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Sorry you are not handling them!!i take Bariatric Fusion chewable s and finally got use to the strawberry. ????4 a day

Getting it done in Decatur Texas...Dr Scott Stowers at my Bariatric solutions...they are very wonderful an make everything about this process great

Hello, ol' timer! Here I am 63yrs and heading for skin surgery. For vanity??? Hell no! Those days are gone --along with the Yankees winning season! However, I am having skin removed to save my spine. Go figure, right? My orthopod and my bariatric surgeon agree that removing the loose skin will keep me from having another spinal surgery. So bye, bye skin. AND as long as he's "down there", he will "fix the thighs and lady bits". I'm just glad that at 63yrs I still have "lady bits" that warrant fixing!

Barker Bariatric....Charlotte Hodges. My insurance had a cap and I had to pay a lot myself....they will work with you. Most places are cheaper when you are self pay because they don't have to deal with insurance

There is a series on YouTube called Fat Doctors. The name is annoying but the show is great. It follows Shore Summers and his bariatric team in England. It's kind of like My 600 lb Life it's a really great show and I'm addicted. I'm waiting for new Episodes but it gives you loads of info. I hope some of you watch. Sent from my N9132 using the BariatricPal App

I am not a patient of Dr Cunneen’s, so I cannot speak to any experience with him specifically, though I have met him, and he was present in the operating Room when I had my Lap band installed. However, having said that, I WILL tell you that my experience with that Medical Group, and Cedars-Sinai in general was absolutely horrific. The “surgeon” who installed my Lap Band was Theodore Khalili, who is now the Chief of the Cedars Bariatric group. Just THAT fact alone is enough to make me advise people to STAY AWAY from Cedars, and particularly Khalili. He did an AWFUL job on me, and when the problems surfaced, he ran like jackrabbit. No support whatsoever until I threatened a lawsuit, and then he acted like a three-year old whose toys had been taken away. In addition, Dr Cunneen was present during the surgery to oversee Khalili’s work….and the surgeon who REMOVED my lap band stated that the band had been installed INCORRECTLY. So, I would have to question Cunneens skill if he oversaw a procedure that was performed incorrectly. HH

I have Medica which is adminsitrated by United Healthcare, In fact the bariatric policy is United Healthcare's policy and Gastric sleeve is covered by UHC. No longer considered investigational. Ask to see a copy of their current policy, Do not take their word for it! I was originally told that the Sleeve was investigational and not covered. I pointed out the policy has been revised and offered to send them a copy of the one I found on their website. They were looking at an out of date policy!

I know this is very confusing. Before I became a bariatric patient, I was trying to eat as naturally as possible. I am allergic to soy and the soy isolate proteins, and avoid them like the plague. Right now I use either the Premier Protein Shake or a fortified (with whey protein) greek yogurt for breakfast to start my day off with 30 grams of protein. The remaining 45 grams I get from whole foods - cheese, nuts, beans, meat etc. My doctor wants his patients to eat as much whole foods as possible to fill up our stomachs, reduce grazing and hunger and avoid stretching out the sleeve. I think there are many ways to fulfill the protein requirements and most of it takes trial and error to determine what works for you as an individual.

Hello sleevers. I am a 35 BMI with hypertension. I've spent my life dieting (losing and then gaining more). I consider myself a dieting expert. The problem is I just gain it all back later. I am sure many of you are like me. So now I am 4 months out before I start my pysch eval and cardio workup. My doc says he wants me to lose weight now, during this 4-month period. I wil be doing a liquid diet 2 weeks before surgery next year as well. My doc says he wants me to show the bariatric team I can make changes. I wanted to scream. I've spend my life doing this, doc. So now I'm going to diet again, only to do the two week liquid diet before surgery? I totally understand the liquid diet--it's a safety issue. As for the losing weight now, on a diet, I feel like it is punishment. I feel punished for being fat. I was surprised at how it made me feel. I can understand not gaining weight, but full-fledged dieting right now? GRRRRRRR.... Please don't chastise me that I'm going to need to make changes and be disciplined after the surgery--I get that and am all for it. I've been doing it all of my life without the tool of the surgery, so I'll be fine with it. I am just emotionally drained with dieting and the scale right now! Did anyone else feel this way? Bottom line: I'll lose weight and follow the rules. I just need to move past my diet burnout stage. TDSK

I was wholly unprepared for the psychological aspects of the journey to bariatric surgery so I sit down to write this in the hopes that you might not make the same mistake that I did in taking this so lightly. When I first started out, I thought this would be similar to the journeys of the other weight loss attempts in my life so I totally discounted the psychology. In fact, I did not even want to think about matters related to the mind. It was the pre-op diet that forced me to take a very long and deep-seated look at the exact cause of my obesity; food is love, relief from clinical depression, and medicine. The realization hit me a week and a half into this pre-op diet that I am no longer going to be able to use the medicine that worked so well. I am a survivor of almost twenty years of verbal and psychological abuse from peers, teachers, parents, and co-workers. Food was what was simultaneous keeping me from suicide and basically killing me. If ever more morbid a paradox existed, I am at a loss for thinking of any. Even the times when I was thin, I always knew if things went downhill, food was merely walking distance away. I have had a range of emotions from anger and hatred towards those whom abused me, to hope and forgiveness. I write this a day and a half before my surgery as I go through a treasure trove of old digital photos of me in different stages of my life. I also went through and organized all of my music. It was something that necessarily had to be done because it's an important part of closure that I never did. I looked at the albums of photos with the two women whom ever had the courage to love me at one point in time or another. I kept them because I was grasping at straws to keep from going over a cliff. I hoped that one day one of them might be a part of my life again. However both are married now, and hindsight being 20/20, they would not be ideal mates for me nor I for them. I looked back on those photos with a mixture of pride, happiness, and sadness. Purging the photos gave me the closure that I needed. Love was possible twice, it will be possible again. I want to stop the cycle of self-loathing. I am not going into the operating room out of self-disgust, I am going out of self-compassion.

I am sorry to hear about all your problems with your lap band. One individual in our bariatric support group had a lap band to RNY revision. His band began eroding into his stomach. So it had to go. When they did a RNY, his pouch was slightly smaller than most RNY patients because of the scarring. It meant he had to eat a little less than most. He lost a lot of weight and was very pleased with his revision.

I'm right there with ya! I had my band for five years and I HAD to eat slider foods to survive. Otherwise, I would have starved to death. Literally honestly - I could not eat real food. My esophagus was so irritated that it simply would not fit down. I talked to my bariatric doc about it and she told me early on that there is a type of brainwashing or conditioning that we have from the band days and that it is really a struggle to overcome it. By the end with my band, my doc told me I had the Vitamin and nutrition profile (from my bloodwork)that they only really see in people from third world countries. That is how malnourished I was but I was till 240 pounds the day I got my sleeve! I was also pre-diabetic from all of that darn junk food. We have to work really hard at this. I often find myself wanting to reach for a slider so I keep them out of reach and dense Protein within reach. I also really have learned to enjoy all of the real foods I missed all of those years! I can't believe the joy I now find in eating a grape, apple, orange, vegetables.... I'm becoming a fruit eater and I never really was before. We don't have to be perfect, but we have to do better. We are conditioned to eat crap but we don't have to anymore! I know we can both do this!

Please read post "Beware Mexico Bariatric" I just finished reading it and then came came across your surgery by same Dr Kelly Hope you're all doing well and didn't experience any complications. I'm post-op 4 1/2 by doctor in Burbank, CA

If they fill your body cavity with gas, how does it get into your intestinal tract? I'm just curious how that actually works. It's not like they fill your stomach and intestines with gas, right? My understanding of things, is this...you have a shortened length from food entering and exiting. Hence the extra gas coming much sooner after eating a meal. In my case, I have an even shorter distance for it to travel, since I'm missing a foot of colon as well, from a previous colon resection. So, when I eat...20 - 30 minutes later, I'm heading to the bathroom. If it doesn't improve, they want me to see a G.I. Dr. soon. I've had diarrhea ever since the surgery (6 weeks ago). Negative for C Diff. They tested me for that. I think it's best if you are having issues, and it's bad, let your bariatric team know. It might be a food allergy you didn't have, or an intolerance to something you didn't have before. Or they might be able to prescribe something to help.

Did you see Dr Shillingford? Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App Sorry I'm still trying to figure out how to reply to people. Yes, Dr Shillingford did my surgery on 10-24. Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App I have a consultation in Orlando on Nov 10, but if too high (I think they charge ~15k), I may go to Boca Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App I can only speak for my experience with Dr Shillingford and his office but they did everything to make my life easier. I had an initial phone consult with Nancy and she schedule a phone consult with Dr Shillingford. I did my two week pre op diet and the Friday before my surgery I went down and had an appointment with the Dr just to meet him and his staff and go over any questions/concerns I had. I went and did my pre op lab work the same day and then on Monday I had my surgery. They made it very convenient to only have to drive down once. His staff Nancy and Elba are amazing. I can email them and I know I'll get an answer within a few hours. They are super kind and knowledgeable. Also depending on if you go down on the right weekend. A woman from the hospital does a seminar on Saturdays. She goes over everything to expect. Unfortunately I went on a weekend that she didn't have class... the great thing is that she came to my hospital room and sat down with my husband and myself and went over everything. The hospital is good. The bariatric staff was really nice and took really good care of me. Bariatric patients have their own wing and everyone gets their own room. Also visiting hours are 24/7 so if someone is accompanying you, they can stay in the hospital with you and you don't have to pay for a room at a hotel if your budget conscious. Anyway that's enough ranting for now. If you have any questions please message me, I'm most certainly happy to talk with you about the Dr and what to expect with him! Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App

I'm coming up on two years post-op next month (August 2016). At that time I'll see my surgeon and his bariatric P.A. Before I see them I'll have another comprehensive blood panel done, and we'll look at the blood work at that time. Even though the sleeve doesn't have the big nutrition malabsorption issues of the gastric bypass or some other procedures and even though I take my vitamin/mineral/other supplements regularly, I am taking a conservative approach about my health after WLS. I know that right now I'm doing great (have lost 100 pounds and maintaining well at 135). But I still want to check in. I feel that seeing my surgeon annually is an accountability check for me. Like others said, if you don't see your bariatric team going forward, you should definitely have your bariatric blood panels done annually and review the results with your PCP or another doctor who knows what they're looking at. Congrats on your success thus far!

Update: Third trimester!!! So far so good!!! Baby is healthy! Mom is healthy!!! Due to my being a Bariatric patient the glucose testing has been altered. Testing glucose levels 4 times a day, first fasting and 2 hours after every meal for 7 Days. So far so good. Ready to ride this last stretch out with minimal weight gain and a happy and healthy mom and new baby girl💜💕💞🙏🏽 Total wt gain thus far=10-14lbs. 😔

First of all, I'm so sorry you are struggling. Know that you are not alone and that many folks experience some wonderful things after WLS as well as some more difficult things. That is just part of the process; its definitely not always sunshine and roses. 1- Constipation is VERY common. Are you taking an iron supplement? They are notorious for exacerbating constipation. If you're taking any additional iron, it may be worth getting your labs checked - if they are normal, maybe you can drop that? Another option would be to add a prebiotic fiber supplement. I take about 15g of Just Better Fiber daily and it is a HUGE help. Make sure you are well hydrated, especially when taking laxatives, stool softeners, etc. Lastly, are you getting in any fiber in your food? This goes with #2.... 2- The return of hunger is normal and expected. Your body is doing EXACTLY what its supposed to do. It may be helpful to start introducing more fruits & veggies, which will help you feel fuller longer and help with constipation. Also, are you hitting your protein goals? If not, definitely focus on getting that protein in. If you're hitting your goals, adding in nutrient rich fruits & veggies, and STILL feeling uncontrollably hungry, then it may be time to consult with a bariatric dietitian. Hunger is normal, feeling miserable is not. 3- I think a LOT of us struggle with body image before and after surgery. There is a trade off that happens - we lose the weight and are healthy, but it can make the physical effects of a lifetime obesity more obvious to us. Therapy therapy therapy. I can't encourage it strongly enough. Learning to cope with those feelings, learning to be kind to our new bodies, learning to love ourselves well, THAT is the hard work of weight loss and it is truly a lifelong process. Get help, and keep getting help. Outside of that - buy clothes that make you feel good, as much as you can focus on what you LIKE about your body instead of what you don't, if its practical for you, you can always look into plastic surgery, and of course, you could just refrain from looking in the mirror naked. I know, easier said than done, but if its causing your harm emotionally, then maybe hold off for now. You aren't alone and you aren't crazy. WLS is hard work and there is a lot that comes with it that doesn't get talked about much. We are rooting for you.

To those of you who posted replies ...thank you for sharing. My main probelm is going to be food issues. The Bariatric company that is connected to my doctor's office is of little or no help with a sleeve diet. On one hand they say I can have toast but my doctor says no bread. Is consistancy the issue? I can't have soft desserts like cake but an Oreo hard cookie is ok? They say I can have cream of wheat but I can't have oatmeal? I can have nuts as long as I chew them very well. O.K. but why is oatmeal bad and nuts ok?? No one can answer these questions for me. My paperwork says that I can crackers and lunchmeat..So crackers and chips are alright to eat? I am going to start soft foods this Wednesday. I take this to mean: soft boiled eggs(the powers that be tell me NOT to order scrambled eggs, but don't tell me why), cottage cheese, chuncky soups (as long as I chew the contents) mashed potatoes and other soft vegetables, fruits without peels. Really? Apples without peels are still pretty tough. They list tuna as a soft food? Is all fish soft food? Is hamberger meat considered soft food? See my confusion? Can someone out there with some experience in this soft food diet area help me? All the registered dietician from my bariatric company does is send me a list of AMA approved food. She won't answer specific questions, and no one in my support group has had this surgery so they are hesitant to discuss it. while I'm posting... I orginally had this surgery to rid myself of diabetes which I have had for 14 years. Right before and right after my surgery my fasting blood sugars were lower than ever without meds. Now they are starting to climb even though my diet has not changed. I am wondering how those of you out there with diabetes have faired with this surgery. I am hoping I made the right choice. Thanks! Jody

Dr. O did my surgery first thing in the morning (I'm 4.5 weeks post-op). I had not a single problem coming out of surgery, and Dr. O also repaired a hiatal hernia that I didn't even know I had. The hospital staff on the floor were just wonderful. Shonna was my favorite nurse -- she was so attentive and kind. You will learn all about the Bariatric beds! After surgery, sitting up is most comfortable, like a recliner. (And definitely make sure you have home all ready for your return -- all your liquids there, and a nice upright place to rest. Dr. O gave a scrip upon leaving the hospital and I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend go to the pharmacy while I rested at home.) They won't give you Water right away after surgery, but you can beg. Expect a sore throat from the intubation. They give you nice slipper socks to wear, and you'll get a hug pillow at bootcamp. It's the best. I held in to my stomach while I walked and sat. I was really surprised with how painful getting out of bed was. I'm not sure if that was due to the additional hernia repair or not, but it was helpful for me to have my boyfriend there (at home) to help me get out of bed. The bariatric beds made it so easy at the hospital! Also, walking walking walking (both at the hospital and at home) is so important to not only help you recover, but avoid the worst of the gas pains. Make sure you have a bunch of elastic-waisted pants clean and ready for your arrival home. Oh, and when you get discharged, they will NOT send you over the skybridge into Caesar's garage. Pick-up is at ground level, main entrance! Things ya learn... heh. My boyfriend was waiting on the 3rd floor of Caesar's garage and he had my cell phone with him. I begged them to let me go up to the skybridge and cross myself (no wheelchair). If you have any questions, happy to answer! :redface:

I wanted to share my personal story because I've recently found that I'm not the only one that has struggled with these issues and it was really encouraging to hear that I'm not the only one. In November, 2010 I contacted a doctor to see what were the options I had for weight loss surgery, I was then sold on the idea that the gastric lap band would be my best option due to me not wanting to do invasive surgery on my stomach by having it cut. I was banded on November 26, 2010, at my heaviest weight of 383. As soon as I came out of surgery within 30 minutes I was sent home, and began my liquid diet. I’m not going to lie but the results were amazing within the first 2 weeks. In those first 2 weeks I lost 20 lbs something that I never thought I would. I rapidly began to shed the pounds and inches from my body and went to my lowest weight of 274lbs. Soon I began to experience some REALLY bad side effect (ex. Acid Reflux, port-site pain, unable to tolerate certain foods and/or liquids). Every two weeks I went to my doctor and he would adjust my band .5 cc or 1 cc and those effects continue. My doctor would continue adjusting me telling me those effects were normal, and noticed that weight began to creep up. My daily routines began by feeling nauseous and not being able to eat or drink anything till around 11am (my stomach wouldn’t tolerate anything early in the morning, I would immediately throw up as soon as I would eat or drink anything). By lunch time I would only be able to eat a kid size portion and no matter what I ate I always had to go to the bathroom to throw up. I began to feel like it was a must and began feeling like I had an eating disorder. No one ever understood how I would even eat Soup and had to throw up because I felt like I was drowning. Even with solid foods - I felt like I was choking. The feeling of food being stuck had become one of my normal feelings during any meal of the day. I wouldn’t enjoy any dinner or lunch meetings because I would always have to be excused after any bite of my meal. After 2 years I knew that there was something that had to be done so I went to get a second opinion and saw Dr. Ara Keshiahian. He’s a bariatric surgeon with over 20 years experience with bariatric and weight loss surgeries. He listened to me. He genuinely was concerned about my pain and suffering. And after hearing my story he began educating me on what was happening and why. I was informed of the many different kinds of weight loss surgeries available and their different short term and long term effects. Dr. Keshishian doesn’t perform Lap Band surgeries (because he doesn’t believe in its effectiveness and knew its side effects made him feel like it would be irresponsible to do) but still knew about it. He told me about the Sleeve Gastrectomy, the Vertical Sleeve, and the Duodenal Switch. After my consult, I went and did more of my own research. I learned that I wasn’t the only one with a terrible Lap Band experience. I learned how many people around me had Lap Band surgeries and it seemed like that was what everyone was doing. It was like most of the weight loss doctors in the area just cared about the money and not their patients. Little did I know that 90% of all Lap Bands have fail within 10 years. Why would anyone do these procedures if they’re so bad for us? I’m currently working on getting better insurance so I can have my Lap Band removed and have the Duodenal Switch procedure. I’ve done a lot of research and I really believe this is what I need to do. Kinda regret not getting the Duodenal Switch in the first place…

Go on Pinterest and look up Bariatric puree recipes. Tons of ideas! I get to switch to purées on Tuesday (2 weeks out) and I can't wait. I'm gagging down shakes right now. I have yummy things planned. Scrambled eggs with feta. Chili. Refried Beans with chicken, cheese, and sour cream. Ricotta bake. Ground beef and ricotta in marinara. Tuna with mayo and pickles (no peel). I see so many people complaining about being sick of Soups and yogurt. Think outside the box, people!

I don't see my surgeon every year, but he's not the only physician in town who can order and read blood work. My PCP knows I had a sleeve gastrectomy so as part of my regular annual physical, she includes orders to check my vitamin and iron levels. I do think it is wise to keep seeing your bariatric team until you have successfully reached goal and maintained it for a year. Also, if you start any sort of re-gain they should be the first people you contact.

Hi- couple of things: Once a bariatric patient, always a bariatric patient. Same if you had a heart attack- you always always follow up with your cardiologist. After a year, most surgeons, including mine, see you yearly. They do so for many reasons, the biggest being to make sure you are healthy, no issues with your new stomach, and also- if you start slipping, they want to hear from you to get you back on track. I can't quite understand why it would be an issue for any of us to see the person who helped us transform once a year? Small "price" to pay for health. There are plenty of people who end up with some kind of deficiencies because they aren't following their plans. Plenty who "slip" and are lost. I'd imagine if I moved I would ask my surgeon for a referral to someone he knew so I could continue my follow ups. Many GP docs aren't tuned in to bariatric needs. Just my two cents worth. FYI- post op- saw my doc 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and then I will see him at 6 months and 1 year post op. Yearly thereafter. Those are his requirements. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

And we all can celebrate our status as Bari-aunts and uncles. I am as happy as if it were my,own great grand baby! Have a beautiful life and enjoy and treasure your tiny Grace, bariatric surgery granted her a healthy happy mommy!