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I've been taking BariatricPal Multivitamin One capsules for six months. I've had my blood work done twice and everything is fine. I've had no problem tolerating the capsule. Also, BariatricPal's Multivitamin annual subscription (four bottles) costs much lower than most other bariatric multivitamins.

yes - lots of us experience hair loss. It's actually not all that uncommon after surgeries, although I'm guessing you see it more often after bariatric surgery than some of the other types of surgery since we're taking in so few calories those first few months. It's also not uncommon after giving birth. Anyway, here's an article about surgery-related hair loss. The good news is, it just lasts a few months and it grows back. And in most cases, you're the only one who'll notice it https://drnichter.com/hair-loss-after-surgery-explained/

I take 1 Bariatric Complete multivitamin and 2 Celebrate multivitamins (without iron for the Celebrate) a day. And 2 Calcium Citrate from Bariatric Advantage (my calcium was high last test so I cut back to 2, I was taking 3). The Celebrate multi's are the easiest on my stomach.

Very dramatic story, very detailed, NICE TRY to dupe people. So many details piled up together (grenade-looking drain, colostomy bag, stomach stent, many bags taken out of the taxi on return from hospital - like returning from Caribbean vacation etc etc). BTW there is NO Dr.Kantner as bariatric specialist anywhere in Virginia...hehe...and another 20 or so discrepancies i found in this story.

I just take two Centrum Silvers (or the generic equivalent) every day. I also have to take B12, B1, D, calcium, and iron in separate pills on top of that since we need more of those than are in standard multivitamins (at least gastric bypass patients do). It could be that the bariatric specific multivitamins include most/all of the extra we need - but I'm not sure. I've never take bariatric specific ones.

Hello. Gastric Bypass June 24 2020. Ordered the Bariatric Advantage Multivitamin. Don’t know if I can tolerate. They are very strong. Any suggestions on what you take and tolerate

I signed up to this forum solely to pass along our story in hopes others can learn from our experience. Please read (It IS a long read) As soon as I picked up the phone & heard her crying, I knew it was bad news. Her Specialist had diagnosed her with advanced Liver Fibrosis. Between her tears & what she said, I felt like I had the wind sucked out of me. So what now? Almost as quickly as I took in the news, a sense of defiance started to spring up within me. I had waited 45 YEARS to meet my soulmate & I was damned if I was gonna lose her now. "We have to tell Dr. Kantner" I insisted to her. Her Obesity Specialist. Yes, my wife is Overweight & has type 2 diabetes. And to be hit with this news on top of everything else... Through fate or fortune, she had stumbled into our specialist's care through me, as I was already seeing the specialist for my own weight issues & shortly, after we met, I told her about my Doctor & thankfully, Dr. Kantner took her on as well. Through her own program, Nancy was scheduled for Bariatric surgery. Specifically, Gastric Bypass. We prepared to wait up to possibly 2 years for her surgery, but now the situation had changed. Would she even be able to make it that long? She did tell Dr. Kantner & somehow, through her influence, was able to fast track Nancy to having her surgery within six months. Still a bit of a wait, but a lot better than having to wait two years! So now the waiting. And being the anxious personalities that we are, it seemed to take forever. But as the days drew closer to the date, it began to get more & more real, until finally that morning, when we were up at 4am, we knew this was happening. Finally! I had spent that last few months emotionally supporting her, reassuring her how everything was going to be just fine, while at the same time trying to convince myself of the same. It had finally reached zero hour & we were on our way to the hospital. Her surgery was scheduled for 7:45am, so we had to be there at least two hours prior to prepare. I gave her as much encouragement as I could until she was told to change into her hospital gown & I followed alongside her on the stretcher till the last possible second when our tightly clasping hands reluctantly separated and she disappeared into the Operating Room. For the first time, I felt helpless as her fate was now in the hands of the Surgeon. Perhaps I was being a tad overdramatic as the procedure usually takes anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes. Counting on this, I went over to the McDonalds across the street, where I figured I'd pass the time by having a long, leisurely breakfast. So, as I enjoyed my Sausage & Egg McMuffins & Hashbrowns, I watched the time go slowly by. 8:00, 8:45, 9:10... Still no word. I couldn't sit still any longer, so I went into the Mall & wandered around. 9:30, 9:50... still no word. Now, I was getting worried. Maybe she was already done & they didn't have my phone number to let me know to come & pick her up? 10:00. I stopped by the Pizzeria & had a slice & tried to make it last as long as I could. 10:20, I had another slice. Finally, at 10:40 I felt my phone vibrate. It was the hospital. "Well," The Doctor said. "It wasn't easy, but we got it done." Apparently, her previous surgery from 20 years ago for Acid Reflux had caused some "challenges" for them. But, even though it had taken longer than anticipated, it was finally done. I could pick up my wife & we could go home. But when I got back to the hospital, she still hadn't been moved to the Recovery Ward. What's going on? About an hour later, I'm let up to see her in a room that felt entirely too small & too hot. I looked into her exhausted face & when she opened her eyes, we both felt it. That mutual spark of joy we bring to each other. "Hi Honey," she said in a weakened tone. She HAD been through something. But it was finally done. Her Surgeon soon arrived & filled me in on the particulars. Because it had been a "complicated surgery" They would have her stay overnight for observation. Great. I have to go home without my wife. I stay with her till the evening & I go home around 8pm. I call a taxi & indulge in McD's Drive through on the way home. I wake up in the unfamiliar position of not having my Nancy beside me. I don't like it. I get up & get dressed first thing. I can't wait to pick her up & take her home. I call the taxi & return to the hospital & grab a Starbucks, conveniently located in the main lobby. I get upstairs & there she is. Looking much chipper than yesterday. She is understandably weak still, so we wait patiently for the doctors to give her the all-clear to go home. Once again, 11am..., 12noon... she ultimately wouldn't be released till 2:30pm. But, she was finally released. We taxi home & I assist her to our suite & I deposit her on the couch. She is still in some discomfort, despite having taken painkillers that morning. We both figured having a good night's sleep should help. The next morning, having barely slept & taking painkillers all night, she is still in pretty rough shape. Still sore & not even able to swallow even a drop of water without experiencing pain. In her recovery plan, it says to expect some "discomfort" immediately following surgery, but I'm beginning to wonder if discomfort includes burning dry pain whenever she even tries to take a breath. Fortunately, I had booked the whole week off work, so I could be home to help her through her recovery. But after 5 days, things don't seem to be getting any better. If anything, in fact, they were getting worse. The Doctor gave us his private number & encouraged us to update him every day, which we did. Despite our relating her situation to him, he dismissed it as being normal. Now I may not be a doctor myself, but I can tell when something's not right. Especially when it comes to my Nancy. By the time came for me to return to work, I was an anxious ball of nerves, as I checked in with her whenever I could, and whenever she wasn't napping to try & deal with the pain, she would tell me of how bad it was getting. Then... SNOWMAGEDDON 2019. It had dumped nearly 20 cm overnight. NOTHING was moving. Even the busses had been grounded. I figured I would get a pass from work due to the situation, but when I called in & pleaded my case, they were so determined to have me show up for work, the president of the company himself drove out to my place in snow chains to drive me to work. I was not only astounded they would do such a thing but genuinely enraged. That they would put such effort into manning their shift, when the rest of the world had pretty much shut down. On this particular morning, Nancy was in more pain than she had ever been in. I really didn't want to leave her to go to work. I explained this to the President, to which he turned a blind ear. So, after an hour's commute which by taxi would ordinarily take about 20 - 30 mins, I am deposited at my site, to which anyone around was astounded there was someone working the shift. Trying to hold my anger at my company at bay, while dealing with all the problems that the snow was causing, & would continue to cause throughout the day, I soon found out that I would be working a double shift because my relief was unable to make it to work? Strange how the president wouldn't also give that person a ride to work... When I finally was able to check in with Nancy at 5pm. She was NOT doing well. She was in so much pain, she couldn't stand it. We both agreed something was VERY wrong & we called the Ambulance. So. Now I have the prospect of working still another 7 hours in the WORST snowstorm I had ever been in. My wife was home waiting for an Ambulance & I'm stuck here. Helpless. I call my boss pleading how I need to leave because my wife was on her way to emergency. After he practically cut me off in mid-sentence with an abrupt "NO. You have to stay till the end of your shift!" I snapped. I couldn't hold back any longer. I BLASTED him, screaming obscenities in a rage-filled tirade telling them how they were a bunch of heartless fucks who only cared about making money & how they didn't give a flying f**k about their employees. I got home just as the Ambulance had arrived. I have no idea by what miracle she was even able to get one as it was a frozen tundra outside. But an ambulance did show up, festooned in chains & 2 saints who would answer the call of duty on this disastrous night. My Nancy was doubled over in pain sitting on the computer chair. So much pain that we had to move her in the chair, into the elevator & down to the lobby as there was no way to get the stretcher upstairs. Not even a stokes could be used. But with the help of some god-sent residents, we are all able to transfer her into the stretcher outside & finally into the Ambulance. To give you an idea of just how bad the snowstorm was, ordinarily we would be no more than 5 minutes max from the Hospital as we lived not even 2 blocks away. But even with chains, the Ambulance struggled through the impassable road & we got to Emergency in about 15 mins. As we unloaded her, the inevitable throng of Crachkeads, Junkies & other Mentally Ill people that clog up our system was crowding the area. But again, we were fortunate enough to be fast-tracked & she was in the ward within the hour. I never spent a more uncomfortable time than when I sat with her there. I stayed as long as I could, but was exhausted & could no longer stay awake & trudged through the snow back home. I really didn't sleep a wink the rest of the night. How could I? My Wife was in Hospital, & I was alone at home for the first time in 5 years & I hated it. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't even eat. I certainly couldn't sleep. In some ways, I was worse off than she was. For the rest of the night, I sat anxiously, wondering if/when I should phone to find out her status. Finally, around 10am the next morning, I called, only to find out she had been transferred to Richmond Hospital. Holy ****. What now? I called the Taxi immediately & raced out to Richmond Hospital. Like everyone in this life, I too have had my share of sadness & sorrow. Even Heartbreak sometimes. I don't know HOW to label the feeling I felt when I got to see Nancy in her own tiny room in ICU. But seeing her there, with all kinds of tubes & wires running in & out of her looking like something from Star Trek. I felt weak. PHYSICALLY weak. Like I was going to pass out. I had never seen my Nancy this way. My mind couldn't process what I was seeing. Quickly, I stepped out. I couldn't hold back. Tears just exploded out. I never knew a person could feel this depth of sorrow. I told myself, Snap out of it man! You've GOT to be strong! If not for your sake, then for HER sake! I don't know how, but I gathered myself together & re-entered her room. Her eyes were closed. The nurse told me she was heavily sedated & that she might not recognize me. But when Nancy weakly opened her eyes & she saw me standing over her, she knew. WE knew. that look of love we share was there. Again, fighting back the urge to bawl my eyes out, I said: "Hi Honey." My hand around hers, she weakly gripped my hand. I closed my eyes & just sat with her while she came in & out of consciousness. I had never felt such sorrow. Such a feeling of helplessness. I stayed as long as I could until it became clear she needed to rest. Taking the Taxi back into town, I stopped by McDonald's & loaded up on comfort food. I didn't care. I needed something, anything to feel better. To at LEAST, not feel what I had felt in that room. I won't even speculate how much money I was throwing away on Taxi rides to & from Richmond & the West End. I only know that with an average of $30.00 per trip, I was rapidly cutting into our bank account. Needless to say, I returned the next day. Although still upsetting to see her this way, it wasn't as shocking as yesterday. I still felt like crying, but I was able to at least put more of a brave face on. Although I knew she knew what I was feeling. I returned again the next day, only to find she had been moved to the Recovery Ward. THANK GOD! The first positive since this whole thing began. This time she was in a bigger room with 3 other patients. When I saw her sleeping in her spot, I quietly as I could pulled up a seat to her bedside & within a minute, she opened her lovely eyes and when I saw how they lit up, I felt like crying all over again. She still had all her tubes, including Breathing in, but now she was able to speak. She was still heavily sedated & communication was difficult, she looked a whole lot better & at this point, this was all I could ask for. I stayed with her until around 8pm, althewhile the Nurses tended to her as I could never imagine. I'd like to mention here just how special these people are. As I write this, we are in the midst of the COVID 19 Pandemic, and living just 2 blocks away from St. Paul's Hospital, we are privileged to be able to not only see & feel the love for the incredible Medical staff, but we are able to lend our small voices to the raucous applause in appreciation every night at 7pm. As nice a gesture as this is, I still don't think it's enough. These people are heroes in every sense of the word. I was already blown away by how well they took of my wife through the entire ordeal, but seeing these brave souls risking their lives each & every night. There is simply no possible way to ever thank them enough. But back to my story. I won't outline each & every visit I made out to Richmond during Nancy's Recovery. Only by the time she was FINALLY released, it had been nearly TWO MONTHS since her initial surgery, which was supposed to be a day surgery with an overnight for observation. During this time, she had undergone a total of 4 surgeries & 2 "procedures" SIX bodily invasive procedures in total. Not the least of which included the placing of a Stent on her stomach, due to a rupture caused by the initial surgery, which would end up causing leaking from her stomach to further complicate things. But today, this was it. She was finally coming home. There was no particular time set for her release.. I didn't care. I was there before noon & as soon as I got there, I packed up all her belongings & sat with her anxiously on the bed, just waiting for the word. 1 pm. No word. 2 pm, 3 pm... she ultimately wouldn't be released until 10 pm. The Taxi Driver was most courteous & helpful in assisting us with our many bags, including a Walker. I held the lobby door as she hobbled in, escorted her to the elevator & when I opened that door to our apartment and she crossed the threshold, an indescribable sense of both joy & relief washed over me. My wife, my Nancy was home! BUT... Our story wasn't over. Not yet. Despite the stent being applied to her leaking stomach and having to carry around what can only be described as a miniature Colostomy bag that more looked like a grenade than anything, her suffering was STILL not over. Along with the awkwardness of carrying around the bag, who's smell is something you have to experience to believe, she now had to contend with not only being able to physically FEEL her stent inside her but the resulting gas, nott o mention involuntary heaving due to her body trying to reject this foreign object would make the next several weeks nothing short of challenging. Imagine having to put up with the urge to throw up, several times a day, but never projecting anything, but waking up in the middle of the night because of it. This, accompanied by substantial gas pains, which also added to her struggle. Yet through it all, she bore it. I could tell just how much pain & discomfort she was in & at some points, wondered if maybe she had been released too early. But somehow, this exceptional woman endured for weeks. To their credit, the Hospital didn't leave her high & dry. She was being checked in on & her doctor had even given her his private number, asking her to text him every 2 days with an update to how she was doing. She even had weekly appointments at the Wound Care specialist, to ensure her leakage bag was functioning properly. Weeks later, her drainage bag was not only NOT slowing, but seemed to be getting WORSE. Bad enough so that once AGAIN, she had to go to Richmond Hospital. Although this time, not only was the procedure successful, but they even removed her stent, which only made sense as she was already there. She has been 1000 % better ever since. She is STILL leaking from her stomach, but there is considerably less now & most importantly, she is pain-free for the first time in months so she can enjoy the rest of this Pandemic Lockdown in peace. BUT... Our story isn't even anywhere NEAR done. It's now March and not only do we have to deal with this Pandemic/Lockdown, Nancy's tube had become dislodged. Another trip to the Doctor. One positive that came from this, was that they decided to not only remove her colostomy bag but to ALSO remove the stent, despite it not being scheduled for a few weeks. With the cursed thing FINALLY removed, she instantly felt %1000 percent better. At LAST. The whole ordeal is finally over. Or was it? Of COURSE not. After her stent was removed, Nancy would get the best news yet. She would have to GO THROUGH THE WHOLE DAMN THING AGAIN! Yes. You read that right. Whatever sport god was having with my Nancy, he STILL wasn't done toying with her. In short, the sleeve around her stomach had come loose, in effect, undoing the entire surgical procedure! I couldn't believe it. My sensory perception can only process so much. Are you f**king KIDDING??? At this point, I'm convinced I'm just having a nightmare. Because there's just no way possible this much bad news can happen to anyone. It's just not humanly conceivable. As I resign myself to this, we follow the plot of this terrible dream who's storyline now plays out that she will have to re-book a new surgery date sometime within a year, so with little choice, I submit my will to my apparent dream-state & can only hope I, that WE wake up soon to escape this nightmare. SO, Why do I tell this story? Simply as a warning to all those who are considering undergoing Gastric Bypass, or any other kind of Bariatric surgery. Granted, this is probably an extreme case in the negatives column, but it DID happen & I ask you to please read this before you make your decision whether Bariatric Surgery is an option for you, or not.

It’s a long story over the course of my life, living with lifelong chronic illness and disability. I have myalgic Encephalomyelitis since age 9 at least which causes post exertional malaise. Exertion is exhausting And exacerbates symptoms, exercise is physically damaging. It led to developing many medical conditions including fibromyalgia. Metabolic disorders. I cannot exercise and my metabolism is slower than a sloth. I fought my weight since childhood too. I went to strict low carb and calorie counting fighting sugar addiction but over time it wasn’t enough, I could never get to a healthy weight, I’d always be stuck but I felt I had to accept that I’d be a higher weight 134lb highest 215lb. Lowest on my own briefly 124lb. But my weight got out of control again. I had feelings my gallbladder wa# making it worse but no doctor listened. My weight got to 208lb and I desperately fought for bariatric surgery. Finally I got to Cleveland Clinic where they listened to how for so long i ate low carb low calories and it stopped helping me. And I had gastric bypass surgery April 29th 2019 along with gallbladder surgery which turned out to be chronic inflammation. it did take a toll on M.E. but I couldn’t carry the burden of the weight either. I literally lost a small person in weight ... not a cure but easier to carry yourself without the burden. having the ability to keep moving helps fibromyalgia pain and fatigue. Catch 22 with me since it hurts M.E. But I will never regret having the tool of gastric bypass surgery. I hope you find success and relief on your journey.

My BMI is 35. With my insurance, I need to have a BMI of 40+. The only thing my bariatric doctor suggested was a balloon in my stomach for 6 months. After that time, the balloon would be removed. The balloon would be out of pocket. Cost $7000. In mid August I am going to Blossom Bariatric in Las Vegas for VSG. It is out of pocket, but covers hotel stay, testing, ground tranportation and surgery. Check out their website and reviews.

I like his videos, too. He's a bit of a loner in the bariatric field because he pushes a diet that differs quite a lot from what is recommended by other surgeons.

Hi I am in Los Angeles area as well. I had the lap band in 2009 but before I was banded I had my gallbladder removed. The lap band was awful so in 2013 I got a gastric sleeve. That worked fantastic until the acid reflux and Gerd. So to fix that I had a hiatal hernia repair and that did not work. So for the last 5 yrs straight I have been on prescription heartburn medication. It was so bad that I was in so much pain without meds. The medication controlled it but I didn’t want to depend on it. So I went to see My gastroenterologist and they did an upper G.I. and an endoscopy and it showed that I had a lot of acid and the only thing my surgeon said we can do with the bypass. So I just had to bypass this past Wednesday, June 24, 2020. I hope this was worth it I just read your story right now. I will be completely devastated if it wasn’t. My insurance allowed for me to have a revision. my gastroenterologist and they did a upper G.I. and an endoscopy and it showed that I had a lot of acid and the only thing my surgeon said we can do was a bypass. So I just had the bypass this past Wednesday, June 24, 2020. I hope this was worth it I just read your story right now. I will be completely devastated if it wasn’t. My insurance allowed for me to have it revision. I only stayed one night in the hospital. I am home and I’m doing well I’m on liquids but man I miss texture of food in my mouth. They put you omeprazole for three months so once I stop taking that and if the Hartmans not gone that’s it I will be devastated. I went through the Association of South Bay surgeons in Torrance bariatric program. Where do you go?

You should google "plastic surgery after bariatric surgery". The first hit indicated that it would be wise to wait up to 18 months after weight loss surgery to make sure your weight has stabilized. It does say you can visit your plastic surgeon guy for an evaluation prior to that. He can tell you what to expect at that time. PS. I'm beginning to think I may need to see a plastic surgeon too.

Hi everyone! I hope that you all are staying safe and doing well. Since I'm taking some days off, I thought that I would catch up and touch base. I think I was among the last of the people whose surgery went as scheduled before everything shut down due the Coronavirus. What a different world we live in today. I do hope that those individuals who were scheduled in late March and in April had their surgeries re-scheduled -- don't give up! I'm here to tell you that it IS worth it in the end! I'm well on my journey to a transformed life and I would like to share my experiences to date. So far, I'm down 63 lbs. from when I started this journey and 70 lbs. from my highest weight. When I look in the mirror, sometimes I can hardly believe that I'm even doing this, but I am! My blood pressure has improved to near normal most days and my BMI has gone from 43 to 35. Also, I'm coming up on the halfway point of my journey! Because I see these questions asked often (and believe me, I had many of same questions myself), I will give my account from my personal experience. Pre-Op Following the instructions of your doctor does make a difference. I managed to lose about 20 pounds from October 2019 - March 2020 -- the more you lose, the better for your surgery. Strictly adhere to your 2 week liquid phrase and drink your water! Surgery My surgery was scheduled for March 17th and then it got pushed back to March 18th (I think my surgeon had scheduled a long weekend because he does his surgeries on Tuesdays). However because elective surgeries was due to be shut down during that week due to COVID-19, it was returned to the original date and my surgery was the first of the day. In addition to the by-pass, I had a hiatal hernia repair. The surgery took longer than normal because I was a bleeder (whatever that means) and scar tissue from when I had my gallbladder removed many years ago. But the Dr. and his team did their thing and it was a success. Post-ops was a bit disorientating and I was in a bit of discomfort, but by the time I was wheeled to my room, I was fully alert. What I didn't like: Not having anything to drink for 24 hours! That sucked. When I was able to drink, I could only have a few sips at a time. I had to do breathing exercises (in a little breathing tube thingy which was not a bad idea given COVID-19 was starting to get out there) and hours later, I got myself up and walked. I was determined to get up and walk! What you must do: You must get out of the bed and WALK! I stress that because when I had my gallbladder surgery, I stayed in the bed (it was done the old fashioned way where they hack you in 2 to get it out and I was in the hospital for a week) and did not get up until it was time for me to go home. Talk about the gas and the pain! Whew! I was not trying to feel all that again, so I got up and walked. Basically, post-op, I was fine and did well. 2 Weeks Post-op (Liquid/Strained food Phase) I didn't have much of an appetite and I did struggle getting in the protein. I mostly tried to get in the fluids first and foremost. My sis made me a LOT of ginger tea and that helped and I walked around the apartment and did a little walk outside. Soft Food Phase So for me, once I started eating food again -- my appetite came ROARING BACK! I mean roaring back and that caused some problems when I got into the regular food phase. I'm not a dairy person, so it was a struggle for me to eat eggs, cheese -- I just couldn't do the plain yogurt (yuck). I did manage to have some chili and beans, but I don't like beans either! Somehow, I got thru it though. Regular Food Phase You want to test drive your pouch? So here is what NOT to do: DO.NOT.OVEREAT. Because I wasn't one of those people who had to force themselves to eat due to a lack of appetite, I had to do a LOT of trial and error before my brain clicked. What I wish I had done: I asked my bari-nutritionist if I should get any special tools and she said no -- yet if I had to do it all over again, I would have purchased the bariatric plates and flatware. Even though I was using small plates, the servings were still not small enough -- typically out of prior habits -- and I would go to eat, then suddenly I felt food stuck in my throat and I wanted to throw up (but I couldn't). After that happened more than a few times, my brain finally got itself together and realized what was going on. I also was not used to leaving food on my plate -- like EVER. I was forcing myself to finish eating even though my body was giving me clear signals that I was DONE. Also, you learn very quickly which foods you can eat fine and others that you can't (Of course it's all of things that I like to eat...); those foods you have to eat in little portions. Suddenly I found myself (GASP!) throwing food in the trash! Who knew! Me! Being full and leaving fricking food on the plate and throwing it away! What!?!?!?! Yep, that's what Bari-by pass will do to you! Now I make smaller portions up front and I make sure that I eat the protein before I get full. I tend to eat only when I get hungry and when I'm full, I'm DONE. That is a big change from before when I kept right on eating and eating and eating and -- well, you get the drift. Continuing Challenge: Getting the water in. At best, I get 1 liter in/day. Between my heavy work load and knowing that I can't eat and drink at the same time anymore and I can only drink so much at one time! -- I have to choose on most days whether I'm concentrating on getting the water in or getting the protein in. That is a work in progress. I finally was able to get in a long walk today - 5 mi. I just have to go early in the morning to avoid the folk who don't wear masks, but it was great and I hope to re-start my walking routine (it will be a long moment before I return to a gym). So, if you have any questions, ask away!

I started by just talking the whole thing through with my husband. He actually jumped all over the idea when I first mentioned it, as I am not the energetic person I was when we met. He later told me he was too afraid to bring it up before I did...smart man! 😂 After I had his full support, I told my parents (but made sure my mom did not tell my step-dad because he has always been super judgmental of my weight). Both Mom and Dad offered full support after I explained it. They are both in the 75-80 year old range and at normal BMI’s. I am a nurse working in a medical office of about 200 staff. I then told a few of my co-workers who I knew had previously had Bariatric Surgery or were considering Bariatric Surgery. This all took place over about a month. Then COVID hit and I was canceled for my first surgery date, so no one else was told. Now that I am approaching my surgery date on 7/6 I am kind of like “everyone is going to know soon, so whatever.” So far the only time I felt like someone was not super excited and happy for me was a co-worker who lost 150 pounds without surgery. She was not rude at all, just more restrained. I thought she would be super excited for me though, and she is someone I consider a friend. She will come around when I can finally become a hiking buddy instead of just talking about hiking😊 I am pretty private, but I am also absolutely terrible at NOT telling the truth, the WHOLE truth. Inevitably, I will end up telling every single person that asks, so I may as well just be open about it from the get go. Negative people will be ignored or dropped from my circle. I feel confident that most of the negative folks are already people I keep at arms length. I will have a huge cheering section. As my surgery date approached, my mom asked if she could tell my step-dad and I gave her permission. He surprised us both by jumping right into my cheering section. Telling the first person is the hardest. It gets easier. People are likely going to realize you had Bariatric Surgery (or speculate behind your back) even if you don’t tell them. People that truly care about you will be happy for you or soon come around. People that don’t come around can be kept at arms length, because they have their own agenda which is NOT in your best interest. Unfortunately, this includes family. I have been very fortunate. Apologies for a super long post. This has been brewing for a few days now. Regardless of who you choose to tell, you will always have this community in your cheering section.

Research papers have documented the fact that psychiatric problems (unless schizophrenia or other psychotic history) ARE NOT a factor in success/failure in bariatric surgery. The big issue is food addiction and if you tend to eat when stressed, bored, depressed or manic. I don't know why so many using psychiatric history to deny surgery when literature is clear it is not relevant. Sent from my SM-T580 using BariatricPal mobile app

I just discovered Dr. Duc Vuong's youtube channel and now i'm OBSESSED! It felt really affirming having someone point out that most doctors have you shoot for the "average" weight loss, 60-65% of EBW e.g. how my nutritionist suggested my goal should be 170lbs- like wtf? Dr. V pushes his patients to get to around 20 BMI and I'm here for THAT! I think I've watched 6 or 8 of his videos since discovering him yesterday. So good! And no BS! Plus I kinda love that he swears too, feels more genuine. Here's one of his vids, check him out!

Mine is also strict. My surgeon requires a high protein meal replacement shake with protein ISOLATE as the protein. I am having the Bariatric Advantage brand as this was the only one I found that met his criteria. I literally hate it as I finish week one of two of my pre-op diet. It was all I could do to get it down yesterday without gagging. I am allowed broths and flavored waters, but no jello or popsicles. I am also required to eat 2-4 cups of veggies per day (And only the ones on the short acceptable list), but they cannot be prepared with any oil or even cooking spray, and of course no sauces or any seasonings that contain fat or sugar. It is surprisingly hard to come up with palatable ways to prepare the veggies like this, and they are a bit hard on the digestion without anything else in the belly. That is my sob story. I guess I should be happy about my veggie bellyaches though, since at least I do get to put something in my belly. 🙄 I feel your misery, but we can do this! This is our time to get our lives back from the obesity beast. Keep on keeping on!!

Hey there, I'm Italian too (pre-op though) taught how to cook by my 1st gen Nona. I'm on my 6 month pre-op slow-carb diet plan rn. For pasta what I'm doing is using a food processor to mince veggies and garlic together, cooking and seasoning it with the meat (I half cook the meat first), then adding the sauce to it (about 3:1 veggies to meat, tonight I used carrots & broccoli) then instead of eating it with pasta I eat it over red beans. It's still carbs, but not the kind that make you fat or spike your blood sugar since they are slower to digest and have protein and fiber. The veggies meld with tomato sauce seamlessly and you get a lot of good nutrients in every ingredient (vs. the empty calories of pasta.) (I'm a bit of a child in that I often prefer hiding my veggies from myself.) I agree with the above re: cauliflower crusts, just be careful about store bought ones and store-bought pre-made cauliflower crust pizzas because they can sometimes be a lot more flour than cauliflower and that's not the droid you're looking for. Best to make your own honestly. For risottos I find using riced cauliflower to be a pretty good substitute- it's super yummy when cooked with some marsala or sherry & chicken broth (I like mushrooms, shallots and garlic too). You can also get a spiralizer and use that for an alt. pasta with zucchini, squash or carrots. Cream sauces can be tricky because the usual recipe is heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2. You can use milk with a little low fat cheese for flavor then thicken with a little xanthan gum. That is IF you can tolerate dairy. This is of course for once you are on regular food. For a while you're gonna have to take things slow and figure out what your body needs and can handle. A lot of these cravings are part of the brain aspect of weight loss. Your bariatric team should include a counselor and/ or support group (besides us!) that can help you with it. ***I swear I didn't add all these hyperlinks- wth?

Hi friend! I’m new to the forums, and I haven’t even had my first consultation yet. I just wanted to let you know that people here are generally very kind and supportive. Maybe you could put in a call to your team and just ask hey, is what I’m feeling normal? Normal can be different and subjective to each individual experience. I hope that you get some clear cut answers and start to feel better very soon. Also I have read a lot of people state that they have issues with dairy after any bariatric surgery. It might be something to consider. Some foods just might not sit with you in the same way that they used to. Take care, friend!

This is great, thank you for your reply. I’ll be seeing my bariatric surgeon on Monday for my first consultation, so I’m hoping that we can streamline things even just a little bit. I can’t imagine dealing with this pain for 6 months!

Approximately 40% of patients struggle with their weight loss rate, or metabolic rate, after bariatric surgery, and at least 30% previously had or develop a low metabolic rate after surgery. Metabolic rate is the speed at which calories are burned. Explains why I easily lost weight before surgery but have only lost 3 pounds since. Also, my age decreases BMR. I am switching to caffienated coffee to help boost my BMR. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi there. I have a significant hiatal hernia, it causes a lot of pain and discomfort any time that I eat. I had an endoscopy to rule out infection or strangulation of the stomach. Anyway, the findings were that it’s likely that I have nerve damage in my hiatal hernia area and diaphragm. I have a telemedicine appointment with my bariatric surgeon on Monday, it’s my first consultation. My insurance “requires” 6 months of nutrition education before they will sign off on the surgery. I’m not asking to do it in 2 weeks, or even a month. I’m just curious if anyone out there has been able to petition their insurance with the help of a physician to shorten that time frame. I’m aware that I’ll need to do the work before the surgery, but my concern is being in this pain for 6 months. I can do maybe 2-3 months. Anyway, if you have been able to do this, or know of someone that has, can you just give me some insight? I’m not familiar with how insurances work.

@Seige maybe you should check into transferring to a different bariatric center. That’s not good and you someone to be helping you out in a professional level.

Hello everyone, I had endoscopic sleeve today! I am so happy to start this journey! I wasn’t nervous at all about the surgery. But am a little nervous to juggle vitamins, foods to eat, they to drink water, etc. it all seems so complex. My best friend who was my driver and my recovery “nurse” through the weekend had the idea to put large posts on the wall to color code and put check boxes for first couple of weeks until i get into a routine. Great idea! Also using alarms on phone and reminders as well as tracking on Baritastic app. BTW, does.l anyone use that app? Seems like it is amazing! So back to my surgery- ESG... the worst part was not being able to drink water beforehand and now only being able to sip. I am a major water dinner before and love it ice cold and jug it all day- they will be rough adjustment for me! As far as pain, I am not really nauseous- but really bad heartburn. Also very bloated as expected. I think muscle pain will come in a few days, but so far so good- I am pretty impressed! But let’s keep in mind that ESG is definitely a quicker recovery compared to most other Bariatric surgeries. I am still looking for an accountability partner if anyone is interested. Look forward to updating and hearing more about all of your experiences also! 💕 Jennifer

I was banded 7 yrs ago and was able to lose all my weight and keep it off. No problems and I was feeling pretty good. Over the last 4 months I started having more heartburn and coughing at night. No vomiting or gagging. I was a True Results patient and the site here closed down few years back. I never had Bariatric coverage on my recent insurance plans so I never went for follow up. I didn’t have issues and felt good . 2 days ago woke up with severe upper abdominal pain and vomiting. It felt like stomach spasms. My band was cutting off blood flow and no fluids would go down. We decided on emergency band removal. My esophagus was inflamed and swollen, I never felt much pain . I blamed heartburn on eating later etc.my stomach was distended. Im relieved we caught it but I will miss it.Is that weird? I’ve been pretty successful but I always knew the band was there, like a backup. I’m afraid I will gain weight. I went from about 275 to 165-170. Not small but I’m happy for my height 5’7”. I’m feeling stupid for panicking 2 days post op.