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Today I spent hours going through the binder of information given to me by the bariatric team. I am one of those super organized, Type A personalities, so it was necessary for my peace of mind to have dividers and tabs and plastic sheaths for the important papers. Kinda crazy, I suppose, but that's me! Next I went through all my diabetic magazines and clipped the yummiest sounding recipes. :-) So far on this journey toward surgery-- 1. I established the insurance requirements (a complicated story I may share at another time) and got the preliminary clearance. That was a relief! 2. I discussed my desire with my personal physician, a fabulous doctor and man I respect greatly who has been my GP since moving to KY 3 years ago. His approval and support was not a deal breaker, necessarily, as I was 80-90% sure surgery was my best course, but it was important to me for him to be on board. It was a relief when he not only didn't disagree but also confirmed the positive reports I had read about the local surgeon and bariatric program. 3. I (and my husband) attended the informational seminar offered by the Bariatric Weight Loss Program here in my home town. The surgeon was at the meeting, as well as others on the team, and the info was very thorough. So far nothing to give me pause! I filled out the request form, then waited.... 4. The wait wasn't too long. Gayle, the program coordinator, called me about a week later to set up my first appointment with the surgeon Dr. Farrell. 5. August 4 was my appointment with Dr. Farrell. Before meeting him I also had brief meetings with the dietician and again with Gayle. A binder containing detailed information about the pre-approval process and appointments, the surgery itself and surgery prep, diet pre- and post-op, possible complications, exercise, recipes, and much more. VERY thorough! I even got a few samples of protein powder and shakes. 6. August 11 was my appointment with a cardiologist for "surgical clearance." I had seen this doctor just over a year ago, before my diagnosis of sleep apnea, to rule out any cardiac issues. Nothing had shown up at that time, and as a prior patient I was able to get in to see him quickly. Unfortunately, I have been very sick with bronchiolitis and possible pneumonia, on strong cough medicine and steroids. The latter (I'm convinced) is why my heart rate was high, and of course my chest wasn't as clear as it should have been. For this reason the doctor recommended a follow up ECHO and treadmill test to be sure all was well before surgery. As an RN, I could not argue the logic even if it adds more to the process. Better safe than sorry! 7. Gayle called the next day to give me dates for all the various appointments: Psych Eval, Support Group meetings, endoscopy, Nutritional Eval, Exercise Eval, and a Healthy Lifestyle Class. These, along with the cardio followup, are scheduled over the next month, beginning tomorrow. No set surgery date as yet. The initial estimate was early November, but it seems to me mid to late October makes more sense. My birthday is on October 26, and while it doesn't sound like too much fun to spend one's birthday in the hospital, in pain, and unable to eat at least a small piece of cake, I am willing to make the sacrifice if it means getting the rest of my better-health-and-skinnier-life started! I'm ready!

You are in SUCH an excellent place mentally BECAUSE you are soul searching! I have fought getting any type of bariatric surgery because I've always known it wasn't the size of my stomach that was the problem - but the things going on inside my head! I've been working on healing those things for the last few years - and have come to the conclusion that to actually lose the weight (which has been one of biggest walls - a comfort zone against - well - my "stuff") that now - I am mentally ready to ALLOW myself to become thinner... You are looking at your food in a new light now - and that is FANTASTIC! Not easy - but fantastic! Pehaps you could explore exactly what feelings you were stuffing down - when did those feelings begin? There is so much work to do in the heart, the mind, the soul - and sometimes, oftentimes, it's our bodies that pay the price. I'm so proud of you for searching - that's a huge step - maybe even bigger than actually getting the surgery - keep travelling down that searching path - and remember to tell yourself POSITIVE messages to dispel the negative tapes you may have heard or told yourself in the past! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! You are WORTH this temporary pain for a long term gain - BELIEVE IT! Looking forward to joining you in this journey to health!

Has anyone tried that brand???

@@evanslaura79 I came into work today, too. I'm a little tired, but I think I'm going to be able to do this. My incision sites are sore depending on how I bend and move, but most of my pain (which is dull at most) comes from my left abdominal muscle. I hope it's healing okay. It just feels sore. And...I guess I have some pain at my Lovenox injection sites. That's kinda weird but tolerable. I've been able to sleep pretty well. I'm experimenting with turning onto my sides, and that actually allows for better sleep. It's a slow process, but it works. I have stuck mostly with clear liquids. I went off the calendar I received in the Bariatrics University class, which indicated I could move onto full liquids after the first few days if I managed clear liquids okay. I was managing them alright, so I tried the chocolate Protein shake. However, that didn't go very well for me. I might try again this afternoon and see how that goes. I just get too much air back up after I swallow, which is painful. If all else fails, I'm sure I can manage a few more days of clear liquids. I am sorta hungry but sorta not. It's very strange. When I see a commercial for something that looks good, I acknowledge it. I think to myself that it looks good, but I'm not really hungry for it. I do miss the crunch of food, though. I'll get over it soon. I'm glad everyone is doing so well. I'm excited for you, too, @@Dulce_jtrivera . Don't let your family talk you out of it. I know I'm not even a week past my surgery date and it's too early for me to have regrets, but it's been a pretty simple process so far. It is a process, though, and it can't be rushed. If you're ready for it, then dive in!

Oh wow, that is really good. I haven't told anyone yet except for one person who also had WLS done. I'm in Aurora Colorado. I had thought about going to Denver Bariatric, but the cost is making it so I'm waiting for Kaiser to give me the final ok

Hi, Dr Kim did my inverted sleeve a little over 3 years ago. 90 lbs down and living life again! He is an excellent doctor with an excellent friendly staff that will walk you through your process. Make sure you fill out your packet before you go in. You will weigh in and get your height, then meet with a PA to ask you a bunch of health and history questions. Then you will meet with Dr Kim or Dr Holden whoever your doctor will be with your program. Then you will meet with a Bariatric Coordinator to go over your program and get you all set up with your classes. You may have a 90 day program but not sure and everyone's deductibles are different so that depends on your insurance plan. I can't answer that one. All I know is I loved my experience with KBI. From the moment I walked through the door to the rest of my life they will be there. They have monthly support groups and free fitness events. The private patient only Facebook support group is amazing!!! You can not join it until you have had surgery. But it will help you through your journey. The group is very encouraging and supportive! We do monthly 5ks/10ks, Breakfast and dinner get togethers, and fun events too. We are about to go on our very first KBI cruise in September! So lots to offer to help you be successful through your journey!

I had a gastroplasty back in 2001. I have since regained all the weight, plus more, that I lost. It was a dismal failure but that was the only option back then. Is there anyone here that has had a previous surgery and then a sleeve? I guess I'm wondering if its even possible to have this surgery with the previous one in there.

This is another study on pubmed from JAMA, comparing bariatric surgery procedures and their complication rates to get a handle on what made things go wrong, if they did. Total complication rate for all surgeries was 1.6 percent. Sleeve surgeries alone had a serious complication rate of 2.2 %; mortality rate for sleeve surgeries was exactly zero. The study said that complications were inversely proportional to how many surgeries the hospital handled, and how many surgeries the surgeon had performed. COE status was irrelevant. http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/20664044

Good morning! I am scheduled for gastric sleeve tomorrow morning 1/26. I just want to thank you ALL for keeping this place alive. Bariatric pal has been a HUGE wealth of information for me that I believe I would have even paid a fee for (but glad I don't have too LOL) Like I said I just want to give a thanks to all my BP friends that I've never met before but have more in common with than my daily life friends. Love to you all!!! Amy☆☆☆

Good golly why does society think bariatric surgery is taking easy way out? Wish I had a quarter for every time I was told to concentrate and the pounds would fall off. You're just laxy, ain't nothing lazy about,pulling a body this size around. Like perpetual power lifting but you're using the wrong muscles for a wrong purpose. Just don't eat, yeah but then your body thinks you're stabingband it shuts your metabolism down. Besides the relatives telling me all this, the only exercise they ever got was jumping to conclusions. I guess you have to,love th e m, even put up with some cause you wouldn't choose them like friends. What you don't need is belittlement, deprecating remarks and general hoohah from them all.

i live in oklahoma, near tulsa.. my uncle works at a place where they do a lot of bariatric surgery & he's always saying how much pain the patients are in & talking about all the bad stuff he sees. i never hear anything positive. (he may just be trying to scare me, though, by not mentioning anybody whose done well).. he's one of the guys that monitors people's hearts & makes sure there's no problems.. he doesn't live in or or work in tulsa, he works in a smaller city. maybe the doctors there don't have enough experience. i don't know what the deal is. my aunt (the above mentioned uncle's wife) is a nurse for a hospice center.. she travels around from house to house & sees people who are dying from various things (cancer, old age, heart problems, etc) & makes sure they're cleaned up and have everything they need & she talks with them & all that stuff.. helps them with whatever.. eating, bathing, doing household chores, etc.. she says that she sees bariatric patients pop up quite a bit.. people who have had lots of problems & complications. my other uncle lived next door to a lady who had bariatric surgery & she died from complications... i asked him what type she had, he said he didn't know (but i'm assuming it's an RNY, not a sleeve).. she was in poor health & was going to die anyway, but she died from complications to the surgery. my parents have been in bars and restaurants and stuff & talked with people who have had RNY & they say they're always throwing up and stuff... everybody is always pointing out the bad things, never the good ones.

Hi I'm in Dallas Texas ! My first appt is with Dr.Kim. Has anyone had him ? What can I expect in the two hours I'll be in the appt ? I also have Aetna choice Pos I I. They said they cover bariatric surgery and there is a program I must complete. Anyone have this insurance ? How much out of pocket cost was it?

Hi. We are not affiliated with either Dr. Ortiz or Dr. Ramos-Kelly. But we do have a team of 7 board certified surgeons that work with Bariatric Pal and have your health and well-being as their #1 priority. What helps BP stand apart from the rest is the personalized service that is offered to each individual patient both by the doctors and the on-site BP staff. i am available to talk or chat at any time. robert@bariatricpal.com or (619)726-4450

Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes. I am on anti-nausea meds. I have zofran that melts and another that starts with a "p" I can't remember the name off hand. Some times they help sometime not at all. I try calming my stomach with peppermint tea and peppermint oil rubbed on the outside. That helps calm the throw-up spasms a bit. My nurse called and said she is going to speak to my Dr but she is thinking they will just keep me on clear liquid until my appointment. There has been no mention of moving it up I have asked for an earlier one to no avail. I do have to travel 4 hours to the area I had the surgery for my first post op. So I doubt an earlier appointment is in my future. Yesterday I tried a Sucralose sweetened clear drink to try an up my Fluid since I am having a hard time with Water and kept it for about 30 minutes then sent me running to the restroom with diarrhea. As of now I am waiting on instructions from my bariatric team.

Greetings Coexister, i does seem that I am not a dumper either because I’ve tested this several times. I did get a bad reaction from drinking whole milk kefir. I got a stomachache. I wonder is this a form of dumping syndrome? When I drank low fat or non fat kefir, I absolutely had no problems with the kefir. However, when I had a frozen yogurt, I didn’t experience any sickness in my physical body. In terms of losing weight, for the last three weeks, I have stayed the same weight. I haven’t gained or loss weight. I guess that’s a good thing. You know something, Coexister? I have often wondered if my Bariatric Surgeon actually did the RYGB on me. My recovery is very similar to when I got the VGS in 2016. I control my snacking by putting everything I eat in my dietary journal. My dietitian gave me a calorie target and I rarely go above my calorie target. If there’s a particular snack I want to have, I budget for it within my calorie budget. I also read these forums for insight and inspiration as everyone that uses these forums have pearls of wisdom to offer each other. I have no regrets that I proceeded to revision to the RYGB because I my weight is coming down again and I have no more GERD & heartburn anymore. I also can’t risk get throat cancer from the hideous GERD I suffered from before I had my RYGB. 😃 I am six weeks post op and today was my first day back on solid food. I’m going back on solid food slowly - introducing each new food slowly back into my diet.

I can't drink Water still.. I had the sleeve on July 9th.. I'm still having gas pains.. Lots of burping and seems to linger in my chest. But I have to say today is my best day.. Greek Yogurt is going down good.. My 1 week post op is tomorrow.. I'm still sore, especially in my left side.. I'm looking forward to eating healthy and finding all the new great Bariatric recipes out there!

I probably wouldn;t have said much as I avoid confrontation like the plague - but would have felt plenty. Was she a nurse affiliated with your surgeon's office, or does she work in the bariatric ward at the hospital? I'm hoping that maybe she was a general ward nurse and just really doesn't get it. Patients lose weight on the pre-op diet because they have a clear goal in sight, and know that it is very short term. It is rather idiotic to be surprised at someone who has lost weight on an extremely low calorie diet. Duh. But it could not be sustained in any viable or healthy way. I was considered low BMI for this surgery too - I just about squeaked through qualification with my co-morbidities. Yes, I did get people who were surprised at what I was doing and told me that I didn't need it. Oh, but I really did. 20 years of health problems that started as low-key but became harder to ignore with every passing year dictated that I do this now, or do it later when I am even heavier and more at risk. It really isn't up to a nurse to be gossipy and nosy about your health situation and the private battles you have fought. Hugs to you.

So I'm back from my visit with the Wizard. Dr. Audencio Alanis - Audencio Alanis M.D. - Bariatric Surgeon, Weight Loss Surgery, LapBand Surgery, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio He the great. The hospital was great. I'm feeling ok. Each day the pain is less and less. The only thing I can't do right now is bend over freely. I got 4 cuts on my stomach. One right under my left breast. The other 3 almost in a line across my stomach. I have pictures of me pre and post op here...Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum - Heft_Bandit's Album: Heft Bandit I had a revelation while reading the boards last night...I can take my pain meds when ever I like. So since then, my pain level has been pretty low. In addition to the pain meds my dr order me some Carafate and Pepcide Complete. The Carafate seems to be like pepto or something. So I don't have any issues right now. (knock on wood). Gonna call a Dermo tomorrow and hopefully get an appointment. I have keloid skin and really don't want the scars to get out of control. ..."there's no place like bandland..., there's no place like bandland..."

I ordered Bariatric Choice chewable vitaband multivitamins, calcium citrate, and iron. They shipped the order the same day with free shipping. Tasty in flavor.

yes they can remove it at the same time. 25% of people will need gallbladder surgery after bariatric surgery so some surgeons routinely remove the gallbladder during bariatric surgery and some don't. if you already having problems then it's a good idea to have it remove at the same time. the recovery time is longer though.

I went in this morning thinking everything would be fine. The EGD/endoscopy was a little uncomfortable, but that was expected. What I didn't think would happen is my bariatric surgeon (who also did my endoscopy) would tell me I had a hernia. He took pictures of it and everything. *Sigh* He says it's not exactly a "No" to the banding surgery. He did give me a prescription for Nexium and one of the endoscopy unit nurses gave me a pamphlet about treatment for hernias. The surgeon said that he could try to repair it when the banding is done, but I think he wants to see how well I can adjust to the Nexium and the guidelines as such.. cutting back on coffee, caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, that sort of thing. If that doesn't help and they do another scoping and find that it hasn't improved, then I'll probably need to be referred elsewhere for surgery just for the hernia. So, I've taken my first purple pill. I guess at the moment that's all I can do. I cried in the endoscopy unit. The nurses were like, "Cheer up, things could be worse," and they're right. It's just that I'm trying my best to get everything done and to move on with my life. *Sigh* Just needed to vent. Thanks for the opportunity.

Heather, The specific info is on pages 20-22, under covered services. On pages 21 and 22 is where it talks about the requirement for a supervised diet. As I said, their bullets are really mixed up! The levels are screwy, so it's hard to tell what's a requirement, and what's an 'option.' I'll post it below for you! Number 1: two programs which have been supervised by other doctors, takes a total of 6 months. Number 3: Supervised by Active Health - takes 6 months - just phone calls. Number 2 can be completed through your bariatric center. Takes 3 months. Includes visits with the physician and a nutritionist. The center said our insurance will NOT cover the nutritionist, however. The exact wording is below! *Member must meet 1 or more of the following criteria (1) physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program; or (2) multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen, or (3) Participation in the Weight Management Enhancement Program. (1) Physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program (it's just listed as a sub-bullet, not numbered, so hard to tell the difference) - Member has participated in two (2) or more physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program (including dietician consultation, low calorie diet, increased physical activity, and behavior modification, Weight Watchers, the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, or Sugar Busters), documented in the medical record at each visit. The physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program must meet ALL of the following criteria: (IE. This is two, three month programs at least - so this requires at least 6 months to complete). (2) Multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen: Within 6 months prior to surgery, the participant must participate In organized multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen of at least three months (90 days) duration meeting ALL of the following criteria, in order to improve surgical outcomes, reduce the potential for surgical complications, and establish the participants ability to comply with post-operative care and dietary restrictions: Behavior modification program supervised by qualified professional Consultation with a dietician or nutritionist Documentation in the medical record of the member's participation in the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen at each visit (A physician's summary letter, without evidence of contemporaneous oversight, is not sufficient documentation. Documentation should include medical records of the physician's initial assessment of the member, and the physician's assessment of the member's progress at the completion of the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen). Exercise regimen (unless contraindicated) to improve pulmonary reserve prior to the surgery, supervised by exercise therapist or other qualified professional. Program must have a substantial face-to-face component (and must not be entirely delivered remotely). Reduced-calorie diet program supervised by dietician or nutritionist. (3) Participation in the Weight Management Enhancement Program for 6 months (This is the Active Health program - monthly phone calls). Active Health administers our weight management and smoking cessation programs. The telephone number for more information from them directly is 866-939-4721. They were very helpful when I called!

Okay I looked but didn't see the part that says we could just do a 3 month supervised program through our bariatric center BUT if that's indeed the case that would be GREAT!!!

the So Cal Kaiser options class is now 12 weeks, 3 months. i finished it back in early October. hadnt made up my mind to have surgery....until this year. I spoke to my bariatric Dr and asked her to schedule me to see the surgeon. He scheduled me for a month out! and ive been on 1200 cal diet since then. down 12 lbs. i'm 9 days away and trying liquids every other day til then.

At my 6 month follow-up appointment, I confessed to my bariatric surgeon that I have been substituting herbal tea (sometimes with Stevia, sometimes without) for some of my 64 oz. of daily Water. I can only drink so much water and the tea seemed to be keeping me well hydrated. Also, I read an article that said that you could do this without consequence. Well my surgeon told me to cut it out and to only drink tea in addition to the 64 oz of water. I like to do what I'm told, but in this case, I'm feeling rebellious. What do you think? Do it the hard, boring way? Or can I continue to enjoy my daily teas?