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For the Vitamins, I use the following schedule: Morning: calcium citrate 500mg (Bariatric Advantage Chewy Bites) + my morning prescription meds Noon: Multivitamin with Iron (2 Flintstones chewable with Iron) Supper: Calcium Citrate 500mg (Bariatric Advantage Chewy Bites) + my evening prescription meds On Saturday: B12 2500mg sublingual tablet (Sundown Naturals) The first week after surgery, I really struggled trying to get in all of my Protein. I relied totally on Protein shakes to make it happen. In fact, I still do, and I am a little over two weeks out from surgery. I have one shake at Breakfast and one at dinner, and that gives me 60g of protein. I use the rest of the day to sip fluids. Once you get to soft foods, you will probably be able to eat enough protein to wean yourself slowly off of the shakes. But until then, you just have to rely on them.

Hi, You responded to my post yesterday about a texting buddy. Maybe we could chat and be helpful to each other. I was banded in 2008 and was initially successful but have gotten off my plan for the past 2 years. I still have a significant amount of weight to lose, so maybe we could follow each other. Basically, you need to stay under a certain calorie level (I like to do 1000 but a lot of people consume 1200 or 1300 and still do well) and also make sure you are getting enough Protein to heal, keep you full, and avoid muscle loss. I also benefit from doing very low carb, but everyone is different. The protein shake in the morning is fine. You can have your calories at whatever time you want, as long as you stay under your daily calorie count. How many calories did you enter on that web site? From what I've read, staying as low as 800 calories per day for over 3 months can slow your metabolism to some extent, but you would still be losing weight. I think for bariatric patients and anyone who has a significant amount to lose, the calories listed on those sites might be misleading. Anyway, good luck with your journey. Where is your surgeon located? I one time went to a Dr. Gee in San Dimas, but it says San Diego on your profile, so I wasn't sure if it's the same surgeon. Let me know if you want to chat. I think it would be helpful to call or text someone every day to make sure we're both following our plans. Annie

I don't have one multi-Vitamin that has everything like you are looking for. Bariatric Advantage has bariatric Vitamins that may but I don't like big horse pills so don't mind taking individuals. I take a multi and a D3 in the morning. I take Iron and chewable C with a meal when I am not eating dairy/calcium. I take the rest (D+K, B-12, B-1, and calcium chews after another meal or snack. I follow my surgeon's guidelines as to amounts. I have taken all of these, in pill form, since a week after surgery.

You should just move on from the whole Insurance issue and seek out financing that is specific to plastic surgery. Start looking at options that are offered on this site like bariatric pal mx. It seems like so many people have had WLS and the plastics done in Mexico that it is just as viable an option as getting it done here in the U.S. at a much lower price. Good luck!

i love the recipes from Bariatric Eating www.bariatriceating.com great stuff! high Protein, low carb. and the Desserts are good too!

WATCH OUT! The Food Police are watching you, and if they catch you misbehaving, you’ll be dragged off to prison, where you’ll have to subsist on stale melba toast and lukewarm water. The Food Police are every dieter’s nemesis. They’re relentless and sometimes cruel, and they surround us. You know them. They're the friends, relatives, and coworkers who watch as you eat a meal and say things like, "Should you be eating that?" I actually enjoy dealing with that kind of comment. Depending on my mood and the circumstances, I might give a mind-your-own-business answer ("What's it to you?") or I might say, "So, where did you get your degree in nutrition science?" The existence of Food Police implies that there are some hard-and-fast Food Laws that the Food Police enforce as they prowl the weight loss community, maintaining order and detecting crime. Although I wouldn't want the job of a police officer, I know the police are necessary, and I believe that without them, chaos and anarchy would probably ensue. But in the world of weight loss, there are at least a thousand sets of Food Laws, and they change by the moment according to whatever new scientific discovery or not-so-scientific fad is being publicized. If you listened to every member of the Food Police, you'd probably end up feeling like a citizen of a Police State, where the police not only enforce the law but create it. That's truly a scary thought. I can snap out smart-aleck responses to Food Police interrogations all day long, but I'm not always so clever at dealing with the special squad of Food Police who live inside my brain, monitoring every bite of food, every minute of exercise, every food choice, every ounce on the scale. They've been there a long, long time. The summer I turned 14, when wearing a cute bikini was the most important goal in my mind, I kept a food log and graded every bite of food I took. I knew that a chocolate donut had 310 calories, and since that was one-fourth of the total calories I had allotted for each day, that donut got a low grade. I knew it was a "bad" food choice, so I decided to eat only a quarter of a donut (77.5 calories) for breakfast at 8:00 each morning, but since I'm a notorious Food Criminal, I'd end up eating another donut quarter at 8:30, and another at 8:45, and the last at 9:00, at which point I would view the empty donut box with deep regret and the three empty hours until lunch time with deep dread. That was not a happy summer for me and the cute bikini I sewed for myself would have caused the Fashion Police to arrest me if they'd been out cruising our neighborhood. FOOD CHOICES: GOOD, BAD & INDIFFERENT The Food Police can make us miserable, it's true, but can we live entirely without them? One of the lifestyle changes I committed to when I had bariatric surgery was to make a sincere effort at making good food choices from now on. Since I don't have a degree in nutrition science, I decided to follow my bariatric nutritionist's Food Laws. I think highly of Susan but as the months went by, I realized that succeeding with the band actually involved several types of "good" food choices. The two most important categories for me are: 1. Food that's nutritious. 2. Food with high satiety value. The pre- and post-op nutrition classes Susan conducted emphasized food choices and behaviors that would support good health ("nutritious") and prevent eating problems (like stuck episodes, PB's, sliming), but I don't recall any mention of eating for satiety. Susan is a smart lady but she's not a bariatric patient, and I learned gradually, through trial and error, that food consistency could turn a "good" food into a "bad" one in the satiety sense. For example: 1. An apple is "good" while applesauce is "bad". 2. Baked chicken is "good" while chicken salad is "bad". 3. A bowl of chickpeas is "good" while a bowl of hummus is "bad". 4. Hard cheese is "good" while cottage cheese is "bad". 5. A granola bar is "good" while a bowl of cooked oatmeal is "bad". Provided that all of the foods mentioned in the examples above are prepared in a low-fat, low-sugar manner, all ten of them are nutritious, but only five are good food choices in terms of satiety. How so? Solid food has the greatest chance of triggering the nerves in your upper stomach to register satiety and send a "had enough" message to your brain via the hormone called leptin. Soft and slippery foods, no matter how "healthy", can't be relied on to do that job. FOOD LAW AMENDMENTS I've also learned that appropriate enforcement of band food rules needs to be adjusted on almost a daily basis, because on Tuesday morning I can eat 2 cups of cottage cheese while on Wednesday afternoon I can eat only 2 tablespoons of it. As a result, I not only have to constantly monitor my body and my eating (which is not such a bad thing), I have to continually amend my Food Laws. The variability of restriction is one of the most perplexing things about living with the adjustable gastric band. It can be downright infuriating. But consider the alternative. The alternative is the way I ate and lived pre-op. I could and did eat anything I wanted, in any quantity, at any time of day. Three chocolate donuts every morning, three pounds of shrimp every afternoon, a gallon of ice cream every night. The price I paid for those food choices was obesity and all the painful, humiliating, and frustrating side effects and limitations caused by 90+ extra pounds on my short body. YOUR ASSIGNMENT, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT Do you have Food Police in your life? Who's wearing that uniform? A spouse, parent, coworker, friend or neighbor? Are they truly qualified to judge your food choices? How do you respond when they try to force a food law on you? And what about the Food Police inside you? What are they telling you every time you take a bite of food? Do they chastise you, or do they sometimes give you a good citizen award? Do you listen to them, heed them, ignore them, defy them? Make a list of 3-5 Food Laws that structure your post-op life. Are they serving your health and weight loss needs? Or do they need amending? Can you do that by yourself, or do you need the help of a professional, like a nutritionist or a counselor? At almost 5 years post-op, I still have my own in-house (so to speak) Food Police, but they're not as strict and punitive as they used to be. I keep them on the job because I'm so good at justifying the worst eating behavior and I sometimes need them to say, "Hey, hey, hey, little lady! What do you think you're doing? You know better than that!" The Food Laws that structure my life are: 1. Eat for good health. 2. Eat for good satiety. 3. Eat for pleasure. Did I really say "eat for pleasure"? I sure did. But that's a topic for another article!

I had to be referred to the Bariatric program through my PCP. She made the referral and I received a packet within a week. So far I have attended a group class, attended an eight week weight management class and my next step will be another group class scheduled at the end of this month. Still many steps to go. It's going to be a long process but worth it!

The ones that I tried are Bariatric Advantage they are good, you can visit thier site and check out for your self, you can actually also give them a call they give out samples as well. Its worth a look. www.bariatricadvantage.com. Good stuff IMHO.

Dear Community, This is a brief account of my surgery experience and first weeks after. I am 54, need to lose about 100 pounds, and researched this procedure thoroughly beforehand. My surgery date was 5/9. I just want to say that overall, it was (surprisingly!) much easier than I expected. I did NOT have a great deal of pain or discomfort, nor am I finding the post-sleeve eating and other routines to be that difficult. I'm so happy to have done this. As with most people, having bariatric surgery certainly WAS NOT my first choice! In fact, I was a bit shocked and insulted when my PCP suggested it to me 4 years ago. But since then (2009), having lost about 50 pounds and regained it TWICE -- and having developed some serious health issues -- I realized this had to happen. It did take a while to get my family on board. Since I've already told my "pre" story, I won't go in to all that -- you can read my earlier post. But suffice to say, I went in to this with "eyes wide open." I prepared an advance directive and a living will, too. It was difficult for me to know how to respond when the nurse, nutritionist, or someone else would say, "Are you excited about your surgery?" Well, no. I'm actually pretty scared. This is a desperation move, not something I'm doing for "fun." The pre-op "liver shrinking diet" was difficult for me, but I followed it pretty closely and worked at being in the best possible shape. My heaviest weight was about 255. I lost around 12 pounds in the 3 months it took to get prepared and "approved" for the procedure -- about 4 of that the last week. By the time May 9 rolled around, I was very happy the wait was over. Here are a few things I'd like to share about my experience: 1 - The doctor fixed a hiatal hernia I didn't know I had, which made the surgery a bit longer. That was something nobody had prepared me for ahead of time. Luckily for me, I didn't have much pain or trouble as a result of that secondary (necessary) procedure. A little chest ache was all. 2 - I was DYING of thirst every moment from the time I woke up until about 9 days after the surgery. Sipping ice Water was no problem for me, whatsoever. I asked for water in the recovery room -- they gave me ice chips. I had no problem swallowing water the night of the surgery, and icy cold water felt best. 3 - The only really "bad" moment was when I first woke up from surgery. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. Also, I was discombobulated -- the clock said 3:30! My surgery had been scheduled for 10 a.m. but started late. Still, it seemed really late when I woke up. 4 - I felt stupid having my own pajamas and all these toiletries in the hospital. I used NONE of it. I was in a gown, and they wouldn't let me change out of it. My bathrobe did come in handy though, for covering my hind quarters as I walked around the floor. They brought me to my room around 4:30 p.m. They got me up to walk at 3 a.m., and I was discharged at 3:30 p.m. the next day. I had an upper GI exam that morning and also needed to be able to urinate and drink before I could leave. No problem. Was VERY glad to get that JP drain pulled and IVs out. 5 - When I got home, I didn't know what to do with myself. I was pretty spaced out. I wandered around the house a bit. My stomach was very swollen. I looked like a pregnant woman who had been in a knife fight. Spent a lot of time the first couple days drinking water and taking short walks and napping. By the third day, I was able to take a 15-minute walk outside with my dog. 6 - Someone told me it's best not to weigh yourself for the first couple days. That's good advice. I couldn't resist and felt very glum when I noticed up was UP six pounds three days after the surgery. I said to my husband, "Do you think I'll really lose weight with this? Or will I just stay fat or even get fatter?" He said, "Well, if you get fatter, they'll be marketing you to third world countries, because that's just not logical." (I had taken in a total of about 500 calories in the first 3 days!) 7 - At my two-week checkup, I had lost 17 pounds. I think about 15 of it was post-surgical. I lost about a pound a day for the first 2 weeks. The third week (last week), I had lost another 4 pounds. My policy is, I weigh myself on Thursdays. 8 - I was incredibly happy to get off the "liquid diet" phase. Those Meal Replacement shakes were starting to make me ill. They get OLD. The best thing I had during the liquid phase was cream of chicken Soup jazzed with non-flavored Protein powder and mixed with some homemade chicken broth. I'm REALLY glad I made homemade chicken broth and froze it in 8-oz containers prior to the surgery. It came in really handy. 9 - My husband has been so supportive. He says I already look a lot better, and I think that's true, too. I'm even moving better (already!) -- more lively and energetic. I know I'm lucky to have time to adjust to this. I am a college teacher and don't teach during the summers. 10 - I didn't know I would have to inject myself with blood thinners for 14 days. That was unpleasant. I did get used to doing it, though. I found it easiest to do when I first woke up, and I would just lie on my bed and give myself the shot in my stomach. They also prescribed anti-nausea medicine and hydrocodone for pain. It was difficult to turn over or sleep on my side for the first 4 nights or so; but the pain wasn't bad. After about a week, I didn't feel like I needed any pain meds. (I stopped taking them during the day after about 3 days.) 11 - I bought a mortar and pestle yesterday to grind up the Calcium citrate tablets. It just seems ridiculous, to me, to spend up to 20 cents per pill for chewable calcium, when you have to take so much of it -- it was costing about $1.20 a day just for calcium chews. Now, I pulverize the hard tablets and put them in applesauce. 12 - I've eaten a couple things that made me instantly sick -- things with too much "texture." It's taught me that it's really best to follow the doctor's guidelines. Not fun throwing up. 13 - I drink about 6 oz. of coffee in the morning. My doctor's office says it's OK, and it makes my life happier! 14 - My next BIG GOAL is for the first digit of my weight to be a "1," which is something that happened briefly in 2008, during my "diet pill" attempt. I have about 20 pounds to go before that happens. 15 - This is weird and different for me. The thing I like best is not being very hungry, and also feeling full after eating about 3/4 cup of food. But it's a big adjustment, because prior to this, I was a bulk eater and a snacker. I know the new reality will have its challenges. 16 - My fear is that I'll eat small amounts too often and stretch my stomach or just take in too many calories. I have to be very vigilant in avoiding Snacks. Since this surgery cost me a LOT of money, I'm just going to think of that bill every time I'm tempted to snack. 18 - I am finding it difficult to get 60 grams of protein a day in and for now am simply doing the best I can. (40-50) I know I could add a Protein shake at around 4 p.m., but quite honestly, I'm so turned off now by the thought of those shakes (after almost 4 weeks of drinking Boost, Glucerna, and Ensure!) that it makes me nauseous even thinking about it. I do have unjury powder when I need it -- chocolate and unflavored. 19 - I've been going to bed kind of early and also napping/reading some in the afternoons. Maybe I'm lazy, but I feel like I need time to heal, and I tire a bit more easily than before. 20 - Overall, I'm THRILLED with the progress so far. It's hard to be patient sometimes -- you want everything to happen at once! But I had a lot of fears of the unknown, and my experience was really not bad at all. Most of my recovery and first weeks have been smooth sailing. Thanks for listening. I just wanted to share that it's been really good so far for me.

I’m 3 days post op and their goals for me are 64 oz of water/ fluids (shakes count) and 60 to 80g of protein. I’m getting closer on protein than water. My friend used to work as a nut in bariatric dept I was sleeved and she said it’s normal not to reach these goals in the first week and not to be too worried about dehydration bc it would be for those woh can’t keep anything down and at that point would recommend Gatorade. I’m in the 50s for protein and 26 for water.

Stratusphere, I personally am going to Mexico. I am self pay and have no insurance and that's what worked out the best for me. Actually I think even if I had insurance I would still go to Dr. Aceves. However, I have experience with Dr. Trace Curry in Cinncinnati area of Ohio... His practice is a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. I always received compassionate thorough care from his staff when I went there for aftercare of my lapband issues. http://www.thebanddoctor.com/default/about-our-practice is the link to his website...and I see he now does VSG as well. Best of luck!

I also chose Mexico for similar reasons but I would like to let you know of a problem I just ran into. 4 days ago I went to the hospital because I was severely constipated (normal occupancy after this surgery). I am 3 weeks post op so I'm obviously back home in Florida. Turned out I had pancreatitis. The doctors in the hospital (specifically the surgeons then sent to see me because of my recent surgery) told me this was due to the sleeve surgery I had 3 weeks ago. The told me that all they were going to to do was give me fluids and make sure I could eat food and discharge me. Their exact words were, "Since you made the commitment to have the surgery in Mexico, you can follow up with them on how they want to treat your pancreatitis." What?!? How am I supposed to follow up with doctors thousands of miles away. I had to get lawyers involved and it was 3 days of hell in the hospital. So now I want to make sure people know that this is the way doctors may treat you back home. And the other complaint I have about having the surgery in Mexico is that I have no nutritional support here for guidance or a Bariatric dr here if I have any questions or complications. But I completely understand why you are making the choice. Just do all of your research and have a plan for when you get home for the event complications arise.

Okay so really excited planning to do lapbanc go to bariatric clinic appt. and now I am totally confused. I think that the sleeve might be a better way to go. Judging by the people who have opted for the sleeve after the band I am thinking I would like to cut out the middle man(literally). Now I have to do a sleep apnia test , and EKG which is all good but a poop test arrrgghhh!! It is all worth it right. I just started my process, I am scared out of my mind to go the extra mile, with intibation, stay in hospital, longer recovery. Okay so here we go. Hope to keep in touch along the way. Next appt. tomorrow for follow up to the crazy tube they stuck down my tube to my tummy, appartently my lower intestine did not relax enough for them while they were poking it with a tube, so trying something else. Is skinny worth it? Okay I know that answer!! Skinny and healthy are!

As far as Vitamins go, Bariatric Advantage was recommended to me by my NUT as the best. They also have a Calcium CITRATE caramel chewable to take twice a day. I think it's really tasty. For insurance, could you afford Obamacare? Hopefully, your public coverage will be within the income requirement. I had my babies at 38 and 42 years old. My daughters have been so much fun and the highlight of my life! This is waaay cool for you! Congratulations!

One therapy session isn't how therapy works. Therapy's sort of like "eating well," in that one healthy meal doesn't make you healthy. It's a process. I've been seeing a therapist for the last 21 months (mostly once a month) -- started two months pre-op. I've found a great one -- he works with bariatric patients (although not exclusively), so he knows the WLS and obesity territory. I don't know that a therapist without that kind of experience would be all that helpful to someone in our situations. Oh ... and my surgeon told me pre-op when I asked him what does he think distinguishes best between those patients who lose all their weight and keep it off from those who don't, "Bottom line, those who don't lose touch with us, who always keep all their appointments, are the ones who do the best." Very best to you! Your future is in YOUR hands.

One member asked the question: Is sleeve surgery “taking the easy way out”? This question really got my juices flowing and thinking. For all of us who endured the agony and anguish of bariatric surgery, we recognize there is nothing easy about this most important matter. Let see, how easy this is? 25 intelligent reasons for making our choice. 1. Exercising and working out with little or no results (life long) 2. Yo-yo dieting with little or no results (life long) 3. Heart disease 4. Respiratory problems 5. Stroke 6. High blood pressure 7. Elevated cholesterol 8. Diabetes 9. sleep disorders 10. Gout 11. Discrimination (on the job, in public, airline seats, etc) 12. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) 13. Amenorrhea - absence of menstrual bleeding (gals) 14. Impotence (guys) 15. Cancer 16. Psychological problems 17. Kidney disease 18. Liver disorders 19. Economic factors (cost of associated illnesses, food, clothes etc) 20. Insurance issues 21. Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint) 22. Social problems – (family, friends, dating etc) 23 Gallbladder disease 24. Pregnancy complications 25. DEATH The dictionary defines “easy” as: 1. Not hard or difficult; requiring no great labor or effort: 2. Free from pain, discomfort, worry, or care: Our lives have been anything but easy. As always, comments welcome. Lash

I am posting here to bump the thread up and hopefully get more responses. I'm having a terrible time with this as well. I did so much research pre op, and was happy with what I bought (or so I thought). I ended up with Bariatric Advantage Sublingual Vitamin B12, Celebrate Calcium PLUS 500, and Celebrate Vitamins Multivitamin Chewable. The B12 isn't bad. It's cherry flavored, and doesn't make me nauseous. The multivitamin is ok flavor-wise, but it does make me nauseous. And the calcium is just awful. They are huge, and I'm supposed to take 3 a day. I'm lucky if I can get one down. They make me so sick to my stomach. And that's even when I make a point to take them on a full stomach. I would love to hear what other people are taking!

I have read so many articles and talked to several Bariatric doctors who continue to tell me that my pouch will not stretch however your brain somehow adapts allowing you to consume more. At about the one year mark I noticed depending on what I choose to eat, I can eat 1 cup of food max. I am now 19 months post op and I still have that same restriction. I can eat 2 to 3 ounces of dense Protein and a bite or two of veggies/fruits and I am almost overly full. However if I eat a bowl of cream of wheat, I can eat almost a full serving. I believe what I have researched, that we adapt, our brains do that. Our stomachs don't stretch. Incidentally I have also learned that I can over indulge in things like Cheezeits! I do eat them but if not careful I can mindlessly nibble way over a portion! I know this because I gained 2 lbs eating the wrong stuff for about 2 weeks. Boy was I pissed at myself. I got back on track and within 1 week I lost those 2lbs eating the right foods and never feeling hungry. Also, I noticed when I was eating too many carbs those 2 weeks I had several episodes of hypoglycemia! It came on so very quickly that it was scary. It became a vicious cycle. Eat too many bad carbs your body will crave it. So now that I know what not to do, I think I will stick to the plan and if I want Cheezeits, I will measure out one serving and watch my carbs the rest of the day!

You can call back and ask to speak with a Supervisor. Explain that you got two widely different answers on two phone calls and ask for clarification. If, in fact, your particular policy excludes coverage for bariatric surgery, that means it won't be approved for anyone, under any circumstances. That's what an exclusion from coverage means. If it's covered, then ask to be sent a copy of the criteria that need to be met for surgery to be approved. I hope this helps!

Hey All! Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate the support. Just spent about 8 hours in the ER. I went to my HMO after hours care center first and they had an ambulance transport me to the ER due to the severity of my dehydration. They had a really difficult time finding a vein to administer the I.V. It took five sticks to finally get one. Once I was transported to the ER, they were not much help. They spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do with me. Did a barium (however you spell it) swallow and I was restricted about 99%. I was shocked the barium stuff didn't come back up. One thing I found out was the amount of vomiting I did over the last two days caused me to swell really badly. Currently, I'm open enough to drink liquid. I'm too scared to try solid food. May try some Soup later tonight. Long story short ... the ER had no one experienced with bariatric surgery. Thank God I was able to speak w/Dr. Martinez. He told me to tell them what to do - have the radiologist remove some of the fill under flouro. Unfortunately, they had no radiologist on staff. So, I didn't really get anything resolved. But, since some of the swelling has gone down I can at least drink something. So I spent all day lying in a room w/an I.V. connected to my arm. I felt a lot better getting some fluids, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. I still won't have anything resolved until next week but I feel a lot better. Again, thank you all. I am doing much better than I was when I first posted this morning.:thumbup:

I haven't asked at the office, but I thought Gio was doing a support group at the Valley Bariatric Center? How are you doing??

As usual, check with your surgeon (first) and your PCP on any medication related questions. Tylenol is a good start but NSAIDs like ibuprofin, aspirin or naproxin are generally acceptable with the sleeve - the no NSAID rule comes from the RNY side of the bariatric world (the RNY has specific problems with such medications which doesn't apply to the sleeved stomach,) but many surgeons aren't yet comfortable enough with the sleeve to recommend them to their sleeve patients.

OMG, my latest phone call to my doctors office this morning must've lit a fire under their bums. I GOT MY SURGERY DATE! Theyve been dragging their feet for 3 weeks scheduling my pre-op testing and surgery. Looks like I will be begining my new life Aug 5th! i am sooo incredibly excited. and nervous. i could probably puke lol YAY!!!! *doing my happy dance*

I realize this was a whole back but... That is more normal, ink blots are part of what a psychoanalyst does for therapy - you likely had an mmpi-2 (300+ items but takes just 45 min) since insurance companies want to see objective data with the report and that is the one recommended by the committee that sets the standards for Bariatric evaluations. 😀

Hi, can you tell me what happened with this? I had the same thing happen with UHC in February. Last week I exhausted my final appeal and the bariatric center told me I'd have to go somewhere else, because they do not offer a self pay or financing option.😨