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So evidently this is a very common theme among Bariatric patients then. I've been off of my BP meds since the day of my fall, so I know the medicine is out of my system by now. I still feel a little woosy after getting up and starting to walk, but it's manageable. So I would like to thank everyone for their experiences with this problem. It probably makes everyone feel better that it is common and can most likely be expected. Thank you again!

Thats some good advice, thank you. I will be going to have a meeting with the nutrition advisor at my surgeons office next month so I can find out for sure what my insurance requirements are. Regardless, I think I still want to wait until summer for convenience. I'm going to Dr. Kella at Winthrop Bariatric.

Thanks for the add . As of today 1-19-20 ,I have never been so sick malnutrition and loosing quality of life . I was banned 10-09 and for 9 yrs I lost 80-90 lbs ( also the most stressful yrs as an adult I might add ) ... fast forward 2 yrs ago I was gaining weight back rapidly yet it wasn’t from food fluid retained in soft tissue 🤷🏻‍♀️ my doctor moved along to the modern sleeve no longer dealt with the band , passed me on to a p a with not any hands on band issues ... by the next two months I was sick and balloons up to 200 pounds At 4”11 ... and I COULD NOT FIND A DOC IN SOUTH JERSEY TO REMOVE 2 bands the band and realize NOT MANY with much knowledge of the realize .. I go to a well known east coast heart hospital finally a nice understanding Dr. who agreed to remove the band and sleeve so the date comes 5-17-18 (paperwork similar ) no psych no vit shots ... the nutritionist and ins wait .. I go in all is ok from what I remember the next day I am complaining of itching hands head n eyes “nurse perhaps pain meds “ me I have other issues and have n do take meds this is different .. over looked n discharged 2 days later the rash (still have 2-4x weekly) from inside out now hubby can see n watch spread .. a black bubble on lower abdomen appears go to doc he calls in augmenting infection (pill was a weeks of food to me ) by 2 more days another bubble yet bigger appears in the pain as of kidney stones to the hospital I go m r I and they can’t touch me immediate transfer to I c u at the Bariatric doc request .. 5 clots nicked liver spleen and rash Entire body inside out ... 7 wks and was told I had the HIT .. heparin induced blood clots me in aww they run in family NOT U HEPRIN DID IT 42 days of it and a rash yet antibiotic n dilution 4 mlg 2 hrs ...i Finally asked a nurse to see labs day 3 playlets drop no wbc hi at all confused hemotolgy the head of liver center are now on board ... the rash source still in k own yet in may of 19 lost 25 lbs since surgery I become soo tired and acting out of character my neuro sends me to hosp labs show NO THIAMIE AND TOO MUCH B 12 sugar 32 if not for stimulant adderall i might not be here 2- days I slept Endo by hospital g I doc confirms NO BAND OR SLEEVE ??? second opinion last week Endo n colonoscopy done sees prior Bariatric surgery TWISTED STOMACH NOW WHAT THE DOCTOR LEFT STATE I AM 104 lbs and pain as I try to eat solids before even finished .. limited liquids more bad then good days , was accused of drug use as I would stand n sleep ... act out of the norm , so off , yet no one believed me until July I called and said admit me n find out why I am loosing 5 lbs a week vomit diahrea all day .. almost dead I am mal nourished , stomach only absurbs liquid vit and DOCTOR LEAVES I HAVE ISSUES DAILY MIGRANES STOMACH PAINS ALONG WITH NEUROPATHY ON RIGHT SIDE LIFE IS A STRUGGLE DAILY ... so as if today 1-19-20 Surgeon left the state still suffering who goes in too fix me lawsuit holding all back I need my life I’m 48 and no quality of me left suggestions anyone else endure hear of ?

There is a bariatric recipe group on Facebook but so much of them are "keto" which isn't healthy for me personally (I can't do high fat, I don't handle it well). I do intend to remain low carb so some posts and recipe ideas are helpful. Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

I get what you are saying, and that you want to be of help. A seemingly inexplicable stall is something that you may not have experienced yet, and hopefully won’t (you are so very recently out of surgery). But they DO happen. Bodies are so so strange. At my first post-surgery check in with my surgeon, she said that I’d probably be having my first stall soon. I had already had it. She explained that the weight loss after bariatric surgery TENDS to be more like stair steps, not a linear decline. It’s normal. And while, yes, behavior can be a factor in SOME cases, stalls are absolutely a normal part of the process for many if not most people, even when they are doing everything “right”. You can try to make minor changes, and it may help you feel in control again, which can’t be undestated. Stay confident and faithful to your plan, and it will start up again. I know it’s frustrating. And the temptation to go off plan when in a stall is HUGE (“well, if I’m not losing anyway...”), it’s stressful and easy to lean back into old habits.

Am I the oldest? I'm 73 and will hopefully have the sleeve done in Feb. My story is similar to everyone's: yo-yoed my entire adult life, losing and gaining overweight but not obese. Nine years ago I developed an autoimmune disease which is controlled by steroids. Long term steroid therapy is like having another disease. Besides potential diabetes, increased risk of infection (thankfully I have not developed), what affects weight is increased appetite, slower metabolism, and redistribution of weight (belly fat). For the past eight years I have been well over 225 lb and it is next to impossible to lose. I also have high blood pressure and sleep apnea. My PCP and Hematologist as well as other Drs feel that I am a good candidate for the sleeve. My goal is to obviously lose weight but also to have a tool for me to eat less for the rest of my life.I want to be able to get down on the floor to play with my grandchildren, have energy for my passions and to take a brisk walk. In short I want quality of life for whatever years I have left.I have completed all the requirements and am waiting to be scheduled. I have researched alot about bariatric surgery really enjoy reading these posts. I am especially impressed that so many of you have exceeded your weight loss goals. I anticipate that I will be a slow loser due to my age and the steroids but I am prepared and committed for the journey.

There are different approaches to Bariatric Surgery. My surgery went through a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. It was a very comprehensive program. Sort of like "the full meal deal" because it encompasses a multidisciplinary team of specialists. It includes a surgeon who specializes in bariatric surgery and a hospital specializing in bariatric surgery and a team of specialist in a variety of other fields (such as nutritionist) as support staff. There was a lot of support after surgery. So for those contemplating this type of surgery, I recommend using a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.

I had a robotic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy with Dr. Michael Michelle at the Summerville Medical Center in South Carolina. I really loved my experience with Dr. Michael and the team at the Coastal Carolina Bariatric and Surgical Center. Every member of the team is helpful and supportive. I give my surgeon and the bariatric center a 5/5. With regard to the Summerville Medical Center, I would give it a 2.5. I did not feel there was adequate nursing staff overnight. Due to this, I had to unhook and reattach my own IPC device multiple times during the night because I had to use the bathroom frequently (due to the IV).

James... my ex was so turned off by what happened In The initial surgery he lost his trust in doctors, though doctors were the ones who helped him so many years later. He did not do any of the things he was supposed to do. He did lose a bunch of weight though. He got down to 168 pounds at his lowest. But he was never the same. yes I joined 2 hours ago. I do want people to be aware. Do the surgery like James did it and not the way my ex did. I’m rebuilding. I have had therapy. So has my ex. His life is working out. I also stand — if transfer addiction is an issue, addiction to food needs to be clearly ruled out before surgery. This is my opinion. I was telling my story as a cautionary tale. I am still wondering if an issue with vitamin deficiency has been noted as causing organ damage (reversible) in post bariatric surgery patients. The people who said “if it’s even true, well..” whatever. I get it. This is the internet. I can take this post down. But I hope people really make sure they are not addicted to food when they get this surgery. That is a mind and not body issue. Again, my opinion. I read all the comments and appreciate the well thought out comments.

I’m rebuilding. I have had therapy. So has my ex. His life is working out. I also stand — if transfer addiction is an issue, addiction to food needs to be clearly ruled out before surgery. This is my opinion. I was telling my story as a cautionary tale. I am still wondering if an issue with vitamin deficiency has been noted as causing organ damage (reversible) in post bariatric surgery patients. The people who said “if it’s even true, well..” whatever. I get it. This is the internet. I can take this post down. But I hope people really make sure they are not addicted to food when they get this surgery. That is a mind and not body issue. Again, my opinion. I read all the comments and appreciate the well thought out comments.

Help me!!!!! Surgery date was 11/25/2019 and obviously I was hurting my first week or so but after that, I felt invincible. I had low sugar yogurt, I was happy, losing weight, eating mashed potato. I even made jokes if I had surgery at all because I was hungry most of the time. I am now almost 2 months out and I am so sensitive to food now, I am guessing it’s because I was safe in a bubble of soft foods and now I’m back to work. I had a piece of chicken with some queso (huge mistake, lots of fat in the queso) I was vomiting for 3 hours small amounts of queso (sorry for the nasty detail) next day I had to go to school and I don’t like eating in the morning but I had early class and we can’t eat during because it’s in a lab and I had small bite of a softer granola, no peanuts nothing and I had to leave class because I was vomiting the morning and that night, I took a Bariatric multivitamin which are swallowable because chews make me feel bad and I hadn’t eaten much because of the morning pain and I woke up throwing up at 4 am. I throw up a lot if something doesn’t feel right even if it’s small where I use to never throw up. I know I’m still finding my way and I tell everyone, no pre op diet will prepare you for this journey. I need help with foods and what I can enjoy because I’m starting to get a bit sad where I was once super motivated. I don’t like to be sick but everything kinda hurts. I had soup with an egg which felt great and protein water for now... Day of surgery: 256 lbs Today: 217 lbs

@H8thissurgery, sorry after all this time you cannot come to terms with your situation. Therapy might be helpful. You are angry at the wrong people. We are not here for you to take your frustrations out on in this manner, it will not give you the outcome you seek - to dissuade people from getting surgery. It's not your call to make. Mental illness is a disease that deserves to be respected and treated. Transfer addiction is a possible known issue in bariatric surgeries.

Many reasons cause a marriage to go to ****. In some, adversity brings people closer. This was a sad tale, but I would image the Bariatric surgery was minimally causal.

I had my surgery at Bailey Medical in Owasso, OK. Dr. Steven B. Katsis was my surgeon, he was actually suggested to me by my orthopedic doctor, he and Dr. Katsis are very good friends. From the moment I met Dr. Katsis I could tell he was genuine in his compassion and care about his bariatric patients. He and his staff made sure I understood all the steps and the encouragement they provide is a key part of success. I had a very smooth surgery with no complications. If you are in the Tulsa area, I highly recommend him and Bailey Medical.

I wasn't allowed that during my liquid diet. The only thing close to that that I was allowed was sugar free Jello. But ask your bariatric team - maybe your plan is different than mine was. But you can have sugar free pudding during the pureed stage once you're post-op - I ate quite a bit of it then.

From DFW Bariatric Institute: "Hair loss after bariatric surgery is very common and very stressful. We all want to achieve great weight loss results and still have great hair. The hair loss associated with weight loss surgery is called telogen effluvium and has to do with the normal hair growth cycle. It usually starts abruptly and very seldom lasts longer than 6 months. Human hair has a two-stage growth cycle. The growth phase is called anagen and 90% of our hair follicles are in this phase at any given time. The resting phase is called telogen, which lasts about 1 to 6 months, with an average of 3 months. About 5-15% of our hair is in the resting phase at any given time. It is also known that telogen effluvium has to do with stress to the body and hormonal changes that can occur. Due to the stress more hair follicles can enter into the resting phase. This is important because the hair in the resting phase at the time of surgery is most likely the hair you will shed. This is why your hair sheds between 1 to 6 months after surgery (usually about 3 to 4 months)." Some people say taking biotin can help.

I think hat happened for me was that my cousin and my best friend had gastric bypass about ten years ago. Less than five years later they both started gaining weight. I had another friend who had great success with the lapband and one who ended up in the hospital for months and nearly died. After reviewing all three types of bariatric surgeries but what really helped me that was due to one insurance difficulty after another, it took two years to get my surgery but I started modifying my eating habits and exercising. regularly. The hardest thing is learning to stop eating when I start to feel full but I know that if I don't adequately learn that habit I will be sunk so I an really trying. I am so terrified of failing especially since I have been losing the weight so much more slowly then I was at the beginning.

Thanks y’all! I’ve been seeing my general practitioner instead of my bariatric surgeon for the monthly appointments because the surgeon is about 45 minutes away. I’m thinking about changing over to doing these appointments with the bariatric surgeon though since they know exactly what insurance requires. I might lose three months of progress if I do that but hopefully not.

lots of people have. Just do a lot of research before picking a surgeon. Dr. Francisco Sauceda in Monterrey and Dr. Laura Carmina Cardinas in Tijuana are well-known by those of us in the bariatric community. I'm sure there are other excellent ones, too, but those names come up A LOT.

My nutritionist said no gummies but when I showed her the multivitamin and how much extra nutrition they provide she said they would be fine. The point about gummy vitamins is to make sure they are a good potency, that it’s a whole food source, and minimal sugar. im pretty sure they specify no gummies just because they assume most people won’t pay attention to what’s in it and the quality of the vitamin. But even centrum can be a garbage vitamin that isn’t utilized by the body. i just find it funny that sometimes the same nutritionist that says no gummies might also approve of fruit or carb foods earlier on. I’m not going to argue. But the nutritionist doesn’t know everything and sometimes I showed my nutritionist new things I’ve found and she was happy I shared and added it to her presentation for future bariatric patients. And she said the vitamins I chose were great. And my levels have been good.

Good morning, I'm new to the forum and so far have just read the messages, rather than jump in and post. I started my journey for surgery on 12/26/19 through the local Veteran's Affairs clinic. My primary care provider had experience by prescribing Saxenda to patients and I was quickly approved for it. Today was day 3 of the prescription and I am still at the smallest dose of .6 mg on my way in 4 weeks to the full 3 mg dose. In the VA, you have to be in the move program for at least 3 months and then the primary care team (along with the nutritionists) present your case to the bariatric surgery team. I am scheduled to have my case presented on April 3rd and hoping for surgery in the next 30 days following. In the interim, I am on Saxenda (injection med) to help facilitate the weight loss process as they have stated many times that the more weight you lsoe pre-surgery, the better chances for success. I started the process (I am 6 feet tall) at 351 lbs and weigh in daily through my VA assigned scale. Today I am at 337 lbs, which means -14 lbs since 12/26. Ultimately, the process is working and I am excited to get through 2020 with a successful surgery and lifestyle change! New Jason in 2020 & 2021!!!

Thank you for the input! Since bariatric surgery is still relatively new at Virginia Mason, there are no support groups started. I will be checking out the Swedish Metabolic and Bariatric Center. Thank you for the input! If anyone wants to get together, please reach out.

Not necessarily true. Not all gummy vitamins are created equal. The ones I buy are Whole Foods based, no added sugar, any sugar is low sugar and natural from fruit, and check labels and you see you are getting the vitamins you need. There are plenty of vitamins that are tablets that claim to be complete or bariatric but aren’t actually utilized by the body the way whole food based gummy or liquid vitamins would be.

I was told to avoid gummies. As you can see here, Johns Hopkins agrees Also good vitamin info here https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns_hopkins_bayview/_docs/medical_services/bariatrics/nutrition-suggested-vitamin-mineral-supplements.pdf ”Multivitamin Recommendations:  Multivitamin must be complete, containing iron and other trace minerals. Should contain at least:  200% Daily Value for most contents, specifically iron (36mg), folic acid (800mcg) and thiamin (3mg)  100% Daily Value for zinc (15mg), copper (2mg) and other nutrients  Taking a Bariatric Multivitamin may eliminate the need for additional Vitamin D and B12 supplements.  Bariatric Multivitamins are also available with different amounts of Iron, choose one that meets your individual needs and eliminate the need for a separate Iron supplement as well.  AVOID GUMMY Multivitamins. Gummies do not have all the vitamins and minerals you need.”

Oh I love my hero nutritionals slice of life omega gummies with chia seed, since they are fish free. They taste good too. For now I get them from vitacost.com but the company told me they will be rebranded at the end of 2020. https://www.vitacost.com/hero-nutritionals-slice-of-life-omega-3-with-chia-seed-adult-gummy-vitamins-natural-cran-orange-60-gummies for my multivitamin I need one that’s free of added iodine and I prefer Garden of life my kind organic prenatal multi whole food gummies. (a lot of bariatric people take prenatal vitamins) I did get Garden of life raw one multivitamin capsules this month, I’m not sure I care for them. I guess Since I have some bloodwork due for a surgeon follow up I’ll find out how my levels are. But my throat has been having problems (likely not related to surgery) the gummies are easier in that regard. And I believe whole food based and chewable or liquid absorb better. For hair skin and nails I like natures way alive hair skin and nails with collagen (300mg) gummies. They also make a calcium but I got a tablet from target, I guess I’ll find out how effective it is comparatively. You are correct about vitamin k , I recommend K2 as Menaquinone MK-7. I buy these sublingual for my mom https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VXDXXM0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 You might want to add in coenzyme Q10 as it’s extremely beneficial. I also take digestive enzymes with meals. For anyone who takes probiotics don’t forget that healthy gut bacteria needs to be fed with prebiotic fiber (inulin) or prebiotic foods. Chicory root is the best source of prebiotics. Some other sources are Apple pectin, konjac root aka glucomannan (you can buy shiritaki noodles made of this) as well as flaxseed and others I can’t think of at the moment. Better than rice is a rice alternative and good source of prebiotics. Cooked right it tastes great. https://www.vitacost.com/better-than-rice-organic-konnyaku-flour-organic-oat-fiber-rice-gluten-free?ta=better+than+rice&t=better+than+rice