JenniferP1

I use Syntrax Nectar. I like the Fuzzy Navel flavor the best, but also like the lemon tea. They sell a variety pack so you can try some flavors out.

The pre-op diet was the toughest part of WLS for me.
I had to live on low carb shakes and lean Protein - chicken breast and pork loin.
The head hunger was killing me.
I wish I could give you my "knowing" of what it's like on the other side of WLS.
If you had it, you'd be looking forward to everyday of your pre-op diet.
WLS is THAT life changing.
WLS was worth every pain, hassle and sacrifice I had to make.
But I did create a video with some pre-op diet tips. I hope they help ease your "adventure" in WLS. :-)
Get my free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt!

I haven't used any but if I was self pay, I would go with Blossom. I am so impressed with their staff, their information and how their surgeries are performed. They seem to work hard to stay on top of the latest techniques, aftercare and supplements.< /p>

I think if it was me, I would call up the surgeon you have selected for WLS, and ask about it. I would ask if A.) they base the surgery on the hernia first, then do WLS as a secondary surgery, because anesthesia ... might be covered that way (this is, of course, after you have been already diagnosed with a hernia). I would then ask B.) if they have a payment plan to cover you in case you don't have a hernia.
My hernia was a surprise I didn't know about until after I woke up from the surgery. I was a self-pay patient, but my insurance did pick up the hernia repair.
I understand you want to be diagnosed with the hernia first, before doing anything more, so maybe go to your primary care physician and ask how to get it diagnosed, if they suspect you do have one. You might ask if they would confer with your selected surgeon to plan out your surgery.
This may get very confusing for them, so be specific about what you need, what you can afford, where this is to take place, and when, and in what order it should be done in. And again, ask about payment plans...it may be very beneficial for you! Good luck to you, and let us know how it works out!

Jennyannk73:
I had other questions so I sent a list to Tammy. She forwarded to Blis:
-----Original Message-----
From: Billie Shellist [mailto:billie.shellist@bliscompany.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2012 12:34 PM
To: Beck, Tammy
Subject: RE: Blis Insurance questions
Hi Tammy,
Here are the responses to these questions. I'm also happy to speak with this patient directly if you need me to, just provide her with my contact information. Best, Billie
Q: Does the basic ($203.41) coverage include any gall bladder problems which might arise during/after WLS (considering my current health insurance may deny coverage due to the specific WLS exclusion)?
ANSWER: BILS Protection does not cover gall bladder problems following a bariatric procedure. Unfortunately it is not a covered complication for us)
Q: What exactly does the basic ($203.41) coverage include?
ANSWER: The only thing that package C covers (which is your basic package for $203.41) is 90 days of protection for stenosis/stricture. It does not cover any other types of complications.
Q: What exactly is "stenosis/stricture" that is listed as the basic coverage?
ANSWER: Stenosis/Stricture - a narrowing or constriction of the diameter of a bodily passage or orifice. This is most common in procedures that
rearrange your digestive system such as gastric bypass surgery and vertical sleeve gastrectomy procedures and results from a build-up of scar tissue between your intestine and your reduced stomach or at an intestine-to-intestine connection (anastomosis).
Q: Since I live in Raleigh, will the Blis insurance only cover issues/time with Dr. Heider, or would I be able to see a Blis surgeon in Raleigh (if there is one)? If there isn't one in Raleigh, would I be able to be seen in an ER or dr's office here for an emergency need, or would I be required to return to Dr. Heider?
ANSWER: Any complication related care needs to be authorized by the original BLIS Surgeon. This basically means that if you are in Raleigh and having some symptoms you are concerned about, you would need to call Dr. Heider's
office and follow his recommendations. If he decides your symptoms are acute and that you need to go to the ER in Raleigh, you would go there. Dr. Heider would call BLIS and notify them. BLIS would reach out to the admitting hospital and let them know BLIS will be taking care of the bills. BLIS does not currently have a contract in place with any facility in Raleigh. All complication related care MUST be approved and authorized by the surgeon ahead of time.
Q: Would the answers to any of these questions change if I were to choose packages A & B in addition to the required package C?
ANSWER: Each package of protection is available individually and covers a different set of covered complications. If you want more protection for other types of complications besides Stenosis/Stricture, you would need to
enroll in the other packages. Ex: Package A covers you for 90 days for the group of complications we call Cardiopulmonary/Thromboembolic - things like
problems with anesthesia, blood clots, etc. The price of that package is $514.58. Package B covers you for the following covered complications:
Bleeding, Infection, Leak, and Perforation for a cost of $1,293.99.
Basically to get full protection for all the covered complications for 90 days, you would want to enroll in the combination of packages A, B, and C
for a total price of $2,011.98

Any self-payers purchase the BLISS insurance coverage? What can you tell me about it? Did you opt in for higher/more coverage?

Question on the haitial hernias and sleeves. I would be traveling for sleeve surgery out of state but within the U.S. (would be cash pay bc insurance excludes WLS). I am praying for hernia to be confirmed so I could have that repaired and just pay a smaller portion out of pocket for the sleeve and have insurance pay for hernia repair. Here's the question-- How do I go about getting hernia confirmed? Since I'm out of state and won't see the sleeve Dr until I know if I am a candidate because I won't be able to afford it without the hernia. I just made an apt with a local Gastrointestinal Dr. Would they look at me like I'm a freak and refuse to do an endo if I tell them the truth that 'I just need hernia confirmed before wls'? Or what do I say?

I'm about 10 weeks out and have tolerated everything. No cravings EXCEPT sushi. When did you eat sushi? Sashimi? Maki? Sometimes a restaurant will use soy paper if that helps.

Hey Everyone! Does anyone know of any good Bariatric apps that icon download OUTSIDE OF MY FITNESS PAL? Just interested in other options for tracking. Thanks!

If you stayed at one of the apartments for Bariatric Pal please tell me what to expect during my stay in September?
What was it like?
What did you do during your time for Rest?, food?, Entertainment?
My husband will be coming with me
Is there anything i should pack special? Or something you wished you would have packed

Has anyone had issue with circulation since surgery? Even crossing my legs or sitting on the toilet for under a minute my legs get all tingly like my circulation has been cut off? It was definitely not like that before.

Hello. Just wondering how much time you had to take off from work. I had to cancel my Oct 13th surgery because I thought I could go back to work the following Monday. Surgeon says no, & that everyone needs 2-3 weeks off, due to extreme tiredness expected after surgery. The few people I spoke to, who went to Mexico, said they went back to work right away. They are my age. My job entails sitting mostly at my computer. I don't have that many holidays left this year & have been looking forward to getting a sleeve.....
Would you please let me know how much time you were off? Thanks in advance!

Hi! This app has helped me so much I wanted to post my journey. I was sleeved on 6/25/15. I was 200lbs, 5'6, with no underlying issues. It will be 2 months tomorrow and I'm down 38lbs. My doctor gave me one sheet of what I could eat. No NUT. My surgery went smoothly. Had no gas issues. Meds made me sick, so I didn't use them. First two days were the worst, but bearable. First week I was on liquids. Barely got down a bottle of Water. Had water nausea. Totally normal. AJ went down ok. Could only tolerate room temperature water before surgery, now it has to be ice cold. Third week was Protein and smoothies. I'm not a protein girl so that was tough. I tried 20 different kinds. It never sat well. I barely got down 20 grams of protein a day. I was so stressed reading how a lot of people were drinking 80 ounces of water and 60 ounces of protein. I finally figured out, you can only do what you can do. Couldn't wait to eat my first egg finally. Barfed it up immediately and felt horrible. Just sat in my chest. I was so scared. My heart was pounding. eggs still don't sit well. Doctor said, eat what you want. You'll know what works. Third week I tried a little of everything. Threw up a bite of pizza, chicken nugget, and roast beef. Still can't tolerate any kind of potato or fried food. Then the 4th and 5th week weren't good. I felt nauseous all day, had acid reflux and the worst dry mouth ever! I had to start taking my Zofran and Zantac. I bought everything Biotine makes. For the first time I actually thought, if I feel this way for awhile, I might regret this. I couldn't drink. I was shaky. My heart pounded every time I ate. Under my right rib hurt. Couldn't eat. Was weak. And I hadn't pooped in a week. I took MOM for 2 days, nothing. Then I resorted to mag citrate. I choked down half the bottle and pooped about 12 hours later. I was miserable and worried. Then on the 6th week everything pretty much disappeared. I can drink more water. Don't do any shakes still. I must say Unjury chicken noodle broth is delicious. I take regular Vitamins, a probiotic, and Calcium. I eat random stuff all day. Just when I think, I'm going to dinner and I'm getting a salad and chicken. I eat 2-4 bites of salad and I'm done. My eyes and mind have not caught up with my stomach. The weirdest things sit well. Salad, peppers, Soup, Beans, cheese. I read how people were exercising 6 days a week, getting in 100 grams of protein...etc. My doctor said...do what YOU can. Don't compare. So I don't stress now. Of course, some days you're going to be sad, or feel sorry for yourself...it's ok. Don't stress. Things will get better, I promise. One funny thing...my nose runs and I sneeze when I'm full. I haven't lost any hair. My boobs are hanging! Everything is smaller, but my stomach. Scars are healing nicely. I put Mederma on them every day. Starting to buy new clothes. I want to lose another 25lbs. If it takes me 4 months or longer, I'm fine with that. I'm going to start walking. Good luck my fellow sleevers. I hope some of you will find comfort in my journey.

For those of us that have had our gastric sleeve, what forum do you recommend for general guidelines on eating, daily challenges, what to expect and what not to expect. I like the Mexico forum but in my opinion it's focused for pre-op surgeon and hospital discussions. So tell me, what other forums do you visit or recommend in the Bariatric Pal universe? Thanks in advance.

Went under Feb 19th....haven't looked back since!!!!!

I am full of questions....
Has anyone ever had an umbilical hernia and the sleeve done at the same time in Mexico?
How do you find out the cost of doing both and if it is possible?
How do you find the best facility?
I really do not want to be treated like a cow in a herding process. Any advice is great!

How did you convince your partner or loved ones you weren't crazy to want to go to Mexico for surgery?

Well, my sleeve was actually my second surgery in Mexico, so convincing my loved ones this time around was a lot easier. Four years ago, I had plastics in Mexico and that was a little tougher sell. The good news is that my family all know how analytical and logical I am and once I explained that I had done my research and due diligence in choosing a surgeon and spoken to MANY other people who have successful surgeries in Mexico, the trusted my judgement and that I had made a sound decision. It's definitely the sort of thing that when you just mention it to someone, their first reaction is shock and horror. But if you explain it to them rationally and that you were thorough in your research, hopefully they can get past their gut reaction.

I am vegetarian and deathly allergic to seafood. Highly processed foods tend to trigger my allergies. My Protein comes from Beans, tofu, seitan, dark green veg, grains, nuts, dairy (mostly cheese and yogurt) & eggs. I don't drink/like cow's milk, but I do eat greek yogurt. I prefer FAGE 0%. I also supplement with whey Protein powder. It takes being creative, but I have no problem keeping my Protein between 85 - 100 gms. My carbs are often high, but as long as they aren't coming from "white" or heavily refined sources I don't worry about them. I am also allergic to artificial sugars and stevia. I don't often add sugar to my foods. I do eat fruit several times a week. When I do add sugar use either real sugar or raw honey. At 10mths I keep my calories between 800 - 1000 a day and work out 5 - 6 days a week.
@@pookybear - You could try having Meatless Monday's with your boyfriend. Look for meaty textures like portabello mushroom and filling grains like quinoa and farro.

Are there any issues related to being a vegetarian that you wish you'd know about before getting the sleeve (or any other WLS)?
What were your favourite veg meals post-op?

The attitude of doctors and their staff in regards to thinking that the only way to get Protein in is to kill a cow and that you don't count plant and other Protein in your daily ration. I'm the opposite. I have problems with red meat, and then intolerances to dairy, nuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. They added gluten to that but I only seem to blow up like a balloon about 1/2 the time (which is probably why they said bug off it LOL).
I'm glad you are going to keep this route. To be honest, I'm not much into cooked veggies (broccoli, peas, corn, some stuff) but I'm mostly a salad eater. People are amazed at how and what I have into a salad. I've done black bean quesadillas, Tomato and asparagus salad.

My program hasn't given me any grief with being a vegetarian. They have also worked with me around my other food allergies. I am ana to ALL seafood, get hives & swelling from stevia, food dyes, and most artificial sugars.) I am ovo-lacto that that makes things easier.
Things I eat:
greek yogurt
eggs
Beans
hummus
ricotta cheese
kefir
TVP
tempeh
vegetable both raw & cooked
fresh fruit
almond milk
vegetable broth
Beyond meat notchicken
Beyond meat beefy crumbles
tofu
In the all liquid phase I pureed Beans and mixed it with veg broth and a bit of Protein powder. I use CVS whey, and Orgain organics vanilla powders.
I also mixed ricotta, tofu, spinach in the food processor added a bit of Tomato sauce, topped with cheddar or daiya and baked in the oven.
I cooked fruit with ½tsp of brown sugar then had that with either cottage cheese or greek yogurt
If I don't feel like cooking Progresso minestrone is hearty and filling. I may add a bit of tvp for more Protein.< /p>
I work out in the mornings and was used to making a Breakfast smoothie each day so I still do that. Greek yogurt+Protein Powder will give you anywhere from 30 - 38 gms of protein. I also add in various mixins like a peeled orange, cacao powder, a splash of vanilla extract, a tbsp of almond butter or whatever else I have on hand.

I'm seven months post op and have been vegetarian for 20+ years. I still have one Protein Shake most days and am trying to get more adventurous with other veggie Protein sources. It's totally doable, but I do have to be more conscious of carbs than meat eaters seem to since I can't just have a piece of chicken or fish for dinner. Talk to your nut - mine modified the preop diet for me and gave me some info on veggie protein that wasn't in our manual. If you eat eggs, as I do, it'll be easy to get in some good (and cheap!) protein.

For those of you that are thinking about being sleeved in MX with Dr. Rodriguez, dont hesitate!
I researched and chose Dr. Rod because of his ability to work with scar tissue after talking with some of his former patients that had a revision surgery. I had the Molina band for 17 years (had it removed here in the states since insurance was nice enough to cover it!!) so needless to say, my tummy had some scar tissue and i needed a surgeon that could handle this. Dr. Rod did with ease!
Here is my detailed journey/experience...
My husband and I arrived on Friday, 2/10/12 at 5-ish due to our plane being late. Sergio, the driver, met us at the doors of the airport and guided us to one of his drivers, Alfonso, for the ride across the border. It was uneventful driving across and we laughed and joked with Alfonso about eating real mexican food and what is was like living in MX. He was very open and honest and made us feel less like tourists and more like a long lost relative. It took about 20 minutes to get to Star Medica Hospital from El Paso Airport.
Once we were at the hospital, Alfonso grabbed our suitcases and delivered us to Dr. Calderon, the psychiatrist and the first person you meet on staff with Dr. Rodriguez's team. He is very quiet/soft spoken and explains everything to you in great detail. He answered all of our questions about the surgery and paperwork (my husband was asking most of the questions) and then off I went with him to have my chest xray. That took all of 15 minutes total and we were off to our room on the 3rd floor.
The rooms are fantastic!! Other than the hospital bed, you get the feeling of a hotel room more than a hospital room. The shower is huge and everything is super clean. The couch/bed that my husband slept on was a memory foam and very comfy for him and of course, I had a hospital bed, nuff said on that! Once we got settled in, the nurses came in and weighed me, drew my blood and did the ekg. We had the rest of the night to do whatever so we went and walked down to Denny's for my "last meal" of sorts... I had a lower bmi so Dr. Calderon said it was okay if i had a healthy last meal as long as I didnt eat or drink anything after midnight. Deal!
Something that everyone needs to remember is that not everyone speaks English so using the handout that BeLiteWeight gives you or Google Translator is a must!
The next morning (2/11/12), I woke up to the nurses getting me ready for my IV. Martha got me on the first stick and I was so thankful for that! Once she was done, the anesthesiologist came in and talked with me for about 15 minutes asking the usual questions. She was really nice but I cant remember her name to save my life! Then Dr. Rod came in and sat down and explained everything that was going to happen and answered all my questions and my husband's questions too. Didnt hurt that he smells damn good too! Around 1pm, they came in and wheeled my entire bed to the surgery waiting room.. that is when I really got nervous. Hubby was upstairs, I was there alone, hardly anyone spoke english in the surgery waiting area so I broke out into a sweat and the mind started racing. eeek! Then it was my turn... they wheeled me into the surgery room.. I calmed down when I heard the mexican music playing.. the surgical room looked just like the one I was in here in Houston. The last thing I remember was the Anesthesiologist looking over the top of my head and asking if I was okay and telling me that everything was going to be fine. I was out and she was right!
I came out of recovery without any problems (I have read where some folks have tubes down their throats when they wake up, this wasnt the case for me) so they wheeled me back into my room where my hubby was.. boy, was he a sight for sore eyes!!! Seeing him assured me that everything was good! By the time I got back to my room it was around 4-4:30pm. I had some gas pains but nothing out of the ordinary. I kinda knew what to expect since I had my band removed a month earlier and went through the same thing. The only thing that bothered me was the drain. ugh! that teeny-tiny incision hurt the worst and still gives me trouble 11 days post op! Throughout the next couple of days they stick my finger for blood sugar and get my bp reading/temperature ever 6 hours or so.
You cant drink anything for the first 24 hours and that didnt really bother me. I was too busy trying to manage the drain and walk around to get the damn gas out of me. burping never felt soooo good! Since you have an IV hoooked up the whole time, pain management was really good and any time I felt queasy, they handled it immediately. If you hit the nurse button, they were there within 2 minutes of it going off. Just make sure you are ready to ask them in Spanish if you have someone that doesnt speak good english. Anna and Anna were the two best nurses on the floor for me. The one thing I recommend to everyone is to make sure you have a bowel movement before you leave. The nurses will ask you how much you are peeing and pooping... make sure they give you something to make you go if you havent!! Seriously! We got home and i hadnt had one in 5 days and it was horrible giving myself an enema that soon after surgery!
The leak test was cool but awful! You cant have any ice chips/broth/jello/apple juice until you have the leak test with Dr. Elmo... that liquid is horrible tasting but watching it go through your new nanner tummy is amazing and worth the two gulps you have to take! Dr. Elmo gives you Water to wash it down once you are done. They give you a copy of your leak test xray to bring home.. it shows the progression of the Fluid as it moves through the tummy. They even let my husband go in and watch it! How awesome was that! Once the leak test is over and you pass, you get the dreaded drain out ( Dr. Elmo takes it out and does it very well! But dont watch it! LOL) and you get ice chips and broth! Yay!
The broth they serve you is delicious and tastes like Ramen Soup chicken broth! The also bring you Jello and fresh squeezed apple juice. YUMMY! you are also given hot Water and a cup/ tea bag/ sugar if you want warm tea. Take it slow when you start sipping the broth... the warmness feels good going down but everyone is different. My sleeve sister couldnt handle the broth and hated the Jello. I loved them both!
Dr. Rod, Dr. Elmo and Dr. Calderon come in each day and check on you and talk to you if you have any questions. The day before you leave they deliver your operative report, leak test xray/chest xray, prescription for the antibiotics, acid reducer pills, and pain meds.
On Monday morning, 2/13/12) Dr. Rod came in and said goodbye to us. He offered his phone number or to contact Beliteweight if there are any questions. Sergio calls you when he gets to the hospital and off you go to the airport. Be prepared because that is the bumpiest damn ride ever!!!!! bring a pillow or something to hold close to your tummy! We left at 11am on Monday morning and it took us 1 hour to get across the border bridge (our flight left at 3pm so we had plenty of time). We flashed our passports, they asked if we bought anything, and we were on our way. And tip Sergio well! He was very entertaining and full of stories and information about Juarez and the lifestyle there. If you have time (and make sure you do!), ask him to bring you by the restaurant to get the wonderful homemade chicken broth. for $5 you get a container of the best chicken broth ever!!!
All in all, I am sooo happy I chose Beliteweight and Dr. Rod! Beliteweight (JoAnne, Jamie, Amy, and Sharon) helped me with ALL my FMLA, FSA credit card payments and paperwork, and my short-term disability papers. They were very understanding and helpful and i cant thank them enough!
I started this journey at 213 and 11 days post op I am sitting at 206.
(this includes the 7-8 days (14 lbs of Fluid retention from the IV) it took to get back to my pre op weight of 213!)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!
xoxox - Amy
p.s. - Dont forget to bring the following!
personal pillow - stuff it in a suitcase but dont forget it!
chapstick!
flipflops for walking the halls although they provide slippers
heating pad - it helped with the pain soo much!
computer/smartphone for communicating - we have ATT and didnt have any roaming in Juarez and the hospital has wifi too.
pajama pants to wear while walking the halls. you are hooked to an IV so the top is pretty much useless until you are ready to go home or take a shower.
clothes to wear home that are 2x bigger than what you normally wear... you will most likely gain weight with the IV if you have to be on it more than 2 days, so be prepared!

Your surgeon or PCP can order that esophagus test called an EGD.