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I take a Bariatric One a Day Vitamin that I've been very pleased with. It comes in chewable and capsule. The price is affordable and the product can be found at www.procarenow.com

My experience..... My consult appointment was yesterday. The whole staff was very friendly. I really like my Doc. My appointment didn't really go like I thought it would. I did the whole check in height weight. Found out I am 5.1/2 ft. but I actually think I'm 5ft. my hair kind of got in the way, (updo, I know stupid). I met with the nurse, we went over a couple things, the doctor came in, he asked me a lot of questions that are normally on your new patient questionnaire which I thought was weird.. Like my nationality, am I mixed, married... and so on. We didn't talk about my past weight loss attempts. What I've been doing to lose weight. Or why I gained weight over the last month. He had to of known I've been seeing my PCP since October for weight-ins. Anyone else have to fill out a questionnaire that asked you how much money you make a year? There were a few other questions I thought were strange, but I cant remember them. I also received a check list, which most of it is already done. I'm not 100% sure what supporting documentation for weight management is... another question for insurance, I guess? Anyways, the Doc then brought me and another patient in for a little slide show of bariatric surgery procedures and risks. Which went into a little more detail than what I've found online and I found it interesting. After the slide show, I went back into my exam room and had physicals. Found out my ideal weight is 109lbs, that seems impossible to me. He said "120-125lbs is good." My goal is 115lbs. He brought up my heart murmur. So, now I have to get cardiac clearance before he'll do the surgery. I forgot all about it, I was told when I was 16. But no other doctor brought it up again. Surprising, because I've has a few surgeries. And because of my heartburn I have to do an EGD, which he will perform in a couple weeks. He mentioned that my BMI is 43. I'm assuming he meant I needed to lose some weight before surgery.. but he could of also meant I needed to do the weigh management for the 3-6 months, being that my bmi isn't above 50. So I will need to clarify that with him. There was so much information thrown at me, it took me till after dinner to process it all. When I was finished up with the Doc. I met with a lady that scheduled my EGD and handed me lab papers and I have to get a chest xray. Then off to another room and met with the NUT, which ended up being a group meeting, the other patient was there again and then we met individually with the NUT. I thought the NUT would go over eating a healthy well balanced diet.. lol.. duh, no it was about getting enough Protein in. and I found that I am not . so my goal is to get my 80g of PRO and working out a little bit more. She gave me a sample of vanilla unjury, which I will be trying today. The whole process took 3hrs. And I only had to paid the NUT, which was 130$. I have dual coverage and it paid for my appointment with the doctor. Oh, I cant forget the pre op diet. Boy am I ever lucky... I get 3 meals a day 3 scoops of Unjury between meals. This plan seems easy enough and fulfilling. The plan consist of Protein, Free food & Extra Food Choices. It reminds me of the 1st stage of Atkins, with some exceptions. Unlimited FF, which is zero cal beverage, coffee, tea, raw veg, herbs and spices, vinegar, mustard, lime, lemon juice. I will be using the FF to make my own salad dressing. I need more that one serving of dressing on my salad. I can have 4 EFC (guys get 6): 1 small fresh fruit or 1/2 cup fruit, cooked Cereal, potato or rice, low carb tortilla, 1 slice whole grain bread, English muffin, sandwich/bagel thins, low cal bread, bran buds or Fiber one cereal, 1 cup v-8, tomato juice, Soup or any food or beverage that is 60-80 cal per serving. For Breakfast select 1 protein, and 2 protein for lunch. Dinner 4-6 oz very lean meat, 1-2 cups low carb veg and 1 large salad with 1 serving of salad dressing. approximate nutrition 120-150g of protein, 100g of carbs estimated 1,200-1,500 cals and 15-30g of fat. I think that is the best Pre-Op diet I've seen so far, well other than the eat what ever you want ones. I feel like the insurance coordination was not on the ball. I asked her some questions and she seemed confused and didn't know exactly what my insurance was requiring of me. Hopefully I can get a clear answer from my insurance company. I really want to know if my weight-in from Oct count or do I start from yesterday. Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Well I had two surgeries in Mexico. Who is your surgeon? What company are you going with? Bariatric Pal has a great set-up for surgery. I used Dr Zavalza the second time and he was fantastic!!

I just had surgery with Dr Wilhelmy at Mexicali Bariatric Center on August 6th. My experience was excellent! A bit about my story. My mom had her sleeve done in 2013 with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali and I went with her. We were VERY impressed with the hospital and with the care she received. Couldn't be happier with her sleeve either. When I decided to have surgery done, I would not have considered going any place else. Everything was just that good! I had no doubt I wanted to be at the same hospital with the same doctors taking care of me. Sadly Dr. Aceves was not available to do my surgery but I knew of the experience the whole team had and was vey impressed with Dr. Wilhelmy's credentials. I wanted someone just as experienced as Dr. Aceves, someone with many years as a surgeon and with a reputation just as solid. Although money is important experience and results were way more important to me. I was not disappointed! My mom and I both agreed that the care she received a year ago and the care I got this month was just as good. They really are a very professional, caring and experienced team. I felt safe the entire time. Dr. Wilhelmy visited me daily, he makes you feel confident and sure that you will succeed with your new tool. I really cannot recommend them enough, if you are going to have surgery there you will not be disappointed either. They are the absolute BEST in my book.

My insurance is 6 months. I have learned to embrace it. I have 3 more weigh ins and then surgery. I will get my date next week. Bariatric Pal is wonderful place to be. So much support and love. Keep writing and reading. I wish you well on your first visit!!! Xoxoxo

It is the insurance. You have to ask if they have a non surgical requirement to be supervised by a Dr prior to bariatric surgery.

You know what the same thing happened to me just 5 days ago. I did final post ops 2 days before scheduled surgery. everything seemed fine headed home to find message from Bariatric nurse saying they set me up with the cardiologist for next morning, because the preop EKG came back with a possible problem on it. So I freak out just a little. Go in at 10am. They do the EKG on their machine then the doctor calls me in and says the preop EKG, from yesterday, someone had written "heart attack" at the top. He says his machine didn't say that but let's do these other tests so we can clear you for surgery. 4 and half hours later I walk out with a clearance for surgery the next day and I only had to pay a $25 copay, but here it comes....they billed my insurance about $4000 for the days tests! I think it's all a scam. Needless to say, I had my surgery and didn't have any problems. Good luck

I never took bariatric vitamins and my labs were always great. For the first four weeks after surgery I did Wellesse liquid multi-vitamins, iron, and calcium. I took double doses of the vitamins and iron. After about four weeks I switched to Trader Joe's High Potency chewable multi vitamin -- again, a double dose for the first year. It is FAR cheaper, lower calorie, and lower carb than those bariatric specialty vitamins that are masquerading as candy and loaded up with artificial crap. I also switched to Citracal Petites for calcium and whatever the drug store had on sale (not slow release) for iron.

So, my question is two-fold.... My husband and I started our 6 month supervised diet on January 27th. First...I have been trying to reach our insurance company's bariatric department to confirm if they just need 6 letters (Jan, Feb, March, April, May, and June) or if they will need the 7th one effective July 27th or later? Second...We had to bump our 2nd appt up to February 5th but have been on track every 4 weeks plus or minus a few days since then. Did I mess up making the appointment too close? Due to work and personal issues, there wasn't any way we could've done the appointement 4 weeks from the first one. I was told I would have a case worker assigned to my file in two weeks. I was hoping to find out from others experiences before then. Does anyone have any insight? Thanks in advance...

Check out BariatricEating.com - BE, Inc. The number one bariatric website for protein, vitamins, and success. for a slew of recipes.

Hello Ukkateuk, Thanks for the update. Yes, it seems there are numerous people who are excited to share their bariatric knowledge. I'm fortunate to have found this website. I will be adding pictures soon and giving further updates as I progress through the gastric sleeve process. Have a wonderful day.

I guess I should share my story of why I've chosen to have the gastric sleeve surgery. Well, after being told that I developed high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis (all a result of my weight gain) I thought it was time to deal with this weight problem. To be honest, if I had not acquired these conditions I would have never given bariatric surgery a thought. I felt I looked good and healthy, so end of story. Oh, but I was deceiving myself. Apparently my body is screaming for help and help is exactly what I need. I know that bariatric surgery isn't the cure all. Exercise and a healthy diet are just as important. I've embraced this wholeheartedly. I just need that jump start to get me going on this journey to weight loss. I'm an elementary teacher and need as much energy as I can get to keep up with my little darlings. So the weight must come off as soon as possible. I want to take a Christian cruise and be healthy enough to move about when we arrive at the ports of the beautiful cities. That's my brief story for now. ????

Hi, my doctor is Dr. Dean at the Bariatric Center. You have done great! It is so nice to read success stories like yours. I can't imagine that there is really something that will help me! Who was your doc? I have a friend who used Dr. Spivak in Houston. Talk to you soon!:rolleyes2:

Hi! Well a good place to start is to look up all of the bariatric surgeons in your area, then give them all a call. Most of them will require you to attend a seminar or watch a video about the procedure before you can go any further in the process. Then you will have to fill out an information packet about all of your health issues, previous weight loss attempts, medication, etc. You can then make an appointment with them, and usually they will have a financial counselor who can help you with getting insurance approval or getting financed. I would suggest that you go through this process with several surgeons to see which program feels the most comfortable for you, and which surgeon you like best (eventually you will need to research their statistics including number of procedures performed, complication rates, and read patient reviews). The whole process can seem a little daunting, but most places will help you through the whole process. If you cannot get insurance approval, there are a number of surgeons in ::gasp:: Mexico who are very experienced and have excellent stats. They offer the surgery at a fraction of the cost of American surgeons, but have a much more limited aftercare program. It all depends on your needs and preferences. I am still a newbie here too, but there are loads of people on this site who are very knowledgeable. Definitely you are in the right place, keep asking questions, and good luck in your journey! You are taking the first steps toward a new healthier life...congratulations!!!

§ Start getting in better shape. I walked, lifted, and did as much as I could 5 times a week getting ready for surgery. § Started practicing eating slower for lunch. § Watched many videos, talked to people who had been through it. § Oh, but best work was preparing for the mental changes with my therapist and worked through this book: http://www.amazon.co...=bariatric book § I drank a great deal of alcohol so I weaned myself off and slowly cut the caffeine. § Followed the pre-op diet to the letter § Shopped two weeks before surgery for the foods I would need for the first two weeks. § Revised my will and power of attorney just in case something went wrong § Tried pureed meal ideas before surgery so I had some meal plans.

It could last at least 6 weeks. I went to the ER bc I thought I had a blood clot but didn't, and the ER doc told me I was gassy (listening through stethoscope) and may have a leak. I though WTH? It wasn't he just didn't have any experience with bariatric surgery.

Is DR 1 and DR 2 in the same practice? Have you gone for a second opinion (from a Bariatric surgeon)? At this point I would feel pot committed. You have spent so much, what if a good surgeon could just adjust the band correctly and everything would be fine? Dr Kim in Colleyville did my surgery and I think he is technically very good. Also I don't think he is just a "puppy mill" type. (You know the type, only interested in the money and just runs everyone through like cattle.) It probably wouldn't cost much to go see him and let him look. Plus if the band was placed wrong in his opinion it might help with recovering some of your money. Good luck, I'm sorry your having so much trouble.

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I agree with Leepers! Don't take any chances, get to your PCP ASAP! If it is band related they will be able to advise or at least to rule out cardiac related issues. You could also go to the hospital that your surgeon belongs to where they know how to treat a bariatric issue and they will be able to determine what is going on. Let me tell you my friend from my own personal experience being young does not mean that could not be your heart Leepers is 100% right. I had an attack at 17 after extreme circumstance, so PLEASE do NOT wait to get to a Dr.

Hi, Recently I had the stomach flu, on December 31, 2013 and I was vomiting but nothing was coming up, only going through the motions but it was pretty violent and tiring and horrible. As soon as this began I took anti-emetics to prevent myself from vomiting and it helped. The reason that I am posting is because I have been having a chest pain smack dab in the middle of my chest that radiates to my arm and actually numbs up my arm and makes it tingly. I did an all liquid diet for about 3 days after being sick, then did mushies and I am now on solid. I am wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this. I am able to eat restricted as I did before, no issues keeping liquids and foods down. No pain in my stomach or bloating or anything like that. Just this sharp angina like pain in the middle of my chest. I should state that I am 24 years old and have stayed pretty healthy and active compared to how I was before just this annoying sharpness five fingers down from my collarbone. Has anyone experience anything like this before? I am trying to get as much info as I can before I have to make the appt for my bariatric surgeon because I switched insurance and my band is no longer covered by my insurance, so everything is out of pocket and pricey. I am thinking of going to my primary but I want to get some input from fellow banders on this.

These are a few of my favorite (weight loss) things: 1. My iPod Shuffle. I love, love, love to listen to music that makes me want to move my body. I actually make excuses to go to the gym just so I can put my headphones on and get lost in the music while I'm on the elliptical. 2. My Polar heart rate monitor. It's a basic unit, but it's really all I need to keep my heart rate in the training zone. I don't like to exercise without it. 3. My Spinning shoes. Spinning is my favorite exercise, and somehow just putting them on says "Athlete" to me. 4. Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal. I have it every single day for Breakfast, and absolutely crave it. 9g Protein, 8g Fiber per 1 c. serving for 190 delicious calories. 5. Breakstones 2% large curd cottage cheese. That's my favorite post-workout snack. It's creamy and delicious, and packs in 11g protein in 90 calories. 6. Edamame. I love the frozen pods (which remind me of one of our southern staples, boiled peanuts), and the wasabe-flavored freeze dried ones. 7. My local lap band support group. We have an awesome bariatric coordinator, who does a wonderful job to get us inspired and motivated. Tami

congrats that's great. yes I went to spoke to my dr, psych, nut and the Bariatric coordinator

I'm seriously researching both procedures and surgeons now. I think I've concluded that, for me, lift is necessary. I do think I will want some augmentation when all is said and done; I am used to having large breasts, and while I don't want to be disproportionate, I do want to feel like "myself." It's really too soon to tell for sure--but I think there are some areas of my body that are rebounding a lot better than I expected. Others? Well, they will need to be rearranged big-time. The one thing I'm focusing on now---because documentation is very important---is making sure that issues related to redundant skin (pain due to the pull of gravity, skin breakdown, and so on) are documented by each doctor I see. When it comes to breasts, the pull of gravity post-bariatric surgery can cause neck and shoulder pain. (I already have serious neck issues)---which can influence insurance payment. Skin rash below pendulous tissue is also taken into consideration. So be sure to let your doctor know of any issues you experience. In terms of scarring--I've seen some really excellent results for both lifting and augmentation; I think I will have to find a surgeon I trust implicitly, and leave the decision of what is required in his hands. I would love to talk more about this as you go through the process--I think it's something many of us will be facing, and input from others is so helpful.

I found this on the web. It's from 2007, but it's the most comprehensive medical journal I've seen on the subject of bariatric surgery. The link takes you directly to a PDF download of the file, which is an entire issue of the journal. www.generalsurgerynews.com/download/gsnse07issueWM.pdf

@@PRINCESS2218 You're not alone. Although my pre-op diet allows for 3 shakes, 1 cup veggies and a Lean Cuisine type meal, I have not dropped more than a couple of pounds. I called my bariatric center and spoke with a dietitian and she encouraged me to use a laxative (which that is definitely an issue on this diet) but insisted that I not reduce my intake. Aside from the things mentioned above, I am drinking Vitamin Water Zero, Propel, Herbal Caffeine Free tea, and regular water. scale hates me.