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This is really variable. I work from home and technically took no time off. My job isn't physically harder than surfing the internet. I could drive as long as I wasn't on pain meds. Pain was minimal. I was tired, but not debilitatingly so. I started work travel on day 15 post op. I have traveled nearly every week since. Jobs are different too. I would have done myself a disservice by taking time off. The work would have piled up, and gotten more urgent and complicated if I had just let it sit for weeks. It would have created crisis's that would be harder to resolve later, than just dealing with it at the time. So by working at 75% for the first week or two was a whole lot easier overall than dealing with huge issues my absence caused when I would have returned.

Yeah, I just feel like there’s something so specifically complicated about moms and daughters and their relationship around weight, at least it always has been for me. Any negative comments, etc, from my mom have always been from a place of wanting me to be happy/being scared or sad for me. But just because they’re well-intentioned doesn’t mean they don’t feel crappy. The rule I made with my family was that they weren’t allowed to comment on it unless I brought it up first, and I specifically gave parameters around what kinds of comments would be nice and what kinds of comments would make me uncomfortable/upset/etc. They’ve slipped up but at least when it happens I can just say “hey remember the ground rules I sent!” Rather than it being a whole thing!

Although the culprit maybe low blood pressure (it is for me) don't forget to stay hydrated adequately as some common post surgical complications are usually dehydration related. Also hold on to something when you get up, don't fall! CONGRATS!!!!

This is precisely the issue that I am facing right now: I had surgery for adult-onset idiopathic hypertrophic pyloric stenosis about twenty-five years ago, and over the past eight months or so, I have actually re-stenosed my pylorus. As I was also considering having WLS, the surgeon I have initially consulted is unsure just how safe a Roux-en-Y or sleeve is, due to the potential complications I have with scar tissue. Even though I know that adult pyloric stenosis is rare enough without talking about recurrence, I would love, just on the off-chance, to hear from anyone who has either had a WLS procedure or has faced the issue of recurrent pyloric stenosis. Thanks so much should anyone reply...this has been a hellish time for me, in terms of pain and nausea, and wanting to deal with my being overweight makes it just that much harder.

Your weight loss journey is amazing! Your story is inspiring! You loik great! I also had sleeve surgery in May. Its been a rough road for me and I'm finally feeling like myself again. I've had no complications but I feel its harder to go through at an older age. I'm 56 yrs and post op weight was 315 lbs. I've lost 40 lbs. The last month I've been up and down a few lbs. Don't think I've lost a pound in the last month. But I'm OK with that. I'm looking at it as 40lbs down. I know the stalll is nothing I'm doing wrong. I eat to live now. Everything I eat is healthy. My surgeon told me not to cheat at all for six months and I'd be successful. He said no pasta, breads, rice, sweets, or baked goods. I don't eat out and I don't eat processed foods. I'm following what he said. And I'm going to be patient. I know when my body adjusts, I will start losing again. All the regret I had over having the surgery is now gone and I'm looking forward to a more active life. Sent from my Z970 using Tapatalk

Congrats! Hope you heal well and have a complication free recovery!

Hey everybody. I did it, i took the leap of faith and I had the gastric bypass surgery. I can’t believe I did it, I’m still dazed and airy because of the anesthesia. But so far the pain is manageable and hopefully it will stay this way and gets better. I have lots of burping and sometimes I pass gas to relief the air in my belly , I’m just thankful. I will visit the site more often since I’m at the other side now . I was so scared and nervous before the surgery and now I’m home , life is so crazy sometimes. Please pray for my speedy recovery since I’m still a bit scared of complications and I hope you guys are all doing well. Much love from me. Xoxo

No matter what part of the body is undergoing surgery, the process of healing is the same. Surgically “traumatized tissue” (skin, muscle, bones, cartilage, tendons, etc.) does not just magically heal; rather, the body has to rebuild and repair tissue on the cellular level. This involves energy and nutritional building blocks to support the healing process. Healing efforts surround the rebuilding of collagen, the main component in many tissues — such as skin, muscle, blood vessels, and bone. Improperly-formed collagen is associated with healing disturbances. Healing occurs in three overlapping phases. Most of one's healing occurs in the first few weeks. Inflammatory phase (up to 5 days): The body’s first response to injury involves forming a localized blood clot to stop bleeding. Infection-fighting cells (neutrophils) and debris cleaning cells (macrophages) are recruited to the traumatized area. Proliferative phase (2 days - 3 weeks): The body starts building tissue with specialized collagen-forming cells called fibroblasts. This new tissue is called granulation tissue and special growth factors to stimulate skin formation (epithelialization). Remodeling phase (3 weeks - years): The body transforms and replaces the collagen that was placed during the proliferative phase into a stronger collagen to support structure and function over the long term. It is a good idea to be as healthy as possible and nutritionally balanced before surgery to support healing. Certain vitamins and minerals are known to support the normal response to healing, and to support the normal immune system response to infection. Vitamin C: Necessary to build and rebuild collagen throughout the body. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that supports the immune response. Vitamin A: Supports immune system functioning and aids collagen strength. Also required for bone development. Zinc: An essential trace mineral used in enzymatic reactions involved in tissue and wound healing, regeneration, and repair. Vitamin K: Aids the natural blood clotting response and is important for bone health. B-Vitamins: Cellular metabolism, tissue repair and immune support. Vitamin D and Calcium: Important for bone health. Magnesium: Mineral involved in approximately 300 biochemical reactions. Amino Acids (L-Arginine, L-Glutamine): Two key amino acids for wound repair and immune function. Dietary Supplements to avoid before surgery: Vitamin E and surgery do not mix because Vitamin E is associated with increased bleeding, and this can lead to a collection of blood (called a hematoma) that could result in serious complications. The Vitamin E applied to scars is different from the Vitamin E taken orally. Vitamin E for the skin is okay. Herbal supplements, in general, should be avoided before surgery because they can cause bleeding or other operative complications. Some herbal supplements to avoid: Ginko Biloba, Garlic, Ginseng, Ginger, Dong Quai, Ephedra, Feverfew, St. John’s Wort and/or Omega 3 fatty acids. http://www.surgerysupplements.com/pre-operative-supplements-recommended-supplements-before-surgery/

Hi. I realize this is an old post, but I just had my gallbladder out with a VSG on 7/31. Two weeks post op and I'm still feeling pretty rough, particularly sore in the area where my gallbladder pain had been. Did you have any complications or a slower recovery after your double procedure?

Complications is a factor with approvals, if an insurance company denied a procedure to correct a problem and that problem got worse, the insurance company would be in some serious trouble and potentially under threat of a lawsuit. They will more than likely make you jump through some hoops, monitored diet and exercise, follow ups with a nutritionist, etc... but denying because the band is problematic... I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Starting this process now with my surgeon after 8 years with my band over 100lb loss and now esophageal dilitation caused me to have to unfill band and have had an o going weight gain. He recommended bypass and we are checking with insurance now. Anyone have issue with insurance not covering a revision due to complications of the band?

My insurance company would only pay if BMI was UNDER 37. My BMI was 47 and I had 3 co-morbidities but they still would not pay. Makes no sense at all. My only thought was that it wanted to keep premiums down for our plan. Do not exclude Mexico from your research and do noT listen to people who poo poo it unless they can back it up with facts (which they cannot). I have a friend who is a PhD/MD and agrees that For this particular surgery Mexico is better than than the US in terms of outcomes. You just have to research the doctors and talk to a lot of people. I had a great experience in Mexico. My dr even fixed my hiatal hernia that I didn’t even know I had. I have had zero complicAtions and am at 7 weeks out. The hospital was like staying in a 4 star hotel and was in a very safe and upscale area of Tijuana. Total bill was $8700 not including flight. Do yourself a favor and at least check it out.

Thank you! I'm kinda nervous that I'll have complications, but I'm pretty sure everyone gets like that before a surgery...

Try eating clean for a week. No/low sugar, no wheat/oat based carbs. Protein, veggies, maybe a little dairy as in cheese. VERY little. Get at least 90 grams of protein, under 50 carbs, and under 25 of sugar. If you are exercising like you say you are, bump your calories up to 1200. You say you are tracking but if you knew what to look for, you would see you are eating far too much sugar with the oatmeal and far too many carbs with that melba toast. I'm sure there is more, but that is just one example of things that aren't helping. I too am 4 years post op, and unfortunately our metabolisms change as time goes by. Gone are the days of easy weight loss with just cutting calories. Weight loss becomes much more complicated, and macros become even more important. Half assing or guessing what macros your ingesting every day won't work. You have to measure where you are to get where you want to be. Follow my advice for a week. I guarantee you'll lose weight.

Wow that all sounded so complicated. I just saw the surgeon for my first weight in.. Surgery will be in november 2018. Trying to read all posts n understand. But these calculatiobs n macros n i dont no what else i will have to stay away from too complicated.. I didnt get it. Sent from my LGMS210 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, just had surgery June 29. No complications except I'm either always feeling constipated or full of gas. Anyone have a solution to getting rid of this feeling of the need to "go". It's making what should be a great time in my life, miserable. I don't want to leave the house. I can't enjoy my life now that I'm feeling like this.

Nausea and vomiting are common complaints after RYGB surgery. These signs and symptoms are generally seen because of anastomotic stricture but could also be seen due to gastric bezoars. If not treated, gastric bezoars could worsen and also may lead to life-threatening complications like intestinal perforations. Always contact your bariatric team if you have concerns about anything. You know your body, but let your doctor know if certain symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, persist. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4855426/ https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/418490-nausea-and-vomiting-could-be-bezoars/

It takes 10 weeks for the stomach to heal. The longer you can stay home to rest and heal the better for your overall health. I am 4 weeks out and now able to avoid a nap, but then I am also 70. :-). Having said all that, go back when your doctor clears you to go back to work. When you DO return, try to go back on a Wednesday or Thursday to make it a short week. Those first couple days will be exhausting. Hopefully you won't have complications that delay your return plans. Just be sensilble about it.

Thank you for this! While I am very committed to this massive life change, I'm also in the pre-surgery jitters stage. 5 more days! So, my anxious litte brain is fixating on any and all of the worries and complications associated with bariatric surgery. Nice to read some positive stats while in this frame of mind. Obviously, I have all the evidence I need that this is a great choice for me and lots of others (hello message boards). But, whew! I underestimated this anxiety in the home stretch. I think it's less about the actual surgery than is it about the fact that I absolutely hate being touched by strangers and especially in a medical setting. I'm also horrible about speaking up for myself because I'm trying to be the perfect patient. Therapy topic for this week perhaps?

Last time you saw your team? Highest weight? Age? Height?Type of surgery? Current diet type? Current exercise type? Medical complications/medications? Major life changes since surgery?

Nesa, your story is my story! I had VSG in Mar 14. I got to a place in fall of 2015 where I felt amazing - had my baby in August 2016. Gained about 20 pds with pregnancy, lost immediately. Maintained my weight until she was around 3 months old and I had to stop pumping - and due to some major health complications she faced, I turned to food to combat my stress, anxiety, fear and depression - and never stopped. Fast forward to now where I am about 30 pounds over my happy place. Cannot seem to stop eating for all the WRONG reasons. I feel you!

Hi peachwoodandspring. I'm so sorry you're going through such a difficult time and have so much stress. It's good that you have reached out for support. I will simply share my experience with a long-term binge eating disorder (from middle school to early 40s at varying intensities) and having had gastric bypass surgery in May. For me, it has been absolutely essential to coping successfully with surgery that I addressed the eating disorder prior to the surgery and spent the full 8 months before my surgery date making all of the changes I would need to live by following surgery, without engaging in eating disorder behaviors. I actually cannot imagine the difficulty of trying to actively manage an eating disorder while recovering from surgery and following the post-op eating plan. While my recovery from surgery has been very smooth, psychologically I have been up and down and am so grateful that I am not also dealing with binge eating disorder right now. I worry for you if you are to move forward with the surgery after having so recently been binging and purging. You could experience very serious complications, And of course, you also may not get the results you are seeking with surgery. As painful as it may feel, I think it might be worth it in the long run to postpone until you are in a more stable place. I wish you the very best.

I really feel for you. As a woman who's gone through gastric sleeve surgery I understand both sides of the argument. I'm 6yrs post-op. I would have done almost anything just to be thin. I've been admitted into the hospital 3x with complications from surgery but I'm glad I did it. My husband was feeling the same way as you. So I started going to the gym with him along with keeping my protein level high. It made a big difference. Try approaching you wife with the understanding that you get that she's struggling with weight and is now at a healthier weight. But that's not where you stop and become satisfied. All loss isn't good for you and you just want her to be around to grow old together. Balance is the key. I hope it all works out for you.

I am so sorry that you have been having complications since surgery! I pray things get better for you!

This is in no way meant to alarm you. I'm just stating what happened to me... Back in 2004, I started having pains similar to what you are describing. It radiated from my collar bone into my neck. I went to the doctor and he sent me to a specialist, who after some tests, found a small pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in my left lung. I was put on a blood thinner for six months. After the six months, they checked again and it had dissipated by itself. My bariatric surgeon has told me that pulmonary embolisms are a complication and that is why he will give the anti-blood clot medicine during my hospital stay and a prescription for when I go home. (I did not tell him that I had had one previously) Please call your doctor...