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Has anyone here had a gastric sleeve and also has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)? I just need to know that someone else safely had it done and didn't have a major multi-systemic reaction to the surgery or in post-op. I'm prone to anaphylaxis but I've had other surgeries (knees and shoulder) since diagnosis and with my surgical team being cautious I made it through surgery without having a major reaction. I previously had a consult with a bariatric surgeon and she said she wouldn't touch me; that it was too risky. But that was maybe three years ago and I'm definitely more stable now than I was then. My pain doctor wants me to get a second opinion so I'm going to meeting with a bariatric surgeon in a few weeks and also meeting with my mast cell doctor. I was just hoping that someone who it has experience with it could reassure me that it can be done safely. Concerns I have: - my diet already has to be restrictive because of the MCAS. I worry about getting enough protein in when I have to avoid tree nuts and all meat products. I can have milk (lactose free) and eggs. - I read that my meds have to be crushed or split post-surgery. Is that for forever? I have some capsules that I take that can't be crushed or broken. I also have liquid medication I take that gets diluted I'm about a cup of water. I use that water to take all of my pills, and there's a fair amount of pills. - exercise is an issue for me. I've anaphylaxed during an easy yoga class before. I've built up to be able to do seven to ten minutes on a seated elliptical or seated stepper. But I'm not going to be running any 5ks anytime soon. Is it still an effective surgery if my workout options afterwards are extremely limited because of my MCAS? - if I'm on meds that have caused weight gain for me, is it possible to still lose weight while being on the med? I can't safely go off of the meds unfortunately. I think I'm just scared to get my hopes up that this surgery could be a safe and effective tool to help me lose weight. I'm 5'4 and 400 lbs. I need help. The likelihood that my surgeon will be familiar with or educated in mast cell diseases is really low and I know that I'll have to do a lot of advocating for myself. If you've made it this far thank you for listening. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi JUNE friends! I get notifications when there are posts and how emotional I was to see all the NEW 2022 Junies posting! Made me reflect on everything that has happened to me in the last year. Recorded my highest weight in NOV 2019 at 305 at 5ft1in at the doctor's office. Cried and talked with her about surgery. She was all for it. Let that sit and fester for another year, what was the rush? I have only been thinking about this for the last TEN years. Finally, Nov 2020, my levels were prediabetic. I was on two high BP meds. I knew I needed to stop this. My insurance sucked and conventional route was not going to happen. MANY MANY insurance companies DO NOT cover bariatric surgeries any more. WHICH is ridiculous since it is the only elective surgery that reverses or ends so many mortal diseases. Why wouldn't they pay? Between HBP and soon to be diabetes, probably need knee replacements, and on and on!! I had to find self pay. I was too nervous to look at Mexico, and found Blossom Bariatrics in Vegas. I started my Pre-Op diet May 25th, 2021. Surgery was June 15th, 2021. Best DECISION I EVER MADE! We have all been there. Should have done it sooner, hmmm-ed and hawed for months and months once my doctor and I talked about it. Then there was covid. The delays never ended. But to all the new people.....TRUST THE PROCESS, LISTEN to your body. It will know what to do. If you do the work, it will follow. I consider myself a SLOW loser. I was not, will not, and won't ever be an exercise lover. I couldn't fathom doing any exercise when I was 305lbs. It was a terrible cycle. I can't walk and move my body because my knees hurt, my back hurt. I didn't walk much when I started this journey but then, after the tiredness subsides, you think wow, my knees don't hurt. I can go for a walk with the dog. Then, I WANT to walk the dog. For me, everything was baby steps. BUT, suddenly the pants are looser. You start to see your face change. Then, those close to you start to notice. Slowly, but SURELY, it comes off. The ONLY WAY to lose this weight is by calorie deficit. It is the ONLY WAY we can all do this. It is NOT EASY. Having surgery is NOT easy. We still have to change the way we eat. We are still have to fight those old habits and desires. I read everything I could, joined this group, and a couple on FB. I read all the advice. I am here to tell you a few of mine. I HATED pictures of any kind. I didn't take many before or after surgery. DO TAKE PICTURES!!! I love seeing people's before and afters and transformations and I just can't go back. and POOP. No one talks about the POOP or lack of it. It was my biggest side effect and still an issue. HAIR LOSS, it happens, just start those biotin pills NOW! SO, sorry for this long post, it was kind of emotional and I needed to just write it all out. You took the first steps. You got this! I still feel like I just did and am in the stages you are. But, as I close in on my first anniversary, I am overwhelmed. I hit the 100 pound lost mark. Then, this week, I hit ONEDERLAND. Lots of milestones all at once. I am anxious to see what my pounds lost will be on June 15th! Trust yourself and the process. There are NO steadfast rules. I hate when I see posts and people are so adamant and actually rude about stuff. In the end, you make the rules. I'm an open book and will answer any questions. You can message me or post. Literally remind yourself, it's ONE day at a time. Best wishes Junies!!

Oh I so understand about the eating coping strategy as that’s my default too! Thank goodness I found that my hunger went down after both surgeries, but I know that I can’t count on that forever. I need to learn a better way at coping. i had the SADI (Single anastomosis duodeno–ileal bypass) surgery. Sorry for the change in font size, but I had to copy and paste it here because I can’t remember the full name. Lol from what I’ve been reading, the surgery is most like the duodenal switch except not as severe with the malabsorption. I’ll see - I just hope it can help me get rid of my excess weight. ☺️

This thread was a wild ride. I also don't believe OP was trolling, but I think there are more issues going on here than just dealing with the weight loss stuff. If you're still reading this OP, I sincerely recommend you try to speak with a therapist about the issues you've been discussing. If you can find a bariatric therapist, great. Otherwise, any certified therapist should be able to help provide you with a caring ear. You seem to be carrying a lot more weight than just the physical pounds, if you get what I'm saying, and speaking to someone can help lighten the load. Regarding the specific things you've been discussing, a few thoughts. First, as others have mentioned, the procedure you chose is a tool like the other procedures, but it's a tool that statistically results in the least weight lost of the rest. That doesn't mean you can't be extremely successful, just that it might be tougher. You say you don't want to be one of those people weighing every gram of your food on a postage scale. Well, I'm one of those people and I've been lucky enough to have a lot of success so far. That said, I don't necessarily watch every gram, if I'm a little over it's not the end of the world. But most people have absolutely no idea what a portion of food actually weights until they actually weigh it. When I started out I was shocked on how small my 4 oz potions of food were, if I had been eyeballing them I would have had twice as much as I should have. So I would get a cheap scale (you can get them for $10 or less) and start weighing EVERYTHING. You say you don't have time, but it takes practically no time at all. Weighing all my ingredients takes at MOST 3-4 minutes per DAY. You just put stuff on your plate like normal, but first put the plate on the scale. I had some cantaloupe for a snack earlier, and I just put the bowl on the scale and watched the numbers as I filled it and stopped when I hit my limit. It took pretty much the same amount of time that it would have taken to put the cantaloupe in the bowl without using the scale anyway. You also mentioned you weren't interested in a sleeve because you believe the recovery time would be a month. I can only speak for myself but four days after my sleeve I drove 30 miles to visit with family, and I was fine. I took about a week or so off of work and went back with no problems. Everyone is different but from what I've seen posted by others, that's generally the experience most folks have. I'm not saying you need a revision, but don't let the potential recovery time deter you from a procedure if you and your doctor feel it would be appropriate. Best of luck.

It sounds like you’re ahead of the game! I’m gonna call the nutritionist soon to gain some perspective

Im so nervous that I’m going to go through this and it be for nothing! Meaning, I’ve tried so many things (like eating correctly, tracking food, exercising for a year, lost 40lbs then gained back) that im scared itll not work or ill mess it up some how! I believe ill do good because I’ll have the boost of surgery to help me once I start the exercising and tracking food again but just nervous. Especially since it’s coming out of pocket. Hopefully that’ll be a great motivator too!

I gained about 60 pounds back about 7 years out. It didn't happen all at once, but gradually over time. I had a couple of knee surgeries and I stopped exercising as much. Over the last 2 years my lifestyle changed again and I started moving more in general and walking with friends. I lost the 60 pounds I had put back and another ten pounds as well without really trying to lose weight. You have to be gentle with yourself and forgive yourself if your weight fluctuates. We can be our own worst enemy if we beat ourselves up too much.

I still weigh myself most days. I'm almost exactly 6 months post sleeve. I expect when the weight loss slows down and I can finally trust I'm not going to suddenly put it all back on again I'll do it less often!

Dont forget this tho......it doesnt matter if your fat or thin, tall or short there will always be something a bully will pick from to cause a person grief. They may not like your hairstyle or the way you dress. There's always something they will find.....we have to learn to not sweat the small things. There are much more important things to focus on like celebrating the weight you have lost, planning your next big whatever a trip, a shopping spree or just something as simple as finding shoes to fit so you can walk more. Focus on you and the things that bring you happiness. Dont worry so much about others nothing you can do about them except ignore them. Live, Laugh and Love yourself, thats your goal 😁

I went with the exact remedy you're describing and it somewhat helped. The only difference was I sent with tart cherry pills then moved to the liquid extract as I felt it would absorb faster. I'm not sure if it worked but it did provide relief. Fast forward to now and I am only taking Allopurinol daily(when I remember). Weight loss has slowed so flare ups have subsided and I feel alot better. I did alot of research and spoke to my doctors and found that the flare ups are directly tied high uric acid caused by excessive weight loss. Hence my comment about weight loss slowing and flare-ups calming down.

Before my surgery I dreaded getting on the scale. After my surgery I weighed myself every day to see what I had lost. When I stopped losing, I stopped looking. Some of the weight came back about 5 years out when I stopped exercising because I had trouble with my knees. Then I became very stable and my weight just stayed the same for about 15 years. I relaxed about it and just got weighed whenever I went to the doctor's office. I retired 2 years ago and moved back to where I grew up. I reconnected with old friends and because of Covid, we'd meet outside and go for walks. The change in my lifestyle from extremely sedentary to moderately active made the weight I had gained back drop off again. Now I weigh myself about once a month.

Thanks so much for sharing your story! We hear so seldom from people so long after their surgery, and it's particularly good to hear from someone who managed to keep the weight off. So sorry to hear about your kidney issues, however--and thanks for letting us know what can happen. Wishing you the best.

I have lost 30 lbs so far I was on a liquid diet for a bout a week than went to soft foods. Now i am on a high protein with little to no carbs. The weight is coming off slow now but I had lost 20 lbs before procedure.. I have gone from a size 24 snug to a 14/16 or extra large.. ALready taken off 2 of my diabetes meds and have had my blood pressure and thyroid meds cut back..

No I dont believe you are. Hang in there! You are stopping when you are comfortable and that is what you are supposed to be doing. You've lost a good amount of weight in a short period of time, so failure; nah I dont see that. I see it as a victory!! 28 pounds down in 2 weeks thats awesome! Ive only managed 14 lbs and I tend to look at it as thats 14 pounds I couldnt do on my own before so to me its a win win . Keep doing what you are doing and your body will conform

It's been a long time now since I had the gastric bypass. I've lost 187 pounds. I lost most of the weight in the first couple of years. I slowly regained some (70 pounds) beginning about 5 years out because I had trouble with my knees and couldn't exercise. I've lost the regained weight in the past couple of years by just gentle walking several times a week. I'm no longer obsessed with eating and just eat for nourishment. I weigh myself about once a month. I stopped going to my support group because of the distance after the first couple of years. I lived about 4 hours away from where I had the surgery done. There was a 2 years wait list to see a surgeon closer to home. One thing I regret about not going to the support group is that I became complacent about keeping up with my mineral supplements. Now my kidneys are damaged and I need a transplant. The transplant surgeon tells me I need a panniculectomy before I get the kidney transplant. I couldn't afford the plastic surgery and didn't want to jump through all the hoops to get it covered. But now, since I've been told there's a medical reason for doing it, I'm starting to look into it.

I’m 4 years out. At home I still weigh my food. At dinner I eat around 1-1.5oz veggies & the rest is protein. The whole meal is 3 -3.5 oz. If I eat more then that I get too full & I’m uncomfortable for a while. When we eat out I eat a little less then 1/2 of the meal, my husband & I usually share an entry. If I’m eating out with a friend I ask if I can order something on the kid’s menu. At about 1.5 years out I started eating over 4 oz & I put back on 30 pounds! I used The Fast Metabolism Diet & I did great & I actually got to my goal weight!

the closer you are to a normal BMI, the slower and harder it is to lose. The last 20 lbs were a BEAR to lose for me - we're talking like 2-3 lbs a month. it isn't just us - I remember very clearly going to Weight Watchers meetings before I had surgery. I'd overhear these barely overweight women b*tching and moaning about how hard it was to lose 10 lbs, and I just wanted to roll my eyes. Yea - try losing 200 lbs! But now I totally get it...

once you're a few months out, there aren't any food restrictions and although you can't eat large portions of food at one sitting, you'll be able to eat enough that people won't guess you've had weight loss surgery. I'm seven years out, and I eat around 1700-1800 calories a day (but that'll vary for everyone since it depends on several factors, including how active you are and what weight you're trying to maintain - someone maintaining at 160 or 170 lbs can eat more than someone trying to maintain at 120). as an example, when I go out to eat, I'll usually order an appetizer or else order an entree and eat half of it (and take the other half home). Honestly, that's pretty much what many of my never-been-obese women friends eat. No one ever questions it or asks if I've had surgery. They just assume I'm a "light eater".

I had to have my lapband removed in 2013 due to an abscess from having my band put back in place. Since then I gained all my weight back and an extra 45. Tried losing with weight watchers, then keto and then with regular portion control. I lost weight on each, but never got passed 40 pounds. So, I'm calling to set up an appointment with my surgeon to hopefully get the rny going. Super nervous and good luck!

I weigh myself every 3 months at my follow-up with my surgeon. But, that is due to my therapist and nutritionist highly recommending it for me. I have a long history of becoming way too obsessed with the scale, which would lead me to restrict, then binge/restrict, then binge/purge, then finally binge-eating all together. It's just been my downhill spiral for forever. Now I have finally been learning to pay attention to my health and how I feel with energy, health, and just overall mental health. It's been a relief to not weight myself so much. However, that is not a rule for all. For me it was highly recommended by my team. But, for others they need to weigh more often.

Hi thank you for your reply. I did get a VSG and actually didn’t know you could eventually gain all or some of the weight back but I totally understand how this could happen when coping strategies in life are to eat - mine exactly. So much so that when I was in so much discomfort just now on first night of op I was very dazed still and wondering if I could eat to get through the physical pain I was experiencing. This is what I did for 40 years prior to this surgery - eat to numb any physiological or psychological pain. Good for you for seizing the reigns and not letting the 100lb gain grow any further. Hope your recovery is really good. What procedure did you have as I don’t understand all the acronyms on here sorry x.

I have worried about this myself. Its like I dont have alot of restriction, I even said that to my Dr because things seem to be moving along good. I have not tried eggs yet but I may try that tomorrow. Tonight I had mash potatoes about a tablespoon and a tablespoon of carrots. I mashed the carrots to baby food consistency and the mash was runnier than what we usually have. I was unable to eat the mash potatoes, I maybe had 6 small bites. My stomach was gurgling and grumbling so I stopped eating altogether. It felt like I took a fist to the gut every time I tried to eat the potatoes. I dont feel hunger I dont believe but my stomach does do alot of growling and grumbling which is weird. It will do that while Im eating. Are you experiencing that maybe and thinking its hunger pains? Hard to say but I have seem some posts from ppl saying they were hungry after surgery. Maybe they will reply to your post hopefully. I havent lost any weight in 3 days after my last weigh in so thats making me nervous about what I have been eating or the amount. Surely its not a stall already after a 14 lbs loss in 9 days??

I had an RNY a week ago. At this point I am scared to weigh myself for fear of retaining fluid. Not sure when to weigh myself. Every month, week or day? In previous attempts with weight loss programs I found the weekly weigh in daunting due to the fact that I was a slow lose most people weigh themselves. How often do you weigh in?

Not sure how far along you so it’s helpful to complete your stats in your profile as @SleeveDiva2022 suggested. There are certain things you can depend upon though. The closer you are to goal the slower your rate of loss. The heady days of larger rates of loss don’t last. Your real hunger returns. Everybody’s weight fluctuates & it doesn’t mean you’ve gained. My last kilos were a b*tch to lose. Felt like forever. I just stayed my course & they went (plus more). My hunger started to return in my second year but hunger returning from around 6 months is not common. I have a natural weight fluctuation of about a kg - 2.2lbs. Could be water, constipation, life in general.

Hi Merrill. Hugs. For some it is a breeze. I did have another hernia repaired 2 years ago and I was in heaps of pain with just that. Hard to know what the cause of the pain is. Like you I was also very anxious before it all. None of us will be the same in our journey. Hope that you sail through it all. I have to say that I was sooo relieved to be on the other side. We have had a long road to get here. I did have a lovely nurse who said that she had surgery and told me how happy she was that she had done this and is now reaping the rewards. Very reassuring. You WILL get through this. It will be worth any short term pain for the long term gain. It is going to be okay. Keep breathing. Dont be afraid to ask for pain killers if you need it.