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I had a client who is a bariatric sergeon and he would just randomly start telling me how I would never be able to lose weight and keep it off on my own. This was unsolicited, so I thought he was a jerk. Turns out, while he has poor social skills, he was a gift from God. It took me 4 years, but I finally gave in and had my vsg with him in October last year and at almost 9 months out I'm down 95 lbs. You just never know what forms special gifts will come in.

In order to have the best chance of success, I tried to ensure that my symptoms of depression and anxiety were well managed before surgery. I also continued to work with my psychologists and psychiatrists. I think it's helpful to remember that WLS or losing weight won't magically solve all your problems. It's quite common to go through relationship issues (divorce rates are statistically higher according to most bariatric studies) and even transference to other addition issues (you can go from food to alcohol or even opiates). I think it's also quite easy to slip into orthorexia (an eating disorder that involves an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating). On the other hand, losing weight can be great for your mental health. You can find self esteem and confidence that you have been missing your whole life. I definitely put myself "out there" more. I think everyone's journey is different. Best of luck!

I have been in the position of responsibility for infrastructure and upgrades and I was a paid full-time employee. I never had to endure the amount of abuse and bitching that has happened here in the last few days. If I had, I would have gone straight to my boss and HR. The amount of abuse that has been heaped upon Alex and his colleagues due to this upgrade has been downright ugly at times. I just hope people realize that he could decide to just close the site completely and do something else with his free time, and that we should all be grateful to him for the time and money he has thrown into this site, just to educate people about bariatric surgery. This is not a government-sponsored website and it is certainly not our right to have access to it. It is our privilege. SydneySusan, fair enough, keep giving feedback. But can't we all be a bit nicer about it?

So in my many weight loss attempts I bought a big box of Shakeology packets (chocolate). I like them and would like to use them either pre-op or post-op. They weren't intended for bariatric patients, but as a weight loss tool. I am taking a packet Wed to my NUT for his/her input, but wanted to see if anyone here had any thoughts about using them, either during my 7 day liquid diet pre-op, or during my post-op liquid (but not clear) phase. http://www.shakeology.com/web/shakeology/the-science (general info) http://myshakeology.com/uploads/fckeditor/mdbody/File/downloads/ShakeologyCocoa.pdf (nutrutional values)

It sounds like you are starting to mourn the loss of your friend (food). And may be having a little pity party because you want things you can't have. I know it's easier said than done, but don't let it get you down. Focus on the long term of what you're gaining. Are your friends not supportive, or do they not know about your VSG? You could also try to find things on the menu that meet your restrictions. E.g. if you take the onions out of french onion soup, it's broth. Same for any broth-based soup, or even au jus. Chef Neil - wow, sounds like you have been to some extremely inflexible places. I don't ever ask for special deals - the price is the price and if I'm not willing to pay it, then I don't order it (that's just my take, I know others feel differently -- heck, a friend of mine likes to whip out her "I've had bariatric surgery" card and asks if they will discount her meal... usually they do not...) And I prefer not to order off the kid's menu because those are some of the least healthy foods around, usually. But I've never had a hard time ordering an appetizer, or a kid's meal when I have gotten one. If they won't sell you less soup at a lower price than what's on the menu, why not just get the regular soup and have leftovers? You're able to eat a grilled cheese sandwich less than two weeks post-op? What does your post-op food stage plan look like? (I'm researching VSG and haven't seen a post-op plan that moves that quickly -- I'm interested in knowing more).

I have thought the same thing. I know I am going to loose some good poundage on the preop diet. My Insurance BC&BS won't cover any type of bariatric surgery so I am an out of pocket payer, but I am still going to go with the surgery. I always loose on a diet, and there in lies the problem. I loose weight, feeling great and then slowly start overdoing it, and before I know it I have the weight back. This time I am taking measures to prevent that from happening. The "Sleeve" shall set me free... lol,, sorry I get a little over zealous at times.

Bariatrics were excluded from my BCBS TX policy too.

Only a hug, a pat on the back, a reminder that Bariatric surgery can stop or at least slow down the Diabetes Monster. Every blood lab I have drawn I worry mine will come back like yours. My PCP shakes his head " By all that is holy, you should be diabetic by now!" darn dude sounds disappointed, does he really want all the extra work it would ensue? Peeved him my BP is better, cholesterol lower, pulse Ox higher and better than his, I have COPD, don't smoke and I'm maybe 35 years older, and then I have the audacity to not turn diabetic, I'm losing weight like a house afire. All his Doom and Gloom was for naught, and looks like I might even outlive him! He is starting to develop a mid-age paunch, should I get in his face and read him the Riot Act.? if he doesn't know,it by now, KARMA IS A FEMALE DOG! (snicker-snicker!)

I love my protein shakes, I do something different all the time with them. Try frozen pineapple and vanilla protein, lots of ice and water. Chocolate, with peanut butter and 1/2 banana, lots of ice and water. I always make mine with water and ice, the colder the better, and even though I am not supposed to I use a straw, it is the only way I can get them in. I started a straw about 1 month out of surgery and never have had an issue. Bariatric Foodie has a website and a great cookbook for just protein shakes, experiment and enjoy, they really do help with getting in your protein!!! Good Luck.

My total bill including: Pre-op visit fees, surgery center fee, anesthesiologist fee, bariatric surgeon fee, post-op visit fees, and post-op medications was a total of $12,000. That also includes all expenses for one year post-surgery and lifetime nutrition and exercise counseling. Not too bad of a deal if you are a cash pay patient.

05/20 as well I use the Bariatric Advantage brand (strawberry or chocolate) I blend it with low fat milk and a banana and its very good

I started my journey in mid August 2016 when i went to my GP to be referred to the bariatric clinic in the hospital. i'm a 'healthy' obese women with no comorbids. after getting a green light for surgery, i called the hospital yesterday to ask for a surgery date. they gave me 16th March (with warning that it can be changed...typical NHS) So if surgery will be in March, thats 7 months from beginning to end under the NHS. not too bad.

Oh so much to talk about with this..... Sorry, but I'm going to ramble a bit. First off, there are risks and benefits to each of the three surgeries (as background I had a lap-band, miserable with it, prolapsed, lead to emergency removal, and now have a gastric bypass. I'm also a family practice physician assistant. I'm not a bariatric expert, but I've been around this a bit). On average, lap-band patients do not lose as much as the other 2 surgeries. That is why surgeons typically don't recommend lap-band above a certain weight. That said, I know people that have lost 200+ pounds with the lap-band. Average weight loss is just that, an average. For everyone that loses 10%, there's someone that loses 80% of their excess weight. It's impossible to predict where you'll fall in that spectrum. Some of it is how good your surgeon is, some of it is how dedicated you are to lifestyle change, some of it is sheer luck. As far as the band, I won't say don't do it. I will say research your butt off. Again, weight loss tends to not be as much as compared to the other 2 surgeries. I would like to add that, while the band is known for it's reversibility, that is not entirely an accurate statement. My personal story was that my band prolapsed, stomach herniated (and before i get jumped for being a bad band patient, I wasn't a bad band patient....sometime crap just happens). I had an emergency removal and was supposed to revise to gastric bypass, however, once the surgeon got in to remove the band I had so much swelling and inflammation that he was not able to do the revision. They removed my band, sewed me up, sent me home to heal for 6 months, then I had my revision. I know of at least 2 individuals in my area that had band removal and had so much damage that they could not revise to another surgery....while the band is removable, I don't really feel the term reversible is 100% accurate. Another point I'd like to share is 'invasive' truth be told, you're having major surgery. All 3 surgeries are invasive. The sleeve does not have the malabsorption issues or dumping associated with the RNY. However, they are essentially cutting off a large section of your stomach. The RNY does have malabsorption and possibly dumping (most people don't dump, I happen to be in the minority that dump easily, it's really not a huge deal if I watch what I eat). Yes they are making a small pouch in your stomach and bypassing and small portion of your intestine, you are getting some replumbing done with the RNY. That said, RNY is reversible (again, subject to scar tissue and such associated with previous surgeries) IF you need reversal. The vast majority of us will never consider reversal because we need this surgery to maintain a healthy weight.....(reversibility was not a factor in my choosing RNY). I know people that have been hugely successful with all 3 surgeries. I know people that have lost almost nothing with all 3 surgeries. I know people that have had bad complications, hospitalizations, ICU admissions with all 3 surgeries. None of them are magic. None of them work without a commitment from the patient. It is not something to step into lightly..... My advice, research, research, research. Find a surgeon that you trust and listen to what they say and what they suggest. Ultimately you have to make a decision that you are comfortable with and that you can commit to. But know that every day you spend morbidly obese is taking a toll on your body and your health. Most of us just cannot lose an maintain a healthy weight without surgery. Most of us have lost and gained a thousand times. There are some that regret the surgery but the vast majority of us wish we'd done it sooner. The RNY is right for me, I wish i'd done it in the first place. But I'm not you. I wish you the best of luck with the decision and applaud your choice to start considering surgery. If you ever have questions I'm happy to try to help. Best of luck with this decision and congrats on trying I take control of your health. It's a tough choice but at least you're considering it. That's a step in the right direction.

Fainting, tremors and weakness can be signs of low blood sugar. Several individuals that underwent RNY gastric bypass surgery experience a type of hypoglycemia called "Reactive Hypoglycemia". Here is one link about this condition but you can search for other links on the internet. https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass/

Hello, sorry this is going to be long. I hope someone will have advice. I had Rny in July of 2014. Since surgery I have been extremely exhausted. I have had my blood work done. Many times. My hands and feet go numb. I have a vibration in my left foot that feels like I am stepping on a cell phone on vibrate. Sometimes I get dizzy even when sitting. And my feet will sometimes just not work. It's all mostly in my left foot. Sometimes I have a hard time lifting it and it feels like it's not there. I also get body tremors. Mostly my hands. Sometimes my whole body. They have tested my bloodwork, did a CT scan looking for ms or brain cancer. They have done an emg. I have seen a neurologist whom looks at me like I'm insane. I am about 10 pounds under my goal weight. And I either keep losing or stay where I am at. My bariatric program has high turnover for all their staff from Dr's to secretaries so I have been doing all my follow up with my primary Dr. I take a multi Vitamin, Calcium with Vitamin D, Biotin, fish oil, b12, and Iron ( iron every other day so I don't get constipated) potassium and magnesium. I was doing them all twice a day but my neurologist took me off of them all to see if I was having a reaction. I added them back in once a day myself because i started getting horrible migranes. I juse added b complex and a vitimin d pill to see of that would help. So far it helped with body tremors but my hands still shake and I still have all other symptoms. I'm tired of seeing Dr's. I just want to feel half way normal. Any advice would be appreciated. Sorry it's so long.

I also feel like my journey is finally beginning! I went to the required seminar back in May, but it has taken this long to get proof of insurance coverage, then to get my letter of commitment, and FINALLY, my first consultation with the nurse practitioner on Friday. I apparently won't see the surgeon until after I meet all the pre-op criteria and get insurance approval. I did get to speak to one of the surgeons in the bariatrics group after the seminar. My husband and I stayed after as my hubby had some questions about one of the slides the Dr. had shown. He (the doc) was wonderful about answering all our questions. While he couldn't get into personal info while others were there due to the privacy act, once we were the only ones left, he was more than willing to discuss what I could do ahead of all the appointments. So, I already have copies of my mammogram, pap smear, and colonoscopy reports.(Luckily for me, I had had all of them done already and within the time frame needed) I started the six month insurance required weight loss. I apparently don't have to lose a set amount, just not have a net gain at the end. I was looking over my medical records and realized that I had seen my PCP right at a month before I started all this and I'm hoping that I can count that visit as the start and be a month ahead! I do know that I will have to attend at least one "Lifestyle Change" class and those are only held once a month. Of course, it's the night BEFORE my appointment, but I'm going to go anyway, even if it doesn't count as the required class. I don't figure it can hurt and might just help. Plus there is a support group meeting afterwards that I'm looking forward to. So,come Friday, I will feel like I am finally making progress and be on my way to becoming a member of the WLS Club!!

Kathy, sorry its taken me so long to reply. Thank you all so much for you thoughtful suggestions and guidlines and sharing what has worked for you. I still haven't implemented these tips yet but I definitely will. The hardest part for me, I think is coming to really face the reality that I cannot continue to deal with food the way I did before surgery. I have to, for the first time in my life really, start grocery shopping and preparing my own food. This is a huge transition for me. Its hard to get started. I am researching a dietician or nutritionist who specializes in bariatric patients so I can get the guidance I so badly need. Thanks again to everyone who has responded to my pea for help and keep the suggestions coming. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will benefit from them! Questions: Which is more food: 2oz of meat measured in a measuring cup or 2oz. of meat weighed on a scale. How do you measure salad?

My powder is called bariatric advantage... Pricey stuff i got two bags that ran 110 dollars from a website... Lol heck if i was not gonna spend 74 dollars getting one bag from the docs office.

I had gastric bypass in 2014. Has anyone experienced or know someone who has experienced a condition called "Iron deficiency WITHOUT anemia"? It is also sometimes called HWA (Hypoferritinemia without anemia). This is a condition where ferritin is low but hemoglobin, RBC and other related blood markers are normal . I am experiencing chronic worsening symptoms that are identical to iron deficiency anemia (weakness, fatigue, light-headedness, brain fog) but my Hematologist doesn't seem to believe this is a real condition. In other words, since my red blood cell count and hemoglobin are fine, he believes these symptoms are not due to low ferritin. Can anyone recommend a hematologist that has experience with bariatric patients in Maryland?

Well I haven't spoken to my surgeon (Dr Christopherson in davenport Iowa btw to answer the question) but he spoke to my husband and said that everything went routine and I looked really healthy. I think I will get to talk to him tomorrow. I was surprisingly calm on my way into surgery. I joked with my husband for an hour and a half until they made us part as I was wheeled into the operating room. The anesthesiologist gave me a big dose of a calming drug and told me it was in the same class as my xanax and valium and I recognized the effects albeit fifty times stronger. It wasn't long before he let me know that he was giving me the drug that would put me into a deep sleep. I distinctly remember, as it took effect and my eyes began to close, telling myself to relax and let it take me. I felt a sense of relief. Of course that relief only lasted til I woke up in the recover room. I was in a lot of pain and just my luck the button wasn't yet hooked up and the nurses were busy as all get out because a few other surgeries (not all bariatric) finished at the same time. So I believe that I was in pain a lot longer than I should have been. Not EVERYTHING can go perfect. I was taken to my room where I met the worried but loving faces of my husband and parents. In my haze of passing out repeatedly I eventually kicked my mother out because she was stressing me out getting angry and arguing with the nurses just doing their jobs. Between that and my pain... Thus began a trend of high blood pressure. Which they later had to give me meds for. At some point they gave me an anti inflammation med which did far more than morphine alone for my pain and I suddenly found myself much more grateful... When I found myself awake at all. I had lots of interrupted sleep. I go for an upper gi today and it seems as if they are keeping me one more night. While I have had a lot of hesitation along the way about the surgery I can already say, despite the pain and discomfort, that I am glad I did it. I'm also surprised I did it. Lol my husband agrees... He also half expected me to back out and I don't blame him. With my really bad anxiety it is a miracle. Now it seems I am going to pass out asleep again. Lol Sent from my Note 10.1 using VST

Welcome Diamond! Congratulations on deciding to take steps to get healthy. Whatever you decide to do, we are here to help you the best we can. Since your doctor didn't refer you to a surgeon, I would suggest you see if there is a Bariatric Center of Excellence in your area. Once you find one (or two), sign up for one of their free seminars. They can help you determine next steps as well as work with you and your primary Doctor. Since many insurance companies require a doctor supervised "diet" before surgery, you may be able to count what you are doing now with your primary Doctor. But, a good Bariatric surgeon's office can help you figure that out. Where are you located? There may be some folks here who ate in your area who may be able to suggest a good surgeon.

If they are making you feel bad about your weight, even to the point of "punishing" you for not losing enough, I would urge you to review your options for going elsewhere. I know you have invested a lot in them, but your health and safety is worth MORE than money. If your surgery is judgmental and unsympathetic now, how can you trust him to cut your insides? :-( If you find a better bariatric center who treats you with the RESPECT you DESERVE, you ought to be able to transfer your records and test results over. Transferring records between hospitals is commonplace, so it you shouldn't lose the money you spent. Years ago I had my first surgery. She did not seem to care about me or really hear my concerns, but I went ahead with it. It was a disaster. She did open surgery and I found out later that it was totally UNNECESSARY -- my surgery could have been laparoscopic. She lied about the size of my tumor to justify open surgery but I got the actual dimensions from the lab report. The reason I had to get the lab report myself directly is because we were on pins and needles for TWO WEEKS about whether my tumor was cancerous or benign. It was an agonizing, emotional wait. Every few days I called for an update. Finally a medical assistant who knew that I had called five times and knew that my messages had been passed to the surgeon with no response suggested that I contact the lab directly for results. Turns out the lab sent my surgeon the report IN ONE DAY after surgery that my tumor was benign! All that anguish for two weeks was needless! I called and complained to her clinic manager! And I had horrible complications, horrible time healing, horrible string of infections and I spent a month in the wound care center almost daily for my HUGE incision which never fully healed and they finally had to patch it. The moral of the story: vet your surgeon CAREFULLY and if they break your trust, *run!*. When my surgeon constantly delayed and broke appointments and didn't listen to me or treat me with respect, those were the warning signs that I ignored. No amount of money is worth jeopardizing your health. If you are being treated that badly, consider going elsewhere. And complaining to the manager about it also... Best of luck to you, you are obviously smart, determined and committed. I'm sure you will have great success in the end Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I had complications with my gastric plication from OCC in Mexico (nausea, not surgeon error), and I also had to have the lap band that they placed during my plication revision removed in an emergency surgery here in the states (not due to surgeon error though). I saved up and now I'm getting sleeved here in the United states, but I have heard good things about Mexicali bariatric center. With that being said, the care I recieved at OCC was very good, and the facility was clean! And Dr Ortiz has great bedside manner, the sleeve patients when I was down there were practically bouncing out of bed right after surgery! Just email them and theyll get info to you ASAP

Intro - My name is Edie and I'm 54. I've been waiting for this surgery since 2008. FINALLY BCBS North Carolina stopped calling it investigational. I've finished all my pre-op testing and the doctor's office submitted it to the insurance company. Now I wait in suspense. I think it could happen pretty quickly once they get approval. I had to have a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy and some samples were sent for biopsy so that could take a couple weeks - I don't know if they will wait for those results before scheduling me. The GI doc said everything looked good and that he was going to clear me for surgery. After waiting all these years, it doesn't even seem real. My surgeon has done MANY bariatric surgeries, but only about a dozen sleeves. He seems very comfortable with it though and I am comfortable with him and the reputation of the practice. I was tested up one side and down the other!

@@laguerr13 There are quite a few bariatric veterans on this site that helped me make my decision, and they give me some great advice when I'm in a panic over something dumb. I'm still learning what works and what doesn't. At first I was hungry all the time. No kidding. I thought maybe the doc took my stomach but left the grehlin hormone behind. lol But once I began soft foods, I filled up really quickly. I have to remind myself to chew the crap out of everything and take my time eating (or it feels stuck in my chest), and I have to remind myself to drink. Drinking seems to be harder for me when I'm at work, but I am going to figure that one out too. If you need anything, as far as advice we all will try to help you out. But I only know from my own experience, and everyone is different, and experiences things differently. So far I am psyched at how great I feel. So...cheers to you, friend!! You will do great!