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Update, they called from my baraiatric clinic , just before their closing time. My surgeon , Dr Needleman, who is also the chief off Bariatric Medicine wants to see me tomorrow himself in his office at 2, no shunting me off to a N.P. or his partner Dr Noria on Wednesday. He must see something in my chart to concern himself with me at this point. I know I have been concerned but have felt I was the only one. Now to find transportation since I no longer drive or even own a vehicle. Haven't found anyone yet,but I will. Its got to be important, hope he doesn't tell me it's going to require open surgery, niggling in the back,of my mind!

Ok, I tried a liquid mulit.. made me sick. I bought the Bariatric Advantage chewables, made me sick. What kind are you all taking? I need something that isn't going to make me throw up each time I take it.

Bariatric Fusion sells chewable iron in the higher dosage. I'm on my phone at the moment, so I'm unable to link their site. Maybe if you Google them it will come up for you. Hope it helps.

I used Dr. Ahmad from Mather. First, it a bariatric center of excellence. Second, I checked his background, no lawsuits, no leaks, etc. He and his wife are very nice people. When you are going through the approval process, you need to pick someone close because doing the pre-op is like a part-time job. I would recommend him, although I think his practice is expanding so much, there is office waits & clerical errors (like same last name, apt confusion.) But, his surgical background and how many times he has done this far surpasses any of those other things.

I love the world according to eggface and bariatric foodie to be great sites. I like the posts on bariatric eating but find the administraters to be very scolding and harsh. we have had enough of that in our lives. if you can ignore them the recipes and eating plans are super

The error word in the above posting should read" inspiring" because it is, to finally find such a bariatric home in this desert of disregard I in the past have encountered.

I think it's like anything... ...politics, views on social issues, finances, religion. Once you have a formed opinion or stance... You tend to only indoctrinate yourself with data that supports your claim (because we are so darned smarter than everyone in the room) and you become an apologist for whatever that stance is. If you said "hey, I was thinking about getting LASIK surgery" to a guy who doesn't wear glasses and had a close friend who had a bad experience... From that moment... all that person would see LASIK is as a sight ending bullet to the head and not what it is 99.9% of the time... A simple (yet expensive) life changing procedure that lets you see. I think Bariatric surgery is the same. If you ask a thin athletic person who never stifled with being overweight and is regularly surrounded with thin likeminded people about Bariatric they will probably have prairie dog ears for all the bad and negative stories and completely ignore the success stories. Talk to an overweight person who struggles with weight loss that either is too scared of getting the procedure... Doesn't want to get it because the future limitations scare them or someone who wants it and can't afford it or can't fit it into their daily schedule... Yeah, they are going to balk at it. Talk to anyone who has had it... Even the ones that slipped up or had complications and almost almost them would say that if they could go back in time and not do it, in spite of their failures and complications they wouldn't have changed their mind. People tend to apply bias heavily based off of emotion and less on facts or compelling data. Just keep that in perspective.

Asking a question is good, but I recommend you do extensive research from major bariatric surgery center of excellence hospitals, JAMA, ASMBS and other respected publications, attend a WLS informational meeting, WLS support group meetings and discuss your findings and concerns with your PCP and surgeon to address your specific medical needs. Good luck.

Frustr8, I had one suggestion. I am not really familiar with your case but I wanted to make sure that one more base was covered. According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. I just wanted to make sure you were tested for Helicobacter pylori infection. This is a fairly common infection. About 50% of the worlds population has it. The symptoms are exasperated by gastric bypass surgery. It is a simple tests. But if you have it, it will be a little difficult to kill this bug. It will take a cocktail of antibiotics to treat and the initial treatment may not kill the infection and you might have to take a second round.

I am having my surgery on Friday this week! But I did buy some Bariatric chewables from my local Walgreens and they are $27! They are the only brand of Bariatrics that Walgreen carries in the store. I also found that GNC has a sublingual B12 for about $10 that I'll buy when I get home.

Hi everyone!!! I’m new to this sight and need all the help I can get 😩. I’m Pre Surgical for Gastric Bypass, I’ve gone through every test known to man. I see my Bariatric Dr Aug 13th, hopefully I will get a date for my surgery. Feel free to comment, I would love advice!!

Hi all, i have UHC also and in my coverage documents it specifically excludes bariatric surgery even for morbid obesity. it actually excludes EVERYTHING related to weight/dieting of any kind. i didn't even bother to try and get them to pay...should i have? i raided an IRA and am paying cash. i'm going to feel like a total dummy if i could have gotten this paid for!!! :drool: my surgery is a week from tomorrow and i am SOOO ready. Janet

I'm having my surgery July 19th and I bought the bariatric Fusion chewables they are huge I don't know how we're supposed to get for these chewed up a day and try to eat some food too.

"My 600 lb Life" is both good and bad - good in that it's exposed the general public to weight loss surgery, bad in that it gives actual bariatric patients unrealistic expectations about how much weight they're going to lose in the early months. One of the biggest factors in your rate of weight loss is your starting BMI. At 320, you're still an average weight loss patient. The people on that show start off at over 600 lbs. With that high of a BMI, they're going to drop 30-35-40 lbs that first month. Although that occasionally happens with some of us "normal" bariatric patients, that is the exception, not the rule. If you only lose 20 lbs the first month, or even 15 lbs, you are NOT a failure. You're experiencing a pretty average first-month loss. I've been hanging out on this and other forums for about five years, and I've been working with pre-op groups in my clinic for the last three years. So many people seem to get down on themselves because they don't lose 40 lbs the first month - and I'm sure that's due to the fact most of their info comes from "My 600 lb Life". Although I've never seen actual research stats on this, I've been involved with the community enough to wager that most of us "normal" bariatric patients lose in the 15-25 lb range that first month. Just something to keep in mind...

Chubtastic - I know you have stated that you've been to Kim Bariatric and saw Dr. Kim who was out of your network, they also have Dr Holden on staff who could be in your network or check out their MBA program if your insurance doesn't cover. Dr Kim did my sleeve in 2011 and I could not be happier!!

I did drink soda before my lap band procedure but after the surgery I stopped drinking it. I think I lost the desire for it (among many other things). It just didn't taste the same as it did before the surgery. I had the lap band procedure in May 2008. I had numerous fills and unfills. On a recent trip to Kauai, our kayak tipped over and when I climbed back in (with help with our guide and my husband pushing me back in from behind), I thought I broke a rib. I later learned in emergency after a catscan and x-ray that it wasn't my rib or spleen, but that my lap band slipped! It was a freak accident. I had it removed several days later when I got home by my bariatric surgeon who put it in. He says I can wait 5 weeks and have it put back in. I am still debating with myself whether or not I want to put it back in. I was in the hospital for three days taking it out because I had to have numerous tests to see if my stomach was damaged from the band slippage. I have thousands of dollars of out-pocket costs. The insurance pays for most of it but I have to pay a portion too. Having my band slipped, meant that I could not swallow liquid or food and even my saliva came up! I feel much better since it was taken out. The slippage was something that I thought would NEVER happen to me. I am fearful that I will gain my weight back that took so much effort to lose and I will gain more. I am eating the same as I was before my band slipped and exercising even more. One of my bariatric surgeons is confident that I can do this. If not, I am having it put back in. For now, I am taking care of myself and recovering from my surgery. If there is anyone out there who is recoving from having the band taken out, I would appreciate hearing from you. My band was taken out not out of choice but out of an emergency. My band was so traumatized that they could not put a new band in after they took the old one out. Is there life after having your lap band taken out? If so, what kind of life? I've been changed on so many levels just having the procedure and living with the band for over a year. Can I keep my weight off? Can I lose more?

Excellent question. After I get a fill, my doctor will give me a glass of Water to drink to make sure my band isn't too tight. If water goes down too slowly or not at all, she will take Fluid out. I have had different experiences in the past about my band being too tight. Sometimes if food gets stuck, it causes an irritation to my band and I notice that it gets swollen and its difficult to eat solid food. Or, I could have had a bout with throwing up for some reason like the flu or upset stomach or food getting stuck, that causes a tight band for me. This past time, it was several weeks after a fill that I noticed it getting tighter. I went on vacation the week before and I think I was eating more than usual and eating foods that I normally don't eat. I don't recall my food getting stuck or throwing up to cause it to tighten. I do notice that when I get emotionally excited (either happy or sad), my band can tighten. It may have been a combination of the extra foods, different foods and my emotions running high (going on vacation and coming back) that I noticed when I laid down at night (flat) that I would have an acid reflux happen so that food would come up my throat and wake me up. Finally, I had to go sleep on the couch with a pillow to prop me up to sleep. It lasted about 2 days when I realized that this is not going away. Then one Sunday night (2 or 3 day of the reflux at night), I noticed that I was throwing up without any reason and not because I was laying flight. I ran out of things to throw up so it was digestive juices and it looked dark and I called my 24-hour Blue Cross nurse. She took a few minutes to evaluate me and decided I should go to the ER. It could have been dried blood that was coming up (sorry probably too much information). I went to the ER, had the Cat-scan, had an IV put in for dehydration and 3 cc's were taken out by my bariatric doctor who met me at the ER. I had instant relief when I had the unfill. I ate only liquids for a couple of days afterwards, then mushies, etc. I am feeling much better and have an appointment for a fill tomorrow because I have no restriction and miss it. I hope this helps. It is scary when it happens but its an easy fix with an unfill. Its always good to know too that you can meet your doctor after hours or weekends if you don't want to suffer with the discomfort until the next appointment. P.S. My band slipped in 2008. When that happened, my saliva would not go down. I had to go to ER in Kauai when I was on vacation. The ER doctors did not know how to take the fluid out of my band so they called my doctor in California. They still couldn't get it out. Later I found out that my band twisted and that is why they couldn't get fluid out. I had a new band put in in 2009.

Congrats! Just work closely with your OB and your bariatric surgeon and RD and you will do beautifully and have a bouncing healthy baby too! And I too know many who got pg before the magic 1year mark and had healthy pregnancies and gorgeous babies. I also know normies who were mo and delivered healthy babies and lost weight through the pg. So cheers. Just don't lose focus, it's more important now that you stay sharp and follow your rules given to you by your team!

It's a good class. You will meet the rn. The dietician and the dr who will do your surgery. I had dr. Grinberg. He's wonderful! I'm 4 days post op and haven't had any issues. It's a very supportive group there. I think you'll like them. Just be aware though that the hardest part is getting in to see the psychologist. I had to wait over a month after I was already at goal weight because I didn't know I could make an appt with him when I got within 5lbs of goal. So keep that in mind. As soon as you are 5lbs away get your weight documented at your drs office or the bariatric office and get that appt made! Good luck to you!

Yes, UHC requires the 6 month program. Your surgeon's staff is probably making the same stupid mistake mine did, almost costing me my surgery. They call the ins. co. for a verbal verification of the requirements and get stupid answers from ill-informed people at the phone banks, rather than taking the time to read the official UHC Statement of Medical Policy in their files. Below is the link to UHC's Statement of Medical Policy on Bariatric Surgery which gives their requirements for surgery. I received it from a UHC employee during my appeal. Note the bullet points near the bottom of page 3, but read the policy so you get the big picture. My ins. administrator relied on a verbal check of UHC's requirements with some clerk at their 800 number, instead of reading the document in her file, and didn't tell me about the 6 month requirement when I started the program. Upon completion of my class work, they submitted my request for surgery. I was approved by the contract manager for UHC and then 2 days later, UHC revoked the approval when they reviewed the file. I went ballistic and ultimately involved the medical directors at UHC and the contract manager as well as the COO of the hospital that owns the bariatric center and a lawyer. It took 45 days, but I finally won my appeal with records of a past 6 month program years ago. You might not be so lucky if it happened again. Be sure you get very clear written instructions as to what is required for that 6 month program to avoid the problems I had. Keep very complete notes of all conversations, including names, phone nos. and dates. Send me a PM if you need more help. https://www.unitedhe...ric_Surgery.pdf

I went straight to a bariatric surgeon and didn't involve my Primary Care doctor until I needed a letter from him for my appeal. If you don't have to involve him, then don't, it's easier that way. Otherwise, ask for the referral and be prepared to stand your ground and defend your decision. Best of luck to you!

I, too, did not go to my regular doctor first. I went to my Bariatric surgeon's newcomer meeting to find out more. I also researched the procedure and the surgeon. My insurance company required my regular physician to sign off on it. He just answered the required questions and signed off. I don't think there was a question that said "are you for or against the surgery". They were generic questions about my health.

Ooohh - I can't wait to see my hip bones. The are getting closer, so hopefully just a matter of time. Nicole - I haven't had any fills yet. I had my 8 week checkup a couple of weeks ago and felt no need for it. BUT, I did forget to ask if he did a fill at surgery, so I have no clue if there is anything in it or not at this point. I will say that I'm full after about 1/2 a cup of food and will generally stay satisfied for about 3-4 hours. I do also drink 4 oz of Optisource Bariatric High Protein drink between meals, so that helps to keep me satisfied as well. However, it does seem just within the last couple of days, I'm not as satisfied as I was. I may go in the week after next, to see about a small fill. We are going hunting this week and I don't want to be out, a few hundred miles from my Dr or a hospital after my first fill. Kind of paranoid about it.

I'm feeling really discouraged. Just had my first appointment with the surgeon. This is at a bariatric center of excellence that is known as the top place to go in my area. After years of being discriminated against by the medical community (hand pain??? Lose weight!) I went to this appointment feeling excited that, if nothing else, I was going to be treated as a human being. I was ushered into an office and this man said, "I'm going to review your history." I said, politely, "And you are???" He looked affronted and said he was the doctor. I didn't know I was seeing the doctor at this point! Anyway, in the hour he spent with me this man did not show me one shred of warmth. He told me that for as long as I've been overweight and my current BMI I should never expect to get under 200 pounds. He said I take more insulin than any of his other patients and should not expect my diabetes to resolve. He said that since my joints are bad I shouldn't expect to lose much. I said I swim regularly, and he said, "I'm not talking about laying in the sun by the pool." From there, I was taken into a room where another person gave me a clinically delivered speech about the process and the cost. I went from there to an appt with my endocronologist, and I was in tears as I told her what had happened. She said that she's had patients taking 3x the insulin I am who have done very well after the surgery. Honestly, I felt like I was doomed to failure at the start. It's got me doubting everything, and has sent me into a tailspin. I have to decide whether I want to proceed with this clinic. He's not the only doctor there. The clinic has a really ecxellent reputation, but none of the employees were warm or very friendly. (Although I haven't met the dietician, etc.) I'm someone who gets along very well with people, so I know it wasn't me. Do you think I should trust the process and focus on the medical aspects rather than the interpersonal stuff, or do you think I should look elsewhere? I'm still reeling from this. Feeling like a piece of meat.

Now that I am "approved" for surgery and this is becoming a reality, I figured NOW is the time to post my story so far. I am 49, 5'7 and 235 at my highest weight. (Can't believe I actually wrote that down for public consumption!) That made me a BMI of 36.8. I had considered weight loss surgery off and on throughout the years of yo-yo dieting. My last good weight loss was about 30 pounds back in 2009 and I was lighter then. So that means I have put on about 40 pounds in four years. (Less than a pound a month, not too bad, right??!! Ha!) I have some lung problems, high blood pressure (if you would only lose weight, you wouldn't have to take these pills anymore....) and hypothyroidism. Too much for someone my age I decided and started considering the lap-band. I am a nurse and considered that to be "least invasive" and "easiest" to have done surgically. On November 28, 2012, I signed the hubby and I up for an informational seminar. While hubby wasn't interested (I'm hoping to change that), I listened to the doctor present the band, sleeve and RNY options. To his credit, he didn't try to sway anyone to any one procedure, but I had changed my thinking from lap-band to sleeve. I submitted my "insurance verification" form and left. In lateDecember/early January, I was contacted by the doctor's office and told that my insurance (CIGNA) did provide WLS benefits. I had started a post-holiday "kind of" diet about mid-January with Weight Watchers. I saw my surgeon for the first time on January 28, 2013. We discussed all the usual things and agreed that the sleeve was a good procedure for me. My only beef with the process was that the coordinator told me "All your insurance needs is the evaluation and 3 months of diet history. Just print out Weight Watchers and it will be ok." More on that in a minute.... From there, I had: EGD (endoscopy) on 2-4 and found to have a small hiatal hernia. Psych eval and nutrition eval on 2-13. In the mean time, I had researched CIGNA's bariatric policy and found out that I needed a lot more than "Just 3 months of Weight Watcher history." Rather than chance it, I went and got clearance from my PMD and met with a nutritionist for 3 months of a supervised diet. (2-20, 3-16 and 4-20...boy am I glad I started that "kind of diet" back in January!) Am now at 222 (fluctuating pounds.) My coordinator submitted my packet on about May 10th with a comment of "everything looks great...should be no problem." On May 17th, I was notified of denial...based on two points. My physician had failed to state that he BOTH recommended me for the surgery AND cleared me (he only recommended me....despite the fact I had asked him to do both.) The nutritionist did a summary report that detailed all three visits, with all of the components required, but CIGNA wanted it in three separate notes. At least it wasnt because of medical criteria! So...my coordinator got all that together and on May 21st, she submitted again, stating it could take up to 90 days, but probably not that long. The waiting is the hardest part!!! Well, today I got the news I was waiting for...APPROVED! It took 7 business days for the appeal. Now we are in fast-forward mode: 6-10: Pre-op meeting with surgeon to sign consents, etc... 6-15: Start of pre-op diet! (Not looking forward to it....) 6-17: Pre-op lab/x-ray work at hospital 6-25: Surgery I travel for my work (I am a healthcare consultant) and will be out of town three weeks between now and then, so it will fly by! I am so excited. I think now that it's a reality, my husband is concerned. I got the "If it makes you happy, it makes me happy" but I am not convinced. I know he is supportive of my decisions, but probably a bit insecure at the same time. food has always been a big part of our life and I have been slowly withdrawing from that over the last few months. Thanks for listening! I am so darn excited I just needed to share it with someone. I have told very few people. I will update after the surgery.