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No Sydney Sleeved and all. No date yet, every day I inch closer. Some people claim to be on the fast track, I am on the Snail Trail, reminds of something. One of the blessings/curses of being 72, you have existed so long you become a tad philosophical. Everythi,g relates to something else. Back when I was younger, was going to say littler, but some days I felt,i was always this size if not this age. Anyway when I was at summer camp, be it church, 4H , Girl Scouts, we would sit around a campfire and tell ghost stories. To this day, I never figured out why going around smelling like a smoked sausage was going to benefit me spiritually or emotionally, but life is what life is. At any rate one of the lines in all of the ghost stories was "Slowly he turned" similiarly my Weight Loss story is " slowly it moves on". Wednesday I received a call from OSU, yes we are still on a speaking basis. Ready for the whole title? The Ohio State University- Wexner Medical Center for Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery " Life after Bariatric Surgery " educational information facilitator. Almost feel like I should have a tub of buttered popcorn to go with the description. But then buttered popcorn was one of my youthful dietary indiscretions. Her name is Kaylee Krumm, sounds like an author or a porno actress. Possibly the former, doubtful the latter. I was told to download videos onto my computer, 4 in number, watch them at my leisure and then participate in an hour-long seminar on-line Thursday afternoon at 4:30 PM. Didn't mind , rather do that than drive 100 miles(60 km) roundtrip to sit in an auditorium with poor acoustics in the company of people I didn't know from Adam. The videos were informative, and the seminar wasn't too boring. I had also downloaded and printed out a 56 page booklet to follow along on Thursday while the online dietician and educator lectured. This is another step completed, next I meet with my surgeon. and one of dieticians, probably just post beginning of July. Have to wait that long because they are waiting until they have electronic verification of 30 days electronic compliance data from my C Pap. Would have had it already but I had perpetual sinusitis that its usuage was aggrevating so my Primary care told me to stop using it until it cleared up. So there was a week or so of non-compliance, so I had re establish an unbroken list. I have to show I wore the fool thing. 4+ hours out of every 24 for 30 days. So my seminar mates may get their surgeries scheduled ahead of me. I will be on a liquid protein diet for a week, 2 weeks(probably) or 4 weeks. The 4 weeks is usually for over BMI of 55-60, I am a big person but praise God not THAT large. Have I lost weight since my last appointment 24th May? Gosh I hope so, thought I was doing good, my BMI was

I had DS surgery June 12 and felt slight soreness, nothing unusual, felt ready to 24 hours laterPOD 1...then it hit with a ton of bricks, POD 2, excruciating pain, high heart rate and inability to walk.. had a cat scan it was negative for leak... POD3my surgeon wasn’t convinced and Wanted too keep me to see how I was feeling wasn’t quite up to par but pain controlled still walking, every 3 hours slow but steady..POD4 woke up with fever103.9 and heart in 120’s. Plan was exploratory lap 2 hours later, came out of OR with 3 drains and a NGT to decompress stomach and a PCA..for pain control, he found a teeny tiny leak, restitched it and covered with muscle. Washed the cavity hence the drains. Now on antibiotics and fluids...And another week here in the hospital. The upside I have a great team of nurses and docs at a nationally accredited metabolic and Bariatric center... I’m getting awesome care. I read so much research studies and articles prior to the DS I knew the switch has more complications but greater results! The benefits outweigh the risks .... peace and live my bench buddies !

Get yourself a different email address and create a new facebook account and join from there. This is what I have done. If you join a group on your current account, I think friends can still see you've joined and they may will look to see what the group is about, and even if the there isn't anything related to weight loss or bariatric in the group name, they would easily see what the group is about from the description.

Ondansetron, the patch behind the ear, Scopolamine, and Emend. Emend is Aprepitant, it's a chemotherapy side-effect drug that they are just starting to use for bariatric surgery. So far results have been stellar. It's typically not covered by insurance, and is about a hundred dollars for the one pill you need...but if you are offered this drug, it is worth every penny. Both of the other two ladies roaming the halls with me opted to buy the Emend. A couple of others who were not doing as well elected not to get it. (it was our choice). Do not let the price tag put you off. I never had any nausea. Nada. None. Never gagged, never vomited, never had tummy pain. Was kinda shocking. In the most wonderful way.

Does anyone know of any bariatric Facebook groups that do not have the name “Bariatric” in them?? I’d love to find a closed group that I can join, but don’t want it to show my friends that I’ve joined a bariatric group. Not because I’m ashamed, just because it’s nobody’s business. One of my friends joined a bariatric group and it showed me a few times a week that she was in it..... EVEN though it was a closed group. I’ve only told my husband and kids that I’m having this surgery. Have t told my parents or siblings or any friends. I just don’t want the judgement and stigma that comes with it. They won’t care to take the time to educate themselves and realize that it’s still a LOT of hard work on my part. So with only my husband and kids knowing..... I still want additional support with questions or someone that I can connect with. My surgery should be in September 2018.

In our case, the fundus is the stretchy part that makes up most of the greater, or outer, curvature of the stomach, and is what is removed when a sleeve gastrectomy is done, or is folded up and tied back in a sleeve plication. It looks like with the endoscopic procedure, they suture it up internally to make the fundus inaccessible, leaving the reduced "sleeve" like path open for restricted food flow. Being a fairly new procedure, one is fighting the learning curve - both for the individual surgeon and for the industry as a whole. The guys that did the first heart transplant were the best in the business, but the patient still only survived a short time; it takes time, practice and experience - both individual and collective - for a procedure to mature into a routine, everyday therapy, so your doc may well be exceptional, but they are all still working out the kinks in a new procedure. Where to go from here? A bypass was suggested, and this is very common, as most bariatric surgeons were raised on them, so to speak, know them well and tend to be very comfortable with them when things get complicated as they can with some revisions. You note that a SADI has been suggested - was this by the same surgeon, or someone else? If the SADI is a possible, then a regular sleeve gastrectomy should also be workable, as the SADI normally uses the sleeve as its basis, and presumably that would be most attractive to you as that is what is most similar to your originally chosen endo sleeve. Whether you need the malabsorptive component of the bypass or SADI is an individual decision. When things get complicated like this, it is usually best if one can get a second (or even third) opinion on the problem and possible solutions. There are often several different alternatives available, but individual doctors will prefer, or have more experience, with one over another, while another doc may have different experiences and preferences as to how to approach this problem. Good luck in working this out...

My insurance let me do my 6 month diet with 2 different docs. I was able to do that in three months. I started with a seminar and my first appointment was the next day. I needed 7 total appointments for weigh ins. I used a nutritionist and a bariatric doctor for my diet. During that time I did my psych evaluation, question and answer session, physical therapy evaluation, and EKG and other testing. I had a last minute Endoscopy because my surgeon suggested that I go with the sleeve instead of bypass. I felt like I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off! I do feel lucky about how I was able to do my diet. So beginning to surgery will be January 31st to July 12th.

This is what my process looked like.... went to a n information seminar with the surgeon and bariatric coordinator. At the end anyone truly interested fills out forms and gives a copy of their insurance form and is instructed to call pcp and begin six mos of physician directed weight loss. I'm the meantime they say u will hear from them within a few wks to get a date for psych eval and first nutrition consult. That is literally it until you schedule your last pcp visit, then yOu schedule with surgeon, submit to insurance and if approved have your labs, chest x ray, egd, etc... During which time you are in your 2 wk pre op diet..

The fallout actually happens when your follicles "restart", they go into a sleep/rest mode during certain times / stresses, surgery and greatly reduced calorie intake can trigger follicles to rest, so when they finally "wake up" they will start making new hair, shedding the old hair that's been chilling out during the rest phase. https://www.drdkim.net/ask-the-dietitian/understanding-hair-loss-after-bariatric-surgery/ How long it lasts will really depend on what % of your follicles went dormant. But the good news is that your follicles are back in business!

Thanks! It's a childhood nickname, in fact nothing to do with preserves! I hope you get your date confirmed soon. Have you had previous bariatric surgery? I have a band, so I'm having that whipped out at the same time (at least 'm hoping both can be done at the same time!)

I feel like a minor leaguer with Wellbutrin, I will have to get a new. script because I'm going to be RnY bypass and the form I'm won't assmilate as well. Just high functioning autistic, used to be female Aspergers until Psychiatry "grandfathered" us into the main autistic spectrum. And have modest depression, due in fact to being jerked and tugged by an uncompleted Bariatric Journey. But next month when my RnY is performed at OSU-Wexner Medical Center in Columbus I feel I'll be a lot better. Yes I'll always have my little depressive cloud☁ lingering over in the corner but the sun🌝will shine for MsFrustr8. once again😛

hello June 4th people- I have enjoyed reading b your 1sr person accounts, next month I hope my July twins will do as well. Thursday afternoon 9 other ladies. and I finished up our Life after Bariatric Surgery seminar. We all had to watch,4 videos. Wednesday at our leisure, then we,met on line at 4:30pm for an hour to discuss the videos and ask any questions I had raised. I was proud of me, I had found a Calcium citrate liquid for at Wal-Mart nobody else had seen . So I was the star for a couple minutes. Not bad flavor or consistency. Reminds me of a orange sherbet push up like I ate when I was a smaller Frustr8. The brand name is Wellnesse, I think,I'm going to continue using it.🍶

Not only is Bariatric Pal. a social network-- it's informative too!

Hi Betty- You and I had surgery on the same day and I am also a Kaiser patient. I had my surgery at Kaiser West Los Angeles. You can do this. I know that it is overwhelming but we committed to this change and need to just keep taking each day as it comes. As far as what to eat, www.kp.org/bariatrics/westla has information regarding what to eat at each stage including suggested calorie intake per day. Have you reached out to the Bariatric Dietitian/Nutritionist in your area? I have e-mailed mine and had a phone consult since surgery. Our vitamins are a must for the rest of our lives. The consequences of not taking them may not be visible but it will harm us. My motivation for taking them is my hair. Though I am could still lose a lot of it even with meeting protein goals and taking my vitamins, I have to do all that I can possibly do to try and prevent it. I am finishing up my chewable Bariatric Advantage Vitamins and then will move on to the pill form. I don't particularly like the taste of chewables but I do it all the same. The Calcium Citrate chewable tastes good so no issues with that. Every morning, I have a Premier Protein Shake, whether I feel hungry or not. It may take me two hours to get through it or 30 minutes, it all depends on the day. I then take my vitamin, probiotic, and Prilosec. I track what I eat and drink with the My Fitness Pal app and use a food scale to weight what I am eating. I have toddler utensils and small dishes to help remind me to eat slow and to train myself about food quantities. I am not an expert but I am willing to be here for you if you need support. I struggle too but am so grateful that I did the surgery. I am still working on getting enough water, and am currently in a stall with my weight loss which caused me to have a meltdown earlier this week. I have tried everything to lose weight and could only lose the same thirty pounds only to gain it back. When I took this drastic leap, I promised myself that I would work everyday to change my habits and lifestyle for the better. This site is such a blessing to me. I don't feel alone because of the people here and their willingness to support each other. We are still learning how to do this. Each day gets better and one day we will look back and see how far we have come. Hang in there! Staci

PS Where in Canada are you Chatty Cat? You can also be a Dominion Day Darling as Well as a Sparkler and Firecracker.Best wishes for whenever in July you are. I have developed a new motto for the near future. RNY,IN JULY,OR I CRY! Do you think I can impress my bariatric coordinated with that? I want,my definate date badly!

Well some updates on me. My personal 🚝 choo chip is still chugging down the tracks . Heard from the coordinatior for "Life after Bariatrics" department ( who would have thunk of such a thing?) Kaylee K. at OSU. Turns out I can do an on- line seminar instead of having to attend in person. Good thing because it's at 4:30 PM and transportation that close to rush hour,is iffy. Had to watch 4 of their 1- hour pre-programs which I did yesterday afternoon . At 4:15 I log in on my computer and we are off to the races. Then when I have completed that step, my regular coordinator Jessica is notified, next step do I meet with surgeon or what? Figure I will still need an X Ray, can that be done like on the same day as surgery? If it needs done in advance,how far in advance ? Know I don't get another full CBC prior, if they would need a thing unusual,let me know soon. Otherwise I don't get a full CBC until 2 months post. Hmm I am getting 4 hours+ on my Cpap, that reading faxes in July 2. Any guesses on what come next in this journey? if you have any insights ,please share them with me. Have to go pay my water bill today,,used to be quarterly, now it,is monthly and the Water/Wastewater💦 department is making out like bandits. Rate Used to be $91 a quarter, now it is $41,62 on or before the 15th of the month. And if you don't show up,promptly they tack it,on the property owners taxes. They should wear masks and a knife 🔪or gun🔫 at their side. America🇺🇸 got mad at Great Britain🇬🇧 because we thought,our taxes were too high for what we got out of them, now we have grown our own money-grubbing leeches ourselves, doesn't feel that much better to know they are domestic instead of imported.😭 Then I get back home, set a comfy chair,in front of the computer 📝and wait for log-in time. Wonder when my surgery 😷date will finally be? When I know I'll shout📣 it from the housetops and,it will be so loud you all will hear👂it too!

It is truly sad that many programs don't have a greater emphasis on healthy eating. I only had to visit a NUT one time to have surgery. Surely, that wasn't enough time to ingrain all the do's and don'ts for life after WLS. Nonetheless, I did a lot of research and use my common sense. And you are right, unfortunately you can't just trust that a bariatric friendly website is going to have healthy recipes or products.

Has anyone had an insurance policy that doesn't cover bariatric surgery? And what other options are there aside from paying over $20k? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using BariatricPal mobile app

https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/diabetes/news/print/endocrine-today/{1dc23215-49dc-4ad7-90da-346ba16663d6}/post-gastric-bypass-hypoglycemia-a-serious-complication-of-bariatric-surgery Bypass people have more hospitalizations for hypoglycemia and tend to have more severe symptoms, but sleeve folks can get it, too. Research on this complication is ongoing. Of 175 eligible patients, 120 were randomized 1:1 to RYGB or SG; 117 (93%) completed the 12-month follow-up. Reactive hypoglycemia was detected in 14% and 29% of SG and RYGB patients (P = 0.079), respectively, with the effect of treatment in multivariate analysis significant at P = 0.018. Daily hypoglycemic episodes during continuous glucose monitoring did not differ between groups (P = 0.75). Four of 59 RYGB subjects (6.8%) had 1 to 3 hospitalizations for symptomatic hypoglycemia vs 0 in SG. The static β-cell glucose sensitivity index increased after both treatments (P < 0.001), but the dynamic β-cell glucose sensitivity index increased significantly in SG (P = 0.008) and decreased in RYGB (P = 0.004 for time × treatment interaction). Whole-body insulin sensitivity increased about 10-fold in both groups.

Thanks, Pearldrop! I'll start preparing my bariatric-friendly appetizers!

True. But you probably made that assumption because you have knowledge of what healthy eating post-op is supposed to look like. It’s sad to see so many people on these forums that went through surgery with a program that spent little to no time on educating what food is healthy and why it’s healthy. For those whose program failed them but want to commit to a healthy lifestyle, they will go to a website like bariatric eating and trust that everything on that site is exactly as it should be. And they follow those recipes religiously but still wonder why they are losing weight or are we gaining weight. It just irritates me the amount of misinformation out there for people that truly need to relearn the right way to eat. Ok off my soapbox now. Lol

You definitely make sense. But, I can say that the therapist I'm seeing (who specializes in eating disorders) used to do a lot of evaluations for bariatric surgery. The surgeons dropped her from their list because she didn't approve people fast enough. They wanted a one-off, good-to-go assessment just to get the patient into surgery. (My surgeon requires a minimum of 3 therapy meetings, and more if the therapist doesn't sign off.) But everyone has to understand, the doctor can make all the requirements he/she wants before surgery; after surgery, they're just suggestions. What's the doc gonna do? Give you back your stomach? The doctor has absolutely no leverage after the surgery.

The emilybites one is good, all her food is. I love the Bariatric Eating site, but some of their recipes make no sense to me - using actual peanut butter full of sugar and low quality oils? Why eat that garbage when there are better alternatives for your new lifestyle??

This one is on seems decent http://insidekarenskitchen.com/thai-chicken-satay-with-spicy-peanut-sauce/ https://www.bariatriceating.com/2011/11/thai-peanut-sauce/ Google "Bariatric friendly *insert food here*" and you'll find TONS of foods.

I think a nutritionist can really make or break things at that point. Because I started a bariatric program 4 years ago and was on a diet for 7 months before I backed out of the surgery, I can compare the nutritionist I had last time and this time. This one is also against measuring and counting calories, and her diet instructions have been very vague. If I hadn't gone through a program prior to this, I would be totally lost at this point. That being said, having experienced two programs, I can HIGHLY recommend my previous program at Lutheran Hospital in Park Ridge for any Chicago area people!