Search the Community

This is a north Idaho Panhandle Group

And Kim I think you can do it. Accordiing to previous Bariatric Surgeon I am 180,lbs over-weight, if he didn't recognize,how wonderful I am, could he be wrong about that also? But anyway I am going to keep on keeping on until surgery and my new and improved life can start. Like you I don't know how long it will take to get down to my personal goal of weight but I am going to do it, Slim and trim I doubt but fitter and a smaller sitter, that I CAN ACHIEVE!😛👍

Mazel Tov Tanyamann32. Bariatric wise,definitely the Promised Land!😎

I agree. This doesn't sound like it's related to the occasional constipation and hard stools a sleeved patient is prone to. The procedure may have made it worse by increasing hard to pass stools, BUT laxatives don't resolve the situation and the inability to move your bowels in a seated position/having to do it standing up doesn't seem to be something we could reasonably expect from the sleeve procedure. At the very least, let your bariatric doctor know and consider a GI consultation.

Hi! I’m new here and only a couple months into my journey. So far I have been accepted into the local bariatric program, seen the psychologist and was approved, and now I’m meeting the surgeon for the first time tomorrow. Does anyone have any advice/insight/questions I should ask? I really have no idea how it’s going to go and what the steps after will be (most insurances require X amount of months dieting, mine does not). I’m nervous and excited!

We're excited to announce that the BariatricPal Store now carries the entire line of R-Kane Nutritional meal replacement products. R-kane has been providing meal replacement products designed for the Bariatric community for decades. R-kane recently reformulated their entire product line and their products are even yummier than before. You can check them out at the Bariatricpal Store.

Hi I joined a Bariatric Keto group on fb and you can pay for a session and it costs 19.99 and they give you your macros and give alot of info. I have been doing it for two weeks and am losing again. Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh honey, bless your❤. You've come down from all that hurray bureau I've had my surgery high and you're starting to hit the wall. From what I've heard on here it is very common, although I'm sure that's of little comfort to you. Be gentle and kind to yourself, don't push yourself too hard, if it were me I'd be a bad one. I'd try to overdue right afterwards. Remember your body is in a WTF mode, it's as bewildered as you by all the changes. I had a mini-level yesterday, but this one's mostly my Fault. As I've told EVERYBODY I have an important appointment on Thursday as the next step towards my own surgery. The last few days I've tried to be meticulous with my diet, and call me vain but I increased my exercise level hoping to melt off some more weight. I ended up exhausting myself into low blood sugar. I just want them to look favorably on me as a Bariatric surgery client. I've started using a protein shake a day to see if that helps,.According to My Fitness Pal I can eat up 1800 calories daily and still lose weight, I've been averaging 1100 to 1300, and the pounds are not disappearing. Guess it is more complex than calories in, calories out. I don't always eat too much until supper, even then it is small portions, don't eat big like I used to, usually protein, veggies, and tossed salad with small dressing on the side. No soda, cut out carbs as much as possible, infrequent coffee or reg. tea. It's becoming a chore but I so want to succeed. Maybe the dietician Thursday will have some more good tips.

Hello all! Today I start my 2 week pre-op diet for a revision from the sleeve to gastric bypass. My sleeve was 12/2012 and I’ve had nothing but problems and a terrible doctor (ugh). Well I stopped with that doctor soon after the surgery (LONG STORY) and was followed by my PCP. Other Bariatric doctors would not follow me because of the original doctor. Finally a doctor who had worked with both my Mom and Dad agreed to see me. It was like a consult about my weight loss and habits. That was in 2015 ish. I continued to have problems like severe heartburn and nausea. Finally they did an endoscopy and found a large stricture. Who knows how long it’s been that way. Because of the multiple problems insurance agreed to pay for the revision. First, I’m furious that I even have to get the revision. I thought I was playing it safer with that procedure. I did lose 90 pounds but still need to take off another 40-50 lbs. Who knows how long the stricture has been there. Now I have a great doctor!!!! I’m so happy about that because I need that consistent follow up and a doctor who will LISTEN to me. I’m just discouraged because the sleeve failed. Now I’m not sure what to expect. I do KNOW that a better doctor with good follow-up is essential. Any feedback on sleeve to bypass revision because of complications is more than welcome.

I've purchased some really great snacks from The Bariatric Store and they're great. I don't feel like I'm cheating because its healthy. Don't overthink...you can do this. We're in this together and won't let you fall. HW: 256 SW: 238(4/25/18) CW: 224 GW: 165

I read about Tespo on this app, it’s like a Keurig for liquid vitamins- I ordered one but I can’t tell you how good it is because it hasn’t arrived yet. It’s a bit pricey but it might solve your problem. They have a special set of vitamins Bariatric patients.

IM SO HANGRY! Lmao I’m going into day 5 tomorrow...my date is the 31st(I feel like people have seen this from me multiple times on other threads) I know this will be sooooo worth it! I too have PCOS and cannot wait to feel normal again! I have felt so uncomfortable in my own skin for 10+ years...like I want to just claw my way out....at first when my endocrinologist suggested Bariatric surgery I was super offended...I cried when I got in my car that day. After I collected myself after a month or so I googled it. At that point I felt like God had opened a door for me to get myself back! Not just me getting me back but my poor husband [emoji23] for multiple reasons...and my kids....nothing worse than raising teens and mouthy preteens with crazed hormonal mood swings! My husband is deployed and won’t be back until September, I CANNOT wait for him to come home to the new(old) me!

I never thought about getting a medical bracelet, but good idea. The first things I tried was greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and refried beans. Then introduced canned tuna and chicken, ground meats and thin sliced deli meat. I can also have soft cooked veggies. Recipes I have been using recently is riccotta bake, turkey taco bowl, hamburger casserole (all without any type of bread, rice or noodles). Pinterest is my go-to site for bariatric meal ideas.

Maybe try writing down your “bariatric schedule”. This could include water, vitamins, food, the amount of time you are supposed to take for each thing i.e. 30 minutes for shake etc. then write down the consequences of not following the program, such as dehydration, infections, slower healing, and exhaustion. When he confronts you with demands during your recovery time, you can just show him the list. Maybe post it on the fridge. Sometimes writing something down helps others understand what you need just in case you have not expressed verbally what you need.

Hi everyone, I have about needing a medical bracelet. Do people that get the vsg surgery need a medical bracelet in case (god forbid) something happens if they are alone? Also I was wonder about the phase 2 of the bariatric diet after the liquid only. What are some good food to make? Thank you. Sent from my SM-G935P using BariatricPal mobile app

I don’t know. A couple things I’ve had to change to liquids and one to ODT. The smaller things like lunesta and klonopin go down fine. Still can’t get those Bariatric chewies down. I’ve been able to keep down a lot of water/ice/pedialyte the last couple days. That’s the good news. I had about 3/4 of a cup of egg drop soup tonight and all but a small swallow stayed down. I’m getting protonix and carafate from the pharmacy tomorrow. My PCP called in the liquid form of carafate and my insurance doesn’t cover it (one week =$214!!!!). My pharmacy team knows about my WLS and assured me the carafate tablets that ARE covered by ins can be made into a slurry and they’ll tell me how when it gets changed tomorrow. So that should be fine. Tried isopure orange today. Ick. Got about 1/2 the bottle down but it causes me to get dry mouth and then slime. I think protein is just going to be difficult for me until I get to the retried beans stage. Once I get there I’ll be able to mix in some flavorless Unjury powder. I even tried to jazz up the isopure with some sf kool aid. Better, but the aftertaste and dry mouth are just terrible! I did buy one of every flavor as well as another brand so I’m hoping I can find a winner amongst them. But, feeling better today. Slowly but surely I guess. HW: 311 SW: 255 VSG 5/10/18 CW: 236 First goal weight: 209 Second goal weight: 191 lbs Third goal weight: 159 lbs Final Goal weight: 142 lbs 5’6” 34 yo female in NC

Hello, I am currently 56 years old. I started this journey to Bariatric Surgery 1 yr ago when I was told that I had Chronic Kidney Disease. I never thought of myself as a big guy, but people all the time said to me that I was a big guy. When I was told that I had CKD my kidney GFR was only 28. The Dr told me that I would be on dialysis within 5 years. That's when I started taking my health seriously. I looked into my options and found that Bariatric Surgery had a lot of health benefits besides weight loss. I also have diabetes, high blood pressure, in addition to the kidney disease. I had also had a stroke when I was 50 years old and was determined to resolve my health issues so I applied to the Bariatric surgery program at UPMC in Pittsburgh. UPMC is 2 hours away from my home in MD, but it is so highly rated that it was worth the effort to have my surgery there. I received pre approval from my insurance to get the surgery but I had to do 6 months of supervised diet and take every test that you can imagine (I know that people who have done this surgery know what I am talking about) after doing an endoscopy the Dr told me that I also had Barrett's Esophagus which was another health problem that the gastric bypass should help to resolve. I did my 6 months and my Dr submitted my paperwork to the insurance but a question came up because during the 6 month diet I had lost slightly too much weight my BMI was a point to low, so the approval took 2 months, but they did approve the surgery on that first submittal letter. My Kidney DR had helped my cause by also submitting a letter saying that this surgery was medically necessary. I got the call that my surgery had been scheduled for the end of March 2018, but I had to postpone because of my work schedule. The surgery was rescheduled for April 26, but the surgery schedule slipped and I had the surgery on April 27. The surgical team at UPMC is first rate and everything went smooth and trouble free. They said I would be in surgery at 7:30 AM and I was there at 7:30 AM, they said I would be in recovery at 12:30 and I woke up at 12:35. I think that is amazing! I was to my room at 5:30 and was up walking at 11:00 PM. My surgery was on Friday and I was released on Sunday at noon. Everything went like clockwork. Now I will say I was in pain. When they first gave me water I panicked because it would not go down but the nurses said that it was normal and I had to keep trying and eventually water would go down. My recovery I think is going extremely well. I had a blood test 4 days after my surgery and my GFR was 63. My kidney Dr says I can live the rest of my life with a GFR between 45 and 48 so I already consider the operation a success. I only wish that my diabetes and blood pressure had been resolved, but I am still on some of my medicine. My surgeon says to give it time and it should resolve in time. I can say that my health is already better and I am looking forward to the future after all it has only been 3 weeks after surgery and I am still eating puree as of May 21, 2018. BTW, I am in technical sales. I love my wife who has supported me all the way, my motorcycle, and traveling. My motto is keep on going the best is yet to come!

I'm doing great now. I wasn't paying attention when my surgeon said to get my stitches removed, so I waited too long, so it was a bit difficult when they were finally removed. I didn't arrange for follow up prior to surgery, so it's my own fault on that. My surgeon kept asking me if I had someone to follow up & I just told him yes, although I didn't. I figured I would take out my own stitches, I've done it before. My PCP is doing his best to f/u now, and it's going fine. I have had my bloodwork done once since surgery, and all is fine with that. No pain anywhere from surgery. My PCP did try to get me to see a bariatric dr, which I did, but I couldn't stand the guy & have never went back to him, so the PCP is handling all of my follow up now. My insurance doesn't cover anything related to surgery, so since surgery on 01.04.18 I'm out about $750 cash in follow up visits/labwork. When I originally had a lap band done 10+ years ago, it was nearly impossible to find follow up care, but from what I hear that is no longer a problem for most. I haven't had any complications, other than one of my incisions had a hard time healing due to an abscess under it that kept draining, but as soon as I finally had the sutures removed, it healed right up. I've been very lucky, all is going very well. I was hoping to hit the 100lb loss mark by my bday the beginning of June, but I think I'm going to miss it by 5-10lbs. It's all good, the goal was unrealistic anyhow & I refuse to be upset about only losing 90 by that time. ONLY...lol It's amazing how fast the weight is coming off now. I highly recommend the surgery if you've been unable to lose weight the non-surgical way. I'm about 4.5 months post op and I feel like a completely different person. The best decision I've ever made was to have gastric bypass. The pain in my knees is gone, and I feel fantastic. Prior to surgery I was in constant pain and miserable. I can't recommend this procedure enough, it's truly lifechanging.

Part of this message is me rejoining this community, part of it is seeing what's in my profile signature., I used to have a weigh loss results bar in there. I had my surgery in 2009, almost a year after my wife did. Having a built in support partner helps. I went from around 270 to 195 in well less than a year. A large part of it was this surgery and the nutritional information. Another part of of it was re-discovering my love of running. I still had running a marathon on my bucket list when I had the surgery and I ran it in 2011 in just over 4 hours. I ended up doing six more. Life was good, my wife and I were even used in commercials as sucess stories by the Bariatric Department of The Ohio State University I will mention my wife though I looked too thin at 195, so I did go to 210 during my marathons. But after 2013 my back began to fail and I had spinal fusion surgery. That slowed me down for a year or or more, but my weight crept up about 10 pounds a year until last May 7th, I got back from a 7 day Caribbean cruise. While I only gained 1 pound on that cruise it was a new post surgery high of 244. I imediately scheduled an appointment with my clinic/hospital. Backn in 2009 I had 3ccs put into a 10cc band and never had it changed. On my visit back I had .25cc added and have lost 13 pounds in about 2 weeks. Here we go again.

I too am sick, sick, sick, of sweet flavored protein drinks. Optisource is a non dairy protein drink with a good reputation for bariatric purposes. Also, I just ordered up some non flavored protein powder by Isopure. I'm hoping to be able to add it to "just warm" soups and broths to help with those pesky protein goals. We shall see had unflavored it really is :). Fingers crossed.

🐶as a sleever you're lucky, bet right now you're think if this is luck, I'll just opt out. Someone told me, and this person is supposed to be smart on such,things, as a bypassed(albeit a future one) I won't be able to take the slow release forms due to my intestinal screw-around. I know at least 2 of my daily meds are SR, so I gu3ss I'm just worried in Advance. It's like somebody,gave me a complimentary ticket to a Bariatric Disney World, I know its the Bariatric trip of a lifetime, and I'll probably enjoy it there but there may be things that don't suit me? Just took my Dexilant, it makes life and my tummy more peaceful if I take it when I first wake up. If you feel like howling, you know you can always howl at me!😝

I paid $9000 in Ft Lauderdale with Bariatrix, FL. Most places I talked to in the US do not include preop testing. I had to have ekg, bloodwork and a psych consult, but my insurance covered all of that. My experience was wonderful. Dr Taggar and Dr Wizman are part of Bariatrix, FL. Dr shillingford is also at the same hospital and has a great self pay price. Dr Umbach at Blossom bariatrics in Las Vegas also has a great self pay program. All of these will probably require a hotel room either for your companion, or a night before/after. If you truly want all inclusive, look into Mexico. At first, it sounds scary, but once you review testimonials it sounds better than the US. Plus, preop testing and hotels are normally included. Overall, it's a great option. Sent from my XT1254 using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you both so much! I think it’s mostly fear of the unknown. I also am pretty worried about getting a staph infection after surgery due to me being a carrier and constantly getting it when I was younger and occasionally even now. In my schooling right now we are actually covering care of the surgical patient (ironic) lol and I feel like it’s helped me some to see they wrote an entire 30 page chapter about how I feel and that it’s normal. I only know two girls from my home town that had bariatric surgery and they both had the sleeve. One has a lot of excess skin the other has none at all. My mom and dad both have had the sleeve. Originally that’s what I wanted but my Dr. said I would do much better with the bypass. Hopefully everything goes smoothly because I only will have 4 1/2 weeks to recover before I start school again and get into my busy clinical rotation. I’m excited but also a complete nervous wreck!

I had sleeve on 4/25/2018. Sw: 215 cw: 192 gw: 145. I’ve been struggling with depression and binging on the soft foods for about a week. Here’s what I’ve come up with: walking is my meditation. Bariatric is my hobby for the foreseeable future. Like an alcoholic I NEED support. Having low energy and being inside too much really brought me down. Also my hormones are whacked right now. Estrogen is off. Sex is off. So I’m sure our hormones and serotonin are off so walk. If you want to connect directly I’m kgbhalloween@gmail.com

I've only thrown up twice since surgery, and both times happened immediately after taking a Celebrate chewable multivitamin. Needless to say, those were the first and last Celebrate chewables I ever took! I'm wondering if the high concentration of vitamins has anything to do with it? My nutritionist said that not all vitamins agree with everyone. I now take 2 Flintstone complete multivitamins, 2 Alive b-complex gummies, and 2 Bariatric Advantage 500 mg calcium chews every day as well as 2 Vitafusion extra strength b-12 gummies once a week. I also make sure to take them 30 minutes to an hour after I've eaten. This works well for me, so I've stuck to it!