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My doctor recommends the surgery for anyone with a BMI of over 35. He refuses to do it however for people under that BMI because he says that it is a more complicated decision then. He also does the surgery under the circumstances that your weight has caused health complications in your life. For me it was tired knees, elevated cholesterol (still in the normal range but about to break through) and endometrial hyperplasia caused by my PCOS. He said that he even has some women who specifically came to him to do the surgery in order to lose weight and reduce their PCOS symptoms in order to get pregnant. I read an article about the benefits of bariatric surgery with PCOS and obesity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3334389/ Here is the article. It is suggesting that we really look into bariatric surgery as one of the treatment plans for PCOS related obesity and MS. My uncle is a gynecologist and he told me straight up one day, if you want to control your PCOS, you need to lose weight and if at this point, you can't do it then maybe it is better to just get the surgery done. You are exponentially more likely to be affected by an obesity or PCOS comorbidity than any complications from this surgery. Especially considering that the sleeve has been relatively successful, only 0.08 mortality rate and very low complication risk. That is why I finally took the decision. Sometimes I can have severe anxiety issues and I just couldn't deal with the pressure of feeling that at any point I could become pre-diabetic from my weight and from my PCOS. MY weight wasn't just affecting my physically, it was seriously starting to deteriorate my mental health. EDIT: I would also like to add that there are several genetic obesity related comorbitidies that run in my family which only further fueled my anxiety. I now feel 10000x better knowing that I am controlling it. The list includes: Cholesterol, my father got it at an early age and he wasn't even overweight, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, sleep apnea, strokes. One of my uncles has the trifecta: type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night imagining myself becoming ill like him.

@@crazywomanincage - I'll try to find that post with resources and send it to you directly by a DM. In my short-lived BariatricPal experience, I feel that feeling like you trust your Bariatric Team is the gauge you should follow on where you ultimately have surgery. I too had concerns about just coming to Mexico for surgery. However, my doctors have been very involved in my pre-op stage through the post-op transition through Skype, phone calls, emails, and not just because I'm related to half of my BT, but I have the sense the right team care this deeply about their patients regardless of blood ties! Keep in touch and good luck!

So I just got my sample packages of Proteins from bjs bariatrics and I hope I find a flavor that I like. I've heard everyone love double stuffed cookie flavor hope its good. Contains 23g of Protein [ATTACH]15035[/ATTACH]

I am in the exact same boat as you. I had VSG in May 2013 and lost about 90 pounds. I have now gained back about 25 and I am starting to panic a little myself. The last time I went to the doctor I had gained some and they told me that that was typical to gain back about 15 to 20 percent of what you lost. I am thinking about going back on the bariatric shakes just for a short while to shrink my stomach back up. Good luck to you.

I have to drink bariatric advantage, and I don't have any food to track, just the protein right now.

I'm still trying to get approved through insurance, but my self pay back up plan is to look more into Dr Tersigni in Coose Bay, Oregon Bay Bariatrics - Steve Tersigni, MD - Coos Bay, Oregon Denise had this to say about him: "I was banded by Dr. Tersigni on the coast and he charges 10,000.00 It didn't seem worth it to me to go to Mexico when Dr. Tersigini is 5 min from my house. He's really great. I know a lot of people come from Portland to go to him. The lady that was banded the same day as me by him, lives in Portland." Denise822 vbmenu_register("postmenu_461870", true);

I have read so many articles and talked to several Bariatric doctors who continue to tell me that my pouch will not stretch however your brain somehow adapts allowing you to consume more. At about the one year mark I noticed depending on what I choose to eat, I can eat 1 cup of food max. I am now 19 months post op and I still have that same restriction. I can eat 2 to 3 ounces of dense Protein and a bite or two of veggies/fruits and I am almost overly full. However if I eat a bowl of cream of wheat, I can eat almost a full serving. I believe what I have researched, that we adapt, our brains do that. Our stomachs don't stretch. Incidentally I have also learned that I can over indulge in things like Cheezeits! I do eat them but if not careful I can mindlessly nibble way over a portion! I know this because I gained 2 lbs eating the wrong stuff for about 2 weeks. Boy was I pissed at myself. I got back on track and within 1 week I lost those 2lbs eating the right foods and never feeling hungry. Also, I noticed when I was eating too many carbs those 2 weeks I had several episodes of hypoglycemia! It came on so very quickly that it was scary. It became a vicious cycle. Eat too many bad carbs your body will crave it. So now that I know what not to do, I think I will stick to the plan and if I want Cheezeits, I will measure out one serving and watch my carbs the rest of the day!

Hi all, the ONE biggest mistake I made post op was not joining a gym and going hard core into gym life. I have regained a solid portion of my initial weight loss. I am struggling. New surgeon put me on Contrave for a few weeks to kick me in the butt. As part of this process, he also asked me to focus on eating 6-8 times a day, with dinner being the only 'meal' and all others being protein focused mini-meals such as a shake, a hunk of cheese, and a deviled egg, a quest bar, a few meatballs, etc. At the same time, I joined the local community center and had a trainer set up a program for me to get started. My ultimate goal is to get fiercely strong, buff and hopefully have enough muscle ratio that my metabolic burn will stay consistent and I can eat like a lifter. A little piece of my brain has a HUGE dream that someday, I'll be fit and buff enough to compete in a fitness competition....But for now, this is just a simple program to get my metabolism going. I'm a bit nervous that I could potentially drop my blood sugar while lifting and get that horrible hypoglycemic feeling. I've dropped before during times of great stress. I THINK if I eat half a quest before I lift, and half WHILE I lift that would help. I don't really have any access to somebody who can guide my process. The trainer at my gym is solely trained in basic exercise science. The NUT at my doc's office is looking at ONLY a bariatric approach. I really would love to find a trainer who could expertly design an eating plan AND a workout plan for me. I'd love input from those gym life folks who can recommend to me WHO to see, what to eat pre workout, intra workout and post workout, and any suggestions for getting myself going in the right direction, once and for all.

I know how disappointed you are. I went through the same thing a couple of years ago, however I was told to keep checking back with the insurance company because they're always changing things. In September 2010, I called the insurance company again and heard the same thing that did not cover the Lapband because of a clause in our group medical insurance. I went to my employer and asked him if he could ask his contact at the insurance company about this the next time our insurance renewed. He gave me the contact person and I immediately contacted them. To my surprise, she said that in July 2009 the State of Maryland passed a law that all insurance companies have to include the Lapband as a benefit. I was so excited, but then they found out I lived in Delaware.....so I once again had my heart broken, then to my surprise the rep that I originally talked too said that doesn't matter since I work in the State of Maryland and my insurance guidelines are through that state. Needless to say, I was so over joyed and thanked God!! I have gone through all of my pre-surgery requirements and just need to get clearance from the Lung doctor. They are telling me my surgery will be sometime in April. I'm telling my story to show you not to give up, just keep pushing and trying and hopefully you can find a loophole as I did. Best of luck to you!!

I'm at Baptist Nutrition and Bariatric Center in Jackson with Dr. Cummins - I think Dr. Cummins does some work at River Oaks, as well - who is your surgeon?

Hi, I have been lurking around for a while and I finally have a date.:clap2::clap2: This Wednesday at 12:30. I am self pay so I was able to get in really quick. I am soooooo excited. I never thought I would say that about having surgery. My doctor is Dr. Brady with Southwest Bariatric Surgeons in Austin, TX. Tammy

I was in a similar situation with 12 years of no insurance. I spoke with the Bariatric coordinator and luckily with my surgeon/ insurance it wasn't an issue. (Horizon NJHealth)

So with surgery near I'm kinda freaking out about paying for things. How much did u guys spend on medication and shots..and as far as paying for the surgery..how much were u asked to put down? (My bariatric center does payments) any advice would be greatly appreciated.

i almost didnt want to chime in but i felt compelled to. i work in the bariatric department and i woulr rule against it. certain insurances will cover it but it is considered to be experimental. I thought about it at first due to the fact that it was basically turning the stomach inside out and you could resume normal activity soon but i havent heard enough positive feedback to even consider that route. to me it seems a bit unnatural to flip the stomach inside out for weight loss. i dont know- to each its own i guess.

I have been struggling with hypothyroidism for the past 6 years....still trying to get levels evened out! My Endocrineologist was very supportive and my Bariatric doctor said I would have NO PROBLEM with hypo and the band. I can still take my meds (they are small enough), but you do have to take caution when eating anything with Calcium within 3 hours of taking your meds....that makes Protein shakes something that I have in the afternoon or evening! It has been a great experience so far! Good luck!

Are you talking about the Bariatric Advantage grape multi? I just sampled it today. I liked the initial taste but left an aftertaste that I didn't like. I will be trying the others over the course of this week I take the ones by Nature Made.

Bariatric fusion. Take 4 a day and its all the Vitamins u need. They are chewable HW: 360 SW: 323 CW: 282 RNY: 10.31.2016

I started writing this 2 days ago. I am suck a slacker! I can't believe I had LAP-BAND® surgery 5 days ago! :confused: Hospital: I had my surgery at the Reston Hospital. The pre-op staff was great. They kept me mildly entertained and tried to tell jokes to keep my mind off everything. My boyfriend almost fainted when they were trying to find a vein for the IV. It took them 3 tries but they finally found one (Apparently I have small, rolling veins...). After the anesthesiologist and Dr Robert Pinnar came in and left. I had about 10 minutes alone with my boyfriend before they wheeled me out. Those were the worst 10 minutes ever! Tears just started leaking out of my eyes. They wheeled me into the operating room, asked me to move over to the other bed, and I don't remember anything after that. I am disappointed with the post op nurses b/c no one seemed to know anything! They'd bring me some pills, I'd ask if this pill was too big and she'd be like "hold on, I'll go ask". Then she'd come back an hour later for her rounds, I'd ask if I could take the pill, and she'd just say 'yes' with no further explanation. I don't think any of them were familiar with bariatric surgery. In the morning, I waiting around for 3 hours for some Dr to come and discharge me. Eventually a nurse came in and said I could be discharged. I told her that the Dr never even came in and saw me! She just said to sign the papers, take my prescriptions and I could leave. So basically I was waiting around for nothing. Pain: From some of the stories here, I was expecting to be in excruciating pain. I guess I am lucky. I really haven't been in any pain. :confused: When I woke up in post-op, my incisions were stinging but that's the most pain I've felt. Since then it's been mostly discomfort and pressure under my diaphragm and gas. I spent the first night in the hospital and asked for the IV pain meds only when I was trying to go to sleep b/c I just couldn't seem to get comfortable. I took the percocets the next two nights when I came home. I probably didn't need them, but get into bed and trying to shove pillows around and get comfortable was a little painful. Scars: I think my scars are going to completely disappear. They look great already. one weird thing: my port is in the middle above my belly button! I thought everyone had theirs to the right btwn their waist and bust? I'll ask my Dr about this at my post op appt. I'll put pictures in an album. Overall, I'm mostly just tired. I've slept 10 hour nights for the last few days. I'm a little bored, but I'm glad I took off two weeks from work. There's no way I could make the 45 minute commute and my temper is still a little short b/c I want more than crappy protein shakes!

[emoji307] it and loved you for,doing it, I seldom feel valued out in the outside world. Love being on Bariatric Pal, people seem to accept me as I am and make me feel like I'm good enough. Yeah I've had a self-esteem problem probably why,i drowned myself in food. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm also three days post op and like you also miserable. I haven't come close to my daily Protein or liquid totals but what I have been doing is sipping, sipping, sipping at Water and my Isopure whenever I think about it even during the night. You don't want dehydration at this early stage. Just keep it simple for now. And my doctor cautioned against using straws as this adds air to your stomach with each sip. Good luck! My diet program can be found under http://www.kp.org/misg Go to bariatric surgery > patient resources

I just made a shake yesterday that I LOVED! one envelope diet hot cho mix(25cal) and 1 scoop vanilla Protein powder(I use Bariatric Advantage Meal Replacement, 80 cals/scoop) splash of Toraci chocolate sugar free/colorie free syrup( ? spelling, in the coffee aisle at the store) 3pkts Truvia and ice, very minimal Water, just enough to get things going and add as needed. I figured it at 105 calories and 15g protein. Tastes just like a Wendy's Frosty. Eat it with a spoon! Yummy I also like to take crystal light ( 3 or 4 ounce already mixed) and mix that with 2 scoops of the vanilla protein powders and lots of ice and just a bit of water. For chocolate, I like to mix 1/3 of a frozen banana in. I bought some cottage cheese to try next. I keep reading that people say it makes the shakes creamier. I also have nectar protein products. tastes great mixes easy with water. I try not to get to carried away adding fruit and other things that just add calories. The magic bullet is my best friend, closely followed by the elliptical trainer.

Also FYI, bariatric surgery done in an MTF is covered by Tricare 100%.

Hello everyone! :-) This is my first post here. I was recommended to check out this site after posting on OH. Some info about me: I'm 25 years old, female, 5 feet tall and 263 pounds. I want the DS surgery. So far I've had my surgeon consultation and first dietitian appointment. I have all my other evaluations scheduled in the next month. My first issue I'm hoping for advice with: I went to my consult adamant that I want the DS surgery. Unfortunately I am NOT good at standing up for myself or disagreeing with doctors. When the surgeon asked what surgery I want, I said DS and he basically said that I do qualify at my BMI, but he would recommend I do the sleeve because I'm young and have a long time ahead of me to deal with the side effects and deficiencies that come with the DS. He said that if I'm not successful I can always have the 2nd part done and convert to a DS. He asked me what I thought about that and because of my shyness I said okay to the sleeve. After coming home and doing even more research, I'm even more adamant that I want the DS for many reasons: 1. I want to lose 120 pounds and KEEP IT OFF. The DS has the best results and least chances of regain, which I have a long history of. It looks like the average weight I can expect to lose with the DS is at least 90-100 pounds, while with the gastric sleeve I would probably only lose about 60. While losing 60 pounds would of course be wonderful, I would rather have the surgery that can take me to my total goal. 2. I have heard that the DS lets you eat the most normally. 3. I want to have the best possible surgery now, one time. I don't want to have to go through surgery again. 4. On the same note, getting a second surgery approved will be extremely difficult and probably denied, so if I don't lose enough weight or if I gain a lot back, I will have to self pay which I cannot afford. 5. Taking Vitamins and committing to blood work and follow-ups is not a problem to me. I look at it this way - I can have this surgery, take daily vitamins and go to the doctor regularly to check levels; OR, I can not have the surgery and continue to have weight issues, take daily medicines for co-morbidities and go to the doctor regularly for my health problems. So, I plan to call the office today and let them know I have changed my mind and want the DS. I'm worried that my Dr. will be offended or something, because I have known a lot of doctors that can be arrogant and hate being questioned. At my consultation he was extremely nice and didn't give me any indication that he was that type of person, but I'm still nervous! So my question is: what do you recommend I say to the doctor to support why I disagree and want the DS? If for some reason he refuses to do it for me, can I transfer the evaluations I've done to another practice/surgeon without having to start all over? Next issue: I had my first dietitian appointment on Monday and I'm very worried that he doesn't know and understand my insurance requirements. My Cigna plan requires 3 months (so 4 consecutive monthly appointments) of a physician or dietitian supervised weight loss program. When he mentioned I would be seeing him one more time, I told him that my insurance requires 3 months of visits. He went and got a packet with a description of the requirements for all the different insurance companies and said I was right about that. He then said that I could just see my PCP for some of the appointments. I said I want to do the 4 appointments all with him because it is supposed to be with the same doctor and I do not want to do ANYTHING that could get me denied. He said that was fine and we could meet monthly. Another concern of mine is that my monthly weight loss program requires documentation of my weight, dietary program and physical activity. He recorded my weight and taught me about the 1200 calorie diet plan he is prescribing for me and gave me papers with all the details and recommendations, and he taught me about the Protein and other diet requirements for after my surgery. The appointment was very informative and helpful, but we never touched on a physical activity plan at all. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I'm very worried about problems with insurance after the horror stories I've seen in the forums. I want to make sure every detail is perfectly followed. So what I was thinking of doing is seeing my PCP every month on top of the dietitian appointments, just in case it's not done correctly by the dietitian. My PCP is great and strongly supports my surgery. I'm positive he would do the weight loss program with me and follow all my requirements. Do you guys think this is a good idea? Could seeing both the doctor and dietitian at the same time for the weight loss program possibly be a problem for any reason you can think of? Okay, now one more topic! I am really sorry for this incredibly long post, I just have so many questions and concerns. I have checked and confirmed my bariatric surgery coverage in a few ways. I call the Cigna customer service line twice to confirm that my specific plan covers weight loss surgery and both times was told yes, it is covered. But I just don't trust the people on the phone to always be correct. I also signed into my account on the Cigna website and used the cost estimator for my plan, and it said that I can expect to pay a $300 co-pay for bariatric surgery. Lastly I read the coverage booklet posted by the employer providing the plan. The only mention of bariatric surgery is in the exclusions section, but this is what it says: "Payment for the following is specifically excluded from this plan: .... • for medical and surgical services intended primarily for the treatment or control of obesity. However, treatment of clinically severe obesity, as defined by the body mass index (BMI) classifications of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute guideline is covered if the services are demonstrated, through peer-reviewed medical literature and scientifically based guidelines, to be safe and effective for treatment of the condition." Is it just me or is that a bit confusing? I'm thinking this means that the plan does not cover any obesity treatment for those who do not have "clinically severe obesity". A BMI over 40 or between 35-39.9 with co-morbidities is defined as clinically severe obesity. So I definitely meet this requirement with a BMI of about 52. I'm also thinking that the last part about treatments that are peer reviewed and scientifically shown to be safe and effective means that the 5 procedures covered in the Cigna bariatric surgery coverage policy are all covered (gastric Bypass, gastric banding, RNY, vertical banded gastroplasty and BPD/DS for those with BMI over 50). I just find it odd that weight loss surgery is ONLY mentioned in the exclusions section. This booklet may be outdated - the "effective date" in the beginning is February 2009. Well, if you made it through this post, I appreciate it and applaud your patience! :-) Thanks so much for any advice or insights you can provide.

The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you lose but in saying that you may have reached your balance & are in maintenance. That is the calories you are consuming are equal to the calories you are burning. To lose more you either have to consume less or increase your activity. Whatever weight you end up at has to be sustainable. Many bariatric patients end up at a weight that is higher than what they may have initially wanted. But they’re at a weight they can maintain while still enjoying & living the healthy & happy life they want. It’s fine to eat several smaller meals across a day or graze on three meals as long as caloric intake is constant. It just has to work for you. I eat three meals and about 4 nutritious snacks every day because I can’t physically consume enough in three meals to maintain - my restriction kicks in & I can’t eat any more. My total caloric intake sits at about 1200 calories a day. Another path you could look at is Dr Matt Weiner’s videos & books about resetting your basal metabolic rate which could enable you to lose more if you are interested. The intent is to reset your metabolism to run faster so your body burns more calories just to function. I guess the big questions are do you want to have to take appetite suppressants for the rest of your life to maintain at a lower weight? Do you want to live your life consuming fewer calories &/or maintaining a higher activity level to stay at a lower weight? You may say yes to either of these questions & that’s fine. It’s your decision. Congrats on your weight loss & good luck whatever you decide.

My husband went to 2 information sessions with me at the 2 local hospitals. The first one I did not qualify for the surgery at the time due to low BMI and no co-morbidities. That hospital eventually stopped doing bariatric. I eventually went to Barix Clinic which is over an hour from my house. My doctor was the same one that who did the information session at the hospital that discontinued it. However, my husband did not come up to Barix Clinic until until the day of surgery. He did drive me to my first post-op visit due to the distance. He is still very supportive and reminds me to chew. He has cruised around this board some. He has asked lots of questions when I come back from appointment.