Search the Community

- The kids all had a great holiday…they are enjoying their favorite gifts; DD- all the new clothes, shoes, and beauty items; DS1- his new (used) desk and new comfy office chair (which he vows to somehow fit into the minivan to go back to school with him); and DS2- his new acoustic (w/electric) guitar. Mostly, they’ve enjoyed spending quality time together. - I wish I could say there was no holiday drama, but it always finds a way in. This time it was a boyfriend/break-up right before Christmas (poor timing). I’ll just say that DD is doing alright and was out with friends a lot over the holidays. She got inspired to clean out her bedroom (most of her stuff from college was jammed into her room on a shelving unit and in boxes, and under her on-lifts bed)…so we all pitched in and helped her take everything she doesn’t need out to the ‘clubhouse’ in the back yard for storage. She took off the bed lifts, bought some shoe storage boxes for under the bed and she’s almost done cleaning up. A ’fresh start’ is a good thing sometimes. - On a lighter note, DS1 has a new girl he met at college (not sure if she's an official 'GF' or not) …they have been back and forth the hour drive several times already and he’s off to see her again today. - Mom’s birthday was yesterday…I miss her, but am thankful Mom and Dad were able to visit us just before Christmas. - DH and I, although we missed seeing both our extended families, enjoyed our first holiday season without any travel. It was much more relaxing/non-stressful and provided many quality moments with the family. The kids have really appreciated it as they’ve been able to see/spend time with their friends as well (I can’t tell you how many times I was giving thanks, w/all the boyfriend/girlfriend issues that we were home). DS1 was also able to work (restaurant) over the holidays for some extra cash for school. - We took the kids last night to see Avatar and then out to dinner to celebrate our ‘last moment of the holiday’. I had a wonderful ‘moment’ watching them ‘plan’ on what order they were going to sit together at the theater (it’s nice to see that even as they get older they enjoy each other’s company). Great 3-D movie BTW…and for those of you that get sick watching IMAX or 3-D movies (I can’t even watch the ones at Epcot without feeling sick) I had no problems at all. It's a stunningly beautiful must-see movie. - Everyone (except DS1, who has another week home from college) is now back to work/school…depressing……..for them - Most of the holiday decorations are already down (I hate that job) and I’ve got a dining room table full of ornaments to finish packing up today…depressing………for me * Oh, and Kay...I'm sorry I forgot to post the kitchen tool tree pic, but I remembered yesterday when I was packing it up. Attached are a few pics of the little tree and a pic of my red handled kitchen tools (now you all know I'm clinically insane...my family calls this part of my 'rust' collection). - From 12/18 until today (the past 2.5 weeks), I’ve lost 3 pounds…it still continues to amaze me (losing weight over the holidays). I’m at 170.5, so (as Xavier would say) I’m headed back to the 60’s (yes, I remember the 60’s…I was a child, but I remember LOL). - I bought a size 12 pair of pants this weekend…yes, I can barely button them, but the 14’s were a little too roomy. I’ve got them hanging up in my closet ‘front and center‘ (in front of my shelves) as my next goal (size 24 to a 12!). I also bought a piece of ‘shape wear’ for the first time, but more about that later. 　 Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season full of time with your families! As I sit here and listen to the ‘Today Show’ with segment after segment about weight loss (ahh…January), I’m headed into this New Year with renewed hope that as much as last year was all about my weight, sometime this year…it won’t be.

Check out BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatricpal-multivitamin-one! BariatricPal has a secret offer just for this group where it'll cost you only $99 for an entire year supply! Check it out at https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/bariatricpal-multivitamin-one-1-per-day-bariatric-multivitamin-capsules-yearly-subscription With just ONE convenient & affordable BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE each day, you can get the bariatric vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy! BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE was designed and developed by a team of the world's leading Bariatric medical professionals. Please take a calcium supplement separately to prevent interference with absorption of iron. You can view a large selection of bariatric friendly Calcium supplements at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium.

I take Celebrate multi-complete chewable Forest berry flavor. I take one in the morning and one in the evening. They taste good. My nutritionist does not want us taking gummy Vitamins and said that the bariatric vitamins are better for you especially in the beginning. I also take a sublingual B-12, and an Iron supplement Ferrous Fumarate and B-1 along with a Biotin capsule. I do not take calcium citrate supplements due to a history of kidney stones. I am having my lab work done next week before I see my surgeon for my 3 month post-op visit.

There are as many answers as there are doctors, I suppose. My nutritionist specifically said no to Flintstones - she wants us to use bariatric vitamins. I use a gummy vitamin from Costco along with a B12 complex. My 2-month bloodworm was perfect.

I just got back my blood test and everything was good but my AST was almost out of range and my ALT was out of range at 35. I noticed it climbing every blood test. I'm at 1 year 7 months after my RNY revision. I was so concerned so I did a search here and found this. Thank you. I don't drink or do any of those "don't do this or it'll hurt you liver" things, even the diet no nos are not foods that I normally like, so I wasn't sure what is causing this. I have a check up with my bariatric team in a couple weeks but seeing this calmed me. Thanks again!

I take Critical Calcium citrate 3x daily, Vitamin b12 in the am and a men's Multivitamin 3x daily I started with the bariatric Vitamins but they tasted awful. I also take fish oil for my cholesterol.

Dear Anita, Boy that is bad luck. I must say having seen thousands of people with the band, this level of complication I have not seen. The weight gain you have experienced may be due to the frustration and feeling let down by the whole process. I would hope that your Dr is giving some extra TLC. Keep at it and be extra patient until the process gets started. IN the mean time gain some control back in your life by focusing on what you can have control over. I think being active does wonders for your mind set, that includes fresh air. Good luck Bariatric Dietitian Helen Bauzon Welcome to globalgastricbandsolutions.com.au

I just started taking the first steps in this journey to a new me. I have some roadblocks already. 1) The surgeon at the hospital that I work at is leaving in September. The surgeon who is replacing him has been working alongside the current surgeon doing bariatric surgeries. He has experience as a surgeon but the wls are a bit newer to him. He hasn't been performing on his own yet. If I go to the hospital I work with (and my ins approved me for wls) then I have better ins coverage. Or...I can go to the surgeon at a neighboring hospital and still be covered but not as much. More experienced there too....what should I do??! 2) my ins requires a 2 year history of documented weights/BMI. I've never been one to go to a pcp...I don't even have one. I do have a long standing history with my obgyn...(i've had 5 kids.) My last appt was in March to have my iud removed due to my concerns with the wgt gain and mood swings I had from it....prior to that was almost 2 years ago when I gave birth to baby #5. That's it. That would be all I have for medical history. How do I know of my ins will accept this? Or are they just going to say I have "baby wgt" and need to eat better and exercise? In so stressed about this. I have an appt with the hospital down the road who will cost more and ins doesn't cover as well with them...but I also am registered for the seminar at my hospital that provides my ins at the end of June... Any advice or knowledge about the 2 year recorded weights? Or about choosing the right hospital? I did make an appt to start seeing a pcp. They got me in for June 1st. I want this surgery so bad. I'm 31 and I feel like I'm 60. My feet hurt like someone is crushing them all the time. I'm tired. Its depressing. I want to be able to run around with my kids and not have to tell them "later" all the time. My mom had bypass surgery 13 years ago. Obesity is very prevalent in my family as is DM2 and heart disease. I'm not on a good track right now...I need this tool to help me get where I want to be.

Bariatric fusion... strawberry Shortcake very tasty been using it for 8 days. Its design to shrink the liver. My surgery is on April 14th. Sent from my LG-D850 using the BariatricPal App

I am so glad to see this post. I was sleeved on August 4th, and I am going through the same things. Things seemed to be going almost too good..... plus I was concerned about being able to drink so much. I even called my bariatric nurse, who said this is normal. Surely, I know everyone is different but it helps to know that there are others who may be experiencing a similar situation. I am still on liquids and look forward to the next phase, as this one is a small struggle, but it is a struggle in my mind I think because of it being liquid meals.... and usually the liquids are associated with beverages (aside from soup/broth). I am guessing that once I advance to puree, it will be different altogether in how I continue to adjust and I am hoping it will help give a boost towards my weight loss. (not sure if that makes sense)

Hi everyone! For those of you (like me) who can't wait to get our own manuals/plans from our surgeons or for those who have gone to Mexico and/or otherwise feel they did not get enough information for aftercare, I found an online PDF to a patient care manual from Peachtree Bariatrics here in GA. Several people on this board have used this doctor, Dr. Titus Duncan. Although I will certainly follow MY surgeon's plan, it is nice to see a complete example of what to expect. It has useful info for before and after surgery. It gives food plans for the different stages. It also lists different medications that are okay or not okay. It is in PDF form. Hope others find this as helpful as I do! http://www.peachtree...ient-Manual.pdf

Avoid soda by not buying it anymore... The amount of sugar in them is insane and the carbonation in them wont be your friend after surgery. As for just water... Water is great. But i also have a Gatorade zero almost everyday as well to switch it up. I was addicted to pepsi before surgery. I drank lots. as for sweets. on bariatric pal website they have a store section where they have sweets that are ok in moderation. including chocolate. Its actually pretty good.

I started gaining weight in my late teens and was never able to control it no matter what I did. My PCP had encouraged me to have bariatric surgery for the last five years or so, and I finally decided that I'd done everything else I could possibly do. The sleeve seemed like the best option for me, so I went to Dr. Alexander Abkin in Florham Park, NJ, who's one of the best doctors in the NJ-NY-CT area. After months of classes, tests, etc., I finally had my procedure two weeks ago. It's been a struggle to get down enough Protein, and Clear liquids have to be within a very narrow temperature range not to upset my stomach (the gurgling is loud enough to be heard from across the room if my drink is two degrees too warm or too cool), so I've had to be creative. I was told to go to full liquids as soon as full digestive function had returned, so the third day after surgery heralded the return of milk, yogurt. farina and Soups. Nine days post-op when I had my check-up I was told to progress to Phase III, and I've been adding cheese, fish and other items gradually. My highest weight was 304, and it was 295 the morning of my surgery. Shifting those few pounds was sheer misery, even though I never really ate much nor had much of an appetite. After the surgery the weight has truly fallen off: this morning the scale read 272, a drop of 23 pounds in 14 days. It will be great to lose weight and look better, but I'm really looking forward to being healthy enough to be able to see my grandchildren grow up. My son and his wife just told us that they're trying for their first, so by this time next year we may have a little one and his or her future is of vital importance to me.

Agree 100% with Kindle about getting blood work up done. I keep a regular schedule with PCP plus the bariatric appointments. All recommendations might not work same for everyone's body. Also think VsgAnn2014 and I are taking the same Calcium supplement. I can't start back on mine until 7 days out, but they are a good, easy supplement to take.

Hi everyone !!! I'm getting my things ready and making sure I have everything I need .... and I haven't been able to find a list of the Vitamins I will need ... Any suggestions ? I have already started taking Biotin and have bought bariatric vitamins but I'm not sure if I will need to take anything else? Thanks

Congrats to you!! What an accomplishment!! I'm scheduled for surgery on the 22nd, but thinking ahead I have some of the same questions as you do. I've had 4 friends have the surgery...none of them have had plastic surgery yet. They have all maintained their weight at this point. My one friend says when she starts to put a few pounds on she starts focusing better on Protein and cuts back her wine for a week or so. She says its about balance. I recently read a great book by a woman who had the surgery and is a trainer and she talks about how to not regain the weight. It's an eBook and only 5$ 'Piratical Advice for Lifetime Maintenance after Bariatric surgery' by Pamela Harrelson Wishing you well!!

When trying new foods try one at a time. For example the egg and Greek yogurt. Try the yogurt on its own then the egg, that way if one gives you a problem you'll know which it is. My surgery was performed by Kaiser, here is the link to the Bariatric teams website with info on diet, meal plans and shopping lists and other useful help Kaiser Bariatric After Surgery Page. Hope this helps.

Yes! you hit the nail on the head with that one. So excited for this new chance at life with out joint pain! I hadn't even thought about a bariatric trainer. I'm definitely going to look into that now lol

NICE!!! so happy for you. what an excellent resource for bariatric patients

I use bariatric advantage, and I think they taste great. There are multiple flavors, you may try another flavor. My surgeon advised against using flinstones, because they were not nutritionally sound.

@@Alicia Richards You will be just fine. I had surgery at 8 am and the next morning at 8 am they weighed me. When I saw that I'd gained 9 lbs. I was furious. I had just spent 2 weeks losing 15 lbs. on a liquid diet and now had to lose this same 9 lbs. all over again ... what?! I heard, "Oh it's just the fluids we've been filling you with post surgery. You'll lose it." Well of course I will as I have no choice, but I still had to lose it! I find it funny (not laughing funny) they neglect to tell you this when going through all those months pre-surgery. Anyways at almost 6 months post-op and 81 lbs. down, I can laugh at it now. The surgery will do its job so long as you follow your plan. Here's some very sound advice to take to heart: Follow Your Plan Too many people treat bariatric surgery as if it is simply a diet and turn their head to the intensity of the operation. A smart friend quipped that if we woke up with a giant bolt going through our leg we would get it, but since there are Band-Aids on our belly, we think it’s nothing. Your internal surgical wounds must heal – this is no time to go to the mall, out to dinner, visiting friends and on vacation. Sew what? In terms of food, you must stick to your surgeons program for post op food stages. You need time to allow the tiny pouch cut and sewn from the fabric of your giant floppy stomach to heal itself closed. We have all glued something only to have the seams pop open. The liquid and soft food stages are to avoid stressing pouch seams and give your stomach a break from the process of digestion. Is ice cream a puree? Sirloin steak is not a soft food. Ice cream is NOT a puree. You can’t eat popcorn, raw carrots or celery ten days after surgery. People ask if we think they could have a pork chop, we say ‘no’, they eat it anyhow, then tell us ‘they didn’t have a problem’. No alcohol for a year… non negotiable… but people push back saying their surgeon said five weeks was okay. Folks… we know better and we are trying to help you. General Tso? NOT your friend The post op dietary stages are not a suggestion, they are a requirement for you own safety. You cannot eat Chinese food the week after surgery because you ‘chew it well’. A ‘craving’ for Orange chicken landed one support group member in the hospital! It’s a very bad idea to push. Being ‘released’ to ‘regular food’ does not mean what you think it does, but you already know that. How long until you can have pizza again? “Pizza is not a food for someone having obesity surgery.” (that’s a quote from Dr. N on My 600 lb Life) Every single week in our support group, these actions land new post ops in the hospital. Sip sip sip sip sip… If you had a back injury, you would not tile your kitchen floor the same week. Yet, people think nothing of making a trip to a theme park when they should be at home resting and taking in fluids. People ask us ‘Do you think I would be able to go on a cruise two weeks after my sleeve?’ (Nooooo!) As high as 30% of post ops are dehydrated enough to land back in the hospital with a Fluid IV. Not drinking enough Water after surgery can cause heart damage. Dehydration is the most common bariatric complication, yet it’s largely avoidable. Stay home and heal… drink hot water, cold water, broth, Diet Snapple, herbal tea, eat sf ice pops and Jello. (We have a free bariatric water app called HY, click for GetHyApp.com) What’s eating you? If eating is a compulsion that you cannot control, ask your surgeon to suggest someone for you to talk to. A therapist can help you come to conclusions about your life – you talk, they listen and even after one chat you’ll often have a clearer truth of why you use eating as comfort. Knowing what drives you can help you deal with your eating issues to better work with your surgery. Vitamins are critical It is impossible for you to have your stomach surgically removed or reconfigured and take in the nutrients needed to run your body. While your surgeons group has mentioned Flintstones, that is so you will possibly take something instead of being one of the 67% of post ops who take nothing. They are not optimal and won’t prevent long term problems like broken bones from simple falls and losing teeth, but may keep you from dying in the short term. The idea behind supplements is to prevent issues from grabbing you in twenty years when it’s too late to change the path. Take them! Protein from food? What a novel idea! Yes, yes, yes, we’d all like to get our protein from food and that’s what you want to hear. However, if you are unable to take in 70 grams of protein per day, you can either weaken and lose your hair or you can figure out another way until you are able to learn and eat the right foods. Protein drinks make up the difference between what you can eat and what you need. They are not simply a tasty beverage for your enjoyment for you to be all picky and ridiculous over. They are the antidote for your disease of morbid obesity. Morbid means death and obesity surgery only slows and reverses the disease IF you follow your plan.

Try the Baritastic app. It's an app that is private and specifically designed for bariatric patients. It has been a life saver for me. I'm really picky about apps, too and I love this one. Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

I am a little over a week out and feeling similar to you. I have been very emotional, but I think it does not help that I am no longer on hormones which has helped keep my emotions be more balanced in the past. My bariatric dr. stated I resume the hormones after a month out. Also because I am still in pain and taking pain meds, I cannot be as busy as I would like too . However, my family, close friend and this forum helps me to try to stay positive, I know this stage will pass.

My hospital experience with my VSG was great. I went to Parker Adventist hospital in Parker Colorado and it was honestly the nicest hospital I've been in. The nurses were attentive and caring while still getting the job done. Pretty much everything I needed was available to me there. This hospital didn't permit heating pads since they can cause burns but when I complained of gas pains in my shoulder blades they immediately brought me heated towels to put on my back. The room was private (all the rooms on the bariatric floor were), there was a couch, bed, and a super comfy recliner. They kept on top of my pain meds, always coming on time to give the next dose (which I definitely needed). Since they gave dialudid instead of morphine to me (I can't handle morphine) I didn't get a pain pump but they never let me go past 4 hours without a new dose. I actually felt rather pampered while there. I loved it. Not all hospitals are as nice as this one though. The year prior I had my gallbladder removed unexpectedly at a hospital near where I live and my experience was the complete opposite. I felt ignored, like I was an inconvenience to the nurses. I had a lot of pain and anxiety and if I asked for my next pain med dose I was looked at like I was a drug seeker, even if it was past time for it. They let me go 12 hours without pain meds once. It was a horrible experience. So check out the hospital you're going to ahead of time if you can.

Does anyone else have issues taking vitamins? I have the Celebrate Bariatric Multi-vitamin chewables. Every time I take one I literally get nauseous and start throwing up like 3-4 minutes later. This isn't the first time I've had this problem with multi-vitamins. I've had this problem with various vitamins in the past before I ever thought about surgery. Has anyone else ever had this problem and does anyone have any suggestions on how to stop this from happening?