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I had surgery eight years ago at age 55. No diabetes, though - just obesity. SUPER obesity. Also, borderline sleep apnea that I didn't know about until I did a sleep test for surgery. I lost 235 lbs and gained back about 20 lbs in year 3 post op (a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain after you hit your lowest weight is very common). Maintained ever since, but it's work. On the other hand, before I had surgery, the most I could lose was about 50-60 lbs, and every ounce of it would come back. Happened dozens of times. So yes - weight loss is sustainable after bariatric surgery as long as you monitor yourself. I had strictures at two months out and four months out. Very easy fix. The PA at our bariatric clinic told me it was the most common complication, and that they happen to 5% of gastric bypass patients (and if they're going to happen, it'll be during the first three months post-surgery - they're very rare after that). I personally wouldn't call something that happens to 5% of people "common", but that does give you an idea of how common complications are. Basically - they're not very common. about 30% of bypass patients have dumping syndrome. I've never had it and most of the people I know haven't had it, but some of us do. It's caused by eating too much sugar at one sitting (or for some, too much fat at one sitting seems to set it off). It's because food passes through to your small intestine much more quickly once you've had bypass, and your intestines go into overdrive trying to deal with the sugar (or...fat). It can be prevented by limiting the amount of sugar you eat at one sitting (which we should be doing regardless, even us non-dumpers). good luck in your decision. Honestly, I should have done it years ago. My only regret is that I waited that long to have it done. My life has changed dramatically for the good. I'd go back and have the surgery done every year if I had to - it's been terrific!

I tend to stick with citrus or berries. I don’t like bananas nearly as much as I before. Watermelon and apples gives me extreme gas if I’m not careful especially after revision from VSG to RNY.

I had open Gastric Bypass, mostly because I had 500+ excess pounds at the time. It does give the Docs a good view of the field, easier to get into difficult places. Even then, for me, they had some problems getting everywhere they wanted to. It does make the early recovery a bit more painful. Quite a bit more. I had about 30 staples from just below my sternum to about my waist, along with a drain. It's less fun than it sounds. While the first 3 weeks were horrible, once the staples got removed (ouch), things improved quickly. Even so, I never regretted my choice for an instant. It was the second best decision my life, my spouse being the best. Good luck, Tek

Good afternoon Have diabetes 2 and obesity for many years, now endocrinologist consultant recommends bariatric surgery, most likely Gastric bypass. Since 2015 keeping balanced diet and portion control, doing walking, swimming, lost 20kg in 2018-2020 but unfortunately not much weight loss recently. It would be interesting to hear from people of similar age and health profile who had bariatric surgery 4-5 years ago - is weight loss sustainable in long term? Any side effects - short and long term? Male in early 60s with sleep apnea and high blood pressure. BMI 49. Angiogram found no cardiac blockages but chest tightness happens often especially in warm humid weather. Physical activity is mainly walking, average 5-6 K steps daily, also swimming, outdoor stretching and breathing exercises Thanks

11 days post op from Bypass with Hernia surgery. Yesterday was the first day with minimal pain. I have to admit I’ve definitely been sneaking some (very) small portions of food in here and there, even though I start purées on Wednesday, and my body has had no issues keeping down anything! It gives me more energy and makes me feel a lot better. The only thing that still bothers me is I still have a lot of gas… and I can’t sleep well at night because I sleep on my side. I am SO sick of sleeping on my back. Good luck to everyone’s recoveries!!

I had bypass surgery. My medical team advised me beforehand that for a number of patients, the surgery prompts hormonal changes which alters your body's response to food; there is a change in the interest of food and your body will experience the taste and smell of food in a different way. Some food will taste different whilst others might arouse the feeling of nausea. These are all natural. For your lack of energy - drink more water. I am in the UK - my post op diet is 4 weeks of pureed food followed by 4 weeks of soft food followed by the introduction of 'normal' food; these stages are all initially guided by the dietician. I have not experienced any pain with the surgery. I was not discharged with any torso bands or heat pads or anything like that, nor was i advised to run warm water over the incisions sites. I was strongly advised the incision sites should not be immersed in water for 4 weeks post surgery - the very clear advice was to leave the incision sites ALONE owing to the risk of infection. You are all fabulous for advice and support here but i always tend to check things out with my medical team and that is generally the advice that i adopt xx

Hey Everyone! June 7th gastric bypass surgery recipient here. Everything’s been going great. The pain has finally subsided two days ago. The only thing I can’t really do yet is lay on my side. Hard because I’m a side sleeper. Still on phase 1 liquid diet and really struggling with getting the shakes in. I bought some protein 2o but it’s only 20 grams of protein. Waiting for my protein powder to arrive to mix into my broths and other liquids I take. Question? Does anyone get a salty aftertaste when trying to eat sweeter items? Examples are sugar free jello, sugar free pudding, plain yogurt with added stevia. It’s been a weird experience.

Hello this is my first time on here and I couldn’t help but feel that I needed to respond to your message but you shouldn’t be consuming any alcohol at 4 weeks out from surgery or 4 years out from surgery because we don’t absorb alcohol like the average person would since we have had our stomach altered with a bypass procedure

So here we are again lol My revision from sleeve to bypass is on the 28th, and my pre-op diet (all liquids) starts on the 22nd. The first 3 days are ALWAYS the worst. Day 4 isn't too bad, and days 5-7 aren't bad at all. Those are actually pretty easy. But getting through the first 3 days...omg. That's the really hard part lol Not excited in the least about that. BUT...I'm beyond excited to get the revision and get back to my life. I miss being pain free. I miss working out (weight training, cardio, strength/core training). I miss bike riding and taking long walks. I'm so ready to get my GERD, gastritis, and esophagitis under control (GONE!! ) so I can finally hit my goal weight and move on with my life. At least this time I know what I do and don't like and am stocked up on the drinks and shakes and broths that I enjoy. Trying to figure it out the first time around really sucked lol

So here we are again lol My revision from sleeve to bypass is on the 28th, and my pre-op diet (all liquids) starts on the 22nd. The first 3 days are ALWAYS the worst. Day 4 isn't too bad, and days 5-7 aren't bad at all. Those are actually pretty easy. But getting through the first 3 days...omg. That's the really hard part lol Not excited in the least about that. BUT...I'm beyond excited to get the revision and get back to my life. I miss being pain free. I miss working out (weight training, cardio, strength/core training). I miss bike riding and taking long walks. I'm so ready to get my GERD, gastritis, and esophagitis under control (GONE!! ) so I can finally hit my goal weight and move on with my life. At least this time I know what I do and don't like and am stocked up on the drinks and shakes and broths that I enjoy. Trying to figure it out the first time around really sucked lol

I think you’ll get a lot of different answers too. No one size fits all & no experiences are exactly the same. The issues, motivations behind why we ate & our relationship with food can be so different as will be how we process our history, experiences & manage our recovery from our addictions, etc. You are doing the best thing by seeking help, support & guidance through therapy. I too lost my hunger & appetite & I lost most of it for about a year +/-. It gave me time to reset a lot of my thinking about food & eating, & to work out what I needed & was best for me. Before surgery food & eating were like fear, control & punishment to me. Fear of getting fat & then punishment for being weak, eating ‘bad food’ & getting fat. Trying to control what I ate & then repeatedly failing. I took what I learnt about eliminating certain foods to help manage my reflux (much like someone with a food allergy does) & applied it to all my eating. Now I choose what I eat or don’t eat. Not as a control or by force. Not as a punishment but because I’m healthier & my body works better by not having them. And consequently I feel better about myself & life. I don’t say I’m on a diet, follow a diet or describe my eating as a diet anymore either. Diet has too many negative connotations like restriction, punishment & failure to me. It’s just how & what I eat now. Have a chat with your surgeon about your existing reflux. A sleeve may only make it worse. And don’t fear a bypass/RNY. With a sleeve about 80% of your tummy is removed & the remaining part of it is still connected to your intestines in the same place as it is now. With an RNY your tummy is still there but the majority of it is bypassed & reconnected lower down your intestines. The bypass tummy you’ll use is about the same size as your sleeve tummy. You’ll eventually find your way too. All the best. PS - I too had those horrible hiccups with my reflux @Starwarsandcupcakes. Thankfully not often but sometimes several times in the one night. The next day I’d have all these pulled & strained abdominal muscles. Suffered for years until I started taking Nexium when I would have an attack & it would stop them very quickly. Post surgery my hiccups are thankfully different. My body isn’t racked by hiccups. No strained muscles. Funny is Nexium doesn’t work to stop them so they’re obviously not related to my reflux anymore.

Sorry. I have to change that. I had gastric bypass in Oct 2022

I really tested myself tonight. I order Chinese on Fridays. I usually order meat and veggie dishes like Broccoli Beef/no rice since surgery in April. Tonight, they got my order wrong, and I ended up with Kung Pao Chicken. It's deep fat fried and contains sugar. But I didn't want to deal with going back and well... I was curious. I decided to try it to see how my body reacts. I stopped before getting full and so far, no dumping. I guess I'm not part of the 30% who dump with bypass. Not sure if that's good or bad but I don't plan to continue testing it. I'm enjoying watching the numbers on the scale going down way much more.

I lost my hunger and didn't give a flying flip about food for five months. I loved it. Food no longer ruled my life!! I wished it would last forever - I found it so liberating - but unfortunately, it did not (last forever). Five months later, back it came, and everything became a lot harder. But no - I didn't grieve at all. I was surprised by that - but I honestly lost interest in food. It was a wonderful feeling. Only a small minority of us lose their hunger forever, but I unfortunately was not one of them. I suppose different people have different experiences, but that was mine. I had bypass because I did have heartburn issues before surgery and didn't want to risk it getting worse. I love my bypass and would make the same choice if I had to choose today. I could never figure out why so many people find it so invasive - cutting out 80% of your stomach and throwing it in the garbage sounds just as invasive to me. Plus RNY is reversible (although it's usually only done if people have severe complications that can't be resolved any other way - which of course is pretty rare)

Hi just had a revision from Sleeve to bypass! So far so good. June 13 th was my date

Question 1- I struggled. There was a time right at the beginning of the pandemic (1st surgery was Dec 2019) where all I could drink besides hot tea was grape powderade zero (hated artificial grape pre-op) and everywhere was out. I distinctly remember crying in my car, like full on grief crying. I had buyers remorse for several weeks after that wondering if I’d ever be normal again. Be prepared with emotional/ therapeutic support if you’re already battling disordered eating. Question 2- A dry cough is indeed a symptom of gerd. For me, it’s now hiccups. If you’ve ever heard those honking plastic chickens just know that’s what I sound like. I did end up having a revision to RNY and hiatal hernia repair. They don’t remove your stomach, it’s still in there, they just bypass most of it and attach it in a y shape to another part of the intestines while keeping a small portion attached. The only reason I have hiccups again is because I have another hiatal hernia that needs repaired. Would I do it all over again knowing the journey I’ve been on? Absolutely. Would I also be more prepared mentally? Also, absolutely.

I never once had acid reflux before my sleeve and I had to get revised for severe gerd. If you are already on omeprazole, then you are probably more likely than not to have to get a revision to rny in the future. I'm not a doctor so I can be wrong. RNY is an extremely safe procedure these days. I wish I didn't put it off as long as I did. My revision was the best thing I have ever done. It fixed all my problems from the sleeve and more. I'm in the minority who had vsg problems. Most do not. But since my revision, I have never felt so normal. Not normal WLS normal but before any surgery normal. There only thing I have to do is wear a Vitamin Patch every day and take 1 or 2 tsp of Miralax in my coffee. It's been wonderful. As far as mindset throughout the process, I always felt relieved, happy, lucky that I had WLS surgery. I would have done almost anything to get the weight off. Before WLS, I was miserable and sick due to the excess weight. It was only challenging when I had severe gerd and esophagitis but even then I was happy with my weight loss and always always always found it worth it.

Hello all! I'm pre-surgery. waiting on a surgery date - I have been approved by insurance but will be out of the country for two weeks in July and told them I'd like to wait until back. I have lots of questions but two of them are below. I'm hopeful someone can wrap their brain around what I'm asking because I have struggled to find anyone who is able to really answer it for me. It's not that they are telling me what I don't want to hear, it's just not addressing the crux of the question. I'm hopeful this will make sense: Once you have WLS, in the first couple of months post op - what is your mind doing? I know people struggle to hit their protein and water goals a lot. I know it's a huge learning curve to adjust to the new stomach and relearn your limits and to feel full faster. But for those of us with food addictions who are looking at this as tool to get us through therapy and really force change - what is your mind doing?? when you realize you can't anymore - are you ok with that? are you angry? are you still craving the food? are you sad? are you relieved? are you satisfied? what is your brain telling you and your heart feeling in those moments as you adapt to not eating foods you used to crave, or if you can eat them how does it feel to limit those portions? I understand this is a tool. I KNOW this is necessary for healing and retraining and to make it through therapy successfully but I'm really wanting to try to know what to expect my mind and heart to feel when this massive part of my life is just ripped away. I am probably to equating it (albeit maybe not fairly) to a drug addiction rehab where they make you go cold turkey... i know i won't have physical withdrawls (aside from minor, potential repercussions while i learn to adapt to the new food intake) but what is my mind going to feel? what will i tell myself? what was your experience? does this question make sense? Also - i've never had problems with Heartburn or GERD beyond any sort of one-off meal once in a blue moon that may have caused a smidge of heartburn but it didn't last long and those instances are few and far between. BUT - I started taking Omeprizole because i clear my throat a lot and a nurse friend of mine told me it's likely acid reflux. I've not really noticed a difference in taking omeprizole so maybe it's not acid reflux and is just a weird habit. Anyway - should I be concerned about developing heartburn? My biggest fear with this is worrying that they might have to revise to bypass and i don't want a bypass. i'm fine with losing 80% of my somach but i'm not ok with bypassing it altogether... any thoughts or experiences anyone can speak on?

Congrats on date, my bypass is also scheduled for 7/5. I go tomorrow to sign my consent and the 26th for preop testing.

It's great you have your pcp psychiatrist support. There are a few different type of RNY revision. What procedure are having? Did you stretch your pouch? The reason I'm asking is because my aunt regained all her weight back and more after 10 years post RNY. She had it evaluated and her pouch was still tiny and didn't stretch. She had learned to eat around it, and drank with her meals too, hence they didn't want to do a revision. They told her she would lose 10 to 15% max and it wouldn't be worth it especially since her health isn't very good. I am still going hoping she can get the help she needs because all her comorbities have come back. I have tried to help her go back to basics but unfortunately she can't stop snacking. She is seeing a doctor and psychiatrist to help her.

@LindsayT Hey! To answer your question: I am not planning on having more children. My insurance does cover the revision and the appointment went well. I will have an Upper GI Single w/contrast done to determine if there is any disruption in my pouch or fistulas formed throughout the path to the remnant stomach. I'm scheduled to go back to my bariatric surgeon in 2 wks. to review the results and go over the next steps. Btw Lindsay you are doing an AMAZING job!! 41 lbs down in 6 weeks out of surgery, that is commendable 🤩👏 You rock!!! Keep up the good work!!

Hi NanaNette. I'm 62, and I feel the same. Lots of prayers here as well. My surgery is July 27th. It's nice to connect! Are you getting the sleeve or gastric bypass (or other)?

Just a question: Are you planning on having more children? If so, I'd hold off on the revision. If not, hopefully, they can do something for you. I know my insurance doesn't cover a revision unless it's medically necessary. So you may be self pay for this procedure. BTW, how'd the appointment go?

Not a sleever, but a bypasser. I had surgery at age 55. I was a slow loser the whole time, but there are so many things that factor into that that I'm not sure how much of it was due to age - but probably at least some. It also depends on your gender, your starting BMI, how muscular you are, how active you are, genetics, whether or not you lost a lot of weight before the surgery, etc. If you really stick to your program, you'll lose the weight - whether fast or slow