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One thing that gave me comfort about going through Kaiser is they have never had any deaths since they started their bariatric program. But, they attribute this to carefully screening their patients to make sure they're healthy. So, if you're in good health overall, and have co morbidities under control, you should really have little to worry about.

I have no problems with people at social functions. I have found that they are most accepting of my changes. They almost all know what I had to do for me, and they are quite supportive. But they are shocked at the small volumes I eat now. Been a long time since someone has not looked to me to finish something off. And when I save just a bit of room for a bite or two of dessert, well, that's a shocker! Now, more often, I get the oddest stares from wait staffs at eateries, mostly when I ask for the children's menu. They look at me and am sure they think, "Big guy...kid's menu? What's wrong with this picture?" But my hospital gave me a very nice wallet-sized card and I can simply show them that. It explains I had bariatric surgery and that is why I want to eat smaller portions. And sometimes even the smaller portions are too big, so when I ask for a container, well, shocks them even more. But, tough. I found that Bob Evan's (a local chain) actually charges MORE for adults eating from the kid's menu. Now I just talk to the manager, and no problems. It's important to be an advocate for myself!

You are about to have a new birthday Congratulations!.....You will probably go into the O R as a bundle of nerves and then come out of Recovery knowing that you have just been given a powerful tool. For sure you will lose some of your stomach, but you will gain hope and strength. I wish you good luck and good health. Let us know how it goes. The surgery is a tool and the forum is a tool to help you stay on track with your bariatric team. See you on the other side!

Similar stories: two bariatric surgeries, and we are celebrating our 44th anniversary in May. I agree with ms.sss. Bariatric surgery is a lot like having kids--it'll make good relationships better, and doom the ones that were in trouble from the onset. Sounds like you have a good start!

I also posted this in my bio... I just needed to vent and blog a bit. Here's my not quite elevator speech. I've always been the big guy. Chris Farley like, but not as funny. Fat and kinda slapstick, and willing to use my body to get a joke. I make the fat jokes on me before others can. That being said, I always said I was "fat and happy". There was a time when I wasn't fat and happy. I was fat. And I didn't like it, But I didn't do anything about it either because I was lazy. Eventually I just accepted myself, and that was good on paper at least. The lab results over years though were telling a different story. High blood pressure. High cholesterol. Borderline pre-diabetic. I probably have sleep apnea. Winded while walking any minority substantial distance. Running, not on your life. I also suffer from ostrich syndrome: If you don't admit that it is there, it's not there. Just stick your head back in the sand. Oh did I mention smoking? Quitting is easy, but not starting again is a b***h. For 20 years off and on. Poorly hiding it at times, too. Some how I was able to meet a great wife. Seriously the bee's knees. We have 4 boys together. I love them all dearly; they really are my life. I'm starting to see signs in a couple of them of developing bad habits. Eating way too much. Sitting around not doing much activity. It's scary. My wife is a bigger gal, too. And short. I never saw her as fat, though. However, I know she did. When she was in her late teens she struggled with anorexia. She worked through it. After our last child was born she couldn't loose the weight. She would work out, she would diet. She'd lose 60 lbs. Yay! My passive "fat and happy" ass would just be that passive and not support her like I should. Something about late night Taco Bell runs that would destroy that ****. She started exploring Bariatric Surgery last summer. I was pretty passive about it. I thought she's talk her self out of it. She didn't. She plowed ahead full steam. I went to her surgery consult, and it actually made me feel better. She'd go to her education classes. Mention things out of the little handbook they give you. I'd smile and nod. I wasn't listening. Then her surgery was approved. She asked me to go to her pre-op surgery class. She got in early so I could go, and I totally missed her asking if I would go with her. I knew it was happening, and she wanted to do it while I was in town (I travel for work). Missed the whole YOU NEED TO BE THERE thing. So she asks the night before if I'm going, and I was like WTF, yeah sure what ever. Turns out this class is the one, single most important class of this process.. The one they review all that **** you've been learning over the months (or years) on your journey. I go in to this class with the very minimal information. Like its happening and I know where but that's it. This class scared the everlasting f**k out of me. But I watched. I listened. And man... I was scared. You know how I said I didn't read much. The stuff I did read was about the sky high divorce rate of couples who involve Bariatric Surgery. I read one place as high as 85% after 3 years. My parents? Yeah, they divorced about 18 months post-op. Why would my wife who I love want to risk our marriage with those odds? The next two weeks I spent trying to convince my wife she didn't need the surgery. I took her to a fancy dinner. Promised to go on a regular diet and start exercising with her. She stood her ground. So then I told her I didn't want it to happen point blank. We screamed at each other. She stood her ground. Hours, minutes, I don't know what exactly... It was in the heat of battle, but she said she would't have the surgery and just blame me for her unhappiness for the rest of her life. OUCH. I almost said good and fine. But I couldn't do that. It was obvious this was important to her. She wanted my support and blessing. Not my ridicule or being told she can't do something. Did I mention this was happening on the one anniversary of her dad passing? God I'm an ass. She's my world... I can't have her unhappy. I left that match ugly crying. I was convinced my marriage just ended right then and there. 15 years. Good run, but nothing lasts forever. Who's side would people be on? Hers. I'm kinda a prick... Hell, even my step mom I bet would choose her. I was sitting in a parking lot smoking and thinking. The tears had stopped. Why was I against it? What was my problem? Self reflection can be painful. I realized I wasn't as fat and happy as I thought I was. I had an epiphany. I needed to change, too. So I scheduled a consult. Quit smoking as of 1/20. I did have one cheater on 1/21. As of 1/20 I weigh 327 lbs. I have a BMI of 44.5. I need to loose about 100 lbs. They fit me in an unorthodox manner to get me going sooner on the program because of my wife. I'm trying a sympathy diet as she's full liquid pre op at the moment. I'm still eating regular food, but for the most part not around her. It f**king sucks for me, and I can't imagine what it is for her. I was averaging about 3500 calories a day before I started this sympathy diet. Most the week I've been below 2000. I have 24 weeks to go before I will likely look at getting me approved. for a similar procedure.. She'll be at regular foods again by then (there is this whole diet progression thing). When I anticipated doing this I was thinking I could delay her so our timing was more together. Like some sort of fucked up couples massage. It didn't work out that way. She's going forward on Tuesday. I don't know if I can do this. The anxiety is suffocating. On top of all of this work has been bad. It's been kinda slow. They have me learning something new and I'm too distracted with this going on to give it the attention it deserves. People are noticing my heads not in the game. I cleaned out my desk yesterday because I thought I was going to get fired. I didn't. So now it just looks like I'm quitting because I don't have **** there. Well f**k.

Thanks! I have Health America insurance and I called last year to inquire of coverage and they have an exclusion for all bariatric procedures..as you can imagine i have a lot of questions and find it easier t0 ask someone direct...do you mind sharing how long you were in the hospital and the recovery time of when you could go back to work? i appreciate your feedback thanks, tim

?????? Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App I'm assuming that the poster feels that only people who have insurance OTHER than state-paid should have their bariatric surgery covered. I disagree with that opinion. Yep, I agree with you....it's a lot cheaper to address the root cause of their chronic health issues than to spend a lifetime (and fortune) treating the symptoms of diabetes, hypertension, strokes, etc., etc., etc. Not to mention it's a lot more humane. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

?????? Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App I'm assuming that the poster feels that only people who have insurance OTHER than state-paid should have their bariatric surgery covered. I disagree with that opinion.

I found that study. And I noticed that every other article that mentions the 85% divorce rate quotes that one study. There was another study done in Sweden (which has a 47% overall divorce rate - about the same as in the U.S.) said that 9% of couples get divorced after bariatric surgery. That sounds a lot more believable to me, just based on anecdotal evidence I pick up from the various WLS boards I've been on the last five years. I wonder if the person who did that first study meant an 85% LIFETIME divorce rate? (divorce rate for everyone - WLS or not - is about 48% in the US). Even an 85% lifetime divorce rate for WLS patients seems a bit high - but 85% in the two years after WLS seems really farfetched. I wouldn't be surprised if that study is flawed. Unless people who join internet forums are overwhelmingly in strong, happy marriages - but that seems implausible as well. I don't doubt the divorce rate increases after WLS. People gain confidence after losing weight, and many aren't as likely to put up with crap anymore - and they probably aren't as afraid of leaving someone for fear of never finding another mate because of their weight. But I think we'd hear about divorce A LOT more on these forums if it was happening to 85% of us.

Well, it's resolved for now. I've changed providers and thus doctors, aftering find a surgeon who accepts my insurance and then finding a doctor who is affiliated with the same insurance provider. It turns out that Monterey Park Hospital doesn't even support bariatric surgery, so Preferred IPA was making a requirement that could never be fulfilled in order for me to get surgery. I'll be making a formal complaint about that, as I can't be the only person who has been affected by this deliberate stonewalling. Hoping for a fruitful relationship with my new insurance provider.

Or my recommendation, head for the nearest Bariatric Center of Excellence hospital, doesn't hurt if they also are a teaching hospital. I just had mine at Ohio State University-Wexner Medical Center in Columbus Ohio. My surgeon as well as being Chief of Bariatric Medicine and Metabolic Weight Loss is also a Full Professor in the College of Medicine. In my book, teaching hospitals are the best and always on the cutting edge!

Start at the gym tomorrow. My doctor told me to take it slow but he wasn't specific? Any pointers bariatric family?

My GP happily wrote me a letter of reference that documented my own personal weight loss attempts and struggles with my weight over the years (I’d never been under a medical weight loss program before going to the Bariatric surgeon). Has your weight been a concern that was brought up to your GP before or possibly Gyno? Most are pro Bariatric and can help with this letter of reference.

Hello New Friends! I need some support and hope to make some new friends here. I had a Lapband down in Mexico in 2004 by Dr Kuri and lost 150 lbs then maintained that for about a decade. I started at 536lbs and got down to just under 400lbs which my surgeon said was a success. I never hit my goal weight of 300lbs but I was happy. After several gallstones and trips to the ER my doctor in Portland said I needed to have my gallbladder removed. The gallbladder surgeon in Portland offered to remove the 10 year old Lapband which was causing me trouble so I did it without even considering other options. At that point it was taking me 1.5 hours to eat half of a small meal and I had zero restriction. So his offer was a welcome relief. I thought I was doing fine. I knew I had gained a little but not 80 pounds. That scared me because it had only been a few months. I was getting to the point of having a hard time walking, and I had developed neuropathy in my feet. I also had a couple weight related injuries and then my knee got real bad. This was a real low point in my life. I visited a friend in Texas who had the sleeve and I didnt even recognize him! I was shocked at how much he had lost. So that was the start of my sleeve journey. When I got back to Portland I started off talking to Puget Sound Bariatrics in Washington and Legacy Emanual in Portland but both surgeons needed me to lose 30-40 pounds before they said they could operate on me for the sleeve. They said I had to be under 500lbs. One surgeon suggested I try a low carb diet. I didnt know what he was talking about! Thus I began learning about low carb eating. During the last 2 years I have been learning about the weight loss industry. Ive read The Obesity Code by Dr Jason Fung who is a doctor that helps cure diabetes, a supposedly incurable disease. Reading his book educated me on all the "great advice" weve been getting all these years about how to lose weight, advice that was pretty much worthless to people with obesity. Dr Jung examines all the recommendations passed down thru the years and then explains why they dont work, its a real education that answers a lot of questions. He also explains how foods we eat turn to glucose that is stored in our liver for the first few hours after we eat a meal. Then as our bodies use up the glucose and our insulin levels drop our bodies are able to access the stored body fat for the energy our bodies need. This is what causes weigh loss. Thats why intermittent fasting works so well. I learned about intermittent fasting and have found that to be fairly easy to implement into my lifestyle. I hired a personal trainer and spent a year in the gym doing water aerobics - inbetween injuries and weightloss restarts. I bought a few weeks worth of Adkins meals and then figured out how to use those concepts with regular food and even some fast foods. Ive learned about portion control and how important that is. Ive learned about carbs in food including veggies. I had no idea there were carbs in lettuce! Or that a banana contains 55 grams of carbs! I spent 2 weeks getting my body into ketosis which required frequent emergency trips to the bathroom for explosive diareah....no fun. Ive tracked all my meals and had to get honest with myself about late night snacking, the scale doesnt lie. But overall I havent maintained much weight loss. I admit Ive had some depression these last few months since my dad died, but Im moving forward now... A few months ago I was surfing the web and started hearing about guys bigger, older, and taller than me having the sleeve surgery with great success. Yet the 3 surgeons I dealt with in the Pacific Northwest all said I had to be under 500 lbs...BUT WHY??? I soon discovered it was because they dont have the equipment to handle patients over 500 pounds and they didnt want to lose me as a patient so they told me to lose weight instead. Seems crooked to me. Ive needlessly suffered for years now. If I had known better I could have had this surgery 3 years ago. Im now scheduled for January 26 with Dr Rodriguez down in Juarez. Im a snowbird this year so Im moving down to El Paso for the winter, surgery and recovery. The one mistake I made when I first got my lapband was I didnt make it the sole priortiy of my life. This time around my sole focus for the next two years will be losing weight and getting my health back. Im now looking forward to leaving Oregon for a few months and getting really focused on my health. Being in a sunny location will help me feel better and keep me motivated as I begin losing weight again. Today I discovered this forum and read some good stuff. I need your support and hope I can provide you some too! Thanks for reading, Free Stanley

I’m still taking my Bariatric vitamins, but plan to go on the YLEO ones when my supply has depleted. I also have used NingXia after I knew my stomach was completely healed. I knew it would not do damage, just didn’t want to have a complication and have that blamed. I also used Digize for digestive issues a month out. I love my YLEO!

@@Musicdebbie I had my surgery with Tijuana Bariatric and Dr. Fernando Garcia did the surgery. I'd wish I had done this a long time ago.

Thank you... I definitely plan on seeing an endocrinologist to rule out some other issues, and I am planning on seeing a different bariatric Dr. to get another opinion. My dr rarely has time to meet with patients unless it's the consult visit and I really dislike his PA, so I'm hoping to have some productive discussion about my options Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Generally sleep apnea is considered a comorbidity. My insurance policy reads Surgical treatment of obesity (bariatric surgery) is covered only if: - eligible enrollee is 18 of age or over- clinical records support a body mass index of 40 or greater (or 35-40 when there is at least one co-morbidity related to obesity). Applicable co-morbid conditions include the following: • T ype II diabetes mellitus (by American Diabetes Association diagnostic criteria). • Refractory hypertension (defined as blood pressure of 140 mmHg systolic and or 90 mmHg diastolic) despite medical treatment with maximal dose of three antihypertensive medications. • Refractory hyperlipidemia (acceptable levels of lipids unachievable with diet and maximum doses of lipid lowering medications). • Obesity–induced cardiomyopathy. • Clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea. • Severe arthropathy of the spine and or weight bearing joints (when obesity prohibits appropriate surgical management of joint dysfunction treatable but for obesity). - Documentation of failure to lower the body mass index within the last 12 months through a medically supervised program of diet and exercise of at least 6 months duration.

Hello from OP! I live in OP and am getting banded by Doctor Hitchcock, he is now a partner at Malley Surgical/New Hope Bariatrics. Due to insurance I am having it done at Menorah Med Center. I understand your fear if you werent alittle scared you'd be crazy! I mean we are having SURGERY!!! Just focus on what you can control! You will lose weight, you will feel better, you will look better in your clothes and in pictures, you should live longer and have a better quality of life and not be a slave to your hunger! I am sooooooo excited but also scared to. Let's help eachother! How much do you have to lose? Who is your doc? Cara in OP

Dr. Malley's website is malleysurgical.com his office is in Mission, KS but performs his surgeries out of the NewHope Bariatric Hospital just north of 435 & Nall. The other site Wheetsin mentioned is Tallgrass and they are out of Topeka. There are several other doctors performing the lapband in the immediate KC area but in my own humble opinion Malley & Hoehn are the most experienced doctors in this area. Malley has performed over 1000 band operations and Hoehn isn't too far behind him. Malley is a proctor for the region teaching other docs learning how to do the surgery and Hoehn works out of Shawnee Mission Med Ctr which is one of the only hospitals to get its Center of Excellence Rating for this surgery so far. In other words I think it would be hard to go wrong with either surgeon. I would recommend checking out both of their seminars and more importantly attend each of their support group meetings before making a final decision. If you are interested there is also another local Bandster Group that is not affiliated with any doctors called KCBandsters. They have an online Yahoo group as well as monthly meetings at a local library. The group has people that have been banded by many different docs even several that were banded in Mexico as long as 7 years ago. They are having a meeting next Monday night if you are interested. It may be a good place to meet and question people in person from some of the various local docs all at once without some of the bias towards one doc or another you might get at a doctor's run group. PM me if you want more details.

Congrats! I'm glad it went well for you. I knew it would!.............as far as your required classes you need to check with your insurance to make sure what you have scheduled will count.....or perhaps, did the Bariatric center assign a coordinator for you?....Mine did and she was very very helpful! She scheduled everything for me. Good luck to you!

I called my insurance company first to see what their requirements were and if I met them. Then I made an appointment with a bariatric surgeon. Of course, keep in mind that that was almost 6yrs ago and things change. It's like looking for a new car. What's the sense of looking if you can't afford one? Once you meet with the surgeon just answer his questions--honestly and to the point. That way you will always tell the same answers. Good luck and let us know how your journey is progressing.

I found an amazing array of shake recipes found on bariatric foodie.com. If I wanted I could have a different flavor every day, twice a day for a good month. I am just trying out shake flavors that look interesting and eating healthier. I am very much looking forward to my peanut brittle shake I will be having for Breakfast tomorrow morning. I figured if I start cutting the carbs now that will be less I have to deal with when I start the actual diet. The reason for most people's headaches during the pre op diet is carb withdrawal. This way I can deal with the energy issues many seem to deal with and not the no carb/sugar headache.

Hey ladies, I discovered a really wonderful and unexpected side effect of surgery. I used to get horrific PMS cramps. The entire week before my period was me using machines, pain killers, hot baths, heating pads-anything and everything to stop the pain. I saw dozens of doctors and they all didn't know what to do. Sometimes it would be so bad I would be feverish and couldn't even go to work. Post surgery this stopped. I now get very minor pain that a painkiller can stop. If I had known that bariatric surgery could stop this I would have done the surgery years ago. I'm just wondering if anyone else experienced this?

Hi Tracy - How you feelin? Steve - hope to meet you soon. I was banded by another doc in town but have switched to Malley for my fills. Have you seen his life size signed Kiss Poster? I've only heard about it. Seriously though Malley is great and his staff is top notch. You should come to one of his support group meetings that they have over at the NewHope Bariatric Center. Its a great place to talk with people face to face that have already had the band. We always welcome "visitors". With or without the band. Dolphin - Where are you in KS? if you don't mind me asking. Choosing to be banded is a very personal decision but for me I have NO REGRETS. It was the best choice I ever made. Surprisingly enough I hadn't even really been thinking about WLS surgery but my primary care doc referred me to someone she said was a bariatric specialist. She thought the doc would work with me to come up with the best weight loss strategy for me wether it be diet, exercise, pills, etc. It wasn't until I got to the seminar that I realized he only did WLS surgeries. But I was sold by the end of the presentation and have never looked back. My starting weight was 255 and I've gone from a size 24/26 to a 10/12 in about 2 years. And with no health issues.