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I never knew the reason for the BMI of 40 or over until reading this, but it makes sense. Back in the 1990s, gastric bypass was an open surgery with a whole lot of risk. You just wouldn't do that unless you were in dire health or the future risk of dying prematurely was great. It's such a different surgery, or surgeries, now, yet the guidelines remain the same. Sometimes I wonder if more people would get bariatric surgery if those who had it talked more openly about it. Not to blame anyone who chooses not to, because people can be awful. But I wonder how many people in part believe they or others can diet and exercise their way thin if they really try because that guy they work with did it...except he actually had surgery and just doesn't say it. Only 2% of people who qualify getting the surgery is so sad. It kind of makes me mad that I would have qualified a while ago but no one told me until I hit that magic 40 BMI on the doctor's scale, even though I have other conditions that meant I would have met the requirements probably 10 years ago. Instead, I was put on Saxenda and Wegovy at different points, and neither one was a real miracle drug for me. Plus, my insurance only covered them for about 6 months, so nowhere near lifetime like you need. I think there's a lot of education that needs to happen out there on every level.

Hello Everyone, Im having surgery on 10/18/23 and I am excited about it but I wonder if my A1c will push back my surgery. Do anyone have any knowledge of this?

I sure do appreciate everyone's feedback. Thanks soooo much!! I'm still new to this site and not even sure where this has posted and, have forgotten how I found all this feedback. lol. Again, thank you all for your support and posts. I did find some protein shakes (they should call them drinks, they are not 'shakes'. lol, that's just my thought process.). * 4-pack of Premier Protein chocolate: 30g protein, 160 calories, 1g sugar, 24 vitamins/minerals, 3g fiber. and has milk protein concentrate. * 4-pack of Muscle Milk Pro Chocolate: 32g protein, 170 calories, 1g sugar, 16 vitamins/minerals, 5g fiber. and has milk protein isolate. I read, in Ch. 7 of the spiral book Kaiser sent for the mandatory 10-course, and read that 'isolate' is better. Also bought some sugar-free popsicles. Q: What is bone broth? Is that just broth with nothing else in it? 'BONE' broth - I don't want to kill any humors and animals. lol. Well, maybe a couple humans in mind. lol. JUST JOKING, REALLY. Q: 4oz sugar free gelatin +8oz water...does that mean I can make Jello?

Congratulations! It's an amazing feat to lose over 150 pounds. That's pretty much a whole person! 😀 I've only lost a little over 51 pounds in 14 months after surgery, but I'm still super happy to finally be under BMI 30 and also to be under 90 kilos (198 pounds) for the first time in more than 10 years. After years of yo yo dieting, and all kinds of supplements, diets and exercise plans, this was the only thing that worked. Even though BMI is not an exact science, it still feels so great to be simply "overweight" and no longer obese. I hope everyone here will experience that and more!

I have a surgery date 10/18/2023!!

Hello, I just joined bariatricpal as of about 10 minutes ago. For the past year i have been trying to complete my packet from my doctor in order to get my surgery date scheduled. it has been one issue after another, referrel issues, getting the doctor's office to get me the information in need, having to make appointments 6 months away, etc. I'm curious to see if anyone has had mini gastric bypass and if so, where did you go and how has it been? Thank you!

This whole time I have been counting net carbs. And it has worked so far, but I have just been trying to figure out how to start my weight loss back up. My nutritionist finally emailed me like 10 minutes ago. She says that I should count whole carbs because counting net carbs may slow weight loss. So, I will try it her way and see what happens. I just also worry about getting enough fiber. I have to take Benefiber as is. I just feel like now I will be really more limited in what I can eat and it makes me sad. Lol.

I imagine price might have something to do with the reason your doctor is starting with this one. I've never taken it, but I looked up the price and it's very affordable, like under $10 at some pharmacies. If this works for you, affording it long term will be a breeze. The newer GLP-1 drugs might sound so much better in terms of effectiveness, but at over $1k a month, I'd be praying for something else to work!

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.

Hi had my surgery on Friday the 27th at 10:30 am and today is day 4!!! I feel really good today and each since the surgery I have been feeling better. When I woke up from surgery the only pain I had was from laying on my back unable to move during the operation coupled with the pain from my period, which of course had to start the day before. I spent a very long time in recovery because they did not have a room ready for me yet, that was about 3-4 hours. When I finally got to my room, being able to move around helped my back somewhat. The only bad thing for me was the nausea, I puked several times on Friday and a few times the next day when I woke up. I had the option to stay another night in the hospital, but I was eager to get the 130-mile ride back home done. Once home I only took one anti-nausea medication. I have not had any pain and very little gas. I am getting liquids down very well. My two-week diet consists of 5-6 mini-meals that are 2oz of either yogurt, pudding, creamy soup or vegetable juice. 1 protein shake and 48-64oz of liquids that are either water, broth, jello, herbal tea, crystal light, poweraide, or popsicles. low or no sugar for everything course I am finding it easy to eat more than 1 or 2 oz's at a time, this worries me a little. I am down to only one nap a day I am hoping soon I won't need a nap.

Mine was 100% private pay. My insurance would not cover it all. totally an exclusion. Blossom is available after surgery but only if you need them and reach out. I never really reached out or had any complications. I follow them on social media and read lots of people having questions, etc. I have to say, I think he follow-up could be better. My GP was very hesitant to just "take over" when I got back. Doctors don't want to be responsible for someone else's surgery. Makes sense. I also knew it would be discouraged from going out of state so I never disclosed or told GP office what I was doing. My point is when she would ask me questions about aftercare I would be like "uh I don't know" she would ask what about follow-up? I was like hmm, I guess there really isn't any. No binder, no regular calls or direct contact. Luckily, I didn't need it though. My GP said my case made her more interested in it and learn about the follow up and tests needed, etc. Also makes sense, if insurance covered it, I would likely have a bariatric team and all my tests and follow up would be with them. The actual recovery was really good and seamless for me. I followed all the directions in Vegas. I was prepared for the worse. I walked and woke up every few hours with my daughter's help. I never had to horrible gas pain people talk about. Plane ride was super awkward with the fancy leg pumps. 😜🤣 Once home, FLUIDS! Alex explained, you can live 10 days without food but not water/fluids. I was tired the first week. I just listened to my body. I moved around as much as possible, but didn't push myself either. I will be blunt about MY ONLY complication. CONSTIPATION is real! And it's awful! Never had this in my life. Quite the opposite. So my advice, always keep track so it does not get away from you. Use the stool softeners and fiber. After two years, I still have moments but I have a good routine to treat it. On the other hand, I have read people have the opposite, so listen to your body! I'm so excited for you and can't wait to hear how you do. What is your date again?

5.5 Years Out Hi all - I used to be very active on these forums, but as I continue on my journey I have found myself relying less and less on this platform. I do like to check in occasionally to provide insight, encouragement, perspective, and more to those who are about to begin their journey or in the first few chapters. A little about me- I had VSG surgery in May of 2018. My highest weight was about 260 and I was put out on my body and my weight affected all aspects of my life. I lost a total of 140 pounds and have maintained (most) of that weight loss. I am up about 10 pounds in the last year or so, but mostly muscle as I have begun weightlifting so I am not too concerned. I had two plastic surgeries after my VSG to help with loose skin and such. My favorite non-scale victories over the past few years: Being able to walk into any store and find something that works for me Having my boyfriend be able to pick me up as if I weigh nothing Being able to cross my legs when I sit! Feeling cute in my clothes My quality of life is exponentially better My most unexpected experiences: I am ALWAYS cold I quickly pass out if I stand for too long I struggle with iron intake Vitamins can make me feel super sick! I get an upset stomach very easily I suffer from acid reflux (something I never experienced before) My unsolicited advice: Listen to your doctors Get active Drink your water! Eat your protein Having one bad or off day is not an excuse to have a bad week You can still enjoy things in moderation

Everyone has been going through so much! I'm glad for all of us though. My RNY was on October 16th. I haven't posted since then since I had a really hard time the first week, but I'm doing better now, thankfully! Post-op in the hospital was fine, but after that I had a hard time getting any liquids in. Day 3 at home, I only got 6 or 7 ounces in, and kept throwing up nothing. I went to the ER, got 2 liters of IV fluids and had a CT scan which was fine. I was having serious buyer's remorse about the surgery. I was not happy. But sometimes it's just hard to see that things will change. Because they do! My surgeon (who talked to me twice on the phone for about 10 minutes each, once while she was going to dinner with her family! So thankful) had me go to a hydration infusion clinic every day last week, to get 2 liters a day. They had wicked nice nurses, one of whom had had an RNY with my same surgeon 4 years ago! She has kept her weight off and is doing really well, despite having a rough start. She was so encouraging! We talked a lot. I feel so much better now! It's not perfect, and I keep forgetting to take SMALL sips, lol. I'm on full liquids until Tuesday/Halloween, so I'm planning on making a pumpkin puree something-or-other to celebrate. There are a bunch of recipes online for Pumpkin Whip/Pumpkin Fluff, if anyone is interested and in the puree stage. There's always pumpkin soup, if full liquids are better! We shall see.

I'm 10 days out from surgery. The only complaint I have is that I'm still really really tired. I'm usually a side sleeper, so sleeping on my back has been challenging. I'm looking forward to going to pureed food soon.

I just read this post since I'm going to be traveling to Atlanta for a two day trip and started to plan the what/how I'd get my protein and fluids in while spending 7 hours in the air with a quick 1 hour lay over (not enough time to get to the plane transfer and grab something). I hadn't thought of getting yogurt for my protein powder -so thank you!!I did purchase plastic clear "test tubes" that have screw tops for my protein powder (they hold two scoops at 80mL each) and labeled them putting them into a make up carry bag along with my two four separate times per day vitamin organizers (its decided into 4 different times per day each one). I have family in the airline business and I'm all to well aware of the water holding tanks on aircraft that they've warned me about so I refuse to drink "aircraft tap" or coffee on flights, so bottled water for me. I also purchased no sugar/no additives nothing but roasted peanut butter in 3oz packets, low fat string cheese and protein bars.. Hopefully this will hold me over and get my protein requirements in. Oh, I'm also bringing a couple of packets of Crystal lite, not a fan of plain water, I tend to get nauseated drinking plain. Does anyone have any other suggestions? It's going to be a long day, at least 10 hours to finally get checked in at the hotel..so any suggestions help! Thanks.

Hi, I am nearing the 7 year anniversary of my VGS. I initially lost 102 pounds. Losing the weight was easy after surgery. A year later I started to feel too small. I needed to wrap my head around my new body. I felt that I was too small and gained 10 pounds. I was able to maintain this weight for years but then the Covid lockdown began, I ran into problems. Living alone, eating, & very little physical activity led to a 20 pound weight gain. Today I have gained 40 pounds and I am working towards losing the weight. Has anyone experienced the same? Any advice or suggestions are appreciated.

So good to hear! I’m 10 years out (sleeve) and have regained back 40 of the 80 lbs I initially lost. I never could lose any more than the initial 80 lbs. I never met goal and remember how upset I was over that. Oh how I wish I was still there now! I’m happy to hear your reset worked for you. I need to make a real commitment and go back to the basics. I’ve been ‘grazing’ for too long!

I want to start this thread out by first apologizing for the question I am about to ask. For me, this question is not just embarrassing but extremely embarrassing, but I need to know the answer and don't want to call my surgeons office, I'm sure they are pretty busy today and it's nothing life threatening. So with that being said, it's off to my question. I am now 1 month and 2 weeks post op and have been noticing a foul smell coming from my viginal area, kind of like an acidic smell. I have been to my regualr doctor and had test and test run and I have no infection whatso ever ran, I have had a test for every STD out there ran, (even though I am married and DO NOT cheat), everything has come back that I am fine. I am wasing myself down there everyday about 8 times a day and the odor still comes back. I have even tried douching and this is not working. This morning, as I was walking about and helping the kids get ready for school, my 10 year old daughter was beside me, she sniffed and had the most horrible look on her face and told me that I stunk really really bad. I have also noticed that my deoradent isn't working anymore. I have switched from suave (baby powder scent) to secret platium, per orders from the nurse at the surgeons office and this isn't working either. I bet I put on deo about 6 times a day. I know that when I went to my nutrition glass the week before my surgery, the nutritionist said that I would go through what is called Ketosis, but she didn't say it would be this bad. Now, you all know what is going on with me. My question is, has anyone else went through this and is the acidic smell a normal part of this whole thing, how long did it last, and is there anything I can do to lessen the odor?

Week 1 of pre op is done… just protein shakes (mixed with water) and veggies. Surgery date is 10/16- VGS. Any suggestions for vegan/plant based shakes? I’ve been using Planta and it’s pretty tasty but at four shakes a day it’s getting old and I need to change it up. I can get my required water intake in easily- love love love those sugar free A&W rootbeer packets.

My doctor's offices all ask if you've had a positive test within 10 days. Past that they don't care. Given the CDC's recommendations I don't think you'll have any issues at all. Your immune system should be over it well before your surgery date!

Hi KyahRose! I just had the DS surgery on November 1st. I considered SADI-S, Bypass, and DS when deciding on which surgery to go with. In the end I picked DS even though it is the scariest of the surgeries, because I wanted the benefit of my co-morbidities going into remission which the other two surgeries can do, but the DS does best. Plus I wanted a surgery that has a lot of studies behind it going out years, and while the bypass does have that, the SADI does not. I didn't want to have an experimental surgery, enough of my medical care is experimental. LOL The DS has a proven track record and is safe for the vast majority of people who have it. That being said, it IS a serious surgery. You can make yourself very ill if you don't follow the protein and vitamin recommendations, and even the vitamin recommendations from the docs are often not enough. I highly recommend going over to bariatricfacts.com and joining the forum there to talk to the DS vets. I'm over there as Shrinkingmytiara. These are people who have had the surgery 10+ years. They will tell you the good, bad, and ugly and make sure you understand the ugly and what you are getting yourself into. There is a wealth of info on that site about DS and some about the SADI. On FB there is a Duodenal Switch SUPPORT Group (there are a number of them, but I'm in that one) which also has a lot of vets in it. It has people with DS and with SADI. You'll read a lot of complaint posts from people who are having issues (common for any support group) but it'll give you an idea of what some of the challenges are post surgery. Again, your odds of having complications are quite low (though a little higher than the other surgeries), but it is still worth seeing what others are experiencing. I'm sure you could find the same for Bypass. I have had no major complications with my surgery so far. I had a lot of nausea and ended up in the hospital an extra night while we stabilized that and my pain levels. Once I came home I've only needed my nausea meds a handful of times and I didn't need pain meds. I wasn't able to ingest whey protein drinks for the first two weeks but my surgeon told me the body has stores for 3 weeks, so to focus on water and the rest would come. He was right! I can drink them now and am getting protein in what I eat now that I'm on soft foods. I've met my fluid goals every day, some days are harder than others. I've had some diarrhea on and off but my system tends that way even pre-surgery. I could drink lactose free milk and bone broth the first week so those are what kept me going. I actually feel more energy now most days than I did before surgery which is strange to me! I do tire out a little easy though because I'm still healing. My stomach did these spasms while feeling like it was turning in cartwheels inside me for about 2 weeks. They finally faded like the surgeon said they would. I'm diabetic. My fasting blood sugar now sits at 87 which is stellar. They told me to stop the diabetes meds. I had high blood pressure but they took me off those in the hospital and my blood pressure is normal! 105/76 when checked at my 2 week follow up!! I've lost 21 lbs in 3 weeks post surgery, for a total of 35 lbs from my highest weight. I can't wrap my head around that, it happened so quickly! I had a moment post surgery when I panicked over permanently altering my body in such a drastic way, but then I reminded myself that the way my body was pre-surgery was killing me, this was the only path forward to health that I could see. I don't regret it at all. I'm happy to talk with you more about it if you want, and you can feel free to message me if you want to keep in touch! There aren't very many DSers around here active anymore!

Hi I was never told a sleeping position. I had my surgery 10/12 and so I looked it up read that it is preferred to sleep on your back but if you sleep on you side I read to put a pillow between your legs. I tired it I was still uncomfortable so I went to back. I am a side sleeper so this was, but you can sleep on slide with a pillow between your legs! Hope this helps!!!

Hi everyone. I'm starting my 2 week liquid diet 10/11 and I am so nervous about it. Any suggestions for replacement shakes

I would definitely say for the first few weeks don’t be discouraged! When I got home from the hospital I was 10 lbs heavier and it took some time to get that off and actually start losing. Also for myself I thought I could still eat at the speed I used to which was a big mistake that I’m still working on even now! I need to chew throughly or my stomach will definitely hurt. I’ve gotten better though because my first few months I would either throw things up or get the foamies. Lastly I can still tolerate things like sugar in small amounts but you’ll quickly learn that it really just depends on what it is. I’ve eaten a donut with no problem but then a few weeks ago I had a small bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and was in the bathroom 3 times in an hour. I do mostly sugar free things but occasionally I’ll have something with regular sugar so it’s good that I know what I can and can’t tolerate.

I agree with summerseeker. I was already post-menopausal when I had my surgery so the period changes didn't affect me, but I read on here all the time about screwed up periods and mood swings during the first few weeks or months after surgery. It eventually all settles back down and regulates. But yes - it's supposedly due to the estrogen in your fat cells being released during the rapid weight loss phase. I had very little hair loss (not enough for anyone to notice) which occurred during months 5-9. It does happen to most of us. It can range from none at all to lots of shedding - although not like it does to chemo patients. It may or may not be noticeable to others. I almost never hear about people having to get wigs. At most, those with noticeable loss usually get short cuts so it's not as noticeable. Although again, you may not lose any at all or lose very little. And there's really nothing you can do about it. As mentioned above, it's already dead, and the shock of surgery (plus the fact we take in very few calories the first few weeks and months) is just speeding up the normal growth/shedding cycle. your weight loss is going to naturally slow as you get closer and closer to your goal. In fact, those last few pounds can be a BEAR to get off. For some of us, the loss stops naturally. But if you're wanting yours to stop and it doesn't seem to be doing it on its own, you can always increase your calorie intake to stop it. Keep in mind that it's very common to gain 10-20 lbs after hitting your lowest weight, so you might want to factor that in. I intentionally went below my goal a bit to account for that. And also, it's more common to not quite reach your goal than to lose too much, so stopping the loss usually isn't an issue for many of us. But again - if you're in the situation where you need to stop it, it's just a matter of increasing your calorie intake.