Search the Community

My biggest fear was dying during surgery, but I'm a worrier and I worry about that every time I have surgery. I was mostly afraid I would do this drastic thing then not lose weight. I'm happy to say I was worried for no reason! I had my surgery last July, and was only allowed one visitor.. I was so nauseated and tired the first few days I barely knew he was there, and made him go home. I stayed 4 nights because of the vomiting. Once I got home, I was fine and didn't really need any help. My husband works from home since COVID started, but he works in our basement and I didn't need him upstairs with me. I never had a lot of pain or difficulty getting around. As long as things go smoothly I think you will be fine without a nurse. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my surgery on April 28th, 2021 at astonishing 444 (481 was my highest recorded...July 2020). So far I'm down to 355! Everyone I've talked to says I'm flying with my weight loss compared to others......anyone else have the pounds and inches melt away this quick? Sent from my SM-G986U using BariatricPal mobile app

When my weight loss slow down, my nutritionist actually recommended increasing my calories. It’s possible you are not feeding yourself enough with all the physical activity you are getting.

Thank you for the detailed reply! You are such a success story and it’s so helpful for people to be able to read different experiences. I’m really curious about your fall. My surgeon told me today that “the bigger the hernia, the less weight loss success”, which made me wonder if hernia and weight gain go hand in hand. Did you have weight issues before your accident?

You are smart to be considering the surgery. When I was your age, the thought never crossed my mind. I thought it was for people 500 pounds, not for people in the 200s like me. If you are close to having children, I would wait. If they are still a few years away, then it might be a good time to act. There are quite a few changes that will be necessary, with increased protein, supplements, smaller portion sizes, no added sugar, etc. I admit that these sounded daunting to me before surgery, but things are so different now. The hunger and cravings are minimal, if any. I don’t obsess about when I next get to eat. And I don’t count calories, which made me crazy on diets. It’s like I have a secret tool inside my body that allows me to lose weight easier than people who have not had the surgery. Not that life is perfectly easy, but it is easier than before. As previous posters wrote, even if you are in good health now, the comorbidities will catch up to most people eventually. If it is a good time in your life, go for it!

Such thoughtful insights from previous posters! I am a cautious person, so even though my doctors were recommending the surgery, the overall pros had to be more than the overall cons. I chose a surgeon who may be the most highly respected in my city. I trusted that the results would be as good as they could be. The prospect of getting acid reflux was the only hangup, and I figured that taking acid reflux meds the rest of my life possibly, was better than being obese forever. I trusted the research that weight loss surgery is the only intervention that stands the test of time for most people. I am only a few months out, but I have lost when I consider to be an incredible amount of weight. I did have complications with nausea and vomiting for the first two months, but was able to get through it, and then almost back to normal now. The pain was excruciating for the first few days, but it would have been better if I actually received medicine (short-staffed hospital… talk with your hospital ahead of time to find out what to do if no one is answering the call button). Nowadays, I am rarely hungry as long as I eat on time. The few times I have found myself emotionally eating, the restriction kicks in, and it is a physical reminder to stop eating. No GERD. I think this will work long-term. I would do it again. Good luck in whatever you decide!

Like this - after rapid weight gain when ill I never lost it. Looking back all my diets were carb heavy. Food fell into a treat - Who knew that many cookies had between two and 500 cal! At times I ate out of boredom and other times it was what my palls and I did. Now we may hike or paddle rather then meet for dinner, happy hour or coffee and a scone. The Why.. too many diets and a trashed metabolic situation plus carbs ignorance.

Yes, makes perfect sense. When I do what I'm supposed to do I can take off weight fairly easily but not as easily with the band and I haven't been as motivated to keep it off. I had my band removed in 2018 and I am now 2 weeks post op VSG. I'm glad to hear that you have done the work and have a supportive circle. Now, it's up to us to commit, remain consistent and do what we know to do.

LisaMarrie, I appreciate your reply. Have you had your revision surgery yet? I am taking all your words in and have been thinking about this all morning. I have had mental health therapy along with my eating disorder and have worked on a lot of this in the past. I just sometimes doubt myself. If I already know what to do, why do I ignore myself? I am super grateful I have a loving husband and a best friend that both support my decision. My family is on board too but it’s my own shame of having to do this again that is difficult. I guess that’s another subject I can touch on but after 17 years of living with bypass surgery, I almost have to starve myself to lose any weight at all. Is that ring true for you too? It’s so hard to lose weight now that my stomach is stretched and having to eat 800 to 900 calories to lose weight makes for a very cranky lady. I just want to feel like this time it’s forever. I feel ready and want these thoughts I’m having are normal and others might have felt the same way. Make sense?

I only lost 15 my first month. I am 6 months out and have lost 85 total although 10 of it is after a revision last week as an emergency. I had a perforated ulcer which is rare. Do you still work with a nutritionist? If not I highly recommend it. Mine has been awesome! Especially when I had stalls and felt really down like you. They kept telling me that my body has had significant trauma from surgery and is trying to figure out what the heck just happened. I agree with a comment above about it being a marathon. I thought I was losing slow but to see my total weight loss after 6 months I feel better. Maybe put your scale away and weigh in once a month. Also track your NSV’s. I had 6 weeks of no weight loss but I went down a whole pant size!

One week post op. My weight has dropped far faster than I would like. Went from 144 the day of surgery to 136 today. The constipation is awful. Nothing works. I already struggled with constipation pre revision. I finally went a little with an enema. I am nauseous, weak and tired. Getting fluids in but very few calories since shakes lead to queasiness. I have run low fevers off and on since surgery.

I am 2 months post surgery today. The day before surgery I stopped taking all of my diabetes medication which consisted of metformin, glimiperide, ozempic and tresiba. I have not taken ANY of them since surgery and my A1c is down from 6.7 to 6.3. My hope is with continued weight loss my A1c will go even lower. My diet is high protein low carb about 600-800 calories per day. I feel better than I have in years.

Hi Lee, I thought after a month it was supposed to get a lot better. The weight loss is a bonus, but the pain when eating sucks! Has the pain stayed constant - or is it slowly getting better? Is it really tight when you eat meats? Does it feel like it’ll get stuck? When does your surgeon say it’ll get better? What are some of your favorite foods/go to’s during this time? I’m guessing a lot of shakes - but do mash potatoes hurt too? Thanks!

Weight training can definitely help with the appearance of loose skin, especially on arms & legs. Building lean muscle mass helps "fill in" the loose skin, therefore reducing the saggy/flappy appearance. If you aren't currently doing any weight bearing exercises, it might be helpful. Results obviously don't happen overnight, but in time it can get better.

How has that worked out in the past? For me, I was good at dieting. The problem is that after I lost 30 lbs, I'd be content with the progress I had made and always gained it back when I got lazy and or didn't get the same results. Do I regret it? No way Do I feel like my life has improved? Absolutely. I'm 100 lbs lighter and am a completely different person. I'm in the best shape of my adult life (aside from a brief time in college). I am more active, have learned some new skills and am doing things that I put off for years. I have more energy and feel better. I got rid of my CPAP, a bunch of meds, and don't hurt all the time. I can fit in an airplane seat, don't worry about breaking chairs, and can fit in normal-sized clothes. I can't think of a single down side. Are you overthinking it? I can't speak for you, but probably. This is a big decision that only you can make- when you are ready. Of course, your medical history and particular situation is unique to you, so talk to your doctor and follow his/her advice. What should you be aware of? take it slow and steady and expect it to take time to get where you want to be. Also, there is more of a social stigma to doing surgery than you might think, so be careful about how much you want to share, or at least be prepared for some negative reaction from those that don't understand. Your relationship with food may change. I can only speak for me, but mealtime was the highlight of my day and the center of my universe was cooking and eating and preparing for the next time I got to eat. Now, it's "meh". I eat when I need to, but don't really think about it much. I still like to eat, but in much smaller amounts and I'm more concerned about good quality food that I can tolerate well, vs. food in large amounts. Also, my tastes have changed (may have been a result of getting COVID, though) and I don't like a lot of the things I used to crave. Be prepared to spend less on food, but much, much more on clothes and running shoes. If this goes well, you'll need to replace your entire wardrobe. Ease into it at first, only buying the minimal things you need to get by, as you will move through sizes quickly. This is how I feel most days:

Yes, I was IR too. Hard time losing weight, etc. Anyway, I had my surgery May 19th and had the well known stall around 3 weeks out that lasted 12 days. Then I had another one a few weeks later that was lasting over a week until I realized I was NOT getting in the correct amount of protein a day. I suspected this was the problem and so I corrected it and immediately started losing regularly again and still have been. So, instead of getting in around 400-600 cals a day and 30-40 grams of protein, I made an effort to get the correct amount of 60-70 grams of protein and also bumped up my cals to around 600-800 a day and that did the trick. Maybe this is your issue too?

I totally agree, it's the shape/size of the sleeve that allows it to slip up through the opening in the diaphragm. My surgeon said more than half of my sleeve had slipped up into the thoracic cavity. No wonder I could hardly eat, had pain when I did, and would vomit more times than not! I had my HH repaired a month ago, and it's been slow going since then. I am still trying to find foods that are comfortable when I eat. Mostly I'm still on full soft foods, as it just plain hurts when I try to eat meats, fresh fruit/veggies, etc. I saw the surgeon last week and she said to keep working at it, keep up with the mindful eating, and to add a 2nd protein shake to my daily intake. I was surprised to find that recovery from the HH surgery is VERY much like it was post-sleeve, eating-wise, and maybe even more challenging. I've lost 8 pounds in the month since the HH surgery. I am pleased about that, but it's due to not being able to eat much at once. I really don't care about eating, going out to dinner, etc., at all anymore. Probably good, maybe I'll hit that VGS goal weight after all!

I am down 90 pounds from my highest weight, and my "bat wings" are awful. I can't buy tops that fit because they are so big. I went to see a plastic surgeon and I do not have the money to pay for brachioplasty. I have had dreams about cutting them off myself. I get so depressed that I just want to put the weight back on because I feel like my arms looked better fuller. I am a high school English teacher and I do everything I can think of to keep from writing on the board because I don't want my students to see my arms flapping around.

Thank you for letting me know… did your nutrition tell you to be on a keto diet for a year after surgery. I just made up my own food selection. I better look at the paperwork… I don’t want to gain anything back.

I too got pregnant 4 months post op, so nerve racking… everything seems to be normal so far, but I keep losing weight and am concerned my baby isn’t getting enough nutrients. Surely you’ve had the baby by now? How did everything go?

Hi all, I had the gastric sleeve surgery done in December and found out I was pregnant in May. I know it was advised to wait 12-18 months before getting pregnant, but I had a slip up. It’s all good news to me seeing as I never thought pregnancy would be possible at all for myself. I think like all first timers I am nervous about many things, my surgeon called me to reassure me that while it’s not ideal he is sure everything is going to be fine. I’ve lost nearly 85 pounds, but this week gained 2. Anyways, I was wondering if there are any other sleevers who have gotten pregnant and if they could tell me what their experience was like, during pregnancy and after. Will the weight come off just as easy after the baby is born?

My 15 year old neighbor had sleeve surgery after years of therapy, "fat camps" and depression. Three months after surgery and a pretty significant weight loss, I actually saw her smile for the first time! She began walking, working out and would actually engage in lengthy conversations. Fast forward 5 years...…she's in college, enjoys hiking, is in a serious relationships and looks wonderful. Her parents had to go through a lot of family counseling and do a lot of research to find a surgeon who performed bariatric procedures on children. But they knew it was in the best interest of their child to set her up for a healthy adult life. So in answer to your question, you should have the surgery when you are mentally ready to commit to a healthy future. Sleeve surgery only works in the long term if you make the necessary life style changes in that first year after surgery. If not, the weight gain will put you right back where you are now. So I would suggest that age isn't as important as attitude. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

Absolutely worth it for me. My only regret (and you’ll hear this here often) is not doing this sooner. My highest known weight was 286. Today I’m 140.2. My life has changed so much for the better. I’m happy, healthy, and fit. Off all meds and my CPAP. I can hike, bike, kayak, dance with no pain. I can go on any ride at an amusement park, fit comfortably in airplane seats, and walk in to any store and buy clothes that fit and are in style. I had very little post op pain, and progressed my diet as expected. I can now eat anything, but in much smaller quantities. I’d say I follow the 80/20 rule, probably more like 90/10 of mostly healthy foods that I love with the occasional treats. Best of luck to you as you make your decision!

Having questions & concerns before surgery is very common. It is frustrating though when your surgeon &/or medical team don’t prepare you about what happens after or what could happen. So in answer to the things you’re second guessing: (sorry long response) Most pain post surgery is gone in 4-5 days & a lot of that is gas pain from when they inflate your abdomen to visualise the surgical field. Yes, there may be some foods you can’t tolerate especially in the first couple of months after surgery. Some occurs because your sense of taste &/or smell temporarily changes & some foods taste or smell terrible. Your tummy can also be pretty sensitive. Something you eat one day without issue can cause side effects (diarrhoea, nausea, foamier, discomfort, etc.) tomorrow. Just drop that food for a week or two then try again. Most people can eat anything but do so carefully & watch portion sizes. Honestly, I do still have issues with potatoes, pasta, bread & rice - they sit heavily in my tummy - no loss there though. Char grilled foods are too dry for me & oily fish or fatty foods also are a no go but they were before surgery - stirred up my too acid tummy. Again no loss. I used to have a large glass of wine every night sometimes followed by a scotch. When I was losing I’d have a glass about once a month but I’d nurse it for hours. Now I still only have a drink about once a month. I don’t really miss it & I don’t enjoy it as much. At a lower weight, the alcohol may hit you more quickly & you will register a higher blood alcohol content. Also addiction swapping is real. Swapping your food addiction for alcohol, or something else is something to be aware of. Gerd is a possible side effect of sleeve surgery. I had some reflux before surgery I still have it now - it manifests differently though but is easily managed with medication. Many obese people already have or develop gerd or gerd symptoms like heartburn anyway due to poor diet &/or excessive eating. My surgeon allows me to have the odd nsaid - once a month or two. Regular use of nsaids can cause inflammation of the stomach. Post surgery we gave a much smaller stomach so the damage to our tummy lining caused by the nsaids is amplified. Gallstones form as a result of high cholesterol, losing large amounts of weight, menopause or having high bilirubin levels. I had my gall removed 2 months ago. I had one stone which could have formed because of the weight loss, menopause or from my high bilirubin levels. My cholesterol was always ok. Many obese people have high cholesterol so would already have or would form gall stones at some time anyway. Many obese people already have or would develop hernias because of the weight they’re carrying putting stress in their bodies. Many have their gall removed &/or hernias repaired during their weight loss surgery. Some didn’t even realise they had the problems before all the pre surgery medical tests. The shock of the surgery & reduced diet causes your natural hair loss cycle to accelerate. (It happens after many surgeries, pregnancy, menopause, periods of excessive stress, etc.) Your natural regrowth cycle is unchanged so new hair is regrowing as you’re losing more quickly. The hair loss tends to slow to normal rates after 3 or 4 months. I cut my hair shorter so the new growth would reach full length more quickly. You can’t stop it or slow it. It will happen in its own time (those who claim supplements & treatments helped have no idea because they don’t know when their hair would have stopped shedding anyway). You wouldn’t know almost half my hair fell out now - it’s as thick & as healthy as it was before. Yes, some people do experience complications or take longer to get through the initial side effects. But all surgeries have the potential for complications. Sleeve surgery is pretty low risk in comparison. I guess, in summary most of your concerns are temporary, short term side effects or are things you may have developed anyway if you didn’t lose your weight. Is the surgery worth it? Yes! Yes! Hell yes! I didn’t have any comorbidities before surgery but they were very close by now there’s an extremely low to no chance of ever developing them. The balls of my feet used to ache & my stamina wasn’t great. Feet are pain free & stamina is improved. The oddest thing is now I sometimes have difficulty finding clothes to fit me because I’m too small. 😆 Rather have that problem then being too big to find nice clothes. Good luck whatever you chose to do.

Stalls happen. We do say the first one happens at week three but it can be before week 3 or after. They can last one to three weeks. They do pass & you don’t have to do anything different. Your body just needs a break from all the changes - your body has shut the door & said nope, no more, I’m not moving & am just staying here for a while. You’ll also likely experience a couple of stalls along the way. We all lose at our own rate. Some fast, some slow. There are many factors at influence that rate: age, gender, starting weight, genetics, weight loss history… You’ve lost 26lbs - that’s great. Stick to what your doing. You’ll reach your goal.