My gastric bypass failed me. I lost weight very slow over 18 months, never made it to a reasonable goal, and was a very compliant patient with the rules and diet. During my weightloss phase, it was noted that my HR was in the low 40s. I saw a cardiologist and an endocrinologist for my thyroid. After many test, both could not find anything that would cause my low HR. I had nodules on my thyroid and my doctor followed those for 2 years without any changes. I maintained for 6 months, but I was starving, like I've always have after a diet when I lost 40-60 lbs. I tried waiting longer before drinking fluids after I ate, one hour and eventually two, but I was still hungry. So I increased my calories to 1400, then to 1500 a few months later. That's when I slowly regained half my weight loss over 2+ years. And my HR went back up to upper 50s.

I had the distal bypass 5 years later due to metabolic reasons. (My insurance would not pay for a DS due to my GERD) I could not lose weight on a 1200 calorie doctor supervised diet. I had to document my diet and see my pcp monthly for 4 months. It was also documented that as I reduced my calories from 1500, my resting HR also decreased down to low 40s. (My dietitian said I needed 1800 calories to maintain my weight) So my body was going back into starvation mode.

This was a 15 month process, which I was denied by my insurance twice. I did 2 dietitian supervised diets also (about 2 months each). And yes, I continued to gain weight during this process. My surgeon did an endoscopy and found my pouch stoma was normal, and I still have restriction now. Following the rules with always chewing food to mush, not drinking with meals and waiting 30+ minutes to drink fluids does keep the stoma from stretching.

My distal bypass has the pouch with the intestinal bypass of the DS. My common channel is 100cm and my alimentary limb is 250 cm. After surgery, initially I lost 25 lbs much quicker than the first time around, then it slowed down and stopped around 9 months out. I lost all my regain (67 lbs) eating more calories (high protein, moderate fat and low carb) and feeling more satisfied. But my HR is in the upper 40s. I reached back out to my endocrinologist, but I was told my thyroid levels were normal and no change in the nodules. After doing a lot of research over 6 months, I saw a functional medicine MD and was diagnosed with Hashimotos. (Endo MD never checked my antibodies) Currently being increased on NP Thyroid based on labs to get levels optimized.

Here is the daily regimen I was on with the first surgery. All were based on my labs. Protein 90 gms Complex carbs 125 gms Fat 40-50 gms. generic Centrium silver, dry Vit D 5,000 IU 3xday, Calcium citrate 500 mg 3xday, B12 1000 day, and switched to Proferrin ES 3xday 3 months before revision because not absorbing carbonyl iron. For constipation: Miralax daily and 1000 mg magnesium oxide.

Here is the daily regimen I'm on with the distal bypass. Very similar to the DS regimen. All are based on my labs. Protein 150 gms Fat 100-120 gms Complex carbs 75 gms. Two generic Centrium silver, Calcium citrate/Jarrows Bone Up 2400 mg in 4 divided doses, dry Vit D 50,000 IU 3xday, dry Vit A 25,000 IU 2xday, dry Vit K1 1xday, dry Vit E 400 IU 1xday MK-7 100 mcg 1xday, Magnesium glycinate 200 mg 6x day, Zinc 50 mg 2xday, Copper 2 mg 1xday, Primal Dense Ultra Probiotic 2xday. For constipation: Miralax 2xday Konsyl 4tsp.day, prescription for IBS-C. I'm not taking iron because I wasn't absorbing it. I was taking 6xday. I had first iron infusion a year ago. (I had anemia before any wls due to heavy periods. Proferrin ES did bring my levels up before the revision)

I don't get on this forum like I did 7 years ago. I'm on 4 FB private DS groups. There are a couple of distal bypass groups, but it's not as informative, so I left both. I have checked to notify me if anyone replies.

I'm on my 3rd go around as well. Band in 2008- band slipped and was removed 2016. Sleeved in 2016 and thanks to raging excessive gerd (Barretts Esophagus) I'm having a bypass in 11 days. EEK!!! So a surgery and then a surgery to fix the surgery to fix the surgery. I'm done after this. I'm just so done...

Fingers crossed this is your final surgical step in the WLS journey.

I had Gastric Bypass in 2009 and lost 50 pounds. I'm now 50 pounds heavier then I was before surgery. I need help and I don't know that I'll ever have money to be a cash patient. Anyone in Utah have any luck with insurance?

Hello, I just joined this organization, but maybe something I can share will help you as you go through this turn of events in your weight loss journey. I had a sleeve in December of 2008 and did really well for nine years. I lost 135 lbs which was really close to my goal of -150 and kept the weight off. But in January of 2018 I had some episodes of choking and vomiting that I thought were due to eating food too fast. I was living in a country not very familiar with sleeve patients and although I told the doctor about my altered anatomy, he diagnosed me with a hiatal hernia and treated that condition with Prilosec. After six weeks, the vomiting and choking was increasing in frequency and I was pretty much on liquids but even those sometimes would not go down. He increased the Prilosec and told me I might be eating too much, too fast, too fatty, or too spicy. After the third visit, he recommended surgical correction of the hernia, but my instincts told me not to let someone unfamiliar with bariatric patients operate on me. I kept going, knowing I needed to see my surgeon back in the US but also not being able to go bac****il June of 2018. By the time I arrived in the States, I was vomiting 5-10 times a day and really miserable. The surgeon in the US was very upset and said, "You're not going to like what you're about to hear." He proceeded to tell me that a particular suturing technique that had been used on my sleeve (back when sleeves were rather new) was creating a scar that had rolled inward and was physically blocking the path. The only correction that would last (in his expert opinion) was revision. He wrote an urgent letter my insurance company stating that this was an emergency revision and medically necessary. I had the revision done on July 9, 2018. I flew out of the States to a brand new country on July 29, scared to death! I have not vomited since July 9 which is a sweet relief! I have lost a lot of my strength during the sickness prior to and the recovery after. I have also lost 30 more pounds. I joined this organization though because I have struggled with a lot of feelings of loss after the revision, because my sleeve and I were a very happy couple. My gastric bypass is a lot more strict in that there is NO WAY I can even have one sip of carbonation at all without dire effects. My lifestyle with the sleeve was so easy that I never told anyone outside of my immediate family I had it! For over 9 years, I was "passing" as a normal person. But this revision: there is so much more to passing that it became impossible and I had to confess to some new friends why I am not interested in the brunch buffets, mimosas, and happy hours that normally I could enjoy to a small extent. Now there is nothing there I can enjoy. It is better than vomiting for sure, but I still need this support group to make a new path for myself. So it's been a couple of months since your original post. How are feeling now and what is the plan for the future?

the other one is John Rabkin in San Francisco