Search the Community

Hey everyone! Gastric Bypass July 9th here. I had my pre-op appointment yesterday and they were extremely thorough! For those interested, I wanted to go over the details of what my process has looked like so far: - My insurance required an EKG, blood work, and gallbladder scan. So, during my pre-op, they redid all of those to compare the previous values with the most recent results. normal EKG, no high cholesterol, no high BP, no gallstones, normal thyroid levels, higher-ish estrogen, and borderline pre-diabetic which was NOT fun to hear but will hopefully be resolved with Bypass. - I spoke with the nurse and my (very handsome lol) surgeon, who re-reviewed all possible risks and complications. He explained how he would do the surgery (five incisions, robotic) and what to expect before and after. He also checked me for hernias, which I don't have. - Met with my dietician to re-review my pre-op diet and just to check in with me. She provided me with info on how to set up future appointments if needed as I transition through the phases. - The clinic gave me information on how to get my family member informed on what was happening. The hospital I am using has an app and the surgeon's team will text updates periodically. - I'm expected to be in-patient and will stay for one night unless I have complications. - They provided me with the sterile soap, Hibiclens and instructions on how to use it. bathe with half the bottle the night before, the other half the morning of (they gave me a sheet i have to mark down the date and time of the wash and turn it in the morning of). wash hair, no products, no contacts, no invisalign, clean sheets, clean pajamas. - the doctor gave me my prescriptions, which include: Gabapentin, acetominaphen, ondansetron for nausea, promethazine syrup, ursodial to prevent gallstones (thankfully i don't have any), and prilosec (OTC). - I had a chest xray and was asked if I had any implant anywhere (i don't.) all came back normal. - spoke with the anesthesiologist who weighed me, took my height, and explained the overall process to me. i've only been under once for a 70-minute MRI a few years ago but i know approximately what to expect. I will also be getting a 96-hour abdominal block to help with pain along with my (very strong) medication. - They provided me with information on what to eat and drink the night before (light breakfast, protein shake, clear liquids, and then four hours before the surgery, 16 oz of water), day of (clear liquids) four days after, two weeks after, (heavy liquids) one month after (maintenance phase). - set up a post-op appt 10 days later, and another one a month after surgery. - The morning of the surgery i arrive at 7:30 am, am checked in and put in pre-op, surgery should last two hours, one hour of recovery, and then moved to my private room where my sister will be waiting for me. no overnight guests because of COVID but this hospital has a designated bariatric surgery floor so all of the nurses are specialized in this, and even nicer, all of the equipment accommodate larger patients. so, large recliners, large beds, laaarge gowns, large chairs, sturdy IV machines, belly bands. very comfortable. - i'm planning on bringing an ipad, books, lip balm, lotions, warmer socks, grippy sandals, button down pajamas, a small pillow they recommended as a "splint" when i get in and out of bed, and toiletries. I feel pretty ready i suppose, but it doesn't feel quite real yet! crazy to believe that in a few months i'll be down a significant amount of weight (hopefully) and look slimmer. I am on my two-week pre-op diet which consists of two protein shakes and one light meal a day, with "free" snack foods including fat free cheese, lean meats, sugar free jello popsicles and pudding, high protein yogurts, and non-starchy veggies with light hummus or light ranch. hasn't been super easy but I'm trying my best. and LOTS of water. Let me know if you have questions, i'll be glad to answer them.

Hey folks, I'm now 10 days post op and was wondering if walking a mile a day is still too much to try at this stage. I'm feeling up to it, but don't want to push it.

many of us "gain" weight from the IV fluids they pump into us at the hospital. Some people have reported "gaining" up to 10 lbs from the fluids. However, it's not a true gain - it's just water (and water with sodium in it, I might add, which makes some people retain it for awhile). It takes a few days for it to work its way out of your system. I'd stay off the scale until your first post-op appt (most of us have our first post-op at two or three weeks out). Your weight should be on a downward trend by then.

Got my surgery date of 7/19!!! I have to do 3 week liquid diet before hand. I am on day 4. Anyone else have that long of a liquid diet?

I guess each hospital is different. My surgery was scheduled for 10:15 am so I finished drinking at 8:15 and then my surgery was pushed back until 5:15 pm. Once I got the compression socks on and the iv set up they came in and talked to me and I don't remember anything else except waking up in my room because they were slapping me lol! I took PJs but ended up staying in the gown they provided and the socks. They did not make me walk around other than going to the toilet. I had a wonderful night. I would have liked to have stayed longer but it wasn't necessary. I showered as soon as I got home and rested and walked the rest of that day. You will do just fine. Alot of this is being able to follow directions ie do what they tell you to do. Don't rush things. Take something for a sore throat if they allow it. All the best to you!

Doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. My surgery was 5-19 and I spoke to my dietician today (first time since surgery) and we originally thought I lost 24 lbs in that time and she was totally happy with that. Turns out I had recorded the wrong weight and I lost more, but the point is, when we both thought it was the lesser weight it was still considered great progress. She even told me not to compare myself with what others have lost. We're all different. Hang in there and keep doing your thing. As long as you're following the plan you will lose.

Hi, I lost right at 10 lbs my first week too but now this morning - first day of week 2 I've only lost a half a pound so I assume the loss will be slowing down now. @stephanie2393 - my date is 7/7 too! Lara

This is my review of mexico bariatric center Cliff notes: I would absolutely recommend them. Dr. Lousinana Valenzualla A++++ MBC hospital facility B+ not the fanciest but clean. MBC nursing staff A++++ very nice and attentive This review is long and detailed. I am a late 40's male about 5'11and over the course of the last year my weight balloned to 255. Enough to the point where life just wasnt as fullfulling as it used to be. My weight was definately limiting me. I had a friend have the gastric sleeve surgery at MBC about 5 years ago and she had zero complications and lost around 140lbs. She reached her goal weight. She highly recommended MBC. 3 years ago i actually scheduled the surgery with MBC but then i made the big mistake of getting on the internet and only looked for horror stories about what could go wrong. 2 weeks later i was so scared i chickened out and cancelled my surgery. Giant mistake on my part. So in april of this year i decided to go through with surgery. One of the hardest parts of making this decision is bringing up the subject with your spouse. I eventually got the nerve to talk to her about it and she was wonderfully supportive. That should not have suprised me. So i made the decision and sceduled the surgery for June 11th and bought my airfare. But i made one other important decision and that was to get off the internet and stop reading about complication and stop playing the "what if this goes wrong game". My bmi was around 34 so i only had to do a 1 week preop diet. In those 7 days of all liquids i lost no joke 20lbs. I went to my surgery on June 11th at 235lbs. Was it hard to be on an all liquid diet for 7 days, not as hard as living with the shame of obesity i have felt all my life. Mexico bariateic center had there driver call me the night before my flight and confirm the flight info and my pickup time. When i arrived in san diego i called the driver and he showed up promply in an unmarked white chevy van. The van was just a passenger van nothing fancy at all but it was clean and the driver drove responsibly. He took me straight to my hotel. The hotel in my opinion was 5 stars. Very very nice. Probably one of the nicest hotels i have ever stayed in. Rooms were huge. The place had a lounge in the lobby that served all kinds of broths. A+ place. I was told that i would be picked up at 730 the next morning to go to the hospital. The next morning i went down to the lobby at 715. There was a very nice unmarked van waiting for me and 1 other patient. The driver was well dressed, friendly, helpful and pretty funny. He took us straight to the hospital where he escorted us into the building and brought our bags in for us. We checked in and waited in the lobby for about an hour for a nurse to come get us. Apperently some of the patients that were checking out were slow and that was the cause of the delay. Eventually a nurse came down and escorted both of us up to our rooms. On a 1-10 scale i would give me room a 7. It was clean but no frills. Small tv, older style medical bed. Just dont expect any fancy room when you go. This isnt a vacation. My room was located right infront on the nurses station. That i thought was a good thing. So they told me to put on a gown and compression socks and then promptly did a 12 lead ekg on me that came back normal. I asked what time my surgery would be and she said within an hour. Here we go I thought. Before the surgery happened and after the ekg i met with 2 doctors the first one came in and asked me all the screening questions i had already filled out. He was thorough. He spoke good english, he was polite and was able to answer any of my questions. The second doctor to come in was my surgeon Dr. Lousiana Valenzuella. She was very kind and professional. I told her that i had gallstones and that i wanted her to take my gallbladder out to if it looked like it wouldnt be too complicated. She in own words told me it wouldnt be a problem. She answered all of my questions and then left to prep for my surgery. 20 minutes later a nurse arrived with a wheelchair and i was off to the OR which is on the 4th floor i think. I was wheeled into to the OR which was clean and a buzz from all the people ready and prepping for my surgery. I laid down on the table and the anathesioligist quickly introduced himself and said he was giving me something to relax and that is all i remember of that. Out like a light. I woke up in my room a few hours later and my thoat was just a little sore and my stomach had a touch of discomfort but really overall i felt way better then expected. The nurse promptly came into me room and gave me some pain meds and anti nausea meds. I went back to sleep. When i woke up the second time i felt pretty good. It was time to do some walking. When i got up to walk i felt great. Really no gas pains. My stomach was a little sore from the incisions and drain but not bad at all. I spent 2 nights in the hospital. The nurses came onschedule to change my iv bag, give me meds, and change me dressing. The nurses were great and very attentive to my needs. Long story short the recovery was way easier then i thought it was gonna be. Your result may be different but those were mine. Before i was discharged on day 3 i met again with Dr. Valenzuala. She tild me the sugery went perfect, that my liver had shrunk frim my preop diet as intended and that she removed my gallbladder without complication. She also told me she used a 34 fr bougie on me and that i would be skinny very soon. I kinda giggled when she said that. I would definately 100% recommend Dr. Valenzoula based on how good i felt after the surgery. On the day i was discharged they took all the patient being discharged and brought them to the lobby. Karla went over all the discharge instructions thourghly. She gave us helpful tips on what medications to get at the pharmacy. Karla was great. I would describe her as the mama bear who does her best at herding cats. She looks out for everyone at the same time trying to keep everyone moving in the right direction on time. From there we all went to the pharmacy together to fill our perscriptions. I think i spent 135 us at the pharmacy. Then the driver took me to the hotel and got me a room for just a few hours were i could rest till my flight. When i got home i was 142 lbs. I had actually gained 7 lbs after surgery. Easily explained though. They gave me a ton of iv fluids well i was there to keep me hydrated. Those extra 7 lbs came off in like a day and a half. By the end of clear liquids week i was down to 229lbs. Clear liquids week was tough, i felt pretty weak. I took lots of naps. I was very carefull to keep my incisions clean and bandaged up. I had very little pain or nausea. That was a win. I moved on to thick liquid week which included protein shakes. I felt way stronger. My incisions were healing nicely. Thick liquid weeks wasnt that bad and at the end of that week i was down to 223. I am currently on puree week. I still feel good. I walk 3 miles every morning. I dont lift anything heavy. My incisions a nearly fully healed. I can tell my stomach is small because when i try to eat anything i can on take about 3 bites before i start to feel full. Past 5 bites it can cause some discomfort. That is the tool you will use going forward is my thought. Tips for anyone considering using MBC 1. Just do it, dont get on the internet and look for reasons not to. You will end up scaring yourself and backing out. Sure there is a very low complication risk leaks, blood clots, gerd. Accept it and move on. 2. Follow the preop diet and doctor instructions to a T. 3. Walk and stay hydrated Thats all i got folks. Good luck. I will answer question. Save any negative comments cause i just dont care.

people "gain" weight from the IV fluids they give you in the hospital. Some of us "gain" as much as 10 lbs from them. It can take a few days for them to work their way out of your system, so if the weight is bothering you, stay off the scale for a few days. I don't think I weighed myself at all that early out - I waited until my two-week follow-up appointment. Updated to add that Hopscotch is right - in addition to the IV fluid, you lost a lot pre-surgery, so you won't lose as much right after surgery as someone who didn't have a pre-surgery loss.

Hi em, such an exciting time! What guidelines have Ramsay Health given you? I had my bypass on 15th June, did a 10 day pre-op diet. Spire Healthcare gave me 2 options, one was loads of milk, yogurt, fruit and a serving of home made vegetable soup and the other was more food based. I mostly stuck to the milk one, but had a bit of fish with veg instead of the soup some days.. I think the constant chugging of milk stopped me feeling hungry, protein is pretty fab for that. Have you met with your dietitian to discuss it? I kept myself busy and distracted during that time doing a deep clean of the house and getting everything ready for when I would be feeling delicate after surgery, and I am so glad I did!

My feet have went from a size 10 or 9.5 to an 8 or 7.5. I just bought two pairs of shoes in each respective size. So strange! Towels closing.  Not being so out of breath and tired with everything.  More energy.  I went into Kohl’s yesterday and couldn’t fit in the plus size section anymore.  Also, going on a date and not freaking out and obsesssing about my size the whole time. 

Same with me! I have been small my whole life. Around 125 to 140 in that range up and down. I would usually gain a lot of weight with each child and then I would lose it pretty easily with some effort of course. Well, I had a hysterectomy and ever since then I gained over 100 pounds! I tried everything to get it off and it did not work. This time the Weight would not budge no matter what I did.So when I heard about surgery I was so excited! I started at 256. I am five weeks out now I am 227 I have only lost 20 pounds in a little over a month. It makes me sad because I have been doing everything right. I lost about 10 pounds on the liquid diet before surgery but since surgery only about 20 pounds. I have been stalled since the second week. I sure hope it gets better because this is depressing.

Had my pre-op appt this morning along with the Dexa body scan - also did blood work. Fingers crossed everything is a go for next Wednesday the 7th! I'm the first procedure of the day so I have to check in at 5:30 am. It will all be worth it tho. I'm plugging along on my liver shrinking diet - lost 10 lbs the first week. Haven't been too hungry. All in all everything has been going pretty well. Lara

Hello, baripals! I'm a 56-year-old woman with a BMI of 50 & I'm having my RNY gastric bypass tomorrow, JUNE 30TH. Eek! I am so, SO excited. I'm 5'4" & currently weigh 275.5lbs but my start weight before the pre-op liquid diet was 290lbs. While I have severe sleep apnea & a family history of ovarian cancer, I do not have high blood pressure nor diabetes. My only medication is for recurring major episodes of depression & dysthymia following a childhood & adolescence of psychological & sexual abuse. I have always used food to stuff down negative emotions & stresses & have been learning, through therapy, to find other means to express myself & vent my feelings. I'm really looking forward to changing my lifestyle & getting fit & healthy for myself & my family (hubby & two sons, 21 & 19, & future daughter-in-law, 21). If you'd like to connect with me (& I'd certainly like that), you can find all of my socials pinned in the banner of my YouTube channel & find my email on the channel's About page. I wish everyone success with their surgeries & new lives. Blessings to you all for great health & happiness!

Hello, baripals! I'm a 56-year-old woman with a BMI of 50 & I'm having my RNY gastric bypass tomorrow. Eek! I am so, SO excited. I'm 5'4" & currently weigh 275.5lbs but my start weight before the pre-op liquid diet was 290lbs. While I have severe sleep apnea & a family history of ovarian cancer, I do not have high blood pressure nor diabetes. My only medication is for recurring major episodes of depression & dysthymia following a childhood & adolescence of psychological & sexual abuse. I have always used food to stuff down negative emotions & stresses & have been learning, through therapy, to find other means to express myself & vent my feelings. I'm really looking forward to changing my lifestyle & getting fit & healthy for myself & my family (hubby & two sons, 21 & 19, & future daughter-in-law, 21). If you'd like to connect with me (& I'd certainly like that), you can find all of my socials pinned in the banner of my YouTube channel & find my email on the channel's About page. I wish everyone success with their surgeries & new lives. Blessings to you all for great health & happiness!

OMG - that kind of heat without air conditioning while recovering is a big challenge! The weather is just crazy everywhere. I'm in Michigan and our town flooded. Everyone's basements completely ruined because the sewer backed up into the homes. Everyone has spent the weekend emptying out their basements onto the sidewalk - it looks like a tornado hit. When we bought our house the previous owner had cemented the basement sewer drains and put in a sump pump, and we couldn't understand why. Now we know. They lived here for 80 years. Apparently, this sewer backup happens every 10-15 years - and they had had enough - lol. We were one of the only houses not flooded. I'm so glad to hear you're not getting any acid. I was wondering if you'd have the rebound effect from the PPI medication. How bad was your acid reflux? Was it at night, after meals, etc?

Also...this is gonna sound old fashioned....but if she's a creative kid....send her some puppets. You guys can do an online puppet show together, make believe play is still something 10 year old people enjoy....which is why they are so much fun:)

Hello, I am pre-op and I have a “habit” I need to change. Right now, my 10 year old niece and I meet over Zoom once a week and simultaneously try a snack from a different part of the world. I ship it from Amazon the week before so we both get it in time. I’m wondering what else we can do. This bonding and shared experience has been really great during COVID and I don’t want to lose the shared experience, but it’s not sustainable as I approach surgery. I’ve thought of toys as a replacement, but neither of us really need toys every week. Books would be great but I don’t want to pressure her into reading by a deadline or anything like that, especially while she is in school. What else could we do that we could share, without mixing unhealthy foods into it? Thank you all for answering my questions that I’ve posed so far!

Hi everyone, I am going to have gastric bypass Surgery between 08/2021-01/2022. I am excited to be here, I am excited to do everything required of me pre & post op. is there anyone in this forum that currently resides in NYC?

Yes, they bypass is more prone, or predisposed to, ulcers than the sleeve (just as the sleeve is predisposed to GERD.,) but they are a different sort of ulcer than what you have. The bypass tends toward marginal ulcers around the anastomosis (junction) between the new stomach pouch and intestines. This is because the part of intestine that is now immediately downstream of the stomach is not resistant to stomach acid like the duodenum - the upper part of the intestine immediately downstream of the normal stomach, which gets bypassed along with the remnant stomach in the RNY. Consequently, that anastomosis is very sensitive and prone to ulcers, which is the root of the "no NSAID" rule that permeates bariatrics - you don't want to take any medication that could irritate that anastomosis (there are other meds that may be limited, too, but NSAIDs are the most common class.) What I would be concerned about is what caused your ulcer, and whether that cause would be relieved (or exacerbated) by your surgery. Similar to your hiatal hernia and GERD - fixing the hernia will likely correct your GERD and you will be back to "normal" - no more predisposed to it if you get a sleeve, but still possible. One of the problems with the bypass is that it leaves you with a blind remnant stomach and upper intestine, which can't be easily monitored with an endoscopy, so if something develops in that blind section, you may not know about it until things have progressed more than you would like them to progress (possibly to a cancer.) Some express a dislike for the sleeve because if they have a resultant reflux problem then it could lead to Barret's esophagus and possibly cancer, which is a fair concern; however, that is something that can be easily monitored endoscopically if those symptoms develop, and can be treated; problems that may develop in the blind stomach or intestines of the RNY may not be caught until it is too late to treat effectively, so there is a trade off there. You are somewhat caught in the middle, with some contraindications for both of the common WLS procedures. This is where some serious talk, and understandings, with your medical team is appropriate to really get a good handle on your problems going into this, and how those may play out in the future. I/m not so sure that I would be comforted by the matter that the surgeon may be able to work around a problem (such as an ulcer) if that problem is likely to reoccur 5-10 years in the future, and possibly worse - the surgeon is out of the picture by then, but you aren't. There is another alternative that might be worth considering, which would be the duodenal switch - it uses a sleeve, so it doesn't leave a blind remnant stomach, but due to its' malabsorption component, they typically use a larger version of the sleeve which is less prone to GERD problem. Your surgeon may not offer it (it's a more complex procedure, so many surgeons don't offer it) but it may be worth looking into to see if that fits your need. Good luck,

That's 10 pounds you do not have to worry about after surgery - Congratulations! Best of luck to you!

Hey all! I was sleeved on 5/10 and feeling absolutely great. I have had no complications and can stomach just about everything I eat (on plan) at this point. Although, like others have recently mentioned, my tastes have changed and sometimes I get sad when I think about going the rest of my life not being able to gorge on food. The thought of a buffet gives me anxiety because really - what do you choose when you want to choose it all?! Only discomfort I have started to get recently is the scar tissue under my skin where the incisions were. My doctor said to expect this because during surgery nerve-endings were cut and as they start to heal you can start to feel where the surgery happened. It's not painful at all. It just feels like a bruise when I press on it to clean in shower or something rubs up against it. Anyone else have this now being that you are at least 4 weeks out from surgery? Oh, and does anyone else think about the surgery and food and protein and water and what to have to eat that day like every waking moment? For me, it's obsessive. I have been losing on average half a pound a day so I sit there and calculate how many more days/months it will take to loose X amount of weight and I even factor in losing less a day as my BMI drops. Seriously, I feel crazy! haha

I am 10 years post sleeve. I got my sleeve at 54 years old. I was 5'3 and 320 pounds. Best thing I ever did. Honestly, I have never gotten down as low as some folks ..... nor as low as my surgeon would have liked.... but he actually told me that the goal is to lose and keep off 70% of your excess weight - that is considered a medical success. For me, that was losing and keeping off about 130 pounds. I am 65 years old. I went from a PLUS size 28 to about a 14/16 petite regular womens clothing. I work 40 hours a week, keep my house and raise chickens, and other critters up, support my adult daughter who has some medical issues. I organic garden vegetables and fruit , swim, take walks and feel great. I am healthier than I was at 40. I eat well - protein, salads, veggies and fruits. I watch carbs. I have learned how to eat so that I am satisfied - and eating a good balance of healthy fats and variety of foods. I also eat a treat every day. Heck, I'm 65 and I deserve my chocolate ! A couple of my good friends know about my surgery. They "would never" .... and they haven't. Both are not able to work, and have several weight and age related issues that I have managed to dodge. Sure I have my aches and pains... but I am moving and DOING and I am out there happy as heck !

I started using weights about six weeks out, but lighter weights. Now at five months out the weights I use have gone up from 10 to 20 lbs, depending on what I am doing. Trying to keep things as firm as possible, and I found working out helps take off the lbs.

my surgeon put me on miralax packs and colace 2 times a day. So far so good im 10 days post op