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Twin Labs is a very reputable vitamin line, and I am familiar with it. I will head to the health food store and look for the chewable calcium citrate. thanks for the tip!!! I may have to try the Centrum chewables. I hate that I spent so much on the Bariatric Advantage. Ideally I would like to use those up first, but there are 120 tablets in the bottle. I can't bear to think of chewing 120 of those horrible things!!!

I am 3 1/2 months out and I consume 90 grams of protein a day , So I do not think you are overdoing it ... As far as hair loss ... I am currently going through it , started around a lil before my 3rd month ... It seems to be inevitable .... I take a bariatric multi vitamin , Biotin , Vitamin D and B12 ... however the hair loss is worrisome ... Per my surgeon it happens and it will grow back , Keep up the good work

I wanted DS however I wasn't comfortable having it done in Mexico and not having my surgeon local with such a major surgery (not that the sleeve isn't major but the routing of the intestines worried me) so I decided to do the sleeve. I was over 50 BMI and so far I'm so happy with the sleeve (I'm only 13 days out so I'm far from the poster child for success). Have you figured out who would provide care if there are complications that arise after surgery (I know your primary care doctor is going to provide after care but there could be things that arise that he/she can't handle). I would definitely discuss with both your bariatric surgeon and your primary care to help determine which surgery would be best for you.

In less than 10 percent of cases the sleeve fails due to anatomical issues, poor surgical technique, or other issues that are no fault of the patient. Also, a tiny percentage of unfortunate souls have no favorable markers of chromosome 15, rendering them nonresponders to bariatric surgery. Nonetheless, 90 percent of sleeve failures are due to the person failing the sleeve (e.g. behavioral issues). http://thebodyimagecenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/why-we-hear-so-many-stories-of-failure-after-bariatric-surgery.pdf

Do you currently have gerd or frequent heartburn? Do you have access to bariatric care closer to home if there were a complication? If so, what procedures do they perform? How keen are you in taking daily supplementation? (Vitamins) How enthusiastic is your primary care physician to take care of you after surgery in Mexico?

I can so relate to your story, feelings and experiences. I just said to my husband yesterday how much I enjoy feeling like a normal person and not some freak of nature. I too was on the receiving end of many cruel remarks which created a defensiveness. There are a lot of ignorant ass holes in the world. My decision to have bariatric surgery was based on my own well being though and not on what others may have thought. You are so strong and brave to be so open. Big cyber hug and keep going forward!

Also, your bowel habits will be quite different post op compared to pre-op, especially while only on liquids. My bariatric center's general guideline was if you go more than 3 days without a BM, then use milk of magnesia.

I am very happy to be here and have enjoyed reading this site over the past few weeks. I would love to get down some of my thoughts and hear any feedback anyone has for me. I tend to write essays so I apologize for the length. I am scheduled to meet with a surgeon in two weeks. I also have the psych eval and nutritionist appointment as well as some medical tests that day. The hospital is almost two hours away so I'm packing as much as I can into each trip. I have bcbs fep so still have the 3 months supervised program which has not started. I weigh 278 and have been around this weight or higher (highest around 300) for at least 10 years. I am 35, normal weight as a young child but as soon as I hit puberty quickly became obese. I am not saying it is all genetic, but I know that is part of it. My parents and brother all suffered with obesity or morbid obesity. My brother had gastric bypass surgery several years ago, and to make a long story short he had complications, and died two years after the surgery at age 30. This was not from the surgery but was medically fragile since the surgery. My parents blame the surgery although I do not. They have made it clear that they would be very, very upset if I chose bariatric surgery. Despite this, I have considered this for years. I try to base most of my major decisions on good data. I know that long term weight loss in significant amounts (like, 100 lbs) is quite statistically improbable. I have successfully kept 20-30 lbs (back and forth in this range) off for 6 years. Despite that I am concerned about my health. I have high blood pressure and take three medications to maintain this. I am in the prediabetic range for blood sugar. I see my dad with worsening neuropathy from diabetes type 2 despite really hard work on a very low carb diet. My paternal grandpa lost 3 of his limbs from this disease before he died. Despite being fairly young my knees are starting to hurt when using stairs. I worry that I won't have very long ahead of me. I honestly have come to terms with how I look and while being thinner would be nice, that is not a major motivation for me. Sickness and early death from health consequences of morbid obesity terrifies me. I work full time as a clinical psychologist at a Veterans Affairs. The work is my passion and I would not want to do anything else. However it can be very stressful. It is also very cognitively and emotionally demanding and therefore exhausting while being super sendentary. My salary also supports my family (son and sahd husband). I have recurrent major depression. I am doing very well, taking medication and when needed connect back with therapy. I always live with the fear of depression relapse due to fear not being able to keep up at work and how hard the last one was on me and my family (4 years ago). Fears: will such low amounts of calories allow me to have sufficient cognitive energy to do my job well? Will the mood effects bring on another episode of depression? Should I hide having surgery to my parents, which feels dishonest, or tell them the truth and live with their anger and fear of losing their only remaining child? Will I be able to regularly engage in moderate exercise which honestly I haven't done since my early 20's? If you made it to the end, thank you. I don't expect answers to the above questions but feels good to tell them to people who might relate. Any thoughts welcome. Any experiences of going through this while maintaining a demanding job are appreciated.

Welcome Terri7225, there's a thread on the bypass forum for February 2018, you might even find a surgery twin there. At any rate you're among friends we all are fighting or have fought in the diet wars and are committed to better health and a longer lifespan. Bariatric Pal is a great resource, I've learned so,much from others experiences. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi there, I have my 18 mos check up with Bariatric this week. One thing as others such as James M. (he is a great resource) have said -- this is a pretty normal curve. I lost 100# in the same time but it was normal. My maintenance phase started while still overweight, but the loss I did have basically improved my health and life span projections by a huge amount (90% reduction on Type 2 Diabetes; 95% reduction in edema; greatly improved mobiity; stable neuropathy (surgery did not fix it, but kept it from getting any worse); now almost perfect blood fats. I agree with others about Protein. In retrospect, I ate too many carbs during the 6-12 month time. However, the other thing you mention is depression and adjustment. I had this in spades. After 50 years fat, I just could not adjust to this new body, it seemed very abnormal. I was depressed alot and although such good improved health, it took me until just recently for this new bod to seem ok... I am now starting to have a self image that is not hugely fat. For example, I would always avoid booths at restaurants. For the first time, the other day, when the wait staff asked Booth or Table, I said Booth! Also, I don't really mind the loose skin. I did grow a longer beard to cover the saggy neck a bit (sorry ladies that option is rarely available to you), but if it bothers you you can fix that eventually.

By nature, I'm a fairly impulsive person. I decided to look into bariatric surgery after seeing the gastric balloon on Instagram about 3 days ago, from there I went down a rabbit hole of research and decided if it went down a bariatric road, then the sleeve seemed to suit me most. I'm now looking at clinics and checking procedures, reviews, surgeons etc it's only been a few days and I'm fairly sure I've made up my mind I want this done. (I'd dismissed it the past as my best friend, sister-in-law, mom and nan all had problems with lap band surgeries, now I know the differences between surgeries) How long did you research WLS before you decided you were definitely going to go for it? Are there any specifics you'd suggest really looking in to?

My doc submitted the papers before I did any tests. I have BCBS of Texas and they are very bariatric friendly. My approval was completed within the week.

:biggrin: Hello all. My name is Jenn and I am new to this site. I have started my journey with VSG but have not had the procedure yet. I have had the initial consultation, insurance approval and dietitian meeting. I am new to the Texas area and am wanting to get some more information on my doctor, Dr Jerome Schrapps with Southeast Texas Bariatric Beaumont location, preferably by someone who has had the procedure. I have the diet class and psych eval next week so it looks as if things are moving right along. My family is very supportive but I am extremely nervous.

I was in the "First batch" of people in my area to get the band 2 years ago when it became available. I was wondering if anyone has regrets, would you do it again? why/why not? how supportive and accessible is your bariatric program's after care (i.e. for fills, etc)? The last time I was seen by the Bariatric center, the CNP asked me if I"d do it again, and i told her my answer varies depending on how im doing and what day of the week it is.....but seriously after thinking about it, I wish i wouldve done more research and gone for the bypass or sleeve instead (which wouldve been out of state). I have constant issues (i.e. daily) with PB and usually some form of vomitting, regardless of how fine i chew my food down to. i stay away from carbs, i push my protein and veggies....I'm just tired of feeling like i have less a life now than almost 60lbs ago. any feedback is welcome........tgif.

This is a bariatric class... it's not limited to nutrition. I have a "coach" and a dietician who will be on these calls. It's completely unrelated to my surgery program.

Hi All, I was sleeved about 8 months ago and I was pretty active on VST in the 3 months leading up to my surgery until about a month or so after surgery and I've been pretty absent since then. There are a variety of reasons for this, including the fact that I am a grad student working on my Master's thesis and I don't have a lot of free time right now, but probably the biggest reason that I have been absent is because I hit a months-long stall from about 2 months post-surgery until the 7th month after surgery and I was feeling very much like a failure. I lost around 40 pounds within the first 2 months of surgery and then virtually nothing--well, maybe 3 pounds that I kept gaining and losing--for 5 months! I know that I am not the only person to have this type of experience and it seems logical to come to this forum for support, but I personally have this tendency to withdraw when I should reach out for support the most (and I suspect that others do too). I can only speak for myself, but I also didn't post for a while because I didn't want to come across as negative about the surgery and wind up discouraging anyone because I would definitely still choose to do this if I had it to do over again. For whatever reasons, I think that a lot of the people who are struggling don't post on here nearly as much as the success stories, so it gives a skewed view for both the newbies who are considering surgery and the veterans who feel like they are somehow failing at this. I know that when I was reading here pre-op, I definitely felt that losing quickly was the norm and slow losers were in the minority and mostly people who started out with a lower BMI. I think this forum is a wonderful resource and I'm not trying to scare anyone, but my number one advice to anyone considering surgery or anyone who has had surgery and feels like it's not working or that they've failed is to remember that this is not magic and to know that there may be a fair amount of work on your part (mentally, physically, and emotionally) beyond surgery to reach your goals. My number one wish for everyone, on the other hand, is that the pounds just fly off quickly with no stalls and that maintaining goal is a breeze, but I don't think that's terribly realistic. Anyway, I had gotten really discouraged because I felt like I had tried everything (exercise, more calories, fewer calories, more carbs, fewer carbs, more fluids, etc) but then I talked to someone I know in real life who has had the surgery and, although I'm convinced that her surgeon made her stomach really, really tiny - she's 4-5 years out and can still only eat very small amounts, like 3/4 of a hot dog w/o bun, based on our conversation I changed my diet to consume fewer calories but much more Protein and this seems to be working. I have lost 10 pounds in the past month and I have a renewed hopefulness that I can and will get to goal. Now that I'm not in the deepest part of despair, I have come to my senses that it is helpful to have support on this journey, so I'm reaching out to the VST community again. I'm also on MyFitnessPal with the same username if you care to add me. My school quarter starts tomorrow and I have to finish my MA thesis within 10 weeks, so I may still not be online very often until I'm done, but I will try to check in on both sites as much as possible. Best of luck and/or continued success to everyone!

I do not drink Bariatric Advantage, I heard people like unjury as well ( I believe that's what it's called) Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

And THAT is a great NSV, now isn't it? I know my bf is pleased with my renewed, how shall we say, vigor, for that particular activity!!

Thanks NW! Boy, both Bariatric & Celebrate have a ton more B-12

The following link is a comparison I put together pre-surgery between the Vitamin contents (in percentage) in Centrum, Opurity, Bariatric Advantage, Celebrate, and Flintstone Vitamins. http://thebandedblog...c-vitamins.html

I think most of us were prescribed ursodiol for the first few months to lessen the chance of gallbladder issues. my surgeon prescribed omeprazole for a year, but I had surgery back before the downside of PPIs were widely known. From what I can tell (by hanging out on bariatric forums), most surgeons just prescribe it for around 3-6 months post-surgery now.

Hi Jenna1985, I'm so sorry for what you have been going through; I hope a resolution is found soon for you. I too was sleeved by synergy bariatrics in buffalo and I'm fortunate to say I've had no issues whatsoever thus far. Who was your surgeon, if I may ask?

Raptly reading this all, I won't be a sleeve but many of these things could be me in the future. Your biggest forest scar is where they pulled your stomach remnant out, I would not be exempt because in. bypass the same place is where surgeon puts his bigger gauge instruments.,I guess you'd have to have an endoscopic sleeve to avoid,this, but I guess they have their own cast of problems. No free rides in Bariatrics, are there?😓

With the New Year comes the New Year Resolutions. For many people, one of the largest resolutions is a change in lifestyle - that includes losing weight! I remember my resolution in 2012 was to lose weight and get healthy. And I was able to do that with the help of the vertical sleeve. 2015 is going to hold that for many people and thousands of people undergo weight loss surgery to help them achieve their healthy goals for the new year. For those of you that are just thinking about surgery, I want to encourage you to know that you are not alone! You have a wealth of resources at your fingertips. I wanted to take a moment to share with you some amazing resources that you may find helpful on your journey! Websites BariatricPal.com Of course, BariatricPal is one of the very best websites to find information and support. Here there are “rooms” geared for each surgery as well as pages for recipes, articles, and much more. You will find information on everything you might want to know from before surgery to years after. I suggest checking out the Before/After pages for a good dose of motivation and inspiration! 7BitesShow.com 7 Bites is the first cooking series on YouTube geared specifically toward the bariatric community. The website has videos, recipes and blog posts. weightlosssurgerychannel.com Weight Loss Surgery Channel has a collection of videos on everything WLS related weather it be health, food and recipes, and more. BariatricFoodie The Bariatric Foodie has some great recipes for those that still love food, but want to stay on track TheWorldAccordingToEggface Eggface is one of the most popular of the bariatric cooking blogs. You will find great recipes, blog posts and giveaways on her blog. BariatricCookery.com This is a great resource page for everything from recipes to products. Books The “Big Book” series by Alex Breacher and Natalie Stein. There are four books in the series and all are great reads. They have a wealth of information on everything you need to know before, during and after surgery. The very best thing about these books is that they include personal stories from people that have been there. Breaking The Chains: A Guide To Bariatric Surgery by Jennifer DeMoss and Suzette Munson. The ladies of 7Bites pull from their and others’ experiences with weight loss surgery to provide a simplified, but comprehensive guide. Information on everything from how to pick your surgery and doctor to how to survive the first two weeks after surgery are included. The Sleeved Life by Pennie Nicola. This book tells about Pennie’s experience with the Vertical Sleeve procedure and discusses the ins and outs of the surgery from start to finish. Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies. The everything you ever wanted to know and then some guide to all things weight loss surgery. Many, MANY doctors and nurses recommend this book to their patients. Another great resource not listed here is your local bariatric support group! If you haven’t found one yet, contact your Surgery Center of Excellence or your nutritionist, they should be able to give you a good idea of one or two in your area. Or you can check out the list here on Bariatric Pal - it’s a very comprehensive list of support groups around the world!

I just realized I didn't read your whole post... I understand chronic pain VERY well! ESPECIALLY nerve pain! I have TN (Trigeminal Neuralgia) and had brain surgery 3 years ago in an attempt to relieve myself of the agony even if it would likely be temporary (there isn't a cure for TN the surgery just stops the pain for a few years). I have atypical trigeminal neuralgia. It's on both sides and I had both type 1 and 2 pains on the left side and only type 2 on the right. I can handle the type 2 pains, but the type 1 pains... there is nothing comparable to it. It's the worst sort of agony imaginable. NOTHING has ever equaled or surpassed it. The best description for it I can give is most times it felt like I had a scalding hot poker jab into my face where it would twist and twist and twist and twist before pulling out only to repeat itself endlessly. I had the surgery (Microvascular Decompression) on the left side of my brain to get rid of the type 1 pain and it amazingly got rid of the flare ups and I had no pain for 2 amazing years. Around the time I started my weight loss journey last year I started having type 2 pains again on the left side. I couldn't stop CRYING! I was paranoid and panicking and CONVINCED that the type 1 pain was going to return. If my surgery hadn't worked to get rid of the type 1 pain I wouldn't be here. TN is called suicides disease for a REASON. It's recognized as one the most painfully excruciating conditions know to mankind. I was in absolute agony with my TN with a flare that lasted for 10 MONTHS before I had my surgery. I was barely sleeping because it was worse at night. Everything set it off. I was in a never ending world of absolute AGONY and I only held out for my family. I had overdosed on my meds on at least 3 occasions... 1 particular one I was incredibly lucky that I didn't end up in a coma because I'd taken 600mg over my dose (900mg was my dose and overdose for me was 1000mg, I'd taken 1500mg). If the surgery hadn't worked... I wouldn't be here. I was BARELY holding out for my family. I thought I was losing my mind from lack of sleep and pain and I wanted to cry all the damn time but I didn't have the energy or the tears because I'd cried myself dry months before. EVERYTHING set it off. Sleeping, eating, bathing, talking, touching my face, brushing my hair or my teeth. The happiest day of my life was my surgery day. I woke up with the worse headache of my LIFE and at that point the worst nausea I'd had in my life (only beaten by dumping syndrome), but it was 100% WORTH IT! When my TN came back in the form of the type 2 pain I felt like my life was over. I had been so strong and held out to make it to my surgery, but I just didn't know if I could have that kind of strength again. I didn't think I'd survive a repeat. So I fell into a very deep depression. My doctor put me on anti-depression and anxiety meds and when I saw the psyche doc at the bariatric clinic I told her my TN coming back to how it was before my surgery was my absolute worst fear. I honestly don't know how I even passed my psyche eval because I was a MESS! While I was going through that I read a lot. It DID help to take my mind off it a bit, even if it was still there lurking in the back of my head. I also watched quite a bit of anime to distract myself lol. I'm 33 and yes, I watch anime. It's an outlet and very easy for me to turn my brain off when reading doesn't work. Also like watching home renovation shows and anything that'll make me laugh and let me turn my brain off. I ended up getting a really bad rash due to the anti-depression and anxiety meds and had to get off them, but by that time my mind was in a much better place. I made the determination that the very SECOND I get the type 1 pains back I'm calling up my neurosurgeon and scheduling another surgery lol. I won't wait it out. I won't let it EVER get that bad again! And if for some reason he recommends me to do the Gamma Knife instead, I'll do that (my surgery was really difficult as I had a lot of tissue damage and my 3 hour surgery turned into a 6 hour surgery. I had a lot of brain swelling and there was talk of putting a stint in, but I didn't end up having to have one. I did end up with meningitus though... so I just have the feeling he'd probably want me to do Gamma Knife instead). I'm so incredibly sorry that you're going through chronic pain issues. I don't wish that kind of pain on ANYONE! It feels impossible and makes you feel so helpless. I felt so very, very, very alone. Like nobody understood it. Understood me or what I was going through... So that's the reason I told you about my own experience. I just want you to know that you are NOT alone in living with chronic pain. I really hope that the pain clinic gets back to you soon. My mom has fibromyalgia and they gave her Gabapentin for it (it also helps her neuropathy too and helps her sleep). I don't know what meds they'll start you off with, but I hope the first one they give you works for you!