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Howdy, Cindy. Yes....the answer to your question is a resounding YES ! Had a back injury at work and finished it off at home later that day on April 3, 2015. The developing spasms were enough to take me out of work and motivate me to follow my spinal surgeon's advice and have bariatric surgery. You can see from my profile pics the way I carried my weight.....beer gut that was pulling down on the injury and prolonging the healing. Surgery in October.....relief began showing up soon after as I had lost a good bit of weight during my pre-op days, too. So very grateful for the results that are showing up more and more each day.

Hi: Nervous today. I am scheduled to meet with a surgeon today. My lap band surgeon (has started doing sleeves 6 months ago) suggested that I meet with this surgeon because he has more experience than the surgeon that did my band. My hopes are that he thinks I'm a good candidate and that he says that I should have my first surgeon do the surgery because I'm really not much higher risk than other sleeve patients and that I can have the surgery in April. I know it will take a lot of good fortune for these things to happen. Appointments so far completed 12/20/13 Consult with first (and preferred) surgeon. 2/11/14 - Upper GI (mild gastritis, small hiatal hernia, still had food in stomach after more than 11 hours), 3/1 bariatric emptying study (abnormal - slowly emptying), 3/13 second opinion. First Lapband 7/26/07, Second Lapband 7/23/10, Erosion and removal 7/30/13, Post-op infection 8/11 and hospitalized 4 more days. Positive thoughts and good wishes please. I'll keep you posted. Thanks. Sue

Nope. I am going through the Ontario Bariatric Network. My doctor referred me for the sleeve procedure specifically, but I've heard in Ontario that Gastric Bypass is the golden standard, so I'm really hoping that when I hear news it's to meet about the sleeve procedure, but I am open to hearing more about Gastric Bypass as well. I previously went to two orientation on Gastric Bypass but I was only 18 and just wasn't ready.

So my very good friend that is going through this process with me had her surgery yesterday morning and I am officially one month post-op! The first few weeks I after I was doing spectacularly... meeting all of my nutritional goals, getting in all my fluid, and getting in a ton of physical activity. I was healing like a dream. The pain was luckily minimal in my own case beyond the usual discomforts. However, given all of the outside stuff going on and also being away from work for so many weeks I've just got way TOO much time to myself to focus on other less important things... and this has really been getting to me and grating on my nerves as I am dealing with quite a lot of stuff aside from just needing to focus on me and recovering from my RNY surgery. I've also been a bit depressed. I know being a bit depressed is also normal. I just can't seem to shake it and it's driving me nuts... I decided on a whim to go back to work way earlier than anticipated merely to get myself out of the house more, back to work, and just back into a regular routine (plus it's nice to get paid to do stuff too, lol!). I've been a little stressed too with the random bills coming in from the surgery, plus the bills I am going to have to pay my employer once I get back for my medical benefits while I've been out... etc, etc... so anxiety, depression, stress... I'm not my usual bright ball of sunshine. It's been really bad this past week since starting on the "soft food" phase of my diet. I know I am not getting enough protein , I am not eating enough period. I am getting all of my vitamins, yes. But I am not getting enough food or fluids. SO, I may just need to stop and go back to square one with my soups/puddings and whatnot from the liquid phase just to re-kickstart things... that is the general advice from the support group at my bariatric program; if you feel like you're having trouble, just start back at step one and slowly go from there.... I think I can do that and get back to where I need to be without sacrificing too much. I know most of it is this freaking depression that I've let overcome me... but I'm gonna try to start kicking it to the curb. Hasta La Vista, Babay!

So I hit 1 year post op last month. Here is my story. Right before my 30th birthday I decided that enough was enough. I had been on the waiting list with my ex-husbands insurance for gastric bypass, then we divorced and I lost my spot anyway. I had lost aprox. 60 pounds on my own after the divorce through lifestyle changes, mainly cutting soda (a huge addiction to me at the time) and being more active, these small changes helped a lot because of the extreme sedentary life I lived during my stint as a house wife (with no kids). After losing the 60 pounds I got down to about 215 but jumped back up to 235 pretty quick. My ideal weight -I thought- was about 200 maybe 195 and I knew that I couldn't drop any more weight on my own, after all the 60 was tough, and I gained half of it back. I knew that I had to figure out how to get surgery. The reason I was on a waiting list to begin with is because I am young, with no health problems other than my weight and the insurance I had only approved 40+bmi with no comorbidities. I was always around 38 or 39 bmi. So I had it! I started looking and found surgery options in Mexico for around $4500-$6000. Mind you I was a 29 year old college student with a $12/hour job, newly divorced, living with my mother because I had nothing to my name. So November 2012 I decided I would save the money and do it! I got my income tax for around $2000 and worked 50 hours a week at my regular job and got a part time graveyard $8/hour security job in a bad neighborhood in a shopping center (I guarded a parking lot in the dark!). It was all worth it! I finally found a Dr. (Juan Garcia) and a US company to book everything through (Ready4AChange) and booked my trip! The total cost of everything including my airfare was almost exactly $5000. April 15th. I made it to Mexico. Flew into San Diego and the driver picked me up from the airport (even took me to walmart) then took me across the border to Tijuana and to the Marriott. It was a very nice hotel. I met 3 other people who were with the same company having surgery with me the next day (there were 5 or 6 of us total).We bonded ate dinner that night together and all rode together to the hospital in the morning. Even though there were a few of us, we all got wonderful treatment like we were the only patients. Only the 5 of us were in the wing our rooms were on and we all knew what rooms we were in incase we felt up to talking after surgery. We were in the hospital for 3 days and I don't really remember much except the last day. They keep you very nicely doped up so the pain is totally manageable and give you everything you need right away so you can just doze all day! Day 3 in the hospital we were all up and walking and I bugged the nurses enough that they let us take out IVs outside to the patio and get some sunshine We went back to the hotel on Day 4, I think. Stayed in the hotel with room service bringing all the broth and popsicles we wanted. The Dr came the next day to the hotel and tended our dressings and answered any last questions we had before leaving. After 5 days we got driven back to the airport at the time we needed to get to our flights and went home. It all happened with out a hitch, for the most part. The surgery was wonderful. I wasn't nervous or hesitant at all. The Drs and nurses were amazed I was alone, after all I was a 20-something woman all alone in another country about to have life changing surgery! My support group was intact at home, but I wanted to do it alone. So now its been 1 year. I still throw up 2-3 times a week because I don't know when to stop eating, and I get chest pains almost every meal. I am glad that I have these bad side effects because I eat too much and need to learn!! If I am good then they don't happen, so they are my fault totally. I have lost 87 pounds since surgery and a total of 130 pounds from my heaviest weight. I wear a size 5 pants now and work out a few times a week (could be more, but I am working on that). My eating habits are SO GOOD now compared to what they were and I love to cook now. I try to eat fish three times a week, tuna for lunch one day, salmon for dinner, and another fish for dinner. I also try to have one night of chicken for dinner every week. I try to eat out only 1-2 times per week. I am getting scared because I think for the first time I have gained weight since surgery, I think I have gained a couple pounds while I was sick for the last couple months (hurt leg then broken tooth ouch!) and didn't work out. I can eat a lot more now that I think I should and I think after finals are over next week I will go on a liquid diet for a few days to try to shrink my tummy back down. I can eat more of certain things and then when I eat dense, protein rich foods (like chicken and tuna) I get full really fast! Last night I ate a whole bagel with cream cheese, then about an hour (maybe 1.5 hours) later I ate ANOTHER ONE! I had micro vomits after and even threw up in my sleep (still trying to control the acid reflux). So my only issues one year out is that I feel like my stomach is stretching, I have severe acid reflux (that can be controlled if I remembered to take a darn pill), and I very badly need a tummy tuck! I would do this all over again in a heart beat. I feel so much more alive and vital and HAPPY since my surgery, and I was not depressed nor did I have low self esteem or problems having fun before, but this is like more than I can describe a million times better way to live than how I was before. I feel so bad for people who think they cant afford it, or are too scared to try the surgery. Living 100 lighter makes life easier! Everything is cheaper, clothes, groceries, eating out. Everything is easier, taking the stairs in a parking garage or at the library is done with out a thought (except that I don't want to wait for the slow elevator), I don't worry about things I sit or stand on will break, I want to go on roller coasters at parks. I want everyone who ever lived a day as "morbidly obese" to live one day in my shoes and realize that for $5000 (I have seen less these days too!) your life can be so different. I was in a size 24, now I am in a size 5. If I got a tummy tuck I could probably be in a 3, and I could wear a bikini (I have lots of skin on my lower abdomen that keeps me from wearing one now). The money might seem like a big hurdle, it took me almost 6 months to save and I got almost half in income tax. But it was worth the extra work, every day. Its worth it to do anything you can to save that money! BTW, it took me almost 9 months after the surgery to get out of debt that the surgery put me in....but again...TOTALLY WORTH ALL OF IT!! I think that is my total story, sorry for the long winded-ness. I have never told it all on a forum and thought that maybe I should add to the information out there, after all I met one of my dearest and best friends on a bariatric surgery site, found out about my surgeon, and found all my confidence and information on a site like this one

I am writing this to help others plan for their surgery. It's August 12 and I started on my journey in mid-May. I am a self pay patient. I have chosen Puget Sound Bariatric Center. The clinic is over an hour away from my house, but has an excellent reputation. I was worried about commute times, but thought I would only have a few pre-op appointments at the clinic per my discussions on the phone with their rep. I have to plan that every appointment will include 3 hours of drive time round trip. When I first called them, I was told if I completed my tests soon, I would be scheduled for surgery within a month. The initial representative misspoke. Therefore, I wasn't fully prepared for the amount of time it would take to qualify for surgery even though I was self-paying. It takes several months. Unfortunately, I canceled all of my summer plans and now regret that. I wish that clinics would be more accurate in setting expectations. In June, I met with a Dr. and got my lab orders. The first meeting lasts a few hours because you meet the rest of the team, fill out paperwork, etc. Next, got all of my labs done and returned to office. Then spent nearly a day at the office meeting with all of the specialists. I had a lab request for a sleep study, ultimately, this required 5 trips to the pulmonologist and an overnight stay. My advice to people who are self-paying is to plan for this to take 4 months and estimate about 18-24 hours of appointments (including the sleep study). You will also need to chase everything down. People don't follow up like they are supposed to, results don't get faxed to the right place, you think things are being processed but they are languishing in someone's in box. I still don't have a surgery date. Maybe some time in September? In the end, my hope is that it is all worth it. But had I known how much time this process would take, I would have taken a 2 week summer vacation to relax. This is all very stressful. I still feel good about the Dr. and clinic, but they are not nearly as organized as they believe. I've communicated my concerns to them and they are working hard to correct things. Some of this is out of their control due to errors made by a sleep center. I hope this information is useful to others.

Wow, if medical students had to take a course in Bedside Manner (which they don't), he must have flunked out. And he gets one million extra demerits for the "I don't think this will help" remark. Very little in what he told you is consistent with my understanding of appropriate food choices with the band. And that business about the skins of Beans remaining in the band just doesn't make sense anatomically. No part of any food can make it into your band. The only thing that goes into your band is saline solution. If he meant that it stays in your stoma, that's still a dumb statement. No food should ever stay in your stoma for longer than a few minutes. If it does, something's wrong. If meant that complex carbs like beans offer better satiety because of the Fiber content (which is true for everyone, not just bandsters, and that's because of what happens to them in the intestines, not the stomach), then I don't understand why he thinks that veggie burgers (which contain - hello? - fibrous veggies and (depending on the product) healthy soy protein) are a poor choice. Did anyone in that practice explain all these arbitrary food rules to you before your surgery? Did they tell you that you being a vegetarian was a problem for them? Does he employ a bariatric dietitian? If so, you need to consult with that person, and if you get the same line of crap, it's time to look for another bariatric practice to do your aftercare. Jeez Louise, that p*sses me off. I feel like kicking a dog now, except at the moment they're all being as good as gold.

Oh, and who cares if you have to take an antacid pill each morning?? That ain't no thang!! And you WILL be eating in restaurants again - Where are you being told you can't????? Yes, you are physically only able to ingest about 1/4 of a cup to 1/2 of a cup, but it's amazing how quickly each of us figures out our routines at the restaurants. It's not going to be easy, there are all sorts of accommodations that you will make, but then it will all just become routine and your new normal and it won't be hard or difficult at all. It's just going to be new at first. Yes, there will be weeks where life sucks right after the surgery, there will be tears and there will be fears. How old are you? I was on no medications, no "co-morbidities" up until I was 41. Then I woke-up in ICU. My gallbladder went bad due to my years of high fat diet. That then threw a gall stone into my pancreas duct which caused my pancreas to back up, start digesting itself, ruining the cells the produce insulin, putting me into a six month acute pancreatitis and now I'm diabetic, have no gall bladder and get to have tests every 6 months. There are horror stories from either side. I really hope that you are able to find peace today in whatever decision you make. This is your life and this is one means to take control over our weight, but there are other ways. You could do the liquid fasting for a year or two, you could spend the next couple of years restricting yourself and basically following the bariatric diet without the surgery and exercise. It's all possible. Whatever you decide is the path you were meant to take. I know it's terrifying, I'm sending you a massive hug!!

When you say 'groups,' are you referring to bariatric support groups? If so, the bariatric surgery practice that sleeved me offers support group meetings every Tuesday evening.

Hello people, any Minnesota wls people, please post here, what city you're from. And if you'd like to join my Facebook group "Minnesota bariatric buddies" Either that or PM me. Thanks so much! Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

You might be a candidate - if your bmi is at least 35. You can check your bmi here: Calculate your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator I was banded in Mexico at the OCC (Dr. Ortiz) because I didn't fulfill my insurance's requirements - my bmi was about 40, but I hadn't been that heavy in the previous two years. To get banded at the OCC you just need a bmi over 30. I'm getting my next fill in nyc - at nyu bariatric. They have an excellent surgical team. Check them out here: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass - Types of Surgery - Surgical Weight-Loss by Laparoscopy, NYU Medical Center Good luck! Susan

1. Are you a candidate? if your BMI is over 40, then yes. If your BMI is over 35 and you have co-mobitities (sleap apnea, diabetes, etc). then yes you are a candidate. However, discuss with a surgeon your options. I live in Manhattan and my surgeon is listed below. 2. Do fills hurt? No more than having blood drawn. Ya know, being fat and uncomfortable hurts way more. **Your best next step is to make a consultation appointment with a bariatric surgeon who has done several lap-band surgeries. Good luck in your journey.

Found out today that my insurance "renews" at the 1st of June and I will not meet my deductible to have my insurance covered 100%. I have my insurance through my parents so I went to their house to talk to them about it. My parents are being so super supportive my mom has been paying the out of pocket expenses for the psych eval and the nutritionist visit. They told me come hell or high water they will figure out a way to get my surgery done.... From my parents that means they are going to tap into savings to pay the $2,500 or they both are going to start going to the doctors for every ailment that they haven't taken care of yet..... Which means time off work and still money out of their pocketsI am so extremely thankful but I feel like its too much, that I shouldn't allow this big of a "gift"... I'm so upset right now I'm in tears... :'(

Beginning my journey and hoping some of you old pros can help me! I'm a female, 5'8, appx. 275, BMI of 43. I went to a bariatric surgery seminar offered by a local bariatric surgery group. After completing piles of paperwork and setting up an intial consultation for surgery, I found out my insurance denied my request for surgery. I have Premera Blue Cross. My policy has an exlusion that allows no claims for any overweight/obesity surgeries, etc. I was told there are no exceptions to the exlusions and I cannot file an appeal. There is nowhere further to go with my insurance (that I know of). I know of the self-pay option but I simply don't have the money for that. I can't pay it in full nor can I take on another $300ish monthly payment. Here is where I need your help! Do you guys know of any grants, opportunities, etc. to help with these types of surgeries? I am at rock bottom and was holding on to the wish of surgery as my biggest hope. Thanks in advance for the suggestions, stories, knowledge! Stephanie

Had my consultation, and I'm glad I decided to find another surgeon. I didn't meet the surgeon this time, but I really liked his staff. I didn't feel like the place was a bariatrics mill, either, and they took my concerns about my band seriously. They did a complete unfill, and I've got an appointment for an upper GI series with barium. Hopefully, we'll be able to document a slip so I can get a revision.

Reading your story just now has brought tears to my eyes. I have had severe obstructive sleep apnea for around 10 years now, plus fibromyalgia. My number one reason I am having this surgery is to hopefully be rid of this horrendous disease. My quality of life has deteriorated each year due to exhaustion and not taking it as serious as I should have. Wearing the awful mask while being an insomniac is a feat in itself. Please take this seriously, I know you will. I had a gastric band done in 1986 and was unsuccessful. Had it removed in 2005 by the doctor who is going to now do my sleeve. Thinking I could never have bariatric surgery again, I went to him in January 2013 with a painful large hernia. It was just like we picked up from 8 years ago. I had never even heard of a gastric sleeve until he told me before he could address the hernia I had to lose 50 plus pounds. So here I am finishing my 2nd of the 3 month insurance requirements and can't wait. By the way, when I went to him in 2005 I weighed 203 (1986 was 250), now 8 years later I weigh 208. Can't seem to jump over this barrier. We can and will overcome this weight and sleep apnea thing we deserve it. My thoughts and prayers are with you, sweetie!

I use: Drugstore.com (you can get vitamins, GNC, quest, etc. from them) Amazon Bariatric Choice My surgeon's office Walmart/sam's club Costco Direct from Quest Direct from Syntrax BariatricPal store

How did you decide on a surgeon in Mexico? I went to the site to verify certifications and a lot of doctors I see reviews on and whose website says they are board certified are not even on the list of Mexican board certified surgeons. Only one of my top 3 were actually board certified in bariatric surgery. There are 88 bariatric board certified surgeons in Mexico and I only recognized maybe 4 names on that list from reading reviews and watching youtube. So I was curious what made you choose the surgeon you chose? I am still undecided but have strong contender.

On the The American Society of Bariatric Physicians website, you can locate docs by state. It's http://www.asbp.org/ Good luck!

While I have not yet had my bariatric surgery, I have had three open abdominal procedures for other reasons. All three went through the same area, from just above my belly button to just below my belt line (below my muffin top) in my upper groin. The first one was not bad, since my skin was just skin and not scar tissue like it is now. The first one was in 1995 and they sewed it internally and stapled the outside closed. The second and the third were last year, in May 2017 and in August 2017. The one in May was mostly healed when the surgeon had to open me back up again through the same place. The one from August 2017 took over four months to heal. As for pain, the first one hurt the most of the three (but it was still tolerable with pain medicine) because it was on virgin skin. The second and third did not really hurt much because scar tissue usually does not have as many nerve endings in it. You will likely have what is called a "wound vac" installed over the incision dressing after they close you in the operating room. This is a dressing covered with sponge material and adhesive-backed plastic wrap with a tube going from the dressing to the wound vac. It looks like Saran wrap, sort of, but it is a bit thicker. What this device does is keep a constant negative pressure on the wound to draw out any fluid and blood, which if left to pool within the wound could cause an infection. The wound vac does not hurt at all and really speeds up the healing process. When I had my surgery back in 1995, wound vacs were not widely used and I did not have one. Both surgeries last year used them. The wound nurses will change the dressings every couple of days and depending on how long you stay in the hospital, you may be sent home with a portable version of the wound vac. My surgery in August last year did just that. I had to carry the wound vac with me everywhere I went, but it was small and rechargeable and not very intrusive. After a while, I forgot it was even there. I had to come to the hospital wound care clinic every three days to get my dressings changed and I had the portable vac for two months. I was in the hospital for over three weeks so overall, I had the wound vac for almost three months. It sounds much worse than it is, believe me. I did not have the choice for any my surgeries either.

Dr. Kipnis, I am honored to make the first entry to your forum. For those seeking Lapband surgery in Burlington or Camden counties I would like to suggest that Dr. Kipnis is an excellent surgeon. He requires participation in the New Beginning Program that actually prepares you for the surgery and life afterwards. In the beginning I did not want to participate in the program because of the cost, but mostly because of the 2 hour drive round trip each time I went for an appointment or for the weekly classes. The drive was a major stressor for me during the process. I'd like to recommend and thank Chris from New Beginnings, as well as Nancy and Deborah from Dr. Kipnis' staff. These individuals went out of their way to help me every step of the way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. My surgery was performed on 14 April 09, at the Marlton hospital. Overall, the whole process from beginning to end went well excluding the effects of the anesthesia (Dilaudin). Unfortunately, due to circumstance beyond my control, I received a short notice transfer to Japan within days of the surgery so was unable to follow-up with Dr. Kipnis. However, I am currently waiting for a referral from the Tricare Referral Office at the base hospital to a well known Japanese bariatric surgeon in Tokyo. I have continued to loose 1-2 pounds each week and have healed wonderfully. I was well prepared for the surgery and life after due to the New Beginnings program and the skills of Dr. Seth Kipnis. Dr. Kipnis, thank you so much and I will be sure to send you a photo of me as I reach the summit of Mount Fuji! Leona S. Rader

Hi Crigney21! I'm also going through the process with Kaiser in Portland. I am currently on step 4. Once my PCP approved me I received an email from the Bariatric department that said I was approved for the program. So far, through step 3, it seems as though unless there is an issue with my labs, the doctor doesn't feel I'm ready, etc. then I am going to have it. Let me know if you want to chat more! I know I was fishing so hard to find someone else who was going through it at Kaiser in Portland because each Kaiser is so different.

This happened to me. I changed my vitamin and split the dose half am&pm, it got better fast.Seems lots of people have this problem with bariatric advantage chewables.

I had a similar call from my insurance company. They called many times so I thought it had something to do with my surgery. I returned the call. The nurse said, they would do follow up calls to see how I was doing after any hospital stay. I thought to myself....that's what my hospital and doctors nurses do. She continue to as if I had time to answer a few questions for her. She said it would only take about 20 minutes....that's more than a few questions. I was making supper so I couldn't stay on the phone. She called back a few days later. I didn't answer so she left a message. I then got a letter in the mail about it. I go to a monthly support group that my doctor's CBN and dietician hold. Just got a cookbook that was made just for bariatric patients. The meals are simple and look and sound delicious. Plus, you don't have to run to the store for a million different ingredients. I can't wait until I get off the blended foods so I can start cooking these. Your family can also eat them.

I too have never had dumping and can literally eat anything I want. At first my bariatric team though I had not pushed the boundaries yet but I can assure you I have and although some things like ice cream make my yummy feel heavy and uncomfortable, I don't get sick. Here is the thing, your new stomach controls how much you can fit into it. You control what and how often you put something into it. This is why building good eating habits is critical to your success. Just because I can eat anything I want, does not mean that should. This is simply a tool to help you manage your hunger. You have to get to the point where you truly recognize real hunger and a whole new feeling of full. Full now does not mean stuffed to the point where you are uncomfortable. I used to do that all the time. Full now means satisfied and comfortable. This is exactly why having this surgery is very hard work. You have to manage your food, Water and activity every single minute of the day. If you do that, the rewards are incredible. Better health, massive weight loss and more energy than you can imagine. I consider myself very lucky to be able to eat what I want without getting sick. Good luck to you guys!