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I looked at the Hopkins Bariatric Surgery Center a couple of nights ago, and viewed an information session. I've decided to fill out the required information package that they want, but one thing worries me greatly in that one of their requirements is that I have a "support network", i.e., family and friends. I do not have any family left that can help me, and very few social contacts due to my depression/mental illness. I feel very discouraged now about even applying, because once they find out that I don't really have anyone but myself... they may deny me on this basis (I'm not really sure of why that is - I may not have any visible source of support, but it also means that I don't have anyone to tell me it's the wrong thing to do, either, and that has to count for something). I did take and pass a required quiz about the procedure and the correct reasons why I should be doing it, so maybe there's some possibility that this might work for me. Time will tell. In any case, I've taken the first step. <gulp>

Today, my friend Steph called the Plano Surgery Center, and they've already set up her 1st appt for this Wednesday at 2pm. I am soooo excited for her. I had called the UT Bariatric Center last Friday, and they said they would call me this week to set my appt. If they don't call this week (or they set my appt out in to December), I am going to call the same place Steph did. I have already met all my deductibles for this year, and would like to get banded this year.

I was banded by Dr. Alan Geiss at Syosset Hospital. He is exclusive to Lap Band as far as Bariatric surgeries go (I think he's done over 1,500 at this point) so I don't think you will find and other support better then his and Dr. Powers.

HI sooverit! I was banded 4/11 and used the fabulous Dr David Mayer in Huntington! He works from Syosset Hospital (great bariatric unit). His office is in Southdown. His office staff (kim) is soooo on top of everything. I have had a very smooth experience so far. Glowing reviews. PM me if you need his phone number, etc.

Where are you located?? There's a really good bariatric unit in Peconic Bay Medical Center.

Thanks everuone.i saw my primary he's new so iv never delt with him before . Told me I'm eating to fast yadayada n I said how am I eating to fast with my first bite lol.. whatever he told me liquids for 2 days n it would fix the issue no more throwing up.. iv been down this road 100 times but doctors orders so I did.. he said " no throwing up with the liquid right?" N I said well no its liquid it doesn't get stuck for me to thro it up. Always so first day back on solids stuck. Even my husband doesn't understand how a bite the size of my thumb tha. I puree in my mouth gets stuck. I'm not saying it's every meal but 1-2 times a day I wake up dreading when I get hungry cause food is such a battle.. maybe it's just me but this is noway to live . Getting stuck fearful of what may or may not make u sick. Or having to have a liquid diet .. that's not good at all.. so for my rants I'm just annoyed.. iv had the band for 4 years n this past year has been horrable. My doc said he's gonna do a barium swallow to see if there's any issues than he will give me the referral to a bariatric doctor

One of the things that contributed to my stress about this surgery was not knowing what was going to happen. (What can I say, I'm a control freak.) So here is the play-by-play as it pertains to me of my surgery. Your mileage may vary! I'll try to come back and update it. Hopefully it'll be of use to someone—"and knowing is half the battle." Day before surgery Liquid-only diet; two bowls of phở broth, some Protein2O, apple juice, and sugar-free lemon jello. Got about 830 calories in. Had to take a shower with a special CHG (chlorhexidine gluconate) anti-septic body wash. It made my skin a bit "slippery". Packed my bag with my CPAP hose, a book, a spare shirt, some chanclas for walking, my cell phone charger, and my reading glasses. Put out the two pills I was supposed to take (no losartan because it interferes with anesthesia). Day of surgery Took another shower with CHG as required. Reported to the hospital at 0630 as requested. Was checked in and taken to pre-surgery holding. My fiancé was allowed to go with me as an exception, because I'm hard of hearing and rely on lip-reading which is impossible with so many masks and partitions in the way. A surgical RN came and told me to wipe my abdomen with CHG wipes, then put on my surgical gown (which was HUGE on me—I understand I'm a bariatric patient but I literally couldn't keep it on my shoulders). Then he put an IV in the back of my hand, took my vitals (I lost 10 lbs in the two weeks between my surgeon's consultation and surgery day), went through all my medications, put an anti-nausea patch behind my ear, and gave me a blood thinner in my IV. My surgeon came in and asked if I was ready, went over a few things, then went to scrub up. My anesthesiologist came in and asked if I had had anesthesia before (yes), and if I had any questions. I asked him to give me a TAP block at the end of surgery, which is a localized nerve block, like an epidural for your abdomen. It lasts 12-18 hours. I was whisked away and the next thing I knew I was in the recovery room, where I was given cognitive tests (what is your name, what hospital are you at, who's the president, etc.) and given ice chips. Once that all proved satisfactory, I was wheeled to my room. I don't remember it, because I fell asleep. Once in the room they put leg compression stockings on me and gave me water, Crystal Light made way too sweet, chicken broth that tasted like a salt lick, and a thicker vegetable purée soup. I couldn't get the vegetable soup down. I forced the chicken broth, Crystal Light, and water. I felt very, very hungry and it was frustrating not to be able to just eat something. I took 3 or 4 laps of the surgical unit floor in my fetching anti-slip socks, and kept falling asleep. The pain from the gas was pretty bad and I spent a good 30 minutes just burping, much to the chagrin of the man in the other bed in the room (though he was moaning so he doesn't get to say anything). Around 1730 the nurse came in, saw that I had drunk what I could and had peed sufficiently (you pee into a graduated container), and that I could walk. She asked my surgeon's permission to discharge me, and I was in the wheelchair going out the door at 1830, exactly 12 hours after I arrived. When we got home, I pretty much washed my hands and face and went straight to bed. I got up probably every 2 hours or so, would have a couple of sips of protein shake or water, along with Gas-X (simethicone) or, as needed, Tylenol. I did get about 7 hours of sleep, in various chunks. I was able to lie, carefully, on my side, which is how I prefer to sleep. My CPAP did increase the gas pressure inside a bit but it was tolerable. Day 1 post-op My first bout of the 'foamies'. I tried to drink a CorePower protein milk way too fast and spent an hour and a half wandering around whimpering. It was actively painful and it felt enough like I needed to vomit that I had a lined bucket at the ready. Eventually, though, it subsided. Gas pain is still here and very real, but better. We went for a walk which absolutely tired me out—and it was barely 500 meters! Right now I am using the timer on my cell phone to remind me to drink 1/3 oz. of fluid every 5 minutes, and I feel full but it's manageable. I am alternating full ounces of regular water and protein water. I also made some Jell-O with extra protein powder but the thought of eating it leaves me cold. If I can get these bottles down plus the shake I had earlier, I'll be pretty close to 48 oz. of fluid which is my surgeon's requirement for the first week (bumps up to 64 oz. after that) and 41 g of protein which will have to do for the first day unless I manage to get some of the Jell-O down me. I have been taking Tylenol, Gas-X, and my ondansetron—the nausea is there but it's in the background, like when you step off a ship onto land at the end of a cruise. I haven't had enough pain to necessitate anything stronger than Extra Strength Tylenol. My incisions are clean (I took a shower).

GOOD AFTERNOON, From what I was advised when asking that very same question VSG would be the optimal choice as far as surgery for weight loss. I know that they do laparoscopic (which reduces the risk of adhesions). I have a friend that had 14 abdominal surgeries(with adhesions and scar tissue) prior to having VSG and that was the ONLY surgery recommended. 2yrs later and she has not complained of complications. I would seek a surgical consult with a bariatric surgeon ...best wishes

I’m in Australia and my clinic had a post op support group and I’ve never actually been. It’s hard enough to catch up with my bariatric doctor, nutritionist and psychologist every few months. I rely heavily on this site so I don’t feel alone in this WLS business!

I just asked my bariatric coordinator if I could take gummies because I tried the dissolvable tablets and the after taste was horrible! So I bought the pills from here and I gag every time I take them. I honestly have been very inconsistent and hope I can do gummies again. Btw she said I could take gummies but need to have iron as well

Have them send you an actual COPY of your policy with all appropriate riders... This will tell you if WLS is excluded. The "No bariatric resource coverage" sounds like a big red flag that WLS is NOT covered.

That's great news! I have Federal BCBS and my bariatric coordinator mistakenly submitted me for the bypass instead of the sleeve. I got approved for the bypass on Tuesday, but am now waiting to hear whether they'll approve me for the sleeve. No idea how they messed up like that, but the fact that you were approved for the sleeve gives me hope. We scheduled a date for 5/24, assuming that fepblue won't give me a problem about the sleeve and will approve me just as quickly. Good luck!

It’s so weird how clinics vary so much. I mentioned the flintstones complete to the bariatric coordinator and she said they are absolutely not appropriate. She said that their is not research of FDA to back up a lot of vitamins and that with our absorption issues that we need bariatric vitamins. But clearly there are veterans out here that have had labs and are doing fine so I am going to keep doing my research. I don’t skimp on my health but I don’t like to just throw money away either.

we were told not to take gummies. I've always taken Centrum or the generic equivalent (CVS and Walgreens carry generics - other places probably do as well). I started with the chewables and then switched to regular tablets when I was a few months out. A lot of people take Flintstones, but make sure to get Flintstones Complete if you go that route. P.S. if you take a grocery store or drug store vitamin, like the ones above, you have to take two of them every day. There are also special bariatric-specific vitamins you can order, and with some of those you only have to take one (to meet your multivitamin requirement)

I was extremely nervous about my visit. I saw the psychologist affiliated with the bariatric program at the hospital, even though I was given the option to see whatever psychologist I wanted-as long as he/she was certified. It was a lot of questions about previous weight, weight loss attempts, why I believed they failed, if I have a support system in place, and ALOT of questions about the surgery and diet/lifestyle changes afterwards. Basically, they are looking to make sure you have done your research and are mentally prepared for it all; do you understand what is going to happen/what the surgery entails. It went very well. I was VERY honest, and obviously answered correctly. I was "passed" by him, he gave his report to the surgeon, and I was submitted. Now just waiting to hear back from insurance. Good luck and be honest!

I had surgery at a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery. These Centers of Excellence are available in many states. The Centers of Excellence provide a complete support for the surgery. There are many components that require a range of specialist beyond just a surgeon who specializes in Bariatric Surgery. They include nutritionist, psychologists, a hospital that specializes in bariatric surgery, staff that work insurance issues, pre-op testing, weight loss and exercise programs, bariatric surgery support group meetings, five years of post-op follow-ups. It is like a "full meal deal", no pun intended.

Hi everyone, I met with Psych, fitness, dietician today, they also included pharmacy to go over all of our medications including over-the-counter and supplements. I had a heart attack a year and a half ago, I don’t have any stents nor did I have any blockages. I’m on beta blockers and calcium channel blocker‘s, aspirin and Lipitor. Some of these have to be adjusted because they’re extended release, but the main issue is the aspirin. The pharmacist stated that because I am now a bariatric surgical patient Motrin and aspirin I can no longer take. This poses an issue because I am supposed to take 81 mg of aspirin a day. I do have to get cardiac clearance from my cardiologist before proceeding with the surgery,. I was wondering if there are any cardiac patients here that have gone through this? Thanks!

I'm about 80 hours post surgery following a repair on Petersen's hernia. Had a CT scan Monday which showed abnormalities (60% or more of these hernias don't show in ct). So op was diagnostic and therapeutic both. They found most of my bowel had migrated through a hole in Petersen's area. Was lucky it had not caused more problems- have had intermittent stomach pain for six months. Anyway - reason for posting: don't ignore abdo pain after rny surgery. Weightloss can cause holes in membrane that encloses bowel. If this trapped bowel becomes strangulated (loses blood supply) can result in bowel resection - bits cut off - colostomy or even septicemia and death. They don't show on x-ray, often not on CT either. The bowel slips in and out of the holes making symptoms intermittent. So, abdo pain especially when accompanied by bloating or vomiting needs to be reported to bariatric team. Normal docs won't have a clue. A&e docs told me I had ibs in January. I'm glad I had my surgery, glad I'm a healthy weight, but my tendency to assume I'm ok and not make a fuss could have had dire consequences.

This is SO true! I had to have my band emptied in August so they could insert an NG tube. Thankfully, the surgeon treating me was my bariatric surgeon's partner so he was more than aware of what I needed. But I actually had to have it inserted while awake (not pleasant) so I could swallow as they inserted it, making it less of a risk of them accidentally puncturing my stomach because of the band. I shudder to think what may have happened if I'd had a surgeon who wasn't also a bariatric surgeon and didn't know all this. Ever since, I have a Lap Band card I carry behind my driver's license. I figure if I'm unconscious and someone is going for my ID they'll see the Lap Band card, too (but I still think the medical alert bracelet is a great idea)

I searched my insurance company's database of therapists "in network" (Aetna). In the database it listed each therapist's areas of expertise. The therapist I chose had "eating disorders" listed as an area of expertise. I had actually started seeing her well before I decided to have surgery in order to heal some childhood scars (which incidently were tied to my emotional overeating), but I knew when I chose her that my head issues with eating were something that needed addressing. Fortunately, she had treated bariatric patients before so she was able to really help me through the process. We did a lot of work prior to surgery to get me ready for my new life. It was very eye-opening for me. She helped me connect a lot of eating issues to personal experiences and learn how to adopt new behaviors when emotions take over. And, an area where I didn't expect to need help but she was really instrumental was in learning to accept attention again as I lost the weight. It was very difficult for me at first when men began to actively check me out/hit on me. I felt very "exposed" for lack of a better word. I quit my weekly visits two months ago and I am still going strong on my own. If you still have questions, feel free to ask. I'm happy to answer!

My doctor is requiring me to drink 4 Protein shakes a day (Bariatric Fusion). Other than that all I can have is tons of Water and Crystal like or something like it. I'm allowed one cup of coffee a day with no sugar. Not enthused but it's only for 6 days.

I'm going thru Dr Zeni at st.mary mercy bariatric center in Livonia Mi

I tried so far Chobani and Fage greek yogurt,and I didn't like them The flavor is disgusting ( to me ) even if I add to the plain one Torani SF syrup or splenda. Is there any other "bariatric friendly " yogurts that I can try out there? I know the greek yogurt is high in protein Which one is your favorite?

I have United Health Care and weight watchers and individual dieting did count for me. with weight watchers your progress is tracked online all i had to do was log onto my online account and show my progress. the purpose of the 6 month program is to track your progress and dcoument a medical advised diet. Through my insurance we have Bariatric Resources who handled everything along with my Dr's office. I would reconmend you call your insurance and see whats offered. I had to submitt 5 year weights and complete the 6 moth program. when i submitted to insurance on june 20th they called me 2 days later approving me and I was givin a surgery date GOOD LUCK!

So I am coming up on my 1yr mark. While I am happy that I've lost 142lbs from HW in Feb 2018, 93lbs since sleeve, my weight loss has virtually been stalled. My macros are have been on point(1200-1400 cals, 90-125g protein, 50-60g carbs per day) while walking 4mi six days per week plus 1.5hrs lifting at gym 4-5 days per week. Per Apple watch, I am burning 4500-5500 cals per day depending on workouts but yet scale has not moved in more than 2lbs in two months. Frustrated as heck but I haven't let off the gas pedal. My personal goal is to lose another 35lbs while getting by BF 15-20%. Definitely have much more noticeable definition in arms, shoulders, and legs but yet scale not moving. Could overtraining be the reason for my stall??? Am I just not able to get enough calories in to keep metabolism burning?? Have I reached my loss period??? I am afraid if I lower cals, I'll start to lose my muscle gains. Any trainers out here with experience in bariatric surgery? Anyone go through this??