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This is from my doctor's ESG FAQ https://bmiclinic.com.au/endoscopic-sleeve-gastroplasty-faq/ Can I have an ESG following a gastric balloon, gastric sleeve or gastric bypass? ESG following gastric balloon: Recent research has revealed that people who’ve had a gastric balloon do less well following ESG in terms of weight loss. For this reason, we do not recommend ESG to anyone who’s has previously had a gastric balloon. ESG following gastric sleeve: Endoscopic revision of a gastric sleeve is possible, however the weight loss that results is only approximately 10% of the baseline weight. There are likely more effective options which you can talk through with your Bariatric Specialist. ESG following gastric bypass: Endoscopic suturing is possible via a procedure called TORe, Transoral Outlet Revision.

"The Emotional First Aid Kit: a Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery" by Cynthia Alexander

I crushed my pills for the first 6 weeks, then I was cleared to swallow pills. I even found a bariatric vitamin that I can swallow instead of chew.

I was told not to use gummies because they swell but I have found that bariatric advantage makes one specifically for each operation and lifestyle. But I'd love to hear what others use

Bariatric Fusion. 2 twice a day.

Some people say that hair loss is a part of the bariatric surgery experience. You might be interested in reading more about it. To those who are experiencing hair loss after sleeve gastrectomy, Google: Telogen effluvium. You will find many explainations about hair loss, some of which are connected to shocks to the system, severe diets being one. There is information there about the nutrients needed to keep our hair follicles "awake" and growing.

Board makes changes for PY2011 :: Employees Retirement System of Texas Actually, I read this and believe this to mean they are covering bariatric (not sure which) surgery effective September with a $5000 deductible in addition to the normal charges, but you have to have 5 years of state employment history to qualify. It is a very exciting development!! Now, if they will just show me which hoops we're going to have to dive through...

Hi everyone - new member here. I have been researching lapband surgery for a couple of weeks now. Been considering some kind of bariatric surgery for a couple of years now, but after watching the people at work who have had gastric bypass and all the problems they have had I was scared to do it. After reading about the lapband, I feel comfortable with this method. I am going to the free info seminar next Thu in Houston. I talked to our HR lady who had gastric bypass 4 years ago and she said our insurance (Anthem BC/BS PPO) was good about approving people as long as they meet the requirements (which I do). I will be 49 in January, I am 5' 2" and I weigh 100 pounds more than I did before I had kids (my oldest turns 23 on Christmas Eve). I have been yo-yo dieting for the last 20 years and I am sick of it and tired of being hungry all the time and a slave to my hunger. I am so impressed with all the support and information on this forum!

I take the bariatric fusion chewable multivitamin. Supposed to take it four times a day. I get in 3 most days. My numbers were great at my Sept appointment. It has everything so my surgeon recommended it instead of buying a bunch of seperate pills. Sent from my SM-G920V using BariatricPal mobile app

This is a link to an interesting chart from the "Bariatric Times". http://bariatrictimes.com/wp-content/uploads/Physician-Handout.pdf

Hi All, I recently posted a message about other pre-banders and banders in the Sacramento area... unfortunately I didn't see this posting before I created mine! -- Sorry:D I tried to check out the Yahoo group: Sacramento Bandsters @ Yahoogroups.com... But I couldn't locate it. Is it still active? I recently attended an informational seminar for Sacramento Bariatric Medical Association and Dr. Bruce Wolf is now working there and still doing Obesity research at UC Davis. He was not very positive about the Lap-Band. When I asked him how many Lap-Band procedures he has done, he said about 50 and then went on to say how he doesn't really feel that it is very effective and it works for some, but not for others, blah, blah, blah. I kind of tuned him out because he wasn't present for the beginning of the session and the other doctor (Machado) who is the director at this facility was very positive when she presented Lap-Band as one of the options. I met with my primary care doctor today and he is putting in the referral to have me seen by Sac Bariatric... said it might take 3-4 weeks. I have Cigna HMO and am a bit scared that they will not cover the surgery. I have a current BMI of 41.3, but no real co-morbidities except some joint pain and back pain. We will see... I am determined to get the Lap-Band and will go to Mexico if I have to. Thanks, Anne

I arrived in Mexicali on Sunday afternoon, 10/2. I rode in with 2 other patients and we all visited and shared our stories. After our labs at the hospital, we were taken to the hotel and checked in about 4:30 pm. Since we were all really hungry, we met up in the hotel restaurant a few minutes later and had a really wonderful dinner. For a large plate of chile rellenos , Beans, rice, tortillas, chips and a margarita......my bill was $13.00! With a full tummy and a sleeping pill from Dr. Aceves, I had a very relaxing night at the hotel. Ernesto picked us up at 7:00 am, Monday morning and drove us back to the hospital. Since my surgery was the 2nd of the day, I was given a sedative to relax. The rest of the day is a blur. I remember people coming in to get me....blur........I remember looking up at the ceiling as I was being wheeled to surgery......blur.........I remember someone telling me to turn on my side and bend my knees for the spinal block....blur.....and OUT. I don't remember recovery at all. The next thing I remember is being back in my room, thinking it must be over and then falling back asleep again. I was in and out of sleep for the rest of the night, knowing that nurses came in and out, taking my temp and blood pressure, but not really ever becoming fully alert. Sometime early Tuesday morning, I told one of the nurses I needed to use the bathroom. Although I stumbled a bit, I made the trip successfully and immediately fell back asleep. Later that morning, they brought me those infamous 4 little cups of blue "apple juice." They weren't good, but they were tolerable. I sipped and slept, sipped and slept, sipped and slept for hours. Several times that day, Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campos and the nurses came in and told me to try to get up and walk. I'd answer "Sure, ok." with every good intention of doing it, but I'd always fall back asleep. I really had a tough time coming out of all that med-induced sleepiness. By late afternoon Tuesday, I finally got up and walked the halls. I was completely pain-free (yes, really.....it must have been the spinal block), but I felt unsteady on my feet and climbed back into bed about 5 minutes later. Tuesday night was pretty much the same as Monday night, but I woke up Wednesday morning feeling alert and energetic. I took a shower and even put on a little make-up! Wednesday, I walked several times, visited my neighbors, sipped tea and finally got a bowl of that wonderful chicken broth everybody raves about. Yes, it IS that good. By the time I left on Thursday morning, I felt pretty good - minimal pain and absolutely no nausea. It may have been this sense of well-being that caused me to completely overdo it on Friday. BIG Mistake! I met up with a friend Friday afternoon to do a "little" shopping that turned into a 5-hour shopping spree. I thought I was listening to my body.......I sipped Isopure all day........I took sitting breaks pretty often, but by the time I got home, I felt awful. My abdomen was completely swollen with Fluid and gas. I looked 9 months pregnant and felt equally uncomfortable. That was the first time all week I broke down emotionally. I remembered reading somewhere that Day 4 after surgery is the worst..........and that was definitely true for me! So, I sobbed myself to sleep Friday night and woke up Saturday with renewed energy and renewed resolve. I really took it easy that day. I stayed in all morning, sipping Protein and napping. By 3:00 pm, I felt good enough to take my son to a birthday party. It was a huge event, and EVERY single person there must have told me to eat......twice! But I politely told them I had eaten before I came and continued to sip on my bottled Water. The party lasted about two hours and I was definitely ready to come home by then. I went to bed about 7:30 pm, slept pretty soundly, and here I am at 5:00 am on Sunday, finally getting on the Internet for the first time since surgery. To sum up, I've really had a fairly easy recovery. Considering the mess my Band had made of my stomach and liver (Dr. Aceves told me it was NOT and easy revision) I've had very little pain except for the incision sights. I've experienced none of the shoulder "gas" pain I had with the Band surgery. I've had no nausea or stomach pain......just a lot of gas and gurgling. No doubt about it, those first four days kicked my butt, however, I think I'm over the "hump" now. I have one more week of recovery before I have to go back to work and I'm sooooo glad I didn't try to rush it and go back any sooner.

@@Sleevie.Nicks that is great i've heard others get cold feet right before surgery then they stop the process no one should have this surgery if they are too scared, nervous not sure of having surgery so you stopped the plan for surgery then after awhile you realized you really want to go ahead sounds like NOW you are ready keep reading the boards you'll hear about lots of things you need pre-op and {PO) discussions about things you hadn't thought of questions will be answered you ask your questions make sure you are prepared for the big day read, read, read look into some books ie bariatric surgery for dummies they also have a cook book look at U-tube flood of information allll over buy Protein shakes don't buy too many ahead of time taste buds change what you might like now possibly you won't like PO happy you "came to your senses" and are proceeding with surgery good luck kathy

Keilsnikof besides my husband, my 5 silblings all live in different states 2 years ago on Thanksgiving we all got to together i told each one seperately my news noing my weight "issues" over the past many years, - they all were very happy for me after WLS and people were seeing "less and less" of me - they started asking how i lost the weight the first time my neighbor asked me, i replied i was eating better, healthier excersizing et al by the time i fininshed the sentence i found myself telling her - "oh, i also has bariatric surgery" she responded in the positive she then proceeded to ask me about the surgery from then on, i immediately told people i had bariatric surgery it was a load of my shoulders that i was being open I was lucky that i never heard any negative responses kathy

Has anyone experienced knee pain relief from the sleeve surgery. My ortho doctor suggest for me to do WLS first before knee surgery (if necessary). Said it was risky with my weight so he suggested bariatric surgery as he thinks it will help with my weight and knee pain. HELP!!!

I was told 10 years ago I needed replacement and look into bariatric surgery. I did not want a bypass at the time. I regretted not doing this sooner cause I would have been like most people...weight comes off pain goes away. I waited to long.

Good morning Honk! Thanks so much for the advice. I called my insurance and I was told that as long as the DR is willing to see me and they charge my inusrance under the same Dr's name, Bariatric Surgeons of Pasadena, I believe, there would be no problem. If that was a problem, then I would have to go back to my physician and get a referral to Dr. Lourie. I was told by the staff that it would be charged as the practice's name rather than under Dr. Martin so I was good to go.:redface:

Hi All, I went to my Surgery Introduction Seminar today at Kaiser Santa Clara. My next steps are to have my PCP refer me to the bariatric program, but they gave me 5 hospitals to choose from. After lots of research it seems each hospital's program is slightly different. I can choose between Fresno, Fremont, Richmond, South Sacramento, and South San Francisco. Anybody have any feedback on these? I am unsure which one to choose. Fremont is the closest to me, but my PCP mentioned SSF before i went to the seminar. Maybe someone can describe the program they went through at which hospital? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Nutricia creates advanced medical nutrition for consumers, patients and those who care for them. Nutricia's Pro-Stat and Fiber-Stat products have been trusted by physicians, nutritionists, dieticians and post-bariatric surgery patients for over 30 years. Pro-Stat hydrolyzed pure liquid proteins are designed for quicker absorption and more complete assimilation to speed post-surgical recovery. Used as a protein supplement or food fortifier, Pro-Stat is clinically proven to promote positive nitrogen balance and increase Net Protein Utilization.

I decided in the very beginning that I was going to be very open about what I was doing. I've always had a personal philosophy that it's usually better to be open about things (assuming you are the kind of person that can handle any negativity that decision might bring... it's definitely not the right decision for everyone) because you never know who might be struggling with the same problem and feel like some kind of freak or need someone to talk to about it and not know where to go. Being open about my surgery is already paying off in big ways, in my opinion. Benefitting myself in that I've been having some challenges, and it's much easier to miss work to deal with them since my boss and coworkers know exactly what's going on. There is no chatter in the background that I'm somehow taking advantage of our leave or FMLA policies. More importantly, though, the other day, a friend at work brought another one of our coworkers down to me to talk about what she's going through as she's trying to navigate all the decisions she needs to make as she decides to have bariatric surgery. I was really pleased that I was able to provide help and camaraderie to someone else that is going through this. I feel that being open about it was just the right decision for me, and it feels good that my being open might help someone else.

I don't know if you have this information, its the bariatric policy for Wellcare https://www.wellcare.com/WCAssets/corporate/assets/ccg/hs_ccg_bariatric_eng_10_2014.pdf Hopefully it will help answer some of your questions. Best of Luck

Good morning Isa & Lepez Dr. Martin had mentioned to me that the office was going to be much smaller and on the other side of the floor but I don't recall him telling me they the practice was spliting up. That really caught me off guard. The first thing I did was call my insurance. They said that as long as Dr. Lourie was willing to see me and they billed under the same name as before, there would not be a problem. If there was, I could always go back to my physician (Dr. M. Tyson) and she could give me a referral. Hopefully Dr. Martin is part of my medical group :redface:. Anyway, so I decided to go in to the office anyway. I told the receptionist that I was one of Dr. Martin's patients and that I wanted to know how my insurance was going to be billed for that appointment and they told me that there would be no problem with that because they charged under Bariatric surgeons of Pasadena or something like that (by the way Angel, his assistant was no there either). So I took the risk and went on and saw Dr. Lourie. He was very nice and answered all of my questions and gave my my first fill (I'm so thankful for that). He mentioned to me that Dr. Martin had quit the practice on August 4. He gave no reason as to why he was leaving or where he was going and that they new nothing about if he was going to continue his practice elsewhere. I dont' know if that's true or they simply didn't want to disclose that information. After I was done he told me to reschedule for next month. I noticed on the appointment card Dr. Martin's name was no longer there. So I'm a little skeptical about the whole "I don't know what happened" attitude. In my opinion, they looked pretty upset about the whole situation. Needless to say, I got my first fill! Yay! I would still honestly preffer to continue my treatment with Dr. Martin but 1. I still don't know how to get a hold of him 2. I don't know if he will be part of my medical group and 3. I'm afraid he will disappear again without notice. Anyway, I hope this info helps. If either one of you hears something from Dr. Martin, please let me know. If you guys like, we can buddy up and keep up with our progress and Dr. Martin issue. Thanks Claudia I think I will stick to Dr. Lourie for now. He was pretty good. I fel not pain, no discomfort at all during the fill and well it was a pretty good expericence.

My mom makes mashed cauliflower at least once a week! You can switch it up by seasoning it differently too, one day she will make it garlic and the next she will throw some squash in the mix to make it sweet. Also! Fun fact! Google cauliflower recipes, you can make roll it out with wheat flour and make fake bread or with Parmesan cheese and pretend it's pizza crust. Very versatile! Also, I see a lot of bariatric sites making cauliflower Mac and cheese, with no noodles- omg I'm going to be all over that when I can hahah.

Anyone have suggestions on Bariatric vitamins? I've never been the type to have a "regimen" of pills to take. So along with the PPI, I'd like to have a once a day vitamin that would give me the entire day's value in one chunk. Am I only dreaming?

You might be able to find a liquid or chewable Vitamin formulated specifically for bariatrics that will give you your whole dose in one shot, but I'm not sure you should trust it. According to my dieticians (I had two) there are some things, like Calcium, that you can't absorb more than 1/3rd your RDA at one time. FWIW, they have me on a generic chewable Flintstones vitamin 2x a day, 1 20mg Prilosec in the morning, and 2 Tums Extra Strength in between meals (away from the Prilosec and the Flintstones). I'm supposed to be doing monthly B12 injections but I hate needles so starting next month I will be doing the sublingual tabs. Pre-surgery I was taking a 1-a-day women's Multivitamin from Rainbow Light which was HUGE and hard to swallow. I understand wanting to get it over with one pill but you have to take so many different things after surgery, it might just be easier to break it into smaller pills. Plus, depending on your surgeon, you might be restricted from swallowing pills for awhile post-op. Good luck, you'll figure it out.