Writes about Bariatric Surgery & Recovery
Renee writes HealthInfoDaily's bariatric surgery and recovery coverage, everything from choosing between procedures to what recovery actually looks like years out. She had a gastric sleeve procedure herself and writes from that experience alongside the research, not instead of it. She's not a doctor, dietitian, or nurse, and she doesn't present herself as one.
Renee had a gastric sleeve procedure a few years ago and quickly learned that the surgery itself is the easy part compared to everything that comes after it: the vitamin routine, relearning how to eat, dumping syndrome, the questions nobody fully answers before you sign the consent form. She's not a clinician of any kind, just someone who got tired of conflicting advice in Facebook support groups and started reading the actual bariatric research and surgical society guidelines instead. Now she covers the whole arc, from people still deciding whether to have the surgery to people years past it dealing with long-term complications. She's upfront that her own experience is one data point, not medical guidance, which is why every claim she writes about still has to trace back to a real source. She spends a lot of her free time meal-prepping protein-forward dinners for one.
About this byline
Renee Castillo is a pen name used for HealthInfoDaily's bariatric surgery & recovery coverage. Our writers are not licensed clinicians and do not present themselves as such. Every health claim published under this byline is cited to a primary source, and our editorial policy explains how we research, source, and correct our work.
Gastric bypass risks don't end after recovery. Here's what the research says about complications years after gastric bypass, from bone loss to internal hernias to ulcers.
Read more →Dumping syndrome episodes usually pass within an hour or two, but the condition itself can take months, or in some cases years, to fully settle after bariatric surgery. Here's the real timeline.
Read more →Cramping and nausea right after eating, or shakiness and confusion an hour later, can both be dumping syndrome. Here's what actually helps in the moment, and when it's more than that.
Read more →The dumping syndrome diet isn't about one bad meal, it's a daily pattern. Here's what actually changes: meal size, timing, sugar, and what the research backs.
Read more →Malnutrition after gastric sleeve doesn't always look dramatic. Here's what hair loss, numbness, bone pain, and other real warning signs actually mean.
Read more →Gastric bypass changes how your body handles certain foods and drinks for good. Here's what actually stays off the table long-term, and why.
Read more →How long gastric sleeve recovery actually takes, from the hospital stay through the diet stages, return to work, and when exercise gets the green light.
Read more →The bariatric liquid diet right after surgery isn't optional. Here's how long it lasts, what counts as a liquid, and what to avoid while your stomach heals.
Read more →Gastric bypass is technically reversible, but it's rarely done and rarely simple. Here's what medical circumstances actually lead to reversal, what the surgery involves, and what happens to your weight afterward.
Read more →The bariatric pre op diet isn't optional. Here's why surgeons require a 2 week pre bariatric surgery diet, what it actually looks like, and what happens if you don't follow it.
Read more →Real reasons not to have bariatric surgery, from surgical risk to lifelong vitamin dependency to weight regain, drawn from ASMBS and NIDDK data. Written by someone who had the surgery herself.
Read more →What bariatric surgery does to nutrient absorption, why standard multivitamins fall short afterward, and exactly what a bariatric-specific routine needs to cover.
Read more →Gastric sleeve and gastric bypass work differently in the body and carry different risks. Here's how the two most common bariatric procedures actually compare.
Read more →Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reroutes both your stomach and small intestine into a Y-shaped configuration. Here's exactly what that means, how effective it is long-term, and what the risks actually are.
Read more →The duodenal switch is the most aggressive common bariatric surgery, and also the most effective for type 2 diabetes. Here's exactly what it involves and why it's rarely the first option offered.
Read more →