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My hernia repair, gallbladder removal and gastric bypass were last Wednesday, 6/8. I’ll try to answer your questions: I started the process in January of this year. Surgeon suspected and diagnosed a massive hiatal hernia- 2/3 of my stomach was in my chest. It explained my shortness of breath and heartburn. I was approved by CIGNA, surgery date was set. I was given a 6/8 surgery date on 5/16. I researched extensively prior to selecting my surgeon. There are quite a few MDs in my family (sister, daughter, etc) and I leave no stone unturned when I research. I looked up ‘complication’ rates, everything. My surgeon’s practice is a Cigna Bariatric Center of Excellence. I am 1000% totally pleased with every aspect of the care I have received. My doc’s personality and bedside manner is/was perfect for me. I relate well to intelligent professionals in the medical field and my doc and I communicated with very level footing. He never spoke down to me, we were very conversational and he has a great sense of humor which is an absolute must for me. He told me my stay would be one overnight but possibly two. It did end up being 2 nights. I do not metabolize anesthesia well, and he got my nausea under control immediately when it was obvious that the usual protocol was not going to work for me. I saw him prior to going into the OR. He was upbeat and positive as was I. He was leaving the next day on vacation and we chatted about that. His practice has a protocol of ENHANCED RECOVERY AFTER SURGERY, and it has been a great outcome because of that. The anesthesiologist saw me prior to surgery and he used a nerve block on each side of my abdomen an hour before surgery. He said it would last for 3 days and I believe him. I did not ever need pain meds post op. Amazing, right? The biggest issue for me was debilitating nausea and it was addressed immediately and the outcome was positive. My care in the hospital was five star! I could not have asked for anything better. My husband was in my suite with me 24/7. The suites are new and resemble hotel studio suites. No kidding. Two flat screen TVs. Spotlessly clean. Everything one might need to be comfortable was there. We checked in on 6/8 at 8am with surgery scheduled for 10:20. My doc was running ahead of schedule and he had booked the OR for 4 hours because of the extensive hernia issues. He completed the procedure in 2 hours. He told my husband it was textbook and I was a very easy patient. 🤗 My husband and everyone else whose loved ones were in surgery wait in a large area. They can follow the patients progress on a tv screen using an ID number for their loved one. It indicates pre-op, entering OR, procedure underway, procedure completed, surgeon on way to talk to family, recovery room, etc. I’ve boarded cruise ships that didn’t have as smooth of a boarding process as WakeMed Hospital and their surgical department. LOL I was in my room at 3:15- there was an emergency unrelated to me and I was held in recovery a little longer than is typical. Once in my room, my RN, and his nursing assistant were always there tending to me. The nausea issue developed immediately and was addressed immediately. I have used only ice for discomfort at one laparoscopic site, and I have showered and I am walking. I was nervous and antsy but the hospital staff was totally in control, responsive to any questions, and their manner put me and my husband at ease. I packed very little. Extra long phone charger, toiletries, extra undies. I went home in the clothes I wore to the hospital. Thankfully I had loose shoes. I think one might expect to be bloated with Fluid and air. The gas pain scenario that most seem to mention was not an issue for me. My husband would rub my back and ‘burp’ me…lol…for every burp I had, my husband would burp 6 times. 🤣😂 Seriously. Ask me anything you want to know. And good luck to you,

I am going thru Bailey Bariatrics program..I just had my EGD Friday, and that was the last step before surgery with dr Cole. Wondering when I should expect a surgery date… all my testing and appt has been completed and my insurance approved. ., hopefully one of y’all are still around 🤪

Hi all - I’m considering buying a bariatric recipe book, wondered if anyone had any recommendations? Thanks!

Hi everyone I'm new to bariatric pal. I am actually new to forums period. Never joined one but was hoping to get some help with those who have done the sleeve surgery done in southeastern MI. I am currently researching different programs in hospitals in SE MI and am struggling with settling on one. The few individuals who I know have gotten the sleeve surgery have done so in Mexico, which is not an option for me. And one individual had it done at St. Mary's in Livonia, MI put developed complications and she's really struggling. So far I have started the process at UofM Ann Arbor and to be honest with you, I was not that impressed, especially with the scheduling problems that I have encountered that have set this process back a few months more than it should. I am now looking into Beaumont Royal Oak and Troy - 2 doctors jumped out at me but again there's very little in terms of reviews out there from their patients. So would really appreciate any guidance you can provide. Thanks everyone! Struggling in MI

You’re so good at it. I really hoped (at some point) we would have a cost analysis of the Bariatric lifestyles to show that food waste isn’t that significant and saving money in one area can free it up for other things (and maybe make it more inclusive/budget friendly)

First of all, I would meet with a bariatric surgeon, not a general surgeon. You want a bariatric surgeon because they see these issues regularly, and are at the top of their game with weight loss surgeries. Secondly, if you live in an area that has a university with medical school, find out which hospital they teach at and find a professor of bariatric surgery that is practicing and teaching. They are on the forefront of bariatric surgery. My bariatric surgeon is a professor and she told me that she does revisions that other bariatric surgeons won't touch. Don't take the general surgeons word for it. Seek second opinions with bariatric surgeons. Best wishes!

Hi everyone, I am wanting to get a revision surgery done from a Vertical Banded Gastroplasty to a Gastric Bypass . I had the VBG done 30 years ago, unfortunately required a couple revisions back then as the staple lining had come undone. I have been having issues for years, food getting stuck, having to purge regularly, herd etc…. I met with a General Surgeon who said, nope, too much scar tissue. Has anyone gotten the same answer but then found a bariatric surgeon to do the revision? After the revision did you lose all your weight, or only a small amount? Any help regarding this would be so helpful to me. Thanks so much!

I am seeing this complacency in myself this month. In a few days I will be 9 month PO and I have GAINED a pound this last month (of course, I just spent yesterday in a plane so I'm certainly retaining water). I eat sweets almost every day. I am annoyed because all the YouTube videos I watched from Dr. Matthew Weiner promised me I would be craving produce and wouldn't want sweets anymore. LIES. Not only do I still crave sweets, I can eat a fair amount of sweets and crap, and I still haven't learned to stop when I've had ENOUGH rather than when I'm FULL/stuffed. I also find that my brain wasn't operated on: I have this same desire to eat when faced with travel delays/cancellations, which happens a lot in my job. I keep trying to schedule visits with the bariatric therapist, but the office doesn't even call me back....

As someone who’s had multiple hospital stays (not just bariatric)- phone charger, medical cards, socks, shoes, glasses if you need them, and comfortable clothes. If you need anything else they’ll likely be able to provide it even chapstick. The less you take the less they have to catalog and the less you’re likely to forget upon discharge.

To be fair ... also consider the fact of being a woman, for those that are. Our bodies are completely different from men biologically. Due to things our bodies do that men don't, our weight can readily fluctuate from day to day. Water weight, menstruation, stressors - just to name a few - can affect our weight loss/gain even with something as restricting as bariatric surgery. The weight comes off differently from women compared to men as well. Men don't plateau as often or as long typically either. Being a woman comes with a whole different scope of resistance that we have to battle through to get the same results. Just stick with it and, as stated, if weighing less often is better for you personally to see a bigger picture of loss then do that. It doesn't hurt anything. Edit: Another thing that could help is to fluctuate your caloric intake. If you steadily take in 500 calories, your body will adjust to living on that 500 calories. Meaning suddenly. you aren't burning more than you're taking in. This is why most calorie restricting diets do not work long-term. Edit2: Along with changing up caloric intake, adjusting how much you're burning as well can help. You just have to not let your body get set into a routine and get comfortable.

So by definition (at least by my team) clear is: no sugar, caffeine free, and carbonation free. It also says "clear" but broths in general are not literally clear so I take that requirement with a grain of salt. Clear apparently means that you can see through it. If you can see the bottom of the bowl when it's poured, it's clear. Clear means easily digested and leave no undigested residue in your intestinal tract. Here is what I found when specifically searching if bone broth is acceptable: Again, a grain of salt. Your best bet would be to ask your nutritionist that you are working with on your bariatric team.

I did not do any trial runs, but I can say I had to do it. I had my gallbladder removed in April of 2019 in what was my very first ever surgery/hospital visit (not including ERs or urgent cares). I had to do 10 days of the pre-op for the exact same reason as the bariatric surgery - to shrink the liver. Day 3 I remember being the worst part of it all. Day 1 & 2 you're thinking "I can do this, it ain't so bad." Then day 3 comes and you want to die. And then after that, you're just resigned to being miserable for whatever days you have left. 😂 I could only have 3 shakes a day for that one. For this diet I get 4 shakes a day, so I am hoping that it will fulfil hunger better this go around. It's hard, but it's not impossible by any means when you keep yourself in the mindset that you are doing this for YOUR health, and that if you cheat or mess up it's YOU who has to suffer with whatever complications could arise (including having to forego laparoscopic surgery and be cut open). It definitely helped to keep myself on the wagon.

I’m just posting this for posterity because I couldn’t find any relevant or recent information on my insurance NYS Fidelis/ Medicaid. It would’ve been nice to have a first hand point of reference. To start, the entire process has been a breeze. From the beginning: - They do not require a referral from your primary care but you will need a letter of support towards the end of your program. Meaning, you WILL need a primary care doctor that can get you in to do a pre-op assessment etc, towards the end of your program (that may just be my doctors requirements though.) - They require 3 bariatric doctor visits, 2 visits with a dietician, 1 visit with a bariatric psychologist. Making it a 3 month process. Availability with your bariatric center will dictate the timeframe depending on if they are backed up or not. But Fidelis ONLY requires those visits spread across 3 months. - Finally once you complete those requirements your doc will submit to Fidelis for approval. I know timeframes may vary but my doctor submitted my paperwork on May 31st. Fidelis received it the same day and replied by 1am on June 1st (less then 24hrs) stating they needed the clinical chart notes and proving I met all my program requirements etc. My doctor submitted the necessary information and I received my approval this morning June 8th, again at 1am. Of course this timeline also depends on how on top of things your bariatric office is. Mine is very proactive but they were a little backed up because of Covid so the process took 5 months instead of 3. But as far as Fidelis goes they are very responsive and quick to reply. I have had a great experience thus far and am looking forward to my surgery July 6th! Any questions feel free to ask now or in the future!

I found myself eating more than I should yesterday and part of today. I was only able to eat 1/3 of a burger patty, and then I felt very comfortable and I knew to stop. Well yesterday NOTHING I ate had me feeling comfortable. I'm not talking restriction, I mean comfortable and just not hungry anymore. I'm 5 weeks post op and have started eating actual food (slowly since I'm a week early on it) and I haven't felt that feeling of restriction or feeling comfortable like I read about. I thought starting solids would make it easier to learn my limits. Who knew I'd end up never feeling any restriction or feel comfortable when eating actual food (no, it's not slider foods. It's burgers, chicken, pork chops, veggies, etc...) I think we have to just power through it, reset ourselves, and recommit to the bariatric and diet and just stick to it. I bought a food scale so I'm starting to weigh everything and hoping I can just get used to the amount of food and hopefully teach my stomach it's not starving and maybe the hunger will stop.

"They think if you just diet harder & be more committed to exercising you’ll lose weight." I guess that's right, and what's more I kind of think that too, even though I know it's not necessarily true. It kind of feels like failure. Like I'm giving up and I should just try harder. Never mind that I've basically been on a diet since I was 15 or so. I was never overweight until I was thirty after an injury, when I couldn't exercise, so for the first 15 years I dieted without actually being overweight. I did mention the possibility of bariatric surgery to my mom today, and she was pretty negative too. An old classmate of from primary school mine shared the interview with the food addiction lady on social media, and wrote that "you couldn't cut the food addiction out of the addicted person, any more than you could cut alcoholitsm out of someone by cutting their liver in half." She went on to say that she weighed her three meals per day and abstained from xugar, dairy products and refined carbs. She has done this for 13 years and has lost 100 pounds and kept them off. I briefly thought about contacting the food addiction clinic, or Noom, since one of my friends lost 50 pounds least year with Noom. , But then I remember that I did try OA once, which I didn't like that much, and also I didn't lose any weight in spite of adhering to their program. I also tried Noom last year, but I didn't use it. Writing everything down and weighing is so annoying. Still, I feel like I'm failing and thinking of using a crutch when I should be doing this on my own.

Hi. Revisions on gastric bypass are usually successful and more effective than original surgery. 60 to 80% excess weight loss, but you would have to follow your surgeon and team advice. https://anmedhealth.org/services/surgery/weight-loss-surgery/revisional-bariatric-surgery#:~:text=Gastric%20bypass%20revision%20surgeries%20tend,their%20medical%20team's%20advice%20closely.n Sent from my SM-S908U using BariatricPal mobile app

Also, after this discussion with my friend, I came home, opened the website of a local newspaper, and at the top of the "most read" articles today, there was an interview with a woman who runs a food addiction clinic, the only one of its kind in the country. The headline was that up to 60% of those who had gastric sleeve ended up with an alcohol addiction instead. She didn't give a citation for her claim, so I don't know how accurate that is or if it has any basis in reality at all. She said that alcohol goes into the blood stream faster when you have a smaller stomach and so people developed an alcohol problem, swapping food addiction for another addiction. IDK, I drink alcohol maybe five or six times a year, and most often it's just a glass of wine at dinner. I googled this a bit and found a US study that said that around 20% of all people who underwent bariatric surgery in several centers in the US during a certain time period had developed problematic drinking. That correlation was strongest for people who had gastric bypass, where 20% of people had, according to the study, developed a full blown alcohol addiction. So, it looks like she exaggerated the risk. The headline shocked me a bit, but diving into the studies risk factors included being male (not me), younger (nope), smoking (nope) and drinking regularly (I don't know if a few times a year can be called regular) and having less social support (less than what?). Have you heard of or considered this risk factor? One of the articles I read said you should avoid alcohol altogether for the first year after surgery, is that something you have done or heard of?

Honestly, I think unless people have known someone who went through bariatric surgery they won't get it from clues like that. Most folks just have no idea. You got me thinking, though, and I wonder if a few "trial dates" might not be a bad idea. My weight wasn't the only thing that kept me from dating for so long: I'm also a little picky. But I can't help thinking there might be more options these days. I just need to get some current photos!

Probably. I stalled when I switched from clear liquids to full liquids. Someone here shared a video where a bariatric surgeon explains the cause of the early stall. It's nothing that you are doing wrong. Your initial weight loss would have mostly been water loss that eventually catches up. The stall is just the body processing the changes to your diet and your new stomach. Some recommend only weighing once per week or month so that you don't lose hope in the process. Also, if you are doing any exercise and had previously lost muscle tone - you will be gaining muscle that will also move the scale back a little. But, even though I stalled for the entire 2nd & 3rd week post surgery, I could tell my clothes were still getting looser by the day.

I thought about bariatric surgery for over 10 years. The decision to go for it in the end wasn't precipitated by one event, more an accumulation of little embarrassments like the seatbelt on an airplane only just buckling, my hairdresser having to bring out a special chair for me in case I broke the new fancy ones with the spindly legs, reaching a BMI of 40. Even after those it took me months to decide who to go with - I definitely looked at Eastern Europe because it's so much cheaper there but my partner was so worried about me having surgery abroad that in the end I just paid up and did it here. I spent my entire adult life believing that I should be able to lose weight on my own (I could) and keep it off (no chance). I really wish I had just gone for it 10+ years ago when I first considered it. I think you're absolutely right to do ALL the thinking before going ahead and I wish you the very very best of luck wherever you have your surgery.

I just started my journey and have 6 months of Dr appointments, evals, and nutritional counseling before I can get approved by insurance. Bariatric surgery is covered by my insurer. I am scared as hell that I will go through all of this and still not get approved 😖. Is it common to get denied?

Hello, I had surgery May 13 as well. I am 55. I had my surgery in MX and paid out of pocket since my insurance had a clause stating it did not cover the surgery. I did not have to do a pre op diet just low carbs. When I decided to do it I schedule 2 weeks before. I am losing slowly. The first two weeks I lost 14lbs. Now I am stalling. One day I gained two pounds. I am sure it's the water I am drinking. I record everything on the bariatric app. It's been good to look back and see my numbers and sticking to the plan. I am having difficulty with water. All this protein I take in its difficult to fit in fluids. I normally get at least 48 oz. I reach my protein goals and low carbs. I hoping I will start losing again. I did measurements and I have lost an inch from my chest, hips and waist.

Bariatric Mexican Pizza CRUST 1 package ground chicken 1/3 envelope of taco seasoning 1 egg 1/4 cup fat free shredded cheese Mix everything for the crust together and air fry at 450 degrees for ten minutes. Spray the pan liberally so it doesn’t stick. Toppings: 1/2 cup taco sauce 1/2 cup refried beans 1/2 cup fat free shredded cheese 4 pickled jalapeño slices, minced Once crust is finished cooking, add toppings. Put back in the air fryer at 450 degrees for five minutes. Once out of the air fryer, let sit for five minutes. Slice into 3 ounce portions. Top with a little fat free Greek yogurt and avocado of you would like. My husband LOVED this. I’m still on soft foods and this really satisfied the Taco Bell craving.

I just checked - ALK phosphate is also a liver enzyme. I wouldn't worry about that. Liver enzymes are usually high for about a year after bariatric surgery. It's because rapid weight loss is hard on livers. It'll stabilize in about a year when your weight loss slows down.

Hi I had my RNY 3/16 and I am almost 3 months post op. I have had issues with food taste and food turn-off. I’m not so hungry and despise meat-it is hard to eat and not enjoyable. I have lost 51 pounds to presently at 183 from 233. When I have contacted my nurse and at my last appointment was told that not being hungry is good-eat Protein.< br /> 
I go to the doctor on 6/7 and had blood work done prior. I am able to get my results and my Ferritin level was high at 230(normal is below 150) ALK phosphates also high 109, MPV & RDW and also high. Apparently with my google med school education I am storing a serious amount of iron! I looked at the symptoms and tiredness and abdominal pain are characteristic, which I do have. I am glad to go to doctor but concerned what is the problem and how do I get rid of Iron buildup. I am stopping my Solo Bariatric Advantage Multi with iron until I see my doctor. Has anyone experienced this?