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tl;dr at the bottom I could use some advice. I went to see my dietician today (not a bariatric surgery dietician, I can explain why I am seeing her if you want to know). She knows I am going to have weight loss surgery as long as I hit the goal weight my insurance told me I need to be at. I have to be at the goal weight by June 24, 2023, in order for my insurance to pay for my surgery. I had a weigh in the doctor's office a couple of days ago and weighed 301, my scale at home said 302. However, on the same day, the scale at a friend's house said 313. I knew I had this Dietician appointment two days later and I knew she would weigh me. I continued to weigh myself at home (after getting new batteries) and I was at 302 then 299 and today at home I weighed 303, right before my appointment, when I got to her office I was weighed and it said 313. I am concerned about what to believe since the doctor's office and my scale show similar numbers. I also bought a new scale today and it said 313. The Dietician told me I needed to eat more protein, which honestly I struggle with. she said I needed 150 grams!! I said are you kidding? that seems like a lot. She used my weight to come up with this number. Should I really be trying to eat enough protein for a 300-lb person or should I be eating protein for a goal-weight person (mine is 170)? also, my clothing is loose like I lost the 20 lbs mine and the doctor's scale shows, and not 10 lbs like everyone else's scale shows. Also, I have always naturally been more muscular even when I was 120 lbs and did not eat any protein aside from what is in plants. tl:dr- should I be eating enough protein to support a 300lb person or should I be eating protein for a "normal" sized person? AND should I trust the Doctors scale more so than the Dietician's scale?

For treating a regain problem, I prefer the DS as it is stronger metabolically than either the VSG or RNY - the RNY is too close to the VSG in strength to reliably offer a significant improvement in weight loss, from what I have seen over the years. Figure maybe 20lb loss on average - about what one would expect from going through all the intense dieting associated with going through surgery again. (There are some who do significantly better, bit it seems to be more a function of their determination to "make this work" or "not screw it up again" than the actual surgery itself. Call it something like a surgical placebo, lol.) By your surgeons not finding the codes for the DS implies that they are talking about the newer SIPS/SADI/"loop DS" which is a single anastomosis adaptation of the traditional BPD/DS (biliopancreatic diversion) which has been routinely covered by US insurance and Medicare for the past 14-15 years, but is a more complex procedure that relatively few bariatric surgeons perform. Some practices that do the SIPS/SADI use the BPD/DS billing codes which is technically insurance fraud, but if they're comfortable doing it, that's their concern. Revising the VSG to a DS, of either flavor, is straightforward as each use the VSG as its basis (some don't even consider it a revision, more a "completion" of the ultimate configuration.) The strong point of the BPD/DS is its regain resistance - regain is possible as it is with any of these procedures, but it is harder. I know many with the DS who are 10-20 years out (my wife included) who are still maintaining a healthy weight; some are up a bit more and working on losing their "Covid 19" - just like "normal" people but major regains are relatively uncommon. The SIPS/SADI type of DS seems to fall somewhere in between the VSG/RNY and the BPD/DS - I have seen a few in the various forums who have had it and seem to be doing well with it, but it doesn't have as long a history. Any of these procedures - the RNY, DS or SIPS - will be somewhat fussier and less care-free than your VSG when it comes to supplements and follow up; the RNY is maybe a bit less so, but one can get into some serious trouble with any of them if one slacks off. If keeping up with supplements and annual labs is not an issue with you, then any of them should be fine.

ughhhh...Ladies seek the counsel of your surgeon, bariatric nurse, dietician and psychologist (if applicable) Their experience and advice hopefully will help you. Bingeing is an illness for many on top of obesity and therefore your situation should not be taken lightly. Good luck

If your in the Detroit Location ! I highly Recommend Dr. Jeffrey Genaw out of Henry Ford Main. He is a Fantastic Surgeon, but he's not that swift on aftercare. "That was 5 1/2 years ago." He might have learned some things by now. But for Surgery ! ! ! I don't know of a better one. In Mid Michigan I would go see Ernest Cudjoe. I see him for my fills and he to is rated with a Center of Excellence. He's in Claire, but sees people in Midland. Hurley Bariatric Center in Flint is also a Center of Excellence, and a few of there Dr.'s were trained by Dr. Genaw. So location here is everything. Any questions about them, get back and I can help. Shirley. The problem with going to Mexico, is trying to get a Dr. to touch you after someone else's work. I know its tempting, but if you have a good Dr. here, and you need a unfill because your to tight or something, If its done here you go to your Dr. Out of the Country who will touch you ?, Think about that.

Yes, he is, the hospital is, the staff is, the attention is. He was voted one of the TWENTY-FIVE BEST bariatric surgeons IN THE WORLD, by his PEERS, other doctors. His fees for all this are VERY reasonable. His success rate is phenomenal. I had to borrow the money, fly four thousand miles, spent 10 days and 10,000, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I was almost 64, had an enlarged liver, HBP, VERY high cholesterol, and had to go to my ER for chest pains a week before going. He had some difficulties during surgery with my heart beat, took his time and did it right. If I had gone to one of those Tijuana mills, I could very well have been just another statistic, for half the price, but what would THAT matter? Better than 98% of American doctors and half the price, what more could you ask for? Well, he doesn't have much a a sense of humor that I saw, but hey, you know...

I just took a sample of this today. I was really afraid because the Bariatric Advantage makes me sick. I was fine with this one. Actually came on here to read reviews of it. There isn't much, is there? Would love to hear from others who are taking this. My NUT recommends double the normal Vitamin amounts. Would I still double this vitamin?

I researched many doctors before deciding on my surgeon. I honestly felt comfortable with Garcia, Lopez, Alvarez, Aceves and Cabrera. Cabrera is a newer surgeon but he still has nearly 3000 bariatric surgeries under his belt-Way more than the US doctor I was considering. I finally chose Cabrera, but I don't think I would have gone wrong with any of these doctors. I think it's like choosing a college, Harvard might be right for YOU, but Yale or Princeton might meet someone else's needs.

Dr. Aceves is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. (FACS.org) This means that the American College of Surgeons has done an extensive background check on the doctor. He has to exceed the same standards as a US surgeon. His background is completely verified, his licensing, credentials, certifications, absolutely everything. If he does not maintain his reputation and current standards he cannot maintain his affiliation with the FACS. FACS is a really impressive issue in the world of medicine. Not all US doctors can maintain the background and honesty necessary to be a Fellow of the ACS. But Dr. Aceves can. There is a doctor in MX that claims to have almost 600 VSG procedures completed. He claims to have been doing this procedure for 3.5 years. Yet according to his CV he was just trained in the procedure 2.5 years ago. We know full well he has not done as many VSG procedures as he claims but unless you know what to look for you won't know that his statistics are impossible. This is why going to an FACS surgeon is critical whether you are going to a US or MX surgeon. Surgeons from all over the world (including the US) inflate their stats so they appear more experienced than they are. If they told the truth about their inexperience they wouldn't get any business. So, they are less than honest. Dr. Aceves is the Vice President of the Mexican version of the American Bariatric Assn. This is a position that is voted, so the doctors of MX voted him into this position. They recently voted again and he will be President this year. There is another organization called the International Federation of Surgical Obesity. (IFSO.com) This is an organization where weight loss surgeons all over the world belong. A few years ago Dr. Aceves holds the position of Secretary for this organization so this means that even the US doctors voted him into this office. Dr. Aceves is a proctor surgeon meaning he trains other doctors in various bariatric procedures. He typically travels to one country a month and either attends lectures to further his own knowledge on the new advances in medicine or he trains other doctors in various surgical procedures. He recently returned from Chile and Argentina training their doctors in the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. He trains US surgeons in the various procedures as well. Mexico has been doing the sleeve longer than US doctors and there are simply very few doctors willing to train other US doctors because then they would have competition. Dr. Aceves believes competition in this procedure is good as patients have more surgeons to choose from. Dr. Aceves has done over 2200 Lap Bands, over 1000 Gastric Sleeves, and over 1000 Gastric Bypass procedures. This means he has over 900 staple lines, a technique that is critical in a safe surgery for a VSG procedure. When researching surgeons you want someone that has done at least 250 VSG and at least 250 Gastric Bypass procedures. The reason is that the Gastric Bypass procedure has a very difficult staple line. It is an interrupted staple line and quite difficult to do. If a surgeon can do the more difficult Gastric Bypass staple line, he can do the easier VSG staple line. (This was sent to me over 3 years ago, so I am sure he has done way more sleeves by now) Leaks are a potential problem with this procedure but he has a technique where he over sews the staple line and we believe this one of the many reasons he has never had a leak with a VSG. I think one big issue here to remember is that just because someone is practicing in the US, that does not make them a good or skilled surgeon. Just because someone is in MX does not mean they are not a skilled surgeon or a person without ethics. I had a choice to go to any surgeon I wanted for my own sleeve and the only doctor I wanted to go to was Dr. Aceves. He is the surgeon with the most skill, the best stats, the best reputation, and the safest location. I include US doctors in that assessment as well when it comes to the sleeve procedure. I am a nurse, I've been in his OR many times during surgery and after watching him operate I was quite certain he is the only surgeon I wanted operating on me. Another upside to going to Dr. Aceves. In the US if you have the VSG you will likely spend one night in the hospital. Dr. Aceves does not agree with this. He keeps you in a fully equipped hospital for three nights following surgery. He believes you need to be medically supervised, have a total of three leak tests to be 100% certain you have no leak upon returning home, and he wants someone monitoring your vital signs, drain tube, and he wants someone available to manage your pain should you have any. He does not believe in sending you home before three nights/four days. Keep in mind, we completely and totally depend on reputation for business. We have no insurance companies referring patients, we have to do it by reputation. Dr. Aceves has been operating on US citizens for many years. He wouldn't have the reputation he does if he didn't do the best possible job for each patient. He has a great rep because we all do the job the right way. He has another belief, he only hires educated people around him. I am his patient coordinator and I am an RN. Most in this position (US or MX) are merely patients that have had surgery, they do not necessarily have any medical training. His Office Manager (my boss) is an engineer by trade. Her Office Assistant is a Law student. His OR techs (OR techs are used in the US and typically have 9 months of training) are actually 4 year RNs. His hospital coordinator is a retired teacher that previously taught English in the MX school system. His Aftercare Specialist is a PhD. She is a licensed psychologist in MX and available to all Dr. Aceves patients by phone or email. This was sent to me by Dr. Aceves' office when I had my surgery. I don't think they are telling lies about his experience and certifications.

Yea my insurance excludes it too, so I’m trying to do my homework and get the best deal. The kicker is, I am a physician assistant who works for a Bariatric physician (non surgical) and have been on a vlcd for 5 years with little success. So all I really need is the procedure... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Self pay- Texas Bariatric Specialists - Dr. Reddy Surgery $8,999 and they repaired my hernia as well, no extra charge! Sleep study $375 Psych Eval $199 EKG $67 Chest X Ray $133.77 Swallow Study $250 Nutrition $50 The rest was meds and labs Yes, other than labs everyone can see now how much insurance jacks up the prices! total $12,900

4 days post-op and feeling good. Walked a MILE today! Stopped to sit down very briefly halfway through and paused to stretch a couple of times. It took me almost 24 minutes, but I did it! My doctor allows sugar-free low carb Greek yogurt and sugar free nonfat pudding during this initial liquid diet stage. Today, I put sugar-free PBFit powder in vanilla Oikos Greek yogurt and it was amazing. I could not eat the whole container, but it's a 5.3 ounce container, so that makes sense! I am also enjoying the bariatric chicken soups for a little variety away from all the sweet flavors.

Best of luck! This is not easy, banish that I couldn't do it on my own self talk! I'm betting you have lost weight lots of times "on your own", but made this decision based on long term success and the strong science that supports bariatric surgery. Safe travels

I quit taking my vitamins and calcium pills because they were so big and hard to swallow for me. My blood test results came back with only a slight deficiency in iron and B12, and that was it. I couldnt believe the results, my Dr. did get on to me and told me to take chewable ones instead. But now i only take one bariatric chewable vitamin a day, thats it.

Surgery July 18th and I have to be honest and say I have had a couple of days of buyers remorse... but several people tell me that’s normal even Bariatric nurse case manager.. out of surgery wanted 34 ounces of water which was damn near impossible.. some of the things by body likes my stomach doesn’t like carnation no sugar added breakfast essentials.. I’m post op day 9 and my stomach is still the boss of what it likes... things that are too cold or too hot it doesn’t like... my nausea has improved and the pain is just with movements.. the spasms are less frequent primarily when things are to cold or my stomach is full... I prefer to eat protein and not drink protein.... i can’t wait for that stage..

Is anyone else cold all the time? I used to be very warm-natured. Heck, I was sweaty, even in winter. But now I'm freakishly cold-natured. My fingers are ice cubes. I went from not always bothering with a winter coat to needing to wear hat, scarf, and gloves to leave the house. I drive with gloves on sometimes, because the steering wheel is too cold. I'd heard this happens to some people after bariatric surgery, but it's still been surprising.

I dont know. Went to the hospital today for dehydration and found out its twins! So im looking for a high risk ob and meet with my bariatric surgeon Wed! Im praying for great nutrition and healthy babies. Will keep you posted. Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk

You won’t find that many pictures of men as only 20% of bariatric procedures are done on men. It’s a crazy statistic but true. More men need to be educated about the benefits of bariAtric surgery. I’m 3 months post sleeve and down 80 pounds. Life changing. And now I’m starting to blog about it to hopefully help other men find what we did. Follow me on Twitter@fatguysurvival. My pic is on there.

Ahh congratulations on the bump! It sounds like at this point, an obgyn’s perspective may be more helpful than your Bariatric surgeon’s. Stuff like this is why I went and got the Kyleena- because I could totally see this sort of thing happening to me. That said, as you mentioned, it is a super common phenomenon post wls... and from what I’ve saw- it usually ends up perfectly fine with a healthy baby and a healthy mom. My understanding is that the big reason why they don’t want us getting pregnant within the first two years is because this is when we can lose the most from the surgery and not so much that it’s dangerous to the baby. So take a deep breath, exhale and sip, sip, sip.

So far, I've walked about 8 406 steps today. I went to the new hospital they built (and will soon be offering bariatric surgery) to see about the plans they have for offering support groups. So far, nobody knows but I walked along the St. Vrain trail until I got to the trailhead and had to walk along Highway 119 with the prarie dogs. The heat, combined with the fact that my legs keep rubbing against each other, probably means I need to rest for a little while and wait for sundown before trying to get the remaining 1 600 steps.

I got a call from the bariatric nurse today. “We can schedule your surgery for October 2nd.” That’s two weeks away! And granted, that’s pending insurance approval, but holy cow! I’ve been in the program since March and everything has taken so long due to COVID. I just had my EGD last week, I guess I was just expecting a lot more waiting before getting a surgery date. I’m excited, but at the same time, I kind of wanted to have one last food (and drink) hurrah with friends before surgery. But not going to complain... the wait is almost over!

Thanks! It's a childhood nickname, in fact nothing to do with preserves! I hope you get your date confirmed soon. Have you had previous bariatric surgery? I have a band, so I'm having that whipped out at the same time (at least 'm hoping both can be done at the same time!)

Attitude has a lot to do with it! Recovery is temporary....and this change will be such a positive step to a healthy life! I have done great so far with very little pain. I went in with that mindset and I think that helps! Release the fear....everyone I have spoken to has had a bariatric procedure says it was the best decision of their life with no regrets! Like anything in life you just have to do the work! Follow post op instructions and know this is the beginning of something wonderful [emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️

Hello I live in Suwanee GA I am scheduled to be sleeved tomorrow Oct. 7th. Dr. Titus Duncan, Peachtree Bariatrics. I am a little nervous and excited

I love Mondays, my official weigh day, now that the scale is once again moving in the right direction. I'm still 219 as of this morning, but I'm thrilled! It means I'm officially headed in the right direction. I actually didn't expect it to move this morning since I did just drop about 10 pounds in a couple weeks. Not that I'll complain if it wants to take another big dip downwards. I'm kind of bummed this morning because my family has been posting about the 4" of snow they got overnight and how they're expecting 3" more. Normally, we're west of them by about 5 hours and get the same weather just a day earlier. Looking out at my NON-snow covered lawn, it's apparent that I was gyped!! Where's my snow?! Denise: I like that...a 20 year renewal only. My husband and I celebrated our 20th last June and I told him it was successful enough to renew for at least another 20...but, of course, there's always the fine print. Elcee: I don't care for the forum changes either. It still seems really clunky and I especially don't like the fact that I can't get a preview of what a thread is about by mousing over the title of the thread. I don't worry about getting notifications. I just pop in to at least this thread every day. Jackie: Welcome! Yes it is amazing what we can do when we take off even 40 pounds. 40 pounds ago, if I got down on my knees to look under the bed, there was a serious question of whether I'd be able to lift myself to a standing position again. Now, I do it without a thought. Stacie: Can't you just cancel that order, since they haven't charged it, and go buy it at the store? If they haven't shipped it yet, who knows whether they'll ship it in time at this point. I am so hoping your band is ok!! Good vibes for the 16th! Melody .