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How much Protein do you intake a day? How much are you exercising? Protein is vital post bariatric surgery. When protein intake is not adequate the body compensates by breaking down lean body mass. As lean body mass diminishes your metabolism slows down. Everyone loses at a different rate. The more overweight you are typically the greater your loses will be for the first several months post op. Make sure to follow up with your nutritionist and/or surgeon to see what they recommend to upstart your weight loss again.

So funny. I was just researching this myself. I'm going to school learning about app development. I already decided I'm going to take on making Bariatric-centric tools and apps as a personal project. A quality eating/meal timer is definitely on that list. Not saying you should wait around for that lol! It's just surprising to me that there are so few apps aimed at WLS patients.

There are several bariatric surgeons in the Omaha and Lincoln area that may be able to accomodate you. Otherwise you might have to go to Kansas City to get your fills. Hope this helps. Mona

I use the online support groups and the face to face support groups. Not only from my Dr.'s office but I host them for Bariatric Pal as well. The reason for me is that connection with others keeps me inspired as well as on track and motivated in my own life and on my own journey. It offers me the opportunity to learn, share and give back to the community as well. When your "online" there is so much that's hidden you could be anyone doing anything really, and while that's great for those that need that anonymity I need it to be reality for me. There is a lot to be said for physical presence and face to face communication.

PB, Remove your band port? Oh my gosh, not for reconstructive surgery! Let us hope you keep your band and your health - I hope I can keep mine as long as I need help with weight control (unless I get an RnY bypass, that will probably be forever.) To be honest, that surgeon doesn't sound as if he knows a lot about the LapBand. I don't know anyone who had their band port completely removed for cosmetic or reconstructive surgery - it might get moved down with a Tummy Tuck, but that's it. If you can, try to consult with a Cosmetic Surgeon who has experience with LapBanded patients. (Ask your LapBand surgeon if he/she is local who they recommend - some bariatric surgeons have a colleague whose handled more of their patients and that's a powerful referral.) I did consults with 4 Cosmetic Surgeons but finally I picked the one who had done more LapBand patients and who worked closely with my Band doctor. He had done Lipo on plenty of Band patients (never poked a port yet) and also many Tummy Tucks/Abdominoplasties on Banded folks. He wasn't fazed at all. I saw his work on other band patients and I was very comfortable. My LapBand and I survived the Abdominoplasty and thanks to him, I didn't even need an unfill before my procedure. It's exciting to hear how your consults are going. You're already shapely contoured and symmetrical - if you do decide to have cosmetic work, you're gonna have a dynamite shape. Hopefully once I put these surgeries behind me, I can restart my belly dancing classes again, and one day maybe I'll have some belly-baring pics to add like yours! Happy Band (and Life) Journeys To All.

Teresa, you're such a card! Lisa, it's so nice to see you in good spirits and wishing everyone a Happy May when you must really be so frustrated inside. It is a beautiful day here in Boise, Idaho. Sunny, cool breeze and I'm inside. Doh! I think it's time to get my tuckus outside and do something constructive! Happy May Day everyone! Anyone want to dance around the Maypole with me? The ceremony of the maypole and maypole dancing, is symbolic of renewed life. In folklore, the common practice was to bring a new pole into the village every year representing that year's incarnation of the spirit of all growing plants - hopefully encouraging a good harvest. The tradition of dancing around the maypole is widespread through the UK, North America and Europe. Each dancer holds a ribbon and by dancing around the pole and weaving in and out of one another, the dancers gradually wind the ribbons in an intricate pattern down the pole.

Thank you! Unfortunately, due to my insurance, I can't see a bariatric surgeon because they don't take it at all and the only surgeons that are here in my neck of the woods are in the next town over. I can, however, see a nutritionist. I am in therapy but I never really talk about my surgery, I will start doing that. I didn't think to track food, it is a good idea. Does my fitness pal have premium? Also, I'll post in the VET form. Sent from my SM-S727VL using BariatricPal mobile app

So far, this would be purely for estetics. In other words, no rashes or other issues yet. I still have quite a ways to go though. How do you get insurance to pay for it? I keep forgetting that I will hopefully have another baby here in the next year or two, so I need to live in the moment and stop obsessing about the future and what my belly will look like. You know, when I lost 50lbs 4 years ago the "traditional" way, I NEVER thought about plastic surgery. Do you think it is more common with bariatric patients because we've already taken the surgical plunge????

Needing to find this product. ASAP called bariatric advantage meal replacement plz help to find a place cheaper Sent from my moto e5 cruise using BariatricPal mobile app

I wonder if you contacted bariatric pal if they could find something comparable to this item. I've had great help from them. They have great customer service! Someone there even got back to me on a Sunday! I was shocked and so pleased. They have so many products that would take us forever to research!

http://blog.wellesse.com/blog/-not-set--2/what-is-protein-and-what-types-of-protein-are-best This article and many more say collagen can be more bioavailable? If there are more than two schools of thought about collagen then I am going to try to investigate the claim that it isn't as available. Where did you get your info from? I want a more scientific break down before I can decide if I should use it because it is less expensive and in some products I like for example Bariatric Hot drinks, Soups, etc. Thanks for bring this to our attention I would have never known to research it!

@@Qwalla Did you get any replies to this question? Have you tried Bariatric fusion Protein powder? If so - what flavor is best?

There are some great and also easy recipes for bariatric people on www.bariatriceating.com......some are on the message board and many more are posted by the administrator. They also give instructions, not just recipes. They also sell a book by the administrator that is a great help for learning to eat and cook food that are both appropriate for lapband and for your family. I buy the already cooked frozen shrimp at Sam's and eat them plain with sauce or use them in recipes....makes life very quick and simple. I'm also buying the little frozen packages of mixed veggies that you just throw in the microwave...don't even have to poke a hole in it...and in 5 min. you have perfect steamed vegetables....eat plain or with cheese dip poured over them and/or a little can of mushrooms mixed in.

First, get a list of the PCP's from your insurance co. Then call the insurance person at you bariatric surgeon's office and ask them for some suggestions of PCP's on your list. They see who is easy to work with/does a good job with the letters needed, etc. all the time. Good luck! -BG

Met with Bariatric Coordinator, Nutritionist, Physical Therapist and Psychologist on 7/25/06. It went well. Waiting for approval from insurance company. We'll see... weightlossticker.bmp

Wow, this is just overwhelming.:phanvan You'll survive these next days, taterbugs but you have to really focus. For right now, try liquids & mushees only. Don't irritate the band with anything tough, dry or fibrous/crunchy (not even salad :cry ) Get yourself some Gas-X or any Simethicone-based tablets. Try at least 125 to 200 mg worth of simethicone to keep the slime down. In fact, any kind of Rolaids Maximum Strength-type chewables that have both calcium (to soak up the acid) and Simethicone (to prevent the fluidy sliming will probably give you some real relief fast. You need something to handle the acid heartburn and something to prevent the 'fluids coming up the esophagus' thing. If you follow these steps and don't further irritate your band, this should get you a couple of days of enough relief to keep you out of the ER. Then go immediately when you find someone in South Carolina. My first suggestion - find a Bariatric surgeon that does LapBand in your new area. Immediately - one that's in South Carolina, where you'll be back in a few days. Start making those Long Distance calls now so you'll have someone lined up when you get back home ASAP. Don't bother with the Atlanta surgeons now - you'll probably really need someone who will follow you long-term. When you say you've been "filled & unfilled" - where are you now? And also when you say you were unfilled due to "distended" band - are you saying it was dilitated, expanded, changed position? Can you describe it for us? Check the Phone Directories, check ObesityHelp website, do a Google search but find a LapBand doc in SC as soon as you possibly can.

:help: I'm the nurse who developed the list of questions to ask your surgeon and reminded you to post the article on complications. I'm determined to have bariatric surgery and, after extensive research, had decided on a Lapband. I had my initial consultation yesterday at the University of California, San Francisco bariatric surgery center (the only one my insurance will cover in Northern California). Really liked the surgeons but am troubled by the number of Lapbands they've done. They've done hundreds of lap bypasses but very few Lapbands -- about 50 among the 3 of them since they started doing Lapbands a year and a half ago. I remember you posted some time ago that a given surgeon should have done a minimum of 50 Lapbands. So here's my conundrum:confused: : Is it wise to have a Lapband, even though they've done so few? Or do I have a bypass even though I'd prefer not to? Any advice will be appreciated! NancyRN

OK, now that I've whined and moaned, I pulled out the info from the bariatric program and found the following: I can have a 1 cup salad in addition, and I can make my own dressing for it--woo! So I got up and went to the store, and got a brainstorm while I was there--I can season my meat any way I want--so why not with pico de gallo (chopped raw garlic, onion, tomato, cilantro)? I'm getting excited about dinner. I picked up some asparagus that I'm going to dress with a ginger vinagrette. I just need to get over myself lol, and get creative with it!

I always have and always will use Isolate. For me this is because I was extremely lactose intolerant before surgery (and surgery usually makes it worse). Isolate has no lactose, which makes it the best option for me. If you look at weight lifting forums and stuff isolate is generally looked upon as better in quality than other proteins. The biggest reason (in my opinion) not to use Isolate is because it's significantly more expensive than other protein sources, and your options are much more limited (of finding a flavor/texture/drink you like). I think it may be absorbed quicker than other proteins as well but don't quote me on that. The majority of the stuff on my surgeons recommended list contains lactose, and bariatric advantage makes me sick as hell. So whey isolate is the best option for me

I used fill centers for my fill (first fill and currently the only fill). They are seemingly a great service. They were patient with me as I continuously cancelled my appointments days before the fill (out of fear). My ARNP was amazing! She didn't use fluoro and didn't need to, for me at least. Fillcenters made a follow up call to me to inquire about my experience. They sent me a recipe book and lapband guide book recently. They, however are not specifically dedicated or focused to take over the follow-up care of patients being banded abroad. They market evenly to all Bariatric doctors and take on patients that doctors refuse to see or doctors that are not equipped with fluoro. They pretty much market to any and all lapbanded patients. I was happy with the service the company provided.

pretty much all clinics require a few months of classes and clearance testing. The insurance company should know this since they've covered bariatric patients in the past.

I've never heard that specific phrase before, but "auto-decline" would seem to mean that in situations where medical underwriting is done, people who are less than 10 years out from bariatric surgery would be declined for health insurance coverage. SKbishop, what state are you in? The laws vary considerably from state to state, so what's true where you are may not be true elsewhere. "Guaranteed issue" refers to situations where insurance policies MUST be issued, regardless of medical or other circumstances. Some states, like New Jersey, have laws that guarantee access to health insurance for all individuals regardless of health status. Yes, it's true that those policies aren't cheap--$300 or $400 for a single person is about right--but they are guaranteed to be AVAILABLE. Generally, insurance companies will decline as many people as they possibly can given the laws of the state they're operating in. They will charge as much as they can for people who are higher risk or decline to write those policies entirely. The only protection we have as consumers of insurance is to know what the laws are in our states. Snowhard, generally speaking if your employer provides your health insurance, it's a GROUP plan and as such your personal medical situation is probably not relevant. But again, the laws in your state may differ, so do check that out with a licensed broker or your state insurance department.

I am less freaked out by the incident than by the way it was handled. As soon as the issue occurred, it should have been dealt with, not postponed for so long. I don't care if there was no bariatric surgeon on staff. It was an emergency situation, and they should have either called one in, or had an abdominal.general surgeon remove the band. You don't need as much special training to remove an implanted device as to install it in the first place. I feel terrible for Shirley and her family, but I am comforted that her circumstances were unusual and that my local hospital has 3 bariatric surgeons on staff (it's where I got my band done to begin with) in case a complication or emergency ever arises.

i have card regarding bariatrics

scale Weight-loss Surgery The first large-scale review of weight-loss surgeries performed on older adults suggests bariatric procedures should generally be limited to people younger than age 65, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. The study showed that older patients experienced less weight loss and far more complications than younger patients, indicating that the risks often outweigh the benefits of these types of surgeries in older patients. The study, which appears in the Archives of Surgery, reviewed more than 25,000 bariatric procedures from a national database. "Adverse outcomes increased with age, particularly after age 60," said Dr. Edward Livingston, chairman of GI/endocrine surgery at UT Southwestern and the study's lead author. "Beyond 65 years of age, the adverse event rate exceeded 20 percent and mortality was 3.23 percent." In addition to age, the study found that men and those with electrolyte disorders and congestive heart failure were at greater risk of death from bariatric surgery or related complications, said Dr. Livingston. Other conditions that increased risk for adverse events and required longer hospital stays included chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes and depression. Common complications included gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiac problems. Gastrointestinal problems were most common, occurring in about 30 percent of older patients who had complications. Respiratory-tract problems occurred in about 20 percent of patients with post-operative problems. Cardiac complications affected about 15 percent of elderly patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly one-third of adult Americans - more than 60 million people - are obese. Nearly 5 percent of adults are classified as extremely obese. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery Foundation estimates that more than 1,000 people die each day from obesity-related complications. Obese adults are at increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, stroke and even some cancers. Obesity ranges from mild (20 to 50 pounds overweight) to morbidly obese (more than 100 pounds overweight). Bariatric surgeries are usually reserved for those more than 100 pounds overweight. This latest study reviewed 25,428 bariatric procedures involving Medicare beneficiaries using the National Inpatient Survey database, which contains discharge information for 20 percent of all hospitalizations in the United States, a sufficiently large enough population to overcome limitations of previous studies. UT Southwestern is one of the few institutions in the nation that offers all types of bariatric procedures and is a regional referral center and leader in bariatric surgery, having performed the area's first lap band procedures and robotically assisted lap band procedures. UT Southwestern bariatrics programs have garnered national recognition as well, being named bariatric surgery Centers of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and United Resource Networks' Clinical Sciences Institute. ### About UT Southwestern Medical Center UT Southwestern Medical Center, one of the premier medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. Its more than 1,400 full-time faculty members - including four active Nobel Prize winners, more than any other medical school in the world - are responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and are committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in 40 specialties to nearly 89,000 hospitalized patients and oversee 2.1 million outpatient visits a year. Dr. Edward Livingston - http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/findfac/professional/0,2356,58399,00.html Contact: Russell Rian UT Southwestern Medical Center