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Hi. I just had vsg July 8, 2019. I was alwaus below the 35 bmi and have many health issues. I know some may not like it but I put on a few so I would qualify. So i went to a 36 bmi and my insurance bcbs did away with the 3 month weigh in but my surgeon required it. So my primary dr and surgeons office told me to lose weight or stay the same each month but do NOT go under 35 bmi and do NOT gain. So it was a crazy juggling act. I started at 203 and went to 200 or 201 for last visit. I was literally approved in a day from bcbs. I was 193 on day of surgery. Monday will be week 3 and i am 184. I was taken off my blood pressure meds already. My surgeons office is pretty well organized and gave me a binder with tons of info. A timeline for all the tests and labs etc. You will need a psycatrist approval Sleep apena test Endoscopy Monthly visits as your insurance requires A letter from your prinary Lab work closer to surgery A chest x-ray Attend informatiinal session and a group support session Msra and mssa test they do the nose swab with labwork Thats all i can think of. I did start the bariatric vitamins a month or two before to make sure i wasn't anemic etc. You will need comorbilities with your bmi which i am sure you know to qualify for insurance. Everyones liquid diet seems to be different before surgery. Mine is strict. He stressed how important itbwas to follow to the T for a better surgery and qjick recovery. Mine was a full 2 weeks of clear liquids, protein shakes and tomato soup only. Some get 1 meal or so many calories etc. Not mine 😆 I was in hospital overnight and also had a hiatel hernia repaired. Good luck to you! Reach out anytime

I was the same way. Just gaining with no change to diet and I wasn't eating terribly. I just didn't understand why I was gaining until my endocrinologist told me it was the PCOS. That's why I am going the bariatric route too. Mostly because of the other symptoms other then the weight gain. Facial hair drives me nuts! I just want that to go away! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Having PCOS, Late onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and endometriosis (amongst other things) they were my reasons for pursuing RNY Gastric bypass surgery. I don’t honestly expect my pcos to get better but perhaps just because my situation is a bit different. Long story short I rapidly gained a lot of weight before being diagnosed pcos. When I hit over 215lbs I desperately fought back. I did a combination low carb calorie counting. It did work slow but steady. I was actually down to 124lbs but being chronically ill and disabled. It was hard keeping it down. Even adding healthy foods like vegetables. It kept sliding up. I fell off low carb for a bit, got back on to get my weight back down. Fast forward to not that long ago (my memory can’t say when) my weight did a drastic jump with no change in diet and I frantically tried to get help. My abdomen was swollen as well. And I was careening back to 200 + despite my efforts. Id swear I’ve got the metabolism of a sloth. And can’t exercise to burn calories. I was totally lost and started investigating bariatric surgery. I wasn’t sure it could even happen. So when finally a endocrinologist referred me to Cleveland Clinic. I knew it was all in on RNY or ... give up. I just wanted a chance at getting my weight under control because my body couldn’t Carry the burden of being over 200lbs at 5’ and with many medical conditions. my rate of loss? I keep my calories fairly low. I have stalls that last a few days. But I’m always worried that it won’t keep going down. Or that I’ll never be able to eat normal food or calories. Of course to me normal would be even 800 calories. Which I did before the surgery. It is frustrating. Plus I’m still struggling with a swollen abdomen. I probably didn’t answer anything. For some people just losing weight can help pcos a lot.

I have Kaiser and only 4 classes left. It will go by quickly and it's a good source of support for those of us who have this insurance. It's what this region of Kaiser requires and I'm learning so much from the bariatric team.... I look forward to the class honestly and the group I'm with shows us the different faces of weight issues. We all have our own journeys that brought us to this point, but it's encouraging to be able to know I'm not the only one...You've got this, mind over matter.

Sorry for the delay in responding...Kaiser in Southern California requires that you complete a 13 week Options program, labs, pre-op appointment prior to meeting with the surgeon, psych evaluation,birth control consultation, weight qualification varies per person, if your labs come back abnormal/alerting the medical team that you have issues to address before approval (those issues will be handled/treated if possible), medications prescribed if needed, labs retested if needed, test for nicotine and all THC/ CBD usage (must be zero).... I've only got 4 classes left, discovered a few issues that are now being treated when my labs came back. I'm very anemic and as result my bariatric Dr. has prescribed iron transfusions for the last month (I just finished a session today) and only one session left. I'm vitamin D deficient again, so I'm being treated for that again. I have body drama going on and will be having an outpatient surgery on August 2nd for fibroids and endometriosis and etc. My labs are scheduled to be retested again on 09/27...I'm also prediabetic again, probably from all of the body drama....I'm not gaining weight which is great, I started at 280 pounds last September and I'm 249 currently. I need to get to 235 or very close to it for approval....I'm taking hormones due to the body drama, but not after the outpatient procedure on August 2nd, which will help me get back on my weight loss trend. I will be getting the Mirena IUD which is supposed to help my body drama and satisfy the birth control requirement....Just staying focused and positive, while dedicated to having a healthier lifestyle...this journey is not for the faint at heart and I'm taking the good with the bad and everything in the damn middle...even all of this body drama.. My GP wasn't addressing all of these health issues, so I'm thankful for the strong foundation my new body is being built on, starting from the inside out.

Most any surgery that you can contemplate, in addition to the basic risks associated with surgery, hospitals and anesthesia, will have some risk of side effects that may be less than desirable, however we take those risks in order to correct a problem that we have created by injury, disease or genetics, with the intent that the result will be much better than what we started with. The various bariatric procedures have different predispositions to consider - conditions that happen more commonly than in the general population. The VSG is predisposed to GERD as the stomach volume is reduced much more than its' acid producing potential, and while usually the body adjusts and corrects the problem, sometimes it doesn't completely. Similarly, the RNY is predisposed to marginal ulcers (typically around the anastomosis) because the part of intestine to which the stomach pouch is attached is not resistant to the stomach acid like the duodenum is (the part of intestine immediately below the stomach outlet, which is bypassed along with the remnant stomach.) Likewise, it is also predisposed to dumping and reactive hypoglycemia owing to more rapid stomach emptying due to the lack of pyloric valve. Usually, these problems don't hit most patients, or don't persist if they do, but sometimes they are long term problems. These are things to consider ahead of time, particularly if one has any relevant pre-existing condition. Another consideration is that the VSG is fairly easy to revise if it does run into a problem that can't be resolved otherwise, while the RNY is difficult to revise or reverse. Another point to consider is that while the sleeve leaves behind a relatively "normal" anatomy, the bypass leaves a blind stomach and upper intestine which is more difficult to examine endoscopically, so some problems may not be diagnosed until they are more advanced and symptomatic. For instance, if one is subject to stomach polyps, that is a pre-cancerous condition that should be monitored, but is difficult to do after a bypass. An pre-op endoscopy is a good idea to understand what is happening inside you, even if your program doesn't require one. On the diabetes front, they both do well, typically seeing 75-85% remission rates (remission is what it is, rather than a "cure" - it can come back, particularly with some weight regain) though the bypass is generally considered to be marginally better. The best results come from the Duodenal Switch which typically shows remission rates in the 98-99% range, but that is a more complex procedure that few surgeons offer. However, if the diabetes fails to go into remission, or comes back, after a VSG, a revision to the DS is straightforward (as the DS uses the VSG as its basis) while revising an RNY to a DS is very complicated, which only a handful of surgeons are able to perform. So, while the VSG may not be quite as good as the RNY in that respect, it has a much more viable "plan B".

I take bariatric fusion chewable that’s what they have at surgeons office. The nutritionist said to make sure it is a bariatric vitamin because the one a days don’t have enough of what we need.

I use BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatricpal-multivitamin-one! BariatricPal has a secret offer just for this group where it'll cost you only $99 for an entire year supply! Check it out at https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/bariatricpal-multivitamin-one-1-per-day-bariatric-multivitamin-capsules-yearly-subscription With just ONE convenient & affordable BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE each day, you can get the bariatric vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy! BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE was designed and developed by a team of the world's leading Bariatric medical professionals. Please take a calcium supplement separately to prevent interference with absorption of iron. You can view a large selection of bariatric friendly Calcium supplements at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium.

Yes I used dr Eichhorn in Anderson but she is in with dr Scott. They are both very good. The hospital in Simpsonville that they do their surgeries at was very good as well. Are you having yours at Greenville Memorial or in Simpsonville? in Simpsonville they have an entire floor just for bariatric patients. Plenty of people to walk with in the middle of the night

Optisource (for bariatric patients) from Walgreens. Chewable tabs. Cost is about $1/day. I get my labs done next week so I will see how effective this brand is.

for multis I've always used Centrum or the generic equivalent (Walgreens and CVS both have generics for that). the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery publishes a list of vitamin/mineral requirements every few years. I'm guessing Nature Made are OK, but double check this list to make sure Nature Made contains the right amount. You'll have to scroll down a little to see how much you need of each vitamin: https://asmbs.org/app/uploads/2008/09/ASMBS-Nutritional-Guidelines-2016-Update.pdf

I use Bariatric Advantage brand. I used them pre-surgery as well. They are expensive but to me it's worth it to have something designed for bariatric patients. Some folks save money by taking Flintstones vitamins 2 times a day. Whatever you do, don't take gummies as they don't provide enough vitamins, at least thats what mu surgeon says. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

What brand of Vitamins are you taking?! I am on the look out for my vitamins for after surgery (30 days till). Are you using Bariatric brands or just regular store bought brands? I will be taking Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 sublingual, complete Multivitamin and a Calcium Vitamin . Does anyone use Nature Made brand? Thanks in advance!

I scoured the forum for tips from people and came up with a revised list of things to try. I'll be adding to this and updating as time goes on but this is a lot to go on and gives me hope as I start my Pureed diet phase this weekend. Enjoy ! 1. Eggface Ricotta Bake (google it) 2. Green bean casserole (bariatric style) with canned chicken 3. Tuna casserole (bariatric style) with green Beans instead of peas 4. Mexican beef with cheese or beans with cheese (too carby for me--made me hungry too soon after eating) 5. Broccoli, spinach or cauliflower pureed with light cream cheese, lemon juice, s/p/g (steam the crap out of it first) 6. Smashed cauliflower with bacon and green onions (put in a food processor) 7. Any Soup or chili made bariatric style 8. Fish in foil pouches with lemon and spices/herbs. 9. zucchini sauteed with onion, tomatoes and herbs and pureed--can add any kind of lean meat.< /span> 10. yogurt/cottage cheese blends with berries. 11. Pureed black Beans with a bit of cheese 12. Yellow Split Pea Soup puree 13. Buffalo chicken Dip puree 14. Broccoli cheese Soup puree 15. Pureed Chicken Salad 16. 4 Cheese mashed cauliflower 17. Hummus - Roasted Red Pepper by Sabra 18. Eggface Cottage Cheese Bake (sub out cottage cheese for ricotta + parmesan + ps mozza shreds + low carb marinara) 19. Cottage cheese flavored with taco seasoning 20. Progresso chicken enchilada soup with mashed cauliflower & ground chicken pureed 21. Scrambled egg with a little milk and topped with a teaspoon of salsa 22. Pureed Italian sausage with a little green and red pepper with Spagetti sauce 23. Applesause (unsweetened) with a sprinkle of cinnamon 24. Pureed Lentil soup with shredded cheese 25. Shiitake mushroom pizza with ground chicken and pizza sauce and cheese on top - all put in blender. Sounds weird but really good https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/loaded-cauliflower-soup https://www.food.com/recipe/shellys-baked-ricotta-324036

I scoured the forum for tips from people and came up with a revised list of things to try. I'll be adding to this and updating as time goes on but this is a lot to go on and gives me hope as I start my Pureed diet phase this weekend. Enjoy ! 1. Eggface Ricotta Bake (google it) 2. Green bean casserole (bariatric style) with canned chicken 3. Tuna casserole (bariatric style) with green Beans instead of peas 4. Mexican beef with cheese or beans with cheese (too carby for me--made me hungry too soon after eating) 5. Broccoli, spinach or cauliflower pureed with light cream cheese, lemon juice, s/p/g (steam the crap out of it first) 6. Smashed cauliflower with bacon and green onions (put in a food processor) 7. Any Soup or chili made bariatric style 8. Fish in foil pouches with lemon and spices/herbs. 9. zucchini sauteed with onion, tomatoes and herbs and pureed--can add any kind of lean meat.< /span> 10. yogurt/cottage cheese blends with berries. 11. Pureed black Beans with a bit of cheese 12. Yellow Split Pea Soup puree 13. Buffalo chicken Dip puree 14. Broccoli cheese Soup puree 15. Pureed Chicken Salad 16. 4 Cheese mashed cauliflower 17. Hummus - Roasted Red Pepper by Sabra 18. Eggface Cottage Cheese Bake (sub out cottage cheese for ricotta + parmesan + ps mozza shreds + low carb marinara) 19. Cottage cheese flavored with taco seasoning 20. Progresso chicken enchilada soup with mashed cauliflower & ground chicken pureed 21. Scrambled egg with a little milk and topped with a teaspoon of salsa 22. Pureed Italian sausage with a little green and red pepper with Spagetti sauce 23. Applesause (unsweetened) with a sprinkle of cinnamon 24. Pureed Lentil soup with shredded cheese 25. Shiitake mushroom pizza with ground chicken and pizza sauce and cheese on top - all put in blender. Sounds weird but really good https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/loaded-cauliflower-soup https://www.food.com/recipe/shellys-baked-ricotta-324036

You're welcome. My psychiatrist deals with bariatric patients in her routine practice at the hospital, so I think she should know what she's talking about. I'm 7 months post-op and haven't noticed any depressive episodes or extra anxiety as a result of drugs not working. I take Prozac and Rexulti.

I feel your pain. The doctor who did my EGD went on "vacay" the day after my procedure on July 11 so I'm stuck waiting for the results. I just want to get them back and for them to send to my bariatric surgeon......

In 2008, I had surgery for the lap band. I never really did lose that much weight with it - I started off at 220 or so. I think the lowest I got down to was 140 or so. I also had reflux before I had the band, so as you might imagine, the band made it worse. In 2017, my band slipped; I couldn't even drink water, nothing could go down, so the band was removed immediately. The surgeon who removed it is a bariatric surgeon, so I mentioned my real concern about gaining the weight back. He then suggested the sleeve. One year almost to the day, I went through surgery for the sleeve. My doctor also fixed the hiatal hernia that had developed from the band. I knew the sleeve surgery had its risks, particularly since I already had scarring from where the band used to be. However, all went well, and I am so happy that I went through it. I feel fantastic, no more reflux, no more antacids, and I lost approximately 105 pounds from when I had the band. I fluctuate between weighing 112 to 115 pounds. I haven't been this weight in 30 years. Part of my concern about the band removal was the prospect of needing to take prednisone in the future. I have a autoimmune disorder (sarcoidosis) that is mostly dormant but flared up once, and I needed to take prednisone for six months in order to function. I must have gained about 50 or 60 pounds while on steroids - my appetite was voracious. I was afraid that if I didn't have something like the band or the sleeve to curb my eating, I could really gain weight if I needed to go back on prednisone. I hope your surgery went well today!

Yes and I left the practice lol. Actually, I was never told my surgeon only does vsg. I found out after a Bariatric class...my new surgery group are pro ds and sips. I will speak to your doctor and let them know what you want!

And Stella S, if you came to my city Mount Vernon and my County Knox County Ohio you would see more Obese people than you could shake a stick at, and I see them starting in Toddler- hood, I see so many 80 and 100 pound ones. Makes me wish I had a pulpit to preach the Joys of Bariatrics and what it has done in My Life! Would I have accepted the advice? No and 8 fear they would not either, I thought I was doomed, without hope,no place to turn, the world either ignored or hated my Obese Self, and I was disappointed and hated myself more. It took a lot more gumption , bravery and chutzpah than most people contain to search out WLS at nearly 70, truly the fact I probably would die soon. had a Big Motivation, I decided it wouldn't hurt to try since I was destined for death, even if I died on an Operating Table, I would have at least tried, nobody thought I could succeed at anything anyway. There was just enough Red- headed spunk, enough " Don't Tred on Me" that I inherited from the strong New England side of the Family that I was going to Do This or Bust! And it took over 3 years, 1 month and a week to finally achieve it but Achieve It I DId and I am a smaller healthier glob of SUCCESS no one gave me credit for. I may be scarred, slightly bloodiedbut I STAND TALL AND BROKEN-DOWN BY LIFE NO MORE! Frustr8 is getting fine, better and better each day I live, and I am a Force to Contend with!

Well more update,turns out I do NOT have a fracture either normal or stress produced, I have trochanter bursitis, mycenter of balance changing put. extra stress there? I will probably have my left cataract removed within a few weeks, Dr Koehler says I could wait up to a year but it will only get more cloudy, my visual discernment will only get worse, already have a yellow tinge to every thing, double vision and printing leaning to the left, so why postpone things? Hey I'm getting cuter and somewhat younger in appearance, want to see Good- looking Men if they happen My Way, don't want snuck,up on cause I couldn't see clearly! Yesterday when I was at Doctor Appointment # 3 I received a call from Valerie, Dr Needlemans Right-hand CNA - nurse person. So today when things settle down I'll return her call! This morning , Chico from Lincare came , recalibrated and adjusted my C-Pap, we tried it out and Mr Smiley Face emoji showed up, changed out my mask/ nasal pillows size as I am not as BIG a girl as once I was. I believe I will be able to wear it tonight instead of removing it in my sleep! Yippee Skippee Yahoo! I do concede I sleep better, no nightmares when I wear it. Maybe they had to do with insufficent oxygenation? Now I have next the Dermotologist about the brown discoloration/ mask left on my cheeks that strangers are accusing me of being an abuse victim and trying to hide it! Yeah I live in a strangely suspicious town, don't I? One lady pressed into my hand a business card for New Directions, our local Battered Woman Shelter, when I protested. that I really didn't need it, she said "Just Keep it, We All will need it Someday!" Last person who tried that is securely DEAD, and no, he died willfully on his own. Thought he knew more than his doctors, turned out he was wrong and it was Fatal in the long run. Then Both Tomkitten and I have Overnight Sleep Eval/Studies to be run . His to establish need, mine to ascertain my residual degree because I will probably be one of the minority Bariatric surgery did not cure, since it is STRONG Heredity in my family Tree. NBD, I'm strong, I can handle it, surmount it for my best benefit, and it would give TK a strong Co- morb to go with his 2 secondary and onward toward WLS for himself. < 40 BMI ---be danged ! He's well over 35 so we will see how things do progress! Still need complete Blood Labs before MY Next Clinic visit. Other-wise my PCP says I am in Wonderful Shape for the Shape I am in, still think he feels I will either implode or explode one of these days! And I am securely below 200 and I SHALL NEVER RETURN THERE AGAIN✋!😛👊!

Well, Sandra at 9 months I was much thinner, wearing much smaller clothes, the Bad Parts- I thought I had poor skin color, looked like Road Kill and wondered if people were lying or making fun of me for my surgery appearance when they said " GOSH YOU LOOK GOOD" because. I thought I looked pretty okay back when I was obese too. But Happy to say, it's 10,5 Months now, I have c9me to terms with the fact I may never LOOK quite the SAME as I used to, but the NEW ME is still quite cool. Although I am quite fair, a curse of Celtic heritage, I have developed a little light freckling and tan, don't go out walking in the high sunlight between 10 AM and 2-4 PM, but if Shirley Mc Claim and the Late Doris Day could rock it, why not ME? My hair , the other Celtic gift, since it is Strawberry Blonde and naturally thin, as long as I use warm water, no mousses, gels or hair spray to mat it down, looks passable fair. And it went into a pixie style when I first saw hair on my comb or in the shower. Praise God I didn't go completely bald, but if it had gotten worse I might have shaved it bald like the guys do, 3/4 of my ex- friends thought I was really losing weight and hair due to chemo and wasn't being HONEST with them. They just couldn't accept someone over 70,could actually seek and be successful with Bariatric Weight Loss. Their error, you are NEVER ARE TOO OLD to make positive changes in your LIFE, and if I had been on Chemo, hey I do respect those people too, but it wasn't any of " their beeswax" as my youthful peers used to say. And those downers , if they can't accept truth, they are NOT what I want in my life in the first place. So this month, I put a Big Smile on my face, rock my new colorful size. 18 clothes, for the first time in my adult life I'm wearing leggings, capris, maybe a pair of shorts or 2 before summer is over, spent TOO TOO MANY YEARS wearing gray, black, Brown or navy to be in the background where I thought I belonged, now if it fits I'm going to wear it, my skin looks a lot less MUDDy in flattering shades. And if I can accept the changes, exude confidence, then I will be a pleasant person the RIGHT PEOPLE will be drawn to, if not, plenty other fish in this Big Blue Sea, aren't there?😝Frustr8, the former Shrinker Back into the Woodwork person who finally herself, and likes Herself more for IT!

It does sound like too many carbs in the evening, you're right! Your breakfast sounds great. Is there any way with your job that you could have a morning and afternoon snack of like 100 calories? That would keep you from going too long without food. And from eating too many carbs at dinner. Maybe you and your husband could brainstorm some less carby dinner ideas that are still easy to make. Don't give up! There are websites for bariatric meal ideas. Try Googling some. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

You can do it! I would recommend following the "actual" pouch reset diet. I'm doing a modified one. https://www.livestrong.com/article/430673-how-to-complete-five-day-bariatric-diet/

I live in an expat retirement community in Mexico, for half of the year. There are 110 houses in our gated community. The town is about an hours drive from Guadalajara. With the age of the residents in our community (there are over 5 thousand Americans and Canadians), you can imagine that there are a lot of urgent health care issues. The first hospital I went to was a shock to me. It looked like a five star hotel. The café in the lobby was a French bistro. I went for gastro tests, sent there by a bariatric center when I was having some problems with my RNY (done in the US). All was well with me, they just lectured me about the importance of taking my vitamins and eating as advised for a RNY patient. I also had minor surgery and a stay overnight at another hospital. It was a rehab hospital, specializing in sports medicine. It was spotless and my room and bathroom were like a holiday inn room, but smaller. I have visited friends who have been rushed by ambulance for cardiac and other issues. The hospitals were all private and top notch. Now, Guadalajara is a big city with a lot of different hospitals. They have a excellent Medical school. Many of the surgeons, like mine, had a rotation or a residency in the US. There are also the public hospitals run by the equivalent of Social Security/Medicare. Not at all the same, but many of the same surgeons and specialists. Often, the Dr.s have a private practice, but also work in the public hospitals. I have friends who had kidney transplants and knee replacements there. They had to bring their own family member to help them. It is no frills. Not for me. However the results were successful. The BariatricPal hospital in Tijuana has a wonderful reputation. That is where I would have chosen if I did not have my casa near Guadalajara and friends there for support. So, if you are considering surgery in Mexico, do your research and you can have a very safe and pleasant experience. If you are retired, consider Lake Chapala for a month in the off season. Its beautiful and you could stay around after your surgery and enjoy the culture and the beauty..... and the shopping! (Not the restaurants).