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When I start to feel fear or anxiety about which is often accompanied by tears, it tells me that whatever I'm doing or about to do means a lot to me. so if your feeling that way about surgery this is a good thing (in my book) that means this new journey is something you're taking seriously. Hang in there and in times of true Emotional doubt hang onto your Logic, this is a safe procedure with amazing results and unless everyone who has ever received bariatric surgery is lying to us, we have a bright, healthy new life waiting for us just around the corner. All my best

You can not go wrong by choosing Dr. Illan and Bariatric Pal. I know from personal experience I had nothing to complain about!

Holy OMG, I think I would have freaked out completely from day 1. I am so glad that I did not decide to go through them instead I am going through Bariatric Pal. I have a friend who is going soon and I can wait to here her experience with them. She is having her surgery with Dr. Illan. For me so far everything has been perfect which is hard for me to believe. If I call my coordinator Bill he answers every time and always has an answer for me if not he gets right back with me and he has a answer. I am still up in the air as to who I want as my doctor. I am still doing my research.

i posted this one one forum and they said i should post here as well. I am 2 weeks post op from dr Almanza and want to give you guys a heads up...yes DONT forget gas ex strips...none to be had down there..DONT buy alot of the shakes now...your tastes will change!!!! i hate the unjury stuff and amm going to return it..i bought way too much....dont get the liquid Vitamins...they go right thru you....i got chewables from Bariatric Advantage but have seen some at another site that look good too.....oh and most importantly, when you have to drink the small bottle of purple dye, do it thru a straw or your teeth will be stained purple and you will look weird for a long time!!! i ended up going to my dentist on the way home since we drove down from phoenix .....had to have the dentist work on the purple for a while....so ended up getting a good cleaning while in Algadonas. We stayed in the hotel Tiquan,,,which is VERY nice. The chefs are gourmet...ask and they will fi x for you....for those who can eat!!!! You get free broth in a gourmet setting and all the popsicles you want from the front desk!!!! close to shopping and a beauty shop almost next door where i got my hair done and felt human again...the girl went to the corner 7-11 and got me a popsicle while i was there too...very thoughtful for her...no charge either...You will love all of the people at Jerusalem.....more of a family type place...the nephews get you ice or Water and they are so respectful when they leave..kissing all their relatives....if you take guests they will be invited to eat the lunch provided for the staff....think the ex said they had enchiladas.....I am down almost 23 pounds since liquid preop diet and i got to have a night of margaritas with andres betencourt...when they did the ekg thye found an irregularity so wanted to be sure they could do surgery....luckily for me that sunday was one of 2 they do surgery on in a month...they went out of their way to find a cardiologist to hook me up to a monitor on the weekend and then read results the next day,,,sure it cost me more but i didnt have to go home and reschedule either...costing even more....everything turned out a okay and i was back and ready by 2 the next afternoon for surgery. They are all professional and you will love Lupita. she does perfect finding veins when they are hard to get...and did it the first time...which many cant do!!! I am excited for you all!!!!! You might want to take your favorite pillow with you, too.

I did not feel hungry for a couple of weeks after surgery. Frequently the hunger early on is head hunger or reflux. Are you on a PPI or antacid? My bariatric "bible" suggested not sitting and watching TV with all the food commercials on. Try to keep busy mentally to distract from head hunger. Walk as much as you can. If you like to read then find a good book or magazine. I would skip Bon Appetite or the like. My stomach is frequently grumbly. That is just the nature of the sleeve. It grumbles and gurgles especially after I eat or drink.

And I , at 7 months and having the OTHER variety of common bariatric surgery, have learned Rice even the stuff cooked by Chinese, who certainly should know proper ways of cooking the grain, will not be accepted in my dietary system. Last feeble attempt went so badly I have sworn off the stuff. At least it returns back up instead of congeling into a viscous ball in my gut and sitting there or precipitating a Dumping Crisis. Too doggone bad, I USED to ❤Chinese food, even the Americanlized imitation you can readily get around here. Really truly enjoyed the True Stuff one can get in Columbus, 50 miles away, my favorite thing? Hot/Sour soups followed. by Egg Drop and WonTon ones. My local China Buffet makes a coconut dish, lunch time it's chicken, dinner hour it contains tender mid- size shrimp instead. Might trample someone who blocks my path to it! But haven't been back since surgery, waiting until my pouch would accept 1/2 to 3/4 cup without repulsing it out and It hadn't happened yet. Begin to wonder if it ever will?

I dont love my dietician either. She is nice and all but I don't find anything she says particularly beneficial. When I ask her about certain bariatric snacks and recipes I see online, she doesn't really know what I'm talking about. She keeps telling me to email her my questions but then takes days to respond. All she does is reiterate things that were in my wls workbook. I'm post op and have to see her everytime I see the doctor (quarterly for the first year). I just smile and nod in her session and thank her for nothing... A friend of mine loves her though... to each their own...

I’m just sharing info in case there are people who aren’t aware of this option. I know some people get very bad GERD after the sleeve that can’t be controlled by medications. I was told the only other option would be to convert to bypass (which is why I ended up choosing RNY). Turns out another option is out there. I’m a nurse practitioner and went to a meeting last week that included dinner and an educational presentation. The presentation was done by both a GI doctor and bariatric surgeon. They were talking about the Lynx procedure. The simplest way I can explain it is to imagine a beaded bracelet that goes around the esophagus. It applies enough pressure to stop the regurg. Complication rates are low. The bariatric surgeon said he has had excellent results for his sleeve patients. He said right now the procedure is still off label for bariatric but the literature on it will be published later this year. Just something to think about or to ask your physician about if you are having GERD issues. If your physician wants more info he can contact a LYNX rep or I can share the name of the surgeon who presented.

Both are good. My experience was that my surgeon had a group that offered all the essentials like the nutritionist and psyc eval and Bariatric program education and support that handled everything and collected all the paperwork to send to my surgeon. My pcp was able to do the ekg in the clearance appointment! Your surgeon will more often know how to get things done and what your insurance will require! They can coordinate your appointments to expedite it quickly! Best of luck I hope I helped! I just went through this stage. Best wishes! You'll do great!

Per my surgeon, the risk of dying during bariatric surgery is LESS than dying during gallbladder removal. Don't be afraid to ask the surgeons this question, it is part of informed consent! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Spoke to the bariatric center today and they said all my test came back good that i am approved for the surgery. Appointment number 2 with the surgeon tomorrow which will go over some stuff and then i go next door to schedule my surgery and they will let me know how long of a liquid diet i will be on before the surgery and also i can buy the protein shakes there they said which i will buy a couple since i have no idea what they taste like. Then comes the very sad part... I start writing checks to pay for this surgery. I'm gonna cry watching nearly $18,000 come out of my checking account lol.

This is something that is WAY overlooked in the WLS world! Post-Bariatric Eating (counting every single carb and calorie you put in your mouth) is awesome and helps us be extremely successful with weight loss, but also re-engages perhaps dormant eating disorders or swings binge eating the other direction to anorexia. I've been in therapy with an eating disorder therapist since 10 months post op (am now 3+ years post op) and that has been a huge issue for me. Right now I would consider myself in a "maintained recovery", but it's a constant struggle. Get support - talk to a therapist - this is not uncommon and I wish we as a community addressed it more.

I will be looking into this! Thanks for the pointer. I agree with you there I think due to this personality trait one trait one treat could definitely lead to two or six lol. Ive made it my mission to find bariatric versions of my favorite foods/ cravings in hopes that I won't feel like I'm missing out. Let me know how you are doing with this! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi again @OhioSparkle. There's also @ CMD516, she will be going to Riverside late Autumn- Early Winter, hav8ng the same Dr Rana Nnoi had. There's Lynn in Cincinnati, Marcus,up in Fremont, DRoseman in NW Ohio, I think Bowling Green And there is my other Bari-pal Merc Merc, now she is extra-special. She had her surgery on July 25th at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Until her I wasn't aware they,have,an Adolescent Bariatric Program. Since she had her first,surgery there, she,had her Bypass done there also. And Dr,Marc, the head guy and Dr Needleman, my own guy ,did it together. Ask any of us any questions and we will do our,best to answer. You are a good mother by investing in their future, insuring they will have and keep their mommy. And you will,be a more fun mommy when you can do more, play more and be fun to be around. Don't believe the horror stories, that's all they are, stories. Keep talking to Nnoi and me, we will tell you the up side to it all, lots more joy than sorrow to this. And go ahead and answer Sosewsue61 if you like , I also will be a bypass, I havemy reasons why it's better for me, but notwithstanding, I love everyone of my sleeved buddies, we are all fighting the same weight wars, after all! So smile, be sweet to the kiddos and we will talk more when you have time, okay?😝

I was on Dexilent next, took it faithfully, felt results were good, was faithful up into my bariatric surgery time. Afterward what should rear it's ugly head but omeprazole. Oh no no, I told them THAT doesn't work for me. Their excuse: you can open those capsules and pour it on food or stir into applesauce. Moot point on the capsule opening, I was willing to cut the Dexilent capsules open if that was the rationale.Why not give me something that works instead of that stuff. But they insisted and I finally bent,to their will. 2 weeks in I stated THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG, and at first I was poo!pooed, You're swollen, give yourself time to heal, you're imagining things, my favorite We Are The Bariatric Weight Team, We Know What Is Best For Your Body, yeah Your Degree- My Body! Finally, I suspect, to shut me up they scheduled me an endoscopy, an EGJ, because of course, a bypassers duodenum is never easily visualized again, only the jejunem can be, the price RNY pays. And who was right? ME ME ME! I have lived in this body many years, give me a little credit please! And in addition to the stricture I thought I hand who should be there except 5 new nasty little ulcers 2 in the pouch near the stomal openings and 3 more on the back wall of the,jejunem, all grown with daily dosing of omeprazol. I have had scoping 12th October, 26th October, 9th November and another 23 November, just don' t have designated time yet. And,last time Dr Noria stated the ulceration is worse, I cannot longer be in the presence of an active smoker, indeed not even someone who has tobacco residue on their clothing, I am not yet bleeding or ready to perforated but who knows? Of the precipitating risks? Ischemia from the operation, Roux limb tension, dehydration, difficult to move past when Precious Pouch accepts no more than 3 ounces of anything without active rebellion. And after 10+ weeks it is emotionally wearying, so I have gone back to mini-cup therapy every 15 minutes, manage to get medications, vitamins, minerals in , thing,i may be living on them instead of effective calories. And since I am still on a limited Stage 2 diet it is difficult to be dietarily indisecreet. I have been on Zofran 3 times daily, now have added Carafate every 6 hours around the clock. James I would like to receive some,joy by now! I am dropping weight like an anorexic sailor, I'm tired, dizzy if I exercise very much. Clothes much looser, some people have noticed my weight loss, the average person can't be bothered to care. And I keep on keeping on and yearn for a change.😙😉😳😜

Frustr8, I had one suggestion. I am not really familiar with your case but I wanted to make sure that one more base was covered. According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. I just wanted to make sure you were tested for Helicobacter pylori infection. This is a fairly common infection. About 50% of the worlds population has it. The symptoms are exasperated by gastric bypass surgery. It is a simple tests. But if you have it, it will be a little difficult to kill this bug. It will take a cocktail of antibiotics to treat and the initial treatment may not kill the infection and you might have to take a second round.

I hate to hear the struggle you are experiencing with losing the extra pounds. But I do commend you for fessing up to your own contributions to the problem. I believe you will be able to lose the weight once you get back to your bariatric food guidelines! And not wanting to obsess over this and enjoy life is totally understandable! Good luck on your continued journey! Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Curious what insurance do you have? Mine wont cover any bariatric surgery so i am paying almost $20K out of pocket. as for the eval thanks for the link. I will contact them. I have tried other locations for the eval but my surgeons office is extremely strict and have rejected every single other one i have tried to get it thru.

hello I am in Jacksonville, Florida and I actually had the experience of going to memorial hospital a few weeks ago for a nausea issue because it was considered a center of excellence for bariatrics. It was the worst experience of my life and i have since i only go to baptist at the beaches

Hello all. I just wanted to give a little encouragement to the newbies out there. Today I am 4 years post op. I am still in love with my band. I have been filled and unfilled, I have pbed. I have gotten stuck and yet I still love my band. It has taken some time but I have learned to live with it as many of my fellow veterans have as well. I have learned what I can eat and what I can't eat with my band. I do drink a little sprite or orange soda every once in a while. I can't stand coke any more which used to be my favorite soda. I can honestly say I haven't had it in over 4 years. What I do drink on the regular is orange juice because I can't eat oranges any more. I can eat apples but I choose to drink apple juice. I still have my coffee every morning and tea every week as well. In regards to foods, well I eat just about anything except pasta that you use for lasagna. I do eat spaghetti every blue moon and I will eat a little mac and cheese only if it's really cheesy. Other than that, I eat bread, rice, etc. I actually had a couple slices of thin crust pizza for supper yesterday. Speaking of supper. I have learned that I can't eat past 8 p.m. If I do, I will fall asleep but in the middle of the night I will start coughing and coughing and then I'll fall back to sleep. Later I will cough some more and eventually water will start coming out of my nose. That will go on until I finally throw up the last whatever that was in my stomach before I went to bed. So that means I have to get in all my food and drink by 7 p.m. 7:30 at the latest. When I do eat before 7, I have no problems. I sleep like a baby. What can I say, my band doesn't want me eating late I can dig that. That was a problem before I was banded that aided in me gaining weight in the first place eating late at night and snacking watching tv. Well I can honestly say those days are definitely over. I do eat chips but only when I crave them. I eat popcorn as well but only when I have a taste for it and that isn't often. My last fill was August 2012 which put me at 7.1 ccs in my 10 cc band. So I will leave you with this final note, don't give up. Don't get discouraged. The weight isn't going to fall off over night, every week, everyday, etc. Stop stressing. Follow your bariatric team's instructions/guidelines because all our bodies and problems within our bodies are different. We all have different medical issues so what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. Sometimes it will but in other cases it won't. If you aren't sure about what's happening in your body, don't be afraid to call your doctor and find out. After all, it is YOUR BODY. Take care everyone and happy holidays. I'm 95 lbs down and loving it.

I only take protonix for reflux since surgery. I called my surgeons office today and they gave me conflicting information.. I asked if I had any deficiencies that I was not told about in my blood work 3 weeks ago and everything was good with the exception of vitamin d, she said it wasn’t low to where I needed to supplement, but taking one every other day or so won’t hurt.. she told me to come in to be seen because most Bariatric patients don’t experience hair loss until 6-9 months post-op (which is where I felt conflicted since a lot of people on this forum have experienced hair loss around 3 months post-op). I have been using Ultrax Labs Hair Surge for 2 days now and taking silica supplements for 2 days as well. I didn’t have “as much” hair in the drain and my brush this morning as I did Friday/Saturday. I am hoping this is over quickly. I am going to my stylist Friday to cut 8” off my hair. Going from my butt to my shoulders I was hoping to go back blonde for summer too, but with as much as my hair is falling out, I’m terrified!

Thanks so much for the info! I've never heard of Built Bars, but will look into them. I have a bunch of Premier Protein shakes onhand, but was told they're off-limits as they're not on the "recommended" list for my specific bariatric program. Sucks because they are 30g of protein and I figure it's better than nothing. I follow the protein first rule as well, but as I mentioned, I can only eat so much of it before I'm full/very uncomfortable. BTW....glad I'm not the only one who can't stand Unjury! LOL! I keep getting told by my dietician and doctor that it's not that bad...YES, it is! LOL!!!

Mednar, please don't feel this way...it was all good info and I wanted everyone's input. I am just a little doctor adverse, and more than willing to hear something that will keep me from going to the doc. If it had only happened once, I think it would have been safe to assume that it was dumping syndrome (all the symptoms fit pretty much) and go on. When it happened a second time, nowhere near my last meal, I knew it had to be something more...plus this time the pain just lessened but never went away, even several hours later. Gallbladder issues was my other suspected issue, besides dumping syndrome, but I knew nothing about pancreatitis. Once I knew what it was, and knew the symptoms, it fit perfectly. The pain started in the back and radiated to the front, which they say is classic pancreatitis. The gallbladder issues seem to go hand in hand though, so it's hard to say where one symptom ends and one begins. I was more than willing to leave it at dumping syndrome, but Lena (rightfully so) encouraged me to get checked out. So when it hit a second time her words were heavy in my mind and I knew I needed to get checked out. I am not dissing anything shared on this (or any other online source), but I am saying that if it continues it's time to stop playing online doctor and get it checked for yourself...and I say that knowing that I am the biggest hypocrite! I am also going to make history according to my surgeon (not sure I like that). They are going to take down the top of my plication, and make a nissen wrap with it. He says it hasn't been done before as far as he can tell, but he suspects they are going to be seeing more issues like mine since plication is becoming more popular. He used to be a bariatric surgeon, now just GI surgeon, and he thinks that plication is a good way to go and said he wondered why it didn't catch on quicker. Anyway, wish me luck...I will have to be in the hospital again since they are doing the two ops at once...I will keep you guys posted. Thanks for all the support...I have to admit that I was scared this time!

The surgeons at the hospital I work say absolutely no carbonated beverages. They say it does stretch the pouch out and it also causes gas bubbles and reflux which can lead to errosion. Think it is all Dr dependent. I do know I attended several classes prior to us starting bariatric surgeries on the unit I work and all of them said no carbonated beverages. When I fineally am able to get my band I will stick to the no carbonated beverages...I don't want to take any chances that something goes wrong cuz I drank pop.

You might be a candidate - if your bmi is at least 35. You can check your bmi here: Calculate your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator I was banded in Mexico at the OCC (Dr. Ortiz) because I didn't fulfill my insurance's requirements - my bmi was about 40, but I hadn't been that heavy in the previous two years. To get banded at the OCC you just need a bmi over 30. I'm getting my next fill in nyc - at nyu bariatric. They have an excellent surgical team. Check them out here: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass - Types of Surgery - Surgical Weight-Loss by Laparoscopy, NYU Medical Center Good luck! Susan