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I am on a number of psych meds for PTSD and depression. I had a hysterectomy with no changes to my meds for anesthesia, they adjust the meds they use to your own particular cocktail. I've been told there will be no issues with my meds and surgery. I talked with my psych about meds and absorption and she said that she doesn't usually have issues with sleeve patients, the most she has to do is a tweak here and there, but you might want to consider more weight neutral formulations. She said she's had more issues with RNY and DS patients, but again, nothing is impossible and there are solutions for even those patients, it just takes more work to maintain therapeutic levels like compounded liquid formulations for some patients. It really depends on your particular meds and what wiggle room you have. My surgeon wasn't concerned at all with my meds and surgery/recovery, so I think maybe your doctor isn't educated enough on the subject? Patients on psych meds have surgery all the time with no problems... ETA: I'm on other meds too and the only adjustment to those was to skip my morning doses as one of them could have interacted with the anesthesia they were using. I was able to take it that night with no problem. They go over every med you are on during your pre-surgical appointment.

Hi all, New here. I had gastric sleeve surgery Nov 2016, got pregnant a month later. Initial lost 76 lbs. Gained about 20 lbs back at the time of Covid until now. I have GERD and a hitial hernia so I have opted to get a revision to bypass in hopes of forever getting rid of GERD. I never got to my goal weight which was 150 lbs. I was about 16 lbs shy of that. I am about 189 lbs on a heavy day. My concern is that I wont lose as much weight because my BMI is not extreme. Anyone else out there lose more than 20 lbs getting revised being at such a low starting weight? The Dr's office of course says I may not lose any weight at all which I just can believe.

I am meeting with my surgeon in a week to hopefully talk about a surgery date. The surgeon wanted me to lose 10-15 pound prior to this appointment, and I haven't been able to! I have major anxiety about this and am worried he will choose to not move forward. Has anyone gone through something similar?

I start my pre-op diet on Monday of next week. So we've been trying to make all my favorite meals and go to my favorite places because they just won't be happening again for a long while. Kinda like a last hurrah. My husband is sad that I won't be "a happy fat kid" with him anymore but is looking forward to eating all my leftovers. My biggest switch has been going from drinking my calories (country time lemonade all day every day, like a gallon of the sweet stuff every day just about) and going to the packets and squirty bottles of sugar-free. I've found it really easy to keep a little variety in my purse and I carry around a big water bottle everywhere now that I didn't before. I'm still struggling with the "no straw" and 30-minute rule of spacing things out. I'm afraid that is gonna be a lesson I learn the hard way. I just don't know how else I can really prepare. I bought a binder and some high-cut undies because I know I'm going to want slight compression for the ride home from the hospital as it's 6 hours from home. I've bought proteins of several types to try as we move forward. I'm afraid of failing. I'm afraid I'm going to make myself sicker than I've been over the last year and regret it. And I know this is supposed to be the gold standard fix for a failing nissen but it still scares me. The surgery itself is no big deal, I don't need to worry about that since all I gotta do that day is "take a nap" while the doctors do all the complicated stuff, hahaha. It's how bad am I going to mess myself up afterwards and how long will it take my husband to get me to turn back into "a happy fat kid". My husband is supportive but he's also an enabler and is afraid to tell me no even when I ask him to. And I get it because I can be a real horses patoot at times. Also, there's the thing of physical attraction as well. My husband is very much enamored with "curvy girls"... like he's never dated anyone smaller than me, so I'm petrified that as I lose weight he's going to lose interest between curves getting smaller and skin getting loose, I'm paranoid. One of the things I'm working on with my therapist but still weighing heavily on my mind. I just worry because I am admittedly very co-dependent on him. But life will be what it is and I'll deal with things as they actually come to fruition because I'm a terrible overthinker otherwise...

I have sleep apnea.. i have to take the test for my doctor and get levels. I am a flight attendant and only experience it mainly after flying for work a trip.. i recently developed this as i gained 25 pounds since i started this job. I do not have a Cpap machine. Once the doctor gets my test results back, he can write me a script for one and my insurance can cover it. I am always able to use my reflexes to wake myself up and start breathing again. It doesnt occur every night. Maybe once or twice of an occurrence (occurrence meaning a single night) it can happen with me stop breathing multiple occasions thru out the night.. Last night, it only happened once.. the night before that it happened 3 times. Im able to re-catch my breath and drink some water and go back to sleep. MY MAIN question after all that, is… how do doctors make sure that you dont stop breathing during anesthesia when you only use your cpap machine before surgery and after surgery. How are they able to monitor your breathing so that you dont stop breathing during the actual surgery? Because i dont think you’re hooked up to a breathing machine are you? Has anyone had to be hooked up to a breathing machine during their actual gastric sleeve or bypass surgery ? What if I fall asleep after I leave the surgery center and im still under anesthesia? Should i wear my cpap machine at all times for a day or two? For those with sleep apnea that are outpatient, what did you do?

Reading how each person's journey is going has been encouraging for me. @Sanvsan73 Loosing 40 pounds is awesome @SleeveToBypass2023 15 pounds in a month...that's terrific as well. My revision is scheduled for Aug 28th - I will be happy with relief from GERD as mine causes me to bring foods back up sometimes hours after I've eaten and in bed sleep. Acid reflux was bad at the dentist office when they laid me back. I found myself bringing up stomach acid in the sink in the exam room 😕 This surgery will be critical for me to avaoid even more damge long term. Of course as most of you I would love to drop 40-50 lbs I gained after 2020. My sleeve surgery was in 2017 (Feb). All of your weight loss no matter how small or big is encouraging. Issue today I am having a hard time drinking these prep-op shakes! They are sitting heavy on my stomach.

1. Basics: GENDER, AGE, HEIGHT F, 52, 5'3" 2. Total Weight lost in the 6 months BEFORE surgery (if any) 12.2 lbs 3. Weight on DAY OF SURGERY. 254.6 4. Weight at 1 MONTH POST surgery 235.7

For me, I had already been off psych meds for a year prior to going into the process of getting weight loss surgery. Even though I had been going to therapy I had to have a psych evaluation and the psychologist told me that psych meds can interfere with anesthesia. Do not let this discourage you, it may take a little longer to get surgery, but there are workarounds. Your surgeon will let you know for sure, so do not stress about this until you get your surgeon's opinion, they will help your figure out what to do so you can be successful. There is always a solution to every problem.

Sometimes crying can be viewed by healthcare professionals and some people in general as weak or neurotic. I quit crying in front of others at 8 years old when my grandmother yelled at me and told me it made me look ugly. Then when my father hit me because I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I learned to cry in private. He used to beat my Mom over whether food was on the table at a certain time or if the meal was missing a condiment or not to his liking. I told my bariatric psych this is why I only ate when hungry or skipped meals. I fasted for days sometimes. I was neither anorexic nor bulimic. What I couldn't understand as a child or adult was how someone (dad) could act that way over food. So, it was easy for me not to think about eating till hungry. Then I ate whatever I wanted. Usually for pleasure. Usually not healthy choices. I saw the therapist 3 times within 3 months. First was initial greeting. Second was a 2–3-hour test I took in the office on their computer. Third was to go over my test score. I wasn't sure if I would get clearance since I was honest about my eating habits, but she said she felt I had already dealt with the mental reasonings in how I ate and believed my weight gain was more physiological. I'm not saying it's wrong to cry @saramelie and it's good to talk things out with a therapist. It was a first for me and I too questioned what I should share or not but it's for the best to get on with it so you can move forward to a better you. GL!!!

And another update a month later. In the last 6 months I have lost 3 or at the most 4lbs depending on the day of the week. Pretty much bottomed out now I think at 138. I have lost exactly half of my pre-surgery weight which is totally mind-blowing. I am preparing myself for some regain in the next year or so (I need to so I don't panic when it appears). Hopefully the completely new wardrobe I've bought won't be in vain. But even if it is I can totally get another one size up and still be happy. I am still walking a LOT. I need to get into some strength training but I can't find the time. Any November 2021 people please check in - I am dying to hear how we're all doing these days. 😍

I was on psych meds and didn't have any issues getting approved. However, I was told to work closely with my med provider to make sure my medications stayed at therapeutic levels as I lost weight. If you're not already, talking with a therapist might help. Also, FYI, part of the approval process for most insurances is a psych evaluation. And, as already stated, a lot of psych meds do cause weight gain. So that is something to consider for long-term success. One of the medications I was on contributed to a 60lb weight gain in a years time. Thankfully, I was able to find an alternative.

Yes unfortunately the antipsychotics cause metabolic issues, such as lot of weight gain and increased cholesterol levels. Quetiapine, risperidone, mirtazapine all come to mind as some of the worst offenders, but all psych meds have this unfortunate side effect. Whether your surgeon wants to proceed, I can't say. Your weight loss may not be as effective as you expect.

When I was preparing for my original gastric bypass, my surgeon was worried he might not be able to do it laparoscopically because of my weight. He needed my liver to be smaller. He was actually “threatening” to not do it at all, unless I lost enough weight. I bought all kinds of Atkins shakes, and that’s all I consumed for 4 weeks. I lost 30 pounds. It was enough to keep my surgery. He also recommended clear liquids for the first week afterwards. I bought chicken stock and added red pepper flakes to it.

I was also self-pay. After tons of research, I chose Dr. Alvarez in Mexico. Granted his fee is substantially more than the majority of surgeons in Mexico but after reading too many horror stories about some of the surgeons in Tijuana, I wasn't willing to sacrifice my health for a bargain price. I am sure the majority of surgeries performed in Tijuana are successful but we all choose our path and surgeons for our own reasons. I only packed a rolling carry-on for the round trip flight. It probably weighed less than 20 pounds. I was able to lift the bag to place in the plane's overhead compartment without any issue. I think if you must lift any weight (slightly) heavier than your surgeon's guidelines, the important issue would be to lift "straight-on" and make sure your torso is not twisted. I wish you success in your journey. I can attest that I have not had one moment of regret in getting sleeved. My health has improved immensely and hopefully yours will too!

hello everyone!! I thought since this is brand new to me, and I just joined today that I would introduce myself to everyone since I've seen other people do that. My name is Ross and I am 34 years old. I was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, and last June moved to Tuscaloosa Alabama. I moved to Tuscaloosa with my little brother who is a student at UA and a member of the coed cheer team. I also cheered for many years of my life, so it must run in the family. haha! I am an unapologetic Disney nerd who truly loves anything and all things Disney. Also, in my part time when I need a little decompressing I like to crystalize water bottles and phone cases for myself and friends. I would say I've been a food addict or someone who relied on food for emotional support majority of my life, unfortunately, due to outside influences that encouraged the eating. A big reason why I am having the surgery is simply I want to live. I really can't say it more straight and narrow than that. Another reason is I had Covid in 2020 like I'm sure many of y'all did but unfortunately, my case was a little different and I ended up on ECMO for four days and a ventilator for a month. I coded twice while intubated at which point the hospital staff told my family i would have about a 15% chance to live and if i did i may have severe brain issues. Thankfully when I woke up I was myself for the most part, but I had severe paralysis on my left side which required me to spend an additional three months in the hospital learning how to stand and walk again. I still have a pretty significant neuropathy on my left side. My left arm has some weakness with things and my left leg is completely numb to the touch. So I have low hopes for any kind of change, but still keeping hopeful that maybe with the surgery and weight loss some of the mobility and feeling will come back. I have been "creeping" on the forum for a few weeks and I can't tell y'all how much your stories, encouragement, and transparency has helped with my own journey without even meaning to. I am paying out-of-pocket for my surgery due to not having health insurance with the job I currently have. I've done all the required testing and I am hoping that tomorrow 8/21/23 will be the day that I get my surgery scheduled. We are aiming for the last week of the month for my date, so fingers crossed! I am going to be flying back to Texas for my surgery and staying there for a couple weeks to recover with my family. Which leads to the question I had for those who had to travel for the surgery. When you flew back post surgery with the weight lifting restrictions, how did you go about getting your bags and things like that? Did you notice any real pain post surgery when you were taking off for landing? Any other tips or experiences are always welcome to be shared as well! Thank yall again for taking the time to read this little bit about myself and my journey. I look forward to being on here more and more and sharing my own journey with yall as yall have bravely done already!

Welcome! Best of luck on your weight loss journey!

Hi! I also had the Slimband procedure done. Paid $13K and 13 years later, haven’t lost any weight. I gained pain, IBS issues, severe gas pain in my abdominal and shoulder and vomit continuously. I am definitely interested in a class action lawsuit if there will be one. Thank you.

My family told me to quit wearing my large XXX clothing so I went back into my closet and found I can fit into jeans that I haven't been able to wear for years. Before I couldn't get them over my hips, much less button and zip up. But like you I don't like how they look. Black yoga pants seem more slimming to me. Until I get to a lower weight anyway. But it still felt good to be able to put them on. I have some old button fly jeans that I'm looking forward to wearing again in the near future.

I LOVE the high rise trends right now. Conceals the apron of my weight loss. I tend to go for the baggy high rise though. I like that loose pants are a choice now.

I think most of us have to get clearance from a therapist before having the surgery, and I'm sure you're far from the only person with BED who's had surgery. I would think at most it might delay the surgery until you've had a few appts with a therapist. You do need to get that under control, or the surgery isn't likely to "work". It's just a tool, so you have to do your part of it to lose the weight - which would be tough if you continue to binge eat.

Hey Congrats to you all for your losses. @CarolineLittle thank you for thoughts. Makes me feel hopeful that some day I can post : hey I lost 20# !! This past week I was pretty good, I was able to eat a lil bit of food. Doc cut my TPN intake to half, and added 2 rounds a week of just saline. its still a crazy about of calories, fat, carbs ect in these bags.. So my weight loss is at a standstill , then 2 days ago everything went down hill, I'm not sure what happen internally ,but my stomach decided it had enough, I started to violently throwing up, I had empty stomach so it was just bright yellow bile, after 10 mins of that , i noticed small blood clots ( insert panic here) , I called doc, explained to them my currant condition.. They are going to do another Endo to get a look at what's going on.. so now it just a wait, for appointment.. I sure it will end up to be nothing, and I will just get.. " give your stomach some time" or "the hormonal changes of the stomach should regulate soon" ugg!! anyway I just take it day by day, I still try and eat and drink a little.. the max intake i can get is around 2 ounces at a time. Then I have to wait about 6 hrs before I can think about trying again.. So here to another week.. and good luck to you all on another successful week.

I went in for the revision in December and he was unable to do it because I had a hernia and scar tissue. So I had the hernia repaired and waited for the revision until just 2 days ago. I went in again to have the revision and he didn't do it at all because of the scar tissue. I was thinking this is the end of the road for me but now I'm reading your posts. Do you think I should get a second opinion about it? I regained weight and I have bad GERD. I feel hopeless right now and now reading this I'm wondering why I didn't get to have the revision surgery at all LeighLon

No, I think you did the right thing. Yes, your surgery may be delayed while you have some additional appointments with your therapist, but you will be in a better place & mentally stronger to get the best from the surgery. As we often say, the surgery changes your tummy & digestive system but doesn’t change your head & your thinking. That’s the work you have to do. You’ve already started by recognising your issue & seeking help. Many surgeons & insurance companies require approval from a therapist before approval for surgery is granted. Also many have successfully continued with the therapy or started additional therapy after their surgery to help them work through their disordered eating & emotional issues which easily & quickly can sabotage weight loss success. All the best.

Your weight loss is never a straight line downwards. You’ll notice ups & downs & plateaus along the way. All perfectly fine & to be expected. I’d expect fluid retention at the moment too. I remember I’d put on a couple of kilos starting the day before my period & then have a day just peeing it all out just before it finished. (I’d also get constipated for a couple of days.)

Thanks it’s saying 60-80 so if you’re not absorbing 30-40 percent makes sense. But you had me at reducing the sagging skin! That’s been one of my biggest fears is that I will look much older after I lose weight. I remember a lady I knew who lost weight and her face looked so different and just dropped 😢. Unless I have issues I don’t think I’ll have a problem with getting that much, 3 servings of Greek yogurt is good 👍