Search the Community

Yes, I am sure they cover it. My surgeons bariatric coordinator said that my insurance basically approved it but they need a few things first such as the letter for a final say so. She said as soon as I get the letter I should have a surgery date a few days after. I dont care for my PCP anyways. Last time I seen him I called and told them my ear hurt and I had a few other things to discuss with him. Just a small list of concerns, nothing major and he refused to talk to me about my knees cause they only fit me in for a 10 minute time slot. He told me to make another appt...didnt even say he was sorry...just rushed out of the room. I cried all the way home just becasue I felt like he didnt care. I had no idea they put their patients in a time slot.

Make sure you are meeting your protein goals. Healing is slow when you are light on protein. I was good to go back to work after 10 days with almost no pain.

40 lbs is a good loss but most doctors will let you get to a 2 lbs loss a week before they. Get stingy with fills. Mine is tight with filling... Often I had to beg for them and several times I was denied because I had lost 8-10 lbs that month. Why not go into the office and have a good conversation with the dr... Tell him you got the band to have a tool and you believe with a fill it will be more effective. Not going isn't good.... That's how people get off track so try it one more time and be Prepared with every thing you are doing... So he knows you are doing your part like tracking food, portions, calories etc. Good luck

I agree. My surgeon doesn't have me taking any B12 accept for what is in my multi. Maybe if my first round of blood work comes back bad they will do something- but I'm excited to see what info there is for sleeve patients in 5-10 years.

I got a phone call from Surgeon to cancel my surgery earlier today. I was on day 5 of my liquid diet only 10 days away from getting my surgery. Long story short his contract with the hospital ends this and my surgery date was July 12 he said that he won't be able to preform the surgery because he won't be able to treat me if they there were to be any complications after .... This make me so mad and sad....I went through all this this for nothing!!! He said I could wait for him until he moves to his new location which will be in September or I could look for another surgeon to do my surgery and he would give them my file that I completed every single test required.... What should do? What can I do? Please someone give me advice.... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My doc said to use a shot glass a have 1 ounce every ten minutes for 10 hours of the day. That would leave 14 hours for sleep and excercise or other activities. It really helped me not to get behind in my water and shake drinking.

My surgeon did not try to sell me on the RNY. I told him I was interested in the sleeve or band and we never even talked about the bypass. I actually saw his original presentation on WLS about 5 years ago but I didn't qualify. He was just starting to perform the sleeve then. He discussed RNY, band and sleeve. I would say he discouraged the band. My stats are not too different than yours. I was 257 and 5'3" as my starting weight. I had a 6 months insurance mandated diet and was at 242 at the start of my 10 day liquid pre op diet. I am 6.5 months out and am at 174. I am still losing, more slowly that when I first sleeved, but still losing. There are plenty of people on this board who have had sleeves and are well below the 180-190 that she quoted to you. If you are not comfortable with what this surgeon is telling you go talk to another one or two. Just because every one else loves her does not mean she is the right one for you. You need to be comfortable with your surgeon and the surgery. If you do decide on the sleeve I would recommend a different surgeon. You want a surgeon that believes in the sleeve and has a program designed for the sleeve not one modified from RNY. You don't want to have a minor stall or complication and feel like she is thinking "Well this wouldn't have happened it you followed my advise and had RNY". You want a surgeon that has done a large number of sleeves not one that does them occasionally, under duress.

Hi~ I will be sleeved March 19 and I was wondering what did you say to your children prior to surgery? I know most of us are nervous wrecks prior to any surgery and one of the biggest worries is *God forbid something happens, what is the last thing I say to my kids...besides I love you? * I've had quite a few surgeries in my past (lapband, plastic surg) and always give them a big loving see you later but now they are older 25 yo (which I got under control she understands). My 12 & 13 yr old daughter don't know I'm having the surgery YET. I really don't want them thinking/worrying about it now since its 2 months away. I just want to them to understand that i need this and not to think I'm selfish. What did you say?? Even as far as God forbid these were your last words? Am I the only nut that worries about this??

My children are 10 and 16 .. i told them I was having this done and why. I answered all the questions that they had. And addressed their concerns. Which by the way weren't many I tell them many times a day I love them ( yes even the sixteen year old, though if she cares or not is a different story). They know they are loved no matter what the day brings.

I have only lost 10 pounds since my surgery 2 months ago. You are doing just great. My suggestion is that you measure yourself. I have lost more inches than pounds and I am sure you may be in the same boat. Look for non scale victories. Stick to the diet plan and everything will be fine. Good luck to you!

Hey, Today i am two weeks post op, when i came home from the hospital i was down 10 lbs. Then i continued to loose another 8. Well yesterday i got on the scale and i was up 2.5 making me 162.5. Well then i get on the freakin scale today and im back to 168.9!! What the hell am i doing wrong. If anything i was eating less the past couple days - due to me feeling like crap- I feel like im fricken defying physics right now.... almost 9 lbs in two days! Ive been counting calories too and at best ive had like 1200 cal. Any input?:(

Wow I feel blessed my insurance Athem in VA approved me with no hoops. My BMI is 43. I was so happy to see that number. They scheduled everything that day. They have one lady who deals with insurance. What I do not understand is why the Insurance company's have us diet? We need the surgery, not another diet. I feel for everyone how has to weight for months. Now if this makes you feel better. I was on another forum & they have people from England on there. One lady said she is having the "Sleeve" done and was first told she was 13 months out. She just got a update and they added 10 months more on the wait list. This is socialized medicine. It would kill me to have to weight so long to get things done.

One of the girls who had surgery yesterday had a hitial hernia. She was told Clear Liquids only for 15 days. then 10 days of regular liquid, then on to puree for 10 days. You might want to back away from the non clear Protein drinks and use isopure or unjury that are clear and should help with the mucus.

Iron and zinc levels also have an impact on hair loss. http://bariatrictimes.com/2008/09/19/the-latest-on-nutrition-and-hair-loss-in-the-bariatric-patient/

I had my surgery 10 days ago. And I still feel pain when walking, unless I support my stomach. The pain is in the largest incision region. It kind of makes me walk hunched over. Other than this pain is minimal. Do others have this pain? I thought the pain would be gone by now.

Hi everyone, Is this a thing? Accountability partners? Texting buddies? I'm kind of hoping so. I've been struggling for a little while now which I posted about elsewhere, and I've been racking my brain to come up with something that might help. Because of my schedule I'm not able to attend the support groups hosted by my surgeon's office each month and I don't really know anyone else going through anything similar with whom I could commiserate. In late November 2016 I was sleeved. My highest weight pre-surgery was 347lbs. My weight going into surgery was around 280lbs or just under and my current weight fluctuates between 196-201lbs. At 5'5" I'm hoping to get to at least 150lbs before my excess skin surgeries (for which I have no dates, I just know I'm going to have them probably in early 2019). I think this amount of weight loss is completely doable, but I'm having a hell of a time remaining accountable to myself. I've also found it motivating in the past to have another person kind of working in tandem with me. I was wondering if there was anyone who might be in a similar-ish boat and would like to be accountability/texting buddies? I'm hoping to get back to basics with my diet (have considered doing a sleeve reset diet for a few days) and have a gym membership but find myself not using it. I'd prefer to workout at home but it's hard to get cardio in at home. It would be nice to have someone to check in with about our workouts, exchange recipes or meal planning ideas with, and to support and encourage to meet their goals. About me: I'm 30, in a long-term relationship, dog and cat mom, full-time student, work part-time, have a very weird schedule, and am also in the midst of some very lame Seasonal Affective Disorder. Really love yoga, one day in the far future would be interested in crossfit, like pushing myself (except for when I don't). I struggle with discipline as far as fitness goes but am ready to sacrifice what is necessary to finish making my dreams a reality. Just hoping to do it alongside a new friend. Anyone interested? P.S. If this topic somehow isn't allowed, I apologize.

I had gastric sleeve done on 3/18/19. I am having a hard time getting in the 60 grams of protein and 64 Oz of water daily. I'm supposed to be on pureed foods. I still have to do liquids a lot though. I'm trying really hard but I can only get so much liquid or food down before my stomach gets upset or I vomit it back up. Is this common right after surgery? Has anyone else had the same problems? Any tip or tricks to meeting my daily requirements? Thank you!!

Sleeved 10/12 - saw my NUT today for my one month appt. We went through what I have been eating (or not eating) and she said I need to double my calorie intake! I've been getting about 400 calories and she wants me closer to 800. That seems like an insurmountable hurdle to me - lol! Who would have thought I would ever hear that I need to eat more! Love my sleeve, losing slowly but steadily. Best decision I ever made.

I’d say I’m a fairly slow loser. I lost 16 pounds in first month and 1/2 of it was in the first week. I stalled at weeks 2-3 but since then I’ve lost 2-4 pound per week. I’m about 10 weeks out and have lost 32 lbs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi folks - I know about fat loss triggering higher estrogen levels, but I am now 20 days post-op and I have been on my period for 19 of those days, starting day 2 of post-op. Has this happened to anyone else? Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Yes, I had my surgery 11 months ago and I feel like I’ve been on my period for 10 months! 😞 AND I have an IUD and didn’t have periods prior to the surgery. My GYN said it would take time to level back out to normal.

Warning - this may become a bit graphic. Oh my. That was certainly no fun. I hope it was on the "bad" side, as PBs go, because I certainly can't see going through that as casually as some of you guys seem to go through yours. So I was banded Wednesday, and I'm still on liquids, watery cream Soups, and yogurt. DH was home from work and DYING to do something to help me out, so I told him there was some cream of broccoli Soup in the counter, and he could make it for me... I told him to "make it the way I like it" (a.k.a. bandster style - strained to remove pieces, and watered down to regular soup consistency). I've learned not to assume DH knows what I mean in this new eating lifestyle. He brings me my soup, I start eating 'cause I was starving. I've had (or so I thought) no restriction, and have been using regular spoons to eat - no prob. About 4 bites in a take a spoonful and feel weird chunks in it, but before I can catch or cough them up, they slip on down my throat. Almost immediately I had what I can best describe as tummy cramps, but that's not an accurate description. Within a half a minute I had pain on my sides (like where I would put my hands if placing my hands on my hips), and an INTENSE pain in my back/spine, between my shoulder blades. Thanks to you all here I had a really good idea of what was happening, so I did all the things I've read about for months and months... walked around, put my arms up in the air, tried taking a few jumps, tiny sip of Water, etc. Nothing helped. So the PAIN goes on, for five... ten... fifteen... twenty minutes. I have a high pain tolerance, but we're talking "Great googley moogley, make this spine-wrenching pain END and I will sacrifice my first born to the great god of PB!" kind of pain. I'm pacing the kitchen and nothing is helping, and at this point I'd do anything that would stop the pain. I start - not sliming - but excessive salivating, so I used paper towels to "soak" it up. Which in and of itself makes me gap. I had to burp a few times, but it couldn't get out. Then... PB. My husband was upstairs and came running down, he swore I was puking b/c, well... that's exactly what it sounded like, but it was just saliva & a chunk of CHEDDAR cheese. Remember when I said not to assume DH knows my new eating lifestyle, and that my strained cream soup had some kind of weird chunks in it? This is what I mean. Normally I like my cream of broccoli with melty chunks of sharp cheddar in it. He meant well... He came down on turned on the water at the sink and rubbed my back. When he saw the cheese he started tearing, b/c he knew he had put it in the soup, but meant well. Poor guy. Well, so PBd, then dry heaved three or four times, felt some instant relief in the pain, so I went to sit down but as soon as I sat the pain started back up. Less intense, but still there. I tried sitting down, reclining, sitting down... reclining... D is rubbing my shoulder blades where the "spine" pain is, and was fretting because he knew I was hurting... I tried walking a bit, but again nothing helped... Another 10 minutes in and the salivating starts, then like the pain wasn't enough - I get struck with hiccups (keep in mind my ncisions are still sensitive and hiccups are living agony). I cried out a few times, and my poor DH was out of his mind with worry and a feeling of helplessness... so I'm in pain just waiting to PB again, my spine feels like someone is trying to pull it out, my hips feel like they're going out of socket, and my DH is on my tail asking what he can do, is there anything that will help, do I need him to call 911... I'm trying to deal with the pain and get him to understand there's nothing he can do, and the best thing is just stay out of my way while I pace and wait for it to come up... he's tearing up again, flipping out because he can't help, and because he put the cheese in the soup, I'm pacing... and PB strikes again. Much less this time. Once productive, one dry heave, and yep! There's that second chunk of cheese that slid down my throat. DH is standing right behind me, rubbing my back, telling me he's so sorry, he should have known better than to put the cheese in, how could I everforgive him for causing this much pain, etc. The poor guy. So, my first PB. MUCH sooner than I would have ever expected it. I know one food I'm never eating again... I guess I'm back to broth for a few days, but I do have to ask... is this "average" for a PB, or does it sound like a bad episode?

Tomorrow is my day! How long can I expect to be at the hospital? I have no medical issues and I check in at 10:45. I just need to plan for kids and stuff. My doctor did tell me but I can't exactly remember what he said. So if anyone has an estimation or how long yours took I would apreciate it!! Thanks!!

The more weight you lose the less you miss your old life. What you are missing is some of the self-soothing things we did to make ourselves feel better, and the social interaction that comes with drinking and eating pub-food. But there is a trade off. Your health and life in exchange for beer and cheese. lol! Now I smoke weed rather than drink. Now I drink water when my friends are eating. But I'm still hilarious and don't need to be eating to have fun. It took me a while before I found my stride on that one. Life will resume for you, we find our new Normal. And it's surprisingly easy!! I totally understand missing your old life style!! That is where we found our comfort, where we soothed ourselves with food and fed our souls with fried stuff. lol! Or I did at least. It took me a good 3 months to find my New Normal. Some emotional ups and downs. But it's all so worth it!! Well, for me it is. Wearing a size 10 jeans, getting hit on by men of all ages, sitting in any seat I want regardless of ease or access, riding roller coasters, flying without fear, walking past windows but not ashamed of who I see, Joy...so much joy!! All those things are infinitely better and make me so much happier than me being able to eat a whole bloomin' onion in one sitting. There are trade offs. We lost our coping mechanism that was food, so our emotions and feelings are gonna be rough for a little while. Talking with a therapist is a good idea. Many of us are food addicts in one form or another, so there will be a psychological sense of loss, regret and fear for some of us. I was one. I cried for a week straight. (I'll give myself a little break here and admit that I had been deathly ill for 8 months prior to my surgery so I was drained emotionally and physically by the time I had my surgery. So my crying for a week had some additional ammo behind it besides not getting to binge on food. lol! Anyway, Just keep at it, you are doing great! And use us as your support! It's OK to have these feelings and to struggle with what we've done. But also keep focusing on your goals. The more you workout and can move more, the greater you will feel!

That's the reality I want to be at. My late father, a well-meaning man (whom I miss very much), grew up in an orphanage when his parents gave him up because of their poverty during The Great Depression. From just under 5 years to 16 years, he was a ward of the state. Food was scarce but, under no circumstances, were the several hundred child orphans allowed to not like what was served and ALL plates always had to be cleared. That was a rule at home right through the '50s and '60s ... leaving food on one's plate or not liking/appreciating what was served was a no-no. It's been locked in my mind for over 55 years. I eat past my 'full' often and have done for as long as I remember. Playing three or four sports and having an active outdoor life until my late 30s meant I was just classified as overweight. But, with injuries and changing job responsibilities came obesity ... BECAUSE I COULD NOT COMMIT TO CHANGING HABITS. By 2019, I hope to be that person who can, like you, just eat the tastiest bits of what I order and take the rest home for later (or the pets). Thanks for your anecdote. It's thought-provoking.