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Have you been checked for an ulcer? Usually you can just take the meds for a few weeks and you will start to feel better. It does seem to be slow process though. Hope you figure it out and feel better soon.

Hi @texasmade88 Welcome!! Congratulations on the 22lb weight loss!! is that after your surgery? Currently, I have been stalled and I am trying not to get stressed out (although there is a small thought of omg what if I did this surgery and nothing changes for me). I won't be a month out until November 27th so I am just telling myself to chill. How are you feeling about the upcoming holidays with food and stuff? I am actually glad I will not be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner this year, it takes a lot of pressure off of me to hang out with the family.

Fascinating article. Despite having taken several of them myself over the past few years, (including Saxenda and Wegovy), I'm very hesitant to embrace a world where weight loss drugs are the first line of defense against obesity. I say this knowing that at least some of my issue comes down to poor nutrition choices, made far too easy by an environment swimming in garbage foods and a culture that values quick convenience over everything else. When I commit to good nutrition, my weight decreases. I don't get skinny, or even "not obese" but I do lose weight. When the snacks and junk food make their way back in the house and I have stressful weeks with work where I'm at my desk for 12 or more hours and fast food feels like my only option because I'm too tired to cook, I gain weight. In about the past 60 years, we've gone from 13% obesity to 40%, with a 10x rise in severe obesity. This isn't just a weird thing that happened in a vacuum. There are pretty obvious reasons for this, some that could possibly be solved with significant changes to our food policies and investment in real nutrition instead of lining the pockets of pharmaceutical companies and massive food corporations. Much of our so-called food today has been designed to be addictive, by the same folks who brought us cigarettes, no less. That should give people pause the next time they're in the grocery store looking at all those shiny boxes and bags. On the other hand, in the days when only 1% of the US population was morbidly obese...that was my family. And some of my family lived really long lives, into their 90s. Except the ones who didn't and died young. And you don't know which you'll be until it's too late. Up until my 40s, I was one of those people who had healthy bloodwork despite being 90+ lbs over my "ideal weight." I didn't worry about my weight because I was healthy. But that changed rapidly with middle age as my weight went even higher. Now I take blood pressure meds and am prediabetic. My feet and joints ache and I worry what that means as I age. I wish I had done more to keep my weight lower when I was younger and developed better habits early on. I can't believe how ignorant I was of nutrition facts when I was in my teens and 20s. One thing I know is I can't afford $12k or more a year for the rest of my life to take these "miracle drugs." I'm not sure who really can or should. I'm grateful for surgery being an option, but it's not for everyone, and neither are the drugs. As a society, I would like to see more acceptance of humans in all sizes, and more focus on real health and nutrition instead of fads and gimmicks that make a few people really rich.

Hi Edward, The original thread starter left the forum ages ago, but I'll try to answer being veteran MGB patient now well into maintenance. Regarding "bad things". Honestly, EVERY bariatric surgery option comes with issues from mild to (thankfully rarer) serious. It's worth remembering that people on forums like this mostly ask questions when they think things are going wrong or are looking for reassurance. Stalls are common for ALL procedures. GERD is common in the sleeve but not everyone gets it. Pain? Well yeah, it's major surgery so expect it to hurt. Your body has to recover from about five deep stab wounds, being inflated, and then having the stomach cut apart and intestines rearranged. That will take time to recover from! What I think is surprising is how FAST the body recovers considering what it goes through. And if, like me, you have a hiatal hernia repair at the same time, it's another level of pain to wade through, but it does improve. And I take ibuprofen and aspirin. I was never told "never again". I don't take it frequently, but when I have to, I take it. Nothing horrible has happened, and I AM prone to ulcers. To combat my ulcers, I take Pantoprazole. No biggie. As for the hunger, it seems different for everyone across all procedures. My hunger came back about six months in. The restriction remains though, and some things have remained permanently off the menu, like coconut milk/cream and more than one bite of bread or potatoes. It's different for everyone, but I really am glad I got the MGB/Omega Loop. Worked a treat, I lost almost 120% of my excess body fat, and my lab results are all great so the vitamin intake hasn't been an issue.

No idea why my phone always posts things twice lmboooo it may be a texture thing I know I definitely struggle with those kinds of things. You got this 💪🏼, you’ve done a week and are almost done Day 1 of week 2 just a few more. I believe in you ⭐️ I will definitely keep everyone posted.

It could always be worse lol my 2 week pre-op is only liquids no puréed foods allowed for me and no veggies or fruits allowed 😩. Tomorrow is my last day but I can only have clear fluids tomorrow. All I keep thinking is this is all worth it in the end. I know it seems hard in the beginning but it does get easier ❤️

I hope so! I’m so close to asking if I can just do a week of liquids LOL I think it’s a texture thing for me. Good luck to you!! We will get through this. And yes it will be worth it in the end!!! keep us posted🩷

I hope so! I’m so close to asking if I can just do a week of liquids LOL I think it’s a texture thing for me. Good luck to you!! We will get through this. And yes it will be worth it in the end!!! keep us posted🩷

It could always be worse lol my 2 week pre-op is only liquids no puréed foods allowed for me and no veggies or fruits allowed 😩. Tomorrow is my last day but I can only have clear fluids tomorrow. All I keep thinking is this is all worth it in the end. I know it seems hard in the beginning but it does get easier ❤️

😥I am on week 2 of my PRE-OP and it’s purée foods for 4 days. I am on day 1 and I finished my lunch portion at 7pm - it’s so gross to me 😭 I don’t know how I’ll survive these 4 days and then have to do it again Post -Op.

Yay! Great job!! Make sure to get that water in, it will prevent headaches and keep you out of the hospital. Good for you getting shakes in, I can just barely get one in 2 weeks out! LOL Glad your pain is well controlled. I'm doing good, thanks! Hoping to move to purees Thursday after I see the surgeon at my follow up. Pain is greatly reduced and soreness is starting to fade. Incisions had an allergic reaction to the glue but the cream they prescribed calmed it down fast. They look great now! Still getting my water in. Had to change my electrolyte formula because the one I was taking had a lot of magnesium in it and was sending me straight to the bathroom with awful diarrhea every time I took it! LOL I found a new one that is working much better now. I weirdly feel like I have more energy now than I did before surgery and I'm not sure how that's possible. I have chronic fatigue syndrome so any boost in energy is VERY welcome. I'm sleeping better too. I hear some people do really well in ketosis, I guess I'm one of them. I'm really thankful for that. I've never been able to get my body to go into ketosis before! So glad I had this surgery...

This is so true, you have to be your own best advocate!! I'm glad this time around is going much better for you! Make sure you get your rest, it is easy to overdo it at this stage, I am 2 weeks post op and pacing myself even though I feel like I have more energy than ever! I hope your recovery continues to go smoothly, you sure deserve it. ❤️

I have a different flavor of BCBS that required 6 months of physician-monitored diet. But from the time that my program submitted all of the required paperwork to approval was 9 days. My surgery was scheduled for two weeks later. Out of pocket, I paid around $1000. The anesthesiologist was not in-network and was about $270 of the total cost.

I am entering week 5 and I agree! I don't feel full, but I know my limits. I measure all my food into 4oz containers. that will be the game until I feel it. As many said above, I think its coming for sure. I rather eat foods portioned to keep the weightloss at the forefront. Currently I have slowed on my water intake.. working on this. on another note...I like to eat warm food 'Hot" the 30 minutes to eat has me reheating my food! it gets cold! lol.

I'm going the self pay route with Blossom Bariatrics, but was given similar timelines when I spoke with folks with Dr Shillingford and the Nicholson Clinics, but generally scheduling could be done 3 weeks out with 2 weeks of pre-op diet for a Sleeve procedure. From first call to the surgery is generally 1 month, but sounds like it could be less in some cases. RNY, DS, and revisions required considerably more time to plan for. Far fewer hoops to have to jump through going this route, though. I'm only going this route because my insurance declines anything related to bariatric surgery. My previous employer's insurance would only cover a lap band, and it required a year of meetings. If I missed one, or gained any weight between sessions, I had to start over, which is ridiculous. Also they didn't cover any counseling, which I definitely recommend signing up for! It's just as much mental as it is physical! I'd rather not have the equivalent of a car payment hanging over my head, but my health has been declining significantly the last few years and I need a change. My job isn't forgiving with PTO either, and it was all I could do to take the 3 days off for the week of Thanksgiving to get mine done next Monday. It's a small business, so FMLA isn't an option, so I have to go back to work the next Monday.

6 month is tomorrow, here are my before/afters so far. I have the workout aspect down pat (5-6 days at Crossfit each week), but need to dial in the diet a bit over the next 6 months.

I was allowed carbs on my diet plan but my office goes by calories instead of size of meal. I think at 4 weeks it was around 400 to 600 calories but by 8 weeks they wanted us to be around 800. I would see how many calories you are actually taking in and just keep following your plan. Every time I hit a stall I gain 3 pounds and my last stall I actually gained 5 lbs. My stalls are usually 3 weeks long but once it was 2 months. When I think I'm in a stall then I only weigh myself once a week at most because stalls can be rough mentally. The mental part of this weight loss was the hardest part for me. Good luck and take care!

Hi Everyone. this is my 2nd rodeo. I had a repair Nov 2nd and have had to start from scratch again. a little about my story. I am from Australia and suffered GERD quite bad and I had been vomiting non stop for a week(wasn’t gastro) they rushed me into surgery on the 31st August 2022. My hiatus hernia had slipped around my stomach strangling it and the opening and my fundoplacation had collapsed. So after they repaired it they had to cut away most of my stomach. I was happy with that as I was 105kgs. over the weeks after surgery I was stuck on liquids for 2 months. As everytime we stepped up I was vomiting. Then purée for two months. As we tried soft diets I was stuck between liquids and purées a lot of soft diet foods didn’t agree. This was not the quality of life I wanted. My health and mental health deteriorated.(I already had PTSD from a work accident 8 yrs ago) I was either vomiting or starving myself cause I didn’t want to vomit. The dr brushed things off did tests after tests. This carried on for 14 months. I was then referred to the head surgeon in my state. He did some other testing urgently and upon the results I was back in hospital having surgery two days later. The surgeon had to repair the hiatus hernia again as it had collapsed crushing my fundoplacation. And he had to remove more stomach. I was discharged after 3 days and am back home on smoothies and soups until I see him again in a week. I can have no more than half a cup of liquids every 30-60minutes. And only thrown up once(yesterday). Everything seems so different from last time round. So much better. I’m comparing journals. I am now 12 days post op. I have been for half hour walks every 2nd day and today I tried a little more and may have over done the walking. Had to get hubby to come pick me up. I was .5km from home but couldn’t walk another step. But I have felt so good. people if you think something isn’t right fight for the quality of life you want. The last year for me was hell and I wish I spoke up sooner. On a plus note I have some, more like over 100 great smoothie recipes. I tried a lot of combinations. And I just about tried every meal I cooked the family into a purée. 😂 good luck to those having surgery today/tomorrow

I was sleeved in 2017. In hindsight, bypass would have been better given my history of GERD. Fast forward years later, COVID piled the weight on (working from home, lockdown, job stress (worked in healthcare during pandemic) and I'm up 65 lbs. That i can deal with though. I know the bariatric lifestyle, and I know what I need to do to lose the weight healthily and such. It's the GERD. I'm up to 60-80 mgs of Prilosec daily, plus antacids and other H2 blockers as needed. I sleep elevated and just always generally feel like I have a pit in my sternum. I've subsequently relocated to a new state since my surgery, so I feel like I'm starting all over. I have an appointment with my PCC this week to discuss the GERD issue. Given what people are stating on this board, it seems like that a RNY may be an option. Honestly, I just want to know why it has escalated so bad over the last several years. It doesn't matter what it is; it comes up. I drank some unsweetened almond milk two hours after dinner, and about 10 mins later I literally burped it up like a baby. No warning, nothing... All over my bed. Other times, it's that hor burning awful acidic in my throat and chest. Makes me cough. I try to eat crackers to help absorb the acid, which is not healthy. I'm really quite scared that's something serious. What have your experiences been like? Will I go through a whole program again? I just want relief. What questions should I bring up with my doctor. What tests will they run? This is still a fairly new PCC relationship and several thousand miles away from where I first was treated/sleeved.

@ChunkCat is right. Eggs can be difficult for some. Also on purée try to keep your food still pretty runny - like at the very least ‘gloop’ of your spoon. You may need to make yours even runnier by adding additional stock, gravy, water, milk, etc. And yes, while healing you can have weird muscle spasms & strains. Remember your tummy is a muscle & it has to heal from being cut. Lots of nerves also were cut during your surgery & other abdominal organs are moved about while they operate too. So the spasms & other weird feelings are understandable. Someone posted recently that they’re surgeon told them it can take 8 weeks or more you heal from a sleeve. So you may continue to have these spasms & twinges for a while yet. But do check with your surgeon to be sure - better safe than sorry.

Well as long as some moron at the office doesn't lose your paperwork, and never returns your calls for 6 six weeks, it seems like it will take on average a month or two after completing all pre-req's.

Hello. I had my sleeve gastrectomy on June 13. I lost 30 pounds prior to surgery and have since lost another 72 for a total of 102 pounds. I am ecstatic except I can barely eat anything. Initially, I figured my progress was just slow, so I didn’t rush the stages. Then it was discovered I had a stricture as I was throwing up any solid food. I’ve since had two endoscopy procedures, but things don’t seem much better. I am mostly on a soft diet as a lot of solid food, even if eaten in very small quantities and chewed very well, will cause me to throw up. Many foods cause diarrhea. In fact, I’ve had chronic diarrhea this entire time. My doctor says to wait another month before a third endoscopy. I am taking Imodium a couple of times a week to curb the diarrhea because it’s getting to be extremely irritating. I am barely eating because I can hardly tolerate anything, and I am having a very difficult time meeting my protein goal. Protein shakes cause extreme fullness and diarrhea and sometimes vomiting, so those are out. I do drink protein shots which go down well, and I pretty much live on fresh mozzarella cheese and yogurt. Even the thought of a lot of foods is a turn off because they aren’t appealing and make me gag or I’m afraid of how I’ll react and psych myself out. I am at a loss as to what to eat. Luckily, I am getting my water in, 64+ ounces per day, and I do eat Pedialyte popsicles to help with electrolyte loss which my providers are concerned about. I’ve researched and researched, but I’m finding nothing. Has anyone had this issue? How did you solve it?

Dates are getting close guys, I'm so excited for you!! I'm almost 2 weeks post surgery, mine was on Nov. 1st. I'm still on liquids and still getting the weird tummy spasms but I can now get some protein drinks in so that's progress!! Still hitting my fluid goals daily. I cannot stress this enough, try everything you can to hit your fluid goals post surgery and remember ALL fluid counts towards it, even protein shakes, broths, soups, etc... Being hydrated really helps things. Vary your fluids, use flavoring powders and decaf tea and decaf coffee, it helps you feel like you aren't just chugging along on one thing. I'm less sore this week abdominally so that's nice, less episodes of nausea so that's good too. Yesterday I was able to lay on my side for a bit with a pillow supporting my tummy. It felt sooo good, I'm so tired of laying on my back! I will tell you though one thing that has helped a lot is that our bed is on a platform that elevates the feet or head, so we've had the head elevated since my surgery. Sleeping on an incline has helped a lot with the pain and I seem to rest better with my head raised some. You can mimic this with pillows! Oh, and while you are in the hospital, if they don't do it automatically, ask for a script for a proton pump inhibitor. It will help with the over acidity that new tummies seem to deal with and you won't get reflux when you lay down at night. You can wean off after a few months once everything settles down, but I've noticed consistently that those who don't get prescribed these after surgery tend to have more indigestion and reflux post surgery as they are recovering, so something to think about.

I was scheduled two weeks after my final meeting with the dietician, I was able to choose the ballpark dates for my surgery. If you have a date range you'd like, mention it to the doctor, I can't see it being an issue.