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I've thought this through because it's a concern of mine, too. I want and need a support community and resources (bariatric recipes, etc) as I go through this journey. My regular FB is full of co-workers and others who do NOT need to know my personal medical plans and medical history....Definitely none of their business. I'm sure that several people I know would be judgy, critical and gossipy, including family members. I want to "like" all the Bariatric FB pages (including BariatricPal), but your FB friends can see the pages you "like". It would be very easy for regular FB friends to figure it out, even just by what pages you like. My solution was to create a new alternate FB profile. It's very simple to do. I created a new personal email address to open the new FB account with, and that email address is specific to my bariatric journey, too. Now, I can "like" everything I want to on FB without any of my regular FB friends seeing what I'm liking. I've liked/joined a couple dozen awesome pages already. I will join groups with the new FB account, secret or not secret groups. I will make FB friends with the new profile who are genuinely supportive, especially new friends going through the same thing. It's making me feel really free to be doing my thing, and have a "safe" community via FB. I'm still pre-op. After I have the surgery and lose noticeable weight, people will be asking me how...especially certain snippy & gossipy people at work. I won't tell them about the surgery, but I will tell them about counting calories, tracking everything I eat and drink, drinking tons more Water, eliminating the "white stuff", working out a lot more, etc. It will all be true. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010667087919

I don't think there is any reason to discourage someone from doing something like this. Of course you can't pinpoint down what the experience will be like for each person, but you can convey what the experience was like for some and that can help inform people. It doesn't have to be so precise. I think bariatric surgery is still a mythical thing for a lot of people. The "It's the easy way out" mythos needs to be killed. So yeah, I think it's a good idea and would help people. I don't know if I would have attended one myself but I know many who would.

I'm 5 days post-op from a band to sleeve revision in Mexico. We flew to San Diego, they picked us up at the airport and went straight to the hospital for blood work and EKG. Then they took us to a really nice hotel and had broth and jello for me. The next morning we went back for surgery. I stayed 2 nights. My husband had to stay at the hotel though. After discharge they took me back to his hotel for 1 night...with broth and jello. The next morning they took us back over the border to the airport and we flew home. We got to San Diego on Wednesday June 7. Surgery on June 8 and we flew home on Sunday June 11. I have no complaints. I was exhausted traveling home but not in pain. I had asked fir wheelchair assistance between gates. The hospital had everything down perfectly and I had no issues at all. No pain, vomiting, nausea, etc. I used Dr Gutierrez with Mexico Bariatric Center. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, I am looking for a buddy. I have surgery on Friday and even though my husband is great support I want to connect with someone else who can relate better. I have experience taking care of patients post op Bariatric surgery, but I want someone who I can talk to as the patient. Thank you in advance for anyone who is interested. Beverly

Good Morning. I am Randi, almost 36, mom of 2. I am starting to research LapBanding. I'm scared to tell anyone I am doing this because I am afraid I will hear the same crap.. "Diet and exercise". I have been "dieting and exercising" for 20 years. How much longer to people want to see me fail? I want to play with my kids. I want to be able to go to Six Flags and ride the rides with my kids and not be told im too big to ride. :think I was too scared to consider bariatric surgery. This seems less invasive. I know 3 people who has Gastric Bypass. All 3 look wonderful. I am jealous.:cry Anyhow, I just wanted to introduce myself. Whether I go forward or nor, I need a place to start! Sincerely Randi Lake County Area, Illinois:)

When I attended my orientation, the bariatric coordinator explained that we would have to choose between the two and we pick them. The Dr uses both and it's up to the patient. I have been running searches but to no avail. When they passed both around the room, the differences that stood out to me were the way the band inflates. The Lap Band has sectioned pieces on the ring and the Realize has one continuous band (non perforated) if that makes any sense. My question is - Did others have options between the two? Are there pros and cons to each? Are they the same in results? Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Hello all, My journey began last October, while in nursing school(LVN Nursing) I realized that if I am going to do the job I plan for, I needed to lose a lot of weight. At the end of a 10 hour clinical day my back and hips hurt! So I contacted Kaiser, and they signed me up for the Bariatric program. After 12 weeks of attending their night classes during my lunch break from school, I finally completed the program last March. I scheduled my surgery for the first available date, April 14th. I took my NCLEX test while on the liquid pre-op diet required for surgery. I'm glad to say that I was still able to pass my test, even with the tummy distraction:) Anyways, the week before surgery I began to get sick, and woke up the day before with a temperature of 102. So I had to call my surgeon, and he cancelled my surgery. I took some time to think the surgery over and try to lose weight on my own like my family begged me to do. Then I saw the pictures of the girl had her surgery a few days before mine was scheduled to be. She had lost 50 lbs. and looked amazing, healthy, and happy. As I looked at her pictures, I was reminded of why I want this for myself. So I called my surgeon and met with him. Set my surgery for the soonest available date (Sept. 8). Well, my husband's birthday is September 4th, and he wanted a Harley. We went to pick it up August 28th, so we could go on one Harley ride before surgery. Well, I wanted to get on and take a picture with it, and burned my leg. I didn't think anything of it for a few days. August 30th I woke up because of a pain in my leg. The blister from my burn had come off, and it was a painful red mess. I just put a bandaid on it and went back to bed. The next morning, I could tell it was infected. I cleaned and bandaged it, and yesterday(Sept. 1) it was finally starting to look better. Went to my obgyn today, and she noticed my bandage, so she asked to take a look. She said it still looked like a very slight infection. She notified my surgeon, and now he is thinking of cancelling my surgery. I am so disappointed. I will not know until next Wednesday if I'm having surgery or not. I have an appointment scheduled then so he can take another look at it. If this is cancelled, it will be my second surgery cancelled for unrelated acute medical conditions. LAME!! Praying that it heals up well by Wednesday. Thanks for letting me vent. Sarah

My surgeon recommended Slim-Fast Optima for the pre-surgery diet. 3 per day along with a Bariatric protein shake or 4 Slim-Fast Optima per day if you didn't buy the Bariatric shakes.

I'm new to this forum... I am currently 2 1/2 weeks post Gastric Sleeve surgery. My question is... Is it normal for my bariatric surgeon to tell me to crush all my pills, after my surgery? And if it is. How long do they normally have you crush them? Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

The very first time I felt the full impact of my weight loss was when I began to have A LOT more energy for tasks and activities I had long dropped because of fatigue. Walking long distances became pleasurable again and I encouraged others (mostly my thin & lazy teen kids) to join me. I believe it was around 190lbs (down ~60lbs) Next was when my super attractive Surgical PA said he wasn't worried about me or my progress, I was at the proper weight for my frame and I looked *amazing*. I could tell he really meant it by the way he gushed over my results. That was around 160lbs (down 90lbs) Another time, I was waiting in my surgeon's office about to discuss revision (from VSG to RNY to solve a few complications) and a prospective patient kept staring. Hard. He eventually asked me if i was waiting with/for someone and I told him no just my surgeon. I thought he was trying to *pick me up* but in fact he was confused that I needed to see a surgeon & was a WLS patient because i didn't look like it. (I've heard these types of comments several times) Two final events sealed the deal for me: My Bariatric surgeon and I decided revision to RNY was the best course of action for me but he DID NOT want me to lose anymore weight. He was adamant that I was at the right size and was already small enough at 155lbs & 5'3". (The revision went well and I'm maintaining in the 150s as promised.) Finally, I had Plastic surgery. At the Preop workup, I was discussing my plan with the surgeon. I wanted a Mommy Makeover- breast augmentation, Tummy Tuck and Brazilian Butt Lift. I wanted lipo on my back to transfer fat to my buttocks. He informed me that there wasn't much fat to lipo and it was excess skin that needed to be removed (instead I would need skin removal - a back lift and *maybe* after we could lipo my inner thighs for fat grafting.) He manually lifted the skin to prove it. I was shocked because I thought for certain it was excess fat but apparently I have thicker skin in certain areas. ****************************************** I took the long way round just to say that there were many incremental (progress) points that help me view myself differently/adequately and not just one defining Aha! moment. For sure outside validation played it's role and luckily I became receptive to complements instead of misanthropic because of society's new level of interaction with me (nicer, more welcoming) However, I'm unsure if I would have ever believed anyone's comments if I didn't begin to feel & see the change on my own first. Being kind, loving and accepting myself at every single stage of weight loss, instead of just at goal, really helped me. Good Luck ❤

No way of knowing before you do it. Be aware that, as it's the unknown, filling to the max could leave you wishing for death. No bariatric practitioner will do that, certainly not right out of the gate. If you really wish to limit yourself to soft foods and purées for a while, why not just make those your food choices with a reasonable, working level of saline in your band? You'll do as you see fit. I don't know how much good work you've undone, but I'm there, too. In deciding how to get back on the horse, I wouldn't choose a route that might conceivably feel like punishment for having regained weight. That's what a period of soft foods and purées seems to me. The process of eating well and seeing results should be a joy. I don't see a month of mush, for example, as joyful. Best wishes for your renewal regardless of how you do it.

You know how people who were one thing, and then reformed themselves all of a sudden become fanatical about that thing they used to be? Ex smokers are one of the best examples, policing the ranks of those who continue to smoke, evangelizing them to save them from that particular sin. They are especially known for their zeal. I sort of felt that way today. After my post op check up (which went very well), I drove up to visit my parents and help my Dad with a few chores around the house. While we were working, my Mom declared that we needed to go to the store to get some things she had been wanting for a while. Now "we" translates and "Dad and I". As for the store, she did not care, as long as it had everything she wanted on her list. It was that discussion that led to the circumstances where I found myself a short while later. We wound up in the mecca for fat people. There were more fat people there than at the Golden Corral on 10% off day. Yes. I am talking about Walmart. I hate going to Walmart. I don't like having to walk for what seems like miles just to discover they really don't have what I want. What's even worse sometimes IS finding what I want. Then I have to stand in line to check out - a line that stretches into the hazy distance like people lined up waiting for Judgment Day. And today was even worse. We were at a Walmart in a popular vacation spot for people from a very large city whose initials are N.Y.C. So it was fat people with an attitude. I also made the mistake of texting Mrs. LittleBill to tell her I was at Walmart, thinking she would at least sympathize. I received an LOL and a list of stuff to look for. So now I had two missions. We had to park so far away from the building that all we could see was the top, peeking over the horizon. I am pretty sure we were in a different zip code. The parking lot was solid with vehicles. In the distance I could see people dodging back and forth between the city drivers zooming around looking for the best spot. I said to Dad, "Maybe today isn't such a good day to try and go in there." He turned to me and said, "It's not worth my life to come home empty handed! We're going in!" We eventually made it to the door. I grabbed a cart, and waded into the mêlée, calling out to Dad that we could split up and cover more territory more quickly. It was like a cross between bumper cars and the demolition derby. People were smacking into one another left and right, coming out of the ends of the aisles like they had been fired out of a cannon. Baleful glares and insincere apologies were exchanged with abandon. And in all of this, there was a huge number of human juggernauts, cruising through slowly, yet unstoppable. They drew my attention with fascination. Like the ex smoker described above, I looked from person to person, thinking: "You need bariatric surgery. You need bariatric surgery. You REALLY need bariatric surgery! I can't believe I used to look like that! Did I really look like that!?! This place is a GOLD MINE for my surgeon!" It was actually kind of weird. On one hand, I felt something of a kinship with these people while on the other hand I was repulsed. I think a lot of the latter had to do with attitude though. I really get impatient with rude people. In one sense it was something of an NSV for me. I am still fat, but I am not the land yacht I used to be, and to a degree, I felt a whole lot slimmer as I negotiated the killing fields of the retail environment. It was also something of a wake up call, to learn that I do not perceive myself in the same way that I used to. I am going to have to work on that one for a while. It kind of snuck up on me and grabbed me by the throat. But at least I made it out of there alive.

Deeva1: I had to go to the computer Bariatric Pal site to change my settings. Once you open the page, go to your settings -top right, then edit your profile. You should see a bunch of stuff you can do to your account! I hope this helps!

February 1st, I see a nutritionist not associated with the Bariatric Program at UPMC Magee Hospital. February 11, I go to a Bariatric Support Group meeting (not required) February 23, I go to the first of five or six Bariatric Classes to meet insurance requirements. February 24, I attend the first of 12 weeks of Healthy Lifestyle classes (not required) February 24, (later that same day) I have my initial Consultation with Dr. Carol A McCloskey who will likely be my surgeon Also, I am signed up for the UPMC Body Changers program (not required) but the February schedule won't be available until tomorrow.

Dr. Goyal from NJ Bariatric. Who did yours?

Thanks Babb's my point of reference for such will hit at holidays, since I'm still pre-surg but I'll take it to heart. And To Rayolite you're a shining star to those coming into Bariatric land. Keep on keeping on *Rosey Posey Sent from my S55 using the BariatricPal App

My sleeve surgeon just did a gallbladder removal for me a couple weeks ago. I saw him today for follow-up and he chatted a bit about a bariatric surgeon conference he just attended in Sydney, AU. Just as background, my surgeon does mostly sleeves and the occasional bypass. He used to do a ton of bands but now only does the band if the patient insists. He still maintains a lot of bands. He said that the band is way down in Australia and whole areas of the country have no band surgeons anymore. He also said that the re-operation rate (for all types of re-operation) is as high as 40% with the band. He said that the band has a lot of potential points of failure, including that the port can flip, the needle can puncture the band during a fill and cause a leak, or lots of other ways that are not really direct failures of the band. He seems pretty down on the band now but wants to give his existing band patients the highest standard of care. He also confirmed that Allergan has sold the lap band to another company, Apollo Endosurgery. I googled that and found a story in the Wall Street Journal. http://m.asia.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303471004579165961441181356?mobile=y He said that the sleeve is gaining massive popularity because of the low complication rate, high success rate, and that they are starting to feel really confident about the long term prospects of the sleeve, starting to see some patients with more than 10 years sleeved. He said that the sleeve may stretch 3-5% over time but then it stops. He said it is like taking a t-shirt and cutting off a sleeve. You can stretch the sleeve but it will never be nearly as big as the shirt. The bypass is going to be around a long time and is still very well regarded. It is the #1 choice for people with reflux or bowel diseases and it is the best salvage surgery for people who have reflux problems after the sleeve. The DS is very uncommon these days because the sleeve works so well on its own. This is my surgeon's summary to me about the state of bariatric surgery in Australia today from the point of view of the surgeons.

My WLS journey has been at a Bariatric Center of Excellence in a major Medical Center. The Weight Loss Center here has done thousands of surgeries in the last ten years. The program is discouraging patients from pursuing the lap band procedure because of the risk of complications. In my classes, I met two lap band revision patients that have had multiple issues. After talking with them, I am very comfortable with my decision to do the sleeve.

I had the greatest idea for opening a new chain of fast food restaurants this morning. It would be a post bariatric surgery patients dream come true. The only thing on the menu would be high protein meats and fish, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, sugar-free Jell-O and putting, some fancy flavored ricotta cheese desserts, veggies and low carb fruits. We would make our own delicious protein smoothies. There would be absolutely no bread, pasta, chips or even liquids of any kind served. The salad bar would offer customers a scale for their use so they could measure their own portions.,Every day would also feature a couple of high-protein low-carb hot meals. I would call it The Pro Shop. That should read *pudding! Damn autocorrect

check this link http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/309765-questions-i-need-answers-too/ they are listing some recipes...there are others on this website if you search for recipes... also a great source is The World According to Eggface...she has some great recipes for bariatric members!

I am having banded plication. It operates like a sleeve for rapid weight loss + the band for continued control down the road. I was in a debate about this as well. You should see if any surgeons in your area are doing this, as it's relatively new (perform in MX for a while, though). Results have been excellent so far. If you have to choose only between the sleeve and band, i'd say sleeve for sure. No doubt that's what i'd definitely do, and i've researched both of them thoroughly. http://www.peachtreebariatrics.com/gastric-band-plication.php http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/15214-banded-plication/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21546318 http://www.fortworthlapband.com/BandedPlication.aspx http://www.hollywoodbariatrics.com/bariatric-surgery/banded-gastric-plication hth!

I have 45 bars left over from my pre-op diet. They all taste very good, but I found I have an allergy to one of the ingredients. For my pre-op diet I was allowed to have 2 of these a day as a snack. Here is the listing on ebay in case you are interested. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-45-Bariatric-Advantage-KetogenX-Snack-Bars-Asorted-Flavors-Metagenics-/280868542722?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item416511d902#ht_500wt_1156 Let me know if you have any questions!

I use Weight and Inches protein powder from Familybariatrics.com. It has 29g of protein and 200 calories. I add two tablespoons of PB3 to it, which adds 55 calories and 5g of additional protein. I drink two each day to get in 68g of protein. I have one day left on the liquid diet and begin purée food. Has anyone else used Family Bariatric?

One of my favorite things to tell our newbies is this: Stalls are like lovers. Your first will probably not be your last. Trust in the process. It works. It just is a fickle crazy maker. I have found that even though I have been successful these last 17 months, I still investigate every new diet that comes out. I have my 18 month follow-up appointment on 6/11 and will confess to my bariatrician that I have this anxiety and a tendency to have "exercise bulemia". I feel like if I eat anything, I have to go exercise off the calories right away. So, just stay on point with Protein first, then veg, then limited fruit. I had to give up Peanut Butter and cheese to move my most recent stall. maybe I will try those again after my panni at the end of the year. (I have to be two years out.) Remember these basic concepts that many of us follow with the variety of plans our bariatric teams give us: Drink no calories. Drink Water until your eyeballs float - 64 - 80+ ounces per day. Don't eat anything made in a factory. You can do this by shopping the perimeter of the supermarket and avoid the aisle unless you need a spice or paper towels...that kind of stuff. Eat at least 60 ounces of protein per day, and at any meal, eat your protein first - then veg - then fruit. Dessert should be something like an apple, not apple pie with two scoops of ice cream. Avoid sugar, grease, and salt as much as possible. Eating clean will help you discover the real taste of natural food. If it weren't for sugar, grease and salt, McDonald's would have no business. When I gave up candy bars and started eating dark chocolate, I realized that it wasn't the chocolate I missed - it was the sugar. Try to wean yourself off of soda and diet soda. Many bariatric plans discourage soda pop and anything with bubbles post-op. Reduce starchy carbs like bread, flour, sugar, rice, noodle, biscuits, white potatoes, macaroni, spaghetti etc. So what is left to eat? meat, eggs, cheese, Beans, peanut butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, and fresh fruits and non-starchy veggies. You can adjust your current recipes to reduce carbs. The World According to Eggface is a good place to start. We have a forum here for recipes. Also, Sparkpeople.com and Myfitnesspal.com. Many of us use Myfitnesspal.com for logging our food every day. It is really an eye-opener if you are honest with yourself about what you eat. Weigh and measure your food to accurately acknowledge your actual portion size. There is a scientific principle that says, "You cannot control that which you do not measure." Exercise where you can. Move your body every day. Don't become part of the sofa. Good luck, and get going!

Have any of you gotten your surgery done at NMCSD? If so can you tell me what are the requirements. I'm enrolled in the class, and have an appointment for the introduction class for bariatric surgery and have been seeing a nutrionist at NMCSD for 3 months. I want to make sure I am prepared. Thank you!