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Hello, everyone! I had the Loop Duodenal Switch surgery 14 months ago on January 23, 2020. At my heaviest I was 389 pounds, but was 321 on the day of my surgery. I am currently 191 pounds and only 11 pounds away from my personal goal weight. When I was first looking into this surgery (which was the suggested surgery of my surgeon) I was wondering just how many vitamins I was going to have to take every day and just how much this was going to cost me. So I decided that since I just ordered a year's supply of vitamins I may as well share that for those of you who are looking into the surgery and want to know those things. And what exactly a years supply of vitamins looks like lol (though do keep in mind that every person is different. I take less iron then the norm because my iron is naturally high. I take less calcium for the same reason. And not every one will have just a Vitamin A deficiency. Some have B, or D, or K, or all the above) So, for me, personally, I take 2 bariatric multivitamins WITHOUT iron, 1 bariatric multivitamin WITH iron, and 2 Calcium Citrate every day. I also take 5,000IU of Vitamin A every OTHER day. How much does that cost? Well, you will definitely have to shop around and try different vitamins before you find some that you either like or can tolerate. Some people struggle finding vitamins because certain ones make them sick. I never had this problem. However, generally after a month... or three (depending on your surgeon) they tell you that you can go to non-chewable vitamins. I can't. I have something called EoE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis) which is an autoimmune disorder that I was diagnosed with in 2016 that causes narrowing of the esophagus and makes it impossible for me to swallow pills. Thus, chewables are my only option. It's more expensive that way, but nothing I can do about that so telling you how much everything is isn't going to help as you likely won't have a problem with the far cheaper non-chewable option. If you DO have that problem however and NEED chewable vitamins full time like myself, then I spent $565.23 on a years supply of vitamins. That's about $1.55 a day or $10.87 a week or $47.10 a month (it's not as bad as it seems at first glance when put that way, right?). I wanted to make this thread because anyone who has this surgery will have their surgeon's office reminding you repeatedly, so that you understand, that vitamins are something you HAVE to take with this surgery! You cannot just suddenly decide it's too expensive and then land yourself in the hospital or even DIE because you don't want to fork over the money to keep you healthy. If you know the price ahead of time then you can either set money aside such as my own habit of setting $50 aside a month so that I can just order 6 months or a years supply at a time once I have enough to do so (I just wiped out my vitamin savings with this recent order though lol). I wanted to make this thread because when I was going through the process I really would have like to SEE what a years supply of vitamins looks like! Also, if you have any questions about the Loop Duodenal Switch/SIPS/SADI-S and my own experiences with it, feel free to ask! Well, here's what a my own years supply of vitamins looks like:

I'm 14 months out and my surgery involves a sleeved stomach. I never really had to worry about eating too fast because I have EoE which is an autoimmune disorder that causes narrowing of the esophagus and choking issues. So I've been a suuuuuuper slow eater since 2015 when I first started choking on almost everything I put into my mouth. I had to learn to chew my food to absolute mush or choke and end up in the hospital with them trying to give me medicine to relax my throat so that the food could go down naturally. By the time I had my surgery last year I was already used to taking an hour to two hours to eat a meal. Nothing really changed for me in that respect except that because I eat less sometimes it only takes me 45 minutes to eat. I just take a bite and chew it slowly and then wait about 30 seconds before taking another bite. Then I take another 30 seconds or more to chew so that it's around a minute in total between swallowing each bite so I'll know when I'm full before eating too much and feeling like I'm going to vomit (not gonna lie, I HAVE eaten a bit too fast a few times and it's not pleasant. I get nauseous for a good hour or two and feel uncomfortably full for around two hours. Considering I can count the number of times I've done this on both hands and still have fingers to spare... it's rare. Eight times in 14 months is really not too bad imo.) With protein you can either add in a pre-made 20 or 30g Protein shake (or clear protein) or two and then try to eat the rest in your diet. Or, you can buy protein powder and add it to your food or drinks. Fluid itself is a hard one. I get around 55-65 oz of fluid a day but early on it was a struggle for me to even get in the bare minimum my surgeon wanted of 48oz (half the time I was lucky if I could get in 32oz). The beginning is always the hardest. Trying to get into a routine that works for you, and getting used to a new way of eating. It's a lot to adjust to at once. Just do your best to meet your goals and if you don't then just try harder the next day. Eventually, you'll find a way to get there! (it worked for me, anyway)

Give or take a symptom that's how I feel when I'm dumping. How is your eating, plan wise? It may behoove you to, and I hate saying this, keep an honest food log to see if there are any consistent types of food that show up. Post nasal drip may be both a symptom and a cause. Usually this is in relation, for me, to not eating. Often related to stress or fatigue. There are several intestinal issues that can result in your symptoms. Heck, constipation can do it. Now that I ponder it, give or take a symptom it sounds like a psoriatic arthritis flare. Just about any autoimmune disease can have these symptoms. I wouldn't take a chance. I would be talking to a medical professional, perhaps more than one if the cause doesn't jump out. Don't give up until you have an answer and resolution.

My wife developed an autoimmune disease that reared it's head last year. One way to help reduce her symptoms was to lose weight. One month after being diagnosed we met with the surgeon and 2 months after that we both had surgery. She has lost 80 lbs since preop and I have lost 85 since preop and 105 overall since last year. Luckily her symptoms are greatly reduced and we are both doing amazing now.

Go see your doctor and have some blood work done. If anything is badly out of whack, it should show up. If not, it's very likely just menopause and you can relax and chock it up to hormones run amuck. I'm in the throws of perimenopause now. I'm about to turn 49 and still regular as a freaking clock. Wish it would hurry up, in all honesty, I'm ready to be done! In the US, the average age for menopause is 51. (that's what my doc says, anywho) My bestie is 49 and it's been 8 months since she's had a period...lucky turd. She has had big issues with night sweats. Drenchers. Her physical was fine, though, nothing wrong......just menopause. It can't hurt to get checked out pronto, because as you know, night sweats can be an indication of something not so good... and I'm not talking just cancer. They can also be caused by certain vitamin deficiencies and other metabolic issues. (B12, D, autoimmune stuff) Best to get on top of it. You'll sleep better when you get to the bottom of it. Best wishes!

One of the reasons is that liquids help push foods through the much smaller stomach quicker, therefore possibly not allowing the 'fullness/restriction' to kick in. A weight loss surgeon demonstrated this on youtube, I can't remember which surgeon though, I can't imagine a small sip here and there would have too much impact, but full on drinking fluids when eating would. My body produces very little saliva due to autoimmune issues, I suffer with dry mouth, occasionally I need to take a sip to help swallow dry meats. But its only the smallest of sips. Mostly though I manage fine without drinking while eating and typically wait at least 20 to 30 minues before drinking anything.

Not sure if my own experiences could offer any insight... but, I have two autoimmune diseases/disorders: Psoriasis and Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Psoriasis deals with skin issues though there is some joint pain that comes with that. And Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE) has to do with the white cells in your esophagus thinking your body is under attack and multiplying. It causes narrowing in your esophagus which leads to dysphagia and choking issues. Acid issues. Chest pain and abdominal pain. And the occasional time where food backs up on you and either gets stuck in your throat trying to come out or you spit or throw it up (generally when you eat too fast, too soon, or too much). I'm allowed to drink a little if I choke BECAUSE of the EOE (I rarely have to though. Usually only once or twice a week where I have a choking incident and need to take a sip). I do deal with more fatigue then most. I don't actually know if it's due to either of my autoimmune disorders or if it has to do with another health issue that may actually be ANOTHER autoimmune disorder (my doctor is trying to figure out if I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) or if my various symptoms with the fatigue is caused by a spinal fluid leak (the two have very similar symptoms and are often misdiagnosed as the opposite problem so my doctor is trying to cover all her bases and figure out which one it is. We're both HOPING it's the spinal fluid leak because that could be fixed semi-easily while the other issue has no cure as the meds for it didn't work for me. I really hope it's the spinal fluid leak because if it's the other I'd end up permanently disabled and I'm only 33 so I very much don't want that). I do know that despite still having fatigue issues, I have more energy now than I did six months ago (I'm almost 13 months post op) so I feel that it WILL get better. At least a bit. Hopefully whatever treatment they have for you improves upon that as well! I wish you the best!

Hi all. I am not very active here, but I am struggling lately and just have a couple of questions. I started back to university in January, which I'm so glad I was able to, but it has been exhausting and I don't think it really should be. I am also from Texas, so we are still going through some pretty awful stuff at the moment. My family (5 kids, my husband, and I) made it out unscathed for the most part and got very lucky we only lost power for about 8 hours. I was pretty scared of being without power so we risked travel on icy highways to travel to my mom's house since she has a generator. We left to come back home because I was afraid of our pipes bursting and the animals were alone, and unfortunately on the way home we were rear-ended due to some black ice. We are okay and it's probably all just cosmetic damage, but we'll need our entire bumper replaced. It has been so extremely stressful, to say the very least. We, fortunately, had power back when we came home and our pipes did okay through the freezing weather. I have been struggling with fatigue. My doctor has suspected an autoimmune issue for a while (years), and I finally saw my rheumatologist after an entire year of waiting. Well, my blood work shows markers so when I go back I'm sure there will be more tests. I do have hypothyroidism and my T3 is low (other thyroid levels within normal ranges), but I have never been tested for Hashimoto's, I was just put on Levothyroxine and have been on it since 2011. My vitamins are okay as far as I can see. I know I'm also probably dehydrated because I still struggle with eating and drinking properly. My question I suppose really is, does anyone here have autoimmune diseases who had the bariatric surgery, and did you/do you struggle still with fatigue? I am nearly 7 months post-op, so I was hoping to see an increase in energy levels, but that's just not happening. I am just always lethargic with little energy. I will add, I do not sleep a solid 8 hours due to pain, and I do know that that could also be making things worse. I would just like anyone's insight/suggestions/experience with this sort of thing. Did you improve with treatment? How long did it take to see/feel improvements? Thanks in advance.

Definitely not autoimmune issues, GERD, stomach acid problems, or medication effects. Those have been ruled out. My calcium levels are within normal range. The surgeon and the dentist do not know why I began having dry mouth issues just days after surgery.

I'm currently on a medication that I take with a subcutaneous injection which I self administer. It's a biologic for autoimmune conditions (not sure if anyone is familiar with Humira). I know some diabetes medications are similarly taken. Basically you stick a needle into that fatty tissue under your skin. I usually take it around my midsection (hips, lower stomach). However, lately I am struggling because I've got more loose skin and the fat isn't packed in tightly anymore. It's been super painful lately. Tonight I really messed up my injection though. I've basically injected it under my skin, I can see a little bubble under the skin. Not sure how it will absorb or what will happen (will see doctor tomorrow). I'm just wondering if anyone has a better solution. My stomach is messed up from weight loss. I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips or suggestions for future injections. Is there some fat grabbing technique I'm not aware of? Should I find another area to stick the needle (I have a flat bum and similar loose skin issues on my thighs). It's not common to have this much loose skin and I'm honestly not sure what to do.

Hi! Anyone have chest/shoulder pain not immediately after surgery? I am 2 months post op and it started 2 weeks ago and is getting more frequent and lasting longer. Gas meds don’t work, Tylenol works a tiny bit. I have one pain under/behind my left clavicle that hurts mostly when compressed or when I open my jaw. The other pain is behind the incision on my chest (right under bra line on left side), like behind the bone. It’s where the sternum and ribs meet and radiates backwards to my spine. The weird thing is - my spine gets pins and needles when I have this pain. No weakness in my limbs. I can exercise through the pain, no problem. No shortness of breath or fever. These two types of pain never happen at the same time. It’s like it moves around. My mom has paracarditis, which is autoimmune and not hereditary, but it kind of matches this pain. I also read that it could be a leak - could it be this far out? I messaged my care team and hope to reach them before Xmas. It all started when I returned to working from home and was sitting all day. I thought it was muscular. It was also when I upped my exercise to 5-6 days/week, began running, and started Pilates. Can anyone relate or have an insight? Thank you!!!

Hi December buddies! I had my gastric sleeve on this past Tuesday, December 15. Everything went really well with the surgery, but I wanted to give you a heads up about recovery. If you have Fibro, or any autoimmune disease, please make sure anesthesiologist takes this into account - so that they can offset any potential flares. I have had several surgeries under general in the past, and never had a reaction like this one. Don't want to scare you - but if I can save someone the agony I went through I'd like to. The side effects were an extremely painful recovery in the neck & shoulders waking up from surgery, a longer than normal time in post-op to try to calm my spasms, spasms throughout my calves. The day in the hospital was fine, as long as I was on Tramadol, but once I got home, and the meds wore off, the pain became excruciating - all the large muscle groups, extremities, joints both hurt and were on fire. The surgeon's office said since it was extremities it wasn't related to the surgery, and go to the ER, or my doctor who treats my other conditions. I went to my doctor, since he knows my other conditions. He gave me Gabapentin and a cream form of Voltaren; I am also on Flexeril normally. And I started a course of Methylprednisone for the inflammation. Today I woke up feeling better, and have gotten progressively better throughout the day. The pain was in the back of the thighs, the front of the thighs, the shoulders, forearms and biceps and triceps and shoulder joints and ribs. I couldn't cough the surgery fluid up, and it was actually terrifying to be in so much pain, I have never experienced like this before. Funny enough, my surgery site, and tummy - they were all great! Sitting in the shower under the warm water helped, but only as long as I was there. I needed a stepstool to get into my bed, and had walk excruciatingly slow. When I woke up, the burning would be there and I would have to pull really hard, as I cried, to try to lift a leg, turn over, or push myself up. Again, I don't want to scare anyone, but if you have any underlying condition where you are prone to inflammation (autoimmune) or fibro (mixed signals and flares), talk to your anethesiologist in advance, and make sure you have the proper meds going home. That said, I am great 3 days out, have lost 8 pounds, and am so excited to be on this journey to a healthier me, for me. My surgeon was great, and I am so blessed. Good luck to each of you! #fibromyalgia, #lupus, #autoimmune, #recovery

I had a ton of flare ups after my surgery for some of my autoimmune issues. I blamed it on the added stress to my body. Ended up on steroids. Definitely some rocky times after surgery, but it ended up OK. As others have said, it all depends on which autoimmune disease. Make sure your doctors talk to each other if needed. My rheumatologist told me he didn't know much about bariatric surgery (and he's head of his department in a major hospital).

An autoimmune condition alone can be responsible for a 3 pound gain. I have rheumatoid arthritis and when my joints flare up, that means extra water retention and (temporarily) extra pounds. Many people use 5 pounds as their "emergency alert" so as not to over-react to those normal small fluctuations. Edit to add: oh I see you're exercising with weights. That can also cause gain in 2 ways: muscle is heavier than fat, so as you add muscle, you might see a gain, even though it's because you're actually in BETTER shape. Also, the day after a workout, my muscles carry more water but that only lasts a day or two.

I'm still new here & still reading some of the stories and still pretty new to the surgery part (I had surgery on August 3rd). I had a really hard time early on with food, and even still some days I find it very hard to eat anything without feeling disgusted. My weight loss has been steady (it has slowed but my dr said that that is normal). That being said I have worked at eating better, and being 4 months post-op now it is much easier on me as far as eating goes. Has anyone experienced a gain of just a few pounds despite not changing anything eating habit-wise? I had a small gain (3 pounds, give or take), and I figured at this stage is abnormal. I have recently begun exercising daily (walking on my treadmill, using weights). I have an autoimmune disorder that causes pain/stiffness in my lower spine/hips/knee that makes it so I cannot do strenuous workouts, so I have to stick to walking. Could the adding of exercise cause such a small gain? I'm sorry if it seems trivial, and I suppose to a lot it might be a petty thing to worry about, but in my mind 2 or 3 pounds can (and has) turned into 5 and 10 pounds if you get the idea. My next appointment isn't until February so of course, I will talk to my doctor about it, but what are some of your experiences at this stage? Thanks for any info/advice!

I had some underlying medical stuff going on so I am sure a pounds (5 or more) were just long term fluid built up. I had a hysterectomy a few years ago that was a complete nightmare and my hormones have been off the hook ever since. The surgeon told me today that my stomach that was sent in to pathology was nightmare. I should feel better just having that out of me, I had/ have, will have (still trying to figure this out) an autoimmune disorder of the stomach lining (autoimmune atrophic gastritis). So hopefully getting that diseased tissue out of me and getting my vitamins and electrolytes back in balance the rest of the numbers will fall back in place again. I got so depressed when nobody could figure out what was wrong with me all I did was eat and that just made everything ten times worse! I am so grateful that they were willing to go this procedure on me and give me a life back I am willing to do anything to start living again. Now to get my husband through the liquid phase of everything so he can lose all the weight we gained together !!!!

did blood work 2 times, the second time especially for anemia, everything is fine. even did an insulin resistance test, and i have hyperinsulinemia, but it doesn't explain my symptoms, my endocrinologist told me that my pancreas will get better in time without therapy, she said she could give me therapy, but that in time my body would fix that on its own. even did the ANA test for autoimmune diseases, it showed nothing. but i feel worse with every passing day. i just pray i get better now, cause i have no idea how i am gonna live like this.

I went from basically living on Aleve daily to absolutely no joint pain at all! I already had one knee replacement before surgery, and the 2nd one was coming up soon, from the bone-on-bone pain. But now the joint space has opened up and doc says I may never need the 2nd knee replacement! There is no pain in my knees, hips or back now. Amazing, My inflammatory markers are down, as well. Interestingly, I used to get a butterfly rash on my face whenever I was under stress. Lupus test was always negative, but there was obviously some kind of autoimmune reaction happening and I never get that rash now,

OK, carp. It might be time to start looking for zebras (less obvious alternatives). Any skin issues? Pain? Allergies? Fever? Have you done a detailed food log? Perhaps you can relate issues to foods. I also have such symptoms when I have a psoriatic arthritis flair. It's autoimmune. There are a variety of them that can cause such symptoms. Could it be related to stress? Stress does this to me sometimes. Keep trying. Your wits are longer than you think Tek

Welcome to the forums, Is it possible you have some sort of bug? Your symptoms sound like my version of the flu. Dry heaves are my version of throwing up. The other symptoms fit. Could also be symptoms of some autoimmune things, but I'd go with bug initially. It may just run it's course over 7-10 days. I'm not a doctor, just a voice on the interwebs, so follow your Doc's advice. If you not happy, keep pushing, be your own advocate. Good luck, Tek

Good morning everyone! Thank you SO MUCH to all of you who responded. I truly appreciate the kind words and encouragement. To answer a few questions... I just turned 48. I have not had a weight issue all of my life. I was a very slender, athletic size 4 until I got pregnant at age 30. Long story short, due to a previously undiagnosed (pretty severe) chronic illness which came out of dormancy during my pregnancy, I gained 100lbs while pregnant that I was never really able to lose. I lost weight here & there, but part of the illness involves severe, chronic pain and fatigue, so any kind of "beneficial" exercise or activity has been almost impossible as I simply can't do it. The goal with surgery is to get the weight off so that hopefully, I'll be able to become more active again. I used to be a big jogger, played on softball teams, golfed, biked, hiked...you name it. Now, for the last (almost) 20 years, I've hardly been able to get off the couch due to chronic pain. I've had to stop taking Motrin & Advil in preparation for the surgery and the pain this past week has been almost unbearable. Due to the whole "opioid issue", my doctor refuses to prescribe pain meds. I'm not even sure how I'm going to get in all the walking that's required post-op. I'll do what I can. Also, with regards to my PCP being a jerk...LOL... I don't think he meant to sound that way. I think his intention was to say that on paper, I'm completely healthy (aside from my autoimmune issue) and this surgery is more about looking better and being more active, rather than trying to rid myself of diabetes or another problem. He's actually a great guy and I know he had no ill-will. Thanks again for all the support. I'm gonna go thru with it and will keep you all posted! XO

I'm three years out and prior to surgery, I had a BMI of 50. My surgeon recommended the sleeve because I was still young-ish then, e.g. early 30s and nutrient absorption is pretty important. My surgeon felt that the calcium/vitamin D malabsorption may lead to bone density issues later on in life (and after obesity, people generally don't have great bone density and are prone to fractures). Most of bariatric surgery is relatively new, so there aren't a ton of long term studies, so my surgeon is just guessing. And most people on the bypass seem to be pretty good about taking their vitamins (which is something you should do with the sleeve anyway). A couple of months after my sleeve I was diagnosed with a range of painful, chronic autoimmune diseases and I'm very thankful that I went with the sleeve because of the issues with drug absorption with the bypass (I have to take a ton of oral medications). Of course, I did not deal with GERD, which means that the bypass is right for many people. With the sleeve, I was able to take my BMI from 50 to 25. Due to aforementioned illnesses and medications, I did deal with some regain, which I am slowly working on. At the moment, my BMI is about 29. I have never felt like the sleeve wouldn't be enough to help me achieve success. All that to say, you can definitely have success with the sleeve or the bypass. As commented by others, a lot of it is going to come down to what your level of commitment, and your ability to change your lifestyle and deal with psychological issues. And you have to educate yourself. You can't drink a diet of only protein shakes forever. At some point, you have to learn how to eat real food in the real world, go to work, socialise and interact with food, people and life. If you haven't dealt with your "issues", you will have regain with either surgery. It can be a tough decision, but I honestly feel that you can find success with either surgery.

Thank you so much for your reply, Arabesque, it really means a lot! I never meant to imply that wanting to look better was totally superficial. I know that a lot of it stems to our mental health. When you look good, you feel good. I had actually gotten to a point with that fat acceptance that I was in, that I bought a bunch of new clothes, kind of “throwing in the towel” about weight loss and “accepting my fate,” so to speak. So I wanted to have cute blouses, and cute pants that fit me well, instead of always having clothes cutting into me or making me chafe, or anything else. I even bought some dresses! I never really wear dresses (though it helps my autoimmune skin condition (hidradenitis suppurativa), because jeans cause a lot of friction if they aren’t the right size!). What I meant when I said that I was looking for people beyond the motivation of “looking good,” I meant that my husband’s doctor once tried to motivate him to lose weight by saying “You’ll look good,” and I don’t feel like that’s always an appropriate motivation. I mean, for some people, sure. It just wasn’t a motivator for me and my husband. I love and accept my body no matter what size it is, even if I “look good” as a thinner person, or I “look good” as a fatter person. If you know what I mean. Haha. Also, I never believed people when they made “the easy way out” comments. I always thought to myself, I don’t know, they generally say when you can avoid surgery, you should...and people opt to do this, it must be life changing enough, and significant enough, or else it wouldn’t exist as a practice. When my doctor suggested it, I thought for a moment about how people say that it’s the “easy” way...and immediately dismissed it when I kept doing research. Nothing about weight loss is easy, period. But to do surgery for weight loss seems even more of a difficult road to travel, and if you aren’t prepared for it, it’s going to be a disaster. I am so glad to hear that you (and your friends) have not been the types to hate yourselves. I just see so many posts on Instagram where people declare “I hated myself back then,” or “God I look so ugly, why can’t I lose weight,” or any other negative self-talk. It took me so long to get over that constant negative self-talk, and I worried about how I would fare going into this surgery. Would I look back and claim I hated myself or my body? Because I don’t. I think this surgery is going to be the greatest gift I can give to myself and my body. Anyway, I’ve gone on long enough, but I just wanted to say thank you again for your very thoughtful reply. It means a lot. I’ve been struggling with even keeping on my weight loss track for pre-op weight loss (I’ve only gained about 1.5 pounds, so I’m still doing good, but I need to get back into gear!). Just to hear someone say a lot of positive and encouraging things is helping me not to do late night snacking tonight and instead drink plenty of water before bed! Take care!

I thought I would share more about my Brachioplasty. I know that I scoured these forums and reddit trying to get info and advice before hand, so it only seemed fair to share my story too. I had the surgery a few days ago. Despite concerns around scarring, nerve damage and the surgery triggering an autoimmune response (I dealt with a ton of horrible illnesses after my VSG), I decided to go through with it. My first consultation was July 7th and I had the surgery on the 23rd of July when a slot became available (probably due to a cancellation from the pandemic). I felt like the universe was giving me a nudge and I had to take it!! While I'm only a few days post op, I'm so thankful that it went well. Minimal pain (particularly compared to my VSG). I was so relieved that I could still move my arms a bit, I was concerned I wouldn't even be able to feed myself! I can't lift anything heavy, but I could drink from a glass of water after the surgery. I actually ended up staying the night in hospital. I could have gone home, but the general made me pretty groggy so the nurse suggested I stay. My family was quite relieved as my VSG was quite tough on my body - my blood pressure wouldn't go down and then my body freaked out with a range of autoimmune disorders from the shock a week or two later. While the drains are pretty gross, it's manageable. I've been able to sleep really well in my bed (I read about people having to sleep upright in a chair but I didn't have to do this). There also hasn't been any horror movie style blood on my sheets (OK, a few small spots through my PJs). My hands are a bit less swollen today so that's exciting. It really feels like I'm already on the mend and it's only been a few days. I'm looking forward to getting the drains out in the next few days. I can't wait to walk the dogs again. I know that I've got a lot of work ahead in terms of scar management, but I'm hopeful that they won't be so noticeable with time. I've been so busy the last few years, that it's felt weird to just lie in bed and watch Netflix. Even with the quarantine, I was working crazy hours from home. Never just relaxing. Then I started a series of projects at home. I went through my closet, organised the pantry, took longer walks, did craft, cooked and baked etc, helped a friend with her studies, etc. There's always somewhere to be, something to do. After a few days, I'm starting to enjoy this forced rest and relaxation. I don't need to be busy all the time, I can be still. I'm so thankful that I found a surgeon and anaesthetist who took such great care of me. Even though, I have (diagnosed) anxiety, I was able to get through it all because they kindly answered all my questions. My key learnings from surgery: Keep the old button up PJs and zip up hoodies when they get too big for you as you lose weight. They might come in handy for plastics - they're easy to put on and fit loosely around drains and swelling. Have a surgery plan (people to take you to hospital, meals in the freezer, someone to care for pets, children, plants). Have lozenges on hand (my throat still hurts from the surgery), lip balm, a good book, pack light for the hospital (someone else will have to carry your bag). Find the right surgeon, go to multiple consultations. Make a list of questions. Call them up with more questions. Keep up hydration and walking after surgery. Hope everyone is doing well at the moment! Much love to my bariatric pals. Other than some of my family, I don't share that I had the sleeve and plastics. Sometimes I feel really weird about my "secret life" that I keep from everyone, but that's what makes me comfortable. Here with you wonderful people, I feel less lonely. I'm one of the many vets who dropped off a bit. You start living life and it gets busy! However, right at the time in my life, I'm happy to be in this community with such supportive, lovely ladies (some of the guys here are OK too). Anyway, wow - that felt like an essay. Whew! Some pics below in case anyone is interested.

As with any weight loss procedure post op diet is usually dependent on the surgeon's or dietician's guidelines. There won't be any dumping but there should be restriction which can be as restrictive as a sleeve. My ESG post op diet was liquides for three weeks and moved on to puree then soft foods before progressing to normal foods. It was anyway up to four or six weeks before eating normally. There is a lot of inflammation and the sutures need time to anchor properly (scars healing) as well as the stomach folds time to 'meld'. The dietician who was attached to my doctor had the same food guidelines (once on normal foods) as for weight loss surgery, higher protein and low starch veges if room have a small amount of complex carbs. All limited to 1/2 cup per meal. My ESG failed...pretty much all but one suture had come undone or loosened. I did push the boundaries with food volume one or two times. The surgeon who did my surgical sleeve said some of the cause of the failure may be related to an autoimmune issue I have which causes inflammation and that stomach inflammation may have caused the stomach folds not too meld or the anchors to lodge properly. In Australia there seems to be a higher failure rate than USA (no hard evidence just the posts in facebook groups I am a member of). Failure may be due to non compliance with post op guidelines, lack of doctor skill/technique and for some no known reason. One person who suffered bouts of severe vomiting (due to illness) for a number of weeks early in the healing stages also had a failure. To be honest, I was all for ESG for the fact if was minimally invasive, lower complications and faster recovery, I was in denial for a long time that mine had failed, and would highly recommend the ESG to all and sundry. Now I advise caution make sure your surgeon has done many many many ESGS well over 500 (if possible) but certainly no less than (250), know their complication rates, failure rates and success rates (for patients beyond one year and two years). How many ESGs they had to redo, how many patients did a conversion to a surgical sleeve or other surgical option. Aside from the incision site discomfort my recovery was pretty much the same for ESG and gastric sleeve. For the ESG my stomach had rolling cramps for about two days, for the gastric sleeve I had stomach spasms when I first tried fluids in hospital this probably lasted a day. I had minimal gas pain with the gastric sleeve. My fears around the gastric sleeve surgery were unfounded.