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I like nioxin too I get mine on Amazon. ..mainly bc its easier for me to order it than search for it.. but that's me I'm an amazon junky ..lol

I'd be switching doctors if i were you! that's bs! you are his patient and you have concerns it's his job to address those concerns.

Thanks so much for comments, made my day. I am on a 24 hour non fat diet and a 12 fast after that for my big 4 hour appt at the bariatric unit! Super excited. I feel a little blah bc I am so used to eating lots of protien and all i can have is toast popsicles boiled potatos or vegies and fruit.

That is exactly how I felt. The Premier Protein shakes (all flavors) made me feel horrible and therefore I was unable to ingest them easily. I found that clear protein drinks were what worked for me. Especially Isopure powder (berry and tropical flavors). They have it on Amazon, I suggest getting a shaker bottle too if you don’t already have one. I also use an unflavored protein powder to mix in with my food and morning decaf coffee. I can get ‘Orgain Grass Fed Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides Protein Powder’ at my local grocery (HEB) and Amazon. Good luck and I hope you get back to your protein goals!

Call them up and ask. Seriously -- that's the best way of knowing whether your plan covers it or not. I thought it was going to be really difficult getting them to tell me that info (I have BC/BS of Minnesotta) but it took them 5 minutes to tell me over the phone and then they sent me a photocopy of the policy. Now keep in mind that it's not only BC/BS but whether your employer paid for the rider. I know it's stressful - but it's the only way you are going to know. Good luck and keep us posted.

:cursing:Hello, everyone I am tryingto fight my ins compay I have BCBS TX and I am looking for people in other states that have had this done because BCBS TX is telling me the still expeimental BS and if I can prove other BCBS states are paying maybe I got a chance. Thank you all in advance

The two weeks at Christmas should be sufficient. What grade do you teach? What insurance do you have? They may not require the 6 month diet, Mine didn't, I have BC/BS. Do you have a documented history of dieting? Weight watchers, nutrisystem, etc? A lot of times doctors will push for those to be counted. Even then, I waited a year, I was held up with the psych evaluation, and I honestly think that the year helped me understand and prepare for the surgery. Best of luck.

Before I left the hospital the nurse strongly urged me to get a medical bracelet to state "no blind ng tubes". She shared a story with me of another patient with VSG who got into a car accident and the paramedics inserted a tube and punctured something. I don't remember the exact complication but the nurse said the patient was going to deal with the consequences for the rest of her life. That was enough for me to buy one. Like a previous poster stated, I got mine from RoadID. They have tons of options to choose from. You can even pay extra to do an entire database with all your med info that lists all surgeries you've had, current meds you're on, allergies, emergency contact etc. I had 2 separate incidents (prior to VSG) where I passed out bc my blood pressure meds weren't balanced right. So I WANT paramedics to have any info they need if something ever happens again. I'm not embarrassed wearing the bracelet. I'd rather have peace of mind that should I ever become unresponsive, the info is readily available to a medical professional.

well when ur band is revised tht normally means tht they are going to replace it or stich it up tighter around ur stomache so tht it wnt slip again... or did he mean to take out all of the fluid in the band to let ur stomache heal bc when u are too tight n keep throwing up it can cause severe damage and they will try to give u a break. did ur dotor ever say tht ur band slipped?

What to do????? I want to make an appointment with the surgeon for a consult which is out of pocket..$85.00-ok I can handle that. The problem is, my insurance co- Horizon Blue Cross Blue Sheild will not tell me what is required to be approved. Without their coverage I can not have this done. I hate to waste the time and money if I don't qualify to begin with. Don't I have the right to know ahead of time if I have a chance of being covered? Anyone else run into this problem??

I have BC/BS NJ PLUS which is the state employee plan, if any plan would deny it I would think the government one would and they approved me with NO problems. In fact it only took about 1 week to get approval. I had a BMI of 51 at surgery time and had no co-morbidities. Plus I didn't have any out of pocket other than a $10 co-pay. If you have a referral from your Primary Care Doctor the consultation I would think should be covered as well. Good luck

We have Anthem BC/BS here at work, and my friend just got approved because her BMI was at least 40. She had no other problems. However, I have to be a self-pay because mine was not 40, ;-( Close, but no cigar! I feel like it would be worth your $85.00 to go and find out. Chances are good you will be approved.

not a hater, but i was scheduled with Dr. Almanza for Jan 11, 2013, but I decided to go with another doctor Sergio Quiones only bc Dr. Almana performs like 12 surgeries a day, you sit and wait your turn, he starts with the lowest bmi and works his way to the highest, it was just to impersonal for me.

Im going to henry ford. It has thw rating of "center of excellence". I have heard a lot of positive comments about dr. KRAUSE at beaumont, royal oak. I did meet a lady in my nutrition class who works in the bariatric dept. for beaumont, and was having the sleeve done at HF, instead of beaumont bc of the center of excellence accreditation. I found that interesting. Sent from my SM-N920P using the BariatricPal App

I am self pay also Bc ins doesn't cover bariatrics but for the psych I was able to use my reg ins and paid $50 copay instead of $250. (Dr Baum)

Hi Jenn and Ladypoohbear, Good luck with your sugery Jenn , I would love to keep in touch with you and see how you are doing, i too had loads of testing and mental health checks to see if we are mentally able to cope with what we are facing, i got fed up and told the dr that i'd lost the plot and my marbles years ago so either give me the surgery or decline me so i could get on with my life, to my amazement she laughed and said i'd do. unfortunately Ladypoohbear NHS hospitals dont permit us to take in our laptops or tablets, in fact other than my wash stuff and nightwear i can't take in anything else, no jewellery no hair products or styling tools and no makeup, i'm not even allowed to have nail polish on my fingers or toes and i will be in a ward with 9 other patients having gastic surgery. i have been cooking beef broth and freezing it in ice cube trays for post op, so today i will be making chicken broth as an alternative, does anybody have any ideas what else i can make, ideas are thin on the ground round here.

I have to do a 2 week liquid diet. I did one week then my surgery was canceled bc of a sinus infection. It was very hard! I like the " oh yeah " protein drinks. They are good. The vanilla and chocolate so I bought a case of them on amazon it was cheapest there. I can also do broth, cream based low fat soups and blend out so there's no chunks and they were good too. I also had the sf jello which wasn't so bad but I didn't like the sf Popsicles. I did make a smoothie of low fat yogurt low fat milk a banana and a scoop of vanilla protein. Blended it up and it was good too. Hope this post helps some.

Wow! My heart goes out to you!! The only thing I can think of is that you are in a vicious cycle. You are nauseous because you are dehydrated, but you can't drink bcs you get nauseous! That's the pits. For breakfast, what about a Protein bar? Try Power Crunch bars. Someone here suggested those and they are really good. Wafer type, not heavy like many bars. I'm sorry you had your personal days cut. The budget does NOT need to be messing with our teachers! Education is the key to success...but don't start me on that soapbox.

Thank you i will get on that bc my caretaker is not only going back to work but he is starting his second job as well soo that would be a BIG help thank you 5 days untill WLS

I have a hard time taking meds bc i forget and i don’t drink enough water and protein i don’t get enough

Phone, kindle, some toiletries, comfortable/ loose clothing, slippers and gasX strips. I'm not anticipating much dry mouth bc my surgeon allows water after surgery but in case yours doesn't/ you don't know I'd bring biotene too.

I am almost 2 months out, 1 week away from being cleared for all food. Last night around 9pm I had a thin slice a pastrami (cold cuts). I woke up at 3am nauseous, and still now 7pm feeling the same way. I am exhausted too. Could this be bc my body didn't agree with the pastrami? I've taken my medicine so not to be nauseous and it's hasn't subsided. My stomach is making weird noises. Any ideas??? Sent from my iPhone using VST

Most women who really need to indulge more will tell you that they believe they ought to be indulging less. What’s this about? If you are like most busy women with too much on their plates, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to practice indulging—really indulging. Interestingly, most women who really need to indulge more will tell you that they believe they ought to be indulging less. What’s this about? Let’s get really clear about what indulging is. From my perspective, to indulge means to allow yourself to experience something really wonderful. Indulging comes from a place of compassion and kindness and respect. It’s a gift, freely given. Indulging means to allow yourself to enjoy fully. It means to thoroughly experience something and soak up and savor the experience. An indulgence is not a candy bar from the vending machine that you shove into your mouth while driving to your next appointment. It’s your favorite food on a beautiful plate in a setting where you can truly savor it. Indulging isn’t just about food, but it’s something that feeds our senses in a wonderful way. You might indulge in a bubble bath or a foot massage or a solitary walk in the woods. Your indulgence might be your favorite CD played in your car or fresh flowers on your desk or a glass of red wine enjoyed on your deck. Indulging is a full-body-use-all-your-senses experience. It fills you up, brings you joy, refuels you and adds color to your life. Indulging feeds your soul and is a necessary ingredient for thriving. Your inner champion, or what you may think of as your “best self” absolutely purrs when she is indulged. So why does indulging have such a bad rap? Why do so many women think that indulging is selfish or nonproductive or just plain wrong? I’d like to bust some myths about indulging, and while I’m at it, let me remind you that many bad habits such as overeating, procrastination, and spending too much time online or “not doing” what you really need to do, happen because you aren’t indulging enough. When your spirit and soul aren’t being fed, you will grasp at straws (or potato chips or chocolate chip cookies) to try to make up for it. When you don’t allow yourself to truly indulge, you will find yourself reaching for poor substitutes that might help you feel better temporarily, but that don’t make anything better in the big picture. Here are some more truths about indulging: 1. Indulging is not about greed or sloth. Indulging isn’t about excess. It’s about allowing yourself something wonderful or special and allowing yourself to really experience and savor it–without guilt or shame. It’s not eating the whole box of cookies or bingeing on clothes at the mall. It’s about allowing yourself just the right amount of what you really crave and fully enjoying the experience. Indulging is not about gulping, it’s a melts-in-your-mouth experience. 2. Indulging is not laziness. Indulging is a way of feeding an important part of yourself and adding dimension to your life. Some women worry that if they start to indulge they’ll “lose control.” The truth is, when you really allow yourself to indulge, you tend to be more satisfied with less. 3. Indulging does not have to be earned or “deserved.” Some women believe that they haven’t “worked hard enough” or “accomplished enough” to indulge. When you don’t allow yourself this kind of self-care, it’s easy to become caught in a cycle of working harder and harder and feeling more and more behind and burnt out. Again, indulging yourself is a way of refueling. It actually enhances your productivity. 4. Indulging does not decrease your productivity or make you fat. I’ve already addressed this, but this is such a common myth, it’s important to restate. Allowing yourself truly indulgent experiences, ones where you are completely present and savoring the moment, satisfies you. Real indulgences don’t leave you hungry and craving more—they rejuvenate you and fuel you to be your best. What does leave you primed for a binge of food or laziness is the feeling that your special treat is forbidden or undeserved. The message that you are never going to be allowed to rest or feel like “enough” or eat chocolate again will almost certainly create a craving for the forbidden that can be almost impossible to resist. My challenge to you: Start indulging. Make a list of things that you experience as special treats. Keep it somewhere where you can add to it as new ideas occur to you. Begin scheduling these into your life on a regular basis and enjoy.

At 2 weeks out, it was discovered that I had a small absess with a leak. I spent 17 days in the hospital with no food or fluids going into my stomach. I was fed TPN through a PICC line and gained weight during my stay. I went from feeling like I was on top of the moon before surgery, to feeling like I was actually going to do this after surgery, to going downhill for two weeks after surgery, to passing out, being weak, not being able to eat or drink much of anything and internal pain by the time I was admitted into the hospital...on my birthday. After numerous tests throughout my hospital stay, the leak partially closed and my idiot doctors (not my surgeon) felt I should just go home and eat, hoping the rest of the leak would heal in time. But if I get sick again, just come back. Horrible advice, in my opinion and the opinion of my surgeon, but thankfully I have not been back to emergency and I seem to get better as time goes on. I still worry daily. It been about 3 weeks since I've been out. But I lost the weight I gained and then some. Stay strong. My story may not be as bad as yours but I do know some of the struggles you are going through. I spent a majority of my days worried I was going to die and crying more than I thought possible. I now thank God for helping on this journey, for bringing me back to my family (I have a 5 month old baby girl) and for the 40 lbs I've lost so far. ((((hugs))) to you and everyone else who's had complications.

oK I'll start at the beginning I had my surgery in Aug. the day after my mouth and throat felt like a coating was building on my gums. Well this never got better finally went to pcp she said it was thrush. Well I took 3 different meds over the last 6 weeks and this gross stuff never went away. Finally I got fed up throat and mouth so sore I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a bacterial infection! This had to have come from the surgery it is just to coincidental that it started within hours after my surgery. Now I am on antibiotics and they are a large capsule. I opened them and put the powder in juice and once in ice cream to hide the taste. OMG they are absolutely digusting making my gag and almost vomit. Can I take a capsule normally I dont think I can keep doing the open thing. I asked pharmacy about a liquid she said that is awful and has a very foul odor and most people gag and can't tolerate it. Please help I just want to swallow the capsule but I'm terrified of it getting stuck. Any suggestions please I'm desperate. Lisa.