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My post-op experience was a challenge also. The surgery itself (on 11/10) and the 2 days in the hospital went fine. It was after I was home about 5 days that things started going south. I called my surgeon's office to schedule my first post-op appt. His nurse did not like how I was sounding on the phone so she had him call me later that day. He told me to go into the office the next morning (11/18) to see his PA (he was going to be in his other office so I wasn't able to see him) and have her check me out. After the PA checked me out, what she found was my O2 sat was 85 and HR 115, she conferred with my surgeon by phone and then told my husband to drive me to the hospital for a CT to check for blood clots. No clots were found, thank goodness. However, my hospital journey began as they admitted me in order to run more tests. Over the course of a few days, I had multiple CT scans, x-rays, blood work, etc. Ended up with a couple of drains for a hematoma in my stomach and for where bile was collecting under my diaphragm. These two things plus an infection caused my body to create "reactive fluid" in the chest area between my ribs and left lung which is what was causing me to be so short of breath. After draining off over 1400cc of Fluid, my breathing improved considerably finally. My hospital stay lasted 13 days with an additional 5 days in inpatient rehab to try and regain some of my strength and balance back. I lost a lot of weight and muscle strength during those 18 days. I could not walk without assistance I was so weak. Once I was discharged from rehab on 12/6, I continued with outpatient rehab through December. Today I'm doing so much better physically, have lost about 40 lbs. since pre-surgery days, and am working out regularly to lose more. All that said, despite the complications I experienced after the surgery, I would have the surgery again. It took me a long time to make the decision to have the surgery, and I'm glad I did. I may not be losing the weight as quickly as my surgeon is expecting me to, but I am doing all the homework to make it happen, i.e. Protein protein protein, tracking food intake, ramped up my exercise routine, and staying away from the junk food. It will come off in due time. When you consider how small our stomachs are now, it makes it easier (at least for me) to make better choices about what to eat since I can eat so little before I'm full. I encourage anyone considering having VSG to do it. I don't believe you'll regret your decision to do whatever it takes to improve your health. I'm no longer on my diabetes or blood pressure medications I will be very interested to see what happens with my fatty liver situation as I get farther down the weight loss road. So I had my surgery on January 20th. I am a nurse and have researched this for years before finally decided on the surgery. I went to all the pre-op classes, did everything I was supposed to do when I was supposed to and i thought I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. Holy crap was I wrong. No amount of prep could have prepared me for what was in store. Post op, felt great. a bit nauseous but ok. Went for a nice long walk, had my foley, i was Nothing by mouth and a dilauded pca with zofran around the clock. I feel asleep for a bit woke at 2 am and was super sick to my stomach. The discontinued my iv in the morning and asked me to start drinking. WHAT!!!!! I tried, please understand I tried...so hard....They gave me Roxicodone liqiud, which just made things worse. My Blood pressure went through the rood because of the pain and nausea so they gave me meds for that which sucked because my head was killing me. They ended up restarting my IV and i was a blubbering idiot, in tears wondering what the hell i did to myself. The nurse practitioner came in and gave me toradol. with the hour i was able to stand again, ate some jello and cleaned up which allowed me to get out of the hospital that day. It is now 5 days later. I am doing so much better. Still have some staples in place and steri strips. Water is going down easier, Jello as well. Still not a big fan of broth. I know with all my heart and soul that this was the right thing for me to do but I had my moment of weakness. I felt guilty and stupid about it but the NP told me that no one, no matter how much you know, can anticipate how your body will react to the surgery. Be patient. Forgive yourself for the doubts you have because you will have doubts and remember....it will get better.

Wow, so I have been on Insulin for 25 years and we share the same Gastric by pass Day! I also had mine done on 12 Jan, I'm having tons of hypo's and adjusting my insulin pump daily! I had a bad complication after the op and had ketoacidosis, was really scary, spent 7 days in ICU! Still in hospital now and just starting to hold down liquids without an IV bag! So feeling much improved, you sound like it's going really well for you! So happy for you, I'm sure I'll be following in your footsteps soon ...

following this as I'm hypo too. I unfortunately still am in the "normal" range for TSH but luckily have found a dr willing to test levels regularly and treat my symptoms (total lack of energy). I've gained the 80lbs I need to lose all in the last 5-7 years and havent even had kids yet so I'm desperate to lose weight (thus why looking into WLS) I understand the frustration b/c I do eat healthy (just finished yeast-free (gluten/sugar/dairy) diet of 2 months with ZERO weight loss) and work out. SO hopeful WLS will be able to help me too!

That is interesting. Are you hypo? I've never heard of taking thyroid meds solely because of nodules. Nodules in and of themselves are not bad and they grow so slowly (years). If they get large enough, a fine needle biopsy is done and most of the time turn out benign. There is cardiovascular danger to taking too much thyroid medication...particularly if the person is not hypo.

I don't have a thyroid due to cancer so I'm definitely hypo. When I was at 286, I was on 200 mcg of synthroid. At 240 I was placed on 175mcg. Just last week at 208, I was placed on 150mcg. What I do is call my endocrinologist, leave a message with the nurse, stating my current weight and whether or not I need an adjustment. The Dr. Calls me to say go to the labs and get the bloodwork done, then based on the results decides whether to change my meds. It is not always immediate based on the weight loss alone. The Dr said it takes awhile for the body to adjust so they wait until lab results to determine if it's time to lower the dose.

I'm still dropping too, but would like to be 10 lb lighter for running. Not liking that I'm losing my ass though. I like bonk bars. Not a fan of the gels and goo and Beans. I have reactive hypoglycemia and those can really do a number on me.

I was told 11 years ago, that I would be better, having chronic fatigue, that having a gastric by-pass would make it better. It certainly does not. The hormone that is in your stomach, as with the duodenum, gets by-passed. So, you have a lot of episodes of shaking and hypo-glycemia. It DOES NOT make your chronic- fatigue better. In fact, it makes it worse!! I am proof positive. Please understand that I'm not saying a by-pass is bad, but if you have chronic fatigue it does NOT make it better. So be aware that you will have to eat. I have gained 35 pounds back. That's not good. I have to find some other way to help balance the hypo-glycemia that is a result of chronic fatigue.

Hi, I had surgery Oct 2012 and have lost about 110lbs. I still need to lose about 30lbs to be to my own personal goal - one where I will be viable for skin surgery. I had shoulder surgery too, just a month ago and have put on 12lbs since that time! On Monday of this week I started cutting out all the junk that I've been eating over Christmas - I'm not totally low carb as I am diabetic and often feel like I get hypos when I don't have any carbs.. but I'm doing better. Trying not to weigh myself as I can easily get hung up on the numbers, if you know what I mean. Just want to feel better within myself. I'm thinking that I might have stretched my stomach a bit too, but hoping that if I have more liquid Protein meals that that will help some to get some of the restriction back. Maybe you should consider going back to your surgeon and getting some pointers from him? he may surprise you!

I have lost hundreds of pounds on diets only to gain all of them back multiple times. That is really hard on your body and your heart. I noticed in the last 5 years, I am 51 that I just was not able to lose weight as easily as when I was younger. For me it took a diagnosis of stage 3 kidney disease on top of diabetes, apnea, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I have had 5 back surgeries because I have psoriatic arthritis and this extra weight was literally crushing my spine. I saw my nurse today for a follow up and she asked me if I was happy that I made this decision. For me, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have not regretted it even for a second. I feel fantastic, am off all meds besides my hypo thyroid replacement. I think you should take the time needed to get your head around it so you have the best chance of success. You MUST be ready before you move forward. Good luck to you! Keep us posted on your progress.

Hi ya! Synthroid is a medication that is given to people with thryoid conditions. In our case - Hypo or underactive thyroid! :-)

@@uni2424 I do not have a thyroid due to papillary cancer. So I am definitely Hypo. I lost 60 pounds prior to getting the sleeve on 12/16. I've lost another 14 with the sleeve. It is very possible to lose weight with hypothyroidism. Just need to make sure you are being followed by an endocrinologist, get blood work done periodically, have your meds adjusted and take your meds correctly. I lost the 60 pounds by eating a less than 1200 calorie diet and exercising on a regular basis. My weight loss was a little slow and had frequent stalls...you just have to be committed to changing your lifestyle.

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (autoimmune disorder that causes hypo) and I was sleeved Dec. 18th. So far, I've been doing okay with the loss. I was 20 lbs down on my 10 day appointment, and the doc said that was a good amount for the time period. Still early days though.

Hi all! I need some help! I have been struggling since I've had surgery on November 4th. I have "only" lost about 30lbs since surgery but 50 overall (2 week liquid diet before surgery). As you can see I lost more on the liquid than I did after surgery. I have hypo thyroid as well. But listen - I weigh over 300lbs at 5'7". I should be dropping fast...I should be down at least 60 or so pounds...or more. Some of you, I look at your stats and go...OMG how come I'm not like that. I know I've lost inches.. I know I have... I'm looking better every day....clothing fits differently nearly every day. BUT it isn't the same. I want the pounds gone. I want to be under 300 by January 1 (my birthday) and that isn't going to happen in two days. I've never had a big dramatic loss, simply just pounds...then I hold for days. I wasn't eating enough calories for a long time - so between me and the NUT we increased... and it is still not working. I'm getting in my Protein and Water... those are my goals for every day...protein and water. BUT I'm not losing. I'm so frustrated...sad and pissed off. What am I doing wrong????? What is a good menu to stick to ???? I know I eat too fast... and probably don't chew my food small enough. I'm seriously thinking I broke my RNY. Can anyone give me some constructive ideas? I don't eat junk (ok, I did once but I won't do that again). I eat healthy meat, yogurt. I rarely have veggies...just eat protein. I'm so sad.... does anyone have any good thoughts for me? Christina

@RJ'S/beginning First, you belong here on BP. You are a wonderful host, and you bring a different perspective. All that you have been through makes you uniquely qualified to discuss the painful complications you've had that others would benefit from hearing. If I were going through something like that, I would come to sites like this and look for someone like you, because I would want to know that there is hope. You offer that people. Second, you are a success, and no one can take that away from you, and most certainly not with words. One thing I've learned about the medical community, is that they tend to be single minded in approach, and their single mind is focused around their specialty. If you had back pain and you went to a surgeon, he'd want to operate. If you went to a pain specialist, he'd want to inject you. If you went to a psychiatrist, he'd want to treat you with imagery. If you went to a GP, he'd try to manage it with pain meds. If you went to a sports medicine, he'd try to treat you with physical therapy. All of that's a little simplistic, but you get the picture. I wonder if you aren't focusing too much on his words? Just because he is calling you a survivor, it doesn't take away the fact that you are also successful, does it? It's just semantics, and in truth, he's right. You've survived A LOT, and are still dealing with that outcome. And I think surviving all that you have speaks to your wonderful spirit! I think you should be proud that you survived AND succeeded! He's just simply looking at it from his perspective, and that is treating the reactive hypoglycemia. I do hope he can figure out how to make that happen soon, so you can feel better an move on with the wonderful life you have successfully created for yourself!

I had to go to a specialist for my reactive hypoglycemia. Nothing is working. I have tried it all so far and have passed out several times. Anyway. I went two days ago and I am not saying the guy was a jerk because he wasn't. He was very nice and said that he can help me....They are sending me to a dietitian that specializes in difficult situations like mine where nothing is working. He said I was a survivor not a success at WLS. He told me that I am going to be turned into someone that Bariatrics does not like and that is a grazer. I am going to eat every hour. All day long. And the food that I will be given will regulate my sugars. This is his plan..... Now back to my shock and hurt over his comment. I said what are you talking about...I am at goal, and thin....He said so what it is healthy we aim for not thin. Sounded right to me. But then I asked if he had ever been fat in his life and he said..NO..Well I said, You have not got one clue what it is like to be fat and what we go through....He said true but I recommend WLS to a lot of my patients because of Diabetes. I said almost before he finished...And then what!? they get the surgery and are left hanging with no support or help from the medical community. He asked me what I meant and I told him that for most of the complications I have had they have sent me right back to my original surgeon. And there were times when it was not necessary. He said. That's not fair. I said that didn't matter it is the way it is around my area. He said that the wait time is now 7 years here. I said well then a person who really needs it has 2 problems right. He looked at me...first they are in a place where you feel they need this surgery and then they can't get it because of the lists.....Why don't you just write a death certificate and get it over with. He told me to stop crying and put myself together. He asked me why I was so upset. I told him that losing my weight was me being a success story and he repeated again. No! I said I am alive and I was dead before just not in the ground. He said look at you...You are weak and sick and now I have to find out why this stuff keeps happening to you. You obviously have unresolved food issues. I said yes doesn't everyone. Doesn't every one go through periods in their lives where they eat to be happy. Look at the new WW commercial. He then asked me if I would like to see a shrink and I said NO..I have been to enough of them to know they know less them me.. ( sorry if any of you are shrinks, it is not personal ) So I left his office after 2 hours of questions and tears and a solution to my hypoglycemia problem...Soon... So I am still upset and I talk to someone I trust and still crying and in the conversation she says to me. I really don't understand why you even bother with Bariatric Pal. They have not helped you and the only thing you could say to anyone is maybe how to live through a botched surgery....Crushed I listened to the rest of the call without much commenting. This place has been a home for me for over 2 years......And then someone says that I have no right to be here. That I am not needed here. This has really sent me into a spin.... I am not looking for compliments. I want to know what you think about the situation. Am I unsuccessful or should I leave this site that has helped me so much? If there is nothing to offer others then my place here is for not!? Am I only a survivor of WLS? Are others going through similar things as I am? I feel so disheartened!

It definitely sounds like reactive hypoglycemia, but with your meds and medical issues you need to see your doctor. An English muffin and peanut butter has too many carbs in it. To many simple carbs and your blood sugar shoots up then crashes. The crash is going to make you feel horrible. You'll struggle to keep your eyes open, your hands get really shaky and you may start sweating. You feel like you need to eat more carbs, but resist and eat some protein like cheese, nuts, or lunch meat. The best way to manage it is to have 5-6 small meals a day and avoid simple carbs. No bread, Pasta, rice, sugar, or peanut butter with sugar in it.

I have not been tested for reactive hypoglycemia. How do you test for that? Also, an interesting development...a family member I live with was just diagnosed with acute Epstein Barr (mono). I'm thinking reactive hypoglycemia and possibly mono might be what is going on.

Have you been tested for reactive hypoglycemia?

Some people get that with to much sugar or fats. It could also be reactive hypoglycemia I would contact your surgeon.

With the holiday season in full swing you may find yourself in the company of people who you avoid most of the year, people who "push your buttons:" who can trigger you to be reactive or defensive. People who USED to trigger you to overeat. A few things you can do to prepare for this: 1. Have realistic expectations. Don't expect them to all of a sudden be different this year. 2. Don't take their words or actions personally. (Whatever anyone says or does is a reflection of what's going on for them; it has nothing to do with you. Think about it: if someone feels good about themselves they see good in others, if someone does't feel good about themselves they won't see good in others; they will be angry, jealous, judgmental, etc.) 3. Set an intention to enjoy the holiday. Wear a bracelet or carry something in your pocket that every time you see or touch it you remember to LOOK FOR THE JOY in this moment. 4. Every time you think of the person/people who you dread seeing say a prayer for and send light and love to them, envision them happy and healthy. 5. And if someone says something that makes you nervous or upset remember the 4 R's of Responsible Respectful Responding: 1. RECENTER: Take a deep breath. If you are anxious or upset you are not centered and your breathing is shallow. Taking a couple deep breaths will help you get out of your head and back into your body; to your Center wherein lies your power (when you are not centered you lose your personal power) . 2. REFOCUS: Remind yourself of your intentions for your life and Focus on how you can handle this situation (in a kind and respectful manner) that will support those intentions. 3. RELAX: Once you are Centered and Focused you can then Relax: do a quick body scan and release any tension you might still be holding. 4.RESPOND: Now instead of impulsively reacting (from a state of fear or anxiety) you can Responsibly and Respectfully Respond to the situation with Clarity, Calm, Compassion, and Confidence! Affirmation: Recenter, Refocus, Relax, and Respond: That's how I roll! Happy Thanksgiving!! Live in Love, Louisa

I've been wondering the same thing! I deleted my Facebook (gave it up for lent) and then reactivated when the Facebook group was mentioned. I never received an invite, so I deactivated it again.

I've never really experienced dumping but if I eat something with too much sugar, I get reactive hypoglycemia. My blood sugar bottoms out quickly and i just feel crappy so I have to eat something to bring it back up. I try avoid this by limiting my sugar intake.

I forgot to mention that I have to eat more often because I have reactive hypoglycemia as a result of my surgery. When I eat popcorn it's a normal serving according the package and I always have it with Protein. I only eat it twice a day for like lunch and maybe a late night snack and again always with protein. The Protein Bars I have more of then I probably should but I have a hard time getting meat protein down a lot of times so I compensate with the bars. I need to go back I think to having more shakes like I used to. Well thanks James for your input. The exercise I do get is going up and down the stairs at least a dozen times a day so i'm not totally immobile. I suffer from osteoarthritis, RSD, fibromyalgia and stenosis of the spine so exercise recently has been more difficult to go to the gym but I have confidence I'll get back there.

Hi All. I'm preparing for gastric bypass reversal December 3. I had gastric bypass RNY in 2004. I had little to no complications the first 2 years. Then I started having extreme stomach pain. After several tests they found no cause and decided I had slow bowels that were causing painful constipation. After several years of on and off stomach pain, I ended up in the ER where they found an internal hernia that was strangulated between my liver and my kidneys. Apparently during the time of my original gastric bypass there was an area of the abdomen that was left vulnerable to internal hernias. They say that they no longer have that problem in current surgeries. Anyways, I died on the table that night. But they revived me, and corrected the hernia. My original rny was laparoscopic. With the internal hernia, I went into the ER with the severe stomach pain, then woke up with a long vertical scar on my stomach that looked like a large zipper, was a little shocking. 1 year later I ended up in the ER because the scar tissue from the open stomach surgery a year before, had given me a blocked bowel. Once again I woke up with the whole zipper down the front. This time they had to go around the other side of my belly button for some reason, so I now had "train tracks" down the lower part of my stomach. 2 years later, after I'd been working out quite a bit, they found that the seam line of my scar hadn't healed all the way properly. One surgeon said it was like Swiss cheese. So, they went back in and sewed in a mesh to protect my seam line from further hernias. After the first emergency surgery, I noticed I had hypoglycemia every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Year by year, I started needing to eat more often. But I was able to keep the weight off. About a year ago, I got to where I need to eat every 40-50 minutes or I get "sick." And started gaining weight. I asked my primary care for help, but he told me he too has hypoglycemia and just make sure I eat properly. I finally researched severe reactive hypoglycemia, and severe dumping syndrome, printed out info from the NIH website, and took it with me. Finally I got sent to a bariatric surgeon for help. He sent me to an endocrinologist who implanted a Continuous blood glucose monitor for 6 days. (That thing was so cool! It takes your blood sugar reading every 5 minutes.) It was found that any time I ate even just 1 1/2 grams of carbs my blood sugar would drop by 60-80 points within 40-60 minutes...causing me to need to eat again, to keep from passing out. When I ate only Protein, my blood sugar would stay on the low side, which left me no energy at all. I could go for about 90 minutes before my blood sugar would drop...but even just eating protein would trigger the blood sugar drop. It was found that the hole between my stomach pouch, which is still quite small, and the attached intestine has become over large, so the food is dropping straight into my intestines, and triggering my pancreas to produce extra insulin. The hardest part is going to the store etc, and if I get involved and don't pay attention to the clock, I can suddenly feel a flushing feeling, and feel like I'm going to pass out immediately if I don't eat. It's become very difficult to go anywhere away from the house. Would I have gastric bypass if I knew all about this, NO. I have grown to appreciate Energy. Energy levels. I enjoy working with horses and being active, but have been unable to for the past 2 years. I cannot count on maintaining enough energy from hour to hour. My goal, to be able to eat something and maintain good stable energy for 3 hours or so. I didn't have the gastric bypass so I could need to lie down all the time. I envisioned being more active and having More energy as as a thinner person. If you have good energy, and you just don't like the way you look etc, Please don't have this surgery. I only recommend it for people who have immediate heart and serious medical issues due to their weight. I looked my new bariatric surgeon in the eye and told him I wouldn't mind gaining all my weight back, if it means I can have good consistent energy every day. Gastric bypass so drastically alters our anatomy. I may never have proper digestion again. I hope my story helps someone!

Holiday celebrations are all about food, right? Save up every year, to overeat and not keep yourself in check. It’s a losing mindset from the get-go. The end of the year is really about memories, gratitude and those who we care for in life, not just the Thanksgiving feast or the Christmas Day buffet. What makes a holiday special also makes it filled with emotions and triggers that enable our unhealthy excessive eating behaviors to be acceptable at this time of year. A few things that may sound familiar and affect many of us during the holiday season are: Family traditions and ethnic backgrounds with food memories that have followed us through life. Trauma, hardships or losses that make holiday cheer tough to enjoy or even tolerate on some levels. Falling back on a diet mindset and thinking it’s ok to eat recreate old habits from October 31-January 2. Awareness of mental and emotional struggles feeling more acute during the holiday season. For bariatric patients, an immediate fear presents itself: “How can I survive all the parties and family celebrations while embracing my post-surgery food choices so I don’t lose control with holiday eating and drinking this year?” The practical answer: Prepare for it, just as if the surgery was ahead of you. Think and plan for success with the least amount of guilt and destruction possible. Holiday foods are not “rewards” or “treats” or a reason to fall off the mindful thinking that you use every day. We all have family and cultural traditions of holiday foods, and the meanings behind them; that often follow us into adulthood. The connection is to people, not food itself. Holiday time often intensifies many people’s mental and emotional struggle with life issues. Food can often be an immediate distraction and way to receive immediate gratification in tough times. The trouble is, the stresses and issues remain after the food is consumed. Often, alcohol consumption increases at holiday time as well, so mindset is altered by allowing more uninhibited behavior to prevail. Using good judgment often decreases as well. So, if we can use the model of being prepared and accountable for ourselves, what would it look like? Think of the season on your terms. Where can you plan and take the lead on making good choices for yourself while still feeling the holiday spirit? Find control where you can make food to bring to others parties or meals. Host at your home to take pressure off of yourself. Be honest and ask to be considered when food is being prepared and served so that you can also taste but be flooded by the excessive choices and behaviors all around us. Find ways to relax and refresh so you are not overwhelmed or drained by the holiday madness. Keep a journal of your thoughts, fears, successes and challenges to remind you of the proud journey you are on now. Use meditative activities to bring a more even and peaceful attitude to the business of the season and the potential for burnout and self-destruction. Give of yourself to others that need to be uplifted. Find a community, group hobby or counselor if the season is troubling of extremely unmanageable. Many times the holiday triggers are too hard to handle alone. Ask for help and know that you are being proactive (helping yourself) instead of reactive (always behind and at the mercy of others decisions and actions). The key is to stay connected to the resources, the people, places and things that bring successful experiences to us, and avoid harmful or undermining circumstances that reinforce low self-esteem and bad, and often destructive, behaviors. As a bariatric patient, being accountable is helping yourself stay focused on a positive and productive mindset with help provide a fulfilling and peaceful holiday season each and every year. Yes, this is you, enjoying your life during the holidays.