Gastric Bypass in 2 months

[fontofnoknowledge]

I would like to know if anyone on here has had a Gastric Bypass. I have jumped through all the hoops and am now just waiting for surgery date which should be in the next 8 Weeks. I would like to hear from anyone who has had a Bypass or Sleeve . (Not a band it's a very different Operation) .
It appears to be a very taboo subject on MN - (I have even felt the need to name change) and despite there being hundreds of threads on the latest diet, there is surprisingly little about the only scientifically proven longterm sustainable weight loss treatment for those with obesity or morbid obesity.
I am after any advice for the immediate post op period and the process of moving from liquids to solids and any other advice really.

[KeepCalm]

My BMI is currently sitting at 41 so this thread is a great wealth of information.

Well done ladies and thank you, you've made me a slightly braver about considering this.

Can someone explain the difference between a band and a sleeve?

Would anyone mind sharing the cost of private treatment?

[KeepCalm]

Ignore me re difference, I googled!!

[Sofabitch]

A band just restricts a portion of the stomach off its reversible and the whole stomach remains. A sleeve they remove most of the stomach leaving a tube.

The clinic i used offered fixed prices.
6k band
10k sleeve
14k by pass

With a 1k suppliment if your bmi was over 50

[fontofnoknowledge]

14 k is very very expensive for Bypass. My surgeon who is one of the 'tv' doctors from a programme called the Fat Doctors (I've not seen it yet) is a world leader in Bariatric surgery and teaching. He quoted 10k with 2 yr follow up.

The difference between band and Sleeve /Bypass is also very noticeable in outcomes. Band has such a high rate of slippage/over tightening causing medical issues that the NHS does very very few these days. It is too reliant on people 'being honest ' and not liquidising sugary stuff to slip through the narrow restriction. (And obese people tend not to be super honest in food matters !) The stomach is the same size , so if people do this, they will get fatter despite a band.
You cannot do this on a Bypass/Sleeve because there isn't any stomach to put huge quantities in-as well as a complete change to gut hormones that changes hunger to virtual non existence.

[fontofnoknowledge]

Did anyone see the document on BBC1 last night. ? I thought it was excellent and really interesting. Fascinating to see that genes and gut biome really does have a powerful effect on appetite and how our bodies lay down fat.
Also really brilliant to hear the presenter say they Bariatric surgery is still the only long term sustainable solution but only 1: 100 can access it due to funding.
At 6k a surgery for Bypass surely the bean counters in the NHS can get their heads out their arses and realise the money this will save !!

However the last part of the programme. The hormone drugs mimicking the gut changes after Bariatric surgery - devised at Imperial college. Now that is really interesting...

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

I had a sleeve five years ago. I lost ten but have put two back on and am now fighting the snack urges. After the op you will be given full details of what to do. I was two weeks clear broths and squash, two weeks thin soups, two weeks thick soups, yogurts and custard then two weeks sloppy food e.g stews, shepherds pie, then finally onto solids. It took forever but was so worth it.

Now I am still bigger than I would like, I still have PCOS so weight is a life long battle but I would do it again in a heart beat. My aim is to lose a stone of more in the next six months as I sort my eating out and train for a half marathon the 25 stone me would never have been able to do!

[picklemepopcorn]

Well done! And to everyone else who is battling with this.

[stayingaliveisawayoflife]

Today’s lunch. Protein is the key and having healthy snacks. I buy packs of cooked chicken to snack on and that saves me. Also v8 juice to drink when no room for veggies.

[gryffen]

Hiya

Yeah still loosing but I'm doing the SW plan during pregnancy and then I can revert back to what's needed after baby etc

About the baby spoons etc- defo not infantile idea for us as it was down to portion size and what our NHS surgeon and nutrition expert advised as the whole choking thing - no offence was meant - just what w9rked for us.

At surgery i was 201kg, im now 141kg and I lost 10kg during the 2 week preop diet which is actually a test for us - d9nt lose enough weight and they cancel the surgery as you haven't followed the plan.

As for what I can do now after surgery is pretty cool and it's running around after toddler, the IIH has improved, knees and back hurt less- exercise is easier and safer to do since I'm a qualified scuba diver.

Oh can just enjoy life more.

[Sofabitch]

i'm already on thick soups yoghurts and custards 1 week post op.

[fontofnoknowledge]

Can I ask all you lovely people who have been so open with their journeys - a more personal question. ? How has being fat affected your relationship with your SO ? If you have had the op and significant weight loss, has it improved or harmed your relationship?
My husband and I (sound like the queen ☺️) have struggled with my weight gain as I have always been slim. My wg has happened via medication over the last 6 years. He loves me to bits but understandably does not fancy the 6 stone heavier me, which I understand as I don't find myself at all attractive.

Conversely I have seen a number of documentaries on wls, where relationships have not stood up to the 'new slim confident you' especially when the relationship was initiated with the 'fatter you' .

Hope you don't mind me asking ? and understand if no one wants to discuss this side of things.

[Sofabitch]

I think I was pretty over weight when we met and that DH is a terrible feeder. He has a shockingly bad diet. He's always been 100% adiment that I'm not fat... even when I clearly am. I've never found him very supportive of my attempts to diet historically. So I basically realised that I was going to have to do this with out his support.

It will be interesting to see how this changes us.

[fontofnoknowledge]

That's interesting, being married to a 'feeder' seems quite common. Mine is also a bit of a feeder but annoyingly he is super slim. BMI about 23.So he feeds me whilst staying slim himself .. grrrr

[fontofnoknowledge]

Hey Sofabitch and Anythingconsidered. Hows is it going ? Is the pain subsiding and life getting back to normal ?xx

[Sofabitch]

Pain is massively subsided. Just the odd dull ache in the abdomen if i overdo it, and bending to pick things off the floor is still uncomfortable. But no longer painful. I also can't lift anything heavy as that still hurts a bit.

I'm finding it incredibly easy. I'm eating soft foods, fish/cheese/eggs/yoghurts absolutely fine. Went to town yesterday and was able to walk my youngest to school today.

I'm struggling to fit in 6 meals a day. But I'm managing 5 a day.

All the dressings are off and the wounds are looking great.

Today I ate
100g fat free strawberry greek yogurt
100g prawns in light marie rose sauce
Tin of mackerel in tomato sauce
Then tonight I had some chicken breast (about 1/10th) with fajita spice and sour cream/guacamole/salsa. I had to shred the chicken breast and chew really well. But it was fine. And nice to eat with the family.

I've also dropped a dress size !!

[Sofabitch]

I also had 2 light dairylea triangles as a snack.

Q

[AnythingConsidered]

I'm doing well too.

No pain, scars are healing really well (one feels bumpy, but the others are brilliantly flat)

Struggling to get 2 litres of water in. I'm only getting to around 1.25-1.5 litres.

Food wise, I'm eating around 600 calories a day. There is no way i can get to 60g of protein though, like my team have asked. But rather than stressing about it, i'm just focusing on getting as much protein as i can!

Yesterday I had:

• 1 x shredded wheat, warmed with lots of milk & mixed with protein powder and honey
  
• 200g of fish pie - eating the salmon, pollock and prawns first and then the mash potato
  
• 4 x matzo crackers with cream cheese
  
• 200ml of semi skimmed milk with ovaltine
  

I had been crushing my multi vitamins into my food, but now the food is more solid, it taste disgusting, so I'm going out today to buy chewable ones.

I still have no desire to eat as such. I am eating because I know I need to. Every now and then my head tells me I 'fancy' something (ice cream or biscuit), but i don't actually want it or need it. I guess that will take a while for my head to adjust.

Back to work in a few days :(

[Sofabitch]

I'm doing great on liquids.

My scars are the same...the bigger one on the left is bumpy and not flat like the others...its also where most the pain is. Apparently that is where they pull the stomach out.

Oh and today I'm currently wearing jeans that haven't fit in a few years. Ive gone down a size!

[Sofabitch]

Anything- have you been prescribed forcival? I just picked up my prescription today

[Oblomov18]

Reading with interest. Dh is near the end of the process and us due to meet surgeon to discuss dates, soon.

[AnythingConsidered]

Sofabitch no Forceval for me. Is that the multi vitamins stuff?

I have to purchase my own (but used my Costco membership for the super duper large packet!).

[AnythingConsidered]

Oblomov good luck to your husband. Would recommend you go to the surgeon too as it will help your understanding of what he will be going through and you can asknamt questions you might have as well.

[creampie]

Just some info for those who were refused this procedure. Currently there is research into hormone injections which will mimic the internal environment of people who have had WLS. We think this is likely to be the main way people lose weight after surgery, rather than it being due to the decreased intake of food per se. The clinical trials are at the patient trial stage, so if all goes well it won't be long before this is available as an alternative treatment providing the NHS agreed to fund its use and doesn't put stupid restrictions on it in the same way as with WLS

[creampie]

I wasn't knocking the choice of weight loss surgery, just to be clear, just pointing out that there may be an alternative soonish for those who don't qualify for funding reasons

[Sofabitch]

yes that is the multivitamin stuff, but the tablets are huge. Also has anyone told you how long you have to be on the proton pump inhibitors?

I thought it was only a month, but the GP has prescribed me it indefinitely on repeat. I'll check with my surgeon when I see.

I'm having terrible pain in my left shoulder.... google is freaking me out.