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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

I'm 5 weeks post-surgery, which was on 5/18. There sure are peaks and valleys associated with this journey. The highs are every Wednesday morning when I do my weekly weigh-in. So far I'm down over 40 pounds, which I'm very grateful for. I'm down over 50 pounds from my highest weight and am down two pants sizes already. Here are the lows I'm experiencing. I hope some of you who've maybe experienced the same can relate your stories as well. It's almost as if I'm "afraid to eat" right now. For breakfast, I'm able to eat a few pieces of watermelon or about half to three-quarters of a scrambled egg. I've been trying to eat lunch every day, but sometimes I'm just too full from breakfast and the water I've been drinking since after breakfast. My wife has been making dinner every evening and I've been trying to eat some of that (chicken dishes, a bit of pasta to try, etc.) I get food jealous and food depressed is how I should describe it. Of course, I'd like to eat more, but it's just not feasible anymore. I guess I was just naive that I would get full so quickly. Has anyone dealt with a change of taste since their surgery? The stuff I used to drink like diet iced tea just doesn't taste the same anymore and I can't stand it. Honestly, the drinks that are going best for my stomach right now is water mixed with flavored crystal light and regular coke (I know, I know)... Also, a little bit of ice cream also helps settle my stomach. Sorry for the ranting...I'm just kind of in a bad place right now. I love that I've lost so much weight in such a short time, but I'm really struggling with all of the food stuff. Sometimes I think I should've just stayed fat and enjoyed the food I eat, but then I also think of my 10-year-old daughter and how I need to be healthy and around for a long time for her and that certainly helps.

I agree with the Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate chews. I like the assorted fruit flavors. https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/bariatric-advantage-calcium-citrate-chewy-bites-500mg-10-flavors?variant=29100128436301

It does feel like a bubble and a burp! I’m glad to hear it gets better. Im feeling the dehydration effects. I’ll double up on my sf popsicles ! I put some crystal light in my bottle water and that’s helped me drink 8 ounces before 10 am.

I understand your pain. I had the surgery over 10 years ago and had similar reactions. To this day if I eat or drink just a very little bit too much I get sick. This was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. I would recommend to everyone not to have this operation. Want to lose weight? Eat less and exercise. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It gets easier.... Does it just feel like a quick burn in the upper chest when it's going down? If so, after about a week it got MUCH better for me. At almost a year out, I am just about able to drink like I used to (no odd feeling, just feels like I get full much quicker). I can down a 16oz bottle in less than 10 minutes if I'm really thirsty. Hope this helps. PS - Try and drink as much as you possibly can - Dehydration can make you feel REALLY crappy. Maybe try the sugar free popscicles - For some, the cold is easier to take.

I’m 4 days out of DS and I’ve been trying to sip water all day! I only got about 18 Oz down. I also sipped 2 x 3 oz strained miso soup ate 2 x 2oz sugar free protein pudding, 2 Oz sugar free protein jello, and 1 tablespoon light Greek yogurt. I’m feeling quite week. I do keep my bottle Igor next to me and I take tiny sips every 10 minutes. If you’re in the liquid phase, how are you doing sipping? Any tips?

I added collagen powder (& silica) to my diet every second day from about month 4/5 but only for its supposed benefits to my skin. I never counted it towards my protein goals. I guess if it did contribute, it was a bonus above my protein goal like @lizonaplane suggested. Best thing to do is to speak to your dietician & medical team to be sure. By the way, don’t think it actually helped my skin (nails or hair either). I was eating more & a greater variety of food & therefore increasing the nutrients I was consuming which I think probably did more. I stopped taking it after about 10 months or so.

I don't really think the surgeons/doctors know what it's like- they aren't there. The ones who know what it's like are the floor nurses, the ones who were at my bedside, administering my meds, taking my vitals. I saw my surgeon for 10 mins on the morning of surgery and then for 10 mins on the day she discharged me. Her basic question was, "do you think your pain is managed well enough for you to go home?" I did... just didn't realize that I was being given more pain support meds in the hospital that would be prescribed for me to take at home. As I was leaving my hospital room, the CNA who'd been taking care of me said "Don't hesitate to call the floor nurses' station if you need anything." I wonder if she knew more about my pain management at the time than I did!

The notes from the upper GI series says they detected a "moderately large" hernia. Actual surgical notes on the repair say "Given that the patient has already had a sleeve gastrectomy and is not a candidate for any form of wrap, I choose to place a bio A absorbable Gore mesh to reinforce the diaphragmatic repair. Once positioned appropriately the mesh is secured in all 4 corners with Ethibond suture. The apex of the sleeve is secured to the diaphragm medially and laterally with single interrupted Ethibond suture." I'm doing... ok, I guess. I found the hernia surgery harder to tolerate than my sleeve surgery was. My hernia surgery was on Tuesday morning and they discharged me on Thursday afternoon after they "achieved appropriate pain management," making me 3 days post-op. I thought they were only giving me Tylenol via IV, and oxycodone on request. Turns out this was true, but they were also giving me gabapentin and the oxycodone in addition to the Tylenol; I could have had additional oxy if requested, as well as dilaudid. I won't lie; it's been rough being home. I have five oxycontin pills to get me through, as well as Tylenol, of course. I have had enough pain that I'm calling this afternoon to get more oxy; my pain this morning was easily a 7 on a scale of 1-10. I haven't had any acid issues, but I haven't had any real food yet. I'm allowed a soft diet but I know I'm not ready. I've stayed on full liquid (which is where I was in the hospital) with a few bites of yogurt or pudding with not great results. It just hurts right now, feels like I have a giant block in my chest and a huge lump in my throat. I am SO GLAD I took 2 weeks off from work for this!

Saw that this thread was revived and figured I'd throw in an update 3 months later... Short Story: Yep, I am still drinking. Long Story: About 2 months ago, I noticed that I was sleeping poorly (increasing regular insomnia, if i did sleep, i would still wake up tired, I went from getting up bright up and bushy tailed at 6am to dragging myself out of bed closer to 10. I was getting more headaches. Mr. said it was because I was drinking too much...though he says this for EVERYTHING. I have a headache. You are drinking too much. My period is late. You are drinking too much. It's raining tomorrow. You are drinking too much. Anyhoo, he said why not cut down anyway and see what happens....for science? Ah! he knows me so well, any opportunity to create a new spreadsheet and make some observations over time! LOL. So I stopped drinking for 10 days (it was supposed to be a week, but I'm an over-achiever). By the 2nd night I had the most glorious sleep, and woke up like a Disney Princess with birds singing and everything. and by about day 4 my regular headaches were easing up. By the end of the 10 days they were gone. Well what the eff. The man may have been on to something (I'm never going to hear the end of this 🙄) So of course I wasn't going to stop drinking forever (I'm a realist as well). So I did a bit more experimenting (and tracking) and found that on those days that I drink at night, I would generally have poor sleep. I haven't yet figured out the cause of the headaches, but for now I'm going to lump it with the extended period of bad sleep before. So these days I try not to drink past 6pm if I am home. Though patios have opened up in my area so I may not be as home as often! And I suppose I'm just going to keep doing my thing until something comes up again that spurs me to do some re-evaluating and adjusting. Bonus Story: I have been smoke-free for 74 days. I was scheduled to get my 1st COVID vaccine shot and read about blot clots, so I figured I would try NOT to poke the bear and stop smoking a week before and 28 days after it just in case (because as we all know, smoking causes blot clots! why increase my chances?). Well after the 28 days, I figured hey, I don't miss smoking, so let's just not start again. So I didn't (yet!). #patsSelfOnTheBack.

Haven’t hit my goal weight yet I’m currently 9 months post op will be 10 on July 2nd. But happy and appreciate how far I have gotten. Don’t regret it one bit. SW:226lbs Sept 2nd 2020 CW: 145lbs June 2020 GW:130lbs

Ha yes sleeve done yesterday long with a. Hiatal hernia repair. I worked most of 5he C02. I have my little ne oz cup and set a timer for 10 minutes. I drink that little cup over the course of the day. I mixed it with hard a popsicle and Gatorade zero. Now my primary pain is from the incisions. I’m staying on top of my pain meds and anti nausea.pills. One day at a time wi5h thing!

Thank you all for your feedback, concern, and well wishes from my previous post. I have since spoke to the surgeon again on June 16th and he has determined that we will try again. July 29th is the new due date. He recommended I lose 10-15 pounds more, giving me 6 or 7 more weeks to lose it until the new date. I will admit to myself that I am not sure if this is a good idea anymore. I am ashamed at what I allowed to happen on this journey and my behavior to the doctor and staff the day of surgery and the aftermath. I saw everyone as the enemy. I didn’t look forward to anything anymore and I hated everyone and everything. But I know who’s fault it really is. I knew even the day of surgery that it wasn’t his fault. He just had bad bedside manner and I wanted him to slip in a puddle of piss and die. This guy doesn’t know how to be reassuring or sound empathetic at all. But he wants to try agin with me. When I saw him on the 16th of June, I’ve since calmed down enough to speak to him and so has he. It was a more pleasant experience. He wants to increase the amount of receptors or whatever as well as the robot for the surgery. i don’t know if this is a good idea. At all. I am still going to do the liquid diet for 6-7 weeks in anticipation of the surgery but I’m not looking forward to it as much anymore. I should stop being a baby, I know, but y’all I had a lot riding on this. I shouldn’t have but I did. My fiancé and I as well as family did. It is part of the reason I didn’t want to tell anyone because of the shame and disappointment. I was a fool for thinking what I did so far was enough. I was a fool for making this seem like the be all end all of things. It isn’t and I will think of a plan B this time.

Thank you all for your feedback, concern, well wishes. I have since spoke to the surgeon again on June 16th and he has determined that we will try again. July 29th is the new due date. He recommended I lose 10-15 pounds more, giving me 6 or 7 more weeks to lose it until the new date. I will admit to myself that I am not sure if this is a good idea anymore. I am ashamed at what I allowed to happen on this journey and my behavior to the doctor and staff the day of surgery and the aftermath. I saw everyone as the enemy. I didn’t look forward to anything anymore and I hated everyone and everything. But I know who’s fault it really is. I knew even the day of surgery that it wasn’t his fault. He just had bad bedside manner and I wanted him to slip in a puddle of piss and die. This guy doesn’t know how to be reassuring or sound empathetic at all. But he wants to try agin with me. When I saw him on the 16th of June, I’ve since calmed down enough to speak to him and so has he. It was a more pleasant experience. He wants to increase the amount of receptors or whatever as well as the robot for the surgery. i don’t know if this is a good idea. At all. I am still going to do the liquid diet for 6-7 weeks in anticipation of the surgery but I’m not looking forward to it as much anymore. I should stop being a baby, I know, but y’all I had a lot riding on this. I shouldn’t have but I did. My fiancé and I as well as family did. It is part of the reason I didn’t want to tell anyone because of the shame and disappointment. I was a fool for thinking what I did so far was enough. I was a fool for making this seem like the be all end all of things. It isn’t and I will think of a plan B this time.

Thank you all for your feedback, concern, well wishes. I have since spoke to the surgeon again on June 16th and he has determined that we will try again. July 29th is the new due date. He recommended I lose 10-15 pounds more, giving me 6 or 7 more weeks to lose it until the new date. I will admit to myself that I am not sure if this is a good idea anymore. I am ashamed at what I allowed to happen on this journey and my behavior to the doctor and staff the day of surgery and the aftermath. I saw everyone as the enemy. I didn’t look forward to anything anymore and I hated everyone and everything. But I know who’s fault it really is. I knew even the day of surgery that it wasn’t his fault. He just had bad bedside manner and I wanted him to slip in a puddle of piss and die. This guy doesn’t know how to be reassuring or sound empathetic at all. But he wants to try agin with me. When I saw him on the 16th of June, I’ve since calmed down enough to speak to him and so has he. It was a more pleasant experience. He wants to increase the amount of receptors or whatever as well as the robot for the surgery. i don’t know if this is a good idea. At all. I am still going to do the liquid diet for 6-7 weeks in anticipation of the surgery but I’m not looking forward to it as much anymore. I should stop being a baby, I know, but y’all I had a lot riding on this. I shouldn’t have but I did. My fiancé and I as well as family did. It is part of the reason I didn’t want to tell anyone because of the shame and disappointment. I was a fool for thinking what I did so far was enough. I was a fool for making this seem like the be all end all of things. It isn’t and I will think of a plan B this time.

Huh. This is the first I've heard of Metformin helping you lose weight. Then again, it does explain some things... I was diagnosed with early stages of Type II diabetes in June of 2019. I was prescribed a low dosage of Metformin. It was as a result of that doctor's visit that I started looking into weight loss surgery and then went "into the program" being required to showing some persistent weight loss before the surgery was approved. Despite my being morbidly obese my entire adult life and never being able to lose weight, I was actually able to lose the prescribed weight leading up to my surgery without too many trials and tribulations... in retrospect, I wonder whether Metformin aided in that weight loss effort without my realizing it. Not that it makes a difference now. I've not taken it since my surgery in July of 2020.

Just wanting to share my story and current status at 1 year in. I started the journey in June of 2020 after considering it for years. Having surgery was something that was in the back of my mind for years. I have a co-worker/friend who had gastric bypass about 3 years before me and quite honestly, she is the reason I ended up taking the plunge - Gastric Sleeve was the best choice for ME. Watching her journey and seeing her success motivated me. I appreciated the fact that she was willing to share her experiences both positive and negative. Prior to my meeting with the surgeon, she gave me a ton of insight on what to expect with both positives and negatives. Physically, I knew I was ready for a change. I needed to make sure I was also mentally ready for the change. I WAS! I started with a BMI > 40. I'm currently 80% complete towards my goal. I hoped that I would be at goal by now, but I'm ok that I'm not. Much of that is based on decisions that I've made with regards to how/what I eat and drink. I WILL get these last 20 off and hopefully another 10. I don't know how long it will take, and at this point, I'm not overly concerned if it takes another year. What's my life like now? I can move better,I can buy clothes anywhere, I'm confortable in my own skin (loose that it is!), and I have a newfound confidence in most everything that I do. I eat pretty much anything I want - Just in much smaller quantities. I've been lucky - So far, there's nothing that really upsets my stomach or makes me sick unless I eat too much (has only happened a couple of times). I drink alcohol when I want it - Some weeks I may have a drink or two a day, and then other times, I'll go weeks without a drink. Again, I'm ok with that - it works for me. Some weeks I gain, some weeks I lose. I've been horrible about tracking - However, if I see a gain, I start back just so that I become aware of exactly what is causing it. Again, OK with that. I DO get on the scale often. It works for me. Keeps me accountable. Every once in awhile I get frustrated with the restrictions (OMG, I ordered veal piccata the other day and it was AMAZING - I wished I could eat the whole darned thing at one sitting!!) - However, I choose to look at the upside now on this one - I ate it for 3 days!. Good food choice: NOPE - Worth it: YEP! For those just starting the journey, it isn't always easy - it isn't always fun. For ME, it's the best decision I've ever made for myself. It's definitely not a quick fix and I would encourage anyone who is using food as a coping mechanism to really look deep before you take the plunge. This surgery certainly doesn't "fix" anything like that. it's a tool (and a great one, but remember, the change is only to your stomach, not your brain) - I happen to be one of those people who just loves food, cooking, and the social aspect of it. Having the surgery has allowed me to continue that and still keep me in check with smaller portions. Hope this gives folks some insight into what CAN happen. We're all different and will have different experiences.