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Hey! I just got my bypass on Monday. Home from the hospital as of Tuesday. I'm pretty much just inside alone and in a lot of pain. I can tolerate liquids but like I don't want to drink anything. I'm making sure I check my clock every 30 min while I'm awake to take something in. I had my first bariatric vitamin this morning. Felt a little bit nauseous after but took some meds for that. I feel very lonely right now and I think a big part of it is the pain. It's making me not want to go and walk around my neighborhood. I also am having trouble speaking because my throat is very irritated. Anyone else feel kind of just like sick and isolated? I hate this feeling so much. Can't wait for it to pass. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Do the best you can in between the two people. You cant please both people. The dietician will be less than pleased to be so put down by such a high and mighty surgeon. I bought myself a bariatric plate to remind myself of portion sizes. I cant even eat the meat portion yet never mind the veg and carbs. So I have 3 meals and 2 snacks, 1 is yogurt and 1 is home made veg soup made with milk. Just so I keep my gut moving. Just do your best. Let him sound off and condemn when you jokingly say you ate nothing but take out.

also - there's a good blog that's been used by the bariatric community for several years. The woman who does it had her surgery several years ago and she loves cooking - she has lots of recipes for all different stages. (she's quite well known - she was on the board of the Obesity Action Coalition (may still be for all I know...). Anyway, it's just another good place to check for recipes) https://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

I am looking for some friends to help me succeed with this journey. My name is Lisa and I am having gastric bypass in 4 months. I have already lost 11 pounds in less than 2 weeks. I need to lose a total of 130 pounds. I welcome any tips for before and after surgery and someone to talk to when I have questions or concerns.

I am cold all the time with the bariatric weight loss RNY Sent from my octopus using BariatricPal mobile app

I was told by my bariatric nurse to book in for my B12 injection as I am three months post op, so booked in at my GP surgery today with the instruction to have one every 6 months. Get to my GP surgery today and they think I should be having injections every other day for two weeks - both sides are holding firm on their stances. Just wondered what everyone else's experience was?

Just because someone is in the medical field doesn't mean they know anything about bariatric surgery or even nutrition. Most doctors are given very little, if any, training in nutrition. If the schedule was working for you, you should keep it. In fact, most of the nutritionists I've seen in my life (including for weight loss surgery) have suggested I keep a schedule as well as tracking my food. It's hard to say how many calories you need; it depends on your height, weight, age, gender, and how active you are. There are calorie calculators on the web (try this one: https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html although I have no idea how accurate it is). We are told after surgery to get at least 60 grams of protein; I am for 80. I try to minimize carbs, but I don't have a precise number, as long as my carbs are not coming from added sugar. As far as constipation, it's an ongoing battle for many people. I find that coffee does the trick for me usually, but sometimes I need Miralax, especially after traveling for a few days. Many people like magnesium citrate. Eating and drinking more fluid, as well as more exercise, should also help. At least that's what my surgery center told me.

Hey BariPals! I'm a So Cal Kaiser member and just started the process of exploring VSG. I'm convinced so far that this is the right move for me and I'm excited to be taking the steps to be the best version of myself that I've ever been. I was referred by my PCP already and have had a phone visit with the Metabolic doctor/surgeon. I have an in-person visit scheduled this week! I also have a video class which I believe is an Options class next week. Has anyone had bariatric surgery at Panorama City Kaiser? The doctor I have an appointment with is Dr. Alskaf. Any advice or experiences you'd like to share regarding the process, the hospital or the doctor would be greatly appreciated!

I have Aetna, and my revision due to GERD and esophagitis was covered and I was not required to meet any of the pre-surgical bariatric parameters like diet, psych eval etc. I also had hernia repair, but the primary reason for the revision was the GERD and esophagus damage. I did have to have all the medical tests that proved I had GERD and esophagitis. The RNY revision was medically necessary and insurance approved and covered the surgery. I have lost 60 pounds since the revision surgery which has been a very pleasant side effect of the revision. Being able to sleep without acid in my mouth has been wonderful!

I pretty much didn't give a flip about food for the first five months. I was never hungry and rarely craved anything. I had to actually remind myself to eat most of the time! BUT...that all usually comes back sometime during the first year, and things get a lot harder after that. Mine all came back at five months out. I wish it never did - it was SO much easier to lose weight when I was never hungry and could give a rat's behind about food! So I know this sounds weird to say, but enjoy it while it lasts! It'll never be easier to lose weight than it is right now. I had regrets maybe the first month. But I'm so glad I had the surgery and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! as far as not feeling normal and not being able to eat normally - that's really only the early months. I felt like myself at maybe two months out. As far as eating normally, once you're a ways out there are no more food restrictions. There may be some foods you'll have difficulty tolerating, but your surgeon isn't going to limit anything as you get further out. I was able to add more and more foods as time went on - and it six months out, they said I could eat whatever my system could tolerate (which for me is pretty much everything except for really fat-laden meals). I eat normally now - the only difference is I probably only eat half the amount I did before surgery. When I go out to eat, I'll usually order either an appetizer, or I'll order an entree, eat 1/3 - 1/2 of it, and take the rest home. To be honest, that's how a lot of my never-been-obese women friends eat all the time. No one would be able to tell anymore than I've had bariatric surgery - they'd just think I was a "light eater", if they even noticed at all.

Welcome to the bariatric community. We have so many threads and forums here for you to discover that will guide you through your WLS journey. Feel free to ask or share anything. We're here to support and encourage you.

Thanks to those who responded kindly and respectfully. I should have been more clear: I was not looking for medical advice here, but rather to know if different plans allowed different things. The bariatric community seems to be a large one and there are always differences in plans. My question was if this was one where everyone agreed or were there some of you out there who had a different approach given by your doctors before approaching my dr/nut with my question. Obviously I'd never dream of harming myself by not following medical orders. But reading these responses I see there is no point in even giving them a call, bec there seems to be a unanimous approach to this in the greater community. Thanks, all.

I'm set up for surgery the day after yours. However, mine is a revision so I went through the process of having a sleeve in 2015. I too was concerned about complications. I have a family member who works at the bariatric practice and sees patients every day both before and after their surgeries. She was 100% supportive of both my decision for initial surgery and the revision which was comforting to me. I also realized that the horror stories we read online are a tiny percentage of all who have these surgeries. I believe the vast majority go smoothly and once they get past the initial discomfort of the early healing process most folks are glad to have done it.

While you are in the weight loss phase you will want to watch WHAT you eat of course because you can put away quite a bit of calories in a small volume if you don’t but the way I understood it pretty much everyone goes back to around a serving size eventually. Some it may take longer than others but eventually they want you to be able to eat enough to get all your nutrients in from food. I heard that a lot of those Facebook groups are pretty unhealthy. My therapist suggested bariatric pal and so far I have found nothing but support here.

yes - you will. There are no food restrictions once you get a ways out, and you'll be able to eat much larger portions than you do now (although not as much as you did pre-surgery, unless you want to risk gaining the weight back again). I have no problem going out to eat - it was really only an issue for me the first couple months after surgery. I tend to order meals that include a non-fried protein and some vegetables. I'll sometimes eat a little starch (pasta, potatoes. or bread) - but not much because it sits like a brick in my stomach. Usually whatever I order is an appetizer - or if I do order an entree, I'll eat 1/3 - 1/2 of it and take the rest home. Honestly, that's really not any different than many of my never-been-obese women friends eat. And no one would ever be able to tell I had bariatric surgery at this point - they just assume I'm a "light eater" - if they even notice at all.

I began my WLS journey in 2015 with gastric sleeve surgery in September. My starting weight was 301, which I had managed to diet down to 285 by the time I was approved for surgery. Surgery weight was 277. Surgery was uneventful and I was back at my normal activities within a couple days. My goal weight was 185, but I only managed to lose down to 210. I believe this was because I made the mistake of continuing to drink alcohol after surgery (although less than before) and still ate too many snacks and slider type foods. Over the next several years my weight gradually increased until it settled in at about 230-235. Then the pandemic occurred and that added 20 pounds, so I was back to 255. This is when I learned what I felt was a good method to handle regain - I combined time restricted feeding with keto dieting... I only ate between Noon and 6pm, and strictly limited carbs. Doing this for a couple of months I was able to drop from 255 back to 235. I had issues with reflux before the surgery, and they continued after. They seemed to worsen as time passed. I learned not to eat at least 3 hours before bedtime, and still sometimes I'd end up sleeping in the recliner for several hours when the reflux was particularly bad. I also had developed a hiatal hernia (which a CT report said was small). Then in January of this year something changed. I started having issues where I could only eat a couple ounces of food without feeling severely overstuffed. This plus some bouts with chest pain prompted a couple of ER visits for cardiac workups. Finding no cardiac issues my doctors determined the pain was likely the hernia that had expanded. I also started experiencing symptoms that seem to be consistent with "silent reflux", such as throat, ear tube and sinus issues. I scheduled an EGD with my bariatric surgeon who found a 3cm hiatal hernia. He is going to repair it this coming Tuesday, and to prevent recurrence of the hernia as well as to resolve the GERD issues is doing a revision to RNY. I'm not happy about having to start over with the healing process, but am excited to finally lose the excess weight, correct the hernia and GERD, and get a chance to do things right the second time. So, here are some lessons learned along the way. If they can help someone else then this post is worth making: 1. Listen to your surgeon. If they recommend one procedure over another, there is a reason why. I probably should have done the RNY in the beginning but opted for the sleeve even though I had existing reflux issues. 2. Follow the dietary guidelines. They are there to assure the most successful weight loss. Unfortunately I 'taught myself' how to overcome the carbonation in beer and continued to drink it after recovery, which is a large part of the reason for lack of loss and regain. I wasn't addicted to either, but both were present in my social environment. I have now determined that alcohol and junk food are poison to my system and have resolved to be diligent in avoiding them. 3. If you do experience regain, get on it quickly. I found that time restricted feeding along with a keto eating plan worked wonders for me. I was essentially following the insulin control program established by Dr. Jason Fung. I quickly dropped close to 20 lbs using my sleeve along with this plan. 4. The sleeve, or bypass, is a tool that is given to you for life. You have a great window of opportunity the first year to lose weight and correct health problems. Make the most of it. Even though the tool is still there in later years, it becomes more difficult to lose weight after your system is fully healed and settled into normal life. It's possible, but harder. Make the most of the "one year honeymoon" window!

I just told My husband and Son. Everybody will see a slimmer Me once spring hits in the UK. Its been such a long lockdown here, virtually 30 months on and off, that I have seen no one that matters. I don't think the rest of my family would understand or approve anyway. I know now that others have had the procedure done and not said anything, my bariatric radar is on permanent alert. I haven't had to lie which is great as I am useless at it. I was going to go with Hiatus hernia too

Wow! Lots of activity as we are all getting our procedures done! I wanted to update everyone. I had the VSG done in Mexico on 2/3/22. This was the 1st time doing medical tourism like this and I felt safe. I was picked up from the San Diego airport at 7:15am and took a short ride across the boarder. My blood work was done, spoke to cardiologist, EKG, X-rays, and surgery team. I had my VSG same day (around 1ish). Protocol for this hospital is 2 nights at the hospital and 1 at a nearby hotel. While most of my surgery siblings (5 of us total per day) were up and walking hours after, I was not. I struggled a bit more. In fact, I nearly slept the entire 2 nights I was in the hospital. We were then taken to the hotel for the last night. I ordered the liquids “Bariatric tray” from room service but didn’t really touch them. The one this I made 100% sure I did was drink water. Again, while some of my surgery siblings explored Tijuana, I slept. I was taken back to the San Diego airport for my flight home on Sunday. I asked the airport for a wheelchair (this was a must for me!!!) hubby picked me up after my short flight back to Az. My plan was to take Mon and Tuesday off, returning to work Wednesday. I spent Monday sleeping and Tuesday becoming more and more dehydrated all day long. Wednesday I located an IV hydration office and felt like a new woman. A few things I have learned about my body in this process: When I need to rest, my body will force it. Dehydration is NO joking matter. My pouch does not like cold liquids (took me a bit to figure this out, I am stubborn) Pain is a sign, listen to it. I am starting to get my full amount of liquids in now 😁 and am moving on to adding protein. . . Slowly.

When I had my initial consult the PA held up a picture of a cartoon stomach being separated from a body and said something like “in this surgery we cut most of your stomach out, we remove it from your body and throw it away. It’s permanent, and there’s no going back. Do you understand that?” At the time I felt like it was kind of aggressive but after being on the forums a few years I think that surgeons should maybe spend more time in initial consults doing that sort of discussion. This is a one way trip and people should really be getting that information a long time before preop, not wondering it a few weeks after surgery. That’s a failing on the bariatric office and surgeon.

I feel your pain! I also had to pay out of pocket because my employer insurance excluded bariatric surgery. But it has thus far been worth every darn penny.

From the website Clarity Surgical: Your mood is influenced by a wide array of factors. One of these factors is serotonin, a neurotransmitter produced by the brain. Because of the surgery, your diet becomes much more restrictive. This restrictive diet reduces the amount of carbohydrates you can take in, which causes serotonin levels to go down. Decreased serotonin can cause depressive symptoms. You may also deal with mood swings as a result of your low-carb diet. It’s important to note that if you’ve had a history of depression, you are at increased risk for post-bariatric depressive symptoms.

The moment I came out of the anesthesia, I was insanely groggy and my abdomen was SORE. Best way I can describe is that it felt like I had someone trying to blow up a balloon underneath my stitches. That pain went down 50% over the next 24 hours, but it was probably about 10 days before that pain completely went away. There will be days when it is just plain sore, especially as your abs heal from the incision (the main incision on the left side, where they cut the abdominal muscle to get in, took the longest to heal and longest to no longer have pain). I tolerated liquids well from the start; I was sipping Crystal Light lemonade in the hospital and handled the jello just fine. As far as being super active...well, define "super active." This was my first surgery ever and what I didn't realize was how much surgery saps your energy. I would slowly walk around the hospital floor once or twice a day, mostly just to have a change of scenery. I walked like an old man in a nursing home, but all the nurses commented on how much more I walked than most people who have bariatric surgery. It was a week before I had something approaching a normal schedule, but it was a few weeks before I had normal energy levels. If you are in your 20s, are going to be diligent about your vitamins/nutrition/protein and have no major complicating factors (autoimmune diseases, etc.), then chronic illness is not super likely.

Uhhh... several of us, including me, said that regret is common. Also, even if you have PCOS, they are not going to do a bariatric surgery if you are already at a healthy weight.

Its specifically Excluded in the paperwork. . So i have health insurance thru the marketplace (Obamacare) and there are certain states where insurance companies are not required to cover bariatric surgery and Florida is one of them. So they exclude it on all their plans thru it. I contacted them asking if they had a plan that covered it and they said no, Not in Florida. Private insurance thru a employer sometimes do cover it. but my employer does not offer health insurance

Has no one taken the time to read what she said ?? She only did this because she was told it would help her with the possibility of becoming pregnant. Maybe she wasn’t severely obese. Obviously no one has shared with her that it is normal to have regrets. Maybe she does need a therapist or maybe we as a Bariatric community can be mindful of the tone that comes across in a post. I pray you come to a healthy place.