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This thread has had me googling pics of "hot" bariatric surgeons!

Hello my fellow sleevers, I was doing so good finally with my water & protein intake and now i developed gout in both my feet, It seems like my protein intake is the cause of this, Which leads me to my next question what should I consume on a daily basis. I'm currently 2 1/2 months out of surgery and im doing great 95 lbs down since pre op. Bariatric doc has me on 90 grams of protein and im limited to 40-50 carbs daily.... But now that i'm fighting gout i started eating fruits to fight my uric acid but fruits = carbs...... not sure how to beat it or what diet to follow. Any suggestions ???

Well Mr Viking you have gone from fat chubby Hagar the Horrible to Wulfgar the Wonderful. I was ahead of you,on high weight 365 to your 346.5, 319 on my surgery day 9/05/2018, I also cheered when I too broke 300 and last Wednesday 12/05/2018 I was 260 when dismissed from my Ohio State University-Wexner Medical Center after a weeks stay. I now have a PICC line in my upper left arm, get fed 14 out of 24 hours a TPN solution, but still am regarding it as an unexpected quicksand on my Bariatric Journey, I shall still dance in the sunlight☀ and claim a Final JOYOUS VICTORY!

She is absolutely adorable, I have that look on my face also, you see I too have a new friend, mine more of a pain. I now have a PICC line in my upper left arm and receive TPN 14 of every 24 hours. My gastrointestinal system is on holiday, I have had that unresolved stomal stenosis, the 5 evil ulcers, 2 near the stoma and the other 3 on the back wall of the jejunem, well Wedneday November 28th at my last endoscopy Precious Pouch was all disgruntled and swollen, the ulcers had not resolved, showed no signs of healing, truth be known, they were marching down towards the third segment of my small intestine, I had been on Carafate for over 6 weeks, kept my diet liquid and mild, avoided smokers like the plague, and I was worsening, not able to get a healing amount of protein in orally so my happy Hoohah got planted upstairs in a room on Doan 10, the Bari-surgical floor. And there I was for a full week. On Thursday November 29th I had a PICC line installed in my upper inner left arm, after 24 hours of letting things settle down on Friday November 30 My first TPN feeding was started , a 24 hour seige of it, at the end of the weekend they started stepping back to 12 hours, after that we started cycling 12 on,12 off. Monday they were satisfied I wasn't going to swing into hyper or hypoglycemia so started preparing me to come home. First Medicare( and by extension Ohio Medicaid, the tag-along) said basically" We've seen her picture, She Looks too healthy!" Hey that picture was 60 pounds ago, my color is off, I now have dimples/dents in my cheeks and a hang-dog expression on my face! Tuesday they would approve a PEG tube and an LTF(aka nursing home) placement, first of all I WOULD NOT accept a placement in one of those, worked in TOO many of those, Homie ain't going There! And fact #2. A PEG tube placement, your stomach and pyloric valve need to be accessible, never going to happen with an RnY short of open abdominal surgery. Wasn't in shape for that! So tall talking from. my surgical team, much tutorials to explain and finally Medicare relented, I could go home, with instruction my son and I could take over the care, and Frustr8 could return to her little humble home. A difference is my portable pump, which I carry around in a medium sized backpack along with my solution, runs 14 instead of 12 hours. So 14 on, 10 off. Last night we were running behind because I fixed him a good meal instead of guess & by gosh sandwiches, Oh I owed him, he has put up with cranky old me, and I do get cranky at times. So didn't get it started until after 10:30-11pm so it's still chugging along now. You really can't hear it run very easily. At a minimum we are BFF until the end of the month, and the longest,maybe FOREVER? I guess the additional protein et al is starting to make me feel better but it can be a pain in the tush to handle the logistics. But I can and shall do it, just a patch of unexpected quicksand on my Bariatric Journey😕

Hey Y 'all …. Anyone go through Texas Bariatric Specialist in San Antonio, TX?!? (Dr Patel/Dr Reddy) Also, Anyone have United HealthCare Choice Plus, in Tx? What was your Experience with either or?!!? Thanks

My one expectant sleeve friend, well technically she is a friend's daughter, my peers no longer are actively reproducing, her doctor told her good clean healthy foods, exercise, she was on bariatric vitamins for her, prenatal for the baby, told Emily Your body will straighten everything out, she gained 17 and a half pounds, Michael Anthony Joseph was a respectable 7 pounds 11 oz, they went home at 2 days postpartum, mainly because her hubby had Sunday off. Emily and Baby Boy are just healthy as can be and she is nursing him, he's gaining like a little teddy bear, so doggone cute!

Almost everything I have got from there is Good Good Good. Why enrich Amazon, Wal-Mart.com and the others overstuffed pockets when Alex's Store at Bariatric Pal has good-tasting stuff. My Bari-bud Ellie123 liked the snacks she purchased THERE!

I had extensive skin removal surgery following RNY. I did it in two rounds (upper / front, then lower / back), two years ago. Aside from RNY itself, it's the best decision I ever made. It's nearly impossible to find useful information about cosmetic surgery online. The majority is either advertisement or scare-mongering, and most of it is not relevant to a bariatric patient. The only way to learn is to schedule consultations with local surgeons, get an assessment and quote, and - most importantly - look at their book. All of these consultations should be free of charge. If they're not, skip to the next option. They will all have photo albums of similar procedures they've done on past clients, and can talk you through the similarities and differences between yourself and those other people. They all have different techniques and different experience, and the good ones will want to make sure you have a realistic assessment of what you can expect in terms of final outcome. Don't assume that the first surgeon you meet is going to be the right one for you. Shop around. In terms of finding good candidates, I would start by asking the team that did your bariatrics surgery. They likely know which surgeons in the area do a lot of post-weight loss surgeries and can make a recommendation. Good luck!

My surgeon doesn't allow his patients to use Premier since it's a concentrate protein, but before I knew this I tried almost all of their flavors and wasn't a fan of any of them—I don't like the aftertaste. I really like Bariatric Eating's Inspire—it's whey protein isolate, they have a lot of flavors, and it doesn't have a powdery texture/aftertaste.

A thought for all my Bariatric Buddies on a Sunny Sunday We All are no longer Human Beings We are now Human Becomings. And as I watch the mirror, watch my scales, I celebrate ME and the ability to Become All I May Be!

The best relative pain guide would be how many inches of incisions do they need to do, as it is the skin that has the most nerves; the interior work like for muscle tightening would be less noticeable. So, a basic panniculectomy to cut off the excess skirt would not be greatly different than a full tummy tuck/abdominoplasty. You do want to find a surgeon who specializes in reconstruction after massive weight loss, as there can be a lot of difference between a basic mommy makeover and a person who has lost 1-200 or more pounds. They usually specialize (at least for our typical need) by patient type rather than body part, though some of the bariatric surgeons who get into plastics as a sideline for their patients will often leave the more "artistic" aspects (like breast implants or facial work) to a specialist PS, though that can sometimes be combined into one procedure if they work in a team effort. People do go to Mexico or other countries for PS as, with the bariatrics, the cost can be much less. The downside is that PS procedures have a much higher chance of mild to moderate complications - incisions that don't heal promptly, or open again, fluid build up not caught by the drains, seromas, etc. Much of this can be handled by taking selfies and email instructions on treatment, but sometimes it takes an office visit, so dealing with someone local is a big plus.

@CarmenP as always - everyone is different with their healing/pain I always had a double chin/neck - i finally said to myself " i am worth it" (having the surgery) i didn't do as much research as i probably should have.i talked to my bariatric center, they recommended the dr. they only heard good things. I discussed surgery with him, done deal!! and PS told me that i would get a little face lift too, since the skin goes up with the neck. PO in recovery room was terrible - my face was realllly hurting!! I had 2 drains, low each side of my face (about 2 weeks) semi-pain lasted around one week. Very pleased with neck lift - ummmm - not much improvement with face, can only do so much with what they have to work with LOL😉 good luck kathy

I was given a little plastic card that I keep in my wallet that says that I had bariatric surgery and they should call my surgeon's office before performing certain procedures. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh man this is awful!!! Have you tried Surgical Associates? They have the same surgeons that Bailey does, except they do the surgery at Saint Francis and they have different qualifiers. Dr. Varnell is there too even. I chose Bailey as I worked there awhile back, not because of any other reason. https://www.satulsa.com/main/services/bariatric-surgery/ also, surgery in Mexico is pretty affordable and can be financed. If it doesnt include the flight... Tulsa has Allegiant flights to San Diego for next to nothing... 120 bucks or so round trip with no layovers. You could totally do that too... it was one of the options I also looked into... but for me, since Bailey was free and I had worked there, its just the direction I went. Girl I would recommend this surgery to anyone. I am losing weight awesomely, its pretty easy so far, and I never had a bit of problems with the surgery, pain, tummy issues, nothing. I am not even close to goal weight but I would do this again for sure. Even if I had to go to Mexico to get it done lol. Thats what my exhusband and baby son have done btw and it worked wonderfully for them! No issues at all either. Good luck and I sure do hope you stick around!

Hello all, If anyone has either had cosmetic surgery after bariatric surgery, or has seriously considered it, what questions did you ask yourself as you weighed your decision? How did you go about finding a surgeon? Are all surgeons capable of any kind of cosmetic surgery, or do they specialize (lower body, breasts, face, etc...?) I have been reading, but it’s hard to get a feel, there is so much information out there. Some former bariatric patients have even gone to another country for surgery! That idea frightens me! But I’d love to know more if anyone wants to share. Please feel free to give me as much information and detail as you’d like. I am very appreciative of any and all help. Thank you! 😊

Just a hint...I am 5 years out from my RNY, to this day I have what I call "My Food Rituals" with that being said Let me explain...I had BIG Problems with STRICTURES. I had 5 Endoscopes starting in Nov 2013. Every couple months I had to have another one done. Finally, I went to a different Bariatric Center. Jan 2015 was my last stricture. If your mom keeps having this problem you might want to ask her Surgeon about getting it check out. Not wanting to add more stress on you both. You must be your own best friend!!

Some countries' Google Play stores don't list it if you're using Android you can manually install the apk (you have to set permissions to allow installation from unknown sources) but here's a link : https://apkpure.com/baritastic-bariatric-tracker/com.baritastic.view Sent from my SM-G930F using BariatricPal mobile app

Mine was Creamy Mashed Cauliflower.. taste just like mashed potatoes. I googled a good bariatric recipe. Loved it! Also blended cottage cheese with frozen peaches. Yes! Loved that 2! Felt like i was cheating my diet..so good. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Water is really hard for me too. I find it is easier when cool, but not ice cold. Some people say Crytal Lite and SF Gatorade goes down easier, but artificial sweeteners make me want to hurl now. Bariatric, high protein SF hot cocoa and decaf helps me. I wish I liked tea, but I hate it. Try warm liquid, it goes down easier for me. Wonton broth (no wontons) goes down super smoothly. As for feeling full, my NUT says you don't usually feel it in your stomach. It can be a tightness in the chest (I feel this first), hiccups (I know I need to not take another bite at this point) or even a sneeze (I haven't experienced this). I feel pretty tired too, I think that will last a long time. Good luck in your recovery!

I think I'll follow this thread 'cause you bring up something that might trouble me in the future. I actually am not due for colonoscopy until 2022 in theory, since normally it's every 10 years of you're healthy. But alas I was all smooth and uninterrupted the way My GOD created me in September/October 2012, cannot make That Claim anymore, can't I? And with my clouded upper endoscopic history NOW I have more spots than an Appaloosa. I figure it's just a matter of time that one of my myriad of surgeons, and I wonder since Ohio State University Hospital-Wexner Medical Center is a teaching hospital maybe I serve as a BAD EXAMPLE in one or two of the Medical School courses? Long long title but YOU OUGHT see their campus! I swear they have a hospital or section for almost anything Man is prone to develop. My recent hospitalation, I call it incarceration because I Was There for 7 and quarter days, beginning to think I might be there as a Research Dummy, accent on 2nd half, I was in Doan Hall, who was Doan ? IDK, maybe a benefactor with more money than Good Sense? but the main section of the Hospital, where admissions et al is, that's Rhodes Hall, named after James Alan Rhodes one of Ohio' s former( I remember him, actually met him when I was President of Knox County Teen-aged Republicans, a really nice person and had a daughter just my age) maybe I shall win the Piwerball or Mega Millions and endow me a building MYSELF! Hmmn, the Frustr8 Bariatric Patient bulding for the Chronically Bewildered, yep does have a🔔 Ring to it!!! Anyway a Proctologist or Gastroenterologist is going to get a Bright💡 Idea, "Lets Go Plumb Frustr8' s hind quarters" and it will be Hello Fiber-optic Tube? My question, the Mag Citrate power cleanser through me, faster, slower, same duration of time or can it not be used at all? Inquiring Future Victim Wants To Know!😱😥😪😭😰

Ahhhhhhh! Bach! Ok, that makes sense! I thought you were sayin' you felt like you needed to do a "5 Day Pouch Reset" to punish yourself make yourself go back to small portions and be a good bariatric patient.

A nurse shouldn't be passing on their personal opinion based on things they have seen, they have no idea of the patients' personal / medical history, they have no idea how compliant the person has or hasn't been post op. They Non-compliance could well have caused some of the issues they have supposedly seen. Talk to your doctor/surgeon about the concerns that she has caused you to have. You have obviously considered WLS because you are overweight and its usually not a first choice for weight loss, so I would say you have tried and failed at various weight loss methods. What will you do to lose weight if not WLS? I am sorry to hear about your friend, but was it confirmed that five years after WLS, that WLS causes the bowel obstruction. At the end of the day, you have to do what is right for you and what you feel safe with, but you should research further with other medical staff - your doctor, bariatric surgeons etc.

I have hit a snag with financing my VSG surgery and I’m now rethinking the surgery as well. My nurse for my endoscopy the other day told me not to do it! She said the lifelong vitamin deficiencies, potential for bowel obstructions, gallbladder issues, brittle bones, etc. were all things she’s seen in her Bariatric patients long term. She didn’t say it in a bad way and I did ask her to be honest but once she realized she was discouraging me she felt bad. She told me that since I have no other comorbidities to just try losing it on my own again one more time and do it for a full year at 100% effort especially because I’m young (26). I am seriously on the fence especially now that my loan didn’t go through. I know so many people are happy with it and we hear from these people all the time saying the only thing they regret is not getting it done sooner, but does anyone wish they had given it one last go before surgery? Especially those who are otherwise relatively healthy. I don’t even have high cholesterol, sugars, or blood pressure! My bp is always around 125/83, sometimes a little bit higher but not by a huge amount. I hope people do not think I am attacking their choices or their way of life because VSG and the Bariatric community is something I have been researching for a long time and I’ve found lots of great info here, but this is a huge, major, life changing decision and it’s best to get everyone’s opinion and to be very thorough! I have had one friend who’s best friend was put in a coma, and another who had lost her life due to a bowel obstruction post WLS. I am terrible at even taking my birth control pills, so I just don’t want to set myself up for failure 5 years down the road if I’m too absent minded to take my vitamins. Any advice would be helpful. I lost about 48lbs in 5 months on phentermine but would not do it again due to heart issues it caused.

Oh the bureaucracy here is maddening. Medical consultants have their little fiefdoms here and they don't like uppity patients not falling into line. I decided in going to laugh about it, because I have my bypass and it's working just like it's supposed to (if a little slow) and I'm delighted with how much better I'm feeling. I'm just agog that a top bariatric professional could decide it's better for his patient's health to wait years on a waiting list, than get the medical help needed overseas straight away. Seriously, dude?!? يا الله!! But at least it's taught me, when I need professional medical attention I should go overseas rather than waste my time with the docs here. Sent from my SM-G930F using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks! I am actually super excited. And the NP said that given my progress so far, I may be able to lose more than I'd initially thought, so that's encouraging. As for the NUT, I have asked her for recipes. She sends me to the internet. she's also the one that runs the support group - where she basically lets people yell over each other to be heard. Before I did this, i went to a local integrated weight loss practice - they have endocrinologists, nutritionists, psychologists, and exercise folks on staff (well, I still see my therapist there and go to one of the groups). Lots of great groups for different issues. The nutritionist there was awesome. We'd chat, and she'd pull up a bunch of different recipes for me to try. And was good at helping me plan for tough situations (like next week I'm at training all day for 3 days, so no access to the kitchen at work). Current NUT just pointed to the protein list and said some of these don't need to be heated. Former NUT would have helped me brainstorm meal ideas. Oh well. Just one more thing I need to do for the program. At least my therapist is starting a bariatric support group that meets twice a week starting in January, so looking forward to that