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I live in Mo and go to Mercy. Dr. Edwards did my sleeve and my revision. Their bariatric center is really good.

Good evening, so I did not do the surgery but I did join a weight loss done right program in my area on January 5 and as of today I have lost 68 pounds, (only 32 more to go) the program is very strict, but very easy and the food is quite good!! When it comes to eating out which we do, I am very committed and I basically tell the server immediately, I am sorry to be a pain but I am on a very strict diet so can you please relay to the kitchen staff that my food can have no seasoning, no butter, no oil, everything needs to be completely plain. Also I ask as many questions as needed, such as actual ounces, sauces etc. I actually use a brown bread that I purchase from bariatric pal, and I bring one or two slices with me, I either bring my own seasoning or I just use their salt and pepper. When it comes to salad dressing again I bring my own or I order just plain white vinegar. I usually order a 6 ounce steak or the 8 ounce salmon, again no butter, no seasoning, no oil. I get a double order of plain steamed broccoli and a side salad with only lettuce, tomato and cucumber. I will sometimes bring my own cucumber and hearts of palm. lol just carry a larger than usual purse, honestly no one cares and you should be very proud of yourself for loosing the weight and especially proud of adhering to the food restrictions because that shows your strength. I am not embarrassed or ashamed of ordering specifically as I know I am a healthier , happier and skinnier me. LOL i wish you the best of luck, you’ve got this!!!!

Yeah, it's sponsored by our lap-band surgeon. He's actually a laproscopic surgeon that does lap-bands, rather then a bariatric surgeon. He really feels that there's more then 1 leg to our food addiction & just getting a band won't cut it. So he has a psychologist come in every other week. We paid for a year's worth of it. We have about 15-20 people every time. Our psychologist (Dr Miller) is an addiction specialist. He'd quit working with overweight folks, because he didn't think a food addiction could ever be broken (he mostly works with drugs & alchohol addicts). Dr Sewell talked him into trying again, with the help of the band. Dr Miller is a hoot, lol, to put it mildly. We talk about head issues, mostly. Why we're addicted, how to break the addiction, how to change our self-talk, etc. The biggest thing I've gotten from him is to change "I have to" to be "it's smart to" or "it's in my best interest to". I can't say that I do it all the time, but WHEN I do, I'm a lot less angry about good choices, lol.

Talk about an experinece. i arrived at the hospital on Tuesday morning at 5:38am. Therewere 6 p3ople aheadd of me then. Well, the first three were Gastric Bypasses and too the doctor much longer to do than he had planned for. So by 6:00 pm I am still waiting. I loose my patience then and ask for a valium to calm myself down and something in my IV for my stomach acids were starting to act upand bothering my esophagus. well I finally was goven my heparin shot on the 22nd at 8:15 pm, brought back to the anesthesia room by 8:45. By 9:45 I had been spoken to by the anesthesioloogst about what was going to happen. THEN - A DOCTOR CAME RUNNING IN SAYING HE HAD TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY SURGERY ON ANOTHER PATIENT - NOT A BARIATRIC PATIENT THOUGHT THAT WAS LIFE THREATENING. So afther this long I was needlless to say, ver frustrated. So - Dr Srikanth came in and felt horrible that we had to postpone my surgery, so they "put me up in the recovery room I would have been in any how, fed me gave me apple juice and Jello and broth untill midnight. Thebest part thoug is tat my band partner whom I had met a few times before was reeled into mu room. The rescheduled me for YESTERDAY morning so the doctor bumped his GBP's and did mine first so i was taken back up to anesthesia around 6:30 am and was back in my room by 9:30ish. I ended up stayng the night and got home around 12:0 ish. I slept - went for a walk outside and have just enough energy to let you all know there was a reason I did not post until now. No major pain of any kind yet. Stayinmg prrettu drugged up and waling lot. No gas pains yet either. This has postponed my return to work but that is all. How bout themm apples fom Washingtom State.. Surgery went beautifully! Barim drink afterward showed everthjing in place looking great!! http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/clap2.gif

Hello everyone i- I am starting to feel much better - The gas sound remind me of aliens 1. The person that I got bumped for surger was not a bariatric paitien,bue someome that was bleeding in their colon. My typing sucks on little keyboards and will for the next fews days. Gas pain hit this am in the morning. heating pads - and more heating pads. I am hoping o get out for a good walk tomorrow with hubby. Today was too gassy for me to do much of anything. I still havent weighed mself yet. Once tje gas stops moving around and i am not so bloated. Anhow - I thought I would be conribuing more post op but perhaps this weekend when I can type better! Sweet dream everyone Laura

Oh my Gosh!!! I think my fill finally kicked in and kicked A$$!!! I hit my 40 lb. mark by my 40th birthday!!! I was so focused on that, that now I realize I'm only 10 away from 50!!! I have found some renewed enthusiasm!!! So, here's my stats for the week.... C: 234.5 (-40 lbs. total and -4 this last week)

Amy r u going to tristate bariatrics?

I haven't read every response so I'm sorry if I'm duplicating. And I thought I read you were going for a cosolidated list, so I'm putting it all in here. If that's not the case, ignore as appropriate. My sleeve next month will be my 4th abdominal lap procedure and 2nd bariatric procedure, and based on my lessons learned here's what I suggest: For hospital: Wear somethong with no waistband, preferred. Like a house dress. Inevitably I've had an incision EXACTLY where my waistbands fall. And I'ev also had a few incisions that were intentionally left unclosed. Those hurt the worst, even though they're the smallest, and also tend to be right where my pants hit. If you must have a waistband, try to find one without elastic (e.g. drawstring) so you can fully adjust the tightness. When I had my band out I wore one of those velvety track suit things, mine has a drawstring waist. Perfect. Wear slip-on shoes if you have them. Socks are hard to get on when you can't bend comfortably, and I don't like other people putting socks on me. Flip flops, or those fugly plastic clog shoes (forgetting the name), or a ballet flat or something like that. If youdon't have or can't get, then when you take off your sneakers pre-op, leave the laces all loose so you can just slip them on later. Nook or Kindle or book or whatever. My sleeve will be the first procedure that requires me to stay overnight, and post-op I've een either asleep or prepping to go home, but pre-op? I played Boggle on my iphone for almost 2 hours pre-op. Was glad to have it. DH was there but is always more nervous than I am and wasn't a great talker. I always bring a small hair clip. You can't do anything but wash/rinse your hair the day of, and you're probably (technically) not allowed to shower the night of. I have curly hair that gets bushy if I can't put some kind of product on it while it's still wet. So I always bring a clip to at least pull the hair back from my eyes. I prefer to bring my own slippers (they have memory foam soles). I bring my own robe. I haven't been able to wear it (IV lines, etc.) but hospital blankets are cold. Even the warm ones get cold too quickly. My robe is warm. And it can double as an extra pillow, because those flat jokes in the hospital aren't cutting it. Chapstick, deodorant, my own toothbrush, skin lotion and hand sanitzier. (I put all of the above in my purse). If my face or hands are dry, I will not be able to focus on much else. Pillow, for supporting your stomach. Especially if you have a large pannus, this will help. When I had my lapband put in, it took me about 3 days of walking completely hunched over like an ancient lady until I realized that the majority of the pain was coming from my pannus "pulling" down on my incisions. As soon as I started to support my pannus with my arm, it was like night and day. LIttle nicer doing it with a pillow than your forearm, but hey, I was desperate. I will also help to apply steadying pressure when you go over potholes on the ride home. (About 4 days post-op DH drove me to visit my parents. He took a route that goes over a train crossing. He had a "theory" that the faster he went, the less I would feel the bumps so he gunned his truck and his them going about 45. Our marriage almost didn't make it to the next block.) When I had my lapband out, I had the most horrible sore throat from all the gear using my mouth as enter/exit. Truly it was far worse than strep, and easily the single worst pain I had after surgery. I didn't have any eating/drinking restrictions so I used Chloraseptic. If you can have some type of analgesic lozenge or something, go for it. Electric razor. Let's just say I'm 1/4 Greek and would be a good candidate for laser facial hair removal if everyone hadn't told me it feels like exacto knives slicing your face repeatedly. This isn't required, but I need it for comfort level. For drive home: I haven't yet had anesthetic make me nauseous, but it can make a lot of people sick for a while. I drove my mother home from a bariatric surgery she had and we kept having to stop on the interstae so she could chuck on the side of the road. So the REAL suggestion here is get a driver who doesn't get queasy when she hears others chuck. Second suggestion is to bring some type of a barf bag (those blue emi-sleeves the hospitals have are great) if you know or suspect the anesthesia will affect you. There's something about car rides that seems to make it worse, even if you've been "fine" for a while. Keep said pillow with you. Either to support your abdomen, or to nap, or both. (If your procedure is outpatient, you'll probably still be nap ready by the time you're released) Keep a blanket in your car. I'm always freezing cold after surgery, for a day or two. And DH is not, so it's nice to able to limit the use of the heater - for his sake. (BTW, when people lose weight, especially quickly, they tend to discover they're perpetually cold - you might want to just keep a blanket in your car long term). At home: I have DH bring one of the recliners up from his theater room and station it in the living room. From there I have same-floor access to the door, kitchen, a half bathroom, etc. This recliner becomes my docking station for at least 3 days until I can comfortably lay in bed. And on that note, I'd suggest getting some extra pillows. When I CAN lay in bed, I do best if I'm VERY propped up. I suspect this will be true with sleeve surgery, especially until my acid production drops off. Don't wait until you're out of surgery to try and find supplements you like. Have them selected before hand, and have a few options. Things will probably start tasting different. Have cold & room temp Water ready. Not all bariatric stomachs tolerate all temperatures. When I had by AGB surgery DH bought a little apartment fridge to keep in the LR so I didn't have to walk into the kitchen. That was overkill. But if somehow being able to stay on the same floor as the fridge weren't possible, it would've been awful handy. I'm queuing up movies & shows to watch on Netflix. Daytime tv sucks monkey butts. Also holding off on getting a few books I really want to read, so that I can have something to do until I can comforably move around. If you have someone who can help you around the house for a few days, do it. Think about kids if you have 'em, pets... and how may up/downs it is just for an hour or two. I don't like to take my hydrocodone any longer than I have to, so I use liquid Tylenol and try to have a few bottles on hand. Gas-X never did a thing for me other than taste bad. The gas that Gas-X works on (I say "works"lightly) is not surgical gas, i.e. the piercing ache you might feel around your collarbone/shoulder area... so don't buy it thinking it will bring relief. Surgical gas, and intenstinal gas, are two wholly different things. As an addendum to what I just said - I just remembered that an RNY friend dumped on liquid tylenol. For VSG it might be better to wait and see if you can tolerate it, unless your surgeon gives you the OK ahead of time. If your shower hyas a stationery head, I suggest getting one of the kind of tubing that you can move around. Especially for ladies out there. Bending and twisting is gonna smart, and let's face it. Some things in life require us to bend and twist, or be able to hit it with some water. I'm just sayin'... When I had my AGB and the graduated diet, I made sure to buy everything a few days prior to my surgery so that I didn't have to go to the store if I didn't want to. Ends up I wanted to, the next day, just to walk around a bit. But having the option is nice. Since my AGB both of my parents have had bariatric procedures. I've made each of them a large gift basket and brought it to the hospital. Here's what I try to include: small plates (cocktail size) toddler utensils refillable water bottle that will fit into a car drink holder, and has ounces hashed so they could track water intake liquid Tylenol Wet wipes/hand sanitizer Snap-up robe (belt can be uncomfortable) SF Jello Mio or Crystal Light (was allowed with their surgeon) liquid breath freshener Sudafed dissolvable strips corn bags (cloth bags filled with field corn, I think they're far superior to heating pads, and caln also be frozen) Book, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, etc.

I am 55 and I have posted before, but have just had a disappointing meeting with my ( non bariatric) NUT. She said she didnt think I was ready for WLS because it was already our 4th appointment and I hadn't really seemed serious about losing weight. I have not been filling out my charts very well and have done little to change my awful habit of eating a big meal at night and cutting down on sugar and fat. I AM having trouble and I have an appt with the bariatric NUT and the surgeon April 12. I am kind of bummed about the "non recommendation" of the NUT and the fact that she is recommending GBP instead of sleeve because of my age! I think it also has to do with the fact that I am in a rural area and they don't seem to have much experience with the sleeve. <sigh> just bemoaning the fact that I can't seem to get it together. This forum helps give me hope, though.

Ellamae, Cinders & Deb....I am so glad you are all doing so well. I did wonder if I would heal well and bounce back quickly as I was 56 when I had surgery last April but surprisingly it went well with one minor stretch that strained my stitches, but it wasn't bad, just reminded me to take it easy, even if I felt so good I had to be reminded that I had major surgery and to take good care of myself. I had my 7 month post op check up Friday with my bariatric doctor and he said I am doing great 90 pounds down since the beginning of my weight loss journey, about 26 pre-op and the rest post-op. I started at a 3X or 4X and now a 14-16 and although the weight loss is slower I know this is not a race...and I am paying attention to my health and nutrition, trying to make sure I get those veggies and fruit in addition to a high protein diet. I don't eat much in the way of starches as they make me stall out, but I do enjoy a little sweet potato now and then or a few tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole. I still have at least one protein shake a day and sometimes an Atkins protein bar, lots of fish, chicken and salads, cottage cheese with canned pears, pineapple or peaches, cheese sticks, olives and stir frys, like a small amount of beef with cabbage, shredded carrots and bean sprouts with a bit of ginger and soy sauce. I feel like MYSELF now...not overly thinking of my surgery, just so much more control, this was the absolute best thing I ever did for my health and I am workin it! !

What surgeon and hospital you using? My surgeon is Paul Enochs at Bariatric Specialists of NC, he uses Wakemed Cary and Rex Hospitals. I haven't chosen - or been told - the hospital I'll be at, but was told I have to pay all my out of pocket stuff up front. I'm assuming I'll get a hospital bill following surgery, but everything else is paid up front.

If you haven't noticed it on the topics listing, the next WLS clothing exchange is scheduled for April 11. You're all welcomed to take part. www.bariatricpal.com/topic/362324-greater-new-york-bariatric-surgery-clothing-exchange-april-2016/ I hope to see some of you.

Hi all! I would love to help fellow bariatric pals by starting a support group meeting in Suffolk Long Island. I do go to one at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip on Monday night at 7 and Tuesday afternoons at 2...they are wonderful for any surgery and any stage and the doctors of the practice welcome any and all even if they are not your surgeon. I have found this meeting and the people very kind and helpful. But message me if you guys in suffolk want to get together for a friday night or Saturday meeting and I can get something going. Thanks!

Good Sunday evening everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend. It seems that fall has returned to NY this weekend, and I must say I am finding it enjoyable as the it complements the time of year. Just a reminder: The next meeting of the NYC/Long Island Bariatric Pal Support Group will be held on October 25th from 2PM till 4 PM at The Atrium at 805 Third Avenue. The building is on Third Ave between 49th and 50th Streets. The Atrium is at the back of the space on the lower level. We have a few seasonal things planned and some information to center around the upcoming holidays. We have also planned a bit of a treat, for this meeting. I don’t know how many times I’ve stood in front of my closet and complained that I had nothing to wear. Despite my wardrobe overflowing with shoes, tops, dresses, and jeans, I still become weary of repeatedly wearing the same pieces. It’s a problem that I know many of us have dealt with. Too bad we don’t all have unlimited budgets to buy new clothes and accessories whenever we need to. If your wardrobe is in desperate need of an update – but you don’t have the cash to head to the mall Liz and I thought a clothing swap might be lots of fun! It is one way to share those special items that we all have hanging in our closets like gowns, and jackets, and suits that no longer fit us but we just aren't ready to hand over to the goodwill bin just yet. It provides us the opportunity to share our treasures with even one more person who will be able to cherish and use it again even if it's just one more time. There is one catch to this though!!! You will not be required to bring any items to the meeting! If you would like to participate we ask that you take photo's of the items you would like to swap via some type of digital media and send them to Liz or myself. We will create printed photo pages that we will be able to view at the meeting and anyone interested in an item will be able to write their contact information on the page and make arrangements with the owner to make the swap. Owners you may choose to send the items in the mail, meet the exchanger for coffee or simply bring your one or two items to the next meeting and make the swap then! So friends what do you think? Is this something you might want to take part in?

Hi all! I am new to the forum as well. I started my journey in July 2015. I had my sleep study done and signed up for a weight management class which is required by my insurance which is Kaiser. I had to wait until November to start because the classes fill up fast. It was an 8 week class. After that I attended the orientation on January 27th. Then I had to have a hour appointment with the nutritionist and social worker for the program. I had that appointment on 4/20 and had my blood work done. Now I am waiting for the bariatric team to review my chart on 5/4 and call to set a consult with the surgeon. I have lost 41lbs since starting my class in November. I am so excited to get the call for my next step! Thanks for reading this and I am so glad I found this forum! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

That really sucks. Are they looking for bariatric surgeons or just a regular doctor? My PCP has done my postop blood work...I basically just told him what OCC recommended and he wrote the orders. My OB/Gyn also volunteered to order whatever labs I needed. As long as they aren't having any complications, getting blood work at 3,6,12 months and then annually is all your daughters should need a doctor for. And I guess If they are having issues, the ER has to see them. Sorry you are having such a hard time with the doctors in your area. My PCP, OB/Gyn and even gastroenterologist have all been very supportive.

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 was sleeved September 4 with Dr Elias Ortiz and have nothing but abundant praise for him, his assistant Dr Morales, and the anesthesiologist Dr Malagan. Even the hospital internist whose name I sadly cannot remember was wonderful, competent, and thorough. Mi Doctor Hospital was satisfactory and many of the nurses were caring and lovely. The Tijuana Marriott was absolutely gorgeous. Now, as for A Lighter Me, there's not much to say that the word AWESOME doesn't cover! Very, very positive experience all the way around. As for my after care, Ronda from ALM sends out rather detailed emails with all sorts of info and my first post-op visit with my regular NP is tomorrow afternoon. He's one of those who is stern and as serious as a heart attack yet he was supportive of my decision to have the VSG done in Mexico and has expressed that he will continue to be supportive of me in my health endeavors and goals. I am also fortunate in that we have a local bariatric surgeon who will accept 'adoptees' should I ever need his expertise. Am not anticipating any problems though getting in my daily water requirement has not been easy.

Have you checked out pinterest for Bariatric recipes? I've found so many. I love it. I have made three secret boards on pinterest. One for all drinks/shakes, one for meals and one for tips on post op. :-) let me know if you need any recipes. :-) Surgery date: May 14, 2013

I would always lose some weight each Spring and Fall only to regain it plus 5 pounds more. I retired becsuse I was fat and tired, frustrated because I could pass the strength and agility job requirements but could not stop the weight gain . I retired two yesrs ago at 230 and my weight has decreased and increased from 230 to 204 back and forth. I have sleep apnea and have tried everything to find a cpap system that I can sleep with, but no luck 2 years out. So I am exhausted as well as fat. My PCP referred me for bariatric surgery and I have attended the first semjnar. I am pretty excited thst maybe I will get my life back....have energy again to do the things I love. I spent the last 30 y ears struggling with every diet known to man all to little avail.....from a the post

My labs are also good. The only thing that was "low" on them was my b12. But not super low. My number was like 328, and it can go as low as in the 100's, but my doc prefers bariatric patients to be over 500. I got a b12 shot this month and will get one next month. Will be interesting to see of it went up at all.

Bariatric fusion has one too, but the about time is all natural with only 5 pronounceable ingredients.

I had my psych eval on Friday. She cleared me, but was worried because I have a lot of anxiety and worry. She said it's just going to get worse after surgery. But I don't think it will be anything I can't handle. Now I just have to wait for my bariatrician appt on the 7th, then he will refer me to the surgeon for an appointment. I am also going to a bariatric support group this Thursday. It is a requirement but I am looking forward to it actually. But we're getting closer! I just try and tell myself everyday... Even though it seems like it is taking forever... Every day that goes by is a day closer. Has anyone bought all their Vitamins yet? I wasn't sure where to go buy them where they have everything that I need. This includes the fact that most/all need to be chewable. Hope everyone is doing well!

I think I'd really struggle on full liquids only diet for weeks of pre op. I'm lucky my surgeon found that too many people fail an all liquid diet and the stuff they fall back on is generally worse than including just a meat and veggies real dinner during pre op. Only my final day before surgery is all liquids. I didn't really get to have any food funerals. The bariatric physician wanted me on a pre op diet for 4 weeks ahead of surgery, but when I saw the surgeon a few days later there was a theatre opening only 3 weeks later that he was happy to book me in, so my pre op began immediately lol. I'm still not tolerating a meal replacement shake in the morning, as it makes me feel queasy for at least an hour. Most days I've been having a single scrambled egg and a coffee with 200ml 1% milk as my breakfast (is less calories than the VLCD shake, and once my protein water powder arrives I can include an extra 15g protein in my coffee so will be about equivalent protein). After that I can bring myself to spoon-eat/drink a protein shake make with lots of ice for lunch and don't get queasy. If I get hungry mid afternoon I have some homemade veggie& chicken stock soup while I look forward to a relatively normal meat and steamed veggies dinner. I've been dropping a half kilo a day on this so I figure it's working ok.

OMG... I just realized... I am officially in MAINTENANCE! Didn't even occur to me when I hit my weight goal. I will finally see my nutritionist again at my next 3 month appointment in mid-May. Curious as to whether or not she will tell me to do anything different. I feel like I am already eating in Maintenance Mode. I don't measure everything, but I do watch what I eat. I occasionally eat a LITTLE junk, but mostly healthy. I am walking a ton. Today I did an UPHILL hike which for me is very hard because of my tachycardia. My HR gets over 145 going uphill and then I get VERY short of breath so I usually end up stopping every 40 feet or so to catch my breath. You know what? Today I hiked uphill like a NORMAL person! I was excited. Back to food... I know I can eat more than most bariatric folks in a sitting, so I have to watch that. But what is funny is I can still eat faster, but can still only take 5-6 sips at a time lol. Anyhow... I feel I am still on the right track and don't deviate too much.