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Overall using Blossom was a great experience. They really took care of you. Having drivers pick you up for all apts took the stress out of allot of the process. Everything was discussed with you (also watch their videos) and there were no surprises. Surgery day is the worst. Walking that day really helps. Also, take the medication they give you if you need it. They give you a bag with all of the items you will need for after the surgery. My biggest worry was my five hour flight home and then a 2 hour car ride. For me, I had no big issues. I just took my time. Each day you feel a little better. I choose Blossom because I would not qualify for bariatric surgery thru my insurance. My BMI was 35. I am 10 weeks post op now and down a total of 40 lbs since I started my pre-op diet. It is crazy to think I have lost that much weight and I am not hungry. Let me know if you have any addtional questions.

Sorry if this is hard to understand, I am in actual tears and I just don’t know what to do. I desperately need advice or comfort or just something from people who may understand what I am going through and maybe know why I am feeling this way. My mom and I had the bariatric sleeve surgery done 2 weeks ago and the experience with her that I have had has been mostly miserable and upsetting. I am extremely obese and have always had a very difficult time keeping the weight off. Long story short I went for a doctors visit and my doctor recommended that I get the bariatric sleeve to help me, since with certain medical issues such as PCOS it can be hard to lose the weight without help. My mother begged me to do it and said that she wanted me to be able to live past her and my dad, and then she went and said that she would do it with me. Now, to some this would seem like a thing of encouragement, and while I do believe that may be part of it, I truly do not believe that that is the true underlying reason. You see, my mom is an alcoholic (she is viciously mean when she is drunk), and I believe that she is very self-absorbed. Not in the way that she thinks she is the greatest thing to walk the planet, but in the way that she always needs to be the center of attention. We haven’t always had the best relationship, as she has said and done many things that have really hurt me, and every time that we have tried to talk about these issues (when she wasn’t drunk) she always has some excuse, or blames everything on her past trauma, or how she just wants to let loose and have fun. A spitting example is how she once told me when she was drunk that she was just wanting to let loose, since she lost some of her twenties -aka the party years- due to having me. Almost every hurtful thing and word that she has said has stuck with me for a long time, and when my family tried to go to family therapy, my mom decided to stop since the therapist “kept saying that everything was her fault.” Another key thing is that she is also overweight, but not nearly as big as me, and she has tried hundreds of diets and pills and has never stuck to any of them for very long. Anyway, I tell you all of this so that maybe you understand why I think she mostly wanted me to do the surgery since I am clearly at more of a health risk and part of her wouldn’t feel right doing it without me. This of course could all be in my head. So no, on to the real problem at hand. Ever since we have been released from the hospital she has not been doing well -I am a college student and came home for the recovery process but plan to move back to campus as soon as possible. At first it was just minor things that bugged me a little bit, such as every time a food commercial came on the television, she would moan about how the food looks so good and yadda yadda. This was minor, but it still bugged me since I too had gone through the surgery and did not need to hear her constant moaning about how good something looked on the tv. This coupled with the constants complaining about how much she was hurt, and how much she hates the blood thinner shots that we must give ourselves, slowly started to drive me up the walls. I HATE needles, but just recently I have been able to give blood and receive shots without crying, while she has literally been fine and delt with needles for years, but all the sudden she claims that she hates needles (which I mean who doesn’t, but come on). After I got annoyed enough, I watched her do the shot and saw that she had been doing it in a way other than the nurses had showed us, and when I tried to point it out to her, she waved me off and said that she was doing it the way that she was showed. Another thing with her complaining about her constant pain. The first night we got home, - 2 days post op- we both slept on the recliner couch. The next night she tried to sleep in bed, even though I had warned her against it. She tried for a few days, each day complaining about pain, while I suggested that she try sleeping on the couch again. I sleep on our recliner couch for nearly the two whole weeks that we have been home. I have finally been able to sleep in bed for the past two nights, and my pain is almost gone, while she claims to still have pretty bad pain. And guess where she has been sleeping the past few days. The couch. Now comes the parts that have really been getting to me. She has not been following the diet plan that our Doctor gave us. First it was her not drinking enough fluid, which I constantly had to tell her to do. Then, it was the incident that occurred a few days ago. Our doctor has us on full liquids right now, which consists of things like sugar free pudding, low-fat yogurt, chicken broth, and instant mashed potatoes. Well, a few days ago she went to the store with my brother, I cannot remember why I did not go, but I did not. When she came home, I went into the kitchen and saw a bag of open potato wedges and I instantly knew that she had some. So, I went and asked her, and she said that she did and that she made sure to chew them up well and that her stomach tolerated them just fine. Then I found the little foil covering of sour cream and knew that she had some of that as well. And while sure, potatoes mashed in your mouth is similar to mashed potatoes, the things that get me are: 1. They’re fried, which is an absolute no no as of right now, and 2. They aren’t on our list of approved foods so why even chance it. Anyway, I tried to move past that one and dropped it. Then tonight came. My mom made my dad and brother biscuits and gravy and eggs for dinner. I had some of the scrambled eggs because those have been approved by our doctor, and apparently, she had more than just eggs. Then, just a few moments ago, she came into the living room with a small bowl of chili. We are not supposed to be having chili for another day. And again, I understand that its only one day, but that fact that she cannot follow simple doctors’ orders has driven me mad. Now here’s the real kicker. Not only did she have the chili before she was technically allowed to; she put Fritos Scoops chips in it. Now I know for sure that we are NOT supposed to be having those. And then the smell of it and the anger drove me crazy, and I excused myself from the room, claiming that I had to go charge my phone. Well, after I did not return for a few minutes she came looking for me and knew I was upset. I told her I didn’t want to talk about it and that it didn’t matter -I said this because my opinions and feelings have never ever felt like they mattered to her, especially when we are in conflict. She came and sat down and kept pushing asking me why I was mad and said things like “so you’re mad because I had chili one day early?” and then she used the, “I have already lost weight” which I replied I wasn’t talking about her weight and that didn’t matter. She also said that it should not matter since she didn’t make me eat it. I then told her I didn’t want to talk about it now and she finally left. I know that I shouldn’t worry about it, and that I should just focus on myself, but it kind of feels undermining to me. She did not need this surgery as much as I did, but even still I feel like she doesn’t really care or understand how much effort this is. I honestly believe that she thinks she just going to get skinny and not have to do anything. She doesn’t exercise and clearly, she doesn’t have the willpower to not eat something if it looks or smells good, not to mention that fact that she never watched the hour long lecture the doctor wanted us to watch and just asked me what it was about and told me that she would watch it that night at work. Heck, she didn’t even know what the bariatric sleeve surgery really even was until a few days before the surgery when I mentioned that part of our stomach was going to be removed. I am just getting really upset at this point and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to have to lie to the doctor or listen to her lie to the doctor again -she has lied about her alcoholism, tobacco usage, and what she has been eating before the surgery- when we have our first post-op appointment. And I don’t even want to bring these things up to her, because she gets very combative when she gets defensive and is never able to see things past her own perspective. My dad says that it wasn’t me who needed her support in this, but that he thinks she needed mine, but at this point I don’t even know what to do. How am I supposed to support her when she cant even follow simple rules and restrain herself from eating things that she is not supposed to be eating? How am I supposed to look at that and make my own progress when she is making it seem like its fine to just go back to eating whatever I want whenever -which I know is not true. I know I have more willpower and restraint than she does; that fact has been made abundantly clear to me. I am just at a loss. I know her surgery is going to be pointless and she is going to complain when she plateaus or even gains the weight back. How do I keep myself from getting so upset over this? Am I just crazy? Am I acting selfishly? Please help. I am sure I did not include some of the information or things that have happened, but I know this has already been a lot to read.

I think in my program book it says that taking a fiber supplement is okay did you try reaching out to your bariatric nurse To see what she suggests? Diarrhea on top of healing ugh. Hope you feel better

I had the sleeve, not the bypass so this may or may not help, but... I had also had multiple abdominal surgeries prior to my bariatric surgery. My surgeon did say the surgery took him a little longer than usual due to adhesions and scar tissue, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. I haven't had any major complications either. I know everyone is different, but that's how it went for me. ☺️

^^^^^^^^^^^ THIIIIIIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I have been big my entire life and i've tried EVERYTHING and was afraid that bariatric surgery would be the same way. So far, this is working the best for me (bypassed in July) and I feel more confident with this than I did with anything else. Sometimes our minds are our own worst enemy.

My biggest fears are: 1. Dying- I am the breadwinner for my family, have two young children, and two elderly parents with dementia I take care of. I need to be here because there are a lot of people counting on me for pretty much everything. 2. It not working- I feel like I hear so many horror stories of it not working, or people losing only a small amount of weight before nothing happening. I know it generally works, but you can’t help but be concerned that you might go through all this for nothing. 3. Regain. This is not my first rodeo with weight loss. Over 10 years ago I lost 150 lbs (without surgery) and had an amazing experience being “thin” for the first time in my life with all the accolades, pride, etc that comes with it. Only to gain it all back plus a lot more. I am doing everything I can to try to make this time different but I’ve done it to myself before and I’m terrified I’ll do it again. 4. My freaking insurance finding some dumb loophole to deny my surgery that they submitted for last week! Or Covid causing elective surgeries to be cancelled again and my husband losing his job that has the Bariatric coverage medical insurance before they resume surgery. Or basically some new reason that I get denied after so many years trying to make this work. 5. Complications: a leak, chronic issues, being nauseous forever, a clot, having to have the surgery revised later due to gerd, or any other issues that I can think of. So basically what are my greatest fears? Everything, it looks like. Ha!

I see - very interesting. Soda wasn't a big issue for me as I've always preferred flat drinks, so I never questioned my bariatric team's prohibition on it. Good to know it's not quite as bad as they made it sound, LOL.

For Ontario, the requirements are one of either: BMI of 40+, or... BMI of 35+ with 2 documented co-morbidities (i.e., diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc) If you qualify, your PCP has to refer you to the Ontario Bariatric Network, and if they approve you, its all pretty straightforward from there. In Ontario, it takes about 8-12 months from date of refferal to surgery (if attend all your appointments) Check out the OBN's website for more info: https://www.ontariobariatricnetwork.ca/ (or ask your PCP) Good Luck!

I had two major fears: 1. I would have some sort of serious complication. For some reason, people delight in telling you horror stories once they know you are having bariatric surgery and all that gave me anxiety. 2. I was afraid it wouldn't work. I don't know why, I just wasn't confident that the surgery would be effective for me. As it turned out, both fears were unnecessary. I had no major issues with surgery and I'm happy with my results so far. 🙂 And now I get to be a counter-example for all those horror stories, LOL.

Yeah, I had a similar issue and I found a brand I could tolerate (Evolve in my case). I ran it past my bariatric team, they reviewed the nutritional info and gave me the thumbs up. So if there's something that works for you and has about the same macro values, they might be fine with it.

VSG - 3+ yrs ago so slightly different than what maybe happening this year: I called the local Bariatric Surgery practice to inquire about how to start the process and was told to attend an in person seminar where all of the information would be discussed After the seminar I called to set up an appointment with the surgeon. At the appointment my insurance was processed, weight taken then official first meeting with the surgeon where we discussed my health & medical history as well as my options. I chose to move forward with surgery ASAP. The head nurse/office manager set up my first nutritionist appointment for the same day because the NUT was available right after my consult. I was given info on the diet I needed to begin to follow (I needed to meet just once or twice more with the NUT prior to surgery for more instructions and weigh ins). At checkout from the initial consult, I was handed a huge packet of info on the next steps/appointments. There were some the office set up and some I needed to do on my own. I needed to meet with my primary for insurance authorization & prior weight loss history. Next was the psychologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist , sleep study, and my neurologist (case specific) Final steps were endoscopy and barium swallow test then the final required WLS seminar. Once it was all complete, all materials were submitted and I waited for insurance approval. Once approval arrived I was given options on surgery dates. Prior to surgery I needed to complete pre-op lab/paper work including meeting with the anesthesiologist about 1 week before surgery. No pre-op diet required but I did one for ~ 5 days because I was nervous. Day of surgery (5 am) was just more paperwork then briefly meeting with the team one more time. Administered light sedation then headed into the OR suite, met the surgerical team, placed on surgerical table, wired with monitors/leads, IV placed and then placed under general anesthesia. From initial call to surgery day ~4 months. *Revision to RNY (1+ yr ago): At one of my regular follow up appointments I told my AMAZING Surgical PA that my GERD symptoms had increased significantly. I was scheduled to see the new Surgeon immediately (original one left the practice). At the appointment with my new Surgeon it was suggested to conduct an endoscopy immediately. It was scheduled for the same week. My new Surgeon conducted the endoscopy to have first hand info on my anatomy since they were not the original Surgeon. A few days later we met again to discuss my options (revision or several months of repeated balloon dilatations) I choose revision and was scheduled for 12 days later. Please note that I was "fast tracked" and I didn't need to repeat any of the initial prerequisites because I was at goal weight and demonstrated significant need for the procedure. No insurance issues either for the same reasons. But this time I had to do the 2 week pre-op diet. The day of revision surgery the same as first surgery. Good Luck with your journey ❤️

I had to attend a virtual seminar, and then I had an appointment with the bariatric surgeon. When I went to that appointment, I also met with the patient navigator, who gave me a checklist of everything I had to complete prior to surgery. This was dictated partly by my surgeon and partly by my insurance, and it varies from one patient to the next (they had a long list of requirements and marked off the ones I needed to complete). The items I had to complete included: Three months of medically supervised weight loss with my PCP (one appointment per month for three months) Preliminary bloodwork (they let me do that with my PCP) My preliminary bloodwork showed thyroid issues, so I also had to go to an endocrinologist and get an ultrasound of my thyroid Upper GI (barium swallow test) Nutrition consultation with the bariatric nutritionist at my surgeon's practice (this is usually done in person, but I did it over the phone due to COVID) Psychological evaluation (one appointment in person, which included some tests and an interview, and a follow-up appointment by videoconference due to COVID) Group nutrition class (virtual class due to COVID) Group consent class (virtual class due to COVID) Pre-surgery appointment with the surgeon a week before surgery COVID test Pre-surgery testing (EKG and bloodwork), which is normally done prior to surgery day, but due to COVID, it was done on surgery day

Hello all! I have made the decision to undergo WLS (sleeve) and will be formally beginning "the process" today, when I meet with my to-be surgeon for the first time. To my understanding, everyone's process is different, based on their insurance and/or payment schedule. As of right now, I had to partake in a virtual seminar held by my chosen bariatric doctor. I will be meeting with him in person. Afterwards, nutritionist and psych appointments will be made. Can anyone and everyone, able and willing to, give me a description of what their process looked like so I have an idea of what to look forward to? Thank you! (AND I apologize if a thread like this already exists)

Hey all! New here, just wondering if anyone has any experience with dr. Louisiana valenzuela? From what I can see, she seems to have a great record and she’s actually had the gastric sleeve herself. There’s an extra layer of added comfort there for me, for some reason. (:

My favorite is the BariatricPal brand (the same thing is also sold on Amazon as Bariwise, New York Bariatric Group, etc.), but now I buy the Proti-Diet canister on Amazon because it’s cheaper per serving.

Thanks so much for the link! Interestingly, I have already seen it. I had to google almost all the medical jargon .lol I don't have time right now to find the links to the sources I found. I do know that one of the sources was the Mayo Clinic and maybe Jama??? The findings in these sources were for all bariatric surgeries, not only Sleeve, so that is important to note. I, in no way, want people to think I am negative about the sleeve surgery. I completely understand that my brother's diagnosis is probably ALs, but what does it hurt to investigate all avenues??

First, whenever we see some reference to "WLS patients" in either the general media or even the general medical media. it is (unless specificallyl stated to the contrary) invariably referring to the RNY gastric bypass, as that has been the most common, and most commonly studied, WLS procedure over the past 30-40 years. Even most doctors (non-bariatric) whom we may consult over time will often confuse the procedures, or lump them all together as "the bypass". Something to keep in mind in later years if some doc suggests that "I can't prescribe that for you because of your WLS..." Ask questions and verify if that really applies to you. The RNY imposes a number of limitations that don't apply to other procedures. Aa few years ago we did discuss in our support group (in full HIPAA compliance) a patient of theirs who, after consults with many different types of doctors, had been diagnosed with ALS. As it turned out, after going back and consulting with the bariatric practice (as he had not done in years) it was found to be one of those nutritional problems that you mentioned. This patient, in his 70's if not 80's by then, had a Duodenal Switch, which is more malabsorbing than an RNY, and also somewhat fussier when it comes to supplementing, nutrition and lab follow up. This guy had not done his labs in several years, so things had skewed out on him. Once they got his supplements and nutrition in order, he was fine. The lesson here was that it was (is) imperative, particularly with these malabsorbing procedures, to stay on top of lab follow ups, as weird things can happen. Given that the RNY is also malabsorbing to a somewhat lesser degree, but much more common, I would expect that the medical field would see some of these problems in a population that may be fairly casual about following up on their health. I could certainly buy that there is some association over time with some increase in some of these symptoms owing to odd nutritional problems As to your brother with his sleeve, one of the reasons that many prefer the VSG is that there is no malabsorption, and is much more forgiving - less supplementing need, and hence less intensive follow up requirements -than the malabsorbing procedures. Further, the problem that the above patient had manifested itself over years of neglect, rather than a few months of normal WLS recovery, so I don't see that this is a likely situation for your brother; as above, it is likely simple coincidence. As with taking your car in for service and it breaks down a few days later - there is always a suspicion that they did something there - yet sometimes it is indeed simple coincidence. It looks like you are doing all the right things as far as second (and third, fourth, etc.) opinions, and this is vital when we get into situations that are beyond the normal. Another possible consult may be Dr. Ara Keshishian, also in the LA area, who is long experienced with sleeves and the DS; he may have run across something like this if there is any real connection to find. He does a lot of distance consults for revisions, so if distance is a problem, an initial consult can usually be done by phone/email/skype. All the hope in finding a good outcome,

No I haven’t tried those!! I’m checking out the bariatric store now. I’m definitely in the mood for something with a different flavor. Thanks so much for the recommendations.

Popcorn is a well-known “slider food” for bariatric patients because it slides through the pouch without making you feel full. That’s why it’s so important to eat the things of which you can only eat three bites and then have to stop (mainly lean protein and veggies). Eat the foods that fill you up so you’re not hungry for a whole bag of popcorn.

I had gastric bypass 3 months ago. I had really hoped to be the kind of person who never felt hungry, and could go half the day without remembering to eat. That hasn’t been the case. I’m hungry every couple hours, and on top of that, I don’t always feel my restriction when I’m eating. Sometimes, I’ll eat 3 bites of something and know I have to stop. I wish that happened more often, because other times I don’t feel it at all. For example, I just ate almost a whole bag of popcorn, and I feel just fine. Physically, not mentally. Mentally I’m feeling mad at myself for doing that instead of eating some chicken. Mentally, I’m worrying that the way I was in the past is going to win out and my surgery will be a failure. I’m terrified that my “last resort” won’t get me where I want to be. I guess I’m just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or any tips. I do know I should be sticking to a Bariatric diet, and I’m working on that. Just had a moment of weakness.

I wouldn't describe you as a "failed gastric sleeve", you lost 84 pounds! I know how frustrating it is to have to take medication that promotes weight gain, it happened to me with Prednisone. My condition was life-threatening, so I had no choice but to take it. Fortunately, in my case, I didn't have to take it for long and the side effects dissipated pretty promptly once I got off it. You didn't say how long you have been off the medication that caused the problem - is it possible that it is still affecting you? If your bariatric team is not knowlegeable about that particular medication, they may not know what to tell you. Have you tried going back to the doctor that prescribed it? He/She may know better how to manage the after-effects of taking that med. Also, have you googled it? You'd be surprised at how much information there is out there from patients sharing their experiences. For example, I learned online that limiting sodium intake is particularly helpful for mitigating Prednisone weight gain and that helped me a lot. There may be info out there about your particular med as well. I had my surgery right around the same time you did and I'm only up to about 800 calories per day. Maybe try cutting your calories a little more? Also, I'm sensitive to refined carbs, so even if I eat a low calorie diet, my weight loss will stall if my carbs are too high. I generally keep my carbs below 50 per day. I do a 30 minute walk almost every day and strength training three times a week (nothing too crazy, I have a nice beginner's low-impact full-body workout with dumbbells). I found the routine on YouTube and I chose it because it's something short that I can do consistently. The strength training really helped me to keep losing as I added a bit more muscle mass. I started with this routine and then added a little more to it over time: Anyway, don't think of yourself as a failure, life happens. Sorry you ran into this obstacle and hope you are able to get back on track soon. Keep your head up!

Sounds like my pre-op was the same as yours. 14 days of Bariatric Advantage HPMR of 3.5 shakes per day. I also struggled with the texture. I had the vanilla flavor and mixed the powder in 16 oz crystal light lemonade with lots of ice. To me, it is worse with any milk or alternative milk products. That is basically what got me through, lemonade. I tried different flavors of crystal light with it, but liked the lemonade the best. I have one bag of the shake mix left post op and am forcing myself to use it up since it is so expensive. I could not tolerate any protein shakes immediately post op, but drink at least one per day now, at 3.5 months out. Can’t say I enjoy them, but they do get the job done. Hang in there! You are almost to the losers bench! ps. It is still disgusting with the lemonade, but a slightly lower level of disgusting. 😂 Just power through this.

I believe every Bariatric program/surgeon is different but my doctor did prescribe them. Never thought I would be able to do it on my own because I hate needles but I had a great nurse when I was in the hospital and she helped me get comfortable with it (or as comfortable as humanly possible Lol) The injections are a blood thinner that helps yo prevent clotting. If you are active that is a huge help to prevent clotting as well. The waist trainer helped me too. I haven't been wearing it lately but I use it when I go for walks.

I am pre-op. My surgery is 10/26. They gave mr the bariatric advantage high protein meal replacement powders. I'm to drink four a day. It's partially taste, partially consistency but I'm barely choking one a day down. I have a bunch of premier protein shakes of various flavors ready to go for after surgery. I like them. I just don't know how I'm going to get through the next 8 days. Sent from my Pixel 2 using BariatricPal mobile app

This is a shot in the dark , but I am reaching out to see if anyone else has had or heard of this: About a year ago, my brother had the sleeve surgery and started dropping weight super fast. He was doing great, but after about 6 months, he started to develop a foot drag/drop and difficulty grasping things with his right hand. He didn't think much of it, but soon after, he started falling down/tripping (hard). He fell out of the blue in the kitchen and chipped his front tooth, and he also fell in the drive way on his way to get the mail (causing a concussion). He went to his primary doctor who ran a bunch of tests. His doctor couldn't find anything out of the ordinary from the tests, so he sent my brother to a neurologist. The Neurologist ran a whole bunch more tests and still nothing. Finally, my brother was sent to a major hospital in Los Angeles because his symptoms continued to progress. After several more test and comparing results with prior test results, it was revealed that he has motor neuron disease. The type he has been diagnosed with is ALS (the worst of all the MND's). Immediately after his diagnosis, we began doing research into other possible illnesses that mimic ALS (if you're not familiar, its the ice bucket challenge disease that has no cure), and we found some vitamin deficiencies that cause the same symptoms. Armed with this new information, my brother headed to the Mayo clinic in Minn. to see if he had been misdiagnosed and get a second opinion. Within the first 30 min. of his visit with the specialist, he was confirmed to have ALS without having anymore testing. I guess I am writing this in the slim chance that someone else has had this happen to them, and if there is any helpful advice as to how to find a doctor who will look into alternative options. It just seems so fishy that he was perfectly healthy before surgery, and within a year he has been given a death sentence! We have read many studies on the (small) connection between bariatric surgery and neurological disorders. If anyone knows any helpful info, we would love to hear from you...thanks so much for reading my post.