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Hey you guys I have got a question and Yippee Skippee I found the right forum thread to post it in! Okay I am in what my hospital calls" peri-surgical", I do have a fertile imagination but this is THEIR term.Made the trek over to Columbus for my Final mini-appointment and like Rocky I'm in "the final countdown. SD is September 5th 2018 7AM EDT. Got my last paperwork to go into my Life After Bariatric Surgery Handbook, now approaching the size of a small metropolitan phone book and one,to me crucial bit of information, is missing. I have been on a liver-shrinking diet since August 1st. Must be working, I have lost 13 pounds and I usually lose weight like a depressed 🐌, somebody said my BMR was pathetic. Okay now to my question- I see nothing about a clear liquid- sugar free Jello- sugar free popsicle- protein water diet for the days immediately prior to surgery, a bowel prep, just the standard NPO after midnight all surgeries seem to require. Relax and Count My Blessings? Not exactly, currently I am on every other day Miralax or MoM, to keep things moving smoothly. It may be a combination of geriatric slowing and iron- rich prenatal vitamins but my colons natural tendency has been to hold things, keep dehyrating down until I am sitting on Plymouth Rock. Haven't found a local distributor for Squatty Potty, Wal-Mart has either stopped stocking them or they are sold out. Can I get one with my Bariatric Pal points? Oh well, it was worth asking. I am fearful if I don't step back to clear liquids I am going to,March into OSU full to the brim with feces. Granted they will be only "monkey-doodling " with my stomach and small intestine but I am going to be an UNHAPPY PUPPY when my colon wakes up from its surgical slumber. BARI-pals if you were ME what would YOU DO? signed Frustr8 the potentially FULL

And we all can celebrate our status as Bari-aunts and uncles. I am as happy as if it were my,own great grand baby! Have a beautiful life and enjoy and treasure your tiny Grace, bariatric surgery granted her a healthy happy mommy!

I just wanted to make one quick note about the vitamins. I think we probably all should have been on some kind of vitamins long before we started this process toward bariatric surgery..GPs just don't do the in depth tests these doctors do! So agreed..start with at least taking the vitamins and then work with a professional or maybe a support group you can attend? You can get there but just keep trying to put yourself in a position to help you succeed.

And to partially support the above postrr, my personal surgeon as assured me I shall have no catheter, so I will perform an ante-surgical mictuation, agree to void as soon as possible after awakening, at mid70s you are grateful for the portions of you still working well. I am far from from the youngest, may be the oldest on Bariatric Pal currently to attempt this, but I shall continue to do this with class, a modicum of grace, be the best Frustr8 I can be, have a good surgical experience, a great surgery which I can't help,but have with my Dr Needleman, a wonderful highly experienced surgeon, a glorious recovery and future life. May not always be easy but it will be My Journey and I intend to,make of it all it can be. All of you may watch, cheer me on as I reach each stage, and if I can help you as you have sustained and helped me, isn't THAT what life is all about? Your excited and hopeful Bari-Bud. Frustr8

Chiming in with my 2 cents. I can because I am in the USA where we have not abolished pennies. First I don't think Gastric Sleeve was the perfect forum, I am a peri- RNY person myself, I would have placed it in General Weight Loss but I do yield to Alex Brechlers wisdom as moderator and always will. The disruptive 2 people I shall seek,only to disagree with them. And I do move on away.from both. I am one of the people this thread. has and will continue to help. As I have stated I am peri-surgical, at a point where I am trying to de-stress, have a happy attitude as. I approach surgery in my 70s, a late, I concede ,point in life. If this gives me a modicum,of peace I am grateful for it. I have been on Bariatric Pal long enough to notice good posts seldom die, bad posts either are deleted or fall by the wayside. Let this thread stand on its own merits, those who do agree, find solace, hope for their personal futures will find help here, those who do not have the right to not come here or click on this subject. There are forms of WlS I would not choose for ME but,i shall never degridate those who made that choice or deny them their own forum. And the oldest( I think) current BP person has spoken her piece, okay?

I’ve been taking the Bariatric Fusion chewable multivitamins. I take two in the morning and two at night. I am about 6 weeks post-op RNY and have had my blood levels done twice. The only deficiencies I’ve had are iron and potassium, but the potassium deficiency was most likely from a diuretic I was taking to treat high blood pressure. I am no longer taking the diuretic- so hopefully my potassium was will go up. My nutrition doctor did not seem concerned by the iron level. Really, when choosing a multivitamin you should pick one that you can tolerate the taste of. After surgery, my taste buds seemed a bit more alert and it was certainly harder to tolerate things that I didn’t think tasted good. It is very important that you take your vitamins so pick whatever you will tolerate the best!

Thank you guys for the nice comments, much appreciated! The best advice i can give is definitely follow your eating plans and drink plenty of water. I also stay away from sugar as much as possible, i might have a belvita breakfast soft banana bread cookie for a snack once in a while or a package of fruit snacks. But i keep in mind never to eat more then 15g in one day. Lots of protein and vegetables to. If you like cauliflower and broccoli, i have found they are very filling.😀 Thank you all again, i have always gotten such wonderful support with bariatric pal!

James gave great info. I have to take 2000 mg of Calcium a day, but divided up into 4 doses (Different surgeries often have different vitamin requirements). The body won't absorb more than about 500 mg at a time, so for calcium you should also take your doses about 2 hr apart. (I take my calcium early morning, mid morning, afternoon, and dinner time, then Iron at bedtime to space them apart) Bariatric Advantage brand has some great chewy calcium in different flavors, you can get them in 250 or 500 mg chews. They are more expensive but in the beginning especially I loved having them, they are like having a little treat. I think I have tried every flavor and my favs are the chocolate and the raspberry. Also, I found an app called Medisafe which gives me reminders when it's time to take my vitamins. There are days when I am busy that I would not have remembered if it wasn't for that app.

My Florida Blue (BCBS of Florida) policy excludes bariatric surgery; however, I am eligible for coverage with an approved application for “medical necessity”. Florida Blue defines medical necessity as: Adults Severely obese with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2, OR Severely obese with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2, with at least one comorbidity refractory to medical management (e.g., type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, osteoarthritis, pseudotumor cerebri), AND Does not have a medically treatable cause for obesity (e.g., thyroid or other endocrine disorder), AND Has made multiple attempts at non-surgical weight loss (e.g., diet, exercise, medications), AND Has received psychological or psychiatric evaluation with counseling as needed, prior to surgical intervention. I have a BMI of 49 and a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea for which I utilize a CPAP every night. I also meet all the other requirements listed above, AND my Primary Care Physician is writing a letter recommending bariatric surgery as a medical necessity. Regardless, I am still nervous that my insurance will deny me. Has anyone else gone through the application/appeal process for bariatric surgery under a medical necessity? Any advice on navigating that process would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Should we then , not view any of these posts as potential cross sections of bariatric societal norms in higher concentrations? Only extremes?

There's nothing as inspirational to the seasoned horticulturalist as a mature garden! It urges him to take up his sturdy harrow and plough the friendly and familiar furrow with renewed vigour!

They are called OPTISOURCE Post Bariatric Surgery. You can order them on Amazon or if you have a Walgreens store....they sell them also. Google the name so you know what your looking for. I was recommended to take 2 tables 2x a day. Once in the AM and once in the PM. They also suggest an OMEGA 3 to help with staying regular. I hope this helps,

It’s almost surgery day (yay 😃) and I still don’t have any vitamins nor have I been talked to about which kind of vitamins to buy (😧). I’ve done my research and know that I have to have a multivitamin, which I chose the Bariatric Advantage Multi Chewy Bites, but other than that I don’t know what else to get just for protective measures. I prefer high quality vitamins because I’m going to be taking these for the rest of my life and don’t want them to be mostly fillers, you know? Anybody else that picky, or is it just me??? More specifically, I’m looking for vitamins to boost hair growth so it’s not so bad when it starts falling out. The multivitamin has biotin in it but after the horror stories I have read on here, that alone doesn’t seem to be working. Like, I know I can’t prevent it from falling out but I want to lessen the amount that falls out. My hair is already really thin and if I lose it, I will be bald. Not that being bald is a problem but the snowy season would be more unbearable than it is already. Is there any other vitamins I should take?? I’m kind of upset that none of the information I was given about the surgery included information on the supplements to take afterward. Also, In my surgery letter it states that a dietitian will contact me before my liquid diet starts and here I am 5 days into my liquid diet and still no call. I’ve called them several times and still no call.

I’d appreciate if everyone would stop the name calling. Please read the rules that you agreed to abide by when you signed up to our community. The topic has also been moved to an appropriate forum. Forum Rules and Guidelines Welcome to BariatricPal! A warm welcome from the entire BariatricPal team! Forum registration is free. Our community includes members from all kinds of different backgrounds and regions of the world, but we all share the goal of leading healthier lives. To keep BariatricPal a friendly and helpful place for the entire community, we have developed the following rules and policies. We ask all member to follow these guidelines, and members who do not follow them may have their posts removed or accounts suspended or terminated. Your use of BariatricPal is your agreement that you accept all forum policies. Forum Moderation and Community Standards Full-time BariatricPal administrators moderate the forums. All posts must follow the posting guidelines outlined below. 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And you look a young 46 in that shirts and more important You feel Good, good about yourself, happy with your renewed health!

I work with a psychologist. He has told me since day 1 that the surgery is a tool ONLY and all the habits, triggers, and addictions will still all be present...they don't go away and unless you are self aware of the "why" it triggers it can be very hard. It's about working with a professional to figure it out. Talk to your doctors and get a great referral for a bariatric psychologist.

I suspected all along --'--Bariatrics does a Body Good!

I take the Bariatric Advantage Iron and Vitamin C chewables at a separate time frame than the chewable Calcium and Vitamin D. It means keeping track of when I take them, but way better than the 15 prescriptions I used to juggle.

Hi, I truly believe you can be an inspiration to many, by briefly telling your story to people/family who ask.! I have found that many individuals talk about changing things, whatever it is, in their lives, but are not empowered enough to follow through. We have taken action. From the initial research, pre op, surgery, and recovery, we accomplished it!! I would recommend not trying to hide it, that’s the old you..Be proud. Talk about it whenever the opportunity comes up!!😁.. You might inspire others to take action with whatever they need to do in their lives. If you feel like you want to tip your toe in the water to get a feel, so to speak, why not attend a current bariatric class and tell your story of success to the incoming patients. They are feeling unsure and might not know what to expect.. You can quiet their fears and give them hope for a wonderful outcome.. Be proud!! Good Luck!

Going through process to get approved for Bypass after Sleeve. Sleeved in 2012 and have regained the 70 lbs lost. Acid reflux is returning, though it never fully went away. Just turned 55 and wondering about process and healing now that I've gotten older. I was a nervous wreck prior to getting gastric sleeve and once again find myself in that space. Same surgeon so that makes me feel better. He is one of the top bariatric surgeons in country but surgery is surgery. Woke up this morning thinking about bowel obstruction, and long term issues. Anyone over 50 have any issues post conversion?

I have a confession, not exactly a NSV, but hear me out. The last,time I was at the Bariatric Clinic I looked around. And yes, most of , if not all, looked over weight. But some v were more misshapen than me. Now I have put myself down, called myself Elephant, clumsy, fat even stupid. Really I am none,of these. And although I am a BIG girl, I do still have a shape. I still can walk, although slowly with a visible limp, there were ladies and a couple guys who were wheelchair bound because their legs no longer will hold them up. And I felt, a little pride I was speaking mine before that happened to me, because in a year,or 2 gaining like I had been, it could have happened. Now I know and I believe with surgery, I stopped the the slide into furthur ill health. But I cried and prayed for each,of them it's not too late for them, that someday they will have NSVs I know I will and it won't be long before I will report some really NSV because,you know now I do believe in me and what I can accomplish.

Biotin does not help and taking it could impact lab work so best to not use it. The hair loss associated with bariatric surgery (and other surgeries, acute illness, and trauma) is called telogen effluvium and has to do with the normal hair growth process, stress to the body, and hormonal changes. It often starts abruptly and doesn’t usually last longer than 6 months. Not much you can do to prevent it from happening or shorten the process.

Yep, I'm not a medical professional. Five months out and 30 pounds is great. Glad you are refocusing. it's not about losing quickly. Its being consistent and the scale will move. If you are still in thailand can you contact you surgeon's office? Do they have a dietician? Any paperwork on your instructions? You can always contact another bariatric program to get true medical advice on how to work your sleeve. Some foods you already know will put you in weight gain.Keep them out of the house so you are not tempted. Also stalls happen. You can search this site to find ideas on how to handle stalls. Are you weighing and logging your food in a food App like myfitnesspal? This will total your calories protein carbs and fats. It's a great tool. You need to know how you are fueling your body. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myfitnesspal.android&hl=en_US Food and calories. You are going to receive hundreds of different diet suggestions from forum members. Again no one is a medical professional on Bariatricpal. Sounds like your instructions were about the same as mine.( High protein low carb from veggies, exercise, no sugar and water) As you progress out with sleeve surgery you can hold more food. A few things that may help with hunger. Make sure you are hitting your protein goal. 60 to 100 grams. You can raise this number. Add more veggies to fill the extra space. Eat frequent small meals a day. Make sure your food increase is healthy foods that fit your macro goals for the day. Activity level will affect the number of calories you intake. Some times raising calories can jump start your weight loss again. If you notice a gain you can adjust your calories up or down to find where your body starts back into weight loss mode. Carbs are energy. I got my carbs in with vegetables for weight loss mode. This is not a part of my plan - Many people here have different instructions and approaches to carbs. Whole wheat sweet potato brown rice..nothing processed or white. To each their own on instructions and plans. Find what works for you.

Please don't stress about this. I stalled out after I got home from the hospital as well. In fact, I didn't lose much at all my first month and now I'm 7 months post op, down 132lbs. Your body essentially goes into starvation mode after your pre op diet and your first few weeks. I didn't find the loss picked up until I was back to eating a "normal" bariatric diet. This too shall pass, and this is NOT indicative of how your long term success will be.

BMR is weight and age sensitive, I'm pretty sure it doesn't change just from having the surgery, it's the weight loss that changes the BMR total. https://bariatricsurgeryco.org/bariatric-surgery-information/bmi-calculators/bmr-us-basic-metabolic-rate/ Something lots of folks miss is the water, the human body requires water to not only work it's normal day to day processes, but for fat removal as well, if we don't give the body enough water to meet it's needs and then extra for the fat reduction, fat processing suffers.