Search the Community

I've yet to get a surgery date. But, I was told I will be on a 2 week liquid diet pre op, to shrink the liver so it's safer to work around. Every Surgeon has their own thing. I've heard a wide range from 2 days to 2 weeks. I don't think they would be mad if you started a couple days early. Going off of what I was being told from the bariatric center I'm going to, the longer the better. As I said, every surgeon has their own plan.

**Update** Hey everyone! Sorry for being MIA for a while. I really appreciate all your responses and well wishes. I will be 2 weeks post-op tomorrow, which is kind of nutty to think about. My 9 day post-op follow up appointment went really well. Incisions are healing well, and they seem quite happy with my food diary. I started my bariatric vitamins about 4 days post-op as well and been doing great so far with those. I use Paravita bariatric multivitamin 3x daily and I take Vitamin D3 2500 IU one drop daily. Plus of course the medications needed temporarily prescribed by my surgeon. I got to say though that it's been HARD going through Christmas day and not being able to enjoy our traditional Christmas breakfast, or our amazing turkey feast. Least I got to smell it though lol. I feel a lot more strong, so I have been able to have a lot more normalcy in my life. I make my family their food, while also preparing my clear liquids and full liquids. Unfortunately I'll be on the liquids until January,10th as it is 4 weeks with the gastric sleeve. Then eventually pureed foods, then soft, then finally regular healthy eating for life lol. I am making turkey soup today with our turkey carcass, onions, carrots, celery, and some seasoning, so I can at least enjoy the broth of our Christmas dinner my spouse and out kiddos had yesterday lol. I hope you all are well. I am fighting my brain and always will, and I am still having some regretful thoughts over having this surgery. I am taking one step ahead at a time and trying to look towards the positives. As I've said in other posts I just was so set on Gastric Bypass for my acid reflux issues, and I liked that it could be reversed if needed, plus I hear it has a higher success rate. So when I found out they gave me the sleeve, I just been having mixed thoughts since, and now I can't go back even if I wanted to down the line. So it's been weighing on me a lot. Please know I am not trying to discourage anyone from WLS, and the sleeve can be just as successful, everyone is different. I also thoroughly did my research on WLS prior. Lots of great things about these surgeries. I hope you all are well and that you all had a very Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays if you celebrate. Much love. ✌

If just going to the gym was so easy to lose weight Americans and other countries wouldn't have medically necessary weight loss surgery and the diet industry wouldn't be a billion dollar sinkhole. Usually people who state that bariatric surgery is the easy way out have no idea what it entails. They believe you have something done to your stomach, you eat less and lose 150lbs. Educating them might change their minds but most of us don't care enough to try. I just ignore people. People will always have an opinion about what others are doing with their body.

There is a lot of conflicting information out there so I'm not going to argue. Even different surgeons say different things. I will say that all bariatric surgeries altogether have a high chance of reversing diabetes. I have not heard of anyone that still has type two diabetes after the sleeve unless they regained their weight. Maybe the 'punishing' term rang bad to you, but what I meant was consequences for carb dumping and overeating are usually more severe for DS and Bypass patients. So maybe punishing was not the correct term. I'm sorry you saw it as being negative for those with bypass/switch but that was not my intention. But I do view throwing up, foaming at the mouth, dumping, and general malaise as punishing. No one enters into these surgeries to feel that way but keeping bad habits does result in this outcome and I wouldn't call it a reward. It is a definitely and incentive for many not to eat badly. I have even read on here and seen in other places where people felt they need something really restrictive to keep their diet in check. It happens with sleeves (not the foaming bit) too but you can usually get away with more. This is why the success rate with sleeve patients are slightly less. Also you don't have to defend your choice in surgery to me or explain it. I am not saying any surgery is better or worse than the other. All surgery comes with risks and downsides. The original poster asked for the NEGATIVES and the positives for the different surgeries and I just told her what my surgeon, research, patients of all three surgeries have said, and some other bariatric surgeons I follow. Also I never said sleeve patients couldn't suffer from vitamin deficiencies. I said it is more common (easier) with switch and bypass, which it is. Sleeve is not a malabsorption surgery. Vitamin deficiency also occurs in non-bariatric patients. A lot of people are suffering from vitamin d deficiency right now who have never had surgery. I can point you to a bariatric surgeon who doesn't even believe that sleeve patients need as high as potency and 'bariatric vitamins' like bypass and switch patients but they set the standard and the industry is going with it. Also, weightloss is more rapid for switch and bypass generally which is why gallbladder problems is more common but as always it doesn't HAVE to occur. Which I never indicated this was a one shoe fits all for anybody. It's a risk. At the end of the day everyone must make their own decision on what is right for them. Be it sleeve, switch, or bypass. I commend anyone taking charge of their life and going through this difficult process to come out the other side happier and healthier.

I had my surgery December 6 and really need to be mindful because my body can tolerate almost anything. I have had sweets and am already disappointed in myself . I wish I followed the Bariatric book and stages better.

Hey there BQT! It’s a struggle for real. I’m not sure one can prevent the hair loss but for me, I had lost minimal hair. I was so worried it was going to come out drastically but two months post op I started seeing hair fall ( mainly on my temples and crown), which was more than my usual. My hairstylist noticed some breakage where the shedding had happened and we trimmed as needed. I take the bariatric pal multivitamin with iron. And an additional 325 mg of iron per my doctor recommendation to help with anemia. I follow Dr. Voung, a former bariatric doctor, on YouTube, and drank a green smoothie with genepro protein and try to get at least 8 ounces of water per day. My protein goals were 62 grams per day and I was maxing out at 100 to 120 grams of protein per day. This month, I’ve been slacking on protein goals ( 30-50 grams per day) However, I notice now being 7 months post op, the hair fall stopped and picked back up when I don’t get enough protein. After a month of not taking vitamins regularly I find my nails and hair to get brittle. I got a hairstylist and we do monthly treatments and trims, I use vegamour growth drops and Tress Elite oil in my scalp accompanied by scalp massages. I use Ouai shampoo and conditioner for fine hair and avoid buns and ponytails to not add stress on my edges. HTH

I’m so happy to have you guys! Had my surgery 6 day ago (Lapband to sleeve to bypass)… I have vowed to do everything right this time! I’m the past , I never took the Bariatric vitamins because I just hated the taste… does anyone have a recommendation for one ? Also, how are avoiding hair loss? ☺️ u!

Bariatric surgery is a permanent change in your digestive system that requires following a specific diet plan that may interfere with operational deployment. Active duty service members who have bariatric surgery can't re-enlist. Service members who receive bariatric surgery while on active duty may be separated. I found this on the tricare website

I'm having a food slump! I in no way get the water in each day I'm supposed too.. I'm not thirsty and to be honest I really hate going to the restroom 20+ times a day IF I do get close to the required 64+ oz a day. Plus, I don't understand why I need to, I didn't drink that much beforehand, so I don't understand why suddenly having a smaller stomach requires a sudden huge mandatory increase in water consumption!? Plus, I am sooooooooooooooooooo burnt out on the same foods over and over and yes over. I detest eggs (always have) and have always preferred something like avocado toast for breakfast and a cup of coffee. I detest cooking so I tend to eat the same thing every single day - something I can cook in quantity. Lately its been turkey chili with added protein powder. Chicken breast with veggies is boring/bland... Then there's the chicken of the sea - white fish with veggies..again just not my thing. So, I just eat the same thing over and over. I have to admit, I miss sauces, thai noodles and pizza and foods I can dip! I have a food texture problem so it leaves quite a few things off my plate..plus I'm hypersensitive to carbs - racing heart feeling jittery so I eat very low carb (under 25) low sugar, low calorie in other words low taste (to me anyway). I do what I have to to lose the weight and become healthy.. But its taken a lot of joy out of life, the holidays just plain suck now...all the family traditions came to a stop because of me (we used to all get our favorite restaurant dishes and share pot luck style for New Years), bake cookies with a Cookie exchange (no one wants my healthy protein balls - I eat them because I need protein, not because they're great tasting). I know I'm suppose to eat for fuel, but, we all eat for joy - if people didn't there wouldn't be different foods, cooking styles and spices, we eat at get togethers, social times, celebrations - I can't and don't want to inflict my eating restrictions/requirements on everyone else. I fight that siren song and battle it every week, anyone else? Anyone have any reasonable suggestions? (I added reasonable because my dietician suggests things like - " you want crunchy "eat a celery stick" you want noodles try palm noodles..etc. NOT even close. I think dieticians in bariatric clinics should have been a bariatric patient themselves so they'd understand their suggestions suck. Perhaps I'm asking if anyone else is or has gone through this...slump.....I find its easier to just not eat than eat another healthy bland boring food. Sorry for the rant.

I just made an account to answer this. I am two and a half weeks post op from gastric sleeve. I too have PCOS. I am 37 years old and my highest weight was 330. At surgery and after the pre-op diet I was down to 305. I'm currently 289 today. My comorbidities were hypertension, high cholesterol, newly onset GERD, and insulin resistance. (never made it into the diabetic range). I watched a ton of videos on youtube after I decided to have surgery. I watched the testimony of patients ranging from a few weeks out to twenty years. I also listened to bariatric surgeons discuss the process, pitfalls, and successes. My PCP had been talking to me about this surgery for three years and at first I declined because of all the people I knew of that experienced full weight regain. I only decided to have the surgery when I had determined that not being able to eat as much and what I want all the time was a small price to pay for my health and quality of life. Some things to consider between sleeve and bypass. Myth: Bypass patients are much more successful at keeping weight off. The sleeve is a newer surgery and was discovered as the first part of the duodenal switch. The 5 and 10 year outcomes for weight loss and regain tend to be around the same with the bypass slightly better. The sleeve is less punishing and is easier to 'stretch' out with poor eating habits but it can be done with the bypass as well. Overall, a change in relationship with food is a higher predictor of sustained weight loss than either surgery. The Switch is the surgery with the most rapid weight loss and sustained loss without regain but it is a heavily malabsorption procedure, carries the most risk of post operative complications, including dehydration and vitamin deficiency and requires a very strict regiment to sustain a healthy lifestyle. It can also result in some interesting bowel changes. Too rapid weightloss can also result in gallstones. Quite a few bariatric patients have had gallbladder removal after surgery. It should be noted that actual operative complications are low for all surgeries but not zero. Another controversial topic of sleeve vs gastric bypass is that the bypass is better for GERD. There are contradicting experiences for both surgeries. One thing is for sure you can certainly still have GERD with the bypass, although it seems revision from sleeve to bypass has worked to cure GERD for a lot of people. My GERD was very mild before surgery and so far I have not experienced any after. I am on a daily dosage of omerprazole but that's nothing new to what I was taking before. My triggers for GERD were fried foods and canned tomatoes. I know to stay away from that now. Keep in mind that the bypass is reversible in most cases while the sleeve is not. Also, the sleeve can be converted into a bypass or switch if complications arise or you fail to lose or sustain a meaningful amount of weight. There are very few options for bypass and switch if regain occurs outside of dietary changes, exercise and will power. Bypass patients can no longer consume NSAIDS, steriods, and possibly other medications after surgery for life. Switch and Bypass patients are more likely to experience dumping syndrome but Sleeve patients can also suffer from it. Constipation, diarrhea, and blockages and strictures can occur with all surgeries. Very minimal risk for long term serious complications. I have read quite a few posts that spoke about pain after surgery with the sleeve. Speaking for myself the only pain I experienced was gas after surgery from the surgeon introducing it into my abdomen during the procedure. I was given liquid pain meds but never took any, and no otc pains meds either. I felt discomfort from the surgery port sites for maybe a week. After that I was good. My surgery team has stayed on top of any side effects that could occur after surgery and I was very lucky. They gave me medicine for nausea before surgery, put an anti-nausea patch behind my ear also before surgery and discharged me with anti-nausea dissolveable meds. I took the meds for about a week though I never experience sickness and still luckily have not. I was a water drinker before surgery and can still easily drink water without any pain or nausea. Cold or hot temps don't seem to upset my stomach though some have reported either can cause pain. I am on the puree stage and things are going well. Really, experiences vary. I'd choose a doctor carefully and if possible speak to prior patients to get their experience pre and post op. I was lucky my Aunt had the procedure done the year before and could report on her experience. We chose the same surgeon. He had a 98% success rate. So after this long-winded wall of text I choose a sleeve because: I wanted a slower and steady weight loss. I did not want to re-route my insides. Had a co-worker suffer a bad bowel blockage with a bypass and had to have part of his intestine cut out. I did not want restrictions on not being able to take certain pain or treatment options should they become necessary in the future. I did not feel I have a dependent relationship with food. I ate too much of it. And sometimes the wrong things because they were easy and accessible. But I also enjoyed a lot of healthy foods. My kryptonite has always been lack of exercise and even skipping meals so that I overate when I did eat. I'm from the finish your plate generation, but I did not and do not rely on food for comfort, bordem or pleasure. Therefore, I felt and still feel that the more punishing procedures were not right for me.

Anyone here from London and want to share their experience with me? Just got sleeve 2 weeks ago no one to talk to about bariatric stuff!

I had a great experience, The Bariatric department @ the Richmond Kiaser is one of the best in the world. I have been waiting for ten years for my surgery. I have congestive heart failure, AFIb , Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Sleep Apnea, arthritis and deteriorating meniscus in both knees. I took a fit test in preparation for the surgery. In March of this year that came back positive so they scheduled me for a colonoscopy in July finding 2 polyps, one was flat in my transverse colon, during this procedure only 1 was removed, I had to have the procedure done by a specialist to remove the flat one. On November 22, 2023 I had my surgery , and they discovered a GIST “ Tumor” in my stomach. I elected to get the sleeve so 80% of my stomach was removed, the tumor was also removed during the process. So literally and figuratively the Bariatric surgery saved my life. After the surgery they immediately took me off my diabetes medications. I have a lot of energy and have already lost 20lb , I am 50 and feel this is the second half of my life. This is the best place to get your surgery and the best place to do it.

Hello!! I am having bariatric surgery in south San Francisco with Kaiser. How did yours go? I have one more meeting the dietician and then I should be getting a call for surgery! I am so nervous and I haven't see anyone else in NorCal go to KP for their surgery. Did you have a good experience?

You are right where you should be. Only worry if your surgeon/bariatric team is concerned. Keep up the good work!

Good afternoon my fellow Metabolic & Bariatric Friends,I just signed up today and wanted to touch bases with people in the community. I had my surgery on Nov. 22 2023 at the Kiaser Bariatric center in Richmond Ca. My goal is to get down 240 lb by next Nov 22 2024.

I noticed a lot of people (on tiktok etc) posting about their bariatric experiences were able to move onto puree stage after 7 days? Most were from the USA or UK but the company I’m with is only liquids for 2 weeks, do you know why is that?

I noticed a lot of people (on tiktok etc) posting about their bariatric experiences were able to move onto puree stage after 7 days? Most were from the USA or UK but the company I’m with is only liquids for 2 weeks, do you know why is that?

Finishing up my breakfast and then it's time to get ready to go back to work FINALLY!!! WooHoo!!! It's about time. I hate not working. So glad I was cleared yesterday to go back starting today. Oh, and I'm now down to 233 pounds. I'm 33 pounds away from my goal weight!!!! I started off at 421 pounds when this whole journey began. I've lost a total of 188 pounds from my highest weight. I've lost a total of 155 pounds since my surgery in May 2022 (I was 388 pounds on surgery day). Bariatric surgery, changing my relationship with food, changing my diet, working out and changing up my routines, all of it is why I'm here now. 33 more pounds to go, ya'll!!! I'm in a size 16/18 in clothes (down from 28/30), I'm in a size 6 1/2 ring (down from size 10), I'm in a size 10 shoe (down from a size 11), and I wear 18" necklaces (instead of the 22" and 24" necklaces I wore before). Yes, I've had complications. Yes, I've had several surgeries. But things were found that I never would have known about. Silent killers, they're called. Has it been annoying and painful and frustrating? ABSOLUTELY. Would I do it all again anyway? ABSOLUTELY. I've STILL gained so much more than I've lost. I have 1 more surgery (my hysterectomy) and then I'm completely done. And honestly, I'm still way way healthier than I ever was before. I only wish I would have just done the bypass to begin with and skipped the sleeve. But then again, like I said, the conditions I didn't know about wouldn't have been found without the complications from the sleeve that led to all my procedures. Everything happens for a reason. I firmly believe that. And I'm almost on the other side of all this, so I can speak into existence that nothing else will go wrong, things are looking up, and I'm getting my life back but as an even healthier and better version.

I have been going through the process of the bariatric program since January so it's about to be a full year. My surgery was originally supposed to be in July but the doctor's office screwed up my paperwork so insurance denied it. They were very dismissive and acted like it wasn't there fault but it was. They left out my psych evaluation so it was denied. I was so turned off that I went to another surgeon but couldn't schedule mine until December 28th. Now I'm a little more than a week away from surgery and on Day 5 of liquid diet but they do not communicate with me at all. No one even scheduled my pre-op testing. I have been emailing and calling my surgeon's office since last week to ask a question about if I had to stop certain medications and about certain protein shakes I'm allowed to drink. They never respond to me. Today I was told that the Physician Assistant is on vacation and the coordinator is out sick so I feel like I'm just left out here alone with no help. It makes me concerned about post-op care as well if they can just dismiss me because someone is out sick or on vacation. I can't help but feel like these are signs from the universe not to do the surgery. Am I crazy for giving up on this and just trying to take Wegovy instead to help me lose weight?

Bariatric surgery of any type is a DQ for military service in the US. However I've heard around that there may be waivers for VSG in particular. Has anyone (or does anyone know of anybody) been able to successfully enlist in any of the branches?

Bariatric surgery of any type is a DQ for military service in the US. However I've heard around that there may be waivers for VSG in particular. Has anyone (or does anyone know of anybody) been able to successfully enlist in any of the branches?

To be quite honest if I had known that the gastric sleeve was a real possibility for me I'm not sure I would of proceeded with the surgery. I really had not expected this outcome so my emotions are running wild. 😢 So worried it will increase issues with my acid reflux, as I heard it does cause that problem for many. I already have bad acid reflux so the thought of it being worse is concerning. Let's hope not though. I want to say though that things happen for a reason and maybe just maybe this outcome is what I needed and all I will need to be successful. I do worry about having to have another surgery down the line if this is not. I really do not want to go through with another surgery. 😩 But the good news is I stopped my pain medication yesterday! So I hope that means I won't need it anymore. I woke up a couple times last night, but I am not use to sleeping on my back. Always been a side and stomach sleeper lol. Please tell me that one day down the line I can return to those sleeping positions? 😴 Now this is tmi but I peed the bed last night. I read though that urine incontinence can be quite normal after a major surgery such as gastric sleeve. It thankfully only happened the once last night and that's all so far. Not sure if anyone else experienced this? but it scared me at first. My health anxiety started running wild. I will be letting my bariatric team know though just so they do. I already do have incontinence from my pregnancies, but I never peed the bed. Only with sneezing or coughing hard lol. I hope my experience does not scare anyone from having these surgeries. I was initially unsure about sharing as I did not want to scare anyone. It's been a wild ride lol but thankfully doing good otherwise. I even felt well enough yesterday to take my kiddos to get their hair cut, so things are looking up!! Thanks for checking in ChunkCat!! 🥰

Following up with a GP is good for general health, but following up with your bariatric surgeon is crucial if you are still having complications from bypass. There are a number of things that can be causing your symptoms, some that can be easily corrected by procedures during an endoscopy. As far as the blood spike, do you mean your blood sugar? Some people that have bypass can develop reactive hypoglycemia which can definitely make your blood sugar levels bounce around and cause fatigue and such. I'm sorry you are feeling bad!

Oh NickelChip, I'm so sorry!! I was looking forward to seeing you go through your surgery and everything that comes after! I hope the new place reaches out soon, they are probably swamped with end of the year patients, plus a pile of patients due to this closure... It never ceases to amaze me how careless hospital admins and insurance companies can be about their patients. I recently found out that the network my bariatric surgeon is in AND my orthopedic surgeon are in, are more than likely going to be out of network come January because Cigna is being an asshat about re-negotiating their contract with them. And I was supposed to have a shoulder MRI and surgery in January. This is my second shoulder surgeon as the first one's practice behaved abhorrently regarding my bariatric surgery. Does Cigna care about any of this?? Nope. Are they losing sleep over this? Nope. I'm really glad you were able to check out the policy your husband will be getting in January and that it covers bariatric surgery. I hate that all your carefully made plans have been wrecked by idiots who allowed surgeries to be scheduled knowing they would never be done. They could have at least finished out the year! And called instead of giving you a chart notification... So ridiculous.