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I like the Bariatric Advantage caramel chews and take 6 a day @ 250 mg of calcium per chew. I consume 2 per major meal (6am, 12pm and 6pm). They taste pretty good. I order mine from a seller on Amazon.

It's a good question. In my neck of the woods (Abu Dhabi, UAE), there is virtually no pre- or post-op support. One week before surgery, you show up at the hospital for blood work, a chest X-ray, and an echocardiogram. They want to make sure you're strong enough to survive the surgery. That's it. I researched this surgery for a solid year-and-a-half before undergoing it. I consulted with three different surgeons, interviewed a half-dozen patients about their personal experiences, and read as many journal articles on the procedure and early recovery process that I could find. I was well-prepared mentally for the surgery but, as others have already written, no amount of mental understanding can prepare you experientially for what you will encounter. The specific phenomenology of this surgery varies considerably by patient given each person's history, overall physical and mental status, particular issues with food, and—no less so—personality organization. Writing entirely for myself, I was so fixated on the mechanics of the surgery (particularly how much pain there would be and whether I'd be able to return to work in three weeks) that I really didn't focus on what it would be like, for example, to consume nothing but fluids for two weeks. I mean, by day nine, I felt like I was drowning! From what I've read on these forums, I do believe a lot of people unfortunately delude themselves into viewing the surgery as a cure for their obesity and, of course, it is not. Now that my staple line is completely healed and all the swelling has subsided, I see how easy it would be to start eating excess calories if I wanted and I'm only 32 days out. My wife is a Filipino and, just the other night, she made a big pot of a tomato-based dish consisting of ground pork called Giniling (better known by its Spanish name Picadillo in the States). I happen to really like this dish. According to the food database on MyFitnessPal.com, Giniling has 554 calories per cup and, "of course," you can't eat this dish without rice. At that point, as I'm on a 1290 calorie per day program and only had just over 300 calories left, I watched my wife and brother-in-law enjoy big scoops of Giniling poured over large mounds of long-grain rice while I ate my two ounces of deli-sliced turkey breast and one ounce of cheese. (I can cry now just thinking about it!) I can easily understand how pissed-off patients become when they realize (some much later than others) that the sleeve is not going to do all the work for them. If they don't make the effort to track their food intake on a daily basis and exercise at least three times a week, it's very unlikely that they will reach goal and they should plan on regaining at least some of the weight back. The bariatric surgeons here don't emphasize the persistence of food cravings, the pesky phenomenon of "head hunger," the fact that they don't remove your taste buds along with your stomach, or that you can still easily go way over your BMR caloric requirements for the day even after having had 75 to 80 percent of your stomach removed! It's simply not in their best interest to stress these facts of life for the typical VSG patient. Sure, it is truly a lot easier to do the right thing after getting sleeved, but it's certainly not a walk in the park by any means.

If the Protein you are using doesn't agree with you, I would try another kind. I am drinking the premier Protein shakes (2 a day) and that is about all the protein I can get in. I do make my meals (2 oz) with added protein if I can and that adds a little bit. Protein is important. You may want to try some of the engineered foods that are designed for bariatric patients as they have added protein. I have seen Soups, puddings, oatmeal etc. I have not purchased any of these yet myself, but it might help to use those for meals so that you are making sure to get more protein. Also, you can use the unflavored protein to mix into a beverage that you like to give you more variety. Mix it in crystal light or another zero calorie beverage. If you body does not get enough protein it will take what it needs from your muscles. This is not a good thing. Your heart is a muscle also. Hope some other members can suggest other types of Protein drinks that might help but I would definetely try some different brands. Its tough because everything is done so slowly (eating and drinking). Seems like every waking hour is consumed with remembering to constantly sip. Good luck to you!

I told everyone except my family that I had gall bladder surgery. I feel embarrassed to say on here that I too am a bit embarrassed I had the surgery since I couldn't do it on my own either and the fact that I almost died from a leak and other complications to have the surgery (friends and coworkers thought it was from the gall bladder surgery and were so sweet to me while i was do ill). I really wish I had the confidence to just admit the truth, but I feel like it is too late now and everyone will be mad at me for lying. So I am just continuing on with my lie. I feel guilty for lying and it was especially hard to keep up with while I was in the hospital for a month. I had to keep making excuses why no friends or coworkers could visit because I didn't want them to see I was in the bariatric floor or overhear something when the doctors and nurses came in. The old saying " oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive" always came to mind.

Welcome! I love that we have so many nurses here. YAY!!! I did a med-surg rotation earlier this semester that was on the bariatric floor at a hospital here in Tucson, and it COMPLETELY solidified in my mind that this was the right thing to do. As for the Protein shakes, don't buy the big containers of the powders until you find one you actually like. I go buy some at costco and they're tasty. (Can't remember the brand name, but they're premixed, in a white container that say "Protein" down the side.) I also bought a few Syntrex flavors that have been good so far. (Wild cherry, caribbean cooler, and Cappuccino.) I also bought myself some unjury chicken broth for my clear liquid stage post-op. (Can't tell you how it tastes yet...it's spendy and I don't want to have to buy more of it in case I REALLY like it. LOL) Good luck to you!

If I was your husband the 85% divorse rate after you loose the weight would be more of a concern, or not? 60% is the statistic used to describe how much excess weight is lost by the average person that under goes this surgery. It has nothing to do with remission back to your current weight. Have you husband actually read the statistics. In my case, at 2 weeks out I was off all medications. At 7 weeks my knees no longer hurt when walking up or down stairs. The fatality rate is close to having a tooth pulled at .01%. Complications are low if you go to a good surgeon. My surgeon has had one leak and no deaths. He has been doing bariatric surgery for over 10 years at about 500 surgeries in the last year alone. This surgery is all about you. Dont let others interfer if its your decision.

So today I had to go in to have the last testing done (EKG) prior to meeting my bariatrician in a few weeks. I got to the check in window and the receptionist began to check me in. Im assuming she sees alot of walk ins that are bariatric surgery candidates , also once I gave her my card she accessed my medical record. She looked around her computer and in a loud enough voice said" tell me you're not havin that surgery to lose weight" I was floored! As calmly as I could I responded with a yes. She then said ..mind you infront of the check in line " girl please you do not need that, you can just exercise and lose that little bit of fat". After stating yes I am opting for WLS , I walked away and waited to be called. I am 5'3 227 #..I do carry my weight well and ppl dont believe that I weigh that much when I tell them. I cant help but feel some type of way! No I haven't been overweight all my life, however this is to much weight for my petite frame. Ive experienced all the yo yo dieting and have given this whole thing alot of consideration .

My doctor requires that you use the bariatric advantage for 2 weeks before surgery. It is very high in protein and low in carbs. I havent found anything on the shelf that matches the protein content for the amount of carbs. It actually tastes pretty good too once you get past the fact that you are drinking chocolate water. The best thing I discovered while doing the shakes was that you can mix sugar free extracts to the vanilla to give it a coconut, banana, french vanilla, or peperment flavor. This kept the variety in actually having the same thing everyday. Also I was in such a habit of stopping at Sonic to get a drink everyday that instead of ordering a soda I ordered a glass of ice to mixx in my shake. The colder it is the better it is. I have been on the clear liquids for 1 day now and that was tough. Only one more day to go. The only way I have gotten through today is by having a little of everything that was on my clear liquid list. Also dont forget when you are on liquids, drink a shake every 3 hours. This will keep your blood sugar level andkeep the shakes away. I have low blood sugar and have not had any problems. Thank you so much for the prayers.

You'll get routine 'post-bariatric' blood work, so your team will make sure all the labs are OK. A lot of folks talk about moods and emotions right after getting the sleeve. Snoop around the threads! And I weigh once a week. NO MORE. The scale will make you crazier than you are anyway!

Thanks for the input. I'm going to do some research and see which of these varieties comes anywhere near the vitamin levels of the Bariatric Advantage, and try that one!

In a psych eval, they're looking for issues that can cause the person to fail. Some people get these WLS thinking that this is going to cure his/her eating problems forever where as we all know, it's just a tool to help us achieve a healthier life style. Some people, and a lot of us have done this, is to eat to self soothe. It's the same as self medicating with drugs. food helps us feel numb. The psych evaluation tells you where the person is and if he/she has the ability to process and/or learn new coping skills. Here is what I found on the web: WHY DO I NEED A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY? There are actually two reasons for the evaluation. The first is that it is a requirement based on guidelines established by the National Institute of Health for all patients before bariatric surgery can be offered. The second reason is that surgeons as well as the insurance companies also require it to ensure your health and safety. Weight Loss Surgery is a life altering procedure. As with any major surgery, weight loss surgery can have complications including death, and in the case of the gastric bypass procedure, it is irreversible. For these reasons, the decision to go forward with surgery should not be taken lightly. An evaluation ensures that you are: 1. able to make such a decision 2. understand the consequences of your decision 3. have no underlying psychological conditions that would prohibit you from adhering to the life changes that are required following surgery.

I received mine at my last preop class..there bariatric card..Iv never used mine..we either split or I get a to go box and eat later..

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

Hospital gown all the way.. just bring a little something for underneath just in case.. I loved my hospital gown, it went to mid calf and wrapped all the way around and then tied on the side so it wasn't uh, "drafty" in the back. Of course it was MADE for bariatric patients so all 290 pounds of me fit in there comfortably! Also it had all the slits and holes necessary for them checking vitals/putting the drain through, etc.. Also incisions/drainsite can ooze a bit even through the bandages so why get your own stuff oozed on when you can just ooze on the hospital gown!

Yep. My weight has yo-yo'ed up and down since my mid-teens. At age 15 I lost 30+ pounds during a summer-long low-calorie diet, going from 155 to 125. I regained all the weight plus more in a couple of years. At age 20 I weighed 176 pounds and stood 5'1 short. I lost 60 pounds on a very low-calorie diet plus exercise and weighed in at 116 pounds. I regained it all plus more, and by age 24 weighed 205 pounds. At age 26 I weighed 216 pounds. I lost 55 pounds through diet and exercise, but regained most of it. At age 29 I weighed 203 pounds. I lost 25 pounds through diet and exercise, but regained most of it. On my 32nd birthday I weighed 180 pounds. I was asked to be a bridesmaid for an upcoming wedding, so I lost 52 pounds through diet and exercise, weighing in at 128 pounds on the wedding day. I regained it all (plus more) within a year. By my 34th birthday I weighed 225, my heaviest weight ever. I had weight loss surgery two months after my 34th birthday. Bariatric surgery is no guarantee of anything, but this is the first time in my life that I've been weight-stable and not so fixated on food. So when people say, "You can lose the weight without surgery," I agree. In fact, I've lost 200+ pounds over the past couple of decades. Losing weight was not my issue...keeping it off was problematic. Bariatric surgery has offered the last glimmer of hope for keeping the weight off. However, my struggle will be lifelong.

This is a great thread you two. And just an FYI for you, Lauren: At the ASBS convention this past June (when they released the AP band) there was a presentation about the post-op diet and guidelines for revision to allow softs to solids much earlier than before. I notice that Allergan hasn't changed their reccs on their website yet, but I found it interesting that someone would present to a group of bariatric surgeons that it is okay to eat earlier. Perhaps your doc had read the latest from the convention and that is what made her put less emphasis on the post-op diet. I have to wonder though if part of the reason for the change in diet comes from patients complaining and griping about being hungry so much. And/or if the change was intended for AP band patients only. But thinking logically about the stomach and it's action to digest, I can't imagine that speeding up the post-op diet would be fine and dandy. But I'm not a surgeon and I'm not a bariatric researcher. Of course, one can always go slower on their post-op stages themselves.

i'd also recommend something with the gall bladder...i had mine removed about 3 years before i had the band done and my bariatric surgeon said that the scars would be very similar, which they were! good luck

Hello MamaAsh, Have they told you how many Duodenal Switch operations he has done? The sleeve is the first part of the Duodenal Switch without all the cutting and rearranging of the intestines. It is less evasive, it can be done lapriscopically or open. I was done with 5 incisions, but Dr.Husted here in Somerset Ky. told me that now he does it with only One small incision. I heard that the incision is 3-4 inches long. I will get to ask him Dec. 1 the day before I have surgery how big the incision will be. He has a very nice reputation as a surgeon and years of experience with many different procedures. He has a website. He is the one that started an approved procedure called a Vergito, Which has 3 kinds of procedures wrapped into one, if I do understand it right. He has some really good reveiws. Also you may want to read this article about the sleeve: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article is very good. I explained this in an earlier thread about the ghrelin. I find it so interesting that I am going to post it on here again, that way maybe more people will read it. Thank you!! .HomeLocal NewsNational NewsYour ExpertsFamily Health Watch: Local News Weight loss surgery curbs appetites, has advantages over gastric bypass from KY3 News Story Updated: Nov 2, 2009 If you're looking into surgery to lose weight, doctors have one more option up their sleeve. The procedure is faster and less complicated than gastric bypass. Ophelia Brown had weight loss surgery two months ago and, so far, she's lost 35 pounds. "I don't breathe as hard. I don't get tired as easy," said Brown. The procedure is a new approach in bariatric surgery called sleeve gastrectomy. "We remove three-quarters of the stomach, so the new stomach has a new shape, looks like a sleeve or a banana," said bariatric surgeon Dr. Alex Gandsas. Unlike gastric bypass, surgeons don't have to reroute the bowel. Other than downsizing the stomach, the anatomy stays intact so there are fewer complications. “The sleeve actually does offer an appealing alternative for those patients who are intimidated by having a major operation such as the gastric bypass," said Gandsas. The sleeve not only forces patients to eat less but they also don't crave food as much because a big part of their stomachs are gone. "This part of the stomach is in charge of producing a hormone called ghrelin, which is responsible for our appetite," said Gandsas. "By removing that, the patient not only will be able to eat less, but will feel less hungry." Gandsas is pioneering the procedure at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore because, he says, the benefits are lifesaving. "Health issues such as diabetes type 2 have been resolved in approximately 65 percent. The hypertension's been resolved in 50 percent, sleep apnea in more than 75 percent," he said. "Already I'm off the diabetes medicine; the blood pressure I just take now and then," said Brown. Now, as Brown's weight goes down, her appetite for better health soars. The sleeve procedure is performed through small incisions. Patients can lose about 60 percent of their excess weight compared to gastric bypass's 70 percent. The sleeve procedure is not yet covered by many insurance companies. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope this helps you to make a decision for the best procedure. You are doing the right thing by researching and asking alot of Questions. Thank you for reading this.

MB, I too thought I wanted the Lapband, but as I read about so many who are converting from Band to Sleeve, I started thinking that the sleeve sounds much better. I have to admit, there's something frightening about cutting away part of my stomach. Nayna, I haven't seen the surgeon yet. I just went to orientation on 11/10/09 and I'll see the surgeon on 12/11/09. Do you know how much experience the doctors at Kaiser Fremont have with the Sleeve? It's interesting that you talk about Crohn's. My mother had Celiac Sprue which is a malabsorption disease that's hereditary. While I haven't been diagnosed, I know I do much better without wheat, rye and barley in my system. I wonder if that will make a difference in my doctor's choice of what to recommend to me. Are you at all nervous because the Sleeve is relatively new to Kaiser? I think that scares me just a little. I'm very new to all of this. Unlike some, I haven't spent years or months researching bariatric surgery. My doctor suggested it a month ago.

And their insurance paid for it. My insurance excludes all bariatric surgery, but covers things like blood work.

Is he from a Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery ? You might want to check the Ins. Like I said, because, they could require a COE only ! You need to find out.

Hello Again! Well, I did the seminars and the first hospital (I'll call it hosp. "A") I went to, I didn't really like, although they are a "Center of Excellence" or something or other, I just wasn't feeling 'it' with the Nurse coordinator lady (she gave about 95% of the 6 HOUR seminar), the other 5% was the nutritionist (but she couldn't get her laptop to work, so that was really useless!) I was also dissapointed because the surgeons didn't even show up to introduce themselves... The following night I went to the other seminar at another hospital (we'll call this hospital "B") (only 2 hours this time ). This hospital is much closer to home & I really liked the format a lot better. Much more 'laid back' and casual, but really informative. Both of the hospital's bariatric surgeons presented the material and I really appreciated that they took the time to show up and do that! Now, this hospital is NOT a 'Center of Excellence' but I felt much more comfortable there. This is where I start having issues. The nurse lady, who I really like tells me that VSG's don't really work on type 1 diabetics and especially on women. She told me that men have great results but that women usually do not? I was surprised that she said this because of all the success stories I've read on here, and on the web in general... She was really pushing RNY surgery, but I don't know if I really want that... I haven't made the appointment with the surgeon yet because the office is waiting for my Primary doc to send over my records, but they should get them any day now... I'm going to tell him how I feel and get his opinion. I'll keep you guys updated. Thanks for taking the time to reply!!! It's nice to know that I'm not alone! Sometimes it soooooo feels like it w/ being a type 1 and overweight. When I say I'm diabetic, people AUTOMATICALLY assume type 2, and that really bothers me! I don't know why, it just does... So Thanks again. Wendy Now

yes - it's simplistic. It may give you a ballpark, but ideal weights will vary a lot depending on so many things. My mother-in-law and I are both 5'6". She's always weighed in the 115-125-ish range. When I got down into the 130s a couple of years after my RNY, I looked like hell. No way could I have looked healthy if I weighed what she does. I actually look my best at around 150. But I have big, heavy bones and I'm very muscular. She has these little bird bones. She's probably look fat at 150. That's probably why BMI ranges are so wide - I think the normal range for someone my height is 114-154 (I know the top number for sure - not sure on the 114 because there's no way in a million years I'd ever be there, so it's irrelevant to me) also, my dietitian said that she doesn't pay that much attention to BMI ranges with bariatric patients because a lot of us have heavier bones and muscle than people who've never been severely obese since we needed that infrastructure to hold up all that weight. Of course, you lose some bone and muscle during the weight loss (and it's fine - you won't need all that anymore) - but you'll likely still have some of it when you get to goal - or moreso than someone at the same weight who's never been obese before. And of course, that extra bone and muscle means extra weight...

Dr Dietrick in Tampa. Paid $14,500 for the sleeve. He has a payment plan for his portion of the fee (about $5k) but I paid all at once. Stayed in the hospital one night. I was able to get my insurance to cover the pre-op bloodwork and the EKG though by visiting my primary care doc and having her order them. She made sure not to say they were for pre-op (we were worried insurance would deny it then). Surgeon was excellent. My surgery got cancelled because of the hurricane but he cancelled his vacation the following week so he could take care of the patients like me who had missed their dates. I am 5 months out and had to get my post op bloodwork two months ago. Tried to fool insurance again but since the tests were all for vitamin deficiencies it was pretty obvious it was for post bariatric surgery testing. It was all denied. Ended up costing me $1200. That was a cost the doctor did not prepare me for. Luckily I don't have to get tested again since my levels were all ok.

you know you are a bariatric patient when you look at a "normal" plate of food and calculate how many meals this will be for you !