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Barimelts, bariatric melts they have a full line of vitamins and Celebrate Vitamins have a variety of forms, drink mix, soft chews chewable, quick dissolve capsule all designed for wls

Yes! This waiting for 6 months is a test of my patience but I'm trusting that God knows I need the long process. I'm with Dr. Macik at Northside Bariatrics, I've gone through the psych evaluation and nutritionist so I'm just going through the 2 more weigh ins. Please keep me updated on your process. I look forward to this new leash on life :-)

I agree with Gretsada, the premier protein shakes in my opinion are the best tasting ones. I buy them when they go on sale at Costco or Sams, which are a great deal. I like the Banana and Strawberries and Cream the best but the Vanilla is pretty good too. I didn't care for the chocolate one but the others have been really good. At 30g protein and 1 carb for 160 calories, I don't know of a better option I've found. Also, my surgeon suggested the premier shakes and bars by name for post op as well and they align nutritionally with the Bariatric Advantage pre-op shakes nutritionally. Hope this is helpful.

My office has a psychologist working within the clinic. I would gander many "bariatric clinics" do as well. Something to look into.

Oh my gosh, you are all wonderful to respond with such encouragement! The Vitamins my surgeon insists that his patients take do not agree with me at all. I just took another type tonight and already feel better. I think I minimized the importance of them, which I should have started a few days ago and then they made me sick so I quit 'em. I have an appointment with my surgeon tomorrow so I should have all the vitamins and supplements I need by tomorrow night when I discuss making the change to new ones. Thanks a million for your replies! If you know anyone who wants some unopened Bariatric Advantage Protein powder and chewable Iron, let me know and I will give them away - I'll even pay the shipping!

I am not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this question, but I recently went to my surgeon to schedule my surgery and mentioned that I have gallstones. I was told by one of the nurses during the pre-surgery classes I took that if the surgeon felt it necessary, he could do the laparoscopic cholecystectomy during the lapband surgery. However, my surgeon told me to have this procedure before the lapband surgery and after about 3 weeks to have the lapband surgery. He said that they could do both procedures, if necessary, if the patient was having the bariatric bypass surgery. Now, i have to wait until May to have my lapband surgery. This is due to schedule issues on both of our parts. Has anyone heard of this need to have 2 separate surgeries?

I contacted the bariatric center I wanted to go through. They had me watch one of their seminars. I then decided to go with them and they did all the rest for me. Set up appts with psych, nutritionist, etc

I asked my primary doctor if he thought I was a good candidate for a lap band. I had not even heard of VSG. He gave me a referral to the Bariatric Clinic at Loyola University, so I contacted them. They explained my options and advised that I would be a good candidate for the sleeve.

The only way to see if your insurance will cover it is to check with your insurance company. You are the only one who can decide if this is the right thing to do, we can't tell you that. I am scheduled for surgery on Oct 22nd, and self paying in Mexico because my insurance doesn't cover any bariatric procedures, period. That is how determined I am to get this done. What restrictions are you worried about? Are you worried about not being able to follow them? Or are you upset that you wouldn't be able to eat "normally" afterwards? If that's how you are feeling, then it is not the time to have this surgery. You must be ready to make this life change or it will not work. Research, research, research. Read everything you can so you understand how the procedure works, what life changes will be made, what to expect before and after, risks, etc.

Sorry - I just have to respond to some things that were said in previous posts. I would be really concerned about a bariatric surgeon who claims you will lose 30 pounds in the first month following Lap-Band surgery. If they are, they shouldn't be doing this surgery because they don't understand the band. Doctors place the band with no saline in it, let the stomach heal for 6 weeks, *then* will make adjustments. Since there is no restriction for the first six weeks, once the swelling goes down in stoma, there is no reason to believe you will not still feel hungry, because it's almost as if the band isn't there. I'm glad some of you are able to eat solid food so early, but you're taking your chances with problems further down the road. Also, the Lap-Band has always been an *adjustable gastric band*, meaning even when it was first introduced in Europe, it was adjustable. There is a previous surgery that is still sometimes done called vertical banded gastroplasty. Here's a picture: Uh ... sorry about the naked chick up there, I could have done without her but that's the only good picture of the surgery I found in a quick google search of VBG. But yeah, there's a band there, but there's lots of staples and you get a circle in your stomach. You can see they really screw up your stomach and the plastic band is not adjustable in any way. This is *not* the Lap-Band. Sorry for running off at the mouth like this, but I started researching bariatric surgery in 2001, have known about the Lap-Band from before it was even approved in the United States, and just want to make sure people get the facts correct. Thanks.

I'm new to this and want to here from anyone who is having surgery or have had surgery with Southeast Bariatrics. I'm doing all my pre-op testing and hope to be finished by the end of the month. I cant wait to have the surgery. It seems like the more I read all the sucess stories, the more I really want this. Tell me about your experience..how long did it take from seminar to surgery?

I have 3 bottles of Celebrate multiply vitamins, 3 bottles Celebrate Calcium plus 500, 2 bottles Celebrate Iron + C (all chewable) & liquid packets of Omega 3. Any fruit flavored chewable tablet does not settle well on my stomach. I will give these to someone if they will pay the postage.

Is there no hospital in or near enough Beckley that does bariatric surgery? If you haven't actually checked, do call to ask if they have support groups. Most welcome people who have had surgery elsewhere.

I have felt the same. I am an RN on a post op bariatric unit- I understand. But also, I can answer any of your questions. Working on this unit for the past 4 years I have seen the good, the bad, the ugly- but also the inspiring. I have seen people regain their life, health, and confidence. It's a new beginning. A very big change- and change is scary. The thing is- you have to do this for you. You need to be totally educated on the choice and go in to it with the knowledge of how this thing works. Any questions at all- just ask. Ill be happy to answer.

Whilst sitting in the "green room" waiting to be called on set (actually, the name was quite apt as we were sat in a stuffy snooker room in the back of an old gentleman's club...baize green everywhere!) I had another moment of diving into people's psyche concerning us fatties (for those of a sensitive nature, scrub that and read "bariatrically challenged" or "those of a less than slender approach"). The moment that sparked my grey cells was when, as usual, I preempted the jokes and jibes that could be thrown at me - by putting myself down. I seem to recall it was some throw-away comment about squeezing in to a too-tight top which made me feel like a homosexual piglet in a boob-tube. As I uttered the defensive barrier, a very lovely lady leaned over to me (amongst the other actors laughing) and said "you shouldn't put yourself down like that...you're not fat." For a moment, I listened to her words and for an even briefer moment in time, I actually believed her. I like to consider myself an intelligent man and, being one hundred and fifteen pounds over my ideal weight, I have used many mathematical formulae and a sprinkle of the laws of physics to deduce that I am indeed fat. In fact, my calculation led me to the category of "morbidly obese". As much as I hate that label, that is what I am. And I look it. So what made that woman, who I must sat was a little chunky herself, advise me that I was not fat? Was she mad? Did she stem from a foreign country and was actually trying to say "you are not fit"? Was she being sarcastic and making fun of me? I believe she, like countless other of my friends and family over the years, was just being kind. She saw a stigma in the reference if fat, just like most people across the world do. She, unlike some of the less than sensitive people I have met in my life, handled this with an assumed kindness. A certain flattery that was meant to pat me on the back and say "there, there, you'll be OK". I would be an awfully cynical human being if I said that I didn't appreciate that kind of response. After all, it is well intentioned and far preferable to the kinds of insults one normally receives from the less civilized and less educated people in the world. Also, she was obviously under the impression that my put down servered no other purpose other than self-abuse. But, us overweight people know that it is far better to beat the others to the punchline than to have to sit through the humiliation when others cast their fatty remarks. But, forgetting that aspect, does it really help the situation when someone pats you on the backk and says "never mind, your not fat"? Having grown up fat, been educated fat and gone through my adult life fat, I have heard many, many people accuse me of not being "fat" or "too fat" before. People who are close to me. People who care for me. And people who are just embarrassed about the word or concept of "fat". But, I have now come to the conclusion that they have been part of my problem. Had everyone I had come in contact with over the years behaved like the Neanderthal beings that have caused me pain, embarrassment and tears over the past thirty six years, I believe I may have started to do something about it sooner. Had they publicly humiliated me, called me names and lessened by character because if my weight, I may well be slim, athletic and proud of myself. I may well be one of them. With every denial of my weight issues, came a psychological acceptance. They cared for my feelings, and in doings so aided my fast ride to diabetes, circulation problems, countless other health issues and even early death. They were indeed killing with kindness. Now I have decided to undergo the (not so controversial of late) Lap Band procedure, I write this with a certain historical perspective in my mind. From here on in, I am going to be slimmer. I am going to be more athletic. I am going to be more proud of myself. I am going to be more like them. But, I am doing it under my own volition. I have chosen my time. Had the world been a darker place where, the people who care for me had been more cruel (my closest friends, my family, the people embarrassed of the "F" word), then I would feel unsettled. I would not be the person I am today. I would be miserable and entirely alone. Kindness and understanding is an essential part if ensuring our loved ones mature and develop on the outside as well as the inside. I am grateful for all the blatant lies of me not being fat through my life, as I understand that they were, in the main, meant with care and love. However, I am also strangely grateful to the bastards (and I cannot stress that word enough - but more of that in a later blog) that littered my life and helped point out the fact that, even without mathematical formulae, I was obviously fat. Originally posted at: Lap Band Blog

The pre-op diet is usually for people who are using insurance to pay. In a seminar with 6 bariatric surgeons I learned that one only needs to do this diet if insurance is paying for the surgery. The docs just need to document that you are able to lose weight. So - dont stress yourself out thinking you MUST do this for the surgery's sake. It has nothing to do with that.

I am reading that a lot of the Bariatric Advantage Multivitamins are soft chews. What is the difference between soft chew and a gummy? Thanks

I called medicaid and they told me as long as my primary care doctor gave me a referral and it was documented medically necessary by my PCP and weight loss surgeon that they would approve it, however I must go through 6 months of supervised weigh loss and see a nutritionist, a psychiatrist and get lab work done. I already got my referral from my PCP and got my lab work done. Unfortunately, I have not found any bariatric surgeons who would accept share of cost as of yet. I am located in Orlando Fl. Has anyone found a surgeon who takes Medicaid share of cost in Orlando, Fl?

I went to Mexico on Dec 4 and I got dehydrated and had to go to the ER Thursday. I was really scared that the doctors would have something to say about me going to Mexico to have this done. They actually didn't say anything. They just double checked everything to make sure I was okay. However, he did refer me to another bariatric surgeon here in the states for follow up care. I was okay with that.

Hi Les, Did your surgeon recommend any vitamins? I will be taking bariatric vitamins from a company called Building Blocks, as per my program's guidelines. I'm sure that you can order from Building Blocks online...just a thought. Take Care, NiceGirl

Diet pills are at best a temporary fix and dangerous on your heart. I would start with seeing a bariatric doctor and getting their opinion.

First, I think that when someone betrays a trust, that is painful on so many levels. Not just the betrayal itself, but all the repercussions from it. What your sister did was disrespectful of your privacy, of your positive desire to help yourself, and just plain disrespectful in general. That said, I had a co-worker who barely even knew me announce that I had surgery at a luncheon, without even knowing for sure that I had. She just assumed since I had lost so much weight. I was furious, flabbergasted, stunned and speechless. What kind of person would do such a thing??? But since I HAVE had success, I have now become the poster child for bariatric surgery. There are two who have now had surgery as a result, and two more that are scheduled. So the negative turned into a positive. I've set an example and helped others to make their decision. I guess that makes me feel pretty good.

NewHope Bariatrics has opened up a brand new surgical center in LA. NewHope Bariatrics develops and operates Ambulatory Surgery Centers and Short-stay Surgical Hospitals that serve the needs of the morbidly obese. Dr Davtyan is a prominent and respected bariatric surgeon. He specializes in Lap-Band surgery and has the Lap-Band himself. I have heard only wonderful things about Dr. Davtyan. 1-877-639-4673 is the number for more information.

I just did the ultrasound, and they push REALLY hard on your ribcage area! Still think it's kind of odd I don't need an endoscopy as it seems everyone else has one pre-op. But, I trust my surgeon and my bariatric center!

I told my mother a few days before surgery. "Just thought I would let you know, I am having a bariatric surgery this Friday. Not looking for any dialog on this, but I know you would be upset if I told you about it after." She had no choice but to accept it. If she were more extreme, as it may appear to be in your case, I probably would have waited and told her the first time I saw her, which would have been 3 months later with significant loss. She would have had no option but to see the results and be happy for me. Sounds like you are in a no win situation. Get yelled at for having the surgery or get yelled at for not telling her about the surgery. Any way you look at it, you're going to get yelled at, so, I would prefer post-surgery b!tch session.