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Going to the seminar on Saturday to get a feel for Dr. Oldham. I have heard some pretty good things about the Bluegrass Group in Etown, I just hope it holds true. I am looking to ask quite a few questions, but looking for more ideas on what to ask and what to look for... ?!?? My questions so far: - how many sleeves have you done? - what is your complication rate? leak rate? - do you use stitches over the staple line? - will you be providing my post op care as well? Anything else? Thanks!

Welcome and kudos for making such a decision. And for the very best of reasons. There is a wealth of support and info here so dive right in. I am so happy for you starting on this journey to renewed health and a longer life,

It was just a couple of weeks for my approval. I have BCBS insurance and I went to a BCBS Bariatric Center of Excellence.

RavenClaw & Jachut - I'm sending my prayers to the both of you for continued strength and certainly for healing. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in Nov., 2010 (banded Oct. 2008); I was finally getting down to a good weight for myself. As soon as I found out I was going to have to have two surgeries, chemo & radiation - I visited the bariatric office and was unfilled. I'm still not sure if that was a good or bad idea and probably will never know, for sure. However, during the AC / Taxol treatments [8 total] and 2nd surgery, I managed to gain all of my weight back. During chemo - if I wasn't sick on the stomach with the taste of metallic in my mouth - I was dealing with extreme fatigue and severe bone aches. So - I can say that I know what you mean. I did in fact lose my appetite a lot... but I just kept eating anything and everything that my DH put in front of me - trying to find a 'taste'. Loading ketchup on everything.. ugh. Now that I am towards the end of radiation, I've finally made an appointment for a fill. I'll go today for the fill and see if this helps at all. When I went for my unfill, the bariatric doc told me not to worry about my weight - but to focus on healing. And I did. I 'thought' slightly about the weight, but I just kept eating. Thinking it might make me feel better. So - I think we just have to heal and worry about our weight later. We are blessed to be around after such a diagnosis. But, I do want to get back on track, ASAP. Best of success to the both of you and any others who are faced with this nasty mess.

I havent posted in awhile put today is different !!!! I have capital blue cross blue shield pa. I WAS APPROVED!!! I also am at the barely making mark! my bmi is 40 just making it ..i have no co morbities....MY FAMILY HISTORY WAS THE KEY.........I orig.was going to mexico to do surgery then my friends enouraged me to just try the insurance route....so i thought what do i have to lose!!!!! i have done the yo yo diets and weight ... Iwent in aug to the seminar i did the pre req that the ins requires my doctor signed off on the six wek diet that is req( by the way ) the bariatric doctors have the forms that the req the pcp to fill in for the 6 month weight lose program so dont worry about what to fill out !they acctually preferre you use there forms! atleast that how it worked for me!! hang in there ......it will all work out! i cant believe it 12-09-08 is my surgery date!!!!!!

I love the Bariatric Advantage shakes with Vanilla Almond Soy Milk. They a great!

I ordered a bottle of the bariatrics chewables already. So I have one. I was trying to wait till after my surgery to see if I could tolerate the taste. I don't have a date yet so I still have a while to go.

Hi I had the full gastric bypass 8 years ago . I lost 255lbs . Anyways, I had one child pre op who is now 14. And 14 years later I am now pregnant again . I still can't eat large meals . And after pasta my sugar reads 5.8 for pre diabetes . Even when I was 450lbs I never had any medical issues whatsoever . So it's a bit nerve wrecking for me. I'm also afraid of the glucose test, I heard it could kill bariatric patients . Anyone else have anything similar ?

I will check I am hoping since they have special bariatrics suites for recovery that the beds are bigger and more comfortable.

GOOD AFTERNOON, From what I was advised when asking that very same question VSG would be the optimal choice as far as surgery for weight loss. I know that they do laparoscopic (which reduces the risk of adhesions). I have a friend that had 14 abdominal surgeries(with adhesions and scar tissue) prior to having VSG and that was the ONLY surgery recommended. 2yrs later and she has not complained of complications. I would seek a surgical consult with a bariatric surgeon ...best wishes

@@Gucci & @AnnaDmom3 you both are doing great! Everyone is SO different when it comes to how long it takes to drink fluids/soups after surgery. Both of your bodies are adjusting and balancing out after surgery. If you follow your bariatric team's post op plan, before you know it the pounds will start to fall off. Best wishes to both of you.

I am having the hardest time taking my bariatric advantage chewables, I think I could tolerate some sort of gummy, has anyone tried one that their doc has approved? I will compare it to my Bariatric Advantage to make sure I'm getting my amts correct!

Gummy vitamins are not good for many reasons. The most important thing is that we need vitamins specifically made for bariatric patients. There are non chewables we can take. There are liquids and capsules. Bariatric Advantage and Celebrate Vitamins are made for us. Anything you get at the store isn't going to be sufficient in the long run.

I love this website, it's my go to for my Protein shakes, Snacks, meals and Vitamins. I've even gotten my protein shaker there. Just sharing because if you haven't heard about it, you can check it out they have a referral program that gives you $20 off towards your purchase of $40. Check it out if you're looking for a place to get your prison No obligation, just sharing. You can use the link. http://www.bariatricchoice.com/get-started-referred-bc.html

Hello All! My name is Kimberly. I am 24 yrs young, married with no children, and currently a pre-Nursing student. I am 5'7, 354lbs with a BMI of 55.4. I started the lapband journey just over a year ago. I have Humana EPO, and they have been terrific. To qualify I had to have: Medical records with recorded weights for the past two years, (one a year was sufficient), Letter of Medical Necessity from my PCP, and 6 consecutive months of nutrition/exercise advise from my PCP (each month I went to the doc, she typed in something along the lines of "advised Kimberly she needed to lose weight, follow low-carb high Protein diet and exercsie 3x per week..yadda yadda yadda). I turned all of that into my insurance and received an approval less than a week later! (This was after my father, who is the primary insurance holder, forgot to renew me on his insurance last January..thus having to wait another 6 months until his open enrollment, then another 3 months for my insurance to become effective again, so this prolonged everything by 9 months :-/) But alls well that ends well, and now I am anxiously awaiting my surgery date. I am having it January 25th with Dr.Rehnke at the Palms of Pasadena Hospital in St.Pete, FL. I start the Optifast on January 11th, and really am NOT looking forward to it. What helps me is the fact that my mother had the surgery with the same doctor a few years ago, so she has a bunch of tricks that she has passed on to me. One of which is to buy a BUNCH of different flavored extracts, like banana, Coconut, Almond etc. to add to the shakes. I'm hoping that will help with the variety. I guess the main things I'm nervous about are: 1.) I have bad acid reflux when I don't eat. Will I have this while on optifast? 2.) Anesthesia. I've never been under before, so I'm frightened of what my reaction will be. 3.) Just generally nervous about something unbeknownst happening to delay or prevent the surgery such as bad preop testing, complications in surgery, and various of other possible scenarios that have to come to mind. I want this so bad, I feel like I've been dreaming of it for a very long time, and now that my dream is being realized I'm afraid I will wake up! I look forward to continuing to post as I experience this new journey in my life and I look forward to reading all of your stories as well! Happy New Year!

JC, Dr. Szomstein is my dr. too! I know it's going to take a long time. I started in July and don't expect surgery till Dec 2003 or Jan 2004. I originally went to US Bariatrics at Holy Cross, but they only want to talk me into RNY. I have about 85 pounds to loose and I don't care if it takes me 2 years to loose it (US Bariatric's big plug for RNY is that you loose it faster and that it's the "gold standard"!) 4-5 lbs a month is fine with me and a less risky, reversible (if necessary) procedure is why I want the band!!!!! Oh Well....in the mean time, I'm waiting! Keep in touch and GO DOLPHINS! Marsha

I am glad you are seeing someone that specializes in eating disorders. It will never make sense to me why people who have NO experience with eating disorders get to make decisions about surgery for people who have them. My guess is that even bariatric doctors don't understand them. A lot of us on here have patterns of disordered eating that obviously have not served us....My other question is do you 'believe' your diagnoses are accurate/up-to-date? Sometime whats in the chart is just what's in the chart. Idk just some thoughts.... I too worry about maintaining a 'lifestyle' for myself. I have a long history of ADD which typically acts out as being able to be totally rigid for a long while and then falling off and unable to follow a program....my hope is that with the surgery hormones will be regulated and adjusted which will make continuing easier....I read somewhere that brain function is improved with WLS in an article on this site.... Good luck to you, keep us posted....

Hi. I am in RI and hope to have surgery in June. I hear that Tufts and MGH are great. Check them out on line under bariatric surgery and make an appt. for a consult. Good luck to you!

I find it amazing that a Kaiser dietician would make such a ridiculous statement. With a very short list of exceptions, I eat anything I want to eat. The success of the surgery is not about what you can or can't eat. I find it unforgivable for a healthcare "professional" to suggest otherwise. It's about what you choose to eat. Or not eat. Lifestyle changes. Apparently Bariatric Pal should be required reading for bariatric dieticians - for life!

I am writing this to help those whom have United Health Care. Here are the following things to know and tips: Before reading these tips, contact UHC for confirmation that Bariatric surgery is covered under your plan. Confirm the requirements. Confirm that your surgeon and his associated hospital is In-Network (if they are not, it will be like paying for the surgery without insurance). Make sure you have an understanding of what the insurance wants to see or have done. 1) You are eligible if you have a 40 BMI or Higher / Greater than 35 BMI with Co-Morbidity. 2) Once you find your surgeon, you will have to do 6 months worth of testing, dieting and education. 3) You will have to make 6 visits (once a month). This does not include your consultation. 4) One of your visits will be with a Psychological Evaluation. This will determine your surgeons view and the insurance company's view of your case. They take a look at your mental and emotional health. They ask about your family and your support systems. They may ask you how you feel about yourself. Stay away from the negative views you may have of your body. Understand that they have seen hundreds of people like you and may have some prejudice in regards to whether you will succeed or not. Remind them that you are a person, not a statistic and bring some human to your discussion. 5) Your surgeon may require you to keep an eating and exercise journal. I use MyFitnessPal and I have a FitBit. 6) You will be asked to do an EKG to see how strong your heart is. 7) You may be asked to do a sleep study. Depending on your surgeon, it can be a requirement. In my case, the insurance company denied it. They did not deem it as a necessity. 8) You will have to do an Ultrasound which is to see if you have any issues with your liver (fatty liver disease) or other organs. 9) The next thing is an endoscopy. This requires you to head to an outpatient clinic, be sedated and have a tube stuck down your throat. (Update: You will need to have lab work done no more than 1 month prior). I learned that I had an hiatal hernia (where part of the stomach enters the diaphragm). This can cause you heart burn. Be aware of H. Pylori. This is a bacteria that can cause ulcers and heart burn as well. It takes a lot of antibiotics to cure. Be mindful that your throats will be sore and some sharp pains may occur as they most likely scrapped some samples from your digestive tract. 10) In between these visits, you will see an dietitian and nutritionist for further help. They will slowly walk you through changing your eating habits. Be honest with them. It is very important in the long run. Also try to keep your weight lost in small amounts. If you lose too much in a short period of time, the surgeon and insurance company will feel like you can lose the remaining weight alone. 11) Your last visit will consist of an overview. The surgeon will check your weight and may discuss further with you about your feelings towards the surgery. Hopefully you are approved by the surgeon. My surgeon was great during the process. I met with him more times than anyone else. He literally kept giving my information and sites to read to understand this tool. 12) They will then submit your information to the insurance company. Now it can take up to 2 - 6 weeks for approval. I was approved in one week. My fellow UHC Members, I hope this assist you in your endeavors. 6 months will fly by so quickly you won't even realize it. Remember education is the key to success. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm 8 days post op. Since coming home I've had some big issues with gurgling and very runny stools. It's about once a day that a session begins about 4 hours after I've had my Protein shake. I will be gurgling and volcanic for about an hour. Take immodium. Drink Water then be fine until 4 hours after my Bariatric Pal shake or Soup. I've had loose stools all my life. Is this ok at this point? I'm taking Probiotics and Vitamins from Bariatric Pal. I don't take any lactose products. Tips or recommendations? Tom

You are right on all accounts. It is a bit overwhelming. I intend to go and buy my first full month supply this coming Tuesday after my Pre-Op class. I renewed my GNC membership two weeks ago. I know that I will be there for certain chewable vitamins and I love the unflavored powder by UnJury, but I will be shopping at Sam's Club for the majority of my protein powder. The have a 5lb bag for $34.99 with the $7.00 instant savings. If get a bag of the vanilla flavor, you can mix other flavor powders (Crystal Light) in and have more variety. So far, sugar free jello has helped when I want to me feel like I am eating something. And the crystal light mixes are not that bad. However, I do prefer a natural tea bag to all those powders.

I never did the chew 50 times thing, I agree, it's gross. I paid extra attention to chewing when I first transitioned to solid foods. But I just chewed till it was all broken down, and didn't chew past that. I had no issues with any food I ate, so I got more relaxed. After the first week or two on solids through today I just chew my normal amount, and it's fine. I wouldn't worry too much about getting off of protein drinks. At the beginning our stomach capacity is so small that it is hard to get to 60 g only on solids. I drink one protein drink in the morning, That gets me to 32 g, then I can usually get the rest in throughout the day. You like plenty of good protein sources, like eggs and chicken and deli meat. You're overthinking this! Oh, I also supplement my protein with some of the Bariatric Pal & Medifast soups and such, some are tasty and painless ways to get additional protein.

NYU is supposed to have good bariatric doctors. It's a husband and wife team. I forgot their names. Also check the major hospitals in NYC.

Well, I'm not sure where to start. I have been lurking for quite some time and now I am coming out of the shadows. I have known for over a year that I wanted WLS but never thought I would be able to do it. I thought I would be miserable for the rest of my life. I am at my highest lifetime weight and it is seriously impacting my quality of life. I can't walk for more than 5 minutes without my back screaming at me. My knees are constantly aching as is my left hip. I have a 2-year old daughter that I want to play with and take on walks, and I feel like I am only partly in the game. A dear friend of mine lost her mother earlier this year. After the funeral she sat me down and said that she had all these regrets for what could have been in her life and that I don't need to waste one more minute being unhappy. So I got off my keester and started making things happen. I am the HR Manager at my company, so I know quite well what is covered and not covered. We use BCBS of GA and our policy does not provide for WLS. I also have Tricare but that will be going away here shortly. I just finalized my divorce. Knowing all this helps a lot, because I decided I will have to do self-pay. There is a bariatric program (Center of Excellence) in my city, but I am not comfortable with it. I have been admitted to the hospital for several different things in the past so I know the level of care to expect. It stinks like hot garbage. So after a lot of research, I want to go with Dr. Aceves. For a lot of the reasons that have been listed before in the forums and the research I have done online, I feel like this is the place for me. I pressed the "contact me" button on his website and now I'm waiting to start my journey. I am a bundle of questions and most of them it seems everyone else has already had. I am a single mother but a dear friend has volunteered to stay with my daughter while I am "out of town". She is the only person that I am willing to tell about all this. She supports me regardless. My parents do not. Other people put a lot of fear in me by asking "what about your daughter? you are being reckless because something could happen to you." My thought behind that is that something could happen to me right now. I am already functioning well below capacity so I need to make things better. I have no intention of telling my job what I am doing. I will tell them that I need time off for "a personal surgery". I am hoping I will be able to go back to work when I return from Mexicali. This has gotten quite long so I will close it out and hope that everything goes well.