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My arrival time was 6:30 a.m. and surgery time was 8:30 a.m. I checked in, proceeded to the surgical suites, changed into a hospital gown and bonnet, had my vital signs taken, urine tested, and an IV line started. The pre-op nurse completed her admission assessment on me. Then the CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) collected a quick history on me by asking me questions. Then the operating room nurse explained what would happen to me. Finally, the bariatric surgeon told me the surgery would take 30 minutes at the most and obtained an informed consent from me to proceed with the procedure. I was wheeled back to the operating room, given the IV cocktail of benzodiazepines, and fell asleep perhaps 10 minutes later. I awakened in the recovery area because the surgery already happened.

Not necessarily true. Not all gummy vitamins are created equal. The ones I buy are Whole Foods based, no added sugar, any sugar is low sugar and natural from fruit, and check labels and you see you are getting the vitamins you need. There are plenty of vitamins that are tablets that claim to be complete or bariatric but aren’t actually utilized by the body the way whole food based gummy or liquid vitamins would be.

when I had that issue (B12 level over 2000), the bariatric clinic told me to cut back on my dosage - they said I was oversupplementing. They see vitamin-related issues a lot - probably a lot more than a GP does - so I'd be inclined to believe them. You could always cut back and they can test your levels again later.

since you're a bypass patient, you're not going to absorb the B12 that's in the multi. I'd probably just cut back on the extra B12 supplement a bit and see if your level comes down. For example, if you're currently taking the extra B12 supplement every day, cut back to every other day. I take a megadose of it. I used to take it once a week - I now take it every other week. My level was also over 2000 but now hovers around 1000-1200-ish. My bariatric clinic was never concerned about the 2000 level, though. They just said my body didn't need as much B12 as I was taking, so it was OK to cut back.

Kinda new to this forum. My surg date is Feb 27 also. A little nervous as I have no family living near me, they are all about 1300 miles away. Have 2 good friends who will be looking in on me once I get home. The hospital I will be at is 40 miles from my home because that is where my Dr practices as he runs the Bariatric Division at that hospital. My friends are going to drive me there and back. I purposely selected this particular Dr. because of his experience and that particular hospital is one of excellence. I have been on the Pre-Surg for 9 days and just weighed myself for the first time. I actually lost 10 pounds. I was thrilled. I plan to return to this forum and swap info, recipes that help, etc. I was always height/weight proportionate until I was injured in a fall Oct 21, 1998 (I'll never forget that date) but now have gained more than I am comfortable with and now I have Osteoarthritis which has resulted in the need for a hip and knee replacement, and back surgery may also be needed later if the hip and knee surgery doesn't help enough. My goal is to lose 100 lbs. Impossible for me to work out because of the hip, knee and back pain, but they just repaired our pool where I live (it's been down) but once my incisions heal, I plan to make good use of it.

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Who are you going through for this surgery? Does that dietician work for your surgeon? She full of sh*t. If you're going through some ridiculous weight loss center look up bariatric surgeons in your area and go through one of them.

Get a new PCP, one that has experience with WLS patients. You are going to need a strong doctor who will do the follow up blood tests, etc. I am blessed with an excellent PCP who knew nothing about WLS but learned all about it so he could support me. Now he tests me every 3 months and checks my vitamins etc., even though my bariatric surgeon is available. I hope you can find the same.

My before's #byefelicia Follow me https://m.facebook.com/Bariatric-Anonymous-895491030579759/?tsid=0.4175582400057465&source=typeahead Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you all for your wonderful advice and thoughts. It always helps me to hear what another bariatric patient is going through, or when they have found something that works. It's encouraging. All the best to those of you about to have surgery. I can only speak for myself, but even with the issues I've had, I have no regrets and would do it again. I am going to try the advice, see what works best for me. Even though I've had my band over six years, every day is a new day as far as what I can intake. I know hydration is key. So I have learned to go with the flow. My non bariatric cyclists friends tell me they feel what I experienced was heat exhaustion..not sure I can do anything about that during the summer months, and I'm sure not going to stop biking. Bike on!!

Dr. Esquerra at Mexicali Bariatric Center

I must have gotten it pretty easy. Mine was with an independent therapist who does bariatric psych evaluations for multiples surgeons in my area. Mine was entirely a conversation about how long I've struggled with being overweight, how I feel about myself, understanding the pros and cons of surgery, the potential to feel depressed afterwards, etc. There were only a few specific questions he had but the rest of it was him helping me understand the different emotions I could be going through before/during/after the surgery. He also told me from the beginning that the point of his evaluation was not to deny me from anything but to help understand where i'm at in terms of my emotions and relationship to food so that if I had any big issues my doctor would know how to address them with me.

“Which bariatric Vitamins do I need before and after surgery?” or “Do I need vitamins if I am losing weight without surgery?” These are some of the most common questions for dieters and weight loss surgery patients before and after surgery. There are so many choices, so how do you know which ones to take? The answer is: it depends! As always, you should check with your own doctor and healthcare team before taking any supplements. Here is a cheat sheet I posted on the BariatricPal Store for the Vitamin and other nutritional supplements you may need before and after weight loss surgery. When applicable, these guidelines are consistent with the latest guidelines from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). As always, you should check with your own doctor and healthcare team before taking any supplements. Bariatric Vitamins Before Surgery Before surgery, your goal is to make sure you are completely nourished. This will make surgery safer and promote healthy metabolism. Choose from Patches, pills, or chewableforms – whatever is easiest for you. You may need: A Multivitamin and mineral supplement with folic acid and vitamin B12. An additional Iron supplement (women especially). A Calcium and Vitamin D supplement. Bariatric Vitamins for Gastric Sleeve Patients Gastric sleeve (or vertical sleeve gastrectomy) can cause nutrient deficiencies because of your restricted food intake. These are the nutrient supplements you are likely to need. A high-dose multivitamin and mineral supplement (or take two daily doses of regular Multivitamins and minerals. A B vitamin supplement with vitamin B12, folic acid and other B vitamins. A calcium supplement with vitamin D. You might also want to test your blood levels of thiamin, iron, Vitamin A, vitamins D, E, and K, and the minerals copper, zinc, and selenium. You may need liquids, chewable supplements or soft chews, or patches immediately post-op because swallowing can be difficult. You may be able to tolerate swallowing capsules or soft gels a few weeks after your surgery. Bariatric Vitamins for Gastric Bypass Patients Gastric bypass (or roux-en-Y gastric bypass) increases nutrient deficiency risk because it interferes with nutrient absorption AND because of your restricted food intake. These are the likely supplements you may need. A high-dose multivitamin and mineral supplement (or take two daily doses of regular multivitamins and minerals. A B vitamin supplement with vitamin B12, folic acid and other B vitamins.A calcium supplement with vitamin D. An iron supplement (with Vitamin C to increase absorption). A Biotin supplement. You might also want to test your blood levels of thiamin, iron, vitamin A, vitamins D, E, and K, and the minerals copper, zinc, and selenium. You may need liquids, chewable supplements or soft chews, or patches immediately post-op because swallowing can be difficult. You may be able to tolerate swallowing capsules or soft gels a few weeks after your surgery. Bariatric Vitamins for Gastric Band (Lap-Band) Patients Gastric band (or Lap-Band) does not interfere with nutrient absorption, but your nutrient intake from food can be inadequate because of your restricted diet. These are the likely supplements you may need. A high-dose multivitamin and mineral supplement (or take two daily doses of regular multivitamins and minerals. A calcium supplement with vitamin D. You might also want to test your blood levels of thiamin, vitamin B12, and other B vitamins. You may need liquids, chewable supplements or soft chews, or patches immediately post-op because swallowing can be difficult. You may be able to tolerate swallowing capsules or soft gels. Bariatric Vitamins for Duodenal Switch Patients Duodenal switch increases nutrient deficiency risk because it interferes with nutrient absorption AND because of your restricted food intake. These are the likely supplements you may need. A high-dose multivitamin and mineral supplement (or take two daily doses of regular multivitamins and minerals. A B vitamin supplement with vitamin B12, folic acid and other B vitamins.A calcium supplement with vitamin D. An iron supplement (with vitamin C to increase absorption). A biotin supplement. You might also want to test your blood levels of thiamin, iron, vitamin A, vitamins D, E, and K, and the minerals copper, zinc, and selenium. You may need liquids, chewable supplements or soft chews, or patches immediately post-op because swallowing can be difficult. You may be able to tolerate swallowing capsules or soft gels a few weeks after your surgery. Bariatric Vitamins for Mini Gastric Bypass Patients Mini Gastric Bypass increases nutrient deficiency risk because it interferes with nutrient absorption AND because of your restricted food intake – similarly to gastric bypass. These are the likely supplements you may need. A high-dose multivitamin and mineral supplement (or take two daily doses of regular multivitamins and minerals. A B vitamin supplement with vitamin B12, folic acid and other B vitamins.A calcium supplement with vitamin D. An iron supplement (with vitamin C to increase absorption). A biotin supplement. You might also want to test your blood levels of thiamin, iron, vitamin A, vitamins D, E, and K, and the minerals copper, zinc, and selenium.. You may need liquids, chewable supplementsor soft chews, or patches immediately post-op because swallowing can be difficult. You may be able to tolerate swallowing capsules or soft gels a few weeks after your surgery. What Vitamins Do I Need If I Didn’t Get Weight Loss Surgery? Your nutrient absorption does not change if you do not get weight loss surgery. Still, you may need vitamin and mineral supplements because you are taking in much less food than you were before you started losing weight. A multivitamin and mineral supplement with folic acid and vitamin B12 is a good idea for almost everyone! You might also want to ask your doctor to test your levels of iron, calcium and vitamin D, and vitamin B12 and folic acid.

Hey this is my first time posting on anything like this.. Just trying to find out as much as I can about this process to stop my mind wondering. Currently I have seen bariatric nurse and dietician. I had a sleep study in December and due to some miscommunication I missed the follow up appt which I now have on Wednesday. They have told me that I need to be under a cpap for at least 6 weeks before the anaesthesiologist will do anything. My dietician gave me the pre op diet and told me how much they want me to lose before surgery ; not to follow the pre op diet till they tell me to though. Have to go for an endoscopy and providing all is well I should be getting an idea when I can have surgery reasonably soon Currently weigh 178kg. Not proud of it but am here to change for the rest of my life and be able to actually live it Sorry if I've rambled on a bit. Dan

Hi there, Kaiser (SoCal) has a mandatory 24-week Healthy Options program pre-surgery where they teach you about the lifestyle from A-Z, and in that time frame, expect you to lose some weight. My Bariatric team specifically said that the 10% rule is out the window; and that Kaiser no longer requires that a medically supervised diet is followed. I am doing the full-food program since I already use a full-nutrition supplement 1-2 per day, and am adjusted to a partial liquid lifestyle. Currently losing about 1.5 pounds per week on my own, which puts me almost exactly at 10% total weight loss before my operation in late-December/mid-January. As I receive info, I'll post in the forums! Knowledge is power. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm at the Kaiser SoCal group... all of San Diego. What have the psych appointments been like? I have diagnosed Bipolar II and BED, but the surgeon didn't seem to be concerned since I'm well into maintenance mode and on a very low dose of the meds. One of my anxieties has been getting through the program only to be rejected by the psychologist, but I've read in medical papers that upwards of 3/4 Bariatric patients have been diagnosed with BED and there is a! 82% depression/anxiety underling psychological case issue. I think I was approved to move forward because I got all of this under control? Any insider information would be greatly appreciated. ❤️ Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Thank you for the add! Haven't even thought of Tumblr—it would be good to diversify the feed. IG has been incredibly informative from a visual standpoint over what to expect skin-wise et al. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Hey! Which Kaiser are you going through? I am going through Richmond Ca Kaiser, they have been great so far. I am on my 2nd psych appt, so any questions, maybe we can talk! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App Hey there—sorry for the double response, still learning the app there is a loose comment in the thread for you! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was pretty open with everyone after I had surgery. I didn't talk about it much before surgery, because I didn't want to be pre-judged. After I had the surgery, I took off work for three weeks, so it was natural that people would ask me what was up. And my Department Head said in a department meeting in front of everyone that I was going to be away "having bariatric surgery." Gee, thanks, Doug! No privacy left on that score. Since I returned to work, and the weight started to fall off, everyone has been amazing. Nothing (to my face) but supportive comments. If anyone has had something negative to say, they haven't said it to me, and I haven't been made aware of anything. What I do get are amazed smiles and lots of congratulations for doing so well. And there has been a fair amount of good-natured jealousy from obese people who have witnessed my entire journey, but who have done nothing to change how they are. So I have had no problem telling people I had band surgery. If they are someone I think might benefit from surgery, I've offered to share details with anyone who is interested. Lately, my attitude has begun to change. Not toward those who have walked the journey with me, but with new people I'm meeting, or people who have never known me when I was obese. I go about my business, I work out at the gym like always, and I socialize with people as a person first. The subject of me being overweight, or of having lost nearly 90 pounds so far, has not come up. And I'm not the one who does bring it up to new people, because it means having to go through a lot of explaining to the new person about how the "me" they know is a different "me" than I was last year. It's awkward, and I'm choosing not to volunteer my story to anyone unless I'm asked. The odd period is when I meet two people, one of which who knows my obese history, and one who has no idea. I get the usual complimentary comments from the person who knows, and of course, a look of surprise from the person who has no idea. It's weird. If I didn't work in such a large place (a hospital) where I see many people every day, I might have kept this to myself. My family knows, for the most part, but I don't see them often, so don't have to endure the constant questions. When I do see them, I get "Wow!" a lot. And that makes it worth it. Dave

Hi all I had a VSG on 12th August and then developed a volvulus which they tried to fix endoscopically but it failed then ended up being given a bypass on the 21st. So I hadn't read as much about the bypass and all it involves because I had no idea I was going to end up with one The Bariatric nurse rang today and said I need to be on 80g protein a day instead of 60g as with the sleeve. So, my issue is that the protein shakes (slim fast etc) are making me feel really unwell an hour or so after having them and I am guessing it is the high carb count in them even though they are sugar-free. So I am trying to avoid them. Also Vomiting... WHERE HAS IT GONE!? Vomiting is pretty much just a burp and a tiny amount of bile!? I have whey Isolate unflavoured, which I am making up my protein milk with (and some dried skim milk powder) and adding it to some of my drinks too. I will go and read through this forum re: food etc but is anyone making their own fresh soup, adding protein and straining? Cheers

I just rejoined WW because I knew that the band alone would not be enough for me. I haven't told anyone at the meeting that I'm a bander and don't plan to. I find that people that call it the "easy" way out, ignorant of everything we have to do. I don't think 10 days of liquids, recovering from anesthesia, taking the risk of any surgery, further dietary restriction the easy way out. Try not to confuse mean spiritedness with ignorance. In the meantime, I too am curious about points and adjusting the band. My surgeon's practice is only 10% bariatric, so I'd appreciate any input that I can give him.

I just bought the Fresh Start Bariatric Cookbook (there is s kindle version on Amazon) and I love it already!

Hello! My first post... BRAND NEW here! Hi! I'm (almost) 48 and went in for my surgery back in September of this year. They put me to sleep, woke me up, and said "we can't operate. You have a large mass in your stomach." WHAT??! Long story short, they referred me to OBGYN and I found out I have a cantaloupe-sized cyst parked on top of my good-for-nothing uterus. The OBGYN said she would consult with the bariatric surgeon and if her surgery is without any complications, they could both operate on the same day. She will be the lead surgeon, as the hysterectomy takes precedence, and if there are no adhesions/nothing unexpected, the bariatric surgeon will begin his procedure once she is out. I've googled quite a bit and it doesn't seem as though there is much information out there addressing this type of procedure. I'm a little nervous but I trust that these surgeons will be safe and do what is in my best interest. But it's scary... surgery is scary, regardless. Anyway~ that's my introduction! I'm 5'7", 260 pounds, and expect to look like a 30 year old supermodel this time next year. Or an "improved me." I'm happy either way!

Hang in there ! I am pre op but one thing my doctors at the Bariatric Clinic stressed is only weighing 1x per week (hard I know) our bodies can fluctuate 1-5 pounds a day according to their reading material due to water retention. Your body is still healing as surgery is major trauma even though you may feel fine it is recovering. You are doing great just keep it going:)

http://www.bariatricchoice.com/bari-wise-bariatric-health-fruit-drinks.html I am drinking lemonade right now and it is good. I didn't like the grapefruit that much, but the lemonade is really good. 15 grams of protien. I am having one in the AM and one in PM. The lemonade is really good. Add ICE and it really is so good!!!!!

Yes, I am using the Tespo vitamins. I didn’t buy the machine because I wanted to make sure I liked them and they worked well for me before I spent money on the machine. I got the on the go which is 12 and vitamins to start with. I like it a lot, just pour the powder into a little water shake it up and drink. I had a lot of problems with nausea and vomiting and it’s been the only vitamins that does not upset my stomach. Find it very easy and convenient. The taste isn’t my favorite but it’s not bad either just a little tangy for me. I had my blood work checked at my last checkup and everything looked really good with my levels so they are working. Initially my dietician said they didn’t have enough but she misread the website and didn’t see that for bariatrics there are two you take the women’s and the Bariatric formula.. I take one women’s and one bariatric in the morning and another bariatric in the afternoon. It’s not the cheapest but I do think the quality is very good and like I said my blood work shows they are working well for me. Hope you find a vitamin that will work for you :)

Posted this in what seemed to be the logical place ... and which was the wrong folder. Moving it! Sorry for the blonde move. Hello. I'm Kate and I just got my surgery date last week (July 5). I am a 51 year old mother of five. My son died in 1999. I still have one daughter at home, the other three are married and have their own families -- I have four grandchildren so far. Like probably just about everyone else here, my weight-loss successes — and backslidings — were always less than impressive: I’d lose 50 pounds, gain back 55. Lose 40, gain back 60. Drop 20, find 30. Back and forth, up and down, two steps forward and three steps back. My biggest success was in 1984 when I managed to lose 111 pounds while taking physician prescribed amphetamines. I kept the bulk of it off for almost two solid years after stopping the drugs, but it (of course!) all came back with a little more to spare. Although I wasn't what you'd call "happy" about being overweight, I had finally come to terms with it, and I had learned to live with being fat. I was very active, and other than being an insulin dependent type 2 diabetic, I wasn't experiencing any negative impact from my weight, so it was easy to overlook. My weight generally hovered in the mid-200 range and I was okay with that. Then in late 2009 and early 2010, all hell started breaking loose. First my diabetes medications stopped working -- this happened every couple of years, I'd build up a tolerance or something and I'd have to switch things around -- and my weight suddenly (and without any discernible reason) ballooned to 317 in January of 2010. I began looking into weight loss surgery because I had *never* weighed 300 pounds and I was by God not going to stay there. I was an exercising fool all summer long and I managed to hold my weight between 298 and 317 until mid-September. In mid-September I had an "event" where I blacked out due to extremely high blood sugar and wound up in the ER. My weight at that point was 311. My doctor sent me to an endocrinologist, who promptly switched me to a concentrated insulin (u500). The diabetes is now under control, but as a result of the heavy duty insulin, I am retaining massive amounts of Water and my weight began ballooning. (And I do mean ballooning: less than a month after I started taking the new insulin, I had packed on 36 pounds.) This Fluid is not just in my extremities, it's also collecting around my heart and lungs. The cardiologist says it's a testament to the strength of my heart that I haven't yet had a heart attack. My endocrinologist broached the subject of weight loss surgery with me in October. She told me that if I didn't get off the u500 insulin, my life expectancy could be measured in months rather than the decades I should be contemplating. With my diabetes being as bad as it is, the only way they're going to be able to get me off it quickly and immediately without causing more problems in the process, is thru bariatric surgery. In November she gave me a referral to Premier Bariatrics and in December I began the (seemingly endless) compliance efforts required by the insurance company to consider the surgery. I have been following a very strict diet since January, and yet my weight keeps going up. I haven't been on a scale since March (ours is broken here at home and I've not gone out of my way to get on one elsewhere) but in March I was at 379. I would not be surprised to find I had lost a little, but I would also not be surprised to learn I've gained more too. I'll guess I'm somewhere between 375 and 420. (I'll find out for sure on the 17th when I have my next appointment with the endocrinologist.) In late March, I began a weight-loss blog ( http://www.naebunny.net/fatnomo/ ) and here I am. And, finally, last week, the call I'd been waiting for: the insurance approved of the procedure and I was given the next available surgery date. I go in June 13 to meet with the surgeon again and get my pre-op diet plan, then on June 20 I have a half day of pre-admission testing, and then the surgery itself on July 5. And, that's my how I got from there to here. The next chapter in this story will be how I get rid of the equivalent of two people and get on with the rest of my life!