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My former verdompt bariatric center routinely booked out 6 weeks to the Day of prerequirements being completed. The new one since I'm comng in with the different consults already done, 3 weeks? I want the absolute soonest they will give me. Have that 2 hour appointment with the in-house and I hope decent Psychologist Dr Kramer April 25th, after that the ball is in their court as long as they play nicely. If not I'll play The Band Perry's song "Done." If you don't know the lyrics, one of my favorite lines Mama said I should always play nice But she didn't know you when she gave that advice. I'm through with you lah dee dah! I get a whole lot braver (and maybe foolhardy) when I am pissed, which I am at the bait-and- switch or hurry -up-and- wait tactics with all these bariatric personages. Give me some satisfaction, I've worked hard enough to get it![emoji13][emoji50][emoji13] Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

I am having my surgery with Dr. Valenzuela through Mexico Bariatric Centre. At MI Doctor hospital. I just want this to be done already lol.. I am so prepared its getting ridicules Good luck everyone !!! 7 days left till surgery!

Well, just back from EGD. It was super easy, no big deal at all. The doc said my reflux is pretty bad. Wondering what my bariatric doc is gonna say about it. I feel strongly that it is very much weight related, as I have gained some weight in the past year and it has really increased. Oh well, onward! @@wunnabesexy I feel like I'll eventually want to tell more people but right now I'm keeping it low key, spouse and parents only (all very supportive!). Glad you have a lot of support. I know there are more 9/8 sleevers, where you at @@HalloweenBaby @@nowornever14 ! :P

RogofUlm's Story Vertical Sleeve surgery: June 24th, 2014 Pre-surgery high weight: 265 Weight at surgery: 254 Initial goal weight: 154 Time achieve goal: 8 months (including 2-week pre-op diet) Stretch goal weight: 145 Time to stretch goal: 10 months (including 2-week pre-op diet) Total weight loss: 120 I went on my first diet at the age of 7, and sometimes feel like I've started a new diet every Monday morning for the last 48 years. I've done 'em all – from a 40-day hospital stay in a ketogenic program in 1974, to Weight Watchers (3 times), Diet Center (2 times), Jenny Craig, Nutri-System, Atkins, South Beach, Cambridge, Slim Fast, Fen-Phen, grapefruit and egg, and even starvation. I've probably lost close to 1,000 pounds throughout my life, including three or four diets resulting in nearly 100-pound losses. And after all that, at the age of 55, I still found myself 110 pounds overweight; with diabetes, apnea, asthma, arthritis, high cholesterol, and borderline blood pressure. With a wonderful wife and 10-year-old child at home, I was a heart attack or stroke just waiting to happen. So why was I able to lose weight so effectively at times, but never keep it off? Same as most people, I suppose. When fully committed, I could “flick the switch” in my brain and resist anything… for a while. I'd lose a bunch of weight and start looking and feeling better, and then I'd be at a party with lots of goodies and think, "What the heck. I've done so well, so I’ll treat myself just this once and get right back on my diet." Hello, slippery slope! And then the cycle would begin: pig out, starve myself, pig out, starve myself… Eventually the pig outs would last longer and require more and more fat, salt, and sugar to satisfy. And, of course, each new day brought a brand new commitment to get back on track, so I wouldn't eat anything until 6 pm... and then I'd pig out again. That “switch” doesn’t always stay flicked, you know? So what's the definition of insanity again? Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. Then, 20 years ago, I lost a bunch of weight and maintained it for quite a while. But because of a bad reaction to a medication, I eventually had to have a hip replaced. Everything went well with the surgery and I even quit smoking in the process. Great, right? Yeah, but then the weight started coming back on, and eventually I gained about 50 pounds. So then I bounced around for a few years, yo-yoing all over the place between 60 and 100 pounds overweight, until I got married and we had a baby. Of course, during the pregnancy I gained 40 more pounds of "baby weight". But unlike my wife, I never delivered mine! So that brings me to the more recent past, when all those years of being overweight finally caught up with me and I began getting all the "fat diseases”. When the diabetes first came on, I dropped 30 pounds without even trying. But eventually we diagnosed it and got it under control with pills; and then the weight came right back on. A couple of years later, my weight started dropping again "for no reason". Of course I knew what was really going on, but the weight loss felt so good that I rode it down 45 pounds. But again, eventually I had to get it back under control, and again, all the weight came back. So by the time I decided to have WLS, not only was I taking pills plus daily insulin injections for diabetes, I was sleeping with a CPAP machine for apnea, and taking fistfuls of pills every day to manage the other co-morbidities. And that brings us to last year. In addition to all the diseases, I was exhausted and achy all the time, and had trouble dragging myself out of the recliner to play with my kid like I should. I'd take naps after stuffing myself at lunchtime, and exercise as little as possible. We all know the drill, right? And I’d gotten myself hooked on chicken wings with high-calorie sauces, a mountain of French fries, blue cheese dressing, and four large glasses of tea. I'd go out 2-3 times a week for wings, but I'd go to different restaurants because I was so embarrassed by how much and how frequently I was eating them. And gradually, I got more and more disgusted with myself. During that time, two of my co-workers had weight loss surgery: one bypass and one sleeve. Every day for about a year, I watched them get smaller and smaller. They didn’t keep their surgeries a secret, so when I asked about their experiences, they graciously shared all the details with me – the good, and the bad. And gradually I got to the point where I said, “I WANT THAT!” So my inspiration to have weight loss surgery was a direct result of my co-workers’ successes, and their openness about having had weight loss surgery. Once I decided to get sleeved, I went "all-in". I followed all my doctor’s post-op rules to a tee (with the exception of coffee – my one remaining vice). But this time something was different from all those past diets. Because of the restriction in my stomach, instead of losing momentum and giving in to temptation, I was able to stay on the horse. My new “tool” gave me the strength I needed to consistently make the right choices. I lost 110 pounds and made it to goal in 8 months. And in the two months after that, I lost another 10 pounds to give myself a comfortable buffer. I put away the CPAP machine; I’m off all diabetes, blood pressure, and asthma meds; and I'm on the lowest dosage of my cholesterol meds. In a few more months, I hope to be off those too. So now that I’ve reached my final goal weight, I don’t need – or want – to lose any more. I’m exactly where I want to be for the first time in my adult life; which, quite frankly, is a totally mind-blowing thought! My big secret? Just follow the danged rules – all of them! (And mind you, I’ve been a rule breaker all my life.) If you do exactly what your doctor or nutrition program recommends, the weight will come off. After a month or two of making good (but difficult) choices, the cravings for the foods that got you to your pre-surgery weight will start to fade away, and the pride in your accomplishment will have a stronger pull than the food. That’s when you really get on a roll! Here’s the formula I used to get to goal weight quickly: Start every morning with a Protein shake for Breakfast. Eat 60–80 or more grams of protein daily. Drink 64–120 ounces of fluids daily. (I drink tons of Crystal Light, or generic, sugar-free/decaf iced tea.) Do not consume any starches or sugars. Get all carbs from green veggies, legumes, and dairy products. Do not consume empty liquid calories/sugar (fruit juices, ice cream, etc). Try to avoid alcohol. It’s empty liquid calories that turn to sugar in your body and can lead to poor choices. All Snacks must be protein-based (Jerky, nuts, cheeses, Greek yogurt, deli meats). Get some exercise 4-6 times a week. Never leave the house without a plan for what you can eat and drink while you’re out. If necessary, bring food and drink with you. Restaurant eating is not hard: 1) skip the bread; 2) order a meat (or legume/bean) dish; 3) replace the starch with a second vegetable; 4) skip the dessert. You’ll probably end up taking some of the meat and most of the veggies home for another meal. Beef/turkey jerky is my secret weapon. It’s saved me more times than I can count, so I try to always have some in the car for emergencies. You can buy a bag of jerky almost anywhere. It’s kind of expensive and not great for sodium-restricted diets, but it’s also high protein, low fat, okay sugar, and a 3.5-ounce bag is a meal by itself! If you fall off the horse, get back on immediately – at the next meal. Not tomorrow, and definitely not next Monday. That’s what got us here! Go to Bariatric Support Group meetings in your area, if possible. Participate actively in online forums like BariatricPal. Read as much as you can about the process and the journey; and especially, read posts and articles from those who had their surgery a few years ago. Try to understand what lead to their successes and/or struggles. Share your story and reach out to help others who are behind you in their journey. By helping them, you’ll help yourself as well. Have a goal weight in mind and strive to get there. (I weigh myself every single day.) But also set lots of smaller goals. It’s fun and inspiring to achieve them. Believe that the slimmer person in the mirror is the real you. Always be looking forward. Don’t look back over your shoulder waiting for the heavier person to drag you back. Let that person fade into history. A little vanity is okay. Enjoy how you look. Accept compliments graciously and don’t deflect them. Have fun trying on smaller-sized clothes that fit now. Compare before and after pictures. Take pride in your accomplishments! Accept that this is a somewhat selfish process. That’s okay, too. You don’t have to apologize for it. And don’t let other people interfere with your progress. We have to make our weight loss program a priority in our lives. But at the same time, recognize that your journey affects your friends and loved ones as well. Be sensitive to their reactions and their emotional needs, without allowing it to derail your program. And finally, try to have fun losing the weight and getting healthy! Now, I’ll admit that many people think this much rigor is unreasonable and unsustainable. They believe that you need to learn how to “eat normally” on your way down. I get it… but I don’t buy it. (And believe me, self-discipline has never been one of my strengths.) My philosophy has been that there’s plenty of time to learn how to eat for maintenance once I get to my goal weight. That way, if I add something back in my food plan and it causes me to gain a few pounds; I only need to re-lose those few pounds. I don’t need to lose them PLUS all the rest that haven’t come off yet. That’s a whole lot harder and more daunting than just losing a few. I also believe that we get a 9–12 month “honeymoon period” (when the weight comes off more easily and the hunger is more manageable), to get our heads in the right place for the long haul. I firmly believe that people who take maximum advantage of their honeymoon period are far more likely to get all the way to goal weight; and hopefully, to keep it off. And now my theory will be put to the test... Over the next few months, I’ll need to start experimenting with what works and what doesn’t. I’ll need to add back some foods that will stop the weight loss, without causing a gain, and without putting me back on the slippery slope. But what are those foods? My doctor suggests that if you want to increase your carb intake, to add only foods that you would eat cooked as part of a meal (like brown rice, whole wheat Pasta, sweet potatoes, barley, quinoa, oatmeal, and green peas). No white bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes, no refined sugar, no fruit juice, soda, or ice cream, and nothing that would tempt you to go to the fridge or pantry for a handful or bowlful as a snack. That sounds reasonable, so that’s what I’m going to try. But what about all those yummy foods I’ve been missing? I don’t know yet. Maybe the day will come when I can have one small scoop of ice cream, or four cheese crackers, or a mini chocolate bar, or a sandwich. But today is not that day. For now, it’ll be baby steps until I’ve maintained my weight loss for a good long time. If the truth be told, since I detoxed completely from starch and sugar, I haven’t really craved the stuff. So how do I feel about my weight loss journey so far? Believe it or not… it’s been a total blast! And see... that’s another reason to follow all the rules and lose the weight quickly – the compliments, your reflection in the mirror, clothes that fit and look good, the extra energy for family and friends, and most of all, your new-found health – are a thousand times more fun and motivating than anything that could ever go into your mouth! And here’s one final thought… Several months ago I ran into a woman I hadn’t seen for a while. She’d been thinking about weight loss surgery, but was afraid to take the first step. But when she saw the “new me”, she said the exact same words I had said a year ago, “I WANT THAT!” Well, a few weeks ago she got sleeved and she’s doing great! And that’s how this wonderful story continues… I wish all of you great success, and a healthy, exciting, and fun journey to good health!!! Rog (of Ulm)

Thanks for the replies on this, I am currently taking a chewable bariatric multivitamin that has the calcium citrate in it. It's a one stop shop until my tummy can deal with swallowing tablets. The downside is I have to take three of them daily and they're fairly hefty - but since I've been taking them in the evening thanks to the advice here, life has been much easier!

looks like the standard BMI range. The PA at my clinic said bariatric patients often look 10 lbs lighter than they are because even though we lose bone and muscle along with fat, you're always going to have more bone and muscle than someone who's never been obese. You needed that "infrastructure" to hold up all that weight - and even though you lose a lot of it while you're losing fat, you're still going to have more/heavier bones and muscles than someone who's always been normal weight. So long way of saying, my clinic is fine with people who end up "overweight" or "class I obese" (which is actually not very obese - we're talking like 20 or 30 lbs). They'd consider that pretty normal.

Well guys it has been 11 days since surgery. I have lost 18 pounds and 1 pant size... I dare say it has been a good experience so far. The only thing I don't like is the Bariatric Meal drinks I have to drink (7 a day). I am really looking forward to eating real food again even though I'm not really hungry right now. I have to say the sugar free popcicles have been a God send.... Without them I would have probably killed someone by now. Well gotta get back to being a loser... hehe

Well guys I ended up selling some land to get 11k and then used a credit card for the rest. Surgery date is scheduled for 4/21 and I gave the cashiers checks to the bariatric coordinator today

At my next post up support group we are having a cook off. We have to make a bariatric soft high protein holiday dessert. Any ideas?

Kathy, sorry its taken me so long to reply. Thank you all so much for you thoughtful suggestions and guidlines and sharing what has worked for you. I still haven't implemented these tips yet but I definitely will. The hardest part for me, I think is coming to really face the reality that I cannot continue to deal with food the way I did before surgery. I have to, for the first time in my life really, start grocery shopping and preparing my own food. This is a huge transition for me. Its hard to get started. I am researching a dietician or nutritionist who specializes in bariatric patients so I can get the guidance I so badly need. Thanks again to everyone who has responded to my pea for help and keep the suggestions coming. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will benefit from them! Questions: Which is more food: 2oz of meat measured in a measuring cup or 2oz. of meat weighed on a scale. How do you measure salad?

I’m self pay and am going on a short Mexican vacay. My ins sucks as far as Bariatric coverage. Contrary to popular belief, I had to jump through hoops as well, to get approved. Who knew, right? I just got approved after submitting my EKG. I am scheduled for 10/1/19 (my choice). I’m so excited! And I am excited for you. I can’t wait to hear about your experience and new life adventures!

I'm not quite a month post-op, but I'll try to answer your vitamin question. At my clinic, they recommend 2 Flintstomes complete chewables, D3, calcium citrate. (I take 3 Bariatric Advantage chewables a day) , B12 sublingual and B-complex or B-50 (I open the capsule and mix with unsweetened applesauce). Molly 10/2/13

was doing some serious crying today. ..hate eating, can't get in enough water, and it didn't help that baby was sick lol. but, I'm 6 days post op, so i figure it can only go up! I'm glad I'm not alone. I'm now forced to deal with issues i didn't know i had, and I'm excited about the renewed me on the other side of this journey.

Hey everyone, I am scheduled for Wed morning and have a few questions. I have been reading about anesthesia for bariatric surgery and see that suggestions are made to intubate the patient while they are awake, or wait to remove the breathing tube until after the patient is awake. For those that have had the sleeve, do you remember having the tube placed or removed? Especially for those folks with sleep apnea- what was your going to sleep/waking up experience like? Also, did they give you anything to calm nerves before they rolled you into the surgery room? Needless to say, I am getting hit with the nerves now. Thanks!

I have been through a rough time since I posted last. I have been in and out of Emergency with pain around my port, on my second dose of antibiotics, had 2 CT scans and a dye test. So far it appears my band is not leaking but it could be a very slow leak. It seems that when my surgeon went in to check my port with surgery a month ago, I got an infection. Once a port or band gets infected it has to come out. That would mean I have to pay for another band. I paid 15,000.00 ten years ago. In the meantime I am trying to get the infection under control. One radiologist says my port looks normal and another says it doesn't. My family Dr. and a second surgeon says it does not look normal but my Bariatric Surgeon says it is normal. I am so frustrated. I just want my band working with restriction the way it did for nine years. If you or anyone you know has any experience please let me know. With thanks!

So after researching LB for almost 10 years, i finally had the balls to get the process going. I looked into True Results because I was advised my coverage didn't cover bariatric surgery but they told me due to my hiatal hernia I would be covered for all but a $5500 out of pocket charge that would be split into 2 year payments. So.... I just got a few letters from my insurance and apparently I owe almost $30K WHAT!?

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm very hesitant about going to restaurants after my surgery. Did anyone feel the same? What restaurants have you found to be "bariatric friendly"?

Hi I'm a fellow Canadian who just was sleeved June 16, in Tijuana with the help of the great folks at Bariatric Pals. I'm making the trip home today and feeling great.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to keep taking my bariatric Vitamin until told otherwise. It will be interesting to hear what they say at my next appt. I don't eat seafood or soy but have been having more red meat since surgery. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Anniel2015 I did have Dr. Valenzuala. Although I only talked to her for a few minutes, she seemed nice, but more important I seem to be doing good. My experience with the Mi hospital and the Mexico Bariatric Centre was terrible. First, just watched my pajama pants 3 times as the black on the bottom from the filthy floor. I found the driver to the coordinator heret was sketchy. I have travelled enough to know that Tijuana is shady to begin with but they take you to a few stores in a shopping location and only let you buy from their "friends"...we went on our own but it is a good way to walk. Hyatt was ok, no one spoke English, rooms were nice, popsicles were just ice Water on a coffee stir stick. My nursing care was bad. But yet I hear rave reviews and that confuses me. Its not a hospital, its a very very small clinic with construction going on and really no hall ways to walk through post op. I was inventive and just went from one floor to the next...not what the brochure says. They gave me morphine, which I cant handle and I told the "nurse"t understand me and gave it to me any way. MY IV wasn't working most of the time, so keep an eye on it. I had blood all over my bed and they never changed it from them attempting to get the IV in my left hand. I demanded the them to try the right hand as my left one was size of football. Now this is just my opinion, a few ladies at the same time had minor issues but were satisfied with the MI hospital. There is another doctor who spoke English and he was good, he checked up a lot and if it wasn't for him I probably would be more upset. We left a day early to get the F out of Tijuana ( hate it) but 8 days out I have to think of the operation itself......and it was good.

That's unusual for UHC, they are well known for approving bariatric surgeries. It's entirely possible however, that your employer requested this omission of coverage. It's not unusual of employers to do this to reduce their premiums. Check with your HR department or whoever it is that handles the insurance for your company. I am currently on Medicare myself, due to disability, and I purposefully chose UHC as my HMO because of their positive attitude towards all of the bariatric surgeries. Good luck, hope you can get things turned around in your favor. I wish you all the best. You may also want to check out the Insurance boards on here and see what other people have encountered with UHC and other insurance companies. Cindy

I have UHC PPO plan. It covered 80%. I had an approval letter in my hand 8 days after my appointment with my surgeon. No other doctors were involved. I was amazed. Coverage depends on your specific plan is. Call them and ask specifically, "is bariatric surgery covered on MY plan?" I did that and they said yes, for my particular policy. I automatically thought it would NOT be covered when I reviewed the UHC web site. So glad I called them. Good luck! Pam banded 3/24 by Dr. Speigel down 15 pounds....

Hi CowgirlJane, I know that BCBS AL does cover the sleeve. I just don't know if they cover revision after band failure especially if the original procedure was either self-pay or covered by another insurer. This remains to be seen. I am currently waiting for a call back from my bariatric surgeon and have a boatload of questions written down so hopefully things will be somewhat clearer this afternoon.

Leelanau, the same thing happened to me! I was six months into my pre-op stuff, had my tests all done, stress test, psych eval., sleep apnea only to find I had a clause in my insurance plan that indicated there was no coverage for any type of bariatrics. The sadder thing to me was that ALL treatment was not covered including the opposite condition that I have...bulemia. Can you image? Fortunately, this was a hidden victory. I ended up shopping for surgery, found a doctor I LOVE LOVE LOVE, discovered Denver and parts thereabouts, has a breeze of a surgery at a beautiful facility and made some amazing friends out there. Trust fate. Follow your dream to get this done. Insurance does NOT have the final say in our health. We do have a voice even if we have to pay for it ourselves, even if we have to go to other means to get it done. LUCK :thumbup:

On October 1, 2009, I met with Dr. Kuldeep Singh and Arlene Swantko - who were to become my Bariatric Surgeon and my Nutritionist as of that day. Dr. Singh is a fan of the liquid diet. He wants his patients to be on it for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery. He also made the suggestion that I try it. I looked at him as though he had 3 heads and responded "NOW???" Well, his answer was yes and his rationale was that I could sample some of the protein drinks before I HAD to drink them and that it's always a good idea to lose weight prior to having surgery. At this point I had no idea when I was having surgery, so the idea of the full liquid diet was extremely premature for this brain! I didn't see Dr. Singh again until January 2010. After being excited about collecting everything the doctor's office requested so that they could submit a clean package to the insurance company we realized that if we waited until January 1, 2010, then we wouldn't have to file an appeal and get into a big hassle because my husband's company had finally wised up and added the bariatric coverage to their insurance plan! YAY!!!! More waiting...and waiting...and waiting...it seemed that January 1st would never get here. It arrived, and along with it came a very nasty case of double pneumonia, pleurisy and a sinus infection that landed me in the hospital on New Years' Day 2010. Wow! I'd never had pneumonia before and this was nothing to mess with! I was in a lot of pain and I couldn't catch my breath. I was coughing like crazy and feeling as though someone was stabbing me in the side and back. Yet all I could think about was that this would delay my LapBand surgery and that even I got approved for the surgery I would have to wait to be cleared of this disgusting illness! The approval came on January 14, 2010. Just as I was starting to feel semi-human again and was making plans to have follow-up pulmonary, primary care and CT-Scan appointments. I wanted to do a happy dance! Problem was, I didn't feel well enough to do a happy dance! LOL So, I waited some more and even though I wasn't yet released from the pneumonia, I scheduled my surgery date for March 12, 2010. Surely that would be enough time! It was and I started the dreaded liquid diet on March 1. I decided that I was going to start on a Monday and didn't care that I was actually going to be on the diet for more than 2 weeks. Nothing really mattered anymore except that this was REAL! I was following the liquid diet perfectly, doing pretty well, losing weight and feeling a little bit better with each day. Until that fateful Wednesday night a week and a half into the diet. Looking back - WTF was I thinking??? I offered to make dinner for my husband while I was on the liquid diet - even though he had been perfectly supportive and wonderful with taking care of his own meal needs. Nope - I was going to make him a meat loaf! Was I kidding? Well - NO, I wasn't kidding, and he only wound up with about 2/3 of the meatloaf left because I couldn't help - one small piece with ketchup - ummmm - it was SO good...but not quite enough - one more small piece with mustard this time! Oh, YUMMMM...I hadn't had meatloaf in SO long! You get the picture! Before I knew it I had about 1/3 of a small loaf and was feeling full, bloated and disgusted with myself. The good news was - it was the only slip in the 2-1/2 week process. The better news was - it was a protein at least - it could have been a whole lot worse! So, I dealt with it, refused to feel guilty about it and went on with the liquid diet - finishing up the night before surgery with no more interruptions of the spirit or the brain! I'm 4 days post-op and I'm starting to get some of my strength back, starting to feel pretty good. SO - I look forward to the support and the friendships that I will develop here - those that have gone before are a wealth of knowledge and information that I intend to use to the fullest! Thanks for being here and I am viewing my future with hope and excitement for the first time in many years!