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Cripes- whaaaat a mess. Let us take it one question at a time. Research I would definitely suggest you do your research on the sleeve, and sooner rather than later. You can learn about it in obesity help, or go to www.surgicallyslim.com and look up the vertical sleeve operation. I don't know where you are located but the doctors I am using are on the surgically slim website- I am using Dr. Kini. Or put in vertical gastric sleeve on your browser and see where it takes you. One place it may take you is to an Australian forum so if you are in the US be aware of where you end up. Also there is a site called obesity help that is OK, not great, but OK. No way would I suggest you get that band back in- quite a few people go from the band to the sleeve- you can read about some of them on the lapbandtalk site, also on the Australian forum. The only insurance company that will pay for the sleeve in the metro NY region is Oxford and there are not a huge number of surgeon's familiar with the procedure. It is designed to be almost as safe as your initial band surgery and I think (after a lot of rapid research) it is a better choice for most, however it has not been around for that long which is why most insurance companies don't cover it. Seems to me that you have a really good case for your surgeon absorbing the cost of the sleeve since it looks like he made a few booboos on your band. And that you should be able to get either the bypass or the sleeve out of the insurance company as well (although I think they are more likely to go for the bypass unless it is Oxford). Meantime I would get that band out of me pronto, and get well, and tell them they owe you a working bariatric surgery. Please stay in touch and let me know how you are doing.

@@crazywomanincage - I'll try to find that post with resources and send it to you directly by a DM. In my short-lived BariatricPal experience, I feel that feeling like you trust your Bariatric Team is the gauge you should follow on where you ultimately have surgery. I too had concerns about just coming to Mexico for surgery. However, my doctors have been very involved in my pre-op stage through the post-op transition through Skype, phone calls, emails, and not just because I'm related to half of my BT, but I have the sense the right team care this deeply about their patients regardless of blood ties! Keep in touch and good luck!

Yes I'm from Queens. I'm going through my bariatric surgeon hopefully they approve me with 3 months visits to him.

I had Cigna *** and it covered my surgery. I had a BMI of 42.5 when the paperwork was submitted, I got the approval on Monday August 22 and had surgery Auguest 24. The approval for the surgery was all we were waiting on because all the other requirements had been meet. Here is an a passage from the Cigna policy: CIGNA covers bariatric surgery using a covered procedure outlined below as medically necessary when ALL of the following criteria are met: • The individual is ≥ 18 years of age or has reached full expected skeletal growth AND has evidence of EITHER of the following: ???? a BMI (Body Mass Index) ≥ 40 ???? a BMI (Body Mass Index) 35–39.9 with at least one clinically significant obesity-related comorbidity, Also your surgeon must recommend the surgery and gives them the CPT Codes for the sleeve procedure. I had the codes for Morbid Obesity and Sleeve Gastrectomy in the letter of medical necessity from PCP. The only problem I had was Cigna had asked the surgeon' office for their clinical notes on me and there was some confusion on whether Cigan was going to calll or not. Cigna finally sent a fax and when the information had been provided I got approved in 2 days.

Yes I hadn't sleeve on Tuesday October 27th It went well although the pain post op on day one was more than I expected but improved allot on day two and with a switch on pain meds One thing, I was not assigned a private room for bariatric patients I was on the small side of a shared room with a non bariatric patient with no recliner and just s normal bed although I found it pretty comfortable My room was in the med-surf unit but I know they do have private rooms with a recliner and larger beds Maybe I just wasn't big enough but my wife wanted to stay with me but couldn't because there was no chair to sleep in Just some questions you may want to ask about care in post op

I would go into the E.R. where you had your Bariatric Surgery. They should have someone there or on call. Or locate another Hospital that does Bariatric Surgery, and go in the E. R with the same complaint, and get a second opinion. Make sure you get the DR.'s name or Tech's name and title. (P.A) or whatever. Time you went in, and anything else that you can think of to prove your case. Includeing signing a release for your Xrays, and Report. (GET THAT FROM THE OTHER PLACE TO.) If it is so show it to your surgeon, and demand that it be fixed... If there is no pouch, and he has done this out of neglect, contact a Attorney. You have a legitimate complaint. Your not a failure,, this is a misfortune. I hope they gave you something for the Medical Condition like Omeprazole. Shirley.

Cards similar to this given out by various bariatric clinics for post-op patients to use at restaurants.

Please Read page 6 of the Cigna Bariatric Surgery cover document. On that page it explains in detail why the office is making us go through a six month nutritional evaluation by a physician or registered dietitian. I know it is frustrating but we must follow the rules, so Cigna can pay for our surgeries.

I had my surgical consultation today for revision, but on the off chance that it is not deemed medically necessary for revision, I do qualify for bariatric surgery in general, repeating all of the requirements as if it were a new procedure. My question is regarding Cigna coverage. Most plans require a monitored 3, 6 or 12 month diet/nutrition/weight loss management through PCP or somewhere similar. Cigna's policy says NOTHING about this, only that "a statement from a physician other than the surgeon, that the individual has failed previous attempts to achieve and maintain weight loss by medical management" - it gives no other requirements or indicators. I called Cigna today to inquire and they couldn't tell me anything more about this. So, for those of you that have been approved in the past few months (Cigna's policy requirements look to be effective 10/9/18 through 7/15/19), what did you provide for this? I have to have a letter from my primary anyway that recommends bariatric surgery. Would this be the same letter or separate? And what did you submit/have your PCP write to say that you had failed previous attempts? Thanks in advance for your help!

This! This is what I found when I was trying to 'check off' that I met all the requirements and yet at my appt with my bariatric surgeon yesterday they said CIGNA REQUIRED SIX MONTHS OF BACK TO BACK VISITS WITH A NUTRITIONIST and they MUST be sequential back to back visits or you start over!!!???? I have a year of supervised medical weight loss with my primary dr, a BMI of over 50, pysch eval clearance letter, even letters from other dr's like ortho's who said my knees must be replaced but I need to be at a BMI of 40....and yet I was told that Cigna didn't care about the supervised weight loss. They want me to meet with a nutritionist for SIX MONTHS to do WHAT? I AGREE I need to see a nutritionist although nutrition was always the topic of discussion with primary dr.....but for SIX MONTHS? That's a more rigid requirement than the weight loss and I worked on the weight loss for a year as I wanted to be very sure of things. Why do we get so many different answers..I have Cigna 90/10 plan (I pay extra for higher coverage as I usually am in hospital for 2 weeks every other year...why keep paying a 50K to 100K hospitalization bill for me when we can treat SOME of the underlying reasons and keep me OUT of the hospital?). I'm afraid to even call them. My bariatric surgeon is experienced...not sure about his staff as I just met them and he is building out a new office so they are co-sharing office space with an OB-GYN (like that wasn't uncomfortable)...should I call CIGNA myself or let dr handle? I really am now feeling leery of his staff

I totally agree, i think what you’re saying goes both ways... no one can say how prevalent it is or it isn’t... all we can do is state our experience like everyone else. I was just merely addressing the comment that if it’s common they’d here about it, not necessarily. I’m finding evidence all over the internet in scrientific studies in medical journals like JAMA that correspond to a more broader issue with these surgeries (including less than 10 years post op) and there is a lot of complications still present even with ‘modern’ advancements. im not saying it equates common, but it’s equating enough stir in medical communities like neurological journals that warrant studies that have been done. If it’s very uncommon and rare... these journals would not have enough data to publish in the medical journals I’m reading. I think it’s fair to say that if there’s enough complications to warrant different medical specialities (for ex. The neurology paper) to see enough repeated visits by post bariatric surgery patients to warrant investigations and studies than maybe it’s ok to breach the scary topic and ask more questions, seek more clarity and transparency for everyone’s sake. Medicine is a business. Even in a free healthcare state like Canada. And business is business. Like cobalt in hips and then that poisoning those eith these hip replacements, so the companies then coat the cobalt, yet it hasn’t solved all the issues even knowing there’s still issues. im not ok with not knowing everything I can previous to any surgery and because I fall within whatever numbers are declared as a minority percentage, not getting full disclosures, just because my life doesn’t matter as long as the majority is somewhat ok.... still not saying bariatric surgery is bad at all... I’m saying full disclosure is paramount, and it should not have to be sought after by the patient post surgery, it should be a streamlined process of knowledge snd medical care continuity. I find it interesting how people are really riled up at just the questions I put out there. Why does it cause so much intense feelings. Why are quite a few respondents so quickly defending a surgery when I’m not attacking individual choice but just stating my experience and seeking my own health solutions. are people scared? I’m not judging at all... I’m being curious yet people seem very defensive and fearful of my struggles.... instead of being curious, most people who have responded are defending something I’m not accusing but I am definately curious as I said about a possible relationship between my complex medical issues that did not exist prior to bariatric surgery and are now mounting. just a mom, a post bariatric surgery patient, seeking with curiosity any possible connections here, as I’ve sought in other areas, reasons that could explain this... it’s interesting that this forum seems to be the only one very upset with my curiosity about others who possibly might have had or are having similar complex medical issues. im just a mom seeking solutions to a complex medical mess to I can live my life well and live a long healthy life with my kids. I am not attacking bariatric surgery as it seems others having feelings that I am... I’m simply seeking others who may be able to shed some light on my own individual personal experience with complex health issues post surgery, that’s all.... just seeking answers so I can get better in every place I can think of, there’s no one else to help me do it... so here I am... but seems as though everyone doesn’t even want me to ask such questions... it creates too much fear... I get that... I’m afraid too... I’m in the middle of this.... alone and trying to put a complex puzzle together. I’m not attacking or saying it’s wrong yet people are responding as if that’s what I’m saying or insinuating. I’m here because all of my issues are post bariatric surgery snd I’m just asking a simple question; are there others on this forum experiencing complications like me, do they think or have they found out that it’s from their surgery or it’s complications or that is caused by something else, and how was it resolved, how did they become healthy again... maybe no one knows, maybe the question then becomes to others; why is my curiosity so threatening to even ask these questions here? Why is my curiosity not met with curiosity but with obvious fear in the act of defending a medical practice that I haven’t accused as the cause... just being curious if it might be.

Here's my suggestion to you: Read all you can about Lap Banding, everything. This tool requires a very large amount of discipline. I am just being totally honest with you. Call your Bariatric Center when you feel you are mentally ready to begin the process again.

I had mine today and was a little freaked out too. I really enjoyed it. I took basic question tests and then we talked for about an hour about my habits, support system, have i thought this through that type stuff. I felt really great when I left having one more person confirm I was doing the right thing for me. In fact she told me a couple of times she was very excited for me and hoped I would keep in touch with my progress since she specializes in bariatrics.

Yes there are nutritionists who specialize in bariatrics. Your doctors office would be a great place to ask for recommendations.

Kaiser Fremont Bariatrics recommends the following labs at 6 mo., 1 year and then annually: Chem 10, ALT, AST, PT, Albumin, Prealbumin, Ferritin, Iron/TIBC, CBC, Serum B12, RBC folate, B1, 25 OH Vit D, PTH, Alk phos(metabolic bone disease) Vit A, glucose, lipids, HbA1c. Use “PNL BAR” in Order Entry in HC, Consider copper deficiency if unresolved hypochromic anemia. They also recommend annual bone density screening.

My wife has been in Dr. Davis's program since the first part of this year. We have Aetna and they required the 3 month program along with medical records from the last five years, a letter from her primary doctor, etc. Unfortunately, Dr. Davis's office has not been much help in this process. His office staff seems overwhelmed. Basically, my wife gathered all of the info they needed and gave it to them. They have botched the internal process every step of the way. Dr. Davis has changed office managers and other key employees at least once this year. The change didn't seem to help. They consistently assure my wife that things are being taken care of (like submitting the paperwork to Aetna for final approval) only to find out a couple of weeks later that they have done nothing. It's very disappointing that Aetna has chosen Dr. Davis as the only bariatric doctor in the Houston area. I am sure they wouldn't be happy with his performance if they knew. His whole program is very impersonal. The patients get treated like a number from day one. It seems that the entire goal of Dr. Davis's office is to process patients through the system (mental health visits, nutritionist visits, & all the other things required by insurance) in order to get them approved rather than really creating a program that educates the patient on what they need to know pre & post surgery. If you use Doctor Davis I believe he probably does a good job on the actual surgery but everything else about his practice is greatly lacking. You'll need to do your own research to equip yourself properly for the aftercare program. If my wife had a choice she would take her business elsewhere. Repeated calls to Dr. Davis's office to resolve these issues fall on deaf ears. It seems he doesn't really care if he has a disgruntled patient or loses one here & there. After all, he's got a line of 'em out the door waiting to get in. Its kind of like Wal-Mart losing a customer....so what, who cares? There's more where they came from.

Hey, Dont give up.. I am boarderline insurance approval also, I have a BMI of 37 with two comorbidities. We are sending everything to the insurance company for approval next week. If all goes well, I might get banded on February 18. If not, then I will be an April bandster because of the 6 month clause in my insurance. My insurance is sticky because they ask for 3 years medical documentation that I have fought with my weight. Until about 2 years ago, I didn't even know a person could go to the doctor and get help with weight issues. I had never heard of bariatrics. Doesn't it just frost you that insurance companies have to make this process so difficult? Makes you wonder why you pay for insurance in the first place. Hang in there and don't let AETNA off the hook. I do know that they require the 6moth continuous office visits with the surgeon so what ever you do, find a surgeon pronto and don't miss a single appointment.

Hi Guys I found this site and think it will answer your question plus other information. The second point answers the life of the band question. LAP-BAND® System Surgery Frequently Asked Questions </SPAN> LAP-BAND® System FAQs | Gastric Bypass Surgery FAQs | Bariatric Surgery FAQs 1. What are the advantages of having LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery instead of gastric bypass surgery? See the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery Information page 2. Should I have the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band taken out once I lose the weight? No, the band is designed to stay in for a lifetime. Studies show that most patients will regain their weight if they have the band taken out. 3. Do I have to have adjustments for the rest of my life? How many adjustments will I need? Patients may need a little adjustment to the band volume every couple of years after the incremental adjustments required at the beginning. The average patient will come in for adjustments 6 to 8 times in the first year after surgery and may come in for an adjustment once or twice the second year. Patients may not need an adjustment at all in the third year. 4. Why don't you just "crank it up" and make the band tight all at once during surgery? The body needs to adjust to the new band. There is a little bit of swelling immediately after surgery and tightening the band too early or too fast has been shown in the research to result in more complications (including having to have the band taken out). 5. Is there such a thing as having the band tightened too much? Yes, the band can be over-adjusted. When the band is too tight, patients cannot eat solid foods without regurgitating the food or feeling very uncomfortable for many hours. When the band is too tight, patients tend to gain weight because they are resorting to the liquid and/or softer foods that travel through the band easily. These foods tend to be higher in fat and higher in sugar. When patients start this dysfunctional eating pattern, they are taking in more calories than if the band was looser. A band that is too tight will also cause heartburn and coughing in some patients. 6. What happens if 10 years from now I start to gain weight? What do I do? We see you annually in the office for a check-up, however if you are gaining weight, it is time to come in so that we can assess the problem. It could mean that you need a little adjustment in your band volume to provide a little more restriction. There may be a problem related to the types of food you are eating or there may have been a life crisis and emotional eating or depression may be taking hold. 7. What is the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band made out of? The LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band is made out of silicone and titanium. 8. Is it possible for a person to reject the band? Yes, it is possible to have a reaction to any foreign body. Studies on the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band have shown that it is extremely rare. 9. Do adjustments hurt? There are fewer nerve endings in the skin of the abdomen and patients say that the adjustments are nearly painless. Patients have said that the needle stick hurts less than a shot and less than the needle stick for blood studies. 10. Are adjustments made in the surgeon's office? Yes, adjustments are made in the surgeon's office. On a rare occasion, the port is difficult to feel and a patient may have to go to the radiology department to have the port accessed under fluoroscopy. 10. How long has the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band been in existence? LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band was first placed in a patient in Belgium in 1994. The FDA approved the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band for use in the U. S. in June of 2001. 12. How much weight loss can I expect with LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding Surgery? For the first 1-2 years you should expect 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week. In the long term, you can expect to have 50-70% of your excess weight stay off. 13. If after surgery, and despite following all the rules, I am at a plateau of weight loss, what should I do? Plateaus are a normal part of the weight loss process. In the first year or two after surgery, weight loss plateau usually means that you need to come in and have a little bit of Fluid put in the band to increase restriction. Occasionally, plateaus are caused by the Band being too tight. If the Band is too tight, weight loss will resume after a little fluid is taken out of the Band. If the above causes are ruled out, we will have you keep a food and exercise diary. The diary will include the times and quantities of foods eaten, drinks taken, Protein grams consumed, and an exercise log. We may have you consult with the dietician as well. 14. What should I do if I "can't cope" after surgery? Weight loss surgery causes a lot of changes in a patient's life including dietary changes and development of a new lifestyle. With any change in our lives, there is a feeling of loss of previous life patterns. Patients may have feelings of sadness, anger and frustration when going through so many changes at once. We remind patients to be patient with themselves! We advise patients that if they experience persistent sadness for more than 14 consecutive days, along with loss of interest in things they were previously interested in, they should contact the Bariatric Center or their primary care physician. These are signs of depression. 15. What should I do if I cannot exercise very much due to back pain? We know from experience and scientific research that you will decrease post-op complications and increase your chances of weight loss through following the pouch rules and nutrition handbook AND being more active. We encourage you to find resources in your community to help you develop a program of movement and activity. For example, many of our patients with joint problems enroll in Water exercise programs at a therapy pool. Others find that recreation programs have recumbent exercise bicycles that allow you to sit while pedaling a bicycle. 16. I'm worried that after surgery, my emotional eating will return. Want can I do? Here are several suggestions we give our patients: Talk about your feelings with your support persons. Perhaps the stress in your life is high and you are returning to old habits of coping. Schedule an appointment with the behavioral nurse or other specialists to explore alternatives to dealing with emotions in ways other than eating. Call the bariatric center and ask for assistance. Attend support group meetings to hear how other patients are solving that problem. 17. What is the purpose of support groups? There are many benefits to attending support groups; here a just a few of them: To hear from others who have similar problems to your own To Celebrate positive changes in each patient's life since the surgery To learn new information about bariatric lifestyles To brainstorm solutions to problems To provide motivation to follow the rules that will work for individuals for a lifetime To meet people who have had successful results of the surgery and are willing to help others To talk with a group of people who understand your journey like no one else does! 18. How much pain will I be in after LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding Surgery? Most patients experience mild to moderate pain. A common analogy used by patients post-op is that it "feels as if they did 200 hundred sit-ups in a row and their abdominal muscles are sore". More pain is commonly felt over the port site incision. Your pain will be well controlled so you will be able get up out of bed to walk and move around after surgery. 19. When will I be allowed to drink after surgery? You will most likely be able to drink Clear liquids on the day of surgery or the day after your surgery. 20. If I qualify for same day discharge, how long will I be in the hospital? Starting from the time you reach the surgical floor to recovery, it has been on average 6-8 hours. Times differ from patient to patient. 21. What are the expectations of patients in the hospital after surgery? Get up out of bed Walk in hallways as much as tolerated Sit in chair as much as tolerated Use your incentive spirometer (plastic breathing device) 10 times per hour while you are awake Concentrate on fluid intake Work on achieving good pain control with your nurse prior to discharge 22. What is the age range for being eligible for LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding Surgery? Age range is 18 to 75 years of age but depends on the individual surgeon’s preference. 23. How many days off work will I need to take for the surgery? Depending on the type of surgery and the surgeon’s preferences, most patients take 3-5 days off from work for LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding surgery. It varies from patient to patient.

Posted this in what seemed to be the logical place ... and which was the wrong folder. Moving it! Sorry for the blonde move. Hello. I'm Kate and I just got my surgery date last week (July 5). I am a 51 year old mother of five. My son died in 1999. I still have one daughter at home, the other three are married and have their own families -- I have four grandchildren so far. Like probably just about everyone else here, my weight-loss successes — and backslidings — were always less than impressive: I’d lose 50 pounds, gain back 55. Lose 40, gain back 60. Drop 20, find 30. Back and forth, up and down, two steps forward and three steps back. My biggest success was in 1984 when I managed to lose 111 pounds while taking physician prescribed amphetamines. I kept the bulk of it off for almost two solid years after stopping the drugs, but it (of course!) all came back with a little more to spare. Although I wasn't what you'd call "happy" about being overweight, I had finally come to terms with it, and I had learned to live with being fat. I was very active, and other than being an insulin dependent type 2 diabetic, I wasn't experiencing any negative impact from my weight, so it was easy to overlook. My weight generally hovered in the mid-200 range and I was okay with that. Then in late 2009 and early 2010, all hell started breaking loose. First my diabetes medications stopped working -- this happened every couple of years, I'd build up a tolerance or something and I'd have to switch things around -- and my weight suddenly (and without any discernible reason) ballooned to 317 in January of 2010. I began looking into weight loss surgery because I had *never* weighed 300 pounds and I was by God not going to stay there. I was an exercising fool all summer long and I managed to hold my weight between 298 and 317 until mid-September. In mid-September I had an "event" where I blacked out due to extremely high blood sugar and wound up in the ER. My weight at that point was 311. My doctor sent me to an endocrinologist, who promptly switched me to a concentrated insulin (u500). The diabetes is now under control, but as a result of the heavy duty insulin, I am retaining massive amounts of Water and my weight began ballooning. (And I do mean ballooning: less than a month after I started taking the new insulin, I had packed on 36 pounds.) This Fluid is not just in my extremities, it's also collecting around my heart and lungs. The cardiologist says it's a testament to the strength of my heart that I haven't yet had a heart attack. My endocrinologist broached the subject of weight loss surgery with me in October. She told me that if I didn't get off the u500 insulin, my life expectancy could be measured in months rather than the decades I should be contemplating. With my diabetes being as bad as it is, the only way they're going to be able to get me off it quickly and immediately without causing more problems in the process, is thru bariatric surgery. In November she gave me a referral to Premier Bariatrics and in December I began the (seemingly endless) compliance efforts required by the insurance company to consider the surgery. I have been following a very strict diet since January, and yet my weight keeps going up. I haven't been on a scale since March (ours is broken here at home and I've not gone out of my way to get on one elsewhere) but in March I was at 379. I would not be surprised to find I had lost a little, but I would also not be surprised to learn I've gained more too. I'll guess I'm somewhere between 375 and 420. (I'll find out for sure on the 17th when I have my next appointment with the endocrinologist.) In late March, I began a weight-loss blog ( http://www.naebunny.net/fatnomo/ ) and here I am. And, finally, last week, the call I'd been waiting for: the insurance approved of the procedure and I was given the next available surgery date. I go in June 13 to meet with the surgeon again and get my pre-op diet plan, then on June 20 I have a half day of pre-admission testing, and then the surgery itself on July 5. And, that's my how I got from there to here. The next chapter in this story will be how I get rid of the equivalent of two people and get on with the rest of my life!

Can you please be specific - which brand of bariatric vitamins you're recommending? There are so many brands and they all have different nutritional content. Thanks

oh that sounds amazing... my doc dictates 2 weeks of clear liquid. I think its a little restrictive but I'll yield given that this is my first experience with bariatric surgery and his one millionth lol

I consume 100 to 120 grams of protein per day. Higher protein intake enables me to maintain my 118-pound body on 2000+ calories per day. Protein-rich foods provide more satiety. Also, the body must expend considerable energy/calories to digest protein. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). The more protein we eat, the more it speeds up our metabolic rates. I lift heavy weights 3 times weekly and run 20+ miles per week, so my protein needs are increased. However, a sedentary person who has undergone bariatric surgery is basically asking for chronic hunger and weight regain by limiting protein intake to 40-60 grams daily.

Your gastrointestinal system has no conscience, feels no guilt, you just had a warning free-fall, didn't you? Gosh I'm so sorry, of course, I haven't had it. The way Precious Pouch and my rerouted intestines are, maybe never will? I get so upset and yes Frustr8-ed at the turn of events, but my nutritionist Roy, yeah got a MALE one, and the rest of my bariatric staff are NOT WORRIED, they say Frustr8 you're plowing your own pathway to success, you will be fine, you will be healthy when THIS is all Over! Me? I'm. NOT SO SURE !😧💦😥

Why Does It Matter? Support during your Weight Loss Surgery journey can help you succeed. It is motivating to know that the people who love you are on your side. Through the long days of diet restrictions and dramatic lifestyle changes, your journey will be easier if your family members and friends pitch in however they can, whether with verbal encouragement or concrete changes such as avoiding eating off-limits foods in front of you. Still, it is important to remember that you CAN succeed, whether or not you get the support you hope for. Get to the Heart of the Matter First, make sure you know why they are against your weight loss surgery. It is often because they are afraid for your safety. They may know people – or know people who know people who know people – who had complications from Weight Loss Surgery. You can talk to them about the real risks of surgery – using statistics rather than hearsay – compared to the risks of remaining overweight. Still, do not assume that your safety is why they are negative about your decision. It is important to let them express their concerns and to address them directly. These are some other common reasons why your family and friends might have a negative gut reaction to your exciting news. They may be worried that you won’t be able to stick to the Weight Loss Surgery diet, and that you’ll be disappointed with the results. They may think you don’t need it. A lot of family members have trouble seeing how overweight you are, and understanding how much it interferes with your life and health. They may feel insulted. Parents especially may feel as though they have failed if they see you, their child, opt for surgery. They may feel threatened. Your significant other, for example, may be comfortable in the relationship you have had for years, and may worry that the way you feel about him/her will change as you lose weight. They may not know what it means for them. Friends may worry that you won’t want to hang out with them anymore, especially if your time together tends to revolve around food or if they think of you as their dependable “fat friend.” Whatever the true concern is, address it directly. Reassure your friends and family that you are doing this for you, and that you will not become a different person. Offer Them a Role Some friends and family members may feel overwhelmed by your news of Weight Loss Surgery, and that can lead to their negative response. Surprisingly, offering them ways to be more involved in the experience can actually help change their minds. They may feel better about your WLS once you tell them the details about the prep, procedure, and diet, and may even be grateful if you let them know specifically what they can do to help. Address Meal Times Directly Food is central to relationships at home and in social settings, so it is understandable if your loved ones are worried about how your upcoming Weight Loss Surgery will affect the time you spend together. If you think this may be a concern, discuss meals at home and in restaurants with your friends and family. Let them know that you will still be present at the table and interested in being good company, even if you are not eating as much as them or ordering the exact foods that they are. If you are comfortable with the situation, they are more likely to be. Agree to Disagree In most cases, family members mean well. It may be hard to remember or see in the heat of the moment, but they often do genuinely want the very best for you. If you have already tried your hardest to convince them to support your Weight Loss Surgery decision and they are not ready to do so, your next hope is to keep them as an ally in other aspects of your life. Hopefully, you and they can agree to disagree about your Weight Loss Surgery. You can let them know that you respect their opinion and will not be pressuring them to support your WLS. In exchange, you can ask them to continue to be your friend regardless of whether you are a bariatric surgery patient. Be Patient Sometimes, it just takes time. Your own Weight Loss Surgery success may be the best argument for why your loved ones should support you. It may take weeks, months, or a year, but they may come around as they see how happy you are, and as they realize how much they miss you. Bariatric surgery is a lot easier when everyone you love supports your decision, but that’s not always the case. Don’t let resistance from family members and friends get you down, though. They’re probably trying to act in your best interest, and in most cases, you can still get Weight Loss Surgery while keeping strong relationships with them.

Hey guys for those of you in AZ PHx area there is a Facebook support group page called Phx Area Bariatric Support Group, you can search for it on Facebook and request to join, it's a great group with lots of tips, support and we ha e monthly walks etc , Hope to see you all soon