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Here's what I found: https://www.upmc.com/services/bariatrics/surgery-process/post-surgery/diet/soft After Bariatric Surgery - Suggested Food Ideas for Adaptive or Soft Diet Protein Sources All varieties of fish and shellfish Turkey breast or chicken breast (chopped, white meat) Low fat deli lunchmeats Sliced or grated low fat cheese (5 grams of fat or less) Hard boiled or poached eggs Soups (dilute with skim milk or add finely minced meats) Grains/starches Hot cereals Unsweetened cereals softened in skim milk Baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, or yams Boiled pasta, noodles, or white rice Fruits/vegetables Canned fruit (in own juices or water packed) Soft, fresh fruit without skins (apples, pears, peaches) Bananas Cooked or canned vegetables Avoid raw, fibrous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Avoid skins and seeds.

Technically speaking they would be the same except a bariatric soft would focus more on proteins than just general calories. This would include easy to chew foods that are also easily digestible. This list will give you an idea of what to include and stay away from. Keep in mind though that actual liquids are ok with soft foods, especially after hernia repair.

I am almost 5 years post-sleeve surgery, and last fall, in a Covid-Cleaning frenzy, I threw out all my old, post-surgery information. As usual, as soon as one pitches something, they need it. I have just had hiatal hernia surgery and am on a full liquid diet, but on Wednesday I can move up to the post-surgery soft diet- except I don't have my food lists anymore! Can someone list what's on a soft food diet, or describe what types of foods I can or cannot have (probably easier)? I've looked this up online but didn't find any soft-food diet that seems to be specific to bariatric weight loss patients, and I'm not sure our soft food diet would be the same as what is prescribed for the general public. TIA!

The BariatricPal Store carries a huge selection of Bariatric friendly Protein Snacks & Desserts at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatric-high-protein-low-calorie-snacks-and-desserts Here are some other bariatric friendly ideas as well: Chips and Crunchy Snacks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-chips-and-crunchy-protein-snacks Chocolate Bars & Candies: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatric-friendly-chocolate-bars-chocolate-candies Cakes, Cookies & Wafers: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/cookies-wafers Sugar-Free Candy: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/sugar-free-candy Cheese Snacks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/cheese-snacks Meat & Jerky Snacks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/meat-snacks Fish Snacks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/fish-snacks Protein Bars: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-bars Pretzels: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/pretzels Nuts: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/nut-snacks

I'm super glad I did it. I've lost all the weight I needed to lose and I've adjusted to a new way of eating. It's not effortless, but it's not a big struggle to stay on program, either. It takes a bit of discipline and dedication but the surgery itself changed my desire for food (in a good way). My appetite is much more tame now and even my cravings are not nearly as strong. Not everyone has that experience, so your mileage may vary. I was prepped pretty well before surgery. I only wish I had read a few more first-hand accounts so I would have been aware of how miserable the first few days can be, but also that the misery passes pretty quickly. I do think I will be able to maintain my weight. I'm learning how to maintain, while still participating in special occasions, traditional meals, etc. So far, I'm staying squarely within my maintenance window (120-125). Only you can decide if you're ready to take the plunge. It is a pretty radical life change. Your relationship with food will be permanently changed and you'll have to be mindful about what and how you eat, forever. In the beginning, the diet is pretty restricted, but before long you'll have more options and in the end, there will probably be few things you can't eat (if any). You'll have to learn what works for you and what doesn't, post-surgery. The surgery helps a lot, but the commitment has to come from you. And as everyone has said, if there's an emotional or psychological component to your overeating, the surgery won't fix that. You'll have to work on that so that, as you lose weight, you also heal the root cause of why you became overweight to begin with. Many people have had bariatric surgery, lost an amazing amount of weight, and then gained most of it back because they were still using food to cope. So you have to work on your inside as much as you do your outside. I wish you the best in making your decision, the surgery is a big commitment, but for me it was totally worth it.

I'm 3.5 years post op. Super glad I did it:) Wish I'd done it years ago. I wish I'd known the true statistics of what percentage of people have outcomes they are happy with. I'm extremely happy, but I know several people who are struggling and revising and in my opinion have not gotten the help they need to address the core issues....the disordered eating that drives obesity. This surgery will fix your guts temporarity so it's difficult to overeat. It doesn't fix your head. Eventually, you will be able to eat pretty freely again and can easily self sabotage if you don't fix your eating issues. I do think I'll be able to stay at a healthy weight for the long term. Last year, my yearly exam was a phone exam due to Covid. This year I went in and was weighed for the first time in two years...and was within one pound of what I weighed two years ago. I'm stupid proud of that. If I gain five pounds, I see the bariatric therapist ASAP. I talk about all the events leading up to the gain and try to figure out what triggered it and how to avoid the behaviors, and replace them with different coping mechanisms. I always feel better, and in short order, am back down 5 pounds. See the therapist. It works and can be just as important as the surgery. If you qualify for the surgery, I would absolutely recommend it. Best wishes!

I got a nasty shock after taking down my locs a few days ago. I tried everything to prevent or lessen the inevitability but I wasn't lucky. My natural hair is already fine and thin--NTM it takes FOREVER to grow anyway--so you can imagine how devastated I am. I keep crying whenever the thought creeps up on me. And to think I called myself emotionally prepping for this for months! I still wasn't ready. It's so thin and scalpy. 😿 Part of me is so frustrated I want to shave it off, but I won't. I guess I'll just continue with my usual bariatric vitamins and supplements and try and be hopeful...

Collagen doesn’t contain every essential amino acid so that’s why they state that it doesn’t count. Mind you, either does soy or some vegetable protein. As long as you’re not using it as your primary protein source it can definitely be counted. There are so many myths and silly practices that happen around Bariatric surgery today, this happens to be one of them.

So it’s outside of PDX but Dr. Tersigni with Bay Bariatrics in coos bay has a very affordable self pay option. He’s been doing these surgeries for a long time. I saw him, and I personally know 3 other people who got surgery from him as well. I traveled from outside the area to see him- rented a house from vacasa and stayed there for 5 days. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Stats: Male, 6’4” (193cm for the more enlightened) 46 years old. All time known high weight 356lbs (161.5kg) (approx June 2013) Surgery weight 334lbs (151.5kg). Self pay, Dr Galileo Villarreal - Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, June 12, 2020 $4400 all in, VSG & hiatal hernia repair. Current weight 194lbs (88kg). This turned out to be way too long… sorry. The idea of having surgery wasn’t anything I ever really gave any thought to. I did the lifetime attempts at diet and exercise without success. The lowest weight I ever achieved was 285 when I hiked almost daily in the mountains surround Las Vegas. But like all my other attempts, things changed, I got tired of the same thing, and put it all back on plus some (yet again). Fast forward to 2020 and my wife looks at me and asks “have you ever thought about gastric surgery?” “Well, not really but I’ll look into it.” I don’t recall exactly how long I researched, I know it wasn’t long. One day, maybe two? I knew my insurance wouldn’t cover it at all, so self pay was my only option unless I wanted to wait and change to a different plan (I’m impatient so that wasn’t happening). Anyway I live near Houston so I started looking at the border towns in Mexico and came across the website for Dr Galileo Villarreal in Nuevo Laredo. I made a phone call to his assistant who handles US patients and had an appointment set for two weeks later (for the procedure, not just a consultation). The next few days I mostly looked at before and after photos and was really excited about the possibilities. I don’t worry about much in general(why worry about what I can’t control?) so I didn’t bother reading too many horror stories. I understood that people who have problems are far more likely to post, seeking guidance/solutions than people who cruise through easily. I did look up complication statistics and that alone completely eliminated any worries that may have existed. I watched several videos of the procedure (I was interested to see what’s going to happen to me) and that too brought me comfort, seeing how quick and relatively simple the procedure was. Traveling to Mexico also didn’t bother me in the slightest. The way I figure is a doctor either cares or doesn’t, it doesn’t matter which side of the border they happen to be on. The one obvious downside to surgery in another country is “what if something does go wrong?” But again realistically I knew that was unlikely and it’s not like I couldn’t walk into a hospital once back home to get care for anything I might have needed. I spent the next few days having tons of food funerals. I reveled in the experience and really went crazy with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, smoked brisket, homemade carbonara pasta (I even found some real guanciale), more Cinnamon Toast Crunch… you get the idea.. My pre-op diet arrived via email. It was sparse and consisted of things like cream soup, protein drinks, electrolyte drinks etc. I had seven days of this before surgery. This was - by far - the worst part of the whole experience. Day one I was good. Day two I was pacing frantically. Day three I cheated and hated myself for it. Day four was a little better. Days 5 & 6 I had resigned to the lifestyle and at this point I was so giddy with excitement about the surgery I didn’t care anymore about the food as much. I was fortunate with my timing in regard to COVID. The border was still open and there were no issues about that, I was a little surprised that the Mexican Border Guards didn’t even care to see my passport or ask any questions. I was just waived through, barely given a glance. I arrived at the hospital a few minutes later to begin the pre op blood work and physical. This is where I had my first moment of “oh shit.” It was late in the day and apparently the normal nurse who handled the blood draw had already left. So this nice young man was assigned to get my blood. He takes me into a small room and I could tell he was really scared. We had an obvious language barrier but I kept pointing to a big thick vein in the crock of my elbow that you really can’t miss. I’ve had enough blood drawn in the past, no one has ever missed it first shot. He was literally shaking and sweating all over my arm. I kept pointing and saying “aqui” but he would get the needle close then pull it back and look around and sweat some more. It was a good ten minutes of this and I was starting (just starting?) to get a little worried. Again, I could tell he either never did this or rarely so I didn’t assume this was a sign of how it was all going to go (it didn’t, it all was fine after this). Eventually someone must have recognized there was an issue. Another nurse came in, looked at the obvious vein, and popped that needle in. I wouldn’t know if my blood work was ok until the next morning, so they drove us to the hotel (which was included in the price) and we went to bed. The next morning they picked us up and brought me back to the hospital. I checked in, got word that my blood work was fine and I forked over the cash for the procedure ($4000) plus a $400 deposit in case I had a hernia that needed to be repaired. The hospital was very nice. Beautifully decorated, polished marble walls and floors. As clean (to the naked eye of course) as any hospital I’ve been in. It was small, but appropriately sized for the area it served. It was not a dedicated Bariatric facility, just a typical public hospital. I actually enjoy the experience of being put under anesthesia and I wasn’t nervous at all so I declined the sedative and just went for it. The weirdest part was the staff asking me questions through google translate on their phones. Dr. Villarreal and his assistant spoke perfectly fluent English but the pre op staff had a lot of questions to ask. Even though they spoke some English and I spoke some Spanish, when it comes to translating medical related stuff it was definitely better using the app, it was just a little surreal. I was wheeled into the OR, greeted again by Dr. Villarreal who asked if I wanted any music played (I did) and I went under listening to some classic rock. I woke up in moderate pain, but nothing too bad. I was brought to my room where my wife was waiting for me. The first few hours I just relaxed in bed. Eventually I was given some ice chips to suck on and allowed to get up with assistance and go to the bathroom. Things were tender but I don’t recall being in a lot of pain. Walking was a slow shuffle and I was given permission to do laps around the hospital. I met a couple other people who had the same procedure the day prior and we nodded and smiled knowing we were on the same journey together. They were nice moments and I hope they’re doing well. Later in the day I did a barium swallow to ensure there were no leaks. It tasted like shit (sorry), and I got to watch it on the monitor. It was pretty interesting to see. Doctor visited me several times, and I asked if he had video or photos of my procedure, and he sent me some cool pics of my removed stomach and of my hernia and repair. I was given an antibiotic pill. I had read enough “no pills after surgery” posts here that this gave me concern. The pill was literally the biggest pill I have ever taken in my life. It was an inch long and thick. I pointed at my stomach and said “esta bien?” and she nodded and so I took it. It went down fine, didn’t hurt or anything. We stayed over that night which was more walking and ice and eventually electrolyte drinks and some jello. I was given a bag of pills, more of those giant antibiotics, anti nausea meds, and some non-opioid pain pills. They wheeled me out where my car was waiting for me and we started the drive home. The drive home the next day was about five hours total, we took our time. Getting into the US took an hour or so, but wasn’t an issue. One thing I took particular notice of on the ride home was just how many restaurants there are. I was obviously hyper focused on food and I was dumbstruck at the endless strip centers filled with high calorie options. Just endless. I’ll speed things up here…. The first week was fine, some pain in my left arm that scared me. Spoke to the doctor and he explained that gas left over in the abdomen can rest on the diaphragm which can translate into left arm pain. He advised the typical “walk it off” prescription and sure enough that fixed it. Food intake was slow but I didn’t care. This was much easier than the pre op diet even though it was essentially the same. Broths, Gatorade, protein shakes. By week two I was feeling great and ready for mushy foods. Cottage cheese was my friend. By week three I felt normal. I starting having a scrambled egg here and there and that’s when I began to feel the restrictions. The first meat I tried was around week three, I had some ground chicken with seasoned salt and it was pretty good and didn’t bother me. I visited my regular doctor a month or so in and he was happy with my weight loss. My back doctor was also happy and we both were hopeful it would fix my back issues (spoiler it didn’t completely). One year out I still have zero hunger. I had one spell in December where I thought it returned and it was disappointing and scary. It only lasted a few days and I don’t know what caused it. It really felt like the MORE I ate the hungrier I got and if not for physical restriction I would have eaten myself out of any other normal “diet.” Fortunately that’s gone and I’m back to no hunger, one year out. But im prepared and ready should it return. There are no significant stories or details for the rest of my journey. I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve had zero problems. No foods have bothered me, I did not get sick, my tastes didn’t change (my eating habits did but not due to bad foods no longer tasting good, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is still awesome but I just don’t eat it any more except a couple pieces here and there). My main drinks are coffee, diet Mountain Dew and Monster Zero Ultra (the white can). I’m not going to pretend that I’m a model citizen of this forum. There are plenty of things I eat and drink that I probably shouldn’t. I’m in maintenance mode now and still losing (very slowly) even though I’m eating garbage like peanut m&ms to try and up my calories without increasing capacity. I know there are better options but I like them and it’s working fine for me. I don’t take vitamins like I should but I just had my one year blood panel done and all my labs came back in the middle of the normal range so no worries on that front. Somehow my vitamin D is normal for the first time as an adult. Again, don’t look at me as a guide, but it is what it is and I think it’s important share what is working. I’ve included two screen shots of some graphs I used in a spreadsheet. The first is simply my weight loss over time. The second is a rolling weekly average using the past seven days. So each point on the graph looks back seven days, takes that weight, subtracts the current day’s weight. “I lost 2.4 lbs the past week” etc. This graph highlights stalls, and recovery from stalls etc. so you can see my weight loss was really fast at first. The big stall during the holidays where I didn’t gain or lose. For me this graph was more useful as sometimes I felt like I was stalled but the graph proved otherwise. Here is a breakdown of my loss at 30 day intervals. Don’t compare me to you or to anyone else. There are over 7 billion of us and we’re all unique. Day 30: 29.2lbs Day 60: 46.0 Day 90: 63.5 Day 120: 74.6 Day 150: 92.1 Day 180: 102 Day 210: 103 (holidays/long stall) Day 240: 113.6 Day 270: 120 Day 300: 129.5 Day 330: 135 Day 360: 138.8 Conclusion and final thoughts: For some of us this journey IS the easy way out, and I honest to God don’t care. Im happy and healthy and I’d do it again without hesitation. I want people on the fence about having the procedure to know that. It’s easy to get lost in the problems people post about. Those problems ARE REAL and do happen. But I really think there are a lot of us out there for whom this journey has been easy, you just don’t hear from us as often. People who are having a difficult time need advice or want a solution so it’s natural and helpful to post questions about those problems. But it does skew the impressions towards the negative. I wish I did this years ago. I don’t know why I never even thought of it. I guess it was one of those things I thought was reserved for medically necessary intervention. But you know what? I had a BMI over 40. It was medically necessary. I’m VERY lucky that at age 45 I was not on a downward spiral health wise, but it could have started any day. My wife’s dad was a “big guy” too, and was active and worked hard. Then one day, diabetes. Another day, bad knees. Another day a stroke. He had the sleeve AFTER these things and did lose weight but he can’t walk, can’t enjoy life, he’s miserable because he waited too long. Don’t wait. If you need to lose weight do it now. Figure out a way that works for you. Surgery is relatively safe, with far fewer complications than doing nothing and assuming you’ll just always be a healthy “big person.” But it’s not the only solution. Whatever it is that works for you, make it happen. I know I won’t live forever and I know I can regain and I know lots of bad things could be lined up in my future. But today I feel great. Today I’m happy. Today I look at myself and I see the me that I always knew existed. It’s the most wonderful feeling. I hope from the bottom of my heart everyone here will feel it too….. ….But I know not everyone will. My wife for example. Surgery has done nothing for her. 20lbs in a year. And she DOES follow the plan. For those of you in her situation who are probably cursing me and telling me to shut the f up, I get you. And I’m sorry. Don’t give up though. We’re all here for you; this forum is a great asset. We want you to succeed. Vent, cry, scream out, ask a million questions, we hear you. Just don’t give up.

There might be a lower cost bariatric clinic near you, you could google it. But maybe someone else here knows and will respond. Also, you could try searching "Oregon" or "Portland" in the forums if you haven't done that yet.

The more weight you lose before surgery, the better. I think most people do a food funeral or two...a big goodbye to something they love....but it's actually pretty silly. I've eaten pretty much everything I've ever eaten, just much smaller amounts and a lot of it I don't like as much anymore. Have a food funeral or two...but don't go crazy. Stick to your diet as much as possible. I never did bed rest. LOL. Not even the day of surgery. Day I had my surgery, I walked over a mile in the halls of the bariatric wing. I pretty much got back to life. Lay in a supply of your favorite protien drinks, sugar free jello, bone broth, tea, Mio...stuff you can have right after surgery.

I think I would seek out a different BS. Get a different opinion. Thats what I did.. i figured there is no place better than the Mayo Clinic. Im not sure where you live but. Reach out somewhere. You are only 38 years old. Acid reflux is extremely damaging to your esophogus. You are at risk for developing Barretts disease or eventually cancer. I think i would definately seek out more information. The Dr at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix is definately worth consulting. You can have all your records forwarded to them for review. Have appts through zoom. My bariatric journey started in 2013. The last 3 years fighting acid reflux and a sliding hernia has severly damaged my esophogus. From a stage 1 to a stage 4 in just 1 years time. It has to be fixed. Acid reflux is a very serious issue

This is so frustrating! I've been jumping through hoops since last SEPTEMBER to get all my appointments scheduled, and I'm almost at the last step: the EGD, after which my doctor will schedule my RnY. I just learned that neither of my insurance companies consider the EGD to be medically necessary. I'm double-covered with my husband's insurance because it's free at his work as long as it's secondary coverage, and my own insurance specifically excludes bariatrics. The actual RnY has been pre-approved through my secondary coverage. Both companies are different branches of Blue Cross, so maybe that's the issue? I'm really annoyed because it's a HDHP, so my out of pocket was already going to be substantial, and paying cash for the EGD means I could have done self-pay elsewhere months ago! Anyone else have trouble getting the EGD approved? My doctor said that this is becoming a common way for insurance companies to avoid some of the costs associated with bariatric surgery.

I would ask your doctor for a recommendation. At least, that's what I did. And you may not have insurance to pay for it if your BMI is too low, but most places will let you pay out of pocket as long as your health doesn't make it a safety issue for you to have the surgery. I would try a major academic medical center, or at least find out if where you are going is bariatric center of excellence. Also, many people go to Mexico or Blossom (in Las Vegas) if cost is an issue.

I am a great yo yo dieter. So at 66 yrs old, I've finally come to the conclusion that if I want to keep my weight off I need a new approach. WLS fits the bill on that. I've scoured the internet and feel fairly informed. My doc agreed that WLS would be a good option for me. I have Kaiser insurance but I may not quite meet their qualifications. So my question is - Is there a bariatric surg. program in the Portland, Or area that will take a marginally non qualifying person? I won't have insurance so cost will be a consideration. Thank you for any info you can give me.

What happens if you move out of the area where your surgery center is? I don't plan to move but if I had to move near to my parents to help take care of them as they age, it would require a flight to get back to my surgery center. Would a different bariatric center be able to provide follow up care?

I have found myself in the same situation. I had the gastric sleeve in 2013. My weight loss was 95 lbs. but over the past 4 years I have regained 30lbs. Now I have an 5 cm sliding hernia severe acid reflux stage 4 esophagitis. I have had 3 endoscopes to dilate the stricture. 4 biopsies if my esophagus and stomach to test for Barrets syndrome. A couple of weeks ago I met with the Bariatric Surgeon from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix Arizona . My only option is a gastric bypass. This bypasses the acid producing part of the stomach. Sure fix …along with a hernia repair. So now I will be restarting starting this journey again with my remaing 55 lb goal. Taking nutrition and counseling through zoom. Its a bit scary but Ive walked this path before. So positive thinking! The Dr says there is enough stomach to make the pouch so it will be almost like resetting the time clock. But we all know this is all risky when messing with our bodies. If I had to reset and knowing what I know now… I think I would have gone with the bypass which is the tried and proven method of surgical weight loss.

Oh Lordy! I hope the OP found a bariatric treatment team that understands vegetarian diets. My team had an entirely vegetarian plan option and guess what some of the first foods were? Beans. Brown Rice. Oats. Potatoes. Hummus. Why? because they have a terrific metabolic index...are loaded with plant based protien...and have FIBER. (they're also much better tolerated right after surgery than meat by many folks) I'm not a vegetarian, but I like the Mayo Clinic Diet and the Mediterrainian diet....so my pre and post surgical diets were sort of a hybrid that included a lot of vegetarian influence. (I still eat meat, but I also eat a lot of beans, oats, nuts, seeds, etc) Thankfully, I had a team that did their homework on different ways up the mountain and didn't suggest keto was the only way or that carbs were the devil. Whew! So thankful for that! Cause the diet that many of ya'll describe is not something that I could have survived. I remember posting some of my sample menus...from my freaking dietician....a few weeks out and getting slammed by people here for the things (and amounts...1200 calories by end of first month) I was eating. A month out of surgery, I remember existing on refried beans with lowfat cheese and salsa....black beans with salsa and canned chicken....split pea soup....tofu chili with white beans....tofu chop suey over a small amount of brown rice....steal cut oats with dried cherries. Fruit. My clinic was absolutely fine with fruit as tolerated, but they wanted whole fruit, not just the juice. I ate a lot of baked oats with blueberries, strawberries, pecans and low calorie maple syrup. I ate 100 calorie whole grain english muffins with peanut butter. I ate boiled potatos with lowfat cheese or nonfat yogurt. ****, I poured caramel Premier Protien shake on my oatmeal and liked slurping it warm. But you know what I didn't eat? Sugar. White flour. Processed foods. Prepackaged sweet carbs. Stuff that spikes your insulin. I also didn't add animal fat like butter. Most of the stuff I ate was pretty low fat with the exception of tiny amounts of olive or grape seed or sesame oil. All of my carbs in weight loss phase were full of fiber and not processed. I ate a little fruit everyday. I added a lot of herbs, made sauces replacing sugar with splenda, I put every kind of vegetable and fruit in my kitchen in the smoothies I drank....and a glob of nonfat greek yogurt or tofu or chia seeds for protein. My clinic was activingly fighting the notion that super restricted calories and keto in the first months after surgery were necessary. They did things very differently than I hear routinely described here. I know we're all gonna have a different experience and I know for MOST of you guys....a super restricted calorie diet in the early days and keto, keto, keto, carbs are the devil....is what you were taught is the only way. And I know for most of ya'll...it's what worked and what you believe like a religion. I'm here to tell ya... There are other paths up this mountain. I'm working on being tolerant of everyone's preferred path. Anyway you get it done....you deserve serious kudos and I'm proud of you all. But I've gotta say.... it can be easy to feel defensive when post after post after post here...is so negative about what worked terrific for me and others like me. A few of us have lost weight successfully and maintained really well...on a diet that includes a buttload of (unrefined) carbs and a pretty high calorie allowance started early in the process. What's more...as a group, it appears we're having really good luck not regaining. That's no small thing. Keep an open mind about your carb eating brothers and sisters. We do ok with this whole process, too;) As always...to each their own. Peace and best wishes to all.

Sorry I can’t offer any help in regards to a revision to bypass & rheumatoid arthritis. I did find the article below about managing methotrexate side effects. (I was interested because I have a non bariatric friend who takes it for RA too.) May be worth another conversation with the bariatric surgeon in regards to the suggestion that taking folic acid can reduce side effects. Repairing your hernia may alleviate some of your reflux issues too. It’s unfortunate that while it’s helpful managing arthritic pain, methotrexate can also cause weight gain. ☹️ https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/treatment-plan/disease-management/methotrexate-managing-side-effects

she's wrong. Of course some people have complications - you can have complications from any surgery, not just bariatric surgery. People have died from tonsillectomies, after all. But most bariatric patients don't have issues, and complications when they do occur are usually minor and "fixable". That's not to say no one ever has major complications, but they're really uncommon. And the mortality rate for gastric bypass is 0.3%. It's even less for sleeve. So you have at least a 99.7% chance of not dying. as far as untimely death, you're a lot more likely to have an untimely death from complications due to obesity than you are from bariatric surgery. yes you are on a very limited calorie diet for the first few months, but it's medically supervised and they do labs every few months during that first year, so they can catch things before they become problematic. Plus you're taking lots of supplements - protein, vitamins, minerals - to prevent major problems, too. I had follow ups and labs done every three months my first year. After that, you're eating more normally, so you really have to be closely monitored only during the first few months post-op. I think your friend is dealing with some very dated information - or complete misinformation.

I am hoping ins approves the revision from sleeve to bypass. I have severe GERD and also a hiatal hernia. When I had the endoscopy done in Nov 2019 there was also a stricture and ulcer. The prescription PPI worked until it didn't, he upped it to twice a day and it worked until 3 months ago. Now I'm back to needing Tums as well as the prescription almost daily. I like your post. I only have a regain of 35 lbs, so losing that would just be the icing on the cake. If I can get rid of the reflux I'll be so happy. I can't imagine doing this for the rest of my life! Tell me, what things can you eat that you couldn't after sleeve surgery and what about dumping. The bariatric surgeon I met with last week said they consider it a good side effect to help patients know what to be careful of or avoid altogether. Good luck!!!

Hello, in the early stages of researching my options and coverage. Appears that neither my nor my husbands insurance covers bariatric surgery. It looks like this is fairly standard for Florida insurance plans (and that many other states have mandated its coverage, but not some of the southeast states). Have many people had success with their employer insurance in Florida covering it?

Just thought I'd post about how this process has gone for me over the past "almost" year as today I crossed a big milestone (at least big to me). 198.8 - which when I think about it - I haven't been this weight since 2007 when I was doing weight watchers and had lost 40lbs. I think back over this past year it's still a little surreal. At this time last year, I was finishing up my insurance pre-reqs of meeting with a nutritionist and therapist for 6 months. I had already started to transition my diet to two protein shakes for breakfast and lunch to prep for my pre-surgical diet. I was nervous, scared and not 100% sure that I wanted to go through with bypass but also beginning to realize that I couldn't lose the weight on my own or I would have already. My surgery was at the end of August and the two weeks of fluids before hand was really hard, but honestly - I was really proud of myself for doing it and grinding through what I couldn't imagine doing before. Those two weeks, to me, helped to set me up for what I could expect after surgery. The day of surgery I almost told my husband to drive me back home. It was my first time anywhere since COVID hit and that alone was kind of terrifying to me. I remember being wheeled back to surgery and the anesthesiologist talking to me and asking me if I was excited. My response, "No. I'm terrified." But he gave my hand a squeeze and kept reassuring me that it was going to be ok and the team was great. Once I got in the surgical room it seemed to have the same kind of vibe - the team was more excited for me than I was. I just don't think I could get my head wrapped around this procedure working. That I would lose weight and that my life would change. I think it all still felt very unreal - even as they put me to sleep. Recovery - overall wasn't the most awful thing but it wasn't great. I ended up in the ER a couple days later due to dehydration. What helped me the most was an abdominal binder that they gave me when I left the hospital. I left this on for about three weeks until things stopped feeling like they were shifting or pulling. While the pain wasn't too unbearable, the reality that drinking, eating and for a short time peeing was a chore. Trying to get enough fluids was hard. Drinking the amount of protein I needed to afterwards was impossible for me. I had to measure out 3oz and a time and set timers throughout the day to help me remember no to drink water for a half hour before and a half hour after. Once I started solid foods it was also difficult for me. Trying to figure out what I was ok to eat (that didn't completely turn my stomach) and learning that crab, tuna, salmon would be my go to food for awhile. Adding in cheeses, eventually chicken and turkey on top of the protein shakes I was still doing. After three months things started to get a little easier for me, my check up with the Nutritionist went well although she wanted me to get my calories way up. So I started to incorporate things with more fat into my diet. Nuts, peanut butter, avocado were just a few things that I started to try. I think it was around this point where I realized, ok... this is starting to work. I was seeing weight come off and while food was a struggle I was walking around the block and having an easier time of it. My breathing was easier, sitting on the couch was easier, my back was hurting less, my clothes were starting to fit better. As time went on I continued to add things to my diet, fruit, veggies, and eventually some carbs. Were there things that did not agree with me, absolutely, but I learned from trying them and adjusted my diet. I waited to buy clothes until about two months ago. I had to go into the store to try on pants because I had no idea what size I was. I fit into a 16 and 14... which blew my mind. At my highest I was a size 24 and even that was tight. I've since ordered a bunch of new things which also helps me to see the difference in weight. Things I still struggle with - drinking enough water. Losing hair - I still have a good amount but had a 2 month stint where I lost a lot. I still am freaking out when I see more than 10 hairs coming out on the brush but I have a ton of new baby hair growing back in. Making sure I'm focusing on eating enough protein and not drinking with meals. Going to the bathroom - it's either all or nothing for me. 😂 I usually weigh in after I go though - seems like a solid strategy in my mind. The things that worked for me: ProCare Health Bariatric multivitamins with Iron (1/day). Their sea salt caramel calcium chews (2.5/day). Biotin gummies - no idea if they helped but considering that I didn't lose soooo much hair I'm just going to keep taking them. And if you're still with me - A big thanks to everyone who posted on here before my surgery. I was definitely a lurker but your stories helped to prepare me and give me confidence as I went through this myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now on to celebrate being in ONDERLAND again and I'd still like to lose another 30-40lbs - which I know the surgery won't get me there for the full amount (at least from my doctor's perspective) but I'm going to keep working at it and chipping away to see where I end up.

I like my fitness pal. I've used it for about 9 years (I haven't had surgery yet). I don't like all the ads, but it doesn't bother me enough to use the paid version. Some people on here have complained that it says you're not eating enough after bariatric surgery, but all you have to do is not mark your day "complete" and it doesn't care. They have a huge database of foods and the recipe builder is pretty easy to use.