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Thanks so much for the compliments!! For the pouch test, start here: Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test But, all those reasons they give for doing it are really not why I decided to do it. For me it was more of a desire to renew my committment, reinforce my determination, etc. That's the intro page. Then go to this page for the complete instructions, etc.: Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test

I went for my pre-op surgeons visit today. My surgeon, who is the head of the bariatric dept. of a teaching and research university, has been doing it for many years...told me today that his thought so far is that the sleeved person is the most likely to have weight re-gain in their future (I believe he meant compared to RNY). He also said that he believed that from his perspective, you could be a person that did not gain your weight back with the sleeve, but it would take more work from your side (not the sleeves side) to do so. That RNY weight loss is easier to keep off in the long run. He also said that he knows that there is not enough time elapsed to see how it will go for the sleeve yet, but that is his guess. He also said that the size of your bougie does not make a big difference, eating habits are the biggest part of being successful, and the WHOLE stomach is pretty stretchy. He said it is important to change habits, or when the restriction reduces, the old habits will still be there and up goes the weight. He said not all people will re-gain, but the ones that are always looking for excuses as to why the sleeve is not working properly, is the wrong size, are looking in the wrong place for success. He also said that RNY patients have similar problems, blaming the size of their stomas, and such instead of looking at their eating and exercise habits. To his credit, he will not put the band on anyone anymore. Just too many problems in their future. I told him about this site, hope he checks it out! He does 5 year or longer followup on his patients. I just signed up for a research project tracking my sleeve into the future.

Hey guys I'm back!!! I've missed some things while off in Accounting land... Work is the hottest at this time of the year for Gov't. We end our fiscal year Sept. 30th. Bloom baby you're doing wonderful.... Glad to hear your feeling and doing great!! I wanted to share a fell phone numbers for BGH bariatrics 859-2067....859-3167.. or if you applied and can't get in for over four months I'd try Dr. Hoffman's sec. Lisa at 859-4024 and see what she suggests you do to get into a seminar!! That is crazy waiting that long!! They really need to get a better handle on this part of the program.

In reality MANY people regain a significant amount of the weight they lost after having bariatric surgery. Research at one north Carolina clinic found that 30% regain all the weight in 2-3 years.http://www.nawls.com/public/102.cfmhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463895 Estimates run between 30- 60. And almost everyone weight fluctuates 3-5 throughout out the day, every day. Thanks for sharing. I think it's important for people to see these stats, but more importantly the data behind the stats....... " weight regain happens when patients eat high-calorie soft foods that easily pass through the opening to the stomach. Others gain weight because they do not change their eating habits and do not lose much weight to begin with. Successful results depend on the patients willingness to adopt a long-term plan of healthy eating and regular physical activity." Knowing this puts each of us in control of which side of the stats you end up on. Just like surgery is not the magic bullet for weightloss, statistics are not the magic formula for ultimate regain.

Yes there are many support groups throughout the state, however the one I'm looking to start is based from Bariatric Pal. I live in Lansing but I didn't have my surgery in the state. It's more of a thing to connect outside a surgeons office and have support from local people.

Thanks for the advice Kim! Did you know tha in states such as California and Colorado doctors actually prescribe medical marijuana after bariatric surgery? Don't worry, all my decisions are informed. My doctor told me its nothing like cigarettes, nicotine is the real enemy!

Okay.... dr. visit... first radiology.. esophogram, I think they call it. Barium swallow, basically. Swallowing was okay except for slight "sliding" hiatal hernia. Then they gave me that pill to swallow... took two glasses of Water before it went down. They said my esophagus looked better but still somewhat dilated. So, she didn't want to put any Fluid back in until she consulted with the doctor... they work as a pair..she's a physicians' assistant, and she's the one I usually see. So... she has me get dressed and go back to the clinic. I go through the intake... weigh, etc. I gained 4.5 lb according to their scale... in 2 weeks. BUT... that was after a glass of barium and 2 full glasses of water and I finished my whole 16 oz jug of Crystal lite just before all of that! AND.... I didn't dress to weigh, I dressed for the stinkin' weather... cords and a long sleeve turtle neck! So... I'm stickin' to my story... 2 lb. gain. So.. after all that... long, repetitious interview that we just did 2 weeks ago... how much are you eating, how long are you taking to eat, what meds, etc., etc., etc., intake girl says... okay, you can go back to radiology. So I said... "OH... we're going to put fluid back in!" PA wanted to wait 2 more weeks, but Dr. said it was okay to put back half of what i had. So... back to radiology where everything went fine. We did have a discussion as to what I could do to get my weight loss going again. She said my one glass of wine a day and my SF, FF latte was fine. She gave her blessing on that. She wants me to do a food journal! UGH! And cut down my carbs. And then we talked about how to increase my exercise. That's when I told her I was thinking about getting a dog. She got so excited when I said that! Said very first bariatric conference she went to one of the experts was lecturing and said that if you have a patient who is having trouble getting in enough exercise, tell them to GET A DOG!! HAHAHA! And if that doesn't work, tell them to get ANOTHER DOG!! I should've taken that opportunity to ask her to put it on an Rx!!! So I could give it to Earl. Can't work because his wrist is broken??? HUH???? And underwater welding!?? That IS an interesting occupation for Montana! IF I get a dog, Earl will warm up to it. BUT, he will continue to harp on the expense of having a dog, we can't travel anymore, etc., etc., etc.! Yeah.... hope everything goes well, Candice. Thought about doing that years ago... Chris and I joked about doing it together, but that was before his eye cancer. He is flying his plane back down to CA today, BTW, and we're concerned because he's going to have low clouds well into OR! He is going to follow I-5 south, but he'll have to stay below the clouds and that will be bumpy! Earl is very concerned! We'll breathe easier when we know he's safely home. His plan was to stop in Medford tonight and meet up with Kellie and the girls... they're driving home in their van. Just talked to my Mom a little while ago.... her 88th birthday today. I slept hard last night, too... but only because I took 3 Ibuprofen again because my shoulder was hurting again! Put in a call to the dog lady to see if she still has the Shih Tzu. Waiting for her to call me back. Want to go look today. Was wondering what I could give her for "collateral" so I could bring the dog home for a few hours and see how Candy reacts! I "talked" to her about it last night! (LOL) So this morning when I went to pet her head as I walked by she swatted me!!! What's that about!! HAHA! So... Earl knows I want to go see the dog today, so now he wants to go to a movie! UH... I don't think we've gone to a movie since the last windy day in the desert!! I was thinking of going to the gym!

Wow. What does thiamine deficiency have to do with the topic of this thread? That’s an awful lot of medical jargon mixed with scare tactics of posting it in a thread that has nothing to do with vitamin deficiency. I have complex lifelong chronic illness which includes neuroimmune/immunodeficiency. Basically it effects every aspect of my body. I also have neurological symptoms starting long before surgery. I take a series of gummy vitamins. My last bloodwork by my bariatric surgeon my thiamine aka B1 was within the normal range. Just take the right vitamins that have good bioavailability (whole food based, chewable or liquid form) and have regular bloodwork and there is no need to panic about vitamin levels. Besides an issue with iron and some bloodwork that could indicate anemia (which I’ve had issue with before surgery) my blood vitamin levels have been fine so far. Even my extremely low vitamin D is in normal range now. Low thiamene isn’t going to instantly cause some life threatening neurological disease. If your doctor says it’s low, take the vitamin. Or just take a good food based b complex as prevention. I e studied holistic heath, nutrition and vitamins. Do I remember everything. No my memory sucks but it’s crazy to post a long medical research report and not even on the appropriate topic. Sorry if I’m rather touchy today. Taking a basic multivitamin isn’t enough especially tablets like centrum or any tablet that might not get properly utilized by the body is probably not enough. One of the things about gastric bypass surgery is an investment in our health and making sure to get the right vitamins and nutrition. But I’ll shut up. I got flack because I said I take gummy vitamins and too many. Just do your best and don’t worry about thiamene deficiency unless your doctor says it’s low and it’s easy enough to get a natures way alive b complex vitamin at the grocery store.

Right! Are you having bypass or vsg? I’m going to Tijuana, because my stupid insurance stopped covering bariatric surgery this year.

Hi Aqua... did you have the sleeve, lap and or complete bariatric bypass?

Hi Bronnie, For the shoulder tip pain just walk, walk, and walk around to dispel it. It will stay for a few days. As for the stockings the hospital told me I had to wear them for two weeks, but four days in they were cutting into my legs, leaving a huge welt and hurting me. I rang the Bariatric centre's nurse and she told me if they were cutting in to me that was defeating the purpose of them, and to take them off. I had no history of DVT, so It was fine to stop wearing them. Check with your surgeon's office. For pain relief I had soluable panadeine rapid. The first few days are painful and it gets better from there. As for a fill, they don't ususally do one before 5-6 weeks, as they wait for post op swelling etc to go down, and they have to examine/assess you first. Glad your banded! Susannah

I am about 5 weeks out. I am getting lots of Protein with tilapia fillets. They cook up fast and with blackening seasoning and go down very easy. Another trick is a poached egg over some corned beef hash (well browned). It goes down very easy and tastes like normal food. I got that one from the Bariatric Foodie site. I also found Boston Market meatloaf is very sleeve friendly. All that said. I am still hitting at least one shake a day to get my numbers up. My doctor told me to shoot for 100 grams of protein. I am losing weight pretty quick.

I know! The vitamins I got at the Bariatric center are huge also!! They are chewable, but ugh!!!

Is it the surgeon your unhappy with? If not, why abandon him/her? I know office staff can drive you nuts, had that problem myself this week. Why not have a chat with whomever it is you are supposed to see at your appointment about the situations you have encountered? If people are not held accountable for their actions, things will never improve. If this is a no-go, I would highly suggest another bariatric professional, as they know what they are dealing with. I have found not all PCPs know about this particular subject. For example, a professor of biology may not know so much about elementary education, like a professor of early education would - see what I mean? Just because they are both professors, doesn't mean they know everything, or even a little about another subject! Be prepared, though, you may have quite a waiting period, depending on their current patient list. Good luck to you!

Hi I'm scheduled for January 7th with Specialized Bariatrics in Mexico Dr Lopez

First, I have not read all the replies to this story, but having read this story. If the statistics on the left were true. That you are 5'3" and your starting weight at the beginning of your journey was 210, that would leave you with a BMI of 37.2, which in fact does NOT make you an ideal candidate for the sleeve surgery unless you have significant co-morbidities. The recommendations are for those with a BMI or 40 and up or those with a BMI of 35 and up with co-morbidities like diabetes. And yes you probably could have lost 51 lbs through diet and exercise. Many of us are older and/or quite a bit heavier (my BMI is 42). My blood pressure, blood sugar etc are perfection (this is nothing short of a miracle and quite a bit of good luck and yes I know it is only a matter of time until these both started inching upward). In my case, my primary co-morbidity is very painful osteoarthritis of the knees, which, of course, is exacerbated and was probably caused by....you guessed it.... my weight. The more my knees hurt the less I exercise, the less I exercise the more weight I gain; the more weight I gain the more my knees hurt, etc etc. My knees hurt so bad that I was going to move out of the house that I love and into a ground floor condo because I simply cannot stand the stairs in my townhouse anymore, and my knees now making a crunching noise with each step...ouch. Then I decided that instead of using that money I was going to put down on a ground floor condo so that I could become even more immobile, I would put towards vertical sleeve gastrectomy instead. I can still move to that ground floor condo later if I still need to but I just had to give it one last try before possibly becoming more immobile and putting on even more weight, also knowing that I would probably need to lose a significant amount of weight before I would ever be a good candidate for knee replacement surgery. But again, that would only be a band-aid and not addressing the root cause of the issue. My weight. I have also educated myself through these forums and listened to the other posters and those who have successfully kept the weight off and what is the least common denominator: exercise. @ I'm not sure who told you that you didn't need to exercise or didn't need to do strength training to build muscle mass but a quick search of gastric sleeve on you tube plus a cursory review of these Bariatric pal forums will give you a quick education there. I think that for most of the rest of us going in we knew that sleeve surgery was a "tool" just like diet and exercise to be used in combination with diet and exercise rather than a substitute for either. You will see folks who just let the weight come off the first six months to a year and do not exercise and they are at higher risk for weight regain precisely for some of the reasons that you stated. As far as I am concerned I have a six month honeymoon period during which I can build much better habits to last a lifetime and be successful or not. Now is the time to step up your game and incorporate strength training and perhaps some cardio and try to get back into good habits. As you stated you are young and you can still rapidly build muscle mass compared to many others who have significant co-morbidities on this forum. As we frequently say on these forums they operate on your stomach not your brain, which is what really needs to be re-trained in good habits. So set your mind to make the most of your sleeve, play the hand you've been dealt, and live a happy and healthy life:-) Good luck!

@@M. Julia ... I asked my shrink that about a year ago and posted about it. Here's a copy of that post: My shrink works with a number of bariatric patients and has seen many people go through this process. Toward the end of yesterday's session, I asked: "What issues do you see patients struggling with who regain weight? And by that I don't mean that they're eating too much. I'm really asking what's going on inside them that leads them to regain?" After thinking a moment, he said: "What I mostly see is that they're struggling to find new reasons and new motivations to focus on their weight and fitness. "After they hit their goal weights, many of the rewards they got while losing weight go away. They're no longer motivated by seeing the scale move down. After a while, their family and friends get used to what they look like and stop commenting on their weight loss or weight. Even people who were their strongest supporters during the weight loss phase no longer offer supportive comments. And when this positive reinforcement disappears, that has a negative effect on the patients. "So then they must find new goals and new motivations to maintain their weight and to be fit. And for some folks that's not easy." So that's one shrink's brief observations about the cause of WLS patients' weight regain. However, I'm sure that's not the end of our conversation.

Maybe your bariatric surgeon could do the fmla forms for plastics as well, I am sure they know how to do it.

if you aren't tracking you need to be. it is the best way to stay accountable. Also, are you making good food choices? You are mistaken if you think it is about restriction. restriction lessens over time as your body adapts, that is normal and expected. most people can eat a whole plate of food by a year post op. it is why food choices and diet are so important and every bariatric program recommends a bariatric diet post op. the hormone grehlin does go away, but for most it does come back (your body is smart and adjusts). if you are experiencing hunger pangs (particularly if it is happening when it shouldn't) there is a possibility it is actually stomach acid and you need to get on a PPI like prevacid. you should talk to your doctor about it. I strongly recommend looking up dr Matthew weiners videos on youtube. he does a very good job explaining in laymans terms why and how bariatric surgery works.

As newme0617 pointed out, this coverage decision is so new that it has not yet made it's way into the system Medicare phone reps work out of. Don't bother calling them, instead contact your hospital's Bariatric Coordinator. Additionally, coverage for VSG will be determined "case by case" at a local level. So VSG is covered, but not for everyone at a national level like the RNY or Lapband is. I Spoke directly with my Bariatric Director this afternoon about Medicare's VSG decision. She reviewed the CMS memo decision and agreed with my interpretation that this decision was a good one and coverage appears imminent. While the "fine" details for Medicare contractors (ie hospitals) have not yet been released (billing code, guidelines for submitting, etc) she did say everything looks like a go and I will be the first patient she submits for Medicare approval next month! For those of you who have not yet had the opportunity to get a personalized nod of approval from your hospital, read this and you should feel better. This is a summarized analysis and decoding of CMS's VSG memo from The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). A true authority in all matters concerning Bariatric's. http://asmbs.org/2012/06/access-to-care-alert-the-cms-final-decision/ At long last the wait is over! If you have state (MA) Medical Assistance (Medicade) this is good news for you as well. With very few exceptions, coverage and requirements for Medicade mirror that of Medicare. I suspect that state MA will recognize the VSG no later than October when coverages for all states go through their annual update. If you have not already begun taking the necessary steps to complete the requirements to be submitted for Insurance approval, NOW is the time to get started!

$5500 - Dr. Kelly for a BMI up to 50. $6000 - Dr. Kelly for a BMI over 50. $4000 - Dr. Illan at Baja Bariatrics. (I *believe that Dr. Illan was the second surgeon in the room when I had my surgery with Dr. Kelly. I think he still works with Dr. Kelly and is building a practice of his own. Omar, my coordinator with Dr. Kelly, is a coordinator for Dr. Illan.)

me too....UGH, but it was my calves hurting. i ran 45mins sat: 25min run / 5min walk / 20min run & was completely energized to run 30mins straight this am. didn't happen. got in 10min run & 10min walk, then hopped on the bike and did 30min interval - running just wasn't in the cards today - happens, treadmill's ALWAYS there the next day:tongue: renewed - glad your mom will be w/you, thinking of ya!! kathy - great job on 20mins; no matter HOW it breaks down....it's 20min georgia girl - i have to workout in the AM, otherwise it doesn't happen for me - but i know i need carbs for that workout or i peeter out.

Congrats on the job Kathy! Aclubb you did it!! I know exactly how you feel. I too was so overwhelmed with completing the race that I cried because I was so proud of myself. I didn't have anyone at the finish line either. My brother came to see me but I finished quicker than I anticipated and he missed me by 1 minute. I'm proud of you. :biggrin: So sad to hear Lyn that you weren't able to compete. Your granddaughter is a smart girl. They'll definately be a next time. Renewed hope you took that date night. It may be awhile since you're going to be laid up for awhile. Hope all goes well with the surgery Fri. Go....Georgia!!! Your race is coming up and it looks like you're well prepared. Keep Stompin' Fanny, sounds like you have a plan.

Well I didn't run yesterday. My energy level is too low and my stomach was too upset from the iron meds. Still is... yuck! I'm going to call my lapband doctor to find out if iron impacts the band at all. I was also very achy and stiff from my weight workout the previous day. Oh boy am I achy today!!! I plan to try running today and also doing my weight routine. However, if my energy is too low after I do the weights I'm just going to walk. Renewed... if you're still in the mood to "deep clean", why don't you and your DS come here... I could use the help! LOL. Cleaning is just not something I like or do even remotely well. I used to joke with my DH that I became a career person just to avoid housework and aford a cleaner! Now of course I'm supposed to keep house, so I do a half a#$ job of it and DH teases me that "its his job to keep house and my job to keep him!!" So of course I take him up on that! LOL. Georgia... Week 3 is great... keep at it as long as you want and need too. You're running, and the knee is ok. Time to celebrate!

Renewed - I think I was posting while you were. LOL. Catching up - I'm all for child labor - my kids were pulling maid duty tonight. They have one room they are in charge of - theirs. My youngest even cleaned the bathroom. I came home today and my cat had knocked (I believe a full glass of sweet tea) off the kitchen table. 1/3 of my floor was covered in sticky tea. I was not a happy camper. I ended up scrubbing the floor then getting out the steam mop. I think it is still sticky. Got a good arm workout in though - my back is a bit sore too.