not insist on an RNY instead of an MGB. The good news is that my insurance will pay for revision from MGB to RNY, which is a huge relief. In retrospect, I wish I had the RNY instead of the MGB. If I had to do it all over again, I would go to Mexicali Bariatric Center, which has some of the best WLS surgeons in Mexico, for a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Note that in spite of my issues with bile reflux, I’ve lost 100 lbs from my highest weight and am currently below goal weight. And I do not have any issues with bowel movements.