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Okay, I hate to keep this saga going, but now it seems that the insurance approval department at my doctor's office has messed up and submitted me under his partner (for which I was accepted). I just spent an hour on the phone with them and since I was approved with a different bariatric surgeon and not my own -- they cancelled it (the approval for his partner to perform the banding) and resubmitted me under my regular doctor...however, it could take a couple of weeks to approve...AGAIN (and I'm not sure what my insurance is going to make of this...I have BCBS). At this rate, I may not be with you February bandsters if my band date gets moved to early March -- but I'll still stay. I'm just totally irritated that -- 1.) They messed up...I've never even met the other surgeon in the practice. 2.) My doctor only does surgeries on Thursdays and is booked up solid. 3.) I've been on the pre-op diet since January 26th and they want me to continue indefinitely...becaused they messed up. I feel really prepared and mentally ready, but things just keep happening. I started researching the band over a year ago and visited the clinic for the first time in October 2010. Sorry to complain so much. All I can say is BOO...major BOO. :sorry: Texas Mama ~ I'm so happy for you! Is your sis making it on time? You are going to do so awesome! I can't wait to hear how it all goes for you. Carollee ~ Hello! Thank you for sharing about the hiatal hernia repair -- how long did the pain last and was it primarily in your shoulder? I haven't really asked about overnight stays -- that's a good thing to mention, especially since I now have more time. How long does your doctor wait for you to have a fill? And, how was the post-op eating? Did you do 1 week Clear liquids, 1 week thicker liquids, and then onto mushies? Again, thank you for your input!

Hello... my name is Rhonda and I am a 38 yr old lady from NW Pennsylvania. I live with my boyfriend and have a 13 yr old son. WLS was always in the back of my mind, but the ignition point was my gall bladder crapping out in late Feb of this year. My doc wasn't the general surgeon I had requested, but rather his partner. They say things happen for a reason & my finding Dr. Kalim this was def divine intervention. Yes, it's his business, but he was very tactful in addressing my weight even before I had my lap chole. Upon my post op from the lap chole, Dr. Kalim again mentioned my WLS options. I have to tell you, I work at the same hospital and the bariatric program is relatively new. I had worked with some of the key players in various roles before. So when he asked me to go to a seminar and walked me into the program coordinator's office... I felt I HAD to go out of professional courtesy!! Eventually I got my mind right and realized that I wanted to pursue this for ME!! My gb issue and being assigned to Dr. Kalim was the path laid before me. I have to say it's a joy to be so close to my care team!! They work extremely hard to make EVERYONE feel comforted and secure. At the 1st visit we mapped out the first three months and all of the extras (ie EGD, psych, dietary, sleep study, etc.) At the 3rd month we mapped out preads, consent and clearances and surgical date. I have one more nutrition class (out of 3), preads, my 6th monthly visit and final pre-surg visit with my doctor to go. I would be lying if I didn't claim my fears of all this not working or my OWN failure, but I am trying to stay positive and keep working hard now to adopt good healthy lifestyle changes!!

I also had my surgery in 2006. I'm finding it hard to keep on track. I have gained a little weight back. Still exercising 4-5 times a week. I went to the app store hoping to find something like weight watchers for bariatric pts but had no luck. I love the new me after the by pass but need some help getting back on the downward slope. Before and after surgery I did water aerobics but had to quit 2 years later cuz I couldn't afford it any more now I use my wii and the gym at work to walk. But still not going down. Has to be what I am putting in my mouth. I'm a nervous eater and have the hardest time when at work. Not sure why my job isn't that stressful anymore. Anyone have any suggestions? So glad to have found this app!

Dumping is not guaranteed. So maybe not the best ideas to make a decision on that. You posted on the bypass thread so you'll get a lot of pro bypass perspectives, too. I decided bypass because I wanted the greatest chance of my co morbidities being completely resolved. I wanted long term data. I've been on this site a while and I can't figure out if sleeves are just being offered more lately and there by we are hearing more about folks not being able to eat being 6 wks, 6 months out and other stuff or if sleeves are more vocal about it. Can't tell. I'm two weeks out and can tolerate everything I tried with no problems, nausea, vomiting. I know when I'm am eating too fast but I think that would be the same for everyone at this point. You need to make this decision with your surgeon. I think most people go with their guts and at their fear edge. Some people are gonna be creeped out by the re routing, I was afraid of the long line of stitching with the sleeve or developing any sort of reflux, heartburn etc. Also, what sealed the deal for me and you might ask your surgeon. How many of each procedures has he/she done? Which one has he/she done the most revisions or fixed complications with? And how comfortable with it are they? If his or her child needed bariatric surgery which would they recommend? Honestly, you are young and healthy and would probably do well with a uncomplicated sleeve or bypass process, but you may not need all the bypass has to offer.

Finished all my pre-op appointments in June, met with the surgeon, scheduled surgery for July 31, then found out I had AFib. I spent the rest of July and August dealing with my heart instead of my belly. Now that is taken care of, so I have another couple of bariatric center appointments next week, and then another scheduled appointment with the surgeon. Planning/hoping for mid-December so I'll have 2 weeks off for recovery before I have to go back to work. Wish me luck! ( I need it!) Amy

Bariatric Pal website has Vitamin Patches. Does anyone know if these are enough of what post gastric bypass are supposed to take and if they really work? Thanks!

Thank you both! Right now, I'm on Bariatric Advantage for my pre-op diet, and it seems to be doing very well giving me energy and keeping me satisfied. It's easy enough to add cold water and powder to a shaker bottle and not even need a blender, so that's what I'll probably keep doing just for the sake of ease. I'll look more at protein shakes and bars, especially as I get closer to August.

I know that they are pretty easy to get started with up here. Mainly if your BMI is over 40 you're in. Then you start the frustrating part of it and have to wait months to get your surgery. But it will get done. We have to be ok'd by the bariatric director, dietician, psychologist and surgeon. None of those are hard. They are really strict about wanting people who will follow the program. They said they have way too many people knocking at the door to give surgery to people who don't want to follow their guidelines. Otherwise, it's not hard just frustratingly slow. Good luck.

Shelia - I'm in Northern California and believe it or not between the 3 hospitals up here that do the band there are 3 different policies. You would think that Kaiser would have one way of doing things but they don't. The first thing that you need to do up here is to get your primary care doctor to refer you. If you have a bariatric department down there, call them. The one at South San Francisco was really good about explaining the protocol there. I don't know if they offer the band down there. I have heard that they are offering it in Long Beach. But they will be able to tell you. If they don't offer it, ask them when they plan on offering it. I would be a lot further along in the process if I had asked that question. Good luck in your journey.

I tend to defer to my NUT, she was with me in the 4 months prior to the surgery and is now my contact after. I also will continue to take classes and go to support groups post-op to continue to be motivated. I am big on doing my own research too, so that is why I come here and other bariatric message boards for more knowledge and experiences. I don't see my surgeon (or his office) again for a year. I am with Kaiser who is big on health education.

Oh, and who cares if you have to take an antacid pill each morning?? That ain't no thang!! And you WILL be eating in restaurants again - Where are you being told you can't????? Yes, you are physically only able to ingest about 1/4 of a cup to 1/2 of a cup, but it's amazing how quickly each of us figures out our routines at the restaurants. It's not going to be easy, there are all sorts of accommodations that you will make, but then it will all just become routine and your new normal and it won't be hard or difficult at all. It's just going to be new at first. Yes, there will be weeks where life sucks right after the surgery, there will be tears and there will be fears. How old are you? I was on no medications, no "co-morbidities" up until I was 41. Then I woke-up in ICU. My gallbladder went bad due to my years of high fat diet. That then threw a gall stone into my pancreas duct which caused my pancreas to back up, start digesting itself, ruining the cells the produce insulin, putting me into a six month acute pancreatitis and now I'm diabetic, have no gall bladder and get to have tests every 6 months. There are horror stories from either side. I really hope that you are able to find peace today in whatever decision you make. This is your life and this is one means to take control over our weight, but there are other ways. You could do the liquid fasting for a year or two, you could spend the next couple of years restricting yourself and basically following the bariatric diet without the surgery and exercise. It's all possible. Whatever you decide is the path you were meant to take. I know it's terrifying, I'm sending you a massive hug!!

To all of you saying that you "failed" with the band - try to see it in a different light. Unless you knowingly ate too much or ate incorrectly, irped the food back up, then tried again until it stayed down, you didn't fail. Unless you opted to eat ice cream all day because it's what you wanted, then you didn't fail. Having a mechanical device that is supposed to give you fast satiety, but never does, is not failure. In reality, it's having gone through surgery with high hopes, and finding you still have to "diet" to maintain weight or lose weight. Having a band that maybe worked for a while, then failed, is also not you failing - it's you not having the ability or resolve to "do it on your own" but why would having had surgery change that? If we could do it on our own, we would have long before surgery... and definitely would have long before a second (or third, or fourth...) surgery. The sleeve cannot have the same issues as the band. The sleeve cannot slip (prolapse), it cannot erode through your esophagus, etc. It can limityour intake. You will still have to work at it. Since it is not (or maybe just lightly) a malabsorptive procedure, you will still have to own what you eat. If you cannot own what you eat, then frankly the sleeve might not be the best option. I'm pretty far post-op by band standards. I know a lot of people in the 5 - 7 years post-op range. Those who still have their bands, shouldn't, but are too afraid it will be removed to seek the medical care they need. It has let down a lot of people, and mentally is about a 30x magnification of the standard diet "failure" emotions we've all experienced more times than we care to count. I suspect I will spend the first 6 months with my sleeve "just waiting" for it to somehow fail. I mean, 100% of my bariatric experience tells me that eventually, it stops working, right? But try to focus on the fact that the band is not PERMANENT. Ok, in theory it's intended to be a permanent device. I'll give it that. I don't know anyone 5, 7, 10 years out who still has theirs, so it's not THAT permanent. Every sleeved person I know 5, 7, 10 years out still has their sleeve. I understand your fears, and I share them. We have "failed" at weightloss most of our lives. We "expect" failure again, it's what we've become conditioned to. But if you didn't at least have hope, you wouldn't be here, so run with it.

Find someone new! Just to give you perspective (if you need any, you probably don't) my weight loss was about the same as yours six weeks out and my dietician* told me I was doing great and should be proud of myself! Your surgeon needs to go eff himself! *In my surgeon's office, the staff dieticians handle the nutritional aspects of follow up care. She is an expert in working with bariatric surgery patients, not some uneducated yahoo from off the street.

Ok. So where to start. I have been reading this forum for a year or so but have never posted. Weird how I can be so computer shy, but not so much in real life! Everyone who contributes is stellar in my book and I have appreciated all of your stories and experiences from afar, so thanks. I had lap band surgery in May of 2008 and it was a nightmare from the beginning. We've all read the terrible stories, mine not really any different. Couldn't keep Water down sometimes, stuck all the time, etc. Where my story does seem to differ is where my surgeon is concerned. My surgeon, John Dietrick in Tampa has terrible bedside manner, I knew this going into it, but was confident in his skill set. He was adamant that the band was not to blame, it was me, end of story. "The band doesn't fail, people fail", whatever! I became immune to his personality and just conceded to that fact he is how he is. In June 2011 I had the lap and out finally. Hallelujah!!! I started researching Vsg in the beginning of 2011 to see if I could get both procedures done at the same time. Surgeon wouldn't do that which I was fine with. I just researched my brains out on if I really wanted to go through another procedure. What if it felt like the lapband!?! Gasp! And it's irreversible! Needless to say, I did a lot of soul searching and research which I'm glad I did. Would not change the procedure for the world! I love it!!!! Fast forward to October 28th 2013 when I finally had my VSG done with Dr. Dietrick. I stayed with him because he knew my history and I figured I could just try to push through the personality, try and make him laugh for god sakes, blah blah. So it's been about 6 weeks and I am down 27 lbs! Listen, I compare myself to others that are losing quicker, but man! I doing pretty damn well I think!! I think I only lost 27lbs the whole 5 years with lap-band! I'm happy and in a good place, and know that it's just a matter of time for where I want my weight to be. I have for the first time in my life, changed my frame of mind about why I did this. It's not temporary, it's here to stay and I embrace it! I'm rambling, sorry. The whole reason for the post was because I just came from dr. Dietricks office and am shaking I'm so angry, and confused. I had my 6 week check up today, and instead of being encouraged, I got downright scolded! I told him that i religiously track everything in MFP 700-800 calories a day, 70-80 Protein, carbs under 45 ish. He flat out said that the app is lying or I am, because there is no way that I only lost that much with that caloric intake. Plus I ride stationary cycle everyday 20-30minutes. He said, actually said these words, they actually 100% came out of his mouth, "maybe you're drinking TOO MUCH water!?!?" wtf? After 6 years I just lost my shiz on him. I said you've been doing this to me for years and I'm done. isn't every body different In which it loses its weight? My muscle building? My water retention? Stalls? Etc etc, all the things WE already know, yet he doesn't?! He didn't know what a stall was! He said "all bodies are the same, you must be putting your calories in wrong, because you are the only one in the world that will only lose 1.5 lbs a week on 700 calories".....Oh my lord! I just started crying to where I couldn't even speak, got my stuff and bolted. Isn't my surgeon supposed to be encouraging? Ayayayay. So the million dollar question is after all my rambling, does anyone have any experience in the Tampa Bay Area with a good bariatric surgeon? Is this guy nuts, or am I emotional? I won't let this sidetrack me in the least. I guess I just needed to let it out to people who would understand. My husband, bless him. After he hung up with me crying he called the surgeons office and asked if he should go down there,hahah. Silly. Thanks for listening!

Anyone else here from Banner Gateway Bariatric? I had Dr. Schuster but I know there's another doctor there, Podkomeny or something like that. Anyway, I'm trying to find the support group schedule and I've misplaced it. I can call the office on Monday but was just wondering if anyone knows when the next support group is being held. Thanks.

I'm getting banded in Charlotte. Don't quote me on this but I believe that the doctor I am seeing charges $12500. Dr. Vollenger @ Southeast Bariatrics

Did you call Cigna ? Cigna sells many differing type of policies. However weight loss is covered is covered by Cigna. What could be happening is the following 1- your employer specifically excludes it. Cigna can tell you 2- Vanderbilt could be mistaken. Cigna can tell you 3- Cigna may only cover it at a Cigna center of excellence for bariatrics. Vanderbilt may not be one. You can follow item 4 4- log onto/register at www.mycigna.com and check your own benefits. Pm me if you need more assistance. I have Cigna

Mark, A huge congratulations on getting the surgery behind you! The toughest part is over. On exercise: Like you, I started walking pretty much immediately after surgery and gradually ramped up from there. Now I do a regular mix of cardio and weight training. It's so much easier and more enjoyable to exercise without all the extra weight and you can really see the results. On telling others: I choose to basically tell no one. My experience is that the general public views bariatric surgery as some sort of extreme, unnatural decision. I'm not embarrassed but I just didn't want to explain VSG to everybody. When people ask how I lost the weight, I tell them that I eat and drink a lot less and exercise more (all true). When they hear that, they lose interest and change the topic! Anyhow, I'm really excited for you. Send me a message anytime you want.

I am planning to have sleeve surgery in January with Dr. Ariel Ortiz at OCC. My insurance won’t cover bariatrics or weight loss and I am planning to switch in Jan. But I am also trying to lose weight as soon as possible to be considered a kidney donor for my sister, so I’m doing Weight Watchers (again!) until January when my schedule is open for surgery in MX. 1) My PCP is un-supportive. Is there anyone from the Tucson, AZ area with a wonderful doc that embraces bariatrics? 2) What were your pre-surgery preparations that you recommend? Books, etc. Finally, this is a dumb question, but is there any way to sort this forum so that I see newest posts first? Thanks!

Hmmm. Well Maybe I can help you. I am 1 week out. Have you all considered maybe changing up your Protein or adding things to it for an extra Oomph? This morning I am having Syntrax's nectar Protein powder in vanilla Bean Torte (1 scoop-23gm), 2 oz of blueberry kefir and 4 oz of milk (9gm protein). It will take me about 30 minutes to drink all 6 oz since it is thicker than Water. Do you all think the problem is taste? or capacity? If it is capacity and you all are far enough out try this test to see exactly how much you can handle. Don't worry it is considered a legitimate bariatric test...http://www.bsciresourcecenter.com/proddetail.php?prod=A4

Anyone else get one of these? We each got this weird stuffed bear with instructions on how to hold him against our bellies to brace for coughing. He's made to kind of fit against you and provide support. He's kinda fun....wears a little teeshirt that has illustrations of your procedure on it so you can show people with a visual. Weird, but kinda sweet. He has no butt. LOL And he's kinda ugly.

So, I found out my insurance won't cover bariatric surgery. Disappointed considering that I thought insurance companies were covering it. Anyone have any recommendations to proceed?

It appears that that the "Yes Whey" protein shot sold by Bariatric Advantage is a better choice over the "New Whey" bullets. The collagen protein used in "New Whey" has a PDCAAS score of 0.08 out of 1 where the 100% pure whey protein used in "Yes Whey" has a score of 1 out of 1.

That is good to hear. The doctor told me it should ease my breathing and the pain. Kind of kicking myself for not seeing someone about it earlier. The bariatric P.A. didn't seem to think it was a big deal, and I had convinced myself the symptoms were from different causes.

Im in Beaumont ,tx. I go to the Bariatric center of southeast tx. -Dr.Jerome Schrapps. He is great! My surgery is Monday the 24th. He has sleeved several of my friends. I have ins, so not sure of the price. But you should call. Its only about 1 1/2 away from Houston.