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Didn't your doc explain this to you? It's one of the main things that bariatric patients should knowif he did. I don't remember. O............K.......

Hey all. Not sure if you all remember me, I was the girl that might have the problem with insurance. Turns out they said they'd cover til the end of the month so my surgery was covered. My follow-up appt wont be covered do to the switch to my new insurance, but they said they'll back date it... so yeah!! March 20th was the D-day... so I'm officially 5 days post op!! Anyhow... they said I did great. My liver was enlarged and fatty... big surprised. I was in recovery FOREVER waiting on a room but it was worth the wait... had an AMAZING recovery nurse and the room was HUGE... felt like I was in a hotel. Lol. New furniture and all. (they just opened their own bariatric wing this year at hopkins). The over night nurse was wonderful and she had a trainee with her who was just as great. They were RIGHT on top of it, if I need ANYTHING. I was nausated for a good day afterwards... plenty of anti-nausea medication!!! The gas pain didnt start til I was post-op two days but is finally gone. I'm getting liquids down more now. Easier. How do people get enough Protein in at this stage? I'll put some in my carnation instant Breakfast. I plan to add it to things when I'm doing puree starting Friday. :thumbup: My left side is starting to really bother me at times. Like out of the blue I'll get a pain from around my port. Can't WAIT for that to be over. :tongue: I am sooo tired of yogurt, pudding, chicken broth, and crystal light I could scream. I can not wait to just have some mashed potatoes, bananas, heck even some baby food looks yummy at this point. I just just cant wait to be able to choose alittle more of what I can eat!!

High blood pressure - gone. Type 2 diabetes - gone. Cholesterol - normal. sleep apnea - gone. Back and knee pain - gone. Weight loss - 120+ lbs. (actually 126 at today's weight). Waist size - Pre-op: 48" - 50". Post-op (11 months): 36" 95% of Prescription meds - gone. Dealing with the psychological aspect - it starts with "finding your why". I found mine. Health - Obesity is a progressive, degenerative disease that is the second leading cause of premature, preventable death in the U.S. The links between obesity and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and a dozen other serious diseases are well documented and virtually undeniable. Options - Diet and exercise as a treatment for folks with a BMI of 30 or greater is a myth. It is a statistical virtual impossibility with a failure rate approaching 100%. And science is just now beginning to understand why - http://www.drsharma....or-obesity.html . For more information - "Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments - Diets Are Not the Answer" - http://motivatedandf...s_dont_work.pdf . Bariatric surgery is the single most effective weight loss option known to medical science - by a very wide margin. The September 19, 2012 Journal of the American Medical Association reported the results of a study done with 1,156 surgery participants 18 - 72 years old, along with two control groups totalling more than 700 participants. One key aspect of their findings: "At 2 years, 99 percent of surgical patients had maintained more than 10 percent weight loss from baseline and 94 percent had maintained more than 20 percent weight loss. At 6 years, 96 percent of surgical patients had maintained more than 10 percent weight loss from baseline and 76 percent had maintained more than 20 percent weight loss". Read more at: http://medicalxpress...higher.html#jCp Quality of life - The ability to go into any store, anywhere, anytime knowing that there will be endless options for the new you. The ability to walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath. The ability to play with your children (and grandchildren) for more than five minutes. The ability to take a long walk in the woods with your black lab and actually enjoy every delicious, pain free moment of it. The thrill of looking in the mirror every day and thinking that you look pretty damned amazing. The knowledge that you almost certainly will live a longer, happier, more fulfilling life. The ability to comfortably sit in a restaurant booth. Or an airline seat. The almost limitless energy that you had long since forgotten. Just plain feeling good about yourself for the first time in a long time. Living your life free of the "obesity stigma" - that only those of us who have been there can really understand. The absolute elation of knowing that you did it. That it's sustainable. And that you are finally in control. Complications - zero. Would I do it again? - If I had it to do all over again there is one thing, and only one thing, that I would change. I'd do it twenty years earlier!

Since surgery I've lost a noticeable amount of weight and if someone asks, I will tell them that I had bariatric surgery. Most people don't know what gastric sleeve surgery is and I don't go into depth with them on it unless it's someone who is asking more questions about it. Those people are also the ones who would generally benefit from the surgery too so I try to be as open and honest with them because it might end up saving their life someday. I don't know if I ever would have been able to have this surgery if it hadn't of been for 3-5 people close to me that had already had the same or similar procedure done. Their openness and honesty made it easier for me to make the decision and know that I was doing the right thing. I hope to pay it forward to others as a way of giving back. As for the haters, I haven't said anything about the surgery. I just sit back with my tiny meal, get full off of a few bites and let them try to figure out what's going on. Most of those types made fun of me before surgery so I don't care to mention it to them and they don't have the guts to ask me about it so I just let them wonder . . . and watch me get smaller each day.

I don't know about their bariatric program, but I used to work there and had both of my children there. What a great place! I'm sure you're in good hands. Best wishes to you!!

I have logged into this website at first on my laptop and just used to connect through fb link. Now when I use my iphone app I cannot get logged in bc I don't have a user name/password. I tried to register using my info but it says that my email is already in use as is my name. Does anyone know how I can fix this?

Thanks for sharing! The only Vitamin B12 I am taking is in my bariatric multivitamin... which lately I keep forgetting to take! I wasn't too concerned until I looked up high bilirubin with high vitamin b12... and together they indicate possible cancer and so of course it is a bit concerning. Of course, Cancer isn't the only cause... but just scary possibility. If others have a high b12 after surgery, I am less concerned though will continue monitoring and talk to the doc when I see him. I think I will keep my Dec appointment unless he calls me in because of labs... and then I will drop off a copy of my labs at my PCP office and SHE will probably call me and we can talk. I thought this might all be surgery/rapid weight loss related, but the web search had me worried. B12 is water soluble, so normally you just pee the extra out. Trying to up my fluids to see if it will help.

It's a new chapter in my life as I pack up all the things my Ex gave me over the years, I put it in a box and put it away. I woke up not sad for the first time I woke up rejuvenated! That I will find somebody who will want the same desires as me. For now I start the most important task: Taking care of myself! Seeing the Bariatric Surgeon is the first step this coming Wednesday. Then taking the rest from there. I need to rebuild myself inner to outer. This is my Time to Shine. Lisa

At this point, try to forget about work for at least a week. You may feel much better next week and the week after. Don’t assume how you feel now will be how you feel in two weeks. Since you were asking for more time at the outset before knowing how you would feel, it may be a self fulfilling prophesy. If you get to the date when you have to return to work and can’t do it, talk to your Bariatric team in person. Don’t hold back your emotions. Mental Health is just as important as physical health.

This is a great read for members interested in upcoming Bariatric procedures. The Lyon New Bariatric Tech and Expert meeting highlighted some of the hot topics regarding "state of the art" and very recent minimally invasive weight loss procedures. Here are some highlights from the meeting: Part 1 Part 2 Page 3

I've been looking for bariatric cookbooks that are cheap but good. I found this one today ... "Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein Recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery" Have any of you tried it before?

Strawberry, My heart goes out to you! It sounds like you could use some help. A few things come to mind.. Have your tired a Bariatric support group. If you’re feeling alone, you should be able to find people who are experiencing similar feelings. This is an unprofessional read on the situation, but it seems like an anti-depressant would really be helpful. Hang in there! You aren’t alone!

My bariatric vitamins are tasteless capsules. My calcium is from CVS I bought caramel and chocolate flavored chews.

Hello guys Im from orange county ny...did any of you use tri state bariatrics?

Hi Im sooo happy found this topic!! I got my surgery 1 month ago, and after been vegetarian for most of my life, wanted to do the leap of faith and compassion and been a vegan... So since my surgery i have only had a vegan diet.... fruits, veggies and grains, legumes etc.. for the first 2 weeks i dropped 15 pounds, then i stall for 10 days and i noticed it was because i introduce more nuts and grains and avocado So for the last 5 days i been eating only vegetables, legumes ( chickpeas, green peas, black Beans etc) and fruits and i started loosing again yay!! 3 pounds less!!! And it makes sense to me now!! im doing a big effort to dropped the fat i have inside so i can not put extra fat in!! Soo only legumes, fruits and veggies has done the trick for me!! I also recommend listening to dr. Garth Davis interviews, or fb, he has been one of my inspirations, because he is a surgeon specialist in bariatric and he recommend a vegan diet from the beginning to his patients and he has tons of great testimonies and when he speaks about it is so informative and facts oriented. For the most part being a vegan in this new stage of my life has been wonderful, no nausea, no reflux or digestion problems AT ALL. everything goes down easily and i can get to enjoy fruits, veggies and legumes . Im learning while i go... but so far so good!! I want to know if there is someone else wanted to share their food blog and progress with me? i log using cronometer cuz allow me to see the nutrients in my food. It will be interesting see what works for other vegan so we can have a little comparison. hugs and lots of good vibes!!

I had 30 years of scar tissue in my surgery. I also know the names you get Called when you fail at WLS. try dr. Ponce de leon thru Bariatric Pal. I am beyond satisfied. Hit me up if you want to vent.

My Husband CIBaby and myself were both "Sleeved" by Dr. Sherwinter. I was sleeved on May 7 th 2014. The staff was amazing at helping us coordinate all the testing and helping meet all of our Insurance company Guidelines. Dr Sherwinter is an amazing surgeon. The last visit before Surgery he sat us down for over an hour answering any questions we had and explaining anything we did not understand. I recommend Maimonides Hospital and Staff for Bariatric Surgery and if I had to decide all over again I wouldn't change a thing! We both had zero complications and very very small scars where the instruments were inserted. If you get to read this Thank you Dr Sherwinter for saving my husbands life. I can honestly say That if you truly are looking for help there is no better advocate than yourself. Dr Sherwinter and his office staff have lots of patientents ... You can not honestly expect them to hold each and everyones hand. I did all my research my self with minimal input from the office and surgeons....Because I wanted the surgery.. As far is follow up visits I didn't have any problems schedualing them. Lastly I would do every thing exactly the same... Thank you Dr Sherwinter and your staff for making some thing so hard so easy and for giving me my life back.

http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf Above is the Cornell VSG dietary guidelines http://www.iabsobesitysurgery.com/Media/Forms/SleeveDietGuide.pdf From the Institute for Advanced Bariatric Surgery And the link posted in the reply above is fabulous. I used a mixture of the Cornell, my surgeon's guideline and Dr. Aceve's guidelines. I stuck to 600-800 calories a day. No more than 30 grams of carbs, 60+ grams of Protein, did not count fat grams, and 64ounces of Water. For Vitamins, every surgeon/nut is different. My nut hates children's vitamins for bariatric patients, but it seems to be a trend for some surgeons to recommend them just so their patients are taking something since they taste good. Walking for the first 6 weeks post-op, then introduce cardio, and lifting light weights at 6 weeks and moving forward. For the post op diet, my surgeon's program is: 2 weeks of Clear liquids 2 weeks of full liquids 2 weeks of mushies/purees then onto soft solids as tolerated and incorporate more dense protein as your body allows. No Nuts, raw fruit and/or veggies for 3 months post op. My meal goal was 4 meals a day consisting of 15grams of protein per meal. That gave me the 60 grams of protein requirement.

I too got nauseous and actually sick once when I started taking a multi a few weeks after surgery. I used Bariatric Advantage and the pills are about the same size as Celebrate. I ended up trying to eat half the Vitamin at a time and it helped with the nausea but even now if I take those vitamins whole it can make me feel queasy. I switched to Celebrate multi and iron tablets and I do better with those. So, the vitamins could go down easier as you get more post-op weeks under-your-belt or maybe they will continue not to agree with you as in my case. You may want to try other flavors too as that may make a difference in how they go down.

I take my bariatric multivitamin at night. I'm talking about that moment when I roll over into the comfy position... I spring up, take my multi-vit and get back into my sleep position.

Hey, Banders!Thanksgiving is behind us and the holiday season is officially underway! Filled with holiday shopping, festivities at work and spending time with friends and family, this time of year is can be the most rewarding. It can be hectic, too, so paying extra attention to your diet and health is even more important than usual. Use this newsletter as a reminder and some motivation to be extra cautious with your choices so that you can keep seeing the results you want from your weight loss journey. Here’s what’s coming up in this newsletter. Member Spotlight: Meet Mis73! Tips for the Season: Thriving at Holiday Parties! Bander Challenge: Activate Your Party Action Plan! A Big Thank-You to Our Members as 2012 Ends We know the hustle and bustle of this season make your life busy, but we hope you spend part of your holiday season with us at Alex Brecher Founder LapBandTalk.com Member Spotlight: Meet Mis73! Mis73, aka Missy, is this newsletter’s highlighted member! She’s a 39-year-old Michigander who has fought through obstacles to achieve her current weight loss of 168 pounds. Her high weight was 421 pounds, and her goal weight is 160, at a BMI of 27.5. She has multiple sclerosis and knew that her obesity was making the symptoms worse. So, she decided to get the lap-band and focus on the obesity because that’s something she could control. Missy says that the “biggest difference is, I am happy. I am happier than I have been in literally decades.” She’s gone from needing a handicapped parking pass and a motorized cart for grocery shopping to being able to take her son to the zoo and walk around for hours! Other great moments have been dropping below 300 pounds, fitting into blue jeans for the first time in 20 years, fitting in the seat at her daughter’s band concert and seeing her father’s look of pride and joy after seeing her for the first time – 100 pounds lighter. Missy’s biggest challenge right after surgery was to avoid exacerbating her multiple sclerosis, since symptoms can appear after trauma, such as surgery. Luckily, she was able to avoid a full-blown relapse. Missy used LapBandTalk in the early days for reassurance that her experience was normal. She’s grown to depend on the friends she’s made here and she continues to “offer education and support to others.” She has plenty of advice to offer. She suggests meeting with a nutritionist who specializes in bariatric patients and to keep your food to a cup per meal. Also, learn everything you can about the band: what it is, what it does and how you can succeed with it. Missy, we are so glad that you are finding happiness. We know that it will just get better for you as you keep losing weight, and it’s a pleasure to be able to share in your weight loss journey. Thanks for being in the Member Spotlight! Please post in the Protein snack or two for yourself and eat it when it’s time for your regular meal or snack. You can also take a healthy dish for the host to serve at the party. Sip Water. Carrying a glass of water around gives you something to do without adding any calories to your day. Another benefit of drinking water is that you know you shouldn’t eat solid foods when you’re drinking fluids. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a source of calories that you just don’t need. Worse yet is that it lowers your inhibition. That means that you’re less likely to resist unhealthy holiday foods. Bander Challenge: Activate Your Holiday Action Plan! This newsletter’s challenge is related to our advice on holiday parties. The challenge is to choose a specific strategy designed to get you through the holidays without interfering with your weight loss goals. You can take one of the suggestions listed above, or choose your own. Some other ideas are to keep healthy Snacks at work so you’re not tempted by unhealthy snacks and to record each treat that you eat in your food record instead of pretending that it doesn’t count. Tell us in the Bander Challenge Forum how you complete the challenge! Was it easy or difficult? What tips do you have for other LapBandTalk.com members? We also want to know anytime you go back and complete an old Newsletter Challenge, which you can find in the archived Newsletter Forum. It’s never too late to try a Newsletter Challenge! A Big Thank-You to Our Members as 2012 Ends As we close out 2012, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank each member. We truly appreciate your support. We value each member, whether you post many times a day and use all of LapBandTalk.com’s many features, or whether you log in infrequently to read just a few posts. You, the members, are essential to LapBandTalk.com’s success, so a heartfelt thank-you to each of you! 2012 has seen rapid increases in the number of members, the beginning of regular newsletters and the launch of mobile apps to access all of the forum’s features. Big plans are in the works for the coming year, and it promises to be an exciting ride. We’re glad to have you on board! Of course, we’re always open to member suggestions, so please feel free to contact any board administrator. That’s it for this month’s newsletter. We hope it was inspirational and helpful. Have a safe and peaceful holiday season, and take care of yourself and each other, Alex. ============================================================== If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I went looking around the internet for mortality rates for the VSG alone, and found one study that found NO deaths at all: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/Miller%20Kinsy.pdf?bgsu1230091360. I hope the .5% mortality rate you were quoted includes all bariatric surgery, and I certainly hope your facility does a large number of high-risk open procedures because honestly, I wouldn't go near a place with a rate like that for the VSG. My surgeon has been doing this for years and has had only one death.

My approval was based on bmi of 40 and 5 yr weight history-the other criteria is set by the surgeon and it is mainly to satisfy the requirements of having surgery in a bariatric center of excellence-you can ask your surgeon to send his letter before all the requirements are completed, but most want to do the psych eval, intitial lab work first then submit to insurance.

I got approval for surgery but waiting for date, bc vascular and bariatric surgeon have to coordinate. Has anyone gotten this? Was the removal of the filter difficult?

2009 has been dedicated to changing my life! Never in my life have I been so heavy. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been heavy all my life but at the same time I had a very active childhood. While in high School I was on the basketball, track and field, and step team. I have always managed a way to keep active except for the last 5-6 years. Where did I go wrong? I know I started gaining lots of weight after leaving college. And yes I did gain the freshmen 20lbs (or more than likely 30lbs). In 2006 I had a baby, I gained 80lbs. (Yes!! That much! Baby girl was born 10.6lbs.) At the beginning of 2007 I was 415lbs! As of today I have only managed to lose 40lbs., the last 10lbs were lost this month. Last October I decided to go to informational about bariatric surgery. To my surprise I met lost of people that are in the same situation as me. Leaving the informational gave me a sense of hope. I can lose this weight. I have decided to under go the lap band procedure. With this I would have to completely change my lifestyle. And I am ready! As of January 3rd, I have started a new way of life. I exercise everyday for at least 30 minutes. I am no longer eating fast food, fried food or soda. And to my surprise I could not believe how quick I lost the 10lbs. I have already done all my preoperative tests. My last hurdle is to have a psychological evaluation done which is next week. I am completely committed on having this life change. I am learning how to eat healthly, which in turn I will be teaching my children how to eat health. With this New Year, new President, I hope to find a new me. Wish me luck!