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She should consult with a bariatric surgeon., they will likely be able to find something that can help. But definitely no ibuprofen before or after for a while. Having said that, after bruising my rib, my dr said Advil was okay for that as needed. I was a little over a week post-op.

I like Bariatric Advantage multi-fruit flavored chewable.

I'm in the same position, however after talking to the insurance specialist at the Bariatric center they told me that the 6 months requirement are very similar and will be valid for the next carrier. You'd most likely pick up where you left off. I'm going from bsbc to blue shield, and my 6th visit will be in beginning of December.

Thank you : ) My thinking is similar, although they require all fees paid before they will schedule the surgery, so offering to do so is kind of a moot point. But I am still trying to negotiate it based on the fact that they promote their self pay prices as being fair due to being half of what they charge Ins Cos. However, I used to do medical billing and I know Ins Cos only pay half or usually less of the amount they are billed, so I feel that should be taken into consideration at least. Taking off even a couple thousand would leave a little cushion in case of complications. I brought that up w/the bariatric lead and that's when she transferred me to Pt Access, which turns out to be hospital billing...who said they can't help unless I already have a bill, lol.

I visited a bariatric surgeon a good 2 years ago now. I'm in an ***, so he was the one in my networks that my Primary Care Physician referred me to. I like him a lot. He initially recommended a Lap-Band. He said it was the only kind of weight loss surgery he did. It made deciding between procedures easier for me. He told me that my insurance (BCBS of IL) required me to go to 6 months of a formal weight loss program - or a nutritionist before they'd approve the surgery. So off I went! I joined Weight Watchers in November. By January I'd lost about 10 lbs. In February I got knee surgery to clean up some ripped cartilage. Then it was a few weeks of lying around with nothing better to do than eat, sleep, read, and watch TV. Well, here come the 10 lbs. back! I stayed on WW for another 9 months though - essentially getting nowhere. Now, I love WW - it's great. IF you can stop eating freaking Ding-Dongs like it's your JOB. And I just couldn't get my mojo back. Still - I made sure to stay on the program long enough to pass my 6 months required by my insurance company. Then I went back to visit my bariatric surgeon again. What he told me deflated me greatly. Weight Watchers didn't count as an organized weight loss program unless it had been supervised monthly by a doctor. Well, that hadn't happened! So I went back to my PCP and got a referral to go to a nutritionist at my local hospital. I started 6 months of that and essentially did nothing but go to the sessions. I knew how to eat. I just didn't know how to STOP eating everything that I shouldn't eat! Unlike prior attempts at weight loss, it wasn't just about cravings this time. My stomach had stretched to the point where I was hungry after eating the proper portion size. And I was heavily addicted to sugar in all forms. Food is like a siren song to me at this point - constantly calling to me. I can't just put in a vegetable for a snack - my brain wants that sugar, and it's going to keep thinking about it until I satisfy that craving. I need help beyond just information at this point. I had lost my bariatric surgeon's name, but I knew I'd recognize it if I came across it. And I did. I saw his website and saw that he did many different kinds of surgeries now - including new ones that weren't even on the market when I talked to him a few years earlier. I found out that he was sharing his practice with another doctor in the past that had since moved to another state. That doctor performed bypass surgery, and as a professional courtesy, my doctor didn't perform those surgeries. Now I had to go over whether Lap-Band was indeed the best surgery option for me. In the meantime, the hospital nutritionist had given me information at our last session from the hospital. It outlined the information they give out to bariatric surgery patients, and some of what I saw scared me enough to make me re-think surgery altogether. It said that I was to "go off and never again go on anti inflammatory drugs." I am on two of those per day in order to help with my arthritis. I know my knees won't hurt as much after I start losing weight. But it's not only weight-bearing joints that are suffering - it's all of them - even my fingers and shoulders, etc. The thought of being in constant pain from not being on anti inflammatory meds terrified me! I'd had to go off those meds each time I'd had various surgeries over the years (because they act as blood thinners - which don't go well with surgery), and I was miserable after a few days. Was this limitation worth the benefit? I decided to go back to my bariatric surgeon and lay my concerns out on the table. This took many months for me to do, as we were in the middle of buying a house and moving. But as soon as that was settled a bit, I made the appointment to see my bariatric surgeon. I'm so glad I did! He still did recommend the Lap-Band surgery for me. He said he really preferred that surgery for its lack of complications. There was no "dumping" syndrome, no probability of malabsorbtion, no refraining from anti inflammatories, no constant battle to get high amounts of protein in. And he thought it would be plenty to offer me the benefits I needed. From there, I was given a list of doctors I needed to get clearance from and a number of tests/ procedures I needed to have done before surgery would be approved by my surgeon: Laboratory: Blood panel - CBC, DMP, TSH, PT/PTT. Urinalysis Cardiology: EKG, Cardiac clearance from cardiologist Radiology: Upper GI with double contrast Pulmonology: Pulmonary clearance. Breathing test, give them the chip to my CPAP machine. Routine Wellness Screenings: Mammogram, Pap smear Radiology: Upper GI with double contrast. Misc.: Primary Care Physician clearance, Psychological Evaluation, Nutrition assessment, Six months of supervised nutritionist sessions I'm almost done. It's taken me months! I counted the appointments today, and it will come out to 19 altogether! Wow! As soon as I get the upper GI done, I'll be able to go back to my PCP and get surgery clearance. Then I can go back to my surgeon for a visit, and to schedule surgery. I'm probably less than 2 weeks from getting back to my bariatric surgeon. I know there is a one-week no carb diet I will need to follow prior to the surgery. This shrinks the liver, making laproscopic surgery possible. The good news is that I've learned throughout this process that I'm actually very healthy! My lungs are normal. My physical and test results are fine. My heart is doing well. My mammogram and pap smear are clear. My blood pressure and pulse are great. My psych eval turned out well. I shouldn't be surprised, but many of the doctors questioned me about why I can't just lose the weight with no physical help. "You should be able to do this by yourself.", "Can't you just go on a diet?", etc. Ugh. Maddening. At least the bariatric surgeon gets it. That's what's most important. I'm getting closer!

Your nutritionist might recommend a particular brand made for bariatric patients (mine just did). I take Vitafusion gummies (from Costco) right now, but she instructed me to double up on the dosage after surgery and consider switching to a different kind when I finish this bottle. I did pick up dissolvable Natrol Biotin tablets at Costco; 250 tablets to the bottle. The normal price on that looked to be about $10, but I snagged it while it was on sale at $7.50. I found NatureMade Vitamin B12 dissolvable at Walmart for $6.48. I got a $1.50 rebate in my Ibotta app after purchasing (if you have a smart phone I highly recommend downloading it to earn some money back; if you do sign up, feel free to use my referral code tkvqsct--it'll give us both a $5 boost after your first rebate redemption ). Coupons.com had a $1.50 off coupon for Citracal which I will pick up soon (gummies from Walmart about $12 which is what Costco was running). Walgreens, CVS, and Vons sometimes do buy one get one 50% off, but theirs seem to run at a higher price that Walmart, Target, or Costco, so I would check ads, coupons, and apps before buying there.... I strongly recommend signing up for Vons (Safeway) Just 4 U app if you have a smart phone, it'll save you a bunch (and sometimes they put free things in there). Receipt Hog is another good one to earn money back. It's doable, just be aware of your sales and check for coupons before you shop. It's worth it!

I’ve been emailing with my surgical coordinator. She confirmed with Cigna that I do have bariatric benefits and qualify for surgery due to my BMI and there are no exclusions..... I need to have 3 more visits - November, December and January (this will most likely be surgical planning for February)... YAY!

It’s amazing how much animosity there exists on bariatric pal these days. Whatever happened to just being chill? [emoji4] anyway. Just wanted to update, I am still doing really well. My weight is holding steady although my body composition has changed due to plastic surgery. This year I’ve had a lot and it’s getting used to a whole new me. My waist is tiny, my butt is big, my boobs are little... lol. Hello. So I’m buying different clothes and trying to get used to the changes now that I’m finally on the mend. It’s interesting because once I finished the plastic surgeries I found that I felt basically the same but not that into caring about my looks like I did before. I’m content but not obsessed. I used to try a lot harder to stand out where now.. I just am focused on other things. I’ve been able to turn my attention away from my size and shape and back to things like my job and family. And that is a relief. There is definitely a time after wls where the whole world revolves around the physical changes one is going through. These days I have a really nice boyfriend who is super supportive of me. He is helping me overcome some obstacles around my eating behavior that I still struggle with because of my surgery. I have some long lasting physical effects and we are working to see if I can get past those. He’s very supportive about my weight and never lets me slide into negative self talk. I know that the hardest thing for me in all of this has been dealing with my self image and my value system. I have days where I feel a lot of anxiety and I feel enormous again. I have to remind myself, “fat” is not a feelings. Just because I may feel a certain way doesn’t correlate to how I look. I struggle with body dysmophia still. To this day I am shocked when I see a picture of me and I’m thin. It’s hard to get your mind to catch up with your body. And then there is the notion that - does it matter? Is weight an item by which a person can be judged? No it isn’t. Is losing weight worthwhile? For me it was. But not for everyone. Just because we may want to lose weight doesn’t mean everyone over weight should or needs to. I have to remember not to judge myself by my looks. It’s a lifetime of habitual self judgement to undo. My eating patterns remain the same. I try really hard not to skip back into dieting. I believe in intuitive eating and I love the health and freedom it has given me. Sometimes I miss dieting though. Not because I want to e thinner but because I miss the illusion of control and the patterns of restriction I was raised with. That belief of “my weight controls my happiness” and “dieting is what we should do as women” is really hard to overcome. I have moments where I get triggered and I fight those. I haven’t weighed my self in a very long time. I feel like I look different but in a positive way. My clothes still fit, I wear a size 2. I know I’m at a healthy weight and no one makes comments that I am too thin anymore so that’s a relief. I did several plastic surgery procedures this year which I am at the end of. I haven’t been working out at all because of this but now I am going back and look forward to rebuilding my muscular strength. I love to run and lift weights. My meals are just the same as they were.. I usually skip breakfast or sometimes eat some toast a bagel or an omelet. I eat a big lunch, usually at a restaurant or a sandwich with a avocado and lots of cheese. I eat a light dinner.. I kinda suck at dinner. So usually a snack then. And right before bed I eat a big meal.. dinner left overs or a burrito or microwave meal and sometimes desert. Sometimes I eat in the middle of the night too but not as much lately. I pay pretty little attention to what I eat. One thing though lately is I have been struggling with a lot of gas pain. I’ve seemed to become intolerant to garlic and beans and some other foods. I’m trying to figure out what that’s about. Anyhow! Feel free to pm me anytime. I’m happy to discuss intuitive eating. [emoji4] Here are some recent pictures. Day of my surgery 12/2014 Couple weeks ago

Has there been any discussion of tube feeding or tpn? Definitely ask the doctor that is treating her now. Has she had any mris, ct scans, barium swallows.. anything other than the endoscopy? Edited to add.. Bariatric docs may be hard to come by, but a GI doc should take her insurance. Switch types of doctors.

We live in Texas. She had her gall bladder removed years before the bariatric surgery. The bariatric surgeon has done an endoscopy on her about 8 weeks after the surgery and he said there was no issues whatsoever. I am having so much trouble getting her to a new dr for a second opinion because she is on Medicaid and no bariatric drs accept this insurance. The only reason she was able to have it done in the first place is that her PCP deemed it medically necessary. Her surgeon works at Texas Tech University Health Science Services, so I thought they would be a legitimate resource, but her dr doesn’t seem to wanna even treat her anymore. She is actually in the hospital right now admitted. I had her in the ER on this Sunday past, and they did emergency surgery to remove a kidney stone, and they still havent released her yet because they haven’t got her potassium and magnesium levels correct plus they are attempting to correct her nausea issues once again (not her bariatric dr treating her btw even though his office is across the street). The hospital drs said they spoke to bariatric dr and he said it’s all in her head. thanks for all the responses, it is truly appreciated

Ok so you said the surgeon has done all tests. What tests, specifically, have been performed? Does your Mom have her gallbladder still? Problems with a gallbladder can create these symptoms. What sort of hospital have you been using? Is it a little community one or a big, renowned, teaching one? Bigger hospitals may have more knowledge/resources. If her surgeon isn't actively helping, then it may be time to take her to the nearest hospital that has a big bariatric program. Get some fresh eyes on the case. There is a different kind of nutrition that she should be on. TPN.. it goes into the vein. Or they could try her on tube feeding. If you tell us what state you live in, we may be able to point you to a good hospital.

My advice is to seek the professional help of a counselor or therapist... Emotional eating and soothing oneself with food are behaviors that don't simply disappear after bariatric surgery. Once the stomach relaxes enough to accommodate more food, people with a history of emotional history often end up posting, "Oh my gosh! I need help losing this 50 pounds I regained!" Having bariatric surgery with the hope that your preexisting eating issues will magically disappear is unrealistic. Those who have bariatric surgery must put in tough work in order to succeed. For some, it means tackling serious psychological aspects of why they overeat (e.g., emotional overeating, binge eating disorder, food addiction, stress). I'd say 90+ percent of success after bariatric surgery is psychological. Basically, the head of a person who has undergone surgery must be in the right place to succeed. Bariatric patients who don't utilize more adaptive mechanisms to cope with emotions often regain weight due to using food for purposes other than intended.

The sneezing and runny nose while eating and especially when getting full is very common post a bariatric surgery. It's caused by stimulation of the vagus nerve.

I hate protein. That weird taste. Ughhh. I bought a tub of chocolate mousse Bariatric Fusion protein powder and I'm amazed by how good it is! No protein taste at all!!!

I’m going to Mexico Bariatric Center in Tijuana and Dr. Valenzuela is my doctor. I have tried and failed many times so I decided to take the leap. I’m afraid of failing again too. I’ve been reading up on it and joined some groups for advice and just to see what issues may come up. Some do have issues but they are short term so if we have one, let’s just remember that it’s temporary. We got this and we will succeed! 😊

Orientation usually shows you what types of weight loss surgery there are. It's a time to ask any questions you have. For mine, my surgeon ran the orientation and showed surgery videos of the sleeve and roux-en-Y gastric bypass. I also filled out forms about my insurance so the bariatric office could call them to see if my surgery was covered. It also covered some lifestyle changes that need to be followed. For example, cut down on caffeine, stop drinking soda and all carbonated beverages, start doing exercise (walking is great to start), start taking a multivitamin, and limit sugar and carbs. I went to my orientation on 11/2/16 and had my surgery on 6/21/17. It usually takes 6 months to a year to have the surgery. Your insurance will have specific guidelines you must follow and your surgeon will too. You will be jumping through many hoops before surgery. Hope this helped! Good luck to you!

I’ve been referred to the Bariatric doctor my orientation is oct 26th I’m excited and nervous I’ve read and researched a lot about weight loss surgery my question is should I start working out and trying to lose more weight before my orientation ? What do they do at orientation ? How long does it take to get surgery? I’m going through Kaiser Permanente? Thank y’all

Sounds like a stricture to me, and dehydration/malnutrition can definitely affect your mental state. What tests has she had? Did they do an endoscopy to check her pouch and her opening? Is she seeing her bariatric surgeon, or a gastroenterologist? She needs special care and more testing. Praying you get some answers and she recovers soon.

There seems to be a lot of people interested in putting on running shoes after surgery. I did some research to see what might be the best way to tackle this endeavor. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23790819/ Alright, so I created this chart based on the recommendations in the article. This seems like it could be a very reasonable progression.. a bariatric couch to 5k, if you will. In approximately 7 months, a person following this plan can go from walking 2/3 of a mile at 2mph to running over 3 miles straight. The chart above shows a 10% progression (and indicates the quickest we should advance. More slowly is fine). Time allotted is 20 minutes. A 5 minute warmup and 10 minute cool down are not included. Walking or running should be undertaken every other day, and if you are sore the day after running, then go back to the previous week's plan. The goal is to have a pain free experience (especially joint pain. A bit of muscle soreness is to be expected). Once we reach 5k at 7mph, then we can work up either speed or distance, gradually, from there. And, as mentioned, weight lifting is also a great thing to start to go along with the running. Weights can be super simple. Twice a week go to the gym. Do 12 reps on each machine, trying to make sure to work each main muscle group. Start at the lightest weight. Each week increase the weight one level (usually 5-10lbs). The first few weeks will feel like a joke. And it should be. Make it fun, make it a habit.. and you won't mind going back.

I’ve been researching VSG for close to a year. I’ve devoured everything I could find about it and felt really informed when I went to my appointment this morning. I’m 34, 5’7” and 265 lbs. No health problems yet but I know they’re coming! Doctor said I’d be a great candidate and after answering my questions sent me over to financial/scheduling. My insurance doesn’t cover bariatrics so I already knew the price and what we’d be paying. Scheduled nutrition, psych, and a pre-op class (all on site) and surgery is Nov. 20th! After all my research it’s like things have gone into hyperdrive. I didn’t expect it all to happen so fast and it’s a little scary. Tell me other people wondered if they were doing the right thing for themselves when it got down to the surgery being a reality.

It is amazing to me how different everyone's experiences have been so far and how different each bariatric program is. For example, I wasn't allowed any liquids for 24 hours and then it was just powerade zero and G2. Update: I am totally off tylenol and just taking my normal medications alongside prilosec. Getting in all 64 oz of liquids in, it really is like a full time job. Monday, I move onto pureed foods. I've lost 18 pounds since surgery, which is totally nuts to me. I keep telling myself that this is the healthy way and I am following doctors orders. Incisions are almost all healed. Overall, I can't believe how far I've come in 9 days.

Who on earth thinks it's a fake dx? It's a syndrome--so is a collection of symptoms rather than a disease that is attached the failure of a certain organ, etc such as (polycystic kidney disease). PCOS post meno=metabolic syndrome. These symptoms are all tied to insulin resistance and it's unclear whether it's the chicken or the egg--meaning, did obesity bring on the insulin resistance and PCOS, or did underlying PCOS disrupt the endocrine system and drive obesity. All of my docs: PCP, oncologist, bariatric surgeon, pulmonologist, cardiologist, orthopedist, and plastics dude all believe it. Most treat so many patients with it all day. For me, it was definitely PCOS first, obesity second. I was on prednisone (high doses) for a blood disease when I was a child (6mos-11years). By 14 I had full blown PCOS with hirsutism and was gaining weight at an alarming rate. I went on my first diet at 9. I'm hoping that WLS will help mitigate the most important factors of PCOS, but if I have any say, will choose the RNY over VSG because of greater hormonal reset (so I've heard).

Hi my name is Corrissa . I hope I can make this short . I’ll do my best ! April 2014 I weighed 232 and I had quit smoking . I gained 64 pounds . My back was the first thing I noticed that hurt . I really was in bad shape . Other issues started to happen and all I could do is cry . So I looked into gastric bypass. N found a program at Alina . I started there and weighed in at 296 . Never in my life did I think I’d weigh almost 300 pounds . So I was driving over 2 hours away for my appointments dietitian and mental health therapy etc . So I get all the way to the end of the program everyone but the THERAPIST approved me to move on to surgery . I was devastated!! I yelled at that lady so bad lol I know I shouldn’t have but when ur in so much pain u will do just about anything . I mean 41 years old using a cane . So I put my tail between my legs so to speak licked my wounds n started again . So I called mayo in Mankato Minnesota. Thank God I did . I weighed in at 280 something when I started there . So I had a dr appointment for a physical and my dr said u should have a mammogram ur coming up on 42 .. YIKES !! What in the world I thought to myself ?? So I made an appointment and canceled lol I had a bad attitude about it . Did that twice . So the 3rd time I went in . Glad I did because they found a tumor . Caught early but they sent me in for s biopsy on September 22nd 2016 My first dietitian appointment with the mayo program was on the 23rd next day . So while I’m in that appointment I got a phone call I knew I had to answer . It was the results of my biopsy which came back that I had breast cancer . Now not that things weren’t already tough this just added more to the plate . I BURSTED into tears and the dietitian was there and just hugged me . I left her office sobbing n just sat on a bench in the waiting area in the Clinic . A nice nurse sat with me until I was calm enough to drive . OMG what in the heck was I just told ?? Me ?? Cancer ?? I’m gonna die I thought !! A few weeks from that passed by and I had a lumpectomy. My tumor was sent in for testing and came back with a low score meaning it was only stage 1 . I was relieved but still scared . I had decided that not only was I gonna fight this cancer I was gonna fight this weight loss as well . So I went through 28 radiation treatments and went through the bariatric program as well , February 9th 2017 I finished my last cancer treatment! Wahooo cancer free I was so happy ! And I am still cancer free ! So I finally get through the weight loss program had lost some weight on the way . My insurance finally approved it and I had surgery August 9th of this year . Day of surgery I was 261 I’m now 219 . It’s been a heck of a year ! I just want to encourage men and women and inspire them . Because no matter what we go through there’s no such thing is giving up . I wanted to a few times but I got my butt up and kept moving . My dietitian always tells me how brave and amazing I am and it feels great ! So I’ll share some pics . The first ones will be the bigger me and then some new pics as well . God bless you all ! Thanks for reading !

Don't know if you are still looking for info. But I order my vitamins from either bariatric pals or bariatric choice. I really like the celebrate 2 in 1 [it's a multi vitamin with the calcium citrate in it) then I just add iron and a sublingual b12. Hope that helps.