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Hi Mark, Congrats on the surgery! My absolute favorite place to online shop for supplies is BariatricEating.com - BE, Inc. The number one bariatric website for Protein, Vitamins, and success.. The woman had bariatric surgery years ago, is a self-proclaimed foodie, wrote a book, and now only sells the absolute best tasting food for people who have had or going to have bariatric surgery. It's a great site and there is also a support chat site right online. Good luck!

My name is Melissa and I am 39 years old. I have two children ages 17 and 10 and I run a daycare in my home, which I've done for over 10 years. I had surgery on July 5, 2006 and my surgeon was Dr. Oldham with Bluegrass Bariatrics. I've lost about 40 lbs. and know that I need to get serious and follow the band rules because sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I'm going Friday for another fill. I made the mistake of staying too tight and had to have most of it taken out. I'm now starting to get restriction again. Good luck to each of you wherever you may be on your journey!

I haven't posted much, but here goes: In May, I started the 6 month MD supervised diet my insurance (Cigna) requires. This Tuesday is the 6 month visit, and my MD will fax his notes to my bariatric surgeon that day. I've had : endoscopy, sleep apnea, cardiac stress test, ultrasound to both legs to rule out blood clots, psyche and nutrition eval--been through it all!!! Due to gallstones, I had my gallbladdere out on 10/23, done by my bariatric surgeon, Dr. Craig Floch of Fairfiels Bariatrics. I have lost NO weight, but Doc feels I will be approved due to my BMI of 51 and co-morbidities. So now, it depends on how long Cigna takes to ok me. I'm hoping to have the lap band done before 12/31, due to $$$$$$$--I've already met my insurance deductibles for this year. On Monday I will be a 3 year survivor of stage 3 ovarian and peritoneal cancer--I am also on Soc Sec disability because I have wicked arthritis all over my body. Hoping the weight loss will help diminish the pain to my back, knees, ankles, feet. I've already had a shoulder replacement. So that's my story---can anyone contribute experience with Cigna? I know they can be a drag,:whoo: although I have no complaints as far as my cancer and arthritis treatments. With an 85% recurrence rate, my oncologist and I want me to be pain free and be able to do more of what I'd like and believe weight loss will open that door for me. I am a stubborn and determined person, but have just never been able to be successful at permanent significant weight loss. Well-----that was long, hope not too much information!!! Carol in CT

One of the side effects of sleeve surgery is that many people become lactose intolerant. My Bariatric Coordinator suggested Mootopia or other lactose free milk from here on out after my surgery (once I'm on full liquids).

Hi. My name is Telisa Swan and I am working toward getting sleeved. My daughter had a gastric bypass six years ago and is down from 500 lbs to a healthy 160. The bypass worked very well for her but I think the sleeve is a better choice for me. I am 5'10, weigh 311 with a BMI of 44.7 and am 44 years old. I don't have a lot of co-morbidities, but I did get a heart stint in 2003. I am self-pay with no insurance and started this process in October with a lot of research. In November I attended two seminars by a couple of different area bariatric surgeons. I really like the surgeon I have chosen but he wants me to lose 10% of my total body weight before he will even schedule surgery. That could take months! I really want to get sleeved as soon as possible so it is a little frustrating. My surgeon charges $23,000 for this surgery and I know I could get it a lot cheaper in Mexico but, at the same time, I want an excellent local support system and all aftercare is included in that price. I will do my best to loose the 30+ lbs. as soon as possible, but it won't be easy (any suggestions?) Anyway, I just wanted to let you know who I am, where I am at, and what is going on for me. You will see me around the forum over the next year or so and I am looking for friends and support in this. Who is with me?! I think this forum is the best, most informative thing I have encountered on the internet. It has already been incredibly helpful to me. Thank you to all of you who have lost your weight, or well on your way, but are still here on this forum to help those of us who are just starting out on our journey. Much thanks!!!

Put the scale away. It’s a terrible way to measure your progress. Bariatric weight loss does not happen in an even decline. Your body is making a huge adjustment and you are better off using how your clothes fit as a guide to progress. If you weigh every day you will continue to be frustrated. Also stop counting calories. For the DS it’s a useless guide. Protein and making sure you are getting enough healthy fat into your diet daily is going to be key. Also stay away from liquid calories other than protein shakes. Small meals are key and it appears you are doing well. You’ve lost 34lbs in 8 weeks. That’s an average of 1.6lbs per day. That is fantastic no matter how you slice it. Try to focus on changing your eating habits and staying active. Try to at least walk 30 minutes per day, it helps with keeping everything loose. Protein first, then veggies, then carbs if you have room. Stay hydrated and active. There’s not much more you can do. No two people have the same rate of weight loss, try not to gauge your progress by looking at others. You are right on track! Keep it up. In a year you’ll wonder where the time went and wearing a much smaller size!

Hi Everyone!! I am so glad to be here and start this process. This site is so informative and has been so helpful already. I just recently made the decision to have the lap band procedure after debating for the last two years. I am so happy that I have made the decision. I feel like there is light at the end of this tunnell for me.I just started the process, I got the referral from my family dr to go see the bariatric dr - that came highly recommended so I think I made a good choice and he is in my insurance plan. I had to fill out a complete questionair from the bariatric dr and it took a while and and it really confirmed for me that I am making the right choice for me and my life.I have lost and gained 100lbs on my own a two times in my life. I am 34 years old. I have gained and lost the same 20lbs more times then i can remember....I hope to put an end to the roller coster.I know I am an emotional eater and I am also full blooded italian - so my family eats to celebrate everything - even just what day of the week it is....lolI am 248 pounds and about 5ft 5inc tall. Most of my life my weight was 180 - I spent my twenties at 145 for about 10 years....I spend a majority of the time caring for my husband over the last 10 years who was ill, but is on the road to a full recovery!!! So now it is time to take care of me and I am happy to be able to do that...I am so looking forward to this. I wanted to find out if anyone was able to tell me how the insurance part of this works. I am hopping it is covered but not sure how long the approval process takes? Does the bariatric doctor work on getting everything approved? I figure it will be a 6 months process from beginning to surgery? But not sure....Any help would be greatly appreciated.Looking forward to hearing about everyone and their success and struggles and making new friends.Jackie

Angel, being that I am diabetic and have high blood pressure and that I am 5'2" and weighed 287 when I started I didn't have any trouble being approved. All my pre-op requirements consisted of cardiac clearance(ekg), pulmonary clearance(just blowing thru whatever they call it),I had to have an endoscopy(upper Gi)which was not bad, all they do is give you something to numb your throat and then go down and look ,make sure you breath thru your nose and you will be fine, I think it only took 10 min,did not hurt at all.Also had to have psychlogical clearance(4 visits),dietitian consultation,had to attend a support group,and pre op lab work. I think thats it !!!??? I know it all seems so overwhelming but just take it one day at a time and don't get too frustrated. Everything falls into place. Yes I try and get 2 protein drinks in a day. I get mine from HyVee,I think the whey protein is the best.Also I get the protein bars from Wal Mart the ones with 20 grams of protein. They are really good and a treat. I did not have any bloating and very little gas, I just did alot of belching.Get some Gas X to keep on hand,the kind you put under your tongue. Ya know , I was scared to death to get my first fill.I was more scared of that than i was the surgery itself. My port is located between my breast bone,my Dr puts them there because there is less fat there and makes for an easier fill. I think he is right on,it did not hurt at all, just the pinch of the needle was all I felt. Yes there are horror stories out there but I think there are more good ones. I think the horror stories probably come from people that didn't have good surgeons that didn't know what they were doing. Having a good bariatric surgeon was the number 1 goal when I started my journey. Hope everything goes well for you,just do what you need to do no matter how long it takes, it will be well worth it. PS: There is never too many questions,I hope I have helped. Paula

Hi: I'm just in the beginning of my journey for what I hope will someday be a vertical sleeve. I've attended my first informational meeting with a local surgeon, and have gotten the referral to the bariatric clinic by my primary physician. I'm 5'6" and 236 pounds. I don't know if my insurance company will pay for a sleeve , but, I've been doing lots of research on it on the internet, especially on this site. I think that it's so wonderful for all of the support and advice that you all give to one another. I wish you all success on where ever you are on your journey.

:001_smile:Hi, Lisa: Thank you for your encouragement. I saw my primary MD on Friday. He is referring me to the surgeon who held the information meeting on the sleeve and also to the bariatric clinic. Let the hoop hopping begin!!! I know that you must be excited with a December date!

Hi and welcome, I live in the UK. Well done for making the decision to go ahead with surgery, its a big step. I am currently on the pre-op diet which is two weeks of nothing more than fluids with a few jelly pots thrown in for good measure. Its tougher than i anticipated, and if its a pre-requisite of whats to come then I know i'm going to have to be strong and committed. Like you I was a tubby child that turned into a fat teenager thats turned into an obese adult, I yo-yo'd for years and then I had my son in 2003 and weight just wouldn't shift. I developed Diabetes type 2 and Hypertension, I spoke to my Dr and she made me read up loads on the internet on Bariatric medicine, and here I am 6 months later on my pre-op diet and my surgery is scheduled for next Friday 24th. I wanted to improve my health so I would be around to see my son grow-up and with luck his kids too. This site has proved invaluable for hints tips and information, even in the short time I've been using it. I know it will help you to. The surgery is the easy part I'm sure of that, its the living with the band and its restrictions thats the hard part.:rolleyes2:

Hi everyone!!! My name is Krystyne and I started my weight loss journey back in September/October time at 315 pounds. I'm currently 268 pounds as of this morning. I started out on the lap band talk website because my heart was set on going for lap band surgery until I met with the dietician and nurse practitioner at DHMC. I have been overweight since age 12 that's when my PCOS kicked in. PCOS is the number one leading cause of infertility in women. I found out that gastric bypass can help reduce your PCOS symptoms and in some women it gets rid of it all together. So at age 12 I went from 110 pounds to 289 pounds in 1 1/2 years. I never changed my eating habits to gain the weight until at like age 16. I was getting picked on at school and the children would "MOO" at me and push me down the stairs so I've had 3 knee surgeries due to that. My husband and I have one child together and last year I suffered 2 miscarriages and even my OBGYN recommended me for bariatric surgery. He wanted me to go for gastric bypass but didn't know if I was big enough and thursday they confirmed that my BMI still qualifies me for it WOOHOO lol. I go on June 14th for my second appointment with the dietician and the nurse practitioner and then I meet with my surgeon afterwards because I got the bright green light to go from the nurse practitioner. Usually at DHMC you don't get to see your surgeon until the 4th or 5th appointment. They said that on June 14th, that after my appointments that they will be sending a request for my insurance to cover my surgery and that could take up to a month. I'm excited because they said that I should have my surgery hopefully by the beginning of August but I'm hoping that it's sooner My HUGE reason for the surgery besides getting healthy and to be around longer for my family is to add to our family my husband wants 4-5 more (OMG I don't know if I could handle that many lol) but we do want a big family but he's a truck driver that is only home every 1-2 weeks for a few days lol. But that's basically my story. (The pic is of my husband, daughter and I)

Hello everyone. I have made the decision to have bariatric surgery. Diagnosed with type one diabetes and high blood pressure last year. Cholesterol diagnosis & meds last summer. I decided at that point to work harder. Exercise daily, eat much better and nutribullet. Well I have & been successful at not gaining more weight but not losing which us what I need to do to get healthy. I have never had a weight problem until I had my daughter in 2004 plus diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the sane time. I am a single mom of two wonderful children. They are 9 years apart but are my world. I am an only child with my mom. I have step brothers & sisters all live out of state. I am super closer with my sister than my brothers although I love them all. I have my first appointment with my surgeon next Wednesday. Thanks to this app plus other research I made the decision to have WLS. I an excited and nervous. I have been so used to feeling bad physically, i.e. tired, achy muscles bones, headaches & backaches. You just keep going, just a way of life. In all actuality... I'm killing myself!!! No I want to live, have to for myself, 10 year old daughter, 19 year old son. My mom I'm her only child... Plus I love life, yes I do... Well I'm happy to see so much support, read other stories and get more inspiration. Thanks for listening & more to come...

I am going with Dr Illan this month after reviewing a lot of doctors this year. I know only the best surgeries are uploaded to youtube but his are beautiful. I say that as one who has been in an OR. I only say that to let you know the doctor you chose is good too. The main reason for the reply is that there are good bariatric surgeons who will follow you in the states. Make sure to do your research on the doctor, get all medical records in hand and a copy of the surgery film if possible. Dr Illan has flash drives for purchase I read somewhere, or bring your own. Call local doctors and inquire if they will do follow up. Things are changing. Best wishes. Family is just worried for you. Again research a lot.

Hello, everyone. My name is Nicole and I just found this forum website from a Google search. This is my first post, my introduction. I am 32 years old, I am a mom of three (12, 9, 7) and I am engaged to an amazing man. We live in Greensboro, NC. I had my RNY on July 30, 2007 and just this past week was the first I'd experienced any type of problems. I will get into that more here in a little bit. I had my RNY, as I stated above, in 2007, and I went into the surgery room weighing 257 lbs. My highest recorded weight was 315 lbs, and my lowest was 128 lbs. Right now I am hovering around 160 lbs. Since my RNY I have gone through a 12 year relationship/10 year marriage that was rather abusive, as well as a separation from that marriage, a new (and amazing) relationship, two moves (from PA to VA and then VA to NC), three knee surgeries, an emergency gall bladder removal surgery and just this past week an emergency perforated stomach ulcer surgery. Like I said above, this last week's incident was the first problem since having my surgery (aside from the occasional "dumping", vomiting, dehydration, etc.) and it was VERY scary. I was admitted to the local hospital, with what I thought was a heart attack because of the symptoms I was displaying, only to find that a ruptured ulcer produced a perforated stomach. I spent 7 days in the hospital, having gotten out just yesterday. My "pouch" was repaired, however I am back on the DYS 1 diet of pureed and soft foods, and I am being set up with a bariatric surgeon and his team (one that works with the surgeons who worked on my stomach last week) in the next 2 weeks because there is a good chance that I will have to have a revision done. I am on some medications right now, to continue the healing process, but the surgeons think that there is going to be no option other than the revision. Um, let's see ..... I truly have strayed from the "RNY way of life" with all of the craziness and stress that has gone on in my life, but after this past week I know that I have to get back in line. As I said above, in 2010 I had gotten down to 128 lbs (around a size 4) and while I really enjoyed it I just crept back up after the first knee surgery. It's going to be a while before I can get back into the gym, but that's my last worry right now. I just want to get better. I hope to meet a lot of nice people here, to offer advice and to get advice. Just because I'm 5 years post-op it doesn't mean I know it all, and I never claim to. I am posting two pictures along with this post - the first is my highest and lowest weights (2006 and then 2010) and then myself and my children, back in August, at my current size. I hope that everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving week and weekend. Nicole

See that's what I am so confused about. I have looked all over the Internet and have not run across a Dr. Altamirano or the previous post Dr. Hidalgo. How did you guys find your Doctors. I am currently leaning to Dr. Louisiana Valenalzuela because I found her at Mexico Bariatric center she seems to be very qualified and will only do 3 surgeries a day. Also I asked the Facilitator if they were referring a family member who would they choose amd he said DR, V without question. I haven't found any negative about her, so that's where I am at. Thanks for your replies PS I am down the street from you in Cedar Park Wow, yes we are close. As long as you are comfortable with your decision, then you are good. I could not find one bad thing on Dr. A and have heard a lot from people who had surgeries from him, that had very little complications. I also watch his Utube videos and they made a lot of sense to me. When are you having surgery? I'm planning on August 11, 2015. I also felt comfortable with the hospital where Dr. A does his surgeries.

If you are using insurance, you should check if the insurance covers bariatric procedures. If they do, sometimes there are stipulations on types of centers you can go to. My insurance will only pay if I go to a center of excellence. Some insurance companies require a letter of medical necessity from your primary care Dr. Regardless, it is a good idea to talk to your primary care and see what they say. Mine was supportive, but also wanted to run other tests to make sure I did not have any other medical problems affecting weight loss. I am also 23 and approx 40 BMI.

i went to the bariatric clinic first. they did all of the paperwork that i needed. then i went to my pcp and he ordered bloodwork and wrote me a letter of support. there are several different policies for BCBS-just make sure you've covered all your bases before submitting to them! the bariatric clinic will help you jump through the hoops! good luck with your journey---keep in touch! ~courtney

KKAY - every surgeon is different. I went to the surgeon first - for the "seminar" then they told me where to go next - pysch eval, get Jenny Craig info and see my dr to get detailed letter of why she felt I needed the surgery and five years of obesity charts. Call around and check with other people in your area to see if there are any recommended surgeons. The bariatric clinics are very helpful - LOL they want your money!

I had my lapband surgery in November 2006. I lost seventeen pounds pre-surgery and then another fifteen pounds by January. I had a total of two fills. Things were going okay, but not perfect. I had regained a few pounds over the holidays and was struggling to get back on track. In February 2007, I was diagnosed with uterine cancer. I ended up with a total hysterectomy. Recovery, both physical and emotional was brutal. Several months later I lost my job along with my health insurance. I was unable to continue with visits with my bariatric surgeon. The band has since been "unfilled" and I have re-gained every single pound I lost. I am scared, depressed, and most of all ANGRY. How did this happen? Is there any hope for me with the lap band at this point? HELPPPP!!

Try drinking liquids that are room temperature if the cold bothers you. Post op for 4 weeks we stuck to broth, FF soup, yogurt, pureed foods, and shakes. At 4 weeks I tried a small piece of soft chicken, choked on it, and stayed on soft food another 2 weeks. Bad experience. Try a different brand of protein shake. My husband liked Bariatric Advantage (milky tasting) and I liked EAS powder from Walmart. The best advice we got from our surgeon was: Do not eat 3 meals a day. Do not eat if you are not hungry. Even today, 7 months post surgery, we eat only when hungry, and we don't have sit down dinners at any certain time.<br /><br />Right after surgery especially, and still today, burping signalled we had eaten enough. Wonderful little reminder lol. Usually if you eat a small amount, you can walk away and be satisfied. Everyone is different with their weight loss, we have learned that well here. The soreness from the small incisions won't last long, we never needed any pain medicine after 24 hours in the hospital. Good luck!!!!

I signed up and introduced myself a while back but didn't realy have a chance to post after that. But I am back to re-introduce myself. Im Heather, 27 (about to be 28 in march) and I am a Norcal-er (Northern California). I have been checking into the lap band for a while. I finally got up the nerve to go to my PC doctor to talk with her about the lapband. I have Kaiser and have heard horror stories about them not wanting to refer people for the surgery. So I went and talked with my doctor and to my surprise she went ahead and sent a referal for me to the San Francisco Bariatric center. I got my letter from them today explaining things and that they will be scheduling my first "oreintation seminar" in a few weeks. I am super excited to get started on my weight loss journey! I look forward to sharing in the same experience that the majority here have, and I look forward to being active on the boards :biggrin:

My advice would be to read as many posts as you can. You will learn that many people are doing things differently because every surgeon requires something different. It is mind boggling sometimes. Be prepared for probable hair loss. You can research stalls, hair loss, and anything else here that you read about, since there are thousands of previous posts. Welcome here, you will learn that Bariatric Pal will be your new best friend! Best wishes!

Hi everyone. I'm starting the same adventure. May 26 Date, go for my pre-op info on the 6th. Very nervous and try to research all the info I can. Would like to stay in touch and know what apps are being used for tracking. I found one caloratio that was developed by a bariatric surgeon. Has anyone tried it?

Well I called and I meet the requirements. I can make my appt with a bariatric surgeon. I have to be on a 3 month supervised diet, get a psych eval and I'm ready to go. I can't wait. Looking for a doctor to make me an appt for consultation. There's one thing...my deductible is $5K.. Whoa!!! But I don't care. I broke down and mentioned the surgery to my friend she was kind of discouraging saying every one she knows gained weight back. If his is a tool for me. I have read so many encouraging stories on here.