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Hi all, I am having my lapband removed after 11 years for acid re-flux issues while sleeping, my GI and my Bariatric Doc both recommend Gastric Bypass because of the sleeve issues with reflux but I am so afraid of dumping and the side effects. My mom had bypass over 10 years ago and still has to go to the bathroom for LONG periods of time after almost every meal. After being on lapband and experiencing the purge, I don't ever want to deal with ANOTHER embarrassing side effect, and my reflux issues now are exacerbated by my lapband so once that is out, I am hoping the reflux will not get worse. I am at 195lbs and still want to lose 30 lbs or so. How bad is dumping for regular people? How bad is the reflux for those on the sleeve, I really need to decide, all thoughts are appreciated.

I got banded on 8-1-12. I understand your excitement and nervousness about the insurance. I have been trying off and on for 20 years to get some kind of bariatric surgery. I found out in April that the Cigna my company paid for this year would cover it. So I was in a crunch to get the approval and all the testing and jump through all of the hoops before they changed it again the end of August! haha. But its mine now and they can't take it away from me!!! The surgery went great, but then if you want this and need this as badly as I did, anything short of excruciating pain would be worth it!!! I am only 4 days post op and I can feel the differences already. My skin feels looser and my face looks different already. I have to lose 170 lbs to reach my goal weight. I feel better already. Good luck on your surgery, keep us updated. I'm so excited for you!

thanks to everyone for their replies and input. my dr has not done any ds (which the first part is the sleeve). so his 6 sleeves done is all hes done. i definitely have had many conversations with him about the procedure and my concerns, and i am confident in his ability as a surgeon or i wouldnt of chosen him. of course i would of wished he had done more sleeves, but out of the insurance list i had to chose from (about 25 drs), only a handful had done sleeves at all. and as i stated, my dr had the most of anyone on that list with 6. i actually didnt chose him because of his 6 sleeves done, but i chose him because he seemed the most qualifed surgeon on the list out of the ones who had done sleeves with 100's of rny's and lapbands. and also he is working out of a well known ny hospital recognized for their excellence in bariatrics. the hospital, st lukes hospital in ny is also a major research center on bariatrics surgery too. i feel like im in good hands, and honestly, i couldnt afford to self pay right now, at least not in the states. so im kind of locked in to trying to find the best option that my insurance will cover. if i had to self pay, i would probably go to mexico to dr aceves as he seems to be very qualified as a surgeon and the price for going out of the u.s. makes a big difference. ill keep hoping for the best and hopefully it will all turn out ok. my first big step is meeting with my dr on june 30 (only 12 days away) and thats my final visit before he submits everything to the insurance. take care everyone and thanks again.

Hi Lou. I read your story and you've really been through the ringer. I know I wouldn't be able to afford this surgery out-of-pocket, but 6 sleeves does not make for a good experience level. I know that a lot of people on this site go far away (Mexico etc...) for their surgeries. I would not want to be so far away from my surgeon. I'm lucky to have an experienced local surgeon who accepts my insurance- a sort of trifecta. It appears that you may need to give up one of those 3 things- insurance coverage, proximity, or experience. That's a really tough call that I don't envy. One thought is this: ask your surgeon who trained him in VSG, and ask if that doctor would be willing to be present in the OR. Also, ask your surgeon detailed questions about his technique, such as: size of bougie, method of closure (my bariatric practice has had zero instances of leaks b/c they over-sew the staple line, and then glue on top of that), etc... Ask if you can talk with other patients (do they run an ongoing support group?). Ask if they do a pre-op liquid diet (a responsible and conservative approach that reduces liver size and density, and evaluates patient ability and commitment to following critical liquid post-op diet). It's nice to have a surgeon with a good long successful track record in a procedure, but on the other hand, he's doesn't sound new at all to bariatric surgery, and VSG is less complicated than bypass. Just don't be afraid to ask ask ask. It's your body and your right. Good luck with this tough decision and hang in there!

Hi everyone. I just joined the forum because I'm going out of my mind thinking about my upcoming surgery. I have been looking into weight loss surgery for the better part of eight years, with every issue life can throw at me popping up along the way. Then, all of a sudden, in the space of two or so months, every roadblock seems to fall away, and the team at the University of Chicago has offered me a date in less than two weeks for the DS procedure. I am such a combination of excited and scared, motivated and freaking out! It's hard to describe, but I know many of you have experienced the same thing. I am having weight loss surgery because I would like to avoid the many problems lurking around in my gene pool (diabetes, MS, blindness, etc.) and I would like to live a long and happy life. But I feel like I had convinced myself that it would never happen, and now that it is happening so fast, it's so thrilling and scary at the same time! I'd love it if any of you could share any stories you might have relating to your pre-surgery experience. I'd also appreciate any advice. I've got all my vitamins ordered (from Bariatric Advantage) and I've got all of my pre-op requirements done as well.

This support group is for the KC area LGBT community offer support bariatric surgery patients. This is a safe place to share motivation, encouragement, recipes, and exercise tips. kclgbtbariatric@yahoo.com . We’re on FACEBOOK! 2-20-10 11:00am to 12:30pm Meeting place: Antioch Library 8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway Merriam, Kan. 66202

So, I'm in my 9th week, and I noticed I'm eating about 6 oz a meal. I wrote my NUT and she told me 4 meals at 6 oz a day. No snacking, nothing else. I have been seeing another nutritionist (not a bariatric specialist, but still very good..), and she tells me I have to have SOME kind of snack in between...mainly to keep blood sugar stable (I'm not diabetic, but still...). I find I still get hungry after about an hour of my meals. Now, I'm afraid to eat anything else! I've been stalled at the same weight for about 2 weeks, and I don't know if that is why, or if it's just typical stall... Is there anyone else who feels this way? I feel like I'm eating so much and that I'm much more hungry than most Please tell me I'm not alone?

Tshine01 I'm just curious where you are at now. Has a date been set yet for your surgery? Are you still going strong with your pre surgery plan? Talk to us lady! I hope and pray all is well with you. Don't you dare lose your resolve during this long wait! My conspiracy theorist part of me can't help but wonder if insurance companies torture bariatric patients with this long wait hoping they'll give up the dream of normal weight. Don'tcha dare do it!

Hello Everyone - I'm one year 3 months post op, and I've probably had depression most of my life. I've never tried any medication to deal with my depression, just "suffered through it" most of my life. I decided recently that enough is enough and informed my PCP that I wanted to try meds. She prescribed Prozac. Anyone have any experiences post-op dealing with Prozac or any other antidepressants? I know most people are looking to come off meds after bariatric surgery - not go ON them.

I love love Bariatric Advantage's calcium citrate chews ..lemon and chocolate are my faves.

Any other bakers out there? Have any healthy recipes to share? Have any tips or tricks to turn your favorite recipes into healthier, bariatric-friendly goodness? I went Apple picking yesterday and made a big batch of Apple cinnamon bread and banana bread yesterday. Looking for more recipes. Dinners too! We only eat chicken, tuna or turkey, and get bored of the same recipes.

This isn't a site, but a booklet, but I like it: http://www.muhealth.org/documents/bariatric/Bariatric%20Booklet%20VSG.pdf OP, what are some of the best you've come across?

It sounds like you are at the front end of the process so I will discuss the steps along the way from my experience. I attended an introductory seminar at a hospital that specialized in bariatric surgery. In this seminar, the various types of surgery were discussed, I underwent an initial screening, I met with the surgeon and selected the surgery, and I met with the liaisons on insurance. Insurance is an important consideration for this type of surgery. My insurance required that I undergo a 6 month medically supervised weight loss and exercise program in order to qualify. So I began this program. I underwent a mandatory psychological review to see if I would qualify. Many of the weight loss problems have a psychological component to them. I began attending free bariatric surgery support group meetings once per month. I began to diet and exercise on a daily program. I went cold turkey on caffeine and carbonated beverages. I had been on a 6 diet-coke per day habit for many decades. I went through a week of terrible withdrawal syndromes after I went cold turkey. After 6 months my insurance indicated that I qualified for the surgery. I underwent a one day pre-op physical exam to uncover any physical problems that might endanger my operation or recovery. These uncovered a few problems, so I underwent a second round of pre-op exams with specialist in their respective fields to resolve these issues. I attended a one-day training session that went into fine detail about the surgery, the vitamin/protein/fluid/meal volume allocation after surgery. I underwent a RNY gastric bypass operation 17 months ago. I lost 110 pounds. I am now at 150 pounds. My diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, frequent urination problems, profuse sweating have all gone into remission. In clothes, I went from a size 3X in shirts down to a size small. In pants, I went from a size 46 down to a size 33.

If you have history of gallstones and gallbladder attack I would highly recommend to remove it at the same time. If this isn't the case, there's a 50-50% chance to develop gallbladder symptoms in the future after any Bariatric procedure! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Do not blame your food cravings on emotional issues, Bostonmama. A good non-surgeon bariatric specialist can evaluate to see if medications or surgery revision is needed. Please do not beat yourself up for the cravings. Your struggles may be as much physiological as psychological and can be addressed by the right medical specialist. Yes, see a nutritionist and psychologist but there are a lot of experienced, talented obesity specialist medical doctors in the Boston area.

I don't have any specific advice re "I eat when the kids are too much for me to handle." However, I do think a good cognitive behavioral therapist could help you identify some DIFFERENT ways to respond to that situation. And I do think that cognitive behavioral therapy would be good for you, since you already know that your NUT's 800 calories and no more comments generated some very negative feelings about yourself that you haven't shaken yet. 800 calories, no more, huh? Maybe you'd like to know that eating 800 calories a day and no more is NOT how I lost my weight. My bariatric P.A. told me this instead: After four months, of eating 800 calories/day (which is pretty much all I could eat in those early days post-op), she said: "I want you to get up to 1,000 calories/day before you're six months post-op. And then I want you to get up to 1,200 calories/day before you're at eight months post-op. That way, you will avoid teaching your body how to survive on so few calories you'll have a hard time maintaining your weight long-term." So I did. And by the time 8.5 months post-op rolled around, I'd hit my weight goal of 150 pounds. In the last five months I've gone on to lose another 10 pounds and am now holding steady at 140 pounds. And I now eat an average of 1,700 calories/day. On rare days, I eat only 1,200 calories or go up to 3,000 calories (only twice). But mostly it's 1600-1800 calories. However, please know that most of those calories (while I was losing and now that I'm maintaining) come from highly nutritious foods -- 80-100 grams of Protein (from animal, dairy, plant sources), at least 5 colored veggies and fruits, whole grains (like whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice), 21-30 grams of Fiber, and at or under the recommended sodium levels, etc. I try to walk or exercise daily. I don't have small kids, but my lifestyle is much more active than it once was. I drink 64 ounces of Water and other liquids daily. So why not ditch that stinkin' thinkin' you have been stuck in and recommit yourself to doing all the things you know you need to do. I will add that since I've been in maintenance I do have some treats (wine and dark chocolate, mostly). But those were very, very rare when I was still losing. Since you're not at maintenance yet and want to lose more weight, I would clean the cabinets and get rid of all the things that tempt you. One final bit of advice: The eating we do after WLS is not just to lose weight -- it's to rebuild our health and sustain our physical and mental energy for a lifetime of normal weight and good health. Be good to your body and your mind. Give them both the nutrition they are craving. You know you want this. You can do this. Just do it.

I went to a seminar yesterday and I really want to do this!!! I am in VA and would be using a Dr. Stelmack. He is board certified and a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. I feel good about his presentation but I wonder if I will pass muster when all the test start. I had brest cancer in 2002. I had a masectomy, chemo, radiation, and reconstruction. My insurance is military and I did read that they cover the surgery but tomorrow will be the real test when I try to get confirmation. I am expecting a lot from you guys because I know I'll need help and encourgement. The Avon Breast Boards were my rock, so get ready me.:biggrin:

My only regret is going with the bariatric Dr we chose.

My Surgery is going to be at Johns Hopkins Bariatrics at Bayview that's on Eastern ave Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Hopefully the process isn't long I have Medicaid and have to do weight management classes first Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have an AMAZING surgical group if Princeton is ok with you? This is her profile: https://www.zocdoc.com/hospitals/princetonbariatric/doctor/yelizaveta-dobruskin-md-161618?LocIdent=80801&reason_visit=-1&insuranceCarrier=-1&insurancePlan=-1 This is the group: http://www.princetonhcs.org/phcs-home/what-we-do/university-medical-center-of-princeton-at-plainsboro/what-we-do/clinical-centers-for-care/institute-for-surgical-care/the-center-for-bariatric-surgery--metabolic-medicine.aspx

looks like the standard BMI range. The PA at my clinic said bariatric patients often look 10 lbs lighter than they are because even though we lose bone and muscle along with fat, you're always going to have more bone and muscle than someone who's never been obese. You needed that "infrastructure" to hold up all that weight - and even though you lose a lot of it while you're losing fat, you're still going to have more/heavier bones and muscles than someone who's always been normal weight. So long way of saying, my clinic is fine with people who end up "overweight" or "class I obese" (which is actually not very obese - we're talking like 20 or 30 lbs). They'd consider that pretty normal.

You are so right. Today I have been working in renewing my heart about this. I think I was also doubting my ability to do this, whether I desire this process. I am putting a lot of pressure on myself.

I got bariatric pal so much easier once you figure it out!

I've got to honestly tell you, Jen, that I too have read all that's been said about eliminating coffee and :confused2: All I know is my Bariatric Center never said a word and believe me, I've never quit drinking coffee (well, maybe the day of surgery!). I'm hooked and I'm the "coffee maker" in our office. I will say that our boss suffered a slight heart attack right after Christmas and so we've all switched to decaf for him--and you're right, I never got a headache with the changeover. Just relating my experience.... from the Coffee Addict.....