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Hello, I'm 6 days post-op from the sleeve and outside of terrible pain from my big incision. Normal, from what I've read. Anyway, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has watched people in our lives go through the dark side of WLS with unfortunate life changing experiences like transfer addiction. Seeing this happen to someone close to me really discouraged me for a long time from taking the leap. I finally got past that and while I don't regret doing it, I'm determined to not fall into that pattern. My first goal is to find a good therapist that has experience with bariatric patients. If anyone has recommendations or advice, I'd love to use this spot as a safe and productive place to discuss. Take care all! Sent from my SM-S908U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Maybe you should consider finding another nutritionist. I have prepared to bariatric surgery three times, including this time -- I am definitely doing it this time, just have a couple insurance hoops and I jump thru the last hoop on Nov 7 and then I'll get a surgery date. But I have been to lots of nutrition classes -- required by the different surgery centers -- and met many nutritionists -- and this is the first time I heard a nutritionist tell a newly post op not to use Protein shakes. I suspesct that it a bias of your nutritionist and not a science-based piece of advice. Like DLCoggin said: you need protein and this post op period doesn't last forever. There is a wide range in quality of Protein powder and shakes. My goodness, I don't think I could get enough protein in my egg-size stomach post-op if I had to eat only eggs, meat, fish. Some proteinpowders are loaded with bad chemicals, poor sugars or sugar substitutes and many are against all protein powder. I use 100% organic usda certified whole whey protein and you can add to the natural flavor to anything and get in a lot of protein with every swallow. 100% whole whey protein organic is good for everyone. And the post op phase doesn't last. In Seattle and now in East Bay of San Francisco Bay area, every bariatric medical person I have talked to says only liquids for first couple weeks -- how the heck can you get any protein in if you are on all liquid? I expect I will want to stay on Liquid Protein longer than they advise because I will be anxious about how my stomach will handle real food. Your nutritionist has good intentions but it seems to me she has a bias about protein supplements. At least ask her for her philosophy or ask your doc. And if you are suicidal, as others have said, get some help. And hang in. It gets better. I know it because everything always does.

Thank you Dave. You are very knowledgable with actual scientific fact and not "goggled" so called "facts". You are also post op (as am I almost 9 years) which makes your posts of more value for actual life after Bariatric surgery.

Really I think you need to see a qualified Bariatric nutritionist. Congratulations on losing the 102 lbs. that is fantastic! We can all tell you what we do, or don't do but we all have different stats. Like heights, exercise regimes, jobs, even where we live can make a difference etc. There are a lot of threads about plateaus and you can search for them and read it all but none of it will be as succinct as a nutritionist that you get on with and trust. I personally have not read about any sleeve patient that can get in 1500 cals per day in the first year or so, but that is not to say there are none around. There are also a lot of books, many of which you can download, which will help with post surgery dietary requirements. I am a bit concerned about the sugar question, do you mean carbs found in fruit and veges or do you mean sugar added? If you mean sugar added the answer is none full stop. I am sure you will get more answers but I hope this helps in the meantime.

Have you seriously considered getting some counseling / therapy around your impulsive eating? This is clearly a behavior you want to gain control over. That doesn't generally happen because people "encourage" you to do better. You should find new ways to recognize and respond to eating triggers in your life. Based on my counseling experience (since June 2014) with a counselor who works with bariatric patients a lot, this could be helpful to you. Very best to you.

Before I could swallow whole pills I was using Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate Lozenges. Now I just bought a two pack bottle from Costco for dirt cheap! Comparable to Citracal. One pill 2x per day should work, maybe 3 sometimes if I'm getting those darn leg cramps.

Sleeved 6-4. Two day hospitalization surrounded by NICE folks with lots of experience in bariatrics. I am a lucky one, no nausea at all. Some discomfort and will continue to take pain Rx. Working to get fluids and proteins up in the next 2 weeks. All in all doing well!

Hi.....I'm in Alsip on the South side. On 12/23/2013, had my surgery done at the Loyola University Medical Center on maywood, over by Brookfield Zoo. My surgeon was Dr. Bipan Chand. He was at the Cleveland Clinic from 2003-2012, being instrumental in the development of their bariatric program. He came to Loyola in 2012 and developed their bariatric program. He also teaches bariatric, gastro-intestinal, and robotic surgery at Loyola and performs some services for Edward Hines V A Hospital as well. I was totally pleased with his staff and kind manner and had a textbook recovery. Wishing you an uncomplicated surgery and quick recovery.

If you started out with a not-so-good bariatric surgeon who somehow deceived you into choosing the band (I'd like to hear more about how he did that), there's no guarantee that you'd have better success with the bypass. It's great that you've found a better surgeon. I hope the rest of your WLS journey goes more smoohly now.

Depends on which BCBS plan you have and in what state the plan is administered. My BCBS is DC based and so I had to do a six month diet, which I had already been working on. Decided to get banded in April 2011. First appointment with bariatric surgeon May 2011. Banded July 5. Took that long between insurance approval process, finishing 6 month diet and going through my doctor's rigorous pre-op testing process.

Thanks Tara! I really haven't figured this one out. She's a bit overweight and has always had battles with her weight. Yep, I 'learned' her eating habits & issues quite well as a youngster. Reward & comfort with food. I knew that she and my sister (also overweight, who is now 'competing' with me and losing weight on her own. I am happy for her and find her competitiveness amusing. But if it gets her healthy, yah!). Anyway, they would both have flipped if they knew I had surgery to lose weight. I told them, and everyone except my son & hubby, that I had a wonky stomach and Bariatric surgery was the only way to fix it. Lol. It's KINDA true!!

I had the sleeve done at the end of November, 2013. It was a band to sleeve revision. I was what I would have called a "slow loser" but found out some things I was doing wrong. So, I changed some of what I was doing - went to 1000 calories/day, added fruits and vegetables to my diet instead of just Protein and began walking and working out some. Now, I know you're going to say, "If you're working out you're adding muscle which weighs more than fat." Ok, I'm not working out THAT hard. A couple of weeks ago I had an NSV by getting into size 20 clothes from a size 26/28. I hit the 40 pound loss mark in 4 months. I was feeling really good. But things have changed. I'm still in a 20, which I'm happy about. But I'm losing my hair. The one thing that I have ALWAYS prided myself on. Even when I was over 300 pounds, my hair always looked good. It was healthy, bouncy and in really good shape. Then, pieces of it started coming out when I showered. I'd go to soap myself up and have to remove strands of hair from the bar of soap. I thought, "Well, that's the price of bariatric surgery I suppose." I started taking Biotin after reading some messages on here. I also made sure I got at least 60 grams or more of protein a day and have been averaging over 60 grams a day for over a month now. I thought it probably wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be. Then, I went to my hair dresser for a cut yesterday. She started washing my hair and said, "Oh my, you're really getting thin." My daughter is getting married in 2 months and my hairdresser said we may have to get a hair piece to help cover up some of thinness if it doesn't get any better. What?!?!?!?!?!? Are you frickin' kidding me? Oh, and it gets worse. I stepped on the scale this morning and was 3 pounds heavier!! WHAT?!?!?!!?!?!?!? I've been following my diet strictly and haven't gone over 1000 calories. I've looked at the snack cakes in my daughter's snack drawer and walked away. ARE YOU FRICKIN' KIDDING ME?!?!?!? 3 POUNDS?!?!?!!?!?!? And this is after a 2 week plateau. I'm ready to give up. I know this weight didn't come on over night but I really expected more than 40 pounds in 4 months. And, I know that we all have weight fluctuations but mine have only been a pound here and there. 3 pounds? Higher??? That's crazy. If I was cheating, sure, I can see that. But I'm not. I'm a bit fed up. I don't want to hear about losing inches vs. pounds and changing things up. I've done that. I guess I just want to bitch and complain. Has anyone else gone through this mental torture and how did you get your HEAD back in the game? I'm beating myself and my sleeve up right now. I need a mental kick in the ass. Any advice?

Hi everyone !!! I'm getting my things ready and making sure I have everything I need .... and I haven't been able to find a list of the Vitamins I will need ... Any suggestions ? I have already started taking Biotin and have bought bariatric vitamins but I'm not sure if I will need to take anything else? Thanks

When checking out a local supplement store today I asked the owner if they carried any supplements for bariatric patients and he proceeded to tell me how I would regret the surgery ( I am scheduled for 11-26 ) and that I would be facing serious medical reprocussions in the future as I age and get older due to insufficient nutritional support and other various issues that weight loss surgery patients incur as they age...he stated that he felt compelled to ask me to reconsider the surgery and try again to get help from professionals such as a nutritionist and other scientifically based programs for weight loss. When I told him that I was going to have the surgery and I respected his opinion but my mind was made up, he continued to plead with me as if he was trying to save my life! I even felt raddled enough to reconsider for a brief second..I was just wondering if anyone has read any research on bariatric patients as they age. I am still having the surgery, just thought maybe someone out there might have come across this subject.

You didn't fail anything! It is great your bariatric medical team is so vested in helping you make the changes necessary to be successful post op. They are working with you so the process is beneficial and so that you have a better chance of long term success. I know when you are waiting for surgery and going through all of the pre surgery requirements time drags forever and it feels like a waste of time. I felt the same way and was very annoyed. It made a huge difference in my ability to succeed so far. I am also contemplating starting to see a psych doc regularly to work through things that interfere with my mental health. I want this to be successful long term and I need to be right mentally and emotionally to help be as successful as I can. Work with your team to ensure your long term success. Hang in there and you will be on the losers bench before you know it!

Just left my surgeons office. Tri State Bariatrics Dr Kwon in Middletown Ny. I am About 6 months post op with LapBand. I've lost 67 pounds. The staff there are great. Very supportive. I have monthly appts now. I have access to nutritionists and psychologist if i needed and weekly support groups. I am so glad i found this group!

I believe the increased risk of kidney stones from bariatric surgery is in reference to gastric bypass. However obesity by itself is a cause for increased risk of the stones. Not drinking enough Water is considered one of the main causes. If you are diagnosed with a stone, it is advisable to be checked out by a Urologist as the size of the stone is extremely important as to the treatment required. You don't want to put your kidney in jeopardy.

Not a particularly brand, no. Specifically says no Flintstones, Centrum or gummies ( forgot to add those) Highly recommends Celebrate and Bariatric Advance. I'd like to find one a little more affordable. I do however have a print out of the recommended daily values....at the risk if sounding foolish what does 200% of daily value mean for your Multivitamin? Sent from my Y538 using the BariatricPal App

Sades, It's not as easy to get a second opinion for bariatric. Once you are someone else's patient and have had the surgery, other Docs aren't really interested in the problems you might have that are caused by another Dr. I am going to get a copy of my x-ray though and if I am not happy with the answers I get on Thurs. I will decide from there on how to proceed. You were lucky your Dr. was honest with you. Mine MIGHT be telling me the truth but until I can alleviate any doubts, I need to keep asking questions until I understand this whole mess. Sounds like you're doing fairly well, all things considered. I'm glad you're not having a terrible time of it and hope once my turn comes, it's easier the second time around. Thanks for checking in with me. Judy

1) 45 lb. in 3.5 months is actually a good weight loss especially with a band. 2) Esophageal stacking is bad news and can lead to bad health problems. Personally, if I had it, I would be asking about a revision to another WLS, not going to see a shrink. (Though maybe your surgeon wants you to go for other reasons?) 3) Mini-bypass is WORSE NEWS. The surgery is dangerous and people gain their weight back. The American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons does not include mini-bypass in their list of viable procedures and reputable docs don't do this procedure. But there are other WLS types you can revise to such as the regular bypass, the sleeve and the duodenal switch. Since you have done so well with the band, I would consider a restriction-only surgery like the sleeve over something with malabsorption like bypass or the switch. But those others are viable options too. Here's a chart that explains the differences: Weight-Loss Surgeries Compared

JC, Dr. Szomstein is my dr. too! I know it's going to take a long time. I started in July and don't expect surgery till Dec 2003 or Jan 2004. I originally went to US Bariatrics at Holy Cross, but they only want to talk me into RNY. I have about 85 pounds to loose and I don't care if it takes me 2 years to loose it (US Bariatric's big plug for RNY is that you loose it faster and that it's the "gold standard"!) 4-5 lbs a month is fine with me and a less risky, reversible (if necessary) procedure is why I want the band!!!!! Oh Well....in the mean time, I'm waiting! Keep in touch and GO DOLPHINS! Marsha

My moment came when my doctor told me that my cholesterol was 347 and my blood pressure was 180/100. I had been on weight watchers for several months at the time and I was sure that they had gotten my blood mixed up with someone else. I insisted that she re-run the blood test before I could accept the truth. My father died at age 60 from complications after a stroke, and apparently I was on the same track. I realized that I had to do something drastic to gain control of my ever increasing girth. My daughter had been banded just about a month prior, and I began to consider this for myself. I began researching and learning all that I could about the band. My insurance excluded bariatric surgery entirely, but I was determined to get this surgery even if I had to pay for everything myself. I am thankful that I found an excellent surgeon, and it was affordable to me. Now my cholesterol is 195 and blood pressure is 145/75. I'm only half way to my weight loss goal, but I have attained a healthier state. Love my band!

Great Question! My moment was being told by my doctor that I had insulin resistance and that I needed to watch my diet, lose weight, and exercise or I would soon have diabetes. Suddenly at age 49 I realized that I was all out of tomorrows. As in I'll go on a diet tomorrow. From that moment it had to be TODAY or I would end up with a serious chronic illness. I gave myself 6 months to lose weight and get with the program and told myself that if I wasn't able to do so, I would have surgery. I gave it my best try. I lost weight, I exercised, and all symptoms of insulin resistance went away. But just as with so many times in the past, I found I couldn't maintain my new way of living permanently. So here I am. With normal blood sugars. And a renewed spirit. Nancy

I went in this morning thinking everything would be fine. The EGD/endoscopy was a little uncomfortable, but that was expected. What I didn't think would happen is my bariatric surgeon (who also did my endoscopy) would tell me I had a hernia. He took pictures of it and everything. *Sigh* He says it's not exactly a "No" to the banding surgery. He did give me a prescription for Nexium and one of the endoscopy unit nurses gave me a pamphlet about treatment for hernias. The surgeon said that he could try to repair it when the banding is done, but I think he wants to see how well I can adjust to the Nexium and the guidelines as such.. cutting back on coffee, caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, that sort of thing. If that doesn't help and they do another scoping and find that it hasn't improved, then I'll probably need to be referred elsewhere for surgery just for the hernia. So, I've taken my first purple pill. I guess at the moment that's all I can do. I cried in the endoscopy unit. The nurses were like, "Cheer up, things could be worse," and they're right. It's just that I'm trying my best to get everything done and to move on with my life. *Sigh* Just needed to vent. Thanks for the opportunity.

I was sleeved July 2017 and weighed 233lbs then. I had been through every diet known to google and I would lose a bit of weight, plateau then gain the weight back and more. I am a health professional myself and know that every surgery has risks. However, there has been a lot of research and improvements done such that bariatric surgery is now a very safe procedure. Complications still happen to some but the risks have been significantly lowered over the years. I am one of those people who had zero complications. The surgery is one of the best decisions I made for myself and my health. I have lost close to 60lbs now, eat well and exercise regularly. I am now more positive, confident and generally relaxed. Hope you make the right decision for yourself and your health.