Search the Community

My VSG was August 3rd. I started taking my vitamin chewables that were recommended by my dietitian (Bariatric Fusion) when I started the pureed food stage. I am unable to tolerate them even slightly. I experienced the worst nausea I had experienced since surgery. I waited a day and tried again, and the nausea returned, almost immediately. Has anyone else had similar experiences? What else did you try that worked?

I do have to have the Psychiatrist visit to see if I am a good candidate for success. The therapists (not Psychiatrists, who are MDs, but Psychologists and certified therapists) will be ongoing to help me with my eating disorder(s) that have resulted in 50+ years of being overweight and being unable to keep weight off after one of my many weight-loss diets. I think therapy is going to be a huge help, giving me the mental tools to help me overcome my bodies need for the dopamine hit that comes with eating. And it will help me keep the weight off--ever little tool I can find to help me win this war is welcome. But OSU Bariatrics did not even give me a list of therapists that they recommend for eating disorders and bariatric patients. A little disappointing.

Hi! I am a nurse, in the hospital I work I did care for surgical Sleeve and RNY patients. I would say the most common description of the pain I have been told is “gas pain” which is alleviated by walking and with pain medicine. Of all the surgical patients I’ve cared for I’ve found Bariatric patients to be the most motivated to move after surgery and the pain is uncomfortable but not intolerable (I’ve not had a bariatric patient in tears from their pain if that helps you feel less anxious!). I used to be one of those people who saw bariatric surgery as “the easy way” until I cared for bariatric patients. Then I learned it is so much more than a surgery and it leads to life changes that improve quality of life.

My doctor's office gave me a list of therapists they recommend, and they informed me which would be covered by my insurance. The only pre-op aspect of my surgery that wasn't covered was my meeting with a nutritionist. I did ask my usual psychiatrist, but she recommended I go with one of the therapists my surgeon recommended, as they would be more familiar with Bariatric surgery than she was.

My insurance also changed from BCBS to Cigna during the process. It made things SO much easier. No supervised diet, no therapy. Had my surgery less than 3 months after my first bariatric visit which I was SO thankful for. I can't imagine being here 6 weeks out and still have months of waiting to go. I did have a letter from my PCP documenting his support and reminding the reviewer of my arthritis in weight bearing joints (which is already so much better). Other than that easy peasy.

VSG Surgery in scheduled for Sept 1, 2022. 4 years ago I started having a lot of gastric problems. Random and often vomiting, severe diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, etc. I had 2 colonoscopies and 2 endoscopes. Finally, diagnosed with gastritis and microscopic colitis but no reasons why those happened. I took lots of different meds, changed when and what I ate, etc. Nothing worked. It was so bad I was afraid to even leave my house at times. I went to a bariatric/general surgeon about a VSG. He ended up being just who I needed to help solve my huge gastric problem. At first, he said I would probably need to get a bypass instead of the VSG because he thought I may have had GERD/reflux. He sent me for another endoscope and discovered from the last endoscope (a year before) I had newly developed a hiatal hernia, stomach ulcers, and deformed pyloric. Did some more tests and found my stomach acid was about 5 times too much. My pancreas was not able to produce enough of the necessary stuff to neutralize the stomach acid traveling through the intestines, which in turned cause the gastritis and severe diarrhea. The bypass leaves a still somewhat function stomach so I will get VSG instead since it removes a large portion of the acid producing fundus. I will also get a repair for the hiatal hernia and pyloric. I am so thankful to my doctor for finding my gastric problems and explaining to me in a way I could understand. AND lose the weight, too! I ended up not having GERD/reflux at all, even I develop due to the VSG, I think I can handle it! Thanks for listening to my story!

VSG Surgery in scheduled for Sept 1, 2022. 4 years ago I started having a lot of gastric problems. Random and often vomiting, severe diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, etc. I had 2 colonoscopies and 2 endoscopes. Finally, diagnosed with gastritis and microscopic colitis but no reasons why those happened. I took lots of different meds, changed when and what I ate, etc. Nothing worked. It was so bad I was afraid to even leave my house at times. I went to a bariatric/general surgeon about a VSG. He ended up being just who I needed to help solve my huge gastric problem. At first, he said I would probably need to get a bypass instead of the VSG because he thought I may have had GERD/reflux. He sent me for another endoscope and discovered from the last endoscope (a year before) I had newly developed a hiatal hernia, stomach ulcers, and deformed pyloric. Did some more tests and found my stomach acid was about 5 times too much. My pancreas was not able to produce enough of the necessary stuff to neutralize the stomach acid traveling through the intestines, which in turned cause the gastritis and severe diarrhea. The bypass leaves a still somewhat function stomach so I will get VSG instead since it removes a large portion of the acid producing fundus. I will also get a repair for the hiatal hernia and pyloric. I am so thankful to my doctor for finding my gastric problems and explaining to me in a way I could understand. AND lose the weight, too! I ended up not having GERD/reflux at all, even I develop due to the VSG, I think I can handle it! Thanks for listening to my story!

Wow. Surgical regimes are so different. I had to inject blood thinners for a month even if I was running miles by then (I wasn't!) because of the serious risk of clots after bariatric surgery. I was prescribed a PPI for 4 weeks. I took it although I knew I was done with reflux within a few weeks of my sleeve, because my weight loss reduced my reflux symptoms so soon.

If I am required to see a therapist, then I want to actually get some benefit out of it instead of just randomly choosing a therapist. Does anyone have a therapist they recommend that: Accepts insurance Specializes in Eating Disorders and Bariatric patients Does sessions via Zoom/Teams/etc? Thanks!

I recently discovered these forums and I am super excited to explore and learn and hopefully help others, too. I have been overweight my entire life. Even when I was in elementary school. My dad gave me nicknames to try to get me to stop wanting to eat. Fat in the can, the Crisco Kid. He was funny and I love him dearly, but he had no idea of the forces behind my eating problems. And an old-school way of tough-love (never physical, but jokes, which can be bad too). Anyway, In '92 I enlisted in the Army Infantry. Yes, I lost enough weight to get in, and Boot Camp took care of the rest. Then slowly gained weight back while I was in, despite all of the running and pushups and "pleasant nature hikes." Weight became a problem and I was called out all the time. But I always passed my physical fitness tests, and always did my job and stayed out of trouble, so I was mostly left alone. Fast forward to today. Heaviest weight after the Army was 315 pounds (I am 6'2"), and now I am 275 pounds. Constantly up and down up and down. Discovered Engine 2 and stayed on it for 6 months, was down to my 250s, then simply could not stay on that diet, and pushed back up to my current 275. Finally went to Ohio State University's (OSU's) Bariatric program and in-processed trying to use BCBS. BCBS requires the last 5 years of weight history. I am apparently supposed to be under a medically supervised diet for 6 months. See a Dietician (end of this month) and a Psychiatrist (end of this month), and find my own Therapist and start having sessions. So no surgery until next year some time. HOWEVER, I changing jobs in a few weeks, and will now have Cigna Health Insurance. My OSU coordinator looked up Cigna and said they did *not* have a 6 month supervised diet, so if things go well I should be able to have surgery before the end of the year. SUPER excited! Going with bypass, not sleeve, because I became diabetic this past year (only taking Metformin to control), and have routine bad heartburn. It is a better fit. Anyway, that is me, and hopefully a new me is around the corner. I cannot wait for a fresh start in life, albeit a difficult start. Thanks for listening

Hello, I'm 6 days post-op from the sleeve and outside of terrible pain from my big incision. Normal, from what I've read. Anyway, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has watched people in our lives go through the dark side of WLS with unfortunate life changing experiences like transfer addiction. Seeing this happen to someone close to me really discouraged me for a long time from taking the leap. I finally got past that and while I don't regret doing it, I'm determined to not fall into that pattern. My first goal is to find a good therapist that has experience with bariatric patients. If anyone has recommendations or advice, I'd love to use this spot as a safe and productive place to discuss. Take care all! Sent from my SM-S908U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Have a look at Dr Matthew Weiner’s Pound of Cure book & his you tube videos. He’s a bariatric surgeon who supports a low animal protein diet. It may not be anything all that new but may make you more comfortable about how to manage your weight loss post surgery. A good dietician should help you devise a way of eating that is best for you, your health requirements & your eating preferences. The biggest ficus post surgery is your prirein intake (& fluids) but I’ve never heard anyone say they were restricted to getting their protein only from animal sources. Plenty of plant based protein shakes & powders, yoghurts, milk, etc. as you know you can eat to meet the goals you’ll be given. Initially after the surgery you will be on a staged return to eating diet. This is support your healing tummy & not put undue stress on your digestive system. There are some foods we’re not advised to eat during this period. But again a good dietician should be able to advise you of alternatives. Mind you many have refried beans on their list of recommended foods during the staged return to eating stages. While I was on keto for my pre surgery diet, I was not encouraged to follow it long term by my dietician: good for kickstarting a diet but not long term she advised. I had my own doubts about it so I was glad. Many of us use the weight loss stage to devise a way of eating that best suits our needs & preferences & don’t follow any specific ‘diet’. I mean if there was a diet that worked for everyone none of us would have been obese & needed surgery. Personally I’m a low fat, low carb (2 serves of whole/multigrain carbs a day), low sugar & high protein (absorption issue). Many vegetarians successfully have surgery so your eating preferences should not be a deterrent to you either once you find a supportive surgeon & dietician.

all surgeons are different. If it becomes an issue you can get prescribed it after surgery. I dont know what surgery you are having but one other medication i was prescribed after surgery was a medication called Ursodiol for 1 year after surgery. It dissolves gall stones which many (not all) get after rapid weight loss. other than that i got hydrocodone in liquid form, The PPI medication for 1 month (they refused to renew it but i didnt need it anymore) Anti nausea medication that was a green liquid, constipation medication (only needed that for a week or so) and that was it.

Small Medicine cups (bulk from Amazon) to measure out 2 ounces of liquid post surgery. Also a cheap digital food scale to weigh food once I got to solids. I also bought bariatric food containers (like Tupperware measured for protein, veggies, etc,), but NEVER ended up using them. I have a mini fridge I used, and still do, to keep my protein shakes upstairs so I don’t have to run down. Nice, but not necessary, Pre-surgery I had a snow cone/shaved ice machine and 0 calorie sugar free syrup. I thought I was going to die from so much drinking and not chewing. The 0 calorie snow cones were a g-dsend and saved my sanity. I called the dietitian freaking out about a day in when I was starving pre-op (only clear liquids). She told me to chew on ice cubes and after I told her off I asked about snow cones and was back in love with her when she said yes.

I went to one bariatric surgeon who said I'd have to go on the keto diet after surgery. I'm a vegetarian, and I have no desire to go on a diet that doesn't allow beans, complex carb grains, and minimally sweetened yogurt (the kind recommended by bariatric surgeons). If I tell another surgeon that I will not go on a keto diet after surgery, are they likely to deny my surgery?

They make bariatric multivitamins without iron. Most companies make them. I take pro care health with iron but I know they make one without as well as one with a lower amount of iron.

I understand, but the problem is that for most obese people, the number these simplistic calculators spit out is way too low. None of them take into consideration that obese people have things like enlarged hearts, denser bones, more blood volume, extra skin, etc. in addition to the fat. While some of those things will eventually change over time, it's not nearly as quick as the fat loss, especially for bariatric surgery patients. I've seen way too many people shoot for weights that are unrealistic and frankly would be unhealthy for them. That's why I said pick a higher number and reassess there.

I’m on a two week liquid diet and it’s been a killer (again! This is my second bariatric surgery.) I can have protein shakes or greek yogurt for my ‘meals’ every three hours. I would be lying if I said I had been perfect throughout this process. I’ve slipped up a few times by stealing a fry off my husbands plate or eating a couple of olives when I was simply sooo hungry. I’m going to have the hiatal hernia repair during my surgery on the 29th and the revision to RNY, as well. The GERD burns me up a lot of the time so I take esomeprazole in the morning and Pepcid in the evening. And thank goodness for Tums during the day!

MDT = multi - disciplinary team? Bariatric MTD perhaps mean you are to undertake some further actions with staff whose specialty is bariatric services? Doesn't sound like its all finished yet to me, but yes, its all guesses/speculation until you speak to the relevant person.

was where you were in 2020. I had my gallbladder removed, found out I had fatty liver with hepatic fibrosis, and was told I would not make it to 60 if I didn't lose weight. I was 48 at the time and just turned 51. I underwent the SADI-S on July 23rd, 2020, and lost 205 pounds. My high weight was 393 pounds at 5'3" inches tall. My liver enzymes are now in the normal range. Only you can decide if wls is right for you. It might be helpful to take your boyfriend to your appt. With a bariatric surgeon. Research as much as you can. Hopefully he will come around. There are people on this board who have family members and spouses aren't supportive. Luckily there is lots of support here. Your bf may just need to learn more about it. In the end, he will have to understand that this is YOUR decision. Good luck to you. Sent from my Pixel 5a using BariatricPal mobile app

Ive been referred for wls at guys and st Thomas. Im a little confused. So thanks to covid thibgs have changed and i know its a long wait for the NHS. I did the online session with the dietitians and psychologist as group session. Got a f2f at the hospital recently were they did the bmi, bloods medical history and talk to the dietitian. They said i don't have to complete tier 3 as ive done tge equivalent before seeing them. My bmi is 57 so they said it would straight to surgical options. Got sent the copy of the letter they send to your gp with all the blood results and medical and Kings obesity score on and at the bottom it says Outcome - attended f2f, discharge, bariatric mdt Does that mean its going to the surgeons to consider or that i didn't meet the criteria and have been discharged altogether etc etc. That 1 line in the whole thing is bugging me beyond belief. Anyone got any insight into their process or had similar and what was your outcome?

I just was sleeved on 8/16. I have been over 300 pounds for YEARS… but as long as I was able to do what I wanted and needed to - I didn’t see the need. Last year I hit my heaviest weight ever at 382… and I was like NOPE this isn’t happening. I worked my butt off to loose weight and had a good start. Then I got sick and we found out my liver was enlarged (like 3x the size it should be) and my fatty liver was progressing to NASH and my liver function tests were concerning my drs. Finally I was ready to consider surgery. I lost about 55 pounds from my heaviest leading up to my pre surgery diet (over about 9 months). I had a few set backs with having covid during that time. My endocrinologist was pleased with my liver reduction (through palpitations) and knowing I was scared about surgery told me if I kept making progress I could hold off on surgery if I wanted. But I was to worried that there would always be another “set back” and my liver wasn’t anything I wanted to mess with. I lost another 12 pounds on my pre op diet. I asked my surgeon how my liver looked after surgery (there was a chance I was also going to end up with a liver biopsy in addition to a hernia repair) and she told me my liver looked fantastic and to keep doing what I was doing - no need for the biopsy. There’s no guarantees that weight loss would reverse my liver condition - but it was my best shot. However I was told if I did nothing it certainly would continue to deteriorate. I’m not quite a week out. I’m sore - occasional movements hurt, at times a bit nauseous (not horrible) and I’m sick of the liquid diet … but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I have confirmation I’m on the right track and that means the world to me. I’m not looking to be a particular size or weight, I’m working towards being healthy and that includes my liver, joints and over all well being. My husband was supportive right from the beginning to do whatever I wanted to do. At times I wavered because I was scared - but he was my rock and honestly I think not doing something scared him more that the surgery (he was scared too). He sat in my drs appointment when the dr explained what the progression of my liver from NAFLD to NASH meant and what to expect if I didn’t make some real changes. My only advice is find a bariatric program you are comfortable with. It took me two tries. Have your boyfriend come along if he’s able and if not take someone you trust to be objective and SUPPORTIVE. Having that support helps. Also if you have a therapist talk to them about it - your concerns, fears, hopes for the outcome. And if you don’t have one, consider finding someone who deals with bariatric health. I see mine every two weeks and we always touch on where I’m at in the process - it has helped. No one can tell you what the right decision is for you, but I do hope you have support whatever you choose to do. Best of luck and please update how you are doing no matter what you decide.

Pre surgery I suffered from severe IBS (I think?). I actually don't have a clear answer. I had daily, debilitating cramping and issues with the bathroom...also, gas, bloating, and just the worst pain. Funny, when I wasn't eating after surgery, all of my GI issues went away. I am gluten, dairy, egg, soy, sugar free. Doesn't seem to matter, I am sick. My life doesn't feel worth living because these issues are so bad and so painful. I've been trying to take my bariatric vitamins and they are making my GI distress so much worse. I've even tried Flintstones, and I can't do those. I spent 1/2 my day or more in bed or on the bathroom floor writhing in pain...every day. Does anyone have any advice on the vitamins? I am scared because I had bypass, so I know I have to take them.. THank you.

I actually bought several different vitamins, from several different companies, and in a few different forms (capsules, chewables, soft chews). I've heard some people have issues with one or the other post-surgery. I'd rather have them now so I have choices if I end up needing them. I figure eventually, I'll be able to use them, even if I can't stomach some of them early on. I doubt I'll waste entirely them unless they are just really terrible. One thing I have not done is compare standard off-the-shelf vitamins to these supposed bariatric ones. I really want to know if there's a difference?

So I just wanted to point something out here. GERD and an ulcer are not the same thing. Having experienced both, I can say neither is fun. Certainly someone could have both conditions, but most likely, what you are experiencing is one or the other. Ulcers are basically a place where the lining has been damaged. These are most common in the stomach, but can occur in the esophagus or small intestine as well. ALL bariatric surgery patients are at some increased risk of these occurring, but they can happen to anyone, including non gastric surgery patients. GERD is a chronic condition due to recurring episodes where excess acid enters the esophagus from the stomach. Almost everyone has occasional acid reflux, but GERD is when this happens repeatedly. In most cases of GERD, the valve at the bottom of the esophagus is damaged or not working correctly for some reason. (Note that long term exposure of the esophagus to excess acid from GERD can cause an ulcer in the esophagus, but I digress.) Bypass patients almost never have problems with GERD, because the small pouch has very few acid producing cells. Sleeve patients on the other hand are more likely to experience GERD than the general population. This is thought to be due to the sleeve putting extra pressure on the esophageal valve. Both groups (sleeve and bypass), are subject to ulcers and are at more risk of them than the rest of the population. How to know the difference? WHERE it hurts is the biggest tell. if you are having a burning sensation in your chest or throat, that's likely GERD. Ulcers typically hurt in your belly. If you are having this issue, talk to your healthcare provider ASAP. Both conditions can have serious complications and you should not tough it out or hope it will go away.