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I signed up to this forum solely to pass along our story in hopes others can learn from our experience. Please read (It IS a long read) As soon as I picked up the phone & heard her crying, I knew it was bad news. Her Specialist had diagnosed her with advanced Liver Fibrosis. Between her tears & what she said, I felt like I had the wind sucked out of me. So what now? Almost as quickly as I took in the news, a sense of defiance started to spring up within me. I had waited 45 YEARS to meet my soulmate & I was damned if I was gonna lose her now. "We have to tell Dr. Kantner" I insisted to her. Her Obesity Specialist. Yes, my wife is Overweight & has type 2 diabetes. And to be hit with this news on top of everything else... Through fate or fortune, she had stumbled into our specialist's care through me, as I was already seeing the specialist for my own weight issues & shortly, after we met, I told her about my Doctor & thankfully, Dr. Kantner took her on as well. Through her own program, Nancy was scheduled for Bariatric surgery. Specifically, Gastric Bypass. We prepared to wait up to possibly 2 years for her surgery, but now the situation had changed. Would she even be able to make it that long? She did tell Dr. Kantner & somehow, through her influence, was able to fast track Nancy to having her surgery within six months. Still a bit of a wait, but a lot better than having to wait two years! So now the waiting. And being the anxious personalities that we are, it seemed to take forever. But as the days drew closer to the date, it began to get more & more real, until finally that morning, when we were up at 4am, we knew this was happening. Finally! I had spent that last few months emotionally supporting her, reassuring her how everything was going to be just fine, while at the same time trying to convince myself of the same. It had finally reached zero hour & we were on our way to the hospital. Her surgery was scheduled for 7:45am, so we had to be there at least two hours prior to prepare. I gave her as much encouragement as I could until she was told to change into her hospital gown & I followed alongside her on the stretcher till the last possible second when our tightly clasping hands reluctantly separated and she disappeared into the Operating Room. For the first time, I felt helpless as her fate was now in the hands of the Surgeon. Perhaps I was being a tad overdramatic as the procedure usually takes anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes. Counting on this, I went over to the McDonalds across the street, where I figured I'd pass the time by having a long, leisurely breakfast. So, as I enjoyed my Sausage & Egg McMuffins & Hashbrowns, I watched the time go slowly by. 8:00, 8:45, 9:10... Still no word. I couldn't sit still any longer, so I went into the Mall & wandered around. 9:30, 9:50... still no word. Now, I was getting worried. Maybe she was already done & they didn't have my phone number to let me know to come & pick her up? 10:00. I stopped by the Pizzeria & had a slice & tried to make it last as long as I could. 10:20, I had another slice. Finally, at 10:40 I felt my phone vibrate. It was the hospital. "Well," The Doctor said. "It wasn't easy, but we got it done." Apparently, her previous surgery from 20 years ago for Acid Reflux had caused some "challenges" for them. But, even though it had taken longer than anticipated, it was finally done. I could pick up my wife & we could go home. But when I got back to the hospital, she still hadn't been moved to the Recovery Ward. What's going on? About an hour later, I'm let up to see her in a room that felt entirely too small & too hot. I looked into her exhausted face & when she opened her eyes, we both felt it. That mutual spark of joy we bring to each other. "Hi Honey," she said in a weakened tone. She HAD been through something. But it was finally done. Her Surgeon soon arrived & filled me in on the particulars. Because it had been a "complicated surgery" They would have her stay overnight for observation. Great. I have to go home without my wife. I stay with her till the evening & I go home around 8pm. I call a taxi & indulge in McD's Drive through on the way home. I wake up in the unfamiliar position of not having my Nancy beside me. I don't like it. I get up & get dressed first thing. I can't wait to pick her up & take her home. I call the taxi & return to the hospital & grab a Starbucks, conveniently located in the main lobby. I get upstairs & there she is. Looking much chipper than yesterday. She is understandably weak still, so we wait patiently for the doctors to give her the all-clear to go home. Once again, 11am..., 12noon... she ultimately wouldn't be released till 2:30pm. But, she was finally released. We taxi home & I assist her to our suite & I deposit her on the couch. She is still in some discomfort, despite having taken painkillers that morning. We both figured having a good night's sleep should help. The next morning, having barely slept & taking painkillers all night, she is still in pretty rough shape. Still sore & not even able to swallow even a drop of water without experiencing pain. In her recovery plan, it says to expect some "discomfort" immediately following surgery, but I'm beginning to wonder if discomfort includes burning dry pain whenever she even tries to take a breath. Fortunately, I had booked the whole week off work, so I could be home to help her through her recovery. But after 5 days, things don't seem to be getting any better. If anything, in fact, they were getting worse. The Doctor gave us his private number & encouraged us to update him every day, which we did. Despite our relating her situation to him, he dismissed it as being normal. Now I may not be a doctor myself, but I can tell when something's not right. Especially when it comes to my Nancy. By the time came for me to return to work, I was an anxious ball of nerves, as I checked in with her whenever I could, and whenever she wasn't napping to try & deal with the pain, she would tell me of how bad it was getting. Then... SNOWMAGEDDON 2019. It had dumped nearly 20 cm overnight. NOTHING was moving. Even the busses had been grounded. I figured I would get a pass from work due to the situation, but when I called in & pleaded my case, they were so determined to have me show up for work, the president of the company himself drove out to my place in snow chains to drive me to work. I was not only astounded they would do such a thing but genuinely enraged. That they would put such effort into manning their shift, when the rest of the world had pretty much shut down. On this particular morning, Nancy was in more pain than she had ever been in. I really didn't want to leave her to go to work. I explained this to the President, to which he turned a blind ear. So, after an hour's commute which by taxi would ordinarily take about 20 - 30 mins, I am deposited at my site, to which anyone around was astounded there was someone working the shift. Trying to hold my anger at my company at bay, while dealing with all the problems that the snow was causing, & would continue to cause throughout the day, I soon found out that I would be working a double shift because my relief was unable to make it to work? Strange how the president wouldn't also give that person a ride to work... When I finally was able to check in with Nancy at 5pm. She was NOT doing well. She was in so much pain, she couldn't stand it. We both agreed something was VERY wrong & we called the Ambulance. So. Now I have the prospect of working still another 7 hours in the WORST snowstorm I had ever been in. My wife was home waiting for an Ambulance & I'm stuck here. Helpless. I call my boss pleading how I need to leave because my wife was on her way to emergency. After he practically cut me off in mid-sentence with an abrupt "NO. You have to stay till the end of your shift!" I snapped. I couldn't hold back any longer. I BLASTED him, screaming obscenities in a rage-filled tirade telling them how they were a bunch of heartless fucks who only cared about making money & how they didn't give a flying f**k about their employees. I got home just as the Ambulance had arrived. I have no idea by what miracle she was even able to get one as it was a frozen tundra outside. But an ambulance did show up, festooned in chains & 2 saints who would answer the call of duty on this disastrous night. My Nancy was doubled over in pain sitting on the computer chair. So much pain that we had to move her in the chair, into the elevator & down to the lobby as there was no way to get the stretcher upstairs. Not even a stokes could be used. But with the help of some god-sent residents, we are all able to transfer her into the stretcher outside & finally into the Ambulance. To give you an idea of just how bad the snowstorm was, ordinarily we would be no more than 5 minutes max from the Hospital as we lived not even 2 blocks away. But even with chains, the Ambulance struggled through the impassable road & we got to Emergency in about 15 mins. As we unloaded her, the inevitable throng of Crachkeads, Junkies & other Mentally Ill people that clog up our system was crowding the area. But again, we were fortunate enough to be fast-tracked & she was in the ward within the hour. I never spent a more uncomfortable time than when I sat with her there. I stayed as long as I could, but was exhausted & could no longer stay awake & trudged through the snow back home. I really didn't sleep a wink the rest of the night. How could I? My Wife was in Hospital, & I was alone at home for the first time in 5 years & I hated it. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't even eat. I certainly couldn't sleep. In some ways, I was worse off than she was. For the rest of the night, I sat anxiously, wondering if/when I should phone to find out her status. Finally, around 10am the next morning, I called, only to find out she had been transferred to Richmond Hospital. Holy ****. What now? I called the Taxi immediately & raced out to Richmond Hospital. Like everyone in this life, I too have had my share of sadness & sorrow. Even Heartbreak sometimes. I don't know HOW to label the feeling I felt when I got to see Nancy in her own tiny room in ICU. But seeing her there, with all kinds of tubes & wires running in & out of her looking like something from Star Trek. I felt weak. PHYSICALLY weak. Like I was going to pass out. I had never seen my Nancy this way. My mind couldn't process what I was seeing. Quickly, I stepped out. I couldn't hold back. Tears just exploded out. I never knew a person could feel this depth of sorrow. I told myself, Snap out of it man! You've GOT to be strong! If not for your sake, then for HER sake! I don't know how, but I gathered myself together & re-entered her room. Her eyes were closed. The nurse told me she was heavily sedated & that she might not recognize me. But when Nancy weakly opened her eyes & she saw me standing over her, she knew. WE knew. that look of love we share was there. Again, fighting back the urge to bawl my eyes out, I said: "Hi Honey." My hand around hers, she weakly gripped my hand. I closed my eyes & just sat with her while she came in & out of consciousness. I had never felt such sorrow. Such a feeling of helplessness. I stayed as long as I could until it became clear she needed to rest. Taking the Taxi back into town, I stopped by McDonald's & loaded up on comfort food. I didn't care. I needed something, anything to feel better. To at LEAST, not feel what I had felt in that room. I won't even speculate how much money I was throwing away on Taxi rides to & from Richmond & the West End. I only know that with an average of $30.00 per trip, I was rapidly cutting into our bank account. Needless to say, I returned the next day. Although still upsetting to see her this way, it wasn't as shocking as yesterday. I still felt like crying, but I was able to at least put more of a brave face on. Although I knew she knew what I was feeling. I returned again the next day, only to find she had been moved to the Recovery Ward. THANK GOD! The first positive since this whole thing began. This time she was in a bigger room with 3 other patients. When I saw her sleeping in her spot, I quietly as I could pulled up a seat to her bedside & within a minute, she opened her lovely eyes and when I saw how they lit up, I felt like crying all over again. She still had all her tubes, including Breathing in, but now she was able to speak. She was still heavily sedated & communication was difficult, she looked a whole lot better & at this point, this was all I could ask for. I stayed with her until around 8pm, althewhile the Nurses tended to her as I could never imagine. I'd like to mention here just how special these people are. As I write this, we are in the midst of the COVID 19 Pandemic, and living just 2 blocks away from St. Paul's Hospital, we are privileged to be able to not only see & feel the love for the incredible Medical staff, but we are able to lend our small voices to the raucous applause in appreciation every night at 7pm. As nice a gesture as this is, I still don't think it's enough. These people are heroes in every sense of the word. I was already blown away by how well they took of my wife through the entire ordeal, but seeing these brave souls risking their lives each & every night. There is simply no possible way to ever thank them enough. But back to my story. I won't outline each & every visit I made out to Richmond during Nancy's Recovery. Only by the time she was FINALLY released, it had been nearly TWO MONTHS since her initial surgery, which was supposed to be a day surgery with an overnight for observation. During this time, she had undergone a total of 4 surgeries & 2 "procedures" SIX bodily invasive procedures in total. Not the least of which included the placing of a Stent on her stomach, due to a rupture caused by the initial surgery, which would end up causing leaking from her stomach to further complicate things. But today, this was it. She was finally coming home. There was no particular time set for her release.. I didn't care. I was there before noon & as soon as I got there, I packed up all her belongings & sat with her anxiously on the bed, just waiting for the word. 1 pm. No word. 2 pm, 3 pm... she ultimately wouldn't be released until 10 pm. The Taxi Driver was most courteous & helpful in assisting us with our many bags, including a Walker. I held the lobby door as she hobbled in, escorted her to the elevator & when I opened that door to our apartment and she crossed the threshold, an indescribable sense of both joy & relief washed over me. My wife, my Nancy was home! BUT... Our story wasn't over. Not yet. Despite the stent being applied to her leaking stomach and having to carry around what can only be described as a miniature Colostomy bag that more looked like a grenade than anything, her suffering was STILL not over. Along with the awkwardness of carrying around the bag, who's smell is something you have to experience to believe, she now had to contend with not only being able to physically FEEL her stent inside her but the resulting gas, nott o mention involuntary heaving due to her body trying to reject this foreign object would make the next several weeks nothing short of challenging. Imagine having to put up with the urge to throw up, several times a day, but never projecting anything, but waking up in the middle of the night because of it. This, accompanied by substantial gas pains, which also added to her struggle. Yet through it all, she bore it. I could tell just how much pain & discomfort she was in & at some points, wondered if maybe she had been released too early. But somehow, this exceptional woman endured for weeks. To their credit, the Hospital didn't leave her high & dry. She was being checked in on & her doctor had even given her his private number, asking her to text him every 2 days with an update to how she was doing. She even had weekly appointments at the Wound Care specialist, to ensure her leakage bag was functioning properly. Weeks later, her drainage bag was not only NOT slowing, but seemed to be getting WORSE. Bad enough so that once AGAIN, she had to go to Richmond Hospital. Although this time, not only was the procedure successful, but they even removed her stent, which only made sense as she was already there. She has been 1000 % better ever since. She is STILL leaking from her stomach, but there is considerably less now & most importantly, she is pain-free for the first time in months so she can enjoy the rest of this Pandemic Lockdown in peace. BUT... Our story isn't even anywhere NEAR done. It's now March and not only do we have to deal with this Pandemic/Lockdown, Nancy's tube had become dislodged. Another trip to the Doctor. One positive that came from this, was that they decided to not only remove her colostomy bag but to ALSO remove the stent, despite it not being scheduled for a few weeks. With the cursed thing FINALLY removed, she instantly felt %1000 percent better. At LAST. The whole ordeal is finally over. Or was it? Of COURSE not. After her stent was removed, Nancy would get the best news yet. She would have to GO THROUGH THE WHOLE DAMN THING AGAIN! Yes. You read that right. Whatever sport god was having with my Nancy, he STILL wasn't done toying with her. In short, the sleeve around her stomach had come loose, in effect, undoing the entire surgical procedure! I couldn't believe it. My sensory perception can only process so much. Are you f**king KIDDING??? At this point, I'm convinced I'm just having a nightmare. Because there's just no way possible this much bad news can happen to anyone. It's just not humanly conceivable. As I resign myself to this, we follow the plot of this terrible dream who's storyline now plays out that she will have to re-book a new surgery date sometime within a year, so with little choice, I submit my will to my apparent dream-state & can only hope I, that WE wake up soon to escape this nightmare. SO, Why do I tell this story? Simply as a warning to all those who are considering undergoing Gastric Bypass, or any other kind of Bariatric surgery. Granted, this is probably an extreme case in the negatives column, but it DID happen & I ask you to please read this before you make your decision whether Bariatric Surgery is an option for you, or not.

the clinic will schedule the date. The insurance approval is saying they approved coverage for a surgery around that date (as opposed to they approved you for a surgery proposed for 10 years from now, at which time your situation ...and their coverage rules....might have changed radically) the clinic has to coordinate the date with the surgeon's schedule - plus with the hospital so they can have an OR available for you then. And a bed.

It’s a long story over the course of my life, living with lifelong chronic illness and disability. I have myalgic Encephalomyelitis since age 9 at least which causes post exertional malaise. Exertion is exhausting And exacerbates symptoms, exercise is physically damaging. It led to developing many medical conditions including fibromyalgia. Metabolic disorders. I cannot exercise and my metabolism is slower than a sloth. I fought my weight since childhood too. I went to strict low carb and calorie counting fighting sugar addiction but over time it wasn’t enough, I could never get to a healthy weight, I’d always be stuck but I felt I had to accept that I’d be a higher weight 134lb highest 215lb. Lowest on my own briefly 124lb. But my weight got out of control again. I had feelings my gallbladder wa# making it worse but no doctor listened. My weight got to 208lb and I desperately fought for bariatric surgery. Finally I got to Cleveland Clinic where they listened to how for so long i ate low carb low calories and it stopped helping me. And I had gastric bypass surgery April 29th 2019 along with gallbladder surgery which turned out to be chronic inflammation. it did take a toll on M.E. but I couldn’t carry the burden of the weight either. I literally lost a small person in weight ... not a cure but easier to carry yourself without the burden. having the ability to keep moving helps fibromyalgia pain and fatigue. Catch 22 with me since it hurts M.E. But I will never regret having the tool of gastric bypass surgery. I hope you find success and relief on your journey.

I went with Hospital BC in Tijuana Mexico, they are affiliated with BariatricPal and the only U.S, owned Hospital there. I had belt lipectomy with butterfly lift, medial thigh lift and breast augmentation. Everything was included, transportation to and from the airport, 7 night hospital stay, meals 24, hour care, pre op testing, Faja (x2) compression stockings, etc. $14,350 this also included my companion. I paid $366.40 for two people to fly round trip via Delta airlines. I did have one unexpected expense around $700 but that was all. My surgery was very long. I’m in the process of recovery since I had it June 15th. My surgeon is awesome 👏 I highly recommend them. They have 24 hour valet, nurse and doctor. Even when a nurse could not speak much English I felt they communicated well, and when they needed it the valet translates. I felt safe and knew my Dr. did a good surgery and the staff took care of me despite it being a challenging time due to COVID-19. https://hospitalbc.com

Hi future friends! I don’t have my surgery date scheduled yet, but I’ve got most of my ducks in a row, and just waiting to hear back from insurance on when my sleeve date will be! I’ve read so many inspiring stories and seen so many of you share your before and after pictures, that I must say I am blessed to have found such an authentic and supportive group to go through this journey with! My story is pretty common as far as up and down weight gain since childhood, post-baby weight gain, etc. Then, 3 years ago, PLOT TWIST! One day I couldn’t walk or use my legs. We thought it was Lymes Disease, and it took over a year to figure out it was Fibromyalgia. Then, it took another year to get the right medications to bring the pain levels down. I’ve come very far, but still have to use a powered wheelchair for any walking or standing longer than 10-15 minutes and tire extremely easily. Of course being immobile and on MANY weight gaining medications pushed me right into the MO category super fast! My hope after sleeve surgery is to be able to be more mobile and finally feel like myself again. I would love any stories of anyone else’s journey! Remember my friend, Your weight may fluctuate... But your worth never will! <3, Sarah

I got down at one time to a BMI of 22, but I'm now a hair over 25 (I'm four lbs overweight, according to the BMI chart). My PCP likes me better at this weight than she did when I was at a 22. She's one of the growing school of physicians who think the healthiest BMI range for "older" adults (which would be me....) is 23-27. So I get zero sympathy from her when I complain about not being able to lose 10 lbs.

I started right at a BMI of 35. I lost 10 lbs. I think in the first 2 weeks. Then it was a steady 2-3 lbs. a week until I purposely tried to eat more calories around month 6 because I was already close to a normal BMI and felt that it was still coming off too quick. I dropped a little more and now maintain around 127-129 (higher due to Covid stress eating) eating 1500-1600 calories. I was at a consistent 125-126 from month 6-month 13 (March). I read a lot of others who said they lost slowly due to starting at a lower BMI. But everyone is different and mine was pretty quick.

I was also down 10 in the first 6 days of the pre-op diet! Embarrassing confession...I made my husband hide the scale yesterday so I would stop obsessively weighing myself. I *might* have OCD. 😂

I thought the same for myself & was told the same by people. I was 192 lbs at 5'5" (size 10), but I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. I went to the appointment with the surgeon scared he'd deny me but he said he thought I'd be a good candidate because of my other health issues, then I was scared the insurance company would reject me... but my insurance approved my surgery and paid for it. I will say my weight is coming off much slower than it does for people who have a higher weight to begin with. But I am 170 lbs now and over 5 weeks post-op. I say GO FOR IT. It is one of the best decisions I've made for myself (along with lasik surgery). I would have NEVER gotten off of sugar and carbs without the surgery. Now I do NOT want them or need them, especially sugar. 🤮

Well I was getting ready to go to work and I hoped on the scale and I am down 10 pound in six days. Wow cool but a very sucky way of loosing it lol. Today is my seventh day on pre op diet and I still have another week to go I wonder how much I will lose. So how is everyone else doing on there pre op diets?

Hey! Long time no see. I know I was here a lot right before and after surgery asking lots of questions but work got the better of me and I've switched jobs and just haven't had the time. However, I wanted to check back in and let everyone know how I was doing. Recap of my stats below. HW: 353 (measured but I'm sure I was in the 370's before) SW: 327 - Surgery Date 10/22/19 CW: 204 GW: 190? Yup - 123 pounds down since surgery and I'm still losing. My original goal was 210 so I would be overweight and not obese (by BMI) but after doing research and realizing that most people hit a low number and then settle about 10-15 pounds up from that I'm now shooting for 190 or below by my 1 year anniversary so I can hopefully settle long term around 200. I've gone from a 3XL shirt and size 50 pant to a L or M in shirt and size 34 pant as of last week! The pandemic and quarantine has actually helped me - I've taken up running and I've almost got my 5k time under 30 mins! I used to take 30 mins to walk 2 miles (which was still a fast pace). No complications and it seems there's nothing I can't tolerate food wise. I'm back on coffee without issue and dairy and red meats pose no problem. I've had pizza, pasta, rice and more post-op - just in smaller servings and AFTER I eat my protein. Tips? Do your research! I'm amazed at some of the questions - both on here and on a FB group. I swear some gastric sleeve surgeons and groups just herd people in and teach them nothing! Water and protein from day 1 - focus on getting them in. My water intake is around 128 oz daily, sometimes more. It helps a TON. Simple is best - don't over complicate things trying to get protein in. I'm lucky that I don't mind eating the same thing day after day so that's kinda what I plan out. I'm here for any questions anyone may have! Thanks!

I was not required to do one, but chose to see my primary to talk about medications for co-morbidities and chronic conditions. She also ordered a couple of labs that were not included in my pre-op labs. For reference, my surgery is scheduled for 7/6 and I saw her on 6/19 a couple hours before my surgical pre-op appt. My pre-registration appt. is 7/1 at the hospital and includes a heap of labs, chest X-ray, EKG, and COVID test. After that I am in self quarantine until I go to the hospital on 7/6. Primary appt. should not be a big deal. Hope that helps!

I'm nearly 9 months out, and I've lost 15kg more than my surgeon's goal for me. So I'm well past losing my EBW. I started at a relatively low BMI of 37 though, I think that absolutely helped. I try to eat protein as a priority, then vegies, then quality carbs. I avoided junk for pretty much the first 6 months, but it's crept back in, in miniscule amounts as I start to navigate maintenance. I started at the gym doing bodypump about 4 months ago and I'm seeing the results of that, particularly on my arms, and I've recently started running the couch to 5K with my 10 year old. Unfortunately with exercise has come a surge in hunger, so I'm working on dealing with that too. I'm nowhere near being a vet, but I stuck (and still 80% of the time do) to my surgeons plan and it's really worked for me. I can't wait for my 12 month follow up appointment to compare my measurements from the 6 month one! Oh, and I'm extremely strict about taking my vitamins and not drinking within 30mins to an hour after eating. I'm amazed sometimes how much I can eat at 9 months out, but that's mostly slider foods based on flour (bread, scones) when I'm a little less strict on weekends. I've learned standard white bread is a no-no for me, as it's a true slider, and leaves me wanting more. Dense protein and veggies still fit me up for hours.

I’m in Kentucky and my surgery is next month. They gave me appointment for my COVID-19 test before I left the doctors office. I have to go 2 days before surgery. My fear is I will test positive. I don’t want to be put off.

I don’t consider myself a vet yet (20 months post-op last week), but I credit my weight loss to: of course the surgery, but also to being very strict about calories and ultra-low carbs (>25g NET carbs a day). And to a lesser extent, daily exercise. Starting at 235lbs 2 wks before surgery, I reached goal at 7 months post-op with a loss of 108lbs at the time (I dropped another 17lbs after that...I’m 115 now) I continue to stay away from most carbs (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc), but I love me some dessert, so I will occasionally indulge, lol. I also run almost every day and force myself to do 20-30 mins of strength training daily (i admit, i hate it). I also still log/track everything I put in my mouth and weigh myself every morning. I hope to maintain this weight for the super-long term, but only time will tell, I guess. In the meantime it’s working for me, so its all good. I think so long as you keep the on top of things, for like FOREVER (and understand and accept that this is your new normal, and not just a temporary thing) one could reasonably expect to achieve and stay at goal (give or take 10 lbs) Good Luck!

Am I the only one who loves purging my closet? I filled 3 large garbage bags today with all my size 14 & 16 pants, all my XL tops and a good portion of my size L tops, several dresses and a bunch of shoes that are now too big. All donated to a women’s shelter. Started a new bag for my 12’s and the rest of my L tops as I move out of those in to 10’s and M’s. Feels so good!

I probably like some or most have you had a surgery planned for sometime prior to June (For me, it was April 29, 2020.) and then COVID-19 came along to postpone it until a later date (Mine was June 17, 2020). Everything went well as far as the surgery went and the time I stayed at the hospital. We (myself, the surgen and surgical team) were not certain that the surgery was going to happen on June 17, 2020, until my surgeon's office got confirmation from the higher ups that they could go ahead with surgeries planned for June. When I was told to was a go, I was told on June 4, 2020, and instructed to start the Liquid Diet on June 10, 2020; do the COVID-19 Test on June 14, 2020 (Short but still not a fun test to have done sticking a swap up your nose); drink 1/2 a bottle of Gatorade the night before along with the 40 ounces of Carnation Instant Breakfast for the Liquid Diet and the other 20 ounces of fluids required each day; and on the day of the surgery drink the last 1/2 of Gatorade up to 2 hours prior to when you are due to have the surgery that day. After the surgery, I was in the hospital for roughly 2 1/2 days and instructed to log my Liquid Intake (water, jello, carnation instant breakfast, and broth) for each meal time; day after surgery and the day after, walk 5 times for the day and blow 10 times an hour into the Incentive Spiromenter. I must say that I did accomplish most of that before I left for home on June 19, 2020. I continued the Liquid Diet of Carnation Instant Breakfast and other liquid until I guess you could graduated to the Pureed Diet that I started on June 27, 2020. I can say that so far I am doing okay: with the diet; getting out and walking as much as my body will allow me to walk and the medications prescribed by the surgeon as well as my Primary Care Doctor. If they prescribe "gabapetin" for you keep in mind it tastes something like the blue-green Vicks cold medicine (Yuck!), so I suggest you take it carefully and quickly as possible. If you are able to order and pack a Bari-Buddy stuffed animal (I got mine from Teddy Tech Inc.) for the stay at the hospital, please do so because that first night you are going be hurting each time you make a move. Sorry that that this post was long but I felt that I should reply and let you know that you will not be stuck on the Liquid Diet forever even though it does indeed get tiring having only the same liquids day in day out.

Hi everyone! I hope that you all are staying safe and doing well. Since I'm taking some days off, I thought that I would catch up and touch base. I think I was among the last of the people whose surgery went as scheduled before everything shut down due the Coronavirus. What a different world we live in today. I do hope that those individuals who were scheduled in late March and in April had their surgeries re-scheduled -- don't give up! I'm here to tell you that it IS worth it in the end! I'm well on my journey to a transformed life and I would like to share my experiences to date. So far, I'm down 63 lbs. from when I started this journey and 70 lbs. from my highest weight. When I look in the mirror, sometimes I can hardly believe that I'm even doing this, but I am! My blood pressure has improved to near normal most days and my BMI has gone from 43 to 35. Also, I'm coming up on the halfway point of my journey! Because I see these questions asked often (and believe me, I had many of same questions myself), I will give my account from my personal experience. Pre-Op Following the instructions of your doctor does make a difference. I managed to lose about 20 pounds from October 2019 - March 2020 -- the more you lose, the better for your surgery. Strictly adhere to your 2 week liquid phrase and drink your water! Surgery My surgery was scheduled for March 17th and then it got pushed back to March 18th (I think my surgeon had scheduled a long weekend because he does his surgeries on Tuesdays). However because elective surgeries was due to be shut down during that week due to COVID-19, it was returned to the original date and my surgery was the first of the day. In addition to the by-pass, I had a hiatal hernia repair. The surgery took longer than normal because I was a bleeder (whatever that means) and scar tissue from when I had my gallbladder removed many years ago. But the Dr. and his team did their thing and it was a success. Post-ops was a bit disorientating and I was in a bit of discomfort, but by the time I was wheeled to my room, I was fully alert. What I didn't like: Not having anything to drink for 24 hours! That sucked. When I was able to drink, I could only have a few sips at a time. I had to do breathing exercises (in a little breathing tube thingy which was not a bad idea given COVID-19 was starting to get out there) and hours later, I got myself up and walked. I was determined to get up and walk! What you must do: You must get out of the bed and WALK! I stress that because when I had my gallbladder surgery, I stayed in the bed (it was done the old fashioned way where they hack you in 2 to get it out and I was in the hospital for a week) and did not get up until it was time for me to go home. Talk about the gas and the pain! Whew! I was not trying to feel all that again, so I got up and walked. Basically, post-op, I was fine and did well. 2 Weeks Post-op (Liquid/Strained food Phase) I didn't have much of an appetite and I did struggle getting in the protein. I mostly tried to get in the fluids first and foremost. My sis made me a LOT of ginger tea and that helped and I walked around the apartment and did a little walk outside. Soft Food Phase So for me, once I started eating food again -- my appetite came ROARING BACK! I mean roaring back and that caused some problems when I got into the regular food phase. I'm not a dairy person, so it was a struggle for me to eat eggs, cheese -- I just couldn't do the plain yogurt (yuck). I did manage to have some chili and beans, but I don't like beans either! Somehow, I got thru it though. Regular Food Phase You want to test drive your pouch? So here is what NOT to do: DO.NOT.OVEREAT. Because I wasn't one of those people who had to force themselves to eat due to a lack of appetite, I had to do a LOT of trial and error before my brain clicked. What I wish I had done: I asked my bari-nutritionist if I should get any special tools and she said no -- yet if I had to do it all over again, I would have purchased the bariatric plates and flatware. Even though I was using small plates, the servings were still not small enough -- typically out of prior habits -- and I would go to eat, then suddenly I felt food stuck in my throat and I wanted to throw up (but I couldn't). After that happened more than a few times, my brain finally got itself together and realized what was going on. I also was not used to leaving food on my plate -- like EVER. I was forcing myself to finish eating even though my body was giving me clear signals that I was DONE. Also, you learn very quickly which foods you can eat fine and others that you can't (Of course it's all of things that I like to eat...); those foods you have to eat in little portions. Suddenly I found myself (GASP!) throwing food in the trash! Who knew! Me! Being full and leaving fricking food on the plate and throwing it away! What!?!?!?! Yep, that's what Bari-by pass will do to you! Now I make smaller portions up front and I make sure that I eat the protein before I get full. I tend to eat only when I get hungry and when I'm full, I'm DONE. That is a big change from before when I kept right on eating and eating and eating and -- well, you get the drift. Continuing Challenge: Getting the water in. At best, I get 1 liter in/day. Between my heavy work load and knowing that I can't eat and drink at the same time anymore and I can only drink so much at one time! -- I have to choose on most days whether I'm concentrating on getting the water in or getting the protein in. That is a work in progress. I finally was able to get in a long walk today - 5 mi. I just have to go early in the morning to avoid the folk who don't wear masks, but it was great and I hope to re-start my walking routine (it will be a long moment before I return to a gym). So, if you have any questions, ask away!

I was in soooooo much pain the first few days, but it definitely gets better as the days go by. I am 10 days post-op and can still feel the change in my stomach but am not in pain anymore. I can drink water normally but no chugging obviously. Hang in there! Go slowly with your diet. Anything other than clear liquids takes time to go down and makes me feel sick if I consume it too fast. And by sick, I mean tired, weak, and slightly nauseous, although I have yet to actually throw up. I usually just end up laying down for a loooooong time.

I was in soooooo much pain the fist few days, but it definitely gets better as the days go by. I am 10 days post-op and can still feel the change in my stomach but am not in pain anymore. I can drink water normally but no chugging obviously. Hang in there! Go slowly with your diet. Anything other than clear liquids takes time to go down and makes me feel sick if I consume it too fast. And by sick, I mean tired, weak, and slightly nauseous, although I have yet to actually throw up. I usually just end up laying down for a loooooong time.

Hello everyone, I have found a lot of information and helpful support here. Surgery is tomorrow. June 29th, 2020. I was ordered to do Covid 19 test to clear me for surgery. I was really nervous about the test as I heard and read so many stories saying it hurt. It did not hurt, it was quick, they swabbed both nostrils it was a weird feeling, a bit awkward like a fruit fly going up ur nose, n my eyes watered. I had to do 6 months of nutritionist visits, and since I'm near my goal weight for surgery I was told to do 3 days liquid pre op diet. Reading about how others have done for 1 and 2 weeks on liquid diet has given me strength to do my 3 days. I'm excited and nervous of what's to come. I plan on taking pics tonight for my own before and after as well as keep an eye on my diabetes type 2 and high cholesterol and improvements.

Texas has stopped all elective surgeries due to high hospitalizations due to Covid-19. I suspect other states with big resurgence of cases will do the same, Hope it doesn't happen to any of you but be prepared. Your surgery date may get postponed. Sent from my SM-T580 using BariatricPal mobile app

I agree with the others. Most surgeons will give you a goal of around 70% of excess weight loss since statistically, that's where most people are likely to end up. Only about 10-15% make it to a normal BMI. That's not to say you can't - there are plenty of people on here who've done that - but it takes A LOT of work and commitment, and it's also not realistic for most people. I did make it (although I had the year 3 "bounce back" and am now four lbs "overweight"), but to be honest, at the beginning of my journey, even being under 200 lbs was a pipe dream. I would have been ECSTATIC to end up at 199.

@jrt mom, thank you!!!!! I really appreciate it! I’m going through a bit of an identity crisis transitioning from High school to getting a job, having my entire group of friends betray me, and having my summer plans canceled due to COVID-19... thanks for putting this all into perspective