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Wow, what a hard journey!!! ((hugs)) Huge props and congrats for your success and courage in dealing with these complications! So glad you have ongoing care from a good doc and you have a plan for the future! Welcome to the boards. Post often!!! Can you share what he said about "knowing" what you needed to combat the spastic action of your bowels and why he felt psyllium was the cure? TY!!! (selfishly motivated)
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Good suggestions above, but it can also help to find a therapist to talk through all the changes you're going through of those don't work. Mine specializes in weight loss issues and has really helped me a lot. Granted, my depression was compounded by some unfortunate complications and serious regret, but I think we all can benefit from a little mental check in every now and again.
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Have u had your RNY pouch and stoma reduced?
ValerieInMexico replied to PrincessCharming's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
I was six days out from a RNY revision surgery, a few weeks ago. I did so well preparing for the surgery that I decided to postpone it. The procedure I was going to have is one where the Roux arm is lengthened and the stoma reduced in size. The modification of the bypass has a 15% chance of complications. My surgeon was confident in his ability because he has only 1% complications with this procedure. If they are just working on your pouch and stoma I would not worry. That is low risk. I am losing weight again, slowly. I have learned so, so much from this forum. I have been reading the books and watching videos that are helping me understand why I am hungry. It was 2000 when I had my bypass. There is so much more information and tools available now. I am relearning how to eat properly and how important vitamins are. I will wait six months before I decide if I need the revision surgery. My suggestion is, study up and copy what the new RNY patients are doing. I feel I am a born again bypass patient. Best of luck! -
SCARED OUT OF MIND!!!
catwoman7 replied to brandimichellexo's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
you won't die. The mortality rate on RNY is 0.3%. It's even lower for the sleeve. So you have at least a 99.7% chance of coming through surgery just fine - and you will. This is one of the safest surgeries out there, safer than hip replacement surgery, which they do every day. To be honest, I think my plastic surgery might have been more dangerous than my RNY, given I was under anesthesia for six hours with that (and only about 90 minutes for RNY). complications aren't that common and when they do exist, they're usually minor. I had a stricture, which happens to about 5% of RNY patients. It's an easy fix and I was told it's one of the most common complications of RNY. I would hardly call something that happens to 5% of patients "common", but that's what you're dealing with (i.e., a pretty small risk of complications) I know it's hard not to be scared about it - I was as well, but try to keep in mind this is a very low-risk procedure. -
Hello All! My band to RNY revision is scheduled for 9/13. Honestly, my decision for bypass was 2 fold: 1. Complications due to band failure. Even today, after having all of the fluid removed four years ago due to recurrent gastritis and esophageal spasms, I still struggle daily with never knowing what will get stuck, terrible reflux, sliming constantly with every meal, the chest pressure with eating anything, the nightly gas pains under my collar bones, vomiting, and belly pain. All this while eating way smaller portions than most, just to almost be back to my pre-lap band weight, plus all the problems I didn’t have before the lapband. I feel like I’m a Prius in the metabolism race. I apparently hold onto every single calorie I ingest, so malabsorption as a tool might be a more effective option for me. And removing the ban will take care of the issues. 2. My surgeon prefers band to bypass when there is a history of GERD. From my understanding gerd after sleeve is quite common. Enough so that one of the local research hospitals is currently doing clinical trials for a procedure to treat reflux specifically for post sleeve patients. I’m already experiencing a life of reflux and anything I can do to make that better instead of potentially worse is where I’m looking. I really don’t want the acute gastritis and spasms again! Nothing like heart attack like symptoms to get you started:( My revision was requested as general surgery instead of bariatric, due to all of the complications, and approved 2 weeks after being submitted. I will be having my revision in one surgery. I specifically requested that from my surgeon. He is comfortable with and has experience doing it all at once, so that is my plan. I’m very adverse to two rounds under anesthesia and post op recoveries. One of the folks who post on the forums has a favorite saying: YMMV. Your Milage May Vary. Basically, your journey is your journey. Whatever decision you and your surgeon make whether bypass or sleeve is the right one for you. You have to feel confident and empowered in the decision process. It’s your health! Educate yourself, don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and make the best choice for YOU. Good vibes to us all!
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My surgery is Sept 9th and I’m so scared! Like I’m very excited to start this new beginning in my life but I’m also scared of dying and complications. I’ve never had surgery before. And yes I’m a little dramatic. Did anyone else have this problem? So super scared.
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Hello all, Queen of Crop here....almost 8 years out and have a 18 lb weight gain. Haven't been on the site in quite some time but am freaking out about the gain. And yes, it is carbs and sugar and wine and a complicated life. I never thought I would gain it back...I guess we all thought that. Will read the head work...and find a program and start logging. Oh how I wish I could go back to that first year....it all seemed so easy (hard in some ways of course) but at least the weight came off. For me 83 lbs. And when I think about it, when I was at my goal weight I was SO HAPPY AND FELT SO FREE. And now I feel like crap. So time to get a grip. Will check in weekly to let you all know how I do. So interesting that the Veterans Forum doesn't have more of us here. Thanks for the encouraging words and good luck to all of us. I wrote a book called Queen of Crop...maybe I should right a Queen of Crop 10 years after to give me a new goal..hmmmmm...BUT NO I WILL NOT GO BACK!
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8 days Post Op - Unable to Drink Water and my experience so far.
Chiptress replied to Sinema's topic in Post-op Diets and Questions
Oh brother... yikes! 1st congrats on your surgery! 2nd..., Thank God you were educated enough to figure this out on your own. Some people might have taken what was offered& had major complications. -
❤My Revision Story❤
GreenTealael replied to GreenTealael's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ 🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒🕒 One month SURGIVERSARY (31 days since surgery) Doing well no complaints/complications. I have tried to advance my diet to some of the firm proteins recommended but my body isnt ready (vomiting& foamies) I had the same problem with VSG so I'll be patient and wait to see what the future holds. Still hovering around 148-150 (haven't weighed in a while, away from home) I haven't heard the plumbing (gurgling from stricture/torsion/reflux) since surgery so I think it's fully resolved! Super satisfied by my Surgeon's skill and patience in removal of scar tissue and clips during the revision. I think it helped expedite my recovery. ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔ 🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊 -
Soon to be sleeved [emoji4]
Selena_Sarajevo replied to Selena_Sarajevo's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Thanke you [emoji4] I hope everything goes well with surgery and that I'll have no complications So far I'm thrilled with this site I found a lot of answers and so much info and I already see how supportive this community is It means a lot when you have a chance to talk with people that have been trough this and understand me Sent from my SM-J500FN using BariatricPal mobile app -
Foodies - honestly how bad is it?
JessLess replied to Ruth9454's topic in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums
I like to eat out a lot. My husband was very concerned about me having the surgery because he thought he would miss our date nights. I got the gastric sleeve nine months ago. I am still in losing mode and I eat about 1,000 calories a day. I track calories, protein, carbs, and water. I am also one of the very lucky ones. No complications, no dumping, etc. I'm losing a bit slowly, in part, because I'm in perimenopause. The good news is I can eat all the foods I could before, just in much smaller quantities. I didn't drink soda before and still don't. I liked to drink alcohol before, I have cranked that way back to a special treat. I don't order dessert and rarely even feel like trying a bite. Probably the biggest change is if bread gets put on the table, I don't eat it. If I ate it, I would be about full and the show would be over. I can eat about 5 ounces and I know I need protein to function so one of my go-to's is raw fish. I eat a lot of sashimi, tuna tartare, oysters, shrimp cocktail, lobster cocktail, etc. These seem like some of the healthiest, tastiest foods to me now. I've figured out foods I can order at ethnic restaurants like Chicken Satay at Thai places. I usually order a salad with protein on it or an appetizer. So far, it's working out fine. I do have to reassure waiters/waitresses a lot that everything was good because I didn't eat much, but I take it home and either eat it the next day or give it to the doggos. -
Hello y’all! I just wanted to give an update on my journey so far. It has been rough. I was in the hospital 2 nights for my initial surgery. Was released on a Thursday. The following Sunday I was back in the hospital due to cellulitis in my left side but not from my incisions. I was there overnight because of the cellulitis and dehydration. I was released the next day. I was working of fluids and was fine but got very little in when it came to anything but water. I thought it was normal. I was getting in 32-48oz of water and the nutritionist said that was good for only being 2.5 weeks post op but to keep working on it. Week 3 rolls around and I am having a hard time getting food in and I start having sliming episodes (lapbanders y’all know what I mean). Then it progressed to throwing up the little bit of soft/purées foods I was getting in. Then it progressed to me only getting i16-24o of water in a day and throwing that up. I was having what felt like stuck episodes. So I called my surgeons office and went in and saw one of the partnering surgeons and he did a swallow test. I told him before the swallow test that it feels like the area the band was placed is what I think is causing the issue. Sure enough it was. It was so tight that they scheduled me for a EGD with dilation for this morning. It may take several dilations to fix the issue but it felt so good to drink and eat something without feeling like I have a huge golf ball in my esophagus and stomach and then throwing up and aiming for literal hours. Night before last I ate about 1.5 tablespoons of food and slimed and threw up from around 10 p.m.-7:30a.m.. I was over it and knew for sure there was an issue. I didn’t sleep because I was throwing up slime balls every 15-20 minutes. ow to work on hydration and resting. I am very fatigued and weak. I got this. And even with these complications I would do it again. I went from 247 the day I started my preop diet to 232.2 day of surgery and today I weighed in at 215.8. Slower than some but still thankful and blessed.
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Any August 2019 people out there?
mr.sean replied to big_ange's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I’m about 48 hours post-op. Surgery was Monday at 10am. No complications. Monday and Tuesday were rough. I felt like I was in much more pain than I should have been. I couldn’t reach or bend and getting in and out of bed or in and out or a sitting position was so excruciating I would yell whenever I felt the incision pain. The hospital (Mass General in Boston) thought I was doing well and discharged me yesterday, about 28 hours post-op. The ride home was painful, even in the passenger seat, reclined. I definitely felt a lot of regret, especially on Tuesday, which was more painful than the 12 hours after surgery. I haven’t been sleeping well. It was very hard to sleep in the hospital, even with earplugs. The longest period of sleep I’ve had was this morning, from like 6am to 9am. The gas pain is subsiding, and the incision pain is less than it was last night. I’m up now walking in circles around the around and taking little sips of Gatorade Zero and Premiere Protein. Feeling a lot better than yesterday. Extra strength Tylenol and occasional oxycodone only when absolutely needed is helping, as well as ibuprofen, which I can only take through tomorrow. -
Stay away from accounts like this for now. Yes, we all know about the small % of complications but the sheer overwhelming majority do not have something like this. You've been on this forum and have seen both newbies and veterans absolutely killing it!
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Freakish Restriction???
FluffyChix replied to KarenLR75's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Are you able to get water in? At any temperature? Vary the temps. Can you get popsicles and ice chips in? It honestly sounds like your pouch is irritated and it may be complicated by dehydration. Dehydration makes you feel nausea especially after eating and makes things "sticky". So it sounds like you need to thin out your protein drinks. If possible, thin it out with FF Fairlife Milk, or decaff coffee or decaff warm tea. The peaches and cream and strawberries in cream are great in tea. The bananas and cream and chocolate are great in coffee. I also used the Premier Protein Clear flavors and made popsicles. But I honestly would not worry for the next couple of days about protein or advancing your diet. Worry about the hydration. If you're feeling hungry, drink more fluids! Do not advance your diet until you can readily take in 1-2oz of protein drink without feeling that tightness. But you MUST get your water in. If you are not doing that, then it's a trip to the ER for IV fluids and a call to your surgeon. It's possible you have a stricture--those usually occur anywhere from 3-12 weeks out in general if it's gonna happen as a result of the immediate surgical healing. Feel better soon! So sorry you're struggling! -
My RNY story two years post-op
Arturo Federico posted a topic in Tell Your Weight Loss Surgery Story
Hello, My name is Arturo and I am 2 years post-op Gastric Bypass. I have lost a total of 185 pounds which for once in my life I could say I am not over weight. Unfortunately, when I had my surgery I was readmitted to the hospital a week later with abdominal pain which turned out to be a Portal Vein Thrombosis due to the surgery. This started my hell of Portal Hypertension and an enlarged spleen that has caused constant abdominal pain ever since. Luckily I was able to find a hepatic surgeon who could help my issue by restoring blood supply to my liver which has been reduced since the surgery 2 years ago. I am happy that my blood supply has been restored but it seems that I am able to eat more and unfortunately I gained back 15 pounds and I am starting to get worried. As I start feeling better I plan to go back to the Gym and work on my diet so I can get my weight back down again or at least maintain because I feel better at my current weight. Moral of the story I have been asked so many times if the RNY surgery was worth it due to everything I have been through. I counter with this statement I would not regret having the surgery as at the time I had no reason to think that i would have a Portal Vein Thrombosis and I am not sorry for the decision that I have made. Either way this complication could happen for any other surgery in the abdomen, not necessarily a gastric surgery such as the RNY. Anybody who is considering having the gastric bypass or any other surgery to help them with their weight just remember that complications can happen. Just be aware of them and make your decision accordingly. I look forward to being a part of this forum and if anyone has any questions please let me know. Here are a couple of before and after pictures: Before and after: 1 yr ago After - now -
So it's been a while since I posted - but progress has been amazing.
My VSG was 5/1/17. I dropped to 220lbs and stayed there for some time. This was a huge win for me - so I decided to take the next step and I met with an amazing plastic surgeon who helped me with the next step - excess skin removal. There were three things that needed to be addressed 1) abdominal hernia's 2) panniculectomy and a 3) abdominoplasty.
First, talk to your plastic surgeon - I spoke with several, and these are expensive procedures - but I finally found a surgeon that advised me that the panniculectomy could be covered by health insurance - and it was - saving me nearly $5000. Overall I still paid $7k out of pocket - but way better than the $12 - $14k that I had been quoted by others.
I had my reconstructive surgery 1 month ago - the surgeon removed 14lbs of skin and fat - and I dropped a few more pounds - and am now weighing in at 195. My highest weight was 445lbs. I way less than when I started high school - and I feel amazing - I am still recovering from the surgery because it is fairly invasive - so pics to follow - but what an amazing journey - I never thought I would get here.
My journey has been almost 14 years - a failed lap band, massive complications from that, weight gain and then struggling to gain the nerve to try again with the VSG - but my care team has been amazing - and I cannot thank them for giving me my life back. At 52 I am the healthiest I have been since I was 14.
Please remember, the journey can be tough, the struggles are real, the pain is there - but it's your life you are fighting for - and there is nothing more important than that.
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Thank you Mikeyy, your response is so true!! I feel that I will still go through with the surgery, it just really got me so messed up seeing my friend in the hospital with such serious complications! I appreciate more than any of my words could ever express, the encouragement from all of you 😊
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I understand where you are coming from SassyLady, but Briswife15 is right - the complications of NOT having the surgery can be worse and almost a certainty. My surgery is about a month away and I keep going back and forth from excited to nervous and share some of the same concerns.
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Complications can happen, but they are the minority and exception and not the rule. So sorry for what your friend is going through.
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((hugs)) Try to move past this and know that as everyone said, this is really a very safe surgery in general. But with all surgeries, complications do happen. I think they are only about 1-3%--about the same as laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. Don't let fear rule.
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I agree with everyone else. That kind of thing is really rare. The vast majority of us have no...or very minor (like a stricture - easily fixable) complications.
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Complications are terrible and sorry your friend is going through it But Your friend's surgical situation has nothing to do with yours especially If you are not experiencing complications. Consider that if you take on an emotional burden due to her complications, you may forget to enjoy your own progress of which you are entitled. That doesn't make you any less of a friend 💜
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Hi. Complications like a leak are not common. Both the bypass and sleeve have that as a remote possibility, but it doesn't happen very often. On the other hand, the complications that come with being morbidly obese are much more common!! Don't let your friend's experience cloud your judgment. I had gastric bypass 4.5 months ago and am off all diabetes meds, almost off blood pressure meds, no longer have constant body pain, and am healthier and happier. Have a positive attitude going into this, pick your surgeon well, and it is more likely than not that you won't have major complications! Good luck to you! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app
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Fight, fight, fight and fight
GreenTealael replied to SeattleLady's topic in Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums (NEW!)
Onr small word of advice if you are to attend the planned meeting : Fight smart not emotionally. Insurers are inoculated against cries (they often deny life saving treatments, yours is nothing in comparison) Present clear precise evidence-based materials especially details about timelines/ projected length of illness, known complications and expenses associated with further half step treatment Otherwise your physician may do this for you Good Luck good vibes your way 💜
