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I’m new here also and am having RNY on May 10. Start the liquid diet tomorrow and it is making at very real now. It’s been such a long journey to get to this point that it didn’t seem like it was ever going to happen.

My first consult was 10/29/21 (Im in IL). I had no requirements for my insurance to meet other than attending some workshops the WL Clinic had. I just got my surgery date 2 weeks ago for May 3rd. So my wait wasnt necessarily due to insurance, it was the WL clinic's requirements that had me waiting.

Yeah at one point it was intentional fitness even if i was walking 2 - 10 miles a day she was worried I would forget to do it if it wasn't a routine and a must do. Then she back peddled and said anything is good as long you are up and moving 150 minutes per week. Now its i forgot to tell you to do these therapies for mental health. So I literally snapped and told her how I felt. Now it is do the therapy but my life coach is intervening making sure thats all and by sept the surgery is a go. ugh so much work it feel like for nothing. I have PCOS and managed to keep my weight at a 233. thats huge since I am normally at 255 ish. I can only pray. The rest of the team is proud of me and totally shocked. My nurse even said , : we've been watching you and you have been done with all the goals for some time. Where are you at let's do this thing!!"

I can tell you here in Colorado, the Medicaid covers A LOT A LOT A LOT. And you can establish residency almost immediately (my family and I got here Feb 9th 2018, opened up a PO Box for mail, applied for benefits, and got my license all within 10 days of getting here). I'm no longer on any benefits, but I can tell you there isn't anything anyone in the family needed (including my nearly $11k in meds each month for my MS) that they didn't cover.

Congrats! I was sleeved on 4/19, had a two week liquid diet prior. The surgery itself went great, the gas pains after were no joke but walking and gas x helps a lot. I needed pain meds the first day and a half I was home I have been managing the pain with Tylenol since then. I found a heating pad helps a lot with abdominal pain. I don’t feel overly tired at all but I do feel hungry! I was able to go on soft foods today so I had 2 protein shakes and three 2oz meals. Also trying to get in all my liquids. Overall, very pleased.

Mine was postponed 9 days. My 10 day optifast liquid diet was put on pause officially but I just continued it. Took less willpower for me to power through for 19 days than to stop and start. Reason was the anesthetist was unwell. I was....angry. But we got there in the end.

HI there! Sounds like we have similar paths. I was banded in 2010 and lost 80+ pounds. It was the best thing I ever did for myself. I kept the weight off for more than 10 years before I started having issues with the band a couple of years ago. It was either too tight or not tight enough. Sadly, without a functioning tool, I gained quite a bit of weight. I had my Lapband removed in April 2021 with hopes to convert to the gastric sleeve a month later. Long story short, my insurance denied the conversion and it took almost a year and a couple of appeals to get the denial overturned. Fast forward to today, my gastric sleeve is approved and scheduled for 4/27. I am so looking forward to getting my tool back so that I can get back on track and live my healthiest life That is great you have lost 85 pounds! Have you been able to maintain the loss all this time? It sounds like your surgeon is removing your band and converting to bypass all in one surgery, is that right?

I have PCOS as well. I had my surgery on April 4th, 2022. So I am 19 days out. My initial weight was 410lbs before the 2 week liquid diet. My weight the day of surgery was 399lbs. My current weight as of today is 374.8lbs. So I’ve lost 36lbs in total and 25lbs post surgery. I am actually at a stall now. Having only lost 1lb this week. And I’m starting to think it has something to do with my PCOS and that i won’t lose anymore. This is quite discouraging as one of the main reasons I chose to do this surgery was so that I could correct my PCOS and potentially have children in the future. I am only 19 days out and already stalling, it’s a bit worrying to me. i do struggle with water intake, but my doctor said that that’s normal for the first few weeks considering my stomach is still so small. So I don’t really know why I’m not losing anymore and I just hope it breaks soon.

Hi! I was banded back in 2008. I'm 5'4" and my weight before surgery was 290-something. I lost about 130 lbs in the first year, and maintained at around 165-175 (for me this weight equated to around a size 10, which I was fairly pleased with) for almost 10 years. I had a tummy tuck in 2016 and believe that my band was nicked when the plastic surgeon moved my port. In any case i suffered a 'slow leak' in the band that my surgeon Dr. Elariny could not pinpont, even under fluoroscopy, and have not really had any restriction for the last 5 years. I have sloooowwwwlly gained back up to 215 lbs during that time. Last month I had a consult with Dr Elariny to explore options for another weight loss surgery. He asked me a million questions about my eating habits and ultimately said he believes I'll be most successful with the DS. At first I was completely against it, as the malabsorptive procedures have always scared me. But after voraciously reading this and a few other DS forums, I have decided I want to go forward bc it seems like this is the most successful, most foolproof procedure. Ultimately I want to go back to the way I felt when my Lap-band was working perfectly for all those years....when I finally wasn't on a diet, for the first time in my 37 year life. I didn't have to be obsessed over every bite I put in my mouth. I wasn't constantly beating myself up over eating too many calories or eating the wrong things or eating between meals or after a certain time at night, etc etc etc. For many years when my band was working, I felt like I just ate like a "normal" person. It was so incredibly liberating. If I felt like eating a burger i ate a burger. If i felt like eating a salad i ate a salad. I just ate when I was hungry and didn't have to think about it alllll the time. I want to go back to occasionally getting on the scale out of curiosity, rather than getting on it every morning and feeling desperate and ashamed. I do think that in addition to the lack of restriction, that menopause and hormonal changes are working against me now, at age 51. I haven't changed a thing about my exercise routine. I still workout every morning, 5-7 days per week, doing a combo of weight lifting and HIIT. But nonetheless i've just steadily put on weight, year over year. So, to bring this to a question of some sort...I guess I'd like to know if any of you long-time DS'ers feel like you eat "like normal people" now? And don't have to think about it so much? Or must you be extremely focused on what you eat bc of the ill effects the malabsorption causes? It is sort of confusing that my doctor tells me that if I eat high fat foods after this surgery I'll be rewarded with many urgent trips to the bathroom, and that if i eat carbs I'll experience terrible and potently malodorous gas. But many posts I've read have said something along the lines of "fat is your friend after the DS". I understand that Your Mileage May Vary, and every person is different. And my other question is whether I'm crazy, with a BMI of 37, to consider such a "drastic" procedure? My insurance has already approved me, for what it's worth. Thanks in advance for all of your thoughts!

I started carb counting and restricting the amount of carbs I ate after I went to a Drs appt and only lost barely a half pound. I journal everyday and have My Fitness Pal app. I have lost 10 lbs since 4/8 last Drs appt. I do really well with restricting my carbs when Im disciplined. Ive just started my pre op diet so I am hoping to lose alittle more before surgery day. I was eating low carb, low fat and high protein diet. I eat mostly fish and baby spinach, baked or boiled chicken breasts, salads sometimes. broc and Ill eat alittle cheese at times. I have been now switched over to the preop diet oh and I was previously eating the Ratio Protein yogurt to bump up my protein.

Hello everyone: what I have learned from almost 10 years post surgery is that my body tells me when I have consumed too much sugar at one time and/or whether I have consumed too much sugar in one day. I still get the "dumping" syndrome if I have too much sugar. I am convinced, however, avoid added sugar as much as possible is a wise choice. Wishing success to everyone!

I’ve been doing lots of research into sugar and how it effects the body in every aspect. It’s funny that the CDC advises you limit added sugar intake to less than 10% of your total daily calories, while the AHA recommends a limit of 6% daily. I’ve cut out most processed foods and my sugar consumption is very minimal. I can’t tell you what a difference it’s made to my moods and energy levels. My tastebuds no longer need that hit of sweetness that only come from laboratories and whole food like tart strawberries and oranges do the trick. If I really crave chocolate, I go for dark chocolate chips.

I also have PCOS. I had my son naturally but then had 10 losses before I was diagnosed with PCOS (even though I have all the classic signs and symptoms, not a lot of doctors knew about it). This was back in 2005. I went on birth control for a few months, then had to take Metformin and Clomid to get pregnant with my daughter. I had her in 2006 (my kids are 8 1/2 years apart because of the PCOS) and after I had her, I was never able to get pregnant again. My hormones are all over the place and I CANNOT lose weight and keep it off no matter what I do (I always have initial success but it never lasts). I was told that bariatric surgery is huge in helping PCOS patients get pregnant because weight loss is the #1 thing that helps. It *can* help with hormones, but not always. The weight loss is really the biggest factor for PCOS patients. But that can also make birth control pills (which regulate periods, add estrogen to low estrogen hormones) more effective, as well as fertility meds (Metformin and Clomid, Femara, etc) more effective. Also makes your body healthier for pregnancy (almost no diabetes or high blood pressure issues). So the surgery is definitely huge for helping PCOS patients have a baby. Good luck!!!

My thoughts are that you need a new surgeon. If you have reflux, DO NOT get the sleeve. It will likely make it a lot worse. I was able to choose between bypass and sleeve because my A1c was less than 7 and because I don't have any form of reflux, so I chose the sleeve. My husband has GERD and a higher A1c and was advised that bypass is really his only option. Sometimes those that never had reflux get it with the sleeve and have to revise to a bypass to resolve it. And while the sleeve has less risk, the bypass does give about an extra 10% of weight loss. So definitely find a new surgeon.

I started at 5 feet tall/250 lb, so very close to your stats. It was pain that drove me finally have the surgery. I had a broken down knee that doctors wouldn't replace unless I lost weight. So I had the surgery in 2019, lost 130 pounds and had my knee replacement in 2020! It's a long process, with lots of ups and downs, but my quality of life is SO MUCH BETTER now. I wish I had done it sooner! Don't get discouraged by all the hoops you have to jump through, just take things one step at a time. Best wishes!

Hey hon! I also have PCOS. I had my son naturally but then had 10 losses before I was diagnosed with PCOS (even though I have all the classic signs and symptoms, not a lot of doctors knew about it). This was back in 2005. I went on birth control for a few months, then had to take Metformin and Clomid to get pregnant with my daughter. I had her in 2006 (my kids are 8 1/2 years apart because of the PCOS) and after I had her, I was never able to get pregnant again. My hormones are all over the place and I CANNOT lose weight and keep it off no matter what I do (I always have initial success but it never lasts). I was told that bariatric surgery is huge in helping PCOS patients get pregnant because weight loss is the #1 thing that helps. It *can* help with hormones, but not always. The weight loss is really the biggest factor for PCOS patients. But that can also make birth control pills (which regulate periods, add estrogen to low estrogen hormones) more effective, as well as fertility meds (Metformin and Clomid, Femara, etc) more effective. Also makes your body healthier for pregnancy (almost no diabetes or high blood pressure issues). So the surgery is definitely huge for helping PCOS patients have a baby. Good luck!!!

Thanks! I just hit 90lbs down today, ahead of my hopeful schedule by about 10 days, so I'm feeling amazing about that. I haven't been this weight since I was a junior in undergrad back in 2008. It's like time travel. I'm pulling out clothes I've kept from college and tossing ones from my life a year ago. Wild.

Welcome and congrats on the surgery date. My concerns are the same as yours: nausea and possible delay regarding work. Everything I've read supports remaining hydrated to ward off nausea. As far as work, i'm going to wait till the last day of school, 6/10, and ask for a surgery date around that time. My insurance packet will be complete and ready to submit tomorrow. My practice also does a 2 week full liquid diet prior to surgery. Good luck and welcome!

I guess everyone has their opinion on this but I think everyone can agree that being hydrated is good for the body and good for weight loss. I drink around 90-100 ounces of water a day and I credit my water intake for the weight loss I have seen. If I drink a lot of water I rarely if ever get hungry between meals. Remember that water also: 1. helps keep the skin hydrated which will help the skin contract so you do not have a lot of loose skin after the weight loss. I lost over 100 pounds and my skin is nearly back to where it was 30 years ago on my stomach. 2. Reduces water retention which helps keep weight off. 3. Dehydration slows down metabolism....scientific fact....so if you are trying to lose weight, that is something you do not want to happen. 4. If you are diabetic, plenty of water helps flush out waste and keep your numbers under control. 5. More hydration keeps the joints lubricated reducing inflammation and making it easier to walk and move which will improve weight loss. My advice to anyone that has WLS is to continue to force fluids until it becomes second nature to you. I do not think 64 ounces is enough, but that is my personal opinion on my experience. Most people are up 16-18 hours per day, so based on 64 hours, all you have to do is drink 4 ounces an hour....4 ounces....to get 64 ounces in a day. Challenge yourself and go to 6 ounces and you get up to 76 ounces of water. Anyone can force down 4-6 ounces of water in an hour...that is a one ounce shot every 10 minutes to get to 6 ounces. Force yourself to get this done and you will be glad you did.

Hi all- I’m about 10 hours post op from the sleeve. Experiencing quiet a bit of gas pains, have been walking the hospital halls every 2 hours. Other than that I feel good just very thirsty. I will be allowed water and gas-x tomorrow after my swallow test and then I’ll be released home to take a nice long shower and nap. Continued well wishes to you all!

ALL: Lots of posts to read today…sending encouragement, healing wishes and motivation to everyone wherever you are in this journey. I’m going to be a June surgery I think. My packet goes to the insurance company this Friday and there are not any days off from school except for memorial day weekend until June 13…last day of school for kids is June 10. My fingers are crossed for June 13-ish. I am eagerly reading everyone’s input on the liquid phase pre-surgery (I think mine is 2 weeks long), your immediate post-op comments, and everything else. Your experience and perspective is extremely helpful. I’m particularly interested in comments regarding recovery from hernia repair/ RNYgb. Keep up the good work! Thanks in advance.

Hey all. I’m 7 days post op from gastric bypass. I don’t know how to change my profile from pre op right now. Things have been going really great actually. I’ve been handling things really well all things considered. Meeting my goals, even lightly walking and exercising every day. My mood was fantastic and I was blessed with very little pain. Before my surgery I went through a lot. I already got postponed several times over the course of 2 years, I started pursuing this in Nov 2019. I finally got scheduled in the middle of March. However I have been dealing with battling legal issues (retaliatory eviction and a civil rights discrimination case), a severely abusive relationship that I ended in the two weeks of my pre op, reporting him to several police agencies for the abuse, and just a LOT of emotional stress. It was hard but I did it and I felt so proud, and until today I felt amazing about it. I felt it was truly a test of sorts because I did not relapse with nicotine once, I didn’t binge eat the entire time. I hadn’t heard a single thing from my attorney about my eviction and I never got a response to my civil rights case in almost two months so I wasn’t expecting to get an email today in which I was severely slandered and read several upsetting abusive lies about me. The email wasn’t so much what bothered me. I had a great morning where I had tons of energy, I sang in the shower and danced around a little bit. Did my make up. It was just a minor set back, until I went to go tell my mother who I am staying with for just a little since I live in a basement level with a huge flight of dangerous stairs in my house. She was really dismissive and she wouldn’t listen to me. The whole situation was triggering me but I did what I was supposed to do, go tell my support. She was really mean to me and it completely set me off. I think I had one of those hormone reactions I was warned about, or perhaps just several weeks without any kind of food, quitting all my vices cold Turkey at the same time, everything just hitting me all at once but I lost it. I sobbed uncontrollably for several hours and I raged. I was so angry. Every time I thought I soothed myself, the crying would start again. I cried so hard I felt like I pulled something and now I’m in a lot of pain. I seriously wept and wailed for so long. I tried to reach out to supports but they were incredibly busy today. I finally decided to just go to sleep so I slept for several hours. I woke up and I feel only a little better, having stopped sobbing. But I feel like I got steam rolled. I do keep having sniffles and little crying fits. I lost all my momentum and motivation I had and I’m sincerely worried I’ll be permanently depressed again, which depresses me even further as I have felt so good the last few weeks. I didn’t relapse with over eating, I didn’t break my diet other than not meeting all my goals but I’m trying to catch up. I’m just so nauseated from crying so hard. Please tell me this will get better. What can I do? I’m still dealing with several toxic situations or the aftermath of them. I’m trying my best but I’m scared right now.

Hi all, Really happy to have found this space. This is my first post. I have recently undergone the gastric sleeve procedure and opted to tell only my partner and my parents. I am really struggling today with how isolating that feels - to be going through such a huge life change but to not yet feel ready or able to open up to my closest friends about it. It is so lonely. It means my wonderful partner is bearing the brunt of my not so good days, for which I’m feeling very guilty. I’m also having to make excuses to wiggle out of social invitations from friends which feels uncomfortable. I really feel like having a network of people who understand what I’m going through currently to speak openly with will really help me, so thank you to whoever sees this. I’m not sure why I have such a block about opening up about my choice to have surgery. I suppose I worry what others will think, that there is still some stigma around it, that some believe it to be an “easy way out”. I am fully at peace with my reasons for having the surgery, but fear others just won’t get it. I also know via conversations with my Mum that my Dad was not entirely on board with the idea - he is quite old-school with a sort of “why don’t you just eat better and exercise more” mindset. He never spoke to me directly about his views (perhaps as he knew it would upset me) which has again compounded this sense of not being able to be open about my procedure. Whilst I know I should own my decision and not care what others think, I do hope in time he will understand my reasons as we all want our parents’ approval / blessing. For me it truly was my last hope. I definitely do not want to tell colleagues about the nature of my operation as it feels like a very private thing to me. I want to keep work and my personal life as separate as possible. I was wondering if anyone has experienced similar anxieties about telling their nearest and dearest and how you overcame that? What was the outcome if / when you opened up? How did that feel? Really look forward to hearing your thoughts and thanks again for taking the time to read this :) x

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a 10-20 lb weight rebound is very common after you hit bottom. In fact, I "attend" Unjury's virtual support group for people 1+ years out on Wednesday nights, and the speaker they had last week (a dietitian in Boston) said a 5%-15% gain from your lowest weight is pretty much expected, and they don't consider it a regain until it goes over 15%. Until then, it's just your body settling in at a weight it's comfortable at. That said, things do start to get trickier, because you don't want your weight to start spiraling out of control again. A lot of people set a "red line" for themselves - a weight that, once you go past it, it's all hands on deck until you get back under that red line again. so anyway - yes - it's a lifelong battle.