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If you know the plan and can't stick to it just a few months after taking the big big step to have surgery then I would seriously advocate finding a therapist who specialises in bariatric surgery patients. I say this only with support and sympathy - I do not do 'holier than thou' ever. So many people have travelled the same road. It is SO SO hard not to eat when our hunger comes back. What we need to ensure is that the prospect of eating healthy food is preferable to the option to eat crap. If you can re-frame your relationship with food now you still have plenty of time to make the most of your chance. I do wish you the very best of luck.

I'm 5 days post op now and I also felt really weak and light headed. I think cause I slept in too long. I felt much better after taking some deep breaths. It's really hard to get all of my requirements in and I'm kind of worried about what would happen if I can't get it figured out. I need at least 64 ounces of fluids, 60 to 80 grams of protein and up to 1200 calories. Ahhh! I have bariatric fusion complete chewable vitamins and for bypass I need to get 4 or those in a day. I only got one today (I know if I got up earlier I'd have met that goal). Tomorrow is a new day and my son goes back to school so I'll be getting up earlier and hopefully I'll be able to get everything in. I'm gonna try to track things again. How does everyone get things in for the day? It seems hard.

I had gallbladder surgery aged 17 in 1976. This was before the days of keyhole. The surgeon was a butcher. Over the years I have had terrible pulling/ripping pains all the way down my internal torso. My bariatric surgeon said he had to free loads of scar tissue to do my sleeve surgery. My sleeve surgery took him 3 hours. I have never had a pulling pain since and I am very grateful. Its been a win win for me

My advice… All insurance companies should have their policy bulletins for Bariatric surgery, in writing. Call back and ask for that or an email stating exactly what is and isn’t required. Get.it.in.writing.

Hello everyone :)! I have my first consultation with my surgeon in a little over a month. I cannot wait to get it all started and I'm excited. This is something I thought about and tried to do on my own for years and I feel as though I'm ready to now use vsg as a tool to help me be healthy and happy now at 35 years old. With that being said, I called my insurance twice to make sure (I have Northwell Direct -ppo ) that they will cover all bariatric surgeries (especially vsg in particular) and to see if they have any pre-approval requirements. According to the two people I've called and spoken to, any bariatric surgery I choose is 100% covered since my bmi is 45, including everything associated with the surgery before and after. Also they both claim that there are no requirements on my plan from my insurance company to get do to be approved...(no weighs-in necessary, no 3 month or 6 month programs, no steps to take.) With that being said I'm assuming that it will be all in my surgeons hands, no? Has anyone been told that their insurance only requires a bmi of over 40 or 35 with comorbidites, and than had a surgeon who had minimal requirements? Has anyone had no requirements (besides bmi) from your insurance, but your surgeon still had you on weight monitoring and/or a 6 month plan? Has anyone had no requirements (besides bmi) from your insurance and been fast tracked with your surgeon? I'm sorry for all the questions, I'm just new here and to all of this and through my months of research it seems to be that the standard for vsg is at least getting bloodwork, getting a pysch evaluation, meeting with a nutritionist and a lot of the times getting a sleep study and/or seeing a cardiologist. I have a ppo therefore I don't need pcp approval to see specialists. I'm hoping to get some feedback for others experience since I can't find one article, post or video on the internet about Anyone who has my health insurance and getting bariatric surgery so looking for tips or insight from others under my exact insurance has been a dud. 😕

I don’t understand why your doctor wants you to speak to your dietician about your low iron levels except to maybe review your current diet & see if something is missing or there is something extra you could add. Has your doctor has you to arrange an appointment to discuss your results & prescribe or recommend an additional supplement or an infusion if needed??? Unless your level isn’t that low & dietary changes should be enough??? 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve heard it can take some time for your iron levels to go up again too. Low iron levels seems to becoming more common these days for all women not just bariatric patients. I have several friends (none have had surgery) who need to take iron supplements or have transfusions because of low iron levels. Never knew one 10 years ago. PS - I have a protein absorption issue thanks to my gall removal. Not related to my sleeve. (Also stopped me absorbing my HRT meds - God bless the patch.)

I resposted your experience in both our FaceBook groups: Gastric Sleeve Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GastricSleeveSupport/permalink/5377631009006951/ and Bariatric Surgery Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBariatricSurgerySupportGroup/permalink/2503349566499729 I hope this brings more awareness to your situation and assists other when deciding on a surgeon or facility to use in Mexico.

4 days out now. How many ounces should I be having of liquids? I don't think it was in discharge papers or the other papers I got from my bariatric center. I can't wait for pureed!

If I could give it less stars I would. I had surgery at OCC in Mexico over ten years ago (lap band) and the surgery center was state of the art, clean and everyone spoke english. The care was impeccable. This time, after reading many positive reviews, I chose Mexico Bariatric Ctr. Unfortunately, my experience there was the opposite. They were extremely fraudulent in their advertising and the entire was nothing less than DANGEROUS! Here is a list of things that were fraudulent: 1. Only one nurse out of about 20 spoke English. When I asked for jello, they brought me a pillow. They did not know how to use translators on their phone. When I began having complications this is where things could have gone very wrong. I'll explain more later. 2. The conditions of the hospital (pictures below). There was no hot water in our bathroom. The shower was full of thick green mold. The shower doors were broken off and unusable. The floor drain is held by duct tape. The mirror fell off the wall and sat on the floor. We had no handsoap (luckily I brought sanitizer to Mexico with me). The air conditioner was BROKEN. It was so hot they opened the window for us for our entire stay. Unfortunately there is ALOT of construction and traffic noise 24 hrs p/day so sleep was impossible. The trash was overflowing and never changed over a 4 day stay. Needles, bloody bandages were on the floor. The hospital building is dilapidated and should be condemned. Many patients were told that MBC is moving to a new building in April, but when I asked the administrators they said maybe next year and they have no building chosen yet. Ice was made into chips by the pulling a bag out of the freezer and smashing it with a metal weight (like for fishing) for each cup ...this went on outside our room 24 hrs per day. They picked it up with their bare hands, off of a counter that was not wiped clean first, and put it in a cup for you. 3. My doctor never met me before or after surgery until I finally told a specialist doctor and she reached out to him. The anesthesiologist also did not speak to me before surgery. 4. The toilets in the waiting area were dirtier than most gas station bathrooms. The one in our room was about the same. 5. When we requested pain meds the first 24 hours after surgery the nurse stated it was only allowed every 12 hours and we had to request them. On the third day when a specialist had to come see me, we learned that they were written for every 6 hours WITHOUT request necessary. Both my roommate and I were in excruciating pain the first 24 hours and only got two doses of pain meds rather than four. 6. DANGEROUSLY LOW OXYGEN LEVEL. I let them know ahead of time that I brought my cpap and sometimes have difficulties with oxygen exchange after anesthesia. Right after surgery my oxygen level dropped to 80 (normal is 95-100). They gave me a canula (hose that goes under your nose to administer oxygen) but it wasn't giving me enough. So they gave me a full mask. But when night time came and I needed to use a cpap they told me to not use my cpap, but for me that is super dangerous so then they said stop using oxygen....my level dropped to 78! Organ damage can begin at that low of a level. The nurse stated I didn't need oxygen anymore (luckily this was the nurse who spoke english). I asked for a doctor and the specialist came in. They did not have any idea what to do for me. So I decided to wear the canula under my cpap mask. Karla (administrator for MBC came by and said "Don't worry about the canula, the water in your cpap will mix with the air and make oxygen". Ok, first of all Karla is not a medical professional, not a nurse and clearly had no idea what she was talking about and luckily I knew enough not to listen to her. My oxygen level did straighten out the next day thank goodness. 7. I came home with two of my incisions infected. They were red and swollen in about a 3" radius each. Two weeks of doxycycline before they cleared up. Nothing was sterile at this hospital. Nurses did not wear gloves for wound care but when you ask them to, they CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOU! With all that they charge it seems they could buy an ice machine for sterile ice chips, a/c that works etc. Even our toilet seat was broken and you had to be super careful how you sat on it. It doesn't appear that ANY MONEY goes into the hospital. 8. I was charged 450$ in extra fees that they refuse to explain what they are for. You must pay before they will take you to the border. 9. I was overcharged, their receipt shows a $300 overpayment but they won't send it for 12 weeks! 10. I called to speak with Mr. Ron Elli in San Diego who is the director. He refused to speak to me, hear my complaints or respond in any way. I am now 5 weeks post op. I understand that there are quite a few good reviews, but in reviewing them upon my return home I realized they are from 2019 and 2020. Perhaps the hospital was in better shape then, I don't know. Useful Funny Cool

I had VSG surgery in September 2021, and had a REALLY rough go of it recovering. I had a really rare set of complications, ended up in the hospital for a week, and generally felt like I was starving to death for 4 or 5 months. About six months before my surgery, my husband had purchased me a motorcycle. I'm very short, and it was one of the few bikes I had even a prayer of being able to reach the ground on and be able to hold up on my own. I attempted to take the class to learn how to ride and because of the stress of attempting to hold up a 400 pound machine when it was clear my pre-surgery body was still struggling to just carry 150 extra pounds. It was too much. I couldn't finish the class, never got my endorsement on my license, and the bike sat while I was completely terrified of it. After my surgery and I got to a point where I was alert, able to safely drive my car and didn't have concerns about fainting...we traded the too-tall bike for a three-wheeled one that I didn't have to worry about being able to hold up, that fit my dimensions perfectly. At the time I was doing much better than in the beginning, but I was still struggling to eat. I was 5 months out from surgery and still only eating 4-500 calories a day because it was all that would fit. Once I got my license and started being able to ride my new toy, though, I was hooked. It BECAME the reason I pushed myself to eat more, the reason I pushed myself to keep myself hydrated, because I needed to make sure I was nourished enough to be safe, and properly fueled enough to keep going as long as I wanted to. Operating the bike also helped build back a lot of the muscle mass I lost while recovering because it's quite a workout on the shoulders, core, and hips to steer and corner. In a matter of a couple months I went from still incredibly weak, and almost still regretting the surgery, to being stronger, more confident, and having successfully lost more weight than I could have imagined when I started this process. 18 months out, I'm in so much better shape than in the beginning, I'm already considering giving two wheels a shot again, and the confidence I gained by coming out the other side of this life-changing process makes me wonder what else I am capable of that I never dreamed I would be. TL;Dr this is the story of how my weird little motorcycle helped me recover from bariatric surgery. What is your weird thing that helped you recover and get to know your "new" self?

Hi everyone, I’m new to the forums and WLS with VSG scheduled for 3/13. I’m currently 41, 5’3” and 213lbs. I’ve always been one to envision my goals for success. It works for me, but I’m genuinely struggling with picturing myself at the suggested goal weight of 125-135. I can’t recall a time where I was ever that small. Even at 13, I was 177lbs. The lightest I’ve ever been in my adult life was 181 at size 14. I can picture myself there, but trying to picture myself at a size 12 or lower feels like imagining myself getting accepted into the NASA space program. Not impossible but seriously (seriously) unlikely. When my bariatric team asked about a personal goal weight, I said 170. I didn’t want them to look at me like, “uh, you need to be realistic here.” Beyond that, I can only recall 177 in my mind from middle school so 170 sounds possible. I tried making a goal board with images of the clothes I’d like to wear and things I want to do, but it feels.. unrealistic? Ugh. I’m actually annoyed with myself if you can believe it. Did (or have) you ever felt this way? I want to succeed but I know I need to believe I can do it before I can make it happen. Thoughts welcome!

Are you talking about Georgia? If you have private or company insurance, that depends on your plan. As far as the State's Medicaid plan, you will need to contact them directly to get the specifics and their criteria. Not all bariatric surgeons will accept Medicare or Medicaid patients because of the extreme discount rates of assignment. In general Medicare and Medicaid pay less than half of what other insurance companies pay.

Exciting news for all bariatric patients! The BariatricPal Store has added the delicious and nutritious Protein2o Orange Mango Whey Protein Isolate Powder to its product line. This powder is perfect for those looking for a premium whey protein isolate with a burst of tangy orange and juicy mango flavor. Not only does it taste amazing, but it's also lower in calories and contains 0g of sugar, making it a great option for those trying to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. And, with the added electrolytes, it provides the fuel you need to tackle your next adventure. If you're a fan of fruity flavors, this powder is a must-try! Personally, it's one of my favorite protein powders, and I'm sure you'll love it too. So head to the BariatricPal Store and get your hands on this amazing product today!

I have low(er) iron levels. When I did blood work at 6 months, the doctor told me to add an iron pill every other day, on top of the 45mg already in the Bariatric vitamins. I haven't done my next set of blood work yet, so I can't tell you how my numbers have changed. Obviously you should listen to your nutritionist, but this is what happened to me. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi all , I am 6 months out , on Bariatric Pal Multivitamin One chewable plus 45mg iron tablet , but it's still not doing it .I only had the tests done yesterday and first thing today the doctor texted and said you are very low on iron .She told me to get in touch with my dietician for her to decide what's to be done , but I only have her e mail so don't know when she'll reply . Has this happened to you ? what did you get told ? please don't suggest including more fruit and veg or red meat into my diet , as I am struggling with "ordinary" food going down as it is . Many thanks for reading x

Yes I did 2 huge amazon orders. Lol. I believe I have everything. I ordered this food kit just for bariatric surgery. I have a my vitamins, I even bought some under garmets for the surgery too. To lessen having loose skin plus skin tightening cream. What do you have so far? Plus I got the food measuring cups Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

Cleared for pureed stage! Enjoyed my cottage cheese this morning and ordered a bariatric recipe book.

It's common to feel nervous about stretching your stomach after bariatric surgery, especially in the early stages of recovery. However, it's important to listen to your body and trust the process. Slowing down between bites and being mindful of the foods you're eating can help you better identify feelings of fullness

It's not recommended to chew and spit out solid foods, even if it's just for the flavor, as this can disrupt the healing process and negatively impact your weight loss progress after bariatric surgery. It's important to stick to a clear liquid diet for the first few weeks post-op and then slowly transition to pureed and soft foods as recommended by your doctor or dietitian. It's important to follow their guidelines and avoid any foods that may not be suitable for your specific type of surgery.

Thank you all for the in depth and very helpful responses. I think my biggest hurdle is my current state of loneliness and lack of self worth. The fear that if I can’t stick to no sugar now, how can I trust myself not to slip and use slider foods. I think I have to find some faith in myself. I am also exhausted all the time. I think I can handle the alone part as I am excellent at handling things that most people think they can’t do alone, probably because they have people in their lives. I do see how it would be very helpful for the first year post op. My friends are supportive, but visits to family are another story. My mom encourages overeating. I actually have to pay for the surgery myself. I work for a great company and have great insurance with a Bariatric surgery exclusion. Since it is private insurance, there is no getting around it. I can contribute to my FSA and confirmed that I can use that to help pay, even if I have surgery in Mexico. A little pre-tax help at least. This is definitely a big financial commitment for me. I actually have a before picture from 2017. I was a different person. I don’t recognize me now. I have to find the me that is hiding inside of me. I am actually afraid to post pictures online of what I look like. I am so physically uncomfortable. I remember the girl that had energy and laughed and did things. It feels so far away. I am going to keep reading and start coming up with ideas for my post-op care box if I make the decision to go forward.

Hello All, I had my RYGB surgery on 2/14/23. I am just wondering if anyone else had or has issues with brain fog since surgery? If so how long did it last? The only thing I am taking is OTC Tylenol, my bariatric vitamin, Wellbutrin, Colace, Phillips colon health and just started the actigall today. I am also getting 62+ ozs of liquids in me daily since Sunday.

check with the insurance company or your employer. It looks like they generally do not cover bariatric surgery, but there might be some exceptions. With some insurance companies, employers have the option to purchase "riders" for various services that aren't covered by the basic policy. If this is true in this situation, it could be that your company may have purchased the bariatric surgery rider, but there's no way of knowing that unless you check with them (your employer) or the insurance company. If the company doesn't offer an optional rider to the employers, then it could be that they just don't cover bariatric surgery except in specific situations. If that's the case, only the insurance company can answer that question for you.

Welcome! You have some very good questions, and the fact that you are thinking about these things is great. Weight loss surgery isn't for everyone, and I think it's really important to make the decision with your eyes wide open and be prepared for the good, the bad, and the ugly. This forum is a great place to read about other people's experiences with WLS so you can know what to expect. Pay particular attention to catwoman7's posts -- she is a great example of a WLS success story, who lost all of her excess weight and has kept it off long-term (and she is a true bariatric guru with lots of excellent advice and insight). Just about all of us have had many failed weight loss attempts in the past. Most insurance companies require evidence of failed weight loss attempts before they'll pay for surgery, because surgery is a pretty drastic solution and few people would want to go through it if they could lose and maintain weight loss without surgery. But many of us who have failed so many times before have been successful with WLS. It is true that some people gain back some or all of the weight (or don't lose as much weight as they need to) after WLS because, as you've figured out, WLS isn't magic. It still takes a lot of work and commitment and (as much as I hate the term) lifestyle changes. I get the impression that in the early years of WLS, the emphasis was on the restriction (and, to some extent, malabsorption) of surgery -- the physical limitations that made it impossible to overeat and/or that made the patient ill from eating too much fat or sugar. Patients mainly relied on eating smaller quantities to lose weight. This works in the short term, but the restriction loosens up over time (so you can eventually eat more in one sitting), and if you continue eating high-calorie foods and/or get in the habit of eating around your surgery by eating smaller portions more frequently, you can easily increase your calorie consumption back to the point of regaining weight. For me (and many others), WLS made the initial weight loss much easier than dieting alone because I had no hunger for several months after surgery, but I do get hungry now and it's a challenge to stick to my plan. I think that these days, most WLS clinics have a more comprehensive approach and provide more guidance on dietary changes. After WLS, you pretty much reboot your eating patterns, almost like a baby. You go back to consuming only liquids, then pureed and mushy foods, and tiny bites of soft foods before you get back to eating like an adult. I think this process is the turning point for your long-term path after WLS. You can either take advantage of this opportunity to get into good habits of eating nutritious food, or you can get back into your old eating habits once you are physically able to eat normal foods again (which can ultimately lead to regain). As far as how WLS affects mental health, that is very dependent on the individual and not necessarily predictable. I think it's safe to say that most people's mental health benefits greatly from weight loss because living with obesity is incredibly difficult, but of course there are instances of unexpected negative results. If you have a history of mental health issues, that's something to discuss with your provider as part of your decision (and most insurance companies and clinics require a psychological consultation to make sure you are mentally/emotionally prepared for surgery). I did my surgery completely alone. I'm 2.5 years post-op and haven't told any family, friends, or coworkers about my surgery. I live alone and had no help after my surgery. I was fortunate to have a pretty easy recovery, so I had no problems taking care of myself (although I later developed bradycardia due to the rapid weight loss and had to get a pacemaker). In a way, I think living alone makes the post-op life easier because I have complete control over the food purchasing and preparation in my house. I simply don't buy foods that don't fit in my plan, so it is easy to avoid temptation. I encourage you to continue to research WLS and read about other people's experiences as you make your decision. Good luck!

there's quite a bit of variation between surgeons for food plans, so there aren't any standards. Some clinics have their patients on low carb plans, or ultra low carb plans, and some just have you follow a balanced diet. Your clinic will give you their guidelines sometime before surgery. For vitamins, I'll attach the ASBMS (American Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery) list of requirements. You have to scroll down a little to see them - but they do have them listed for each type of surgery. Most clinics pretty much follow these, so these tend to be more standard across clinics than the food plans are. But here it is in case you're curious: ASMBS-Nutritional-Guidelines-2016-Update.pdf

My insurance already approved it before anything. I just had to do the requirements that the bariatric center requires (of course require by insurance too). Monthly appointments Nutritionist 2 times Psych eval Fitness class Behavior modification class A bunch of testings, blood work, ultrasound, xray, ekg I believe Once I completed everything, I thought I had to wait for my approval call, I waited until January and no one called so january 9th I think it was, I called the bariatric center and they said I didn't need to wait for an approval call that my surgery already approves it. They transferred me to the surgeons office and set up my surgery and post op appointment that day. I started back in june, so 7 months to get my surgery date.