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I've told immediate family and close friends. When people see me and they comment on how much slimmer I look, I do tell them that I had bariatric surgery. I'm not publishing it in social media.

@Frustr8 One other thing causes me a little confusion. You said that your surgery was 8 months ago but you ticker says that it was on 2/7/2014. Is this your second time around? Did you go from a sleeve to bypass or ? After my RNY surgery they put me on Omeprazole for a year. This was to allow my stomach to heal properly. It is routine. After the year, I was taken off and I have no signs of GERD anymore. I went off around 5 years ago. According to the Internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. So just to make sure we are covering all the bases. Omeprazole is a proton-pump inhibitor. It is not the only one. Some individuals on this site have problem with omeprazole and found others that work more effectively. NSAIDs are found in a number of products such as aspirin, Excedrin and many, many others. You have to stay away from these. My mother used Excedrin as a mild pain reliever for several years. But the problem was she was taking 5 or 6 times the recommended daily dose. She started hemorrhaging internally because she developed an internal ulcer. They had to give her blood transfusions as a result. I took away all her Excedrin and that problem was solved. The third item is H pylori infection. This is a very common infection. About half the people in the world have it. It is very hard to kill. Sometimes it takes several antibiotic treatments to put it down. There have been several people on this website that have serious problems with ulcers. When they were finally check for this infection they found that was the root cause of their problems.

I like the Premiere Shakes from Costco. I did buy a protein powder online which I never ended up using yet. I never found any sugar free popsicles either, but you can make your own out of a sugar free drink mix you like. They also talk about protein water which used to be carried by Bulk Barn and some Shopper's Drug Marts, but not around here anymore, you may have luck in your area. The only other thing I ordered online was from Bariatric Advantage, Chewable Calcium Citrate, chocolate flavour. As the pills were horrible crushed, and I didn't love the liquid option available. I got a 4 month supply and once it's done I should be able to swallow the normal pills again with no problems.

Reach out to. a Bariatric consultant, I think perhaps will help you get more of your motivation back. So sorry about your son, losing a child is one of the hardest things to live through

And it might sound unbelievable but post - Endoscopy I never slimed or had foamies. Until you brought it up, I hadn't reflected on it that much. They told me each time for a week make sure you're using your C-Pap, well I usually use Uncle Snuffly anyway so no problem there. Yeah I was able to reschedule for Wednesday at noon. Only time they really had until July. Guess they might be centering on a new crop of Bariatric Seekers. Well it's 8 months for me, wonder if I still get an 10 month appointment or whether I wait until 1 year? I don't think I am following. their usual game plan!👈👸👉

I have Genepro the approved ones on my list is pure protein powder, EAS complete protein, vega one protein, bariatric advantage protein & optifast high protein. I didn't have my list with me so I asked the workers at GNC for assistance. Sent from my SM-J727P using BariatricPal mobile app

I have had the bypass for almost 5 years now. My lab work was all normal before I had surgery and my bariatric doctor recommended the bypass to me to really get the most bang for my buck and I agreed since I was relatively young. I, however, needed both iron infusions and B-12 shots after surgery. Iron was pretty immediate after (I would say a month after) due to my symptoms. The B-12 shots I needed within the past year or two (it's been a minute). The shots were discontinued because my levels have been normal but my body has never been able to absorb iron any longer and maintain it. It was bad right after surgery and especially last year (but for some reason even though I had every single symptom of the deficiency, it still took me too long to resolve and my ferritin was at 4 and iron saturation was at 5), This time around dealing with these iron infusions , I said if I would have known it would have such a HUGE effect on my body (it was never really mentioned, and I never had problems like this before so I kind of turned a blind eye to it pretty much), I probably would have opted for the sleeve instead. It takes a lot of advocating for yourself and support from your medical professionals and to be 100% compliant with everything to ensure you stay healthy along the process. Remember everyone's body will react differently. I lost a lot of weight and REALLY fast after and have lost about 150 pounds total. Good luck!

Hello all, I'm a couple of weeks away from having surgery (rny), and I'm trying to find some products/brands that will fit with what I'm allowed to have for my post op diet. The thing is, being in Canada, many of the brands mentioned on these boards aren't available, and I'm a bit flummoxed. For example, I'm trying to find some sugar free popsicles to have on hand, but I've struck out at my three usual grocery stores. Are there products, like sugar free popsicles or protein powders, that are your go tos? Things that you can find in Canadian stores or from Canadian websites?

So exciting! Did you register already at the hospital you're going to stay at for a couple of days? I think that's the next step. Contact your Bariatric clinic. Congratulations again!

Gerd,sleep apnea , they allowed arthritis as a lesser comorb since I have had since age 25 psychological well'being since denial in February, PCP concerned I might harm myself, wouldn't I had an uncle comitted suicide about a year and half before my birth. I always wondered if he would have liked me, because majority on Daddy's side did not. My daddy and Uncle Clement were closest in age, almost Irish twins, you seldom saw one without the other, and i saw how hard it was for him to talk about it 15-20 years later. I vowed them and there I WOULD NEVER subject.. my children or anyone who,loved me to such a thing! And that is a vow I have kept 60 years. My moderately severe depression took the form of apathy, barely eating, relating minimally with people, I basically gave,up for a period of time. Then I clumb out of the slippery sided blue pit of depression, enough to try one more and then when i attended prelimerary meeting I liked what I heard, people were welcoming to me, and it has been ACES every since, every member of the Bariatric staff is wonferful, and I feel it was the making, remaking and emotional growth I have achieved. If I had a million dollars, I would donate it all in gratitude for the change in me. so I had enough wrong to have my surgery even if I slipped below 40. And I didn't declare another motivating factor, my cousin June-Ellen who died of esophageal cancer at the Cleveland Clinic, only 4 years younger.

#30- At this point I am dubbing this "Don't accomplish much of Anything" although it should be "Take Inventory- Did you Meet Your Goals?" At 3 pm I have a Bariatric Clinic appointment, seems to be with Nurse Practitioner Valerie, if I get a paper full of euphemisms like the last one, I am either going to have a tantrum or tear it in teeny tiny pieces and throw them on the floor. " Frustr8 is doing well for being____months out from her surgery and is recovering well" I am not,in a cattle barn, so please stop with the B.S. please. I am also not in the Military so "Don't tell me "I am all I can be" cause I do not think I am" This morning I woke up in a nasty humor. My stomach wall is sore from vomiting before I went to bed 2 nights in a row, my right arm is throbbing, I had surgery on it April 4th to remove the titanium hardware I had still retained since my,broken upper arm and surgical repair 9 years and 3 months ago. Who would have thought as I lost weight I lost fat in there and when it started to Rock back and forth it became a constant source of inflammation and irritation? Fine I was willing to have it removed, but while looking around the open incision,which is 6 inches long, 2 inches on top, 4 inches going down right upper arm, he noticed my rotator cuff was hanging together by one beleaguered tendon so he repaired it so I wouldn't have to return in a couple months for another surgery. Thank You Dr Ken Doolittle( spoken through clenched teeth) this surely adds a glimmer of Joy to my days! I sleep with it propped upon a pillow, I rest fitfully , maybe 3-4 hours and then I awake to feel like it has been twisted behind my back. Have Norco in the house, but try to do Tylenol if I can, Norco pushs me back to constipation if I take more than 1 or 2. My day starts with Carafate. at 6 AM, I am told it comes in a liquid form, but my Medicare part D doesn't cover it, cheap b****** in Arizona! So I am.stuck dissolving big white horse pills in warm or hot water, then drinking the slurry down. And I get to do this every 6 hours around the clock. Then 1.5-2 hours in goes the PPI, wellbutrin and Ditropan, then I have to wait for my Zofran because it and Dexilent seem to fight with each other . And the other pills follow all day at intervals. Its a wonder I don't rattle when I walk around. And now the latest, every since my endoscopy on the 12th, well actually late 12th when I had to go NPO, it did something to my bladder and urinary system. Try as I may, no matter how much fluid I swallowed my urine stayed a disgusting darkish color. I have Tidy Bowl tabs in, the back. turns the pretty blue water nasty pea green. Had an appointment with PCP, gave him a liquid sample, stated" yep looks like some sort of UTI, when do you see your urologist?" told him Monday the 22nd, so he says I'll give you a small script for Macrodantin to tide you over the weekend, but he never called it in. And he hides down in AppleValley on his pontoon boat without cell phone etc Okay Monday I saw Dr Henry , my step- urologist, my Dr Clemens decided to stay in Franklin County and Columbus and no longer comes here. Dr H says he doesn't like the appearance of my urine. Well Duhh, why else would I have come in? So he says I want to try testing exactly what it is causing it, just force fluids until I get back to you on Wednesday. Never heard until Thursday noon, went and picked up Bactrim from Wal-Mart, now I have taken it before, never had a reaction. Boy I did this time. I have a diffuse rash on most of my body, but my face is the worst, the whole left side of cheek and eyelids have an ugly purple rash with a couple blisters that have broken open. I look like Rocky Balboa either hit me or whacked my face with a board containing nails. The GOOD news, it did kill whatever bacteria was infecting my Urinary SYSTEM, the bad news? I look like I was a victim of Elder Abuse! So my April 30th challenge to be met? Try to smile and act reasonably happy while looking like Crap warmed over! Might as well go take a shower, don't think body temprature water can harm me any and then my pick-up to go to Columbus 1:30 or 2 o'clock this afternoon. Do hope they don't send Terry, he always gets lost because he won't drive with the GPS on and plays whiney country music on the radio.

Ah yeah this does seem to be a common theme for the UK. For the protein I am making sure at the very least it is half to 2/3 rds of each meal with lean protein like chicken, fish or lentils and then vegetables for the rest of it like carrots, potato & peas. I found a cook book here on Amazon that I am going to buy today, so hopefully that will have some ideas, its called: Gastric Sleeve Cookbook: Top 100 recipes for every stage of bariatric surgery recovery by Shannon Henderson Looking at guides from the US: https://www.drdkim.net/ask-the-dietitian/meal-plan/ and another one here: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/dietary_guidelines_after_gastric_bypass/

Hoping and praying I can duplicate this . And the last 2 nights I have been vomiting, and when I go for checkups they keep noting I am doing well for ____months.I am not, stop noting pacifing things. This not the way things are supposed to be, will I have to scream today. to get someone to listen? Have an appointment at 3pm today, May be Only with Nurse Practioner Valerie, no sign of my surgeon, well having a mini-pity party at this second. Maybe I'll never see him again unless I need surgery again. Perhaps I get only a nurse because my case is BORING? Well last weight was 224 on Thursday, I won't make 1/2 until I make goal, maybe 50 pounds to go. I was literally twice as big as I should be when I set out on the journey, lost about 125 since then, 95 or 96 pounds since surgery date 8 months ago, those sound fine except this AM my baby tummy is SORE. They told me at last EGJ things are healing well from what could be visualized, not so certain in my 💔of. ❤s. I have taken enough Carafate to build a patio, enough PPI to last until I'm 80, still do best. with protein shakes, RTF or powder reconstituted, soups with minimal or no texture to them, applesauce, occasional mashed up fruit or veggies, am I on a Mechanical soft died the rest of my life? In theory I should be on Stage 4 or at least Stage 3, but when I venture towards such, up things come! Still unable to handle banana, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese. eggs, or meat. Ground up?,Can't even handle ham salad with nothing added like pickle relish, celery or even diet mayo. So many abortive trials I am also sickened by the thought of trying once more. Oh I do take all my vitamins, minerals, all the things PCP and Bariatric staff think I need, maybe that's what keeps me alive because a varied diet sure isn't. It is fatigue- ing to throw a tantrum but perhaps it's what I need to have someone listen for once! I want my joy back , I want my digestion back, I want to feel better and this blase treatment isn't making it for ME.

Thanks for replying! I have a caliper that is very very cheap so I gave up using after it told me I was 8% one time and like 35% the next time (haha) and there's a machine that's at my gym that gives you all kinds of information, including body fat. It rates me between 15 and 18% depending on the day. That is utter nonsense though because by all accounts i am still "fat". I look and feel like I could easily lose 40-50lbs from my abdomen and inner thighs alone. I was using a trainer for a time and am friends with the training staff at my gym but none of them have knowledge about bariatric patients, including their nutritionist. It feels like two different worlds to me - the gym environment and the bariatric environment. Neither one appears to have legit knowledge about the other. This is part of the reason I've been stressing about this. I need to know where the balance is. I'd also love to know if it's possible for me to actually use this surgery after 12 months for something other than creating a toxic bathroom and buying lots of vitamins for the rest of my life! You would think that would be covered day one of your consultation, but I feel like it's skimmed over in minor detail, and when I asked the simple question I got five different answers from five different medical experts. If you google something like "gastric bypass two years later" there's next to nothing other than a few weight gain articles and one forum post that says "gastric bypass 8 years later and out of control!" I am also very interested in talking to someone who knows both athletics and bariatric stuff. The nutritionist at my hospital comes across like she mostly deals with older people who cannot/do not exercise and doesn't really know my needs. And I'm scared about how hungry I am all the time. I feel like I did this for nothing :(

Yeah Doctors have a lot of schooling and training to become licensed but who is to say they are not God's Instruments as well. Doubt or loss of faith does not cause Obesity but Bariatric surgery gives you tools to help being a success from that day forward!

And Good Luck on your day @Mamabearof4boys. Your cubs will end up so proud of their Mama and we all will be cheering for you on Bariatric Pal!

At one month out of surgery you should concentrate on your protein intake and water hydration. Bariatric plate consists of 50% protein, 25% carbs and 25% fat. It means if you use 60g protein daily then your carbs should be about 30g and 30g fat.

Do you ever measure your body fat percentage and muscle mass? A lot of you may be muscle and not fat if you work out like you say. My trainer is 275lbs and a powerlifter and basically it's all muscle (but you can't see it - he doesn't look buff). And, honestly, I am a 5'3" female and I am told I need to eat at least 1100 a day just 6 months out from surgery given the amount of exercise I do (I get to about 800 before I am stuffed). Being a guy and working out a lot, it sounds like you need to eat more. I do feel hungry, but that hunger goes away since I stick to 5 small meals a day. I was also told the surgery "stops working" at 12 months or so and that the rest is up to you to ensure you don't regain. I think you do need to stick to a lower calorie, lower carb diet forever.... but tailor the calorie and carb intake based on how much exercise you are doing. Is there a trainer at your gym you can talk to? Mine is a wealth of knowledge. My trainer gets mad that I am eating "so little" based on "the hell he puts me through". lol. I just can't fit it in just yet. He wants me at 100g of carbs, 1100 calories, and over 100g of protein... my dietitian at the bariatric clinic agrees, given the exercises I do.

I am going to consult with two surgeons - the one who did my breast reduction doesn't take insurance for tummy tucks, but I still want to consider him for the arm lift because I trust his work. I have my 6 month appt on 5/6 and I'm going to get a referral for the bariatric office's preferential plastic surgeon then, too. I am working on gathering docs to take out a second mortgage to pay for the plastics so I need to start getting quotes. All of my excess skin is below the belly button, too, so that's good to hear, in case insurance won't pay because it isn't "severe" enough.

If we get lost in the bog of Do This-Act like This- Forget about This, you are a voice of Sanity in the Storm. You are a Bariatric Godmother Guru to many of us! You are a Treasure ProudGrammy!

So whats this all about? Number of recent posts? Quality of Advice? Or perhaps friendliness or months active on Bariatric Pal?

@KarenLR75 I'm sorry I'm just now getting back to you! Cigna required 3 months of consecutive medically managed weight loss appointments that could be done with either your primary care physician or a registered dietitian/nutritionist. It was four visits all together. Cigna recently changed it's policy though and they removed the 3 months of appointments requirement. As far as Cigna insurance approval goes, you just need a letter from your doctor recommending you for surgery, stating that you have tried and failed to maintain weight loss in the past, and clearing you physically for surgery. There are a few other things you've gotta do for them to approve you but there is nothing in the new verbiage that states you have to have a specific number of monthly visits. You can check the Cigna website or google Cigna bariatric surgery requirements and you should find a pdf that outlines it all. I know some surgeon's offices have their own set of requirements in addition to the ones required by insurance. I have heard that some surgeon's require 6 months of appointments and a certain amount of weight loss prior to prove that you are mentally ready for surgery and are able to be disciplined. Since the surgery is just a tool, they want to make sure when they perform the surgery, the patient is going to follow through on their end. If I were you, I'd get a copy of Cigna's bariatric surgery requirements for approval and then speak with your surgeon's office to figure out what is required by them outside of Cigna's requirements. Sorry that was long winded! Hopefully helpful though!

Social media, this is the only place I talk about bariatrics. I told my husband, kids and my supportive friends. There is plenty of information promoting bariatrics. My input is not needed. I don’t want or feel the need to be the spokesmen for bariatrics. Google About 3,930,000 results (0.52 seconds) Is your weight loss surgery really going to be a secret? You can’t hide rapid weight loss. People are going to speculate, and some may confront you about weight loss surgery. It’s your choice on what you want to disclose. People are going to make weight loss a main topic in your conversations. It will stop after your weight settles around goal.

For me, I have to log 2 weeks worth of everything I eat, every month for 4 months. That includes every meal and snacks. Plus how much water I drink daily. And how much exercise I do daily. I get weighed in once a month for 6 months. And I need to attend a Nutritional Bariatric Class once a month for two hours, for 4 months.

Kiko1970. Just go to your doctor and get a referral to have it removed. I know lots of people who’ve had removal and revision to bypass through ohip (bariatric network). I paid to have mine revised, privately , because I couldn’t wait (was aspirating in my sleep). But former banders make up a significant number of the patients in the Ontario bariatric network.