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PS - Just saw you're a fellow fed - hope your agency has funding and you're at work and getting paid!

Bc I'm brand new at this. My Doctor never gave me much in terms of how I should eat. I've basically relied on google and pinterest to tell me what to do. I mean why are you worried specifically? Anything going wrong? Any issues?

Bc I'm brand new at this. My Doctor never gave me much in terms of how I should eat. I've basically relied on google and pinterest to tell me what to do.

Get back to doing your basics as everyone has mentioned to you. Dense protein first. Do not exceed 1 cup of food by volume EVEN IF YOU CAN! That is the kiss of death. The bitter irony is that this program/surgery only works as prescribed. If you try to freestyle and "eat things in moderation" of the craptastic calorically dense kind, we can eat WAY more than 1 cup and then we end up overeating calories. It's reward food heroine/crack cocaine to us. It's what got most of us to the Obesity Ball in the first place. Moderation? BS. What moderation?

Thank you! I’ll let you know. I paid the 500.00 then my husband had me second guessing doing it at all so now I’m into the next deductible year also and we switched from bc/bs to medica. I also am paying down the 6200.00 but they never made it clear if thaf was including insurance or that plus what’s billed. I started at a local Bariatric place here in mpls and they did the same- said I was a foot and a half taller than I have ever been lol. It was like they had no intention of doing the surgery. I went through 6 months of meds, hoops and everything I have tried all these years and only gained and figured blossom was the way to go. Sorry this is so long but I will keep you posted. 😊 best of luck !!

Well welcome welcome Lauryn, I am the OP the original poster for this thread, so it is rather my baby after all. You're doing liquid for 3 weeks? Got you beat, I did mine the entire month of August, because I wanted my liver to shrink down as much as possible, and it did. Dr Needleman , my surgeon, said it was lovely, smooth and healthy. So yes it is well worth the trouble, for every week you do your diet, your liver shrinks 2.4%. And yes it can be frustrating. My surgery weight was 319, at 4 months out I am 260-ish, probably today 263 or 4, because I haven't done #2 yet. I had an RnY, and I am one of the complications, I am strictured, and I have healing ulcerations in my small intestine. I have a PICC line, that stands for a catheter inserted in my upper left arm, 12 hours a day I am fed nutrition that way so my GI system can rest and heal. Don't be concerned, in all the people on Bariatric Pal I am the only one, makes me special. Had it since November 29th 2018, got pretty used to it by now, don't know an ending date, but I am in this to win this, so no tears, no frustration, no bemoaning my fate, it is what it is. I will heal, I have two great bariatric surgeons on my team, they say I will end up fine, I believe them And in them. Whether you are a sleeve or bypass, your surgery will be fine.

When we are in the hospital for surgery, generally we can be administered antibiotics to prevent wound infection. This is not a bad thing. There are a lot of bad bacterial germs floating around in a hospital setting. Most surgical procedures do not require prophylactic or postoperative antibiotics. However, certain patient-related and procedure-related factors alter the risk/benefit ratio in favor of prophylactic use. Patient-related risk factors suggesting need for antibiotics include Certain valvular heart disorders Immunosuppression Procedures with higher risk involve areas where bacterial seeding is likely: Mouth GI tract Respiratory tract GU tract In so-called clean (likely to be sterile) procedures, prophylaxis generally is beneficial only when prosthetic material or devices are being inserted or when the consequence of infection is known to be serious (eg, mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass grafting). Choice of antibiotics is based on the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) guidelines (see Perioperative Management). There is strong evidence that standardizing antibiotic choices and adhering to SCIP protocols or another standardized and validated protocol reduce the risk of surgical infection. Some regions of the US that followed SCIP guidelines were able to decrease surgical site infections by 25% from 2006 to 2010. Drug choice is based on the drug's activity against the bacteria most likely to contaminate the wound during the specific procedure (see Table: Antibiotic Regimens for Certain Surgical Procedures). The antibiotic is given within 1 h before the surgical incision (2 h for vancomycin and fluoroquinolones). Antibiotics may be given orally or IV, depending on the procedure. For most cephalosporins, another dose is given if the procedure lasts > 4 h. For clean procedures, no additional doses are needed, but, for other cases, it is unclear whether additional doses are beneficial. Antibiotics are continued > 24 h postoperatively only when an active infection is detected during surgery; antibiotics are then considered treatment, not prophylaxis. The Center for Disease Control has published guidelines for prevention of surgical site infections that address topical and nondrug antiseptic measures (eg, bathing, sealants, irrigation, prophylaxis for prosthetic devices). Source: Prevention of Surgical Infections The antibiotics destroy not only the bad bacteria in the gut but also the good bacteria. Therefore I feel it is important to reestablish the good gut bacteria after surgery by using probiotics. I ran across an article this morning that discusses the relationship of gut bacteria and weight gain. While it has long been known that low dose antibiotics cause weight gain in animals, the mechanism by which they do this has been a mystery. Researchers are now beginning to zero in on the effect and their work may even shed light on the human obesity epidemic. Animals, like humans, have numerous bacterial species living in their gut. Believe it or not, there are more bacterial cells in our body than human cells. Of course, bacterial cells are much smaller than human cells. But their effect on our health may not be small. Some varieties of bacteria are more likely to cause the body’s immune system to swing into action, but usually different bacteria keep each other’s multiplication rate in check by competing for the same food supply. But if the bacterial balance is upset because an antibiotic reduces the numbers of one species more than others, an inflammatory response can occur. Such a response is linked with making our cells less sensitive to insulin. “Insulin resistance” means that glucose is less likely to be taken up by cells, and since it is the cell’s main source of energy, they crave an increased intake. This translates to a boost in appetite as the body strives to meet cellular needs. What all of this suggests is that some species of bugs in our intestine may contribute to weight gain more than others, and that these may become more prevalent when competitors are reduced by antibiotics. Of course, other factors may also play a role in altering the bacterial flora. The chlorination of drinking water as well as improved sanitation may influence both the type and the number of microbes that reside in our gut. Who knows, perhaps all that emphasis on getting rid of germs may be affecting our waistline. Is there any actual evidence for this postulated link between changes in gut bacteria and obesity? In one word, yes. When Martin Blaser, a microbiologist at New York university, fed infant mice doses of penicillin comparable to those given farm animals, he found that after 30 weeks these mice had put on 10-15% more weight than those not treated with the antibiotic. Furthermore, the mice that had been treated had a different microbial flora in their gut, with Lactobacillus, one of the “good” bacteria, having significantly decreased. When gut bacteria from these mice were introduced into mice had been bred in a totally sterile environment, and were therefore germ-free, they put on more weight than mice with the regular complement of microbes in their gut. While overconsumption of food is the crux of the obesity problem, one of the reasons why we eat too much, as we have now seen, may be due to the changes that have occurred in the microbial population of our gut. A study of ancient feces from caves, as well as from the intestinal tract of mummies, has revealed a microbial makeup that is quite different from that found in our guts today. Those ancient microbial populations are more similar to the ones found in chimps, gorillas and children in rural Africa than in the intestines of North Americans who are more likely to have been exposed to chlorinated water, antimicrobial cleaning agents and antibiotics. Maybe a partial answer to obesity is to repopulate our intestines with the bacteria found in ancient poop. Source: Bugs In Our Guts

My Story I had RNY 12/21/17 starting weight 230 and Surgery weight 218. Lowest weight was in May 2017 at 173. I bounced between 173-175. Since then I’ve creeped up to 180. I’ve gotten off track. I don’t eat much in a sitting bc of the restriction. But I find nothing I eat affects me negatively (no dumping etc) so I will eat bread items and sugar and I have gotten back into the habit of drinking coke again. Even if it’s just to have a couple of sips. I need to buckle down and get back on track. My goal weight is 140. Anyone else in the same space as me?

Please be careful, insurance may not pay bc you have been successful at losing on your own. Ask you dr, talk to your insurance. And look at you, you may not need the surgery, I think that's awesome

Good luck to you too! Had mine in July and have NO REGRETS! Normal to be nervous...it is surgery. Just think when you wake up you won't be hungry anymore!! That was big for me bc when I would diet I would get myself so hungry that I'd binge on whatever it was then feel bad. Now I never get hungry. Good luck Monday!! Welcome to the club!!

Yeah, many people from here often end up going elsewhere to Mexico. There was an agency here WLS now bought by a company in BC that used to send patients from here to see Dr Pompa . Sent from my SM-G950W using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm not touching this one. Every time I call BS I get in trouble. LOL!

I’m from BC and Provincial Medical covered all expenses for WLS. You have to meet their requirements and go through the program. There are only 2 Surgeons in BC that do either sleeve or RNY so waits are long to get into the program. I was on a wait list for over 2 years and took 6 months to go through the program so almost 3 years from start to finish. Self pay was not an option here.

Hi All, one day later..I am home. Admittedly in a little pain, but tolerable. Check in wa 6 am yesterday, surgery at 8: 15 to recovery by 10 in room by 2. The heating pad was for the back ache caused by the surgery table, to control pain, and help dispel gas. I highly recommend it. They wouldn't let me use mine even tho' surgeon recommended it but room put in an order for it had it by 6pm. Was up and walking by 7. Worst experience was nausea from the sickly sweet Tylenol, gabepetin, hydrocortisone liquid after surgery meds. Sipped water by time got to room, but they would not allow ice chips. I had such a dry mouth still do. Walked again at midnight, and at 5 am. My potassium IV was hell, it burned so badly. I was grumpy with nurses - apologized. : \ My 8 am walk was a breeze but I still had surgery gas to dispel. You can tell bc your shoulder might hurt. Was packed and ready to go by 11. Had a wait at hospital pharmacy for oxycotin...BUT now home, climbed the fifteen steps to 2nd foot easily, but honestly my gut is sore. Started the protein in room, did not want to stay down but now doing fine. They did say to expect pain. I have minor soreness. That's all. Thanks for all well wishes, on phone do can't quote ppl. Y'all will be fine. I'm the biggest wimp in world, so you can do it!! Sent from my VS988 using BariatricPal mobile app

Lunch earlier. 3oz Salisbury steak and a few green beans. Just at the steak and fed the beans to my baby lol.

This is so me right now! My sister and wife both say I'm 3 bites and done. I know its because I am doing too big of bites, not chewing enough and then eating too fast. Its so hard for me to change this bc everyone I'm around eats super fast and here I am like well hell. So 3 bites and done! I am going to follow this to see recommendations as well!

In my experience, it seems like we have been in the diet mentality for so long that we're convinced that "thin=happy." That's such backwards thinking! In the media, especially diet commercials, we're shown pictures of larger people in disheveled clothes, eating terrible food and looking miserable while the thinner and more attractive (by society's standards) people are happy and doing exciting things. We are fed (pardon the pun) the idea that our self esteem and happiness is contingent on our weight when we are kids (being bullied, jokes by family, left out of teams) and it sets our expectations for the future. If we can wrap our brains around understanding that our self esteem is within our control and not dependent on the opinions of others, we can start feeling more determined to make changes that stick. THAT could be, and honestly IS the key to real, longterm weight loss surgery success. *steps off soapbox* Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

THANKS FOR THE REPLY getting 80-90 g of protein a day usually chicken or eggs (and p protein shake for breakfast) I love protein so that is no problem really - I guess I am frustrated bc i feeling like i am doing the whole thing nearly PERFECT and ?? I should be getting more payoff this is a marathon - try to keep that in mind - Turtle wins the race - right

I got put on a laxative bc of constipation as I started to add in the meal replacement drinks such as premier protein and Bariatric Fusion. That was on 12/17.

I’m wasting so much food and money these days because I am trying new things and sometimes I just hate it too much to choke it down, plus packages are so big! The other day I fed some very expensive scallops to the dog because they tasted funny to me...my husband said they were delicious and tasted just the way they always have when I have made them. I wound up eating string cheese for dinner instead! I think I’m going to stick to shrimp, rotisserie chicken and eggs to avoid wasting more food, since I still like those things. The thing I like most is multi grain toast with peanut butter...allowed on my plan but not terribly high in protein. I’m going to try the 14 gram P28 bread and see how that goes. So strange. I like veggies than I used to, especially spinach, but tummy real estate is precious and needs to be used for protein now. Any tips?

I'm bored and raised in Tennessee with redneck family members that are all from the South. To us, going North is Kentucky. I'm not ignorant, but we're Southerners at heart. I think that is a good question because my life has always revolved around food. As a kid (I've even noticed I've done this with my kids) we're rewarded with food. When people came to our house, you were just fed. If you didn't eat what was offered it was considered rude. Cleaning your plate was a must to show respect. I know as I've gotten older (I'm 36) it makes me happy to see people devour my food I've cooked or to praise me with how it tastes. Food was used as comfort. If I was sick, eating would cure it all (except a tummy bug). Us Southerners have "comfort foods" that are fried in lard, bacon grease, or oils and you had your sweets like homemade pies, cookies and cakes. Carbs was/is a staple. Every meal had biscuits or cornbread (not the sweet kind). I actually just finished making biscuits for my husband that I freeze for his breakfast. We are all up in peoples business. When something happens in a persons family, it's nothing to take casseroles, cakes, breads, etc. I have struggled so much to lose weight. I'm 9 months post op and I've been stalled for 2-3 months. Winter is hard for me because of deaths and birthdays and I've used food for comfort my whole life except when I was on drugs. I can't speak for all Southerners, but this is my own personal experience.

IT JUST SHOWED UP IN MY FEED. This is BS. You feel the need to emphasize that this is a year old. It should have not showed up in my feed unless somebody else mentioned it. Your brining this up AND EMPHASIZING IT only exaserbates (sp?) the situation. This whole bariatric site is supposed to help. Honestly, I don't think to that this is helpful. Before you decide to berate me for responding to a post that shows up recently, ask. If you can't be understanding and find out the circumstances, do me a favor and DONT RESPOND. I don't find any of this beneficial. I think I will remove myself from this whole app. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Awesome!!! I have a new Anthem BC California policy but live in Texas. What were your requirements?

September 5th, 2018 at 7 Am EDT. I believe I started having stricture symptoms at 2 weeks, I was either ignored or poo-pooed, Oh you're just swollen, give yourself a chance to heal, you have had major surgery, You can trust us, we have your best interests at ❤, we know more about recoveries than YOU do et cetera et cetera. Finally at a full month out, largely to shut me up, they scheduled a upper endoscopy with Dr Noria, my surgeon's partner who LOVES doing endoscopies, yep she Really Does! And who was right? ME ME ME! Those nurses might have had the fancee shamancee degrees but I have lived in this body a Long Time, I Knew something was not adding up right. She started me on ulcer medicine, told me to stay on this full liquid diet until SHE told me I could move on , normally she and her partner Dr Needleman progress bypass patients to Stage 3, puree and some finely chopped if they can handle it at 2 weeks out. a Well since my pouch , I call her Precious Pouch for many reasons , had stenosed, that with the ulcers made me an atypical patient. Stenosis means the normal opening that had been made between my pouch and small intestine had swelled and narrowed until only liquids could pass through. And that at a slow rate of speed, I had and still have 2 ulcerations within the pouch and multiple ulcerstions on the back wall of the jejunem, the portion of the small intestine the pouch drains into. Was scoped October 12th,26th, November 9th, 28th. At that point I was hospitalized. because nothing in there was showing any signs of healing. The end of October she asked if I smoked, nope never, neither does my son, so I cannot be in the presence of an active smoker or one with smoke on their clothes. I have on a jelly wristband that states Secondhand Smoke Kills" because in my case it could! On the morning of the 29th, after a discussion. that I was protein deficient from my limited diet, could not ingest the 90-120 grams. of protein needed for tissue repair, could still measure my food intake in Tablespoons instead of Ounces, I would need to go on Total Parenteral Nutrition or commonly TPN and a PICC LINE would be installed in my upper left arm that afternoon so I could receive sufficent protein and also for Life Sustainment. I was pretty malnourished at that point although I had been trying my level best. And much as I hate to admit it I did start to feel more like the Former Frustr8 within a day or 2. Still stayed for a week before my dismissal, had to regulate me , I was been fed 12,on , 12 off in the hospital, those were electric pumps, at home my pump is battery- powered so 14 on, 10 off, didn't like it much at first, I can be a prideful red-headed person, like to think I can do everything for myself, hard to accept help. I now know before the 1960s, I would possibly had a nasogastric tube or slowly starved to death, unless my ulcers perforated or my 73 year old tomorrow ❤ stopped beating. Your own mortality is a fearsome thing to contemplate. So whatever must be, must be. And not much use to cry, it turns your 👀 red, your nose runs and not many people give a Good Gol--durn in the first place. Maybe when I get to Heaven God will let me sit on His Lap, I ache to cuddle someone and be told Everything Will Be Okay💦😪💦

Well I wanted quick healing and to get on with life. Oh I was going to exercise, eat a proper bariatric diet, NoBody told me I would have a PICC LINE in my upper left arm, be fed 14 out of 24 hours 7 days a week TPN and no scheduled termination. Maybe the end of January, maybe into February? March will be my Six month Surgiversity, surely not THAT LONG? Mind you I will retain it as long as Drs Needleman and Noria say so, but this was not the "paint by number masterpiece" I was planning all along. I wanted to go to Kings Island and Cedar Point in 2019, maybe the Ohio Statehouse, do I show up with my backpack , battery pump and bag of feeding fluid. I'll be right there with the people on oxygen and tubes in their moses, and when they finally remove it, will I have a permanent scar on my upper left arm? Not really That Vain but people might think I had skin cancer or they removed a small tattoo on there. But it is what it is, and although the Good Times aren't Rolling maybe they are Still Ahead?