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I too am a patient of Dr. Patterson. She is incredibly efficient. That woman blows my mind. I've had two procedures with her. VSG in July and a abdominal hernia repair last week (from csection not VSG). I've been working with her office since January. Highly recommend this practice. No complications. Great follow up. She really listened to some feedback and made changes. While a guru for sure, still humbled by her patients. Great doctor and surgeon. My relationship with Good Sam hasn't been as involved; still, great nursing staff. No complaints. Things went very smooth. What are your specific questions? life is a journey, not a destination; so, stop running -H.D. THEROUX

Be careful ladies. With VSG we will need to avoid NSAID's for life as these can cause issues with our new tummies. This should be in your VSG preop/post op instructions or in the complications section. Luckily as MsShauna said, Tylenol is not a NSAID. Saying that, Advil is a NSAID. You could have headaches due to: Lack of caffeine or not enough liquid, so try to up you intake of Water if you are not getting enough. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!

Hello everyone! I've been reading this forum for a long time now but have never posted before. At my nutritional consult the psychologist really recommended I reach out to people who've had the surgery I am going to get (DS) to get some real life accounts of what life is like after surgery and to help me feel more prepared. I've had my initial consult, psych evaluation, nutrition consult, and am on month 2/3 of my doctor supervised weight loss program. I'm very excited that I'm getting close to (hopefully) being approved and getting my surgery date. I really feel like I'm ready (I've been reading everything I can on this particular surgery for over a year now, including many posts on this forum) and just very excited to become a healthier person who can really enjoy life. Anyway, I guess I'm looking for any stories of any kind that you feel might help me feel more prepared for surgery. I'm very concerned about what to expect in the pain department immediately following surgery, I would say that's my biggest fear at the moment. I am well acquainted with the diet and supplements and how different life will be in that regard. That will surely be a challenge for me, but it's one I am looking forward to at this point. What types of issues or complications did you guys have after surgery? How long will it be until I feel like myself and have energy again? I have 3 kids from infant to school age so that's another concern of mine too. Has anyone been disappointed with their weight loss following this surgery? I am looking to lose about 170 pounds to reach what is medically considered a "healthy" weight for me. My surgeon is Dr. Sudan at Duke, who I have all the confidence in the world in. I'd love to connect with anyone who has had him as a surgeon, but I'm mainly just excited to hear from anyone who might be able to help me get prepared! Thank you

Don't worry about the pain. You will be on pain meds. I had a sleeve a week ago and had very little pain. I stuck to all of my surgeon's recommendations before surgery and I feel almost normal today. I still get a little fatigued here and there but really nothing major. I was one of the lucky ones- no complications and no regrets, just 40 pounds down since I started this process.

My boss (a fabulous, supportive, amazing woman - if you haven't picked up on that in my posts on other areas of this site) and I were talking today about changes in my life pre- and post-Lap Band. It's been two years this month that my Daddy died of complications from years of untreated type II diabetes. This is not to say we didn't know he had it.... he just did the minimum to take care of it for the twenty years or so he was diagnosed. It took its toll and, at the very young age of 64, with congestive heart failure and multiple strokes and MIs under his belt - including two open-heart surgeries for quad bypass and valve replacement - he died. The intricacies of all of that are for another blog, if I decide to let you in that far, but this does have bearing on this post. All my life, I was heavy. My parents are/were heavy, two of my three siblings are heavy, various extended family are heavy. It was something we were, totally acceptable, and totally oblivious as to what it would mean later in life (for those of us lucky enough to have a "later in life"). We ate what we wanted without a care in the world, blindly following every fad diet imaginable when the mood struck us to lose 100lbs overnight... you get the idea. Being that way, and being surrounded by people in the same situation made it easy to hide from life. I still enjoyed life, as a kid, a young adult, and now a thirty-something, but something was always missing: Freedom. This is what the boss and I were discussing: a newfound freedom borne of a normal-sized body in a normal-sized life. Why do we call it Freedom? I missed out on the freedom to run around and do what I really wanted to do because, quite frankly, I didn't fit into normal life: We asked for tables at restaurants because we didn't have the freedom to sit where we pleased; we didn't fit comfortably into a booth. We didn't go on roller coasters because we didn't fit into the cars and/or safety belts We chose bigger cars because what we really want - in my case, a Mini - wouldn't fit our happy asses comfortably and we looked ridiculous driving them around We didn't have the freedom to buy clothes we liked because we had to buy clothes that fit our expansive waistlines We avoided stairs, walking festivals, and anything resembling an outdoor/exercise activity because of how we looked or how it affected us after only a short while We ate what everyone else ate, regardless of its nutritional value (or lack thereof) because we didn't have the freedom (or so we thought) to make different choices; we were enslaved to justification, eating with the masses Last Friday, my assistant and I went shopping. I went into a normal-sized store and purchased normal-sized clothing off the normal-sized rack. No "W" after the size, no special department, no special cut to hide my abnormal size or shape. I found Freedom through choice rather than a forced necessity.

First, go lock the window. Cmon, that was funny. Really, just calm down and take a few deep breaths. You are ready for this. You've read up and gone thru the whole pre-op process. Stuck with it thru an appeal for approval. You want this and know it is going to make your life better. You're just letting yourself get too wrapped up in the unknowns. Is it gonna hurt? Will there be complications?? Forget all that. You have no control over it and if there are any issues, you will be plenty strong enough to handle whatever is required to get thru anything. But just think how silly you'll feel when this is over in the blink of an eye with none of the worrisome things swirling around in your head. Close your eyes and think pleasant relaxing thoughts and visualize yourself getting slimmer and slimmer and enjoying all the compliments. It's gonna be over so fast and you'll be home having a hard time even believing you had the surgery. And I want you to come back here with a big smile after to tell me I was right. Now relax and enjoy all the attention your gonna get in the hospital.

Hi! Im concerned that RNY is a more complicated surgery. Also the “potential for dumping”. I am 58 and have had 7 prior orthopedic surgeries with 6 of them having complications, as have a lot of fear.

Hello @Readybutscared I am similar in size to you 5'7 1/2" and currently 240 pre-surgery. My DS Loop surgery is schedule for 9/19. I guess we''ll see how it turns out. Of course I am nervous. I'm 68 years old. I feel like I should have looked into the WL surgery years ago. I've struggled with weigh for over 50 years. Like you I hide my weight well and don't appear to be obese. As I have gotten older I have developed weight related complications requiring medications; GERD, high blood pressure and recently type II diabetes. As I said we'll see how this works out. I'm tired of being a fat guy and want to see what it's like to have a normal weight my remaining 25-30 years. I enjoy bicycling. I told my surgeon try riding carrying an 80 lb. bag of cement.

So, I work with a lot of heavy lifting (wine boxes and loading them into u-boats, etc) and work has been accommodating to me, but I noticed that I was scheduled for a shift to basically go back into that on my 5th week from surgery date and I was advised to not do heavy lifting until the 6th week; is it going to cause complications? Or do you think it'll be manageable? 😬

a DS has a sleeved stomach and an intestinal bypass (not a gastric bypass, like the RNY - but intestinal. It bypasses a big chunk of your small intestine). It's the most powerful surgery out there - but not all surgeons do it. Plus converting RNY to DS is a very complicated surgery that few surgeons do - but there a handful who DO do it - like Dr. Rabin and Dr. Keshishian in California. although since you have bad GERD, I'm not sure if this is your best option, since the DS involves a sleeved stomach. Sleeves can often make that worse. But it might be worth talking to a surgeon about.

@@candacer If you search success stories on this site you will likely get alot of information. I was 51 when I had RNY gastric bypass. I chose bypass over sleeve because I suffered from GERD and RNY is know to cure it. I also had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and stage 3 kidney disease. I am 5'10" and at my heaviest weight was 315 lbs. I lost a 152lbs in 18 months and reached my goal this past march. I went from a size 26 to a size 8/10. Best of all I no longer have GERD, sleep apnea, high BP or high cholesterol. My diabetes has been in remission since the day I had surgery and my stage 3 kidney disease has been in remission since 3 months post op. For me, having this surgery was the best thing I ever did. I had no complications and I believe that is because I followed doctors orders to the letter. I was scared when i started mostly because of all the required change but once I started the process i kept my goals top of mind and they literally drove me. Best of luck to you!

So sorry for your complications. But you have done awesome( a bit jealous...haha).. You will get thru this just fine and it will all work out for the best . Prayers are with you and try not to stress too much..

An update Well.. surgery was about six months ago now or a little more! I'm still doing well and in the six months, I've lost 80 pounds. I still have about 50 to go to get to my goal, but 30 would be within the goal the doctors set for me (I wanted to aim for the lowest possible healthy goal which was 130). Most all of the surgery issues I had have gone away. I don't really experience dumping anymore. Occasionally rich food still churns my stomach and I toss my Cookies so to speak... but other than that.. no complications.. my constipation resolved on its own with time etc. I'm still losing hair even though I meet my Protein goals, but I've heard that can last quite a while. I don't measure my food, but I also only take tiny portions when serving myself and I stop before I feel full - there's a happy "comfortable" feeling right before full that I've learned to identify that tells me I've eaten enough. I figure as long as the scales are still steadily going downward that I'm eating correct portions I no longer have any temptation to over eat. My sleeve is perfect at telling me exactly how much and when to eat! Hopefully that will never change I don't notice much loosening in my restriction. I eat high protein and moderate on carbs with a lot of fruit and veggie. I found that eating very low carb made me lose energy, so my dietician said it would be fine to be more moderate on carbs. I don't aim for a number.. I get my protein in first and veggies and then carbs can happen. I get my protein in using a lot of dairy and also some meat (lots of chicken and seafood) I do drink diet pop without any issue. It doesn't cause me pain or make me tempted to eat other sugary foods. I do sometimes eat Desserts, but a lot less often than I did.. I don't feel the need for them the way I used to. I can pass up a cupcake sitting on the counter and just not care.. which was never something I could do before. I regularly exercise, which was something I never did before and I feel good about that. My energy is huge now and I've gone from a size 22 to a size 13 ish. I can wear skinny jeans for the first time and feel great about it and I feel healthier too. I can do so much more than I was able to once upon a time

Thanks! Yes, I consider myself lucky that it was figured out now and not further down the road when it led to more complications. I honestly thought the sensativity was normal, as part of adjusting my new stomach to foods. A little to sensative though it turned out. Thanks for the well wishes and I will keep update

@@SkinnyWannaBee congrats on loosing 15 lbs pre-op!! 40 lbs after surgery!! 55 lbs total weight loss is exciting!! i am NOT in the medical field but i AM a smart cookie!! LOL it will take time for your new little tummy to settle down/heal since you just had the EGD maybe like you are just starting over as if you were sleeved yesterday you are now able to eat a little more food after a while your eating will move forward eat different things hopefully things will continue to improve your new "normal" will be regular "good healthy, nutritious foods you will have variety not shakes only for the rest of your life feel better sooner than later good luck kathy http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/429-gastric-sleeve-surgery-complications-support-group/

I'm 28 and my doctor actually steered me away from the lap band BECAUSE of my age. He said that he does more corrective lap band surgeries now because of all the complications that can arise from the band. He said that I would have a lifetime of adjustments to look forward to, not to mention possible complications. Of course complications can arise from the sleeve as well but it's not as likely. Ultimately I chose the sleeve because of a few things: 1) higher success rate/more percentage of weight lost than with the band 2) not having to revisit all the time for tightening/loosening of the band 3) not having to introduce a foreign item into my body 4) irreversible (I know 4 people personally who had the band then ended up having it removed due to complications. every single one of them has gained all their weight back).

How badly do you want to lose weight and keep it off forever??? I am going to schedule a revision from band to sleeve and that is scary!! What if there are complications with the removal? What will happen? I can't think of that because I will have to get it out eventually. I know that I want to be slimmer for good!! If you have the support of your husband and you really want this for yourself JUST DO IT!! You have nothing to lose but weight!! Come with me to Mexico I am going to Dr Garcia........

I was sleeved 12/20/12 and am down 51lbs. I never had any complications nor issues with nausea or vomiting.

You'll get there. You should be really proud of what you have accomplished. Even with the complications you're sticking with it and making it work for you. Good for you!!

Hello All, I had my surgery on Sunday, Aug. 7. I had complications...:ermm and had to be sliced down the middle. I know that my case was special because my husband had the operation at the same time, is fully functional and is feeling great. My question is,....has anyone else had this occur to them?...Please let me know that I'm not the lone stranger. I got really depressed today because I am not further along in my recuperation. I scared because I am scheduled to go back to work day after tomorrow and don't feel I am "all day" functional. What do you think?............Talk to me, please! you Inamed friend, Cyndi

All surgery carries risk but so does being obese. Unfortunately, there’ll always be some negative Nancies out there who are so happy to tell you horror stories. But you didn’t make this decision without doing the research & there are thousands of success stories on this forum. Sure some have experienced complications along the way but goodness knows what they would have faced without the surgery & not losing weight. As others have said, it’s not an easy fix. You have to make changes & take advantage of the tool. If you pay for a gym membership but never go, you’ll never get healthier. Same with wls: you have to work at it every day. It’s a lifestyle change. Best of luck with your surgery. It’s an amazing journey & the benefits are incredible.

I'm pretty open with my hatred for the band, and it's because I lived with that evil thing. Plus, I have friends, and my own mother that have the band. I wouldn't have a malabsorptive procedure if someone paid me, but if RNY and DS were the only 2 WLS options, and I had major co-morbidities, I'd only consider DS. You'll also find that everyone loves their surgery choice the first 6-12 months. After that little honeymoon phase, things change, and reality sits in. I'm open to others having whichever surgery they think is best, but I know which surgery was BEST for me. I've also been able to educate several friends (in real life) about the sleeve, and now they are singing sleeve praises, and so grateful that I educated them rather than just bashing their initial choice. For me, the "proof is in the pudding" (pun intended) for VSG. I'm a walking billboard that it can successful, and that we can live extremely normal, healthy, active lives with zero complications.

Welcome! Sorry to hear how complicated your surgery was, but best wishes that the rest of your recovery goes smoothly. Definitely sleep while you have the chance! I wore the big, elastic abdominal support for the first 2 weeks. Between that and my swollen belly, sitting at a computer was almost impossible the first week. I'm an accountant, so I sit pretty much all day. I read and binge watched reruns of favorite shows. I thought I could get caught up on my required CPEs (Continuing Professional Education classes) while I was home, but had a serious case of the post-anesthesia stupids, so no way.

Hi all, my name is Lisa. I had the Lap-Band in Monterrey MX in 2003 and had success. I initially lost 100 lbs, but I have gained back 40 of it. I still consider it a success since I have kept 60 pounds off for over 10 years. Last year I started throwing up in the middle of the night, as well as throwing up at every meal. I thought that was just how it was going to be - my insurance didn't cover my surgery and I have tried to get follow up appointments with other doctors in town. Most of them wouldn't touch me without an outrageous "takeover fee." One doc wanted $5K up front before I stepped foot in the office! I finally went to my PCP in April and they set me up with a bariatric doc - since I was having an issue, insurance approved it (I have Sierra Health). Doc said the band was slipped and I also have a hiatial hernia and suggested revision to a gastric sleeve. Well - today my surgery was approved - in 48 hours! Lap band removal, repair of hernia, and revision to sleeve. My surgery date is August 5. FYI - my insurance just changed July 1st. I was told by them that because of Obamacare (PLEASE no political comments!!), that complications because of prior weight loss surgery, whether it was initially covered or performed in the country or not, HAS to be treated as any other illness and all I have to pay is the deductibles as for any other surgery. Yay! So, for those of you who have previously been denied or have not been covered in the past, it might be worth looking into. I was told that the changes went to effect on July 1. Not sure if it effects first time surgery or not, but worth researching!

On one hand, I like that he is being honest with you about the change in his stats, but on the other, it is shocking to me that he is now (still!) pushing for lap-band. Unbeknownst to me at my initial consultation, my surgeon has been a trainer for Allergan and the lap-band...and he, admittedly, was slow to embrace the sleeve, but now only recommends the lap-band with serious reservations...he says he had to do what is in the best interest of his patients, and the lap-band just isn't! Complications can and do happen, and are not always the result of poor surgical work. I would definitely talk with him and see what he says about those 2 cases...is he baffled as to how the leaks occurred?...was there a component of patient non-compliance? Is his post-op eating plan possibly an issue (re-introducing patients to solid food before prudent)... I didn't go through insurance, so I don't know the answer to this, but does the pre-approval process have to start over if you switch doctors? I know you said you have limited local options, but would be worth it to me to travel a bit to get to a surgeon that is an ardent supporter of the sleeve with many hundreds of VSG surgeries under his belt!!