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Complications during surgery was #1 and getting my hopes up and them cancelling on me at the last second was #2. I guess a distant #3 was it not working at all and all the work was for nothing.

I had two major fears: 1. I would have some sort of serious complication. For some reason, people delight in telling you horror stories once they know you are having bariatric surgery and all that gave me anxiety. 2. I was afraid it wouldn't work. I don't know why, I just wasn't confident that the surgery would be effective for me. As it turned out, both fears were unnecessary. I had no major issues with surgery and I'm happy with my results so far. 🙂 And now I get to be a counter-example for all those horror stories, LOL.

Really, we are not Doctors. *AND* our Docs tell us different things. So don't make any decisions based on what a bunch of random voices say on the enterwebs. My Doc has NO general prohibitions on ANY medication. We all have different issues and different needs the same as non-ops have different needs. We along with our medical team need to evaluate our needs, the drugs available for those needs, and the pros and cons of taking those drugs. Just like everyone else. For instance, I take NSAIDs as a backup to narcotics for my chronic pain issues. I monitor and am monitored carefully for the possible complications of each. I also have liver issues, so I must be very careful with acetaminophen but even so I do take it occasionally. If I didn't take these so called off-limits drugs, I would be in constant pain, which would be untenable. So, again, every medication for every person as possible negative side effects along with the intended effects. DISCUSS it with your Doc. If they don't give you a solution for your issue, find a new Doc. Good luck, Tek

I started looking into WLS about 15 years ago, but I didn't do it until this year for lots of reasons. First of all, any surgery has some risk to it. WLS is essentially permanent mutilation of one's digestive system and not something to be taken lightly. I've been fortunate to have good health for most of my life, and I hated the thought of putting that at risk just to lose some weight (my family pretty much talked me out of it for this reason). I had heard about dumping syndrome and it sounded horrifying. At various times over the years, I reconsidered WLS but didn't go through with it, first because of the risk of complications, but also because of the lifelong changes that I would have to make to my diet. No more soda?! Diet soda and flavored seltzer used to be my guiltless pleasure, and WLS mean giving that up. Having to give up all of my favorite foods, like pizza, ice cream, cookies, cake, bread, pasta, etc., was also pretty hard to accept. Not being able to take ibuprofen when I have a headache was another concern. For me, the surgery itself was the easy part -- I just slept while the surgeon did all the work. I didn't have much pain besides some gas pain the first couple of days. But the pre-op diet for two weeks before surgery and then the post-op diet for the first 6 weeks or so after surgery were pretty rough. I'm 3 months out now and adjusting to the post-WLS diet is still no picnic. I used to just eat what I wanted and now I am extremely limited in what I can eat, and I have to think about every bite I take. If WLS were truly as easy as a lot of uninformed people seem to think, and all you have to do is get the surgery and then you magically lose weight permanently, then yeah, everybody would get it. The reality is that surgery is just the beginning of the longest and hardest diet of your life, and even after you go through all of it, you can still regain the weight if you're not careful! Also, just because insurance covers the surgery doesn't mean it's cheap. I paid $4500 out of pocket for my surgery and related expenses ($4500 is my out of pocket maximum for insurance, so the insurance pays for everything over that this year). Meeting all of the surgery requirements also takes a lot of time and driving to various appointments. I never used to go to the doctor, and now I have to go to follow-ups with my surgeon and get periodic bloodwork, which will be continuing medical expenses for the rest of my life. It took a lot for me to decide that it was worth dealing with all of these negatives of WLS, but it got to the point where living with super morbid obesity (I started with a BMI over 60) was worse than all of the above. My BMI is just over 40 right now, so if this were my starting weight, I would still qualify for WLS. To be perfectly honest, if I started with a BMI of 40 (as some WLS patients do, and some even lower!), I probably wouldn't have considered WLS, but at the weight that I started, it was pretty obvious that I couldn't do it on my own without surgery.

We’re basically complication twins, Hahaha. I’ll probably also be a Miralax lifer. When I say Dr, I mean surgeon as my PCP has little experience with WLS and prefers I defer to my surgeon. He won’t let me try fruit options like prunes to loosen my stool due to high sugar/dumping so I’ll def always be on something. YES! I was on Ursodil for weeks and it didn’t nothing to prevent my stone. Let me know how your CT goes. I ended up find out out I also have cysts in my lady region which might explain the terrible period pains I’ve been having. Best of luck to you too

My name is Tek and I dump. Even *IF* you dump, I doubt you will be able to drink enough protein initially to cause it. So watch carefully as your volume increases because it can sneak up on you. Dumping syndrome (technically a complication) affects 20-50% of RNY patients. It is not a one size fits all statistic. It varies by surgeon and how much intestine is bypassed. More bypassed = more likely to dump. It also varies by patient because not all of us start with the same or even terribly similar intestine lengths or capacity or other genetic things that can impact... well... just about everything. Sugar alcohols affect non-ops just a bit less severely than post-ops. It's why they are common in actual laxatives. I never did Slim-fast, but recently I was not eating well so my spouse decided to get me premade low calorie breakfast protein drinks. Protein drinks are not on my plan, but I drank a couple and dumped each time (not severely). I accidentally threw the rest away... oops. "Sorry dear, I didn't know!" When I was binge running my Doc had be add a protein drink or two because without them I felt like I was eating all day and still losing too much weight. When I stopped I returned to my original plan. I don't recall particular brands I used but I do know they were chocolate and started as powder. Coulda been Nestle for all I know. A lot of this stuff, drinks, foods, drugs, activities, whatever, are trial and error. We each need to find what works for us with an eye to not developing bad habits that ultimately won't work for us. Good luck, Tek

That was a month ago. I saw my Dr and he put me on a modified BRAT diet, fiber, and Potassium. I ended up so constipated that I spent a day in urgent care and the next 3 days doing enemy’s and miralax multiple times. I have a hunch I have a small bowel blockage because the gas is painful and smells bad like post op gas. Same with BM’s. I had to have another CT and they found a 13mm gallstone so I have gallbladder surgery in my future 😕 My team has no clue why I’ve encountered so many problematic complications. I was supposed to be a slam dunk. Under 40, only apnea for pre existing conditions and took no meds before this. Guess we all got arrogant and the universe was like “Hey, catch!” LOL.

Congratulations? When I had my RNY I had a hernia. I think they claimed I had GERD, but I honestly don't remember. They also took out my gaul bladder. Everything went swimmingly. Other than they couldn't get to all my gaul bladder, so I had to have a drain for a week or so. I understand the fear of complications. I won't share my litany of horror stories here. You'll be fine. Tek

Good afternoon, I've had quite an interesting 18 months after being sleeved. I developed horrible GERD and I have a hernia. I'm finally scheduled for revision after fighting for so long with my insurance company (since August) to be approved. I'm excited but scared due to other surgical complications last year. My date is Oct 29th and I've started the liquid diet today. So far so good.

Hello everyone! Had my bypass Monday Morning. Immediately waking up I felt awful because they had complications during surgery and I couldn't get on narcotics. However, after the happy drugs I started to progressively get better. But today (Thursday) I feel much worse. I am not getting much in protein and calories wise, I am lucky if it's more than a couple of ounces a day. I also haven't pooped since Saturday night. I originally chalked it up to not having anything in my stomach, but now I don't know... Any ideas or tips?

I am 1 week post op. So far so good. I read that if you can make it through the first 3 days you would be fine and I agree. No complications so far. I have been eating the Premier Protein shakes, 2 ounces 6 times a day. I set the timer on my phone to remind me. I have not gotten 48-64 ounces of water each day because it I hard with the small sips. I do keep the water bottle by my side and drink at night because I do not want to get dehydrated. I did not have a bowel movement because one of the pain meds causes constipation. I called the nurse and she told me to takes Phillips Milk of Magnesia. It worked great. The only other thing I would add is that I stayed ahead of the pain, taking my pain meds every 4 hours. I was also walking from the first day until now. I have TERRIBLE belching. I have been taking chewable Gas X at night

It’s has been well established that Bariatric patients can develop orthostatic Intolerance post Bariatric surgery. It is a complication of the autonomic nervous system. Just google Orthostatic intolerance after Bariatric surgery and you will find page after page of articles documenting this syndrome. All the symptoms you mention are there. Autonomic dysfunction is not well understood and many physicians are unaware. I have had this syndrome for 4 years and I have not had Bariatric surgery yet. I ran across all this information while looking for research about my illness. I get shaky, sweaty, nauseated and dizzy with brain fog. I have collapsed numerous times but have never lost consciousness. If I lie where I collapse lift my leg up in the air to allow the blood to return from my legs to my upper body I can get up and be alright for a little while. I specifically cannot stand in place. I must be walking or the dizzy collapse feelings hits me immediately. All my symptoms resolve when I lie down. I understand this has been noted to be a common post op complication of Bariatric procedures. Please take the time to do a little research. You may just be able to tell your physician what is wrong with you. I wish you luck. There is no cure but there are treatments to improve it. I was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic. This is a neurological condition and I was in the Emergency room 27 times before a cardiologist picked up up all this was happening when upright. I was fine lying down. I am a registered nurse and I was absolutely scared to death when I was told over and over you are alright, your test are normal. I did not feel normal and it was not anxiety/ panic attacks as many suggested. I had become very angry with the lack of concern for my symptoms. I was dizzy with a racing heart and all the symptoms you mentioned and more. I am so thankful that I ran across a physician that was knowledgeable of the condition and knew I needed expert care. I struggle, and was unfortunately completely disabled 7 months after my symptoms first appeared. I am so debilitated physically that I have gained 60 pounds and am pre diabetic. I am currently working towards the gastric sleeve. I am afraid it may worsen my condition but I have a glimmer of hope it may improve my situation somewhat. I forgot to mention that I experienced the same situation when showering. The Mayo Clinic physician explained because of the blood shift and pooling to the legs and lower abdomen upon standing, that the hot water in the shower acts as a vasodialator which worsens the blood return to the upper body. The dizziness is hypo perfusion of blood to the head. I get short of breath, with chest discomfort and dizzy. The heart begins to pump hard and fast to return blood to the upper body.

Hiya fellow Canadian! 🇨🇦 My two cents: Unless you have a history/tendency of GERD, then either surgery will work for you (if you have GERD, it is often suggested NOT to get the sleeve as there is a high likelihood that it will worsen) You may read it around here, but when it comes down to it, its not the type of surgery that leads to success, its the person and their actions (barring any complications, of course). With that said, I chose sleeve, because, like you (and others) I did not want to change my "plumbing" too much. This was just a mental/personal thing, and not based on anything scientific. However, I also wanted to keep my pyloric valve intact so that I could theoretically continue to use NSAIDS..but jokes on me, after surgery I no longer needed them. I started off with a BMI of 43, got to BMI 23 in about seven months, and now have been comfortably sitting at BMI 21 for well over a year (I will be 2 years post op of at the end of this month). Get your surgeons opinion, and go with what you feel most comfortable with. Whatever surgery you decide on, so long as you stick to plan, you will lose the weight. Good Luck! ❤️

You definitely need something stronger than an over the counter antacid. Like Greentealael, I’m surprised your surgeon didn’t prescribe you something from after your surgery either. Reflux/gerd can be a complication from sleeve. And yes, that burning in your throat & evil taste in your mouth from your stomach acids rising up is awful. I take 20mg Nexium everyday. My surgeon told me I’d always have to take one every day. I had stress induced reflux before surgery & had been prescribed Nexium, to take as required, by my GP years ago.

Be careful with senna, it irritates the bladder. Although more so for me because I eventually found out I have interstitial cystitis. I tried Ayurvedic (Triphala but you can get a blend of herbs) they all say short term use. I’d rather not rely on anything but when you have a complicated medical history everything is complicated ... years ago I took zelnorm and it was good but got pulled from the market. My gastroenterologist gave me at least five medications to replace it and I tried but got very sick and I said no way. His answer well let me know if you find something that works ... linzess is good but a bit inconsistent. When all else fails it’s worth trying since it’s not a laxative. Honestly they don’t take it as seriously as you would think. I had a ct show severe narrowing of the colon. I have had bleeding. My gastroenterologist once said well unless I end up in hospital in an emergency situation then nothing they could do ... because My colonoscopies show diverticulitis. I’ve had for years usually you get them after age 60. Of course during colonoscopy they expand the colon with air they won’t see functional conditions. And they right off assume bleeding is hemorrhoids. Like I want to say that’s something natural like a cushion system to protect the bowels but it’s not natural to have bleeding. sorry to sound angry. I am having some issue that my blood labs showed elevated liver levels I need them rechecked. And very pale stools. As well as bleeding, I’m just hesitant to see the gastroenterologist I sure as heck am not having colonoscopy again why you ask? Prior to my last one I had pelvic surgery and part of that surgery was damaged by the colonoscopy. And I had to have the surgery done again to fix it. The doctor was having to go in anyway due to endometriosis and he ended up finding out for sure ive interstitial cystitis. I’m just grateful he did fix it. But it meant more incisions and stitches. stupid browser posted my message before I was ready and now I’m not sure exactly what I meant to say ...

The day after surgery, I will have a post-op visit with a nurse, to check my dressings, etc, and make sure everything is okay. Then the day before I fly home, I have a post-op visit with the surgeon. They will provide me a cellphone number to contact the surgeon should any complications arise. If it's a wound, I can send pics, etc. My thoughts are that if something does arise, I would text the surgeon, but would also just go to my PCP rather than flying back down to Miami.

First off thank you ❤️ I don't believe my journey is particularly inspirational and I promise that's not false modesty. I think my journey is just highly visible. I put a lot of content on here so that people can get a mediocre perspective to stay accountable to myself. I think a lot of journeys are similar to mine but I tend to post more. Plus i'm sort of middling in all aspects of WLS: I'm not very active with exercise but not totally sedentary either I'm careful with food but not hyper vigilant or super lax My weight loss has been moderate in terms of the curve or spectrum (bmi has been a 28 for a while) with small gains and losses on repeat I've experienced some complications that have not been super serious or trivial I'm not sure what stage you are in the process but I bet you'll blow me out of the water and I'll be on the sideline (with a salad and a donut) cheering you on ❤️

you're probably not going to find anyone that far out because a standalone sleeve surgery isn't that old. It became popular 5-10 years ago when they started phasing out the lapband. Although there may be some long-time DS people (who have a sleeved stomach) who might be able to address this although I don't know about VSG per se (since it's a newer surgery), complications that far out from WLS are pretty rare. GERD is the most common complication of VSG (although the majority of sleevers never have issues with GERD), but it'll usually appears within the first couple of years if it's going to appear.

Everyone's post op story will be different, mine was relatively easy, no gas pain, some discomfort around the incision sites and for about two to three weeks sleeping was awkward as was getting in and out of bed, for a day or so when I first took a sip of fluid my stomach would cramp or tense up (only lasted seconds). I am nearly 58 and before my VSG I had never had surgery or spent a night in hospital. I was fine, complications are not the norm. In hospital you will be on IV fluids to ensure proper hydration, through the drip they can also put pain or anti cramping meds. Get up as much as you can to walk about. Staff will check your urine output levels to make sure you are properly hydrated as well as checking that you are passing wind. My surgeon made sure I could cope with fluids even thicker fluids like ensure protein drinks before I was allowed to leave the hospital. We are stronger than we think, we do want we have to to get through, and you will too. Our mind is a powerful tool, what we think is our perception becomes our belief. If you think its going to be a painful process or a long recovery it may well turn into that, but it doesn't need to be that if your body is not necessarily feeling the pain it should be or you are recovering well. Turn those negative thoughts to positive thoughts, and you may just have a real positive process and recovery.

I'm from Central Florida and did a ton of research before selecting a doctor. The only place I felt comfortable with in Florida was Mayo Clinic, but the price was insanely high. I ended up going to Dr. McGowan in Raleigh, NC. I flew in with my sister the day before the procedure. Had the procedure on a Friday, a nurse came to my hotel on Saturday to give me IV fluids, and I flew out on Sunday. McGowan and his staff are top notch. Their costs are 10 - 12k, depending on which package you pick. For example, the highest priced one includes 1 year of complication insurance, unlimited visits with the nutritionist, etc. I knew I'd have a ton of questions for the nutritionist, so I went that route.

UK medicine is a bit different from ours. It really sucks that you got a complication and the surgeon isnt helping with the pain. Did you get the patient advocate recommended by the other poster?

Nope i dont because the thought of sweet stuff makes me want to barf. I assume id barf lol try asking your surgeon. If someones had a complication from a piece of chocolate he would be the one to know

I learned a lot from those hundreds of questions. The message I took from the questions are if you are someone that doesn't respect authority or believes everything is a conspiracy, you may not follow doctor's orders. If you don't follow the prescribed diet following weight loss surgery, you could have serious complications or you could die.

I did not tell anyone about my surgery except some immediate family members. I did not want to overload them with all my needs and emotional support, so this board was really important to me. I would say the board even became my lifeline and sole support group as I went through the ups and downs of the first year post op. Unfortunately, some of the most informed, experienced, and supportive members formed their own forum and moved away from this site, but.......there are still many supportive and great folks here who will help you through the process. Spend some time exploring the different threads and you will find answers to most of your questions. I can almost promise you that you are not going to experience anything (including complications) that someone else has not also experienced. Make this journey your own. No one else has the right to tell you how to navigate this in your life. You are making this decision for your own health and well being - not for anyone else. And you are the one who will reap the benefits of your decisions, or...... not, but the choices are still yours to make. Expect that some people will feel threatened by your decision to have surgery and by the dietary and lifestyle changes that will follow. Even my supportive family was knocked off kilter a bit by my new energy, focus of exercise, and all the new ways I needed to eat. (Like, "Mom, I don't know how to cook dinner for you anymore." or "Mom, you are riding your bike so much I don't know how to spend time with you.") These are areas that have to be navigated and redesigned - not just by you, but by those around you. Not all of them will be happy. It's easier for them if you stay fat and everyone knows their role in the relationship. As soon as you get thinner than others, they will not be able to justify they own obesity and you will upset the order of things. THEY will be the "fat girls" in the room now - not you, and that is going to be pretty hard for them. I do have in-law relatives who were obese and lost a lot of weight from other programs. They got tons of praise and compliments at Christmas dinner, for example, and by the next year, they had gained back ALL of their lost weight! Now I am the thinnest one in the room - really! I used to be the fattest, and now I actually AM the thinnest, and NOT ONE of those relatives have acknowledged my weight loss or given me any kind of compliment at all. Amazing, but it just means that my own weight loss has highlighted their regain and sense of failure. Again, make this YOUR journey! Lots of people will give you their opinions, but YOU are the one behind the wheel. It is your body, your life, your health and your decision. This board will help you. Hang in there! PS: I would also suggest branching out socially as you continue this journey. As you form new relationships with people who do not know about your surgery, you will have freedom from all the back story and baggage. Most of my co-workers now never knew me when I was obese or that I even had surgery. My relationship with them is different than with others who knew me 100 pounds ago. There is no fat shaming or labeling, and no expectation or unsolicited advice, as they have only known me as thin. It's kind of refreshing to just be me in a normal body.

forgot to add that most of us have either no complications or minor ones that are usually "fixable". Major complications aren't very common with either surgery.