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Hi Guys. I am a 39 y/o married mother of two. I am 5'9 and weigh 285. I am now an insulin dependant diabetic with high blood pressure also due to my weight. I have finally decided to have some surgery to help me. I have not been to see a Dr. yet, I have only looked at different options online. I live in a small rural town and will have to drive a little over an hour to see any kind of bariatric physicians so I wanted to somewhat know what I want to do before I see the physician. Could one of you tell me why you chose lap banding over the other surgical alternatives?

Hi there! My name is Kim and I am from Elk Grove. I saw that you had your surgery in Modesto and wanted to contact you. Congrats on your success with the lapband surgery!

I am in the "considering" stage right now and have asked for a bariatric referral from my primary physician. I have a BMI of 35.5 w/ 2 comorbids so I guess I barely make it. I really am hoping this is for me. I have struggled sooo long with my weight and I am so depressed about it!

May I ask you how your recovery has been? Have you had a lot of nausea or vomiting? I am concerned about that part!

Any input you can give me is so appreciated!! Happy Holidays!

Kim

Hi,

What is up with that office????? Anyway, here is the phone number:

Dr. Steinberg

New patient coordinator: Shawna Clinard, she is GREAT!!!

1045 Sycamore Dr.

Decatur, GA 30030

phone 404-501-7903

fax 404-501-7981

They may make you attend one of the information sessions go to Surgical Weight Management - Bariatric Weight Loss Surgeons in Atlanta, Georgia performing Lap-Band and Gastric Bypass Surgeries for dates and times. They are great with getting you in for appointments. Shawna is wonderful about guiding you through the steps and submitting paperwork. My approval came through in about 2 days. Let me know how it goes!

Hi Renewed Hope,

Happy Birthday!!!! Have a great weekend!!!!

I've just got approved a few days ago finally after running into a couple of mishaps with my paper work not being received at the insurance company. I really have no idea were the break down in the office ,with the fax machine was but I'm glad it straight now. Atlanta bariatrics pretty much leaves it up to you to schedule all your appointment that are required to get done at your pace. Dr. Johnson will do my surgery when I pick a date I'm looking at the first week in Dec. Now that it 's really going to happen I'm getting nervous too. What Dr. are you thinking about using ?

Hi,

I am seeing Dr. Brown but mine is in Denver at Colorado Bariatrics. Same guy? He seems wonderful and he's done tons of lap bands. I feel very comfortable with him.

Thanks for replying!

I went through SouthWest Bariatric - Dr. Clark. How about you? How is the process going for you? How much are you down in 3 months? I feel so sore and bloated I wonder if I have even lost an ounce at this point!

Atlanta Medical Center is an excellent hospital. But parts of it are quite old. My sister was born there in 1958 and the original building wasn't new then. The bottom line is you have to be comfortable with everything about your choice in doctor, surgeon, whatever. Emory's bariatric practice has a well-respected practice. I will mention that an acquaintance went there and felt that it was a bit impersonal and ended up going to my surgeon (True Results/Dr. Chris Hart -- who was the founding partner of Emory Bariatrics). The first surgeon's office I contacted may have had a great reputation but his staff acted like they were doing me a favor just to speak to me on the phone. Bottom line, you have to have your own comfort zone. Let me know how it goes! And, what the GI Doc says. Good luck. And if I don't talk to you before next week, have a great Thanksgiving!

Hello Debi, well no your not asking too many questions, lol, that is fine, I am in Massachusetts, and I am doing my pre-op diet which I am ok, but at the same time still finding myself hungary. I am not a fan of these shakes, I don't know if you have the same ones as I do, but I got these Bariatric shakes and one you have to add fiber too, and ugh thats so nasty, and I got a banana flavored one and the way your supposed to make it you have to use less powder cause of how strong it is. It is not good. So I cut it with the vanilla powder or chocolate powder that I have. So anyway, when is your surgury? One of my other friends told me one tid bit that I want to share with you and that is make sure after your surgury try to sit up and get up and walk as much as possible to relieve the gas bubbles you get from surgury. Well I will talk to you soon!!!

My primary care physician DR David Felker gave high praise to this Surgeon. Said, if he needed surgery, he himself would consider this doctor. I myself was more concerned that Bethesda Memorial Hospital does so few Bariatric Procedures that they have yet to earn the coveted Center of Excellence Award for these procedures. After much though, it was JFK with DR Andrew Larson or Hollywood Bariatrics at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood FL. Dr Thomas Bass and DR Brett Cohen have done countless Lap Band installations and are Proctors as well that teach other surgeons the proper procedure. I chose DR Cohen, very happy with him and the office. Banded Jan 12, 2010

The number of people walking around with their bands too tight baffles me. Are people just (foolishly) ignoring their doctors or are there really that many bad bariatric surgeons out there? Jeez!

have you thought about Lenox hill hospital,I heard there really good and dont require a 6 month sup.diet,and I also heard that the bariatric surgeons in NJ is really good too...and for your protein go to GNC or unjury I have read a lot of reviews on both of them..at GNC the Isopure is exellent..they have the small bags for 19.99 bogo,and the lg one bogo as well but get a gold card for $10.00 atGNC

My "bariatric University" class is scheduled on 2-8-11. Will you be there or have you done it already?

Hi Tiff!

I am excited, scared, and a little in denial too

Where are you having your surgery done? Im having mine at Pacific Bariatric in San Diego. How are you feeling?

Every doctor is different. The hospital I had it done at is used by many different bariatric doctors, and they said that most of the doctors remove the drainage tube before the patient leaves the hospital, but my doctor prefers to do it a week later.

DeeDee -

I have been trying to sip all day long. It's a chore. I am sucking on a SF popsicle now. I can feel every swallow land in my irritated (and smaller) stomach. Not pleasant. Walking hasn't been much of a problem. The more you walk, the easier it gets. I struggled to get in and out of my bed at first. Last night I had terrible gas pains and was in and out of bed all night. It got easier - now it's no problem. Everything is tender but manageable. My only advise on protein is find conc. protein (high protein/small volume). Yesterday I made a Nectar protein with diluted crystal light. All together was almost 18oz of fluid (just like what I was drinking before surgery). It took me 6 hrs to finish one 23g serving. Today I just made the nectar with 8oz of water and got all 23g of protein in about 90 min. Some of the bariatric drinks didn't sound to appealing pre-op because there was no volume for the calories consumed. I know see the benefit.

How are you doing?

Hi Dansha, Absolutely, I have had no problems and I really attribute that to the quality care that I received with Hoehn. I could not have asked for things to go better. I drove 11 hours and stayed in town for 10 days (amazing price for a level one Bariatric Center of Excellence, I am self pay) and would do it again in a heart beat! Tell him his patient from Columbus, Ohio says "Hi" Keep in touch, good luck!

One other thing I wish I would have known prior...go to one of the websites (advantage Bariatric) or Bariatriceating.com and get soft chews for your Calcium Citrate. I could not stand the tablets they give you in the hospital. very chalky. the little soft chews taste like some kind of candy I can't remember the name of.

Hello kteacher,

I am glad to see that you live in Somerset area. I did have my surgery on Dec.2 and I am doing ok. I was approved by Medicaid to have the sleeve. I have not regretted having it at all. I hope you stay with Dr. Husted. He is such a great doctor. He really cares about his patients. I hope we get to meet up sometime to chat, if you would like. I am planning on going to the next support group meeting that they have each month at the Bariatric Center beside Dr. Husted's office. I don't know what date the next one is on, so I will have to get on his web page and find out. Maybe I will see you there. I wish you all the best.

Hey Elaine! I talked with someone where I work today and found out that she had had the VSG surgery - wow! She looks absolutely GREAT! And, she said that she her energy level was low for a bit, she is now full speed ahead!

I am getting really excited about the surgery - especially with the more I read about it and the more folks I communicate with who have had bariatric surgery of some kind!

We are going to do just GREAT! and we will feel so healthy and look so good!! YEA!

Hi Jenifer:

Yes, I was sleeved by Dr. Hoehn, almost 1 year ago. I could not recommend him, and the program at KC Bariatric, more. He is a superior surgeon, and the program is comprehensive and extremely professional. I looked at MANY options prior to choosing this one, and it was far superior to all of the others. I'd be happy to answer any questions; just ask!

Waiting for the Bariatric Department to call me...

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

I'm new to the forum, and new to the bariatric world. I'm a virgin in the subject as well. I have been researching and reading literally since yesterday and attended a seminar just last night by a surgeon in the Pembroke Pines area (Dr. Jeremy Gallego Eckstein), speaking of the 3 different surgeries, pros and cons. I had sworn I would NEVER do th...

Hi Starry, I just saw that you left a comment for me quite a long time ago and I am just now figuring how to navigate to that page! Sorry...I didn't ignore you I finally just saw it. My doc is Mark Sherrod from SW Bariatrics and my surgery will be the Austin Surgical Hospital off of Bee Caves Rd. Hope your surgery went well & will try to figure out all of the features on this site!

They need to submit the referral to the surgery department for a bariatric consult, just have them call Tricare directly to submit it to the appropriate MTF.