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I have three friends who are each 10 yrs or more out from RNY. They have all had incredible success long-term. Two of them did get WAY TOO skinny for a while, and had to re-adjust to get good nutrition in. They all have to take bariatric Vitamins for life. But they eat "normally" just small amounts, chewed really well, and they have to focus on Protein and nutrition when they choose their foods. That is not to say serious malabsorption issues don't happen. Just that it's not a given. And of course, if you choose the sleeve, malabsorption isn't an issue. If you don't take multis and eat healthy food, you run some risks of minor malnutrition, but stuff that's easily fixable and avoidable.

My Dad is hard hitting me not to have this surgery. I am 46, BMI 40, Arthritis in both knees and obviously no long-term ability to keep it off. He is gathering stats and posting them to me in emails. Here is an excerpt below, what do you think of his stats? "I have never seen so much distortions and obscurations pertaining to anything as is done in bariatric surgery. I thought knee replacement was bad with all the hype but nothing like this!! There are hundreds of "authoritative" articles on the subject, almost all of which are blatantly designed to appeal to your emotions. Half the forums are a joke mixed with truthful questions and experiences and often salted with carefully spin doctor messages. The most complete reporting that I have found with only moderate spin is: www.obesitycoverage.com " Gastric By Pass vs. Gastric Sleeve Surgery." I feel that you doing this surgery could be without a doubt the worst decision in your life. You've got to know the probable consequences and they are not good. Colette, this is one of those times that even if you feel that the probability of serious occurrences occurring is low...you still just do not do it..... You just don't do it because if any of the serious consequences do occur, they are so unalterably life changing negative that you can not risk it no matter what because it will be forever. I don't get where you say the odds are in your favor? They are not. Yes, I understand that the death rate is low, (which I am thankful for), but to have some complications are almost guaranteed. You have got to know that by now. Read the article. Even if you ignore the 60% to 70% probability of indigestion, nausea and dehydration, the percentage of occurrence of mild to severe complications is a huge collective 88.9% !!! GERD 47% Nutritional deficiency 12% Gallstones 23% Acute Stricture 3.5% Deep Vein Thrombosis 1% Staple line failure 2.4% Total: 88.9% Please don't go through with this. We can figure something else out. You do have options. Dad"

It's wonderful you have a Dad that is so caring and worried for you (I lost mine when I was 12). However, you are an adult now and need to make the right decision for you. Yes this is a life changing operation. But the first 4 on the list can be controlled and/or fixed if they occur. The DVT is a possible side effect of any surgery and good surgeons (I highly recommend Bariatric Center of Excellence programs) will test for leaks before they allow you to even take that first drink. I too have arthritic knees that I had to take 15 mg Meloxicam to walk comfortably. Two months after my Gastric Bypass and 46 pounds lighter, I can control the knee pain with Tylenol. They are still not totally pain free but much better than before.

I was in the same situation. Only it was because my insurance changed. I had just started the process. I did not tell the surgeon and just did not go back. It was made clear when I mentioned something to the nurse that they only follow their own patients or patients who have to relocate to the area. My PCP also told me that the bariatric docs "would not touch me if something went wrong" because of liability. I am followed by my PCP and by Dr. Aceves by phone and email. You are not likely to get his support. Some insurance companies require a BMI of 50 for the VSG because they consider it experimental.

Yo @ markuspak where in our fair State are YOU located? I am in Central Ohio, in Mount Vernon, 14 miles from the Geographic Center, and approx 48 miles NNE of Columbus, where I will have my RnY surgery September 5th At OSU-Wexner Medical Center. My surgeon is Dr Bradley J Needleman, head of Bariatric Surgery and Metabolic Weight Weight Loss, yep the top dog in that kennel! Saw you said in another posting you were in Ohio. Will be sending you good healing wishes for August 13th.😝

omg mine starts in 5 days now and I'm freaking out lol. I'm walking around my house saying goodbye to my straws, coffee...anything else not liquid (lol). Luckily my diet is allowing me to have 4 meal-replacement shakes a day + a bariatric cuisine/dinner , so I hope it helps get me past the "omg I'm hungry" phase of the pre-op diet.

Good morning to all! It's 3 days post-op for me and I am feeling fine. I stayed overnight in the hospital - I was glad cuz I have never had surgery and I would not have known what to do with all the pains - gotta love a morphine drip! 4 outta 5 of my incisions are pretty small (less than 1/2 inch), so there's pain but minimal. The morning after my bariatric nurse, the surgeon, and bariatric nutritionist all checked in on me - at that point the pain had subsided and I was ready to go home. I was tired of pulling myself in/out of that hospital bed. I am on a full liquids, of course. My nutritionist's diet is 1 oz of liquid every 15 min. for 2 wks - so I am never far from the kitchen. I took four 10 min. walks yesterday - which was nice. I have been peeing like a madman, but yesterday the diarrhea came in. I'm not far from the kitchen or the bathroom now. Everything gurgles in my body now - I can't figure out if that is all the liquids talkin' or if I am actually hungry. I did figure out yesterday that "full" doesn't feel the same anymore. Before surgery, "full" mean a bloated feeling, now it means a tightness. My DH and I got out and about last night for a few little shopping trips. I am going to short concert this afternoon, so I shouldn't have cabin fever too bad. Just keepin' the Water bottle handy and staying close to the bathroom. So far, so good.

Spreadsheet additions These can add a bit much, but are what I am curious about- BMI Height waist measurement The waist measurement since one recommendation is to have a waist less than 35 inches. Less abdominal fat sounds good. I wonder how practical it is for WLS? Height- which height do you go by? I thought of myself as 5'8", the bariatric center has me as 5'7". So I use 5'7", and now think of myself as 5'7.5"!

Our plan says never, citing statistics that Bariatric surgery patients who continue to drink have a 8-10x greater percentage chance to develop cirrhosis of the liver than the general population. That's interesting. I've never heard that. Could you provide me with the reference? The specific wording in our manual is "*the bariatric center* has a policy never to recommend alcohol consumption after any bariatric procedure. Eighty percent of the alcohol you ingest will go as a toxin to the liver resulting in a higher level of intoxication and more liver damage." The 8-10x increase in cirrhosis was listed on the presentation slide, of which I unfortunately do not have a hard copy of. (hopefully it's not something they pulled out of their @$$, they are supposed to be reputable...)

We're all "mean" for pointing out errors in her father's logic but her dad is just "nervous" for her? Someone who is just concerned for her wouldn't cherry pick pieces of an article out of context of the rest of the article, then inappropriately add them up in order to scare her into thinking that 86% of the people who have WLS have a serious complication. Someone who is just concerned for her, would do some research with an open mind and not call everything that goes against their negative opinion a "joke". Someone who is just concerned would attempt to meet with the medical team and ask questions about their concerns. Plus if you read her other posts/threads - there is a history there of negative and manipulative behavior on his part. For the OP - I know based on your other threads that you were hoping/expecting your dad to pay for part of the surgery based on him initially offering too. My thought is he didn't actually think you were going to go through with it and probably never had any intention of paying for any of it and is using these scare tactics in order to not have to come right out and tell you that he is rescinding his offer. I think it would be in your best interest to try to find some other way to come up with the needed money and even check with your bariatric team to see if you can set up an installment payment plan with them.

A meet and greet would be great. Another idea is a retreat type get together. Like where Vitalady is, or isn't there a yearly bariatric meeting?

I had no problems, but a couple weeks ago I guess I had what you call dumping syndrome. And like you I was scared to death. I had a Bariatric friend to call and text, and she was very helpful. After awhile I lit had gotten worse and I ended up throwing up. I thot I would be miserable all night, and slept with a garbage can beside the bed, but I went off to sleep and in the morning I felt fine. But I was afraid of hurting my insides. I don’t ever want to do it again, and I expected diarrhea but nothing more happened from it so I’m thankful.

Self pay- Texas Bariatric Specialists - Dr. Reddy Surgery $8,999 and they repaired my hernia as well, no extra charge! Sleep study $375 Psych Eval $199 EKG $67 Chest X Ray $133.77 Swallow Study $250 Nutrition $50 The rest was meds and labs Yes, other than labs everyone can see now how much insurance jacks up the prices! total $12,900

I am so glad to see this post. I was sleeved on August 4th, and I am going through the same things. Things seemed to be going almost too good..... plus I was concerned about being able to drink so much. I even called my bariatric nurse, who said this is normal. Surely, I know everyone is different but it helps to know that there are others who may be experiencing a similar situation. I am still on liquids and look forward to the next phase, as this one is a small struggle, but it is a struggle in my mind I think because of it being liquid meals.... and usually the liquids are associated with beverages (aside from soup/broth). I am guessing that once I advance to puree, it will be different altogether in how I continue to adjust and I am hoping it will help give a boost towards my weight loss. (not sure if that makes sense)

Almost every patient benefits from having the port repositioned. The "pulling" of the skin may interfere with the function of the port if it is not moved. Also, even if the port will still work, usually the "pulling" makes the port shift to a location that is not good cosmetically. Many PS who do a lot of this are comfortable repostioning the port themselves. I routinely do this myself during the surgery. Because I operate ina hospital with many great bariatric surgeons, I know that if a particular port is difficult to move, or if there are any "issues", I can simply call someone and they will be in the operating room to help in just a few minutes. This is a huge advantage in operating at a major hospital. I also think that exchanging to a low profile port is of great benefit - now that the weight is gone, there is no ned to have a "lump" where the port is. It is nice to be able to do all of this at the same time, but exchanging the port to a low profile can be done by many bariatric surgeons in the office under local anesthesia. They can do this several months after the plastic surgery.

Dr. Schulman: I had a TT back in 2003 along with a totl abd hysterectomy. I have gained alot wt since then, I am in the process of getting my ins approval for th band. Have u marketed your services to the surrounding bariatric clinics/surgeons? Does ins cover PS for WLS? I have Highmark BCBS PA they mentioned to me that reconstructive surgery is covered, the policy they sent me was just on the WLS

I love my coffee and with cream.. I had decaf with cream as soon as I was off clears that was about 5 days after surgery..for me... I did find that if I put a good quality Protein powder in my coffee.. (Unjury or Pure from Bariatric eating) it seemed alot like cream.. but was still considered a clear liquid... talk with your docs office. You mix the powder in a little Water and then put it in the coffee... so it will not lump... I am a brand new bander...one month out... still learning.... but the coffee and cream.. I am sure you will be able to have it on full liquids... but see if the Protein Powder idea helps you as it did me...

insurance generally doesn't require you to jump through a bunch of hoops (as long as you qualify, which you said you do) other than many policies require a diet supervised by a physician or dietitian (often for six months) - although not all have this requirement. Your bariatric clinic, on the other hand, will likely have you go through several medical clearances, though - blood tests, sleep study, EKG, etc. Some also require you to go through classes. You may first need a referral to a bariatric surgeon from your PCP - so I would start there. Once you're an official patient at a bariatric clinic, the process will begin..

Mine is at georgetown bariatric center.... In georgetown, ky. How long have you been going through the process?

Breakfast I am getting anywhere from 10-20g depending on if I eat food or do a Protein shake. Most morning I do a Isopure protein shake/fiber mix that is around 15 to 20g of protein in it. For lunch I tend to eat pre-made microwavable dinners. Today for lunch I had a Stouffer's Fit Kitchen dinner that has about 27g of protein in it at only 410 calories. If I snack its usually with something like a pure protein or life choice bar meal bar. Those are usually in the 20g range when it comes to protein. So before I make it to dinner I'm usually at or really close to what I need to meet as a minimum daily intake of protein. Some days are indeed easier than others to get everything in. And I do notice when I have met my intake requirements for a few days versus when I don't. My muscles aren't as weak feeling when I am meeting the protein intake. I am still in the process of learning my stomach all over again. Some days some foods work without any issues and then I can come back a few days for weeks later, eat the same thing and my stomach revolts it like the black plague. I guess this is the life of a bariatric person. A diva tummy.

Sorry everyone I don't go on here much... Facebook has some great groups to check out Bariatric Living & recipes and Sassy & Sleeved Sisters Support Group. Check those out and I am on Facebook too!

I'm 13 months post-op from sleeve and hiatal hernia repair. I'm seeking tips and hope to hear similar experience from those who are at least 12 months post-op, please. I had a visit to my bariatric office today for a routine follow-up visit. Today was the first time I felt negative about that visit, very stressed and struggling. The entire pre and post-op process has been slow and steady results (that's okay) and I've had a mostly positive experience, until recently. I think I'm in "the honeymoon is over" phase. For months my weight loss basically stopped, but I was only 15 lbs from goal and not upset to take a pause for a few months. During the weight loss "pause" my hair finally stopped falling out, my energy was getting better, and that enabled me to increase some activity. My clothes were still indicating that I was slowly shrinking, even if the scale didn't move much. I was fine! NOW, just in the past 2-3 weeks, I've experienced my first real weight re-gain, and additionally my clothes got a little tighter for the first time since I started this journey - about 5 lbs up. ( Just FYI, this isn't temporary hormonal/period stuff, I'm almost 58 and haven't had any of that for a long time. ;-D) Weight regain terrifies me!!!!! It's also depressing when you realize you have to live in a permanent state of serious dieting to make progress: Tracking everything daily, thinking about every bite, planning your life around dieting, etc. (fighting day in, day out). In most ways it's just like before going through this surgery..... Choose to live in a constant state of dieting and exercise, or else GAIN. *sigh* My sleeve restriction at this point isn't that much. If I let myself, I could eat a ton of food and I can see how easily and fast I could gain it all back. I fear this because I've had a lifetime of emotional eating issues. I could fail if I let myself. Has anyone else experienced this and felt this way at around the 1+ year mark? If you've been here and pushed through, what are your best tips that got you through this successfully? Thank you! xo

I'm 2+ years out (26 months since surgery), so take my words and utilize them as you wish. My weight loss phase was painfully slow. It took me 18 months to lose 100 pounds. Nonetheless, I maintain my weight loss without tracking, dieting, counting, measuring, or restricting. I weigh 118 pounds and maintain on 2000+ calories daily, although I don't really track it. I'm also hypothyroid and insulin-resistant, but daily exercise has kept my metabolic rate boosted. Here's the real deal...most of us weren't able to adhere to diets for the long haul prior to surgery, so why live like that after bariatric surgery? Dieting, counting calories, measuring food, tracking, and restricting intake are all aspects of the dieters' mentality that I refuse to partake in. I am not on a diet. I eat freely, but stick mainly to lean protein because it is difficult to overeat protein regardless of your lack of restriction. We can eat 25 slices of toast (2500 calories) and never feel any restriction, or eat 2 chicken breasts (275 calories) and feel stuffed. It's all about wise choices at this point in the game. My restriction has also lessened with the passage of time. I can eat 2 fast food double cheeseburgers in one sitting even though I choose not to. I can eat 2 extra large slices of pizza in one sitting even though I choose not to. The type of food we place in our mouths matters far more than the size of our sleeves or pouches. Sliders, a.k.a. slurry foods (crackers, pretzels, popcorn, chips, bread, cookies) are the root of most peoples' regain problems. These foods turn into a liquid slurry in our digestive systems and you'll never feel full, so you can eat unlimited quantities of them. If you eat sliders, tread carefully and don't fall off the cliff. You'll notice nobody ever says, "I am regaining after eating 100 grams of protein each day. I eat chicken thighs, steak, ground turkey, and hard-boiled eggs, but the weight gain won't stop." Protein has a high thermic effect; our bodies burn considerable calories digesting animal-based proteins. Many of those who regain started incorporating slider foods into their diets. Unfortunately, sliders promote rapid weight gain since they 'slide' past the stomach into the intestines where the calories are stored as fat. Good luck to you. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that. I had RNY surgery. “Not obese enough”??? If you medically qualified for the lapband then I don’t understand why you wouldn’t have medically qualified for the sleeve as well. They go by BMI and I believe it is the same for sleeve and band. (40 or, if you have comorbidities then it can be 35) It sounds like you likely used a general surgeon instead of a bariatric surgeon. Both are qualified to do the procedure but a bariatric surgeon is far more educated on the actual Bariatrics aspect. They are much more informed and actually take a couple of years to specialize in WLS. As opposed to a general surgeon who only learns the procedure and then does it. He doesn’t take that extra time to learn the ins and outs of it all. Even being on the smaller side of overweight, I still don’t understand why a surgeon would perform a procedure that has SO MANY complications and such an incredibly small rate of success. Why would he perform this operation at all? It is such common knowledge within the bariatric community that the band is a hugely bad idea. If you said you had it done several years ago then I might understand more, but you had this in 2017. The surgeon should be ashamed. Did he tell you the complication rate is far higher with the band than with any other procedure? Did he tell you people lose far less weight with the band and the rate of regain over a 5 year period is almost double that of the sleeve and RNY? My surgeon told me it won’t be long before we are seeing commercials saying “if you’ve had the lapband and had complications, call the law office of...” I’m very sorry this happened to you. I am super angry for you, to be honest. Your surgeon did you a huge disservice. I actually had a lapband for a long time and the loss was incredibly slow. After several years, I developed complications and nearly died. I had to have the band removed. I chose to also have a revision to RNY and it is a completely different experience. It’s so much better. If you continue experiencing pain or the other issues you mentioned, I would strongly suggest finding a new surgeon and having a consultation. Try your best to find someone who specializes in Bariatrics rather than just a general surgeon. I had a general surgeon with my band too because I really didn’t know the difference, to be honest. It was a huge mistake. I wasted a lot of years of my life with that awful band. Again, I’m very sorry. I’m seriously angry right now. I can’t believe these surgeons are still doing this procedure. Please don’t give up. I know this is hard. It’s so hard. But just remember why you did this. You wanted a healthier, better quality life. You can still have that. It may just happen a little differently than planned, that’s all. As of October 12, 2017, I am 4 months post op and have lost 100 pounds. I have reached my goal weight and could not be more ecstatic!

I think it is ridiculous that if you need to have a revision to a bariatric procedure from a failed initial one that you have to wait to regain all your weight before you can get another! If you met the criteria for the first procedure and had surgery and now need another the insurance company should be satified that the patient is still a candidate. Most of us had our first surgery because of health considerations and to expect us to regain all that weight to have the revision surgery is unhealthy and a waste (waist!) of time. I have to have a lap band removed and fortunately (or unfortunately) I have already regained enough weight and have two new comorbidities so I don't have to gain even more to get my revision.