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I'm banded since Summer 2008 and am down 62 pounds. I have had 3 fills and 1 unfill. No problems and no re-gain. I can truly say my only regret is that the surgery was not available 30 years ago. I'm not quite at goal (20 pounds to go), but having experienced no problems I am more than willing to let it take as long as it takes. Because I will lose that 20 pounds. I am very confident of that. The way I think about food has changed: the way I eat - very slowly ...what I eat - less garbage (although I could eat garbage if I wanted too...I just don't really want to)...where I eat - at a table not standing in the kitchen or sitting on the couch...how much I eat - amazingly so much less that what I used too and enough to be just fine with that. I was a very slow to lose the weight and was somewhat disgruntled, but now, I would not change a thing. I feel great and I like how I look. If you have health insurance that does not specifically exclude bariatric surgery, I would say to you please think about finding a "Center of Excellence" doctor's group. They coordinate everything for you, make sure you get all the tests, and will really go to bat with your insurance company. You meet with a doctor and together you decide how to proceed, The value of this surgery is becoming more evident everyday, you just may qualify. GOOD LUCK!

When I had my sleep study, the technician said the same thing to me. Then she turned around and recommended "diet and exercise." SMH... It really takes alot of nerve to feel you know what is best for someone else! Wow.....I would have wanted to walk out and go elsewhere. The other thing that gets me riled up is when people assume we haven't researched or thought long and hard about the decision to have bariatric surgery. I have on the other hand been pleasantly surprised this week that I told someone I had previously said I wouldn't tell because I thought she would be judgmental and she couldn't have been nicer about it!

My doctor said no gummies too, but the Bariatric Advantage chewables i could not keep down. I took gummies until I got to where I could take capsules. He was not happy. Bariatric advantage has capsules that don't make me instantly barf. I still get a little nauseated but at least it doesn't come back up. I take those now

I went to fitness mania we have in my area and as soon as i told the guy i needed a Protein shake for bariatric he pointed me in the nectar Syntrax... they have all flavors! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

Congrats! Just work closely with your OB and your bariatric surgeon and RD and you will do beautifully and have a bouncing healthy baby too! And I too know many who got pg before the magic 1year mark and had healthy pregnancies and gorgeous babies. I also know normies who were mo and delivered healthy babies and lost weight through the pg. So cheers. Just don't lose focus, it's more important now that you stay sharp and follow your rules given to you by your team!

I finally used Keto Diet and also, that my allergies had flared up. Anyone who has known me very l9ng would know I have fought quite a battle with them in the past. One semi- friend told me if I had completed my series of allergy shots, I wouldn't have any problems! The fact that when I was terminated from my job and lost that insurance, I had no money to continue, did not enter into her mind. Perhaps she thought my pretty face would be enough payment. So to her I let my allergist take the blame instead of my bariatric surgeon. Oh if she had been a nicer type I MIGHT have told her the truth. There are people I have been totally honest with but MY LIFE-MY BUSINESS - if you are not paying for it, you are not required to KNOW ANYTHING! As Edith Anne on Laugh- in and Manny Yocum from Little Abner have said" I HAS SPOKEN!"

I have struggled with my weight since I was five years old. Late in 2016- at 28 years old at my heaviest weight- I had my first appointment with a bariatric surgeon in Akron, Ohio where I live and began the steps towards gastric bypass. I was so scared. But I knew that I would rather risk my life than live like this forever. I feared that my parents would bury me in 20 years and that my sister would become an only child. I knew I had to do something. I had tried everything. Between the ages of 8-28 I had tried everything under the sun. I could not lose/maintain the weight loss. On June 26, 2017- I had gastric bypass surgery. I have lost/maintained 180 pound weight loss. I have a whole new life. It is quite beautiful. I look forward to living everyday. I share my journey on Instagram - (my name on there is Maddie5088) and I also have a public Facebook Page called Mornings with Maddie. I created a blog almost a year ago that focuses on sharing my journey, creating/sharing healthy recipes. You can find it here - foodfitnessandbeauty.com I share body positivity, kindness, self love, inclusivity, healthy recipes, grocery hauls, I do monthly giveaways, how to meal prep, affordable/easy meals for bariatric patients and I do Q and As for Bariatric patients. I have felt very called to share my journey with the bariatric community! I hope you come follow along my story! It’s been a heck of a ride! Xoxo Maddie

I know you said you don’t want to travel, but would you consider Las Vegas? I’ve seen lots of mention of Blossom Bariatrics here and on other WL forums. I believe they have an all-inclusive package for self-pay folks that is fairly reasonable. They are also a pretty quick (and cheap) flight from the PNW.

Hi TaterB, This is the reason why so many come to Mexico. There is nothing to be afraid of as long as you do your research. Thousands of patients come to Tijuana for their surgery and most leave with a very positive experience. Check out Dr. Jalil Illan in Tijuana. He has more experience and accreditations than most US surgeons and is well respected in the Bariatric community. You can learn more about him here: https://hospitalbc.com/dr-jalil-illan/ Please contact me if you have any questions.

I am 54 years old, mother of two grown daughters, grandmother of 5 grandsons and 1 special needs granddaughter. My weight problems started around the age of 30, after I quit partying. At first I just gained a few pounds here and there. I yo-yo dieted for years. I tried Herbal Life, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig. I walked miles, and I got a gym membership. I lost, I quit, I gained it all back and more. I had a hysterectomy in 2007, and my hormones and metabolism went nuts. At my heaviest, I was 283. My husband said if I reached 300, he would leave. I think I wanted him to since there has been no intimacy, or affection for that matter, for well over two years. With no partner, no friends, and the responsibility of caring for my 92 year old mom on my own, I really didn't care anymore. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea. I was borderline diabetic. 3 of 4 of my siblings are diabetic and there was prior history of diabetes and heart disease in the family. One day I received a phone call from a bariatric nurse from my insurance company. She and I talked about all the co-morbidities, and she suggested I look into bariatric surgery. I went to a seminar, and the journey began. I had gone to Jenny Craig for 9 months, so I had satisfied the diet part. I went through all the tests and was scheduled for the vertical sleeve to be done on July 31st. I drove myself to the hospital that morning, had the surgery and spent the next two days being sick and alone. I had no visitors, no phone calls. My husband was working out of state, my mom was at home alone. I called her when I wasn't throwing up. My daughter picked me up and gave me a ride home in my car. She has 3 kids of her own and doesn't really have the time or inclination to stop by to check to see if my mom or I need her help in any way. She calls if she wants me to do something for her. I am 6 weeks out today. I'm not sure how much I've lost, but I think it's a little over 35 pounds. I overate at breakfast, so I've felt pretty sick for the past couple hours. I knew half way through I was full, but forced it, took bites that were too big, and didn't chew long enough. I don't often do this, so I deserve to be suffering now. Physically, I think I'm doing alright. Emotionally, I am sad a lot. I often wish I could have lost the weight and kept it off with diet and exercise. I know in my heart, it would never have stayed off because I lack willpower and the desire to be healthy. I figure if no one cares, why should I. I'm working on my feelings. I'm hoping when more of the weight comes off, I will feel better about everything. So that's the story. Please don't be too critical of me. Good luck to each of you as you go through your sleeve journey.

calcium is very important, please contact you Bariatric nutricionist fir clarification... Good Luck Sent from my iPad using VST

Hey Rox--was sleeved on 7/23, and I am a super wuss sometimes. The gas pain was something I was NOT expecting to be so bad! The nurses actually said that quite a few of the older folks think they're having heart attacks because the gas hits you in the chest--not the lower belly as it does pre-op. It actually made it very hard for me to breathe---like I couldn't suck in air because of the pain. They would NOT give me any gas-x for it...they told me all I could have was Milk of Magnesia--said that was gas medicine....well I never had that before....um BEWARE of it....because with the gas (and I had to do a colon cleanse the day before surgery--my doc requires for all) everything was more...liquidy??? So I woke up in the middle of the night with a very unusual feeling and was mortified. The nurses all told me they hate when the doc's tell them to give all the bariatric patients MoM because the same thing happens and they're all embarrassed and upset. I begged for immodium or pepto, but the doc said that it was a good thing to get EVERYTHING out so they wouldn't give me any meds for it. So I would STRONGLY suggest to have your spouse or friend bring you some serious gas-x for the pain, because the hospital/docs might not. Honestly, other than that, it was all super easy--walked without ANY problems a few hours after surgery. I'm already down 8 pounds in the past 5 days! (And I'm 43 BMI...)

I want in on a Class Action Lawsuit!!! I have been seeking an Attorney for 1 1/2 years and cannot find one to help. I have all of my documentation along with pictures. Here's My Story. There are thousands of people like me that have the same medical problems that I have, problems that will NEVER go away, side effects that we were NEVER warned about. We all had Lap Band surgery to lose weight but what we received instead is a medical nightmare that changed our lives forever. Lap Band installed 07, vomiting and pain began immediately thought it was normal. Started going to Doctors and hospitals nothing found, then the diarrhea started, again Doctors and hospitals, colonoscopy and endoscopy 01/2012 (date of discovery) found lap band had eroded into my stomach. Lap Band removed 01/2012, very ill, still pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Constant vomiting caused a hernia so another surgery to repair hernia 11/2012. Still pain, vomiting diarrhea continually going to Doctors and hospitals, specialist does another endoscopy 07/08/2013 and finds major problems where my stomach was repaired, sends me to a surgeon immediately because he was so worried, saw surgeon within two days on 07/10/2013. Surgeon did his own endoscopy 07/22/2013, told me the lap band did a number on my stomach and he could not do the repair said I needed to see him in his office 07/26/2013 so he can go over alternatives with me. I am still vomiting and have diarrhea more times a day than I can count and the pain is severe. My Surgeon is a Bariatric Specialist and he no longer does Lap Band Surgery because of the damage Lap Bands do. He would make a great witness on my behalf. I go nowhere except to Doctors and Hospitals, when I do I take a bag that consists of trash bags, paper towels, baby wipes, Water and a change of clothes. I vomit and have blasting diarrhea EVERY TIME I eat anything. I am single but cannot date; my boyfriend broke up with me because he could no longer handle my illness. My life has changed so much. Sometimes I crawl from the bed to the toilet several times a day, sometimes I make it sometimes not. I have vomited and had diarrhea while in the car and in the presents of others. A couple of months ago I was so sick that I was on a gurney at the hospital the vomiting and diarrhea would not stop and a hospital employee made the comment "disgusting she crapped all over herself". The pain is like having hundreds of hot knives cutting into my stomach. I have so many scars it is embarrassing, I will never be able to take my clothes off in front of anyone again. This is a small list of what I have been through and there are others just like me and some are worse like losing their eye sight. I have all of my documentation along with pictures to back up my story. I feel the Doctor was negligent because he never warned me of these possible side effects and the danger. The Lap Band was defective because it eroded into my stomach. My life will never be the same and my health will never be restored. I may need surgery to completly replace my stomach and or a feeding tube. I have lost 20+ pounds after the Lap Band was removed because of vomiting and diarrhea, not because of the Lap Band. I also got an infection while in the hospital.

Please help, I just got a denial letter from my surgeons office saying that I didn't have 2 comorbids that have not responded to maximum medical management that are generally expected to be reversed or improved by bariatric treatment!!!! My BMI is 35.6 my comorbids are a high cholesterol of 254 and sleep apnea. I have had high cholesterol for years with no medication and I have had a sleep study done years ago but I dont use a cpap. Any ideas on how to appeal this decision?? My surgeon's office submitted all other requirements. I have tried other weight loss methods like weight watchers, used phen phen, atkins diet, dexatrim, slim fast, scarsdale medical diet, grapefruit diet, etc..Any info would help... I am desperate !!! I am scheduled for surgery on November 4th supposedly. Very upset and can't stop crying here..

No shipping issues here. Got mine last week. 4 cases with 30 11oz shakes in each, stretch mark ointment and bariatric vitamins. The box was very heavy and moist but the items were fine. Didn't have to pay anything.

Atelectasis, or a partial lung collapse is a known complication of general anesthesia. It could happen with ANY surgery and is not specific to bariatric surgery. That's one of the big reasons we have to do that incentive spirometer. Do your incentive spirometer as directed in your post-op instructions. Make sure you're communicating with your doctor with your symptoms.

I saw someone else responded with Bariatric Fusion Complete Chewable. You do have to take four a day but they have all that you need for the sleeve. It was also a very cost effective choice.

Hi! My program stresses lean proteins at the stage I'm in (pureed), so I'm eating canned chicken breast, tuna, and sometimes egg salad. They cautioned me on sodium, which is usually very high in canned and condensed soups. I think the concern is sodium can dehydrate you. Sounds funny, but I searched on Pinterest for simple recipes I could make at home and customize to my liking. Many of the pins link to bariatric patient geared sites with people years into their journey, so there's lots of insight and tips.

Wanted to update everyone. I finally met with the Bariatric Dr, so my test results show, Dr language in parentheses (partial gastric outlet obstruction) proximal dilation of stomach with extream narrow area and tortous twisting body of stomach with reflux, Twisted Stomach the fix(gastrectomy with gastrojejunostomy). By-pass, (approval from insurance on an urgent basis), will need surgery asap,

I'm sorry you've gone through so much grief and distress. Several antidepressants have been linked to weight gain, so it's possible that could be contributing to yours. I gained 30 pounds quite rapidly from taking Zoloft for grief. I've had more success with a low dose of Wellbutrin (a higher dose caused insomnia and hair loss), though some people haven't been benefitted from it. I've started to read reviews of every medicine I take to better understand the experiences people have on it, so I can be aware of possible side effects. There's a bariatric surgeon named Dr. Matthew Weiner who has several videos on YouTube. In one of them he discusses common reasons for why people gain weight post WLS, and lists medication as a leading cause. Edit: This is the video: About 5-6 minutes in he lists reasons for weight regain, and talks about medication.

I'm currently taking Bariatric Fuel multivitamins, zinc, biotin, CVS calcium chews and B-12.

As a relative newbie I am wondering @ how much people are actually consuming who are more advanced than the first few weeks. There seems to be a real disconnect between my mouth and my stomach. I feel something in my stomach and cannot identify it as "full" but just let's say 'xxx' and yet, my mouth will want to have more and more shoveled in. I had the grocer cut up prepared grilled salmon into 2 oz chunks. I ate one yesterday (even tho I wasn't supposed to start til today) and then followed that with almost 3/4 can artichoke hearts (canned veggies permitted) and an ice pop. I couldn't finish the pop. It started coming back on me. But my mouth wanted more. I kept thinking I will feel better if I swallow this or that. As it turnedout, I couldn't even take my meds last nite...no room. I am still looking for a shrink for support and still breaking off with the old one who is ill and still astounded that I could go thru all the abuse of surgery and not be able to disciplin myself better. I'm not even sure what I feel.... Do wish there was a databank of shrinks who specalize in bariatrics...

You don't sound like a d**k, and I get where you are coming from. Yes, I haven't been out of surgery long, and yes, I am aware of the "honeymoon period." My surgeon and support staff went over all that with me time and again before I made the decision to have the surgery. Nothing is a magical "fix-all" to obesity or weight issues, and yes, it will be constant work. A large part of my weight issue stemmed from a psychiatric medication that I was given, as I mentioned earlier. It is called Zyprexa, and this is a very well-known side effect. It made my appetite go through the roof, and though my psychiatrist stopped it after a meeting with my GP and my appetite went back to "normal," the weight wouldn't come off. I followed a medically supervised diet to the T and went through the whole "yo-yo" effect because yes, the body does get used to having a new "normal" weight when you are obese and as far as I have been told, surgery is the only thing that can actually have a true long-term effect. It has now been written in every medical folder I have, psych and physical, that I cannot be put onto weight positive medication again, so if this fails, it is all on me. I have a will of Iron...always have. It is one of the reasons I was so frustrated on my medically supervised diet where I was focusing on following it to the letter, doing what I was told, and having no success. I'm not saying I am better or worse off at anything than anyone else, but we are all different people with different backstories who have gone through different struggles. Most of the staff at my surgeon's office are bariatric patients themselves, many who have been post-op for a long time, and they have had success by following the plan given to them by their surgeon and using the tool they were given. I think that though it will be a struggle in the long term, and there is always the possibility of regain, it comes down to the individual and how closely they follow the lifestyle change they originally set upon and use the "tool" that is surgery. I'm not trying to start some sort of forum flame war and I appreciate your thoughts and advice. I'm in this for the long haul. I wanted to get back to the healthy and active lifestyle I had before my weight gain, and that is what I have set my mind to ensuring happens. If I regain 5-10-15 pounds in a year or two or three, I will work double time like hell to get back to where I am now. There is absolutely nothing worth eating good enough to give up my health for...NOTHING. I see people on my table every day who die from issues related to obesity, and I've made up my mind that will not be me.

I am only a bit over 9 months out, hit my goal weight in June, and in mid-July hit 135 lbs. Since then, my weight has fluctuated between 134 lbs - 136 lbs depending on the time of the month for me and if I've been overdoing the sodium. One of the things that has really helped me maintain my weight is following the eating guidelines given to me by my NUT and bariatric team. I've also become very active and am now part of a women's rugby league again, which is fantastic because rugby was something I had to give up when I became obese since I couldn't do it physically any longer. As a mortician (funeral director), my job does entail lifting quite a bit (caskets and human bodies can be quite heavy!), so that also helps me keep in shape and active, as morbid as it sounds. Overall, I think the combination of following the dietary guidelines I was given and being very physically active has really helped me maintain my weight loss. I don't plan on changing my eating or activity habits, so hopefully, I'll be stable where I am now for the foreseeable future. I am VERY happy here, as this is the weight I was before I gained over 100 pounds due to psychiatric medication, which is what started me on this path (I have severe schizoaffective disorder and was given Zyprexa, which pretty much made me gain 5 pounds the moment I filled the script, no joke). I'm now on a combination of weight-neutral medication that works for me with notes in both my physical and mental health files that I can no longer be put on any medications classified as weight-positive (THANK HEAVENS!). It's been a long, long journey so far...but I would do it again in a heartbeat!

A few more studies... knowledge is power! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20622654 http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy-candidates/print.html As with any bariatric procedure, long-term weight regain can occur and, in the case of SG, this could be managed effectively with re-intervention. Informed consent for SG used as a primary procedure should be consistent with consent provided for other bariatric procedures and should include the risk of long-term weight gain. http://asmbs.org/2012/06/sleeve-gastrectomy-as-a-bariatric-procedure-update/