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I'm two and a half weeks away from surgery, and it still doesn't feel real! I started this journey over four years ago, researching my options and trying to get funding. The sleeve wasn't available to me then, so I was going to do RNY because that's what my aunt and a friend had. But, my aunt had some complications and she just looked sick, and it worried me. Plus, I'm in Southern Illinois and I would have had to drive to Chicago (five hours away) for the surgery and that also put me off. So, fast forward to 2009. I attended an info session at the new bariatric center in a town close by. I decided to go for the RNY. I was told I had to do a six month diet, so I started that and in the meantime, the surgeon was let go. So, this summer, I found out there was a new surgeon and had heard good things about him. So, I attended yet another info session and learned about the sleeve. I was convinced right way. I made my consultation and saw him for the first time on October 29th. I've gone through all the tests, got clearance from everything and I'm now scheduled for surgery on January 17th! I'm having a hard time this is actually going to happen, though. When I went for my consultation, I was put on the Fast Track (six weeks til surgery.) that was in October. But, I couldn't get my psych consult until the end of December, so they scheduled my surgery for January 10th. I went on 12/28 for psych and they didn't have me on the schedule! But, they got me in for the following and I got cleared by psych yesterday. In the meantime, my surgery was rescheduled for January 17th because my surgeon will be out of town. Then, I started freaking out because I'm in college and my classes (and my husband's classes) start January 18th. So I have to juggle classes starting and trying to get my kids to school while I'm in the hospital. It seems like Murphy's law is in effect, and I'm encountering all sorts of obstacles. So, again, I keep feeling like this is too good to be true! Am I really going to get my sleeve? I don't think I'll believe it until I wake up from surgery with my sleeve!

Hi there, Was wondering if you ever made a decision or found doctors or patients who could share more details on doing bariatric surgery if you have cyclic vomiting syndrome? I've suffered from CV for over 15 years (when I was a young teen). The epidodes have become fewer thankfully over the years and i use medicine like fenergon and migraine medicine to lessen the severity of episodes which are usually triggered when I get sick with a cold or virus. Last year I think i had about 4 episodes in total which is an improvement from when I would have monthly episodes as a teen All my doctors seem to think that doing the sleeve is the right choice for me especially as I have developed chronic back pain which is making weightloss even more difficult. I know any surgery is a risk but I would feel so much more comfortable about this situation if I knew of literally anyone who has CV and was able to live a normal life after surgery. There is no research that I know of. So few doctors are even familiar with this syndrome and so they dont see this as a potential problem for surgery. But I am in so much fear about doing something irreversable and slipping back to having multiple episodes of vomiting or if this could actually become a daily problem which would be a living hell. Hoping there is someone out there who might have insight on this. Thanks! Jaswin

I have ulcerative colitis but have never had to have any surgery regarding it. Like you, I also have inflammation issues and bone spurs in my knees and heel. Similarly, I find the foods that are "good" for most people - fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, etc. give me real problems, whereas slider foods like bread, rice, pasta, fried chicken, chocolate, etc. have no problem going through my system. I always felt really frustrated that I have a disease that makes most sufferers thin, but that I am one of the outliers in being obese (although I did find an article somewhere that indicated about 30% of Crohn's/Colitis sufferers are obese). I'm on Pentasa which helps keeps things quiet and regular - but everytime I go on it I also gain weight as I can keep more of the food and nutrients "in" than without it. I'm of a similar weight to you, but since I'm shorter my BMI is 48. I'm having gastric sleeve surgery in Mexico in 5 weeks, I hope it will help with a lot of my issues. My gastroenterologist here in Japan seems to think it will help some of my symptoms, but he isn't an expert in bariatric surgery. However, the problem is my large intestine, not my stomach, so I think I'll be okay with (and research shows that WLS really helps UC sufferers - although it's more mixed with Crohn's sufferers). Sorry, I don't have any insights for you - as you probably know, people who suffer from Crohn's/UC can be affected by different foods (and stress and other factors). However, I've tried a few things in the past couple of years, and here's what I've discovered (for me anyway): -symptoms are usually worse when I'm having my period -alcohol often aggravates symptoms -although I eat a lot of protein (fish, chicken), too much beef can be problematic (I don't eat much pork other than bacon) -I tried going gluten-free for a while (with real food, not "gluten-free" products from stores) and my symptoms pretty much disappeared after one day. It was amazing. I kept going to the bathroom and sitting on the toilet waiting for something, anything to happen, and nothing did. So clearly I have some level of gluten intolerance that makes things worse. That only lasted a month though. -Any gassy vegetable is off-limits for me, which sucks, since in Japan almost all salads are made with cabbage, which makes it impossible for me to buy a salad anywhere. Broccoli, beans, cauliflower, eggs (sometimes), etc. plus other veggies like carrots, potatoes, daikon (a kind of radish), peas are all problems. Raw is definitely out, but I can handle most cooked veggies (other than the gassy ones). -I've also developed allergies to a lot of (raw) fruits and vegetables in the last 5 years. I don't know how connected that is, but my last gastroenterologist (who was fantastic - I miss him) was very much of the opinion that allergies are very common to sufferers of C/UC. -I love spicy food but it's just not worth it anymore.

I think the concern is that caffeine can be harsh on the stomach and cause irritation, though many people are able to tolerate and enjoy it. I began drinking small cups a few weeks post-op, and when my stomach gave me the green light I gradually increased to my usual amount. Coffee is one of the simple pleasures of my life. This is what the ASMBS stated about it: Q: Do I need to avoid caffeine after bariatric surgery? A: Caffeine fluids have been shown to be as good as any others for keeping you hydrated. Still, it is a good idea to avoid caffeine for at least the first thirty days after surgery while your stomach is extra sensitive. After that point, you can ask your surgeon or dietitian about resuming caffeine. Remember that caffeine often comes paired with sugary, high-calorie drinks, so be sure you’re making wise beverage choices. https://asmbs.org/patients/life-after-bariatric-surgery

Good Morning, I take the bariatric multi vitamin that is on supply at the hospital that I had surgery so it makes it easy for me and its a one a day pill. That is SUPER easy for me because I take it at 5 am before work and no worries through out the day.

While I have not yet had my bariatric surgery, I have had three open abdominal procedures for other reasons. All three went through the same area, from just above my belly button to just below my belt line (below my muffin top) in my upper groin. The first one was not bad, since my skin was just skin and not scar tissue like it is now. The first one was in 1995 and they sewed it internally and stapled the outside closed. The second and the third were last year, in May 2017 and in August 2017. The one in May was mostly healed when the surgeon had to open me back up again through the same place. The one from August 2017 took over four months to heal. As for pain, the first one hurt the most of the three (but it was still tolerable with pain medicine) because it was on virgin skin. The second and third did not really hurt much because scar tissue usually does not have as many nerve endings in it. You will likely have what is called a "wound vac" installed over the incision dressing after they close you in the operating room. This is a dressing covered with sponge material and adhesive-backed plastic wrap with a tube going from the dressing to the wound vac. It looks like Saran wrap, sort of, but it is a bit thicker. What this device does is keep a constant negative pressure on the wound to draw out any fluid and blood, which if left to pool within the wound could cause an infection. The wound vac does not hurt at all and really speeds up the healing process. When I had my surgery back in 1995, wound vacs were not widely used and I did not have one. Both surgeries last year used them. The wound nurses will change the dressings every couple of days and depending on how long you stay in the hospital, you may be sent home with a portable version of the wound vac. My surgery in August last year did just that. I had to carry the wound vac with me everywhere I went, but it was small and rechargeable and not very intrusive. After a while, I forgot it was even there. I had to come to the hospital wound care clinic every three days to get my dressings changed and I had the portable vac for two months. I was in the hospital for over three weeks so overall, I had the wound vac for almost three months. It sounds much worse than it is, believe me. I did not have the choice for any my surgeries either.

Well I received my Unjury sample yesterday in the mail and I tried the chicken soup tonight for my "dinner". It does have a much better flavor hands down but I found it tasted pretty salty too but that could just be me. Thanks for the recommendation! Curious, when did anyone use the meal replacement powders? I have samples from both Unjury and Bariatric Advantage. I just cant remember if its pre op or post op usuage? 🤔

Not sure what you are looking for in terms of advice exactly. Post my sleeve, I pretty much didn’t eat and stuck with a the liquid diet followed by soft food for 3 months to help me detox my body and start a new relationship with food. For me that was the secret to the success of my surgery I feel. It’s been 5 years and whenever I stray I remember how I and my body felt after those 3 months and that always seems helps me go back on track. Took me 4 years to let go of the weight and 1 year to stabilIze and just had my plastics done recently. I would say please don’t jump into plastics, not only because it’s expensive but also because it’s way more painful than any bariatric surgery and the recovery process is seriously tough. Hope this helps

Well I have had as far, as I lnow, still have a stomal stricture and ulcerations in my jejunem, the portion of the small intestine the pouch is connected to. Officially diagnosed October 12, 5 weeks post- surgery but I believe it started 2-3 weeks in, they kept saying I was merely swollen, I kept saying No Something is wrong! to shut me up , we'll by golly I was right. They might have the fancy,degrees, I have lived in this body for many many years, I had inate wisdom,on the subject. Why did it happen? They told me it was an unexpected occurance, no o e I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. You see my gastroenterologist had discovered gastritis and a small stomach ulcer I had named Hector while on Omeprazole therapy, he switched me to Dexilent and Hector went peacefully to sleep. Flash forward to September 5th 2018 when 8 had my RnY surgery, what did they started me on guess what, yep Omeprazole. I told them then We gonna have problems, it may be a lovely medication but it Is Not Gastroprotective for me. Nurse Practitioner stated the medical equivalent of Shut up and let me do what I do bestm So I was a good little patient, took what they gave me , and looky what happened! I have had 6 endoscopies, twice they have attempted to stretch out that opening, first time in late October it snapped right back shut, next endoscopy it was like Dr Noria had done nothing, okay last one I had January Senior Bariatric resident Dr Noah Switzer did it, he stated I dialated you part way but enough you can eat soft solids, ha ha diddly ha , both times I have had emesis , the first time I kept it down 15 minutes after still cheing it down to the smooth applesauce pulp consistency. And yesterday was the second attempt and it went worse than the first. I was so protein anemic and malnourished I had dropped 25 pounds in 3 weeks, and had my miserable self hospitalized at OSU for 6 days to try to build me back up, yeah at high 200s it wasn't GOING to be apparent to others but I was literally starving, they were afraid my body was going to start breaking down muscle to keep me akive, and guess what muscle they were most concerned about yeah , my ❤. The second day they put a PICC line in my arm and it remains there still. NPO, everything through the feeding catheter, immediately regained 13 pounds, but I was back on my road to healthy again. Lost 3 pounds mid December to Mid January, then dropped another 6 pounds in 2 weeks, on doctors scales, don't currently own a home one. I was to be rewarded with 1 token meal a day, odd days a Protein shake, do you realize I have been at liquid diet level since August 1st when I went on my liver shrinking diet? That is a LONG LONG time. Then even days homemade soup with extra protein powder, and if there are veggies line carrots I don't have to strain, just puree it in. But the vast majority of my nutrition is via TPN, 12 hours on,12 hours off. And every day or 2 I have a smallish greenish black sticky BM due to the extra iron supplement I routinely take plus I'm still on prenatal vitamins and there is iron in there too. Before all this I was fighting constipation, the one tiny blessing of all this, no more. And foods in the past came up so often I am not hungry anymore. I only ate yesterday because I was supposed to, not from any need. Have they checked you for C Diff? That's something your symptoms call to mind , my daughter has it and has been on Flagyl for flares. Is she on it? Can't say for sure, her code name in our family is RD for Rotten Daughter, she usually calls me when she wants something otherwise she doesn't talk, she will text her little brother when she's in the mood. WHEN I told her I was having major surgery, she said "whatever" and flat out did not care. Sure I still love her, she was my first child, but I don't much like her any more, she has hurt her little brother emotionally more than a few times, and that's hard to forgive. Eat as bland an diet as possible, and I hope you get some real answers soon, don't want you in the hospital like I was, it may be a good place for somethings but it is not HOME! Let me know what happens next, I do care.

Setting the band aside - just for a second - something I've come to realize more and more is that it's not the band that's losing the weight it's me. If I want to meet the goals I've set - I will need to excercise. I'm not a fan of it, so I'll take my music with me, which I love and make it more of a music push your body time. I'm having problems with my band right now. More than 70% of the time I can't barely keep down liquids - forget solids. I live in an area where we had two bariatric specialists and now there are none for hundreds of miles in any direction. I know it's too tight - but I don't know why it's so tight when I haven't had a fill in almost a year. We come here to each other to realize that we struggle from similar demons and our fight - to feel fabulous - leads us to less fabulous paths. So we keep our heads up, keep swimming (just keep swimming, just keep swimming), and we realize that there's a lot we can 'blame' on the band... but a whole lot more we can place at the feet of the person wearing it. (I'm wearing one too...) ... just keeping swimming ...

@@OldMomOf3 Ps. Carbs come from things like: Bariatric Advantage bars, honey in tea, nuts, fruit, Greek yogurt or a splash of apple juice in Water. No starches or processed sugars at all. I just wanted to add something about this. I am not a sugar Nazi but I want to point out that your body does not know one sugar from another. It does not discriminate sugar from fruit VS. a tablespoon of sugar. I personally stay away from fruit at this stage in tha game because I can get glucose from my stored glycogen and Protein. Sure it tastes great but it is not needed to survive. If you are going to eat fruit I would just sugest that you also eat protein with it to cease hunger because sugar in any form with tend to make you more hungry and faster, not to mention you will crave more and more. Just a suggestion.

I would not. Everyone has the right to live as they wish. Unless he is totally out of touch he knows about bariatric surgery. If I were to have a conversation with him and weight came up, I would then tell him my story. I do have sympathy for people who are very overweight, no insurance, and do not have the means to pay for it themselves. I would donate to an organzation that helped others in a bariatric way.

Medical professionals : why do you do the work you do? Why did choose to work with Bariatric patients? OMGOSH, the responses have been amazing. From family and personal experiences you learn so much. I met nurse, who attended an Ivy League school, who has been practicing for two years and loves work with people. On two occasions, she grew her hair and donated the hair to organizations that make wigs for children. So, I challenge you in the midst of your discomfort, to focus on people around you - so they see understand that Bariatric patients are individuals who want to live, love, dance in the rain, and focusing on this experience to share with others. Man, could we focus on the bad things but I am focusing on the great things awaiting me on the other side! Thank you Lord!

Find a surgeon to talk with them about your options of type of surgery and to discuss the steps with you. Many of the hospitals have days where you go to a seminar about weight loss surgery as well, I know Northwestern has them twice a month or so. Or ask your primary if he knows of a bariatric surgeon to refer to you.

@@Inner Surfer Girl Thank you. I hadn't considered OA. I do think I need more face-to-face interactions. Next week I'm attending my first bariatric support group. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It's not really a "fact" even if it is fun, though, and even if exercise is a very good idea (I'm pro-exercise, really!). Granted, you probably won't keep it ALL off without changing your lifestyle to involve more physical activity, but you will probably keep the large majority of it off. . Studies DO agree that exercise is necessary to keep weight off in non-surgical weight loss and to avoid regaining everything. It also results in about 4kg extra weight loss over sedentary in post-bariatric surgery weight loss. (Pub Med PMID 22038571) . A study this year also found that exercise intervention in sedentary post-op bariatric patients between 12-24 months post-op resulted in a 5.6kg difference in weight between sedentary control and an intervention group who did 60 min of relatively low intensity aerobic workout and resistance exercises 3x/wk for 12 weeks. (Break it down, and that's far from cross-fit, or the amount OP's psych is talking about. (Pub med 28262676) In most of the studies I looked at, the mean regain we're talking about is around 5-15%. It's not ideal, but it's also not a return to pre-surgery days. . In fact, studies are showing that diet QUALITY along with post-op time are the most (some studies: ONLY) correlated with weight regain after the honeymoon stage following surgery. (27544005) . Interestingly, there's a high correlation between having plastic surgery and keeping the weight off, too. (PMID 24076675) . What is a fact is that exercise helps you lose a bit more, makes it easier to keep all of the weight off, and, most importantly, improves your cardiovascular health and helps you overcome the "obesity paradox" where your likelihood of surviving a heart attack DEcreases with weight loss. . Hopefully the extra info helps clear things up. It really comes down to: eat nutritiously, take your vitamins, don't spend all day inactive, and remember to avoid the kind of eating that got you to the point of surgery in the first place.

Generally if you develop an ulcer, you will find it difficult to keep food down and experience incessant nausea and vomiting. But these symptoms can also happen if you develop a stricture. According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present.

Had my consult with the bariatric surgeon. He said that sleeve or bypass are both possible after esg. Sleeve would depend on the anatomy of the stomach and could only be done if the stomach had dilated or stretched a lot since esg. He did also add that if the esg did not work for me then a sleeve may also not be as effective. The only way to see what would be best is to do a gastroscope and decide after this. He did say that as this is considered revision surgery, a leak from a sleeve or bypass would be higher risk and that his preference is most likely a bypass but would wait until after a scope to further discuss this with me and decide. As for now, I have lost 15kg in 2019. Hoping not to need surgery but glad to have a plan to move forward if I do. Mel xx

@@Kindle, I hope things work out and I love that your bariatric team all the way in MX still has a vested interest in your overall health and participate in your care. Totally cool.

Is RNY not an option? If GERD is a concern but bariatric surgery is the goal, I would consider RNY and see if that fits your needs.

I see Dr. Kim is your surgeon. You should have received a white book with dietary guidelines at one of your last appointments, usually "Bariatric U." All the post-op dietary requirements are in there.

Hi Erika, congratulations on choosing yourself and your healthy future -- I really think that's what weight loss surgery is all about. The band was a gift -- a way of stepping up for myself -- and it has enabled me to get my life back. I am 53 and had spent decades struggling with my weight. My only regret is that I was not able to do this before. The weight loss is great and I am SO happy but for me the most amazing thing has been getting out of food jail. I had so much chatter in my head all the time about whether to have whatever and when and what will I have next and round and round I'd go. The lapband works by dimming the appetite, and having that appetite monster off of my back has been such a relief. I feel at peace with food. Let's see, to answer your questions -- weight high of 252 prior to surgery and now I'm in the eighties (yippee!). I wore a size 18 Lee long jeans and am now in size 10 the same brand. Was in 1X and mostly 2X tops and now wear larges and sometimes a medium. My profile was like Winnie-the-Pooh -- belly weight -- and now I have a relatively flat tummy. I feel GOOD. Strong and healthy, sassy clothes. I even cut my hair very short and am back into funky jewelry, colorful tights -- the things I used to love but had given up because I was trying to hide out all the time (jeans and a black top -- slimming, right?). I never considered anything but the band and I don't believe there is one surgery that is better than another -- there's the surgery that's right for ME and that's all I can address. I love my band. It requires an ongoing relationship with the surgeon particularly in the first year. There's a learning curve. Because the band is adjustable, we have to learn how to really listen to our bodies and getting the right fill is key to the whole thing. I don't think it's hard to get there but we're all different -- some of us don't get fills at all (those are mostly plication people -- plication plus band is something I would think about if I were starting off now, did not know about it before) and some of us have had several fills. I look forward to going to my surgeon's office. My next visit is about a month from now when I'll be celebrating my first year "Bandaversary." I don't think I need a fill but it seems like when I drop a chunk then an adjustment is required. I chose the band because it is a reversible procedure -- it's not permanent and if ever needed it could be removed. I don't worry about twenty years from now because I'm sure there will be a lot of advancements in bariatric care. I like it that the band is around the outside of my stomach and the inside is not cut, etc. But that's just me. People who are anti-band talk about how weird it is to have a "foreign object" installed inside but that doesn't bother me at all. I love my band (have I mentioned that, lol!). Hope this helps. You may get a lot of back and forth responses -- just know what is important is that you are choosing to do something about your weight and that is an amazing thing. The tool you choose is not as important as the fact that you are facing your issues and getting help. Reclaiming my life has been so exciting -- I feel as excited today as I did a year ago when I was waiting for my surgery. Get ready for a wild ride!

Hi Bariatric Pals - Can any of you recommend some budget friendly Protein shake brands that taste good but will give me the best bang for my buck? I've tried and like the Premier Protein shakes (available at costco & some Walmart's), but I am wondering if anyone has been able to find a good tasting Protein Shake or powder mix that is a little more cost effective? I need to be able to afford it but I also need to be able to choke it down, I haven't been liking most of the powdered mixes I've been trying. I appreciate your suggestions and sharing what has been your favorite protein shakes for the best prices??? Many Thanks & Warm Hugs!

I just downloaded Lose it, having a hard time navigating, I see a forum with a lot of topics. Do you know if there is one for Bariatric Surgery? Would like to customize some things.....Thanks in advance!

I did not have to wait 2 years to start the process but I did have to do a sixth month weight loss with my PCP, Psych Eval, OBGYN, labs and meet with the nutritionist of the bariatric program and surgeon at least once. After I completed all the requirements they preauthorized me for the surgery and then it was authorized once they submitted paperwork. Call UHC they are really helpful and will tell you the requirements and your deductible/co-payment.