u/Dessert_Moon

For those of you who had gastric bypass, what do you know now that you wish you knew before surgery.

As I sit just about three weeks out from surgery I wanted to share my journey in hopes it inspires someone else.

It all started pre-pandemic when I began taking Mounjaro and doing KETO at the same time. I dropped almost 100 pounds before insurance decided it would no longer cover the shot. At the same time my wife lost her mom and dad two weeks apart and we both dove back into comfort foods and weight gain.

From 2021 to 2025 I would go off and on GLP-1 thanks to insurance playing games of covering it, then not covering it. I finally had enough and in July of 2025 I made the decision of looking into bariatric surgery.

Here in NH there is a great Bariatric program via Dartmouth-Hitchcock and it all started with a group meeting where the head of the program took the time to explain the surgery. From there I was given a liaison that served as my go connection to the program.

I had to attend a monthly meeting led by doctors as well as those who have have done the program sharing their experiences. I had to meet with a cardiologist who needed to sign off on my heart being healthy enough for surgery. I had to meet with a psychologist 4 times to be signed off that I was in the right frame of mind for the journey that laid ahead. I had to quit smoking cigars which for me was hard as my source of income was once attached to that lifestyle.

But the hardest was meeting with a nutritionist and having to lose almost 10% of my body weight to be given a surgery date. Thankfully I was able to get back on Zepbound and dropped 49lbs in 2.5 months. (do the math).

I was finally signed off on and I met with my surgeon 1 on 1 to sign consent and to officially choose a surgery type (bypass for me, due to concerns about acid reflux with the sleeve). Thus tuesday marks my last ZEPBOUND (my hospital requires you stop 3 weeks before surgery). A week after that I start the stage 2 diet. Then on June 9th at 0600 I have my surgery.

My FMLA paperwork has been approved, my short term disability submitted.

In the meantime II have begin lifting weights, doing curls of 20lbs, 10 sets of 5, every other day.

Surgery date can't come quick enough...

8 years ago I had my gallbladder removed. During the surgery my gallbladder "exploded" and they had to vacuum over 100 small stones out of me. I went back to work 3 days later.

Without knowing my gallbladder story my liaison in the process to get approved for gallbladder surgery it was mentioned to me that the discomfort is the same as the gallbladder removal.

For those of you who had bypass years after gallbladder how would you compare the recoveries in terms of discomfort.

I have surgery scheduled in 3.5 weeks and according to the surgeon I should lose 230lbs with some mathematical equation he used.

My concern is excess skin. I asked about skin removal surgery which I hear is very painful but he said only 20% people need it.

Does anyone have any advice on skin tightening or workouts that will be helpful tighten skin.