Johnny2Thumbs

You may have issues getting insurance to pay for things like a tummy tuck or skin removal on your arms and legs unless it's causing serious medical issues but you'd probably have more success having them pay for a panniculectomy. That's what I've discovered as I'm going through the process now.

I'm almost 3 years out and haven't thrown up once in all that time, including right after surgery. I had the foamies twice because I ate a little too fast but walking around helps and if it's protein, then papaya enzyme may help too. Keep in mind that most people tend to post horror stories rather than success stories so it's easy to get psyched out. I had the same fears you are going through now but it was the best decision I've ever made. I'm now in the process of getting excess skin removed. Don't let others psyche you out....

Anyone else discover a massive, insatiable sweet tooth after surgery? I'm almost 2 years out and unfortunately I'm not one of those who dump. I never had this bad of a sugar craving before surgery and now it's become one of my biggest struggles.

I was Type 2 diabetic, had high blood pressure and high cholesterol and was on medication for each of those for years. The day of my surgery, I was taken off all meds and haven't been on them since. It's been almost 2 years now and my A1C tests have all been normal. I went though many different emotions throughout this journey but I can honestly say it was the best decision I ever made. I'm so much healthier and happier now and I'm sure you will be too.

I was also on a 4 week post-op liquid plan and it sucked. I went though all sorts of massive cravings as my body was detoxing from all that junk I used to eat. I'd actually walk through grocery stores looking at, smelling and planning on which foods I was going to eat once I got off the liquid phase. In retrospect, most of that was head hunger. Your hunger and feelings for certain food will eventually fade. The foods I used to absolutely love really don't have any appeal to me anymore.

I've never been able to NOT drink while eating, although I limit it. Depending on what food I eat, my mouth gets incredibly dry and difficult to swallow unless I have some liquid to help. But as far as drinking before eating, my doctor said I can drink right up until eating and that it takes only a couple of minutes for that liquid to drain from my pouch.

I once had a piece of beef jerky stuck and it sucked so I know how you feel. If you ever get meat stuck, you can try some papaya enzymes. They will help break down the protein quickly. Whatever you do, don't drink water thinking you'll flush it down, that just makes it worse.

Is this OP for real? If so, his mother clearly has mental issues and zero maternal instincts. You should be ecstatic she doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. Nobody needs someone that toxic in their lives.

Just a little over 6 months since my surgery and I'm down 125lbs and there have been several weeks that I've stalled and weight loss didn't resume for 2-3 weeks. In fact, throughout the second month after surgery I actually gained 10lbs when I started eating solids. While I certainly haven't reverted back to my old eating habits, I admit I don't follow the strict protein to carb to fat ratio. I just simply don't eat as much. Dumping isn't a problem as I don't get that despite indulging in limited sugar now and then. But I've read that only around 30% of bariatric patients actually experience it anyways. I can eat pretty much anything but I haven't even tried bread or pasta and don't intend to. I've had limited rice with no problems. As long as I chew thoroughly, I've had no problems with food getting stuck. However, I find I have to be very careful with beef jerky. It was the tough kind and I didn't chew it enough and it did get stuck and made me quite nauseous. It lasted several hours but I actually felt it pass through the pouch and the gurgling noises started and I immediately felt better. Papaya enzyme tablets help with the breakdown of any proteins, like meat, that may get stuck. Energy levels have risen greatly and I'm off my Type II diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol meds. I've had to adjust my CPAP settings down and I've actually slept without the CPAP without any resulting grogginess or depleted energy. I can probably go off it at anytime but I'd like to have another sleep study before I stop. Lunchables are a perfect meal size for me and I'll eat those quite frequently as well as the Ore Ida egg cups that have some pouches and you just add the eggs and microwave them. Oddly, I only have a BM every 3-4 days. I could go on but just wanted to post this as encouragement for others out there. When I first had my surgery I was filled with regret as I was going through all the junk food withdrawals. I don't regret it for a second now....and you won't either.

Unfortunately I don't get dumping so I wouldn't know about the sugar substitutes. Sugar alcohols leave a bad taste in my mouth so I stay away from those. If I eat too much sugar I'll kind of feel icky but it's not the typical dumping symptoms. I found a great sugar free chocolate substitute that doesn't have sugar alcohols either and it really tastes good. It's ChocZero's Keto Bark and can be found on Amazon. Good alternative, especially since my appetite may have gone away, my sweet tooth apparently has not.

I'm about 3.5 months out from surgery and experienced my first case of the "foamies" last night. It wasn't pleasant to say the least. I'm sure it was either eating too much or a piece of meat that got stuck. Last night's episode lasted about 3 hours. I've only had a similar feeling twice before when I've eaten too much and walking around for a few minutes would usually be enough to jiggle the contents of my pouch out into the intestines. Walking did nothing to help last night and laying down was worse. I sat in front of the toilet waiting for it to come up but then I started to hear the digestive juices in my stomach and all the sudden I felt better. I got lucky. Word to the wise....chew carefully and be aware of the amount of food intake. Lesson learned!

Welcome to the joy of post RNY life. I know the feeling. When I do have a BM, it's so hard I'm left feeling like Richard Simmons in a prison shower. I hope you find some relief.

I stalled after week 4 for the entire month. In fact, I even gained 10 lbs. Eventually, the weight loss started back up again and I'm losing a pretty steady pace of around 5lbs a week. Losing weight really comes down to calories in, calories out. People try to make it more complicated than it has to be. The amount of weight you loose at first also has a lot to do with how overweight you were to begin with. I was 375lbs, so I had quite a bit to loose and my initial weight loss would be much more than someone who only had to loose 50-100lbs. Don't get discouraged. You're very likely eating more than you should, even if you don't recognize that. Your body may still be going through an adjustment period. If you're eating fewer calories than your BMR, you will lose. Also, be happy with a slower, progressive weight loss vs. a rapid weight loss. You may find that your skin has more time to recover and won't be so loose.

The more horror stories I read here, the more I'm beginning to regret getting RNY a couple of weeks ago. All I seem to read is how people throw up constantly, start dumping and have a myriad of health complications. I'm just hoping that that vast majority of people who live happy and healthy lives after RNY just aren't posting as much. I've been very fortunate to not have had any complications so far. I'm still on the liquid stage but I really have not had problems downing liquids all day (as long as I remember to bring them with me). I'm praying that when I can start eating food, they go down without a fight. Does vomiting feel the same with gastric bypass as it did prior? I hate throwing up!

I'm 3 months post op and I don't experience dumping. From what I understand, less than 30% of RNY patients actually get it. I guess there's good and bad either way. If I have too much sugar, I do feel slightly crappy but nothing like you described. Fortunately, sugar just doesn't have the appeal to me anymore. It's so strange how some people get it and others don't. I hope the symptoms get better for you.

Thanks Frust8 but that photo isn't of me. It's of another poster. I'm doing quite well now actually. I'm 3 months post op and have had zero complications. I'm down 80+ pounds and 10 inches off my waist! That first month was tough, to say the least. The cravings for all the junk food I used to eat were really weighing me down. Today I have no desire to resume my old eating habits. I've discovered I don't experience dumping syndrome nor have I had any issues with food getting stuck. I can eat just about anything I want although I stay away from breads, rice or pasta. Some foods sit rather heavy and I feel full a long time (like meatballs) and other foods I can eat much more than the 4-7oz my pouch supposedly holds. My biggest challenge now is to find foods that I look forward to eating. My diet is still kind of bland and boring. I've never been one to cook so I'm learning different recipes. I've read so many posts where people would say they don't regret the surgery at all and they're right. Sometime it's hard to see the forest through the trees I guess.

I'm only a couple months out but I know how you feel. When I first got the surgery I told everyone I was getting my gallbladder removed and needed to be on a special diet. I'm at the point now I could care less what people think. I tell them I had gastric bypass and it rid me of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. I've actually received a lot of encouragement. As for hiding it when you're out eating. I think everyone is different. I experience no dumping at all, even when I eat sweets (which I don't really do anymore). The taste of sugar just doesn't appeal to me much now. Neither does fast food. They'll likely notice when you only eat a couple of bites and are full. I also get a to-go box when I place my order. And whatever you do, don't overeat. I made that mistake twice when I was out at a restaurant and was so incredibly close to vomiting at my table. Walking around helped almost immediately. Embrace the new you and don't worry about what others think. You're getting this surgery for you and not them. If your friends can't support you, they probably aren't friends worth having. Good luck!

I'm almost 6 weeks out and just recently was released to pureed & soft foods. My doctor had me on liquids for 4 straight weeks. That was brutal. I completely understand your feelings because my biggest fear throughout all this is vomiting and getting food stuck. I didn't want to eat at first and was overly cautious. I'm discovering now that as long as I take very small bites and chew thoroughly I'm fine and actually enjoy eating. I ate a little too much refried beans one day and that made be a little nauseous but that's about it. I know eating certain amounts of proteins vs carbs vs fats is important, but I don't get hung up on the numbers. I know I'm not eating like I used to and the weight is coming off quickly and I feel good.

I certainly can't speak for everyone, but I followed the pre-op diet pretty loosely. If I had the willpower to stick to liquids for two weeks prior to this surgery, I wouldn't have needed the surgery to begin with. I cut out soda and a lot of sugars and still managed to lose around 20 lbs. Just don't make a habit of eating big meals out and you should be just fine.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the feedback. I'll try to look at the positive side. I have to admit, I do like the weight loss. I'm down almost 50 lbs since my heaviest. It's a great feeling. I know the cravings have a lot to do with my negativity but those are starting to go away a bit. A year from now I know I'll have a totally different outlook.

@dathvick - That's great news. Very encouraging. Thanks for responding! You look great by the way.

I'm almost exactly one week post op for the RNY. With this being my first ever surgery, I was a nervous wreck but I'm glad to say it went well. I don't know what was worse, the magnesium citrate I had to down the day before surgery or trying to get in and out of bed a few hours after surgery. The doctors and nursing staff at Bay Area Hospital were so incredibly nice and supportive. I haven't needed any pain meds after my release from the hospital and I just had my follow up doctor's appointment this morning and he told me he was surprised to hear that. The doctor remarked that I looked like someone who didn't even go through surgery! I feel great. The one thing I understood would happen but never anticipated the impact, are cravings. While this surgery might take away the hunger, it does nothing for the cravings. I do hope those pass eventually. They sometimes lead me to regret getting the RNY over the sleeve because I realize what I have to give up and the fear of getting something stuck or dumping. But then I look at myself in the mirror after a shower and I know, with certainty, that I made the right decision. Biggest challenge now is just getting the protein and water in. It's not that I can't do it because I'm full, it's just that I have to remember to keep drinking no matter what other activities I'm doing. I'm already off my diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol meds and all my vitals are still great. I'm so happy about that. I want to sincerely thank those who have posted to this forum in the past because your posts gave me the motivation to move forward with this surgery.

Hang in there! You can really do this! If you're anything like me, you might be starting to wonder if you've made the right decision. Might be a little nervous, especially after reading about dumping and food getting stuck. It's a challenge but I'm one week out and can honestly say I literally feel better each and every day. Best of luck to you!