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Hello all, I am new to the group. Pre-op, in month 3 of my 6 required. I see Nutritionist on 4/19. I already have a bump in the road! My gallbladder is acting up and I have to have it removed 5/4! I have to wait until then because I leave for vaca (Turks and Caicos) in a week and dont want to be post op in another country! I have had a very positive experience so far! The Bariatric center employees have been stellar and so supportive! I am hoping to be approved for a fall 2018 surgery date. Anyone on a similar time frame?

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm very hesitant about going to restaurants after my surgery. Did anyone feel the same? What restaurants have you found to be "bariatric friendly"?

I've been wondering what, if any, is the difference between reaching a goal weight or reaching a comfortable body size. In 2007 I lost 60 pounds (I was at 260, but felt very comfortable, strong, agile, and healthy at that weight) so I didn't really continue to try to lose more weight. Well I'm a stress eater and after losing a job two months in after I moved into a new apartment, I was stressed out and sure enough, I ballooned back up to over 340 pounds. My surgery was 28 Feb and so far so good. So I've had people ask me if I'm going for a goal weight or not. I put down 180 pounds because I want to do it differently this time. But I put the question out to the bariatric community - which did you choose and why? Did you go for goal weight or comfortable size and why did you choose that?

I swear I saw it a month ago on Google because I looked up my 2 potential surgeons on it. Now it appears to have been taken down or disappeared into the sunset. All I can find now is Obesity Action Coalition and weight loss surgery the health partner and bariatric surgery source. The website that looked the closest was bariatricsurgerysource but the listings were a lot shorter now. The only Columbus surgeon listed was the rotten so-and-so that refused to do mine. I wouldn't have him touch me not even if they sprinkled glitter on him and named him Oberon from a Shakespeare play. I'm sorry I sent you on a fruitless search.😢

Hi bariatric community this is my first post. I’ve had my sleeve done march 27 i’ve never felt so great. I’ve lost 38lbs Post op and 46lbs since my pre-op diet.

if you can't find clear protein liquids in your town you might consider ordering f4om the Bariatric Pal store. Target, WalMart, Meijer in Ohio and Michigan, GNC, Sam's Club, Costco . I know Rite Aid pharmacy you can sometimes find single bottles, that way you can try them. until you find something that works for you without being stuck with tastes you hate and a major outlay of money.

And just to be on the safe side I would give your surgeons office a call telling them about your blood work and asking if it would be an issue. Maybe they won't care, maybe they'll have you jump through some hoops. If you have an appointment soon you could bring it up there, but if you don't have an appointment until very close to your surgery I wouldn't wait. But an A1C of 10 is a big deal and they could expect things to happen. I know that my hospital (not even the bariatric group but the entire hospital) now has a new policy in place where patients having certain elective surgeries are mandated to see an endocrinologist before surgery if their A1C is over a certain amount.

Where I work all bariatric patients have an A1c done with their preoperative blood work. An A1c of 10 would absolutely have you canceled with the group I work with. As this means your diabetes is extremely poorly controlled putting you at high risk for complications, infection, and poor recovery times and outcomes. Hell I've seen patients with an A1C in the 8s get canceled HOWEVER there is an exception to this. If your diabetes is truly complicated and uncontrollable (and it's not just a matter of you being non compliant with your diet exercise and medication) they would send you to get a preoperative endocrinologist consultation/workup and have the endocrinologist say how they've tried everything your case is complicated blah blah blah and that an A1C of 10 is the best they will be able to do prior to you having surgery. I would be shocked if a surgeon and anesthesia (hell and a hospital) allowed a patient to have elective surgery with extremely poorly controlled diabetes without proper documentation (an endocrinologist consultation etc) covering their ass. Because not only does it put you the patients health at risk, it also puts the surgeon anesthesia and hospital at a financial risk (eating the cost of complications, lawsuits etc) as well as possibly even legal risk.

Same here. Still not hungry. Enjoy my water. My Doctor does not want me to drink my protein, but I do enjoy my bariatric pal hot chocolate.

I fell in to the patches and after about a week I felt awful. This was in the early stages of my post op too. So, I quit them and went back to the nasty bariatric vitamins and felt instantly better! Sooo....I’m not sure if all the hype of how they work is really because some folks are actually getting their dietary needs through food or they’re still living off the “stores” they had, or they’re just thinking they’re bodies are doing better (all in the head). Some say their blood work is proof but I haven’t seen a copy of anyone’s blood work to show it. Could also be a bogus testimony on here to get folks to buy them. Whatever the issue, they do not work for me. Finally almost year out and only need two Flintstone chewables, one b-12, one b complex, and my calcium. I can live with this.

I just got back after,spending,12. hours reading Unfortunatly Bariatric Pal has stopped. Wouldn't have made it back without the electronic intercession of Ken the Bariatric Pal Web Administrator. He didn't give up until he found a way to solve my problem. He deserves a big THANK,YOU from me!😛

hey all. was it just me or did breaking the 300 barrier feel like one of life's greatest accomplishment? crossing into the 300's was like entering the abyss for me. and once i got there, i kinda spiraled to a day of surgery weight of 360!! 3 1/2 months now post-sleeve and I am now 275. just so remarkable, really. and crossing back into the 200's was one of of the greatest joys i have experienced in a long time. now i'm on a mission to cross back into the 1's (?/!). i sincerely hope that all guys thinking about bariatric, or who have done it and need to come out of the 3's experience the same sense of satisfaction and joy that i did. just what was on my mind today.

Good golly why does society think bariatric surgery is taking easy way out? Wish I had a quarter for every time I was told to concentrate and the pounds would fall off. You're just laxy, ain't nothing lazy about,pulling a body this size around. Like perpetual power lifting but you're using the wrong muscles for a wrong purpose. Just don't eat, yeah but then your body thinks you're stabingband it shuts your metabolism down. Besides the relatives telling me all this, the only exercise they ever got was jumping to conclusions. I guess you have to,love th e m, even put up with some cause you wouldn't choose them like friends. What you don't need is belittlement, deprecating remarks and general hoohah from them all.

Missed all your pretty pix yesterday, my phone kept saying I could not access Bariatric Pal because it had shut down, Knew that wasnt so , it took a. whole day but Dr Ken, I gave him a honorary doctorate because hec earned one in Helpfulness, the web guru at BP, finally figured how to fix it and in the words of Arnold I M BACK! You all are looking very good, nice to see what you all look like instead of disembodied posters. Thanks again.😛👍

Don't be nervous, you'll tie yourself up in"nots", no regrets, no doubts, no sorrowful thoughts, victory is just over the horizon for YOU. You can do this, make yourself a "can do" person and very soon you will be. Your healthier future awaits you, move forward and claim it. All of your Bariatric Pals are cheering you on!😛

Criteria for surgery, do you have comorbidities? Are there exceptions or just flat out refusal to cover bariatrics at all? Changing jobs sounds drastic but sometimes you have to make those decisions.

I was researching vitamin patches and what I thought was true. Vitamin patches can not be absorbed by the skin. This is what I found. When we heard about ‘multivitamin patches’ that were being marketed to bariatric patients, we were skeptical because we remember the ‘spray vitamins’ similarly targeting us a few years back that turned out to be bogus – the FDA and Attorney General of several states thought so too. We consulted with experts regarding ‘patch multivitamins’, all of whom emphatically said that none of the claims made by the patch company were true. Not a single word. They even underscored that what these companies are proposing is biochemically impossible, as the skin is a very good seal against water soluble organics, which is why you can’t get drunk on alcohol through your skin. It’s also a good barrier against ion transfer, or else a few hours in the ocean would dehydrate and kill you. Think of all the things you come in contact with during your day – if these materials passed through the skin, it could in many instances mean death. Most vitamins and minerals fall into these two categories and anybody claiming nutrient absorption through a known protective barrier had better produce studies to back it up – burden of proof is upon the patch companies, as their claims go against widely accepted and well known medical facts. One pharmacological expert went further to say that the people responsible for the bariatric vitamin patches ‘are either willfully fraudulent or just plain stupid, but either way are a second away from an FDA Warning Letter or FTC action’. Use your judgement and please be careful of this kind of stuff. You cannot fit the entire world of nutrition in a single pill. It does not make sense that you could tape a packet of pulverized vitamins to your arm and have all that material magically move through your skin and into your body. You cannot absorb the amount of minerals needed after bariatric surgery through a ‘sticker’. People who have had bariatric surgery are often looking for something easy and defend this product because they want to believe. People cite nicotine, birth control and other medications used as prescribed treatments via patch dose – the difference is that the highly specialized transdermal medication patches available via prescription, are for tiny amount of drugs, not several teaspoons of organic minerals. There is no comparison. If you’d like to be compliant, there is no easy way out, you must swallow capsules or chew tablets. There is no magic pill and certainly no magic spray or sticker.

My BMI was 32 when I had the VSG in August of 2015. I do have PCOS and hypothyroidism, but neither would have counted as co-morbidities in regards to my insurance, so I would have had to gain a substantial amount to be approved for any coverage. The least expensive surgeon in my area (Los Angeles) quoted a total cost of $29,000, and the others I consulted would have cost even more. Instead I went down to Tijuana and had the surgery with a reputable surgeon at a new, clean facility for $4200, which included two nights at the Marriott. I had a very positive experience, with no complications or concerns, and have exceeded my expectations. I lost 86 pounds. I've gained back seven pounds in the past year, but that was directly aligned with having changed medication dosages. I still have the restriction, and am still happy every day with the decision to have the surgery. Obviously anyone considering going to Mexico would need to do diligent research on their surgeon (mine was Dr. Fernando Garcia), and be willing to self-educate since you won't attend classes, but for me it was wonderful. A bonus was that I was able to choose the exact week I wanted to have surgery. I found ample information in advance from the sites for major bariatric centers in the US, such as the ones at Stanford and the Mayo Clinic, so I learned about the eating stages and what to do and not to do. This forum and YouTube were also helpful since I could learn directly from the experiences of others. Best wishes!

If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it. I gives you a lot to think about, tells you how important exercise is, gives you great info & encouragement regarding WLS. Toodles, Rue

My favorite protein shake is bariatric advantage chocolate. My favorite ready to drink is premier protein caramel.

I believe choosing to do self pay has at a minimum saved me some brain cells. My health care is through the VA, but they do not cover bariatric surgery. Every health complaint I brought forward during routine physicals was met with "you need to lose weight, have you tried our move program?" The move program is an app that is less useful than myfitnesspal (think government tech). My surgeon did require a sleep study, swallow test, nutrition, and psych evaluation. I learned I had sleep apnea, a hiatal hernia, and I am crazy (just kidding about the crazy). Also, I have low vitamin D. My blood pressure is high, but they always retake it and decide it is okay. So, after providing the VA with my sleep study that I paid for, they will be providing a CPAP for me on the 20th. I will get my surgery date after I have the CPAP. The VA also did a portion of the labs (the ones they do at the annual physical anyway). I paid for the rest of the labs. Ultimately, I can't deny their sound medical advice, I do need to lose weight. I just need some help. My Mom had an RNY back in the 90's when it was not that common, she never got skinny, but I believe it prolonged her life. I also believe she would have lived even longer if she was able to get the surgery prior to her multiple health issues. She made it to 72, her Mom only lived to 62. Side note-Mom also served in the military she was in the Women's Army Corp. Joined for the GI Bill only to learn after that the WAC were not eligible for the GI Bill. No worries though, the world keeps changing and I used my GI Bill!

Hello everyone, I am new here and this is my first post. I have been looking all over the internet to find people who have had VSG with a starting BMI of under 40. My current BMI fluctuates between 34-36. I have about 70 lbs to lose to be considered "healthy weight." I am 30 years old, 5'7 and about 230 lbs. My goal weight would be 159. Has anyone else had this surgery with a starting BMI 35 or under? What was your experience like? I am going to seminar in about 10 days at my local bariatric surgeon's office and hope to learn more then. I am nervous about the idea of having major surgery and keep telling myself that maybe I just haven't tried hard enough in the past to lose weight. However, I have never successfully lost any significant amount of weight on my own and worry I will only keep gaining as I get older. ON top of all of this, I have had 4 people in my family die of heart disease and most of my relatives over 40 have diabetes. I currently do not have any co-morbidity but am worried that I could be there soon. I would love to hear anyone else's experiences (or be directed to another post) or hear any advice anyone has to offer! Thanks!

I recently discovered the Weight Loss Surgery Podcast and have been catching up on older episodes. The host recently talked briefly about this issue and mentioned a pill called Devrom. It's OTC and when I searched for it online I learned that it is a Bariatric Pal branded product. https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/devrom-flatulence-deodorizer-and-internal-deodorant I've not tried it myself, but found it very interesting, as I had no idea there was such a thing as a "flatulence deodorizer and internal deodorant." Best of luck!

My journey started about 9 years ago with a Realize Lap Band in June of 2009. I initially had great success with a 50lb weight loss (half of my goal) which occurred over the first few months post surgery. Then I figured out how to "trick" my band with dense sweet calories and my weight loss stalled but I didn't really gain back any. Fast forward 4 years and I had a couple of scares where a piece of meat got stuck in my stoma, followed by a move to a new city and state. After the last incident where I had a blockage emergency, I had my band unfilled. That was 5 years ago... I've since gained 1/2 of the weight back that I had lost... I tried multiple other diet plans and actually did have success with Keto but it simply is not sustainable for me. A year ago I made an appointment with the bariatric center but canceled it hoping to give Keto another try. Here I am a year and 10 more pounds later... SO, today I called and made an appointment. The soonest they could give me was two months from now which is kind of disappointing. My experience with KETO has really helped get my sugar cravings under control, unfortunately my age (59) and metabolism has my body at it's preferred weight set point. I'm not really sure of what to expect going forward. If any of you have had long lapses in your band I would appreciate some insight. Thanks, Vicki

@evgirlYou'll need to refer back to your policy or call UHC's customer service center and ask them. Each insurance company sells many different plans with different coverage levels, deductible and out-of-pocket maximums. And more importantly, presuming you get your insurance through an employer, it's the employer the decides what is covered by your plan and what your share of cost is. Many employers omit bariatric surgery coverage from their policies to save money, so at least that doesn't seem to be the case with you. A lot of people start the process only to find out that weight loss services are excluded from their policies in the small print. So if you discover you've got a high deductible and high out of pocket, remember it's your employer's fault, not the insurance company.