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yeah, Canadians seem to want to complicate spelling, lol Tip: I only seem to find these at NO FRILLS or LOBLAWS grocery stores (despite what Google says). I like them also because they are sweetened with Stevia vs.. Sucralose.

I'm actually 3 months out but due to complications I had to start from the beginning. What method would you use instead of baking? That's the healthiest option lol

I am as usual late to the thread. So glad that you are healing and up moving about! Thank you for a few laughs as my freezer is full of Popsicles that are all mine... recovering from some nasty complications following plastics which has had me on the popsicle pity party for the last six weeks. Also it is excellent that people are beginning to speak of revisions and some of the long-term decisions post WLS. Yes I initially gained 15 pounds after surgery and I’m down to eight lbs but am still draining....

Alex I am so very thankful that you are healing. Medical complications are so very scary and even though the risks are low still terrifying when they happen. Glad to learn you can treat at home and continue your journey of wellness. Sending good vibes prayers and thoughts your way

So I was sleeved nine months ago and have not had any complications or issues. I blacked out 3x last night trying to get from the bathroom back to my bedroom around 2 am. This happened once before around 6 am. Think it's low blood sugar? I don't have any other symptoms of dumping syndrome. Last night I had 4 oz. salmon and 1/4 cup of grilled zucchini for dinner around 6 pm., then a skinny cow ice cream bar at 9 pm. Hopefully, this will not happen again, but my husband has a glucose meter, and if it does, he's going to measure my blood sugar when it happens. Mr. Google didn't have much to say. Has anyone else experienced this with the sleeve? I will call my surgeon, promise.

Ah, I am a spreadsheet addict and keeping track of my measurements (among other things) is one of the great joys in my life, lol. I am almost 9 months out and in maintenance. Here is an excerpt from an overly-complicated spreadsheet that I maintain. Body measurement day is every Wednesday so here are the stats from last week: Crazy.

Sorry for the slow reply, I've been on vacation for a few weeks and not online. She didn't say what a good ratio was, just to have complex carbs if I was going to work out (she suggested oatmeal for example). One other thing that helped me a little with light headedness was to have a beverage containing electrolytes at least once a day. For me that became a 20 oz powerade zero, its way too sweet for me, but I religiously have at least one bottle a day and that does help. Honestly though I still have days when I nearly pass out when I stand up quickly - especially if I'm really exerting myself. The DR's don't have any answer for that and I did have a full cardiac work up shortly after surgery due to a complication, so there's no issues there. My theory is that you have a lot of extra vascularity when you're heavy (more blood vessels to feed all that fat) and when you get thin the blood vessels don't go away. No one has been able to tell me if that is the case or if they go away over time - but in my case my blood pressure went from borderline high to on the low side, but my resting heart rate has also increased even though I'm in good shape. TLDR: Try an electrolyte beverage to see if that helps and have complex carbs before a workout - a lot of other stuff could be going on too and the DR's don't have all the answers unfortunately.

appendix? Complication from your surgery? You need to call your doctor and maybe get it checked out in the ER.

I had mine a month ago, and I haven't had any complications so far, I was super anxious and shaking before the surgery, but found out it was all in my head and non of my concerns actually happened after surgery. you will just have some tolerable pain during the first week and it will start getting better gradually, I have zero regrets so far, and you woudn't too hopefully ❤️

Most any surgery that you can contemplate, in addition to the basic risks associated with surgery, hospitals and anesthesia, will have some risk of side effects that may be less than desirable, however we take those risks in order to correct a problem that we have created by injury, disease or genetics, with the intent that the result will be much better than what we started with. The various bariatric procedures have different predispositions to consider - conditions that happen more commonly than in the general population. The VSG is predisposed to GERD as the stomach volume is reduced much more than its' acid producing potential, and while usually the body adjusts and corrects the problem, sometimes it doesn't completely. Similarly, the RNY is predisposed to marginal ulcers (typically around the anastomosis) because the part of intestine to which the stomach pouch is attached is not resistant to the stomach acid like the duodenum is (the part of intestine immediately below the stomach outlet, which is bypassed along with the remnant stomach.) Likewise, it is also predisposed to dumping and reactive hypoglycemia owing to more rapid stomach emptying due to the lack of pyloric valve. Usually, these problems don't hit most patients, or don't persist if they do, but sometimes they are long term problems. These are things to consider ahead of time, particularly if one has any relevant pre-existing condition. Another consideration is that the VSG is fairly easy to revise if it does run into a problem that can't be resolved otherwise, while the RNY is difficult to revise or reverse. Another point to consider is that while the sleeve leaves behind a relatively "normal" anatomy, the bypass leaves a blind stomach and upper intestine which is more difficult to examine endoscopically, so some problems may not be diagnosed until they are more advanced and symptomatic. For instance, if one is subject to stomach polyps, that is a pre-cancerous condition that should be monitored, but is difficult to do after a bypass. An pre-op endoscopy is a good idea to understand what is happening inside you, even if your program doesn't require one. On the diabetes front, they both do well, typically seeing 75-85% remission rates (remission is what it is, rather than a "cure" - it can come back, particularly with some weight regain) though the bypass is generally considered to be marginally better. The best results come from the Duodenal Switch which typically shows remission rates in the 98-99% range, but that is a more complex procedure that few surgeons offer. However, if the diabetes fails to go into remission, or comes back, after a VSG, a revision to the DS is straightforward (as the DS uses the VSG as its basis) while revising an RNY to a DS is very complicated, which only a handful of surgeons are able to perform. So, while the VSG may not be quite as good as the RNY in that respect, it has a much more viable "plan B".

Sooooooo, i assumed i had a "stomach ulcer" due to the pain i was experiencing. Once i described the problem, my doctor's assistant prescribed me medication. A month later the medicine does nothing. I went back still complaining aboutmy stomach so my doctor requested a Endoscopy. I had the procedure done yesterday (7/19/19) and the doctors said i dont have a Ulcer. (WTF)? In fact he said my stomach looks great. No signs of complications, I didn't stretch my stomach out or anything. He said i look perfectly fine. What the hell..??? Sent from my LG-Q710AL using BariatricPal mobile app

yes - GERD is a possible complication of the sleeve. That's not to say it's inevitable, but it is a risk and therefore, it's not recommended for people who already have pre-existing GERD. Gastric bypass often improves or even cures GERD.

Hi. I’m new here, also. We are on the same journey. 😀 I removed my band after five years in 2018. I went to the surgeon on 7/5/19 thinking I would get vsg but he said he would recommend rny instead due to reflux and my age (55). I have a BMI of 36 with lots of comorbities except for diabetes (so far). I just want to be around for kids and right now I’m a heart attack waiting to happen. But then I get scared thinking what if I get a bad complication from rny and I’m not here for my kids... Are you nervous? I hope for the best for you!

It is encouraging to hear other stories that are similar to mine. I had the lap band in 2009 and lost about 40 pounds with it. No matter what I did I just could not get below 190. The good thing was that I really stayed between 190 and 195 most of the time. I started having terrible reflux around 2016 and they wanted to remove my band. I was so scared of gaining all of my weight back that I just kept changing the date and putting off the removal. About a year went by and I just could not take the complications of my terrible reflux. I was literally sleeping sitting up every night and my body hurt everywhere from that crazy situation. I had the band removed in Sept of 2018 and by Dec I had put on 30 pounds ( with no changes to my eating habits) I decided to speak with someone about my options for sleeve or bypass. After seeing the surgeon he thought that I would be a great candidate for the sleeve and we sched surgery for Aug 12. I have put on 60 pounds since having the band out and I feel absolutely miserable. I am so excited and very nervous to take this next step. I will start my preop liquid diet one week before surgery but I have been thinking about starting a little early. For those that have already had the surgery any suggestions on pre-op diets, what helped get you through..... also was anyone able to lose any weight pre-op?

I also had extreme pain after surgery and felt a bit misled. Apparently it’s policy to wake up patients after surgery without pain meds in order to make sure there were no complications from anesthesia. So I woke up and threw up blood, cried from the pain and immediately asked for pain meds. The worst was that the nurses made me constantly drink liquids and discharged me within 24 hours, and to be discharged I had to eat puréed food, which I was so not ready for. It hurt just sitting there but it was extremely painful to take anything in. I felt like my recovery “back to normal” was pretty slow in general because I’ve had a lot of problems with low blood pressure. 85 lbs and 7 months later I’m very glad I did the surgery but just wish I was more prepared for the pain.

Recovery was probably no worse than without the gallbladder removal. Although my surgeon said he wouldn’t do them together if it was too risky. I have difficulty with recovery from surgery for other reasons so my complications that came up are more likely due to lifelong chronic illness (immunodeficiency) and disability.

⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ Ok here's the details on why I needed a revision: 1. Stricture at Incisera/spiraled sleeve- confirmed through testing and in surgery (no way to fix both issues without revision surgery) 2. GERD- I NEVER had it prior to surgery. It was a side effect. It was caused (surgeon believes) by the stricture I had at the incisera. This was confirmed through endo and surgery. 3. Hiatal Hernia- no explanation needed. 4. Gastritis- had this prior to first surgery and never resolved itself but hopefully now it will 5. Adhesions- plenty and plenty and plenty that NEEDED to be removed. Here's why youve never heard about any of these things until now: I still lost weight with the issues i had... They did not stop me from making better choices and working hard with the hand i was given. Plus complaining here would just scare people out of something that could benedit them immensely. I did all of my wailing to my surgeons and they took my concerns seriously. 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Hope this helps someone. These complications especially clustered like this are rare. Surgery was still completely worthwhile. This may never ever happen to you. You do not have to fail at WL because of complications. You do not have to regain because of complications. You DO have to check in with your team and make them aware so they can help you.

After 6 years of type 2, Hypertension and high cholesterol I made a conscious decision to have gastric sleeve surgery. A short 2 months later and 87 pounds lighter I no longer am on any medication! Fasting glucose average has been 92, my BP is 110/70 and I feel great! Im exercising and have added a few years to my life. Whats to think about? I had no complications, no pain, no throwing up, nothing! If your serious about gaining control of your health and your life, this surgery is your opportunity to make lasting changes and get off the Yo-yo dieting. Your mother loves you and is concerned but you are hurting yourself if you continue to be obese.

The scheduler was out of the office today so I am waiting for her to call me with a date. The nurse told me that she thinks my dr is booked until late August/ Early September. I know that the complication rate from a second surgery is greater than that of a first so I am very nervous about it.

I just had my year two esophagram today. Band is still in original position. No acid reflux. 85lbs down. I have had no problems. My doctor said that the complications are with people who have smaller bands. I have a 10cc band. I tend to think he is correct because bands are the procedure he performs most often.

Two weeks out and no complications for me. Amongst the other patients there at the same time, the only "complication" was a woman who already knew she didn't handle general anesthesia well. Oh wait, on one lady they found and fixed a hiaital hernia while in there, not sure if that counts as a complication though.

All good responses above. I had the same reaction after visiting some bariatric forums. It’s normal to worry and stress over surgery procedures. There are risks with ANY type of surgery. Talk to your surgeon about the statistics for complications. Know that your team will take good care of you. Your pain will be managed with medication. I’m five years out. No complications.

I had three complications - a marginal ulcer formed one week out and I was on medicine for 12 weeks to heal it. Then my gallbladder went to hell 2 months out and they also found a hernia while they were in there. It happens. It's generally not a big deal and all 3 of the issues were resolved with time. Nothing that couldn't be fixed. Just be aware of how you feel and speak up if anything feels off. Definitely wouldn't change my mind had I known I would have gotten those complications.

I didn't have a single complication.

Hi everyone! I have been trolling for a while, and asked a few questions and told my story, all with positive responses. Thank you! I have the following concerns for after the surgery but have been prepping for them (I have not received my date yet). Loosing my hair - I have increased my protein intake and switched to a good multi-vitamin with B-12 biotin. Is this enough or should I get an additional B-12 with Biotin? I also eat my protein, veggies then carbs at meals. I’m still working on chewing 20 times before swallowing. Getting too thin - I have a rather small amount of weight to lose in comparison to many here. I am worried with the sleeve that I will become under weight. I’m 5’0” and currently 178 pounds. Most of my weight is in my lower belly. Loose skin - I am currently exercising to help, but cannot do stomach toning yet as I have a very large incisional hernia that cannot be repaired until after the sleeve. By then I will have lost most of the weight (I hope) and I’m not sure how this will impact my belly skin. Is the surgery to remove skin possible after hernia repair or will ab exercises be enough? Dehydration - I am currently getting the 64oz in and have cut my coffee to 1 cup a day, and no soda. Just drink water all day. I have read that many have trouble after surgery to get it all in. How can I ensure to get all my fluids? I bought a cup that helps me to be sure I’m reaching my intake goals every hour, I know everyone says sip, sip, sip but some make it seem impossible. I am I doing enough to ensure I don’t become dehydrated after surgery or is this a case by case situation. Thank you for any advice you can give. In the past I have had many complications from surgeries and I want to try to avoid any this time around. Have a great day and thanks for the inspiration! 😊