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Dr. Keyur Chavda is an excellent Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeon. He is skilled in Robotic and Laparoscopic surgery. He is very compassionate and caring and his stats speak for themselves. He is very skilled and takes his time. He has been in practice for 23 years and has been at Brandon Regional Hospital for 12 years, he holds the Master Surgeon Certification with SRC and is a Comprehensive Verified Surgeon with MBSAQIP. Always ask specific and stats when researching your surgeons. Cases performed, death rate, leak rate, all the quality indicators is essential when researching Surgeons

I'm thinking maybe my kitchen has too many gadgets. Here's a run down of different gadgets: Food processor: It really blends and chops well. I've used it to puree vegetables and meat for recipes and it would do very well with puree stage, but unless you are blending/chopping in bulk or get a small capacity food processor, this is probably not the best choice. Besides, it's big and bulky and I hate cleaning all the different parts in the lid. Magic Bullet: It does well with protein shakes and anything with liquid. I think I have even used it to grind spices to a fine powder. It blends to puree consistency well and mine had 2 sizes of cups (4oz and 8 oz) that are easily portable. It's compact and easy to clean. I had some trouble with the silicone gasket coming off during blending. It would wind around the blade and/or get chopped up a bit. I eventually solved this, but not before I lost several to the blade and had to order spares. It's easy to clean, but all those darn cups were a pain to store. I suppose that if someone didn't have other options (like the others mentioned) and was making a new purchase for their bariatric diet transitions, I would recommend purchasing The Magic Bullet or something similar like the Nutribullet or Ninja bullet. Stick blender: It does well with protein shakes and puddings, etc (even if you put ice cubes in it). It CAN puree, but it takes a little longer than some of the others. I primarily used this during my transitions after having the sleeve because of the convenience. It's easy to store, use, and clean. Vitamix: to me, this is the KING of blenders. I bought it when I was on a smoothie kick and boy does it do well with frozen fruits and vegetables. It turned everything I threw in there into a smooth, delicious concoction. They say that if you leave it run long enough it will warm your food into soup, although I never tried it. Cons: it is heavy and bulky. It's not HARD to clean per se, but those blades are sharp and I have to be careful when wiping it out to avoid the blade. The blending container is also big, probably not best for someone making small portions. Besides, it's rather expensive. There are other, similar blenders that would do just as well at a lower cost.

I didn’t have hardly any pain to be honest. Just some pain in the solar plexus and really sore abs. 10 years ago I had bilateral breast reduction surgery and I woke up thinking I’d awakened in the depths of Hell because it hurt so bad. I’d rather have bariatric surgery every month than ever experience the kind of pain I had after the breast surgery.

Well it's 12:27 AM and I am officially NPO for a 7:30 AM surgery. I have been a busy little elf or victim, depends on your viewpoint. This will be my Third surgery in a little over a month. August 27th I had an ganglion cyst REMOVED from my left wrist, it was pressing on the nerve underneath, either pain or numbness in my fingersz- THAT ONE wasn't all that bad and besides I do like my "ortho", he's a cutie pie but I didn't tell him THAT, like many surgeons he's a tad conceited already. Then on September 24th I had a Lipoma(fatty tumor ) removed from the outer surface of my upper right arm. Yeah, Dr Pimple Popper does these in her office, not My Surgeon! I'm plunked on my back in an OR with blue sterile cloths blocking my view- at least Ron the Nurse- Anesthesia dude was passable fair, only flipping thing I could look at! And WTF she was doing to ME I am Not Quite Sure, I am bruised from elbow up to my shoulder, I have a big hard hot lump where she removed it, no sutures- just glued/welded shut and UGLY. The old joke was "Beauty is Skin- Deep while Ugly goes through to the Bone" well this is wicked nasty in appearance. Looks almost like hand and fingerprints, did one of the crew steady my arm That Way? Don't you think with as much as insurance pays they could have put it on some sort of support or put sandbags on each side to stabilize IT? Now today, October 3rd, I have my Left cataract REMOVED by my Opthamologist Dr Koehler, which means I have to show up Bright- Eyed and Anticipatory at 6 AM and I am NOT a Cheerful Happy Bluebird when it is still DARK out! My Bariatric Surgeon had THAT SAME WARPED SENSE OF HUMOR- planned it also for 7:30 AM, the only TIME I really relished being ripped from my bed was to produce an new little human being and THAT SADDLE was put away years and years ago! And TRUTH be TOLD I still was crabby then TOO! The same day next week ( October 8th) will be my one week with Dr Koehler and also my two week with Dr Mc Laughlin, the surgeon who wreaked havoc on my unsuspecting Arm. It looks like she got revenge for man- stealing and I never even met the Dude. I have been through a lot in my time and I have never seen Such an Odd lump like this- not infected- No discharge or ANYTHING but it's weird- looks like an misplaced Breast implant- honest IT DOES! She is an General Surgeon, want to bust her down to Private First Class, 3 World Fairs and A Punkin- Chucking contest and THIS IS A NEW ONE For ME. And I had hoped to have my Left💪 Rotator cuff repaired before the End of the Year while my deductibles are met. Dr Doolittle ( my ortho() says it won't be a mere repair after all but a Total Reverse Shoulder Replacement, due to my degree of arthritis envolment. Anybody know if Google Play Store has a Masochistic App, thinking of having One installed because it appears I AM A GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT Currently. Well I got some clean loose comfy clothes laid out, refuse to Sleep in THEM- if you have any Spare🙏 Prayers laying idle Send Them My Way, okay? Time to take a Deep Breath and Try to get some Sleep. FRUSTR8 OUT- zzz zzz.

The same thing happened to me. Don't let their ignorance dissuade you from pursuing Mexico. I am fully confident in my surgeon and clinic. I am going to switch docs because I need someone comfortable and compitent caring for a bariatric patient. I'll be getting surgery January 6 at Obesity Control Center in Tijuana. Sent from my Pixel 2 using BariatricPal mobile app

Congrats! There are some ladies on youtube who discuss pregnancy after WLS, Don't know how useful their info is... but you might want to check it out. Honestly, I would talk with your nutritionist. I am sure s/he can guide to to what to eat to promote a healthy baby... but not ruin your WLS. Your bariatric vitamins should have you covered as far as prenatal needs.. but your nutritionist can verify that as well.

@Frustr8 I understand, I really honestly do. I’ve spent most of my life with chronic pain, always fatigued and sick, always some new diagnosis or symptom. My main diagnosis has Bayan considered worse than HIV worse than cancer and causes something called post exertional malaise. It impacts every part of my body. It doesn’t matter my actual age my body feels old, there are people twice my age that feel younger than me. Not asking for pity for myself but that I understand you wanted the surgery and losing weight to make you feel good and not like a gastrointestinal cripple. Its hard. The smaller body is good but people look and think well then everything else must be good too. People didn’t think I needed to lose weight before surgery and now I’m sure they think I lost enough when I didn’t. They assume that you will also feel physically well. And you should expect to. But when you ask for help they look the other way. My head doesn’t work very well anymore, All I can say is can you see the bariatric surgeon and talk about the never ending nausea? That you still can’t enjoy food. I understand that feeling. On one hand I already had aversion to foods because of loss of ability to properly taste food and smell and always being nauseous but I could find things I liked sometimes and I could drink lots of water. I only really liked water. Now I can’t drink sips without feeling supremely sick. I try to drink ice tea and thinner shakes it’s the same. I was told thicken the water, yuck thicken water with some nice chemicals? Though the water thing probably isn’t because of the surgery. but not moving past the softest of “foods” can be truly frustrating. So I try to tell myself I don’t care and my nutritionist says I have to try as if it’s just a mental block and not a physical one. Im not trusting the whole balloon dilation now and expecting it to go back how it was (stricture) i knew going into this I would probably make my overall medical conditions worse but it was either fight for bariatric surgery to fight the rapid weight gain that even eating 800 calories of healthy food I couldn’t stop, or give up altogether. And even now I walk that thin line. And moments when my body feels literally like death and that would be easier. Yet I keep going and trying to take each step forward and trying to focus on the tiny goals of losing weight. Even though I will always feel like the bullied fat kid. You answered my message on my post but I needed to respond here first before I got too tired to say what I wanted to say. Please give things time, I know it’s hard. Get an appointment to speak to your surgeon and nutritionist and try to get that message across to them. You have a goal to reach and you just want to get there and also feel better too. I truly hope you do.

Hello all. It’s been a very long time since I’ve posted in here. I had sleeve in 4/2014. Was doing good, lost 80 lbs (definitely not as much as I needed to or hoped for) and as of 3 years ago I’ve developed server GERD and bad stomach pains. I’ve also had Achilles’ tendon repair surgery and a muscle tear surgery on my left elbow so my mobility has been very very limited. Achilles’ tendon surgery recovery time is exactly 1 year. And I had both done so to say the least, I’ve been home...not being able to do exercises at all, except resistance bands which I do do. So, with my weight gain all 80 plus more regain I’m exactly 22 lbs heavier than I was the day of my VSG surgery. I recently had an UGI and EGD done 2 weeks ago which showed severe GERD, gastritis and I have bleeding in my stomach as well the bariatric doctor said. He wants to do a revision to bypass which I’m very happy about, no more GERD and hopefully to get some weight off also. Question is; I’ve already checked with my insurance company BCBS and they said I was certainly covered for a revision as long as I meet 2 of the 6 comorbities and I meet 3. I had them send me the info on getting the revision and I’ve read it throughly and it says in it that if my doctor suggests that I do the nutrition classes prior to surgery then I have to. I am going to express to my bariatric doctor that this pain is unbearable and can he please do it ASAP. How long did y’all have to wait for your revision from getting your testing/procedure results back? Did your bariatric doctor make you go through all the nutritional classes all over again? I’m really really hoping that he doesn’t make me do these classes because I’ve already met my annual deductible and this whole revision bypass surgery will be fully covered 100% and I will have zero money to pay. Please tell me there’s hope. My next appointment with him is on October 29th so I’m praying he will give me some excellent news. I’m going to stress to him about my insurance as well. TIA for any feedback

Congratulations! You are lucky. I was miserable for 36 hours after surgery with nausea and pain. I had major surgery on my head/neck previously and thought this would be no sweat but I was wrong! I’m glad i didn’t know ahead of time how awful I’d feel. Guess it’s different for everybody. Anyway, the nurses told me that with Bariatric surgery you usually just feel better and better, not worse. So it looks like you might be free and clear as long as you stick to the post op diet. Good luck 👍

In terms of the fluids... don't worry too much, they go through you. I can drink quite fast... but I can't eat more than 4 ounces of anything. When I do eat 4 oz, it is something with fluid in it (like soup/chili). I can't eat that much of solid food. I am one month post op. Dr. Vuong (youtube bariatric surgeon guru) says it is natural for your body to feel hunger. It is not natural to feel full. Makes sense when you think about it. Fight the urge to overeat. It is OK to feel hunger. And I am still not sure if what I am feeling is hunger or just my stomach still churning a bit after surgery. Seems like both feel pretty similar. Look the doc up on youtube... he has some great videos. I like him so much I bought some of his cookbooks and gastric sleeve info books.

And May You Work to make It so- I have passed Doctor's Goal- anything below 200 but I am still trying for My Dream of 175- so so close- really am hating My At3as of Gauntness- 2 of my,Major Doctors SAY I'm Looking Fine- but I am Doubting Myself at This Point- maybe a Crisis of Spirit- it the Emesis, underlying pain and the knowledge I inately now feel " Gastrointestinally Crippled" and it is a Life Sentence without Parole, maybe it is time to seek some Bariatric type consultation SOMEWHERE- people keep saying "I'm Just Fine" nobody actually seems to Listen- and a Niggl8ng Voice wisps for the days of Tummy satifactionn oh it Wasn't Always" Binge City" for Me- I just wish i DIDN'T HURT ANY MORE- yeah the scale does Read Lovely but have I, like the Biblical Esau, sold my soul for A Bowl of Pottage_ And were the deminishment of size worth the pain and perpetual nausea state I have now? I went into this to regain health NOT to lose it in the process- the Brave Little Cowgirl is feeling Midnight Blue this AM- even watched the Bypass reversal. Videos on YouTube- DON'T Think I'M QUITE THERE YET but am teetering towards- even IF it killed me and an Open Abdominal surgery at 73 just COULD I might die with the sense of peace I don't feel TODAY- I am weary of the struggle, my friends, and too too depressed over what I elected to have done to ME. But I can't commit to suicide for ME - I couldn't hurt my family, friends and BP friends by THIS, my uncle did kill himself before I was born and my Daddy carried emotional scars to his own death 50+ years later, mourned his brother that was his "Irish Twin" only 11 months between them and when He told me of Uncle Clement, He Cri3d and I did TOO-! So where does One go from Here? Sorry to Vent- maybe there is PEACE Ahead? Some Say :Give Yourself at least 18 months to Feel Healed" Well I'm still less than That, maybe I will be Okay?

I only went to the hospital twice before my op. The first one was when I discussed the idea with the surgeon and made my decision. The second one was when I went to see a nurse a week before the op: she weighed me and took some bloods. I was in and out in 10 minutes! It sounds quite abrupt, but I did have good support afterwards: I can speak to a bariatric nurse whenever I want to.

I’m 44 and in Portland, Oregon. I’m in the pre-surgery stage. I’ve lost 50lb since May just in changing my habits in prep for surgery. I have a bit over 150 to lose still. My insurance only does Gastric Bypass. I have my first meeting with the bariatric department on October 11th. No surgery date yet.

Gastric bypass surgery ended up being the choice due to severe GERD, metabolic disorders and extremely slow metabolism. My nutritionist gave a list of brands for protein and vitamins, but it’s a suggestion not a rule. As long as you get the protein and vitamins you need and there isn’t too much sugar. Usually no more than 4 grams. I think my papers said no gummy vitamins but I did my research to find a combination to work for me and showed my nutritionist and she said it’s fine. She is a nutritionist that works with my bariatric surgeon. But she is also open to new ideas that might be helpful for the bariatric patients she sees. She does nutrition classes for bariatric patients. I was required to attend before surgery. The difference between sleeve and bypass is less about amount restriction but more the bypassing of part of the small intestine and rerouting of digestive juices. If your gut says RNY Stick with RNY and you will do great.

Well, spent the night at Bariatric Pal hospital. I’m set for surgery at 9am. I’m very excited. The nurse and concierge came in and told me that I am ready to go. So, now I just wait.

Thank you for such an honest account of your experience so far! I am coming up on my revision from band to bypass, so i have some idea of what to expect, but know it'll be very different still. It's been many years since my band, so it's good to have some reminders of things I can't remember from all those years ago. A bariatric budget is a really good thing to be talking about! I don't think most people know the extent of how expensive it can get to get all of your nutrients in! There is a brand of protein shakes that may work for you, Syntrax Nectar. They seem to have a lot of fruit flavors for people like us who don't want to drink thick chocolate flavors every day. I have not tried them yet, so I can't speak to how great they are, but the reviews look good! I have a few samples from them sitting in my BariatricPal cart to order, so I can always get in touch once I try them! I also thin out my protein drinks with extra almond milk I want to be able to drink my protein shakes easily not feel like I'm putting a ton of work into it. Or you could try using the unflavored protein powder in various liquids and pureed foods! It sounds like despite the pain, you are doing great things, it looks like you are moving well and really have a grasp on what's going on. You are going to be super successful, I just know it! Keep up the great work 😃

I am on several private Facebook groups. Their posts are not open to the public, only the "Cover Page" that explains the purpose of the group. You have to be admitted to the forum by an administrator and can be kicked out, as well. I just asked to be admitted to another one for bariatric recipes yesterday. You do, however, have to use your real Facebook name. The only downside to forums like that is that someone has to have the time/willingness to be the admin.

the stuff the dietitian told you is puzzling. She must not have much experience with bariatric patients. First, you have to take vitamins for the rest of your life regardless of which surgery you have. And yes - it seems overwhelming at first, but you get used to the routine very quickly. I don't find the vitamin routine difficult or confusing AT ALL. I'm pretty much on autopilot with them. also, the 1/4 C thing is really just during the first few weeks after surgery. At four years out, although my portion sizes are that of a standard "light eater", they're not 1/4 C or anywhere near as restrictive as they were for the first few weeks or months post-surgery. No one would be able to tell anymore that I'm a gastric bypass patient if they were to watch me eat. I eat about the same amount as my "light eater" normal weight friends - which is of course much less than what I ate pre-surgery - but certainly more than 1/4 C. For example, for lunch today I plan to have half a turkey sandwich and a side salad with light dressing. For dinner I'm thinking a "Beyond Meat" sausage with sauerkraut wrapped up in a Flat Out Fold It wrap....maybe with another side salad (although one of those sausages usually fills me up - so I may skip the salad). About 3 oz of meat plus some vegetables or a side salad with light dressing is a pretty standard dinner. At restaurants I'll often order an appetizer - or if I'm really hungry, I'll get an entree and take half of it home. Really no different than my normal weight friends who are watching their calories. so suffice it to say, you're getting incorrect info from that dietitian. She must have some bias toward the sleeve - or just hasn't really worked with bariatric patients before. Edited to add that I've been hanging out on various bariatric boards for about five years. The diets for sleeve and bypass patients are the same - both early post-op and years out. As for vitamins, some surgeons have VSG patients taking fewer than bypass patients (but others, like mine, have them on the exact same vitamin regimen). But either way, you are taking vitamins for life. Pardon my French, but I think the dietitian you saw is full of crap...

Not sure if this is allowed, but I have a box of Beef Bone Broth never open all 4 are still in the box, 3 Chicken bone broth. I used one, but they are all individually sealed its the orange package. 3 other broths which is Cream of Tomato, Chicken soup, and chicken with pasta (all broths). I have two protein powders. One is Coffee and the other is Double chocolate fudge. Also a Bariatric Pal plastic mug you heat the broths in. So total of 10 broths, 2 shakes, 1 mug. I bought all of this off Bariatric Pal and they are left over from my 2wk liquid diet. I'm not gonna use them so they are just sitting here. If you live close and willing to meet near me somewhere then they are yours for free! I know how costly it is getting ready for the 2wk liquid faze and the first month after surgery! So let me know. I won't hold for anyone (sorry) unless we are meeting of course. So its whomever can meet first. Thanks! (delete if not allowed) Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

My surgery was rescheduled from Sept 23 to Oct 15. No liquid diet, just continuing to eat clean plant-based whole foods. Possibly am some sort of bariatric alien because I feel a bit envious of the Opti-Fasters. I love protein powder mixed with plain water and am actually looking forward to not having to bother much with food and food preparation for a couple of months after surgery. All the very best wishes to my fellow Oct sleevers 😊

I was part of a research study, while on a medically supervised weight loss program with optifast. this was in the 1990s, long before I had bariatric surgery. It is not the surgery that causes the problem. It is the rapid weightloss. People who loose large amounts of fat, over a relatively short period of time, can have complications with gallbladders. So, it could be prudent to remove it while having weight loss surgery to avoid having to have another surgery.

UGH! I received another call from Sage Bariatric on 9/26/19. My pre-authorization has been approved, but still waiting on the approval for the predetermination. So I google BCBS pre-authorization and predetermination, because I was really confused. Pre-authorization or pre-notification, pre-certification confirms that a physicians’ plan of treatment meets medical necessity criteria under the applicable health benefit plan. A predetermination is a voluntary, written request by a provider to determine if a proposed treatment or service is covered under a patient’s health benefit plan. Predetermination approvals and denials are usually based on our medical policies. It has been two week and this waiting is really kicking my butt. But on the upside. I have gotten some much needed cleaning done trying to stay busy when i get off of work. I am so thankful i found this sight, I just really needed to think-out-loud.

I personally feel that getting a GOOD therapist/counselor that works with people that have food addictions is critical. You have done the 'first step' as the 12 step programs say and have admitted you have an addiction. This is ONLY my opinion, but when I had that same mindset that you openly and honestly admitted (and kudos for that!), I KNEW I was not yet ready for bariatric surgery no matter how many doctors in the past decade urged me to do it immediately. I also knew from long ago experiences with other addictions that I could "intentionally" make someone believe I'm ready OR..that someone, likely a counselor/therapist may pass me off as 'ready'..but I would not be. Postponing surgery while you work on your journey is NOT giving up. In the end, I hope whatever decision is made, that you are at peace with it. We will all encourage you. Delaying does not mean NEVER. And am not sure how soon your surgery is slated for...if it is months away, you have time to get a little extra help.. This is different than just the normal fear of failure. I was NOT ready to give up my addiction until 7 or 8 months ago and that was after looking into overall..honestly it was 5 years with 3 of those spent on this board in silent mode. People with addictions all have different 'bottoms' and for some ppl, they don't require hitting bottom. in order to realize that they were finally ready to do WHATEVER it took. Unfortunately, I was a stubborn/stuck in and loving and hating my addiction. Could you have surgery even with how you are feeling and have some measure of success...well, there are ppl here who did. I feel like though...it would be what I call 'white knuckle' recovery. This journey is amazing but it can also be very hard, especially the first 3 to 6 months. I do know that an overwhelming huge majority ALL wish they had done it sooner. I am in that number. However, for whatever reason, I was not ready. This also does NOT mean you cannot become ready faster than my stubborn self did! Seek out someone that works with food addictions, WLS and they are good at it. Find a great person who helps you challenge and overcome your current feelings of not being ready..and when you are ready, they will help you know that you are.

I gained weight after my initial visit to the bariatric surgeon. I wanted to eat everything that I wouldn’t be able to eat after. I didn’t fail, it took me longer than most and I went through some things, but ultimately succeeded and feel better than I have in years. I did have to change everything about the way I was eating. Some people can just eat smaller portions of all the food and lose the weight, but I am not one of those people. For me, getting the surgery was the help I needed. What if you succeed?

Wow. What does thiamine deficiency have to do with the topic of this thread? That’s an awful lot of medical jargon mixed with scare tactics of posting it in a thread that has nothing to do with vitamin deficiency. I have complex lifelong chronic illness which includes neuroimmune/immunodeficiency. Basically it effects every aspect of my body. I also have neurological symptoms starting long before surgery. I take a series of gummy vitamins. My last bloodwork by my bariatric surgeon my thiamine aka B1 was within the normal range. Just take the right vitamins that have good bioavailability (whole food based, chewable or liquid form) and have regular bloodwork and there is no need to panic about vitamin levels. Besides an issue with iron and some bloodwork that could indicate anemia (which I’ve had issue with before surgery) my blood vitamin levels have been fine so far. Even my extremely low vitamin D is in normal range now. Low thiamene isn’t going to instantly cause some life threatening neurological disease. If your doctor says it’s low, take the vitamin. Or just take a good food based b complex as prevention. I e studied holistic heath, nutrition and vitamins. Do I remember everything. No my memory sucks but it’s crazy to post a long medical research report and not even on the appropriate topic. Sorry if I’m rather touchy today. Taking a basic multivitamin isn’t enough especially tablets like centrum or any tablet that might not get properly utilized by the body is probably not enough. One of the things about gastric bypass surgery is an investment in our health and making sure to get the right vitamins and nutrition. But I’ll shut up. I got flack because I said I take gummy vitamins and too many. Just do your best and don’t worry about thiamene deficiency unless your doctor says it’s low and it’s easy enough to get a natures way alive b complex vitamin at the grocery store.