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I had the bypass 10 days ago. I wouldn't say recovery is easy and pain pills just make me sleepy. That being said I still would do it again - and I was self pay. There are no obese elderly people plain and simple.

Everybody's feet are different and you need to find what is best for your particular foot shape, amount of pronation or supination, and comfort. Another factor is the change in foot size and musculature as your weight comes off. I didn't really think about the budget, but I have spent way too much on shoes over the past year. A good pair of running shoes is good for 300-400 miles for someone of "normal" weight, and probably less when you are heavy. So if you are walking as your doctor likely recommends (if you can), expect to be buying many pairs of shoes over the next few years. The good news is that you selection right now isn't permanent. If you don't love the ones you have, you get the chance to buy something else in a few months . I'm walking about 50 miles a week, so I replace my shoes every 8 weeks or so. Because of that, shortly after I get a pair, I'm already thinking about the next one and looking for a good deal or sale online so I'm ready when it is time to jump to the new pair. I also have fallen arches (including forefoot arch), so I have to add in insoles. I keep several pair that I can swap around to whatever shoes I'm wearing. My progression since I started this journey a year ago: Brooks Ravenna 10> Brooks Adrenaline GTS > Hoka One One Arahi 4 (had surgery here) > Hoka One One Arahi 4 > Hoka One One Arahi 4 > Asics GT-2000 > (decided to not get "stability" shoes) Hoka One One Clifton 7 > Hoka One One Clifton 7 I don't want to think about how much money I've spent on shoes. I remember when a good pair of shoes would last a year or more. I guess that says a lot about how little I used to exercise.

Im 10 days post op and I feel like I’m so weak. My bones hurt and I have no energy. My doctor said I shouldn’t take my multivitamin until 1 month after the surgery. And my protien shake is making me get so much gas and several trips to the bathroom. Can someone give me some tips? Is my doctor right or should I be taking my vitamins from now?

PREOP LIQUID DIET UPDATE: So I spent all day on this issue. I found some solutions on my own. The problems were: 1. I can't tolerate the Premiere Protein shakes (or any other shakes) because the calcium is too high and I have high calcium already (probably hyperparathyroidism- still having labs). 2. I don't have much of a sweet tooth so shakes all day isn't fun for me—its a bit barfy. 3. I want to control how sweet the protein liquid is, so maybe I can keep it down. 4. I want it to taste real, like something healthy, not like junk food or candy. I want a savory option also. Ok. So here is what I found, but it involves a DIY approach. I'm going to try Forager cashew milk (I've had it- it tastes like cashews and is not sweet- it tastes healthy in a good way) plus Isopure Protein Powder (zero carbs, zero sugar), plus a sugar free Monin syrup, because I can use just a small amount so it is gently sweet, not vomitaciously so. (like all prepared shakes, for some reason). This accomplishes the protein in a prepared shake with lower carbs and fat and much much lower calcium, and will taste natural. I'll try this when it comes in the mail tomorrow. I'm going to use 1.25 scoops of powder, probably a tbsp of Monin Almond Syrup, and 4 oz. of Forager Cashew Milk, unsweetened with a ton of ice in the blender. I may throw in some nutmeg and a pinch of salt. It will be 150 calories 31g protein 2g fat 2g carbs 8% calcium 0% vitamin C For now, I will grind up my multivitamin and put it in there until I have to stop taking vitamins 10 days before surgery. My surgery is on the 28th, so very soon. I've also been trying Brodo bone broths for savory protein and liquids- they are great, but too expensive. Good to know about though. I've also sprinked a bit of Ranch powder on some celery and asperagus (I'm allowed 2 cups veggies and 2 tbsp fat free dressing a day-- so I'm doing that-- it's pretty good, and I'm not even a Ranch person) I'll try this smoothie recipe tomorrow. I hope it helps someone else who might have hyperparathyroidism. Obviously, check with your surgeon on this before doing it.

My husband just stayed with me till they wheeled me into surgery and then went to work. Granted he was only 10 minutes away if I needed him but I did not. My surgery was first thing in the morning. I texted him when I woke up (the doctor has already called him right after my surgery anf told him everything went fine) but he replied that he would come see me after work. That was perfect because I was in and out sleeping before that. I know some spouses have to be there on the premises while their spouse has surgery and I understand that too, but we are just not like that. I felt what he did was perfect for us. He also visited me the next morning just to say hi because it’s on his way to work. I was supposed to Stay a second night but it turned out I was ready to leave shortly after he got Off work the second day. For me, I needed him the most right before surgery. I was very anxious and he helped calm me down quite a bit. After surgery when you are awake there are plenty of people to take care of you. I didn’t have a lot of pain after surgery, but I still slept a lot because they have you on pain meds already when you wake up from surgery and Mine were strong.

I know I felt a pang of disappointment when they gave the date as had hoped it was sooner! Pre op booked for 25 August and Covid Test for 1 Sept. I was given the option of a milk and yoghurt diet or a low cal (800) a day - 10 days pre op. Starting to stock up on vitamins. Like you am sooooo ready to get this done! X

Please do continue to post! Your posts could inspire many people. Rest assured I don’t cook “beautifully” for myself most of the time. I plate my family’s food extremely different from what I toss in my bowl. Also It’s summer so I’m not cooking anything that takes longer that 10 minutes 😂

So 3 days post-op now. I have to inject myself with the anti-coaggulants for 10 days and I have to do the liquid diet for 10 days as well (so 1 more week to go!). One question... Is anyone else in the liquid stage hungry? I mean, I wouldn't be able to eat a normal meal, but I'm still hungry like I WOULD be able to... Anyone else? I can't wait to eat some solid (pureed) foods! Sent from my moto g(6) using BariatricPal mobile app

I’m 21 months post RNY- I was 245 when I started- got down to 155 and started grazing while at work. I just had an appt this morning and I’m going to start topiramate tomorrow. My doctor said a lot of wls patients will eventually need an appetite suppressant whether it’s one year or 10 years down the line. You do what’s best FOR YOU. Nobody else can tell you what’s going to work for you.

10-26-2006 Life has Never been the same. I love my band Still

Hey Maribelle ! I had my surgery today too. Do you have any gas pains ? That’s my main issue right now . I read about some people having issues when they swallow but that was more so in their chest. For me, when I swallow it goes down fine and like 10 seconds later I get this burning sensation in my stomach and leg out this super tiny burp . I got up to my rom around 4:30/5 and have done about 6-7 laps up to now . That’s my only issue right now .

In recent years I’ve noticed a spike in the “Hiatal Hernia Surprise surgery” stories shared on the forums. That’s when you wake up to your surgeon telling you he fixed a “surprise hernia” while doing your sleeve. What gives? My 15 years of suffering with GERD after VGS, (I never ate a Tums before sleeve) has lead me to extensive research on this topic. I’ve read ever medical paper, report, blog I can get my hands on. I’ve met with and spoken to MANY surgeons on this subject. THEORY ABOUT “THE SURPRISE” I have a sneaking suspicion that the sleeve surgery itself leads to a hernia in many patients. (See stats about De Novo GERD and VGS). The new stomach is lighter and thinner, with more internal pressure and can now easily slide into the esophageal area past the diaphragm to create a HH because the new shape allows it to. I wonder if VSG surgeon don’t want to scare patients with the stats (30-40% chance of GERD without HH repair), so they just throw in the “hernia surgery surprise” to skirt the conversation. if this happened to you, please share the details- so many would benefit from your story. Knowledge is power! For those who haven’t had it yet - have the convo with your surgeon- let’s eliminate the “surprise”. I’m also sharing my journey to find a solution for those currently suffering from GERD after VSG. Not sure why post VLS GERD is still the “Wild West”. So many different opinions on how to fix it - sheesh. What I’ve been told to do by different surgeons over the years, and what I’ve learned: 1) “convert to rny” This was an instant turn off, but I get why so many do it. The pain is that bad for some. A seasoned WL surgeon recently told me the conversion to RNY is problematic long term (yet many still recommend it). He doesn’t do it anymore. He’s fixed hundreds of these HH post sleeve with a basic HH repair, no- and only had to covert 1 stubborn case. He said the conversion often leads to gas, malabsorption, vomiting, exhaustion, nausea, with many converts still ending up with GERD! If you’ve had the conversion and are a few years out - please share your experience. 2) “go with a partial wrap” This particular Doc said he’d “figure out what was best to do once he was in there.” I lost all confidence in him with that last statement, but I didn’t even realize this was a possibility if your fundus has expanded. 3) “get the LINX” I’m allergic to fake metals (I get hives), yet this particular surgeon was ready to slap this metal puppy around my esophagus. Luckily, the maker ( J&J) posted a warning on their site for sensitive skin types: “do NOT, under any circumstances, put this in your body”. I might have considered it if I didn’t have the allergy, although it seems very problematic for some. 4) “get the ligamentum procedure with repair” This is an old surgery for GERD that involves using your internal umbilical cord. Because it’s so new for WLS GERD, I asked the surgeon if one of his success stories could call me. He obliged. A very sweet women called me, and went on and on about how great the surgeon was. But then she told me she was still on PPI’s and now had chronic diarrhea and dumping syndrome…sooo…back to the drawing board. 5) “Get the basic HH repair”. I’ve consulted with 3 seasoned WLS surgeons who are all on the same page (finally). These 3 say that they pull my stomach back into the right spot, tighten the diaphragm, and call it a day. One uses mesh, but the other 2 sited a recent research paper saying there is no advantage to mesh. They all said I’d have a 80-90% chance of being able to go off the PPI’s. Sorta a fantasy promise- but I’m liking those odds. Of course I’ve done my research and discovered the fail rate over the long term is high (30-40%) after 10 years. and I might have minor swallowing problems, and bloating- yea! But I can have it adjusted if it gets bad, so that’s reassuring. So I’m going in with my eyes wide opened and doing the basic repair, I hope it works. The recovery is long and difficult, but my alternative is PPI’s that are cancerous. Wish me luck and thanks for reading my rant:) I hope it helped a few of my Gerdy sisters, and if you’ve had the “surprise”, please share your experience!

Mostly my age. I'm almost 40 and weight loss doesn't get any easier the older you get. After 20 years of yo-yo dieting and doing literally every single diet, workout, fad, supplement under the sun, my metabolism is completely shot. I've lost and regained the same 10-20 pounds for over a decade now. It's time to make a serious change. All my older family members are overweight/obese and sickly, and if I don't get it together now, I will be in the same boat 10-20 years from now (if I live that long).

I do not have BPD or an ED, but I do have severe depression and GAD which have played a HUGE role in my weight issues. Personally, I did 18 months of therapy (and meds) before I considered WLS. I have been 10)% honest with my PCP, therapist, the surgeon, and my husband so that I have the support and accountability I need. I knew I needed to get my head right and deal with some of the things that caused me to have such a disordered view of food and my body, before I could do anything else. I think there are a couple of things at play here: 1) the Dr. wants to make sure you are stable and responding well to your new treatment because WLS is a major life changing event. If your mental health is not at its best, you risk some serious issues. Its so, so important that your heart and mind be ready for surgery or it could very negatively impact your mental health long term. 2) I would guess that he's wondering if having your BPD treated might change the outcome of your weight loss efforts. You've never tried to lose weight with controlled BPD before now; it was undiagnosed and therefore no telling how it impacted your weight loss. As you said, you've had success before regain, but it sounds like some of the patterns you experienced may have resulted from the untreated BPD. You might find that with your new treatment regimen, its easier to lose weight at a healthy, manageable pace and that WLS is no longer needed. Or conversely, you may find that it makes no difference and confirms that WLS is the right next step. And 3) I'm sure he wants to make sure that there is no unaddressed underlying ED at play. Many folks who seek WLS do have EDs or have had them in the past; you're absolutely right that its not uncommon, although not always the case. That being said, someone in the throws of an ACTIVE ED who is not receiving treatment and in recovery, should not be considered for WLS. This goes back to #1 - your head has to be in the right place before going through with such a major event. I know it may feel like he was targeting or stereotyping based on your BPD, but I think he just wants to make sure you are set up for success. WLS is a big deal and it wouldn't be healthy for your body or mind to do it without informed consent and the pre-work needed to get you truly ready. If you feel like this is what you want and is the right step, then stay the course. Do the diet stuff, keep taking your meds, go to therapy, and it will happen in due time. You've got this!

I have had both Gastric sleeve 10/25/2018 and then later converted to a Roux-en-Y-Gastric Bypass with a hiatal hernia repair on 10/07/2020 per acid reflux issues so bad that it was damaging my throat My highest weight was 270 and with the sleeve I only managed to get down to 170. With the bypass I am currently at 150lbs. I feel so much better! The bypass took care of all the reflux issues and I have no issues with eating anything. I have less issues with food now then I did with the sleeve and I feel so much healthier. I have no dumping issues and can drink with no problems. I felt more restrictions honestly with the sleeve as everything hurt more. The extra weight loss is just a bonus!

Hello and welcome. The thread you have found is quite old, more than 10 years old, it is unlikely that any of those who posted in the thread are still around. Is lap band still popular in Italy? It's popularity has substantially reduced in some countries due to various medical issues some people have experienced with bands. Peope are having the bands removed and are having gastric bypasses or sleeves. Not everyone has issues, but it is something you may want to consider and you may want to ask the doctor how many of his patients have had the band removed in recent years and/or patients success rate in achieving weight loss long term. I don't know your current BMI, but have you considered a surgical option instead of a band?

I had gastric bypass on 5/7/2021. I began my weight loss journey in August 2020 when I attended my hospital’s bariatric seminar. My insurance required 6 months of diet before surgery approval. My fist dietitian appoint was mid-October 2020. Prior to this appointment I had very little motivation to lose weight. I was 280+ pounds (5’ 7.5”) and depressed. My ankles swelled every day, I had trouble moving, none of my clothes fit well and my wedding rings didn’t fit at all. I had gone off the rails. Between October and March 21’ I managed to lose 45 pounds. I attribute my success to my husband also taking charge of his health and being a great partner. My packet was submitted in March and approved 1 week later. My surgery was scheduled 7 weeks form the approval to my disappointment. It was a long 7 weeks! I didn’t gain or lose weight during my wait. I was officially 237 at my pre-op appointment. I managed to lose 10 pounds prior to surgery on the liver shrink diet. I was 227 the morning of surgery The surgery went fine. I had some nausea and dry heaving the first few hours. I was able to get water down but not much else. The drain really caused me trouble so it was removed 12 hours later. I ended up only staying 1 night in the hospital because I was determined to get released early. I walked all the time and really kept my RN on his toes. Thankfully the doctor agreed with me that I would recover better at home. The next evening I was discharged and could sleep in my own bed. I followed the diet exactly for nearly 8 weeks. I went on a cruise with my family and 95% ate to plan. I would have a taste of dessert but let me tell you I sure paid for it. Dumping is real and it affects me. I seem to dump if I eat too fast, too much, or an item too high in sugar (hello chai tea!). I learned many lessons that week I’m thankful for. The surgery did exactly what I needed it to do- deter me. I have had trouble with constipation. I am taking 3 colace per day and benefiber each morning. Seems to help but my body likes to hold onto waste. I might go back to miralax to help move things along. I’ve always had trouble in this area but now it’s more consistent. On Saturday I hit “onederland” and weighed 199. I never thought I would get here. I weigh myself each day and I am fluctuating between 198 and 199 this week. I have a heck of a lot more energy than I did a month ago. I am moving my body every day and using my elliptical at least 3 times a week. I have changed sizes! Last summer I wore a 20 and now I need a 12. It blows my mind. It’s hard to describe how I feel. I can see the change but I don’t believe it’s me. People I haven’t seen in a year take a look at me and their mouth drops and tell me they didn’t recognize me or make a comment like “omg you have lost so much weight!” In a way it feels good to be validated but at the same time I hate the attention. Honestly if I didn’t lose another pound I would be happy. I am under 200 and I feel/look great! I can move without pain and I have energy. Heck I mowed the yard today! I’ve had some negative comments too- mostly from my parents- “you’re starving yourself, don’t loose too much weight, and I think you’ve lost enough” It’s painful so I don’t speak with them much. I feel my weight loss has been slow but I remind myself how far I’ve come. 80+ pound weight loss is nothing to bat at! I’m doing a great job! I hope to be better and update this thread monthly! Thanks for reading.

I have been able to swallow capsules and pills starting the week of surgery. I spaced them 10 minutes apart, and swallowed with plenty of water. As others have mentioned, no NSAIDs ever again, with the exception of baby aspirin. I had issues with nausea and vomiting, however, and quickly found out that pills were a trigger, even when I had them with food. I am a few months out now and can take them, but had to switch to liquid for some of them, crush others, and cut others, for weeks. You may want to purchase a pill crusher/cutter just in case. I found it for a few dollars at the grocery store. GL!

I just had my three month checkup and was told 10 pounds is the average for most people so it sounds like you're on track!

10 pounds is actually really good so try not to get down on yourself. I've had near constant stalls along my journey while I've seen many people breeze their way to their goal with maybe 2 stalls. It gets frustrating and disheartening, so I fully understand how upsetting it is when you compare yourself to others. You're doing great and 10 pounds a month is nothing to be upset about. The first three months I lost in the double digits and then it was single digits for two months and then 10 pounds and then single digits through the rest of my journey. I recently got out of a 47 day stall (I lost 2 pounds on May 5th and then didn't lose anything until June 22nd where I lost two pounds, then lost another pound on July 6th and today July 13th I lost another 2 pounds) in which I was convinced the entire time that I'd hit maintenance and I was extremely sad that I hadn't met my goal weight, but my weight loss HAS still continued even if it moves at a crawl sometimes. Also, I don't exercise much at all due to my arthritis and two back injuries that make it next to impossible and yet, I'm only 1 pound from my goal weight! If I can get there, then I know you can to! So just try not to be so hard on yourself. You'll get there!

I had been prescribed Metformin mutiple times over a 10 year period and it made me so ill it was hard to get out of bed. Severe nausea, lethargy, chills, and acid refux. If you do not have blood sugar issues, it can cause hypoglycemia which is why I was so sick. It’s well documented to cause diarrhea too. I’ll never forget an endocrinologist I went to years ago that had told me she lost 30lbs because she was in the bathroom all day long. No thank you!

I will agree with @billho but I know that I was told not to lift anything greater than 10 lbs for 4 weeks, so I have told my boss I won't be able to travel for work for 4 weeks (since I won't be able to lift my suitcase). Otherwise, I work from home and can usually take breaks when I need to but I'm still taking two weeks off because I can and I'm worried about making mistakes if I'm too tired. If I were starting a new job, I'd take more time off because I'd want to be at peak performance to make a good impression, but that's just me.

10 pounds a month is nothing to sneeze at. If you maintain that rate, you'll be at goal in no time!

10 lbs a month is pretty normal for the average WLS patient after the first month or two.

I had a gastric bypass 10 plus years ago and had a DS on June 3rd of last year and now if I eat or drink a protein shake, not all at once, I can eat alot more. My surgeon said he made my pouch the size of a golf ball, but it is way larger than that now I think. So would I need to go back into surgery for a pouch reconstruction or could I do something else. I can't go back to my first surgeon, because my husband is a truck driver and we up and moved states. I know bad idea, but I was happy I could take care of myself. So any ideas?