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Nice to see everyone's response here. It has been 4 years for me, but since I never reached my ultimate goal weight, I continue to fight the good fight. I finally got myself on track where I should have been way back then, and am very close to my goal. Once I'm past that point and have my plastics, I guess I'll feel more like my bariatric journey is complete. Until then, I'll continue to be a regular here and check in daily!

My daughter is a PharmD and, believe me, I ask questions. I am sadly not surprised that you were given a drug with poor availability. Omeprazole capsules are all delayed-release. They are dosed at 10mg, 20mg, or 40mg. There's is also an oral suspension available at 2.5mg or 10mg -- also delayed-release. Omeprazole has one tablet dosed at 20mg, delayed-release. When will other medical specialties catch up with the pharmacokinetics* of bariatric medicine? Not only did you pay good money for some "bedpan bullets" but omeprazole has plenty of unpleasant side effects (for some people). Wait. Did I read something wrong? Did you say your bariatric surgeon prescribed omeprazole for you knowing that the tabs, caps, and oral suspension (liquid granules) are ALL delayed-release? Incredible. **refers to the movement of drug into, through, and out of the body—the time course of its absorption, bioavailability, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. As for the sucralfate (Carafate), did you only take it for those initial 6 weeks? Sucralfate has numerous drug interactions and side effects. Hyperglycemia is one side effect. Bezoars are another; however, most people usually have some kind of medical condition that predisposes them to bezoars (such as delayed gastric dumping). I've had my gallbladder out, too. What are you being given for your ulcer pain now? I'm a chronic pain patient.<sigh>. I've been taking morphine to control my pain for years. You should not be allowed to suffer this much. Whatever you're taking now is not strong enough -- and doesn't appear to even come close to touching your pain. I've never actually heard of anyone with a marginal/anastomotic ulcer. I have nothing but empathy for you. I'm also fearful that someone will drop the ball again. I'm furious with that gastroenterologist for unequivocally "proclaiming" that your scope was normal. One of my three sons (two are medical doctors, btw), had eosinophilic esophagitis so bad that his esophagus was close to severing. That son, weirdly enough, is a GI pathologist now. I wish I could say more to comfort you. Again, I have nothing but empathy and concern for you. Please keep us posted.

I was surprised at how supportive everyone has been. I'm not sure what I expected, but everyone has watched me go through so much with my health lately that they are all excited for me. Everyone has been so positive. My son told me yesterday that he'll take over the cooking of the family dinners at his house so I don't have to worry about it or be around the cooking. His family lives down the street, so they are here most nights for dinner. He's just making sure Dad gets fed! I'm lucky that my general surgeon is also a bariatric surgeon, so I'll be only minutes from home. He removed my thyroid last fall. I am very comfortable with him.

I had RNYGB on 7/19/16. I still say it is the greatest surgery I have ever had. My BMI is down from 37 to 21. I had no problems until I had to go to the ER on 4/10/18 with horrific abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. My surgeon put me on Prilosec and Carafate for 6 weeks, but I found out later the Prilosec caps were not bioavailable and just went through without being effective. So on Mother's Day I went back to the hospital for pain control and an upper scope to look for a marginal ulcer. Unfortunately the GI MD had no expertise in looking for marginal ulcers and said my scope was normal. So, I had 6 more weeks of unbelievable pain. My surgeon said maybe I had gallbladder disease so I had my gallbladder removed on 5/29/18. Did not help my pain at all. Finally, my surgeon referred me to a bariatric subspecialist who repeated my upper scope, and he found my marginal/anastomotic ulcer. This is potentially very serious in that the ulcer could perforate and require emergency surgery. I am concerned because I was pain-free after starting Prilosec liquid for the first four weeks, but the crippling pain has returned. My patients compliment me on my weight loss, but nausea and pain is a horrible way to do it! Does anyone else have experience with having a marginal ulcer?

I had an issue with constipation....it was pretty rough....about 10 days out, I had to get Milk of Magnesia, and some other help to go. Once I did, I did feel much better. I did end up calling my bariatric center for advice, they told me drink warm water or tea, and try the MoM and to walk to get things moving....good luck

OK, I was craving bariatric-friendly Mexican food this week and couldn't find a recipe that grabbed me, so I made this one up. Obviously, you can vary the seasoning/spiciness to taste. This isn't too spicy because I can't handle that right now. Hope you enjoy it!

Awww that sucks, see if you can arrange a way for your insurance to cover (really find every loophole you can) transportation to the new surgeon, usually its every 6 months to a year as far out as you are . maybe metabolic care at the local hospital, idk ,check it out. Myfitnesspal free version is pretty good but they do have a subscription version too. Set your calories to the lowest level possible 1200 I think, which is bariatric maintenance (someone else chime in if I'm incorrect) That will at least get you losing again, you can log Water exercise, weight, measurements, progress, rant rave, etc. Its very social. Add me...TLHwls2017 VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

Thank you! Unfortunately, due to my insurance, I can't see a bariatric surgeon because they don't take it at all and the only surgeons that are here in my neck of the woods are in the next town over. I can, however, see a nutritionist. I am in therapy but I never really talk about my surgery, I will start doing that. I didn't think to track food, it is a good idea. Does my fitness pal have premium? Also, I'll post in the VET form. Sent from my SM-S727VL using BariatricPal mobile app

Congrats on your success! The next step that might be helpful is find/visit a new Bariatric team to start a plan (Nutrition, Dietician, therapy, support groups, etc) Also tracking food again seems to be crucial for gaining control, are you using Myfitnesspal? Another resource is the VET threads since that's technically what you are so there will be discussions better suited to your needs there and people who can help you through Safe Journey again! VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

Hi there..... Still exploring options myself. As we expect any diet plan / life change is going to encourage diet and exercise. Plus I imagine just being on a liquid diet a few days before and after will cause anyone will lose weight, regardless of the balloon. Thus, why most people experience dramatic results the first month then get frustrated after that. I had 2 friends do it, one said it was worth it, the other did not think so. They both wanted to lose about 50 lbs and they each lost about 15 lbs the first 2 months and then only another 10-15 lbs the remaining time. One changed habits enough that she continued to lose. The other gained the weight back and then some already. Both said that overeating is a common mistake in the beginning and that it is literally painful, not just feeling full. They both reported really bad cramping, doubled over in pain and could barely walk. But it certainly did teach them not to do it anymore. One of them considered Mexico but said there was not much savings when taking into consideration all the added expenses of flights, hotels and requiring two trips. I don't know of all the places she explored or if she researched Mexico Bariatric Center Given the mixed results, I am stuck on what to do myself. I only have a BMI of 30.2 so I don't want anything drastic. I refuse to have part of my stomach removed because my sister was morb ob and had a DS done, which was botched. Two years of many life-threatening complications and a corrective surgery by Mayo to save her life. I'm considering the Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, but it costly and can't find anyone in Mexico to do it. I would love to be a candidate for the vbloc but I am under the BMI for it. Good luck in your research and journey!

Tiff, before you can get back on track, you're going to have to stop beating yourself up. The key is just to go back to "bariatric basics." Start logging again and concentrating on protein. This is going to be a life long struggle for all of us so the key is using the tools at your disposal. Perhaps some bad foods magically crept back in. I began noticing this myself so I forced myself to go back to logging and I had the "A ha!" moment when I saw potato chips sneak back in. I think my calories also crept back up too but not to the point where I was gaining; just stagnant or plus or minus a few pounds.

My surgeon attends and gives lectures, trains surgeons under him , does other types of surgeries, etc. I see his Bariatric PA & NUT. I was completely aware of the process. I like it because he can focus on skill building. But ... as soon as he heard I was going to Italy and France a few months ago he magically appeared to talk lol VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

Lot of people struggle with relationships after bariatric surgery because it's a time of tremendous change in their lives. Sometimes, we find our partners have incompatible eating and recreation habits...when you're working your arse off to clean up your diet.....it can be really hard to be with someone who can't feel like they've had fun unless it involves carnival food, McNuggets, or spending half the night drinking and eating bar food. A change of food culture, in itself, can cause a rift when one partners habits change dramatically. There's a lot of personal change that can happen as well. When people start to improve their weight and health, it can have a snowball effect. Losing weight might give you more confidence, more energy, more ambition to reclaim lost interests and goals. It might also set a new dynamic of outspokenness in a relationship. A partner who used to silently go along to get along might start speaking up for themselves. A partner who used to shy away from sex might find more of an appetite for it, or vice versa. A person might want more, or something different from their partner....and that isn't limited to the superficial. Divorce statistics are high because people do change their minds....no bariatric surgery needed. People do grow in different directions and become toxic to each other. Sometimes these splits are healthy and for the best. Changing your mind about a relationship doesn't make you a dog, it makes you human. OP isn't even married, yet. Engagements OFTEN end in a split, and it's ok and sometimes very healthy when they do. The OP is very responsibly talking to his therapist about this issue. He's concerned about hurting someone whose feelings clearly matter to him. He's reaching out to peers for support. He's not "a dog" and he shouldn't be abused here for expressing his truth.

The journey of a thousand miles starts c with a single step and the pathway to Bariatric Surgery starts with a glimmer of hope in someone's heart💨💛💙💜💚❤

No but.welcome to Bariatric Pal. I haven't seen anyone from Virginia, but we more than a few from Maryland, someone from Delaware, and also from Washington DC. I'm sure the other Virginia people will find you soon. I'm in Central Ohio myself,& having my surgery in Columbus.😛Good Luck!

In the 1980s, the concept of “person-first language” developed among disability advocacy groups. Non-profit organizations, such as the Obesity Action Coalition have expanded advocacy for people-first language to obesity. As of 2017, five U.S. medical societies had pledged for it, and use it in their communications, among them: the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, The Obesity Society, and American Society of Bariatric Physicians. Labeling individuals as obese creates negative feelings toward individuals with obesity and perpetuates weight-bias. Quite often, one will see news stories, articles, and journal entries refer to an individual with obesity as “obese.” For example, I found this Wikipedia article on Carol Yager: Carol Ann Yager was one of the most severely obese people in history, and the heaviest woman ever recorded. In January 1993, Yager was admitted to Hurley Medical Center, weighing-in at 1,128 lb (512 kg). As is common with many severely obese patients, Yager was not able to stand or walk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Yager (Yes, one point of the article on Carol Yager is to focus on how many pounds she weighed, but the article also reveals weight-bias with its wording. Maybe to some, it seems like yet another attempt to be overly-politically correct, but really... how much effort does it take to use people-first language? https://radicalcopyeditor.com/2017/07/03/person-centered-language/ https://www.obesityaction.org/action-through-advocacy/weight-bias/people-first-language/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language The goal of people-first language is to stop dehumanizing individuals by labeling them with their disease.

Hello, I'm trying to find someone my age (I'm 31) who has had the gastric bypass for a long while and is doing really good at it to motivate me/help me with keeping on track. I live in Northern California, as I stated that up there. But I'm trying to find someone who is either at the same milestones in their lives as me because everybody I've met has kids and everything or married and I don't want to feel like I'm burdening people/not in that point in my life plus I want somebody I could relate to and they could relate to me (I don't relate to nobody though so I wish I could). I already go to my bariatric support group (I'm Post Op since May 15th of this year) but my support is not enough. I have ZERO support from family or friends I did this all myself but I do need someone to help sometimes because I don't know what I'm doing to be honest even though my bariatric doctor so I'm where I'm supposed to be and I've been following the meal plan 90% and the other 10% is confusion and frustration. I'm getting very angry because sometimes I feel like weight loss surgery was worthless because I'm still fat but I know for a fact It's not going to come off really quickly right now because I had a high BMI and weight. I'm 5'3 1/2 and when I started my journey 4 years ago I was 365-370ish and right now I'm still 244 but I've just felt so depressed about my weight but I'm trying not worry about it but I have still A LOT of health issues still but like 2 less ailments since WLS. If anybody wants to talk to me please feel free to message me. Thanks!

I think this take is a bit extreme. Many of us, including myself, had no pre op diet. So it certainly isn't a necessity. I'm not saying go against Dr.'s orders, but this isn't something universally agreed upon by Bariatric surgeons like "protein first". Also the OP's description of being forced to buy dehydrated food isn't the norm, and sounds worse than the normal pre op diet. I have never felt "starved, angry, emotional", at all. Well only emotional when I'm losing my hair by the handful maybe. This isn't some kind of torturous process, for me at least. I have never lost weight so easily before in my life.

I come to you all today wondering if anyone is or has experienced with I am currently experiencing. I know that they call Bariatric surgery “the divorce surgery.” I am 5 weeks post op and lately I have found myself less interested in my fiancé. It’s from nothing she herself has done, I am just not feeling it right now. I am realizing how distant I have been lately and I have not been communicating at all. I feel badly about it because I know it is effecting her emotionally. I just can’t seem to get out of this mood. I know the response from some of you will be “You need to seek a therapist”, I do have a therapist and I have an appointment to discuss this. I am just wondering who has experienced this and what they have done to deal with it. 6’3” HW: 375 SW: 338 CW: 305 G: 250

Daughter just stuck her head in here and I said...Have you heard of sea snails and waxy tree frogs for pain management? She had that greedy look..."Rudimentarily. Tell me more! Who are you talking to?" LOLOLOL I'm like....some lady on my bariatric board with smarty pants kids. One did his fellowship at UMich. She's like... I will look into these things! (and she probably will) That said...the reason she stuck her head in here...is that I'm supposed to be grilling salmon. Hubby cut veggies to grill and she made a sauce. Need to run:) I will message you! And yes...i'm one big poop from goal:) LOL

If you really want more tropical @ Lillybilly lives in the Caribbean on an island and Bajan Sleeve lives in Barbados. Both pretty nice places, seems to me when I started on Bariatric Pal there was a lady active from Jamaica, wonder what ever happened to her? I hate when people stop out, I worry v whether they are okay afterwards?

Bariatric surgery was named in 1953, after the Greek word “βάρΟς” for weight, when Varco first attempted to treat severe obesity with a bypass of the small intestine. Since then, the field has expanded to control diseases that include type 2 diabetes mellitus. In 1995, Dr. Walter Pories and his research team published an article titled “Who would have thought it? An operation proves to be the most effective therapy for adult-onset diabetes mellitus”. Since then, evidence has accumulated showing that weight-loss surgery can cure/improve several metabolic diseases, especially adult onset or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Obesity is tough to combat using behavioral interventions, with studies showing only moderate weight loss and frequent weight regain. Many diabetes patients struggle to control blood sugar and other metabolic disorders, despite a wide range of available pharmacologic options. Metabolic surgery is designed to benefit patients with type 2 diabetes, in whom obesity is often a major underlying factor. The term "metabolic surgery" indicates a surgical approach whose primary intent is the control of metabolic alterations/hyperglycemia in contrast to "bariatric surgery," conceived as a mere weight-reduction therapy. Metabolic patients tend to be older, male, have a lower BMI, and have diabetes. Bariatric patients tend to be younger, female, have BMIs double the ideal weight for height, and have an average of three to four obesity-associated co-morbid conditions such as pre-diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, arthritis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Metabolic surgery is defined as a set of gastrointestinal operations (such as sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-n-Y gastric bypass) performed with the intent to treat diabetes and other metabolic dysfunctions, which include obesity. In 2009 the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) changed its name to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) to promote information on the beneficial effects of surgeries for weight loss in treating metabolic diseases, especially Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) . https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23314274 https://diabetes.medicinematters.com/metabolic-surgery/type-2-diabetes/metabolic-surgery-a-powerful-solution-or-a-last-resort-/12343792 https://weightlosssurgery.ca/surgery-type-2-diabetes/what-is-metabolic-surgery/ So, if you're having weight-loss surgery primarily to treat diabetes or pre-diabetes, or even if you aren't having surgery for that specific reason, you still might want to inform your co-workers or any judgmental extended family members that, "I'm having metabolic surgery next week, so I'll be taking a few days off to recoup." metabolicpal.com?

@Missouri-Lee's Summit - I'm in love with this explanation of hunger and satiety/hormones you posted: I have needed this solution all my life and am so happy for WLS! My ghrelin must of been insanely high and my leptin super low prior to surgery. Leptin and ghrelin are hormones that are known to have a prominent role in the relationship between hunger and satiety. Ghrelin also plays a role in determining how much of what we eat is burned for fuel versus stored as fat. Weight loss alone results in an increase in ghrelin, which explains why we tend to feel hungry as soon as we restrict calories and begin to shed pounds. Surgically induced weight loss, however, in which a portion of the stomach is removed or bypassed, reduces the production of ghrelin while restricting the volume of food consumed. This unique combination explains, at least in part, why bariatric patients are able to eat less but not feel hungrier as a result. Leptin also plays an important role in telling your body when you are full and how calories are stored. It is believed that weight loss improves the body’s sensitivity to the messages leptin delivers to the gut and brain. This in turn may result in greater food satisfaction with smaller quantities and less flavor intensity.

Today was my consultation for gastric bypass. I have to do 12 month bariatric pre-surgery education. Anyone from Virginia and have Anthem Cova Care Virginia insurance and going through this?

Today was my consultation for gastric bypass. I have to do 12 month bariatric pre-surgery education. Anyone from Virginia and have Anthem Cova Care Virginia insurance and going through this?