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Well, Thursday is the big day. Thursday I go to my first appointment to see about how to get a sleeve revision to a RYN. I don’t know why but I am really not excited about it. When I first considered getting the sleeve, I was really gong ho about surgery. I wasn’t worried at all. Just wanted the surgery to go smoothly and quickly. Now that I am face with needed a RNY revision do to change complications associated with my sleeve, I am just stressed. And a little freaked out. Anyone else feel like this?

My story to decide to do sx isn't the normal one. I was referred to a surgeon because of my severe reflux. He was the one who suggested bypass instead of the other options. First thing he told me was that I was a complicated case due to my RA, OA and other issues. He said we'd have to coordinate everything with my other doctors, especially my Rheumatologist. During visits with my family dr & Rheumy we discussed their thoughts on proceeding with this procedure and they were both on board. We've discussed what treatment will look like for me in the long run and feel like this is the best plan for me. My main RA meds are injections so we don't think they'll be a big issue down the road. If I need short term steroids those can also be given by injection. In addition to discussing with each of my providers I've done a lot of research and feel like this is the right path for me.

Ok getting nervous now. Last visit to nut is tomorrow. Got a call from the dr. office he started submitting my paper work and now have a case manager assigned. Right now my surgery is scheduled for July 25. My nerves are already going crazy, thinking and reading about all the complications, I know everyone is different but tell that to my mind/head. But then I see all the amazing results and I want to be on the losers bench. What can I do to relax these next 2 weeks. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

I've been hospitalized many times and had four major surgeries, all abdominal. I say that you should bring everything you think you may need. If you have complications, you will be there longer than expected. If you do not bring something, you will have to ask someone to bring it to you. One thing to remember, no matter what you bring, you will have to take it home with you. If you bring a lot of things, make sure you have help leaving. You are going to be sore. The most important thing (other than all the other important things) that I make sure I bring are my hiking sandals. My current pair is made by Keen but I've also had Tevas over the years as well. They slip on easily and they make the hall walking much more comfortable. The socks with the tread on them are uncomfortable for me and it sucks trying to put on socks after you've had abdominal surgery.

I had my vsg on june 25th and zero complications. The first week is rough from a soreness point of view but i pretty much feel back to normal. my only regret is not doing this years ago

Good morning everyone hope you all had a good weekend. Ok so here is my issue. I have had my family support from the day I told them I was going to get the surgery. But out of the blue yesterday my mom said she would like to see me not go through with it and just loose it on my own. Since I have lost a few pounds over the last month on my own she just thinks I should do it that way. I have lost weight on my own before. Many times. I always gain it back and then some. As does she. She's had yo-yo weight all her life as well. I want this tool to help me get and stay on track. I don't know where this came from as far as her wanting me to not do it all of a sudden. She says she doesn't know anyone that has had long term success with it and they all gain the weight back. They all have had complications. And goes on and on. Like really..... I am a month out from surgery well a little more but still. I have went through the 6 month process twice now and its finally almost over and she want to come at me with this. It was like a slap in the face. I don't know how to feel about it. Has anyone else had this and how did you handle it? I feel I shouldn't have to defend myself for the decisions that I am making about my life.

According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. Since you are taking Prilosec, you are taking a proton-pump inhibitor. That leaves a couple more items to check. Around 50% of the world's population have H pylori infection, so it is fairly a common bug and a hard one to kill.

Hi, I am 25+ Years post surgery but have developed some unusual symptoms that have returned with bigger difficulties. Recently developed extremely low iron (2). Having a blood transfusion in a day or two. Extereme amount of pain in stomach and left shoulder. Wondering if you can have ‘gallbladder attacks’ even if it has been removed (2000). This pain has occurred intermittently over the past 10 years; however, it has become chronic over the past year. Have tried various pain meds: tramadol, dilaudid, ibuprofen, tordal, with little to no comfort. I have tried massage, physio (still have full range of motion), been checked for heart issues, many different tests and X-rays. Is it possible to have gallstones in remaining ducts? Have any others experienced this type of pain. I do have a high pain threshold but it has been increasing to a 10 level where I have asked someone to stab my shoulder because it might relieve the pain(mostly out of frustration). I will be getting a ct scan on Wednesday of Thisbe week after waiting two months for this appointment. Are there any other tests I should be requesting from my doctor?

Hi everyone, I am in the looking into / leaning towards the sleeve. A little more about me. I am an (ugh) 45 year old single mom to an amazing 17 year old daughter. She’s truly my partner in (all quite legal) crime. It’s been 12 years that we have been a team. I had always been active growing up. I swam US Swimming up until I was 17. I coached swim team. Taught swim lessons, etc. I worked in various health clubs and worked at the very first curves in my area at the time. So I always watched what I ate - but not anything outrageous. I am 5’ 4” and my weight would fluctuate by about 20 lbs (depending on the season...damn you egg nog). Which brings us to April of 2010. I live in MA to be more precise, on Cape Cod. If you don’t know where that is - GOOD (I’m kidding - kinda). But back to Doomsday as I now call it. I was visiting my mom who lived about an hour and a half away and I needed to get back for a pedicure appointment because it was the Friday before April vacation and we were going to the coolest indoor water park. At that time, I drove an older model Volkswagen Cabriolet Convertible. And it was borderline HOT that day. As I was leaving my mothers I contemplated taking the roof down, but decided not to because I was running late (typical). So I’m driving down the 2 lane stretch of highway that will bring me to the bridge to get to my town and nail appointment. I’m going a steady clip and traveling in the fast lane. All of a sudden a Ford 350 Truck is pulling into my lane on top of me. I was terrified of slamming on the breaks and getting rear ended so I hit my horn (if you could call it that- honestly it sounded like you blew into the wrong side of a kazoo) so I’m edging myself over and now I’m panicking. I have gotten myself in a terrible position. Since I was on the shoulder of a very narrow road, my car hit sand going at least 60 and I took off. All I really remember is sky/grass, sky/grass, sky/grass and finally coming to a stop upside down I could see all my belongings strewn everywhere in the grassy median. That accident made my “bad back” (ha not even close) worse my disc between L4-L5 was bulging. My options were spinal surgery or Physical Therapy until I couldn’t bear the pain anymore. That moment came in October of 2014 my daughter’s friend dropped an ice cube on the floor and somehow I managed to step on it and it took me down. I was in great shape and wanted to go the PT route again So we did that with Pain Management and a TON of steroids. I wasn’t improving so I was referred to my Neurosurgeon. I had the fusion in December and I knew it didn’t work. You have to wait a year before you are re-evaluated So I did and this led to a year and a half of anger, agony,depression, - you name it I had been gaining weight since the accident since I couldn’t do kickboxing any more. It’s weird, with the obesity epidemic where it is in this country why did not one single nurse, aide Rt doctor mention it. I am now 5’4” and weigh about 250. I’m supposed to have revision back surgery with another level of my back fused and they will take a bone graft from my hip to help ensure the surgery goes well. As I researched I started reading more and more about complications with spinal fusion in obese patients I got up the nerve and emailed my new Neurosurgeon’s nurse for information and she sent it to me right away as the clinic is a bit a way from me I opted to do orie I online. That will be next week. I feel like this may be my one best last chance to get some quality of life back. I would love to hear your stories and successes. Also how long is the recovery time? I think I read 4 weeks. Another question - my only other medical condition is my back at this point I have Medicare and Mass Health How long is the procedure from deciding , choosing dr appointments etc to actual surgery? i hope I didn’t put you all to sleep thanks for listening xx jacie

I had my surgery in Mexico on 6/29. I am 55 year old, have high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnea. I weighed 256 on the day of surgery and that is on a 5’3” frame. These are the reasons I had the surgery. My thought was that if I didn’t have the surgery I wouldn’t make it to age65. That prospect scared me a lot. There are no guarantees whether you have the surgery or not. When I was wheeled into surgery I was at complete peace with it and not at all nervous because I knew this was my best hope for a long life. It was a tough surgery and it took me a good 4 days to feel decent. But now at 10 days out I feel pretty darn well aside from not having too much energy because I am still in phase 2 full liquid only. I am looking forward to Thursday hen I get to try soft foods. So far I have had zero complications. Hope this helps. Please let us know your decision.

Obesity can cause health issues—we, of course, know this. However, it would be erroneous to assume that every patient knows all of the complications and health risks that come with obesity, which is why it's part of a doctor's job to educate their patients about this. It might not be something that patients want to hear, but it's the harsh reality of it. My PCP brought up my weight when I first starting seeing her and I'm glad that she did. I'm obese—it wasn't rude for her to say this, it's just a fact. She asked me what I was doing about it, I told her that I was counting calories, exercising, etc. and she told me to keep it up. It was a positive conversation. She didn't reprimand me and I didn't feel belittled. I'm a sensitive person, but appreciated her honesty. I think this is information that must be told to patients, but that the way in which it is delivered is important. I don't think it helps to skirt around this type of information because a patient might not be as willing to look into a nutrition class/healthy lifestyle program if they're told "you're just a little overweight," when in reality they're morbidly obese. They might not see it as an actual issue if they're not told the truth about their weight. I totally understand that this is a tough issue and that many who are obese don't want to be confronted with this information, but I also think that it's important that doctors are transparent with their patients.

Sounds like plenty of time, barring complications.

PS.. For the sake of full disclosure.... My surgery was complication free. I had a very easy recovery. No nausea. Little pain. Before surgery I had prediabetes. My blood sugar A1C is now well within normal range. My fasting blood sugar is in the 70's. Before surgery I took medication for high blood pressure. My blood pressure is normal now and I'm off meds. Before surgery I had very swollen legs at night and especially on hot days, and took diuretics for my edema. My legs are gorgeous now, no swelling....and no diuretics. Before surgery I had the occasional flare up of a hemorrhoid I got during pregnancy. My butt is great now....no sign of the nasty roid. LOL. The only prescription medication that I still take...is thyroid cause my thyroid is permanently feckered:) But yeah....I can run again. I can walk miles without my back screaming. I can get a good night's sleep without my hip and sciatic nerve pain waking me up at night. I feel like a normal 46 year old again. It SUCKED to feel 66 at 46. No regrets. Nada.

Nothing in life is without risk. Driving your car to the store carries a certain amount of risk. Before allowing yourself to be paralyzed by some instances of side effects after surgery (which are actually fairly rare, and nearly all are readily treatable)...consider this: What is the risk of remaining fat? Diabetes is statistically correlated to a shorter life. Type One...by nearly 20 years, Type Two by 10 years. Diabetics have a harder time losing weight. It can lead to poor wound healing, amputations, blindness... it is something you want to avoid. It is something WORTH SOME RISK to avoid because it will shorten your lifespan and quality of life. High blood pressure will cause debilitating issues over time, too, Kidney issues, risk of stroke. People with high blood pressure have shorter lifespans (by about five years) than those who don't. You are reading some scary stuff on this board.....because YES, this surgery carries SOME risk. (Less than a gallbladder surgery) But you are not considering the multitude of stories of people who chose to remain fat, who did not aggressively try to reverse their poor health conditions.....who died of heart attacks and strokes and complications of metabolic decline. Remaining fat carries more risk. When I considered this surgery, I asked myself and I asked my doctor to justify it.....Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Research overwhelmingly concludes....yes, they do. Wishing you the best no matter what you decide.

I had surgery 2/26/18 and also had complications. Most of mine were caused by peculiarities of my own anatomy. I would do the surgery again, regardless. It has already made a huge difference in my life. The complication rate is very low, but you don't tend to hear about all the surgeries that went off without a hitch. You hear about the ones that had issues. Good luck whatever you decide.

I had my surgery (vsg) on March 12 of this year. I had complications after surgery. I had a high fever and a high blood pressure after surgery. It only last a couple of days. With this said, I would get this surgery over and over again. This surgery gave a quality of life I didn't think I would have. Do not cancel your surgery. This surgery is worth it. Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi all. New to forum. Scheduled for the gastric sleeve on Tuesday and thinking about backing out. So many worrisome issues people are having in these forums. I am scared to death of complications. I have Hugh blood pressure sleep apnea and am borderline diabetic. I weigh 229 and my goal weight is 140. I know I need to do this but I am terrified there will be complications. Can anyone offer me any advice? I really don’t want to call this surgery off after all the hard work I’ve done. Sad and anxious.

Ugh, I'm still on the fence about which surgery I want. Complicated because I have reflux, so RNY looks like a better choice, but I've been totally scared away from RNY by these boards. I'm worried about loud stomach gurgling, loud uncontrollable flatus, and super stinky poops. I work in an office and may sometimes have to go to court, and loud rumbling and gas would be very embarrassing! Help!!! Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

That's great!! I lost 13 really fast, too, then slowed down a bit. But I hit my 20 lb benchmark today! Woohoo! That's 20% of my weightloss goal in 3.5 weeks, so I ain't complaining lol! I got tired of liquids sooo fast! Lucky for me, my doc does pretty short phases. I've had lots of complications so eating chicken was great. But dangit, I'd give anything for a cracker to crunch! 😂

A bezoar \ˈbē-ˌzō(ə)r \ is a hard solid mass of indigestible material that can build up over time and possibly cause an obstruction. Bezoars can be classified into four types depending on the type of material swallowed. Trichobezoars \ˌtrik-ō-ˈbē-ˌzō(ə)rz \ are composed of hair and are most commonly associated with patients who have a psychiatric disorder. Pharmacobezoars \ˌfärmə kō- bē-ˌzō(ə)rz\ are composed of undigested medication. Lactobezoars \ˌlaktō- bē-ˌzō(ə)rz \ are more commonly seen in neonates and are comprised of milk curd. The bezoar associated with gastric bypass is a post-operative complication called a phytobezoar \ˌfīt-ō-ˈbē-ˌzō(ə)r \. Phytobezoars \ˌfīt-ō-ˈbē-ˌzō(ə)rz \ are composed of undigested fiber from certain vegetables and fruits such as corn and grape skins. A gastric bypass patient’s stomach pouch is approximately the size of a golf ball. The outlet (or stoma) created in the stomach pouch is about the size of an M&M. The food a person eats must be able to pass through this narrow opening, which is why food must be chewed over and over. Patients heal at different rates and scar differently. For some patients, scarring at the pouch’s outlet can make this M&M-size passageway even narrower. This is a complication that a person cannot control. In the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a special type of cutting stapler is used when the stomach is divided to create the stomach pouch. This stapler is also used to divide the small intestine. As healing progresses over the first three to four weeks after surgery, scar tissue grows over the staples. If forbidden foods such as raisins are eaten before this stapled area is healed, it may lead to an obstruction. In the short-term, avoid foods like dried fruits, seeds, and nuts until one's staples are covered with scar tissue. Long-term, be mindful of foods such as corn or grapes which could create a phytobezoar \ˌfīt-ō-ˈbē-ˌzō(ə)r \. I had fun researching bezoars. I hope this helps even one person to make wiser -- and safer -- food choices.

Hello - this is my first post (sorry it's a bit graphic). I had successful surgery - without complications - a week ago. I've just noticed that one of my wounds is weeping slightly. The fluid coming out of it has a little blood in it, but no pus and I don't have a temperature. The wound has surgical glue on it and isn't covered by a dressing, so I don't like to put anything on it, in case it causes the glue to detach prematurely. I have an appointment with my general practitioner on Monday any way for other reasons - do you think it would be appropriate to wait until then to get it examined?

I’ve had the band for 10 years and I would not recommend it. From the beginning I had problems. Couldn’t eat chicken but slider foods like cereal were unrestricted. This led to a very unhealthy diet. The restriction was variable throughout the day and day by day. One day couldn’t drink water and had it unfilled., gained all the weight back. Also had acid reflux which my dr says was caused by the band. Now getting a gastric bypass., if you look at the studies the band has a higher complication than the sleeve or bypass. And I never had a slip or erosion like some have had.

I’ve lost 68 lbs since May 10. No complications. Although, better than the weight, in my opinion, is that right after surgery all of the inflammation in my back and joints disappeared. Like poof, totally gone. That has allowed me to walk an average of five miles a day and weight lift 5 days a week. Before my surgery I would try to get healthy but it hurt so bad to exercise because of all of that inflammation. So losing that, more than anything, was worth having the surgery. My wife says it has made me a brand new man as I work on the house and do things I’ve needed to do for years but avoided. I seriously feel like I am 25 again.

Hey all! Minnesota here as well! Saint Paul (Dayton's Bluff). I am having my revision surgery on Aug 7, 2018 (also my 30th birthday!) and am so excited. I had a lap band placed in 2011 and lost 115 pounds, only to have gained it back after complications made me take saline out. I am getting a RNY at St. Josephs in Saint Paul- Dr. Geoffry Fasan So nice to see other MN peeps! I'm excited and nervous and it's been the main thing on my mind for months, but its coming!

Thanks MattZ for your informative reply. It is good to know poop smell can be controlled by diet. I also have very low Vit D already. Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB) actually has a lot less complications and has replacing RYN in many countries. Thanks again HK