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Listen to anything RJ says. She has been through it all, and above anyone else on this site has the most valid and respected perspective on surviving complications. CowgirlJane is another bariatric sister who has endured through some discouraging circumstances that would have brought orthers down. I am so sorry that your wife is struggling, but I am confident that you will find some comfort here.

Hi everyone, I met with Psych, fitness, dietician today, they also included pharmacy to go over all of our medications including over-the-counter and supplements. I had a heart attack a year and a half ago, I don’t have any stents nor did I have any blockages. I’m on beta blockers and calcium channel blocker‘s, aspirin and Lipitor. Some of these have to be adjusted because they’re extended release, but the main issue is the aspirin. The pharmacist stated that because I am now a bariatric surgical patient Motrin and aspirin I can no longer take. This poses an issue because I am supposed to take 81 mg of aspirin a day. I do have to get cardiac clearance from my cardiologist before proceeding with the surgery,. I was wondering if there are any cardiac patients here that have gone through this? Thanks!

There are several non-prescription and prescription medications that you should not take unless you receive permission and instruction from us in how to take them. Among the medications in this category are all arthritis medications, aspirin, and aspirin- containing products, including many cold medications. Alka Seltzer®, BC powders®, Goody powders®, Bufferin®, Ascriptin®, and many other medications that contain aspirin or salicylate compounds are prohibited. These can greatly irritate you stomach pouch and cause a number of serious problems. You should also avoid taking Nuprin®, Advil®, Aleve®, ibuprofen, or other over-the-counter arthritis pain or menstrual cramp medications. If you have any questions about whether a prescription medication or a non prescription medication contains aspirin or other stomach-irritating compounds, check with your doctor or pharmacist. Do not take any of these medications unless you have first spoken with your surgeon or someone from the bariatric surgery team for permission and instructions on how an exception might be made in your case.

Also staying fully hydrated helps you pass things through your pouch and makes it "less sticky-ish." That was from Dr. Alvarez the bariatric surgeon. If you are at all dehydrated, it may take a couple of days to really replenish your fluid levels. To me, it makes all the diff in how I handle food and post prandial nausea. Also, if you're having issues with protein, use meat lube (low fat, low cal, low carb gravies, soupy stewpy things like your chili and for god's sake, don't overcook eggs! LOL.) Also soft cooked white flaky mild fish is usually pretty easy for most people, as can be soft scrambled eggs with yogurt or lite sour cream mixed in to make them creamy. Beans and cheese, or canned beans mashed with some yogurt or cheese go down easy. If it were me, I'd stay away from the obvious slider culprits. You're losing well now, but that habit is hard to shake and your weight loss WILL level off and you could potentially stall out. Sorry you are struggling.

Using an implant during a breast lift after weight loss helps in 2 ways: 1. It helps restore the volume that has been lost during weight loss. Most women's bresats are over 50% fat tissue, so as you lose weight, you will also lose volume in your breasts. 2.It helps adds fullness to the upper portion of the breasts. After weight loss, this upper part, or superior pole, becomes very flat. A breast lift (without implants) often does not add much volume to this upper pole of the breast. There are newer techniques that have been developed specifically for women who have undergone weight loss, desire more volume (particularly in the upper pole) but do not want an implant used. Experience bariatric plastic surgeons can perform this technique and give the appearance of implants...even though there were none used. Here are two examples of women who wanted the look of an implant...without the implant. The technique uses the extra skin from the side ("bra roll, "side roll") and transfers it to the breast to act as an "implant" of your own tissue. Example 1Example 2 I hope this information helps.

Can they actually repair it? I was under the assumption they wouldn't /couldn't repair after Bariatric surgery. But I don't know why. Sent from my XT1254 using BariatricPal mobile app

Try some other blogs, like Bariatric Foodie, Dashing Dish, and The World According to Eggface. My surgery was on June 19, so I'm right where you are. This week I'm planning to try some short ribs in the slow cooker & some roasted cauliflower "mashed potatoes", because I'm craving comfort food. We also have some salmon fillets that I think I can handle. I saw a crustless spinach quiche the other day that looked really good, and I can make individual ones in a muffin tin. I know that's eggs, but maybe it's still different enough from what you've been doing?

BariatricPal multivitamin One annual subscription is the best priced bariatric multivitamin. I also love BariatricPal calcium chews (French vanilla caramel and Belgian chocolate caramel) — they taste like candy! I get NatureMade sublingual B12 (cherry flavor) and Natrol D3 and biotin (strawberry flavor) from Amazon.

I've read through my nut. documents and I can't find anything about why whey protein is the preferred protein for Bariatric surgery. Now there's "pea protein" (Dr. Oz show). Does different protein react differently (like fats) or can they be interchanged as long as grams are met? (After 3 weeks Pre-op and now 2 post, the taste of whey is starting to get to me!)

For most...lapband is an outpatient procedure. My starting weight is 265. I would be satisfied if I just lost 70 lbs....(very obtainable with the band). I know that within a couple to few years most bariatric units will also do the plication with the lapband...would be interesting to see more long term results with it to see if it has a higher success rate than with just lapband.... this incisionless procedure just sounds like a temporary fad to me.

Check your insurance policy. It will say whether weight loss/bariatric surgery is covered or not, and if it is what it will cost you out of pocket. For example, in my policy is it listed under Surgical Procedures in Section 5b. You can also call customer service at the number on the back of your card and ask them what your policy says about weight loss surgery. Schedule an appointment with your Primary Care Physician (PCP). Ask them to please refer you to Nutrition Services to be considered for for weight loss surgery. They will probably mail you some forms to fill out and return. Then they will send you a letter. If you qualify you will be on the program waitlist. Unless they pick up the pace you will wait 6+ months to get into the pre-surgery program. You will have 8 weeks of classes plus blood work, program specialist and psych visits, etc. If you pass the classes you will be scheduled to meet for final checkoffs with psych, pre-op bloodwork/physical, and finally to meet with your surgeon of choice. You'll also have to do either a 3-day or 14-day pre-surgery diet. I'd recommend the 3-day, so lose some weight before and/or during the 8-week program, that way you're more likely, but not guaranteed, to get the 3-day diet vs. the 14-day diet. You will get to choose from one of two surgeons: Dr. Husain or Dr. Chae. I chose Dr. Chae, but I have heard good things about both surgeons. The differences: one is female, the other male. One is younger, the other a little older and probably has more bariatric surgeries under his belt. One doesn't use a post-surgery drain tube (from what I've heard), the other does (from what I experienced). Ask for details so you can make an informed decision that you are comfortable with. Maybe you feel comfortable with a surgeon of the same gender as you. The choice is yours. My surgery was at Saint Joseph Hosptial in Denver. Yours probably will be as well. NOTE: When they discharge you, make sure they send you home with prescriptions for pain (probably liquid Lortab), nausea, acid reduction (acid reducer/PPI), and blood thinners (if you need them after you are discharged, I didn't. This seems to vary based on your condition, medical history, etc.). Have your family or friend fill them before you are discharged so you don't have to stop on the way home. You might not need the pain meds to mask unbearable pain, but they are great for a couple/few days after discharge if for nothing else than to ween off the morphine drip and to help you get some sleep. If all goes well, you'll get your surgery. My plan covers sleeve. Apparently some don't, but most people I was in groups with had the option. Depends on what your policy covers, I guess. The bottom line is, the wait and process is long but well worth it. It took me almost a year to get through the entire waitlist and pre-surgery stuff. Be patient, but if four or five months passes on the waitlist and you don't get a call, be proactive and call Nutrition Services to ask where you are on the waitlist. If you need to contact Nutrition Services directly: Kaiser Permanente offers gastric bypass, vertical sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric banding (also know as the Lap Band) procedures. Not all benefit plans cover weight loss surgery. Please call 303-788-1154 for more information. http://www.kphealthy...for-adults.aspx

Yes, yes, yes!! Actually, my clinic has monthly meetings and invites speakers. One of the most interesting was from a personal trainer who offered specialized and modified exercises (like from a chair instead of the floor, etc) and equipment (that he designed himself (mostly just extensions to machines, etc) and the other was from a yoga instructor specializing in modified yoga for 'round bodies'--also from a chair--because many obese folk have knee problems and can't kneel. My guess is if you contact the local Bariatric clinics with a viable exercise plan and modifications to suit the patients/client as they are now and as they lose weight, you will be welcomed with open arms. Go!! Ducati Bonnie

I am back at work after a very interesting weekend. I'm now 6 days post-op and feeling a lot better than I thought I would. I know the following post is going to sound like a plug for the Ready 4A Change people, but I can assure you I am writing this on my own free will and am very satisfied with my surgery so far. I just wish I could have found more information about the Ready 4A Change group before I traveled down there so hopefully this post will help others with the same decision. Feel free to send me an email with any questions you have! alma - patient coordinator: She talked with me on the phone and through emails several times pre-op. She was amazing, and took care of everything. The only issue I had on the trip was not having a hotel reservation set up on the final night of my stay, and a quick phone call to Alma fixed my problem in less than 5 minutes. Thank you for everything Alma! Eduardo Ahumada-Garza M.D. - Anesthesiologist: Funny guy! He talked with me quite a bit before putting me under telling me about the process and what to expect post-op. I had a short, but great, experience with him and definitely felt secure in his hands. Dr. Miguel Zapata – Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgeon: Great surgeon, he told me what to expect as well as taking time to check up with me post-op. I had researched the surgery a bunch beforehand but he was sure to ask me if I had any questions. Dietitian (who's name escapes me right now): She visited me the day after the surgery and gave me a load of information about my new stomach. She was very helpful and answered all of my questions. Thank you! CIMA (the hospital): WOW - immaculate! It looks like this place is cleaned 24/7 because it was very beautiful. My room felt more like a hospital suite than a hospital room that I'm used to in the USA. It had 2 TVs, a futon (for my support person), and an extremely large bathroom. Definitely the best hospital I've ever had care in! About half of the nurses spoke English and they were all great at helping me and checking up on me.

HI, I am not sure about the fills question, but I am in Illinois and am using Dr. Rosen, also in Downers Grove. His office is called LifeWeigh Bariatrics. My mom also used him...He is very nice and so is everyone in his office. They even have a kinda "celebrity" working with them...lol. My surgery is on the 10th of this month...getting nervous...Good luck on choosing the right doc.

I just turned 56 and I am having a gastric sleeve in November. There is even a group of over 60 in this forum! She needs to get a referral to a bariatric center and they will do a thorough work up and often a 6 month program to help her be successful. Good luck!

This is the response I received from the Cigna representative. Hi Tracey The requirement for the physician directed weight loss is six continuous months, with documentation done monthly by your doctor of the current weight, diet program and physical activity. Our authorizations department would look for approximately two years of weight history in order to make their determination. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. You can also review our coverage position on bariatric surgery at http://www.cigna.com/customer

I went to my bariatric surgeon today to get a slight adjustment to my band and we were talking about the positives losing so much weight has had on my life. I was speaking about how thrilled I am that my girls are watching a healthier mom who gets up and moves and takes walks and jumps on the trampoline etc..instead of sitting like a sloth in my chair like I used to. While I was on my tirade, he stopped me to say(something like) this: "Yes, it is great that your kids have a better role model, but the best part is that YOU are having fun. After a life of being trapped and virtually unable to have fun because of your weight, you are having fun...and while the benefits are good for your kids, you're the best part of losing the weight." HOLY SMOKES...He was right. I forgot about me. I, for one, feel infinitely better and am thrilled to be doing this for myself...And I did need to be reminded of that....As a mom, I think I make the mistake of putting my children before me at all times...But I have to remember that one day they will move out and I will be left with myself...so it is imperative that I remember that my weight loss is for me. I have to love myself enough to accept that I am important enough to be the reason. Just a thought.

Hi everyone! I am so excited and scared at the same time. I am sure I am among the thousands who feel this way. I started my journey 1 1/2 years ago with aquiring and insurer who would pay for bariatric surgery. I talked with the people at Bariatric Treatment Centers and they told me BCBS would be the best insurance for me to get. So I did. I had to wait a minimum of 6 months before doing anything. So I did. I went to my evaluation, meeting and consultation. They told me I was in. Then I broke my ankle in 3 places and was a mess. On top of being a single mom with a house hold of animals and a full time job I now was barely able to get around even on crutches. My one year anniversary is 2/19 of my slip and fall. I needed to recover from that to go forward with the surgery. Then 2 months later when I was feeling better but still in a cast I recieved a letter stating they were no longer excepting my insurance. Well I was extremely dissappionted but wondered if it was meant to be that I did not have surgery. So I kind of forgot about the idea. Thinking about it but realizing maybe my life was at risk if I did it. I met a nice lady who had the lap band surgery in November 2003 who had the lap band surgery and had lost 111 lbs. in a little over a year. She told me it was a much lower risk and less time in recovery and reversible if I didn't like it. I had looked online in the past about this surgery and liked that it was done laproscopic but had not done much about it. Feeling like I could do it on my own. But I am and have been unsuccessful in removing the unwanted pounds for years. The more I diet the more I eventually gain. So I went to the seminar about 10 days ago and did my phyc evaluation before the seminar and yesterday took care of consultation, blookwork, insurance and I am scheduled for surgery Monday 2/2/2004. I am so excited. Please wish me luck and I so hope to join the ranks of all of your success stories! Terri

Just got some bariatric fusion in the mail today.

Beth, my insurance company required my psych evaluation, not my surgeon. It is not clear to me if your insurance company is the one who requires it. If they do, you then need to ask them what they are looking for. My insurance company wanted to know the following three criteria: 1) Am I an alcoholic? 2) Am I a drug abuser? 3) Do I have any psychological disorders? If the doctor is the only one that requires it, the only thing he/she wants to know is if you are aware of your decision and understand the ramifications and risks of the surgery. Although the fatality rate of the band is less than .01 to .02 percent, doctors still want to cover their backs. P.S. An added note: it is my understanding that there is a legal issue in most states of having a friend or acquaintance who is a shrink or psychologist doing your evaluation. One could say that he is writing the letter and knew you had issues and is doing you a favor.I know you want to save money, so the best place to find a psychologist that supports bariatric surgery is on the website for www.obesityhelp.com. THey have a list of bariatric friendly psychologists.

It really is normal, and understandable. But the truth is, you are reducing your risk of death significantly -- by 90% -- by choosing to have bariatric surgery. Surgery does pose risks, but they pale in comparison to the risk of death from being morbidly obese. The surgery risk is just grabbing your attention right now because it is looming so close. But you are giving yourself the absolute best chance of life by choosing it, as scary as it seems. So, try to focus less on the risks of surgery and more on what your life can be like afterwards.

I am a 45 year old male who played college football. I have total knee replacements in both knees. When active, my optimal weight was between 210 and 220 pounds. My body fat percentage averaged 15 percent as measured by water. I currently weigh 325 pounds with a BMI of 52%. I am currently disabled and on Medicare. I have an appointment with a Bariatric doctor this week to discuss if I should have lapband or gastric bypass surgery. Due to my knee limitations and prolonged disability, I am concerned about not being able to maintain a healthy weight long term with the lapband and the possibility of eventually getting a gastric bypass. I would appreciate any and all opinions which surgery I should favor before meeting with my doctor. Thank you.

I think being aware is one thing, knowing what could happen is another, and believing it will happen to you is different as well. YES being banded comes with plenty of chances of failure, complications, slips, flips, erosions, and so on. Any WLS surgery comes with complications. Are your chances of developing complications highly decreased if you work with an experienced and well educated bariatric surgeon? Yep. Are they decreased if you follow the rules? Of course. It comes down to how much risk you're willing to take. Are you willing to risk trying to diet and exercise on your own? Is having WLS a risk you want to take? I was young when I got banded, 18, and while I knew about all the risks, I also knew I couldn't do it on my own. While I was never a huge yo-yo dieter or someone who spent ages and ages trying to lose lots of weight, and the fact is that I did not WANT to become a yo-yo dieter or someone who went into my late 20s still morbidly obese. Being fat had changed my life for the bad and I was tired of it. My main problem was portion control and the band was advertised to do such. Has it? Definitely. I'm down 112lbs in 9 months. But along with success stories comes even more failures. My advice to you is to weigh the pros and cons of surgery. Whether it's the band or the sleeve, sit down and really think. If you decide to wait, why don't you try to do diets that bandsters or those who are sleeved follow? Maybe put yourself on a cup of food a meal diet along with exercise. Will it be harder without WLS? Surely. But you could at least relate to us who have had WLS and can come for support. Good luck with whatever you decide Do what is best for you.

In our program, orientation was really just a high level overview of the bariatric program itself. They had 2 patients who were about 1 year and 2 years out from surgery respectively. They talked about their journey and allowed us to ask some questions. They then had the main nurse who coordinates things come in and speak for a bit, followed by one of the nutritionists and then a short video by one of the surgeons.

Anyone have DR. Sherrod From Southwest Bariatrics, Texas?