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I think a lot of surgeons prefer the sleeve because it's an easier surgery to do. It seems like it's also overtaken bypass as the "gold standard" (although that wasn't true when I had my surgery since it was still relatively new then - at least as a standalone surgery). Although there are a few situations where bypass is the better option (like...GERD). I had GERD prior to surgery. My surgeon said he'd do either, but he recommended bypass as it usually improves - and often outright cures - GERD - whereas, as you know, sleeve can make it worse (although only in about 30% of cases. But I didn't want to take the risk). I'm glad he encouraged me to at least consider bypass because I didn't want to end up one of those 30%. But there are sleevers on here whose GERD never got worse, and for some, it even improved. It's really a crap shoot. anyway, yes - it's definitely a risk. I'm not sure what to tell you since this guy seems deadset against doing a bypass. And you're sort of limited by your insurance. Yikes. What a predicament. Although maybe you'll luck out and be one of the 70% who DON'T experience GERD issues (or in your case, worse GERD issues). My heart goes out to you - that's a difficult position to be in.

I am so glad that you are still reaching out to your team and posting here. I won’t get too far into my story but because of “confusion,” about my mental health, interactions with meds and embarrassment the help I got from my team was not working for me and I gave up. I continued to gain and now I am back here facing revision weighing a little more than when I started this journey. People here are very helpful and understanding but your team should be giving you answers too. Sounds like they have a plan for the next step if need be and that’s great. if all else fails, The phentermine is the one medication that I could try which did work amazing during the day for me but I suffer from insomnia and when I can’t sleep I eat. So, the meds worked wonderfully during the day but at night, with my larger sleeve and being awake so many times, I was able to consume too much for the whole day and I still gained. But I can see how if you sleep throughout the night it really could work. I didn’t get to try mountjourno or any of the other brands it’s sold under because of financial reasons but if you can swing it, I have heard AMAZING things about that medicine too (there are some side effects for some people to consider). People claim they think they must know how skinny brains feel after taking it. They just don’t ever have to think or worry about food. One lady has to set alarms if she is busy to remind herself to eat something. Another drawback is how long you have to take it. Some say when you go off it you start to gain. They are doing studies now where they are trying to work out a maintenance dose that may be less than the regular dosage though. There are also places that are starting to “compound” it at compounding pharmacies. I wouldn’t necessarily trust the stuff from random sites online but my PCP was telling me they were working on getting it in their office and it is less than half the normal cost that way. I don’t know much about the other weight loss drug options because I couldn’t take them with my bipolar meds Interestingly, i just seen an ABC special Oprah did on weight loss injections the other night. (Ironically it was the day I went back to see my surgeon so I thought maybe it was meant to be which is why I inquired about them with my PCP). I’m really hoping that reached someone that has the power to change how accessible these meds are. I asked my pcp and she said it’s probably going to take a little while like everything else and she thinks at this point I shouldn’t wait on surgery for that but if your interested keep asking questions because these things tend to just change in the middle of the night and the word takes a while to reach you if you not the one asking. Anywahs, kudos to you for not giving up. Let your team do all they can to help you and keep posting here!!. I think when I stopped that I lost all hope. I was so isolated. Surrounded by skinny family and having only one heavyset friend who is perfectly content being that way I don’t have a lot of real life people who understand me the way that this community does. I felt so ashamed and I didn’t want to drag down the vibe here with my failures. Since I have returned I have been welcomed with open arms and honestly don’t know why I ever doubted that I would be. Keep doing what your doing and you will work this out. I know it. 🤗

The lactose in the shakes can cause people to poop badly. There is something to take to help with lactose intolerance but I dont know what it would be called in the US. This might be something to ask at your meeting. There is also another preop diet to follow for those who are lactose intolerant. But that would normally be suggested by the dietician. Not sure why it wasnt suggested for you. Again another question for the meeting. I was not allowed fruit in my preop. If you have IBS you may find that certain fruits/foods may not agree with your tummy. Its all trial and error to find out what the culprits are that are affecting you. Fruit/vegies that have a high seed/fiber content were a no no for me before my RNY. Kiwi fruit, Zucchini, stone fruit, grapes etc are a bit of a problem but after you have the bypass you may find that you have the opposite problem and these fruits/vegies will help things to move along. It is all a bit of a learning curve. If you were to go an do it on your own these are issues that you would have to face anyway with having IBS so there no point is ditching the op at this stage. It is not part of their remit to even say "well if you cant handle it you may become malnourished". This statement smacks of shaming. It is their job to educate you in navigating it all. The RNY job is to make our bodies less capable of absorbing nutrients/calories from the food. This process is called malabsorption. This is the reason that you will be taking bariatric vitamins for the rest or your life. You will require blood tests on a yearly basis for the rest of your life to check that your body is being given the correct amount nutrients and head off any long term issues. Eating well and taking care of your body is something to focus on. I have been listening to the podcasts of The Bari Chronicles. You may find the Vitamin episode helpful. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-bari-chronicles/episodes/Multivitamins-Nutrition-For-Weight-Loss-Surgery-e2eduqv (Also available on apple podcasts. I hope it all goes well at the meeting.

Hi, I had gastric bypass surgery August 16, 2023. My heaviest weight ever was 260 lbs, but I started the 6 month weight loss program weighing 249lbs (5'3"). I had to do a one week of liquid diet which was just protein shakes, water, decaf tea. I can honestly say it was the hardest 3 days of my life on the liquid diet because the physical pains of hunger was a constant reminder I needed food. Day 4-7 was more so a mental hunger and I had a boost of energy. What helped me was just constantly drinking LOTS of water though out the day and keeping myself busy. Heaviest weight: 260lbs Starting weight: 249lbs Surgery weight (day of surgery) 235lbs Current weight: 181lbs Peppermint tea helped eased the hunger pains when I was experiencing stomach cramps. Also, no one told me my tongue will turn white, like literally a coating of white film on my tongue during the liquid diet phase. Something to do with ketosis (detox of sugar from body) Best of luck!

I was 388 the day I went into my initial surgery. I had the sleeve and then revision to bypass due to complications. You can see all my stats in my signature. As of today, I've lost 160 pounds. My ideal weight (NOT my target weight, because my ideal weight makes me look sickly) is no higher than 155. The difference between that and what my surgery day weight was is 233 pounds. 65% of that 233 pounds would be 151 pounds, so I've already lost more than that. I have another 30 to go to hit my goal weight, and while it's slow going (I currently just started my 987964610 stall lol) I'll get there. Where there's a will, there's a way. You can do this. I've had 8 surgeries in the last year and a half....7 of them this year....5 of them because of complications. I have 1 more surgery scheduled for next year and then that should be it. And even with all my starts and stops because of surgeries and recovery time, I still lost 160 pounds. Imagine if I was able to just keep going and not have all these health issues.... Anyway, don't get in your head about averages and statistics and all that. Everyone's journey is different. Focus on your health, mobility, mood, and medication amounts drastically improving. Focus on how clothes look and fit on you, what sizes they drop to, and how you feel. These are called non scale victories, and they will absolutely SAVE YOU when you hit stalls. Focus on how you fit in a booth, or in "regular" seats in the movies or in doctor's offices. These things will tell you more than the scale ever will. Getting off meds, no longer having hypertension and diabetes, these were game changers for me.

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.

I've read that caloric intake for a bypass patient at that month mark is not unusual. However, if you are more active than the normal bariatric patient, it is possible you are burning so many calories that your body is experiencing more of a caloric deficit than your dietician has estimated for you. Some dieticians are VERY good at individualizing their care to each patient's intake, activity, and dietary needs. Others stick to the book and will give everyone the same plan regardless of how many calories they are burning. That can be a detriment to you if you are burning more. If you are walking several miles a day, or intensely working out, you may need more protein than your current calories are allowing for. It might be worth messaging your dietician to ask if they took this into account. Stalls definitely happen, I had one last 6 weeks pretty early out after surgery, and I'm losing a little slower than I like, though they say it is right on target so I'm making my peace with that. It is good to stick to the plan you are given by your team, just make sure that plan is taking into account the whole picture of YOU, not just what patients average in general. Many bariatric patients are quite sedentary and averages account for that, not for active patients.

Congratulations on making positive decisions for your health. I had/have GERD. I got bypass and hiatal hernia surgery to correct it. I still need PPI but less of them, and only feel the burn or the flip of the esophagus once in a while like with eating nuts (high fat) or coffee. So, I avoid my triggers or have only very small portions. I was a slow looser, even lost half of total weight loss before surgery. I believe it was due to menopause creating such a dry environment in my throat. The research on gut health and menopause is still so new that I can only mention it without solid peer reviewed evidence. The research is still ongoing. I only know my experience with menopause caused worsening asthma, eye infections, sudden tooth decay, arthritis and GERD. The underlying commonality was a lack of mucus production ie. menopause. Maybe it’s Sjorgrens but it slammed into me at 45 and DHEA helps, and I never developed full diabetes, nor Lupus, nor non-Hodgekins Lymphoma which are hallmarks of Sjorgrens. I applaud your scientific curiosity. Keep letting us know what happens!

I made it down to 144 on my own but I finally reached goal thanks to plastic surgery. I'm still recovering from my surgery 3 weeks ago. I actually went to mexico because I found a great Dr that I loved his work and he is board certified in the US as well as Mexico and Cuba. He is known for being very safe and I had to be pre screened medically twice before he would even operate on me. He also works out of a hospital so I thought I had all of my bases covered but my luck is always bad lol. I had complications but I still received amazing care. My only symptom after surgery was a fast heartrate. They brought in all the guns and had a cardiologist, the surgeon himself, a radiologist and the surgeons partner all come in and test me and discuss on my care. My blood came back with a hemoglobin level of only 6.9 and the ultrasound showed a large hematoma. So they immediately wrapped me in a compression garment and then taped me even tighter and I was given 2 blood transfusions through the night. Early the next morning at 7 am I went in for a second surgery to remove the hematoma and to see if I had any active bleeds which I did end up having an arterial bleed which they then fixed. I was also given one more bag of blood. I have the pictures of me opened all the way up during the original surgery and you could not see any bleeding at all so I don't know how this bleed happened but they acted quickly and I felt safe and taken care of the whole time. My dr always has everyone stay at least 1 night in the hospital and I think that is what saved me. So many people go home right away and if that had been me with no other symptoms, I am afraid to think of what could have happened. I was never dizzy or nauseous or even really tired. Just a fast heart rate of 120 with spikes to 150. Unfortunately because I had to have 2 surgeries my front tummy tuck scars are taking forever to fully heal but they are still doing great. No infections, just slow healing. I had a lower body lift which is the cut that goes all the way around and is great for tightening the front and the back. Lipo to my back and flanks, a small bbl and breast reconstruction. So I did have a ton of stuff done and with hind sight I may not have chosen to do it all at once because I wonder if that was increasing my chances of complications After the fact though I'm so glad to have it all done and not have to face any more surgeries. They removed about 8 lbs of skin and 2 in fat. I haven't weighed this little since middle school and I'm still swollen so who knows what my final weight will be. I'm so happy with my results and will have to share pictures once I'm fully healed. My youngest daughter and I went shopping this week and bought crop tops to wear together to celebrate. I've never worn a crop top ever. So I'm looking forward to wearing it in the near future. Gastric bypass certainly has changed my life in amazing ways

@SomeBigGuy sorry to hear you got Covid. My two girls got it before Christmas. I still have never had it. you seem to be doing really well with the weight loss. Thanks for your kind words. We will see what the surgeon says at my next appt 2nd Jan. he is deciding of going down the bypass stage. But will have a definite answer as he has me booked in on the 11thJan.

My doctor told me she wouldn't do the sleeve if my upper GI showed severe GERD. She would only do the bypass. Fortunately I have minimal GERD

Hello all, I am new here, and I am booked in to have my Gastric Bypass on 14/05/24 in the UK (private). I have been overweight my entire life, and I have never known what it is to be 'skinny' - I feel like this is my first glimpse of freedom in getting the surgery booked. Has anyone got any advice as to how to prepare for the surgery, for example, changing your mindset, things you wish you had done differently etc. I am feeling so impatient! I really can't wait to start this new chapter of my life!

There is a lot of conflicting information out there so I'm not going to argue. Even different surgeons say different things. I will say that all bariatric surgeries altogether have a high chance of reversing diabetes. I have not heard of anyone that still has type two diabetes after the sleeve unless they regained their weight. Maybe the 'punishing' term rang bad to you, but what I meant was consequences for carb dumping and overeating are usually more severe for DS and Bypass patients. So maybe punishing was not the correct term. I'm sorry you saw it as being negative for those with bypass/switch but that was not my intention. But I do view throwing up, foaming at the mouth, dumping, and general malaise as punishing. No one enters into these surgeries to feel that way but keeping bad habits does result in this outcome and I wouldn't call it a reward. It is a definitely and incentive for many not to eat badly. I have even read on here and seen in other places where people felt they need something really restrictive to keep their diet in check. It happens with sleeves (not the foaming bit) too but you can usually get away with more. This is why the success rate with sleeve patients are slightly less. Also you don't have to defend your choice in surgery to me or explain it. I am not saying any surgery is better or worse than the other. All surgery comes with risks and downsides. The original poster asked for the NEGATIVES and the positives for the different surgeries and I just told her what my surgeon, research, patients of all three surgeries have said, and some other bariatric surgeons I follow. Also I never said sleeve patients couldn't suffer from vitamin deficiencies. I said it is more common (easier) with switch and bypass, which it is. Sleeve is not a malabsorption surgery. Vitamin deficiency also occurs in non-bariatric patients. A lot of people are suffering from vitamin d deficiency right now who have never had surgery. I can point you to a bariatric surgeon who doesn't even believe that sleeve patients need as high as potency and 'bariatric vitamins' like bypass and switch patients but they set the standard and the industry is going with it. Also, weightloss is more rapid for switch and bypass generally which is why gallbladder problems is more common but as always it doesn't HAVE to occur. Which I never indicated this was a one shoe fits all for anybody. It's a risk. At the end of the day everyone must make their own decision on what is right for them. Be it sleeve, switch, or bypass. I commend anyone taking charge of their life and going through this difficult process to come out the other side happier and healthier.

They don't actually remove any bowel - they just bypass part of it - but the two parts meet up again about a foot from the stomach. He may have just made the "Y" shorter than usual - as in had the two parts meet up sooner. I'm not a revision patient, so there are probably others on here who know more than I do, but you may not be feeling full because of nerves being cut during surgery. If so, they regenerate fairly quickly. Plus you're eating soft foods, also. I didn't really start feeling restriction until about a month out when I started eating solid food. lastly, only about 30% of bypass patients dump. I never have - and know lots of others who don't, either. If you turn out to be a dumper, though, you can prevent it by not eating a lot of sugar or fat at one sitting (which we shouldn't be doing anyway...). I never worried about dumping (although at times I wish I DID dump since I have no problem eating tons of sugar at one sitting, unfortunately...)

Gastric bypass 2 years ago. I've gained 10 pounds the last 2 months. It won't stop. Please help! I need to start over and don't know how. I never lost enough weight. I got down to 182. Now I'm 192.. How do I start over. All advice welcome Please Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello all, We are back on...Day 4 of liquid diet. 11 days before the bypass operation. My cravings (pizza especially) come and go fast. I have been dreaming of food. On that note i have been getting a little repurcussions from my family as its going to happen very soon. Some comments -You wont be fun anymore. Like you wont drink and eat with us! - There is no point to order Pizza with you as it was my favourite meal and I can only eat 1 slice and other comments... Its making me feel bad and questionning but I am doing this for me and not others! I need to stay strong!

Ok so I just had a gastric bypass I am I believe 5 days out and I have been doing so good until I got my kids these Reese’s animal crackers I freaking ate one like no thought just ate it… I feel fine but the internal guilt I feel and ugh I don’t know how I can do this with a sweet tooth of a demon.

Yeah, that sounds 100% within the normal range of early post-op calorie consumption. I am having gastric bypass in 3 weeks, and my program suggests 3 meals and 3 protein supplements per day for the first several weeks. In the beginning, the word "meal" is used very loosely. This is basically limited to yogurt, cream soup, cream of wheat, pudding, and applesauce. The expectation is you can maybe have a few bites. All the protein is coming from those 3 shakes (20-25g per shake). Calories are pretty much irrelevant, at least for now. Your entire metabolism has been rewired. If you follow what you're told to do, you will lose weight on a wide spectrum of calorie intakes. My program suggests no more than 200 calories per protein shake serving, with a limit of 5 grams of sugar and at least 20g protein each. So, if I had the recommended 3 shakes and went with the max calories, I would consume 600 calories in those daily supplements, plus another maybe 100-200 in "meals" depending how much of the yogurt/cream of wheat/pudding I manage to swallow. My shakes actually only have 90 calories each (23g protein), so during my pre-op liquid diet, I won't feel at all guilty if I drink 4 or 5 of them, or even 6 if needed. Post-op, I doubt that will be possible, but even then, I wouldn't see an issue with having that many if I could physically manage it. All of which is a longwinded way of saying you're doing fine! Congratulations!

The sleeve is never, ever recommended for someone with reflux or GERD. It's known to make it so, so much worse. I didn't even have it and the sleeve created it. My concern is that the bypass will cause significant weight loss, and if you're already not that big (231 pounds = 105kg) then it could be an issue. However, depending on your height, it might actually get you within normal height/weight proportions and get you into a normal BMI (body mass index). I can tell you, it WILL alleviate your GERD issues, your inability to eat anything, and get rid of most of what's causing your pain. You definitely will get your life back, and the recovery really isn't bad. You'll need to be careful with how much sugar and carbs you eat, and you will definitely eat much smaller portions, but give the current issues you have I think that might actually be a good thing. Going based off only what you've told me, I really think the bypass will be a good thing for you. I know it sounds scary, but I promise it's not. Especially when you consider everything you've already been through, and the benefits of the surgery itself.

Hello @ms.sss I actually really do appreciate your response. You are pretty accurate in your assessment, lol, I definitely have my moments but for the most part I tend to be pretty agreeable and sometimes that bites me. i have taken A little breather after yesterday’s meeting with my surgeons’ PA and waking up to a stranger taking their time to say I should too makes me realize I’m not just being overly anxious. Thank you!! I did make a call just now to see if the only other surgeon I would consider does this procedure and he does not So I guess the most obvious options at this point are to just go with the bypass instead or to ask ALOT of questions and pose some really uncomfortable ones about the surgein and that team that I may not like the answers too. Regardless I realize I need to slow this bus down a great deal and really think this one through. My thoughts so far are, when the surgeon sits down with me and my list of questions IF I feel better that HE has done his research and both he and I are confident he has this, then I just need to worry about the aftercare. I need to be bold and require that he gives a way to get HIM, post op if I have any urgent concerns. And I need to know who he turns to if he doesn’t know the answer. I know for my first post op appointment I will see him but maybe I can see him ever so often past that. Especially if I am feeling lost. The PA said yesterday that I may get him or the surgeon if I called with questions immediately post op and he claimed he wouldn’t just give me an answer to give me an answer but it sorta felt like what he did for a half hour with my questions. I am just going to have to go out of my comfort zone a bit and bluntly say that I don’t feel like the rest of the team is prepared to handle my care with this particular procedure. I must get the point across that the PA just can’t answer all my questions at this point and I wouldn’t feel confident in his advice about any post op questions. Or, Perhaps he could just make the PA do the research now? I mean he is practically a doctor. They know how to learn things. I just don’t think he has tried with this procedure yet. He did seem to know alot about the DS, Just not this modified version. I can ask to meet with him again after he has had a chance to prepare and see how I feel with him. My gut has gotten me this far?? As far as the dietician goes. I think I just need a list of what macros he wants me to stick to and to know what type of carbs really count and I think I can take it from there at least witb the help of this community. I also think I can shop around for a different dietician once I have the requirements If I feel like I even need one. I’m hoping that the dietician gets the exact requirements from the surgeon in preparation for our meeting in two weeks. If not I will need to ask him that when I meet with him as well. I guess the skinny about the surgeon, though is that I am going to have to pump the brakes a bit and put on my big girl panties. I need to have some awkward conversations and just mentally prepare myself that the result could be that I don’t get exactly what I thought I wanted.

I'm almost 4wks post bypass and the stabbing and burning pain the the new stomach area where the anchor stitches are is unbearable when i move. No amount of pain relief is touching it, any advice?

I went from VSG to bypass. I don't know if you'll find anyone who went from VBG to bypass. It's not a surgery that's done anymore.

I’m so happy to have you guys! Had my surgery 6 day ago (Lapband to sleeve to bypass)… I have vowed to do everything right this time! I’m the past , I never took the Bariatric vitamins because I just hated the taste… does anyone have a recommendation for one ? Also, how are avoiding hair loss? ☺️ u!

1. What was the best part of surgery for you? The best part for me has been being able to do things I enjoy again. There were several things that I either couldn’t do or didn’t want to do because of my weight and now after losing so much weight I have been able to start doing most of those things again. For example, I love going to sporting events, but I had stopped going because I didn’t fit comfortably in many chairs at stadiums. 2. What was the worst part of surgery for you? I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t have any complications with the surgery (I had the bypass). Really my only complaint about the entire process was the gas pain following surgery. I was told by my doctor I may have some pain in my chest after the surgery, but it was way worse than I was expecting. But it only lasted for a few hours and after that everything went smoothly. 3. Did you have any complications (minor or major) after your surgery? Not really. My surgeon did notice an umbilical hernia while doing my surgery but decided it would be better to get that fixed after I lost some weight, so I had another surgery for that 9 months later. 4. How has adjusting to your new life been for you? Easier than I expected actually. I think it helps that I live alone right now so I have quite a bit of control over my environment. Like if I had a roommate who ordered pizza a lot, I think I would have a lot harder time eating healthier, but since I live alone I am able to control what food I am around for the most part. Probably the hardest part for me has been making sure I get enough fluids. I have always drank a lot with my meals and now I can’t do that anymore, so I’ve had to learn to drink throughout the day. I am finally doing better with that but I felt like I was constantly dehydrated for several months after the surgery. 5. How long did it take you to feel comfortable eating food? Not very long. The toughest part was remembering not to eat too fast or take too big of bites. During the first couple of weeks especially it does not take long until you will feel full and even just one too many bites can make you very uncomfortable for a while. 6. Is there anything you can’t eat anymore that you used to enjoy? The short answer is no. I have not found any food that I can’t tolerate, but there are foods I choose not to eat anymore. The only issue I had was with rice, and I think that was just because I ate a little too much. 7. What was your recovery like? Any vomiting or dumping syndrome? My recovery was not bad at all. Like I mentioned earlier, the gas pain was the worst part, but after that really the only pain I had was in my abdomen when I got out of bed or the recliner. I vomited a few times when I was learning to eat again but all of those were from just eating a little too much I think. Recently I’ve discovered I get low blood sugar really easily (and I’m not diabetic). I actually just talked with my nutritionist about this earlier today. I don’t have sugary foods too often, but I’ve found that if I have too much sugar all at once, I will get low blood sugar a few hours later. This never happened to me before my surgery. 8. How long did it take you to feel semi-normal after surgery? Just a few days. My surgery was on a Monday and I remember thinking I probably could have gone back to work that Thursday if I had needed to (my job is not physical at all though- I work at a desk most of the day). The toughest part was energy level. I returned to work one week after surgery but I was only able to work half days for a couple of days. 9. Did you experience higher energy level post surgery? Yes, I have way more energy than I used to. I used to have to force myself to work out a few days a week, now I don’t like going even one day without some form of exercise. 10. Did surgery affect your mental health? Yes, I think it has. It has helped my mental health in some ways, like being able to do more of the things I enjoy has helped with my depression, but I have also found I am struggling with stress and anxiety more than I used to. I think at least part of the reason for that is that I used to cope with stress and anxiety by eating and I can’t do that anymore, at least not the way I used to. Also I should add that there was a part of me that thought that all of my problems (including my mental health issues) would magically go away once I lost weight. My mental health has definitely improved since I lost weight, but it is still something I am struggling with. I started seeing a therapist a few months ago and I believe that is helping me out a lot. 11. Do you regret it? Do you recommend it? I have not regretted it for a second. I was relatively young when I had the surgery (I was 32) and a part of me felt like I didn’t need the surgery, like I thought I was still young enough I could lose weight without surgery, but looking back on it I am glad I didn’t wait. I had a number of minor health problems that were all slowly getting worse, and I realize now that it was good that I didn’t wait for them to get worse. I will add that I feel I am one of the lucky ones that has had basically no complications from the surgery and no food intolerances or dumping. I know not everyone has had as easy of an experience following the surgery as I have.

I'm about a week out from my revision surgery and it's slow too but I'm starting with a lower weight than the first time (240 instead of 350). I'm down about 4 pounds and feeling discouraged because I'm on liquids still so I feel like it should go so much faster but I keep telling myself slow and steady wins this race.