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I pushed "post" too quickly!! Sorry!! At Bariatric Advantage I am on the auto ship plan....they send it automatically however often I specify, and therefore I get free shipping. There are 60 chews in each bag, and I take 4 per day. (1000 mg total) I have them send 2 bags at 9.99 monthly. So it costs me $20 per month.

My nut insisted on Citrate. Here is the one I buy/take: http://www.bariatricchoice.com/bariatric-advantage-bariatric-chewable-calcium-270ct.html

The noisy tummy is totally normal - I think mine "talked" to me for a good 2-3 months post op and even now it talks to me occasionally, especially when I eat something it doesn't like. The always hungry issue you're having could be any number of things. It could be head hunger, acid reflux, or even thirst. I'd start by taking an antacid and drinking a glass of Water - if that doesn't take care of it the most likely culprit is head hunger. Hope that helps! I would definitely go back to your surgeon if you're having sleeve related issues. I know my surgeon's office is super busy as well, but if I call super early or email the nurse I usually get a faster response time, have you tried that? Your surgeon has been specifically trained to deal with any bariatric issues you may be having, and while I'm sure your PCP is great, they're not always aware of the minute details and intricacies of our new tummies.

Well, I'm sleeved! Sorry for not posting earlier, but I just got my laptop going again. As far as I know, everything went fine. A young male nurse who didn't look a day over 17 drew my blood for tests and put in my IV. He was very nice and did a great job. He also gave me liquid Xanax to calm my non-existent nerves. Dr. Ortiz came in and chatted with me a bit before the surgery. We talked about bariatric vitamins, what foods to avoid even when I'm back to solids (he is not a fan of dairy in general it seems). By the time they came to take me to the OR, I was pretty out of it from the Xanax and sleep deprivation. They took me to the OR and the anesthesiologist introduced himself and then I woke up and the surgery was over. That was definitely the worst part. Coming out of anesthesia. My mouth felt like it was filled with 100 cotton balls, I was drifting in and out of sleep, and I was moaning a lot. I don't know why I was moaning other than how torturous it was breathing in with my mouth so dry. So on every exhale I was moaning from the discomfort of breathing I guess? I also had a headache. They came and put meds in my IV for the headache and I finally got some ice chips. That helped some with the dry mouth, but it's now hours later and even with sucking on ice chips and sipping water constantly, I still feel thirsty. I've been up to walk to the bathroom a few times and I've walked around the room and down they hall some as well. Just sleeping on and off between walks. I have a lot of burp-inducing gas, but it's not painful. I occasionally get a pretty strong cramp, but it always goes away quickly. I guess that's everything. Oh, I am working on eating my second popsicle of the day right now.

Just an FYI for OCC patients... the new Vitaleph site is up. I know I held off buying different bariatric vitamins and shakes, because they told me the new "brand" was coming soon. Vitaleph is replacing the Enspira stuff they used to sell. www.vitaleph.com

Hey Everyone! I have been using the Enspira Bariatric Multivitamin but just went to re-order and they are all sold out. It looks like they have created a new line of products but they aren't available yet. I just called and left a message asking when the new line will be available but in the meantime, I need to find a new bariatric multi vitamin. Any suggestions? Thank you!!

I agree that Norton Bariatric Center AND Suburban Hospital are AWESOME! My physician was Dr. Jeff Allen. I have no complaints at all.

None. I'm shocking. I hate taking pills. I know I need to. There's no adult chewables on the market here, so I've been meaning to order bariatric ones on line for absolutely ages and I just don't get around to it.

The Bariatric center and your insurance carrier will have the best answers. I know for myself they used my initial weight when submitting to my insurance for approval. I was borderline too. If you have things like high blood pressure, sleep apenea, your bmi requirement might be less. Sorry can't give you exact info but this was my insurance requirements.

Not trying to discourage you, but I recommend reading this: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/292173-you-should-not-consider-bariatric-surgery-if/

I take a Bariatric One a Day Vitamin that I've been very pleased with. It comes in chewable and capsule. The price is affordable and the product can be found at www.procarenow.com

That's the same day as me! I'm going to Tijuana Bariatrics 6 minutes from the border. I already started my pre op diet. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have a child and I am currently 1 week post RNY. Like you I wanted a sleeve but my reflux was too bad and I wanted to avoid another possible surgery in the future to correct it or convert it since it's not just that easy as oh just get a revision. My husband and I are not planning to have more kids per say, but if after my waiting period something happens then we would be thrilled!! We had to endure trying, expensive, and frustrating fertility treatments in order to have our child and while I wouldn't change it for the world, if I had to do it over I would have had surgery first. I'm reading some misinformation on here in regards to malabsorption and by no means am I an expert and truthfully that is the exact reason I was afraid to have RNY, but truth is your body may not receive as many calories or nutrients from foods that aren't the greatest for you. That is the benefits to malabsorption. Your stomach doesn't just dump everything the second you ingest it unless in most people it's pretty unhealthy and in that case you're not receiving nutrition from something like that anyway even if you didn't have the surgery. My very good friend had RNY almost 6 years ago and while she still had issues getting pregnant she is currently pregnant with her second child in less than a year lol! Actually her children will be 1 year and 9 days apart if baby 2 stays in there that long ha ha! She had zero complications as it relates to her surgery and was substantially healthier and more readily able to carry a child because of it. The only thing that's common in terms of a normal pregnancy and RNY is having your glucose testing done differently and finding a dr that had treated and delivered babies to mothers that have had RNY just in case. Back to the malabsorption, as long. As you are eating correctly and being religious about taking your vitamins as directed by your bariatric program/surgeon you shouldn't ever be malnourished. This requires follow up blood work and specified intervals forever and reporting to your doctor if you feel off. Also eating for 2 is not healthy and it's not a thing, you literally only need 100 more calories a day when you are pregnant and that essentially an extra, healthy protein filled snack. I would not be concerned about malabsorption since there is a big difference between malabsorption and malnutrition and as long as you stick to the plan and take your supplements and get in your protein you would be fine. I know a lot of people do research into the things they want to do and their surgeries but I kind of go over board on it before doing anything and for me this was the right choice! All of the research I read about pregnancy after WLS showed significant higher numbers of healthy babies and healthy mothers with a drastic reduction in pregnancy/higher weight related complication such as GD, PreE, bed rest, etc.. I was lucky I had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy daughter and while I wasn't as big as I am now I only gained 20lbs my entire pregnancy, ate healthy, and kept active. I however was always worried and I actually switched doctors about 12ish weeks in because my weight was an issue for them and I would leave every appointment crying. You need to make the choice that's right for your life, but word of advice I don't think I will ever go back to regular vitamins you swallow even though they say 6-8 weeks after you can take pills like normal. I think it's better to have the nutrients available almost immediately for absorption by allowing them to dissolve or using chewable.

For the record, I'm careful with EVERYTHING I read on the internet! :-) What I liked about the video is that he reinforces what actually is VERY common science/research -- weight loss is achieved through diet, not exercise, and therefore you have to get your head and your diet straight as your top priorities during the early stages after bariatric surgery. And then when you do start exercising, most obese people are de-conditioned and are gonna need the help of trained professionals to guide you in the early stages. Those are the messages he promotes in this video, and they make perfect sense to me. Have you actually watched the video? I watched another of his videos this morning out of curiosity (and will watch more) and he had the highly UN-debunkable position that your success or failure largely lies with the choices you make.

That one person might lose weight on junk food but the health implications are not good at all spiking insulin and raising cholesterol levels plus others so this is why most of us chose a bariatric path and obviously our diet should be strict to get the most benefit out of it and the fact that our intake is so little post op we have to go for the most nutritional food possible! I've followed my doctors guidelines and was off multiple meds before I even left hospital and have lost over 100lbs and healthier than I've ever been before by being strict and following the doctors rules of high protein low carbs! Obviously "some" ppl have medical reasons that may interfere with their results but most of it comes down to those who work harder have the best results! But I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I wish them luck just don't complain.

There have been many comments for this poor lady I finally found a good explanation on line that you can looking into and verify. Premier Protein – Not Premier for Bariatric Patients! Oct 14, 2018 Abegail Fernandez The jury went to work on Premier Protein, and the verdict is in – almost literally. Premier Protein is in trouble for its misleading label claims on its protein shakes. Not only that, but the shakes may not be all they’re cracked up to be when it comes to helping you lose weight. Here is the story. Legal Trouble for Premier Protein Premier Protein sells all kinds of protein shakes. The ones whose labels state that they have 30 grams of protein per serving are the ones in the settlement. Analysis has found that they have 26 to 29 grams. The flavors that are in the settlement are Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberries & Cream, Banana & Cream, Peaches & Cream, Cookies & Cream, Mixed Berry, Organic Chocolate, Organic Vanilla, and Caramel. While the company is not admitting wrongdoing or ceasing the sale of these products, there is a class action settlement. You may be eligible for a cash payout if you purchased any of the misleading shakes in the past 7 years, since 2011. Pre-op or post-op, you need to know how much protein is in your shakes. Not Best for Bariatric Patients Every gram of protein counts, but the deception in amount of protein per serving is not the only problem. Even if you are willing to overlook the shortfall in the amount of protein, Premier Protein has a problem with type of protein. Read the ingredients carefully, and you will see that less than 1% of the product is “whey protein concentrate.” Whey protein is the type of protein that you should be looking for because it absorbs more quickly than casein. Whey protein has been shown to increase weight loss and body fat loss in bariatric surgery patients. Another glance at the list of ingredients of Premier Protein shows that “milk protein concentrate” and “casein” are the major sources of protein. Casein is slow-acting. If you had a bariatric surgery type, such as gastric bypass, that interferes with absorption, you may not get all the benefits from casein. What’s Better? We know that you need a protein supplement, so what can you find that has the amount and type of protein you need and the great taste that will encourage you to take care of your needs? BariatricPal Protein One gets our vote. 27 grams of whey protein. 28 vitamins and minerals. Great-tasting French Vanilla, Cinnamon Swirl, and Double Chocolate Fudge. It has a few more advantages over Premier Protein. Over twice as much dietary fiber for fullness and digestive health. Choose from convenient single-serving packets or multi-serving tubs. Comes in powder so you can add water or your favorite beverage. Has an “unflavored” option so you can add it to anything, from soup to smoothies. When it comes to bariatric products, quality counts. Any purchase you make should be from a trusted source because there are a lot of poor-quality or misleading products out there. The few grams of difference between Premier Protein’s claims and reality may not be a lot, but along with the poor choice of casein instead of whey as the main protein source, you might want to seek another source for your protein. Look for a trusted vendor and name brand as you make your choice. What you put in your body really does matter. Hopefully this helps. I could care less about the law suiti but found the other information to reflect my original post that hopefully was sound advice.

All other diets I have tried suggested 6 small meals per day. This is not a diet as we all know it is a lifestyle change. I believe the lesson being taught by most of these surgeons is to only eat 3 meals per day so that we are not eating between meals and not eating when not hungry. My surgeon has performed over 3,000 bariatric procedures and knows his stuff. I trust him and my nutritionist when they tell me that lapband patients should only eat 3 meals per day.

Full liquids includes things like yogurt and FAGE yogurt is high in protein. I had a lot of special "bariatric" foods for that time including protein soups. Or you can add protein to your soups. What's the name of the unflavored protein powder you are using?

Sacramento Support group meets today 11-1 at Kaiser South Sacramento. (6600 Bruceville Rd) building 3- 3rd floor. Bariatric conference rooms F&G. Clothing Swap to follow!

It would probably also be helpful if you say whether you think your expectations were incorrectly set by your bariatric team or if you just had higher hopes or more complications than you expected. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Ontour, there is a veterans forum and perhaps you should post there for some help as the sleevers there are like yourself many months out and the euphoria of the initial loss has passed and they have faced all different issues. Everyone is super helpful too, not that people on other forums aren't , it is just that they seemed to have faced situations that the newly sleeved haven't . Also, is there no one at your doctors office who can take over your care? Or another bariatric surgeon you can approach?

Hello dear friends, Every doctor is different, but after seeing so much (on this website) about it being okay to drink carbonated drinks, I called my doctor's office. The nurse I talked to, who is also a bandster, read a recent quote from the American Institute of Bariatric Surgery on the subject. It stated that carbonated beverages CAN enlarge or stretch the stoma (pouch) because of the gases created. This holds true for overeating (large quantites) even if you can tolerate it. I think I'm going to be very cautious about either. I paid too much $$ and went through too much pain to sabotage my efforts. Brenda (nurse) said this is true for either Lapband or RNY patients. I asked her when you know you need another fill. She said you take measurements weekly of your weight, and body. When you go 3-4 weeks with no change, it is time for another fill. She said that whether or not you "feel" restricted is NOT a determining factor. Just passing on the info. Take it or leave it. Have a great weekend!

Tanya- the only one the spouse is not able to come to is the Psyc. eval. You always need an advocate when dealing with an H M O First meal my wife was given, they had regular jello- and the apple sauce had sugar too... I was on them quickly... Hello- NO SUGAR! also had a PM nurse offer to bring my wife a candy bar around midnight... Bariatric surgery and a good case of the dumps... ALWAYS have an advocate there for you!!! two heads better than one...

Congrats to everyone that has been sleeved and everyone on their way to it! i will be havin it done at univ of chicago... i did my 6 months at st james center for bariatrics in olypia fields but they only do bypass and lapband there so had to get referral... the surgeon suggested i get the DS however im afraid of rerouting so he said i could do it in 2 stages... sleeve first and if i have good weight loss i wont have to do the 2nd part of rerouting... at univ of chicago u have to ho thru a 1 day PREP group class before u can have the surgery... the phych told me it fills up very fast and the next one available is 10/21.... i was hoping to be able to get into the sep class but no such luck... hopefully the time will fly by..

:thumbup: Hi Eeveryone, I was on the LBT forum and took about a year to decide after orientation in Richmond if the bariatric option was for me and I am now ready to make the change. Apparently a lot has changed in a year. i was set on the band and now I am reading stuff saying that Richmond is no longer offering it? Seems like I will be having to research the sleeve now....... I will be going to the Point West meeting next weekend if anyone from this forum will be there.....