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My program didn't offer anything either. We had 1 online group "power session" that basically told us what we can and can't eat before and after surgery, what recovery would look like, how long we would be in the hospital, and that we have access to the (fairly useless) nutritionist. That was it. I learned more from Google. Then I found this forum and the rest is history. This place is WAY more helpful than anything else, so I just stick with it. Now that I'm 2 years out from my original surgery and 1 year out from my revision, fully recovered my my SLEW of complications and additional surgeries, and not only made it to my goal but am below it, I feel like I have stuff to offer in the conversation now. I owe everyone here so much that I just hope to pay it forward to others.

At least your program tried. Mine doesn’t even have anything in the way of patient education. They send you the nutritionist because because its a requirement but as any in of the providers or staff in their office and you will get a different answer bout nutrition specifics. This even includes the pre op and liquid diets and even the book they give you doesn’t match what they say. Then to complicate things even further they send in a nutritionist at the hospital with a whole differnt little book. Not sure what to follow. Just tried to pick tne most restrictive and hope For ghe best.

You discussed loads of other things there @catwoman7 in your ‘model patient’ session, which, IMHO was missing from last nights session. It’s just that everything was glossed over and it really didn’t get to the bones of things I guess. And you definitely hit the nail on the head about people not knowing what questions to ask, so not asking them. I think things like taking measurements and photos for example, would be useful, what to take to hospital, explaining changes in tastebuds, foods to eat for those first couple of stages, etc. I know, I know, I AM being so very picky, I know it. I guess I was just disappointed and left feeling a bit sad for those who are just relying solely on the hospital sessions because I don’t think it was a proper representation. We all hope that surgery goes well and that we have no complications or issues or need additional help. I also think hospitals have to be honest with the things that can go wrong because it’s generally the negative things in life that impacts our weight and generally leads to weight gain. But, it’s done now so 🤷‍♀️

I was one of those "model patient" presenters at my clinic for the three years before COVID! I loved doing that! I had a partner - a VSG patient (I was RNY). I'd had a stricture at four weeks out - she never had any complications. I'm hoping we didn't sound too "vanilla" - but neither one of us had any issues (other than my stricture - which is a mild issue and very easily fixed). We were both super happy with our surgeries and both lost a ton of weight (she lost 100 lbs, I lost over 200). Although I think people found us entertaining (we were quite a pair!) and most groups asked us lots of questions. We always told the groups about the three-week stall (since it happens to almost everyone, and very few clinics mention it to their patients, so people freak out when it happens to them). Also told them about how we ate a month out, a few months out, a year out (our clinic's plan wasn't low-carb, like many of them are - it was balanced - although even given that, the typical eating YOUR presenter does sounds carb-heavy even to me). We mentioned how we typically eat when we're at a restaurant. Talked about the extra skin (my partner even lifted her shirt to show them her extra skin). Also talked about our experience with hair loss (since extra skin and hair loss are huge concerns among pre-ops). Also talked about constipation (we both have chronic constipation) and how we deal with it. And how we dress to "hide" all the extra skin (although I've since had mine removed). We always mentioned how most people lose their interest in food and hunger for several months after surgery, and how they should milk that for everything it's worth since it's way easier to lose weight when you don't give a flip about food. Basically stuff they likely would not have picked up during the classes they had with dietitian and the health psychologist. when I went through the classes in 2015, the presenter was kind of underwhelming, like yours. I'm sure he would have answered some of the questions we addressed when we were presenters, but he didn't, and the "students" wouldn't necessarily know enough at that point to even know what to ask. Shelli and I decide early on to talk about the issues they SHOULD ask about, but wouldn't know to. P.S. now I'm sitting her wishing I was still doing that - it was great fun! But COVID hit, so everything went online, and they didn't have the "model patient" class. Since everything is in person again, they may have some people doing it, but the two of us are pretty far out now (nine years), so they may have gotten people who had their surgeries just a year or two ago.

I had a revision to bypass from the sleeve a little over a year ago because of complication from the sleeve and my only regret is that I didn't just get the bypass to begin with. I was so afraid of the complications that I chose the sleeve and regretted it almost from the very beginning. I have not had 1 single moment of regret with the bypass. I've only had dumping 3x, and since you should take vitamins anyway for health, and since I always took them anyway, it doesn't bother me at all to keep taking them. The malabsorption really hasn't been an issue. It's really just for extended release meds, some vitamins and supplements, etc... You just take extra or take it at 2 different times during the day. It's a lot less overwhelming than it seems. My life is actually SO much better and easier since I had the revision.

I unfortunately am very limited in protein shake flavors that are available. I'm actually allergic to milk, so all I can have are plant protein shakes. So yay for having to have the more expensive, less available flavors. >_> I did buy a tape measure this morning when I was running errands so that I can take my measurements! My other tape measure, uh.... really put in perspective how big I was because it wouldn't go around me. Depressing but also motivating to know that I am doing the right thing for me. Hopefully, I move to being able to have 'cream of' soups when I get home. Though there are concerns about how much surgery they will actually be doing as I do have endometriosis. So the hope is that it hasn't spread since my last endo surgery 15 years ago, and therefore they don't have to deal with that particular complication. I am nervous about the hernia repair. I know it's common, but it's just one more thing to go through. I've been prepping myself for the bypass, not the hernia repair. LOL

I wonder if after hearing all of these perspectives if starting with a therapist that specializes in disordered eating may help. You mentioned that you haxe some behaviors that are ingrained from childhood that make things challenging for you and they may be able to help with that. Honestly it will most likely make your even more successful in the long run when you do decide whether surgery is right for you. And if you still don’t want to do it booefully you can lose something with the therapists help. Anything you lose will only make you that much healthier and if survey is the end goal you will just have that much less to lose. My only other suggestion would be that once your even beginning to lean more towards doing surgery that you make your appt and get the ball rolling because it’s a pretty lengthy process and once you do make your mind up if your like many of us the wait seems really long. Actually making that first appointment may hurt either. Make a list of your exact fears and get exact statistics to help you decide. Many of the risks are less than getting in a car and driving. But do yourself a favor and ask what your risks are if obesity related complications too if you do nothing. For most of us doing nothing comes with far greater risk.

morbidity rate is 0.3% with bypass - which is super low. These aren't the same surgeries as they were years ago. They're only slightly more risky than the sleeve. Complication rate is really low, too. The most common (other than dumping) is stricture, which happens to about 5% of bypass patients, and that's an easy fix - they just do an upper endoscopy and stretch it out (I had one of those). Dumping happens to about 30% of bypass patients, and you can prevent that by not eating a ton of sugar or fat at one sitting (most dumpers can eat *some* sugar and fat, just not a ton of it at one sitting). I've never dumped, and I know lots of other bypassers who've never dumped, either. yes you do need to take supplements forever because of the malabsorption "feature" (which makes it a more powerful surgery than sleeve). But you get used to it pretty quickly. I don't even give it a thought anymore - taking them is now just part of my regular morning, afternoon, and evening routines, Most sleeve patients have to take vitamins as well - although slacking off on them has more dire consequences with bypass than it does with sleeve. Missing a day here and there - or even a few days in a row, isn't likely to cause problems. But simply not taking them can cause huge problems over time. To be honest, cutting off 3/4 of your stomach and throwing it in the garbage doesn't really seem that less radical to me than stapling across the top of your stomach and re-attaching your small intestine, but I know that thought seems really radical to a lot of people, so you're not alone in thinking that. Although unlike the sleeve, the RNY is reversible (although they'll only do that in extreme circumstances), which seemed oddly comforting to me. I chose RNY because I had GERD prior to surgery - and it did "fix" that. I'm very happy with my decision - I've had a lot of success with mine and no problems other than the aforementioned stricture I had at four weeks out. I'd make the same decision today.

I was sleeved in March of 2015 (HW 405, SW 357, LW 238, sustained 260 for a few years), had some regain where I hit 315, so I went on a hybrid Optifast/Numetra diet through a program at Kaiser (my then insurance in California). It worked well, I dropped about 50 pounds and was happy with that, but then I had some mental health issues including some passive ideation, so I decided to move across country (technically back home) to Delaware and share a living space with my brother and his wife and pets. Since that move I've gained back the 50 pounds I lost, I have another hiatal hernia, and severe acid reflux/GERD so now I'm on the path to revision to bypass. Thing is, I never wanted bypass, that's why I had the sleeve in the first place, the reworking of my internal plumbing scares the heck out of me! I've known a ton of people who've had it with no issues, but I've also known a couple who passed away from complications (granted, that was 20 years ago, and I know things have improved medically since then). But the idea of having dumping syndrome, and malabsorption, and needing to take vitamins and supplements forever - UGH - I'm freaking out!! 😨😖 I have an anxiety disorder (SAD & GAD) and my anxiety has been through the ROOF the past few weeks! My surgery date is August 26 - 13 days from today! - and I started my pre-op diet the other day (Monday), but part of me wants to cancel everything! However, there is a part of me that can't wait for the relief from the GERD. I guess I'm not asking for anything here, mostly just venting my anxiety. 🤣

You’ll like Zepbound! I jumped on the Ozempic train 2 years ago to help push me towards my last 30lbs.a friend did WeGovy, IMO not as good as Ozempic although it’s the same med. she’s now on Zepbound and dropping 1st year surgery weight again. My doctor would like for me to lose another 20 lbs, but taking it slow because I’m kind of happy here. No health issues or complications and I look healthy. you all are doing great!

I’m never on these boards, but I guess I still get emails from this thread. Still out here. Still down around 130 (up about 15) and holding steady (with Ozempic). Still hating the side effects of massive GERD and food sensitivities to almost everything (even stuff you wouldn’t expect - dairy, raw veggies, etc). I miss Greek yogurt and carrots most of all. Sometimes I eat them, but instantly regret it. Every year at my follow up doc wants me to convert to bypass for the GERD, but the first surgery was so bad I refuse to do a second one unless I’m dying . I can only imagine what the bypass would do to my food issues. But I do fit in plane seats more easily and it’s easier to buy clothes because I can buy from most stores. I’m sure I’m healthier, although my numbers were pretty good pre-surgery. My knees hurt less. I still have fairly complicated feelings about having done it - not sure I would do it again, but do think I made the best decision I could at the time.

Reading through some of the posts (it's a lot and I'm new, I'll get them all eventually), it seems a lot of you knew for a couple of months or more that you were having your surgery in August. I'm a little jealous of that ability to plan ahead lol! I went for my follow-up appointment during the first week of August, and then they were like, "You're doing great! How about August 16th?" I'm nervously excited about it. Part of me wishes I had more time to truly get everything prepared, since I work 3 jobs. But I'm also ready to fully be on the path to a healthier me. I've been listening to audiobooks and podcasts to try to mentally prepare me for this, and to also be prepared for if there are complications. SW: 350 CW: 322

You may want to check the manufacturers website later once you are for sure settled on a vitamin to see if they are cheaper than Amazon A lot of them give discounts if you subscribe and it works out cheaper. I ordered mine to arrive a couple of weeks before I needed them and set them to auto ship just so I would always have them even if mail was a little slow or something Definitely remind yourself that them people who have a bad experience with the surgery may be louder but they are certainly not the norm These surgeries are considered relatively safe. The risks are very low. And maybe the risk of a complication of obesity doesn’t have a specific date but there are far more and they are far more likely than the risks of surgery

4 years post Gastric Bypass. Zero complications, maintained weight loss and found exercise I love. This journey inspired me to get into healthcare.

Hi everyone. I'm a bit of a complicated outlier, as my duodenal switch will be a modified duodenal switch with Demeester adjustment. I'm getting a duodenal switch for biliary diversion ( bile reflux). And I have a herniated stomach, so it will need a hernia repair. This means my stomach will not be reduced, but it will be restored in terms of hernia. And the new bile limb will only be around a 100 to a 150cm down. Enough to prevent bile from flowing into my stomach, but less malabsorption and weight loss issues. The issue is, that my stomach gas gastroptosis ( which means it is very elongated and stretched down towards my pelvis) this means it is quite painful and traumatic when vomiting occurs. I have read so many horror stories about vomiting post op or even within the first 3 to 6 months. I'm wondering, does that mainly occur due to reduction of the stomach? Or is it an unavoidable cause of the new limbs being created. I'm terrified of obstructions, ileus and other nasty complications.

The distal gastric bypass can indeed lead to more significant weight loss since it bypasses a larger portion of the intestine, but it can also come with an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies and other complications. It's crucial to discuss all potential risks and benefits with your medical team and possibly connect with others who have had the procedure to hear about their experiences. Good luck with your decision, and make sure you get all the information you need to feel confident moving forward!

Personally, I say go with the bypass. But if you're wanting super aggressive, then maybe the SADI is the way to go. How much weight are you lookin to lose? They say you don't lose as much with ANY revision. I got mine because of complications with the sleeve. But I lost 113 pounds in 8 months with the sleeve before all hell broke loose and my complications started. When I had the revision to bypass, I was told to expect to lose 45-50 pounds more, with the high side being 60. Welllll, I've lost 96 pounds since I had the revision 13 months ago...so...yeah. Bypass recovery was a breeze, corrected all my issues, and I kept losing. If you're this anxious and nervous and even scared about the SADI, maybe go with the bypass. You can certainly lose a lot, even though it's a revision. But no matter what surgery you choose, you still have to do the work, stick to the meal plan, track what you're eating, and move your body.

Sounds like I am actually a lot better off than I thought I was. As most of you probably know I am on my LSD now which is two shakes and then a low carb dinner of 3oz lean meat, 1 cup of cooked veggies, and 1 cup berries or melon. Well, I do not feel stuffed to the brim, but I am satisfied after just the meat and veggies. I end up having the berries later as a snack which cuts out one of the snacks I am allowed for the day so win-win. . What worried me was that this diet was written for someone with normal anatomy and I was getting closer than I thought I should to finishing it. That and some of the plates I’ve seen posted on here by veterans seem to be such tiny portions compared to my 8” plate full. I felt that my restriction was way-way less than anyone else with a sleeve. I worried that even if I was keeping it to healthier choices and some was being malabsorbed that the portion size would still get me in trouble if I don’t eat lean meat and veggies forever. i do realize that it’s more about what the foods are than how much I eat but I would like to add in some other options eventually (for maintenance at least). . I am fighting against a pretty complex scenario too. Not only am I asking for this surgery to help with obesity but I also have Bipolar Disorder. I have been on meds and doing okay but the meds are not a cure. I still have episodes and during those periods things like healthy food choices are…well…out the window. I try not to keep unhealthy options in the house but I have things i am allowed in moderation and my husband has some bad foods that he eats as well. On top of that I cannot go off of the meds that make me gain. Long story short, I really do need the most aggressive surgery I can get to give me the best chance at this. it sounds like my stomach is pretty normal for someone that is over a year out though. Some of the doctors redo the sleeve when during a revision which sounds ideal but mine does not. He says I that’s not worth the risks involved. Obviously I don’t want to risk more side effects, complications and lifestyle changes to get the SADI if I’m not going to get anything more out of it than I would a bypass which would also be more likely to resolve my mild gerd. I just wish there was more data to go on. I guess what it boils down to is having to trust my doctors judgement. Past experience witb doctors just make that SO difficult for me. Thank you all for sharing your experiences with the sleeve and the bypass.🩷 This does help me a great deal. Now I know that I actually am where he should expect me to be in terms of capacity. At least I know he did have all the correct information when he said the SADI was my best option.

So by 8 months post op with the sleeve, I started having complications. But before that, I was able to eat a cup to a cup and a half of food, depending on what it was. Now a year out from my revision to bypass, I have 2 cups of protein cereal, or 1 small piece of steak and 1/4 cup of cheesy peas. Or I can have a can of soup. I can have 2 chicken drum sticks and 1/4 cup of veggies. It's not so much HOW MUCH you eat as it is WHAT you eat. I'm careful with what I eat, I still log and track everything, and I avoid sugar (or go with no sugar added if it's unavoidable) and rarely use salt (but use Himalayan salt if I REALLY need it). It's about how often you eat and what you're eating. I don't graze. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. I don't drink alcohol (empty calories and carbs), I don't drink soda (again, empty calories and carbs and frankly, don't like the taste anymore), and I made sure to find alternatives to things I use to eat a lot that are healthier but still yummy. I don't feel like I'm deprived because it all tastes good.

I had to sip for a good 6-8 weeks when I had my sleeve. I really struggled with the sleeve, and ended up with a revision to bypass a year later because of complications. I didn't have to sip at all when I had the bypass. I finished an entire 20oz bottle of water the day I had the revision in 2 hours in the hospital. When they saw that, they unhooked me from the IV because they saw I was getting enough fluids lol

I am a huge fan of these new meds because: they work and it’s moving the research of obesity forward instead of continuing to moralizing it. For our population, it’s not clear whether or not this a life long commitment because there are no current trials for this. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/2022/6820377 (section 2.9. Potential Roles of GLP-1 RA on Prevention of Perioperative and Postoperative Complications of Bariatric Surgical Individual) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(19)30157-3/abstract GRAVITAS Trial from 2016-2018

I'm working on figuring out how to maintain lol I'm below goal, which is fine is I stay where I'm at. Don't really want to go any lower. I'm slowly increasing calories and carbs, but I can't go too high or I get sick. So I'm just trying to figure it out. My first year post surgery, I was half way to my goal (I needed to lose roughly 200 pounds to get to my goal). I had complications that slowed my weight loss (I lost 113 pounds in 8 months) after the 8-9 month mark. I had my revision 13 months after my initial surgery and lost another 94 pounds in a year. I also had 2 major surgeries during that time, too. Now my weight loss is (hopefully) stopping - 2 years after my initial surgery and 1 year after my revision. I've lost a total of 240 pounds from my highest weight and 207 pounds from my surgery-day weight. And it took me a total of 2 years. I hit many stalls along the way, but it's all been 100% worth it.

I had my roux-en-Y bypass in 2009. I was 5’7” and weighed 253 lbs. I had lost about 50 lbs. Then my parents began a two-year decline with an extremely complicated two years of dementia (both at the same time!), gout, broken back, shoulder, and ribs, triple valve replacement, gall bladder surgery, a search for a geriatric psychiatry bed which never came through, and multiple moves from assisted living centers, rehab centers, memory care centers, and nursing homes. There were at least a dozen ER visits over those two years. My self-care routine devolved. I developed ulcers. Five years after the surgery I went through a severe depression and started vomiting a few times a week. Two ER trips with bleeding ulcers. Deepening depression. In 2018, had surgery to remove the ulcers. I continued vomiting and dropped down to 146 lbs. I’m down to 5’4” tall because of scoliosis, a side effect of Parkinson’s I was diagnosed with a few weeks ago. I had the roux-en-Y procedure redone last week. I’m trying.

Yeah, there's a definite bias of information (unintentionally, of course) when you frequent bariatric spaces. I've been on this board almost a year, and I really enjoy it, but at five months post-op, one thing I've noticed is the vast majority of people who were posting regularly a year ago, or even 3-6 months ago, are not here any more. That's a lot of diverse experience that goes away, and I would guess that the people who remain are a combination of those who are the most dedicated (possibly to the extreme), those who get the most out of social interactions, and those who experience the most complications in their journeys, along with people who return after several years to get back on track because of significant regain or needing revisions. The people who are hitting their goals easily, losing weight at an average pace, eating and exercising in a way that isn't particularly noteworthy, maintaining within a reasonable weight range, and generally living life without stressing about bariatric issues, quickly become underrepresented voices. So it's easy to start thinking that the average person struggles a lot at every stage, can barely eat or drink for months, exercises like they're training for the olympics, tracks every bite of food and never strays from their macros every day of their life, experiences all the most severe complications regularly, and will gain back all their weight plus some if they even dare to glance at a piece of bread or a dessert on someone else's plate let alone allow a bite to pass their lips. It's easy to become very obsessive about it (raises hand: yes, that's me). And in a situation like after surgery where a lot of things change at once, sometimes it feels like the more you can control and anticipate, the better. At least it does for me. But my advice would be, especially when you are feeling particularly anxious about something, to think about whether there are perspectives you aren't getting that might reduce your anxieties if you were able to hear from them. Like, if there were 20-30 people who used to post in your surgery month group and now you're down to 4 or 5, what might those other people say if you asked them about the thing that is worrying you? My guess is, if they're not posting anymore, it's usually not because they're suffering in silence.

Hi! I got approved for the surgery in May of 2024. Doctor first told me that I would most likely have to wait until 2025 because of how the long the hospital waiting list is. Suddenly, I got called last week saying they were able to do it in October of 2024. So this is the first day of a 12 week liquid diet to lose 10% of my body weight before the surgery. My birthday is coming up and I have wedding that I'm going to next week! I'm happy that this is happening this year, but I also feel bummed because I feel like this is bad timing. I'm really happy that this journey is starting. I've always been overweight and so was my mother. We were the only one's in the family who were. We moved to the UK when I was 14 and my stepfather was also overweight and he passed away in 2022 due to pneumonia and other weight related complications. My mother had gastric bypass in 2008 and due to surgical complication, they couldn't fix a bowel perforation and she passed in 2023. She and my stepdad were the only people in my life who were really supportive of anything I did. I fell a little bit alone going through this now, but I'm feeling optimistic at the same time. Just looking for other people to share my story with.