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Hey! I will be travelling to an obesity specialist hospital in Turkey! It’s thousands of pounds cheaper to get it done there and I trust the surgeon I have chosen! Bariatric surgery in Western Europe is so expensive! And the NHS wouldn’t support me because I didn’t have enough health issues. The fact that you trust the surgeon is so key! I'm really glad you were able to find a good place to have it done at an affordable rate. I'm really lucky that my insurance here in the US covers it, even if I have to constantly push back against them 😝 And as far as this being your first surgery... while no one ever really wants to have surgery (I think??), I think it will help that this is something you chose as a step to help yourself become healthier. Plus you have some time to prepare yourself for the idea of it! I was terrified the first time I had surgery (two years ago... and an emergency surgery at that ☹️), but things wound up going extremely smoothly. Just remember you're in good hands and have a team taking very good care of you!

Hi all! I am currently deciding to moving forward with gastric revision option. I had the sleeve originally. I was 287 lbs the day of my surgery My lowest weight was 130 and im back up to 185. I had a lifestyle, I chose exercise over food to cope. I was strong and I was so happy. Then it all changed!!!! I was diagnosed as bipolar and throughout the ‘learning’ curves of depression & the medication (which is known for weight gain) i lost my way health and nutrition wise. My depression consumed me and my I was taking meds notorious for weight loss. This along with my first detrimental ‘episode’ led to old bad habit. I see a psychiatrist monthly & psychologist weekly. Ive tried everything to loose weight but nothing worked. So now I want to know about some of your experiences! I am only 28 years old I want to run up the stairs without exhaustion, I’m getting married in the near future, I want kids. I want my lifestyle back I want to be a role model. I want to take my life back , a second chance, and live a happy life. I’ve searched everywhere but I haven’t found any information regarding treatment Resistant Depression & the ECT therapy. •Is it possible to do electroconvulsive therapy & surgery??? Has you done ECT AFTER surgery? / BEFORE surgery? •Has anyone had experience or success as a bipolar candidate? /// What did your surgeon think or say in the matter? •Has anyone had electroconvulsive therapy ( ECT) and Bariatric surgery??

You’re not alone in how you feel right now. Many of us have compared weight loss, experience stalls and felt we were not where we should be. Time to stop doing this and focus on working on yourself. Are you way behind? No, we all lose weight at different rates. If you are following your plan and your loss is slow its fine. If there is room for improvement, then make changes. What did my first six months look like? It does not matter. What does matter is following your plan and getting the most out of your first year. You have six more months to go. You have evaluated what your first six months and decided to tighten things up. That all any of us can do is strive to improve. Did you continue to lose weight after six months? Yes, for most of us weight loss slows down as you progress. You are trouble shooting this new phase. I also want you to know, I can still lose weight five years out from surgery. When I have a ten-pound gain, I go back to bariatric basics and bring my weight back down. Keep us updated, If you have not read embrace the stall yet – Here it is. https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/351046-embrace-the-stall/

I found this article online and thought it would be good to share Have a great day all you Amazing People! The 'Skinny' on drinking with meals and weight loss after surgery I have heard many times from new patients to our program that they have a friend, co-worker or family member who has had weight loss surgery and were never told not to drink with their meals. My question is always, “How are they doing with their weight loss?” Although success with weight loss surgery is not achieved with just one behavior modification or diet choice, drinking with meals is a problematic behavior. Not drinking with meals and not drinking for 30 minutes following a meal is one of the best pieces of advice I could provide to a patient to help them lose weight, regardless as to if they have had bariatric surgery or not. Many of us are familiar with the famous Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest every July 4th in which contestants compete to see how many hot dogs they can eat in a 10-minute period. These contestants not only train for this event, they have a strategy to win it. Although difficult for some of us to watch, you’ll find that that strategy includes soaking the hot dog and bun in liquid to allow for the faster transit of food and better compression of food into the stomach cavity. This is followed by a sip of liquid. Although the issue for postsurgical patients is not about compacting food, or getting food to pass quickly, (we’re talking about a ¾ cup of food not 61 hot dogs), the benefit of not drinking with the meal is two-fold and clearly a great tool for weight loss. Reasons For Not Drinking With Meals - Stay Full Longer. First, by allowing food to sit in the stomach longer, which happens when food is not mixed with liquid, the patient experiences more fullness and the signal is sent to the brain that it’s time to stop eating. Second, when liquid is added to solid food and mixes with stomach acids, the food literally liquefies faster and moves from the stomach down into the intestine at an accelerated rate. With the stomach emptying faster, and the feeling of fullness not being truly experienced, both physical and emotional hunger return more quickly. This begins the cycle of increasing the amount of food the patient is able to eat (physical) as well as the patient’s need to eat more (emotional), sabotaging a patient’s weight loss success. Not drinking with your meals is a good tool for all of us trying to lose weight. One of my patients shared with me that when she was preparing for weight loss surgery, her spouse asked how he could be supportive of her as she moved through the process. Her one and only request to him was that he also not drink with the meals they shared together. Because of their schedules, this generally meant just one meal a day. That said, during the six months of her preparation process, with just this one change at this one meal, he lost 10 pounds. Thankfully, she lost a few more pounds than he did as that might have been a sore subject, but I share this story often to demonstrate the importance of this one behavior change that can truly make a difference when trying to lose weight. Written by Jeffrey Baker, MD, General Surgeon, Ridgeview Bariatric and Weight Loss Center

Hey! I will be travelling to an obesity specialist hospital in Turkey! It’s thousands of pounds cheaper to get it done there and I trust the surgeon I have chosen! Bariatric surgery in Western Europe is so expensive! And the NHS wouldn’t support me because I didn’t have enough health issues.

Cyber Fit is a division of Fitness Matters Gym. It was established in 2009 to provide Live personal training all over the world via video chat(skype/facetime/zoom). It is specifically geared for convenience for people who don't want to go to a gym, or don't have time to go to a gym. CYBER FIT: CHANGING THE WEIGH YOU EXERCISE!! No matter where you live in the world we can train you LIVE. ! All you need is a computer!, AND the desire. I believe it fits perfectly in the Bariatric Community !!! Janet and i would love to help you..... IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY A "FREE" SESSION, JUST CONTACT ME directly THANK YOU Alex Brecher FOR LETTING ME POST THIS.......

I am almost 3 months out. My doctor has a food plan of introducing all proteins at 4 weeks, start vegetables at 2 months, potatoes (all varieties) at 4 months, fruits at 6 months and all foods at 1 year. The nutritionist said try some fruits at 2 months as they may be easier to digest vs vegetables however be aware of carbs/sugars etc. A lot of others post here about potatoes and oatmeal a few weeks after surgery. So far all is well but I feel like I am not getting natural vitamin sources with such a limited diet. I do take calcium and bariatric multivitamin. I'm in a rut and stick to a premier shake, yogurt, some meat (protein, tuna, egg) and some limited vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. Is anyone else trying chia seeds? ground flax? fruits this early post op? I asked about nuts and the nutritionist said to try it slowly. When I look at Keto recipes they have a lot of foods I have not tried yet. I am feeling a little overwhelmed so I just stick with my basic foods. I have lost an average of 3 pounds per week form month 2-3 on 600 calories and started at a BMI of 35 so I think I may be losing too fast (I never thought that would be a concern). Any tips?

Yesterday I drove 2.5 hours to meet up with my very dear friend that had gastric bypass only 3 months before I had my sleeve. We enjoyed our day together shopping for new clothes, talking about life and the joys and struggles of WLS. She has also lost 100lbs.

Best to speak to a bariatric surgeon. But with reflux issues a BYPASS might be best but your doctor's will know more

I had to fly to Penn this past weekend for my son's college graduation. The person that had the plane seat before me had the seatbelt expanded as far as it could go and I thought about when I needed it there too, then I cinched it in about 15 in! My son has not seen me since I started this bariatric journey and his response was "Gee Mom, you are so skinny!" And, the NSV I planned for just in case it happened...I ran into the ex and his wife (I've never met her before) and I was looking pretty damn good and smaller than her! Not that I really care what either of them think about me but it did make me feel good for a moment!

Bariatric Advantage are great Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I get bariatric choice with iron off amazon. They cover all the bases except calcium citrate. THey are about $15 a month. Calcium citrate I am still looking for a good one. I tried barimelts and ewww.. I was taking a pill but was told that I want a chewable or melt. Still trying to find something I like.

I think I've met all my insurance qualifications already. What I have to do are clinic requirements. We will see. My mom is a bariatric nurse and had gastric bypass. We don't live in the same city but she is a godsend in this process. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

And at 8 months they have faded so much among my stretch marks from carrying 3 9pound babies, unless you were a patient of my surgeon, knew where he places his incisions, you could not tell. Well I guess you can still faintly see the very top one between my breasts, but it looks more like a bullet hole scar. Oh if you ask, I will admit I had Bariatric Surgery because I am proud of it, but everyone else just thinks I finally found a diet the works. I had very little pain with my incisions, felt more like I had over-used my abdominal muscles. The trochars they use really go in between your muscles, they don't get torn or cut, per se. I had 7 incisions, one between my breasrs, that's where the pain liver retractor usually goes in, mine was very small because I did my liver shrinking diet and reduced liver down to a small healthy state, 3 on the right, usually that is the side RNY has the bulk of their work on, the stapler and other goodies, the biggest one was the last to heal, 2 in the Left side and the last one in my naval. I guess there are some surgeons that can do everything with a single incision, most people on here have 5, a few 7 like me. But your surgeon tailors it to you personally, they are smart cookies and truly know best. I think the VSG patients have their biggest on the left, because that's where the surgeon pulls the stomach remnant out of your body after pulling it across your body. Seems like THAT would hurt more, but we are all asleep so don't notice it.

Ask if your local bariatric surgeon has an information seminar. Your surgeon may recommend a procedure. Here is a link that may help in your research phase. https://www.obesitycoverage.com/the-complete-patients-guide-to-bariatric-surgery/ Age 45 and 254 pounds, My wake-up call was being admitted to ICU. My internal organs shutting down from diabetic ketoacidosis. My heart stopped, and they brought me back. I wish it didn’t take that moment to understand my weight was slowly killing me. I looked at how many times I’ve lost weight then had regain with extra. I needed a long-term solution to get my health back. I was sleeved in 2014. Five years out, no complications, no regret, and maintaining in the 130’s.

Well Jonah there were multiple considerations, but my main bottom line " I found I feared the prospect of major surgery much less than existing as I was, obese, unloved by most everyone, hurting so much with arthritis,i could scarcely exercise. So short,of breath I couldn't climb a flight of stairs without stopping half-way. And my PCP had started making " you're gonna die within a year or too" and my insurance was paying good money for him to be my friend. Oh I had heard in passing about Bariatric Surgery, I figured it was Elective Mutilation, Structerlized starvation and for much younger people than me. I was 4 months short of 70 when I started my search, 72 years,8 months and 13 days when I received it, a RNY bypass, because it would alleviate most of not all of my comorbities. Now I do not deprecate VSG, it works well for many people, it just wasn't in my future ever. What was it going to harm me to try for this surgery? My Primary Doctor had also mentioned as I gained weight and inches that,I was going to die. So if I was going to die anyway, what harm in trying? Maybe I would be,laughed out of the surgeon's office but I am redheaded, stubborn and I was not going out of life without a fight! I have lost 130-some pounds since my highest weight, 95 since my surgery 8 months ago. And that , darlin', is with an aging post- menopausal body with Basal Metabolim Rate comparing to a Sick Sea Slug. You as being younger and also being male, can duplicate or exceed what I have done. I tell my friends and others my Fat Shell is cracking and as it disappears they are starting to see the real ME underneath. I used to have a round moon-shaper face, now as I lose, my face is rectangular, I have a neck, I joke like a 🐢 turtle, but I no longer recognize the Old Frustr8 in the mirror. I am seeing reflections of Dead Relatives, first my own mother, than her older sister Aunt Grace, now this week I look like their mother Grandma Cora. That one was a shock because she was 5ft3 or so, I am 5ft8in down from a youthful 5ft 11 or 6 feet height. Your spine kind of mushes down with menopause, and I am on the verge of isteoporosis, what I have is osteopenia, translates as calcium-poor bones, but not the deformities of o-porosis as yet. By now I should be type 2 diabetic- both parents were, cardiac complications much worse than I have, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and wheelchair- bound because of the arthritis who has a steady relationship with me since 25 years old. It is only with the Grace of God I escaped them, with intact mind and emotions, body,well I never will look as good there as I would if I had been normal weight range. But life is what life is, I will rock what I can until death, and now I have every chance of making it to 90-100 years, I come from strong farm- rootstock people, they wore out instead of rusting out, the vast majority. And I plan to be on Bariatric Pal as long as I have the wits to do it. So do consider joining us , it is the best thing I have ever,had, and I say that barring all the unforseen complications I have had, somebody gonna,get it well it would be ME.But still I would never,go back to my existance prior to surgery, wish I had done it earlier in my life, but I hadn't been ready then, but God and my surgeon have helped me become a thinner, more healthy person and I will be eternally grateful to both.So if you have questions, just ask, I pride myself on being pretty smart but if I can't give you an answer, there will be surely someone else who could. So stick with us, we will help Your rest of life to be the best of Your life.

The BariatricPal Store carries a huge amount of bariatric friendly Unflavored protein options at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/flavor_unflavored Some popular options are: BariatricPal Protein ONE: MultiVitamin, Calcium, Iron, Fiber & Meal Replacement - Unflavored from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/bariatricpal-protein-one-multivitamin-calcium-iron-fiber-meal-replacement-unflavored GENEPRO Medical Grade Unflavored 30g Protein Powder - 2nd Generation! from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/genepro-medical-grade-unflavored-30g-protein-powder-2nd-generation Bariatric Advantage HPMR High Protein Meal Replacement Unflavored from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/bariatric-advantage-high-protein-meal-replacement?variant=17894360065 Syntrax Nectar 1lb Protein Powder Bottle - Medical Unflavored from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-powders/products/syntrax-nectar-1lb-protein-powder-bottle-medical

That 2/4/2014 ticker keeps following me around. I do not know where it came from but September 5th 2018. is my true date. On the other date, as far as I can remember, I was fat, depressed but still working for Wal-Mart. My late husband was hostile toward me, it turns out he was in process of dying, I thought he maybe had Alzheimers, well I did promise in sickness and heath, so I tried to not let,people know my daily sorrows at home, because I did have my pride. He ad me convinced I could not do much of anything right. I was a horrid housekeeper,, my cooking was so horrendous that he was conviced I would kill him for his,insurance. He would tell me he didn't,want any,of my foul cooking, then after half an hour of me leaving,he and my son would go to China Buffet or another local restaurant. You know how it feels to be held at gunpoint? My life was pretty much like that, which way do I move to keep him calm and quiet? Luckily we had no guns or ammo in the house, or I might have been shot. And still I tried to hang on, he would threaten " When I know for certain I am going to die, I will kill both our son and you because you are such inept failures and couldn't survive without me!" As it turns out, the hereditary kidney disease rampant in his family was also killing him. His doctor had warned him a couple of years before that without,proper specialist assistance he was surly going to die. About this time or shortly before he started not letting me accompli to doctors appointments. Usually if someone in our family had to see a doctor the rest of us would go for moral support.I had no. clue all this was going on, found the paperwork among his personal effects after his death. Why did the doctor not tell me or my son? Well we have a nasty little health manifesto called HIPAA, if someone requests another person. not know such information, the doctor is bound by law not to tell. I had been married to him 44 years, you would have thought I or our son would be his next of kin and should been told, well it Fi,dnot happen. And,he had also convinced me that no one really liked, loved or could put up with me. I was merely an extension of him and had. the personality of vanilla blancmange pudding. I could not possibly be liked by someone,in their,own mind. Well to swich the subject I have,now shrunk down to 224 from a High Weight of 365+ in October 2017 and if my,caculations are correct 95 pounds lost in, just 8 months. I am currently losing 1 of your kg a week so there is a strong possibility I may be under 200 pounds by my one-year anniversary, that would leave me approximately 25 pounds from goal which I originally thought would be March 2020. I had an appointment at my Bairatric clinic yesterday, I went in feeling I was resembling Road Kill, but they honestly believe I am doi,g well. My pouch is no longer showing signs of rampant gastritis, stoma still small but no longer a pinhole from all the swelling. Alas the jejunal ulcers still abide, she suspects they are causing the recurrent emesis, they keep the lumen of my RNY smaller so things above pureed move slower. Yes I am digesting,the foods but it is farther down where my bile and pancreatic juices come back in. So,continue as I have been but go ahead if I make vegetable soup, don't strain , try to chew up the veggies if they are smallish size. I am fated for one more endosvopy, they will let me know when but unless there is great improvement I may have surgical intervention done by my Doctor Needleman. I don't have anotherWell Bariatric scheduled until August 15th but endoscopy late June or somewhere in July. Right now, and kind of pinned her down on this, told her I come from a wagering background, 8to5 😸👩 I will get surgery, said this usually resolves by 6-8 months. But there was No Way that ,this had been in my forecast. Keep on with vitamins and minerals that will fill in the nutritional gaps, protein of course , try to find a kind my pouch,will accept, vegetarian is still okay if milk and animal meats fail me. And she is very pleased to see how good I look! I have gone from Looking like my mother, my Aunt Grace, her older sister and this week I look like Grandma Cora their mother, a big surprise because she was physically much shorter than me. So I don't know who I will finally resemble at goal, I just hope I look good and don't frighten small childre,months footpath. And I have absolutely no H Pylori, they keep testing to make sure it isn't a complication. But James, I have had 12 endoscopies, 9 at Ohio State University Hospital. The workers at the Hepatology/Endoscopy section now call me by name instead of a #. One time Dr Noria, my Dr Needlemans associate had an unexpected something come up so asked her chief resident to do it. I'm lying on the gurney , he comes in and says " Assume the Position" that meant to slide up to the top of the gurney and flip onto the Left side. Yeah I knew what he meant!

First all congrats to everyone! It sounds like everyone is doing great. I am almost 3.5 weeks post op and on the 3 week mark, I was 23 lbs down. I will definitely take that! I have done pretty well with protein and water. I’m still on purée and will start transitioning to soft foods this weekend. I love the Protein2O water. Kills 2 birds with one stone. Almost 17 oz of water and 15g protein. They fast pretty good too. The biggest problem I am having is reflux. I never had it before the surgery and now I am having it something fierce! It is all the time, no matter what I eat. Started about a week after the surgery. 😕. I am hoping as my stomach heals that I will get past it. Only time will tell. Until then...tums and Zantac. I just passed all of my nursing classes and I graduate tomorrow! A huge accomplishment for me at 44 with a 13 y/o and a 3 y/o. @TheFlintstones. I am currently using the Bariatric 1 patches from PatchMD.com. There are 3...multivitamin, B12, and D3/Calcium. I have an appointment with my surgeon on the 13th and my PCP on the 20th so plan on having my levels checked at one of the appointments. Best of luck to everyone and keep up the good work.

You would have to call your insurance company to see what procedures would be covered. Also ask what criteria you would have to meet to qualify for surgery. Bariatric surgery 101 https://www.obesitycoverage.com/insurance-and-costs/am-i-covered/check-my-insurance https://www.obesitycoverage.com/the-complete-patients-guide-to-bariatric-surgery/

I believe most plastic surgeons want you to be at your goal for at least 6 months or longer before post-Bariatric plastics. 6-7 months post-op might not be a realistic goal.

Ordered this book yesterday and it came today, I’m so excited to read and spark some new food ideas. That Gastric Sleeve- Bariatric Cookbook By: Sarah Kent

I had my lap band inserted in March 2017 in Toronto and went home to Alberta with promises of support and help from my ‘coach, Cathy’. She sat with me prior to the procedure and explained how everything was to go after the band was put in place (she is still working for Slimband Canada). After the procedure I was experiencing discomfort and call to talk to the surgical nurses on site and was told it was normal. After 4 weeks Cathy was supposed to call and check up and start the coaching me on starting the plan but never called. Every time I called I left a message and she never returned any of my calls. She would respond by email is I wanted to pay for a fill request, but would not answer any of my concerns or questions. I eventually went online a few months later, only to discover the clinic shut down and I was left out in the cold and $12,000 poorer. I’ve had nothing but issues and had to go though referral and wait time to get into the bariatric clinic in my city. I just recently had a barium swallow done and discovered that the band ‘slipped’ and is sitting at the top of my stomach around the asophagus. This would explain why had have suck difficulty eating and having food getting stuck almost daily. This causes me to force throw up to dislodge food multiple times a week. I never go out with friends because it’s embarrassing and family get togethers are challenging. I now have a 6 - 8 month wait to have it removed. At that time they will be able to find out if the band slipped or was improperly placed in the first place. If someone is planning a Class Action Lawsuit.... I’m in!!!!!

Thanks. I think there is also some sort of bariatric pal app. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

My disclaimer – (newbies) Its normal to be excited and a bit obsessive about the process and practicing basics in your honeymoon phase ***its normal** this topic is more for people maintaining and if they are riding a fine line between bariatric lifestyle and disordered thinking. It’s something that does not affect all of us after goal. When healthy eating go’s to far (please read the link below) https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/orthorexia-when-healthy-eating-goes-too-far/ I love that the things we are taught, and practice as bariatric patients are not much different than athletes. Logging and weight our food, putting thought into buying groceries and how you fuel your body, what foods are allowed and not allowed on our plans, researching new diet/fitness health trends and knowing what’s works to lose the weight and stay healthy. Here is the double edge sword for many of us that have been formerly obese and fear weight gain. Where is the fine line between bariatric life style and disordered thinking about food and weight??? Letting go of the “bariatric weight loss rules” Scared the hell out of me after goal. The fear of weight gain kept me in check, But I noticed the fear was not in a normal range. I needed to relax and not feel guilty about indulging within reason. It’s taken me time not to totally freak out with a weight gain. I learned to maintain my weight maintaining bounce range. I had to learn to trust myself. Balance with this is something I’m still working on years out. I would like your thoughts on the fear of weight gain after goal/maintaining. Is it a healthy or unhealthy range for you?