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I have heard the patches are of dubious merit - not enough research yet on what you do actually absorb, or don’t. My surgeon won’t allow them for that reason. There are great chewable vitamins out there. Flinstones chewables. Or Celebrate. Look in the Bariatric Pal Store on this site - they have a great range!

They said the 1000 dollars was for "Administrative fees" when I asked what exactly that was they said things like vitamins, support group costs, and something about the doctor's fee for some bariatric program. Can you tell I am confused? It really wasn't a straight forward answer that I understood...

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step and I have taken that step! Saturday I attended a surgical information seminar and today I called Grand Health Partners (bariatric clinic) and have my first appointment scheduled! I meet with the internist on August 16 to review my history and then she will order labs/testing to get this process started. I am excited! I am NERVOUS! I am ... I don't know what I am, LOL

My bariatric team has a nurse manager whom I can take issues to. Short of bugging the surgeon, I can contact her when the process is not going smoothly. Stay on it and stay pro-active. Stay in their face about it.

Hi Lap Band People, I am just trying to get into this site because I believe I will need some support and information on my journey. This seems to be a huge and active discussion group. I am also hoping to find a local support group in Milwaukee. I got my band on Thursday, May 12, 2011, from Dr. Thomas Chua, Wisconsin Bariatric Clinic, on Loomis, in Milwaukee. My insurance excluded coverage so I bit the bullet and paid for it myself. It certainly cut the paperwork and got me on the fast track. Now I'm healing. Still sipping vicodin, but starting to get free of it. I changed my dressings. I got a food processor and little 4 oz cups to freeze stuff in. I have a kitchen scale (for foods). A couple of weeks ago I was 313 lovable pounds. Now I am 297, sore, disoriented, but no less lovable, I hope. I was crabby this morning with a person who works for me, who is also obese. I told her I didn't appreciate her assumption that every new idea would be a bad thing. My goal is 200 pounds, but maybe it should be 175, as I am 6', 61 years old. I am divorced since a couple of years ago. I have 6 children, 3 of which are in their 20's. One is 9. I wanted to stick around awhile to see how they do. I have a good primary physician in Milwaukee. He has watched my weight increase despite stringent efforts to overcome the problem. He watches over my asthma, sleep apnea, pre-diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, heart risks, etc. He mentioned the lap band surgery. I resisted by trying one last-ditch effort with a psychiatrist, who gave me prozac for 6 months. At first it helped. I stopped drinking alcohol too. But eventually the appetite reduction effect subsided, and I quit prozac and psychiatric visits and started drinking again, which certainly doesn't help anything. I don't think of myself as an alcoholic, but there is no question that alcohol lowers my resistance to sensible eating. I eat too much. It's a vicious circle. But I hope I am done with all that. I am doing well with the lap band. I have no desire to start drinking again. I am looking forward to feeling well enough to exercise. So that's me. I introduced myself. I will appreciate any support and try to be supportive in turn.

Your paperwork is being sent next week but you don't know if your plan covers bariatric surgery. I'm confused. Have you or your docs office talked to a UHC rep yet? Generally you need to do that before you initiate the process and they would have told you then if it was covered. I had to go through Bariatric Resource Center before I could do any of the preop requirements.

Forget to include that I'm using Bariatric Advantage strawberry protein for pre op diet but had also experimented with Nectar flavors and a few Jay Robb flavors.

There are surgeons who do the "rose" revision for gastric bypass folks whose pouch has stretched. As a healthcare professional, I do not think that it is ethical, nor particularly professional to discuss how much one makes on a surgery. Payment is his business / his office manager's (whomever negotiates his rates) and is negotiated between him / his manager and the insurance company. as is stated above, if he is not happy with the payment then he can choose not to take on the insurance. Asking for additional monies to compensate him because he is unhappy with the insurance rate is not ideal nor by usual contract is this allowed (he should only take any co-pays/deductibles and then once that is met ony what the insurance pays out). However, he may have additional costs that he wishes to capture and if that is the case, then he should clearly communicate those items, i.e. additional costs not related to the surgery such as funding for post op support groups, assitant surgeon who does not take insurance, etc... Most bariatric surgeons will do 3-6 bariatric cases per day. ($2,700-$5,400) not bad for 4.5-9 hours of work. True, this is only one day most surgeons will do surgery 2- 3 days (sometimes more frequently) / week. Not too bad for just a mere $900 / case. Either way, I wish you luck!

If you want the ultimate Medical Tourist experience go with Dr. Illan's team. They use Florence Hospital- no strip mall.- excellent nurses. He has a Facebook support group- go to Baja Bariatrics to join. This group is very active and will answer all of your questions and cheer you on. My SD was 10/10/13.

Brenda, You have the same insurance as me! BCBS PPO is a good insurance to have. The most difficult thing they require is a 12 month medically "supervised" diet. However they are pretty lax about it. I had five visits to my Dr. within a year. Two were at the beginning of the year, one was in the middle and two were at the end. At all five we discussed my weight and ways to lose weight. That was enough to get me approved. I also had to have a psyc evaluation which was easy peasy. My psychologist that the program works with has a band herself and she was awesome. Best advice I can give you is get to your doctor now and get the documentation started if you haven't already. Heck get there now even if you have. The more documentation the better. If you are interested in going to a seminar sooner and don't mind a little drive Oakwood is having one on Wed June 6th from 5-7pm. Here is the link for it https://www.oakwood.org/?id=3&sid=1&f=i&t=49&class_id=101568&fee=0 Terry, the bariatric coordinator is awesome and they really do a great job of helping you get your insurance approval.

I was allowed to swallow anything smaller than a pencil eraser right after leaving the hospital - which for me meant all but two pills. One was calcium tablets, so I just got chewables. Can't remember what the other one was (it's been over seven years), but the PA at my bariatric clinic said it would be OK to wait for a couple of weeks to start taking those - and by that time, I should be able to swallow them. He was right.

Good point. I said that in jest. In my opinion, food is probably ok as long as it's only because the guest speaker of the night is a bariatric chef, as @jenn1mentioned. Everyone should be responsible enough to either try a sample, take one home, or not take one. I'd have a problem with it if the group is always serving ou d'oeuvres or asks someone to bring "snacks to share" every evening. Yikes!

Ok I know its not the best subject to talk about, but I've had very soft stool to almost diarrhea every day, 4-6 times a day. Now I've got hemorrhoids from it and feel very uncomfortable. I went to my family dr, and he gave me a prescription cream for it which helps some. I had my surgery in Mexico so I don't have a bariatric doctor at home yet. Trying to find one to take me for follow up care is a challenge. Anyway, my family dr suggested increasing my fiber, but not sure if that is safe after having a bypass. Anyone have suggestions?

I posted this on another forum and felt it might be useful for other people to have a read of, if like me, you like your scientific facts. Maybe the below will provide a bit of clarity as to the 'nuts and bolts' of some of the bariatric procedures and their long-term (within the limitations of the data) efficacy. This first academic journal quoted was published in May 2013. So, it doesn't get more 'up to date' with regards to evaluating the comparative effectiveness in the three biggest weight loss procedures. I have only reproduced the abstract and have quoted the source below as the abstract covers the salient information we'd be interested in. The second section is all about the metrics, with a snapshot of all the procedures being evaluated in a tabulated form (the table was removed from the cutting and pasting process, so read left to right) and the risks associated with the operations. The primary and secondary sources are also cited. Better to make decisions based on rigorous scientific research, than hearsay and charasmatic sales pitches, I feel... Hope it helps. Article 1: Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy (SG), laparoscopic gastric bypass (RYGB), and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedures. Background: Citing limitations of published studies, payers have been reluctant to provide routine coverage for SG for the treatment of morbid obesity. Methods: Using data from an externally audited, statewide clinical registry, we matched 2949 SG patients with equal numbers of RYGB and LAGB patients on 23 baseline characteristics. Outcomes assessed included complications occurring within 30 days, and weight loss, quality of life, and comorbidity remission at 1, 2, and 3 years after bariatric surgery. Results: Matching resulted in cohorts of SG, RYGB, and LAGB patients that were well balanced on baseline characteristics. Overall complication rates among patients undergoing SG (6.3%) were significantly lower than for RYGB (10.0%, P < 0.0001) but higher than for LAGB (2.4%, P < 0.0001). Serious complication rates were similar for SG (2.4%) and RYGB (2.5%, P = 0.736) but higher than for LAGB (1.0%, P < 0.0001). Excess body weight loss at 1 year was 13% lower for SG (60%) than for RYGB (69%, P < 0.0001), but was 77% higher for SG than for LAGB (34%, P < 0.0001). SG was similarly closer to RYGB than LAGB with regard to remission of obesity-related comorbidities. Conclusions: With better weight loss than LAGB and lower complication rates than RYGB, SG is a reasonable choice for the treatment of morbid obesity and should be covered by both public and private payers. SOURCE: Carlin A, Zeni T, Birkmeyer N, et al. The comparative effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric banding procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity. Annals Of Surgery [serial online]. May 2013;257(5):791-797. Available from: MEDLINE with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Article 2: September 2012: Morbidity and mortality associated with LRYGB, LSG, and LAGB from the ACS-BSCN dataset LRYGB LSG LAGB 30-d mortality (%) 0.14 0.11 0.05 1-y mortality (%) 0.34 0.21 0.08 30-d morbidity (%) 5.91 5.61 1.44 30-d readmission (%) 6.47 5.40 1.71 30-d reoperation/intervention(%) 5.02 2.97 0.92 SOURCE: Data from Hutter MM, Schirmer BD, Jones DB, et al. First report from the American College of Surgeons Bariatric Surgery Center Network: laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has morbidity and effectiveness positioned between the band and the bypass. Ann Surg 2011;254(3):410–20 [discussion: 420–2], in: Timothy D. J, Matthew M. H. Morbidity and Effectiveness of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, Adjustable Gastric Band, and Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity. Advances In Surgery [serial online]. n.d.;46(Advances in Surgery):255-268. Available from: ScienceDirect, Ipswich, MA

I've been using the Bariatric Advantage probiotic since surgery. I'm not sure if I will reorder when I run out as my doc said I could discontinue it at my last check-up.

My pre op diet consisted of Bariatric Advantage. I thought it was the WORST of all the protein powders I've tried. I used PB2 to mix with the vanilla flavored powder. I also only mixed with water. Milk has way too many carbs and the whole point is to send your body into ketosis. I also would eat a small meal in the evenings (days 1-7) consisting of 4 oz of chicken and 4 oz of steamed (low carb) vegetables. The remaining week, I did straight shakes. I lost 27 lbs pre op. But I think at least 10 lbs was water weight.

As everyone said, there are as many different eating plans as there are surgeons. My doctor's plan was lowish-carb (not keto low, but controlled). It emphasized protein first, then veggies and not pushing my restriction. He said if I did that calories would take care of themselves and it did work out that way. I tracked (and still do) everything I eat so that I am aware of how many calories I am taking in and what the macros are. I actually also eat about 6 mini-meals per day rather than 3 "big" meals. But if eating that way isn't working for you, try the more traditional 3 meals per day approach. Low-fat has never worked for me as it leaves me hungry, but your body might react well to it. Different bodies thrive on different approaches. At 6 weeks out, you are still very early in the process. Ask your bariatric program what they recommend and then adjust as needed to accommodate your body's needs.

@Dianne Wow, May 24. How long does the procedure take and did you come home the same day? @JaGo I definitely plan to be around through this whoe process. It was only a week and a half ago I made the decision to pursue bariatric surgery. I finally got up the nerve to call on Thursday. I am very excited about the thought of getting my life back. I'm tired of going down steps one at a time when I used run up them two at a time and not having the energy to do the things I used to do. Thank you ladies both for all your kind words and support.

Hi everyone. My name is Verna and I am tired of being fat. I have high blood pressure and pain in my knees. I have an appointment with a bariatric surgeon in July and I cannot wait to begin the process. I joined this forum to get knowledge and to meet new people who are going through what I'm going through.

well.. on reflection i think i went in not knowing the full extent of the change that was coming... but, hey, what did i think it was going to be?? im not sorry at all but its been a very deeply stirring experience for me, mostly emotionally i think. Not an easy time at all. IN all of this im finding that some of my old habits and mind sets are still rearing their ugly head. I know its goign to take time for all this to dispel . It has been one of the hardest things Ive had to deal with. Mostly because when i am having a bad day i cant just ''get off the train ''.lol. Discipline has not been one of my strongest points for many years now. Im 66, learning that i have to be renewed in my mind regarding food. Also, im finding that whats equally as important is that i have to change how i feel about myself. I know it will all come together.. its going to take some time though. Meantime the results have been just staggering as far as my health is concerned. More than id ever expected, especially so quickly after surgery. This has been an awesome boost for me. i think that was meant to be to encourage me. All in all?? yes, i would have it done again... a thousand times over. Nothing else was going to force me to confront my ''demons'' thats for sure.

Hi, well I was sleeved in Tijuana, Mexico in late August, 2015 by Dr. Maytorena. I was picked up from my San Diego Hotel and was able to meet everyone being sleeved that day. There was 3 of us and I think it was great as we each had something to offer the other in way on info, support, etc. 2 of us traveled on our own and the third person had a relative that had the surgery less than 10 months prior and was down 200 pounds! All of our surgery's went fine. We went to a recovery house that was nice and we each had our own room with personal A/C control by remote. I just wanted to write this quick note as I think it is helpful to others. I don't plan to update as I'm not a computer person. I'm six weeks out and down about 32 pounds. my BMI was 40 at time of surgery and I'm very happy with results. I have taken it easy and followed the diet that most sleeve doctors recommend. I have also attended two bariatric group meetings that I found hosted by hosptials in my town. My surgery took place at a surgery center. I was the first to have my surgery that day and liked that as I'm in the medical field. All in all just wanted to put this info out there for anyone looking at Dr. Maytorena. I didn't want to put anything online till I spoke with the other 2 people and things are going will for them. Wishing everyone a great success with what ever than plan in life. Dr. Maytorena's August 2015 patient.

Hey guys for those of you in AZ PHx area there is a Facebook support group page called Phx Area Bariatric Support Group, you can search for it on Facebook and request to join, it's a great group with lots of tips, support and we ha e monthly walks etc , Hope to see you all soon

I've never joined a closed group so I thought it would show up on my profile - I don't mind joining if that's the case then. Though, I can't find a group titled 'Bariatric Surgeries 2016' on there, lol. Do you have to do a liquid diet before surgery? I just had a healthy Protein diet for two weeks pre-op so I wasn't very inconvenienced - it was afterwards that was a bugger, but I mostly stayed at home for those two weeks! You'll want to make sure it's a "secret" group, not just "closed". See screenshot As for your flight, looks like you've gotten some great advice. Have an awesome trip!

I first checked my healthy insurance plan to see who was In-Network. Once I found out which facility/which groups of doctors were, I actually went out on the internet and bought the background documents about the different doctors I was considering to know where they graduated, where they interned, any issues reported to the board etc. Then I checked who was a member of the American Bariatric Surgeons Then I checked with others on this website who had surgery by the same doctors. All combined, I felt I had alot of information to make my decision.

Hi Onnie67. I, too, am scheduled on Friday, 6/27! I would LOVE to have some online buddies to go through this process together! I'm nervous about it but just went through a 5 hour education class through the Bariatric Center and it put a lot of my fears at ease. Still anxious about it though. I've never had any type of surgery before! TTYS!