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I didn't get surgery July 7th because my insurance was terminated days before my surgery.. Soooooo sad. But all I have to do is reactivate it and call my surgeon back with an effective date of my insurance and get a new date.. Anyone familiar with this happening

I didn't get surgery July 7th because my insurance was terminated days before my surgery.. Soooooo sad. But all I have to do is reactivate it and call my surgeon back with an effective date of my insurance and get a new date..

I am hypo and I had my blood drawn on the 18th and it showed I was low in Iron. I just started taking an iron supplement so I hope that helps. I've also noticed that on days I eat a Protein bar I have more energy and can easily get through my walk, but on days I have something like eggs and milk for Breakfast my legs are just dragging. Like today I had a protein bar and took mile walk, and when I came home I still had enough energy to stretch for another 35 minutes. So maybe the way I feel depends on a combination of things? I guess I just have to find the right formula to keep myself moving.

I actually have experienced a kind of dumping syndrome both within the week after surgery and now. When I went on to full liquids (milk/soy base Protein shakes), it caused me to shake a bit, sweat, and run for the toilet. My body held nothing and I had to slow down my Protein Shake intake from 8 oz in 30 mins to 2 hrs to help me retain it. This is using low sugar, low fat, bariatric Protein shakes. Now, I have a strong sensitivity to carbs. If I have a meal w/ 20 g total carbs (including fiber), my heart starts to race. I had 1/2 slice of pizza from a small pie, this triggers the same effect. I'm netting around 25-40 g carb per day, which is extremely low. My doctor says its likely reactive hypoglycemia, when my body produces too much insulin in response to a relatively high blood sugar load. Some patients experience thing after surgery, but you'll want to consult with your doctor to rule out anything else.

Reactive hypoglycemia is a form of dumping. There are 2 basic forms http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=134&ContentID=107 Also http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia Dumping more common for bypass especially if sugary foods gets "dumped" into small intestine quickly without usual stomach to digest it. But is happens to 10-15% of people who have had a partial gastrectomy (which the sleeve is) whether for weight loss or other medical reason. True dumping would not last overnight. It resolves itself in a few hours at most. Hopefully sooner! And it would have cardiovascular symptoms like palpitations and also flushing, etc. Falafel a are deep fries and not full of sugar so may not have been dumping precisely. This could have been just over eating for the sleeve which would also make you feel yucky but not dumping. I ate a falafel too quick a couple weeks ago and felt pretty yucky for a while. In any case hope you feel better soon and remember to eat very slowly any new food.

this isnt dumping, its reactive hypoglycemia. you need to go see your nut to reevaluate your eating plan.

I've seen a number of posts from sleevers about Reactive Hypoglycemia which, for people who have had gastric surgeries, can happen when food passes too quickly through the digestive system. Maybe this is what some of you have been experiencing?

I am so sorry, but your venting made me laugh..So many things that we all experienced and the buyers remorse shining through your complaints. Hold on kid it is going to get better. I promise you. Life is going to start to hand you some pretty cool experiences called NSV. And then you will say I am so glad I did this. Mean while it takes time to get used to all the changes and rules..of our new life style. But it will become very manageable for you as well as routine very soon. Take the time to really enjoy exploring new foods that would be interesting to try. And then for sure you will have conversations about food. The whole reason you had this surgery in the first place was because of your addiction to the chemical reaction in your brain and lack of self control while enjoying the chemical reaction in your brain. But if you learn to make good, nutritional choices and make them tasty. There will be lots to talk about and you will be helping your body as well. I am never hungry either and have not been hungry all along...If i did not have Reactive Hypoglycemia I probably would not eat as often as I do and then I would be smaller then I am now...... Trust me girl it will all come together and you are going to be so proud of yourself!!!!!!!

Are you sweating at night or just getting hot? I started having night sweats and mine ended up being reactive hypoglycemia. I had to adjust my diet at night to fix it. RHG is pretty common in WLS patients.

sometimes you just need to say, "thank you for your concern," smile and walk away. i have had 2 homebirths. when the pre op nurse was taking my history for surgery, she freaked out about it. she started shrieking and telling me i was "crazy" and "reckless." i was shocked a healthcare provider would act like this period, but i just smiled and asked her calmly if she needed any other info about my perfect, gentle, empowered births. and then i smiled, she got the message and stopped ranting and moved on. sometimes you just need to give people a few moments to compose themselves with silence, calm, smiles, or other non reactive responses. if you join with them in their reactions or intensity, you have lost control of the situation. i actually like this NP. she was the most helpful to me post op. she made a mistake, had an unprofessional reaction and needed time to get it together. just remain calm, smile, dont explain, and remember that everyone has their biases, and their inappropriate reactions. step back and give them the space to be who they are without feeling hurt by *their* issues.

We had a free health screening at work so I figured id see what my numbers were looking like almost 4 months post op. My cholesterol was down from a little over 200 a year ago to 109 now which is great and my blood pressure was perfect but my glucose levels were low. It was only 57 which seemed to concern the person taking it. I ate a banana about an hour before. Anyone know if this is a normal glucose level for an RNY patient? Or could it be reactive hypoglycemia from the banana?

I am in a very similar situation and am hoping for some advice. I was banded in July 2007 and since then have lost 70 of the 170 of my goal. There was a lot of time in between fills as I moved to Ireland two years after being banded and then to India for six months where I lost 40 of the 70lbs and now I'm back in the US. I went in for a fill about a year ago and then around 4 months ago started having issues where I was vomiting nasty black tar in the middle of the night and had HORRIBLE reflux. Just yesterday it was determined that my band had slipped slightly. My band is now empty and will be for the next couple of months, I only had 2cc in my band in the first place and now my nurse is telling me I can NEVER be that full again :-( this news to me is basically telling me I'll be basically empty forever! I'm so discouraged and I don't really know what to do. Has anyone ever been told after a slippage that they can never be as full as they were when the slippage occurred? Also what are some opinions on why I may be stalled? I was diagnosed with hypo thyroidism and am currently not on medication. (long story short my husband doesn't really understand the culture of being medicated here and he doesn't feel I should be "wasting money" on taking medication for hypothryoidism. He thinks that me being overweight is simply my fault for not eating as well as I could be [even though in my opinion I don't eat THAT badly]) on top of that it's hard for me to get my Protein in because he is also a vegetarian and thinks that meat and cheese is bad for you and god forbid I be able to convince him otherwise. I'm at a loss, I don't understand why I'm not losing anymore and I don't know what to do about my hypothyroidism and I'm not sure what to think about never being able to go above 2cc again either! please help!

They can be caused by reactive hypoglycemia, which I have found is common in WLS patients that are 18+ months out. Mine are not menopause (hysterectomy 5 yrs ago) and the docs did a bunch of tests to rule out cancer. I final started tweaking my diet and have figured out how to get rid if them.

All hail its power! Three months after having my band unfilled, this morning was the day! It could not get here fast enough. All my old behaviors around food were circling the wagon, just waiting for my willpower to break. Three months, while not long in the scheme of things, felt so very long for me. But what a reminder of how powerful the band is--three months without any restriction and my mindset was right back to that of a non-surgical weight loss patient: always thinking about food, counting hours between meals, ability to eat anything in any amount and trying desperately not too...and sometimes failing and feeling horrible at being so weak-willed. The radiologist told me before he filled me that there was no way I'd go back to my sweet spot---6 cc in a 10cc band--in one fill, as three months with an unfilled band means my stomach organ had a chance to relax and expand and I'd be too tight if he filled me back to my prior level. But when he got in there, and filled to 5 cc, I didn't have enough restriction when I drank the barium so he did top me up to 6 cc. This means that I didn't do too badly during my hiatus; had I eaten whatever I had wanted to eat, I surely would have stretched out my stomach to pre-band size. So hooray for the little self-restraint I did show! (I gained 5 pounds over the three months, but that easily could've been much, much more.) I cannot overempathize how WONDERFUL it feels to have restriction again. My appetite was instantly turned off! As I walked back home from the radiologist's office, all the gorgeous displays in the bakeries didn't call to me. (Unfilled, I had to avert my eyes...this stuff is so very triggering to me.) In a very perverse way, I have to say that this three-month period was a gift. It really drove home how powerful my band is. I will never be someone who will say "I did this all myself, with my good choices and discipline." Being unfilled turned me right back into a [failing] dieter. I am SO grateful that I made the decision to get a lapband, and not keep trying to find weight loss success on my own. It's crazy evident that making those good choices in foods/portions is only possible because the band turns way way down the part of my brain that drives me to eat compulsively. I truly am a different eater when banded, through the power of this little piece of plastic, So happy to be back in the game. It is so very freeing to go through the day without fighting my cravings. Sipping a coffee---very slowly and carefully, because I'm so tight that it backs up into my throat--and looking forward to the next drop in weight. Here we go!

I've been reading that reactive hypoglycemia is pretty common for WLS patients that are 18+ months out. I've been having episodes of it and finding that I need to eat more frequent meals and a snack before bed. I have it when I'm sleeping and wake up with horrible night sweats.

I know, once I hit 200lbs I knew I had to do something. I am trying to protect myself from diabetes, heart disease, and joint replacements in the future, but Alberta isnt working from a preventative medicine perspective, Just a reactive perspective. I would also like to add that I have visited my family physician and she is very supportive with me leaving the country to obtain medical care, She has informed me that she has had about a dozen patients obtain barriatric surgery in Mexico this year. That was important to me, because she has agreed to follow me post op. I believe its very important to be open and honest with my family physician, and had she said she thought it was a bad idea, I think my decision would have been different. I am going to see Dr. Oritz in three weeks! I have done more than enough research. I did look into additional travel insurance, however it is quite cost prohibitive. From what I have been able to find, regular travel insurance will not cover you if you are going down there for surgery. There are a few companies that will provide coverage for Medical Tourism, but the policy is spendy spendy. My plan, is at any sign of trouble, is to get on a plane, and get to a hospital at the first point of entery into Canada. I know this plan is inherently flawed, however its the best one I can come up with. The complication rate for my surgery is less than % and my surgeon's record is pretty good. My biggest concern is if I am one of the few that does develop complications. If anyone has a better idea, im open to suggestions.

Good for you! I am tattoo free, but appreciate them on others. I am just so happy in my skin anymore. Today when I got home from the gym I felt strong. It's amazing and a gift. I am officially off of all of my medications except my gout medicine and I feel like a teenager. My 1 year appointments with my nut and surgeon on june 25th and am really hoping to be in the 120s by then (hovering between 133 and 135 right now). My labs were done last week and I already looked at them and the are perfect. My b12 was in the normal range but at the lower end so I wonder if he'll bump up that supplement? Everything else was perfect which thrilled me including C reactive protein which hasn't been normal for me in 10 years. Can you tell I'm happy??

I played heavily when my hubby and I first were dating and quit right after cataclysm to plan the wedding. My husband reactivated my account and got me the lvl 90 boost 2 weeks before my surgery so I would have something to do while at home recovering. It was AWESOME spending all day horsing around in MoP for the first time, flying high on pain meds. I'm now 2 weeks out and he's all like "you sure do spend a lot of time playing wow, why don't you come to bed at a normal time?" You know how that convo goes... Good news is I'll make up for of with an awesome bod here shortly.

Well, Girls, Today is my FOUR YEAR surgiversary! All in all, I'm pleased that I am at goal and was able to have this life changing surgery! I have found in the last few weeks, that I still have some work to do on making sure I make good choices. I tend to really work to ACHIEVE a goal, and then when I get there, somewhat relax and old habits/eating patterns creep back. I'm right at 148-150 - my goal from original and where my body really likes to be overall. I did get down to about 140 last year with 5:2 and I'm REALLY REALLY THIN at that weight (being 5'8") I like it for ME but my face looks OLD and others seem to think I look "sick". With that said, I need to "shape up" a bit - just with life itself, my energy level is low, my stress level - high and I'm tired, tired, tired! I've also been experiencing reactive hypoglycemia (I think due to increased carbs and sugar) where my blood sugar gets extremely low (to the point of faintness). I guess what I'm trying to say is - I'm very happy with what I have achieved, I'm thankful and grateful, and I realize AGAIN that it's a LIFELONG JOURNEY!!!

Nicie your post reminds me of one not too long ago where the OP said that she was 80% sure about having the surgery and wondering how she could get to 100%. Bypass or sleeve are major surgeries. All surgeries have risks and bariatric surgeries are no exception. There simply are no guarantees. 100% implies absolute certainty. I believe that any goal you set has to meet two criteria - it must be realistic and it must be sustainable. Any goal that does not meet those two criteria should be abandoned in favor of one that does. Absolute certainty is neither realistic nor sustainable. When I was trying to make the surgery decision and subsequently the choice of which surgery to have, my goal became to do as much research as possible, learn everything I could about the potential benefits - and risks - of each option. That goal was both realistic and sustainable. The result of that effort was that I concluded that the odds were overwhelmingly in my favor of having a successful, literally life-changing outcome. And that is exactly what happened. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment known to medical science for the treatment of obesity and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity. By a huge margin. Once I had all of the facts, the decision was relatively easy. That is not to say that I wasn't frightened. There were times right up to the moment they wheeled me into the OR when it scared the bejesus out of me. But courage is not about never being frightened (unrealistic and unsustainable). Courage is about doing what you believe to be the right thing for you and your family, in spite of your fears. Today I'm a little over two and a half years post-op. Hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and 130 pounds - gone. I hit 155 lbs about fourteen months post-op and my weight has been between 151 and 156 every since. This morning I was 152.4. I've had two complications. About six months post-op I developed an ulcer at the anastomosis that was confirmed with an endoscopy. My surgeon increased my Rx for Prevacid from one capsule a day to two. No other changes. No other treatment. Three months later a second endoscopy confirmed the ulcer was completely healed. The second complication - I'm one of about 15% of patients that experience reactive hypoglycemia aka "late stage" dumping. Definitely not comfortable but easily avoided by avoiding too much sugar or carbs. And when I make a bad choice and my blood sugar drops, I simply eat something with a little sugar, or simple carbs or just chew a glucose tablet. Without fail, the symptoms completely disappear in about 20 minutes. All in all, a very small price to pay for a life that, not that long ago, I thought would never be possible. Would I do it again? Without a moments hesitation. Am I the exception? You don't have to look any further than this forum to read countless stories similar to mine. When you have questions, there are tons of great folks here who are more than happy to offer the benefit of their experiences. Good luck in making your decision! Thank you for your response. I am so appreciate that you took the time to give me such a thorough narrative. Congratulations on your success with this challenging journey to better health. I hope to also be a success in this journey. What you wrote has made an impact on how I will move forward with this issue. You are so right in pointing out that this surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity. I think I was just kidding myself that I could lose 100 lbs without medical intervention and that was a big reason for my indecisiveness. It was also very helpful to hear that I am not alone in my fear of the unknown when you wrote about how scared you were up until surgery. I am going to write down your quote about "Courage is about doing what you believe to be the right thing for you and your family, in spite of your fears." Thanks again for your insight.

Nicie your post reminds me of one not too long ago where the OP said that she was 80% sure about having the surgery and wondering how she could get to 100%. Bypass or sleeve are major surgeries. All surgeries have risks and bariatric surgeries are no exception. There simply are no guarantees. 100% implies absolute certainty. I believe that any goal you set has to meet two criteria - it must be realistic and it must be sustainable. Any goal that does not meet those two criteria should be abandoned in favor of one that does. Absolute certainty is neither realistic nor sustainable. When I was trying to make the surgery decision and subsequently the choice of which surgery to have, my goal became to do as much research as possible, learn everything I could about the potential benefits - and risks - of each option. That goal was both realistic and sustainable. The result of that effort was that I concluded that the odds were overwhelmingly in my favor of having a successful, literally life-changing outcome. And that is exactly what happened. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment known to medical science for the treatment of obesity and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity. By a huge margin. Once I had all of the facts, the decision was relatively easy. That is not to say that I wasn't frightened. There were times right up to the moment they wheeled me into the OR when it scared the bejesus out of me. But courage is not about never being frightened (unrealistic and unsustainable). Courage is about doing what you believe to be the right thing for you and your family, in spite of your fears. Today I'm a little over two and a half years post-op. Hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and 130 pounds - gone. I hit 155 lbs about fourteen months post-op and my weight has been between 151 and 156 every since. This morning I was 152.4. I've had two complications. About six months post-op I developed an ulcer at the anastomosis that was confirmed with an endoscopy. My surgeon increased my Rx for Prevacid from one capsule a day to two. No other changes. No other treatment. Three months later a second endoscopy confirmed the ulcer was completely healed. The second complication - I'm one of about 15% of patients that experience reactive hypoglycemia aka "late stage" dumping. Definitely not comfortable but easily avoided by avoiding too much sugar or carbs. And when I make a bad choice and my blood sugar drops, I simply eat something with a little sugar, or simple carbs or just chew a glucose tablet. Without fail, the symptoms completely disappear in about 20 minutes. All in all, a very small price to pay for a life that, not that long ago, I thought would never be possible. Would I do it again? Without a moments hesitation. Am I the exception? You don't have to look any further than this forum to read countless stories similar to mine. When you have questions, there are tons of great folks here who are more than happy to offer the benefit of their experiences. Good luck in making your decision!

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism about ten years ago. My levothyroxine has been decreased since surgery also. I can't say I've been a slow loser but. I am a very happy loser either way you look at it. My stats: HW 289lbs SW 251lbs CW 183lbs Highest BMI 43 Current BMI 28 I am 5'8" and feeling healthier that I have in many, many years. I try to exercise daily, Walking for 5+ miles is my new freedom. I am now 9 months post-op. My weight-loss has slowed considerably in the last 2 months but I expected that as I get closer to my goal of 160lbs. The main thing is......I am still losing. My Dr's goal for me was to lose 70% of my excess weight. I've met and exceeded that goal by 17lbs. My personal goal is to hit 160lbs. That will put me just under 25 for a BMI. Woohoo! Only 23 more lbs to go! Good Luck to all of my fellow Hypo's.

Hello, I was diagnosed with hypo-thyroidism in 1990...took SYNTHROID--not able to take generic --as it does NOT work for me.,,, I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in 2005.....so.take SYNTHROID at a higher level and have been since and will always need to. The hair loss sucks....yet I do what I can...started taking Biotin and will post surgery as well...is supposed to help tremendously. In 2010 had Uterine Cancer, so no female part or hormones now, either.....this REALLY sucks.....and talk about being tired, weight gain, etc...HOLY CRAP!!! Anyway, this is my battle and I try to keep a positive attitude, am working with my PCP, my Nutritionist and Surgeon so my surgery is not only a medical success, yet I am a HEALTH success as well. I also have PCOS...yet now since I don't have ovaries....?????

I am been wondering about this, I am Hypo too. When I take my Lex in the morning I do take it wih 8-14 oz of Water but after sleeve will have to sip? How do you get it down witht enough water?

@@bellalulu -- I wasn't functioning at all I had just had my 2nd baby and I was dragging myself to work, would come home and collapse and not get up until the next morning. I was so exhausted all the time. I went to the doctor and demanded a test because I worked for the company that made synthroid so I knew all the symptoms. I told the doc I was either hypothyroid or I was going completely crazy. Guess it was maybe a combination of both! Gained about 40 pounds in 6 months before I got the test and found out my thyroid was basically dead. Of course, once I went on the meds, I didn't lose the weight. Not quite fair being hypo can put the pounds on but the meds don't take it off.