St77

Oh yes, those will cost you. I can't say if looking into South Shore Hospital or North Shore Medical Center would be any savings.

Were you getting quotes for hospitals in Boston itself or did you look into hospitals in the outer areas? I'm from MA and Boston will definitely run you a lot of money, but maybe one of the hospitals on the south or north shores might be less expensive.

How is your sodium intake? I was having positional lightheaded, low BP, etc. and I was told to actually try anything I can tolerate that is a little salty. I'm nearly a year out from my surgery and am barely able to eat 1/4 cup of food at any time, so I've been told if I can tolerate something, eat it. My team is trying to slow down my weight loss, it came off too much too quickly.

On the scale of things that taste gross, I agree that milk of magnesia is gross, though the cherry is tolerable. Now, compared to what my Thiamine vitamin smells like, milk of magnesia smells heavenly...ha, ha.

I would definitely try to get a second opinion then. I had a PICC line in my chest when I was pregnant because I could not tolerate any food or liquids. That was the only way to get nutrition in. I really wonder if they checked for a bowel obstruction. As far as gastric fluids, I'd be surprised if there wasn't something that couldn't be done for that. I'm going to be on carafate for who knows how long because PPIs on their own don't control my reflux. I hope your brother gets some relief soon.

I had a similar experience. I have a client that I print material for and last year I was out for my surgery around the time she let me know what she needed printed. When I returned to work, I was talking with her about the order and mentioned the surgery I had. Turns out we both had gastric bypass. She gave me a few tips and reminded me that while it was rough in the beginning, it would get easier.

My iron levels are typically low, though not like that. To make sure there wasn't something else going on, my doctor sent me to a hematologist for additional testing. He had me go through two iron infusions and my levels have been much better.

I've had that type of pain too and found out it atleast in my case it was gas pain. I now have to take a chewable gas-x pretty much everyday.

Regarding hair dying, get it done before surgery. It was recommended that I wait a few months after surgery to dye it again because the dye itself would not take as well to my hair post surgery. My stylist said the same thing because her mom had the sleeve and experienced that issue. The cut itself I don't think really makes a difference in the hair loss. I have been lucky in that I haven't lost much hair.

I personally would not risk going without a passport. There is a way to get one based on urgent travel. You will need to make an appointment, proof of travel, and other requirements listed on the State Departments website.

On the pre-op diet my migraines skyrocketed. Turns out that it was the shakes because they had artificial sweetners, which are a known trigger of mine.

I'm in my 40's and many years ago I had start replacing my teeth due to issues with my teeth being weak. Like you, the dentist filled as much as possible, but eventually I needed root canals and crowns. Over years I started getting that work done, had to have some crowns replaced when they came off and in one place where there were two teeth that were an issue, I got a bridge. Root canals for me don't register on a pain scale (but then again I get blinding migraines). Pain is very subjective. However, you can have issues with root canals that may require further treatment and crowns can fall off. As for dentures...my mom had to get dentures at 26 years old and she said getting all of her teeth pulled for it was painful. Her dentures have had to be replaced a few times because they broke or something was feeling right. I've heard implants are expensive and it's time consuming for the process.

My sister had her bypass in Boston and she was kept for 2 days. I had mine near Boston and was kept for 3 days due to pain management issues. I can't imagine what it would have been like having it as outpatient.

I'm nearly 9 months out and still struggle with appetite. It's a good day if I get 1/2 cup of food in for the entire day. And the worst part, not eating enough is aggravating my chronic constipation.

I can tell you my experience as someone who had bypass. My weight as of January 2022 was 245; on surgery day (May 13th, 2022) my weight was down to 223. As of today it's at 134. My height is 5'2. The surgery itself went fine, but I had some issues with pain management (don't let that freak you out, it's very individualistic on how people experience pain). I was in the hospital for 3 days and released when I was able to keep a bit of broth down. I found that walking around and heating pad helped with the gas, but it took quite a while for that feeling to go away. A week out from my surgery I had to go to the ER because I couldn't keep more than an ounce of fluid down and was dehydrated. 3 bags of fluids and a GI study later, they found there was still some internal swelling that was making it hard for me to meet any fluid/protein goals. I followed the nutritionist advice and start the mornings with a warm drink, which does help. Now, all of these months later, I'm not able to eat much (once again, this is more the exception than the norm), but clearly the amount of food I've been able to consume is providing energy to get me through the day. My sister also had bypass without complications and she lost 85 pounds in a year. She's been able to eat most things, though she's learned the hard way about dumping syndrome. I have no regrets about my surgery and feel much healthier than I've felt. I've gone from a size 22 to a size 8. Something I never thought would happen. Good luck on your surgery.