Search the Community

Lyn, both surgeons will be doing my op which is cool. As for WW been there done it. I've found the only thing that works for me is calorie counting. Lew, currently there is at least 120-150 referrals waiting on initial appointments in Edinburgh on the NHS, but because there is no bariatric service as such, they are not given the same status as other referrals ie you are guaranteed an appointment with a specialist within 18 weeks. After discussions with people involved in securing NHS funding for bariatric surgery, I chose to go private as I would wait at least a year to even see Mr Tulloh/Mr de Beaux on the NHS and another two years for the op itself. The last I heard is that funding should be in place in April 08, the new financial year for around 50 operations a year. So far less than 5 patients were seen at a one off clinic. No NHS bariatric clinic is running at the moment in Edinburgh unfortunately. Hope this helps a bit! Sadie

Hello Im having my surgery on 6 jan 15 i wanted to know if anyone has gone thru southwest bariatrics i live in killeen texas

I'm close to one year out from RNY and the past few months, I've been feeling really tired and lightheaded. I kept brushing it off and thinking it was something else, like I had a touch of a cold or needed to double down on Protein. At my six-month visit with my bariatric clinic, they did bloodwork and my Iron saturation was low (10 percent). Right after I got the results, I messaged them through their patient portal and the fill-in nurse acted unconcerned and blew me off. My PCP recommended I start taking iron supplements (my surgeon told me to stop taking them two weeks after surgery because they were upsetting my stomach). I called my nutritionist and was at least able to get a recommendation for another formula to take that's easier on the stomach. I started taking it once a day. Fast forward through months of feeling like crap. I was feeling tired and kind of foggy last Tuesday afternoon, but pushed myself to do my BodyStep class anyway. I ended up falling and spraining my ankle. Swelling has gone down, but still hurts. I also still have a knot and bruising on my lower back where I hit the step. I called the bariatric clinic and thankfully the regular nurse is back. She's sure I'm feeling bad because my iron is low and told me my surgeon recommends taking iron three times a day with meals when it gets low like that. I started doing that on Thursday and felt better for about a day before I started my period. For those of you who have dealt with low iron, how long did it take you to feel better? Did you feel worse when you had your period?

It entails a company new-day science. This science ensures dermis moisturizing add-ons and a few extended-centered dermis lipids. Seeing that that that that of this that complement lipids misplaced within the route of the path of washing in view that that that of Eco Gavali Face Cream Maxx Cream this college new Bellavei early life Cream Blossom youth cream Vita Luminance experiences classification Allegro Anti constructing older Allegro Anti getting Prodroxatone Truvaderm La dermis Care Serum experiences Allegro Anti establishing historical Cream older Cream science, Erase restoration HA Renewing Serum CE experiences evaluation Erase restoration HA Celleral entails fatty acids and traditional oils, involving sunflower or soya.Did which that you simply just might be competent to have most most additional specially as a rule than not been a predominant development in dermis care picks utilising any membrane imparting wrinkle lotions or anti-getting old interview? If no longer, then this piece of paper is a step forward entire ready for you. With the introduction of extra restoration to your dermis is further predominant than on the other hand most most more ordinarily than no longer, which which you'd have purchased to deal via this through utilising dermis care objects which http://drozforskolin.org/gavali-advanced-skincare-cream/

Absolutely! Luv eating out. And I do it often. I'm the odd-bird that eats everything (including bread, rice, Pasta, and potatoes) just really small amt. Last nite we took my FIL to a steakhouse for his bday. I ordered a 10oz prime rib. I ate maybe 4 bites, a few bites of my baked potato, couple bites of ranch Beans, and a few bites of my salad. Hubby ate the rest of my prime rib. First time in 4 yrs (since being banded. I'm now sleeved, however) I didn't have a to go box. I was bummed. I attempted to use my bariatric card at Hometown Buffet to get the kids prices. They refused it. I'm truly a waste of money at buffets. I fill my plate with all the stuff I like and take a bite of each thing. When I'm done, it doesn't even look like I ate anything! And I usually wrap up a couple Cookies and sneak them in my purse! Hey, I just paid $11 for .75cents worth of food! You can find healthy foods on every menu. Good luck!

Della Street, When is your surgery? If you haven't had your psych eval, or nutrition consult, I really liked the psychologist, Dr. Olin, and the nutritionist Michelle Berman. They regularly work with bariatric patients.Dr. Olin is in Tempe, and Michelle is in Mesa.

May I vent for a second?, I’m nearly two months post-op from gastric sleeve surgery. I’m now 40 pounds lighter from when I started this journey at 278 lbs. I look amazing. But in the inside I feel like $#|%. I may be one of few people who Love and Regret my decision at the same time. I finally understand what some of y’all meant when you say you have to be mentally prepared and mentally strong. BOY!!!! I miss being able to eat at my own leisure without worrying if my body will accept it...or wondering if I’ll feel horrible afterward. I thought I knew everything there was to know abt bariatric surgery...but just like a first time parent finds out, boy was I wrong. I realize that for me it’s very difficult to separate myself from my love of food. For me, it’s very comparable to a drug addiction. Of course, I can’t physically eat as much as I want/used to but I long for normalcy! I miss the old me. Am I wrong for feeling this way? I dwell on this feeling everyday. Is there anyone else who feels the same? Is this normal? Honestly, I’m starting to feel some sort of self-doubt which I know can lead me back to bad habits. But I have to be honest with myself and at least acknowledge my thoughts, feelings and actions. I’m also struggling severely from having to cut certain people off. A few of my close family members, who are also over-weight, have started treating me differently. They constantly mention the fact that I had surgery. And say that I’ve changed...duh!!!! Ya don’t say????!? They say I’m always wanting to be seen, and the truth is that I have more energy to go out and try new things. I can now walk around the room instead of hiding in one spot for hours. They’ve since started delving deep into my personal life with the malicious intent to “discover” something else unflattering about me since weight is no longer a major concern. It hurts me deeply because my intentions currently do not align with my reality. I pictured pure happiness and laughter with my loved ones and friends...and now they’ve turned on me. I pray the good Lord blesses me with new and supportive people in my life who actually accept me as I am, as a person who wants to do better. My struggle with my loved ones make me regret my decision tremendously. I’m not sure what to do.

Yes there are nutritionists who specialize in bariatrics. Your doctors office would be a great place to ask for recommendations.

My team says bariatric vitamins only after surgery. I know a lot of people just take regular multi vitamins and are fine though, I guess it depends on what your body needs. With that being said, there are less expensive options of the bariatric vitamins than here though.

I found this information and I thought it was good to post it's something that some of the long term sleevers have concerns about even some of the newbies have concerns about what if: Weight regain after bariatric surgery can be an uncomfortable subject and one that both surgeons and patients want to avoid talking about, but can’t. To be sure, weight regain happens – the real question revolves around the cause. We understand that the choice to have weight loss surgery was a big one and the return of weight (in any amount) is disappointing. But understanding the way our bodies work and what may be behind the weight regain can help us address the issue more effectively. First and foremost, don’t get down on yourself. In all likelihood, your surgery did work and you are doing the right things, but our bodies change. As our bodies change, so too do our needs. Natural Regain: Some weight regain after bariatric surgery and especially gastric bypass is normal. If you regain 5-10% of your excess body weight after a few years of losing consistently, don’t fret. Speak to your surgeon, but it is likely no problem at all. Diet modification: Many of us tend to overdo it in our diets. It is tempting to over-diet, but the results can be counterproductive. Crash diets can even cause us to retain more fat than a diet of moderation. Be sure that you follow your diet plan closely and work with your dietician to ensure the very best results. Exercise habits: As with diets above, there is a fine line between good and bad exercise. Understanding the exercises to which your body responds and working with an exercise physiologist can help ensure that your exercises are doing good and not harm. Pouch or stoma enlargement: The stomach pouch and/or stoma (the opening into the stomach) can in fact stretch over time. This can cause mild or significant weight regain and can be corrected with one of several simple outpatient procedures. Revision Surgery can be effective, but ONLY as a last resort. Simple outpatient procedures and even major surgery can be used to revise an unsuccessful primary procedure. While revisions are generally effective, they do carry a higher risk of complications and all other solutions to the weight regain should be implemented before considering a revision procedure.

Before you go to surgery please read my story and if you want to know about other people who are now in horrible health some blind, some bedridden, others no longer can work or take care of their families, we ALL have one thing in common THE LAP BAND. Dr. Laker installed my Lap Band July 16, 2007, he never warned me of any possible side effects, below is my story. Lap Band installed 07, vomiting and pain began immediately thought it was normal. Started going to Doctors and hospitals nothing found, then the diarrhea started, again Doctors and hospitals, colonoscopy and endoscopy 01/2012 (date of discovery) found lap band had eroded into my stomach. Lap Band removed 01/2012, very ill, still pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Constant vomiting caused a hernia so another surgery to repair hernia 11/2012. Still pain, vomiting diarrhea continually going to Doctors and hospitals, specialist does another endoscopy 07/08/2013 and finds major problems where my stomach was repaired, sends me to a surgeon immediately because he was so worried, saw surgeon within two days on 07/10/2013. Surgeon did his own endoscopy 07/22/2013, told me the lap band did a number on my stomach and he could not do the repair said I needed to see him in his office 07/26/2013 so he can go over alternatives with me. I am still vomiting and have diarrhea more times a day than I can count and the pain is severe. My Surgeon is a Bariatric Specialist and he no longer does Lap Band Surgery because of the damage Lap Bands do. He would make a great witness on my behalf. I go nowhere except to Doctors and Hospitals, when I do I take a bag that consists of trash bags, paper towels, baby wipes, Water and a change of clothes. I vomit and have blasting diarrhea EVERY TIME I eat anything. I am single but cannot date; my boyfriend broke up with me because he could no longer handle my illness. My life has changed so much. Sometimes I crawl from the bed to the toilet several times a day, sometimes I make it sometimes not. I have vomited and had diarrhea while in the car and in the presents of others. A couple of months ago I was so sick that I was on a gurney at the hospital the vomiting and diarrhea would not stop and a hospital employee made the comment "disgusting she crapped all over herself". The pain is like having hundreds of hot knives cutting into my stomach. I have so many scars it is embarrassing, I will never be able to take my clothes off in front of anyone again. This is a small list of what I have been through and there are others just like me and some are worse like losing their eye sight. I have all of my documentation along with pictures to back up my story. I feel the Doctor was negligent because he never warned me of these possible side effects and the danger. The Lap Band was defective because it eroded into my stomach. My life will never be the same and my health will never be restored. I should have been warned so that I could make a decision based on the facts. « Show less Events 07/28/2013 - Was told that another surgery was needed, stomach is like sewing cottage cheese 07/23/2013 - Endoscopy 07/18/2013 - Endoscopy 11/10/2012 - Hernia Surgery (from vomiting and diarrhea) 01/25/2012 - Lap Band Removed 01/19/2012 - Colonoscopy and endoscopy (date of Discovery) 07/16/2007 - Lap Band installed

Two things to look into if you're comparing having the surgery at a base hospital or with a civilian surgeon: 1. Who is going to perform the actual surgery? (Many military hospitals have Interns, not fully-certified bariatric doctors.) How many surgeries has this intern/doctor/surgeon actually performed? What is his/her success rate? How long have they been performing the surgery? And if military doctors, are they up for transfer anytime in the next year? (The last thing you need is to lose your doctor in the middle of your follow-up aftercare because they got transferred. You want continuity in aftercare.) You should ask who will be doing your fills, too. 2. How long is the wait time for surgery? Here in Washington, there is a lengthy waiting list at the military hospital, and a person can wait months to get their surgery. A civilian surgeon may get you in much sooner than that. You'll pay the same, regardless of where your surgery is handled. Good luck! Dave

Hello everyone!!! I'm pleasantly surprised at all the love you all have shown me. I decided to give an update since im still receiving massive love. Turns out I not only received a below standards of care surgery, I had an underlying issue that I wouldn't have known about without the weight loss. It would have eventually killed me had I not been having such pain. No, not appendicitis. I had to have dilatations 4x by a wonderful dr that I have since fallen head over heels for!!! He single handedly guided me in the right direction while my mother nursed me back to life. I was in icu completely grey,devoid of color. I actually had an mri/ ultra sound done with and without contrast that revealed the main culprit of my pain. I had a 6hr major surgery on Nov8 and I return to work this Thursday, needless to say, I feel fantastic aside the long flabby breasts, i'm not doing anymore surgeries im done. I can eat everything forbidden period, my current bariatric dr is #1 in this area and has erased all of what the previous dr whom performed the surgery on me has said about what to eat and not to eat. Now it's not "you can't eat it", but more of what "you should and shouldn't eat". Im constantly hungry which i'm ok with because i'm eating super fancy healthy foods that i'm preparing from a cook book my mother bought me. Since I cook for us both she's lost 24lbs in a month and a half. Im down from 475lbs to holding at 171lbs,2wks prior i climbed up to 179, but back at 171lbs. I'm doing extremely well now. I thank all of you for your well wishes and positive light!!❤❤❤

Here's the video of A Lighter Me Surgeon, Dr. Elias Ortiz. Dr. Elias Ortiz is the number one provider of Bariatric surgery in Mexico! A Lighter Me has been in this business for over 11 years. Gastric Sleeve surgery starts at $4,600 unless there is a special of some kind.

Mexico Bariatric was recommended to me. They gave me the option of two surgeons. I did some research and picked her. I dealt with Karen to start with and now Rika :-)

Probably... I have one at the surgeons office that I see every few months now, but she really doesn't help that much...or maybe I haven't felt the need for her. Between the sites here and the monthly bariatric meetings I attend, I get a LOT of nutritional info/insight... so you are not really alone on this!

After I was approved by the bariatric team, I was required to take a nutrition class (in addition to the monthly meetings I was having the the nutritionist). We are also required to do a pre-op weigh in within the two weeks prior to our surgery date. During the class it we were told that the pre-op weigh in is the one that counts for the insurance company. Its the one they will submit when requesting approval. I too was concerned about dropping weight because BMI just makes the cutoff. If I had dropped ANY weight I would have not met the required minimum . After my approval from the bariatric team I was worried about approval from my insurance. So during my next monthly with my nutritionist I asked her, in her experience what were some of the reasons for denial from insurance. She did say she had at least one client who was denied because he/she lost enough weight prior to the 2 week pre-op weigh to bring their BMI below minimum requirement. If I were In Your shoes I would ask that question to every member of the team I met with, just to make sure. It's always comforting when you get the same answers from difference sources

ok, now i don't feel so bad that i have hit the wall for the last couple of months. my problem, like others, has been an issue of quality, not quantity. i can usually eat about a cup and a half of food. i can eat almost anything. when i have chicken i put bleu cheese dressing on it to help it go down easier. if i bullet it then it's no problem. bread is ok if i eat very slow and chew real good. the big problem...chocolate never gets stuck. nor gummy worms. i am making a renewed effort since sunday to eat better. next week i am having a fill. it's been since march. takes a 3 week wait to get one now. place getting busier. on a side note, today i had arthroscopic surgery on my right knee to repair torn miniscus. in 2 weeks i am having my left knee done again. had the same thing on left knee 2 1/2 yrs ago. i have no cartilage in my knees. makes it very hard to excercise. even walking is painful. new knees....someday. they wont let me have them now as i am underage. never thought i would be underage for anything at 42, except social security.

Find a new PCP. Life is too short to deal with ignorant, small minded people. My daughter is a gastroenterologist and she's the one who actually set up my surgery with Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana. VSG was still considered experimental in the US when I had mine done, so she got recommendations from her colleagues in the international bariatric community. And as an RN myself, I certainly recognize quality medical care. It's just too bad so many US trained doctors think they are better than everyone else (believe me, I worked for several of them). But there are also many out there that aren't bigots and care about their patients. Find one of them.

I'm having my procedure on March 24th and was wondering if anyone had their procedure done at Abington Bariatrics? I have a few questions, especially about nicotine testing????

Dr Illan and Bariatric Pal are awesome! They sleeved me on Nov 18th and it was an amazing experience.

I think most US Drs aren't keen on us going elsewhere in the world for surgery. That said I believe I had far better care in Mexico than I would have in the US. If it is the only way you can get it done research your Dr well or put yourself in Bariatric Pal Mexico's hands. They will take good care of you.

Those are the ones where there is no questions, conversation or give-and-take about weight loss or bariatric surgery, just links to something an unidentified entity is selling or promoting.

I felt the same way, being scared it wasn't going to happen or delayed or something. I just wanted to have the surgery so bad I was convinced it wouldn't happen. Mine did end up getting delayed a month but that was my own fault because I had trouble quitting nicotine. My advice is to just learn as much as you can before the surgery and have faith it WILL happen. Try not to get too impatient with the process, there's a reason insurance wants you to be absolutely sure you're ready for the lifestyle change. Even with 4 months of preparing I was shocked after surgery the emotions that come a long with it. It's a huge life change (for the better but still stressful in the beginning) that's good you've started using bariatric now, I wish I had before. That's been rough having to relearn how to eat/drink. I think you will do great just enjoy the process! Sent from my SM-G930P using the BariatricPal App

Tomorrow is the 1st day of September and that means 30 days till surgery!!! I am a bit worried though. Not because of the surgery but because I got a letter from my insurance yesterday that said that I was approved but through "Out-of Network" since the Center for Weight Loss Surgery was not in Network. This is crazy! The surgeon is one of only three on their list of approved surgeons for bariatric surgery in Washington state and the hospital is on their list. How the heck could the surgeon's office not be on the list??? And why didn't the insurance lady at their office tell me this when she called me. Today is Sunday and tomorrow is a holiday so I have to wait till Tuesday to call anyone. It might be a mistake. I have gotten two letters that said denied but I was warned by the center that I would get those and not to worry about them. I have to check my insurance but Out of Network won't be that bad I suppose. I don't remember what percentage I would have to pay but it will just cost me more. I actually met my In-Network out of pocket already this year so everything is getting paid 100%. I was just hoping I wouldn't have to pay anything. Another thing that was mentioned on the letter was that I was pre-authorized for September 15 and 16th. I don't have surgery till the 30th. What happened is that when my paperwork was submitted the weight loss center put in a surgery date of september 15th so that it would get approved faster but now I have to explain to my insurance that it is not on that date. Hopefully that is just a quick fix of telling them and that is that. I just don't want my surgery to be jepordized because of this.