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Yikes! Sorry to hear you've had some complications! Def. go at your own pace and per your doc's instructions.

Hi! I am 10 years post sleeve surgery. I had my sleeve back in 2010, when the procedure what relatively new. I had the procedure done as an outpatient. I was cash pay and had no follow-up. Everything seemed to go well. I started at over 350lbs, and made it to 219lbs. I was ecstatic! I was no longer a diabetic, I no longer had high blood pressure. I no longer had an appetite. Being a cash pay, I was unable to afford a plastic surgeon, so I carried and still carry a bit of skin. So, here I am, 10 years after. My weight today is 251lbs. I still believe I have been successful. I can still shop at Macy's and not have to order everything online. I gained weight, yes, but I have also gained confidence. After so long, my struggle with food is slowly returning. I am so afraid, that I started the process of looking into revision surgery. The surgeon that I have, at the hospital that I work at, will not revise a sleeve, but will revise a sleeve with bypass surgery. She states that there is a 100% complication rate, from things as small as a UTI to death. I would love to know more about this. Insurance has approved the revision. I have already had the medical testing, upper GI, and will be meeting with the psychiatrist and dietician next week. I would love to chat and hear stories from anyone who is considering revision surgery. I want to hear all of the good, bad and ugly. Please feel free to reach out at any time. I am new to this forum and would love gain support, information and be of support to others going through the same battles. Thanks! Jolynn Let me know if you would like to chat further, I can be reached by email also. If anyone is in the Seattle area, let's start a group!

Day 5 update: Second lymphatic massage yesterday and it also helped. I wake up really swollen so i got a heating pad to help. Followed up with my amazing surgeon yesterday and we discussed follow ups, complication signs, how to care for my new belly button and incisions. I also purchased my Colombian Faja (compression garments) yesterday and discuss low salt diet to reduce swelling/bloating with the shop owner. No weight taken, and removed skin was not weighed either but OR pictures were given to me 😳 I slept in a bed last night and getting in and out alone was a bit of a struggle, but not on pain meds today... Maybe before bed ON MY WAY HOME ❤

Hi JRT Mom, my first set of ulcers were related to H Pylori. This time around they tested for H Pylori but it was negative. I don’t use a lot of NSAIDS so I’m not really sure what the culprit is. I had my gallbladder removed shortly after I was told I had Ulcers in 2011 (sludge). The MRICP revealed no pancreatic or duct complications but it did reveal I have Hepatic Steatosis (non alcoholic fatty liver disease). In 43 and so finding this out was a shock & that is why I have really decided I need to do something about my weight. I’ve already been told my cholesterol was high and was diagnosed with Hashimotos Hypothyroid about 2 years ago. I will definitely make an appointment with my gastroenterologist to discuss bariatric surgery and to get his input.

Some minor complications from surgery. I’m walking much more than I was last week. I know everyone’s experience is different so I’m just following my own path.

Glad you are here for support. 2012 was a bit ago. What works for me is logging my food and exercise. Also not drinking the 30 min before or after meals except wine - which I drink with meals. Also getting all that water in during the day. Thirst for me is like hunger. As an aside all morbidly obese persons have a eating disorder specific to mental illness. Mostly just a lack of knowledge and bad habits or complicated co ca-morbidity I did not have A nutritionist which would have been great. Good vibes sent to you!!!

I’ve been there. I had gained back 75 pounds after 6 years. I had enough. I still had the tool, and started making drastic changes. I went back to basics. I started my all liquid diet again and went from there. I started logging all my food again and drinking only water. Also weighing myself daily. To me when the food is logged I cannot run from it. I started getting conscious of my snacks. I know at work there is always temptation and at home as well. I got back in touch with my surgeon and got the kick in the bud I needed. I was re-educated on my daily needs, as well as getting back on a good bariatric multivitamin. It can be done, the tool never go away. In June 2019 I was at 168 after losing 20 pounds gradually over 2 years. I saw a picture of myself and knew I wasn’t happy with myself. I went though surgery hell with all my complications and was so mad at myself. In June I decided to start, like I said, with the basics. I have now lost 40 pounds in 7 months. To say my tool is still there is an understatement. I also started on my head work, and realized I had to grow there too. You can do this. You are here and that’s the first step. Come here for support. My real life people don’t understand my food issues. Here there is always someone with good support and advice. Good luck in your new journey.

Cigarette smoke can cause ulcers in your stomach lining and cause you to have more surgeries, endoscopies, and other complications after surgery. Nicotine is not an appropriate treatment for anxiety. See your PCP or a therapist for actual treatment for your anxiety, don't self-medicate with dangerous chemicals.

STAY ON UR SURGEONS DIETS But this is just what my surgeon told me. My surgeon is Dr. Snyder Denver Bariatric center of excellence. ( he is the head surgeon in the US is on the board for bariatric and other things he fixes all the complications and problems from other surgeons he has patients fly from all over even out of the US to see him. Some patients come from London New Zealand etc) BUT he told me that the size of ur liver has nothing to do with it. They thought that it did in the past but new studies show the complications that arose from “large livers” where actually surgeon error 😳 so his patients and the other surgeons that work along and with him in the Denver center do not require a liquid diet etc for weeks before hand to “shrink liver” He said it’s also a mental tool the surgeons can use on us. It’s test our will power ( which he also mentioned is a reason he does not do this. It causes us a lot of unneeded stress and anxiety while we r already preparing for such a huge change we do not need this stress) he said it’s cruel to have patients on such a long liquid diet. Because the patients think they HAVE to follow this strict liquid diet due to the size of their livers a medical need in reality it is not. He explained a whole lot about it to me. And it made me really sad PLEASE FOLLOW UR SURGEONS DIET. I am not saying to go off the diet. But try not to let it control u mentally because that’s what they r hoping for. And I am so sorry that you all have to go through this. 🥺 I have listed my requirements previously. But Here they r again if anyone is interested? I have to do a clear liquid diet for 48hours to clean out the stomach and intestines ( he explained this is for medical reasons) and nothing 8 hours before surgery. That is the only requirement. For all his patients. And we all have “livers” and I’m sure they are all abnormally large due to our weight

Doctors advance you at their rate because it keeps the motility of your digestive system intact. Ask your surgeon if he wants you to stay on liquids longer than prescribed without good cause (complication) and the answer may surprise you...

Sigh. Never thought I’d post something like this online, but I’m freaking out a bit & need advice! Also this could very much be TMI for many, so if it is, I apologize. I had major complications after my sleeve (4/2018). My new surgeon figured it all out, and I’m being revised to a bypass January 13th. I’m currently on my presurg liquid diet. I have a new boyfriend, and we slept together for the first time tonight. (Yay!) I have the Mirena IUD. It’s >99% effective for preventing pregnancy. This is why I have it. We used a condom the first go, but the 2nd & 3rd tonight... well, we didn’t. I know they’ll do a pregnancy test at the hospital before surgery, and they will cancel it if I test positive. So here’s my question - for that less than 1% chance, should I take Plan B just to be safe for surgery? I hate worrying over this. This is why I got to IUD... to not worry! But now I’m paranoid that this could mess up my revision. (Please don’t lecture me. I’m freaked out enough. Just need some honest advice. Thanks! 💜)

Hi , Im 15 days post op and i lost about 14 kg in first 13 days , but about last 2 or 3 days i didnt lose even 0.1 kg and im worried if its going like this . Could stomach strech in these first days ? im all the time worried about the surgery complications such as obstruction and leakage . I went to my psychologist and she saied you have obssesive thoughts . Sent from my SM-G955F using BariatricPal mobile app

I haven't had surgery yet--still waiting for my date. Only my significant other knows and I plan to keep it that way. Unfortunately, the lay public still does not understand the disease of obesity. Even medical professionals don't understand. When I asked my PCP for a referral to the medical and surgical weight loss program, she was skeptical and said "what do you think this is going to do for you that you can't do for yourself?" I just don't think most people can appreciate the decision we're faced with: a) stay on a path of poor health with attendant medical complications or b) have someone cut into you and fundamentally alter your anatomy and physiology. It's not exactly like "b" is an "easy" choice but for those that don't understand, I guess it appears that way. It's funny, culturally, we don't perceive other elective surgeries as the easy way out. I can't imagine anybody passing judgment on someone who has knee replacement surgery and frankly in many ways, the more I learn about bariatric surgery, the more easily justifiable it is compared with many other surgeries.

He did. They even coded it as a surgery for acid reflux. But the insurance company says it is to fix a complication due to complications from weight loss surgery, which is not true at all. My insurance also said my doctor cannot call and do a peer to peer to fight for me, only I can do an appeal which the doctors offices think I cannot win just because of the way they are refusing everything.

I just found out today I was denied for a revision because even though it's for GERD my insurance says the GERD is a complication from weight loss surgery and therefore they won't pay. I hate insurance!

is your insurance paying for the bypass? mine (bcbs of ks) just denied mine. they are saying the reflux is a complication of the prior weight loss surgery, which is not necessarily true.

Sorry for all your complications, but on a positive note it sounds like it was fortuitous that you went in for surgery, as they found a serious problem and fixed it. your intestines grumbling are a good sign, as that is what determines you can go home from the hospital after surgery. It means everything is working. i also had a screwed up throat after, primarily due to the tube and camera that were down my throat during surgery. I lived on cough drops for 3 days after. i don't quite understand your water issue. You first state that you were told to drink water, and then state that you are on a no water rule? What givens with that? Water is your friend, and you should be taking in more than 64oz per day unless you have some very bizarre orders that I have never heard of. keep the faith !

I can't really help with first part - regarding the open surgery.I had a tough surgery lasted almost 4 hours cause some complications. I did feel the same way first 10 - 15 days Also had trouble with controling bowell movement I was on liquids for 4 weeks and understan you well in that mater Also had issues with "feeling" and knowing when I'm hungry. I honestly think you have been trough a lot and you must give your body time to heal specialy cause it was an open surgery. Recovery is longer , harder I had laparoscopic surgery and had a lot of difficulties with moving around - like you said walk for few min and felt like I've been runing a marathon [emoji28] Give yourself time and keep in touch with surgeon and your medical team Sent from my SM-J500FN using BariatricPal mobile app

As far as exercise goes, my doc said to work toward 10,000 steps a day with a step tracker. I started walking within hours of surgery and was up to 10,000 steps by day 7 post op. I gradually added stair climbing and wall pushups. Then some leg exercises and very light weights for upper body. I worked up to walking 5K at least 3 times a week, and then got a bicycle. I finished a sprint triathlon (400 meter swim, 14 mile bike, 5K run/walk) 8 months after my surgery. Then I finished a 50 mile bike race a month later. I am currently training for another tri in March and the ultimate of ultimates - a one day rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike, which will be 24 miles of all down and then all up. I currently ride my bike twice a week (30 and 16 miles), do 5 mile hill hikes twice a week, Elliptical machine twice a week. Daily routine includes pushups/arms/upper body weights, leg routine, 30 flights of stairs, stretches, and of course at least 10,000 steps. (At this writing I actually have over 19,000 steps today so far.) All of these numbers will greatly increase as the year progresses. I want to do a 100 mile bike race in November and will be gradually working up to at least 80 mile rides before then. The GC hike will be in October and by then I should be doing 70 flights of stairs/day, and working up to 20 mile day hikes. I am focused more on endurance events, but do the weights to keep muscle strength and tone. I am amazed at how fun and enjoyable it has been to see my body changing, becoming more fit, and able to meet all new challenges. My resting heart rate is now in the low 40's. I have no pain, stiffness, or soreness, even after long workouts. Once you are healed - GO FOR IT! There is no stopping you!!!! Be very careful to follow all recommendations for weight lifting. Do not cheat on this. You do NOT want to go back for hernia surgery, which will lay you up even longer and has its own set of complications. To your second question - bariatric surgery is the perfect answer for us who have yo-yo dieted for much of our lives. Doing so has wrecked our metabolisms and short circuited to stomach-hormone-brain connections that tell us when we are hungry and when we are full. Remember the contestants on "The BIggest Loser?" Most of them gained all their weight back, and with slower metabolisms as a result of the weight loss. They could not sustain, because they had to eat so much less. What is really neat about bariatric surgery is that the metabolism gets a change to reset. Your body gets a chance for a complete "do-over." You will lose the weight and finally have the best chance possible at keeping it off for good. WLS is only a tool - and the lifestyle modification is up to you, but it is a powerful new start to a new life for many of us. Personally, I feel better now than I did 30 years ago! I am more active, have less pain, and have eliminated every co-morbidity. I am determined that I WILL NEVER GO BACK. This is my chance for a new life, and I am grabbing it by the horns and not letting go. Sorry for the long reply. I wish you the best in whatever decision you make. For me, there was no yo-yo left. I just couldn't do it anymore. Maybe being a bit older (63) gives me a different perspective - I knew surgery was my last shot. Best decision I ever made. One of the biggest challenges for me was to find a way to eat enough calories to sustain my exercise without losing any more weight. With a small pouch and volume restrictions, I've had to change some things. I found a hydration/nutrition system that works for me during long rides or hikes. I also have moved to a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet which provides more carbs and a lot more energy, without compromising protein. I feel like Wonder Woman since starting on it! Watch "The Game Changers" on Netflix if you want to see how some world class athletes are dealing with nutrition.

So I was banded back in 2012. I was about 420 Pre-Op. At one point, I was down to 250, but my wife said my face looked too thin. Anyway, I had plastic surgery to remove loose skin and had a complication from it leading to a MRSA infection. While recovering from it, my Bariatric Doctor took all the fluid from my band to let me heal. Afterwards, we could never dial it in quite right again. Always either too tight or too loose. Since the skin removal, I've put back on about 100 lbs. Fastforward to a few months ago. I started having weird GI issues (Diarrhea every 13 days with severe nausea). I would get very strong dry heaves (nothing coming up because of the band). I go into the Hospital a few weeks ago and a CT says my band moved. Since the heaving, I cannot sleep through the night and vomit at 3 am even if I ate little to nothing. I had a Upper GI done and the doctor said there was a much larger pouch above my band than there should be and it drains slowly (even though my band is empty completely right now). I know something wasn't right since I lost 11 lbs with my band empty because of the "Involuntary Bulimia" I had. So now I am trying to decide what to do. I have read if a lap band slips once, it is more likely to slip again. When I was having trouble getting the lap band right again after the MRSA issue, I asked about conversion to a Gastric Sleeve. My doctor said I did so well with the band before the problems, he wanted to stay with the band. I'm debating if I should just ask him to fix the band or to remove it and convert to a GS instead. I am so tired of never eating bread or other foods because they block. I would love to be able to eat anything, just be full sooner because of the GS. Any one here have advice from being in a similar situation?

I think that weird sensation I had where I touched one spot on my incision I could feel it halfway up my torso FINALLY went away. That was freaky. Hey, this is like the only surgery I've ever has where I didn't have horrible complications. I'll take it! lol. And also my breast reduction. Maybe I am just made for plastic surgery.

Yes, 100%. It's really as simple as CICO - calories in, calories out. Nothing more than that. Do some people have added complications that make it tougher to analyze? Yes. But I'm willing to bet that for 90%+ of the people that WLS doesn't work for there's an underlying compliance issue that can be to blame. Comparing this to a drug or anything else is apples to oranges. Different mechanic of action.

unless there's something mechanically wrong with your bypass, it's sort of pointless to revise it. Other than the DS, it's the strongest surgery out there at the moment. If the problem is behavioral, revising it to something else isn't going to help you long term - you have to tackle whatever the problem is, or you're eventually going to have the same issue with the next surgery. revising from RNY to DS is a complicated and supposedly risky surgery that only a handful of surgeons are qualified to do. There are no other surgeries I know of that you can revise to from RNY other than DS.

Those 3 months will pass quickly. I know that you must be disappointed but you have to believe that the surgeon knows best. You definitely don’t want complications if you can help it. Hang in there.

It was an exciting 2019. After 20 years of considering WLS, I finally had my appointment with a surgeon in May when I weighed the heaviest that I ever have weighed at 230 pounds. At my height of 5'1", this placed me at a BMI of 43.5. During my 6-month pre-op-required nutrition intervention, I got myself down to 205 pounds. A 25-pound weight loss is not bad! But, it is not something I haven't done before. After all, I have been on a diet off-and-on since the age of 13. I am really good at losing weight, but I am even better at gaining it all back plus some every time I have any significant success. I suspect I have lost close to 560 pounds in the past 33 years. With all the ups and down of my weight, my metabolism is surely a mess. My gastric bypass surgery was December 11th. I am so thankful that it went smoothly and complication-free. Yes, I had significant gas-related abdominal pain and, yes, I was sore and uncomfortable at my surgical sites for about 2 weeks, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Since my surgery three weeks ago, I have lost 16 pounds. Of course, this is mostly due to my liquid-only diet during the first 2 weeks pre-op. At 189 pounds, I now weigh close to the weight I was before my first son was conceived - a weight that I haven't weighed in 16 years!! As I get ready to watch the ball drop on 2020, I am so excited for all the weight that I will lose in the upcoming year. I am even more excited to re-set my metabolism so that I can maintain my weight loss. However, I am most excited to get healthy for perhaps the first time in my adult life.