SleeveToBypass2023

Hi everyone!!! I just got cleared (due to a lot of sleeve complications) to have my revision to bypass. I have GERD, gastritis, esophagitis and a TON of polyps I've had to have removed (a surgery every month since January, last one was yesterday) because of the high PPI I've had to take long term due to the GERD. A little nervous about complications, stricture, food getting stuck, etc... How has it been for all of you that had revisions?

Anyway, the point is, it's surgery day and I'm trying not to get sick at the last minute and HERE WE ARE with the temperature at a high of 46 when we've been in the low to mid 80s the last 4 days!!!!! Colorado sucks. Went to the ER Wednesday night for insane abdominal pain and vomiting. 5 hours, lots of blood work, and a CT scan later, and there's no appendicitis, no intestinal blockage, no bowel blocks, and no sleeve leaks or rupture. What I DO have is a very large uterine fibroid that the doctor thinks might be causing the pain. Incidentally, I also saw from my blood work is my liver is enlarged and my kidneys and pancreas don't look to be functioning completely normally. Yay. This afternoon I have the surgery to remove the nodules from my duodenum. Wish me luck!!! Hopefully it's the last one and then I can be cleared for my revision from sleeve to bypass and then get back to living my life. In the meantime, guess I'll be looking into what can be done about the rest of this crap. So tired of there always being SOMETHING going on with my body.

I just got off the phone with my surgeon. I'm in A LOT of pain. My stomach and my upper back. Sharp stabbing pains, aching, unable to tolerate any kind of food or warn liquids. So I'm on cold liquids all today and tomorrow, then Monday I can try mushy foods. He said this is normal because he was more aggressive with this surgery. Normally he takes out 6-8 polyps. This time he took out 14 so I didn't have to come back again. He also said I bled a bit and he had to use hemostatic clips for 2 larger polyps that were removed, and also because he removed more this time, everything is more sensitive and inflamed. So I'm miserable, in a lot of pain, have a hard time with moving or laying or sitting because it all hurts. This is way worse that when I had the sleeve. I can't wait for this to be over.

Surgery went well. Had a bit of bleeding but the rest of the polyps and nodules are gone and I'm FINALLY cleared for my revision surgery. It was the biggest of all the surgeries because he wanted to get everything in this 1 surgery instead of bringing me back again. My throat hurts and I'm having difficulty eating soup because it hurts my stomach. Once that passes, I'll be able to eat normally. No exercising today or tomorrow, and Sunday is an easy work out day. Spoke to my primary doctor and she went over the labs and CT scan and said she's referring me to a gyno for the uterine fibroid. She said the other labs are only slightly outside the normal range and nothing to worry about at this point but will be watched. She said the large liver is normal for people who were morbidly obese. She said it's enlarged but actually looks like it's getting smaller from what it was before my sleeve. So all of that is ok and will just be watched to make sure all the numbers keep heading in the right direction.

High today of 46 with rain and high tomorrow of 50. Then we jump back up to the 70s for a few days. THIS is why so many people get sick out here. The weather is stupid.

Try doing exercises in a chair, or floor exercises. Your body need to work out. Also, try lowering your barbs. 75 seems high. My nutritionist said to do 50 or less per day. Protein should be between 60-90 per day. Too much isn't good for you. Water intake sounds good. As far as the calories, I was told to stay around 1000-1100 if I'm not working out, and 1200-1300 if I am. Too many and you'll gain weight. Too few and your body will think it's starving and hold on to everything. You also want as little sugar as possible. So maybe try lowering how much you're consuming. Use monkfruit sweetener, watch the sugar in fruits. Also, try adding weights to any exercise routine you try to have. Even if all you can do is go for walks twice per day. Add wrist and ankle weights when you walk. Do light arm exercises while you walk. Adding little things can make a HUGE difference.

I get it every once in a while. You just have to remember to get up slowly. Don't just jump up and you'll be fine. It's more common the first 3 or so months after surgery. After that, it either resolves itself or you get it sporadically (like me) and you just remember to go slowly. Never had any fainting or anything. Just very light headed and have to close my eyes for a few seconds until it resolves.

I never had any restriction, never dumped, never lost hunger. So while those are nice tools to have, don't rely on them to keep you on track. You have to retrain your brain and stomach on how to eat, when to eat, and what to eat. As well as when to NOT eat. Just because you CAN eat something, or a certain amount of something, doesn't mean you SHOULD eat it. For example, I CAN eat a burger patty, 1/4 cup of broccoli, and 2 hotdogs in 1 sitting (no buns). What I ACTUALLY eat is a burger patty and 1/2 a cup of broccoli. I'm comfortable but not stuffed, and it's healthier. You don't want to eat until you're completely stuffed. You want to eat until you're comfortable and no longer hungry. And you want to add in veggies whenever possible, and make sure your protein amounts are where they should be (protein makes you feel full longer).

I had pancreatitis back in 97 when I was pregnant with my son. Turns out my gallbladder was about to burst from so many gall stones. Was admitted to the hospital, put on IV antibiotics and pain meds for 3 days, had my gallbladder removed, went home 2 days later (spiked a fever after the surgery and had to stay until it was gone for 24 hours). I would definitely look into seeing if you need your gallbladder removed.

Things have been super annoying lately. I had surgeries for all the polyps in my stomach in Jan, Feb, and March. Thought I was done, then the doctor looked down through my duodenum and found nodules all through it, so now I have a surgery on the 14th of this month to remove them. Hopefully he can get them all, if not, then I'll have 1 last one in May. THEN I will be cleared for revision surgery in either June or July. On the plus side, my A1c is now 5.3, which takes me out of even being pre-diabetes and is now officially normal. My blood pressure stays around 110/70ish. I'm in size 18 clothes now (from size 28), size 7 ring (from size 10), have a lot of annoying loose skin (the only real skin that bothers me is the loose skin on my neck/chin). I'm back to being able to do my normal work outs again. All in all, I'm doing well. Just want these surgeries to be finished so I can have the revision, recover, and get back to living my life normally. There will be new adjustments with the bypass (my main fears are strictures and malabsorption) but I'll get the hang of it like I did with the sleeve. Just ready for everything to finally be finished.

Thanks so much, everyone!! I'm just keeping my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed that I can get to the end of all this, get my revision, and go about living my life again. Every time I come out of a surgery, the surgeon tells me he found more stuff to remove. Last time I told him "No more looking around in there. Just get in, remove what's there, and get out" He laughed. I was serious. As expected, my weight loss has kind of stopped due to the weird dietary issues and not being able to do the kind of work outs my body is used to. But I'm not gaining, so I'm ok with it. I know in my heart that I'll lose the rest of my weight after my revision. Can't wait to finally feel better and get back to normal. And still, even with all this, I don't regret my sleeve. I hate that I had complications, but I know I never would have gotten to where I am now weight and health wise if I hadn't had the surgery.

I'm curious, too. How is everything now?

I lost 30 pounds my first month. Some just lose faster than others. I'm 11 months out, and I promise you it will slow down. Enjoy it now while you have it lol

I don't drink coffee, but I get iced matcha lemonade. My absolute FAVORITE. I also get iced matcha tea latte, iced green tea lemonade, and iced strawberry acai lemonade.

The first month I lost 30 pounds. Then I hit a stall. Now at 11 months out, I lose around 8-10 pounds per month. But I have more shape and definition in my body, a lot of excess skin, I'm way healthier and stronger, and as long as I don't gain, I'm happy. I've had some complications and I need to have a revision to the bypass, so I assume I'll lose the rest of my weight then. I just do what I can now. But it's normal to hit stalls and slow down losing weight.

1 Factor meal usually feeds me for lunch and dinner. So a 1 week box really goes far. I work full time, I'm in college full time, and I have a lot of medical crap going on due to complications from my sleeve. In and out of surgeries before I can be cleared for my revision. So for me and what I have going on right now, the Factor 75 meals are perfect.

Yes, you are definitely working yourself up lol If you know it's the right thing for you, don't psych yourself out. I am one of the very unlucky ones that has to have a revision. I never had gerd or reflux before my surgery, so I chose the sleeve. I have LOVED my sleeve. Unfortunately, it caused horrible gerd that also caused gastritis and esophagitis, so I was put on 80mg of Nexium. I've been on it for 7 months now, and it caused polyps all through my stomach. I've had 2 surgeries to remove them, and now nodules all through my duodenum, which also have to be removed. Once they are, I'll be cleared to have my revision to bypass. I'm told that should take care of the gerd, which will allow me to get off the Nexium, which will stop the formation of polyps and nodules. I still don't regret my sleeve. I've lost over 110 pounds, gotten off all 3 of my diabetes meds, gotten off my blood pressure med, my mobility is way way better, I work out 5 days per week, all my labs have come back normal repeatedly, I can honestly say it's still the best thing I've ever done, even with the complications.

Is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? No. And even if you do lose it, you said yourself you have a lack of willpower. You would need to make solid, permanent dietary and lifestyle changes. Can you do that, and maintain it, on your own? And if so, why haven't you done it before now? I've lost weight several times, but I wasn't able to keep it off. Are you thinking about surgery because you have health concerns? Do you have comorbidities? Or is it just because you want to lose weight and drop a size or 2? Will you follow the bariatric diet to the letter and make all of the lifestyle changes that will be required? The surgery is a tool. And it's absolutely not easy at all to change your mindset, your relationship with food, and your eating habits. You have to go into it ready and willing to do everything required to improve your health and life. Surgery or not, you have to be ready for that. Can you say that you are?

Of course!! Any time. And since I work full time, I'm in school, I sell Arbonne, I work out 5 days per week, and I'm dealing with some crazy health issues, having Factor 75 meals that I can just pop in the microwave anytime is a huge help. They come already cooked. Nothing to prep and cook. Just heat in the microwave and call it good. LOVE it. If you only want dinners, I'd go with the 3 meal box because you'll get 6 meals out of it. If you want breakfast and dinner, go for the 6 meal box and choose 3 of each. You'll get 6 breakfasts and 6 dinners out of it.

No, I did not have gerd or reflux before the surgery. That's why I chose the sleeve. Less risks, no issues with extended release meds, no risks of stricture or dumping. Seemed like the right choice. Now...I wish I had done the bypass instead.

I've used Factor 75 and it's been awesome. They have keto, paleo, low calorie, "regular", etc... And you choose all your meals and you can choose how many meals you get each week. They make things so much easier. 1 meal (which I would have completely laughed at before my surgery) actually lasts for 2 meals. So getting the 3 or 4 meal box (cheaper options) lasts a full week. If I get the 6 meal box and choose 3 dinners and 3 breakfasts, that lasts me all week. I do a homemade protein shake for lunch everyday, so it works out well (I do the keto Arbonne shakes and add things like triple seeds, avocado, fruit, mct oil, almond milk, almond butter, etc to them). I've loved it. And I can eat what I want on my schedule.

I had the sleeve and got REALLY bad gerd. It caused gastritis and esophagitis, so I was put on really high PPI for a long time, which caused pre-cancerous polyps and nodules through my stomach and duodenum. I'm in the middle of having them all removed before I can have my revision to the bypass. I have loved my sleeve, but if I knew then what I know now, I'd choose the bypass instead. This has been a true nightmare.

UPDATE: I just got the call. The nodules also came back pre-cancerous, and it's going to take 2 more surgeries to get them all removed from my duodenum. I'll be having them in April and May. I also have to have a colonoscopy because when I go #2, there's horrible pain at my belly button and along the sides of my stomach, to the point where I can't catch my breath, stand up straight, or walk. Given the polyps and nodules all through my stomach and duodenum, my GI specialist is concerned there will be polyps or something else that needs to be removed. So I have no idea at this point when I'll be cleared to have my revision. But he was saying the colonoscopy will probably be in June and then we'll go from there deciding what needs to be done. once everything with my colon is finished, I'll have to have another endoscopy to see if any new polyps have come back in my stomach and duodenum. If so, they will have to be removed again. If not, I'll be cleared for my revision. This is absolutely ridiculous. I'm so over all of it.

Thank you everybody. It really has been a pain. I still love my sleeve, but it's been made abundantly clear to me that I don't really have a choice with the revision. So as soon as I can get cleared, we're scheduling it. I'm just ready to be done and go back to living my life.