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ill be using the bariatric advantage. did you have a hard time? i know it will be a lot of work. but im hoping i wont have too much pain :/ hoping!

Hi everyone, thank you for responding. Glad to see i am not alone in the difficulties reaching out. Yes, FMLA paperwork needs to be completed by July 6th as per my job for a leave date of 7/23. The insurance papers are not submitted yet for 8/6 date because they are still submitting July surgery date approval requests. In other words, after 2 emails and a phone call or two, I got a response to my email and a promise to follow up next week... Anxiety still through the roof but a little better. Now just the regular jitters of omg can I follow this 2 week pre-bariatric liquid diet without dying! Thanks all!!

Misinformation about Weight Loss Surgery If you have ever who has discussed weight loss surgery with uninformed individuals, you know that the initial reaction is likely to be negative and backed by false information or no information at all. Many people who have not investigated weight loss surgery believe that the surgery is a quick fix for lazy people. They may think that you can walk in off the street and leave from bariatric surgery a couple hundred pounds lighter; that you chose to ignore your weight for years; and that all bariatric surgery is the same;. Wrong, wrong and wrong. These misperceptions contribute to the stigma associated with weight loss surgery. People may look down on surgery as the “easy way out” for “lazy people,” instead of as a tool for hard-working people to have the opportunity to lead the healthy lives that everyone should have the chance to lead. You already know that you’re not lazy and that bariatric surgery is not a magic bullet; the next time you run across an uninformed, disparaging individual, you can patiently explain to them the steps of the process and the hard work you and every other successful weight loss surgery patient puts in. Not Everyone is Eligible for Weight Loss Surgery You can’t just “go get bariatric surgery,” and this is an important fact to understand to reduce the stigma associated with weight loss surgery. Each weight loss center has strict eligibility requirements that you have to meet before you can become a candidate. In general, patients must be morbidly obese, with a BMI over 40, or have a BMI over 35 and have health complications related to being overweight; for example, you might be eligible if you have a BMI of 35 and already have type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol levels. Most clinics have additional eligibility criteria that you need to meet before being considered as a potential bariatric surgery candidate. You need to have been overweight for several years, usually over five years. You also need to show that you have tried, unsuccessfully, to lose weight multiple times through diet alone. You cannot be a smoker or be an abuser of alcohol or drugs because the additional health risks from surgery will be too great. Pregnant women or women who want to become pregnant soon should not have bariatric surgery because pregnancy is only safe after your weight is constant. The decision to have surgery requires significant consideration and planning. Bariatric Surgery Requires Preparation Bariatric surgery itself does not guarantee permanent weight loss success, and much of the responsibility for losing weight will be up to you. Even after going through the screening process and learning that your clinic agrees that some form of bariatric surgery is right for you, several steps remain before you can undergo the procedure. The steps are in place to ensure that you are likely to succeed with the surgery and are not signing up on a whim. You will meet your bariatric team members, including your surgeon, dietitian and psychologist or psychiatrist. In most cases, you will undergo a psychological interview or series of tests to make sure that you are capable of sticking to the required diet. You may be asked to follow a specific diet for weeks before your scheduled surgery to demonstrate your commitment and ability to succeed after the operation. This step may also be required by your health insurance company for your bariatric procedure to be covered. There are Risks People need to understand that you can’t take bariatric surgery lightly. Each type of surgery has risks, although different processes are riskier than others. The lap band is relatively low-risk, with minor concerns of the band slipping out of place or infections at the incision site. Roux-n-Y gastric bypass carries a higher rate of complications, including ulcers, spleen injuries, leakage through staples and deficiencies of micronutrients, such as vitamin B-12 and iron. Nobody would choose to have a bariatric procedure if they weren’t convinced that they had tried all of their other options to get healthy. It’s a Long Process Bariatric surgery is a crucial milestone, but it is early in your weight loss journey and bariatric care plan. After surgery, you will continue to have follow-up appointments with your surgeon as dictated by your health and type of weight loss surgery. You will also meet with your dietitian regularly to stay on track with your diet. Most clinics have optional or mandatory support groups to motivate you and provide opportunities to ask your surgeon and fellow patients questions in a group setting. The surgery does not take off any weight. It’s a tool to make it easier for the patient to follow the proper diet for the long term. Contrary to what some people may believe, you do not lose any weight during the surgery. All of the weight that you lose is because of changes to your diet. The surgical procedures help you eat less by limiting the size of your stomach and making you feel full faster. Even if you lose 100 pounds in your first year, which is a standard benchmark for success, you may still have more weight to lose. Once you reach your goal weight, you still need to watch your diet and exercise regularly to keep the weight off. In Conclusion You’re already familiar with the intensive efforts required for weight loss surgery, but unfortunately, most people are not. This often leads to negative reactions when you tell them about your procedure. An important step you can take in reducing the stigma is to explain that the procedure is a component of an overall program to improve your health through lifestyle modifications.

Reannah: You have a right to a copy of all your medical tests, including the disks of upper GI's. Contact medical records at the hospital at which you had the testing done and request copies of everything you had done. And I'm sure you will be able to find an experienced bariatric practice in which you don't have to pay such outrageous upfront fees. Good luck. Let us know how it works out.

I second this surgery was 2005 and I am still severely anemic plus the two mentioned and several more I currently take ferrous sulfate and pre natal plus Vitamins etc., problem is it is not near enough, mal absorptive issues plague bariatric patients . Give me back my strong body and diabetes, that I could deal with easily, this....NO!

I am seriously exhausted, like almost all the time. I started taking huge doses of B Vitamins in addition to my bariatric vitamins in an effort to make myself a little more alert. Caffeine isn't helping very much either. I realize my body is working hard right now to convert my fat into energy. I get that it's hard work, and takes a toll. However, I am still sleeping 11-12 hours a night. It's hard to be active, and exercise when I feel like I'm dragging myself through the day. Add to that, I've hit a stall. I've been just about single-mindedly focusing on getting all my Protein in, and getting enough Fluid. Any advice, or encouragement would be appreciated. Has anyone been through this before?

I wouldn't worry about scars in the long term. My lap band was 2005. I needed to hunt to find those scars. Yet my rny scars looks so obvious and angry. I know they will fade in time Not the bariatric scars, ones from any tummy tuck or body lift... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My surgeon was Dr. Kuhn, who came highly recommended from a few doctors and friends. I wanted someone who would answer all my questions and not have billboards and ads all over town. He fit both of them and every time is met with him he was extremely patient. He also had done over 4500 of them. Also had to wait 6 weeks to meet him which made me think he wasn't running a slice and dice factory. I'm six weeks post op, have seen him 4 times now since February and couldn't be happier with my decision. Of course, I'm sure there are plenty of folks who don't like him. No one bats 1.000. Go with someone you like and feel comfortable with. DFW area has what seems like 1,000 bariatric surgeons.

Its so hard when this happens, I've been in a funk like this for quite some time. Got too tight, had some fill out and was too loose and have been just eating round my band ever since. For me, it was important to change things up. I needed to see some weight lost, that always motivates me and it hadnt happened in months and months. I also realise that even though I am a staunch defender of cardio, running for an hour five days a week for three years has just about acheived all it can for my body, I've become super efficient at it, its definitely not burning the calories and challenging me like it once was and its not keeping the weight away and helping me to lose it like it did. So I've completely switched it about. I am allowing myself one long slow run a week (because I love doing it) and the rest of the time I am focussing on a really HARD circuit workout I've developed on my treadmill that focusses on some heavy weights with a high heartrate the whole time and I've thrown in a few interval training workouts too (cardio coach is great for this). I committed to five days of perfect eating and I did it, hard though it was. Result? 2 of the pesky 4lb gone and I feel renewed and havent slipped back into that headhunger cookie munching all day long mode for about three weeks. For me, I just need to see a result to get me motivated again. Maintaining is boring. Same weight all the time, day in day out, I think I broke out of my good habits just to see something change!:whatchutalkingabout To give myself the challenge of having to lose a bit again, lol. Perhaps a little blitz would help you too? A completely different eating and exercise regime for a week?

I'm Austin and will be using Dr. Faulkenberry with Southwest Bariatrics..aka Capitol Surgeons Group. They will br submitting for approval for me in mid-May. I researched him thoroughly and found no negative reviews, 0 mortality and haven't been able to find any complication stats on him either. On another site his patients are telling me they have not heard of any complications either. He is named a surgeon of excellence by the Centers gor Excellence and I will be sleeved at St. David hospital which is also a Center of Excellence and he is the Medical Director of their metabolic and bariatric program. Based on all this, my assumption is his surgical skill will be very good also.

Your bariatric surgery team. Mine has follow up, for years, and if I need to talk to a dietician or psych about stress eating or whatever, I can.

Too true, too true, but we will do with what tools we have. I just felt bad you weren't given credit for all you have done already. Rather like " If you still think I'm too large, you should have seen where I came from!" GSVguy, I look at my pre surgery pictures,I cry because I didn't realize the size of me I was presenting to the world🌎! And I thought I was looking good, really I did. But out of that train wreck I built and am still building a NEW ME! I am still legally obese at 31.1, almost ready to drop into Overweight, but I started at 52, that is Abundantly Morbid Obesity, probably within death in a couple years if a ❤attack , stroke or cancer didn't carry me off first! That is a very Scary Larry circumstance, Bariatric Surgery was my best hope and almost my last hope, so even on my discouraged days , I might bad-mouth myself but not my surgery! It gave me back hope, I just got to stay the course until I can take a VICTORY Lap. If you have read my past postings you'll notice I haven't always had sunshine , flowers and bluebird singing in the trees. But I will still prevail, I HAVE COME TOO FAR TO JUST COME THIS FAR! I am not a quitter, I am Red-headed, stubborn, and I'm gonna hang around till the finish. If I die in process, so be it, but I WILL HAVE TRIED. And the Gold Ring may still be mine!

Do the bariatric soups have enough protein and veggies in them for the first two weeks? Sent from my SM-S550TL using BariatricPal mobile app

Welcome to the lapband journey. I went to my first orientation meeting in October and by the end of December had finished jumping through all the hoops of clearances that both the bariatric program and/or my insurance required from me. I had a documented history of the weight with my doctor and weight watcher books showing I had been doing that for 6 months faithfully. Once they got the insurance submission in, it was back in about 2 weeks. Then it took 6 weeks to get on the surgery schedule. I had my surgery on March 17 and I've never regretted it. Still need to lose about another 60 lbs but its going slowly now. Mostly due to my own stubborness at wanting to eat 'easy' foods when I want comfort - even though I know better. The key for me is to keep trying and remember I never want to go back to where I was 140 lbs ago! Best wishes.

Dr. Philip Schauer. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/bariatric Revison Lap Band to RNY 9/6/18.

Hi James, good to have you on here! I'm in Mayo and had a gastric sleeve in the Galway Clinic a little over a week ago. Whereabouts on the bariatric journey are you? HW 365 CW 332 GW 220 Sleeved 6th March 2018

Glad you have therapy to help with all the things you’re dealing with. I’m sorry you’re not getting your back issues/pain resolved. The Dr’s statement “You just need to lose weight, that's really the only thing that will help." was unnecessary, ignorant and less than helpful. We all know things are not that simple. Food may be the lesser of the evils now, but you also know its just as damaging to keep in this cycle of food to cope. I don’t have answers. I know how dark of a place that has been for me in the past. My heart goes out to you. You’re not alone in not exercising. It’s your situation. Some bariatric patients are in wheelchairs. Many exclude exercise due to mobility issues/pain. What is your physical ability currently?

Same here! I just think that's what they think! Double banding seems to be a bit excessive in my opinion but then again i am not certified in bariatrics or any other medical field lol!!

Bariatric Advantage banana is yummy. I'd imagine any of their flavors are good. Dawnie_doo

I'm in Northern Ca and 5 months of Sleeve 44 lbs off. I'm looking for Bariatric doctor in my area Eureka Ca to do follow up since I moved from where I did my surgery Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Dr Illan and Bariatric Pal are awesome! They sleeved me on Nov 18th and it was an amazing experience.

I just started my pre-op diet, and I purchased several Soups from Bariatric Pal online. They delivered in about two days., and you get a discount on your first purchase. The creamy veg is really good. I have chicken and tomato on the way. I honestly could not make it without this Soup option for my Protein. I am sick of chocolate and vanilla shakes. There is a new product I bought at Wal mart called LIFT protien drinks. It is more like a lemonade made by Atkins. My nutritionist said it was good pre and post op. It is clear liquid w/ 20 gms protein. I eat roasted chicken or turkey or lean ham on spinach leaves with tomato and vinegar, or stir fry or grill chicken with yellow squash and zucchini for my meals. I go to a Olive Oil/Vinegar specialty shop ( in our local upscale shopping center) and buy exotic vinegar ( strawberry, champagne pear, apricot walnut, etc....) They are super yummy, and I do not miss dressing at all this way. I hate the fake low cal/fat dressings in the market. It is pretty limited. You can get sugar free popsicles at Wal Mart really cheap. and SF Jello. I can honestly say by Blood Sugar is now normal. Good Luck. I really do not eat very much to begin with, so I have not had a hunger problem AT all...just an " I want" problem. LOL! I cannot say enough about the protein soup on this site's product line. It is saving me flavor wise! I will probably buy this for many years to come after surgery!

I also bought some banana Bariatric protein powder.. I mix the premier chocolate shake with that and peanut better.. It's an awesome peanut butter, chocolate banana shake.. I Also throw my iron Vitamin in with the blender.. Can't even taste it.... Get created with the blender. . Peanut butter is a life saver.. U can get like 60 grams in one 16 oz drink. I don't like to drink protein all day so I try to get most grams for less ounces as possible . Good luck.. Hope this helps

My doctor put me on Bariatric Advantage.meal replacement shakes. I ordered the vanilla. They were fine, but I was unable to stomach it after surgery. Just to sweet and thick. I now drink unflavored protein powder in fat free milk. I love it and don't even want any flavors added to it. Boy, how my taste buds have changed.

Hi Eunice, I would suggest you contact some of the Bariatric Centers of Excellence and talk to their directors and/or on-staff psychologists. They might be able to give you an idea of what kinds of needs aren't being addressed by existing programs.