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The surgeon I will be using runs a center of excellence and has all the highest accolades a bariatric surgeon can receive. He also did a fellowship at Duke and is very good at what he does. I have done my research so I believe he is the best choice. The reason I worry about the amount of time spent at the hospital is that my surgeon and the hospital I will be using is an hour and a half away. My adult daughter will be accompanying me and she will be staying in a hotel. She has been with me every step on this journey, even going on a diet with me and going to all my appts. She is concerned about losing more time from work and I would hate to put even more on her shoulders by needing her to stay in a hotel a better part of a week. No way she would leave me there.

Today is day 3. I'm feeling better. As per my serve in I have to keep it struck with the 4 Bariatric fusion shakes a day and a half cup of non starchy vegetables once a day. My required Water intake is 60 ounces. I have met that or surpassed it. I can't stand the broth. I tried it last night..... I'm still taking it hour by hour but today is better than yesterday Sent from my VS985 4G using the BariatricPal App

This is another study on pubmed from JAMA, comparing bariatric surgery procedures and their complication rates to get a handle on what made things go wrong, if they did. Total complication rate for all surgeries was 1.6 percent. Sleeve surgeries alone had a serious complication rate of 2.2 %; mortality rate for sleeve surgeries was exactly zero. The study said that complications were inversely proportional to how many surgeries the hospital handled, and how many surgeries the surgeon had performed. COE status was irrelevant. http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20664044

Anything we voluntarily put out there on the internet is open game to everyone......we freely gave it up.... I know at my Dr.'s office, (Bariatric Weight Loss Center), I signed a release giving them permission to use pictures they taken of me....but then that's all about HIPPA, I have release forms signed when I use images of my patients for illustrations, in-services, teaching etc, or I have to use black marker over their eyes/faces.... I have a friend who operates an Institute in Sweden, and travels worldwide giving lectures, he is still using many of my slides of patients, most photos were taken over 25 years ago....but again, he has their faces blocked out with marker, and is only interested from the neck down.

I also have the Bariatric Advantage Proteins, I have them in chocolate, Chocolate Mint and vanilla. The chocolate by itself is awful. But I have learned if I blend it with skim milk, ice cubes, and a banana. Thats good. I add bananas, frozen strawberries, frozen blackberries. Bananas is probably the most versatile and easiest addition. The only shake I can take without addition is the chocolate mint. Best of luck!!

Before even me going into with Molina about bariatric surgery, I actually had an idea of what the insurance entailed and what I had to do, as a matter of fact I told the referral coordinator how to do the process, let me tell you I was well prepared. The day of referral I started dieting and exercising so I was a head of my self, so like a week later I get a call from the Molina case manager and there it began, she was amazed how much I knew, and where I was going for physical therapy and nutrition counseling, I scheduled my visits, I was approved for 12 visits in nutrition, physical therapy, and behavioral counseling. I only did 6 visits with nutrition and the other 6 will be with the surgeon, so I'm at the end of the rope, I have my surgery date, now just waiting for approval. I completed all visits but 6 for the nutritional counselor. They will only approve 12 visits for each. The problem only problem I had thus far was that the counselor I was seeing did not want to clear me for surgery so I waited two weeks for that process. It can get frustrating, but it's well worth the wait. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

These questions are best answered by your bariatric team. Give them a call. Personally speaking: "No" to the gum "Yes" to the tea Wishing you a joyful journey.

If you believe your doctor won't know about the band or won't be very willing to encourage this then reassure him that you've done your research and you understand that the lap-band will require a lot of will power on your part but that you feel this is in your best interest and you are willing to put in the effort to make it work. If he gives you a hard time after explaining that then I'd see if your insurance will let you just go ahead and talk to a Bariatric Clinic directly. (I didn't go through my doctor...I called the Bariatric Center on my own and my insurance was OK with that. But, they're all different.)

Man they r nasty!!!!!!!!!!!!! I use flintstones complete. Much better. Just take 2 daily :rolleyes2: my nutritionist gave me samples of the bariatric advantage..i could have died lol.

I'm still trying to get approved through insurance, but my self pay back up plan is to look more into Dr Tersigni in Coose Bay, Oregon Bay Bariatrics - Steve Tersigni, MD - Coos Bay, Oregon Denise had this to say about him: "I was banded by Dr. Tersigni on the coast and he charges 10,000.00 It didn't seem worth it to me to go to Mexico when Dr. Tersigini is 5 min from my house. He's really great. I know a lot of people come from Portland to go to him. The lady that was banded the same day as me by him, lives in Portland." Denise822 vbmenu_register("postmenu_461870", true);

Did your NUT give you a list of foods/shakes that are approved? Are you still on Clear liquids? Full liquids? I am not familiar with Herballife shakes specifically so you will need to read the labels and check with your NUT to make sure they have the right Protein to carb ratio. Many Protein Shakes aren't bariatric friendly because they have too many carbs.

I also think the band sounds better when you don't have too much to lose. I don't know how tall you are but I would imagine you have less than 100 pounds to lose to get to a normal BMI. It is so much less stress on the body. Another way to look at it is by reviewing your eating habits. If you are a chronic overeater at meal times, banding may be the best choice. If you are a sweetaholic or primarily eat junk food, then R&Y might have the added benefit of the "dumping" syndrome which might cause you to lose the desire to eat sweets if you get exceedingly sick when you do. Also keep in mind that doctors have their preferences as well. Some doctors favor one surgery over the other in most cases. Your doctor could be biased one way or the other and it is helpful to keep this in mind. Ask your doctor why they prefer one over the other in your particular case to see if it makes sense to you . . . after all, it is your ultimate decision. If you can get cardiac clearance and bariatric surgery would be considered relatively safe from your doctors perspective, I think you would still benefit from taking off the weight. Any excess weight is a strain on your heart. Weight loss with a healthy diet and doctor approved exercise may prolong and enhance your life considerably.

First of all---WELCOME! Why not talk your surgical fears through with a therapist? Couldn't hurt, right? A therapist should be able to see you through and out of your fears. He/she should also be able to teach you some "calming" techniques you can use to ease the stress and anxiety the day of surgery. What goes on "while you're asleep" is best left to the professionals who have spent many many years training --becoming expertly capable of performing your WLS. You will be "napping peacefully" while they are hard at work ensuring the rest of your life will be ever changed for the better. Do all of your pre op research. Read, view, attend, discuss and FOLLOW YOUR PRE-OP PLAN TO THE LETTER. Include in those weeks and months consultations with a bariatric friendly therapist to work through your surgical fears. You can do this. You know it. You have much to do. Get moving! Keep posting and letting us know how your progress is going. I for one, am looking forward to following your successful WLS journey. Best wishes, and WELCOME, Friend.

I told everyone except my family that I had gall bladder surgery. I feel embarrassed to say on here that I too am a bit embarrassed I had the surgery since I couldn't do it on my own either and the fact that I almost died from a leak and other complications to have the surgery (friends and coworkers thought it was from the gall bladder surgery and were so sweet to me while i was do ill). I really wish I had the confidence to just admit the truth, but I feel like it is too late now and everyone will be mad at me for lying. So I am just continuing on with my lie. I feel guilty for lying and it was especially hard to keep up with while I was in the hospital for a month. I had to keep making excuses why no friends or coworkers could visit because I didn't want them to see I was in the bariatric floor or overhear something when the doctors and nurses came in. The old saying " oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive" always came to mind.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Full" liquids, however, my bariatric team recommended sugar-free beverages such as Crystal Light, Propel, Fruit20, Powerade Zero, Sugar-Free Kool-Aid, etc. Personally, I relied upon, Propel and Crystal Light. Hope this helps.

Henry- which doctors do you represent? I emailed someone named David yesterday with bariatric pal but I'm waiting for a response. I have a few questions..... Thanks everyone. Please keep the info coming! I was nearly confirmed with one doctor and now I'm not sure if it'll work out due to this situation which is extremely disappointing. They also want to add on an 18% tax because of some rule with the Mexican government and paying with an American check. Has anyone else heard of this? Thanks!

https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/body-work/new-endoscopic-procedures-offer-alternative-to-bariatric-surgery This is all I could find on this procedure. I'd never heard of it.

Doctors' philosophy on this vary from a few weeks to never again depending upon their experiences. The basic issues are: Healing - alcohol is somewhat corrosive to the stomach lining so one needs to give things a chance to heal first, Alcohol tolerance - rapid stomach emptying means it tends to hit faster, and with less (i.e., a "cheap drunk") so care must be taken there, Transfer addiction - we can no longer satisfy whatever addictive tendencies we have with food, so it is easy for transfer that addiction to something else, like alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling, etc. What was a casual habit of a glass of wine with dinner occasionally can easily turn into full blown alcoholism. Liver health - starting as morbidly obese, or worse, our livers are not usually in very good shape to begin with (hence the "liver shrinking" pre-op diets that are often prescribed) and the liver is further stressed from its role in metabolizing all that fat that we are rapidly losing. It doesn't need any more stress from ingesting a known liver toxin like alcohol (not a judgemental thing, just our physiology at work). My surgeon is also a biliopancreatic (livers and pancreas) transplant surgeon, so he is in the no alcohol as long as we are losing weight camp (and ideally forever) and indeed we sign a contract to that effect - he doesn't want any of his bariatric patients coming back onto his transplant table! Those are the issues in play, and some aspects bother different surgeons to different degrees, so they have different policies. Check with what your surgeon's policy is, and decide for yourself - we are all adults here.

Yes..There was a promotion for $2000. I have Aetna but did not want to do the 6 month tracking to qualify for them to cover at 80/20. They found heital hernia and billed insurance for majority of surgery costs that way. Then billed me with easy payment plan a bariatric fee to cover the sleeve.

cuorius... Has anyone actually tried and/or are taking the Vitamins from powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury????? i have my multi vitamins From Twinlab called Bariatric Advantage and im pretty happy with those ... however im still shopping around for a good combo of Calcium vit D3 and magnesium DONT JUST VIEW COMMENT TOO!

What a b***h you should have given her a slap. See this is why I dislike the vast majority of nutritionalists; their total lack of empathy. So food isn't a pleasure is it? Tell that to every human since the dawn of history, and ask her why EVERY culture worldwide has developed a cuisine. By the same rationale sex is purely functional too, ask her if she enjoys that or is it missionary every time? And "normal people"?? Go take a jump. I bet she has a face like an old boot. She did not say "normal" people, she said, "normal weight" people, as in those with a healthy BMI. This woman is not a bariatric nutritionist, nor is she condescending. She is a certified Diabetes Educator, a registered dietician, and I have worked with her for 13 years. Of course she recognizes that food is pleasurable. She also recognizes that many obese people rely on that, and focus more on the pleasure than the nutrition. She shows complete empathy, knows me well, and knew at the time that I needed to change my thinking about food. Food is not entertainment, it is not a reward, and only on occasion is it a treat. It seems you have had some negative experiences with your bariatric team. I recommend finding someone who doesn't offend you. I have found great support and I have a healthy life and a healthy weight.

At five weeks, I was just a few days into eating cooked regular foods as tolerated. But, since your doctor has you on a slower transition, you should just roll with it. I am surprised that you seem to be eating mostly carbs. Even at the mushy stage, you can eat regular food, just cook it to softness and then run it through the blender a bit to break it down. On soft mushy foods, I was eating yogurt (protein), scrambled eggs (protein), refried Beans with cheese and a little sour cream (protein), beef stew run through the blender (protein), moist chicken meat (protein), moist ground beef or turkey (protein) and steamed fish (protein). Let the blender be your friend. For every 1/2 cup of Protein, I was to eat two tablespoons of veggies. One of my biggest issues with food was changing my habits developed around food. I loved sweet rolls, muffins, pancakes, etc. for Breakfast as soon as I opened my eyes - sweets with a cup of sweet tea. Now I have eggs for breakfast, but one day it's a fried egg, one day it is boiled, maybe another day it is a small cheese omelet with sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms and ham, and today I am eating deviled eggs. lunch was frequently an hour after breakfast. Now I make a point to drink at least two bottles of Water before I eat anything else, and then it is a snack. Today I had a gherkin and an ounce of cheese. Some days the snack is 1/2 an apple with a tablespoon of Peanut Butter. A couple of days a week, my snack is 1/3 cup yogurt with some berries. See, it is not the same every day. lunch is now early afternoon, and I am starting to eat more tuna salad and other cold salads and vary the ingredients. My late afternoon snack might be a little dark chocolate with a handful of almonds. In my soft phase, yogurt was my go-to. I could put a little sugar-free jam in it to give it a little flavor. Supper was any soft meat I wanted plus a couple of spoonfuls of mashed veggies. My favorite was/is green beans because they are not starchy. My bedtime snack, if I have to have one, is usually oatmeal with stewed apples, or 1/2 banana and peanut butter....there are so many things you can do. Meals cannot be the highlight of my day anymore. I have to be creative and find interesting things to do that don't involve mindless munching on popcorn or chips. Bariatric surgery changes your life. You need to think differently to feel differently and get healthy. This gets better as you graduate through the various phases because your options open up. No, I do not eat Pasta anymore. Last night for dinner, I had two meatballs with spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese, and a few green beans. I have had pizza a couple of times and just use a fork to pull the goodies off the crust. There is no flavor in regular crust anyway. It's just a plate you can eat. Dessert will be a peach, not peach pie. Put on your thinking cap and get creative. Drink water, sip, sip, sip until your eyeballs float. You can do this!

I have noticed from others that sometimes after being banded for a while, it is easy to forget or stray from the original guidelines or some banders didn't get adequate information from their centre initially. For starters, I would log what you are eating (ideally through myfitnesspal or something like that that will track calories too). You should not exceed (per my doctor) about 1200 calories per day and should have about 60+ grams of protein. Try not to exceed 1 cup of food per meal and have a planned healthy snack in between meals (piece of fruit) or something. If you are not able to get even yogurt down, perhaps your band is a little too tight which may be causing you to eat some unhealthier items (sliders) that will go down easily and that may be part of the problem. It sounds like you could really benefit from a visit (or 2) with a nutritionist to get back on track. You shouldn't feel so defeated and frustrated with your food choices. I am able to eat most anything as long as I eat slowly and eat small bites. I would urge you to see out one (my bariatric clinic has ones on staff) and they have a lot of great ideas and advice. I truly don't feel deprived and only did when I was too tight and struggled getting solid food down. I also have found healthier ways to still enjoy many foods I loved before but now in a healthier way. There is a website called Emily bites (I believe) and there are many recipes that you make in cupcake pans so they are portioned out into appropriate sized meals. They are healthy versions (ie. lasagna) of everyday foods. I really enjoy them. Good luck to you!

I am in your area. Here is who I know of so far: Dr. Michael Murr, Tampa General Hospital/University of South Florida Town and Country Weight Loss bariatric., Tampa, 33601 - (813) 329-6098 Palms of Pasadena, 1501 Pasadena Ave St. Petersburg, FL 33707 Surgical Weight Loss Institute 3659 S. Miami Ave. Suite 5002 Miami, FL 33133

These are a few of my favorite (weight loss) things: 1. My iPod Shuffle. I love, love, love to listen to music that makes me want to move my body. I actually make excuses to go to the gym just so I can put my headphones on and get lost in the music while I'm on the elliptical. 2. My Polar heart rate monitor. It's a basic unit, but it's really all I need to keep my heart rate in the training zone. I don't like to exercise without it. 3. My Spinning shoes. Spinning is my favorite exercise, and somehow just putting them on says "Athlete" to me. 4. Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal. I have it every single day for Breakfast, and absolutely crave it. 9g Protein, 8g Fiber per 1 c. serving for 190 delicious calories. 5. Breakstones 2% large curd cottage cheese. That's my favorite post-workout snack. It's creamy and delicious, and packs in 11g protein in 90 calories. 6. Edamame. I love the frozen pods (which remind me of one of our southern staples, boiled peanuts), and the wasabe-flavored freeze dried ones. 7. My local lap band support group. We have an awesome bariatric coordinator, who does a wonderful job to get us inspired and motivated. Tami