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if you try to walk, does it improve or worsen? If it gets better, maybe excessive gas? If worse, do bring your Bariatric Team into the loop, yeah a lot of us have had similar due to multiple things, but they are Your Best Resource, on Bariatric Pal we only practice lay medicine and Hope. Very few have licenses and degrees, but we all support each other on the Journey!

You won't, it is my belief that you really had Right Surgery Right Time Right Reason Right Benefit For the Right Person, YOU! No surgery comes with an" instant gratification " guarantee! LIFE does not grant THEM, accept the testimony of your Bariatric Godmother well into her 72nd year of LIFE and many more ahead!😝👵👼😝

The bariatric cocoas are good. If they are too sweet add decaf instant coffee and/or unsweetened bitter cocoa powder. 15 grams of protein too. I have it before bed to get my protein in for the day.

Oct517 remember we are all here for you,-you are part of our worldwide Bariatric Pal family. Burdenscare a lot lighter when you have someone to share them with!😝💓🙏😝

I worry that I’ll be a gastric bypass failure. I noticed that I plateau within a couple of weeks of the start of my cycle. I have pcos too so maybe it correlates? Finally seeing the scale move a lil lower after being on my cycle since Wednesday. My surgeon told me that if I plateau that I should continue to follow my surgeons guidelines and the weight will come off again. I also need to remember that every week will not be a major weight loss week. For this month my goal is to shed about 15lbs. I’ll be working on hitting my protein/water/sleep/exercise goals. I think my plan will give me the results I’m looking for🤞🏾🤞🏾. The only reason why I have a goal for this month is because i turn 25 next month and I want to feel confident in my outfit. Also I want to tell the truth about my weight when I renew my license. I’ve been the same weight on there since I was 17 or so. “Still weigh 254?” “Yea sure 👀”

Well to update, now in OSU- Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, my original Bariatric Hospital. Admitted Wednesday November 28, had PICC line inserted in upper inner left arm Thursday November 29, started on TPN at 10:30 PM Friday November 30, should be running until 11:59 PM tonight December 1st, guess I am tolerating it well. Estimated Dismissal Date is 12/03/2018 barring anything worse happening. My life is a cheap unrealistic soap opera at times.

Bariatric cocoa is good and has 15 grams of protein, but it is much thinner and tastier than a shake. It is too sweet for me so I add a spoon of decaf instant coffee and a teaspoon of bitter unsweetened cocoa powder.

Initial Surgeon consult...May 2017 Surgery Date... December 2017 Required: six months doctor supervised weight loss plan, EGD, psych evaluation. Dietitian evaluation and assessment was required along with a pre operative information session in a group setting with the surgeons bariatric coordinator. I had no history of heart issues or sleep apnea so did not require any cardiac tests.

I had my surgery on October 10th of this year and have struggled with exactly the same thing. I'm so glad you posted about this. I did not realize what a huge role food and alcohol played in my life until they were no longer an option for me. I'm only down a total of 26 pounds from my heaviest weight, and only 16 since surgery, and I'm having trouble remembering EVERY SINGLE NEW THING that must be incorporated into my life: all the vitamins, getting down 64 ounces of water every day, trying to exercise 5x a week, waiting 30 minutes between eating and drinking, counting and getting in 50-60 grams of protein every day but never having a serving size bigger than 1/3 of a cup, strictly limiting carbs... ALL of it! I get emotional so easily and my poor family, god love them, has no idea what I'm going through or how to help. I do appreciate their patience with me as I navigate this new lifestyle. I've started a food journal where I also log how I'm feeling that day, and put the bariatric support group dates on my calendar. Now if I can just add making myself stop mourning the death of my relationship with food and wine I'll be good to go! I do have a therapist I check in with every two weeks, and that is my saving grace right now. I'd recommend finding one who can give you the support you need and keep posting here. Thanks again for bringing up a tough subject. Take care.

Matt, thank you for your informed reply. I started vitamins this am and gagged through them. Do you know if the pods cover all the bariatric minimums? Many thanks Linda

I'm curious what steps everyone had to take from their first surgeon visit to approval/surgery date. Did you do certain testing, if so, when was it determined you had to do it? No need for major detail unless you feel like it. I'm thinking something like an easy to read timeline... Example: [date] 1st Surgeon Visit> [date] blood work , stress test, psych test, etc.> [date] insurance approval> [date] start pre-op/liver shrink diet> [date] Surgery date The reason I'm asking this is because #1 I'm marginally impatient, hate surprises and I'm trying to manage it. #2 My insurance policy that covers bariatric won't begin until 01/01/19 and I go to my first surgeon appointment this coming Monday 12/03. I'm just wondering what all I can squeeze in and get done before that 01/01/19 date. Thanks, folks! EDIT: My nutritionist person just emailed me and said the only thing I can do prior to my new insurance plan is stress test, EKG and nutrition. Everything else will have to be done closer to surgery date which is TBD.

They don't neither do protein shakes. However bariatric surgery changes things up quite a bit, as our surgeries were deemed medically necessary, and the whole post op nutrition thing is murked up a bit. So I wonder what things people have had luck with. Also I was under the impression that everything in an FSAs eligibility (unless you have a limitited or dependent plan) is determined by the federal government, it's only managed by the employer.

That's highly possible. I'm no doctor or nutritionist, but 60g is my max for the day. Only difference is I haven't had surgery yet. The higher end of that spectrum is generally reserved for people that lift heavy and need the extra protein for recovery. Here's an awesome read about hair loss from a local Dallas Bariatric surgeon https://www.drdkim.net/ask-the-dietitian/understanding-hair-loss-after-bariatric-surgery/ It might give you a little different perspective on the cause of it and how to prevent it the best you can. 3rd big bullet point on the Dr. Kim site: As far as the protein intake goes, dial it back a little. Give the scale 2 weeks to move. Shouldn't take much longer than that especially since you already had the surgery. If the numbers don't go down, even by the slightest, your stall might not be directly related to your protein intake or it could be a combination of other influencing factors. Also, remove sugar (even the alternative sweeteners) as much as you can and be aware that just because a sugar alternative is zero calorie doesn't mean it won't cause an insulin response or a glucose spike. This site about sugar and sugar alternatives is excellent! Be aware of the glycemic index. http://www.sugar-and-sweetener-guide.com/glycemic-index-for-sweeteners.html For example, Maltodextrin. It's worse than straight glucose! 10pts higher on the glycemic index than actual glucose. It's nuts! You'll see it in many "sugar free" products but you might as well eat a few tablespoons of granulated sugar, because it's no different. One other thing you might begin to look at is your electrolyte and liquid intake too. Up that. You can supplement electrolytes via capsule or liquid. Check Amazon for Reviver electrolyte capsules or Hi-Lyte liquid. Sometimes a few Powerade Zero's a day isn't enough. I hope you can figure out what's causing your stall 💓

My employer has a flexible spending account they offer. Has anyone used one to pay for vitamins, calcium, or even protein shakes after having bariatric surgery? If this is an option anyone with an employer offered FSA could probably save several hundred to even a few thousand dollars a year

11 years ago, before I was well-versed in how insurance worked, I went through all the testing and medical approval process with a surgeon for LapBand just to find out that there was an exclusion on my policy for weight loss surgery once they submitted my claim to the insurance company. That news was absolutely devastating. I dropped the phone and ugly cried at my desk at work very loudly for a few minutes. SO...in an effort to prevent history from repeating itself, I've triple and quadruple checked everything with HR and they've confirmed, for sure, that bariatric is covered. I think surgeons might've done things differently back then or something...kind of bass-ackwards if you ask me. Nowadays, your eligibility is confirmed before you start. Who knows...maybe my surgeon's office back then was just crappy. I just completed open enrollment yesterday for the new policy so once that's goes through, I'll feel much more comfy about things. since the surgeon will have a way to confirm all the details. I'm curious to see how things work out with you too so keep in touch!!!

Good morning! Yes we are in the same boat. And the funny thing is that I also have an out of state policy. LOL I live in PA, but my paret company's US headquarters are in Delaware, so I have Highmark Delaware. Heck we are just about the same weight too! Make sure you ask your HR department that it is covered! My current insurance is Aetna. Well Aetna sure does have a section regarding bariatric services, however, my husbands employer does NOT have a bariatric rider. I am glad that I had called to verify because i would have been SO PISSED if I had started my journey only to get denied.....and I have read this exact thing playing out on a few different forums. I had found my info in the medical policy section. Once I went in there, I then did search for Obesity and the policy change popped up:

Thanks for such a long post! You are too kind to take you time to post this. Actually, I am familiar with many of these points. I am an RN and am graduating in 13 days with my Master's in Nursing and will sit for boards in less than a month to be a Family Nurse Practitioner. In my clinical rotations (Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Ob/gyn, even Peds), I give my patients talks about eliminating simple sugars out of their diet. In fact, I did my capstone project on the Medical Management of Bariatric Patients, and in addition to the inflammatory processes that simple sugars inflame, you are at high risk for dumping syndrome. I experience extreme dumping syndrome--bother early and late dumping syndrome. Early--from the simple sugars (for example, if I would ever eat like a cookie or half a cupcake) and late (from high fat, like bacon or fast food.) I have had my gall bladder removed so it exacerbates the late dumping syndrome more than someone who has their gall bladder. I'm a stage 2b breast cancer survivor and couldn't tolerate Tamoxifen for a variety of reasons. So, against my doctor's wishes, I had to d/c that med a few years ago. They wanted me to take it for 10 years. I couldn't even tolerate 18 months. I ended up on 13 other meds to ameliorate the s/e caused by the Tamoxifen. Then I had to have a salpingoopherectomy (hysterectomy but left the ovaries so I wouldn't go into premature menopause.) I am quite familiar with the troubles of Femara--my mom took for a while and was MISERABLE. I have the same experience with wine--it causes me pain too. I don't even bother anymore. It's unfortunate but it's just the way it is. I don't know about the actual percentages of for every x y z pounds you lose, your pain is reduced by x percent. I'd love to read the research on that. If you happen to ever get the citation, please post or msg me. That is a powerful statistic that I would love to use with my patients I see in clinic. It would motivate them to get moving on weight loss. Nonetheless, I am continuing to work on my weight loss, having lost 100 pounds so far. Exercising is more sporadic now, especially in the last days of my MSN wherein I'm having to submit so many papers, assignments, take finals, etc. Terrible excuse, but it's my reality nonetheless. I do what I tell my patients to do and get up and march around the house for 10 mins multiple times a day, when I'm not at clinic. And/or walk outside when it's not 29 degrees here! My husband is runner who runs at 7 mins/mile (old guy now who used to run 4min/mile) so when he walks we me especially, he keeps me on a good pace. As you probably know, weight loss and eschewing alcohol are the two major actions you can take as a breast cancer survivor to prevent a recurrence. There are numerous studies on this and I can post if you would like. (I'm in the last few days of coursework and working like a dog to submit assignments, study for finals and boards! So this moment is kinda bad, but soon!) It sounds like you have been through the ringer and I appreciate your post. I'm off all pain meds. I have muscle relaxants that I can use for spasms but I don't use them that much b/c of s/e. The one muscle relaxant that doesn't cause sleepiness is Lorzone, but it's not that effective. I have never had a prednisone shot, although it's sounding mighty enticing. My concern about that is the same as with my patients. It raise blood sugar, puts you at risk for fungal infections, etc. I'm not a big advocate of prednisone injections in general. Thanks again for your post and I will continue my quest to continue to lose weight and very SOON be able to up my exercise even more that my paltry amount. The rebound pain is real with NSAIDs (which I cannot take anyway, as all of us with GBS) and the endorphins released by exercise (and sex, btw!) are inimitable! Keep up all your great work!

Anyone on here from Baptist Bariatrics in Jacksonville FL?

Disclaimer - I don't give medical advice. I'm just sharing my experience with this. I have reactive hyperglycemia. It started a year out. I am four years out. I'm still managing lows. Reactive hypoglycemia is your pancreas over functioning. Your pancreas will periodically dump a larger amount of insulin into your system. This is what causes low blood sugar. Treating/managing low blood sugars is not much different than managing diabetes. For me, RH is life long. My pancreas function is not going to change. You said " cannot/will not eat carbs and sugar" Try to get out of the mind set of "bariatric rules" You are treating a health issue. This is doable and you still can work your healthy plan. Keeping blood sugars level : I had a consult with a dietician outside of the bariatric program. I have a blood glucose meter. I test often. I eat five to six small meals (all within my calorie and macro range). I add Low glycemic carbs in small amounts and not every day or every meal. Example - One day no carbs the next day I will have small amounts with lunch and diner. Low glycemic carbs don't spike your sugars. (sweet potato, lentil, beans, brown rice, whole wheat and plant based (fruits veggies) I am carb sensitive. Carbs make me gain weight. My preference is to alternate days and meals and eat sweet potato and plant based carbs. Managing the low sugars: You will not be eating sugar daily. Just like a diabetic, Serious lows will involve real sugar to bring low's back up. Glucose tablets work. I can tolerate watered down orange juice. (full strength upsets my stomach) It may be trial and error to figure out what sugar choice works for you.

I am SO glad I met you here! We're literally in the same kind of boat We definitely need to keep in touch. It's awesome to hear that diet consults are no longer required for your BC plan! Do you remember where on their website you found that or did you have to call? Only thing I wish they had was online chat. UnitedHealthcare had great support chat, but that was about it LOL My new insurance plan is through Anthem Blue Cross. I'm in Texas, but my company is based out of California so we get the same coverage that they do. Even though I can't log in to the Anthem BC site yet, I have my entire plan's documents and not one thing about dietary evaluations is being mentioned as a requirement for approval. Not even in the EOC which is the most detailed document of all. Only requirements mentioned in the EOC are these (see screenshot below)...this is the full section on anything Bariatric Surgery under "Covered Services" in the entire 191 page document. There's some stuff scattered elsewhere regarding the required type of bariatric surgery facilities and travel coverage for bariatric services, but nothing else for the surgery requirements itself. Next section is Transgender Services, which awesomely, are covered. This policy is beyond generous. Thoughts?

Being dizzy, lightheadedness, fainting can also be caused by low blood sugar. There is a condition that occurs in Gastric Bypass patients called Reactive Hypoglycemia. One man in our bariatric surgery support group developed that condition. After fainting one time, he figured out the cause and then learned how to control the condition. Here are a few links. https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass/ https://www.stjoes.ca/patients-visitors/patient-education/f-j/PD 7972 Reactive Hypoglycemia after Bariatric Surgery.pdf

I am changing insurance too. I am currently on my husbands and they do not cover Bariatric services. My employers insurance does, so I am switching back to this. In the meantime, I already asked my HR department to look into what is covered for me plus I double checked by going on the Highmark BCBS DE website and looking at the medical policy....which was actually changed in September to where there is no set amount of time for supervised diet any longer. So I selected a surgeon that is on both my current plan and my future plan so I could get the ball rolling on everything and that first week of January, they will submit to my new insurance.

Nice to meet you too! I see my surgeon for the first time on Monday 12/03. My new insurance that covers bariatric won't go into effect until 01/01/19 so depending on if I need nutrition visits or not, January would be the soonest I could have surgery. I think that's too quick though. Won't truly know until my plan enrollment is complete and the surgeon can run the claim (or whatever they call it LOL) to find out the minute details. I've been part of this forum for 10 years, back when it was still called LapBandTalk so being able to FINALLY do this surgery is a long time comin'! 💓

I’ve heard the chewable vitamins can be rough of the teeth, because particles of the vitamin will get stuck in the teeth/gum for awhile. On the flip side, vitamin deficiencies can also cause dental problems... https://www.barilife.com/blog/secret-complication-after-bariatric-surgery-2/ Also- keep in mind that increases nausea is a bit of a problem that many of us face. Stomach acids are awful on tooth enamel. You can read up best practices for cleaning up post-vomit here: https://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-32/issue-1/columns/preventing-dental-erosion-in-the-pregnant-patient.html. The article references pregnant patients, but the basic point is that stomach acid is, well, acid and you should try to neutralize the acid in your mouth, as opposed to brushing the acid all over and into the teeth.

I am curious how common post-bariatric surgery hypotension is. 18 months after my bypass I was admitted to the hospital for pain that was later determined to be from a marginal ulcer. My blood pressure at that time was 78/45 after 4 liters of IV fluids even though I was in terrible pain. For the next 6 months my pressure rarely exceeded 85/55 and was as low as 61/45 one morning-I had to stay home from work, couldn't stand up. I went through a million tests, echocardiogram, EKG, endocrine testing, etc-all negative. No cause was found. I am told I have dysautonomia which is a nerve dysfunction, in this case of the blood pressure-regulating mechanism. This happens after gastric bypass sometimes. I am taking midodrine which is a medication that raises blood pressure so now my BP is usually 95/65 or so-no more passing out! Has anyone else heard of this?