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Idk if they're on Bariatric pal, but premier protein shakes are pretty good. They've never had a weird taste to me. (atkins, slimfast some of fairlife's make me pretty sick) Quest protein are also pretty good if you can find them. One that I've found that's also good is Fairlife High Protein shake in Vanilla. It tastes like melted ice cream. I like to pour it over some chilled decaf Chai Tea to make a chai tea latte/type drink. it's nice and sweet without the calories of a reg drink.

Thanks for the advice, guys. I ended up having my second cardiology appointment today (it was scheduled for an hour after my original surgery was scheduled.. the irony) but the doctor was sympathetic and super awesome. He was knowledgeable about my condition and cleared me for surgery. He saw where my heart was functionally okay to withstand surgery. He was really excited about my case and gave me some good information and wants to follow up with me. I think it was good that I got all this info because it gives me more faith in doctors where I live and I think I have a solid cardiologist now.. which is awesome bc I guess I'll be needing heart surgery in the next 10 years or so. Honestly, I've thought about going to mexico, but I don't have anyone who would travel with me so that is kind of out. I would travel by myself but you can't do that. I do love traveling and wouldn't care to try the medical tourism because I feel like the insurance nonsense is so horrible. I've seen some amazing transformations (not bariatrics) from Japan and they take great pride in their work and you don't have to go for follow up after follow up like you do in the states. I'm on the hook for $900 for pre-op testing.. which sucks because I thought my insurance would cover that.. but in the end, it's all for my health.

Thanks for your insight! I tried my gummy vitamins that I took prior to my sleeve and didn’t have any nausea. I guess I just can’t take the Bariatric ones at this stage. I’m sticking to the gummies for now!

I’ve not updated but just got around to checking my tablet and emails. I’m here for eight days. But I trust if the doctor didn’t think I was ready he would postpone. He is going to follow up via video to monitor my incisions. But he he a stickler for perfection and I trust him with my life. I live closer to Miami but costs were a challenge. I chose the Hospital BC in Mexico. From surgery in Miami? Seems strange to me. I had my issues due to my medical circumstances. But the doctor has been nothing short of excellent. I know it’s naviating something i have never done. But Hospital BC has a certificate of excellence, is the only American own hospital in Tijuana Mexico. The nurses and staff have worked hard. As has the doctor. Dr.Ampulia went above and beyond to ensure things went well. Despite my physical challenges. my surgery was Monday after 3pm he wanted to ensure I was ready and well for the procedures.mit was a very long surgery. I only remember getting into my room after midnight. I was a bit sick from anesthesia but I’m very susceptible to that. The next day I didn’t follow the normal process. So I was bedbound until this morning. Which my doctor knew my issues and what a struggle this was for me to come this far.and and to be this trusting. I gave permission to share my before and after photos. Which I never thought I’d do. But it felt important. They do bariatric surgery as well as plastics for bariatric patients. I had a exhausting day but the staff work so hard. I got on my feet which is hard doing the hunch walk. Got showered and into Faja. I get a daily lymphatic massage post op until I leave. As for navigating certain things while wearing Faja if anyone has tips please feel free to share 🤣 sorry if it’s TMI but how do you poop with this on? Iive got a body suit type garment short legs, bottom up to under bust with shoulder straps. I felt bad for the lady struggling to get it on me. It’s got a kind of cutout but it doesn’t seem sanitary and isn’t open enough, maybe needs readjustment? I didn’t think of everything ... you can’t really. You just know that you pick a place you trust. I do worry about traveling home but they say I’ll adjust as time goes on. i do wonder what the time frame is. From people that have had it for standing more upright, I’m a little worried navigating the airport and trip home. But still have until Sunday but it’s a very early morning flight. and yes I’m alive. Just need to keep changing positions and try to get up to walk when I can.

I am allows those too, was just reporting that a reknown Bariatric surgeon had said his patients had a harder time with scrambled eggs that fried/poached - so I mentioned I hoped that was not the case with me (and since I found it very interesting).

I’m having a revision from sleeve to bypass on July 5th. I had a hard time with protein shakes when I had the sleeve, they tasted so chalky. Can anyone recommend protein shakes from Bariatric Pal that are good and not chalky tasting?

After surgery I would take a normal bariatric vitamin after getting pregnant I started the one for pregnancy bariatric patients and now my b12 is really high it’s 1354 pg/ml. Has anyone had the issue of it being to high?

Thank you on the congrats. The baby was my deciding factor in choosing to go through with Bariatric surgery. I want to be able to run after my grand baby! I ended up telling my daughter to have her best friend in charge with me as the secondary person. So it looks like that will be the case.

Bariatric surgery appears to alter the gut microbiota in many of the same ways that a fecal transplant does. Though the pathomechanisms for this are not yet completely understood, what is known is that it increases Escherichia coli (which is correlated with leptin levels) and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (which reduces inflammatory markers) due to the starvation-like state in the immediate post-op period. There’s a lot of exciting research in this field right now that looks promising in terms of future treatment possibilities for obesity and morbid obesity.

What ms.sss said. From what I've read, it's pretty common for body dysmorphia to reverse after bariatric surgery. When I gained 110 lbs in 2 years and went from being average weight to morbidly obese, I went through the exact same thing. No matter what women look like, we tend to judge ourselves critically 😥 New outfits—particularly in colours and silhouettes I never would/could have worn when I was MO—definitely are helping me accept and learn to appreciate what I see in the mirror now. But I still purchase everything (online) in duplicate: 8's plus one larger size, usually a 12, "just in case" the 8's are suddenly somehow too small 😶

IWantTheDream.. I did not have Barrett’s before the sleeve. I had GERD and it went away for about the first 3 years after surgery. Then it slowly came back and turned into Barrett’s even while on Omeprazole everyday the whole time. It got so bad that I was sleeping in a recliner. My Dr added Carafate before bed at night and that helps. But my goal is to stop the Barrett’s from progressing into cancer now. If you have reflux or GERD do your research and talk to your doctor. And yes, we live very close to one another! I switched doctors for this surgery. I used to use one in East Brunswick and now I am using Dr Sadek , he is the chief of Bariatric surgery at Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick. I know Dr Borao is spoken highly of so you’re in good hands! 🤗

Like a lot of people have mentioned, it mostly sounds like your gallbladder... Did the surgeon remove it, or did you keep it, because if they left it in, that's likely your issue. When my gallbladder went bad I had massive acid issues and was popping acid reducers almost like candy it felt like. I was getting sick with almost everything I ate and couldn't keep anything but liquid down and even then sometime I threw that up. I have tachycardia so I honestly don't know if it was made worse or not so I can't really help you on that. And, my stomach HURT so bad after I would eat it was insanely painful! It took them MONTHS to figure out it was my gallbladder because they kept thinking I had an ulcer. Anyway, I would still call your bariatric surgeon or another bariatric doctor and ask for their advice. Just to be safe.

It sounds like it could WLS related but only one way know for sure so please contact your original Bariatric Surgeon if you can (or a new one) for diagnostic testing and guidance.

I know it has been a while, but wondering about your outcome. It was not clear to me whether you were told that (a) your insurance policy covers bariatric but you didn’t meet their medical necessity criteria OR (b) your insurance policy under your employer doesn’t cover bariatric procedures (some do not). “A” is workable while “B”is a dead end unfortunately. As you are in HR I realize you know the difference, I just could not personally figure out which situation you were in from the post. ☹️

Talked to insurance this morning and they will pay! The Bariatric DR is calling back today or Tuesday to set up appointment. I am not going to be fat forever!!

I am going to get a sleeve in Mexico. I've never had my choice is down to two 1) Dr Elias Ortiz & 2) Dr. Ponce, at Ponce Bariatric. They are both the same cost but Dr. Ponce can get me in by the end of this month (June) so I'm leaning that way. I also had a lap band removed three years ago. So I'd like to have a good restriction because I'm paranoid I won't lose weight with the sleeve... I don't have that much weight to lose, 40 pounds, but to me it's a matter of sustaining this the rest of my life. Every time the scale goes up I have a freak out! 😂 Can you all tell me how much weight you lost going from band to sleeve? Thanks!

Thank you ❤ I feel really amazing for almost 3 weeks post op. I'm almost back to normal, incision nearly completely healed 😍 My Surgeon Dr. Ziyad doesn't specialize in bariatric patients either but i have seen his results across the board and they great . I believe @ms.sss can answer brachio questions

You're so touchy!!! You come across as sooooo rude and a know it all... We are all in this together! This your first surgery - bypass - or were you revised - she was revised and has different mind set maybe and her surgeon or nutritionist might have different ways of doing bariatric diets - not all are the same - I'm a revision and on my 3rd week - I'm up to oatmeal and farina and pureed - even though I had a hold up last week - they told me to pick up where I left off - You are also in Aussie and I believe their medical practices are probably different from where she is from - you can't come across as rude, well you can - but maybe take a step back before you post - we are all very sensitive, trying to do the right thing - learning as well as we can... Okay -I'm off my soap box now

So I finally made the decision...I had been contemplating surgery for years. I am 34 years old and have struggled with weight since I was about 10 years old. Up and down...up and down...then regain of more than I lost each time. Every diet you can think of. You all know the list! In 2011 I started going through the insurance process for weight loss surgery. I had lost 95 lbs on my own (with phentermine help) and started going to support groups and such. I had gotten down to about 290 from 380-385. However, while I was in the process (before being approved) - my insurance stopped covering weight loss surgeries. They have not covered it since. Well, you guys know the routine...after that, I started gaining a little weight back here and there...by 2014 I had gained back probably 50 lbs. Then fast forward to 2019 I got way past the initial 95 lbs. lost and started gaining rapid weight. I went to the doctor and was shocked to find I had gotten to 502 lbs! I was horrified at that number and literally thought I was about 430, as I had basically stopped weighing...I just KNEW it had to be an error and even asked to be re-weighed. In August 2019, I started doing keto and by January 2020 - I had lost 86 lbs...back down to about 417. Much better than 502, but so far to go. Well, during quarantine I have re-gained about 30 lbs back and again was so mad at myself. I had a morbidly obese friend pass away suddenly at 35 years old, a few weeks ago. She was probably about 700lbs+ and I had always worried about her health. This was a wake up call for me...I have had many before, but this one really hit home. So, I decided...I will no longer let insurance decide my fate. I will FIND A WAY to finance this myself. I contacted a recommended surgery group in Atlanta that some friends had good experiences with. Last week, I met with Dr. Lytle from Northside Hospital/Bariatric Innovative Solutions of Atlanta. We had a great meeting about surgery. He feels I am a great candidate for gastric sleeve. I also met with a nutritionist and she has recommended a pre-surgery diet. My next steps are EGD and psych evaluation. I also have to meet with the nutritionist again in July and another meeting with the surgeon in August. If all goes well by August, I will be approved for surgery! I have also secured a loan and the money was deposited today. No-one or nothing is getting in my way of this! I know this is what I need to help me! It seems unreal. I am already thinking about all of the things I will be able to do once I lose weight - that I have been physically limited from doing over the years. I want my life back. I am not nervous about the surgery. I am more nervous about not getting approved / something getting in the way. Is that normal to stress about that part? Thanks for letting me share my journey (so far) with you all.

Contact your bariatric team. It might also be useful to make contact with a neurologist and/or psychiatrist to get evaluation of these symptoms. While deficiencies definitely can mimic/cause mental health issues, there is the chance that it doesn't have anything to do with WLS. Any therapist/counsellor worth their degree would require ruling out physiological problems, especially when it comes to a rather aggressive procedure like the DS.

Last week, my Bariatric NP sent me for a sleep apnea test. The sleep disorder doctor said that my file showed me have surgery in August, so he would have me test right away. That was the first I'd heard of date, but I'll take it. All of my pre-op appointments will be finished by then. I'll have my CPAP. I'm almost ready.

You'd have to speak to a counselor or a physician, because I'm not an expert, but it may or may not be related to your DS (I've actually never heard of this as a side effect of DS, but then, DS isn't a common surgery, so I only "know" a handful of people on this and other bariatric forums who've had it). All of those things can be symptomatic of depression, though.

Have you spoken to a counselor about your concerns? Your Bariatric team can likely recommend someone who is familiar with the emotional changes that Sleeve patients deal with. Best of luck in sorting this out.

I'm 3 1/2 years removed from a second round of weight loss surgery - a duodenal switch which replaced a malpractice-level LapBand installation. As I write this it has proven, from a weight loss and physical health perspective, to be miraculous: having once tipped the scales at 360 pounds, I now range between 185 and 190. While I went into the "weight loss journey" with no specific weight target in mind? If I were to have had one I've long surpassed it, and for that I am grateful. But in the years that have followed new issues have emerged, and I'm writing to see who among folks here has experienced something similar - and what they've done to address them. Specifically, since my operation I've noticed truly alarming changes in my mental health, particularly my acuity and demeanor. These changes first manifested themselves as memory lapses. My doctors attributed them to vitamin deficiencies and simple middle age, and an adjustment to my supplement regimen did restore at least some memory function. But particularly within the past 18-24 months, I've began experiencing a variety of mental changes I simply can't attribute to anything specific. Irritability. Severe depression. Disinterest in interacting with people. Extreme distraction at the slightest provocation. Inability to focus in general. Obsessive behaviors when working on projects (e.g., starting a project that comprises 20 steps, completing 15, and then reviewing the project from step 1... only to deem the work insufficient and completely start over. And then? Repeating that behavior dozens of times, never actually completing the project). These behaviors now have me at a point where I no longer consider myself functional. I'm by no means suicidal, but I am incredibly frustrated. In trying to identify the cause of this I have encountered articles that are tying mental health decline and bariatric surgery post-operative outcomes, and I wonder if anyone here has had any experiences similar to what I'm experiencing - and if so what they are doing/have done in an effort to address their issues.

I listened to the Bariatric pal pod cast and they said it was because you shrink your liver on the two week diet before surgery and it’s around the three week mark that your liver starts to return back to its normal size . It said it doesn’t me u are not losing it just isn’t showing on the scale.