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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.

First, Google the consequences of eating one large meal a day instead of speading out your nutrition. After you have bariatric surgery, it will be imperitive to eat small meals and sip instead of chug your liquids. Secondly, think about how your health will be a year from now if you do not have surgery. Then consider where your health will be a year from now if you DO have the surgery. Third, there won't be any pitchers of beer, but I suppose you can be a sippy taste tester.

So this is all new to me although I've been doing research and going to doctors visits and having all kinds of tests done and well my doctor finally gave me the referral to a surgeon. Although I confused. I called the doc and I have to do some seminar before they can give me an apt. The girl was really nice and advised me to see if my insurance covers bariatrics and to not ask to many questions, so I did just that. I was advised that it is covered if medically needed once approved they will cover 100%. I also asked where on line I could find the requirements so she told me where and so I went to look but that info is not online. So I came across something else in the benefits website under doctor search and it didn't have names of doctors but approved facilities for bariatrics and this doctor is not affiliated with any of the 4 hospitals in the Chicago land area! So am I just wasting my time with this seminar if this doctor isn't affiliated with one the the 4 hospitals? Ugh... Anyone have a suggestion for me. I will tell you that I was diagnosed with sleep apnea (just received my cpap machine a week ago) my BMI is 41 or 42 and I have been having back issues and went to therapy and MRI's and nothing is wrong mechanically. I have issues with my ankles and knee's giving out I'm like 5'. 0.5" and as of yesterday 219 (I lost 5 lbs this month, I'm so proud). I have BCBS of GA and I live in Chicago land area go figure out of state insurance! Does any of this look hopeful? Some one anyone give me some inspiration words of wisdom. I've been wanting and pushing doc to say ok lap-band since early this Year and it's now August and I just turned 30 2 weeks ago and want to enjoy my 4 year old daughter and life.

There really is no "we" in the world of post-wls, unless you are talking to someone who had the same surgery with the same surgeon and the same bariatric team. When I was at your stage my limits were 800 calories and 60 carbs per day. For your limits, you probably want to contact your own bariatric team. There are some teams out there that refuse to give their patients calorie limits and tell them just to focus on protein and liquid instead -- your team may be one of them. Personally I think those teams are doing their patients a huge disservice, but I guess it's an approach that works for some people.

I haven't been denied by BCBS yet but the dr to me that unless they can find anything wrong with the band, BCBS MI only covers 1 bariatric surgery per lifetime

I blogged for a while previously on Live Journal under the name AndybearNY, but it has been awhile. I have started to blog again over there and I will be cross blogging between the 2. The title is the same for both blogs Many things cross my mind as I start the process of the new me. I have less than 1 week now till the orientation meeting. I am the type of person that puts the cart before the horse. I know I have a long road ahead of me and I am not even approved. I have started working out and started to diet. But then I wonder should I be doing this? From what I understand the group I go to requires a 10% weight reduction prior to scheduling the surgery. Is that 10% based on when I was weighed at my primary's office the day he referred me to the group, or is it based on the weight that I am when I have my appointment with the bariatric doctor. I always push myself too hard and I am also the hardest on myself. An example of this would be my bike ride. My first 2 days on the bike I did 30 minute ride. I felt OK, not great, but I decided to push myself and did a 45 minute ride. Well I became over heated. I broke out into a cold sweat and started to throw up once I got home. I need to do things in moderation; this is always an issue for me. Whether it is food, drinks or exercise, I tend to binge on everything. This is a habit I need to break.

Very good input. Thanks everyone. I will give a few of those a try. Soccer, Bariatric Advantage is the product my doctor is pushing. I wonder if the kick back he's getting is good, or if he really believes it's the best? He gave me a free sample. Yuck, but it fits the limitations HONK was mentioning above.

Hey guys, I just joined bariatric pal. Thanks for all of the great advice. My sleeve is scheduled for November 6th. Looking forward to sharing my progress and getting advice along the way. Take it easy.

Two Weeks Pre-OP Weight: 304.9 BMI: 45.5 Let me first begin by introducing myself. My name is Leslie, I’m 29, and have been overweight pretty much my entire life. I am a customer service manager at the local grocery store chain in Chicago. I have had two back surgeries in the last 4 years and have foot & joint pain. I decided to start this blog because I thought it might help me to put my feelings into words. I also hope that maybe someone reading this will get know that what they are feeling is normal and they aren’t alone. I know that reading about other people’s experiences has helped me along the way so far. Bariatric surgery was first suggested to me after my first back surgery. I’ll be honest, I was insulted. I thought it was an easy way out of losing weight and for people that had given up. A year and a half later I had to have a second back surgery because my disc has degenerated, mainly due to my weight. I started serious dieting, lost about 40lbs, and got stuck. Getting stuck caused me not to try so hard, and as time went on, I gained all the weight back plus some. The surgery was suggested to me again. This time I took some serious thought about. It took a year, but after another trip to the back doctor, where I was told that another disc was beginning to degenerate. If I didn’t lose weight I have another back surgery in my future, and probably more after that. That’s when I started the process. I realized that going down this road would not be easy. That it probably may be the hardest thing that I do. I had my consultation appointment in October of 2013. I decided that I would have the sleeve gastrectomy. And then I got the laundry list of things that needed to be done before the surgery can even be processed. Blood tests, ultrasounds, sleep studies, checked out by multiple doctors. But finally the surgery was scheduled: May 19th. So here I am, two weeks until surgery, when the real fun begins. The start of the pre-op diet. A mainly liquid diet with one “real meal” a day. The meal consists of 2-3oz of protein, 2cups of veggies, and the optional 1 serving of carbs. Not something that I have been looking forward to. In addition to the diet, I had to discontinue the anti-inflammatory that helps with the foot & joint pain. This morning I woke up and had the feeling of a kid on Christmas morning. I woke up 45mins then I had to, and usually have to drag myself out of bed. But not today. I knew that today is the beginning…the beginning of the rest of my life. I’m ready to change, and I’m excited to experience the journey to the new me. I won’t lie, today was tough. I was hungry most of the day. But I got through it. And I know that with each day, it will get easier and easier. And before I know it, the day of surgery will be here.

I want to hear from people who had the band removed and how they cope with gaining weight back despite diets and exercise. I do not have an option for any other bariatric surgeries unfortunately!

Brrrrr. It’s winter, and a bad one in some parts of the country. I’m somewhat safe because much of the time, I can work from home, but that can be risky business too. Just think about it: my office door is only six feet away from my typically over-stocked middle-class American kitchen. There’s no caramel gelato in the freezer, no cookies in the cupboard, but despite that, my brain keeps wandering back to the kitchen, over and over again. No doubt about it, winter driving is tricky business for WLS patients, indoors and out. This doesn’t mean that your most precious vehicle (your body) is destined to slide off the road despite the nifty tool of bariatric surgery. These are just some musings from a formerly fat girl with a lot of miles on her. I’ve writtena lot on that subject – a lot? Heck, I wrote a whole book about it, but I’ll start by introducing myself. Here goes: Hi, I'm Jean, and I'm a control freak. I have a really hard time trusting thatfate, or God, or anybody else, is in control of my life, my weight, my health,big things, small details, anything. The story I’m about to tell you is absolutely true. Years ago I was a passenger in a car driven by my boyfriend. I was in the passenger’s seat; his 9-year-old daughter and her dog were in the back seat. It was a very cold, dark, snowy night on a curving mountain road in New England (not much different than conditions up there was I write this). Suddenly the road before us was a sheet of ice and in panic, I said, "Slow down, Jack, that's glare ice ahead." He didn't slow down, didn't even respond, soI cried, "Jack! Are you nuts? We’ve got Kristin and Taffy in the car!" He said, "If I brake now, we'll spin out. We're just going to roll over it." So we rolled right over the ice, and we all survived. The car was silent for amoment or two, and then we heard Kristin behind us, saying, “Can we stop at Friendly’s for ice cream?” What does this story have to do with bariatric surgery? Sooner or later on your weight loss surgery journey, you will hit a stretch of bad road. It will be dark out, and you’ve never driven this road before, and it’s raining cookies or sleeting potato chips and the visibility is terrible. You'll be lost, without street signs or landmarks or a map to guide you, facing unexpected events or conditions. You'll hit a weight loss plateau or experience a weird symptom or your beloved surgeon will leave his/her practice and move to Tibet to study Buddhism. If you're like me, a person who always has to be solving a problem, you'll ask yourself, "What am I doing wrong? What can I do to fix this? What should I do now? Right now." The answer to those questions may very well be, "Nothing." Sometimes the best course of action is no action. Sometimes you just have to stay the course. So the next time you face a rough spot in your journey, try not to panic. Don't hit the brakes, or speed up, or turn suddenly. Just roll over it. You’re notin charge of the world and someone in heaven’s got your back. The ice and snowwill melt, you’ll be able to read your map again, and you’ll crawl out of thatditch you’d slid into. You’ll firmly tell Kristin that no, we’re not stopping for ice cream, and you’ll hit the WLS road again, one foot at a time, over andover, while your destination grows ever nearer.

A testimonial from the website of the hospital I will be banded..... insipires me whenever I feel like I need a pick-me-up... just wanted to share. I have found that there are certain "stones" that you must claim as your own and use with almost religious zeal to keep the tool of bariatric surgery sharp and effective. I think every person who has this surgery builds their own cairn out of the stones that they discover work best to encourage them. So here are a few of mine. Stone #1—Quiet Reflection This one takes different forms for different people—prayer and meditation, transcendental sauntering, yoga, sitting quietly, being. Take your pick, but this is an important discipline as it keeps the bariatric patient in touch with the one thing that our weight and former dependence on food distanced us from—our feelings. You must think about how you feel, stay aware of how you feel and set your compass each and every day to make all of the choices that keep you feeling good, feeling lean, and feeling in control. Stone #2—Meaningful Movement Do something. For me the compliance to this particular "stone" is profoundly personal and it took me almost four years to figure out that I would exercise far more consistently if I would work out early in the morning versus in the evening when I almost always had a conflict or flagging motivation. Committing to a time that no person or event could challenge and making it virtually impenetrable from interlopers made this one of the most significant assurances for me. If I start with this stone on the cairn—even if it is just a 45 minute energetic walk—everything else seems to fall in place. Put simply, if I even reluctantly walk over and pick up this stone (no matter how heavy) and carry it to my weight loss cairn each morning, I know that I will virtually run and, with little effort, pick up the rest of the stones that day and stack them on the monument of the day's success. Make this stone anything you like—for me it is walking, rowing, dancing, or maybe a touch of light weightlifting that I should actually do more often. Stone #3—Liturgical Vitamin Ceremonies My vitamin consumption has become an almost holy symbol of my intent to honor the body this surgery gave me. I bought a tea box (a wooden box with 12 square compartments) that sits next to my favorite chair. Every morning and night I open it up to behold the vitamin selection that assures my good health. There they all are—the multi vitamin, the Co-Q10, the calcium, the Colace (still needed from time to time). I take vitamins several times a day, and each time I take one, I whisper "I am good to me." Stone #4—The Security of Staples Always, always, always have the staples you need to stay the course for good health. This takes discipline and a list (laminated and always with you). For me, the staples are hard boiled eggs, fat free cottage cheese, Montreal steak spice, Lite Havarti cheese, apples, blueberries, fat-free yogurt, and Crystal Light. These must be in my reach at almost all times or I will most assuredly make the same bad choices that caused my weight gain. Make your own list and carry a small cooler in your car everyday if you must—and I have—so that you have no excuse. Never, never go home without knowing that you have the staples you need there. I do better without too much choice. An important related "stone" to this one was a hard one for me to acknowledge and eventually convince the rest of my family to join me in honoring. I cannot have any food in my house that is not desirable for a weight-loss patient to consume. Once that first year of no appetite passes and hunger makes its inevitable return, the same temptations you once knew will be back. Even though you will feel rotten if you succumb, it is just too tempting. I find the de-temptation of the home environment and replacing it with staples (symbols of on-going health) is critical for me. Any family member frustrated by this strategy can find plenty of excuses to sneak out of the house for a non-healthy treat. Stone #5—Surround Yourself with Stone Masons This has to do with the ongoing support we all need in life to achieve any of the goals we set before us, particularly the goal of good health after weight-loss surgery. For some, this may mean participating in support groups. I have had a mixed reaction to formal groups for bariatric patients. Prior to surgery, I found the groups to be absolutely inspiring with so many stories of success transformation. They were a remarkable source of hope during a time of despair. However, not long after my surgery, I found that most support groups were negative. The participants focused on what wasn't working, what they couldn't eat, or what they didn't like. Since I had been totally prepared for the changes that my surgery was intended to bring, I did not find what I wanted in a group. Look intentionally for a support group that absolutely encourages the excitement (and yes, reality) of a body that has been readjusted completely to bring about a transformation. Yes, our cups may now be literally half full, but our lives and futures are virtually overflowing. Surround yourself with people who see it that way and, do as I did, select your own personal support team. The people on that team are your stone masons who will help you set the stones you choose in place and secure them for life. Stone #6—Celebrate and Play At least once a quarter, take a day to do nothing but celebrate. Keep a list of the things that you always said that you would do when you lost the weight—take a hike, ride a horse, go to a concert, climb a mountain, go sit on the beach and watch a sunset, shop, etc. Write down everything you can imagine and, like a bucket list, do them one by one. Plan these important days, give them to yourself and review the stones in your weight-loss structure. If you can, take the day off on your surgery anniversary and honor your good health. Stone #7—Share the Joy Take some of the new energy of life that is most certainly one of the extraordinary benefits of weight-loss surgery and give it away to somebody who needs it. Do this in whatever way the world calls you to give something back. People carry "weight" in very many ways and I think we end up with an obligation once ours is gone, to help others carry their own or lose it as the case may be. Stone #8—Lighten Up and Face the Facts The reality of my numbers is as follows. The last time I weighed prior to surgery, I was a precious but substantial 327 pounds. I would lose a total of 167 pounds, 18 of which have found their way back. Of course, this predictable weight gain is a fact that strikes sheer terror in the heart of any person who has struggled with weight loss and knows how easy and devious the return of pounds can be. However, using the stone stacking method described here, I have discovered how to maintain my weight within about a two-pound fluctuation over the past year. Put simply, the balance of stones and habits for me that I have in place right now will accommodate maintenance. What I also know is that if I want to be as lean as I have been (which I very much would), I will have to exercise a bit more and trim some additional calories out of my diet to create that outcome. These are facts, not magic and not a failure of the surgery. Just a reminder that I will have to continue to use my stones in different ways everyday for the rest of my life to sharpen the tool of my surgery and create the monument to good health that I want my cairn to be .

Last Chance to Save on Registration for the 2015 Your Weight Matters National Convention! “I had bariatric surgery and I knew I had a second chance at life, so I wanted to do everything I could — even if it meant making myself extremely uncomfortable — to learn enough to be successful.” –Jennifer Coleman, Past Your Weight Matters Convention Attendee No matter where you are on your journey with weight – just getting started and considering all of your options, or several years out from a bariatric surgery – the 2015 Your Weight Matters National Convention offers you the RIGHT education to manage your weight and health. Attendees from across the Nation come together for this 3-day educational event featuring thought leaders in the fields of weight, health, nutrition, exercise and more. We invite you to join in, “Our Journey: Restore. Refresh. Renew.” at the 2015 Your Weight Matters National Convention taking place this August 13-16 in San Antonio! Register NOW for the Best Price! The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), host of the 2015 Your Weight Matters National Convention, strives to keep the prices affordable for all of our Convention attendees. Registration pricing will increase after June 5, so take advantage of this competitive price, including: $95 for a Full Convention Registration - includes access to all educational sessions, group exercise classes, meals (except for lunch) and tickets to special events. $30 for a One-day Registration – includes access to all educational sessions, group exercise classes and Thursday and Sunday’s special events. Meals are NOT included. After this Friday, June 5, registration pricing options will increase to $125 for a Full Convention Registration or $40 for a One-day Registration. With fun special events, an unsurpassed educational agenda and a welcoming community of attendees, the 2015 Your Weight Matters National Convention gives you the support and resources you need to manage your weight. Early-bird pricing ends on Friday, June 5, so get the savings by CLICKING HERE to register now!

Call your bariatric team. Only they can give you the correct answer for YOUR case. Please remember your tummy is still healing. I'm also in week 2. I have 3 more days left until I can start soft foods. My tummy has been doing great so far. No gas or nausea.

i dont know what type of insurance everyone has but i can speak on what i know being that i work in the industry-make sure you're communicating w/the bariatric office and your insurance. find out what codes they use, if they require auth and that auth is obtained. if auth isnt obtained-yes billing is a lot higher and creates a can of worms. also-make sure to document everything. i recently made my appt for my 1st fill. i have an email w/the codes from the bariatric insurance saying no auth req'd when actually it does for one of the codes. STAY INFORMED!

Have you heard of the Baritastic app? It’s like MFP But meant for bariatric patients!!

Has anyone here actually gone through the company called Mexico Bariatric Services though? I'd like to hear more about them too. Ignore the link that comes up when I type Mexico... that's not the place I'm asking about.

Patience has never been a virtue of mine. I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed by this process. I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm doing the wrong things and that I'm wasting a lot of good money on all this medical stuff and I'll just have to start back at square one when I (hopefully, finally) get to a bariatric surgeon. So many, many steps. I just hope it's not all in vain. Guess I'm just feeling a little down lately. It's CRIMSON TIDE time, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Also, my nut called and said she needed to reschedule my appointment. Now, instead of going the day after my bday, I'm going ON my actual bday. That should be fantastic. :\ First nut visit where I discuss all my bad habits and resolve to change them on the same day that I usually go out for an extravagant dinner and have drinks and cake. Awesome. I guess this is as good a time to start as any... wouldn't be able to indulge like that after being sleeved anyway! I'm too tired to do the perky, keep your head up thoughts afloat right now. Just gonna ride this out and see where it takes me. I'll try not to stay bummed out. *le sigh*

Alex has graciously allowed me to sneak into the mens room to tell you all about something exciting! I've started a dating website for bariatric patients. I wanted to create a safe place where men and women who've had surgery can meet people with similar goals. I can't think of anything more awesome than finding someone to share this journey with. Our website is TOTALLY FREE! It features profiles with up to ten pictures, private chat, private email, blogging and more. We are just getting off the ground so it will take some time to build the membership but you can help make this a success. If you are single or have other single friends, please send them to check out the site. We've got a fair amount of women to get started but we need men! Please visit www.loveafterwls.com for more information and to get your profile started. http://www.loveafterwls.com

For a little background info, I was diagnosed with Crohns in 2011, have been asymptomatic since 2012 and stopped my crohns medication in 2013 due to loss of insurance. I started my WLS journey 9 months ago in July. At my first appointment my surgeon thought I may have been misdiagnosed and recommended I have a colonoscopy as WLS is contraindicated for people with Crohns. He seemed pretty sure I did not have Crohn’s since I had very mild symptoms before being diagnosed. I wasn’t able to get a colonoscopy until the end of October, and it came back still indicating I do indeed have Crohn’s. My GI doctor wasn’t sure why I wasn’t having symptoms, but did see inflammation which was contained to my colon. She put me on mesalamine and wanted to do calprotectin labs to check inflammation in February. I returned to my surgeon and was informed that he did not feel comfortable performing WLS with this condition. I was pretty devastated but wasn’t going to let it get me down. I had lost 20 pounds (10 pounds more than the goal he had set for me) and accepted the fact that I will have to do this on my own. A month later I was called back into the bariatric clinic and my surgeon had went to a bariatric surgery conference in DC and proposed my case and spoke with other surgeons and all of a sudden he was able to offer me the sleeve. He advised against RNY due to if I ever became symptomatic I might require addition surgery as it could spread. I was looking to do full RNY due to the possibility of having dumping but I would take the sleeve over nothing. The catch was we have to wait until the inflammation in my colon goes down. 3 months was basically wasted on the mesalamine. Nothing changed. My GI doctor started me on a 2 month prednisone taper. Prednisone is the freaking devil. I gained 23 pounds but had the labs re-done and my inflammation went down from 374 to 81 and normal was Now my VSG is scheduled for 5/31! Does anyone else have Crohn’s? Have you had problems?

I am the Bariatric Coordinator for Dr Travis Eggl - the Bariatric Surgeon here in Lubbock Texas. I am happy to help answer questions and be a resource.. My name is Tiffany Willis...please let me know how I can help... I also had the Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Oct 2012 and have lost 327lbs.... Love and Live life!!

Your doctor may be disappointed, but you shouldn't be. If you are eating the right things, that's the majority of the battle - I had been eating the right things, too - I had evolved into a good healthy diet over the years before surgery, but couldn't get the volume down enough to lose any more, which is why I needed the surgery. It's good to start the good postop habits early and experiment with new compliant foods - what Protein drinks do you like best, etc. Some docs claim that they use the preop diet to shrink or prepare the liver for the procedure. My doc is a liver specialist outside of his bariatrics and he doesn't have a specific preop diet, so that should say something about the validity of that claim. I gained a bit in the month before surgery from the serial last suppers (we won't be able to eat here for a while, and as long as we're out for this preop medical appointment, why not...) and it hasn't effected my weight loss postop - I'm 2/3 to goal weight in three months. Don't add any more stress to your life at an already stressful time (and hopefully your doctor won't, either) Good luck with it all,