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Hello all! This is a wonderful forum. So many questions answered and others popping up for me. I have Cigna insurance and I am not sure if it will be three or six months of prep but I am willing to jump through the hoops as long as I can see a VSG at the end of the tunnel. I am 57 year old female. I have struggled with anorexia and binge eating, both ends of the spectrum. I have been able to lose weight in the past, but have never been able to keep my weight down. The last five years, what worked for me before is no longer working and I get nowhere. Last year I saw a dietician for four months and lost three pounds and I exercised like a fiend. 90 minutes, five days a week. Three pounds in 16 weeks. It becomes very discouraging. And my company did not cover ANY weight loss services. Last year I hit rock bottom. This year I petitioned the CEO at my company and she immediately agreed that Bariatric surgery is something that a healthcare organization should offer as a benefit to its employees. Starting July 1 this benefit will be added to our coverage. So July 1 I am applying to start the process. Wish me luck! I will be here a lot looking for, and offering, encouragement, validation and support.

Hi Marlena- I'm not a medical expert on the sleeve or the band, but I'm a former bandster who is also investigating the sleeve. To help with my research, I subscribe to the medical journal, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases. As it's a medical journal, the articles are intended for doctors, therefore the language is sometimes hard for me to understand due to all the medical terms. However, it has been very helpful to be able to read about all the studies that are happening regarding WLS. In this month's issue, there is an article about bariatric surgery reducing the cancer risk in morbidly obese patients. I mention it in case you feel guided to buy the article or get an annual subscription. I paid around $148 U.S. for my subscription and it's been worth every penny. It's allowed me to gain a better understanding of the developments in bariatric surgery. I figure if I'm going to have pieces of my anatomy removed, I want to learn all I can about the process. Their web site is www.soard.org Wishing you well on your journey! Laurel

Unless you have complications there is no reason you *need* to follow up with a bariatric surgeon. I don't know anyone who had surgery in Mexico who does. The standard advice I have seen is to see your PCP at 2 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-op. Have your regular blood and urine tests as well as vitamin and mineral levels checked. Weight and blood pressure checked and recorded. The lab work, without insurance, is what may kill you cost-wise. You may need to do some serious shopping around for that, but it's important. As far as food goes, I'm not much help as I tend to focus on eating for nutrition rather than to stave off boredom. I really don't care if I eat the same things over and over again, so I don't ever really think about "new ideas" for food. That said, here's mostly what I ate during weight loss phase: breakfast: chicken or beef roll-ups in romaine lettuce (with pickle relish, hot mustard, etc.) lunch: chopped chicken breast with green veggies and a little light salad dressing dinner: poached egg on refried beans, tuna salad bake, lamb chops, steamed curried scallops, steamed cayenne pepper shrimp, chicken breast baked in yogurt, turkey-spinach-goat cheese burger patty, sardines in mustard. Good luck!

Hello everyone! This is my first post. I'm very excited about getting a lap band. Last week I went to a seminar given by Dr. Chua in Milwaukee and this Friday I have an appt. to see the nutritionist and the psychologist. I called my insurance and they do cover bariatric surgery however someone at Dr. Chua's office said that my insurance (WPS) does not cover the lap band because they consider it experimental. I would rather have the lap band insted to getting the bypass done. I'm wondering if anyone out there has a lap band that has WPS insurance?:phanvan:(

Happy Halloween from BariatricPal!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Halloween! It’s a fun time and the beginning of the holiday season. We’re celebrating a lot here at BariatricPal, and we’re super excited to share it with you! Here’s what’s in this newsletter. The BariatricPal Store: Grand Opening! Your Ready for the Holidays? Thanks for your support and for making it possible for BariatricPal continue to grow. There’s no way we could do it without you. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Grand Opening of The BariatricPal Store! We are so excited to announce the grand opening of The BariatricPal Store! We know, The BariatricPal Store doesn’t fit into a Halloween newsletter because it’s anything but spooky, but we just can’t stop talking about it! That’s why we’re offering 10% off all orders with coupon code SPOOKY10 just for you! Your Source for Bariatric Protein, Meals, Snacks, and supplements Weight loss surgery changes everything, especially your diet. You need to get enough protein without too many calories; eat a nutritious diet while keeping portions in check; and get your Vitamins and minerals without fail. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming…unless you have help. The BariatricPal Store can give you the help you need. We have the protein supplements, meals, snacks, and vitamins to help you lose weight and get healthy. Protein bars, shakes, and powders. Low-calorie, high-protein snacks, Entrees and breakfasts. Bariatric vitamins and Fiber supplements. Make Weight Loss Shopping Easy We know you need the top products, and they need to be healthy, nutritionist-approved, and convenient. We have all that! We also have: Tons of BariatricPal brand products. Product packages so you can pick up a bundle at once for a discounted price. meal plans for the pre-op and post-op diets, plus maintenance and back-on-track diets, so you can easily pick up the foods you need to stay on track. Sampler packs of different items so you can try different varieties to see which you like best. Other Reasons to Shop The BariatricPal Store We truly believe we’re number one. Here are just a few more reasons why. Subscribe and Save options on every product so you can get automatic re-delivery, 5% discounts, and free shipping on each order. Lowest prices – guaranteed. Free shipping on orders over $69. Save money with sales and discounts plus our Refer-A-Friend program. For help, you can look at the FAQs, give us a call at 855 WLS-BPAL (855 957-725), or use our live chat with a customer service specialist during business hours. Visit store.bariatricpal.com often to see current specials, and check out our blog for updates on promotions and new products. We can’t wait to take this next step in helping you reach your weight loss and health goals! Your Healthy Halloween Plan Halloween is about costumes, haunted houses, and scares. Unfortunately, some of the “scares” are the ones that show up on the scale if you eat too many Halloween treats, or the “scares” that come from feeling sick from too much sugar. You don’t have to experience the bad scares this Halloween, though. The trick? Plan ahead! Here are a few things to think about as Halloween approaches. Trick-Or-Treating Almost everyone is affected by trick-or-treating. If you have kids, you’ll probably find one or several big bags of Halloween candy showing up at your home when they come back from trick-or-treating. Your best defense here is to have a healthy dinner before taking them out. Then, focus on anything other than candy – you might fix your children’s costumes, be the flashlight holder, or designate yourself as the neighborhood crossing guard to keep kids safe. If you don’t have children, you may be the one handing out candy to the neighborhood children, which probably means buying a bunch of candy to give out. If that’s the case, you’re best off choosing candy that you don’t like that much, so you’re less tempted to eat it. Again, have a healthy dinner, and focus on other things besides candy for the evening. You might work on answering the door in a scary way, or taking photos of the cute costumes you see to share with the kids’ parents tomorrow. The Aftermath No matter what happens on your weight loss surgery journey, there’s always tomorrow. After Halloween, “tomorrow” is November 1. Take inventory. See what’s in your home that shouldn’t be there. Get rid of the extra candy. If you must keep some candy in your house because of your kids, make sure it’s not tempting you. You can always ask them to hide it away in their rooms. You can also make a game out of it: have them label each piece so they and you will both know if you “steal” some. Go for a walk. There’s nothing like a walk to clear your head and get you ready to go back to healthy eating patterns. Halloween’s scary, but it shouldn’t be scary because of the weight gain. It should be scary because of the fun things you get to do. With a little planning, that’s exactly how your Halloween can be. Healthy Halloween Tips Did you know there are tons of fun things you can do to get into the Halloween spirit without touching a piece of candy? Here are a few ideas! Go for a Walk It’s true…walking is really quite a good answer to most questions. How to burn off a few extra calories before Halloween? Go for a walk. How to enjoy the Halloween decorations in your neighborhood? Go for a walk. How to let your kids show off their Halloween costumes to all the neighbors? Go for a walk. Get the point? Get moving! Volunteer That’s right. You may think that volunteering is just asking for trouble, since you may be faced with a lot of candy. In truth, it’s a chance to be surrounded by the Halloween spirit while being so busy you don’t have time to grab a treat. Volunteering at a local school, homeless shelter, or retirement home can be the perfect way to immerse yourself in Halloween. Help decorate for a party, serve treats, clean up afterwards, or help make costumes. You’ll be appreciated, and you’ll get to be a part of the holiday in a way that’s healthy for your body and soul. Make Healthy Treats It’s true…treats make Halloween so much better. But you can do better than chocolate, candy corn, and decorated Cookies and cupcakes. Here are a few ideas. Greek yogurt popsicles: Use a little sweetener and keep them white for ghosts, or add some pumpkin and cinnamon and shape them into pumpkin shapes. Then you can decorate them like jack-o-lanterns! Jack-o-lantern orange protein cups: hollow out oranges to leave the peel mostly intact. You can “carve” a face in the peel shell to make it look like a jack-o-lantern, and fill it with cottage cheese or fruit. Greek yogurt “eyes:” freeze circular spoonfuls of Greek yogurt with blueberries for eyes. A happy, safe, and healthy Halloween however you choose to Celebrate it. Don’t forget to come talk about yours on the boards at BariatricPal! See you there!

I have called my insurance company and was told they do cover the lap band surgery and that I do qualify as far as weight ( BMI 38 ). I have my appointment for the seminar at the bariatric clinic and will be getting my referral from my PCP on the 25th. They did mention somthing about requiring that I have tried a 4 month weight loss program through my physician but would look at my last years history with him and possibly accept teh weight loss I have already had being monitored by my Dr. Ayway, I am excited to get things going and have realy learned a lot from all of you out there. Looking forward to chatting with you all and looking for support. Thanks :wink_smile:

No way of knowing before you do it. Be aware that, as it's the unknown, filling to the max could leave you wishing for death. No bariatric practitioner will do that, certainly not right out of the gate. If you really wish to limit yourself to soft foods and purées for a while, why not just make those your food choices with a reasonable, working level of saline in your band? You'll do as you see fit. I don't know how much good work you've undone, but I'm there, too. In deciding how to get back on the horse, I wouldn't choose a route that might conceivably feel like punishment for having regained weight. That's what a period of soft foods and purées seems to me. The process of eating well and seeing results should be a joy. I don't see a month of mush, for example, as joyful. Best wishes for your renewal regardless of how you do it.

I would try a three pronged approach. Obviously start with your surgeon. Ask for a referral to a bariatric therapist for some back up. I would also meet more regularly with the bariatric dietitian for hands on real tactics to feeling full. I would be tempted to go back to WW as well for group chat and accountability. I had to get a new hobby of crochet to keep my hands busy and give warm clothing to the homeless shelter to “feel full.” You will find your fullness and feel comfortable in your body too.

I think you need to talk to your bariatric surgeon. Many do prescribe appetite suppressant medication.

Just joined the board and thought I would send a quick message on my experience with Tricare. I started the process on Feb. 21st with a referral to a bariatric surgical center from my PCM. Had my consultation appt. at the center on March 4th and was approved by Triwest 6 days later. Tricare really does get those approvals out quickly. I just had my surgery 4/18/08 and lost 17.4 pounds in the first week. I feel really fortunate that I was able to get approved and have surgery so quickly. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my experience and good luck.

Thank you, I did and found out the closest MTF to offer bariatric surgery.

renewing my committment endless80 good for you Its when people screw up and don't realize til tooooo late, (as in gaining way too much) looks like you caught yourself before slipping on the ice and breaking your leg "stuff" got out of hand with your eating - not good - but its done/over with can't go back hopefully you've learned from your experience and now move onl live in the present and look towards the future concentrate and use all the knowledge you've taken in/absorbed ifffff you even think about grabbing Taco Bell or Kentucky fried chicken- i am slapping your hand, HARD (ouch! ) 83 lbs down!!!! thats terrific!!!! good luck kathy congrats

I know the waiting is a difficult thing. With my insurance, I had to do the 6 month wait and had all if the usual pre testing done and had to show I could follow a pre surgical eating plan, which amounted to showing some type of weight loss, and happily I did lose about 35 - 40 lbs before surgery. Just use the time to maybe read in bariatric nutrition to prepare yourself for the lifestyle you'll be living later. Not sure about your surgeon but the milk was definitely someting I had to give up. Small amounts in cooking are ok for me but otherwise not. Too much natural sugar content. I now use soy milk in its place, less sugar per serving. But even that I didn't start till I was about a year out. Soup I only have if it has larger chunks and I can avoid the broth. I do eat whole wheat Pasta only occasionally and I didn't start that till over 6 months or so out. I am surprised they want you to up those calories, did they say that would be after surgery as well? I currently eat between 1000 to 1200 - 1300 depending on if I work out that day. Wishing you well and hope the time pases quickly for you. If you ever need an ear, feel free to shoot me a message.

I am also exactly 2 weeks post-op, doing well in recovery, and was given the go-ahead to advance from a full liquid diet to a pureed diet today. I will be on this for two weeks. Then I will move to a "soft diet." I won't be eating the harder-to-digest foods until I am 6 weeks out. If your doctor told you to figure out yourself what you're supposed to eat, there are lots of pages online that will give you the details for each phase. Just Google "bariatric surgery pureed diet" or whatever phase you're interested in. After you come up with a list I think you should still call your nutritionist and run it past her/him. Follow-up is usually part of the process for this type of surgery. Good luck!

I have 4 Bariatric fusion Soft Chews Vitamins and one bottle of Iron with Vitamin C Cherry Chews. 2 of the soft chew vitamins are mixed berry and 2 are tropical flavor. These sell for over $20 on different websites. I am only asking $75 ($15 each) The packages were purchased just last month. Info from website: Vitamin chews Balanced blend of 19 bioavailable vitamins and minerals Contains 280mcg of Vitamin B12 50% or more DV of other B-Complex Vitamins Easy to digest soft chews Great berry or tropical flavor Individually wrapped for your convenience Pleasant Cherry Flavor Iron and Vitamin C Cherry Chews Easier To Take Than Bulky Tablets or Capsules 45 mg Elemental Iron per Chew 60 mg of Vitamin C to aid absorption One Chew per Day provides 250% DV of Iron Trans Fat Free sugar free I live in Houston, but I am willing to ship if buyer pays the shipping email: franklins1@peoplepc.com

:nervous Good Morning! This is my first post. I went to my first appt at the Norton Bariatric Center this past Thursday. I watched a video, had my vital stats and weight checked, saw the nutritionist, and saw psychologist. I guess I passed that one (whew! :mad: )because now I am waiting to be scheduled to meet with the surgeon. He then will dictate a letter to my insurance company (UHC)and I'll wait to see if I'm approved for the surgery. I'm not anticipating that they will turn me down, but I know that they can hold it for 30 days before giving a decision. It has been such a slow process, and I'm ready NOW!! I guess I had better learn to be patient. I'm almost 43 years old, been heavy since I was 9, and I also know the weight won't come off over night. Well that's my story in a nutshell. I looking forward to having some folks to help me along on my journey, and maybe help some others along the way. Thanks for taking the time to read this long winded post.:clap2:

If your BMI is 40 or above, most insurances do not require any co-morbidities. You should be approved with no issue at all. If you cal your insurance carrier, they will tell you the bariatric requirements. I was very nervous that I wouldn't get approved either because my BMI was under 40. I did, however, have many other health conditions. I thought for sure though that they would deny me. I was approved in six days. I had surgery on Aug 17. It's the best thing I ever did. Call your insurance carrier and find out the requirements. It will ease your mind.

I think it's very normal to feel down in the early stages, it's a huge lifestyle adjustment which can be scary and have us question if we did the right thing. I remember one day after my third fill I walked out of my Bariatric centre feeling really happy and on my drive home started to get really teary and by the time I got home I was crying like there was no tomorrow. Took me a few hours to figure it out and it was fear of failing yet again, mourning of my previous way of eating, mourning of food, mourning the fact that I could no longer eat a two course meal and sometimes three course when going out with friends. Food had control of me in so many ways and from that day on I developed an attitude that I would no longer let food control every aspect of my day to day living. I needed food to live not live to eat food. So feeling down is a normal part of this process and it will get better.

The Unjury website www.unjury.com sells Opurity vitamins. They have a bariatric multivitamin customized for gastric band patients. Would these vitamins be good for VSG too? I'm thinking they would since both procedures are restrictive with no intestinal bypass. Also has anyone tried these. I'm wondering what they taste like.

I had my bariatric lap banding done in 2011. I did really well with it but have had other complicationsthat have kind of stalled my weight loss. I had a Bilateral Double Mastectomy in September of 2012. My original reconctruction did not work. I have the option now to have a DIEP Flap, which is using the fat and tissue from my stomach to reconstruct the breasts. Basically a tummy tuck. I am wondering if there is anyone on this forum that has had this surgery? I would really like to chat with you. Thanks

I have been preparing for my surgery for months, and my little sister has been very supportive. She is also very heavy, and has been taking Phentermine for a few months. She had a check in with her primary doctoday and told the doc the meds aren't doing anything for her. She asked for information about bariatric surgery and was told by her doctor that it is a cosmetic procedure that most insurance won't pay for!!!! I'm utterly shocked! When my sis said she isn't interested in a bypass but a sleeve, the doc then told her it's not called a sleeve, it's called a lap-band. I told my sis I would be looking for a new doctor. That shocked me!!

I know Bariatric Pal doesn't have a relationship with Dr Lopez Corvala (anymore). I'm not sure why, but based on my research I'm leaning towards surgery with him. I want to have surgery in a full fledged hospital rather than an outpatient center and like his other qualifications. I emailed with Dr Ortiz nurse and coordinator and they were evasive with their answers to my very specific questions despite their good patient reviews. My final piece is to find some people that have experience to help me dedice if I should go with him... Anyone out there have experience with Corvala?? Thanks

Hello, I've been on her for a few months but haven't really posted much but have read a whole lot. My surgery date is this Thursday May 20th. I'll be getting the gastric sleeve revision. I got banded October 2012 & had little success. Lost about 25#'s initially & then nothing more. I struggled with the band & never truly was able find the 'green spot'. I ended up getting to tight & had a good portion of the saline taken out. My surgeon's 'bedside manner' was horrible & I did not want to go back but I did. I ended up talking to a new younger surgeon & he told me I HAD to stay with the other asshat surgeon. I refused. I continued to struggle with what I believe is port pain or possibly where I'm banded & decided to pursue the sleeve with another Bariatric center. I'm so dang glad I did!!! My insurance denied me TWICE & the waiting game SUCKS but I know it will be worth it in the end. I just got notified last week that I'm APPROVED... Stoked but a ball of nerves!!! Excited for the journey ahead

And as for vitamins--I ordered the Bariatric Advantage multivitamin in berry flavor. I can hardly chew it. The flavor is just gross to me. Haven't found a new one to take yet....