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My current appearance, well I have started losing weight in my face, so I don't look so fat faced, but I think my skin tone is off, maybe been persuing Bariatrics and the ensuing,diets so long I do not think. I look healthy, maybe it is age , maybe I look mildly bilious like my poor liver, which is probably NASH because my BMI is teetering,just below 50, is starting to chant,"No Mas" like a tired Latino boxer. Don't have a gall bladder,haven't for 34.5 years, pray my pancreas is sleeping nicely, one bout of acute pancreatitis will do me forever.

This doc gives a pretty good progression of how your meal volume, on average, will tend to increase over time, and it is pretty consistent with my experience. What I like about this guy is that he is one of the few bariatric surgeons that I have seen that addresses this issue and offers a prescription to mitigate its effects. You may or may not get along with his recommendation (I don't agree with everything he, or anyone else for that matter, says) but it is something to think about in planning your next few years. I have evolved into something akin to his program, as in being fairly veg heavy, but I'm not as grain averse as he is and I do think that his protein recommendations are a bit on the scant side for most.

That's perfectly fine to drink the shake in 30 minutes. The swelling in your stomach has gone down and allows the liquid to pass right through. However, you now have absolutely no excuse not to get your water in every day! You won't really start feeling restriction until you start eating soft foods That's also when you start being able to feel "full". One tip for the hunger: Sugar-free jello, DON'T CHEW IT WELL! It will be slippery enough to get into your stomach all right, but it will take your stomach a while to break it down, so you feel full for a while. The little ready-to-eat cup is the perfect size! Good luck! p.s. In my area, bariatric support meetings are open to everyone, even if you didn't have surgery at their facility. Maybe you can find one near you?

I'm curious about the co-morbidities of others here. Some may be relieved by bariatric surgery (C-Pap use, for example; pre-diabetes, etc.) while others will likely continue because they're hereditary or medication-induced. Here are a couple of mine: 1. Secondary Generalized Hyperhidrosis https://www.sweathelp.org/pdf/drugs_2009.pdf 2. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis https://www.thyroid.org/hashimotos-thyroiditis/

I really liked the idea of a Phoenix, a bird rising from the ashes of my,past and flying on shining iridescent,wings into the futures Doesn't have to be large, not looking for a sleeve, maybe on the inside of my left wrist. The ancients used to believe the left arm and especially the left ring finger. had an direct,blood vessel link to the heart. And if I didn't have the lymphadema poor circulation in my lower limbs I would have,a small angel with my son Kevin' s birth and death dates on either side . Somewhat like 5-7-1976👼1-11-2008. done form me, not necessarily for the world to see. My spirit animal would be,the bumblebee. If you think that borders on strange, let me explain. The little bumblebee 🐝is aerodynamically impossible. His little wings are too short to hold up his fat body. Nut no one ever told him this so he keeps flying until the day he dies. That's me, no one told me I didn't deserve Bariatric surgery, well a few did try, they were wrong on other things so I figured they were in error here too. So I fly or plod onward toward the goal, making a loud buzzing noise so they know I'm coming. And my wings beat a syncopated rhythm against the fog and pollution of life.🐝

Posted Saturday at 08:24 PM (edited) I just had Gastric Sleeve surgery 10 days ago at Mexicali Bariatric Centre (MBC) at the Hospital Almater in Mexico. Dr. Rodolfo Wilhelmy and Dr. Edgar Campos were the main surgeons. I can't sing their praises enough! Their team has dedicated pre-surgery contacts who answer every single question imaginable and walk you through what you need to get to Mexicali every step of the way. They pick you up either from the San Diego airport or a near by hotel and take you to the hospital in Mexicali which is about a 2 hour drive plus border crossing time which is longer leaving Mexicali. You are also taken back to the San Diego airport after your surgery (all included in your package) The Almater Hospital is on par or even better than some hospitals in the West. Its modern, has a lovely atmosphere about it, the nursing staff is very professional, very kind and sweet. There is an English speaking liaison assigned to the Hospital who takes you through each process. Some of the nurses speak a bit of English but I had no issues because I used an English/Spanish translation ap. All of their equipment is top line, modern, extremely clean and I thought it was decorated very nicely (lovely art pieces ). The doctors were attentive, engaging and they checked on you regularly and they spoke English. You get a private room with ensuite bathroom which is very nice. There is a 3 seater couch and lounge chair in your room which your travel companion can sleep on and stay in your room. You also have the option of renting a near by hotel room for your travel companion which mine did and she took a taxi to see me daily. If you stay at the hospital, bring bedding for the sofa (blanket, sheet). I brought my own blanket for a mattress pad and my own blanket as well as a body pillow. To me, comfort is necessary when in pain. I would recommend you bring a clip on light to clip to the side of your bed as well as a small extension cord so that you do not have to get up and down to switch on lights when you are in pain, especially for when your travel companion is asleep. I never had any doubts about MBC whatsoever. They have great reviews and I felt safe and comfortable in the hospital and I had confidence in their skills and facilities. Their cost was SO MUCH cheaper than the USA and Canada, even including all the airfares I had to pay. To me, it was worth the effort to get all the way to Mexico from Barbados. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a shout.

I just had a fantastic experience at Mexicali Bariatric Centre at the Hospital Almater. I posted about it in the Mexico forum. I can re-post it below. I certainly have no issues with my experience there at all

I'm doing ok with my BNMulti Australian bariatric multivitamin capsules (can't stand the taste of the chewables) but I do make sure to have them with solids at breakfast and dinner. I also use their chewable (much nicer tasting) calcium and vitamin D tablets 2-3 times a day, plus biotin and iron supplements.

I am temporarily hijacking this posting, I have been looking for a title to post under, didn't want to start another one and wait for someone else to bring it out. There are couple ladie I miss seeing a hearing from on Bariatric Pal. Has anyone heard anything from @ Mrs Grumgee and @ Lillybilly? Mrs G lives in Red Deer Alberta and lillybilly I think lives on one the ABC islands in the Caribbean, either Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao. She was scheduled to have her surgery in Columbia South America. Probably they may have had surgery and recovering. Mrs G maybe not, she is going through Canada's Universal Healthcare and they move v e r y -v e r y slow, good healthcare but not fast at all.

Drink lots of water. Watch out for kidney stone symptoms. And gallbladder symptoms. Kidney stone attacks and gall bladder attacks are common after bariatric surgery.

If you keep drinking 20 ounces a day, you will end up in the ER with dehydration...like many many other bariatric patients before you. Don't do this. I promise there are better ways you want to spend your day. To avoid this....pour four little one ounce medicine cups of fluid every hour. Write it down. Drink one little one ounce cup every fifteen minutes. Every hour you are awake. If you do this for one week, you will have a much easier time drinking. Any fluid counts. Broth. Tea. Coffee. Flavored water. Protein drink. Strained soup. Just get 4 ounces in every single hour. Best wishes.

I will be 4 years post-op in November and I visit my bariatric center annually for lab review and barium swallow (my sleeve hasn't changed much since Year 1, but I still like to see it every year lol). I plan to continue my annual appointments for life. It gives me accountability and peace of mind. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Update: Third trimester!!! So far so good!!! Baby is healthy! Mom is healthy!!! Due to my being a Bariatric patient the glucose testing has been altered. Testing glucose levels 4 times a day, first fasting and 2 hours after every meal for 7 Days. So far so good. Ready to ride this last stretch out with minimal weight gain and a happy and healthy mom and new baby girl💜💕💞🙏🏽 Total wt gain thus far=10-14lbs. 😔

Go look on the Facebook page Go light Bariatrics. Lots of stories there.

My Bariatric staff recomimended Miralax and it has been perfect to combat protein dieting. There is no flavor to the crystals, just mix in a glass of water daily and it generates regularity! Best recommendation ever!

My support system, other than all my Bariatric Pals, is my son who I call on here Tomkitten, if you pull up my profile or happened to check after awarding someone's posting to see if you got credit, will see my original Bariatric Pen Name because I started out using my email address. His father who I call on here the Somewhat Lamented for reasons not easily condensed into a few paragraphs, if you want more of my story pull up "Surgery it's the easy way" and read my story, you are invited. ButTomkitten even on my blue days, and I've had more than a few in the al.post 3 years of seeking this, He says I can do it, He is proud of me for trying and wants to be there for me through thick and into thinner. And he was my third child,the baby everybody said I didn't need because I already had a daughter and a son. My beautiful first born, a daughter, transmogrifyed into Rotten Daughter, the most conceited person drawing breath. She makes Donald Trump seen "bush league" by comparison, Oh I could quote chapter and verse but do we have the time? Child #2 who is now an angel, died at 31 from an congenital cardiovascular defect never diagnosed. He walked into our ER in our small small city and 17 hours later was dead. And the stupid attending who was reputed to be an university professor level cardiologist walked into waiting room and announced "He's Dead and I don't know what killed him!" WTF don't you even have an educated guess? And it gets curiouser and curiouser. The next morning, son had died at 4:25pm Friday afternoon, we received in the AM mail a letter with a local postmark, now 99.99% of our mail goes to Columbus , our state capital 48 miles SW. The only way,you can receive a local postmark is to deliver it inside at the post office, the rest gets bagged and sent on its way. This letter, written on high priced quality stationary,among my ,other jobs while young , I worked on an upper-level stationary store, this was not bulk produced Wal-Mart or Target paper. This was possibly Eat one. It of course had no signature,it was not easy to tell if this had been a male or female writing it, today I also dabbled in graphology. Generic public/private schooling. It spelled out in concise prestigous medical terminology what the autopsy findings would be. Now I do not have a medical degree, I have none the less dabbled in the edges of medicine and can tell the difference between a spade and a shovel if you follow my line of reasoning. When Dr DimBulb announced in front of a room full of people, yes no compassion as well as no tact, that he had no clue why,my son died we, my late husband and I ,insisted on an autopsy. The letter also stated if my son had been,life flighted to one of the 2 Level 1 trauma hospitals up to 15 minutes before his death surgery could have been performed and my previous wonderful son could have been saved. A recommendation was given as to a lawyer in Cleveland who had successfully sued and won against this glorified Band Aid Station that called itself a hospital here. And we filed suit, fought the battle until very shortly before the statue of limitations expired in my state of Ohio. Because my baby boy had the audacity to die at 17 instead of 18 hours of being entrusted to them, although what they did was very very wrong not doing all that could be done, it was within a golden 18 hour window, we could not hold their feet to the fire until you could hear their flesh sizzling , it went down as" natural cause". like we knew his anatomical problem and didn't care. And now my eldest son, literally my best friend, has been dead for 10 years and Dr DimBulb is blissfully still practicing medicine with great impunity. Years later my PCP attempted to book me with Dr DimBulb for a cardiac catherization. No, I acreamed, Never! I will lie upon the helicopter padn scream so loudly that not only the Columbus Dispatch(48 miles away) but also the Cleveland Plain Dealer (113 miles away) will both be running my story on both front pages before I would allow Dr DimBulb to lay even one fingernail on me. I don't care if you are good friends, I don't even care if you have eaten dinner at his house. He NEVER WILL TOUCH ME OF MINE AGAIN, he by his inaction killed one of,my family members he will NEVER do it again. I am not a violent person but I could pick up a🔫 and plug him between the 👀with little if any remorse. An aunt, back when I was a baby Frustr8 said "you should never say you hate someone for that means you wish them dead!" Yep Aunt Martha ---I think that about covers it!

They don't like or fear you changing from Too Big to Pretty Fine. These are my assessments based on the fact, I have lived forever and am older than anyone else unless you count Moses or Methuselah on BP. Some people could control you and shape your thinking by constantly depreciate and degrediating your poundage. You are changing and they fear you won't have time for them anymore, they knew Too Big who is this Pretty Fine chick or dude? You are rocking what they thought was stable to its foundation, what if it topples and they get crushed? They like to point out you never did anything right before, why would you start now? This is how my paternal relatives have treated me as far back as I can remember. See not only am I for,my skin color, eye color a2nd even my hair color differs from theirs. There was even some muttering among older family members I must have been the result of my late mother having an affair. Imagine an ostrich with strawberry blonde hair being parachuted into a flock of crows who all looked the same. Yep, that's how it was! I yearned to be accepted for me, sounds like at least in theory my mother's people loved me? Nope, I was told by a cousin on that side because I am mildly autistic, until Psychiatry/Psychology I was what be classified as a female Asperger, and we were considered not to exist until Temple Grandin, we weren't as loud and noticeable as our male brothers, we tried to downplay our feelings to try "fitting in" and being under the radar of life. Ok Mama's side thought I was weird, their name, I always felt I was pretty nice inside. Glaring example- when Mama died rest of family had wake to mourn her. I didn't know about it so of course I wasn't invited. Danny, cousin who told me they thought I was "weird" asked my mother's youngest brother Harlan where is Frustr8(, not my real name but I use it here.) Uncle says Now that Sarah Lou is dead we'll never have to look at her again! Said uncle is even a clergyman and co-officianted at Mama's funeral. Now do you see why I cried myself to sleep every night because no one loved me and engourged myself on food every day because Mr Refrigerator and Me Panty Shelf accepted me and didn't make fun of Little Frustr8. Oh I have grown past most of those years of sorrow but it took time and therapy to do it. That is why I didn't fear Dr Kramer my bariatric program's staff psychologist, what could he do that hadn't been donein the name of Love? Actually he reassured me my autistic ability to center on something that interested me to the exclusion of other topics, I could use this for absolute perfection at Bariatrics. True story, my friend Jacob, Violets son , is also,on the spectrum. After meeting him. he turned to Violet and said Mommy,she likes me for me! Yes I maybe highly verbal but I am still a Spectrum Sister and much more understanding that the Neurotypical world outside is. Sorry, I really didn't mean to get on my soap box but I feel intently about this subject and speak up for those who can't verbalize!***😜***

And I, my Baiatric Godsons, am 72 but like you I see I can't lose or control,my ever-encroaching additional weight without Bariatric Surgery so in July 2018 I will complete my journey toward an RnY bypass because of pronounced GERD and other problems, and like or unlike you both I can see my own mortality rapidly approaching. Am I scared **** No, I fear continued life at 5ft8in, 320 lbs and with every joint in my body, even the c 2 knee replacements hurting. I am sor5 of breath, wear a C Pap at night and sometimes into the next day to stay within 4hour+ compliance, half of my graduating class of 320 have died already, the remaining 160 or so will meet for our 55th class reunion 11th August, I have been widowed 6 years, had my middle child die at 31 from a congenital 💔defect never diagnosed, and my life has become untenable. Why don't I do myself in? My eyesight is getting so poor I couldn't find the arteries in my wrist and would only knock a superficial vein. Sad when you can't off yourself correctly! So I do wish you both luck, hope you'll both do the same. I would offer to pray for you but the last time I offered the atheists on here threatened to stomp,me into submission for mentioning a God they didn't believe in. Oops! I guess I am luckier than you Save,my surgeon is only a 2 hour round-trip away. But I will promise to support you emotionally from Central Ohio and let's let chips fall where they may. **The July Sparkler Frustr8**

Hi Kimber628, I also am 5ft8in, my dream goal weight is 175, I also have reflux and am having an RnY as my 1st (hopefully only ) bariatric surgery. Wanna rock this together?💔👵😜👩

Welcome to Ambivalent Acres, I'm Frustr8, your friendly doorwoman. Would you like one of our jackets? They are a mottled indiscriminate shade because we're not sure what color that they not be! I am seeking and reseeking Bariatric Surgery since August 2015. I probably was elected by acclamation to my position while,i was in the Powder Room, but it is the highest elective office I ever shall achieve. Come,in, sit down on one of our chairs with the wobbly legs and have a wait. You can have my jacket and position if my surgery comes true in July 2018 like program#2 has promised. Until then we all keep each,other company. Okay?😩

Good morning Frustr8. I’m from Atlanta, Ga and I’ll be having my surgery at Wellstar Bariatric at Kennestone. I’m having the gastric sleeve done. Lmbo at the pouch joke. We will all have pouches I am guessing lol.

Lex2287 you settled for Mr Better than Nothing, so glad you freed yourself. Now remember you are quality merchandise, never sell yourself that short again! And I am very proud of you, you are one of my favorite Bariatric Godchildren👵🏆

Short answer: It's pretty much completely up to you. Long answer: "Keto" means almost nothing in the bariatric community anymore, I feel... in my pre-op phase I would tell my RD about my diet which at that time included things like oatmeal with berries for breakfast, tuna on whole grain bread for lunch, banana and string cheese snack, burrito bowl with rice or chicken with rice for supper, etc. Definitely protein-focused but not really low-carb and certainly not keto. She would nod and smile and encourage me and then my notes would say "Pt is following keto diet and will continue to do so." What????? LOL! Edit: I found the exact quote I was thinking of: "Commended pt on her weight loss, meal planning, and will continue to follow ketogenic diet." Yeah all that bread, oatmeal, and rice is really keto! A keto diet to me has a very narrow definition of restricting carbohydrate intake to fewer than 20-50g per day with an emphasis on high fat intake - 70% or more of the diet coming from fat. Most bariatric plans recommend moderate- or low-fat (20-35% of the diet) so to me they are inherently not keto regardless of the carbs. But the word is used generally in our community to mean low-carb, high-protein. High-fiber, complex carbohydrates - and fruit - are good for you. Period. They are healthy foods that support your cardiovascular health and protect you against cancer. Plenty of bariatric patients cut them out entirely in the interest of low-carb living so that's certainly an option and in that sense your diet can mirror a keto diet. Personally I'm not willing to give up the health benefits of carbs, so the "keto" guideline of 20-50g per day is not something I follow.

I think expressing that is fine. I think using it as a platform to degrade people who have noncisnomative gender experiences...is bigoted. And....noncisnormative gender experienced people will always be part of the equation when you're talking about gender bans. You might want such a change....and if you bought a TON...and I mean a METRIC TON of stuff from the bariatric store....you might get your wish. But ultimately, from a business standpoint, I think Alex would be unwise to create perceptions of discrimination. But since it's his site, he can certainly make any rules he wishes. My gut feeling, though....is that most folks are satisfied with the honor system for using those boards and your request is not worth the hassle of potentially excluding a good customer and contributor.

Baystate Bariatric Surgery, Springfield, MA. They do have a really good program and work hand in hand with insurance companies. They have support groups before and after.