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I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Unfortunately, GERD issues after VSG are not uncommon. Moving forward, you should do a lot of research to find a highly experienced bariatric surgeon who is capable of performing a revision as many WLS surgeons are not skilled in this area.

I would definitely consider Mexico. Tijuanna has a top notch facility dedicated to bariatric and plastic surgery only. Just remember if you have a complication like with your gallbladder for example, you might have to return. Although your insurance here will likely cover gallbladder stones. Mexico is a great choice.

Sorry for the rant..I'm in a mood this morning... I didn't feel the need to disclose to everyone. I am not the spokesperson or poster child for bariatric weight loss. I'm not responsible for other people's choices or success with weight loss. It's not so much I have been busted for not disclosing. People are going to notice, talk and speculate about a massive weight loss. These same gossiping negative people will talk about you behind your back over other things once you reach goal. If I was open about my surgery, these same people will judge..Why would I care to disclose to them I had surgery? It's great to be an age where you don't give your time and attention to negative people.

Hi Jeannie, you should be able to get your EKG done in time. The only issue would be if it had irregularities that might require a stress test or more testing...,, that could get problematic. Get on that first thing in the morning! My EKG was done at my regular doctor's office. I would suggest calling your bariatric group and letting them know you still need your EKG and seeing if they can call whatever test facility will get you in ASAP. Going through regular scheduling yourself might not get the results that a call from a doctor's office would. The endoscopy would come into play only if you flunked your upper GI barium X-ray (at my clinic, anway). If you had normal results from your upper GI (if you had to do one)...you likely won't need an endoscopy.

This is a long post, but it details my gastric sleeve experience in Mexico, and I feel like it's important to share it. I'm sure there are great results from this clinic and others in Mexico, but here are some of the pitfalls: I had a sleeve gastrectomy in April in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Dr. Juan Francisco Hidalgo (Weight Loss Team), and I have had extreme complications since then. I had to undergo a revision surgery to a full gastric bypass because the multiple strictures in my stomach were so bad that surgeons at the Mayo Clinic (arguably one of the best groups of bariatric surgeons in the world), after five procedures, couldn't fix them. They say it was most likely Dr. Hidalgo's technique that created the stricture - he uses a much smaller bougie (tube to shape the stomach) than is typically used in the United States, and it is more likely to create complications. I know loads of people have a good outcome from Mexico surgeries, but I share my experience because I owe it to anyone contemplating this. I did a lot of research before going there and thought I had chosen well. The website of Dr. Hidalgo is very sophisticated, and there are no language issues when asking questions in advance because of the English-speaking administrator, Gerald. The website gives reams of information in perfect English -- all very comforting. Plus, as I was considering the surgery, they offered me access to the support group on Facebook for patients of Dr. Hidalgo -- something that seemed so authentic and convincing since I could read posts from all kinds of real people. However, after they recently found out about my complications, Gerald, the administrator, removed me from the group even though I was not all over it bashing Hidalgo but had just posted a couple of times about my situation. I suddenly felt so duped -- I believed all the great testimonials and was too gullible to understand that only people with positive outcomes were allowed to be in that community. So since I can't share it with people allowed to join that private group, I feel it is my responsibility to share my experience here: My experience in the Puerto Vallarta hospital was very hairy - I woke up after surgery in some kind of lounge with no one around me and in extreme pain - sobbing and begging for help, and after that at one point my blood pressure was so dangerously low that they wouldn't let me lay down anymore - forcing me into a sitting position, and I think it was possibly because the nurses gave me pain medicine twice at one point. Dr. Hidalgo was summoned to the room, and actually suggested perhaps my condition was because I hadn't taken my Wellbutrin for a couple of days. Um, what? I sincerely thought for a little while that I might die. Promises that the medical staff would check in on me at my hotel regularly after discharge from the hospital didn't materialize, and a bellboy had to track down Dr. Hidalgo to remove my staples because I was due to fly home. And then when I required intervention a couple of weeks later because I couldn't eat or drink anything due to the stricture, I was told by Dr. Hidalgo that I just needed a shot of cortisone (Seriously? Where?), and when they sent my "surgery report" to share with the U.S. doctor, it was actually just a generic report with my name at the top - not my report. It didn't even include my actual surgical information because it talked about the port they had installed, which I never had. When I asked for full records, including the swallow study/leak test done with X-Ray at the hospital before discharge, I was told that Dr. Hidalgo didn't have any of the records, and that it could be three or four months before he got it from the hospital. My diagnosis was that I had a severe stricture in my gastric sleeve in several places, and the five additional surgeries were to try to stretch and stent the stomach open, but nothing worked and I had to have a complete revision to a roux en Y gastric bypass because my stomach was unsavable. The Mayo surgeon's professional opinion based on my situation and the generic "surgery report" Hidalgo's team sent is that this stricture was caused by Dr. Hidalgo because he uses a bougie that is far too narrow. This is the tool used to size your new sleeve stomach, and Hidalgo uses size 18, while the medical standard in the U.S. is more like 28. Though I asked several times, Dr. Hidalgo would never provide my actual medical records or X-Rays from after the surgery, but the Mayo doctors believe the X-Ray immediately following the surgery shows the stricture, which left just a 1/4 inch opening and was slowly killing me. I didn't eat a solid piece of food for 140 days, I was anemic and malnourished and needing fluid IVs just to stay hydrated because I couldn't even force enough water down the narrow stricture. Half of my hair has fallen out, I was confused and exhausted for months due to malnutrition, and I could hardly function. I lost 75 pounds in four months, but I only had 100 pounds total to lose so that was a dangerous pace for someone my size . Yes, I lost weight, but this was not a safe way to do it and I was desperately sick the whole time. Besides, my procedures to fix my $4,200 gastric sleeve from Mexico cost more than $125,000 - thank GOD I have good health insurance because just the co-pays alone have caused me significant hardship. I'm sorry to share such a terrible story. I understand how hopeful it feels to finally have the opportunity to lose weight because I was desperate to do so. But I made bad choices, it seems, based on a fake Facebook "support group," and English-speaking staff, and a charming doctor. My advice is to choose slowly and well and to comb forums looking for posts from people who may not have had the best experiences with the clinic you choose. I have a network now of a couple of other people with an experience similar to mine from surgeries with Hidalgo's Weight Loss Team, and none of us ever saw anything negative ahead of our visits. People with complications need to share them for the benefit of people in the future. I would also recommend that you ask a surgeon for the technical aspects of their procedure and then compare them to the vast volumes of research available from doctors who practice in the U.S. The bougie size is a big deal, and so are the exact kind of staples used. And above all else, DO NOT leave Mexico without a copy of every medical record generated about your care, from the films of the leak test to hospital logs. Even in Spanish, they can be invaluable later to a team of doctors trying to help you if you have complications. I have learned these things the hard way, and it's been a rough road. If I could do it over, I would still have the gastric sleeve, maybe, but I would have been much more cautious in the process. I wish you all the best.

I had a great experience with Dr Ramos as my surgeon. The surgery went perfectly uncomplicated, My recovery was extremely quick, experienced zero side effect including no gas pain post op. As you can see by my stats the surgery was also successful. I guess as with everything your mileage may vary. To be clear I am not a Ramos fanboy, I am just very satisfied with the job I asked him to do. I wasn't looking for someone to make me feel good or fluff my ego. I was looking for competent surgeon and don't regret my choice. I actually did a lot of research before deciding on Dr Kelly. I learned that he had excellent training and actively keeps himself current. He has been doing VSG and other bariatric surgeries for well over a decade. He not only has likely done more bariatric surgeries than most other Mexican surgeons but at the same time has tackled many more high risk surgeries (i.e. super obese and /or concurrent significant medical commodities ) that other surgeons have avoided to keep their complication/death stats down. I also learned there is a great deal of non altruistic motivated politics in Mexico's bariatric scene.

I've thought the bariatric advantage mixed berry tasted like candy tbh

I had the same problem, so I switched from Bariatric Advantage to a Centrum chewable. No more nausea when I take it.

Hi Laney. I don't know if I have much to offer you, as my surgery was 11/29 but my bariatric RN said to wait till Monday to introduce the chewable vitamins. She said one a day for a couple of days then increase as tolerated. She did say break it up in your protein shakes. Maybe that will help? Hope you feel good today. I've been told every day is a little better than the last!🎉

At 32 years old, I was 5'7 and 305lbs. No serious health problems. My blood pressure was borderline high, but no other issues. I was married, with children, and liked myself. No self-esteem issues. By time I was 38, my blood sugars were inching up into the prediabetic range. My blood pressure shot through the roof, and I went on a blood pressure medicine. Walking up a steep hill had me vomiting at the top. Stairs had me seeing stars. I woke up one day, and just KNEW I needed surgery for my weight. (I have no idea where the idea came from because I hadn't heard of bariatric surgery for 20 years.. I just woke up with the idea.. weird!). I had surgery 8 months ago, self pay in Mexico, and have lost 105lbs. My blood pressure is down and I no longer need meds, I think my blood sugars are back to normal (I have a checkup this week, so will find out more). I can jog up a few steps, without issue, and the hill is no longer a major challenge. And here's the thing. I wasn't exercising before the surgery, and I haven't started yet, after. All of these benefits are JUST from losing the weight from surgery and by controlling my diet. That's it! Most patients start an exercise program right off the bat, but I didn't. One day I will, but at least I am a clean example of what surgery and caloric restriction can accomplish, even without exercise. With your knees in that condition, exercise for you should be in the swimming pool. This may be easy, or challenging, depending on your location/circumstances. For me, living in a too-large body interfered with a normal life in several ways. I couldn't fit in a plane seat (no honeymoon in Hawaii!), and waiting room chairs were always tight. Sex wasn't interesting or fun. I couldn't cross my legs, and tying shoes was a chore. Shaving my legs was a joke, and pubic hair maintenance? Can't maintain what you can't reach or see. Family reunions were a source of embarrassment (family isn't heavy), and even the thought of entering the workforce was a concern because standing on my feet for 8 hours was unimaginable. (I've been a stay at home Mom since 2008, but getting out of the house would be good.. emotionally and financially). Avoidance of pictures since my visage had become bloated and unrecognizable. That last makes it sound like there were self esteem issues, and by time I was 38, these issues HAD cropped up (more than there had been at 32). Now, ALL of these issues are better. Sex would be better if I exercised. I haven't started working yet, but now I feel confident that I'll be ABLE to. Looking in the mirror is like seeing an old friend. I didn't know how heavy the burden of obesity was, until the weight was lifted. I'm still 30-40lbs from goal, and I look forward to feeling better and better.

2 days post op and i started Bariatric Advantage mixed berry vitamin and I thought it was a little better this morning but same reaction a min later. Mouth watering and trying hard not to throw up. Did anyone else have this issue with Bariatric Advantage and does it go away? What brands do you like? Need an alternative stat.

Insurance companies have their requirements, and there is no getting out of working through their process. So, you waited for your insurance to cover the surgery (rather than, say.. going to Mexico for self-pay), so jumping through some hoops for 6 months or so really isn't a huge deal in the big-picture. I'm sorry about your losses Having cared for my hubby's grandfather (alzheimer's), and currently father (stroke), I know just how draining the care-giving roll can be. (And the relief when the patient is finally set free). It makes sense that you are now ready to turn the focus onto caring for YOU. Which is oh-so-needed right now. Use these months to learn as much about the surgery as you can. Don't just rely on the program to give you all the information you need. (It's a good starting place though). There is much more to living for the rest of your life as a bariatric patient than just consuming the special diet for two months after the surgery. The single most important change you need to make in your relationship with food is to come to see it simply as fuel/building blocks for your body. Pretty much all patients view food with a love/hate/crave/fear kind of relationship. All of that needs to go away and be replaced with "I eat because my body requires it". It's fine to ENJOY your food. But the hang-ups must be dropped. Nutritional deficiencies are rampant in the obese and bariatric populations. We need to FEED our bodies. Our excess fat will provide energy, but it doesn't help us with our protein/vitamin/mineral/fiber requirements. So, we need to learn to meet all THOSE requirements on a day to day basis, while consuming fewer calories. Surgery isn't magic. It's the ability to eat a small number of calories for months on end that results in the dramatic weight losses. By carefully controlling our diets, we can consume what we need in 700-1100 calories a day. I'm 8 months postop, and about 30 pounds from goal. I have not yet entered maintenance, but can tell that I will ALWAYS have to be "on a diet". I can already eat enough calories to stop losses in its tracks, (and a few extra bites every day would show up as regain) so it's up to me to limit how much I eat every day. I hope to live for another 40-50 years.. so I have to have long-term health as my goal, which means eating enough nutrient-dense food to rebuild/repair myself.

Grapes are totally high in sugar But it depends how much youre eating too A cup of grapes is 15g of sugar. But if youre eating 4-6oz of food at a meal, how much of that is really going to be grapes ? 2-3 grapes ? That being said a staple of bariatric eating is usually protein > veges > everything else (carbs). I dont think it makes a ton of sense adding them if youre only going to eat like two, but I dont think theres anything wrong with it either if that floats your boat (or youre cooking for a family that includes non bariatric diet folks)

Women should also have 60+ grams of protein per day. We were told over and over again that is a requirement for life before and after surgery in our educational classes. My Lapband to RNY surgery was done in July at the Honor Health Center for Bariatric Excellence in Scottsdale, AZ.

Being a gorgeous human must be a pre-requisite to be a bariatric surgeon because my surgeon is so handsome that my adult grand daughter wants to go with me to my appointments so she can see him. [emoji4] Very nice personality as well as highly skilled. I LOVE him. He says we are family now because I will continue to see him for years to come. Sent from my SM-J700T using BariatricPal mobile app

Generally the 6 month supervised diet requirement comes from the health insurance companies. If you were on a medically supervised exercise and weight loss regiment for six months prior to surgery through you primary care physician and if that physician would be willing to write a letter documenting you attempt, that might count. But generally that meant you paid visits to your doctors office once per month for each of those six months in order to qualify. In terms of recommending a hospital, I had surgery at a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery. These Centers of Excellence are available in many states. The Centers of Excellence provide a complete support for the surgery. There are many components that require a range of specialist beyond just a surgeon who specializes in Bariatric Surgery. They include nutritionist, psychologists, a hospital that specializes in bariatric surgery, staff that work insurance issues, pre-op testing, weight loss and exercise programs, bariatric surgery support group meetings, five years of post-op follow-ups. It is like a "full meal deal", no pun intended. Also back to insurance issues. For me the pre-op stage took around 9 months. Since most health insurance policies require a deductible. There is a good chance that the pre-op stage may stretch over two calendar years and therefore two deductible periods.

I went back down to Mexicali and was going to have the SAD-I done but after speaking with them I decided on the Duodenal Switch instead when I got there. I have nothing but good things to say about Mexicali Bariatric Center — I know they do the SAD-I but unfortunately I can’t speak on that procedure. I just reached my personal goal this morning ... I’m super happy!

I used Ultimate Bariatrics in Fort Worth. Their bariatric surgeons perform operations at Baylor Medical Center at Trophy Club. Regarding emotional overeating...bariatric surgery won't stop it. You'll lose a lot of weight at the start, then regain it all if the emotional overeating isn't totally nipped in the bud. You can eat an entire pizza with bariatric surgery...one slice every 45 minutes. You can eat 5 cheeseburgers with bariatric surgery...one burger every hour. I know you don't want to wait, but it is imperative to eliminate the emotional component of your eating so as to avoid wasting a perfectly good weight loss tool. Good luck to you. You can do this.

I can't speak to some of your specific questions, because different doctors/clinics/insurance providers (from what I've read) have different requirements. My first, and most important recommendation is to get yourself to an information session or even a bariatric surgery support group in your area. They will be able to better fill you in on what the doctors in your area require. My surgeon has asked me to lose 10% of my total body weight, not to prove that I'm committed to losing, but to help reduce the size of my liver. Many people I've seen on here don't have that requirement. And as to what your husband said... the weightloss yo-yo cycle is just that, a cycle. What worked for your husband isn't necessarily what will work for you. Only a tiny percentage of high BMI people who lose weight in a 'traditional' way will keep it off long term, and the losing and regaining repeatedly is so hard on the body (of course, you know that already). WLS isn't a magic pill, but it is an effective tool. I know that I probably haven't been all that helpful, but know that you aren't the only one facing these questions/fears. Information is power.

I plan to but they have me on a Bariatric reg diet by 12/26 and that’ll be two days before 1 month post op

How are u doing?? Are u still bleeding??? look me up in Facebook trina Carrie Robinson Stuart bariatric buddies

I usually drink one 30g shake, I’ve been eating a Bariatric 15g protein pancake every morning, and eat a chicken breast every day, and then usually a 15g protein snack. I feel like I’m getting my protein intake each day, but I know I haven’t been getting quite as much water as I should. I really have to force myself to drink water. I have seen where people say take in lots of protein, so I’m trying to get another shake in and hope that helps. :-/

I just joined this forum last night, and was enrolled in my bariatric program today. All appointments are set for the next few weeks, I have no waiting period or anything crazy from insurance like I thought I would. I'm set for surgery sometime the week of the 22nd. I can't believe it all progressed so quickly. I have been researching for a year and it is all so serendipitous! I look forwarding to getting to know a few of you and going through this. I've only told my husband- It's exciting to tell others here! Congratulations everyone!