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My primary care doctor told me that there is a very high percentage of bariatric patients who become addicted to alcohol after surgery. He said that basically one drink for us has the same intensity of five drinks for someone without the surgery and that it is easy to become dependent on that. I don't know if he has any studies to back that up. But it seems to make sense to me.

Other brands of the Protein chicken Soups I like and used a lot right after surgery - when my tub of unjury arrived and I opened the cannister I just about fell over it smelled so bad - someone here compared another products smell to "my old hamster cage" when she was a kid - omg that cracked me up, but that is exactly what that stuff reminded me of, nasty smell I am the queen of giving away the protein stuff I no longer like or can no longer tolerate at my support group meetings - I had not one taker on the French vanilla flavored Bariatric Advantage Vitamins though lol - just got a room full of sourpuss faces, I think it is a universal yuck on that flavor I used these and still like them. When I could have full liquids I strained the veggies and noodles out and they were satisfying with no hamster cage smell - not as much protein as the Unjury, but a compromise I made. http://www.familybariatric.com/store/product/113/Soup-Homestyle-Chicken-Soup/ http://www.familybariatric.com/store/product/111/Soup-Cream-of-Chicken-w-Veg./

I would think a renewed outlook for a healthy lifestyle would outweigh vanity. I have two boys and I would love to be able to keep up with them. They are my world and when I get sick from obesity related things, they worry. I feel sorry for them because they shouldn't have to be so concerned for me.

I've always been told to ask your pharmacist if pills can be crushed or broken into pieces because not all medicines can be. There are plenty of chewable vitamins on the market you just have to find one that you don't mind chewing on. I use Flintstones Complete for myself and I use Caltrate chewables for calcium supplents. For pain meds I've been told we can't use NSaids because they sit in the upper portion of your stomach too long and can cause problems. Tylenol is about all that I've been told I can use other than prescriptions by my doc and even those should be NSaids unless they are in liquid form. My bariatric center also said that any pill bigger than a birthcontrol bill is a no go unless it is chewable or crushable mainly because it can get stuck depending on the fill amount in your band. So it's best to always check with your Bariatric center/surgeon or doctor prior to taking any meds. Even then...if you find you've been prescribed something by your PCP that is a bigger pill as your pharmacist if it's ok to crush or break prior to taking it. Good luck with your surgery and definately ask these questions with your Lapband surgeon :huh2:

I know that Dr.Dominguez in Covington La accepts medicaid if anyone needs that info. Please list other Drs that you are aware of that accepts in Louisiana, please.

Please help me! I can't get any answers from the bariatric support as to how to help me with this awful constipation. I am 10 weeks 4 days post op. I had my gall bladder out 5 weeks post op due to awful chest pain. I thought maybe that was causing some of the problems with constipation. NOPE! I take 2 stool softeners a day. I drink 60 ozs of water everyday. I am exercising, (well not like some of you) but walking 2 miles 3 times a week. I cannot get any relief from constipation unless I take milk of magnesia! This is not normal. I do not want to be addicted to laxatives. I just don't know what to do! I do not even pass gas now. I was very gaseous before this surgery. I did not have constipation problems either. It is like my intestines are asleep and I can't wake them up. I'm concerned. I need help. Sometimes I wish I could go back to January 8th and rethink this whole surgery thing!!!

Definitely take it to the hospital. You are required to have it there, especially for surgery. That said, I kept mine plugged in next to the bed but didn’t put it on. The nurses didn’t enforce it. Granted, I stayed in the orthopedic wing rather than the bariatric wing. Not sure why.

Thank you all for the good luck wishes. I was a rough 2 days. But I can say that about 7 hours after surgery, I was up and walking. The nurses were amazed and the doctors joked that I must want to get out of there fast. However, I didn't see a lot of other bariatric patients walking around like I did. I couldn't sleep for more than 2 hours at a time, but I would just walk circles around the surgery floor. I think that's what saved me from having gas pain in my chest and shoulders. [TMI] It's all coming out the other end hahah

Cripes. The total bills submitted to my insurance totaled $50K. Fortunately I had already met my deductible for the year and only had to meet the remainder if my out of pocket max of $2K so I only had to shell out $895 total. Was banded on 12/21/12 and have yet to pay anything for any of my follow ups or bloodwork. I had my surgery at St. Alexis in Hoffman Estates by Dr. Kane jr. From the Kane bariatric center.

So today I went saw my bariatrics nut , she said I've lost 53 pounds in 6 weeks. I thought I was doing great. She was concerned. She ask what I was eating I told her I eat about 3 spoonfuls at a time. I am at about 600 calories per day. She said to bump it up to 1000 cals per day. Also gave an ekg to make sure ticker working good. I am jog 3 miles everymorning and hitting gym after work. I thought I was doing great . But she says if I work out hard I need to feed my body better. Makes sense , she said eat smart not small. I was sleeved on 4/20 and have lost 123 since Nov . 68 pre-op

You can find the BCBS-Illinois medical policy regarding bariatric surgery here: http://medicalpolicy.hcsc.net/medicalpolicy/home?ctype=POLICY&cat=Surgery&path=/templatedata/medpolicies/POLICY/data/SURGERY/SUR716.003_2010-07-01#hlink Their requirements are: BMI greater than 40 OR BMI greater than 35 with two of the listed co-morbid conditions that have not responded to conservative medical treatment Documented Three month supervised, comprehensive weight loss program which includes counseling in dietary, physical activity and behavioral changes. Phsychological Evaluation and Clearance Be sure to confirm with BCBS to make sure that your plan follows this medical policy. There are some plans managed by BCBS-Illinois that are self-funded and are able to set their own criteria for medical necessity.

Sorry you are not handling them!!i take Bariatric Fusion chewable s and finally got use to the strawberry. ????4 a day

I don't chart anymore, but the entirety of my diet consisted of: - Wife making home made meatballs, of lean ground beef, eggs, and almond meal in place of bread crumbs (tbsp of low sodium ketchup), eating no more than 2-3 at a time, 0g carbs - String cheese (0g carbs) - Maple Leaf farms chicken nuggets (3 at a time, 8g of carbs, tsp of KC Masterpiece original BBQ sauce) - Burgers with 0-2g sliced block cheese, generally cut up to ~ 1/6 of a pound and eat in small bites with dabs of ketchup (NO BUNS), 0-2g of carbs - Peanuts and almonds, unsalted, 1/4 cup, 3-5g carbs, mostly nullified from fiber - 2-4L of water a day - Vitamin supplements (Bariatric Advantage ADEK MV, Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate + vitD chewable tablets.. bottle is fricken huge, Jamieson C+D chewables, Walmart OTC iron mini tablets) - At the beginning I estimated it between 1000-1400 cals a day, didn't really change the diet much, stuck to the same regimen every day switching meats between chicken and beef daily. Post-op after I get to the stage of being able to eat anything (i.e. meats), I plan on sticking to a similar premise of 1000-1400 cals a day, less than 20g carbs a day, 2L+ of water daily, and of course the supplements. I plan on it being a permanent diet, just expanding my diet a little more to include vegetables I can tolerate (hoping my taste buds change). Kinda paranoid about my immediate post-op foods (yogurt drink, unsweetened applesauce, oatmeal, etc., which tend to have more carbs than I'd want) but more than willing to be patient given the importance of healing.

I didn't know anyone that had had bariatric surgery when I first began this journey. However, I have MANY such role models now in the support group that I attend every month. It's run by my bariatric center at Highland Hospital and a long term patient of the center, and attendance has grown every month I've been. Being surrounded by people who are on every end of the spectrum, from just being curious and attending this meeting before even contacting the center, to people who had surgery 5 or 10 years ago and have been successfully maintaining for most of that time... it's incredibly inspiring and feels so safe and therapeutic. I'm very thankful.

I am a very picky eater and had a horrible time finding a Protein shake I could get down. My very very favorite is Banana from CHIKE. http://www.chikenutrition.com/ has 28grams of protein. Chike chocolate and Orange Cream aren't bad either. I can also stomach the Chocolate from Bariatric Advantage and it has 27 grams a protein. I will have to try some of the shakes mentioned above. I wish you luck on your new journey!!!

The only person who knows is my mother because I'm under her insurance so she would've eventually found out. I chose not to tell my 6 siblings or my father because I witnessed how they spoke about my sister's sleeve surgery, and while it wasn't negative I just didn't like the idea of someone discussing me, my body, or my eating habits. Coincidentally, I had a different health issue I was going to physical therapy for, so I told them I was having surgery for that. For the past 6 months I've just been relating my doctor visits to that issue instead of bariatric surgery.

I arrived in Mexicali on Sunday afternoon, 10/2. I rode in with 2 other patients and we all visited and shared our stories. After our labs at the hospital, we were taken to the hotel and checked in about 4:30 pm. Since we were all really hungry, we met up in the hotel restaurant a few minutes later and had a really wonderful dinner. For a large plate of chile rellenos , Beans, rice, tortillas, chips and a margarita......my bill was $13.00! With a full tummy and a sleeping pill from Dr. Aceves, I had a very relaxing night at the hotel. Ernesto picked us up at 7:00 am, Monday morning and drove us back to the hospital. Since my surgery was the 2nd of the day, I was given a sedative to relax. The rest of the day is a blur. I remember people coming in to get me....blur........I remember looking up at the ceiling as I was being wheeled to surgery......blur.........I remember someone telling me to turn on my side and bend my knees for the spinal block....blur.....and OUT. I don't remember recovery at all. The next thing I remember is being back in my room, thinking it must be over and then falling back asleep again. I was in and out of sleep for the rest of the night, knowing that nurses came in and out, taking my temp and blood pressure, but not really ever becoming fully alert. Sometime early Tuesday morning, I told one of the nurses I needed to use the bathroom. Although I stumbled a bit, I made the trip successfully and immediately fell back asleep. Later that morning, they brought me those infamous 4 little cups of blue "apple juice." They weren't good, but they were tolerable. I sipped and slept, sipped and slept, sipped and slept for hours. Several times that day, Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campos and the nurses came in and told me to try to get up and walk. I'd answer "Sure, ok." with every good intention of doing it, but I'd always fall back asleep. I really had a tough time coming out of all that med-induced sleepiness. By late afternoon Tuesday, I finally got up and walked the halls. I was completely pain-free (yes, really.....it must have been the spinal block), but I felt unsteady on my feet and climbed back into bed about 5 minutes later. Tuesday night was pretty much the same as Monday night, but I woke up Wednesday morning feeling alert and energetic. I took a shower and even put on a little make-up! Wednesday, I walked several times, visited my neighbors, sipped tea and finally got a bowl of that wonderful chicken broth everybody raves about. Yes, it IS that good. By the time I left on Thursday morning, I felt pretty good - minimal pain and absolutely no nausea. It may have been this sense of well-being that caused me to completely overdo it on Friday. BIG Mistake! I met up with a friend Friday afternoon to do a "little" shopping that turned into a 5-hour shopping spree. I thought I was listening to my body.......I sipped Isopure all day........I took sitting breaks pretty often, but by the time I got home, I felt awful. My abdomen was completely swollen with Fluid and gas. I looked 9 months pregnant and felt equally uncomfortable. That was the first time all week I broke down emotionally. I remembered reading somewhere that Day 4 after surgery is the worst..........and that was definitely true for me! So, I sobbed myself to sleep Friday night and woke up Saturday with renewed energy and renewed resolve. I really took it easy that day. I stayed in all morning, sipping Protein and napping. By 3:00 pm, I felt good enough to take my son to a birthday party. It was a huge event, and EVERY single person there must have told me to eat......twice! But I politely told them I had eaten before I came and continued to sip on my bottled Water. The party lasted about two hours and I was definitely ready to come home by then. I went to bed about 7:30 pm, slept pretty soundly, and here I am at 5:00 am on Sunday, finally getting on the Internet for the first time since surgery. To sum up, I've really had a fairly easy recovery. Considering the mess my Band had made of my stomach and liver (Dr. Aceves told me it was NOT and easy revision) I've had very little pain except for the incision sights. I've experienced none of the shoulder "gas" pain I had with the Band surgery. I've had no nausea or stomach pain......just a lot of gas and gurgling. No doubt about it, those first four days kicked my butt, however, I think I'm over the "hump" now. I have one more week of recovery before I have to go back to work and I'm sooooo glad I didn't try to rush it and go back any sooner.

I have a different Blue Cross plan. Under my plan, the out of pocket max is the max I'd pay in a year for all services - its intended as a safeguard if you have a catastrophic injury or illness. That was different than what I paid for any given service. Does your blue cross plan have a SErvice Benefit Brochure online? If so, it will likely list bariatric surgery and say what you need to pay depending on if the doc and hospitals are preferred providers or not. Also, note that this cost is JUST for the hospitalization. I ended up with costs for the hospital, surgeon, anesthesiologist, and lab work. It was far lower than my out of pocket max. I saw three surgeons before I decided on surgery, the only one that would have required me to make such a big payment up front was someone who did not take insurance and was covered as a non-participating provider. Again, my insurance may work differently than yours.

Here is a list I've developed - some are questions I asked and many have been added to my list. This is a VERY long list, but hopefully some of the questions will be new to you I have a friend who is going to his initial consultation next week too and he asked for a list too. * What is your re-admittance rate? * What is/are the typical reason/s for re-admittance? * How many of your patients have had leaks? How long after surgery were the leaks typically discovered? What was the resolution (% healed on their own vs. % needing surgical intervention)? * Other than leaks, what is/are the most common complication/s? What is your experience with these complications – how many and how resolved? * What would cause you to change to an open procedure? * How many rows of staples do you place? * Are the insides of the staples checked, too? * Do you sew over the staple line? * Exactly how do you test for leaks immediately after surgery (before the barium swallow test the next day)? * Is the part of the stomach that is removed also tested for leaks? * What size bougie do you use to measure the “sleeve?” How do you determine the size of the sleeve? * Can the sleeve actually be stretched by eating/drinking too much? On occassion vs regularly? Why? How to prevent? * What is the biggest factor in failure after this surgery? * What is the biggest factor in succeeding with this surgery? * What is your mortality rate? Of this, what % is attributable to the surgery itself and what % was from pre-existing conditions? * What type of post-surgery support do you offer? Is there any additional cost for the support? * Where were you trained? Are you board certified? How long have you done bariatric surgeries and what other types of surgeries have you done/do you do? * Why did you chose bariatric surgery? * How many sleeves have you performed? Over what period of time? * At what hospital will my surgery be performed? * Who will be my anesthesiologist? What is his/her experience, training, etc.? * Why do you believe you are the best surgeon to perform my surgery? What differentiates you/your practice from others in the D/FW area? * When can I return to work post-surgery? What will my limitations be and for how long? * Based on your experience, in this practice, what % of excess weight does your average patient lose with the sleeve? How long is the loss maintained? What can I do to increase my success? * Why do you feel that your pre/post surgery nutrition guidelines are the best? Have you tailored your plans for sleeve patients or do you use the same plan for sleeve, bypass & lapband? If the same, why? * Do your patients have a support group on FB or via other social media? Other than the formal support group/monthly classes, do your patients have informal support groups? How do I join these groups? * How much interaction should I expect with you vs. with your staff post-surgery? If mostly your staff, what is their training and experience with bariatric WLS patients? Will I typically see the same staff members on my post-op check-ups or will it vary? * Are your staff members, such as nutritionist, available for one-on-one consultations? If so, what are the charges, if any? * What are the requirements to become a "Center of Excellence?" (does this designation really mean anything?) * If I decide to go the self-pay route, is there coverage available for potential complications? If so, where do I get it? How much is it? Will the surgery center/hospital/other docs accept it 100% or could I potentially have additional out-of-pocket expenses? * I've read that most obese patients over 50 have hiatal hernias. According to your website, those are repaired during the sleeve surgery. If I'm self-pay, how is that handled? What if the costs associated with the hernia repair aren't fully covered by my insurance or what if I haven't meet my deductible? * Are there questions I should have asked but didn't? * What would you like to share with me? Sorry for the long list - I'm one of those Type A's

Hi guys! I'm new to Bariatric Pals. I had surgery November 25, 2015 at Montefiore Medical Center. I believe I might be suffering from a hunger headache but I'm doing my best to keep up with liquid diet.

Lori don't they usually do at least an in and out cath during the surgery? since it is under general anesthesia? the PA at my bariatric office mentioned it. I do hope I'm wrong about having to have a cath!!

I have been taking Bariatric Advantage Protein bars and shakes for my pre-op diet and because of all the stomach issues I have been having my NUT recommended a dairy-free version. Does anyone have a soy protein they can recommend??? Thank you!

Just as a reminder, please put on your calendar the Fifth meeting of the Bariatric Pal Local Support Group. Is today May 21, 2015 @ 5:30 PM @Whatcoat United Methodist Church (18 North Main Street Camden, DE). The Community Center is now available and we will meet there for their tonight. I will try to watch for some folks still trying to go to the church. Please fill free to invite anyone Pre- or Post-surgery who is seeking support. Text me if you need more info 302-632-8111.

Just as a reminder, please put on your calendar the Third meeting of the Bariatric Pal Local Support Group. The date is March 19, 2015 @ 5:30 PM @Whatcoat United Methodist Church (18 North Main Street Camden, DE). The meeting will be on Second Floor in the Adult Sunday School Room (middle section of office section of the church) for now. I hope the Community Center will be available soon. Please fill free to invite anyone Pre- or Post-surgery who is seeking support. Text me if you need more info 302-632-8111.

@ Kingcake, if you can wait less than a month, on September 5th i, the about oldest Bariatric Pal active on BP, will tell you in my verbose way my RnY😷 surgery experiences. I do have a way with words (fuf,i do say so) even though my dexerity at texting is maybe C×, my,problem is my fingers go at a sedate 45 mph, my brain is out at the Bonneville salt Flats setting a land speed record. But cross,my heart and,the,promise to have to drink,Protein Shakes into infinity, I WILL Tell All. Okay my friend?