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Gummy vitamins have a sugar base, so ⬆raises your carbs, supposedly not assimilated smoothly, most put you on chewables, I guess if you're like me , wearing dentures , and can't chew,the concrete critters, you can crush them, you can then,put them in sugar free pudding, unsweetened applesauce or sugar free cool whip, and spoon with your little baby spoon those suckers in, and most chewable vitamins taste atrocious. That's why you look for one that tastes least obnoxious. Look for reviews from others on here, I think As part of their training bariatric surgeons should taste the things they tell others to ingest. Most never have, and need to be brought down a peg or two. Just Saying!😏

Hi Morningoasis, I'm glad you're going to get this taken care of. I forgot to mention that some of my pain was very simular to yours...I couldn't take a deep breath either. I'll be interested to hear if your insurance will pay for this. I looked up my policy with BC/BS and it states: "No coverage for bariatric surgery including reversal, revision, repeat and staged surgery, except for the treatment of sickness or injury resulting from such bariatric surgery, or unless required by law." I'm hoping they consider abdominal pain when eating sometimes a "sickness" . If not, then I'll have to go back to Mexico and I'm not looking foward to that with all the killing going on there. Ofcourse, I could always wait until the band causes me a "sickness" :thumbup: I am also worried about living without my band. Although I never got to goal, my band has kept me from gaining it all back. I hope that repositioning is all we'll need. Take Care, Marsha

Hospital Angeles is a full fledged hospital. I'm being sleeved at Mi Doctor Hospital in a few days. It is a specialty hospital for bariatrics only. Then there are the strip mall type clinics. The only one place that I've heard bad things about is NOVA. It is said to be not suited for medical tourism or up to our standards. If someone out there has used them and has a different perspective, pls feel free to comment. That's based on what I've read.

Welcome back!! I was just thinking of you the other day and was wondering where you have been. I am excited for you that you have another procedure coming up in which to make yourself even more fabulous. I know you have been wanting to get your teeth/mouth fixed for awhile so congrats! Hopefully with the protein/liquids you won't lose a lot more weight. I know you are at goal. Maybe you could add in a few shakes that normally we Bariatric patients wouldn't drink ( higher carbs and calories) so you can maintain your weight. I know you will figure it out because you always do. You will have to keep us all posted.

It sounds like a reflux of bile is what is causing the ulcer, not common but it does happen. I had my gallbladder removed during my gastric bypass surgery due to chronic inflammation. But I also had frequent ulcers in my stomach and small intestine. it is extremely common for bariatric patients to need a cholecystectomy after dramatic weight loss. you might want to consider adding digestive enzymes with meals afterward. Some doctors also recommend bile salts.

Wow u are all so brave! Good luck to you all in your renewed journeys!! I am a newbie bandster, only 1.5mos out. Any tips on not gaining back the weight? And if u do get a too tight fill, must u do a complete unfill first, or do they just take a little out. Maybe I just read that one post wrong. Maybe u guys could join a group, or even start a group for ppl starting over! I am in a small secret Facebook group for ppl who got banded in April like myself and it's great! I was actually recruited from here and it's probably the only thing that's truly kept me in check w myself. That might be something to help u all support each other and keep each other in the right mind frame- as if ur starting from the very beginning almost! Wish u so well!!

Congrats Papa Dubs! On the way to healthy. Thank heavens for great bariatric nurses. Such good news that you "feel better than expected " please keep us posted. Where did you have your surgery?

I am new to the whole lap-band experience, but I have been in your shoes a couple of times in my life in regards to regaining weight that I worked so hard to lose and then just not having the motivation to restart that struggle. I do have a question. Do you still have your lap band? Is it not giving you any kind of support or are you just fighting against it? The advice I see most often to regain control is to start over with the beginning diet. Go back to protein shakes, soft foods, etc... This seems like a good way to get rid of the healthy habits and cravings and just reset your mind and body for the work ahead. I think I would also go back to a bariatric center and see if the band is still filled or might be something that has happened over the years to make it less effective for you. Best of luck!

Yesterday I confirmed that my doctor sent the referral into my insurance company so I assumed it would be at least a week until I heard anything. Well today I received a call from the ghc bariatric surgery office scheduling an interview with the head nurse. I was told that she is going to discuss my surgery options and explain the entire program. I don't want to assume, over-think, or stress on this. I'm glad that they got my referral and I'm hoping that the phone interview is just another step in the right direction. Maybe they just want to confirm that I'm serious before making me drive down to Bellevue, which is over an hour away from where I live. See, here I go worrying about it. Thankfully I have some other things going on with work and at home to distract me. Unfortunately one of those things is my carpal tunnel, which was just diagnosed and is slowly driving me mad. Just when I thought I was as crazy as I could possibly be, I go ahead and surprise myself

I did have a therapist throughout but not through my bariatric team and not in connection with being overweight. I don't have a food "addiction". I gained weight during a long term illness that left me bed bound and taking medication that causes weight gain. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I'm very sorry for your illness and what you have gone through. We all have our own stories of how we became obese. But bottom line, we all got that way because we ate more calories than our bodies needed. Yes, medications, certain illnesses and restricted activity can contribute, but we consciously made the choices of the kind of food and amount of food we ate. We couldn't help ourselves despite the fact our behavior lead to unwanted results. This is the definition of addiction. I hope you are getting better and I truly hope you find peace with your decision to have WLS.

I did have a therapist throughout but not through my bariatric team and not in connection with being overweight. I don't have a food "addiction". I gained weight during a long term illness that left me bed bound and taking medication that causes weight gain. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I'm very sorry for your illness and what you have gone through. We all have our own stories of how we became obese. But bottom line, we all got that way because we ate more calories than our bodies needed. Yes, medications, certain illnesses and restricted activity can contribute, but we consciously made the choices of the kind of food and amount of food we ate. We couldn't help ourselves despite the fact our behavior lead to unwanted results. This is the definition of addiction. I hope you are getting better and I truly hope you find peace with your decision to have WLS. My becoming disabled suddenly is certainly not common. Being bed bound, alone and unable to cook meant that I was making the only choices that I could. That's not to say that I don't own any responsibility in any part that I may have played in becoming obese. That is why I approached my GP, spent years in the bariatric system, then had surgery based on the advice I received from that team. I was told that "I could not exercise and would only get heavier" if I did not have this done. And of course, who doesn't want to lose the excess weight? I am better and I am at peace. I have lost all of the excess weight now and am on maintenance but still losing weight. I still have clostridium difficile also. Just trying to reassure the OP that they will recover from surgery eventually and that they will find a new "normal", even if this surgery doesn't feel like it was the right thing to do. The OP asked if anyone else felt the way they do. It can feel very isolating when everyone else is thrilled with their sleeve and you hate yours. When I was at my most ill, hospitalised and suffering from all manner of problems (malnutrition, infections etc), most everyone always said the same thing. I know you are deathly ill right now but look how much weight you've lost. People love to talk about it. They want to be excited with you. But sometimes you just feel rotten because you can't simply grab a cup of tea, or a sandwich on the go anymore. No matter what got you here though, there is little point in dwelling on what you can't change. Having acceptance is crucial here. I really feel for everyone who feels low because they think they made a mistake in having WLS. Just hang in there! You can get better, feel better. I have been through purgatory since May and am still quite ill but my body is healing gradually. I had my first B12 injection recently. I am getting back to being myself a bit more everyday. It won't always be so bad. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have UHC choice plus. Mine only requires a bariatric center of excellence and be over 40 bmi. Well, you have to be over 18. No diet or psychological evaluation.

I’m really fortunate, my hospital has a state of the art gym. Bariatric patients are offered a 3 month membership for $100. It includes a personal trainer, before and after body composition and anything (including spin, classes and pool) you want to participate in. If I decide I like this gym it is $85 a month after that. I meet with my trainer this afternoon. I waited until I was closer to my goal weight because I knew that was when it was going to get tough! I think programs would be wise to offer this when feasible.

Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 8 Diet Myths Debunked! Our number one priority is to lose weight. In search of a new healthy lifestyle, we often self sabotage our well-intended efforts by investing in diet myths and misinformation about weight loss. Don’t fall into the trap! Check out these 8 Diet Myths. 1 Negative-calorie foods Some high fiber foods like celery and citrus fruits are claimed to be negative calorie foods. The presumption is that it takes more energy for the body to digest these foods, and thus burns more calories than the calories in the food itself. The truth is that the amount of calories it takes the body to digest food are minuscule compared to the calories in the food. Read a counter-viewpoint and decide what is true for you, “Eating Foods that Burn More Calories.” 2. Muscle weighs more than fat Don’t fool yourself. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weight the same — 1-pound! However, because muscle is more dense than fat, having more muscle on your frame will make you look leaner. Also, 1-pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day whereas 1-pound of fat burns only 2 calories — so muscle increases your metabolic rate. Learn about “Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Loss.” 3. A diet is the best way to lose weight In the short-term “dieting,” that is following a prescriptive plan of eating fewer calories for a period of time, results in weight loss. But the weight loss is only temporary and weight is regained when former eating habits are resumed. Instead, find a way to eat healthy forever. That’s the way to lose weight and keep it off. More articles on Eating Healthy after weight loss surgery! 4. An entree salad is the low-cal choice on the menu Salads can be a very healthy choice — or a very unhealthy choice! A general rule of thumb might be the yummier that you make a salad the less healthy it becomes. Watch those toppings: cheeses, candied walnuts, dressing — yikes! Panera Bread’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad has 580 calories, and 30 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat. Compare that to a McDonald’s double cheeseburger with 440 calories, and 23 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat. More Unhealthy Foods we think are healthy! 5. Skipping meals speeds up weight loss Not eating actually slows down metabolism. So to keep your metabolism going eat a healthy breakfast, followed by healthy lunch and dinner, several hours apart. Not eating also can cause ravenous hunger later in the day, which may drive you to overindulge. Check out this Healthy Lunch Solution after Bariatrics! 6. “Light” foods are better Light foods may contain fewer calories or fat, but not without increasing sodium, sugar, chemical additives, or artificial sweeteners. A serving of fat-free cream cheese is only 15-calories less than the real, full-fate version. But the sodium content is 11 milligrams more. Sodium is a major cause of bloating. Add to that, when people perceive a food as light they tend to eat more of it, sometimes consuming more calories than if they had eaten the real version. Read “The Bitter Truth about Aspartame” 7. A gluten-free diet will help you lose weight A gluten-free diet is assumed to be a no-carb diet. That is not true. A gluten-free product replaces gluten-containing grains like wheat flour with non-gluten-containing grains like rice flour. Both wheat flour and rice flour are high in carbohydrates — and gluten-free pastries are high in calories. A gluten-free diet was designed for people with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the small intestine cannot digest gluten. Read “Gluten-Free is Unhealthy and Expensive” 8. Over-the-counter diet pills help weight loss The Federal Trade Commission charged four weight loss companies with fraud. The companies charged with deceptive marketing practices include diet products we’ve all seen nationally-advertised: HCG Diet Direct, Sensa Products, LeanSpa, and L’Occitane. Talk to your doctor about your options for safe and effective medications for weight loss, combined with dietary and physical activity improvements. Learn about Getting Active after weight loss. This information was sourced from authoritative sources and is shared for informational purposes only. Use your best judgement and consult with your trusted healthcare provider before changing your diet and exercise habits. Living larger than ever, My Bariatric Life

I would ask you bariatric team if you could have an ablation of your uterus. You'll no longer have a period and you will still have your ovaries to continue producing hormones. That is, of course, if you plan on not ever having children. Sent from my SPH-D710VMUB using the BariatricPal App

Any fears I felt before surgery were mitigated by all the success stories and first-hand accounts I heard in my bariatric support group. I was absolutely sure I was doing the right thing, but--like so many of other people--I wondered if I could just 'do it on my own"...again. I knew I could do it on my own, but I knew I'd also gain it back. And now with pre-diabetes cured, sleep apnea cured, high blood pressure cured, and high cholesterol cured...I wish I could've been sleeved 20 years ago. Best of luck in your surgery!

I am in the Houston area, too. My insurance would not cover any type of bariatric surgery, so I ended up going to Tijuana, Mexico for the sleeve. I used Dr. Ismael Cabrera and paid $4,500 for the surgery last month. I had a great experience. If you do decide to go the Mexico route, you will need a passport. Good luck to you! Tijuana felt safe to us. Not once did we feel that we were in danger. Everyone said that TJ was bad 6 years ago, but has calmed down since.

Unfortunately, it took a serious health scare (my heart stopped in ICU) and my mother and father in-law passing from cancer to take my heath seriously. I had the sleeve done June 2014. High weight 254 day of surgery 234. I’m maintaining in the 130’s. There is no secret to bariatric weight loss. Follow your plan. Learn the basics. log in an app, hydrate, exercise/activity. If you gain call your team. Never be afraid to ask for help.

You can never know everything before surgery. You can never know exactly how you will feel about your new normal until you experience it. You can never predict every post op complication that you might encounter either. Most people do great but some of us stay ill and incredibly debilitated for months on end. No amount of research can predict exactly what the outcome will be post op. I am nearly six months out and still can't eat normally. I am exhausted, hungry and weak. I did my research thoroughly for over two years pre op. My bariatric team just say "this happens sometimes". Well they never told me that any of this could happen! By six months out, I was supposed to be well and up on my feet. Yes, I am at normal weight now but what good is that if you are too weak and sick to move? For some people, this surgery was just not the right decision. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App To suggest that your experience was something that is going to happen to all is irresponsible if it can drastically improve the health of others. Too many people have had positive improvements. We shouldn't push our negative opinion on others as the rule. When it is not. I have multiple auto immune illnesses and have struggled with weight which compounds the discomfort of arthritis, fibro, CFS, hormonal imbalances causing leptin resistance. Metabolic syndrome, High Blood pressure. Diabetes, I am a nurse and have bad knees, hip etc. celiac, and diverticulosis. Graves Disease and Graves Eye Disease. So after all my research in a way to improve quality of life, this was the answer. So that's all I'm saying! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I am not pushing my opinion on anyone. My having a different experience than others does not make it invalid. I have never said that this surgery isn't good for some people. I have clearly said it was simply not right for ME. And people like me should not be expected to keep quiet simply because we aren't "happy sleevers". There are people struggling out there who need to know that it is okay to feel the way they feel regardless of whether they like what they chose to do. I certainly never suggested that our experience is "going to happen" to anyone else. We are in the minority for sure. You can't have it both ways though. Either people need to do their research and be educated pre op ( which means they should be aware of people like me ) or they should just skip merrily into surgery hearing only the success stories. Being healthy should be our goal and sometimes just getting thinner can have a higher physical cost than high blood pressure. I understand that you are happy with your decision and some if us are not. That's all I am saying. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I also take my Vitamins religiously. VIT D--5000 u/day---I was super deficient prior to surgery. (Level was 15, low normal is 30, my level now 58) Bariatric multi Biotin B-complex B-1, it's not in the complex and I was on the low side of normal when I just had my labs checked otherwise they were all great. .

When you say 'groups,' are you referring to bariatric support groups? If so, the bariatric surgery practice that sleeved me offers support group meetings every Tuesday evening.

Hi I have a question. I am curious if any one crush their multivitamins and probiotic pills from bariatric advantage.... I try to chew 2 vitamins in the morning per instruction and always feel like i want to vomit when i start chewing and swallowing. I am not sure why i feel sooo nauseus when i take the vitamins. I have been sleeved since Dec 28 i havent vomited not once since i left hospital. Just curious if i will recieve same benefit crushin the pills as oppose to chewing and feeling sick every morning before i go to work.... Any advice would be great or if anyone are using these vitamins please share your experience. Thanks TD41

I second (or third or fourth..) the pillow! I was lucky- there is someone who makes pillows for all of the bariatric patients at the hospital where I had my surgery, so I got one the morning of my surgery, and it was on my bed with me when I got to my room. I used it every time I had to get up to use the bathroom, or walk. I would also try to get an abdominal binder--- I wore one home from the hospital and that thing was a life saver! It really helped with the pain of getting up and sitting back down.. and going for walks too. I also wore it under my clothes for my first two weeks back to work.

9pdmnm5 I too have had a hard time recovering from the anastesia myself. That is one of my main concerns. I am hoping this time will be better. I go for what my Dr's office calls Bariatric University on Monday and do my preop at the hospital right after. Pradice73 I hope you feel better soon. I am so excited to find some buddies to walk through this process with. I will be on here frequently as I want to be prepared for whatever may come. Thanks for the encouragement Mutt! I know I need all the help I can get.

I ahve UHC Choice plus and they paid for mine 2 months ago. When you get ur card go to the my uhc website and look under ur benefits.There was a phone number for Bariatric resource services 1-800-936-7246 and they told me of my employers covered it. I was dead in the water until I called them as I had already gone to a seminar and couldnt get anything from insurance so after 3 weeks I called them and it was easy from then on. I had to have a 6 month diet history and a psych eval. If I can help in any way pm me.Carla:biggrin0: