Search the Community

13 days out from surgery 10 lbs down... I haven't been eating. Eating is a hassle. When I do eat I either give up or don't eat the right thing. I don't put me or my staples in danger of course. I'm just not meeting protein requirements in the slightest. I'm writing this post because I know there are a lot of other who feel like they've just been getting it wrong since Week 1 of surgery, and I just want to say that its never too late to turn it around. This isn't like all the other times! I'm not looking for motivation, encouragement, a lecture or anything else. I'm just calling myself out for bad behaviour because I'm a big know-it-all who is miserable, tired, and losing hair. I'm re-commiting myself to toughing it out this week and the coming weeks because I've been on this forum long enough to know that it all passes.

For me the first 6 weeks after both my VSG (12/2019) and revision (8/2020) the focus was on protein/water and slowly reintroducing foods. After 6 weeks my calorie goals were 6-900 calories a day and a minimum of 60g of protein. Now that I’m at goal it’s 1000-1200 a day and a minimum of 90g of protein.

Typically a process where the post op phases are undertaken in a much shorter time frame eg over a week, 10 days or a fortnight. I assume it is to help with not just weight loss but help reset someone's mindframe.

I decided on the sleeve for this reason. I couldn’t get any clear answers even after talking to the manufacturers about either surgery but I know that absorption with sleeve is better than bypass. The best advice anyone could give was to tweak the extended release to immediate release and to go off my Medication that requires a certain calorie count for absorption. Also to just know that you may need to contact your doctor to adjust dosage and even change to a new medication entirely. I kept thinking LOW absorption doesn’t mean NO absorption so just increase the dosage and it will be fine but that’s not necessarily the case they say. However, after 10 years of fighting to find the right medication I thought I was on the only ones that would work for me and psychiatrist changed my meds PRIOR to surgery to help ease my mind that there was another medication that works for me. You don’t have as much time to do that but if you are still seriously concerned you could push your surgery date out a bit??

I think we definitely need to be honest that these surgeries can cause problems and I encourage long time surgery vets to be open about what they have dealt with. I started out getting the lap-band in 2003. I read a ton of patient experiences on email lists, ObesityHelp, and online forums. I read medical journal articles about it. I read about how it had been used in Australia with good results for some time before that. I thought I knew what I was getting into. Most people at the time really thought that the band was a low-risk, easily reversed surgery. By the time I had my band removed over 10 years later, it was clear that it is NOT a good surgery for most people and that the majority of people end up having problems from it. What seemed like the safest option at the time ended up being probably the worst option for most of us. Now most surgeons no longer put bands in at all. When I had the band removed, I switched over to the gastric sleeve, because again it seemed like the lowest risk option. Now I am dealing with a hiatal hernia and learning that it is pretty common to tell sleevers who have GERD or hiatal hernias after surgery that they should just get an RNY. I never wanted an RNY because I was scared of the potential complications. I am still hoping and praying there will be another option, but it is scary to think that I might be forced into yet another surgery with yet more possible complications. While I know many people do great with the RNY for many years, I also know people who ended up with awful complications and have suffered. I am tired of taking these risks. Having 5 year data on patient outcomes is great for a research study, but for the patient that is not necessarily enough. When it is a permanent surgery that you have to live with for the rest of your life, it is not much consolation to know most people do great at 5 years if you are one of the unlucky ones who has problems 10 or 15 years later.

Hey, guys well I am 10 1/2 years post-op. I've let myself go manage to lose 40 pounds again but I still have a good 65 to 70 minimum that I want to lose. I want to do a pouch reset but I'm not 100% sure how to go about doing it? I was just going to drink protein shakes and smoothies for a week or 2 but is there anything i really should do or know before i jump in head first? Thanks in advance!!!

I totally agree, i think what you’re saying goes both ways... no one can say how prevalent it is or it isn’t... all we can do is state our experience like everyone else. I was just merely addressing the comment that if it’s common they’d here about it, not necessarily. I’m finding evidence all over the internet in scrientific studies in medical journals like JAMA that correspond to a more broader issue with these surgeries (including less than 10 years post op) and there is a lot of complications still present even with ‘modern’ advancements. im not saying it equates common, but it’s equating enough stir in medical communities like neurological journals that warrant studies that have been done. If it’s very uncommon and rare... these journals would not have enough data to publish in the medical journals I’m reading. I think it’s fair to say that if there’s enough complications to warrant different medical specialities (for ex. The neurology paper) to see enough repeated visits by post bariatric surgery patients to warrant investigations and studies than maybe it’s ok to breach the scary topic and ask more questions, seek more clarity and transparency for everyone’s sake. Medicine is a business. Even in a free healthcare state like Canada. And business is business. Like cobalt in hips and then that poisoning those eith these hip replacements, so the companies then coat the cobalt, yet it hasn’t solved all the issues even knowing there’s still issues. im not ok with not knowing everything I can previous to any surgery and because I fall within whatever numbers are declared as a minority percentage, not getting full disclosures, just because my life doesn’t matter as long as the majority is somewhat ok.... still not saying bariatric surgery is bad at all... I’m saying full disclosure is paramount, and it should not have to be sought after by the patient post surgery, it should be a streamlined process of knowledge snd medical care continuity. I find it interesting how people are really riled up at just the questions I put out there. Why does it cause so much intense feelings. Why are quite a few respondents so quickly defending a surgery when I’m not attacking individual choice but just stating my experience and seeking my own health solutions. are people scared? I’m not judging at all... I’m being curious yet people seem very defensive and fearful of my struggles.... instead of being curious, most people who have responded are defending something I’m not accusing but I am definately curious as I said about a possible relationship between my complex medical issues that did not exist prior to bariatric surgery and are now mounting. just a mom, a post bariatric surgery patient, seeking with curiosity any possible connections here, as I’ve sought in other areas, reasons that could explain this... it’s interesting that this forum seems to be the only one very upset with my curiosity about others who possibly might have had or are having similar complex medical issues. im just a mom seeking solutions to a complex medical mess to I can live my life well and live a long healthy life with my kids. I am not attacking bariatric surgery as it seems others having feelings that I am... I’m simply seeking others who may be able to shed some light on my own individual personal experience with complex health issues post surgery, that’s all.... just seeking answers so I can get better in every place I can think of, there’s no one else to help me do it... so here I am... but seems as though everyone doesn’t even want me to ask such questions... it creates too much fear... I get that... I’m afraid too... I’m in the middle of this.... alone and trying to put a complex puzzle together. I’m not attacking or saying it’s wrong yet people are responding as if that’s what I’m saying or insinuating. I’m here because all of my issues are post bariatric surgery snd I’m just asking a simple question; are there others on this forum experiencing complications like me, do they think or have they found out that it’s from their surgery or it’s complications or that is caused by something else, and how was it resolved, how did they become healthy again... maybe no one knows, maybe the question then becomes to others; why is my curiosity so threatening to even ask these questions here? Why is my curiosity not met with curiosity but with obvious fear in the act of defending a medical practice that I haven’t accused as the cause... just being curious if it might be.

I haven't been here in five years, but I thought I should share what I've learned on this journey... 1. My sleeve was a very minor surgery. Less than 30 minutes passed between being knocked out and the recovery room. Quite frankly, I think this option should be more widely available for marginally obese people. Unlike the other bariatric surgeries - which change your plumbing, this is simply the removal of the stretchy part of the stomach. 2. Think long and hard about who you tell. I told a handful of family members and I think that was a mistake. I suggest you either tell everyone, or just the absolute minimum (spouse or care giver). Within the first year I was sure everyone knew and I felt I was being dishonest. 3. The honeymoon is real. For 18 months it's virtually impossible to gain weight, but after that, you most certainly can. My smaller stomach can hold 8-10 ounces of food and get refilled after about an hour. If you fill it with sugar or fat and keep refilling it, you can certainly get back all your weight. I initially lost about 90 pounds and that was too much. People kept asking me if I had cancer. I've since put 25 pounds back on and while I wish it was 15, it's fine. My weight is what it was when I was an athlete in college. I have used my reduced weight and energy to excercise and I think that has helped. I generally do 100,000 steps a week. Again, eating/drinking the wrong stuff and not exercising would surely lead to more weight gain. 4. I no longer count calories, but I do have a few tricks to keep things in check. I have designed a menu with a lot of 200-500 calorie meals and I have 3-4 of these every day. I burn enough EXTRA calories a day exercising to offset the calories I drink (I only drink 100 calorie cocktails - nothing sugary). 5. There's a lot of good and bad information on alcohol on this site. I waited 6 weeks (the European guideline) and the eased in with weak cocktails and wine. I don't think it hits me harder, but since I'm likely to have less food in my stomach, the effect is to be hit harder. I can see no reason to wait 6 months or a year other than minimizing caloric intake. The Sleeve is a timeout from your bad lifestyle, but it's not a permanent timeout. At some point you'll create a new lifestyle that will include birthday cakes, pizza, French fries and booze. You need to manage around all of these risky consumables. You should think about it ll as you enter your journey, never stop reevaluating, and constantly adjust. I hope this helps someone...

I don't think people 5+ years out are likely to come back unless they're having issues, so it may look like problems are more widespread than they actually are. Most people seem to leave these types of sites after the first couple of years post-op. I'm not saying these complications don't happen - we all know they do - but I just question how widespread they are. You can't really base it on how many people post on sites like this, since they may not be a representative population. the other thing I want to say is that techniques have improved over the years. For example, "candy cane syndrome" happened to some people who had bypass surgery 10+ years ago. They changed the way they do the surgery so that that doesn't happen anymore. They also used to do a lot more bypasses as open surgeries, and those are more risky than laproscopically done surgeries.

I had VSG on 8/27/20. My sister is a PACU nurse and warned me not to get the bypass or similar surgery because she has seen too many bariatric patients lose the weight but develop severe medical related to malabsorption that the bypass produces. She even told me that having the bypass shortens ones lifespan by 7-10 years! I have NO clue where she got this information but she scared me into having the sleeve rather than the bypass. So far I am doing great with the sleeve but again, I’m only 6 months out.

hi Changes4Life, I really appreciate your candid and kind result. Its awesome to have you post.... Im feeling much less alone in all this, Im so sorry you as well have been through so much and grateful your still ontrack and thankful for the life its afforded you, even though its been a very tough go at times! Im definitely happy I got my life back through the surgery, yet if the complications take my life that would be brutal now as a solo parent of two younger kids. I just read a neurology article that states most patients do best with nutritional supports given by injections and not orally. That a large percentage - up to 20% develop neurological disorders even when taking appropriate oral supplementation. This I didn't know about except that it would be prevented by oral supplementation... this article states this isn't so for 2 out of 10 patients. I also learned the neurological disorders are related to how much you loose and how fast, meaning the majority of issues come from loosing the weight in less than 1year. I was 450 pounds and at my lowest was down 293. I lost the weight extremely fast. Ive kept all but 25 off in almost 12 years. to add to my diagnosis list; They just discovered my colon in entirely air filled distended and dilated without air/fluid levels, thickening and no obstruction, meaning now bowel disease but its of unknown origin and significance so its being investigated. it can be related to neurological disorders and vagus nerve issues that eventually cause a paralyzed intestinal system. Im praying and hoping for the best outcome possible. Im just also putting all this out there in case any of the people on this site themselves with any similar struggles and if so may be able to help direct their drs to a 'possible' association with bariatric surgery post complications in order to receive help that's more targeted to correction in a more effective and efficient way than having years go by with a lot of I don't knows. I hope my post not only connects but also helps others in their after surgery care should odd seemingly unrelated symptoms arise and they don't know where to begin... I definitely had no idea any of this except depleted vitamins and minerals could be a play. im definitely not against surgery!!!!!!!!!!! just in my case I hope what drs have missed and if all these accumulated health struggles - not present pre-surgery so these possible and (rare?) complications of post bariatric surgery, as im now reading in literature, that this surgery does not end up shortening my life... if it does only because of a lack of awareness by patients/drs/and specialists, simply because it took to long to figure out the brain/body system complicated connections to the gut or in my case it wasn't fully disclosed or known at the time, I pray this information will help someone in the future who is also seeking answers to complicated health struggles. I've been actively seeking help since 2017, the symptoms have now become physically undeniable;e and hopefully I can be helped in time to continue onward with my beautiful life being present to be involved with my incredible children as they grow up. im thinking of you all and just pray that if someone finds themselves with mounting medical complexities this information will help you advocate for yourself and possible change in the medical systems to provide in my case, better post op care and immediate investigations with this many unexplainable medical complexities post surgery. im glad I had the surgery.... I just want much more time her to enjoy life. just aceesperate mom seeking help and community.

I'm 9 months out from VSG, saw the bariatric clinic follow up staff, and am so GRR now. I never had that "I'm never hungry" feeling once I recovered from the surgery but shrugged it off. I could drink 2 oz. fluids at once literally the day of surgery so I was like... OK, cool. Weight loss was slow despite being diet compliant and exercising, stopped at 25 pounds after 3 months, then gained 10 back after a foot injury (off again since getting back to my daily 5k jog). I've been having reflux for ages despite avoiding trigger foods/drinks and I get hiccups 20+ times a day regardless of how I'm eating, drinking, or not doing either. So they referred me back to the surgeon's office. Last week I had an upper GI study. The radiology report says I have mild decreased lower esophageal motility and mild outpouching at the fundus... um, I shouldn't HAVE a fundus after gastric sleeve. The weakened esophageal muscles explains the fluid that backs up when I drink sometimes, especially if not sitting straight up or standing, and the chest lock I feel when eating dryer foods or meats. I'm confused about the fundus. Is the radiologist mistaken and unfamiliar with VSG anatomy? Did the surgeon leave part of my fundus? The surgeon's office is awful at communicating so I'm in limbo. They didn't even call me before ordering the upper GI, they just had the radiology department call to schedule me without notice. All I can think about is where I go from here. Meds for the reflux and live with the hiccups? Revision surgery for the reflux and basically start over (the big GRR)? Anyone else have anything similar like a retained fundus, outpouching, or GERD with esophageal motility disorders like weakened muscles after VSG surgery?

Hi, all. I already posted this in the general forum, but I wanted to let all of my February 2019 friends know as well. (You may recall that I was an "honorary" member of the February group after my original February surgery date was postponed until March.) I celebrated my two-year surgery anniversary a few days ago (March 3, 2019), and I'm happy to report that things are going well. I gained about ten pounds during maintenance, and in retrospect I think that my low weight of 132 was too thin. (I never dreamed two years ago that I would be saying those words!) I feel like I am eating "normally," though in smaller quantities and without most of the junk I ate when I was obese. I still avoid sugar, carbs and fat, but I've gotten a bit more relaxed about indulging from time to time. I celebrated my two-year anniversary with a huge piece of cake washed down with an ice-cold Coke. (Just kidding--I ate my usual diet!) I'm attaching a photo taken two days ago to show what I look like these days. I hope all of the February 2019 members are doing well!

I'm 4 weeks out so I'm no expert but I'm also not a big/good cook. I've cooked twice since post-op. I started puree/soft foods 2 weeks ago and this is what I do... For breakfast and/or lunch, I eat yogurt or have a protein shake. My nutritionist said I can have turkey bacon so sometimes I throw some in the microwave and have that. For dinner: I've been eating canned salmon (not big on tuna) and canned chicken. They last a pretty long time and there are some really simple recipes for them. I don't consider that cooking because mostly I saute them with frozen onion and peppers, season it and I'm done in 10 mins. If I want more flair, I'll add a small amount of teriyaki sauce or oriental sauce. As far as fast food, I've also had rotisserie chicken from the Peruvian restaurant by my house. It went down better than the canned meat! Right now for the most part I just eat meat so it's pretty easy to track. I have a digital scale and I just measure out 3-4 oz. The 2 meals I cooked were 2 different types of chili. Both of which only had like 5 ingredients. I had leftovers for a few days. I haven't been to a restaurant yet but I like all the advice that BigSue gave on this. I'll def keep them in mind!

Hi, it sounds like you have been through so much! I'm nearing 10 years postop and I have had several health issues as well. I too have had an interesting journey. Although, I'm very grateful for my surgery there have definitely been surprises. I had no health issues other than obesity prior to the surgery and took no medication other than a multivitamin once a day and Tylenol occasionally for fever or headache. I knew if I didn't make a change I would find myself with many issues so I decided on gastric bypass. My teeth and bones have taken a beating as my body continues to leach the calcium from those locations although I do take my calcium supplements. I use enamel mouthwash twice a day recommended by my dentist to try to assist. I have to be very careful with brushing 3x's per day. I also have been on iron infusions and B12 supplements for years trying to keep those levels adequate. I think the hardest part has been postprandial hypoglycemia which caused some weight regain, fainting spells, trips to the ER and ICU, and lots of tests to confirm that diagnosis. My endocrinologist and I are working on my second medication in order to balance my reactions. Dietary changes are not enough to stop it. I can no longer drive and work from home so that I have the ability to check my blood sugar and eat every 3 hours. It has been a journey and although I have faced many different challenges, setbacks, and testing I still am grateful for the tool I have been given. I found during this journey that you aren't alone. If you are experiencing something most likely there are others out there struggling to learn the same information. Being able to ask questions, investigate, and speak with others is a very powerful tool for knowledge.

Update: Oddly enough the dark denim that will seemingly fit forever, still fits. Annoying! But, these where my FAVOURITE jeans in a 20 (highest size) and I skipped right to the 16s. They fit perfectly!! And ironically finally arrived in the mail the same day my 20's fell off in Walmart. Thank goodness for long shirts Seriously though, a 10 inch difference in waist from 16 to 20! That's a huge difference

My RNY is March 9th! I started the process in October 2019 and got everything done and then BAM! Covid. So it's been a long time coming- I am very ready!

With differences. Mine was not a revision. I was also more than triple your current weight. So take these differences into account. I was in the hospital for 3 days. It hurt a lot. I also had a drain until my first followup at 10 days. Something you won't have to deal with is that because of my weight they brought in a special bed and it was horrible. I spent most of my time sitting in the comfy chair in the room. I'd say I could move about pretty well after the 10 days, Laying down was a series of new adventures in pain as finding a comfortable position that didn't pull the staples or the drain was difficult. There were other painful issues I left out because I don't think they will apply to you. I don't want to totally freak you out. I knew there would be a lot of pain. It was totally worth it.

I haven't had weight gain issues but I have been very afraid of that...especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think my fear of turning back into "my old obese self" motivated me to keep exercising and watching what I eat (somewhat) throughout this whole thing. I wish you luck in taking that weight back off. You did it once and you can do it again!

I'm 10-days post-op and very happy to say that things have been going well. I've had no trouble getting liquids in and so far (cross fingers) my new little tummy is doing well with almost everything I've given her. I am on full liquids and will be for three more weeks. For my meals so far I've had Fairlife shakes, a couple of the bariatric pal soup mixes, yogurt with peanut butter protein and SF caramel syrup added (it was so good!), and Pero fake coffee with genepro in it. It would be nice to add a little variety over the next three weeks. Does anyone have a favorite full liquids recipe to share? I'll take favorite pureed recipes too since I'll be on that stage for another 3-4 weeks after graduating from full liquids. Thanks in advance!

Hi, I had surgery on February 18, 2021 today I am 16 days after surgery, I lost 10 kilos I still have a little pain and I can only eat liquids and soups

I am hoping to lose 15-20 for the first 3 months. 10 pounds a month after that would be AWESOME!

I’m 3 1/2 months post op. I only had 2 days of pre-op liquid diet. So I don’t remember how much I lost. I lost some but don’t count it. From surgery date, I’ve lost 54 lbs. I’m averaging about 10 lbs a month. And I’m very happy with my progress.

My name is Steph and I’m a 32yo junior doctor working in Australia. 5 years ago I was a highly successful intern at a major public hospital. I loved my job despite the insane hours, and I had just won the “Intern of the Year” prize as voted by my peers. I had just married my amazing partner of 10 years and we were saving to buy a house. The future looked bright- I was about to start my specialty training in General Practice (family medicine) which was the career I had always been so passionate about. Two years more training and a few scary exams to sit and then I would finally be fully qualified! But slowly, insidiously, I began to disintegrate. Bit by bit I slid into a deep and terrible depression. I tried everything- yoga, meditation, psychology, exercise, and many many medications. But in the end I became too unwell and was hospitalised, almost catatonic. Over the next two years I spent a total of 10 months in a psychiatric hospital across three admissions. Nearly 100 rounds of ECT caused me to lose huge chunks of my memory (most of which hasn’t returned unfortunately), and we tried just about every medication under the sun. We eventually found one particular medication that, when combined with an antidepressant and lithium, would keep me stable. It seemed like a miracle at first. But then I noticed the weight gain. At first I just said to myself that I’d rather be fat than dead. But 35kg extra weight later I knew I had a serious problem. We managed to re-jig my meds and I slowly weaned off that medication but the weight remains and because my other meds also promote weight gain on a lesser scale I’m now seriously struggling to lose anything. After countless diets and weight loss medications, dietitian appointments and weight loss programs I have decided it is time for something more drastic. So I am booked for a VSG on the 22nd of March and I can’t wait to have my body look more like my normal self! These days I am doing very well mentally, I’m back at work and studying for those crazy exams, and in my downtime I’m trying to make new memories with my awesome hubby who has stayed by my side through the absolute wreckage of our lives and is still my number one supporter. So stay tuned for updates as I start my pre-op diet on Monday and get started on this next phase of my journey

Funny story actually... my PCP took me off my blood pressure meds a few months after my surgery because I was experiencing dizzyness and she suspected it was low blood pressure (phone appointment due to pandemic). However, the dizzyness didn't get better after I was taken off my blood pressure meds and just got progressively worse. On top of that my tachycardia shot through the roof because I was taken off my BP meds and I had a constant headache from what I KNEW was high blood pressure. My doctor immediately put me back on my meds when I saw her in her office and my blood pressure was 196/114 with a heart rate of 133. I started doing PT for dizzyness to try and figure out what was triggering it (which it started toward the end of February 2020 and a year later is just as bad and they STILL don't know what's causing it) and we discovered something really strange... the diastolic (lower number) dropped when I sit up or get up. Literally, a whole 10-15 drop. No idea what causes it, but it's likely one of the issues with my dizzyness. The one bright side is... I don't take the meds as MUCH. I used to take them every other day (I know that's weird but my BP dropped too low if I took it every day so my doctor said it was fine to do that since it worked) but now I take them every three days and my BP has been under control (other than the weird thing with the diastolic number dropping when I sit up or get up). However, I don't think I'll EVER be off my BP meds.