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I am a patient of Dr. Illan also! Im 26yrs old 5'3 and started at 230lbs had surgery on Jan 17th 2014 and i now weigh 210lbs only 12 days later. It was an amazing experience! The doctors were so great and caring even the nurses. Also Omar goes out of his way to take care of you and your guest. I went with my dad who was nervous and against the surgery but once we got there we met two other patients we both felt more comfortable. After my urgery I never felt any pain (except for some gas pain) and I never took any pain meds. Soon as I was out of the hospital we were out shopping and touring TJ, thanks to Omar! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks Baja Bariatrics

Totally forgot to mention that just because we aren't telling the world doesn't mean it's truly a secret. I'm very open and transparent amongst the bariatric community, so much so that i volunteer and mentor patients at my local bariatric surgery center. And i'm in 4 support groups online, trying to help others going through the process. I'm willing to help them in any way possible. I just get easily annoyed with random strangers asking me to many questions lol, when they have nothing positive to gain from it. So people know but it's who i chose to inform.

Do you have a psychiatrist or therapist outside of the bariatric office? What do they think? As long as you are not suicidal or self harming, I would move ahead. I also have chronic pain and depression and I'd rather have them without also being obese. How many pounds of ugly fat would you lose if you lost your husband? Good luck and feel better.

Sorry to ask this here, but I’m scared. I don’t know what to do or have anyone else to ask. I’m what I call “irregularly regular”. Irregular in the sense that I never know when I’m going to get my period. Regular in the sense that it always lasts for 3.5 days, four at tops. Last month, I got my period and it lasted for almost two weeks. That has never happened to me before. I figure it might have to do with my recent weight gain (about 30 pounds since July) and the related hormone changes. I haven't felt "healthy" for a while now. After my period ended, I was fine for about two weeks. Then I got my period again. I’ve had it now for over a week and it’s very heavy and there’s more …”material” than before (not a ton but noticeably more). I’ve had a little bit of dizziness – my shrink says that’s a side effect of Wellbutrin, but over the weekend, I had a few dizzy spells. (Haven’t had one since, though.) I did some research on the internet and though my flow is very heavy (for me) I’m not changing my pad every 6 hours, so maybe it’s not that an extreme a case. I think the blood loss has made me a little anemic and caused a little of the fatigue and dizziness so I started taking an Iron supplement today. I had a little bit of cramping yesterday and today, but I took an Aleve and I’m fine. There’s no pain or anything otherwise weird. I just can’t seem to stop bleeding. I’ve just about convinced myself that I have cervical cancer or something. As far as I know, none of this runs in my family. I haven’t been to see a doctor, mostly because I’m chicken. I’m 31 and have never had a gyno exam. (I rationalized it by saying I’ve never been sexually active, so I didn’t need to.) I’m also in a tricky situation because my company switched to a new health insurance carrier effective Jan. 1, but Blue Cross is taking forever to do the paperwork, so I don’t have a member number, a group number, a PCP, or anything. I’m waiting for it any day now, but who knows how long it will take them? I’m really scared, but apparently not scared enough to be smart about this because the second I have my insurance info I’m going to see the PCP about a referral to bariatrics. I’m afraid to mention it to my doctor because she will be someone I’ve never met and she may want to do all kinds of history and testing on me before she’s willing to do any kind of referral. I’m all twisted up in knots. Have any of you experienced anything like this? Any advice would be much appreciated.

If you are out there and have had surgery in Mexico (I'm having mine in Jan. by Dr. Kuri) and you have/had fills in MN/metro area - or even Wisconsin - please let me know. I'm able to locate doctor's or bariatric offices that do fills - but most only do them for their own patients. Also (at least on the phone) they are down on people that have had their surgey in Mexico. Any Happy-to-serve-you-and-take-your-money fill doctors in MN/WI? Along with another "to-be-banded" I am going to try and set up an appointment with a fill doctor - just to discuss the situation. I think it would be worth it in order to feel confident if something comes up after we are back in the good ol' U S of A. Imanotlean but Iwannabe!

Hello, I just came back from my drs. today and he gave me kinda bad news. He is leaving the office he is with and is not sure if in his new position whether he will still do bariatric surgery. So what does this mean for me? It means that he is referring all of his patients to Dr. Brody. I have heard good things about Dr. Brody I am just use to Dr. Brodsky. I am really going to miss him. :D

Even though my insurance left me high and dry, I am still going along with the plan. Self-pay, $20,000. Dr. Blackstone of Scottsdale Bariatric Center in AZ is doing it. Her office is ranked in the top three in the country. It was a toss up between this and the RNY bypass. I have done all the preliminary tests, few to go before the surgery. Would like to know from others what to expect the day of the surgery, and what to expect after. Surgery October 9, 2006.

True - they dont do the bypass in Australia, probably you could get it done if the lapband failed, but its not the first choice for most bariatric surgeons. Too risky, too complicated, not good enough long term results. Longer term stats are showing that you lose more slowly with the lapband and its more dependent on personal habits (which is a good thing in my opinion) but you get greater weight maintenance at the end of the journey, compared to GBP where there's a significant proportion of people who lose fast and then begin to regain. So easy choice for me as I wouldnt have been able to find a surgeon to do a bypass but I would never have considered it given the size of my weight problem - simply not worth the risk of malnutrition and the surgical risks.

Body temperature is the result of your body generating and radiating heat. The body is adept at keeping its temperature within a narrow range even though ambient air conditions vary. A normal body temperature is 98.6°F. It is common during the period of rapid weight loss for bariatric patients to feel cold or chilled, even when their temperature reads normal. People who experience the massive weight loss associated with weight loss surgery experience feeling cold for two reasons: loss of insulation and less energy generation. Fat is a highly efficient insulator. Consider animals native to cold climates: for example sea lions and polar bears. They are loaded with insulation and thrive in cold climates. When gastric bypass patients follow the rules: eating Protein and exercising, the weight lost can only come from fat or stored energy. In effect you are losing your insulation. Less insulation increases the likelihood that you will feel cold. The second reason for feeling chilled is that the metabolic cell processes are not working as hard as when you were heavier; it takes fewer calories and less energy to maintain and move a smaller body. Think about using an electric mixer: if you are whipping egg whites for a meringue the mixer will do this task effortlessly. But use the same mixer to knead bread dough and it will become warm to the touch, it is working harder because it is moving more mass. The same thing happens with your body; the more mass it must move, the harder it works. As a result more heat is generated. Rule #2: Lots of Water The body has two well-tuned mechanisms for regulating body temperature: sweating and shivering. What overweight person hasn’t been embarrassed by a sticky bout of sweating at the most inappropriate time? Sweating is a mechanism for cooling your body when it becomes too hot inside. The body rids itself of excess heat by expanding the blood vessels in the skin so the heat may be carried to the surface. When this energy or heat in the form of sweat reaches the skin’s surface it evaporates and helps cool the body. Gastric bypass patients become more familiar with the second temperature regulator, shivering, as they lose weight. When you are too cold your blood vessels will contract reducing blood flow to the skin. The body responds by shivering which creates extra muscle activity to help generate more heat. If you allow your body to shiver it will begin to feel warmer. But this is also a good clue that it’s time to put on a sweater or turn up the heat. I think most weight loss patients will happily wear a sweater – a sweater is much easier to shed than that insulation we’ve worked so hard to lose! Most weight loss patients report that their body temperature regulates after their weight is stabilized, usually eighteen to twenty-four months after surgery. Keep in mind your body is rapidly losing weight and the rest of your body’s functions are caught off guard when this weight loss begins. The body’s thermostat needs time to catch up to the weight loss, and it will. Patients who incorporate exercise in their weight loss program experience less chilling than patients who do not exercise.

Noooo don't think that!!! Seriously give your doctor a call. Having gas like that even with out WLS is a sign of digestive issues. If your bariatric Dr. does not have a gastroenterology Dr. as part of his team ask for a recommendation and go see them. You do not have to live with flatulence.

So this is me. My name is Kathi, 28 years old, 165cm tall and 143kgs. I've been tooing and froing about getting bariatric suregery for 2 years now. I have been big most of my life. Teased by kids as I'm sure many of you can relate to, and even worse have been discriminated against in all areas of life due to my size, including being passed over for promotions and postings to foreign climes. So not fair! So 2 years ago I got on track to get a lapband... I was scared and had a lot going on in my life at the time: Broken up relationship, job going weird, and many other things, so I chickened out after seeing the surgeon. Now, I have matured and come to know myself more (its amazing what you find out about yourself when you lose the deadwood of a bad relationship and a bad job). Now I have realised that I need this tool to stop me becoming what I see my whole family becoming. I dont want Diabetes, or heart problems, I dont want to be immobile, I dont want to be prejudiced against anymore. I have tried everything! fad diets, weight watchers, diet pills, you name it So here I am, Surgery booked in for 30 November. My Parents are giving me a loan to have it done (not that they can really afford it though, but they know its what I need...), and I will be paying it off for the next 5 years. But I feel its worth it. I now have 6 weeks of preop diet in front of me, plus learning to eat, exercise, and change the way I think. Its a hard road, but I'm hoping at the end of it, the rny will be a life saver. I'm on Day 2 of pre op diet. I think taking all things in context it's been successful. Minor slip ups, but I'm proud of my salmon, bok choi and broccoli in the face of others eating a mountain of pizza around me that I was pretty strong to only steal 2 bites of pizza. Still not ideal, but better than caving and eating a half pizza like I normally would. Plus going to 3 pubs this weekend and only having a tiny taste of beers that the others bought. I have the motivation, I just hope I can hold onto it! 40 minute wii dance workout this evening - so shattered. My cat thinks I'm crazy, but what does she know, she's a cat! I'm looking forward to sharing my journey with all of you, and sharing in yours along the way

Okay, so background first before I get to my question: I was sleeved 10/22/2014 and, as of January, had lost 105 pounds. Which was great! I wasn't quite at my goal weight, but I was getting there steadily. I had absolutely no complications after my surgery; everything healed beautifully and I stuck to the diet. My surgeon always talked about how I crushed the statistics and how impressed he was. Then, just after the first of January, I got sick. Like, really sick. It started with just nausea and some abdominal pain and I wrote it off as a stomach bug, but it just kept getting worse. Basically, I've been unable to eat anything solid for over a month now. Eating or drinking ANYTHING causes extremely sharp pain in my upper left abdomen, which is worse with anything that has a sugar/fat content. I've lost 18 pounds in less than a month because I can't eat anything aside from broth (sometimes) and sugar free jello/pudding. I have to drink the Zero Carb Isopure (clear liquid) for Protein because I can't keep down regular shakes. I have to crush my pills and Vitamins again. I'm constantly nauseous and extremely weak despite the fact that I'm getting my protein and vitamins. I can't even get down my one flight of stairs without having to rest in the middle. After about two weeks and a trip to the ER for IV fluids, I went to my surgeon because I knew it wasn't a stomach bug anymore. He promised he'd figure it out and scolded me for going to the ER because they would have "no idea" how to treat a bariatric patient. Thinking it might be a blockage in my common bile duct from a stone, did a gallbladder ultrasound and a CCK HIDA scan. Both came back normal, even though the HIDA scan was absolutely excruciating. He referred me to a gastroenterologist for an upper endoscopy (which he was present at) and a barium swallow to make sure my esophagus was functioning correctly and that I didn't have ulcers or a stricture or something along those lines. Both came back normal. Basically, since then, his office has been telling me that I need to speak with the gastroenterologist in regards to everything, as it has "nothing to do with" the surgery. The gastroenterologist told me today that I needed to follow up with the surgeon, as he was "out of suggestions". In essence, both my surgeon and gastro have thrown up their hands and told me that they have no idea, so it's not their problem. Neither will give me the paperwork I need for work. I am in danger of losing my job and therefore my health insurance. My question here is how should I tell the office that I will no longer be visiting them for follow ups or for any other reason? Should I write a letter? Call them? I refuse to give them my business and what little money I have if they are willing to just give up on me and say 'it's not my problem'. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I'm very heavy right now, but tall - my starting weight is (currently) 373; my surgeon asked me what I wanted for my goal weight (possibly to feel me out about how realistic I am), I said 160. His reply was "let's shoot for 180 and negotiate from there," which I thought was a great answer. Given my age (46), height (5'8") and size I might have a hard time with the extra skin, etc. I visited Dr. Wolkodoff here in Denver, he's a PhD in exercise physiology and is very involved with pro sports medicine. He did an in-body scan to get an accurate picture of intracellular/extracellular Water, where my muscle is located, where I need to gain muscle, etc. It was actually surprising to hear that my lean body mass is currently 167, and he suggested a goal weight of 210 (adding the average 24%-ish body fat most women should have). He gave me a BMR (basal metabolic rate), and told me to gain 2lb muscle in each leg but that I had plenty of muscle in the upper body; he gave me some basic information and suggestions as to an exercise regimen. It was a great consult, and I'll be following up with him post-surgery at 1mo. 3mo. and 6mo. This is something i would suggest everyone do, not just bariatric patients, and I'll be bringing my 24-yr old daughter with me next time - she's not heavy but doesn't really exercise and I'd love for her to have an outside perspective on her body composition so she doesn't land in the same boat as me. My surgery is 7/21 - good luck to everyone on here, both pre- and post-surgery. Mel

Hi! I had the sleeve on July 16, I've been doing ok with trying to get my shakes in but I'm having a terrible time with my vitamins. I'm not sure if it's the brand or just taking vitamins in general. I got my vitamins from bariatric advantage both the multi and the calcium. Aside from them tasting terrible, I feel like vomiting shortly after taking just 1. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!

I used Bariatric Advantage and would use a pill crusher and turn them to dust.You could try taking a little at a time.Im not sure if it’s acceptable but maybe crush them and put them in some water.I hope you get relief soon.

I would definitely try to get the surgery and consult done at a Bariatric Center of Excellence.

I know just how you feel! I ordered this book on Amazon..it's called 'The Emotional First Aid Kit: A practical guide to life after bariatric surgery. I was highly recommended by a lot of people who had the surgery. It talks a lot about how life/people/your situation changes after the surgery. I want to have everything I need to make this a success. I want to be as prepared as I possibly can to make this happen.

While I'm pretty sure my doc did great in surgery (everything seems to work so far) and she is super up-beat and happy, there were a few small details she left out of the pre-op overview. My doc did not mention that I couldn't have ANYthing post-op of the day of surgery - no Water, no ice chips, nada. I was so thankful someone had mention Biotene mouth rinse as it was a life saver. She did not say, "where we take out your port (I was lap-band to bypass revision) is going to be really sore for probably 4 weeks. You might want to a) be mentally prepared for that and buy an abdominal binder. There was no offer of a block of any sort. The first time I stood up, I thought someone was ripping out my innards. She prescribed Lovenox injections for a week (blood thinner for clot prevention). She mentioned this in an off-hand manner during final pre-op appointment. She didn't say how I, who had never done this, was supposed to magically learn to. She did not say (despite looking at my chart in pre-op appointment) Oh - you're on hormones, you'll need to do these shots for a month, not just a week. And then forget to call the pharmacy with new scrip twice after I called her office to remind her. She also used a hospital that had nurses who were experienced with bariatric patients. Of the 5 or so RNs that I had, 4 were top notch. One in particular was amaze-balls and he showed me how to do injections and talked me through a bunch of stuff. I {{heart}} you Dustin! Any others have similar things to add?

Creek Imp I'm in Ohio and I even know about Meijer. We don't have one in my town, they closed the one in Newark, can you believe they wanted to remodel and expand, the city fathers fought them because it would encroach on the flood plain, Meijer got p.o.-ed and. left town. That's 23 miles south of here but 23 miles to the north in Ontario, a Mansfield suburb there is one in good shape. Go there when I can get there. Otherwise I'm stuck with Walmart, Krogers and a IGA. Sniff sniff. Have you seen my Change Your Hospital thread? Changes in my tumultuous life. I need all the Bariatric love I can get. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I have not been to seminar yet. I called my insurance and they said that my policy doesn't cover bariatric surgery at all. I have bcbs- Illinois. .i am saddened by this. Does anyone else know if there is differences in the coverage that makes a difference. My bmi is 51.

I had my band put in in 2002. I lost down to 147, a size 4 jeans, but never made it to my goal of 136. After 5 surgeries to repair the band, I had to stop using it. In 4 months I gained 40 pounds. I got sleeved in February. I only have 14 lbs to go to get to my goal. I remember what it felt like to be fat and ALWAYS unhappy. I will never do that to myself again. I have no willpower on my own, but with the sleeve I feel normal, just eat less. You have to keep reminding yourself of why you did this in the first place. Is it worth it???Are you worth it??? I say HELL YES!!! Do it so you can start feeling alive again. If you're anything like me, it consumes you. Go see your bariatric dietitian and work with them. Go to seminars!!!! Good luck to you! Let me know how its going!

My bariatric GI watches vit D3 levels carefully - not just for the impact on bones, but because it can definitely affect mood and cause depression. He feels that what is "low normal" for a none bariatric patient is too low for a VSG patient. Ask your doctor to include D3 in any upcoming blood tests and be sure you're getting the required amount orally. Thiamine is also important for us, and it requires replenishment daily.

Thank you to everyone for your support & suggestions. I have been back on track for 5 days now & I think the sugar cravings are about gone. I swear it felt like withdrawal...not that I know what that feels like, lol. I plan on seeing Fat Sick & Nearly Dead if I can find it at the library. I made an appointment with my old therapist for the 25th of this month. I fessed up to my partner about going to the store almost every day & getting junk to eat & then hiding the wrappers in the trunk of my car. It went well. We had a long talk. I went to my bariatric support group meeting Thursday night & that helped a lot too. One woman there is having the surgery next month & she weighs over 400 lbs. I looked at her & thought to myself, "If you keep going the way you are, you will end up back to where you were & you do NOT want that" I think once I get a few things off my chest in therapy, I will feel better. I did go for 1 20 min walk, used my punching bag one day & have used my pedal cycle twice for 30 min each time. I am trying to work up to either going to the gym or going back to Zumba. I HATE exercise so it is hard. I know all of you can relate in some way or another. Once again, thank you!

I have been completing my requirements prior to surgery since the end of August, which includes 6 monthly visits of medically supervised weight loss with my surgeon's nurse/bariatric coordinator. My last visit with her is at the beginning of March. After that, assuming all of my other requirements have been met they will put in for approval (which is expected very fast with my particular insurance). I have done a lot of research since even before August about what surgery was right for me and I was convinced it was the sleeve. Liz (the bariatric coordinator) was very honest with me yesterday and said she thought I might not have very good success with the sleeve because I have been struggling to lose weight and definitely have a fondness for sweets. She also said that when she attends the surgeon's office's monthly support group sessions she is kind of jealous that the patients who had RNY seem to have a much greater degree of "control" in their eating. I can certainly use more control in my eating! So now I am seriously questioning my decision and and starting to re-think my plan. I need to decide before 1/31, as I have my appointment with the dietician who will give me a binder full of info and the info varies a bit depending on the type of surgery I choose. I realize that RNY has been around much longer than the sleeve and that the sleeve was originally intended to just be the first step in duodenal switch surgeries for 500+ lb. patients. However, the re-routing of the intestine freaks me out quite a bit and I am afraid of nutritional deficiencies caused by the malabsorptive aspect of the RNY surgery. I'm thinking I should just go with my "gut" and get sleeved, but just wondered if anyone here regretted getting the VSG and wished they had gotten a bypass instead. Any comments would be appreciated!

@@GummyTummy .Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response. I picked her because she set up successful bariatric program before coming to the current one and she was fully endorsed by the head of the bariactric program. That being said, I believe she is very skilled surgeon. She spent over five hour on my sleeve due to all the scar tissue I had from previous c-sections. But she seems to be only interested in the number of pounds loss. I feel she sees that number as her success not necessarily mine. I have to continue to supplement with Protein powder. There is no way I can consume that much food. As it is I'm averaging no more that 750 calories a day