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Well I've made the last step in competing my team for Bariatric Surgery Support and that's reaching out to other people going through same struggle. This is hard for me because I'm so used to doing things on my own. But it's past time to start taking care of me. Just wanted to come in and say 👋 Hello, look around, and get a feel for the forum. I wish all of you the best on your journeys.

Sorry to take so long to reply, but I just saw your post. I was banded by Dr. Domkowski in Sebastian, and he is a great doctor. He has an excellent bedside manner and is very nice and compassionate. I know he does take over fills from other doctors as well. I don't know what he charges for fills as I am covered for the first year of fills. The reception and front staff is also very very nice. :thumbup: I guess there was a doctor in Melbourne that is no longer doing fills or any other bariatrics, so I know Dr. D has taken over a lot of those cases. He doesn't use fluoro for the fills, but is great with getting the needle into the port painlessly and quickly. The website is Riverside Surgical and Weight Loss Center and the phone number is 772.581.8003. Take care and good luck! Regan

Hello everyone, First post and I am right out of the gate with a rant. I have come here to learn more about my bariatric surgery(VSG) and To make a long story short i am PAYING CASH !!! I don't know the rules yet on listing the business by name but I had some questions i would like to get answered. My Story is that I am doing this surgery (VSG) with my Fiance. So we are PAYING OUT OF POCKET for two surgeries. I was cleared this past week and the surgery scheduler called me and asked when i would like to perform my Sleeve. I told her i am holding off till my Fiance is cleared--meaning she passes her Psych evaluation and we are getting it done together... Fiance was cleared this past Friday for surgery and as of Monday we never even got a call??? Thinking really nothing of it my fiance called on Tuesday and she was kinda given the run around and no one there in the office could really asnwer some pretty basic questions. We had placed a total of 3 calls and one email and nothing !!! This company was not like that though?? they always had answers and they always returned phone calls and email till Tuesday. WE finally got an answer and that was the company was going to call us today at 0900 and tell us some things. 0900 comes and no phone cal. 09:20 comes and stil no phone call so I called them and spoke with a Lisa. Long story short--she said that she didnt think that her company "BS" is the best fit for us?????? i am blown away and said i was just scheduled this past week and i waited on my fiance to get cleared and now your telling me i cant have a surgery i am PAYING CASH FOR???? WTF ???? I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING SO ASANINE IN MY LIFE AS THIS ??? MY QUESTION IS HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO ANYONELSE WHEN YOU WERE PAYING CASH????

I have completed all of my pre-approval testing as of last week (Mamo, pap, ultrasound on liver and gallbladder, echocardiogram, nutritional class 1, psych eval, visit with cardiologist) and got flying colors on all of them. I also have a statement from my orthopedic guy that I need to lose 100 pounds before I can have my knee replacement (we are all hoping losing the weight will mean I won't have to have the knee replacement for a much longer period of time). Now waiting for the insurance company to do their thing (Tricare Prime) and approve the RnY surgery (apparently the only bariatric surgery they cover). I was hoping for the surgery in mid to late October, but we may not have the insurance okay until then, then we have to schedule the surgery, so I'm hoping early November. I have a large and important event scheduled at work the week of Thanksgiving and must be back to work before then. Surgeon has me starting a pre-op diet now to get used to what the post-op diet will be like (primarily Protein with veggies). We live too far from a gym (and it's too expensive anyway), so hubby and I are going for a home fitness gym and I have nine acres property I can walk everyday (as well as miles of country road). I've been caffeine free for three weeks, sugar and alcohol free for two weeks, bubbly diet soda free for three weeks... working on learning to chew.... having time to practice the new habits and give up the bad ones is good, but not sure how long I can really hold out with out the help of the surgery. ​ I'm worried the insurance people are going to drag their feet or worse yet, deny me. I started out 120 pounds over my ideal weight of 128. I've lost a couple of pounds in the last week thanks to the Post-op diet (but feel like I'm starving and craving sugar something fierce). Surgeon tells me I have no worries about being approved even though I am healthy despite my weight. My weight alone should be enough she says. Any experience with Tricare Prime?

Alex Brecher has dubbed bariatric dietitian Elizabeth Anderson,BariatricPal.com's Reporter at Large for Obesity Week 2014. Elizabeth is attending nutrition lectures, seminars & meetings and she'll share news you can use throughout the week-- minus the scientific jargon. Just attended a lecture on food cues and impulsivity. MRI scans showing brain activity were done on obese-prone and obese-resistant rats. The results? After two days of being over-fed, obese-prone rats had continued motivation for food. The obese-resistant rats motivation levels were nearly zero—and the effect lasted for days. Researchers are hopeful this research translates to us humans AND that we can make positive changes. Promising changes to appetite hormones and specialized behavioral changes could be the key. Believe it or leave it, MRIs on obese-prone people showed that after just six months of exercise motivation centers in the brain are reduced!

I did not go to these doctors but here is some information. I actually had the procedure done by some doctors in Manchester, Ky. Hope this helps!! Center of Excellence ® Designated Bariatric Surgeons in Lexington, Kentucky Dr. George Derek Weiss Rate This Doctor 2716 Old Rosebud Rd Suite 350 Lexington, KY 40509 859-543-1577 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 859-543-1577 end_of_the_skype_highlighting WebsiteDr. John Samuel Oldham Jr. Rate This Doctor 2716 Old Rosebud Rd Suite 350 Lexington, KY 40509 859-543-1577 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 859-543-1577 end_of_the_skype_highlighting WebsiteDr. Joshua Powell Steiner Rate This Doctor 1401 Harrodsburg Rd. Suite C-100 Lexington , KY 40504 859.967.5520 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 859.967.5520 end_of_the_skype_highlighting WebsiteDr. Thomas H Greenlee Rate This Doctor 1401 Harrodsburg Rd. Suite C-100 Lexington , KY 40504 859.967.5520 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 859.967.5520 end_of_the_skype_highlighting Website<BR clear=all>

Hey guys I really need some guidance and help right now. So I'm about 10 weeks post op and will be going to Myrtle Beach for a week with my family. I'm excited but I'm worried about food, anyone know places there that are bariatric friendly or ideas on what I should bring? It's just a simple hotel so all I can think is protein shakes? But with the stage I'm at am I able to eat protein bars? Or the meal replacement ones? Still not sure about snacks even though I'm not a snacker...any help would be appreciated. Sent from my SM-G981U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm going to an information seminar next week at a Center that does Bariatric Surgeries. You are required to go to one of the seminar's to get the process started.. For those that have gone to similar, what should I expect?

I just had my first appt with my NUT. or rather my up-sell specialist. I bought a bag of bariatric advantage protein powder for $75. It only has 30 servings in it. Is there a better priced one out there?

My surgeon's office assigned me protein shakes from Bariatric Advantage that contain fiber. They were filling and controlled hunger. I did not lose a single pound on the one-month pre-op liquid diet, but it definitely shrunk my liver, which was the main goal. I wish you the greatest of success on your journey! I had surgery 9 months ago and am very glad that I did.

Hello everyone my name is Ellie and I am about to get a sleeve on September 29! This was all very sudden and unexpected unlike some folks who have researched this for many years and gone through a long qualifying process, I have stumbled onto this procedure through a very roundabout way and in a matter of weeks I was approved. I am 37 years old and I weigh 270lbs at 5.8", I am hypothyroidic, I have sleep apnea and I'm prediabetic at this time. A Little history: In 2007 I weighed 273 pounds! I had mild sleep apnea but aside from that I was relatively healthy. I had the Lap band procedure done mostly because I did not like the way I looked. But the band yielded very little results, despite 13 fills and unfills to adjust, I never achieved an ideal restriction and was always hungry the weight that I did lose was because I was starving and working out and then I plateaued at about 245 pounds. Then I got pregnant in 2009 I decided to take all liquid out of the band (complete unfill) so that I could eat tons of vegetables and fruits. Funnily enough during the pregnancy and the one that followed I actually lost weight!? I guess something to do with the baby and the restriction I felt because the baby was pushing against the the band. At birth I was 214lbs. But as soon as my children came out in 2010 and 2013, even as I breast-fed, I was completely ravenous and the pounds returned at an alarming rate. So I have found myself right back to where I started at 270 pounds. Only this time mother nature has not been so kind... I am prediabetic and my sleep apnea has returned with a vengeance! On a day to day bases I ache and hurt like an old rickety roller coaster! I feel like I am walking through Jell-O all the time everything has just slowed down. Even so, being busy with a three-year-old and a five-year-old and being a full-time working mom I put myself in last place and have not focused much on trying to lose the weight. It's basically been, whatever I need to do to make it to the next day! I have ignored the aching that my body feels on a day-to-day basis and how hard it has become living and getting around at this weight. I have ignored the emotional and social impact of my weight, or maybe ignored is not the best word, more like drowned out with more food. And I experience some of what most mothers will relate to, I don't want to be in pictures with my children because I feel like I ruin the pictures with my presence. But even all this did not bring me to a decision to refill my lapband or do anything about it until a few weeks ago... In unrelated events I twisted funnily and managed to cause harm to my port. I was in severe pain like having stitches after running but the pain never went away. So due to that event, I finally went back to see my bariatric surgeon and upon further examination I was told that my port had ripped out of my muscles and was now flipped. Great! It was then that my surgeon told me that my options were to repair the port and try the band again or do something different. He recommended I try the sleeve because if I was initially unsuccessful with the band chances of me being successful the second time around were slim to none. I had heard about the sleeve before but never really in-depth. I also have gallstones and have had two attacks which I feel is not enough to warrant surgery but my surgeons seem to think differently. They say the gallbladder wall has thickened and that it is a matter of if and not when I will need to have it removed I hate surgery I do terrible with general anesthesia it takes me hours and hours of tortured nauseated foggy horrible sickness and pain to come out of it. And there is nothing I want more than to avoid having to go through another surgery. However My surgeon sent me to other surgeon who specializes in lap band revision who said he could perform all three surgeries at one time!! He would take out the Lapband remove my gallbladder and perform the gastric sleeve. And we are close to maxing out our yearly insurance maximum out of pocket, so if approved these procedures will be completely at no cost to me!! If I have to go under the knife anyways, I reason, I might as well get as much stuff done at one time, so that I don't have to go under the knife several times. I have not had too much time to do research on the sleeve or get emotionally prepared for the journey ahead but I have spent the past few weeks ferociously researching and ferociously reading up on it and doing a lot of soul-searching realizing that given my Freewill to eat, I am killing myself by being morbidly obese. My doctor submitted the proposal for surgeries to my insurance and I prepared for a long wait. However a week later I found myself getting approved by my insurance and my doctors office saying September 29 is available so start your diet now!! WOA????? No time for food funerals, no time for that last binge, no time to take a cruise which I love to do because of all the deliciousness, and no time to deliberate too long. I do have an option of doing it at the next available date in November but that would be very close to holidays and who knows what other circumstances could arise to prevent me from having the surgery at that time. It seems like all the factors have aligned together perfectly... my job is willing to let me go for that period of time the surgery will cost me nothing I can do three in one surgeries and I can have it relatively soon so that I don't have an agonizing time to wait and stress about it. It's like it's now or never. Most reviews I've read have people saying they wish they had done it sooner. I have already started my pre-op diet which means I would've only been on it for 10 days versus 12 like most people. And unlike most people rather than being on full liquids I have been placed on a South Beach supercharged phase 1 diet that includes lean meats, low-fat dairy and vegetables. I am finally wrapping my brain around what is about to take place mentally emotionally and physically. I have stocked up on many things and thanks to all you wonderful sharing caring people that have taken time to share your journey I have had a chance to very quickly catch up on all the information that I will need to be successful. But I'm so scared and so nervous not even about the liquid diet following surgery , (although, my coworker who got the sleeve weeks ago says that she is hungry all the time), or anything like that but of the surgery itself of being under Anastasia, of the pain I will feel when I wake up, and I wonder if I will miss the stomach that God gave me with which I was born...I'm sure all these things have crossed your mind too. And because my Lapband failed I fear that if this procedure does not work for me and I shall be that one anomaly for whom this did not work, there is not much else to be done. And since this is so life altering and Permanent, I don't know where to go from there if it does not work out for me. I know...I know...not thoughts I should be thinking .., but I'm being candid and sharing from the deepest parts of my heart the secret fears that I have, I would never admit to anyone. Any words of encouragement advice, solidarity, anything will be so very much appreciated at this time! Like many of you my weight loss journey is a very personal and private one and I don't have much support from the few friends with whom I have shared this information. I am sorry this has been long, but the welcome letter encouraged that we share details about our experience and I hope that Sharing this much will give you a more in-depth insight into my personal journey struggles and fears. Sending you blessings and green lights, Ellie

I attended a seminar at our Bariatric Center as a beginning to my journey--perhaps that's what this class is all about? It was absolutely great! They had a number of persons lecture on the surgery itself, nutrition, etc. for about three hours and you can get all of your questions answered by professionals. It should give you a good idea of what your life will be like after surgery and the 'rules' you will have to follow. This tool and its rules are a small trade-off for the future we are facing without surgery!

Hi Everyone, My surgery is scheduled for December 26, 2007. I am scheduled for my pre-op testing this coming Thursday, December 6. On my list for that day, they have me down to attend a Bariatric Pre-Op Class. I wanted to see if anyone had to attend a Bariatric Pre-Op Class prior to surgery? If so, what kind of information were you given during this class. Thanks for your help, Marie

Hi everyone. I was banded back on Feb 1,2006. My surgeon was fired shortly after my surgery and I have had no one following me since then. I lost 45 lbs on my own but have gained 10 back in the past year. I work for a great hospital (UT Southwestern Medical Center) and a doctor agreed to see me. He took half of my fill out on Friday and has put me on a liquid diet for a week. I can have Water and High Fiber Slim Fast and that's it. I was throwing up a lot and not losing weight, seems I couldn't eat anything. I had pretty much given up on the lap band working, but this dcotor has given me renewed hope. He said my stomach had stretched slightly above the band and that the liquid diet for a week should put everything back to normal. He is gonna treat me as if I had just gotten the lap band. They are gonna work with me on what foods to eat and which ones not to and so forth. So since I have had this for 2 and a half years I got on here cause I thought it would be nice to get some support and share what I know having been banded since 2006. Thanks everyone, Lisa

I managed to complete the 2 weeks without slipping up. What helped me & continues to help me is that I told my coworkers that I was having the lapband surgery.Furthermore, I am an RN& am responsible for the care of the bariatric patients. I also lost 17lbs on the Optifast liquid diet.

It is very normal for people to feel exhausted and weak for several weeks after major surgery. Keep working on your fluids -- you may want to double check the rules with your bariatric practice, as most don't limit water/fluid intake so soon after surgery, especially if the only real nutrition you are getting is liquid protein shakes. Getting all your fluids in will definitely help you feel better, but time and rest are also essential for post-op recovery.

I just received my Self magazine today. It is the August 2008 issue. I was flipping through it and notice and article that said "The weight loss miracle that isn't." It talks about the scary things that can happen with bariatric surgery. It mostly talks about the bypass procedure and the complications that some people have with it. Like malnutrition and needing to have the procedure reversed so they can live. It also gave a least one negative example for the band but over all it shows the difference between the two. If you get a chance you should pick it up and read it. My mom had bypass 8 years ago and is doing great but has to take alot of supplements to keep her numbers up. She said she would not do anything different that the consquences of the surgery out way her being fat. But it shows what works for one peron might not work for all. I am still glad I got banded. I think doing things slower will work better for me.:scared2:

I recommend therapy with a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders and bariatric surgery. Good luck.

POST BARIATRIC SURGERY supplements FACT SHEET TALK WITH YOUR PROVIDER, PHARMACIST, OR DIETICIAN ABOUT THE AMOUNTS OF Vitamins, MINERALS AND Calcium THAT ARE RIGHT FOR YOU. For balanced nutrition, healthy weight loss and malnutrition prevention, you MUST follow a diet that meets these requirements: Calorie Intake 1200 or more calories/day Protein Intake 75 gm or more/day Water Intake minimum 64 oz daily Multivitamins and Mineral Supplements 2 Celebrate complete daily Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) stop Vitamin B12 1000 mcg sublingual 3 times/week Iron 15-20 mg/day (Give separately if not already contained in the Multivitamin and mineral supplement.) Calcium 1000 mg/day (calcium pills + calcium in multivitamin supplements) >>preferably in calcium citrate >>in divided doses >> not to exceed a total of 2500 mg/day in food and pills Vitamin D 1000 units/day (including Vitamin D in the multivitamin, mineral and calcium pills) >>not to exceed 1400 units/day in the pills

I don't have any magic, I wish I did for you but these are my ideas. 1. Get with your bariatric support group if your doctor/hospital offers one. Get with their nutritionist and keep in regular face to face contact for accountability and support. They want you to SUCCEED! and I'm sure will support you. 2. If you saw a psychologist or did a psych eval with someone before getting approved to be banded, consider going back to that person who has a relationship established and get the counseling going to see if they can help you get to the bottom of what has you off track. Again, they can give you impartial advice and will be a great cheerleader to help you. 3. If you aren't doing daily food logging for self accountability, please do use this right away. Sometimes just seeing what we are eating in writing is powerful. I use www.myfooddiary.com, I hear alot of people like www.sparkpeople.com and others have mentioned www.dailyplate.com but whatever works for you, consider this right away. 4. See if you can get a mentor or lapband buddy connection. See the lapbandtalk mentor/buddy thread where people are offering to do this. If you can find someone locally, find someone you can call up on the phone.

Is your weight loss history standing between you and your current success after weight loss surgery? If you’re not getting the results you want, there’s a good chance it is. In Part 1 of the series, we brought up the idea of learning from your past, not running from it. Now, we take a look at a few more ways your past might have brought you down, and what you might be able to about it. Problem: Depending on Others This one’s not always so obvious, but it may be keeping you from reaching your full potential in weight loss and, frankly, in life. Of course, it’s normal and healthy to depend on others for some things. Maybe you rely on your spouse to pick up the kids from school, and you depend on your parents to parents to take care of your house when you’re on vacation. But what about the important things? What about your health? Do you take full responsibility for it? Or do you do what you did as a kid – depend on someone to make sure you had the food you needed and expect your parents or the doctor would make you better if you got sick or hurt? You’re still living in the past if you have not taken control of your health. You are the one who needs to purchase and prepare healthy food; set aside time to work out; eat the right foods to avoid complications from surgery. Others can help, but you need to be in charge. Problem: Looking for the Quick Fix If you look for a quick fix, you’ll probably find one. You can lose weight quickly using any number of strategies, and you’ve probably used them all from juicing to low-carb to low-fat. The problem with quick fixes is they’re quick to break, as you’ve found out when you went off the diets and gained the weight back. After WLS, don’t look for the quick fix. Be patient, and know you’re in it for the long haul. Looking for the quick fix can be something obvious that you recognize in yourself, but it is not always. Looking for the quick fix can be as subtle as subconsciously thinking of what and how much you eat as a temporary diet or thinking of your exercise program as something with a start and finish. You may be subconsciously looking for the quick fix if you’re unwilling to sign up for a long-term gym membership, or to invest in a kitchen scale or bariatric surgery recipe book. If you feel these things aren’t worthwhile, think about why. Is it because you don’t honestly see yourself needing them for long because you’re not really invested long-term into weight loss surgery success? Problem: Not Building Your Support System Many obese people struggle with late-night eating. Even if they are able to make it through the rest of the day eating reasonably healthy, night-time binges can strike furiously. If you weren’t able to overcome them previously, it may have been because you did not build enough of a support system. This time, don’t underestimate the power of your support system. Include people, such as friends and family, as well as alternate plans. You can set up many layers of protection against late-night overeating. Don’t store junk food at home, and don’t drive home past trigger spots like drive-through burger joints. Have two or three friends or family members whom you can call or talk to if you’re about to make a bad choice, and choose a pre-determined activity to do before eating, whether you decide to blog, sew, or take a walk. Also, have plenty of ready-to-eat healthy food around so it’s easier to grab than any junk. Problem: Lack of Self-Confidence Have you ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? You think something will happen a certain way, so you act as though it will happen that way, and then it does. For weight loss, that can be a bad thing if you let it. “I know my diet’s going to fail, so I’m not going to bother weighing my food.” Then, guess what – you don’t lose weight! “I knew I wouldn’t lose weight.” But self-fulfilling prophecies can be just as positive as they can negative, especially if you have self-confidence. “I know WLS will work for me, so I’m going to hit my protein goals and weigh my portions every meal.” When you don’t even let doubt creep in, you can be more empowered to follow the behaviors that lead to success. Weight loss surgery can be a fantastic tool for weight loss, but it’s only as good as you make it. To make it more powerful, don’t run from your personal history. Recognize your past, identify what went wrong, and fix it. Make sure this time really is different.

Hey All! Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate the support. Just spent about 8 hours in the ER. I went to my HMO after hours care center first and they had an ambulance transport me to the ER due to the severity of my dehydration. They had a really difficult time finding a vein to administer the I.V. It took five sticks to finally get one. Once I was transported to the ER, they were not much help. They spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do with me. Did a barium (however you spell it) swallow and I was restricted about 99%. I was shocked the barium stuff didn't come back up. One thing I found out was the amount of vomiting I did over the last two days caused me to swell really badly. Currently, I'm open enough to drink liquid. I'm too scared to try solid food. May try some Soup later tonight. Long story short ... the ER had no one experienced with bariatric surgery. Thank God I was able to speak w/Dr. Martinez. He told me to tell them what to do - have the radiologist remove some of the fill under flouro. Unfortunately, they had no radiologist on staff. So, I didn't really get anything resolved. But, since some of the swelling has gone down I can at least drink something. So I spent all day lying in a room w/an I.V. connected to my arm. I felt a lot better getting some fluids, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. I still won't have anything resolved until next week but I feel a lot better. Again, thank you all. I am doing much better than I was when I first posted this morning.:thumbup:

I was banded October 15, 2013. My heaviest weight was 222 & when I started the Lap Band process I was 206. Since surgery I've lost 21 lbs. (I gained a few and lost a few.) But I feel like I don't have a support system (that is suitable for me) from my doctor. Most of you had doctors that had you on a pre-surgery diet, mine didn't. I had the WORST GAS PAINS EVER after surger for about a week. My band was not filled during the surgery and I went in for my first fill December 2nd & was filled with 5 cc's. Second fill February 3rd with 1.5 cc's, and I just had my 3rd fill on March 31st with 1.8 cc's. I now have a total of 8.3 in my size 11 Realize band. Next appointment is in THREE months! So far my protocol has been "stay away from breads and pastas". No meal plan, no monthly visits, no nothing. I have been relying on Bariatric Pal for my protocol, support, and advice. I feel like an abandoned child. In the begining, I do very well when I have someone to report to and a meal plan to follow. Um yes, I'm needy in the beginning then I'm ok after that. But this 3rd fill has me feeling some type of way. I'm totally lost and don't know what to eat. I'm at the point where I'm putting myself on a DIET. I made an appointment with my nutritionist and have signed up with My Fitness Pal (user name vlwx31). I have no idea how many calories I should be consuming. But I'll figure it out. I just needed to vent.

I am really started to get excited about this process now! I passed my psych eval a couple of weeks ago and now have a nutrition seminar to attend the week after Thanksgiving. I start back at the gym soon, I have an appointment next week in order to help get me back on track. Its a small, personalized gym, so accountability will be a big issue......something that I completely need! And I feel really lucky b/c I just found out today that the insurance coverage that I will have next year is one that will cover the procedure. I called the Bariatric center to make sure that it is not one of the "problematic" insurance companies. Things are slowly falling into place. I love reading these message boards, the questions, advice and encouragement are so wonderful!

Yes there are 3! My insurance wanted me to use one of them b/c they are all "in network". Amy Elizabeth Martin Great Falls (406) 455-2821 More InfoRNY, LAP-BAND® Benefis Bariatric Institute 37Dale Mortenson Great Falls (406) 452-0877 More InfoRNY, LAP-BAND®, Revision Benefis Bariatric Institute 12David Rohrer Great Falls (406) 771-8411 More InfoRNY, LAP-BAND®, Revision Benefis Bariatric Institute 96