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Met with Bariatric Coordinator, Nutritionist, Physical Therapist and Psychologist on 7/25/06. It went well. Waiting for approval from insurance company. We'll see... weightlossticker.bmp

Here is an idea: for any food, try eating a tiny amount of it. Then wait an hour. If you feel okay, then try more of it the next time. At the hospital, the bariatric nurse told me that I would be able to eat a forkful of, for example, birthday cake but no more. I am almost 3 weeks post op. I don't think that I have yet experienced dumping. But I chose gastric bypass to have the opportunity for dumping. This might sound strange, but my favorite foods in the past have been sugars, fats and carbohydrates. So I needed the threat of dumping in order to succeed at weight loss. Since surgery, I've never vomited and never had dumping (at least I don't think so). But I'm also being super careful. Two days ago I tried falafel. I was convinced I would be able to eat it if I chewed it well. After two bites, I knew it wouldn't work. So I quit eating it. This is my strategy for managing dumping. Again, I chose RNY specifically for the privilege of having dumping to help me navigate the many food choices that have been a challenge for me in the past. I wish everyone success and realize that others' experiences and needs are very different from my own. This is just my perspective.

I've had my consultation with Dr. Stowers (via phone since I live out of state) and so far it has been a good experience. I'm wondering if anyone has gone to him for the sleeve? If so, what was your experience like? Any complications? For fellow sleevers that are a few years out, how has your progress been and are you maintaining? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

Syntrax is offering a monthly promo for 10 packets of sample flavors of assorted choices for 14.00 including shipping. Thats a pretty good deal. Unjury offers a sampler with tge famous chocolate splendor & chicken soup flavors as well as vanilla & strawberry for 19.99+ shipping. Bjs bariatrics offers the ability to pick the flavors of your samples of nectars. And is in the $15 range+ shipping. My bartatric pantry offers syntrax samples pick your flavors & matrix samples assorted flavors. I have a blender bottle which helps mix things well but I still get tons of foam So far I've tried only the isopure ready to drink bottled from gnc - it was yucky & had a odd flavor. Had to choke it down. I tried the roadside lemonade from syntrax nectars & it was good, no odd flavors, just a gentle lemonade flavor quite nice. allons-y

Wow, this is just overwhelming.:phanvan You'll survive these next days, taterbugs but you have to really focus. For right now, try liquids & mushees only. Don't irritate the band with anything tough, dry or fibrous/crunchy (not even salad :cry ) Get yourself some Gas-X or any Simethicone-based tablets. Try at least 125 to 200 mg worth of simethicone to keep the slime down. In fact, any kind of Rolaids Maximum Strength-type chewables that have both calcium (to soak up the acid) and Simethicone (to prevent the fluidy sliming will probably give you some real relief fast. You need something to handle the acid heartburn and something to prevent the 'fluids coming up the esophagus' thing. If you follow these steps and don't further irritate your band, this should get you a couple of days of enough relief to keep you out of the ER. Then go immediately when you find someone in South Carolina. My first suggestion - find a Bariatric surgeon that does LapBand in your new area. Immediately - one that's in South Carolina, where you'll be back in a few days. Start making those Long Distance calls now so you'll have someone lined up when you get back home ASAP. Don't bother with the Atlanta surgeons now - you'll probably really need someone who will follow you long-term. When you say you've been "filled & unfilled" - where are you now? And also when you say you were unfilled due to "distended" band - are you saying it was dilitated, expanded, changed position? Can you describe it for us? Check the Phone Directories, check ObesityHelp website, do a Google search but find a LapBand doc in SC as soon as you possibly can.

Even though my insurance left me high and dry, I am still going along with the plan. Self-pay, $20,000. Dr. Blackstone of Scottsdale Bariatric Center in AZ is doing it. Her office is ranked in the top three in the country. It was a toss up between this and the RNY bypass. I have done all the preliminary tests, few to go before the surgery. Would like to know from others what to expect the day of the surgery, and what to expect after. Surgery October 9, 2006.

:help: I'm the nurse who developed the list of questions to ask your surgeon and reminded you to post the article on complications. I'm determined to have bariatric surgery and, after extensive research, had decided on a Lapband. I had my initial consultation yesterday at the University of California, San Francisco bariatric surgery center (the only one my insurance will cover in Northern California). Really liked the surgeons but am troubled by the number of Lapbands they've done. They've done hundreds of lap bypasses but very few Lapbands -- about 50 among the 3 of them since they started doing Lapbands a year and a half ago. I remember you posted some time ago that a given surgeon should have done a minimum of 50 Lapbands. So here's my conundrum:confused: : Is it wise to have a Lapband, even though they've done so few? Or do I have a bypass even though I'd prefer not to? Any advice will be appreciated! NancyRN

dont you take protonix or prilosec? HW 250/1st Lapband 198/2nd Lapband 232/Pre conversion 2/6/13 to bypass 232. Currently,206.6, Bariatric GW 134, Realistic GW 150

OK, now that I've whined and moaned, I pulled out the info from the bariatric program and found the following: I can have a 1 cup salad in addition, and I can make my own dressing for it--woo! So I got up and went to the store, and got a brainstorm while I was there--I can season my meat any way I want--so why not with pico de gallo (chopped raw garlic, onion, tomato, cilantro)? I'm getting excited about dinner. I picked up some asparagus that I'm going to dress with a ginger vinagrette. I just need to get over myself lol, and get creative with it!

Rebecca... obesityhelp.com has a physician finder to assist in finding a bariatric surgeon near to you. Good Luck!

I am 34 pounds down with about 60 to go, but the tummy rash on my thighs has already been a problem. I'm a total researcher, so......I put in some calls to some local plastic surgeons recommended by the "American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons". Each said to wait until about 30 pounds from goal for your first consultation. The articles by plastic surgeons that I have read on WLS Magazine website say the same thing and recommend at least 3-5 consultations (should be free) with different surgeons and most will make you wait 3-5 months for surgery to see where your weight stabilizes. My bariatric surgeon has someone he recommends, as well. On a side note, all the articles I read recommend taking someone with you to all consultations who can ask questions with you to be sure no question goes unanswered. My best friend can't wait !! Personally, my plan is to go over the holidays this December for my consultations and maybe surgery for Summer 2010 when I can take 6 weeks off to recover.

I always have and always will use Isolate. For me this is because I was extremely lactose intolerant before surgery (and surgery usually makes it worse). Isolate has no lactose, which makes it the best option for me. If you look at weight lifting forums and stuff isolate is generally looked upon as better in quality than other proteins. The biggest reason (in my opinion) not to use Isolate is because it's significantly more expensive than other protein sources, and your options are much more limited (of finding a flavor/texture/drink you like). I think it may be absorbed quicker than other proteins as well but don't quote me on that. The majority of the stuff on my surgeons recommended list contains lactose, and bariatric advantage makes me sick as hell. So whey isolate is the best option for me

For many years I gained weight strictly due to being lazy and eating poorly. But for the last several years, I have been driving myself crazy because I feel like I have been doing everything I should be doing in terms of eating the right foods (Whole30 and Paleo) and exercising intensely (Obstacle Course Racing and Weight Training) and nothing worked for weight loss. I have often felt like my body and brain were working against my heart and preventing me from achieving what I wanted. In my ongoing research, I recently found another Bariatric Surgeon that post his bariatric videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrMatthewWeiner I found his Informational Seminar video to be much more informative than any other I attended during my search for a local surgeon. One point in particular is the slide I've attached to this post. The stats he shows in this slide are my exact stats. His explanation here is that to gain 100lbs over a 20-year period, a woman only has to eat an average of 50 additional calories per day. Which is basically nothing. This takes into consideration pregnancy weight gain, weight loss, and weight regain over this time period. He affirms that significant weight gain from such a low number of additional calories means that there is actually something else going on besides just eating more calories than you burn. And as many of us suspect, it is due to hormonal and metabolic changes because of both age and changes that occur from diets you go on. This alone lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. Because I am not crazy after all, my brain and body were working against me. And surgery can help me get back to where I want to be. It further confirms my decision to have this surgery and use it merely as one tool in my arsenal to regain my health! I wanted to share this for anyone else has felt like they were crazy and wondered endlessly why diet and exercised worked from everyone else but you...

I used fill centers for my fill (first fill and currently the only fill). They are seemingly a great service. They were patient with me as I continuously cancelled my appointments days before the fill (out of fear). My ARNP was amazing! She didn't use fluoro and didn't need to, for me at least. Fillcenters made a follow up call to me to inquire about my experience. They sent me a recipe book and lapband guide book recently. They, however are not specifically dedicated or focused to take over the follow-up care of patients being banded abroad. They market evenly to all Bariatric doctors and take on patients that doctors refuse to see or doctors that are not equipped with fluoro. They pretty much market to any and all lapbanded patients. I was happy with the service the company provided.

True - they dont do the bypass in Australia, probably you could get it done if the lapband failed, but its not the first choice for most bariatric surgeons. Too risky, too complicated, not good enough long term results. Longer term stats are showing that you lose more slowly with the lapband and its more dependent on personal habits (which is a good thing in my opinion) but you get greater weight maintenance at the end of the journey, compared to GBP where there's a significant proportion of people who lose fast and then begin to regain. So easy choice for me as I wouldnt have been able to find a surgeon to do a bypass but I would never have considered it given the size of my weight problem - simply not worth the risk of malnutrition and the surgical risks.

pretty much all clinics require a few months of classes and clearance testing. The insurance company should know this since they've covered bariatric patients in the past.

I had gotten the starter kit from unjury and sample packets from (bjs bariatrics website )Syntrax. I also have pure Protein powder(store bought). I tried them all while on my pre op diet...they saved me and kept me going each day..the different tastes they all gave were a nice change. Post op, they all tasted the same to me. But you won't feel up to much of anything besides clear thin liquids for a few days or a week or two. All depends on your sleeve and recovery. I had and still have a very tight sleeve..even at 3 months post op. It was swollen shut post op for the first couple days and I couldn't take anything in.. (that doesn't seem to be the norm tho) I started to feel human again about a week n a half 2 weeks. I wasn't a fan of the Clear Liquids stage at all..but trudged threw it and followed the plan. Once I was allowed the shakes again was when I felt better for sure. I never had buyers remorse as they say...I just really disliked the clear liquids stage. I have followed my plan to a T and have had great results so far. 3 months post op and I've lost 48% or 68 pounds. Now, for Breakfast I have either a rtd pure Protein shake (target or walmart) or I will add a scoop of syntrax cookie flavor to my cooled coffee. Good luck with your journey!

I've never heard that specific phrase before, but "auto-decline" would seem to mean that in situations where medical underwriting is done, people who are less than 10 years out from bariatric surgery would be declined for health insurance coverage. SKbishop, what state are you in? The laws vary considerably from state to state, so what's true where you are may not be true elsewhere. "Guaranteed issue" refers to situations where insurance policies MUST be issued, regardless of medical or other circumstances. Some states, like New Jersey, have laws that guarantee access to health insurance for all individuals regardless of health status. Yes, it's true that those policies aren't cheap--$300 or $400 for a single person is about right--but they are guaranteed to be AVAILABLE. Generally, insurance companies will decline as many people as they possibly can given the laws of the state they're operating in. They will charge as much as they can for people who are higher risk or decline to write those policies entirely. The only protection we have as consumers of insurance is to know what the laws are in our states. Snowhard, generally speaking if your employer provides your health insurance, it's a GROUP plan and as such your personal medical situation is probably not relevant. But again, the laws in your state may differ, so do check that out with a licensed broker or your state insurance department.

Sampled all those and every other variety available with whey isolate protein. I found the Bariatric Fusion to be the most pallatable. I did find a few of the nector ones to be okay...no fruit flavored ones. My surgeons office actually carries it but it can also be ordered online at bariatricfusion.com.

I am less freaked out by the incident than by the way it was handled. As soon as the issue occurred, it should have been dealt with, not postponed for so long. I don't care if there was no bariatric surgeon on staff. It was an emergency situation, and they should have either called one in, or had an abdominal.general surgeon remove the band. You don't need as much special training to remove an implanted device as to install it in the first place. I feel terrible for Shirley and her family, but I am comforted that her circumstances were unusual and that my local hospital has 3 bariatric surgeons on staff (it's where I got my band done to begin with) in case a complication or emergency ever arises.

i have card regarding bariatrics

Hi, Busywoman: I have always had group insurance (through a company) where there are no underwriting guidelines. If you were to lose your job and could not find another before your group insurance expires (which is my case) then in order to have health insurance you would have to buy an individual plan since you were no longer part of a group and no longer had an employer. I am self employed and my husband has always worked for large companies IBM and Motorola. Both companies are self insured and pay the bills but use a network like Humana or CCN PPO to administer the plan and provide the network. My present situation is that my husband is no longer employed, our insurance is running out and I need insurance. COBRA is an option, but the premium is at 102% of the normal premium that the employer formerly paid for my group plan. It means I have to pay it myself. For my family of 4, the monthly premium is $1,400 dollars. The only folks that would want COBRA are people who cant get insurance because they are considered high risk. Having any kind of bariatric surgery within 10 years excludes me from most plans. That is why I am asking for help. Someone here who is self employed or pays for their own insurance may have the answer I am looking for.... Babs in TX

i email the Alberta health care and i got this. Alberta Health and Wellness does cover medically required bariatric surgery for weight loss for extremely obese patients with medical complications from the excessive weight. There are two procedures, stomach stapling and gastric banding. Alberta Health and Wellness does cover both surgeries if the physician performing the surgery feels the patient meets the program requirements. These procedures are now being done in Edmonton by 2 surgeons (Dr. Douglas Davey and Dr. Dan Birch), as part of the Capital Health Adult Bariatric Surgery, at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Patient selection includes: age 18 years and older; Body Mass Index greater than 35 with two co morbidities, or greater than 40 with or without co morbidities; and some other criteria. If you wish to calculate your body mass index, there is a web site: http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm where you can have the body mass calculated automatically. Patients have to be referred to the two surgeons performing this surgery. Once they have seen the surgeons, the patients go through the Bariatric Clinic to be further checked to determine their eligibility for surgery. Only after it is determined that surgery is the best option, will surgery be booked. After the surgery is actually booked the wait is usually less than six months for the surgery to be performed. If an Alberta resident goes outside of Canada for this surgery, the physician’s fees and hospital bill are usually paid by the patient and submitted to Alberta Health and Wellness for consideration of payment later. Alberta Health and Wellness does cover the surgery, at the same rate as it would be paid in Alberta. The hospital in-patient charges are only paid at $100.00 per day. The fees charged by physicians and hospitals outside of Canada will be significantly higher than the fees payable by Alberta Health and Wellness. The patient would still have to be medically eligible for this type of surgery for payment to be considered. I trust this is the information you require. well today i had to go and see my doctor for the mix up from last year when the apply for the bypass and they weigh me and messure me im short 5.4 my bmi is 45 thats bad. He told me he was going to talk to a surgent and see what they could do for me if the lab band would be better I need a new doctor he makes my blood presure go up and on the way out the nurse said to me so after all of this is this going to help your husband to lose wait and pete is not over wait he could lose 20lb but thats it and i cant believe she said that this nurse is 2 times my size. andree

scale Weight-loss Surgery The first large-scale review of weight-loss surgeries performed on older adults suggests bariatric procedures should generally be limited to people younger than age 65, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. The study showed that older patients experienced less weight loss and far more complications than younger patients, indicating that the risks often outweigh the benefits of these types of surgeries in older patients. The study, which appears in the Archives of Surgery, reviewed more than 25,000 bariatric procedures from a national database. "Adverse outcomes increased with age, particularly after age 60," said Dr. Edward Livingston, chairman of GI/endocrine surgery at UT Southwestern and the study's lead author. "Beyond 65 years of age, the adverse event rate exceeded 20 percent and mortality was 3.23 percent." In addition to age, the study found that men and those with electrolyte disorders and congestive heart failure were at greater risk of death from bariatric surgery or related complications, said Dr. Livingston. Other conditions that increased risk for adverse events and required longer hospital stays included chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes and depression. Common complications included gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiac problems. Gastrointestinal problems were most common, occurring in about 30 percent of older patients who had complications. Respiratory-tract problems occurred in about 20 percent of patients with post-operative problems. Cardiac complications affected about 15 percent of elderly patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly one-third of adult Americans - more than 60 million people - are obese. Nearly 5 percent of adults are classified as extremely obese. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery Foundation estimates that more than 1,000 people die each day from obesity-related complications. Obese adults are at increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, stroke and even some cancers. Obesity ranges from mild (20 to 50 pounds overweight) to morbidly obese (more than 100 pounds overweight). Bariatric surgeries are usually reserved for those more than 100 pounds overweight. This latest study reviewed 25,428 bariatric procedures involving Medicare beneficiaries using the National Inpatient Survey database, which contains discharge information for 20 percent of all hospitalizations in the United States, a sufficiently large enough population to overcome limitations of previous studies. UT Southwestern is one of the few institutions in the nation that offers all types of bariatric procedures and is a regional referral center and leader in bariatric surgery, having performed the area's first lap band procedures and robotically assisted lap band procedures. UT Southwestern bariatrics programs have garnered national recognition as well, being named bariatric surgery Centers of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and United Resource Networks' Clinical Sciences Institute. ### About UT Southwestern Medical Center UT Southwestern Medical Center, one of the premier medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. Its more than 1,400 full-time faculty members - including four active Nobel Prize winners, more than any other medical school in the world - are responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and are committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in 40 specialties to nearly 89,000 hospitalized patients and oversee 2.1 million outpatient visits a year. Dr. Edward Livingston - http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/findfac/professional/0,2356,58399,00.html Contact: Russell Rian UT Southwestern Medical Center

Thanks Froggi and Renewed! I feel better about it but we'll just have to wait and see. Thanks again!