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I really hate to read this. I'm so sorry you're struggling and in PAIN! Awful. Does anyone seem to have ANY sense of where the pain is coming from? Bariatric hospital that did surgery isn't any help? I'm just so sorry. I have my surgery June 3 so unfortunately no help. Maybe a hernia? Gall bladder? You are so sweet. They ruled out gallbladder, leak, didn't see a hernia. Bari dr doesn't care cuz it's not related to the sleeve. ER dr was really condescending and said that some people just don't handle pain as well as others. Wanted to punch him in the nose. Idiot. The pain didn't start until 8 days AFTER surgery and I was tolerating the surgery pain just fine w no pain meds up to that point. Anyway, we are on a wait it out and see if it improves strategy. It has gotten a bit better over the last few days, but still need the Lortab sometimes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Gotta go back to work tomorrow regardless. Best of luck w your upcoming surgery. Is your pre-op diet ok?

. Do you have a pre op diet? I'm the same way I'm not afraid of the procedure im afraid of the aftermath.. I just wanna be ok. I take the chewable bariatric advantage vitamins. They are so good!

I GOT MY SURGERY DATE FOR MAY 12TH!!! I am so excited! My two week pre-op diet doesn't start until April 28th but I have already made the decision to start a mild diet and eat smaller portions. I'm hoping that if I start eating smaller portions now then I wont be as hungry during the pre-op diet. I purchased a food scale to measure the amount of food that I eat and I also purchased smaller plates and cups. I'm going to begin hitting the gym at least three days a week and stop munching in front of the tv. I'm also going to start chewing each bite 20-25 times and not drinking 30mins before or after a meal. My book 'The Emotional First Aid Kit: Life after bariatric surgery' has a million great suggestions for before, during, and after surgery. I recommend this book to everyone that is thinking about or preparing for a gastric surgery.

Mans point of view READY lol honestly keep communication very open include him in when possible when people are complimenting you tell them you couldn't do it without your wonderful husbands support that will make him feel good i do this with my wife i include her in as much as i can..A group i started is having a dinner next saturday night its called Bariatric Friends on Facebook and we are bringing our spouses because we would never want to exclude them from anything so its a group of 20 going...And just make sure you tell him how you feel and ask him how he feels talk talk talk thats all i can say If He loves you and you love him you will be fine ...good luck with your surgery and wl journey

You guys rock! Love your replies. Update: I'd already mentioned it, but just to clarify, I AM having hiatal hernia repair with my surgery. The liquid diet and recovery time happens to be the same even if you're having only hernia repair, so it all fits in. Yesterday, I told the woman in my department who works right next to me. She already knows well my ongoing stomach issues, severe GERD, etc. She is not questioning further and I know that she understands about that part. Next, I emailed my boss, explained the same thing about hernia, told him how long I expected to be out. Today, I went to the HR person who does the FMLA paperwork. I learned that they will "approve" my leave, which irritates me because I'm using my own earned personal PTO time. But, in order to secure that I have a job to come back to after leave, I HAVE to go through the FMLA process. Also, they are going to want documentation from the surgeon. I realize now that there is some risk of them learning some private details through this process, even though legally (HIPPA) they are not supposed to know my medical details unless I volunteer it. However, this group is known to be nosy & gossipy. And, I have to work on the same floor where they all are. I'm sure that the doctor's office will be subtle about stating what I'm having done (probably will just say "abdominal surgery"). I called there the other day and they assured me they won't write "bariatric" or the full name of their office on the form. However, my surgeon just does bariatric surgery only. A simple google search will show them exactly what my doctor does, if they look it up. However, I'm trying to just let it roll off and not worry. Once I'm approved by my employer to take my leave, I'll breathe easier.

I think the YouTube videos are a great idea! I want to start photo journaling my progress. So far people have been commenting on their notice of my weight loss (about 30lbs since my first consultation 15 of which is from the preop diet) but I don't notice it. Maybe if I can show others the consist progression of weight loss and healthy living, they will see that bariatric surgery isn't the easy way out. It's the decision to change your lifestyle. They may even be inspired to have their own surgeries.

Definitely check in with your surgeon & try the changes you mentioned and let us know how it works out!!! You may help solve someone else's bariatric mystery

mine requires it and he's on the med school faculty of a major research university - so he teaches other surgeons how to do bariatric surgery. So definitely not a "bad surgeon". It's just a difference in opinion.

I have been dieting all my life, and they don't work. I didn't want my intestines cut, and pulled out, because there is no going back! So I chose the band. It was good in the beginning. You stick to what your Dr. and Dietitian tell you, and your good to go. You will lose weight. I lost over 120lbs. with a 4cc band. I went in for a fill, I was at 1.8cc, and they filled me with0.2cc. Total of saline in the band 2cc. It blew the band ! I kept trying to figure how could this happen? It's only 1/2 full? Well I quit beating my head of the wall and believe that it was defective. I never had any problem before, and it blew the line, or port. I'm hoping to get in to see a surgeon soon now that I have Ins. again. When I went back to my surgeon, he seen some weight gain, and told his student to instruct me to control my appetite, come back when I have lost weight, and will talk about a fill. Then I was escorted out. I was furious ! This was my last month of Ins. due to being laid off, but no one would let me see him so I was escorted out. I have regained all of my weight, and I am trying threw things that I have learned to cut back. It is hard. I have gotten the attention of another surgeon to see me VERY HARD TO DO! So I weight daily for a call, I will call tomorrow and see if they can work in a outsider. Just so you know. This is a plastic tool, and can break, and will somewhere down the line... So,, make sure you have a excellent surgeon. Find out if you develop a leak will he fix you, Ask questions! Find the answers to your questions before surgery. Then do what you want. Yes it is a Weight Loss Tool! It also works ! The choice is up to you. I know it works, but I know it can come with some problems. I wish you Luck. Shirley Banded 10/31/2006 Dr. Jeffrey Genaw "Chief Bariatric Surgeon" Henry Ford Hospital "Center of Excellence" Detroit, Michigan.

I agree with you. That's what I like about bariatric advantage it's the only shake I've tried that's thick. The orange cream tastes just like a orange julius to me. Yummy!

I just tried the orange cream flavor and it's sooooo good!! This is the 1st meal replacement shake that I actually enjoy. I just thought I'd share.

Bariatric Advantage is thick--that's why I love it--especially the Orange Cream! I dislike the thin brands (Syntrax is HORRID to me)! To each his own. You've got to see which one is the best for you!

Hey everyone... Long story short, I was denied in Ontario. Since I was denied, I have been off my healthy eating wagon and it's been a disaster... I scheduled my surgery and I have been worse since then. I really wasn't planning on doing the food funeral but it has kind of happened even though I didn't want it to. Problem is my surgery is scheduled for March 4th in Puerto Vallarta, and I'm in the process of TRYING to move it to Jan 21st so that I'm not filling my face until March.... which at this point I can't even imagine waiting that long. Has anyone else has a large gap between finding out their date to when their surgery is? I believe I have gained 3-5 pounds and thats still with running 3-4km 4 times a week. I can feel it in my stomach area... I feel like crap but I continue to shove crap in my face. I was on such a good track since July and had lost 26.6 pounds... I'm thinking it's more like 22 right now... Any suggestions? Anyone else feel like this? Most people I've read about have a one month waiting period... with their 2 week diet, sure people do their food funeral but it's only 2 weeks, not 3+ months!!! I guess the first thing I SHOULD really be doing it tracking my food again, I gave that up once I was kicked out of the bariatric program here (didnt think i needed surgery since they adopted a new model from edmonton, but was a "perfect" candidate before this new model came out and was one test away) it didn't help that the bariatric clinic was blatantly lying to me for 6-8 weeks. So step 1. Tomorrow start logging everything I eat again, and continue my workouts (this hasn't been a problem) it's the food funeral and not caring/logging my food anymore? any suggestions from people who have been in my spot are greatly appreciated! Thanks!!! Lisa

Yes.. During our pre-op education class.. We were given an response and restaurant card..I thought everyone received on as a Bariatric patient?

I experienced a lot of pain doing the leg press surprisingly enough (Didn't realize I use my abs for that too)! When I asked the surgeon, he said he had sewn my port into the abdominal muscles and the pulling is what would cause me the pain. Others here say their surgeon didn't sew down their port (?) but I would definitely say all the sit ups could be aggravating it. One idea would be to lay off those for a week for two and see if you still have pain running and on the eliptical. If so, I may be tempted to call my Bariatric Center and see what they have to say...

My therapist asked me what food I felt like I could not do without post-op. Pizza was the only thing I could think of. Once you can eat foods - there's some great bariatric friendly pizza recipes. My therapist suggested a portabello mushroom filled with pizza toppings. Stay strong!

Good point. I said that in jest. In my opinion, food is probably ok as long as it's only because the guest speaker of the night is a bariatric chef, as @jenn1mentioned. Everyone should be responsible enough to either try a sample, take one home, or not take one. I'd have a problem with it if the group is always serving ou d'oeuvres or asks someone to bring "snacks to share" every evening. Yikes!

I know it's frustrating, but most likely this is just water weight. When you start dieting, the amount of glycogen stored in your muscles and organs drops pretty dramatically since you're not taking in enough carbs to replenish the glycogen. This depletion of glycogen also causes scale weight to drop in the form of water loss. Over time, those glycogen stores are renewed, which also causes you to put the water weight back on. This phenomenon is even worse if you also add in new exercise, as your body needs extra water in your muscles to help repair the micro damage that exercise does to your muscles. If you feel sore muscles, you can know for sure that you're storing extra water. I suspect there's another factor at work here: stress. Elevated stress levels causes you adrenal glands to make and release a hormone known as cortisol into your bloodstream. Among other things, elevated cortisol levels can actually slow down your metabolism, meaning you're burning fewer calories at rest.

And some testimony from the Elder of the Pack. Like🐭🐺(mousecat) I too had to be there at 5Am for a 7AM surgery time, first thing on my Dr Needleman's surgery schedule at Ohio State University Hospital- Wexner Medical Center, sound like a big name- You ought see how area it really takes up. But they made me feel like I was the most important, indeed like I was the only patient. Signed in at front door, had my own person to deliver me to the designated pre-surgery area, once there I changed out of my clothes and in to their patient gown. And then I tinkled, see we had a pact going, if I would void as much fluid out as possible, I would not have to be "cathed", worth it to me. Got comity in my bed, and then, since I was Surgery #1 Dr Needleman brought in the bulk of. the surgical team. That was so very nice of him, in the back of my mind was the niggling worry since this was a teaching hospital I might be someone's practice dummy. He promised it would be him and him alone doing what needed done. Promised when they bring you in I'll wave. Didn't have to do that for me, but it was so cool he wanted to allay my fears. And my anesthesiologist was named David, said I could him Dave if I liked. Stayed until I was relaxed, Dave might have slipped so Happy Juice in while we were talking, but it was okay. And in deference to my age there would be a pulmonologist and cardiologist also there, you see I was and maybe the only 72 year old patient he would have. His bio said he had done 70s before, one of the reasons I chose him. He is also the chief of Bariatric Medicine and Metabolic Weight Loss, a full Professor in the College of Medicine, trained many bariatric surgeons in the Midwest. I had said to myself" Frustr8 You are going to have this chance, your one chance, you deserve it, grant yourself THE VERY BEST possible. Like my buddy above I also have had multiple surgeries, but OSU was the first place to have non-swerving, non-wobble gurneys. Now others have said the Operating Theatre was cold, mine wasn't, that they are going to strap you down , strip you, place your arms in a crucifixion postion, nope none of those things happened. They offered to help me slide over onto the Operating table, nope this old girl can still do a few things herself. And this was the first one I ever encountered that I didn't feel I would immediately roll off the other side. And although they were super efficient, it was still quite relaxed. There was Dr Needleman over to my left,waving vigorously, yeah he really WAS THERE! And over on the other side sitting on stools was my cardio and pulmo guys, and they saluted. Then Dave tu led blankets that were warm around me, said Are you comfty, and called me by name. I said" Yes I believe I am" and that quickly I was asleep. The very next thing I knew I was in my room on 10 Doan, stretched like I was waking up from a summer,nap, except I had oxygen on and EKG leads on, but I felt good, no nausea, no tenderness, being a little of a Doubting Thomasina, I flipped my gown up to make certain they had done surgery. Figured if they had I would be heavily bandaged, nope no ABD, just 6 little criss-cross steri- strips and one in the top of my navel. Now I knew why they told me to scrub my navel well, he likes to use them. Since I had a scar on the bottom from my tubal ligation some 30 years ago, he used the top, until the swelli,g went down a little I had a kissing navel. Never had pain, my tummy was as flat as when I went in so no residual gas to expell. And I was expecting to feel like too many sit-ups, can't say I had that either. I did get to stay until Friday, because of my advanced age(on paper- I am not that old physically, PO's my PCP greatly, think I didn't break down and fall apart yet. All his Gloom and Doom was for naught!) But mine was so good I would not fear another, but Praise God a RnY is One and Done. Yeah the thing I used most was 10 foot long charging cord I got at Staples, comb, brush, chap stick and Biotene. And I will also Welcome You to the Kangaroo Klub. Why Kangaroo, you might ask ? Because, honey, we all now have pouches.😝👼😝

That is if you're Brittany, BulletWithButterflyWings is from Arkansas, home to both Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee, so by extension Sarah Huckbee Sabders, Donald Trump's soon to be Ex-Press Secretary. AND we ❤ you both oodles, you both brighten Bariatric Pal!

I’m a June I get my Gastric Bariatric Surgery June 3rd

So, $7,000 is the total cost for VSG at Rockwood Spokane? Does that include hospital stay and anesthesiologist fees? My insurances covers 80% of bariatric surgery cost (after my $3,000 deductible), so if I understand correctly- my 20% out of pocket = $1,400. Plus my $3,000 deductible. For a grand total of approx $4,400? I am crossing my fingers this is correct! My surgeon consult appointment and dietitian appt are both on June 6th. So I suppose I can find out for sure then.

New to the forum, here is readers digest of my story. I am a 47 year old Caucasian male. I am on my third career. One kid to graduate HS this year, one to graduate in 2 years. Married 21 years. And I'm pretty good at lying to myself. I always told myself I was really good at dealing with stress. Never recognized I was a stress eater the entire time. I spent 15 years in EMS right out of college, 3 as an EMT, 12 as a Paramedic in a high performing urban 911 system. Then I went into the labor union world for another 10 years, negotiating contracts and working in workplace disputes. Now I work in Medical Insurance as a teacher/trainer/adult education specialist, teaching others how to handle appeals and complaints. I have some unique abilities that helped lead to me being 364 lbs (6 foot tall) in December 2020. I remain fluent in the 7-11 diet. I can look at a hot dog on the roller and tell roughly how long it has been on it. I consumed up to 2 liters of soda per day for many years. My partners all used to smoke, but I watched my grandfather die of COPD from smoking as a kid and have never touched a tobacco product. So in essence, I replaced cheap ass convenience store food and soda for smoking during my EMS career. My metabolism changed around age 30 and I just couldn't keep the pounds off anymore. And, this is important... I DIDN'T CARE. I was pretty burned out, crispy as a medic. I got a job offer to move into the labor union world, negotiating contracts and representing other EMTs and Paramedics around the country. I moved my family (wife and 2 young kids) to another state to work for a startup labor union. I took it. And I stopped exercising as I tried to conquer a new career field. What they don't tell you about labor work is that it is also high stress work. I cut soda out during those years but drank a lot of sweet tea and despite what my doctor, family, and friends would say.... I DIDN'T CARE about my size. The union I worked for went through an old fashioned union labor coup. My life was threatened and people intentionally harmed me personally and professionally. At the same time, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. The union I worked for was absorbed by a big national union player. I signed on with the big national player because I needed the insurance for my wife. We weren't in a good place, survival mode. I spent the next few years traveling for the new labor union, in order to have the insurance to pay for my wife's cancer treatments. When my wife was well enough (she still is chronically ill, years later) to travel, I moved our family back to our home state of Oregon. The labor union I worked for (who had approved my move) promptly laid me off. So back into survival mode, I became a statistic. Middle aged man, laid off, starting a 3rd career. I was hired by a Medical Insurance Company that paid very little, but jobs were scarce and it was what I had. I took a second job at a local grocery store and worked 60-70 hours per week for a few years. There's no such thing as dietary control when you are working that much and are that tired, and frankly....I DIDN'T CARE about my size. Over a few years, my financial situation has improved and while we are not well off, I no longer work 2 jobs. My PCP asked me 3 years in a row to look into bariatric surgery. I finally looked into it, and this is important... I CHOSE TO TAKE THIS PATH. The choice is important. The surgery is just a step to get there. It was time for me to grow up. I'm 47 years old, Life is damn hard and I need to start taking care of myself... I already have several other medical conditions associated with middle age. I frankly still don't care what I look like physically, but I can see the road ahead and don't want to go down that path (obesity gets worse, diabetes, HTN, Stroke, High Cholesterol, Heart Disease). I did this to myself by not being disciplined. So to make this lifestyle change, I need to be as disciplined as possible. I was ready. I CHOSE. IT IS TIME TO GROW UP. December 2020 - 6' tall - 364lbs RNY Surgery December 2021 - 316lbs I am 4 days post surgery writing this today. And I worked my ass off to change my relationship to food. That's my story... For what it is worth. I finally decided to grow up.

I was banded in September 2008. My starting weight was 433 lbs. Even at 5' 9", my BMI was over 60. I was wearing size 34-36 clothes, and they were tight. If I gained any more weight I would have to wear mumus! Before my decision to get the lap band, I thought I would never be able to lose the weight and I would die morbidly obese. When my sister-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I thought of her children growing up without a mom, it made me realize that my children could easily face the same fate. So I vowed to do something about it. I chose the lap band because it is reversible and adjustable. I knew that I am young enough that if a better bariatric technique comes along I want to be able to take advantage of that. Whereas if I had a gastric bypass I might not be able to do so, since part of my stomach and/or intestines would be cut away. I had to wait 6 months from the time I made the decision to the surgery date. Waiting was hard, but it gave me time to prepare and get other health issues (undiagnosed Type II diabetes, high blood pressure) under control with medications. My lap band surgery went smoothly, and recovery was not difficult. Afterwards, sticking with the liquid diet for several weeks afterwards was a challenge. And waiting four weeks for the first fill, and two weeks in between fills, and four fills before I got to my sweet spot was a BIG challenge. I was so anxious to get the weight loss going, that it was hard to wait so long to get this tool in my hands after I had made the decision to do it. The nutritionist I met with before my surgery told me that the lap band is not a panacea, it doesn't do the work for you, but it gives you a great tool for you to use. It's like I had been trying all my life to dig a hole with a teaspoon. I got frustrated and gave up, who wouldn't? Getting the lap band is like trading in your teaspoon for a backhoe. I still have to do the work, but now I have a great tool for the job. I found this analogy to be extremely true in my case. Once I got to my fourth fill, and the lap band really started working for me, then the weight really came off. Although the rate fluctuated, over time my weight loss was a pretty consistent 2 pounds per week. Basically, I lost 200 pounds in the first two years. Those were two years of amazing changes in my life. I did a lot of work on the inside as well as the outside to get to know myself better and learn to love myself and accept myself, faults and all, even as I strive to make myself a better version of me. I did a lot of exploration, pushed a lot of personal boundaries, and even changed careers. I do believe that this internal work is a critical part of the weight loss journey for anyone, in order to be successful in the long run. Backing up a little bit, I had a pretty severe pannus even before I started losing weight. Once my weight loss got going, all my health issues got better (Type II diabetes and blood pressure came under control without medication) but the rashes under my pannus got worse! As I lost weight my pannus kept dropping lower and lower! Finally I sought out a plastic surgeon and we got insurance to cover a panniculectomy. He cut off 14 pounds of skin and fat! I had lost about 80 pounds by this point, so we knew that the band was working for me. The recovery from the panniculectomy was initially easy, but later I developed some pretty severe seromas, that required my surgeon to go in and pull Fluid out several times a week. But after the first month I was very glad I had the panniculectomy. No more rashes, clothes fit me better, and it was a lot easier to exercise! I have to admit, though, that I did not exercise regularly at first. I'm not proud to admit it, but most of that 200 pounds lost was through diet rather than exercise. After losing 200 pounds my weight loss stalled. I spent about a year and a half between 220-230 lbs, wearing a size 18-20W. At this point my life was already transformed, I had already achieved and exceeded the goals that my doctor and I set out for myself (my initial goal was to get into the "low 200s" which I later defined as 249 lbs.) and I thought that was all the weight loss there was for me. I was satisfied, but I still longed to go lower, to get out of plus sizes, and to be eligible to have a full set of plastic surgery procedures to transform me into the beautiful woman that I felt myself to be inside. I set a new goal, 199 pounds. So a little over a year ago I finally decided to get serious about losing the extra weight. First of all, I went in to have my band tightened. I discovered that my band wasn't holding a fill very well. After a series of tests, my doctor discovered that I had a leaky port, and I went in for port replacement surgery. That surgery was a piece of cake, and after I got my port and tubing (it was actually leaky tubing) replaced my band worked as good as new. So getting a properly working, properly adjusted band was the first step towards getting back on track. The other thing I had to do was get serious about exercise. All my life I had hated exercise, and had only ever done it out of obligation or guilt. But some friends were raving about a small yoga class, including one friend who also struggles with weight and body image issues, and I thought going to yoga with friends would be more fun and make it easier to stick with it. I struggled mightily with voices of self-doubt at first, but eventually I really started getting into yoga. At first I was going only once a week, then twice a week, and now I am going five days a week M-F. Now I love yoga! I have learned so much about myself as well as greatly increased my strength and flexibility through yoga. I can't recommend yoga highly enough. I only wish I had gotten into it sooner. Oh, and weight loss! In the last year I have lost another 50 pounds or so. As of this writing (2/25/2013) my weight is 185 (size 14-16), making my total weight loss 248 pounds. My current goal is to get down to 180, then have plastic surgery. I figure that will take me down into the 160s. Currently I am consulting with plastic surgeons in my local area (San Jose, CA) as well a few in Los Angeles, CA and Tijuana, Mexico. I am looking to have a lower body lift (probably with fleur-de-lis/anchor incision), liposuction, breast lift with implants, brachioplasty, and medial thigh lift. I still working out how I will pay for all of this, as well as find the time for these multiple surgeries and the recoveries from each. But it is a priority for me! I have been more than thrilled with my weight loss journey. The lap band has been an incredible tool for me to help me achieve my goals. I wish everyone similar success in their weight loss journeys. Before lap band: After lap band (I've actually lost more weight since this picture was taken. I'm not HOLDING my old jeans, I'm WEARING them!):

I'm starting fresh, I have been without insurance so I have been waiting. Self pay has been so expensive! Not from experience, but from reading on here insurance companies can be tough to deal with. Hopefully you get approved, I think you will! I also have a wonky thyroid. Hypothyroidism I have seen BCBS updated their policy on the website, however I haven't seen a timeframe for that! I have seen the timeframe for tests and such, but none about a supervised diet I know on the website for Bariatric Specialists of NC they do notify you of changes if you have BCBS about a 6 or 12 month program, but it's not in the policy. It confuses me, but I will find out eventually! Hoping it's not a 12 month thing, I can live with a 6 month program lol Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App