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And I my little flower wish I had come to the decision and sought it sooner. At 72 think of all painful wasted years I spent obese. But I thought it was too late, many people said over 60 you had to die fat. But you don't and I won't, close to your REBIRTHDAY date I too will be having RnY surgery, mine will be at OSU-Wexner Medical Center in Columbus Ohio and my doctor's name is Bradley Needleman MD, the chief of Bariatric Medicine there. When Frustr8 does it, she goes for the Gold! I love forward to sharing my surgery month and possible date with you! Curtsying and big😝Smile!

Alex Brecher stuck,up for them in November 2014, wonder what changed about the company? Bariatric Pals usually,only stocks and backs winners. They are the most trustworthy site I have found.

I am in Round Rock and went with Cedar Park Surgeons. They have a bariatric center that is run by a husband and wife. I highly recommend them, even though it might be a bit of a drive.

There are multiple studies (below) that show SSRIs like zoloft are temporarily less effective following bariatric surgery. This is because the acid in your stomach, which normally helps break down the medication so your intestine can absorb it properly, is healing (and your diet is geared to avoid acid production). Same problem with other anti-depressants that are time released (XL, XR, etc.) I’d talk to your psychiatrist about the issues and see if they can put you on a different formulation. Also, if your pill is crushable, I would try taking it that way so more of it breaks down in your stomach. Hope this helps. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4026560/

Hi hk1100, I had MGB survey outside the US on 12/12/16. Bile Reflux - in my research before surgery, I found that most MGB patients do not suffer with bile reflux. Surgeons who are really experienced with MGB can make sure their patients don’t experience bile reflux. Foul-smelling stool - all bariatric surgeries cause both foul-smelling stools and gas. For some people, taking probiotics can help with that. But it is a trade off for being healthier. Malnutrition - most MGB patients don’t suffer from malnutrition as long as they follow their surgeon’s post-op instructions. Other than vitamin patches, I’m not doing anything extra other than making sure I get my protein and fluids. I would recommend MGB surgery to anyone looking into having weight loss surgery.

What are some good bariatric veggie dips?

Considering going to MX to have the balloon procedure in about a month. I have some basic questions: 1. If sticking to diet and exercise is crucial for the balloon to work, then why would one need the balloon? Diet and exercise are the key to all weight loss. (This may seem like a stupid question, but to me it makes perfect sense to ask.) 2. What happens if you do overeat with the balloon. Not planning to, but let’s face it...most of us never write in on our calendars “binge next Thursday “. Yet it still happens. 3. Any thoughts on Mexico Bariatric Center in Tijuana? Dr Rodrigues Lopez is the doctor.

Way back in the early 00's, I was diagnosed with esophageal scarring from years of undiagnosed/untreated GERD. I was getting food stuck several times each meal. The common name for this is "Steakhouse Syndrome". Food would lodge going down, and although I'd be able to breathe, it felt like a mini heart attack. Painful, scary (even if you know what it is, your body goes into "I'm choking" mode - creating loads of saliva). Larger, drier foods were the worst - meats (hence the word steak) - especially pork. But really anything could get stuck. To make it pass, I'd need to wash it down with fluid - usually something like water or milk. As the problem got worse, I could no longer wash the food down - the water would back up on top of the food, blocking breathing, and I'd feel like I was drowning. I'd need to run to the sink and put my head upside-down to let gravity bring up the water. When it got to this point, I went to see a gastroenterologist. He put me under in "twilight", and dialated my esophagus. It worked. No more choking for several years. At the time, they saw a nodule in my stomach that they wanted to check back on in year or so (which was fine / didn't grow), and while they had me under, they re-dialated my esophagus a bit more the following year. I've had no issues since then - in the last 8 years or so. I get food stuck temporarily maybe 5 times a year. Nothing serious enough to be truly scary, or even to alert the people around me that I'm having an issue. In Nov. of 2017, I got banded. Immediately following the banding - even when I was still on almost liquid foods - I started getting food stuck again. This was BEFORE I even had any fluid put into the band. I didn't feel my lap band was limiting my food intake much, so I kept asking for more fluid in it. It still didn't seem to limit my intake much, but it did make food get stuck even more. Like..... with almost every bit of ANYthing. It was BAD. My current husband had never really seen this before, and it had been years since my now teenagers had. It scared the crap out of them. I was trying to follow the lap band instructions (no drinking while eating), but I couldn't - I NEEDED to drink before and after a bite in order to get food down. Which washes the food down past the pouch, essentially negating the band's purpose. I went back to my gastric surgeon and told him all of this. He didn't like it, but didn't seem to think that it was my old problem. So I visited my gastro again, and he did another dialation. He made it bigger than ever before. Didn't help. I went back to see him again, and he suggested it was likely the band. This was NOT was my bariatric surgeon thought. But the gastro said it would be easy to find out - let all the fluid out of the band and see if the problem improved. I was scheduled for a knee replacement the following week when I had this conversation with my gastroenterologist, so I figured I'd deal with the issue after I was up and running again. I had my knee replacement surgery (I'd had the other knee replaced 5 years earlier, so I knew what to expect), and things started to go badly for my stomach the night of the surgery. I got nauseated and vomited - that was the first time I'd actually vomited since my Lap-Band surgery. I wound up not eating again until breakfast the next morning. Lunch didn't seem like something I had any interest in, by my hubby forced me to eat anyway - to keep my strength up. I was supposed to stay an additional day in the hospital, but I was doing really well with pain and mobility, so they gave me the option of going home early, which I took. By the time I got home it was dinner time, and not only wasn't I hungry, but I was constantly belching (I normally don't burp at ALL), and it smelled and tasted like rotten eggs. By late evening, my oral pain meds weren't working. I.was.miserable. I contacted my knee surgeon at midnight, and he told me he thought this was related to my Lap-Band. So I called my bariatric surgeon and he confirmed it was my band. That my stomach had stopped digesting food, which is why my pain meds weren't working - they weren't digesting, but rather just sitting in my stomach. He told me to drink plenty of water but not to eat until after I could see him the next day to get fluid taken out of the band. And to crush up my pain meds and flush them through that way. It worked. I was able to sleep, thank God. Back to the hospital the next day to meet my bariatric surgeon. He put a needle into my port and let all the fluid out of my band. Things returned to normal immediately. I was able to eat, digest, and 90% of the food-getting-stuck issue stopped. That was all 3 months ago now, and I haven't been back to get re-filled. What would be the point? I'll just make all my food get stuck again, and since I need to wash it down, it negates the purpose of the Lap-Band totally. Even without any fluid in my band, I'm STILL getting food stuck 10% of the time. My husband and kids hate watching me go through this. They want the band removed because it scares them so badly to watch an episode of food getting stuck. They think it's dangerous for me. I disagree, but I can see why it would scare them so much. It would scare me for them it if was happening to them instead of me. I have no idea where this leaves me. I don't know if they'll suggest a sleeve or a bypass, or if they'll just want to go remove the band. I'm disappointed that I spent so much time and effort jumping through all the hoops to get this surgery, only to have it not work well for me. And my insurance has changed - even going in to just remove the Lap-Band will likely cost me a few thousand dollars this time around with my new insurance. I don't know if a sleeve / bypass is going to cause the same issues with swallowing - that that'll be permanent. Of course the drinking fluids with my meals wouldn't negate the point of the surgery, though. I know I can talk to my bariatric surgeon about all of this. But considering that he wasn't willing to admit that my band could even potentially be the cause of the issue in the first place, how do I trust what he says about the problem potentially continuing if I have one of the other surgeries?

It makes why question why Bariatric Pal would offer these powders for sale if they are questionable? hummmmmmm

Bariatric advantage meal replacement shakes mixed with my tears as I watch everyone eat a bunch of grilled meat.

Hello, I had the gastric band out in 2017. Because of a dilated esophagus. I hated that because I really did well with it. I wanted to get the sleeve but since my bmi was low the insurance would not approve it , that's what the bariatric coordinator told me . So i went on with life but now it is really hard to get weight off and keep it off i try every day, some times i have slip ups . I am gaining my weight back, so i went to my PCM and she put a referral in for me at the same place i had my lapband put in and removed. The coordinator seem like she really didn't want to help me . I was calling ever couple of days to see if she received the referral. I told her i only had 1 comorbidity hypertension. She said she would speak with the dr to see since he had done my other surgery. He had told me in 2017 to try to keep the weight off, but if i started to gain to come back and see him I can't even get in cause she says my bmi is only 34 and i only have i comorbiditie. I have a sleep study on the 24 July to see if I have an apnea. My PCM is really trying to help me. May sound crazy but I hope I do so I can qualify I am on vacation now and I know I have gained even though I was not trying to but I knew I would. It is so hard. Any one else out there In a similar situation? Sorry for the rambling 😊

@2shea- don't put out a challenge, there will be somebody on Bariatric Pal with an answer. Ergo,here I am. I knew and still know a retired cannibal. Found Jesus, came to the USA for Bible College, he was from New Guinea, speaks English with an Australian accent, don't know if the,missionary was from there or just because he's from that area of the South Pacific. Fasinating Dude to sit and talk to. So some information for you. People, at least the eatable ones, are called " long pork" due to,our omnivore diet we taste most like that. The US pork producers have an ad campaign calling Pork the other white meat, guess what ? That's us Too! If you go to New Guinea, happen to be caught by cannibals that happen to speak English , tell them you are American. If they don't speak English, all bets are off. Okay, back to why you tell them you're American. We have so many,pesticides, hormones and overuse of antibiotics, we are not fit for human consumption. Frystr8, my friend David, never could pronounce his New Guinea one, and David said it,rough translated the same, said Even we don't care much for indigestion, nausea and vomiting. Australian and New Zealanders taste like mutton. They don't care much for the taste of Japanese , much,too fishy. But, he said, Grandfather said during the Second World War, you took what you could get to survive and get along. Always wondered if he got homesick, if he went to the local steakhouse and ordered a slab of spareribs. Hope all the information helps all of you! 😝🍛

Not all of us eat low carb diets:) We all get 60+ grams of protein. But a growing number of bariatric patients eat beans, whole grains, potatoes, seeds, soy and other protien rich lower glycemic index carbs. (most will avoid sugar and processed carbs) Also....cream of potato soup was highly recommended by my surgeon because it's extremely gentle on a healing stomach. It's a go-to food for gut surgery recovery. Also, potatoes do have a decent amount of protein and dietary fiber. Again....not all of us are on the same diet. Lot of ways up the mountain:) I know it's confusing that not all doctors and nutritionists follow the same plan....but they very truly...don't.

And if you want or need,a Bariatric GodAunt or even GodGrammy may I offer me? I am in Middle America, Ohio is about as middle road as you can get. I saw,on another forum thread , someone,thinking if I can. go back to my 20s and be thin everything will be perfect. Ain't no guarantee! I have lived until 72 years of age and I can tell you,there is no one age perfect, just like there was no good old days. They were different but,also not prefect. As an example I had a friend who,had partial. paralysis from polio. We have preventive liquids and shots now , back then our parents lived in fear every summer we would get that sickness. There is no free lunch in life, yes I am philosophical goes with my age. You do the best you can what you have. Now in July I will have my surgery, a Rny bypass and I believe it will enhance my,life, but make it,perfect? No I have arthritis, weight loss. will calm it down but it always will have influence. I have 2 knee replacements, less weight will help with,pain there but I never will be the baseball catcher, yes the boys had to let me play, ' cause there weren't that many guys in our neighborhood to field a team, besides I had a good arm and was willing to spend time crouched down when I wasn't batting, and I was a switch hitter, that is of value on a team, I also played basketball, tall enough,to play center, but preferred power forward, nobody challenged me to a game of horse, after I beat all my boy cousins as well as the guys in the hood. It was let Frustr8 play, shoot pick her for our side, she's hard to,play against. Now my knees wore out and needed replaced. But was it worth it, think so. I am about your size and height, used to be 6 feet but women skrink,with menopause. Its less healthy at my age than yours, but did my doctors tell me I had to do it? They might have mentioned dying pretty soon in passing, but this was my decision and although sleeve is an option for some, many of my friends are sleevers, it wasn't for me . I have GERD, bad enough I am on a top of the line PPI from my gastroenterologist, I have sleep apnea wear my jet pilot mask every night, as I said severe arthritis, I need the quicker weight loss bypass gives, the next step after my joint impairment is a wheelchair,no I prefer going through life at a fast lurch, and although at this point I have dodged 3 of the biggies, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, when you weigh as much as a. redwood tree there are no guarantees there either. Many surgeon's won't do their magic,on people over 60 years old. I am here to prove them wrong, I am as healthy as many 45 year olds, strong-willed, committed to success and don't take no for an answer. I have outlived many family members, most more slender, and I have , given the chance many more miles in me. Don't count out Frustr8, count on me instead. Here are my stats if anyone reading this doesn't know them. HW355 October 2017 CW321 flubbery pounds SW to be determined EDS July ?? 2018 Bariatric Facility Ohio State University-Wexner Medical Center Columbus Ohio 43210 Surgeon-Bradley Needleman MD-😷cheif of Baiatric Surgery-when Frustr8 plays, she plays for keeps! Nuff Said? At least, join me on this journey, the rewards will be lifelong and the Best is Yet To Be!😝

We'd like to welcome Bari Life vitamins to the BariatricPal Store! Bari Life aims to provide the highest quality bariatric vitamins to make life after surgery more manageable. Clinically proven, patients taking Bari Life supplements are significantly less likely to develop deficiencies and more likely to succeed in their new life after bariatric surgery. Bari Life bariatric vitamins are designed specifically for gastric bypass, vertical sleeve, duodenal switch, and lap-band patients.

Oh man! The sleep appointment was booked so far out!!! Did you get put on their cancellation list? I did and ended up being able to go in a few weeks earlier. I’ll send you a PM with my Facebook info if you want to keep in touch or have any questions. 😀 the staff at Samaritan Bariatric are great and you’re in good hands!

Bariatric Fusion chewables! They seem to be less expensive than other brands. I prefer the strawberry flavor.

Yes, I am using the Tespo vitamins. I didn’t buy the machine because I wanted to make sure I liked them and they worked well for me before I spent money on the machine. I got the on the go which is 12 and vitamins to start with. I like it a lot, just pour the powder into a little water shake it up and drink. I had a lot of problems with nausea and vomiting and it’s been the only vitamins that does not upset my stomach. Find it very easy and convenient. The taste isn’t my favorite but it’s not bad either just a little tangy for me. I had my blood work checked at my last checkup and everything looked really good with my levels so they are working. Initially my dietician said they didn’t have enough but she misread the website and didn’t see that for bariatrics there are two you take the women’s and the Bariatric formula.. I take one women’s and one bariatric in the morning and another bariatric in the afternoon. It’s not the cheapest but I do think the quality is very good and like I said my blood work shows they are working well for me. Hope you find a vitamin that will work for you :)

Hello! I’m Haley, 27 YO from Toronto, ON. I will be seeing my surgeon in the next couple of months, and have been told I will have my RNY by the end of the year. I feel like I have been waiting FOREVER. (Referral to Bariatric clinic August of 2017.) I have absolutely no complications, and all of my appointments have been a breeze. This is looking to be one of the most positive things that I can think of for my life, so I have started preparing. Practicing not drinking before or after meals, restricting my calories and carb intake, and adding in some moderate cardio daily. I am having this surgery not only to become a better version of myself, but to help with infertility problems. I have PCOS and it has gone into OVER DRIVE between the birth of my son, 3 following miscarriages, and losing and gaining back 60+ lbs two separate times. I want more babies, sooooooooooo bad. My husband is the greatest dad, and he deserves more children as well, and welp my ovaries just aren’t cutting it in my hormonal condition right now. I am also trying to deter a future almost guaranteed diagnoses of type 2 diabetes. My fathers almost entire side of the family has it, and I take after him to a teeeee. ( dad passed at 52 💔, aunt passed at 54) I have never in my life been ‘slim’ or ‘skinny’ and I seriously mean neverrr. BUT my family thinks I am crazy to go under the knife for this! They think because I’ve done well and lost 60+ lbs twice in my life that I should be able to do it no problem. I’ve tried explaining that it’s not the actual work it’s the maintaining and emotional state I get in when I’m putting in 2 plus hours at the gym 4 -5 days a week on top of maintaining a full time job in corporate, and raising my four year old to be a super hero. I want this tool more than anything ( except another baby) and I am sooooo ready to work it. My spouses support is seriously second to none. He has read every article, and just been right on top of it forever reminding me that he is here to support me. But I just can’t help feeling sad, and angry that my two best friends ( mom and sister) roll their eyes and change the subject when I want to talk about this journey. How have you dealt with close family members not being supportive? Did they change their tune after seeing your success after surgery? HB.

@Gundy Hi. I experienced the same thing. My daughter made salmon one night and I was just home from surgery. I never minded the smell before but this time I could barely deal with it. It was nauseating. I am ok w it now but wow! And, I love sugar-free popsicles - like James - but they tasted super sweet following surgery. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to have them again. I am having Popsicles frequently, esp w hot, humid weather here. I really like the Special Edition berry box. I let them melt just enough that they taste like an icee. I also like to drink cranberry-water. 100% cranberry juice mixed with water & ice. I do a 60/40 roughly. 60 water & ice, 40 cranberry juice. I like Langner’s 100% Plus. I also really liked large curd cottage cheese after surgery. Not as much now but I thought it was one of the best foods I had following surgery. It tasted delicious. It’s really interesting what the surgery does to our taste buds. Wishing you well on your bariatric adventure! 😋😝😀

You’re KIDDING ME 😂 I’m from Clifton Park! I’m going through Samaritan Bariatric and Metabolic with Dr. McDonald! What a freaking small world!!

For those who have had bariatric surgery: If you could give just one piece of advice to help someone to lose the most weight after bariatric surgery, what would it be?

Hello everyone !!🌸 I finally made my decision to have the Bypass, I have an appointment with my surgeon on July 3, 2018 . I decided on the bypass because I felt it would be the most effective in my weight loss journey . I at times suffer from heart burn and I have heardvthat he sleeve could possible make this worse. Also I have over a 100 lbs to drop and I believe the bypass would be a better tool to help me accomplish this goal . Prior to my 24 week required classes I weighed 336, I am now 305. My BMI is around 48 , and I am 5’7. I’m thinking my surgery will be late July or early August . My Doctor is Dr.Zorn And has done Bariatric surgeries for many years and has earned him the reputation of being one of Southern California’s most experienced Bariatric surgeons , so I feel like I’m once good hands . Anyone abt to share their bypass experience ie. weight loss , other body changes, malabsorption, hair loss etc

My surgeon that was on call in the hospital happened to be a bariatric surgeon. They also referred me to their NUT. The problem is 95% of the surgery is for weight loss so they told me they weren't sure how to advise me other than to follow they guidelines for weight loss. My doctor said he's only done a handful of surgeries for other than weight loss, none in the past few years! I'm just happy to be eating again and to have found this forum. It's really been a lifesaver for me. I'm grateful to be eating mushy food.

What a shock that must have been! You may want to go to a support group for Bariatric surgery and go see a bariatric surgeon too. They might be able to advise you through this because they deal with this surgery day in and day out. We do a lot of preparation and meet with nutritionists. It might be helpful. I do think you probably could stretch out the stomach eventually.