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November 28!!! I'm so nervous an excited I can hardly stand it. I start pre-op diet Monday. My bariatric team is wonderful and they would not submit until they ran all required tests and 3 month evaluation, to make sure there were no issues.

Hi all, Im new around here and will be going to the Bariatric Orientation tonight so Im obviously just beginning with the journey. My question is, where can I find reliable statistics on the 3 main weightloss surgeries? I'm trying to read up on stats of complications, etc so I weight all the possibilities. Can you help? Thanks! Lori

Hello, chickabo. Please know that I come from a place of wanting to help provide you some information and share my experience. I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, this is just my experience over the past 8 weeks. And I know when I was pre surgery I wanted as much information as I could get to help me. Before I go into my story below, I found a doctor online, Dr. Garth Davis, (http://www.thedavisclinic.com), who is a Bariatric surgeon in Texas -he is a 'plant based' doctor. I found this guy after I had my surgery, but he seems to be a good resource and one that I wish I would have found pre-surgery. You may find his information helpful or at least contact his office to get information sent to you so that you have some to help you with your doctor. Here is my story, if you want to read further: I was a vegan for several years pre-surgery. So was my family (husband and two sons). We did it for the animal issue, not the health issue. Trust me when I say I have seen more than most people on animal cruelty and food and I battle mentally with it everyday. When I first started looking into the Lap-band, I didn't find anything on vegan and Lap-band. All I kept seeing was 'Protein, protein, protein' and more 'protein.' But I knew, as a vegan, that I could get enough protein to hit 60 grams or more a day per what my doctor was telling me I had to have. I had done it for years and didn't see the issue. (When I say protein here is what I mean: There are only a few "complete proteins" (a protein that contains all the 8 essential amino acids that your body is unable to make on its own) for vegans and they are soy milk, tofu, and tempeh (these are the only true "complete proteins" for vegans). All other Proteins that you get from plants are called "incomplete proteins" like grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Now as vegan, you can take two "incomplete proteins" and combine them to can get a "complete protein." Example: grains + legumes or legumes + seeds/nuts.) So the issue wasn't getting "protein" per say. The issue that I saw right away was getting the enough of the right "protein" (complete proteins) which lead me to where I would have the biggest issue being vegan-- the volume of food that I would need to eat to get a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day. You see, when I was vegan (pre band), I could eat a large tofu "egg" wrap with a cup of broccoli and vegan cheese inside for Breakfast. This would give me ~14 grams of protein for ~350 calories or so (including a low carb wrap). However, when I look at the numbers in more detail with my post-band rules, this just doesn't give me the right amount of protein for the calories (10/1 - for every 10 calories in the food it should have at least 1 gram of protein). So, even thought it would give me "complete protein" for the meal, it wasn't the 10/1 rule. But more importantly, that is a HUGE amount of food to be eating after Lap-Band surgery. There is no way I could eat that much in one sitting. I might be able to make two meals of it now. That means for two meals I would only be getting ~14 grams of protein. So, having said that, I could (and do on occasion) supplement with Protein drinks (Sun Warrior Original Flavor chocolate or vanilla is the absolute best tasting and it has a 80 calories / 4 carbs / 15 grams of protein - which is great), but I quickly learned after I moved to soft solid foods (after the liquid diet pre and post surgery) that I wanted to eat food - I was SICK of drinking my calories. So protein drinks can fill in the gaps for getting more protein, but I found that I wanted to eat my calories instead of drinking them. So this wouldn't be an option for me longterm. So, what's an animal loving vegan who really wants / needs a Lap-band to do? As I was doing research, I ran across an article that talked about a devout vegan (animal lover) who was vegan for years and all of a sudden started craving animal protein. Long article short, she took a bite of something that had animal protein in it and as she said, "guess what, the world didn't end!" That was my moment. I thought, I have spent years battling my weight and part of that was doing everything that was 'best' for everyone else and it was time that I took care of me. So that is when I made the switch to vegetarian. I had huge amount of guilt (that I still carry around) but I knew I needed to at least try it versus continue down my road of being obese and miserable. You see, WLS patients aren't choosing the easy way out, contrary to what you might think, read, see, or hear. We chose surgery where we are cut open and surgically altered - that is not easy. We chose to eat very minimal amounts of food when others around us are eating pounds of it - that is not easy. We chose to exercise at least 210 minutes a week - that is not easy. We chose to have to chew every little bite we take 20-30 times - that is not easy. We have to take Vitamins that are horrible every single day - that is not easy. So to me, making a few food changes to my diet didn't seem that hard compared to all the other "not easy" stuff I was agreeing to do. So, after my pre-op and post-op diet of all liquids (which I had for 3 weeks), when I made the move to soft proteins I incorporated some yogurt (which I still can't stand) and then I incorporated some string cheese and some egg whites (not eggs). I did this very slowly. I then progressed to eating salmon, tuna, and shrimp. I still use all my vegan condiments (vegan mayo, cream cheese, sour cream, etc.) but I chose to add in easier proteins to my day. I'm not going to tell you how great I feel or how I'm losing weight by the lbs daily, but I'm just going to tell you that it is working for me right now, today and that's all I have. Opening my mind and putting more focus on me is working for me, today. And everyday is another day to do it better. I have tried to get away from "I did bad today," to "I will try to do better tomorrow" and that has helped to. I hope some of this has helped you a little bit. It's okay if it didn't. I just want you to know that whatever you choose to do, do it for you. This is YOUR time and no one or no thing can take it away from you. Sending you all the best and well wishes. Keep us posted on here! Jen

Hey All... Guess I'm out of practice for posting... or maybe I'm just too busy eating??? Yep... I think that must be it! Just a quickie as I need to go stick the hens in the oven... but wanted you all to know I'm thinking of you and will really try to post a long drawn out post soon. :laugh: I go to the cabin every other week as that is still where my heart lives but I am in Oshkosh this week. I have another court meeting per phone tomorrow afternoon so I am a bit of a nervous wreck until that is over with... hopefully it will really be the end of the whole custody mess. Sherry... I am with you on the sleeve thing... I told my husband the other day that my biggest regret in regards to bariatric surgery was not getting the bypass. The sleeve is an even better option in my book. (((Hugs))) Thank you for always sending the most positive and caring PM's ... you really are a doll! I think my statement above is another reason I don't post so often... I really don't want to rain on anyone's band parade... ya know??? Well... must go... the hens just won't wait! ((((HUGS)))))

If You Really Want to Achieve Happiness and Success, Especially with Weight Loss, Stop Looking to Other People For Approval and Applause, When God is Truly the Only Stand Ovation and Applause, that you Really Need!!! Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.Love All of You!! Sharon

July 19th 2016. Del sol bariatric in El paso TX. Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App

The success of bariatric surgery coupled with a worldwide obesity epidemic has resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of information available. They have also resulted in increases in funding for research into all aspects of causes and treatments for obesity. New discoveries are being made almost daily. And with each new discovery comes new questions. Although there is a great deal of excellent information available on the Internet, there is also a great deal of nonsense. Here is a partial list of resources that I have found to be informative and to the greatest extent possible, based on credible science. There are many more and I would very much appreciate everyone's suggestions for adding other resources to this list. http://www.mayoclinic.org/ http://www.webmd.com/ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ http://www.who.int/en/ http://iom.edu/ http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/ http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/ http://asmbs.org/ http://www.mbsaqip.org/ http://www.eatright.org/public/ http://medicalxpress.com/overweight-obesity-news/ http://www.medscape.com/today http://www.medpagetoday.com/ http://www.cdc.gov/ http://www.sciencedaily.com/

Hi All, Called Anthem today & found out that I have been approved for surgery!! YEAH!!!! So, guess my next step is for the pre-surgery doctor's appointment. Will let you know when that will be scheduled. I am already a very slow eater,a thorough chewer, however, will have to work on the size of the bites and pay attention to what I am doing instead of either talking or watching tv ! My biggest obstacle will be NO MORE COKES ! That is where alot of my weight is coming from in the first place. I was raised on pop and between the Cola and cigarettes, I wonder if there is life after quitting both ? :heh: I'm not quitting smoking just yet, thought I might take on one challenge at a time ? I do hope to attend the support group as I would think it would most definitely be beneficial if for nothing more than psychological. This endeavor is more than a minor adjustment in all of our lives. Glad to have companionship from this board. Until later.......... Carolyn Ohio Raintree Acres Dr. David Schumacher Kettering Bariatrics

Hi Susan! We are neighbors....I grew up in Tipp City and now live in Vandalia. I work at GSH and take care of Dr Clarey and Dr Bruce's patients as well as Dr Sidiqqui's patients. We have an awesome new bariatric portion. The rooms and bathrooms are to die for. Keep hoping that I will be able to be in one of those rooms to be banded instead of always taking care of those who are being banded. Welcome! Please feel free to send me a private message. I have lots of information if you are ever in need of any!

hi everyone. i am in the uk, and used all my savings to fund the op, i know its a different system to you guys in the usa.. but i agree with all you say.. its such a huge decision we make for ourselves and motivation is a huge part of that. its such a shame the hospitals don't grasp our motivation by the balls and put it into good use.. !! do i sound harse ? well maybe i do.. but i had to go through the usual assessments and i cant help but wonder whose purpose they where for, the psych just really wanted to check i wasn't depressed and offer my private funded counselling afterwards. I understand the medical checks... but the other long winded process makes no sense to me. I only had to lose 5lbs, and thank goodness i managed it ok. the dietician was nice , but lets face i am sure we have all been to countless weight watchers classes in the past and if there is anything we are experts on, its what we should eat to lose weight !! its not the knowledge i need it the support to do . My other issue is my hospital failed to tell me that post lap banding it can take several fills before i get any restriction.... i have only just found this out since i joined this site yesterday (i have been on the site for hours learning so so so much , its fab !!). I had my first band fill 2 days ago and have no restriction and i am gutted. i feel a bit fed up with my hospital, in my 'price package' i have two band fills and i have no idea how much they cost after that. ( i thought 2 would be enough -- but thanks to this site i know its so individual i may need many more). my aftercare package is pretty slim... i see the dietician and bariatric nurse monthy (at the same time) and my next surgeon appointment will be 6 weeks from the last. i cant tell everyone how this site has motivated me this weekend.. its great to not feel alone. my only problem now is that i have to get off the computer and do some housework :heh:,, but i am desperate to learn all i can from all you guys. anyhow i have gone on a bit .. its hard to keep motivated without that nagging thought at the back of your head ; 'i have to eat a lot now as i won't be able to for the rest of my life' ....... but you are on your forward path and i hope the path goes smoothly for you.

Hi, That's great result. Concerning me, I have lost 34 punds far and still have to lose 22 pounds to reach my personal goal. I did that in less than 3 months and I am proud of this result. Actually Dr. Habib Ajami, the bariatric surgeon , was of great support . That's why I think the doctor usually plays a very important role in his patient's new life. Good luck again

I had Bariatric Advantage broccoli soup right after surgery, actually when I was still in the hospital I was given strained clam chowder and sugar free chocolate pudding. My first 2 weeks I ate so much of the Bariatric Protein Soups that the thought of them makes me gag. Every patient leaves the hospital with a list of what they can and cannot eat, we are mostly all adults, we all know the risks and have heard the horror stories. If someone wants to die like Mama Cass by chocking on a ham sandwich then it is their own fault that they became a casualty. I'm not trying to sound cold but some peeps need to just grow up. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

What was beneficial to me was thinking of the post-op dietary instructions not as a "diet" but as a vitally critical prescription. After dieting since age 13, I'd become conditioned to thinking that a diet is something that could be tweaked rather than followed diligently. It's just a Pavlovian response to the word "diet" for me. So framing it as a prescription helped me to change my mindset and realize that it wasn't something that allowed for "cheating" or "treats," but had to be adhered to faithfully because the potential risks were far too high. Since I was self-paying for my surgery in Mexico (my BMI was under the insurance requirements, so they wouldn't contribute a cent), I was sort of a DIY patient. Before the surgery I studied the post-op instructions from bariatric centers at the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Stanford, UCLA, and a few others. They were fairly uniform, though some did allow for some personal tailoring with smaller things such as having very modest amounts of coffee if it was well-tolerated but not anything major (none permitted solid foods in the first week). My own surgeon's instructions were in alignment with the bariatric centers' for the most part. I had fierce "head hunger" post-surgery, craving things that I ordinarily wouldn't even want. It was a battle between my emotions and my reason, but reason won out. I spent oodles of time looking at DK Donut's Instagram page, ha. I never actually considered eating what I desired, though. When I see questions on here about eating x, y, or z that is typically forbidden soon after surgery, I assume the person is experiencing head hunger and not fully understanding the jeopardy they are putting themselves in by following through with their cravings. I'll explain why it's risky and try to encourage finding a way to bear through it, such as looking for fun recipes for each stage on Pinterest to liven things up rather than only having plain Protein shakes for sustenance. I help moderate a forum for my college and am completely used to the same question being asked ad nauseam even though it's been answered thoroughly many times before, so I don't really get annoyed by the repetitiveness. If they did annoy me, I'd just skip over them. I also don't invest my own energy into getting upset if someone doesn't want to follow what I suggest. On such a forum all you can really do is throw your two cents out onto the table, and if the person doesn't want to pick them up, it's not such a loss for you. We're not responsible for the choices others make for themselves.

I started my journey in mid August 2016 when i went to my GP to be referred to the bariatric clinic in the hospital. i'm a 'healthy' obese women with no comorbids. after getting a green light for surgery, i called the hospital yesterday to ask for a surgery date. they gave me 16th March (with warning that it can be changed...typical NHS) So if surgery will be in March, thats 7 months from beginning to end under the NHS. not too bad.

I was super worried going into my surgery yesterday, going through all the what-ifs...I had signed a medical directive and did my will, all that, as a lead up to the surgery, and I think that got me in the wrong state of mind. But the neatest thing happened! When I checked in to the admissions desk at the hospital, the man who signed me in saw my surgeon's name and said, "Dr Halpin was my surgeon, too -- 5 years ago." I confided to him that I was a bit worried, and so he took a break and escorted me to the surgery prep room, and told me his story. He lost 110 pounds and has kept it all off. He told me that he sees bariatric patients come through all the time and reassured me that they all come out! It was a wonderful contact, and just the reassurance I needed. I went into surgery very calm. It all went well and I was discharged this morning. Am off the pain meds and feeling positive. Happy New Year everyone!

I second Banner Gateway. That's where I'm having my surgery and they have support groups open to the public. There's a calendar of them on their website, just search bariatric surgery. Like others have said, other hospitals offer them too. I've been looking for an online support group specific to our area. I may check out Facebook to see if any exist.

I have BCBS of AZ and they require 6 months of supervised Dr visits, weekly visits to a nutritionist && documented proof of excercise at least 3x's a week. Really!! Ok, the 6 month wait I can uderstand and even the proof of exercise but weekly visits??!! We have lives!! Luckly I'm going through Scottsdale Bariatric Center in Scottsdale, AZ, and they have a physician on staff who is also a nutritionist and so for a fee I can get both done at once. And my boss (he's great) thinks it will be ok for me to leave work in the middle of the day 1 day EVERY WEEK so I can drive 25 miles one way!! But what about going under the 40 BMI? Has anyone every experienced being denied for losing too much weight? I want to feel beter and lose weight now but don't want to lose my chances at getting the surgery. Has anyone sabatoged their weight loss (wearing heavy clothes, rocks in pockets, etc)? Don't like the dishonesty but...? Any info will be helpful THanks!:eek::confused::confused:

I am surprised you can drink so fast so soon after surgery. Has it been that way since day 1? I am not sure why you are so hungry, other than what is often called, "head hunger". In other words, are you really hungry, or is it your mind, so used to relying on food that it tells you you need to eat. I would recommend talking to your bariatric team and getting some therapy around food issues, if you haven't yet. It helps!

My surgery is on Thursday. been so busy getting everything at home/work in order. Had my preop appointment today at St Luke's. Everyone was great but wasn't the most fun I have ever had. Well it's a small price to pay for a new life. So So Dr Juarez is you doc. so when do you start the liquid diet? are you going to be drinking Bariatric Advantage?

I'm hoping one of the Bariatric pal vets will chime in

@@gina171 I decided on the sleeve - with consultation from my surgeon, nutritionist and psych (they are all in the Bariatric Program I go to). These are the reasons I decided sleeve (which I have yet to get by the way - so something may change based on my pre-op testing). I don't have issues with GERD so the sleeve is an option for me. My surgeon didn't feel like I needed the mal-absorption that the Bypass has and only need restriction (based on my eating habits and medical history). I don't really eat sweets - but if I want something sweet I don't want to get dumping. I want to be able to eventually eat normal things - only much smaller portions (once I am at goal). I can lose as much weight with the sleeve as bypass - although it may be a little slower (which is fine with me). I didn't want the vitamin deficiency and possible issues that the bypass brings. It depends on you as to what will work best - and I would talk to your Team about the choices as well.

My consult was 1/21 I completed my Nutrition Class 2/18 and I'm waiting for my Psych Evaluation right now.. I have to do 6 months of supervised weight loss program through the Bariatric center. I'm trying to remain positive about the time. Hey I'm already 1 month and 2 days in.

Sheila, Thanks for the advise. I do have one question for you. What did you have to do in order to be discharged from SSC? Like drink so much Water or??? I'm anxious to go home that day but the RN at my pre op appointment said that because my surgery is the last one that day I should be prepared to stay... but that I wont necessaraly have to. Do you go to the Bariatric Center too? When did you get your first fill? I haven't met the RN over there yet just the nutritionists and social worker. -Kate

Hi Kate, You have to drink 200-300 mls of liquid. They will have a water bottle there for you to have and you drink just a medicine cupful at first. Depending on how everything goes, you need to be up walking, drinking, comfortable, with vital signs(b/p, oxygen, heart rate) stable. My first fill was 6 weeks after surgery. The last time I went there they said they may start moving it to 4-5 weeks after surgery because the last week you start to feel really hungry. I go for a dietary appointment today and for I hope another fill, cause I'm to the point where I could chew my arm off . Both nurses that I met at the Bariatric center were nice. The receptionist can be very moody though.- Sheila

I too have been thinking about this question since I saw this thread the other day. First off, I have already met many of the milestones when I dropped 70ish pounds. I was banded 4/3/2009. Then I became complacent. When I think back, I think I became complacent because I was getting uncomfortable with the attention. My head started playing games with me... I was still seeing the same person that I was before weightless. I know where I strayed and have since renewed my efforts to lose my remaining weight. Things I have enjoyed from losing the weight are seeing my collar bone, smaller clothes, smaller shoes, no sprained ankles every week, getting out of bed and not having to sit on the side and ease down so my knees and ankles didn't pop and walking many 5ks for charities just to name a few. Things I look forward to still doing, I would like to go kyacking. (my family doesn't think I can do it) I want to do a tough Mudder race, I would like to be in single digit clothing, and I would really love to learn how to ride a horse. The last time I tried that, the saddle BROKE as I was getting in with step stool and all. I was mortified..... They tried to comfort me but WOW!!! Such an imbarrassing moment. I have so many dreams and ideas now that I never thought were even possible. as a big person some things are just off limits... I'm sure I will continue to think about this post and may post my goals on the bathroom mirror as a constant reminder. Thank you for bringing this question to the table. Really brings it home as to why we wanted to have the surgery anyway...besides the health benefits of course. :-) I am so glad that I found this site!