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My bariatric center required a psychological evaluation before surgery and if you failed then you needed to take counseling classes until they feel you can get the surgery

Hi everyone! I'm a little late to the convo but am happy to meet some fellow June sleevers. My last pre-op appointment is June 6th, and my bariatric coordinator said the surgery would likely be 3-4 weeks after that (putting me at end end of June/first of July).

So i am in Florida. My insurance (any insurance from the Affordable care act) wont cover bariatric surgery here in Florida. So i ended up paying about $18-19,000 for my surgery at the Baptist Bariatric Center in Jacksonville, FL. Surgery went great. So far no issues. I thought about going to Mexico but i just wanted to be near home. If i would have done it in mexico i would have done it at Endohospital that is literally within walking distance from the border (but they pick you up and take you back) The Surgeon there is American trained at universities here. and this place only does sleeves. Beautiful location. here is a link to his youtube channel and a video of the facility. I think their rate is just around $10K.

Hi everyone! My surgery is projected to be in the first couple weeks of July (my last pre-op appointment is June 6th, and the coordinator of my bariatric center said the surgery is usually around a month later, barring limited issues with insurance). I currently live in Florida and am considering flying to Pittsburgh the week of Labor Day to attend a football game of my undergrad alma mater with friends and visit family. However, I’m hesitant to book the trip because I don’t know how I’ll feel 6-7 weeks after surgery. I know everyone is different but I would love to hear from you all about your recovery experiences. Would you have been able to fly, stay outside for 3+ hours, be social for a weekend (:D) approximately 2 months out? Thanks in advance!

Have you tried cauliflower rice? It is one of my favorite foods because I feel like I’m eating rice (which many bariatric patients do not tolerate well) but I’m actually eating vegetables. It’s also really quick and easy to prepare; I buy the frozen stuff and just dump some in a bowl and microwave it. FWIW, I am almost 2 years post op and I eat tons of raw vegetables without issue. I eat salads all the time and have a daily snack of raw carrots, celery, cucumber, grape tomatoes, and peppers (with Walden Farms ranch dressing as a dip).

So I’m almost to my surgery date for RNY. I’ve had a high normal or slightly higher than normal hemoglobin and hematocrit for years. This is due to overall metabolic/hormone issues associated with obesity/PCOS.  I’ve had the work ups and that is all it is. I’m ordering Vitamins and while they recommend Iron for all bypass patients I’m wondering if anyone has been in this situation where they were slightly high before and didn’t need replacement afterward? I don’t want to overuse it but don’t want to be anemic either. The recommend 45mg of iron standard and when I mentioned it to the bariatric nurse she said for sure get the iron. Just wondering if anyone had this same experience?

Thank you all for helping me- I will try all these ideas. I have been doing soup often too - it seems to feel better. I have bariatric chicken broth with added protein. I think it may be a thing with consistency. I have tried eggs-tuna-chicken-lean ground meat-Turkey lunch meat….and it was difficult….just a few bites. Maybe my stomach is still healing. I am managing to get my protein allotment but more through liquids. Perhaps my stomach is not ready for Phase 4 soon and believe me it not from lack of effort. I am so glad I have this forum and people who understand.

I really want to jump on the smoothie train with protein powder in it but I'm so terrible at making good smoothies. They always end up weird and fibrous. But I could give it a try - that might be the veggie boost I need. What are yalls favorite bariatric friendly smoothie recipes?

You’ve got this! I’m 67, 40 BMI, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, high cholesterol…I’m sure I’ve forgotten something. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I would love to lose 100 lbs and that is my goal. I didn’t think of this sooner, because I considered bariatric surgery something that 700 lb people did…not 220 lb people. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Who knew? I’m hoping for a surgery date of June 9th or after…I’ll be out of school by then. I see my surgeon for my results visit in 2 weeks. I had a lot of pre-procedure testing. My insurance company should have made a decision by that visit and I can get a surgery date. Today I started the liver shrinking diet per doctors orders. He wants me on it for 2 weeks when I see him so he can gauge my progress. I survived today with only one moment when I thought I would cave. It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and there is food everywhere…but I did fine. Shakes, Greek yogurt, lettuce salad with broiled chicken for dinner. I’ve almost had my 64 Oz of water and I’m under 750 calories. I do well with structure so following these eating plans is good for me. Good luck to you and welcome!

My recovery is great! I had bad acid reflux the first week but it’s all but cleared up now. I’ve received several emails on nutrition since then and reminders, etc. In your case, it won’t matter which of the MGB or RNY bypass you do since you already had the sleeve. The mini can cause more reflux with the remnant stomach backing up into the pouch, but since yours was removed with the sleeve you shouldn’t have that issue. Statistically there’s less risk of complications with the mini outside of that but for either procedure it is very low. My Dr. didn’t tell me he was doing the mini until afterwards. There’s a lot of communication breakdown there but it’s not like they screwed up the surgery or anything. Be very careful with that. The coordinators don’t know anything about the procedures more than we do via google. The renew staff does speak English but they’re a parent co so you won’t necessarily see them 24/7 like you do the nurses. My stomach was partially removed (which makes it a SASI) to decrease ghrelin levels and reduce reflux risk since I already had GERD. They use CER hospital, which is only 7 years old and pretty nice. My bathroom there is nicer than the one back home! One family member/friend is allowed to come with you and stay the night at no charge and if you choose so you get a “suite” which gives an extra space and bed for said friend. The doctors there all speak English well but the nurses speak only a little so google translate helped a lot, lol. Some of the nursing practices are a little dated but I fixed anything that seemed off (I’m an RN). They were very attentive with wound care though I will say. As far as cleanliness goes, it’s the cleanest hospital I’ve ever seen! Sheets, towels, trash, etc are changed daily. I didn’t even use all of my towels bc I didn’t need that many. One week of meds for after surgery is given to you at no charge which is nice. Getting to know the other people in your cohort was the coolest part bc you all go through it together and support each other! I didn’t receive a video/Skype call from the Dr. beforehand but if you request it I’m sure they could do it. All bariatric procedures are done in the afternoons so he’s free in the mornings (cosmetic procedures are done in the AM). 1 night stay at The real inn hotel is part of your charge and it’s really nice and modern. I actually got mine for free bc one of the coordinators wrote down that I was waiving the hotel for the optional $100 reduction when I wasn’t, so they charged me $100 less but ended up comping the room anyway for me (I told you the coordinators don’t know what they’re doing.) I do wish there was better communication before the procedure so if you can get a Skype call with the doctor beforehand that would be great as communication is the main problem there. If you can get Dr. Green (you better book wayy ahead) then go for it bc everyone loves him. He even takes pics of the sleeve patients’ stomachs and gives them a copy, lol. Sometimes I wish I had him! I’m a lower bmi patient like you-my bmi was 31 when I signed up. I was the smallest one there but no one cared. Overall, it’s a good experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat 💗

Thank you so much for the reply and sharing. Congratulations on your revision. How is your recovery going? How did you decide that the SASI is the best procedure for you? I am confused and don't know what procedure would be best for me. I have been going back and forth between the mini gastric bypass and the full gastric bypass. I reached out to Renew a few days ago , yes it seems like the intake prople do not know much about the procedures. Did you get to speak to your Dr. via a video call for a consultation? Does the staff at Renew speak English? Was ths hospital clean? Are you satisfied with the care they gave you at the hospital and the surgery the Surgeon performed on you? Thank you again for your input, I terrified going back to Mexico to new facility and new surgeon. I need to do all my do diligence before I make the final decision and book my surgery. People on this app can be a lot more helpful and honest than people on Facebook. Sent from my SM-G991U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I used Dr. Armenta with Renew Bariatrics in Tijuana. He’s a hottie, I ain’t gonna lie. A lot of people use Dr. Green there but he’s so popular that he’s booked up 2-3 months out. Mine was a week ago so can’t comment yet on results. I had the SASI (mini gastric bypass plus sleeve removal) Cost was $5600 but is $5800 now. Make sure you ask tons of questions of the surgeon bc the coordinators don’t know what’s going on. It was all Americans in my cohort. The hospital policy is 30+ bmi but I’m not sure if they would make an exception for a revision. Worst case scenario is you could gain 10 lbs and then have it.

I'm in Denver, too! I'm having mine with Dr John Weaver at the Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery!!

I am looking into renew too. Sent from my SM-G991U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm hearing a lot of people are having nausea with the bariatric vitamins. I wanted to share the BEST news. My surgeon recommended patch vitamins. He said the Patch Aid multivitamin for bariatric patients is all I need. I have been using them for a week and I feel great. No nausea at all! I wear one patch a day for about 8 hours and I have not experienced any side effects. The patches are less expensive than the chewable ones and a lot less of a hassle! The website is PatchAid.com. Give them I a try!

Yes! I’m on here as well as a support group for my surgeons office and additionally a Bariatric support group for where I actually live (my surgery is 3hrs away from home). So good to have a variety of resources!

Well I received my Unjury sample yesterday in the mail and I tried the chicken soup tonight for my "dinner". It does have a much better flavor hands down but I found it tasted pretty salty too but that could just be me. Thanks for the recommendation! Curious, when did anyone use the meal replacement powders? I have samples from both Unjury and Bariatric Advantage. I just cant remember if its pre op or post op usuage? 🤔

I meant renew bariatrics also Dr. Jaime Ponce de Leon does it. Dr. Ponce is well know for his expertise. I don't know who does it at renew bariatrics. Hope this helps other's if not you, even though my reply is years later. Hope you found a great Dr. Sent from my SM-G991U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Nothing tooooooo exciting here on the clothes front - Just a new lined rain coat (the lighter one from Florida was not holding up to the two weeks of rain, chill and overcast trip in central Pennsylvania + Philadelphia over Easter vacation. AND, Ms.sss, were you slender in your original wedding gown? Let's see a pic? I think a vow renewal for the new you would be WONDERFUL! This was chubby (size 14) me back in 1994. Oh well. ;[

Rebew Bariatrics in Tijuana does it. Sent from my SM-G991U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes! Shipping typically takes about a week, and I place an order every 4 to 6 weeks to buy enough to get free shipping. I also buy items on sale, and have points earned to take $5 to $10 off each order. I have used both the ProCare and Bariatric Pal vitamins with iron. Capsules one a day. Both great. Chewables nasty. Patches weren’t recommended by my nutritionist. Also Bariatric Pal calcium chews. They taste like chocolate caramel Starburst. They feel like a dessert. Also Syntrax protein powders. I have not had problems with items being out of stock. And one time, a protein powder arrived that had broken open during shipping. They sent a new one.

Never took bariatric vitamins. Good luck, Tek

Hey we are Bariatric twins! My surgery was on 3/29 too! Having some of the same issues, hope you take care of the stricture! Yeah, if I try something that upsets my stomach, its back to the shakes, it has become almost a comfort food now, since I also kinda hate eating. I have been assured by the helpful people on this website, and my doctor that by three months things will be much better and eating will be less burdensome. Its a journey..

Ok.....so I tried the sample I received Black Grape multi vitamin from Bariatric Advantage. I am NOT a fan of it and I usually like anything grape tasting. It smelled like pee lol....sorry about that but I dont know if my sense of smell has heightened since being on Pre Op liquid diet or what but to me that was awful lol. I have next to no hunger pains anymore and I dont feel hungry which is surprising since this is pre op for me. Please tell me the vitamins dont smell and taste like that 😂

I have decided against them as well now. I did some research and same as what you said, works for some and not others. I also agree, Id probably be one of the ones it didnt work for lol. I forget tho, when did everyone start their bariatric vitamins? Before surgery or after surgery 1st or 2nd week?