Considering revision to Bypass. What is bypass life like?
I was banded 9 years ago, and all was well until earlier this year when my band stopped causing restriction. I went to see a surgeon today, and was told the bypass would be a better option for me ( rather than re-banding or sleeve), and would lead to the most success in weight loss. My concern is life after bypass. I enjoy cooking and obviously eating. I became more into sweets once I got banded, but am told now that after bypass, sweets will likely be difficult to handle. For anyone that has already gotten the bypass, what is it like once you recover? How are you eating? What are you eating? After being banded, people always wondered why I ate so little, and slow, but what are your food options post surgery with a bypass? Lastly, for those further out from surgery date, have you become accustomed to the bypass life? I remember that with the band, it just became who I was in terms of food selection. It was based on what would pass through the band. Now with the rerouting, is the adjustment that much more difficult? How long until it all becomes normal? (recovery from surgery, return to normal routine, avoiding dumping etc.)
I was banded 9 years ago, and all was well until earlier this year when my band stopped causing restriction. I went to see a surgeon today, and was told the bypass would be a better option for me ( rather than re-banding or sleeve), and would lead to the most success in weight loss. My concern is life after bypass. I enjoy cooking and obviously eating. I became more into sweets once I got banded, but am told now that after bypass, sweets will likely be difficult to handle. For anyone that has already gotten the bypass, what is it like once you recover? How are you eating? What are you eating? After being banded, people always wondered why I ate so little, and slow, but what are your food options post surgery with a bypass? Lastly, for those further out from surgery date, have you become accustomed to the bypass life? I remember that with the band, it just became who I was in terms of food selection. It was based on what would pass through the band. Now with the rerouting, is the adjustment that much more difficult? How long until it all becomes normal? (recovery from surgery, return to normal routine, avoiding dumping etc.)
tl;dr at almost nine years out the only thing I would have done differently is to have the surgery sooner. Recovery/postop life changes for everyone. Don't forget to check out the Duodenal Switch and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy before making your choice.
Hi! My surgery was almost nine years ago and I can answer some of your questions. I'm glad the band worked for you and I'm also glad your surgeon is suggesting it come out so you can revise to safer and more effective surgery.
As far as your questions:
what is it like once you recover? Do you mean after recovering from the actual surgery? For me there was a transition as my body healed, just as there would be or any surgery. The biggest challenge a lot of people (me included) confront is the graduated return to a full diet. It's hard at the beginning to get in enough water an protein, and then it can get hard again not advancing your diet as rapidly as others may be. Different surgeon's have different post op eating restrictions.
How are you eating? At this far out I eat several small "meals" each day. For me, a "meal" can be a couple of cheese cubes with maybe a few nuts. I don't do many sweets because I am one of those who suffers from "dumping". Because those of us who have had RnY no longer have a pyloric valve any sweets we eat pass into the small intestine all at once. Dumping *does not* equal diarrhea regardless of how it sounds. Symptoms are racing heart, dizziness, faintness, difficulty breathing, flushing. Along with dumping, many of us suffer from Reactive Hypoglycemia, which is a drastic and possibly dangerous sudden drop in blood sugar. Fortunately for me, I don't have any problems with either dumping or RH as long as I watch my sugar intake.
Other than those two things, I eat pretty much like a "normie". The main difference being that I work very hard to eat a protein forward diet. Dense protein until almost full, a few bites of non-carby veggies if room. Refined carbs are greatly limited. If I have any it is only three to five bites and that is on a very rare occasion.
What are you eating? Regular foods - I don't have any restrictions and if I want something I can have it. I eat lots of meat and plenty of vegetables. I can also eat breads, fruits and sweets but don't do so very often. Those foods just aren't good for me.
what are your food options post surgery ? Immediately post-surgery, for the first eight weeks, my diet was provided for me by my surgeon. It was pretty restrictive but different surgeons have different approaches. Weeks one and two for me were clear liquids. Weeks three and four were full liquids. Weeks five and six were purees. Weeks seven and eight were soft foods. When I got to week nine I was cleared for all foods.
Lastly, for those further out from surgery date, have you become accustomed to the bypass life? You know, I never thought of it that way - as a "bypass life". It's just my life. I can eat anything if I really want it, most days I don't think of my surgery at all. If it does cross my mind it's likely because I am feeling grateful for being able to do things that would not have been possible for me nine years ago. Like sitting on the floor and playing with grandsons, fitting in restaurant booths, walking through the mall, doing the dishes without soaking the front part of my shirt because of my big belly, wearing necklaces because they all fit, wearing the kind of boots that go up to the knee for the first time in my life, walking through the grocery store without draping myself over a basket, buying clothes in the "regular" clothing sections... You can see I could go on and on.
I hope some of this helps. I talk too much and I tend to write too much as well. My only, and I do mean ONLY regret is that I didn't get the surgery sooner. It literally saved my life.
Also, and I should have mentioned them sooner, don't forget to look at the other two major weight loss surgeries. The Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy is one, and the Duodenal Switch is the other. Both are just as good of a decision as the RnY. It really depends most on what will work with your lifestyle and goals. There are forums for each of these surgeries here on OH as well. You may want to ask these same questions there.
You appear to be going into this with your eyes wide open and that is crucial. Good luck, whatever you decide.
Amy, thank you so much for your reply. I read through it all and you ease a lot of my concerns regarding life after surgery. The main one remains, the lack of sugar, and the resulting dumping that occurs if you mess that up. Sweets became more of my thing after getting the band. What worries me is all those foods where sugar hides. Reading the symptoms of dumping, how do most people not worry they are having a heart attack? Of everything I am reading, that is what has me the most worried. Is it the sugars you find in sweets that give this to you, or will sugars like those found in breads and rice and pasta lead to dumping?
You're welcome and I completely understand about the sugars.
Actually the majority of RNY post-ops never get dumping syndrome. Not even once. I believe the most current information sets those who dump at about 30% of all bypass patients. 70% don't ever deal with dumping at all.
There is also a healthy portion of RNY's who may dump while they are earliest out but by a few years later no longer have that symptom. I've just been one of the lucky ones stuck with it the whole time.
The thing is, 99% of dumping can be prevented by dietary choices. I can (and do) eat sugar. But I must stay under 15g per serving to avoid dumping. If I'm really hungry for sweets or just completely out of control with my eating, it's still possible even post op for me to eat pounds of M&M's or whatevers within a day. I just have to spread them out in just the right serving sizes, but it can be done. And I've had two re-gains (that I've subsequently re-lost) because of it.
As far as "hidden" sugars. If you learn all of the different forms of sugar and their names you'll likely not be fooled into eating something too sugary. Most food packaging lists the amount of sugar grams per serving right there on the front or back of the package. Another way to control sugars: ingredients in food are generally listed in order of volume present. Many times I think something isn't very sugar-y. But then I look at the list of ingredients. Many times sugar in some form is the very first ingredient listed (which means the majority of that food is sugar). Sometimes foods touted as great for weight loss - think oat bran muffins and things of that nature - have more sugar in them than anything else. They even have more sugar than they have flour! When I look at ingredients and sugar is listed as ingredient one, two or three I generally pass on whatever it is.
About the "heart attack" feeling. If I was having all of those palpitations and such without any other dumping symptoms being present I'd head straight to the ER. I've had two cardiac events (one post op and one pre op) so I'm extra careful but I've never worried that I was having a heart attack during a dumping episode.
So try not to over worry the dumping thing. Even if I dumped every day I still would get the surgery again every year if I had to. For me, my life was so close to being over that WLS was my last chance. I paid out of pocket because I knew that my time was running out unless something changed my health for the better and fast. I've never regretted it.
You'll do fine regardless. And there are surgeries where dumping isn't an issue. The DS folks don't dump and it's very rare that a sleeved patient will dump as well. And really if you could deal with everything you went through with that band a bypass is going to be a piece of cake!
If you want to PM me feel free. I feel bad sometimes doing these long posts but it's coming from a place of wanting everyone to have as much information as they need in order to be able to make a decision.
Take Care =)
Hi Lisa. Yes I re-gained twice. Once 50 pounds and once 40+ pounds. I lost it all again and then some extra. Until life happened and I'm up 10-12 pounds again right now. I'm trying to keep in mind that at least I caught it at 10ish pounds this time so I am making progress.
I did/do a lot of things to tackle regain. There is a big long post I wrote awhile back somewhere on OH. I'll try to find it and post it to you here.
on 7/10/16 10:51 pm RNY on 12/09/08 with Myur S. Srikanth
Here it is Lisa. It's from quite a while back but I still work to do these things to eliminate, or at least limit, regain. Hope this helps in some small way.
"1) The number on the scale. Resolve to yourself that you will not, under any cir****tances allow it to go higher. Give yourself a couple of weeks at that number, to reassure yourself that yes, you can hold the line and you do know how to stop the gain. Do whatever it takes. Stop the disappointment of stepping on the scale and seeing even a .2 pound gain. You can do this.
2) Meat. Protein. Non-starchy veggies. The end. That's what you feed your body until you are back where you want to be. It's not forever, but it will take awhile and I actually think that's a good thing. By the time you are back to goal you'll have truly integrated that way of eating. No diets. I don't count calories or proteins or carbs or anything. (Other than sugars - because of severe dumping and RH. But sugars won't be much of a part of your life while you are losing.) I'm not dieting. I didn't go through surgery to spend my life dieting. I just eat differently now.
3) Fluid. Get in as much as you can. I typically drink two to three liters of water a day. That's on top of my diet coke (yes, I drink it daily) and anything else I might drink. It's imperative to flush out built up toxins and keep them flushed out. You don't want a bunch of sludge in your body but if you're not drinking enough water I can guarantee you've got a lot of it.
4) Expect to lose slowly. About four or five pounds per month. It took awhile for you to re-gain 60 pounds. Give yourself that long to lose it. It sounds so desperately slow I know. But slower is better. As I said above, you're building in habits so that you won't be in this spot again. We all know how to lose 30 pounds in month or whatever. And we all know it takes only a week or two to come right back. You are in this for the long term. You will eat this way the rest of your life - with a little more wiggle room when you get to your goal.
5) So much of this is a head game. We feel like since it's going to take a few months we will be in whatever size we are in right now, feeling horribly huge and discouraged, until the whole however many months are over. We tell ourselves that it won't be until then that we feel and look better. Wrong! You will feel better with every pound lost. You will lose clothing sizes along with that horrible worthless feeling all throughout your journey. Yes one day you will get on the scale and see the number you have been waiting for. But things will just be getting better and better during the weeks or months or whatever leading up to that day.
6) Exercise if you want to. Move your body every day even if you don't. Not to earn extra calories to eat, or to burn extra calories. Just because bodies need movement to avoid atrophy. And because it feels good. Walking is great and is all of the exercise I need to be successful.
So that is what I did to lose the big regains. Obviously I'm human because I had to learn this lesson more than once! Life happens and I don't think anyone here would deny that. But we can change. We can do hard things.""
Thank you!! That is SO reassuring. I was going to go back to DAY ONE after my surgery and repeat my menus for a month and see what happened, but I can't even wrap my head around eating a little bit of jello and some sugar free popsicles for several days....my calories averaged less than 400 the first few weeks and maybe 550 the next few weeks....it was interesting looking back on all of that at my fitness pal.
I did well from late 2012 - 2015 eating just like you said. Lean meats and veggies. I ate egg white veggie omelets for breakfast, salad with a protein for lunch, protein with a veggie for dinner. Chicken breast, tuna, shrimp, scallops, salmon, steak, et****asionally greek yogurt and/or oatmeal with fruit. The main thing was I did NOT drink wine or mixed drinks daily or even every 5 or so days. Mainly only Friday or Saturday. I started that this week and it wasn't hard at all. (I was in the habit of skipping dinner and having 2-3 glasses of wine, and believed that was totally ok.) Calorie wise I believed it was 120 calories a glass. Well, last weekend I measured my "glasses" and it was easily twice that. So I was having 480-700 calories 5 nights a week or so in wine. No more. So easy to just stop, too.....and I'm more motivated to exercise when I don't have wine at night.
I still drink diet coke. Usually just in the morning in lieu of coffee; I like something cold and carbonated. After that I am making myself stick to water the rest of the day.
I don't care if it comes off slow. I've been stagnant (at this weight) the last 14 months, and prior to that I lost and regained the same 10 lbs the whole previous year, so I've been struggling with this almost 2.5 years. Any loss will be welcome. I have also refused to buy myself clothes for two years because I WON'T buy a bigger size, but I finally gave in and bought some nicer leggings to wear with boots and my sweaters until the end of the winter, and hopefully by then I'll have lost enough to fit into my 8's and 10's.
FaygoFitQueen · 2 replies · 68 views