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Good evening all! I was recently approved for medicaid and I'm now looking at choosing my managed care plan. I cannot get a clear answer online whether or not VSG is covered by any of them. I have to make phone calls tomorrow, but due to Hurricane Harvey I don't know if they'll be available, so I wanted to reach out and see if any of you have medicaid in Texas that covered your surgery? I weigh 320, BMI 53, currently and have been obese/morbidly obese for at least 8 years I have IIH, non-alcoholic fatty liver, and had my gallbladder removed when I was 16 I know I qualify, I just need to know if any of you have had it covered or know which managed care plan will cover it with the proper prerequisite conditions. TIA!

Although I have not regained any of my lost weight, I can answer this question. Here's a hint...regaining weight is never really about the food itself. Many people undergo weight loss surgery without resolving pre-existing psychological issues. Many bariatric patients are emotional eaters who have always used food to cope with stress, grief, boredom, joy, pain, and life itself. They lose massive weight after surgery, but regain once the next crisis occurs such as a death, job loss or divorce since they self-soothe with food. Many bariatric surgery patients are hardcore food addicts. They lose significant weight after surgery, but regain once they add addictive trigger foods back into their diets. Many bariatric surgery patients have undiagnosed binge eating disorder. They lose significant weight after surgery, but regain once they start binge-eating again. Many bariatric surgery patients experienced childhood trauma such as growing up around domestic violence, alcoholic patients, or drug-addicted parents. A large number of obese people (especially females) were sexually abused in childhood. Those with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) often drown out the bad memories of their upbringings with comfort food. They lose significant weight after surgery, but regain once they revert back to food to deal with the uncomfortable memories and flashbacks. So when someone posts she's regained all her weight after experiencing some emotionally traumatic event, she often asks about getting "back on track" to lose the regain. What she really needs is counseling to adopt healthy coping techniques that don't revolve around the comfort of food. Success with weight loss maintenance after surgery is 90 percent psychological. Those who fail to address underlying issues will continue the regain/loss cycle. After all, it's never really about the food. Regaining is a symptom of a deeper problem.

Sammie's original post is pretty close to what I would have said (I didn't read the rest of the back and forth). A diet is not exactly what OP needs at this point. They need some counseling and coping skills so they are not self soothing with food. It is helpful to learn how to handle your emotions and not self soothe with food prior to surgery but everyone doesn't get there. You can get there post-op but it is easier if you get there pre-op. You can't really conquer an addiction without getting the root cause of the addiction. If you overeat because you grew up in a family with food instability, you have to learn how to make yourself feel comfortable that you don't have to gorge there will always be food available. If you have demons that you are feeding with food instead of drugs or alcohol you have to work on those demons. If you just eat your emotions, you have to work on other ways to handle those emotions. If you reward yourself with food, you have to find other ways to reward yourself. Honestly the same people post the same issues about not being able to lose or being unable to maintain all the time. People give them honest good advice about food and eating but guess what it never works. The reason it doesn't work is because they have not corrected their emotional issues. Trying to out diet your feelings is just like trying to out train your diet. You can't burn enough calories in the gym to overcome a bad diet (you can erase 2 hours of working out in 2 minutes with one bad food choice). You cannot diet your way out of emotional issues. It just doesn't work. Read these forums for a couple years and it is painfully obvious.

The questionnaire was about your current/past mental health, eating habits, support systems, relationships and drug/alcohol abuse (if applicable). Then she/he goes over based on your answers.

Agreed not suppose to use food/ alcohol to cope which I haven't so far but being in room with a group of people who dislike me and who I'm not totally fond of either makes me super anxious. I just need something to take the edge off a little so I can relax and try to enjoy myself. Totally didn't think about the carbonation. I've stayed away from it completely since my surgery on June 29th. Maybe I'll just BYOB my own wine lol

But we aren't supposed use food/alcohol to cope any more Easier said than done, I understand. At the very least, get some trop 50, because it has less sugar and calories than regular OJ. And maybe let the champagne go flat. You've got 3 things working against you. Juice/sugar, carbonation and alcohol. That might be enough to cause dumping in some people. When was your surgery? You might find you don't want it. I have no desire for food/drink at all, and if I do fix myself something, I don't want it after a few sips/bites. I had 1oz champagne after my surgery, and it went down OK, but my stomach really hurt after. Sent from my XT1254 using BariatricPal mobile app

When did everyone start drinking again? My surgeon's office said to wait 3 months post op. I'm not wanting to overindulge but I would like to enjoy a mimosa at the baby shower I'm going to in a couple weeks because heavens knows I will need help getting through it.

I found that after WLS surgery I had issues with sugar alcohols (i.e. artificial sweeteners ending in -itol, such as xylitol, sorbitol, etc.). These are common ingredients in chewable vitamins and made me puke post-gastric bypass.

As long as she's not high at work, I'm perfectly comfortable with it. She won't have a hang over like she would if she drank alcohol.

Ill preface this by saying im getting a bypass (because I have serious GERD) but the sleeve is the better option for many if not most people. Its safer, less side effects/long term complications, less long term risks, its a much simpler operation, it doesnt change the anatomy, and it allows you to still consume alcohol and NSAIDS (yes one of these two is much more important than the other) And im an operating room nurse in a facility that does a ton of bariatric cases and unfortunately ive seen a few cases first hand of what can go wrong with a bypass years down the road, so I know how much more dangerous it is than a sleeve. I have NEVER seen a patient come back to the operating room with long term complications from a sleeve. But ive seen many patients come back with Petersens hernias, perforated ulcers, bowel obstructions from Gastric Bypasses. Some of these are life threatening and altering. Sure theyre both great operations which have their benefits and drawbacks, with situations where one is clearly superior to the other. But if one of them was the "winner" I would certainly say it was the sleeve.

Mine was just like a conversation with a friend. She also had the sleeve and gave me some tips. We talked about my background, health and weight history, work background, lifestyle, why I want to do this, my support system, and she also asked about my history of food, drugs, alcohol/verbal/sexually abuse, past counseling history. I had to do a questionnaire and I marked off that I had a quick temper and she asked me about that. I actually enjoyed it. I know that's what she gets paid to do, but I sort of wish we could be friends, because we had some things in common. Much less stressful than I thought it was going to be. But I'm so uninteresting. Two divorces where I had counseling, but no history of any sort of abuse of anything. Sent from my XT1254 using BariatricPal mobile app

Surgery on 8/10. Healing has been good. Maybe too good? My biggest concern is I don't seem feel the restriction as I expected :-| However, my diet is only at the pureed stage - so maybe it is just that things slide down? My calorie count is around 600, but I feel like I am eating too much. Beverages go down pretty easily, but I do have to remind myself to drink to get in the recommended amount. I can see how one could easily regain weight with beverages alone. I am working on taking more time to eat the pureed foods (eating slowly is a challenge from my before WLS too). I have actually started to use a timer (and yes, I rolled my eyes when someone suggested that, but it does help). I also feel more hungry in the evening than I do during the day. While I was happy with my weight loss from the pre-op through the first week post-op, I have definitely slowed down... I am working at getting back to walking (the bring your heart rate up kind) and find that I tire a lot sooner than I feel like I should. Regular movement is fine. Building up stamina is a focus for this week. I too have had some minor constipation. I take generic colace daily, and that seems to keep things moving. The other thing... hubby and I went out last night to the horse races. Lots of concession foods around, and pre-op this was not food I would have been interested in eating, but for some reason last night the smells made me feel like I desperately wanted things like a hot dog and a beer. I did not indulge, but the sensation reminded me of when I used to go on extreme diets, then would get around forbidden food again for the first time... I have not been on an extreme diet since my teens, and the memory and sensation was vivid. Pre-op I would not have chosen a hot dog - so it was weird that I felt like that was what I wanted. The beer, I would have had, but I am committed to skipping alcohol until I get to maintenance (or longer depending on when that happens). If I keep having these types of experiences, then I think some work with a therapist who works with WLS patients may be in order. The other thing that I am learning, I must bring high protein items with me to eat so I don't get too hungry. Right now that is hard because most of my protein is coming from shakes - and that means bringing a insulated bag with an ice pack. Soon, I will be looking for high-protein snacks or mini-meals that are healthy and travel well.

Official information from published literature: See bolded text... Not my words, this is published medical literature. Not some physician or dietician words either, just generalizing information from cigarette smoking or alcohol consumption to answer the question in the absence of data. Obes Surg. 2014 Oct;24(10):1764-70. doi: 10.1007/s11695-014-1315-x. Assessing marijuana use in bariatric surgery candidates: should it be a contraindication? Rummell CM1, Heinberg LJ. Author information Abstract Research has demonstrated negative effects of both alcohol and tobacco use after bariatric surgery. However, no research to date has examined effects of cannabis use after bariatric surgery, even though cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the USA. Literature review reveals that many practitioners generalize from data regarding alcohol abuse to all substances. Further, many screening protocols fail to differentiate between varying levels of cannabis use. The current report aims to (1) review the relevant literature on marijuana use and its potential consequences among bariatric patients, (2) discuss relevant problems and gaps in this literature, and (3) make preliminary recommendations regarding the assessment and treatment planning of bariatric candidates who disclose marijuana use.

55lbs since almost February is actually pretty good for a female since females tend to lose slower than males. Dont resort back to full liquids, its not sustainable long term. Simply start noticing the bad habbits that got you into the situation in the first place, Eating C.R.A.P. Carbonated Drinks , Refined Sugars, Artificial flavorings and Alcohol, Processed foods.. Get back to eating 5 or 6 smaller meals a day of good, real food.

How far out are you from your procedure? Have you consumed alcohol yet? Have you noticed any change to the way your body metabolizes it? Feel Drunk much more quickly? Any odd unusual or unexpected side effects? Gas? LoL [emoji23] thanks!!

Ive suffered from anxiety and depression which is crazy because i havent felt this good in years!!!! I signed myself up for mental health and they said it is very common after weightloss surgery as well as divorce/breakups and alcoholism. advice/ heard of/ going thru ANYBODY? Sent from my SM-G928T using BariatricPal mobile app

Ive suffered from anxiety and depression which is crazy because i havent felt this good in years!!!! I signed myself up for mental health and they said it is very common after weightloss surgery as well as divorce/breakups and alcoholism. advice/ heard of/ going thru ANYBODY? Sent from my SM-G928T using BariatricPal mobile app

Ive suffered from anxiety and depression which is crazy because i havent felt this good in years!!!! I signed myself up for mental health and they said it is very common after weightloss surgery as well as divorce/breakups and alcoholism. advice/ heard of/ going thru ANYBODY?

I will not be having a food funeral either. Over the past year or so, I've been working hard to implement the changes I need to make in order to make this surgery a success. I quit indulging in marijuana, I have not had a drop of alcohol and for the past seven months, I have been adhering to a rigorous 1,800 calorie diet, as prescribed by the nutritionists. That's not to say I didn't go out to eat before I started my liquid diet. I went out with a couple of friends and we went to this restaurant in Denver called Sputnik. I had one of their smaller dishes, the Mac-n-Cheese without the green onions. The experience of shooting the breeze with my friends, though, is more important and I made sure to pace my meal to the end of the conversation.

Yes I'm committing to no more alcohol. I'm 3 weeks post op. I was only a social drinker anyways so it hasn't been hard for me. Sent from my LG-H901 using BariatricPal mobile app

I suppose we all handle this subject differently. I am not a death row inmate of course, but rather am looking at this time as if I am losing my BFF. And, right now I know I can eat whatever I want and how much I want while fully knowing this is "stinkin' thinkin". I just wanted other peoples perspectives and how they handled such a controversial experience. Personally, this isn't the first time I have experienced a indulgence loss. 17 years ago I quit smoking cold turkey and I didn't smoke a carton my last few days, I simply just quit. 2 years ago I quit alcohol, now that was hard. So you say, if you can quit those then what's the problem? I don't know, except that food is a necessity and we can't live without it I guess. Thanks for you post.

You are committing to no alcohol your whole life time? Not even a sip? How far out are you?

I just got home from a 5 day trip. I WON!! I'll weigh tomorrow but I believe I lost while gone. This was hard because trips ALWAYS meant lots of food, alcohol, snacks, etc. I did have a few times where I was tempted but I stuck to the low carb diet per the Dr and zero alcohol. I only have 4 lbs to go before I'm at the weight Dr wants me at. My motto - this is my new life. Food is fuel. I have the mindset that once I reach goal, then I can have small splurges, but not until then. And, every time I was tempted, I thought about the surgery. I want it to go smoothly, so not sticking to this diet increases my risks. We are all so close!!! Exciting!!

How do you know which type of weight loss surgery (WLS) is best for you? Part 1 of this series explored some of the factors to consider; here are a few more! Reversibility Each Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) type is designed to be permanent. However, the Adjustable Gastric Band (AGB) is fully reversible if necessary since the surgeon can remove the band from around your stomach. The Gastric Bypass (RNY) can be reversed, although the procedure is more complicated. The Gastric Sleeve (VSG) is absolutely irreversible since it involves removing most of your stomach from your body. Because of its reversibility, the AGB may be the choice for some younger patients or for those who do not want to take a dramatic step that affects their actual body parts. Invasiveness and Recovery The AGB is least invasive and has the shortest recovery time. It can even be an outpatient procedure, and you could get back to work in a week. This might be the only realistic option if you have very little sick leave available or you do not want to tell work colleagues about your surgery. The RNY and VSG are inpatient and require longer recovery times Safety: Complications and Side Effects Some risks of the AGB are band slippage or leakage, or erosion of the band. You could have vomiting or reflux if your band is displaced or filled too tight. Since the band can be removed, most of the complications can be stopped by emptying or removing the band. The VSG has a higher rate of complications than the band. They can include leakage at the suture site. Nearly a quarter of RNY patients have complications of some sort, with more serious ones including staple line separation or leaks. You might opt for the AGB if you have a lower BMI without many health issues, or you might be more willing to take on RNY risks if your BMI is higher and you are more concerned about obesity-related issues such as diabetes. The risk for nutritional deficiencies is higher with RNY and VSG. You can greatly lower your risk by taking the appropriate nutritional supplements, but you need to be prepared to take your bariatric vitamins for life. The effects of vitamin and mineral deficiencies can include osteoporosis, anemia, and nerve damage. A Sweet Tooth and Dumping Syndrome What are you looking to get out of your WLS? If all you need is help with portion control, AGB may be for you. It only helps with portion control, and it is up to you to make healthy food choices. On the other hand, the gastric bypass is best if you are looking for a tool to help you avoid sweets. That is because of the malabsorptive nature of RNY. With RNY, your food passes through the lower part of your small intestine with less digestion than it would before surgery. Sugars that get to your small intestine can give you symptoms of dumping syndrome, including weakness, extreme fullness, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Foods that cause dumping syndrome tend to be sugary and high-carb foods, such as candy, soft drinks, cakes, and pastries. Dairy and alcohol can also cause problems. Most patients who get RNY have dumping syndrome at some point. Dumping syndrome can be beneficial because it gives you extra motivation to eat right – you know that if you grab that brownie, you may be headed for hours of misery! That can be a good reason to choose RNY. However, if the thought of dumping syndrome scares you, RNY is not for you! There are many factors to consider as you choose your WLS type, but keep in mind that the decision is individual. You need to choose the WLS type that will work for you, even if it is not the one that worked for someone else. The decision is something to make after one or more serious conversations with your surgeon.

Reversibility Each Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) type is designed to be permanent. However, the Adjustable Gastric Band (AGB) is fully reversible if necessary since the surgeon can remove the band from around your stomach. The Gastric Bypass (RNY) can be reversed, although the procedure is more complicated. The Gastric Sleeve (VSG) is absolutely irreversible since it involves removing most of your stomach from your body. Because of its reversibility, the AGB may be the choice for some younger patients or for those who do not want to take a dramatic step that affects their actual body parts. Invasiveness and Recovery The AGB is least invasive and has the shortest recovery time. It can even be an outpatient procedure, and you could get back to work in a week. This might be the only realistic option if you have very little sick leave available or you do not want to tell work colleagues about your surgery. The RNY and VSG are inpatient and require longer recovery times Safety: Complications and Side Effects Some risks of the AGB are band slippage or leakage, or erosion of the band. You could have vomiting or reflux if your band is displaced or filled too tight. Since the band can be removed, most of the complications can be stopped by emptying or removing the band. The VSG has a higher rate of complications than the band. They can include leakage at the suture site. Nearly a quarter of RNY patients have complications of some sort, with more serious ones including staple line separation or leaks. You might opt for the AGB if you have a lower BMI without many health issues, or you might be more willing to take on RNY risks if your BMI is higher and you are more concerned about obesity-related issues such as diabetes. The risk for nutritional deficiencies is higher with RNY and VSG. You can greatly lower your risk by taking the appropriate nutritional supplements, but you need to be prepared to take your bariatric vitamins for life. The effects of vitamin and mineral deficiencies can include osteoporosis, anemia, and nerve damage. A Sweet Tooth and Dumping Syndrome What are you looking to get out of your WLS? If all you need is help with portion control, AGB may be for you. It only helps with portion control, and it is up to you to make healthy food choices. On the other hand, the gastric bypass is best if you are looking for a tool to help you avoid sweets. That is because of the malabsorptive nature of RNY. With RNY, your food passes through the lower part of your small intestine with less digestion than it would before surgery. Sugars that get to your small intestine can give you symptoms of dumping syndrome, including weakness, extreme fullness, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Foods that cause dumping syndrome tend to be sugary and high-carb foods, such as candy, soft drinks, cakes, and pastries. Dairy and alcohol can also cause problems. Most patients who get RNY have dumping syndrome at some point. Dumping syndrome can be beneficial because it gives you extra motivation to eat right – you know that if you grab that brownie, you may be headed for hours of misery! That can be a good reason to choose RNY. However, if the thought of dumping syndrome scares you, RNY is not for you! There are many factors to consider as you choose your WLS type, but keep in mind that the decision is individual. You need to choose the WLS type that will work for you, even if it is not the one that worked for someone else. The decision is something to make after one or more serious conversations with your surgeon.