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Is there anybody that has marketplace insurance that covered Bariatric surgery? If so, what insurance did you get?

all surgeries have their pros and cons, so I know it's hard to decide. You brought up some good advantages and disadvantages of both. one other thing to possibly consider is that most doctors (not just bariatric surgeons) are familiar with both RNY and sleeve, but not with DS (and it's variations), since those aren't very common - if that makes a difference to you.

Hi all fellow bariatric buddies. Sorry to hear about everyone’s hair loss. I started Collagen powder 2 days after surgery as it was suggest by the nurse as one of many supplements I have to take. I wouldn’t know if I loose hair as I never brush it. Short curly shoulder length hair. But I do use a lot of hair products in hair. I am still on soft/liquid foods. And can’t eat eggs on their own. Nor can I still stomach coffee(haven’t had it in 12yrs). Is there any foods you loved and can’t eat now? I have become sensitive to eczema. I have been able to stop my 5yr medication for reflux. I tried a sip of hubbies coke no sugar 4 days ago. That was a mistake🤮 Im still loosing 1kg (2.2 pounds) a week. And can now get 3 of 4 wedding rings on.

Hello, I am Laura from London. It's been more than 7 months since my Gastric Sleeve operation in Turkey with Surgery TR. I chose Istanbul for my surgery, but they also offer me İzmir and Antalya too. The hospital was nice, and everything was so smooth. Nurses don't speak English however, there was a guy with me who speak English very well, and help me in all process. They gave me a personalized diet list and supplements before I return to London. They are still checking on me weekly and following my weight. There is personalized care because they know me well, they even know about my child and ask about him. We are like close friends now, I've send them to my pictures because I am so happy with my result and wanted to help the people who cannot lose weight after diets. I started with 20 stone 47 pounds but now I am 14 stone 33 pounds. Here is the contact number: +90 549 770 80 04. I am in contact with her now. You can ask all questions to me,

I'm 12 days post OP and have the same thing, I called my Nurse and they said It's normal for the first few weeks and if I don't have pain or a fever it's probably nothing serious but they'll check in more when i have my 2 week check up... which is in 3 days. So i've done some reading and this is what I've read. It could be: Normal Change in Taste Following Surgery: Change in the taste, smell, or tolerance of food following bariatric surgery is a common phenomenon. In fact, one study has found that as many as 97% of patients experience at least one such change following these surgeries. Ketosis: Some describe keto breath as having a metallic taste in their mouth and a smell that's sweet, fruity or similar to nail polish remover. This is caused by the chemicals your body creates during ketosis, which are released from the body by exhaling. (Unlikely) Dysgeusia or Parageusia is associated with this condition where the taste buds are distorted. It is a serious condition because an aversion to many foods can lead to malnutrition after gastric bypass or sleeve surgery. The only way to really know is to check in with your provider. All the best.

I am currently pregnant after RNY 12 months post op. My on told me to stop taking my bariatric Vitamin due to the excessive amounts of Vitamin A and start taking a prenatal vitamin and a Multivitamin and to make sure I am getting enough Protein, Calcium, iron and Water. Bc of the bypass I am a high risk so they are going to be watching the baby close but they at this point have no concerns. She said the baby will get what it needs from you regardless but it’s super important to take care of yourself especially where calcium is concerned because it’ll take its toll on your bones. Good luck!

I am just wondering if anyone else here has suffered from severe anemia. Just a quick background, I had the sleeve, which leaked. Then RNY. I am vegetarian. I am wondering if the surgeries (I had stents put in when I had the leak (total of 7 attempts and then it had to be sewn in place) have damaged something that is leading to anemia? I have had anemia for a couple of years now - I had a series of 5 infusions of Iron, but it didn't do much for me. I asked my obgyn (who was checking hormones) to add in my Iron levels, and sure enough it's still low and so I am going back to see her. I KNOW she's going to flag me now for a colonoscopy, because I guess that's a conclusion you could make from my anemia. I really don't want to have to go through a whole slew of testing if this is a common thing in bariatric surgeries. Here are my blood test results - no other bloods were out of whack. Ferritin 6 Iron Binding Capacity 395 Saturation 6 Iron Total 23 Hemoglobin 11.6 Hemocrit 35.3 MCV 79.3 MCH 26.1 RDW 16 I would just really appreciate some feedback from people who might have been through the same thing.

WLS scheduled for 11/30. I start my pre-surgery diet on 11/16. I am excited, and nervous. I found "The Big Book on Bariatric Surgery", from there I found this site. Good to read how other people are doing on their journey.

The mini, as its name implies, is a simplified variant of the RNY. Rather than bringing up the added Roux limb below the stomach pouch, they tie the pouch directly into the intestines downstream of the duodenum; how far down depends upon how much malabsorption they want to induce. The classic proximal RNY is fairly minimal in the amount of malabsorption it offers, and indeed the caloric malabsorption tends to dissipate after a year or two. There is a distal RNY which is more highly malabsorptive - similar to the DS - but it is not often done in the US. The mini has been kicking around on the periphery of bariatrics for some twenty years or so but has never gained traction in the US and is not usually covered by US insurance. Classically, it is more prone to bile reflux and possibly acid reflux as well, as with the bile, there is the prospect of things getting recycled and refluxed back up into the stomach. There are claims that some techniques have been developed to mitigate this problem but I haven't seen any independent verification of that. But, there may be something to that as the mini has become somewhat mainstream in other countries, so we do see it discussed here some, But in the US it is rare and it is mostly offered in Mexico as a cheaper alternative to the RNY.

Hello, I had bypass a little over 7 months ago. I still drink a protein shake everyday. Otherwise, I have to eat NON stop ALL day to hit my protein goal. I am not a breakfast person, so I actually don't mind just grabbing it for breakfast to give my protein a boost right out of the gate. You can stop drinking them whenever you want, you just need to maintain your protein goals. Vitamins depends solely on the vitamins and your blood work. I take a "1 a day" bariatric multi vitamin and calcium each day. Vitamin at breakfast and calcium at lunch. So far so good with blood work but I am early out so we will see how it worked out in a few months at my 1 year blood work.

Hello everyone! Its been quite a long time since I've utilized this site, but I'm itching to get people's opinions on something. Lately, I've been stewing on becoming plant-based, or at least, mostly plant-based. Can this be done as someone who's had WLS? Would it be difficult to meet protein goals? Has anyone on here tried it, or does it? There's a good possibility this question has already been asked on here before, and I just can't find it. But I am curious. Any thoughts on this are appreciated! Thank you.

WOW that wait is as long as my pre-op entire bariatric journey was! Shame smaller areas have less access to care. But I do like the fact that you're using this wait to lose more weight! that's a positive way of looking at it

Sorry ahead of time, this is going to be a long post! Let's talk a bit about what causes stalls/plateaus: The most common reason for any stall (including the dreaded 3-week stall), is simply that you are retaining more water. There are a few reasons this happens, from hormonal shifts, tissue repair, illness, or changes due to glycogen vs. ketone metabolism. This post would be even longer if I spent too much time here, but suffice it to say that for many people (especially early in the process), they are just retaining water and not actually failing to lose fat. As you lose more weight, your overall metabolic rate will slow down. People sometimes think fat is not metabolically active, but that's not true. Losing fat means your metabolism slows down, even if you retain the same amount of muscle mass (which most people don't). This means that as you lose weight, it takes less effort to move or even just live, so the amount of calories you burn both during exercise and just living also drops quite a bit. On the intake side as you progress after bariatric surgery, you'll be able to eat more. This isn't a bad thing and is by design, but obviously you should be able to see the problem here. Your metabolism has slowed down and now you can eat more. This can lead to you basically eating as much as you're burning. When that happens, weight loss stops. Especially if you're not tracking intake closely by weighing and measuring your food, you can easily be eating a lot more than you think. Some studies have shown people underestimate caloric consumption by several hundred calories on average. This is more than enough to cause a stall. This one may be TMI for some, but you may simply be retaining more stool. Feeling constipated? That will definitely impact your weight. This is going to be hard for some people to hear, but I can tell you one thing it's not, and that's hormones. Yes, various hormonal processes negatively impact weight loss in a myriad of ways, but they don't overcome the basic fact that if you eat fewer calories than you are burning, you'll lose weight. What these hormones can do if they're out of whack, is bad things like slowing your metabolism even more, increasing your hunger, screwing with water weight, or even fooling you into thinking you're eating less than you are. So, that's all great, but what do we actually do if we're in a stall? Well, I think it depends on when it happens and how long it lasts: If it's early (a.k.a. the 3-week stall), just keep doing what you're doing and you should be fine. I know people don't like that advice, but as I said it's just water, so don't worry about it. Later on, especially if the stall is lasting longer than 2-3 weeks. that's when I think it's important that you look closely at what you are actually burning, as well as really tracking what you are eating. If you don't know your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate), you should. The closer you are to goal, the harder it is to get the balance right between intake and output to make sure you're not eating too much, so fixing this starts with knowing your RMR and accurate food logging. There's a lot of anecdotal advice thrown around about "ways to break a stall", but there seems to be little scientific evidence for any of it. It certainly won't hurt to try things like breaking up your routine in terms of diet or exercise, but just understand that this change may or may not have any impact. If it makes you feel better to be proactive, go for it. Longer term, there is one piece of solid advice that's backed up by lots of research: Even if you don't really like working out, do it anyway. Those WLS patients that make a regular habit of exercising for 45 minutes to an hour most days a week are significantly more likely to reach their goal and maintain the weight loss. (One caveat here: significantly changing your exercise routine can make you retain water and possibly even add muscle, so don't freak out if you see a stall or even a gain.) I'll take that exercise advice one step further and say you really should be doing some form of strength training. This is also backed up by lots of studies, but the great thing about strength training is that it makes your burn more calories even at rest (in other words, it increases your metabolic rate). There are lots of other benefits, but the metabolic benefit is the most germaine to the stall question. Those that do strength training are less likely to stall during weight loss and are more likely to reach and then maintain their goal weight long term.

I was revised in KCMO self pay at KC Bariatrics. I felt the price was reasonable and they offer finance options.

For what it's worth, I self administer testosterone IM every other week. My bariatric team had a blanket statement that patients should not get any shots 2 weeks before or after surgery. I assume this is due to the increased risk of blood clots. I specifically asked about the T shot and they told me it was fine to continue. I agree you should ask your team though, because every doctor is different. It would suck to be told you have to reschedule the surgery because of something dumb like this.

I am going to start Wegovy once insurance approves it. I am being monitored by a nurse practitioner through a medical weight loss program -- most of the people in the program are trying to lose weight to become eligible for bariatric surgery. But I am 8.5 years out and definitely struggling to reduce my caloric intake. I have been walking and doing vibration plate sessions multiple times a week. I have been trying to focus on eating high protein.

I couldn't do the chews, I wasted a ton of money on them, but nope... they are so gross. I use the bariatricpal one a day with 45 Iron. The bariatric fusion B-50 & calcium magnesium pill they have.

I use BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE “1 per Day!” flavorless capsules from https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatricpal-multivitamin-one! BariatricPal has a special offer where it’ll cost you only $99 for an entire year's supply! Check it out at https://store.bariatricpal.com/99 With just ONE convenient & affordable BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE each day, you can get the bariatric vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy! BariatricPal Multivitamin ONE was designed and developed by a team of the world’s leading Bariatric medical professionals. Please take a calcium supplement separately to prevent interference with the absorption of iron. You can view a large selection of bariatric-friendly Calcium supplements at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium. You can also find MANY other brands of bariatric multivitamins at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/multivitamins. The BariatricPal Store carries a huge selection of Bariatric friendly Calcium at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium. Check out the newly released BariatricPal Sugar-Free Calcium Citrate Soft Chews 500mg with Probiotics at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium/brand_bariatricpal+vitamin-form_soft-chews . They come in 8 AMAZING flavors: French Vanilla Caramel, Chocolate Mint, Belgian Chocolate Caramel, Orange Creamsicle, Strawberry Watermelon Twist, and Wild Grape. You can get Calcium in many different forms: Soft Chews: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium/vitamin-form_soft-chews Chewable: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium/vitamin-form_chewable Powder: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium/vitamin-form_powder Liquid: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium/vitamin-form_liquid Tablets: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium/vitamin-form_tablets Patches: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/calcium/vitamin-form_vitamin-patch

Does anyone have vitamin suggestions? I am 5 weeks out from surgery. I used bariatric fusion soft chews and the bar is so high now cause it is honestly like candy. I thought of subscribing to it and getting 4 packs at a time but it isn't the best pricing, although if needed I will do it for sure. I initially got them for the first month so I wasn't dealing with massive tablets right away. This week I implemented tablets again and OMG I regret it immediately. I had the WORST nausea since getting this procedure. I was so close to vomiting, my heart was accelerating, and I was shaking. I took it with yogurt in the morning. I haven't had anything happen to me when it comes to my stomach even the first few days after surgery. I am avoiding tablets and capsules for now. My doctor also told me to not use gummies due to the sugar. I am open to gummies if they are sugar free. I would like to eventually buy in bulk but wanted to explore my options before I commit to the soft chews. Does anyone also have suggestions for calcium citrate? Those tablets are even worse! I used caltrate chewables but was reminded it was the wrong one! Let me know what you think folks!

Just trying to help - I am lucky enough to live in Salt Lake City, where there are numerous bariatric surgeons, and for self-pay I recommend Dr. Daniel Cottam or any other doctor at Bariatric Medical Institute in Salt Lake City, because they have their own surgical center, so you end up paying less than if you were going to a hospital. They are across the street from a major hospital in the event of an emergency, but he has done thousands of successful surgeries, myself being one of them. My surgery in August 2021 was $15,000 total for both doctor and surgical center. You could drive to SLC from Oregon (or have someone drive you), so no airfare either. I did not need to be near a bathroom after going home for anything other than what would be considered normal.

I just checked my Bariatric support book & it only mentions the shape & consistency to be what you have to look out for. It seems color varies for everyone! (assuming it's not jet black or bloody)

The current clinical practice guidelines that pretty much all insurance companies use (assuming your insurance even covers bariatric surgery), consist of the following: BMI of 40 or higher, OR a BMI of 35 with at least one of the following comorbidities: Clinically significant cardio-pulmonary disease (e.g sleep apnea or OHS) Coronary artery disease or Cardiomyopathy Coronary hypertension (high blood pressure) Type 2 diabetes Some also consider: hyperlipidemia NALFD or NASH GERD Asthma Venous stasis disease Severe urinary incontinence Debilitating arthritis Your best bet will be to talk to your surgical team as they can help navigate your specific insurance.

Avoid fruit juices. They are practically pure sugar since they contain minimal pulp. Eat whole fruit instead--assuming fruit is allowed on your bariatric plan.

Totally off topic, but you mentioned it. My sister just got back from Mexico. Poor thing had explosive bodily fluids - from both ends - the entire trip on the plane. She ended up getting E. Coli. She's better now, thanks be to God. But, I could really sympathize with her. On topic. I would not want to fly, right after surgery. You are at a greater risk of pulmonary embolism, when you're on a plane. Have you checked out Blossom Bariatrics in Las Vegas? They're closer - so not as long of a flight.

The BariatricPal Store carries a huge selection of Bariatric friendly Protein Snacks & Desserts at https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatric-high-protein-low-calorie-snacks-and-desserts Here are some other bariatric friendly ideas as well: Chips and Crunchy Snacks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-chips-and-crunchy-protein-snacks Chocolate Bars & Candies: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/bariatric-friendly-chocolate-bars-chocolate-candies Cakes, Cookies & Wafers: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/cookies-wafers Sugar-Free Candy: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/sugar-free-candy Cheese Snacks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/cheese-snacks Meat & Jerky Snacks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/meat-snacks Fish Snacks: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/fish-snacks Protein Bars: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/protein-bars Pretzels: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/pretzels Nuts: https://store.bariatricpal.com/collections/nut-snacks