Search the Community

@jess9393 and participants I see how both sides can be passionate about weight prejudice. Each of us are explaining that we been judged on where we fall on the weight loss spectrum. It drives me crazy that many of the negative comments are from the bariatric community. these make me cringe when I hear them: Morbidly obese comments: "your lazy"" Fatty"""Lack discipline"" you have such a pretty face" "you would look better if you lost weight" Healthy weight comments - " I don't want to look sickly as you"" you didn't have to work as hard at wls as I did" "you over do working out" Not being at a lower BMI "you settled for less" "you need to work harder at this""why did you even have surgery" Wow, The new one I'm hearing --The fitness people are" obsessive", "extreme" "think we should do as they do" and wtf "They are making people leave" We live in a judgmental society... All I can do is me--->I am supportive and see value of any experience on the forum. I learn from all of you everyday.

I work in an emergency department as a Paramedic, I am currently also in nursing school. Just an FYI for those of you whose Dr. did not advise you or you forgot.... Do Not Take NSAIDS (Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Naproxen, Aspirin). They can cause perforation at the staple/suture sites because these sites are weaker in integrity than the rest of the stomach tissue. I have seen so many people come to the ER for complaint of abdominal pain who say their Dr. never informed them of this.

I'm not new but I just wanted to welcome you to Bariatric Pal, if you have any questions please ask, we want you to have a good Weight Loss experience. You are among friends here.

I am almost 4 months post op and still can't have straight water. I was told it is the texture of water that doesn't agree with bariatric patient's pouches after surgery. I mix water with caffeine free tea, crystal light, or calorie free water additive. Like the other poster said, you can try different temperatures of water. But if all else fails, I'd mix something with it.

And I have another problem, I want my Bariatric surgery so bad, I'm starting to sound,like a plastic surgery junkie,you know them, they repeatedly,have surgeries trying to look and have the shape of Barbie Doll.,While Cloudburst is drinking enough tea to float,downstream and Nicoleea is reading " The fall and Decline of the Western World" as she walks, I'm on the floor, having a tantrum and shouting,"Slash me,,Please Please Slash Me!" Guess it all depends on your viewpoint, doesn't it?😞

Morning guys! I’ve been quiet since introducing myself, as I was getting ready for my trip/surgery. I had my surgery May 3 and it went wonderfully!!! The most painful part of the entire experience was the IV Potassium- I cried like a baby😬. I’m down 19 lbs so far and feeling great!! My surgeon has me progressing my diet every 10 days, so yesterday was puréed foods. Just an FYI- the nurse in the hospital told me about the bariatric fusion Cherry Iron chews and they’re like eating starburst!

Hey there! You are a pip!! Of course I'll be your buddy. So you live in Ohio? I was born in Lorain, we were living in Vermillian at the time tho. Unfortunately my father died when I was three so mom moved us all to Washington State where her parents lived. I was raised there, in Wenatchee, Washington. Last September I moved to Pahrump, Nevada (about an hour away from Vegas) for the heat and away from the winters. I share a house with my ex-husband. He's okay, sounds weird but we are "companions"/friends and it's easier on the $$. I have a very cute house which I love and access to a gym and three pools. I love to swim! I've had one knee replaced, fusion of cervical vertebrae C5-7, and now a heart attack. I'm nervous I'll die before I can have the surgery... I'm still pretty "green" about all this bariatric stuff. People are talking about psych evals, upper GI's, Nutritionists. They haven't really told me much. I see the surgeon Wednesday and boy do I have questions!!! I've tried to get them to schedule the psych eval and nutritionists, but haven't heard anything yet. I'm afraid I'm not being very patient.... By the way, my IQ was 137 in high school... haha smart but only a little common sense... Anyway, consider me your friend and if you need anything, or if you have any answers for me talk away. Thanks for getting back to me. Anytime girlfriend. Haha

Happy Mother's day to all my bariatric pals!!!! Sent from my SM-G930VL using BariatricPal mobile app

Well maybe I can rock it after all? Now to find out whether it will be Dr Noria(female) or Dr Needleman(male, older and Department Head) and when this wonderous day can be? After the 24th many more answers will come. Its been such a l*o*n*g. journey, did you know I started seeking bariatric surgery in August 2015? Sometimes I fear I will die before I complete it. That frightens me more than anything else about the process💦. I would be willing to have only local anesthesia rather than to be refused again. But I should have courage things will go well for me after all, shouldn't I? Oh Ms Topaz i,weary of it all.

Well I would rather give you why I personally chose RnY as opposed to the sleeve. But here is a great site that breaks it down. https://www.obesitycoverage.com/the-complete-patients-guide-to-bariatric-surgery/ I chose RnY for several reasons. For one, I wanted the most restrictive procedure possible. RnY gives you a smaller pouch than the sleeve. This part will sound insane, but I also wanted the “dumping” reaction. I just believe that it will more than keep me on the right track if experiencing dumping is possible for eating the wrong thing. RnY has also been around for decades. For someone like me who has never had a major surgery, I wanted to go with the “golden seal”. And lastly, I had “fire” GERD when I was pregnant. I didn’t even want that as a remote possibility. Do your research and really see which is best for you. The website is organized well so you can figure it all out. Both procedures Are great options for weight loss. Best of luck!

72 hours until Surgery Eve! The last couple days I've started having trouble with my head hunger on the liquid diet. Right on the home stretch I graduated with my associate's degree Thursday night and my parents, brother, and husband were all there. Afterward, despite everyone saying they didn't want me to have to go out to eat while on my diet, I insisted we all go out. The table was covered in chips & salsa and fried pickles and steak and chicken & waffles (my husband) and the smells were overwhelming. Ever since then I've been dying to eat. Not unhealthy food specifically, just food. My husband made a black bean burrito last night and I nearly cried smelling it. I'm still not having much actual physical hunger but the drive to eat is in full force. I just keep reminding myself that in two weeks (from surgery day, I mean) I can have pureed foods like beans and hummus and chili and veggies and applesauce. It's not that far away! This stage isn't forever... it's just for my safety and recovery. *repeats 100 times* Having said all that, despite the recent issues I absolutely LOOOOOOOVE the Svelte protein shakes. I've got 5 flavors now (thanks, Amazon!) - chocolate, vanilla, cappuccino, spiced chai, and banana créme. I love them all, although cappuccino might still be my favorite. I'd like to use them exclusively after surgery but only being 11g of protein I'm not sure that will be possible. I could just about hit my protein goal (60g) with five of them but that's 55oz of protein shakes in addition to the 60oz of water I'm supposed to be having, which seems like a lot to tolerate. I might have to do one premier protein per day since that's 30g and that'll give me more leeway. I want to stick to the plant-based shakes but I'm going to try and be as flexible as possible during the liquid stage, it's all about staying hydrated & healthy! Tomorrow I'll be finishing up laundry & house prep and then Tuesday afternoon when my husband gets home from work we'll load up the car and the cats and hit the road for my Mom's! I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but just in case, I'm having surgery in another city near where my parents live, in the hospital where my husband was treated after his accident. It's a large, teaching hospital and is a center of excellence for bariatric surgery - so I felt safer there than at a regional hospital in my area. I'll be at Mom's until the weekend of Memorial Day (10-ish days). So that's why we'll be heading off Tuesday night! On Surgery Eve Day (Wednesday) I booked massage and floating therapy sessions, and I'll have a bath in my parents' big tub that night as well. By then I assume I will be nearly catatonic with anxiety so I'm trying to take every precaution against losing my mind I doubt I will actually be able to relax but hopefully the relaxing settings will at least give me the opportunity to do so!

Life including Bariatric life is not a sprint as much,as a grueling marathon. If you're on it to win it, no matter how tortured the path, you will have success.🏃

I'm trying not to beat the dead horse. @Creekimp13 I agree, This and us against them thread. This is also not all about you or your post directly: This is observations over the years of weight based discrimination among bariatric patients. Is this about me? I guess that would be if I fit into the criteria of "extreme" I have no Idea what "extreme" means to you or other on the forum. Can be interpreted many ways.

Welcome my new Windy City pal. Spring is finally here and the only thing warmer than the weather is your welcome here. How do I know you're in Chicago? I looked up your profile, not as much info as in a true computer, I'm using the mobile app on an Android phone.No shame in that. you'll see I'm in Mount Vernon Ohio 48 miles NE of Columbus where I will be having my RnY. When? Well the Bariatric God's have not favored me with that knowledge as of yet, could be as soon as next month. Until then and then past then also Baby I'm Yours. Any time you have questions, anytime you need a friend I'm usually,lurking nearby. Hope we can help you have a good experience.🌺😊🌸

And I am very proud you didn't let your chilly little feet stop you from this. Good things are ahead for you, I will join you as soon as I can drag a Bariatric Surgeon in the Operating Room with me, I am the reverse of the coin to you, it's them being reluctant instead of me . I Want it and I want it so very Badly.😜

DebSom hello hello hello. We are going to be friends, let me be among the first to apply. We have a few things in common, Don't feel you're too old for this venture, I am 72, will be 73 on December 26th. CW323 down from a HW of 355, officially 5ft8in, still believe I am 5ft 11in, well I was before menopause collapsed my spine, which gives me BMI 47+. so we are pretty comperable in this undertaking. I am widowed for nearly 6 years, 3 children only 2 living, my son who lives with me and his older sister RD short for Rotten Daughter who speaks or interacts with me every solar eclipse or so. Every family has one, I guess I gave birth to mine. As an example I called her to tell her I was planning bariatric surgery, she immediately turned the conversation around to herself and her problems. I tried again,i called her by her first and middle names, now when my parents, her grandparents did that I ki,da shrivled inside, I knew it was tongue-lashing time, I said " Did you hear me? I am going to have bariatric major surgery in Columbus before summer? Her answer " Oh, whatever!" and this point I had it, I said"Whatever right back at you!" and hung up. I could have told her I was going to crouch over a buzz saw and expose my lady parts to the blade and got the same reaction. Sad, isn't it? My son on the other hand is super-supportive, much more than his late father would have heen, but alas there lays another story all together. What brought me to surgery? Well that it is multi-faceted. The latest was the 30 lb weight gain in one month. I had been seeking surgery since August 2015, just before I turned 70,when I realized I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Many of my high school classmates were dying I could feel my body starting to slow down in earnest and realized death might be in the cards for me as well. I have had arthritis since I was 25,2 knee replacements,every joint in my body hurting. Do I sit down,lie down and let the Angel of Death claim me as his own? No I came into this world, screaming at the top of my lungs and fighting mad. I won't leave without doing the same. The red(well strawberry blonde) head is natural and so,is the temper, I never will go gentle into that good night(sorry Dylan Thomas, I do apologize), In August 2015 I took myself to Columbus and applied for admission to a Bariatric Program, found out my,current insurance UHC would cover such a thing. Was doing everything requested, had completed 5 of the 6 mandated nutritional sessions when my job terminated in January 2016. Tried to Cobra my insurance over, it would have taken $700 of the 900 I would now receive from Social Security. Oh I still looked for another job, but who hires a 70 year old fat woman when there are young slender chicks-babies available? So with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes I just didn't return . Never did formally resign. Found out just this year, Medicare's requirements were much less stringent, I had completed all of theirs and could have had my surgery February 2016. I littered along trying to keep on losing weight, think I kept gaining the same 5 pounds. Early last fall I asked my PCP for some assistance. See I'm bright enough to know nutrition etc but I was getting nowhere but older. Dr Carroll, is a heck of a nice guy, he's in his mid40s, when I get peeved at him I call him Junior, but still pretty good doctor. He agreed to prescribe phenteramine, to aidmy diet endeavor & oh I tried, cut,my portions down gave up sodas, stopped eating carbs, are so much salad that i felt like a farm animal. Went back after a,month to be weighed, not only had I not lost weight, I gained 30 pounds. Had journeyed,my weight diet,is My Fitness Pal, so he said back to the Bariatric Surgeon with me. Although all body systems were reading normal or low normal, I was still a loaded time bomb at this age. So I humbled myself, went back to the Bariatric Surgeon and went,through the whole program again,including one extra one I hadn't done before Everything was done the third week of January, so I proceeded to wait 1st week,of February- it's in the,pile and hasn't been worked,2nd week- we found up,and are submitting it 3rd week- yes it's back, stop calling, we'll call you with a date. Everything looks fine? Well things are not as they seem. February 20th I received the call, the 3 surgeons,in the practice had themselves a little meeting and voted to a man, to decline my surgery. I'm going Whha What do you mean? Something screwy, the psychologist turned in to them a declined evaluation. This woman, in front of,my adult son told me I had passed everything perfectly and shook my hand, wishing me Well on my future surgery. My son even remarked as we left "Gee Mom I bet you're glad that is over, now we can move on" Her assessment now- I am psychologically and emotionally unfit and lack the,mental capacity to understand the risks of surgery. Geesh, why not say I stink too? Oh I refute it all, I have an IQ off the boards, have been eligible for MENSA from the get go, have no understanding? I have been mentoring "newbies" from the time I signed into BP, I not only understand it, I can explain it all. So I cried my eyes out for a few days, then my temper kicked in. How dare they try to siderail my plans? Was I going allow a piss-ant group like them to put me down? Sorry for the term but I was country-raised and we say that. At this point I may have stomped my feet like an enraged skunk but I resolved to move forward. They weren't the only game in town so I called the other 2 Center of Excellence programs in Columbus Ohio and booked time in their seminars. Went to one at Ohio STATE university hospital-Wexner Medical Center on March 9th,fulled out an application, a release of information, made sure all those credits would transfer, and returned home. Less than 5 business days OSU called me back, they were very interested in me, would I please come for a 2 hour psychological evaluation/consultation with their staff psychologist Dr Kramer on April 25th, 6 weeks away but I didn't care, I said YES YES YES. I had a wonderful exam with him, don't remember the last time anyone wanted to talk two hours to me. Not only did I pass but he gave me papers for the next steps. On May m I meet for what I call the trifecta appointment, I meet with my case manager, nurse practioner, and dietician- okay,i figured it for a Hi Nice,to meet You meeting, now I'm not so sure. There was another poster on here meeting with the same professions of people, she said it is her presurgical appointment, perhaps just perhaps it will be mine also? I'm,living now with this hope! Now you know most,of the Frust8 story, still want to be my friend? I do hope so, there aren't as many,of us well-ripened individuals as the young ones on here and I'd like a "peer" to talk to.😜 Also I will,be a RnY bypass when my surgery comes.

Congratulations on your surgery! You did it! Now the journey of your life begins. Next step is to follow the instructions given to you by your bariatric program and you will loose. Going to share some things that helped me a LOT. I saw and still see the bariatric Registered Dietitian that I had to see in the beginning of my journey. WLS will definitely help you loose weight, but now is the time to use your spiffy new TOOL to form good eating habits. The surgery will do most of the work for the first 6 to 12 months. Then it's more you than the tool. So forming the new habits is absolutely essential to your success. Learn about good nutrition. This will be invaluable to you when you can eat more and the weight loss stops. Regain is a real thing. Give yourself all the help you can. Another tidbit that I like to share is to make a journal. Journal your journey Take before pictures in a certain location/outfit, front, side and back and note the date and your weight. Then do it again periodically as you loose the weight. I like to go back and read my journal to see where my thoughts were in the beginning. It really helps to gain perspective on how far you have come. You don't have to share it with anyone. Also, wish I had done some before videos, but I didn't do that. Something to consider. Wishing you much success!

Sooooo.... I finally had my first appointment on my weight loss journey. This was with a Nutritionist. He basically interviewed me about my eating habits, mental health, weight loss history etc. I have to spend 3 Months with his department (dietetics), meeting as a group every 2 weeks, before being passed to the bariatric team. During my time with him I have to lose 2.5% of my body weight to progress to the next stage. This is only around 7lbs so not too worried. At the next stage with the Bariatric team, I then need to lose a further 5% before getting final sign off for surgery. What I found really strange is that the Nutritionist said that they would recommend the Gastric sleeve as it has a better effect on reversing type 2 diabetes than Bypass. I found this quite surprising as all the research I had done beforehand pointed to the exact opposite.

I had an OBGYN that when I told her I was going for a consult with a bariatric surgeon she said " Well Fortunately (and unfortunately for you) you're not fat enough for that surgery... " such a snotty tone too. I was frustrated and angry and sad all at the same time. My BMI is clearly within the range and i'm suffering from PCOS and hypothyroidism. Some doctors are just jerks,

Try the different brands and see if you do find one you like. I am chocolate-allergic, I do have the blueberry Muscle Milk, I do find it thick but I thought it was just because it claims to be a yogurt formulation. ,I do have a suggestion , try Svelte, it is soybased but I honestly don't taste the soy in it. I have the French Vanilla, my barifriend Little Green has the cappuccino, I'm sure they have a chocolate as well as other flavors. You do have a lower protein count per bottle but. I like it and it is a little thinner.Wal-Mart has come out with their house brand Equate, equivalent to Premier Protein in formulation. My local has chocolate, vanilla and caramel. Runs maybe $5.25, Muscle Milk 5.98, Pure Protein about the same and Premier Protein 7.27. Of course Premier also has the most flavors as well chocolate, vanilla, strawberries and cream, cookies and cream, bananas and cream, peaches and cream( my favorite) and the caramel which makes a lovely creamer in coffee. Wal-Mart also has in Protein 20 and some other brands of protein shakes I haven't tried. I think everybody is trying to get into the bariatric game you can find ones at health food stores, Whole Foods. GNC, I've been looking around , I'm not to the presurgical liquid diet,have been dabbeling trying find the best for me personally. Gosh I want to do so good at this, I. can't reschedule life for later, I'm 72👵 and this is my golden time. PS I'm not grayhaired I have strawberry blonde still, not a gray hair to be found.

Hello everyone, Newbie here. I've wanted bariatric surgery for years but my insurance wouldn't give in. Finally, I went on disability, medicare and YIPPEE, they agreed....so far. I had a heart attack in January and that was of course the realization that I was not going to survive to see the grandkids grow up if I didn't do something right away. Also, I wanted to zip line and ride the burro's to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.... and they won't let me because of my weight!!! Thus I've started the preliminary requirements for surgery. I am VERY excited to be doing this and hope it goes well. First, a little about me, I am 63 years old, single. I have 5 children, 11 grandchildren and one dachshund. My starting weight was 317 and is now 313.7; I am 5'9" tall, and a BMI of 45.6. I started this in April. Since the heart attack my Cardiologist has signed off for me to have the sleeve surgery. In fact, he encourages it very much!! I've met with my PCP twice, and the surgeon once ( I go to him again on Wednesday). I'm getting a lot of encouragement from my family and friends so I feel GREAT about it. Actually, I wish all these prelim's were over and I could schedule the surgery...... but must be patient! I'm excited to join your group of "people like me" and hope to call you my buddies!!

Ok, so I'm very proud of myself. I got up this morning and was out at the nature reserve by 8am. And I walked all the way around the 2 lakes by myself--1.7miles in 40 minutes. I'm have no earthly idea how to do the math on that to determine how "fast" I was walking. LOL. I say that, cuz I was sweatin like a horse and was pushing myself to limit. And people were just amblin by me, passing me left and right--talking and looking at the view! *snort* But hey, I showed up and did it. And for that I'm proud regardless of how slow I am and how fast I "think" I am in my head. ROFLMFAO! Now I'm home and about to start Sunday chores: laundry, cleaning, prepping for next week. Yeeeehawwwww! And Happy Mother's Days to all the mommies out there!!!! ((hugs)) And hope your families treat you preciously - with a worth more than pearls! Hope y'all have a blessed day. This week I have my 6 month oncology appointment, my 6 month echo cardiogram to check on the fluid around my heart, and my 3 month f/u with my bariatric surgeon. I should be going to her support group Thursday night, but instead we're going to the ball game with friends! Baseball beats bariatric support groups any day of the week in my world. I'm trying to put my head down and just work my program, but for the last 7 days, I've been up and down the same 2 lbs a la GHDWL. This morning I am still sitting at 187.8lbs despite no cheats or food indiscretions, and in the face of daily exercise. I have firmly raised my protein and calories be more of a 750-800 level. I'm sure that has something to do with it. But I'm also trying to raise my cals slowly so I don't give my system a jolt. I suspect it may be the "3 month stall" some WLS peeps talk about on other boards. There's supposed to be one at 3, 6, and 9 months as well as the famous 3 week stall. My doc would neither confirm nor deny, LOL, she just said that WL isn't linear and that there will be plateaus and times when the scale won't be reflective of the dedication we put into it. LOL. Thought that was a particularly lovely way to describe a hound-from-hell-stall. Ok, well time to go work. I've got mountains of clothes to wash! More later.

You know....I have never never seen a single person who has had bariatric surgery do this. I've seen a few struggle like hell, and make terrible habit choices, and get caught in a cycle of addiction, or mood disorders that make regulating their behavior hard. I've seen a few people on prednisone and other meds for medical disorders that they can't get off of....who fight their weight tooth and nail even after surgery. I've seen people dealing with menopause and other hormonal disturbances... and grief from tragedies..... and financial issues that limit the medical/psychological support they can get....fighting really hard and still not making much progress. But I have NEVER seen someone intentionally set their expectations low and CHOOSE not to get the most out of surgery.

This whole thread has an us against them vibe. That was my point. Do you really think ANYONE who has bariatric surgery isn't "bothered" if they don't make goal? The implication is....why don't those lazy fat people care?

Are these chewables? If so, how is the taste? I am taking bariatric advantage mixed berry and they are pretty nasty.