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yes bariatric fushion makes life simple.//////

I would call them first to see if they pay for any bariatric surgeries. I have BC/BS of Texas they do not. Thankfully I had different insurance at the time I had mine done. Just call them they will tell you up front so you know ahead of time.

Hi everyone. My name is Margaret. I am a mother, wife, friend, employee advocate, and a lover of dogs. I live with my husband and Chug (Chihuahua/pug) in Colorado. I just had my revision surgery on June 30th from lap band to sleeve. I am at Bariatric Stage IV - eating pureed foods and drinking Protein drinks. I am limited to five foods: egg whites, plain yogurt, refried Beans, cottage cheese and pudding. I am also taking liquid Vitamins and getting B-12 monthly injections. My daily goals are to continue to drink 64 oz of Fluid each day; eat/drink 65 grams of protein, walk 30 minutes (if not more), and continue to protect my surgery incisions and stomach by not lifting, pulling, pushing anything over 15 lbs.I am glad that the doctor limits his patients to five foods because I think it's really easy at this point to overdue it on other soft foods that may not be so healthy for you. The weight is coming off slowly which I think is good. I feel pretty good except last night, I had a side ache next to the incision where my port use to be. Other than that, I feel really good. I think this surgery was much easier than the lap band. I still get hungry and the food that my husband is eating looks tempting. However, I try to remind myself that this is just head hunger. I don't think I am really hungry. I am no longer a coffee drinker since we were told to stop drinking it. I was totally addicted to coffee mostly because of the liquid creamers. I feel so much better and I no longer have to have coffee first thing in the morning I am just beginning this journey and I am still learning to listen to my body. I am not in a support group at this time but I would love to connect with others who are on a similar journey.

I would love to start a Cincinnati support group. On the east side near Eastgate / Anderson .. I would love to do clothes swaps and bariatric friendly pot luck dinners BYOT (Bring Your Own Tupperware ) lol let me know if anyone is interested

I tried three : Calcet creamy bites - texture decent , taste decent but in the end the calorie count was higher than i wanted considering i need to take 2 or 3 a day. Celebrate - not bad but texture a little gritty Bariatric Advantage - I've stuck with these, less gritty than the Celebrate but same calorie, carb level as the Celebrate ones. Several flavors to choose from. I order mine off Amazon.

I'm having trouble finding a good Protein Powder. I tried Bariatric Fusion and found it gross (especially the chicken soup). Premier Protein is just way too sweet for me. The Caramel is revolting, and the Banana and Cream is drinkable but soooo sweet. Everyone says Unjury is the best. If I don't like Bariatric Fusion or Premier Protein will I like Unjury? Am I doomed to find all Protein shakes undrinkable? Everyone keeps saying how great Premier Protein caramel is and I really find it disgusting.

In this article I interview Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MXabout the safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico. http://www.mybariatriclife.org/bariatricpal-hospital-mx-qa-safe-bariatric-surgery/

My office has a psychologist working within the clinic. I would gander many "bariatric clinics" do as well. Something to look into.

One Week Pre-Op Weight: 296.7 Weight Lost: -8.2lbs BMI: 44.7 Before I get into things, I would like to stay how touched I am that so many people have taken the time to read my blog. I never imagined that I would get so many views, and am overwhelmed by the support that I have received. Thank you to all my friends, family, loved ones, and other Bariatric patients for reading about my progress and the support. It means the world to me. Alright, so it’s T-Minus 7 days until surgery. This past week was pretty rough, I won’t lie. I’ve had a head cold most of the week, which did not help the adjustment to my new diet. For the first few days I was hungry most of the day. Everything that I saw I wanted to eat. And when you work in the grocery store, you see A LOT of food. A few times the thought “If I just cheat a little, that would be ok…” crossed my mind. But then I told myself that if you cheat once, you will continue to cheat. And that this pre-op diet is for a reason, and if I stray from that it could cause complications. Mostly, I told myself that I really want to succeed at this. To succeed I need to change the way I think and the way that I handle situations in my life. Up until now, I have dealt with stress, sadness, anger, and being sick with food. Food has always been a comfort to me, and this week I have started the process to changing that. I didn’t put anything into my body that I was not supposed to have, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment. It may seem silly that such a small feat is such a big accomplishment to some people, but to me it was huge. Later in the week, I started feeling extreme weakness and exhaustion. I wasn’t quite sure whether it was the cold or the diet that was causing it, or a combination of the two. I was pretty miserable though. Had to call into work one day, and the next day found myself using things around me to hold myself up. I slept plenty too. Pretty much every chance I had I was lying down and dozing off. Thankfully, by Sunday I was feeling much better. I’m no longer starving most of the day. I haven’t thought about cheating in a couple of days. This morning when I stepped on the scale and saw that I lost a little over 8 pounds I was delighted. The suffering paid off, and I feel good about myself. This week is going to be a long week. A few doctor appointments to get through. My feet are starting hurt pretty bad, and the only thing that I can take it Tylenol. It doesn’t do much for me. Mostly I think that the waiting for the day to come makes everything seem longer. I am blessed to have people around me, especially my boyfriend, to keep me distracted. He has been truly wonderful through this whole process. He’s so supportive and wants me to be happy. I struggled through week one….and I’ll make it through week two.

i have really grown to love this site. there are about 5 people that i really like and take interest in their journey. i check the blogs every day and comment and some times they comment back. its nice. thanks to so many of you really giving me great advise i hope to leave the seminar tomorrow with great confidence that i will be approved. you all have given me encouragement so that i want to keep trying and your successes make me want it for myself, your advise leads me in the direction that i need to go and i just wanted to tell you all thank you for everything. keep your fingers crossed for me. my Dr is a butt head and wont approve it but lets hope the bariatric specialist will.

I agree!! Love reading these topics. Although my surgeon told me to stay off the bariatric surgery forums until surgery is finished...yeah, like THAT'S gonna happen! Lol

Welcome! You have some very good questions, and the fact that you are thinking about these things is great. Weight loss surgery isn't for everyone, and I think it's really important to make the decision with your eyes wide open and be prepared for the good, the bad, and the ugly. This forum is a great place to read about other people's experiences with WLS so you can know what to expect. Pay particular attention to catwoman7's posts -- she is a great example of a WLS success story, who lost all of her excess weight and has kept it off long-term (and she is a true bariatric guru with lots of excellent advice and insight). Just about all of us have had many failed weight loss attempts in the past. Most insurance companies require evidence of failed weight loss attempts before they'll pay for surgery, because surgery is a pretty drastic solution and few people would want to go through it if they could lose and maintain weight loss without surgery. But many of us who have failed so many times before have been successful with WLS. It is true that some people gain back some or all of the weight (or don't lose as much weight as they need to) after WLS because, as you've figured out, WLS isn't magic. It still takes a lot of work and commitment and (as much as I hate the term) lifestyle changes. I get the impression that in the early years of WLS, the emphasis was on the restriction (and, to some extent, malabsorption) of surgery -- the physical limitations that made it impossible to overeat and/or that made the patient ill from eating too much fat or sugar. Patients mainly relied on eating smaller quantities to lose weight. This works in the short term, but the restriction loosens up over time (so you can eventually eat more in one sitting), and if you continue eating high-calorie foods and/or get in the habit of eating around your surgery by eating smaller portions more frequently, you can easily increase your calorie consumption back to the point of regaining weight. For me (and many others), WLS made the initial weight loss much easier than dieting alone because I had no hunger for several months after surgery, but I do get hungry now and it's a challenge to stick to my plan. I think that these days, most WLS clinics have a more comprehensive approach and provide more guidance on dietary changes. After WLS, you pretty much reboot your eating patterns, almost like a baby. You go back to consuming only liquids, then pureed and mushy foods, and tiny bites of soft foods before you get back to eating like an adult. I think this process is the turning point for your long-term path after WLS. You can either take advantage of this opportunity to get into good habits of eating nutritious food, or you can get back into your old eating habits once you are physically able to eat normal foods again (which can ultimately lead to regain). As far as how WLS affects mental health, that is very dependent on the individual and not necessarily predictable. I think it's safe to say that most people's mental health benefits greatly from weight loss because living with obesity is incredibly difficult, but of course there are instances of unexpected negative results. If you have a history of mental health issues, that's something to discuss with your provider as part of your decision (and most insurance companies and clinics require a psychological consultation to make sure you are mentally/emotionally prepared for surgery). I did my surgery completely alone. I'm 2.5 years post-op and haven't told any family, friends, or coworkers about my surgery. I live alone and had no help after my surgery. I was fortunate to have a pretty easy recovery, so I had no problems taking care of myself (although I later developed bradycardia due to the rapid weight loss and had to get a pacemaker). In a way, I think living alone makes the post-op life easier because I have complete control over the food purchasing and preparation in my house. I simply don't buy foods that don't fit in my plan, so it is easy to avoid temptation. I encourage you to continue to research WLS and read about other people's experiences as you make your decision. Good luck!

I can't give an accurate reaction to this, cuz I just started seeing someone new and that right there is the whole new relationship sex, vs renewed sex lol. But I do find that I enjoy it more and that I sweat less that is for sure!

OK, met with the bariatric surgeon today. I really like him! Dr. Hargroder in Baton Rouge, LA. He said one view of my films it looks like a "normal" sleeve, but on another view, it looks like it is larger from the back. He said he knows of possibly two reasons I may be having trouble. If my sleeve surgeon did not dissect the stomach far enough, it would have left a bulb-like protrusion on the back side, which he thinks he is seeing on the film. This would mean I have a much too big pouch. The other problem my be the hernia repair surgery he (Dr. Hargroder) performed on me when I had my band. He said it was a Nisson fundoplication (sp?) in which the upper stomach is wrapped around the esophagus. My sleeve doctor may not have unwound it and just "sleeved" (stapled) around it making a larger pouch. He also may have unwound it, cut/stapled the stomach and not wound it again - also resulting in a larger pouch and explaining why the hernia came back. So, he proposes that he look at it while removing my gallbladder and repairing my hiatal hernia. If it looks too big, he will resection it - just like the original surgery. But it would have to be pretty big to have enough room to do this. The other possibility is he may be able to do a pliacation (pleat the upper, enlarged pouch - fold it over on itself). He really won't know until he get in there to see what was done and if it looks "unusual". I think I'm having it done on 8/2 or 8/4. They will confirm with me tomorrow. Thanks, Monica

Hi DC6064. I haven't had my thyroid removed but have had other surgery. I have had gastric bypass 10 weeks ago, but I also have M.E./CFIDS, lupus and depression. I don't want to sound negative, but It is hard going, especially energy wise. I had a severe lack of energy for the last 22 years, but this took it to a whole new level. I am also on throyxine. I would discuss your concerns with the surgeon, and if you don't feel that you have your questions answered, postpone the date of surgery. I found it almost impossible to get information about my surgery and various illnesses. My General practitioner didn't know anything about bariatric surgery and the group of health professionals at the weight loss clinic didn't know anything about Lupus, CFIDS, etc and surgery. Sorry that I can't be of more help. I would just get as much information as you can, especially independent of your weight loss clinic. All the best.

Someone I met through a bariatric group made it for me. I can give you her number if you like as she has given me permission. Sent from my SM-J700T using the BariatricPal App

You can google bariatric friendly recipes. I still get in foods ruts at four years out. This is a long term sustainable way of eating and still is flavorful. I think the fear and questioning if you are doing this right is normal. It gets easier as food becomes habit. Beef, chicken, seafood, dairy and eggs. Hundreds of options to cook them. I do fajitas no tortilla, Smoked salmon salad, bariatric pizza (my goto) eggplant as lasagna layer instead of noodles. Experiment to find what you like. Below is my dieticians recipe page for food ideas. Make sure they fit your plan. http://insidekarenskitchen.com/bariatric-friendly-recipes/ Are you logging your food in a food app? I use myfitness pal. My food diary is open https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myfitnesspal.android&hl=en_US My username is fit_chickx https://www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/fit_chickx

I am sorry to here that you are feeling unsupported in this. It seems like your husband is dealing with some self esteem issues that he is projecting onto you. I have a very supportive husband he too does have some esteem issues as well but he never makes me feel bad like that. We aren't as intimate as I would like to be & I attribute it my health issues & our son he's 2 & sometimes being parents just interferes with wanting to be sexual. However the things you described don't sound that way they sound emotionally abusive. It sounds like you already carry enough emotional baggage from your other life experiences that cause you pain without the person whose supposed to love you for better or worse making you feel like crap. I would suggest seeking out a counselor would deals with family & bariatric patients so that they can work with you as a bariatric patient, as a married woman & potentially you & your husband to work thru your issues as a couple. I wish you luck with your process I get my RNY tomorrow & have been thru the 6 month waiting game & insurance approval process so I sympathize with you. You will get where you need to be don't let other people drag you down with them.

Y'all are going to hate me My insurance covered it (United Health Care). I thought there was an exclusion, but I asked HR and they said that the insurance covered bariatric surgery through the end of 2007 and it was going to be dropped in 2008. I routinely go to the doc every 6 months or so for a checkup, and so I already had the 5 years of weight history and the co-morbidities documented. (For those who are curious -- sleep apnea, high cholesterol numbers and something called "metabolic syndrome".) Gave my insurance info to the specialist, they cranked it through, and I quite literally had the surgery about a month after asking HR about coverage. Sometimes, things just go right

They have them here at Bariatric Pal, protein gummies. They are just relatively high cal vs. protein content

It drives me nuts to throw things away. I donate what I can and try to find other people who can use the items. I am now 6 trash bags deep into clothing donations! So, I have some bariatric "liquid/drinkable" vitamins that I liked when I tried before surgery but could not stomach after surgery. I am in Baltimore MD, so if you are local I will gladly pass them along to anyone who wants them FOR FREE! If you are not local and are willing to pay the shipping expenses then I will also ship them. I have single serving packets of the raspberry lemonade. I also have 1 unopened tub of the 4 in 1 chocolate shake mix and 1 OPENED tub. Both pictured below. If anyone is interested in any of them please let me know, I would hate to throw them away! BOTH WERE APPROVED BY MY BARIATRIC TEAM!

In summary from reading these and other articles (my conclusion—please draw your own, I am not an expert and still awaiting to be sleeved!). I am having a bit of pre-surgery jitters, so re-researching to be clear I am making the right choice for me, for the right reasons and my expectations of self and surgery are realistic. The long term percentage rate of dieters regaining most or all weight back does seem to be much higher (up to 95%) than those that actually have bariatric surgery . HOWEVER, WITH THAT SAID, SOME STUDIES SAY UP TO 5% OF BARIATRIC PATIENTS GAIN IT ALL BACK. 2-3 years after surgery 80% of patients regain 5-10 pounds and approximately another 20% keep creeping up (unclear how much and if you look at other stats it appears most of them most get a handle on it). I am having pre-surgery (April 10, 2012) jitters and was having moments of wanting to back out but the stats seem to favor using the tool of surgery, but it is obvious bariatric surgery is no magic wand and one still has to ; PORTION CONTROL (YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO EAT ENOUGH TO REGAIN WEIGHT—IF NOT CAREFUL!) EATING THE RIGHT FOODS EXERCISE SUPPORT SYSTEMS (FOR BOTH EATING & WORKING OUT HABITS AND OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH support for dealing with the daily stressors in life!) Dieters-Weight Gain Stats http://magazine.ucla.edu/exclusives/dieting_no-go/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/438395-the-percentage-of-people-who-regain-weight-after-rapid-weight-loss-risks/ http://www.lvrj.com/health/weight-loss-hard-to-maintain-121986554.html Weight Gain Stats for Gastric Surgery Patients; http://www.livestrong.com/article/407343-a-regain-after-weight-loss-surgery/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1856611/ (very medical stat type of doc) http://livingafterwls.blogspot.com/2011/05/understanding-weight-gain-after-weight.html (a blog discussing stats but not referencing…so okay article) http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Fitness/story?id=4444057&page=1#.T3syJ_mUUq4 (a good and concise article) http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/weight-gain-after-gastric-bypass.html (Excellent article on regain stats, how not to regain, what other tools needed for success)

I actually found this template somewhere on the web and added a few things to it for my own... What I did for mine was take it to my Dr already typed in and all my Dr did was put it on their letterhead. Good luck! DATE To whom it may concern; I am writing this letter on behalf of my patient XXXXXX DOB XX/XX/XXXX. XXXXXXXX is XXXX tall and weighs XXXXlbs. and a BMI of XX.X with a diagnosis of morbid obesity (278.01). XXXXX has been excessively overweight for most of his/her adolescent and all of his/her adult life and having attempted and been unsuccessful at many different methods of weight loss, would certainly benefit from some sort of bariatric surgery. In addition to morbid obesity, XXXXX also suffers from the following co-morbid conditions, (These are a few that would qualify you) sleep Apnea (780.57), GERD (530.81), Shortness of breath (786.05), Stress Incontinence (625.6), Back Pain (724.2), Knee Pain (716.98), and has a positive family history of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. XXXXX has tried many method of weight loss including a physician administered diet and diet pills in XXXX with an approximate weight loss of XXlbs only having to gain the weight back plus more. XXXX is limited due to his/her co morbidities in the ability to exercise however is currently (walking approximately XX miles per day) (Or is a member of XXXX fitness club) with a weight loss of XXlbs. I feel that XXXXX would benefit greatly from the Lap Band Procedure (43770) as a tool to help lose the excess weight and lessen the co-morbidities and regain a more healthful life. Sincerely,

When I called back in June, she said I could get in in July. But I had to wait until my season was over. I actually just booked Thursday for November 25th. I was told to go at the beginning of the week to avoid longer wait times the day of surgery. Not sure if its a real concern or not. I have to renew my passport aswell, lol. I should get on that.

I had my RNY on Tuesday, and am tolerating liquids ok. I was also able to mix 1/2 scoop of Protein shake powder with 8oz of Water, and sipped 1oz every 15 minutes, as advised by my surgeon. However, when I tried a teeny bit of yogurt, I had heartburn for 3 hours. I have to crush up my Nexium and anxiety medicine, and the taste literally makes me heave when mixed with water or Crystal Light. So that's why I tried the yogurt. I literally had maybe 1/4 of a teaspoon. So now I'm not sure when to try it again. I'm also finding that a few of my incisions are starting to itch. They were closed and a medical glue put over them, and I will not scratch them, but it's becoming more difficult not to. I hope tomorrow to have the courage to try one of the Bariatric Pal Soups, since I'm supposed to be able to try strained cream soups. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using BariatricPal