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I guess just not waking up, any doubts or concerns about complications I looked up and informed myself before opting for surgery. Since I'm self paid everything is moving in terms of weeks, so currently worrying about having vitamins, containers, scheduling clearances and doing a trip I had schedule before the preop diet starts, which keeps the mind busy. Sent from my SM-G960U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I love this thread! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Everyone's story is the same but yet SO different. I have been obese my entire life, even a fat kid. I literally NEVER remember seeing "100 something" on the scale. I was 250+ lbs in middle school. I did some extreme **** as a teenager, starved, salad with fresh veggies and no dressing and water only.. the list goes on. My mother basically threatened to have me admitted because of my extreme obsession with trying to loose weight in an unhealthy manor. Gave up...again... got fatter. Young adult into future adult: Lost over 100 lbs multiple times but could NEVER keep it off! In high school is when WLS became known and my best friends dad was upwards of 800 lbs and he was the first person I knew to have it. I don't know what procedure he had, or if there was even options back then. Anyway, he had MAJOR complications and in about 2 years was wasted away to around 100 lbs and in a wheel chair. Almost died but pulled through and from there I don't know because I lost touch with this friend when she became a drug addict. Anytime anyone ever mentioned WLS that is all I could think about.. was him and how it just about killed him! Now grown adult: It came up a few times, by myself or other people and I always convinced myself I don't need surgery I KNOW HOW TO LOOSE WEIGHT! I know how to eat healthy. I know what to do, I have done it, too many times actually. Then 2 years ago, I broke my record breaking 400 lbs! I was depressed, hated myself, hated doing anything, hated seeing people I knew.. just hated everything really. Thru those 2 year till I made my decision I was actually trying to convince myself to have it and always talked myself out with the same reasoning... "I know how to do it and have done it.. so just DO IT AGAIN and stick with it".. we all know how that ends! About a year ago I was at my doctors office and during conversation he asked me if I had ever considered WLS. I told him everything I just told you. Plus, he has been my doctor for about 15 years, so he has seen it! My weight fluctuating from 250 to over 400 lbs... constant struggle. He explained his side of things to me, never once said things like "you need it" or anything else like that. Just provided information. I left that appointment and couldn't stop thinking about it. At this point in my life I knew a few other people who had WLS surgery, the problem now is that only 1 of them were successful! So then that gave me doubts, because that was really my only issue. Loosing the weight wasn't the problem, keeping it off was ALL the problem. But then, I started paying attention, to what they did, how they ate and I realized it is because they don't try. I suddenly convinced myself! (KINDA) I researched WL surgeons in my area, found an amazing team and called them up. They said I just need to verify my insurance will cover WLS and that they will cover it at their hospital. They did, I had my first appointment. i still wasn't sure, but I decided "what do I have to loose to just do the classes" so I did... honestly most of it I already knew. But i did learn a lot more about the "surgery" itself and life after surgery. But, what actually "convinced me" is health. My family history is the worse! Literally. Everything. My mom has EVERYTHING, half or more of my family is diabetic. High blood pressure, heart problems, liver problems...EVERYTHING! Even cancer runs ramped in my family. I was 400 lbs and had MINOR high blood pressure and GERD (which may or may not have been weight related) and that was it. No other problems, but I kept imagining waking up one day and BOOM! Diabetes.... or heart attack... My mother was 55 and looked 70 and in the worse health you could imagine. On more pills than I could count... I just always saw that being my future and HAD to STOP IT. Or, at least do what I COULD to try to stop it! So.. I did it.. ashamed... and told VERY few people... (like 5 people) I think for me I didn't want people to know I had WLS and then fail at it.. then everyone knows... etc. NO REGRETS! BEST DECISION I EVER MADE FOR MYSELF! I WISH I WOULD HAVE DONE IT 15 YEARS AGO!!!! Within 3 months, off ALL meds GERD is gone... Blood pressure is actually TOO LOW at times! the NSV are off the charts, I can't even begin to list them all. Sorry for my crazy long post, but I was excited about this tread and wanted to throw out all of the details of my reasoning and thoughts!

WOW! How rude and unprofessional! I probably would have walked out and maybe voiced my opinion about how I felt about his pig headedness! (Depends on my mood that day) Like everyone else, find a new surgeon if at all possible. Sorry you had to deal with that. I will say he is likely an amazing surgeon though. I have noticed through my life and thru having a few surgeries that it seems like the better doctor/surgeon has more arrogance and cockiness about them. Worst bed side manor ever but excellent at surgery itself. My WLS surgeon was awkward. haha Very nice, and definitely nothing like you experienced. I really like him but my only complaint was that my surgery took almost 3 hours longer than expected and no one updated my spouse! She had to hunt down people to find out what was going on and why I was taking so long. (No complications, but ended up having a way bigger hernia than the scans showed and I had damage to my esophagus that needed to be repaired from years of GERD. Everything piled up and just took longer than expected) PS! Don't let anyone discourage you! You do you, what is right for you and what you need to do! Don't give up!

I hear you. I honestly don't think the OP has anything to worry about. Bariatric surgery is almost universally praised for its ability to either completely reverse diabetes, or at the very least, reduce the need for medications. If surgeons only did the surgery for people that already had controlled blood glucose levels, it wouldn't have this reputation. Now from a complication perspective, when patients have an A1C above about 8.5 or 9, the data suggests that they are much more likely to have issues post operatively, such as infections, renal failure, or even heart attacks. The lesson is, I think, high A1C = bad, low A1C = good 😊

Thats weird, they took mine out on the left side. I only have one small incision on the right side and the other 5 on the left. I do have a large hernia that I'm sure complicated things for the surgeon, but that large one the stomach came out whichever side it's on really is the most sore one for sure.

It’s perfectly normal to have some concerns & worries. It is a totally new experience even if you had a band before. But, yeah, stop reading the horror stories they only screw with your head & truthfully they are very rare. People who’ve had a complication often post more because they are seeking help & support. You can find horror stories about anything if you look for them. I’ve a good one about a friend who had a pedicure. I eat out regularly (at real restaurants) & socialise often with friends & family & it doesn't cause me any issues or impact my enjoyment of the occasion. I usually order a main now through while I was losing I ordered entrees. And I’m not afraid to ask to take home the leftovers either. I’ll have a glass of wine or similar when socialising but I take ages to drink it. I don’t enjoy it as much as I did before but that’s me & again it doesn’t stop my friends enjoying several more glasses than me. The short time you have to be the most vigilant & restrictive with your eating & drinking is exactly that - a short time. The staged return to eating is only about 6 weeks in total. After that, you slowly introduce other foods back. Use the time while you are losing to explore new flavours & textures as well as trying healthier food options, cooking styles, recipes, etc. I actually wasn’t really interested in eating anything not nutritionally dense while I was losing & I never felt like I was making sacrifices or giving up any foods. I didn’t want to go back to my old way of eating - it’s why I was obese. But that’s part of the being mentally ready mentioned above. As for dumping, if you do experience it you’ll learn to eat around it. Same with any other idiosyncrasies your body may have post surgery. It’s much like how anyone with an allergy or sensitivity to certain foods or food types acts. Don’t be afraid to question your surgeon further about what you may expect with your surgery. Regardless of whether you decide to go ahead as scheduled or decide to wait a little longer. You have to do what’s right for you. All the best.

Hello from Canada. My reasons for surgery is peaked at the thought of my new born daughter needing me. I just turned 50 when she was born (my first and only). I thought I could not bear the thought of dieing at 65 from some complication due to poor health. I am diabetic and also suffered from ever increasing pains. Back, hands, shoulder pains. It never seem to end a new ache every day almost. I lost and gained weight too many times and had been looking at bypass surgery for over ten years as an opinion but was still undecided and often spoke and researched about peoples success and failures. I'm trying to be very realistic with my expectations of where I am am going from where I am. I have read here about some struggles some are having with staying with the strictness of the new diet routine. How some struggle with keeping food down and even reading about a concerned wife telling us about her husband eating beacon and eggs at week 3 or 4. He seems to have giving up or is in denial about how he had to rethink his relationship with the foods that have lead him to do the surgery in the first place. We all will struggle some more than others. This forum will for me allow me to be inspired and hopefully inspire in return to be better and push through the hard times ahead. If we're easy we would not be here. But we are here to help and encourage. Blessings for everyone and continued success. Keep at it!!

I had VSG in Mx. at HospitalBC w Dr. Illan. I had a great experience and would absolutely recommend. They have a dietitian on staff who is extremely responsive (they had a lady before her who was garbage but replaced her due to patient complaints). They were great about answering questions before surgery keeping in touch after, etc. I have no complaints. Prior to surgery I met with my PCP, she was fully onboard and supportive. She pulled a full lab panel pre-surgery to make sure there were no concerns and does all of my post-op labs. She has been really impressed with my results and was pleased with the details of my experience. If there were complications, which are EXTREMLY rare with bariatric surgery, they more than likely would occur while still in Mx and the surgeon would manage IF anything went awry after you got home, an emergency room legally cannot turn you away and would absolutely have to treat you regardless of where the surgery took place. is there a possibility that if you needed to see another bariatric surgeon they would be hesitant? Sure. But you will never be flat refused medical care in the event of an emergency.

Yea, so it seems! Which is different than Kaiser. Though, I must say that I lost Kaiser coverage soon after my surgery and didn’t carry on with the post op plan they had and I’ve been perfectly fine… I’ve seen others have complications and I wonder what happens then?! Thanks for responding. Maybe others will have insight for us too.

Hello! My partner is considering doing self pay in Mexico (I went though Kaiser, it was great but slow). I’m wondering if others can share their experience with post op care. I’ve seen people say they’ve been refused care because they got the surgery done in Mexico. Some have said don’t tell your doctor where you got it done… how would someone skirt around that? Say “I got a VSG, but I refuse to tell you where?” (Awkward?!) What about post op labs? What if there are complications once you’re home? He is on MediCal through the end of the year and will probably switch to BCBS or Kaiser next year. Thanks for any insight or experiences you are willing to share

I think it's normal to be worried. I've had over 15 surgeries now; some major and some minor. I was worried about all of them. While worry is normal, being paralyzed by fear is not. The truth is we as humans are really bad at understanding risk. if you look at that data, we are many, many times more likely to die or have life altering complications from being obese, than we are from WLS. In fact statistically, WLS is even safer than things like gall bladder removal surgery.

While you definitely want to be aware of the possible risks and the treatments for such issues, personally I would steer clear of a group that posts only about complications. I would just worry it would begin to make it seem like everyone has issues which is really far from the truth. If you feel like you need to keep searching about them I would also make sure to search for the statistics that put it all into perspective of how likely (or unlikely) each issue is to actually Happen to you. I hope this helps.

I would definitely get away from that FB group. I have anxiety bad enough, I don't need to add fuel to the fire. LOL! I think that most complications happen early on, after surgery. Your body is adjusting and freaking out. The bowel obstruction thing... Well, that's a lifelong concern - but it is for us sitting here, now, too. I think of it like this... If the doctor told me that I would have to have 5 more surgeries, would I still do it if it meant a longer, healthier, better life after? Yes. If he told me that I would have to have a colostomy bag, would I still do it? Yes. If he said I'd need to get a pacemaker for my heart, would I still do it? Yes. I just had to come to grips with the "what ifs". If I knew that the "what ifs" were definitely going to happen, would I still go through with the surgery? When the answer to that became "Yes" my anxiety and fears pretty much went away. All the possible complications - short of dying on the table - can be treated. But there is a 99% chance that we won't have any complications at all. The vast majority of patients have no problems. We hear most often about the complications, not the successes.

How did I forget that one!? Yes, this too, very much so. I've been dealing with hypoglycemia since I was a teenager. I worry about it getting worse, too. Also, Dr. Google and I have a very inappropriate relationship. 😂 I'm also in a bariatric complication group on Facebook and it's hard. People say to not read it and stay off. I don't want to have to have more surgeries, though, and I don't want to have the doctors on speed dial. I just want smooth surgery and new life!

Fear of the unknown is real & an understandable reaction to something like this surgery. Mine went all so quickly, that I really didn’t have time to worry about anything: 6 weeks from initial GP’s appointment to meeting the surgeon, the dietician, doing the pre surgery diet & then the surgery. Though I’m also not a big worrier. If I have questions I’ll ask or research it myself. Knowledge is power. Think I was more concerned about telling my mum. Lol! A friend had recommended her surgeon & on meeting him I was confident about his ability. I was going to a good hospital. I had a supportive GP. And, after years of watching my father suffer with cancer, treatments & complications, I sort of learnt you can’t worry about something that MAY happen. It’s a waste of effort & emotions. Be aware of possibilities but you can’t be certain of what will happen until it does & then you can plan to move forward.

Like others, not waking up is a concern. I've had many surgeries in my life. My odds are getting worse. I'm a bit anxious about complications. My biggest worries are: Post Bariatric Hypoglycemia, low blood pressure, and heart arrhythmia. Dehydration and bowel obstruction are other concerns, but not the biggest. I also have a weird worry that I am going to lose too much weight. I went to Dr. Google (LOL) and studied up on all the complications and the treatments. That has reassured me and calmed me down, a lot. Pretty much every complication can be treated. Some need to be recognized sooner than others, but with timely intervention they can be taken care of.

Death. Complications (resulting in extended hospital time). I'm just ready to be on the other side and recovery. I have some worries about it not working so great for me. I have some worries about having horrible heartburn, etc. and feeling terrible regret.

My only big concern was complications and I have to say there are a few that have come up. Overall though I don't regret having the surgery.

Consider the possibility that you are a sugar/food addict and need to cut out things like sugar, flour, white potatoes, rice, and processed foods. I've been pretty successful at losing (despite frequent stalls) by following this. Due to complications my RNY>RNY revision was not successful so I have no volume restriction. I HAVE to record everything I eat. My clinic wants me to restrict myself to 800 kcal a day, but I struggle with cravings even though my body is getting sufficient sustenance. Cutting out the trigger foods (above), helps with the craving but I'm usually consuming around 1000-1200 kcal a day--and still slowly losing. Here are some books I recommend.

Bacon isn't considered soft foods (as you know) and that his stomach isn't fully healed till 6 to 8 week later. As @Shoppgirl said it is about safety. One of the most serious complications of VSG and/or RNY is rupturing your suture line aka anastomosis and if you don't adhere to the post-op diet then you are risking serious complications. If he rips the suture line, like someone close to me did (and she didn't listen), his abdominal contents will spill into his peritoneal cavity and it can kill him.

if you're already on tymlos, I'm not sure if calcium supplements are going to help much. Are you working with a specialist? I have osteoporosis, and my PCP referred me to an endocrinologist who specializes in it. If you're not already working with a specialist, I'd see if my PCP could refer me to one. Sounds like you have a complicated case. Maybe they could just try a different drug (??)

those kinds of complications are pretty rare, so you're not likely to find anyone who's been through that (but then again, who knows...). I'm so sorry you're going through this!!)

You sure have been through the wringer. While there are some who have had severe complications from their WLS, their cascade of events will likely be different from yours, so won't be directly comparable. The best that I can suggest for second opinions would be a major regional cancer center that has a GI department, as they will usually have a more experience with a broader spectrum of unusual cases than an ordinary bariatric or GI department. Duke has a good bariatric program with a reputation for doing complex revisions, so they may be a place to try as well if they are in your area. Good luck in getting this resolved and getting back to the health that you were aiming for.

Hi! First time poster here. It's a bit long but I really need help. I had gastric sleeve on 6/22 in Mexico. It went well, passed my leak tests and left feeling good. A week after I got home, I had severe pain and went to the ED where they discovered a leak. They did surgery that night but were unable to reach the leak as it was "too high on my esophagus. " they also discovered 2 abscesses that were between my stomach and spleen. They were unable to remove the abscesses due their location. I spent 28 days on a feeding tube in the hospital. The plan was to wait for the leak to encapsulate/close which it eventually did. I came home on long term antibiotics and 4 days later I ws in severe pain again so back to the ED where I was diagnosed with a complete bowel obstruction. I had a my 3rd surgery in 3 months that night. Went home and a month later (2 weeks ago) I had pain so bad in my left lower side that made breathing/coughing/vomiting extremely painful. Back to the ED where I found out the abscesses had infected my spleen and it is now half dead/ dying. It will be removed but the surgery team is holding off due to the inflammation and scar tissue in my abdomen. I was discharged a week later with a PICC line and I receive IV antibiotics at the hospital daily. My question is has anyone heard of this many/similar complications? I'm considering getting a second opinion at a different hospital but I don't even know where to start! Thanks for reading.

Hi! Just a little update 4 weeks after my RNY. I'm 43, have lupus and gained a lot of weight after 3 years of steroids. The extra weight adds more complications to my disease and I have really struggled to lose it on my own. I was 309 before surgery, 295 day of and currently at 278. I'm 5'8" and have always been a bigger woman with my lowest weight at 215. But at that weight I was very active, fit and healthy... until I got sick. This has not been an easy process for me and I was really losing my mind at the 3 week mark. But after week 4, I'm finally feeling a little more energy and a little more human. Some things I didn't really expect: I've become lactose intolerant. I sometimes get sick (nausea and crampy) after just sipping water. And I use the restroom much more frequently than I did before, which makes me a little nervous to socialize and even more nervous to travel. I hope this gets better! Other than that, I'm learning that slow progress is still progress! And I've already discontinued 2 of my lupus related meds, so I know I made the right choice! If anyone is having a hard time, I hope this helps.. it WILL get better!