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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.

I found this guide online and its so helpful and it answered most all my questions. It's great for us that are self-pay and are not meeting with a NUT or Bariatric surgeon Enjoy!! http://www.peachtreebariatrics.com/docs/Gastric-Sleeve-Patient-Manual.pdf

I went a little bit crazy with the planning pre-surgery only to find that after surgery, what I thought I would want and what I could handle were two different things. Unflavored Protein powder is a must, but I found that everything else I planned for (soups, broth, shakes, etc.) went right out the window. I'm two weeks out and am one of the unlucky ones who can't tolerate much of anything. I get most of my protein through unflavored powder mixed with hot chocolate and not much else. I'm using the Bariatric Advantage Vitamins, but I find them a little chalky =\ The black cherry B12 is great though and the lemon calcium chews are really good.

Dear patients, Our support group meeting the first Saturday in April will be in conjunction with the recent opening of the Metabolic Fast Track Weight Loss Center. We will be touring the facility, demo'ing the equipment, and getting some fitness tips from Donna Isaac, a registered nurse and fitness specialist. Our group is open to all patients no matter what surgery or who your surgeon was. Please come and check it out! The Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery 10475 Reading Road, Evendale (Cincinnati), OH 45241 Trace W. Curry, M.D. Lap Band and Realize Band surgeon Cincinnati, Ohio Your Page Title 513.559.1222 / 877.442.BAND DISCLAIMER: Any information contained within is meant to be general medical advice only. Please consult your surgeon on your specific problem!

Congratulations! Glad to hear another person is doing well. Listen to your body, follow the instructions from your bariatric center & walk, walk & walk.

I have really been suffering the ill effects of my large hiatal hernia. Did months of tests and then sent to general surgeon. He wanted me to lose 100-120 lbs prior to surgery. Went to seminar to learn about bariatric surgery. I will have my hernia repaired and my sleeve at the same time. On my 2 week pre surgery liquid diet. I do well with the calories, but struggling to not go over in protein. Surgery on the 17th. Have 2 friends at work that have had the sleeve (one in Dec and 1 last month). Went to monthly support group and the friend a month out from surgery was the one everyone wanted to talk to.

So, I am nearly 15 years (yes years) postop. I started at 315 and plummeted to 142 within 10 months of surgery. I was super happy but I was also sick. I didn't have energy, I looked sick...but I was SKINNY! For the first time in my adult life, I wore a SMALL! I loved and hated it at the same time. Then I was told to gain weight because due to all the excess skin, I was really underweight and it was NOT healthy for me. Well, long story short...I can eat pretty much anything and not dump. Then my portions started growing and my snacking came back. I gained, I lost, I gained, I lost...you all know how that goes. I got back up to 230 and was miserable again. I started doing VERY well earlier this year and lost nearly 25 pounds of regain, then COVID-19 struck and has me working from home. This led right back to horrible habits and not as much movement (I didn't even have to walk to my car!). The company I work for has wonderful programs to help get motion and nutrition back on track. Well, that is if you are able bodied (I have bad knees and am just trying to keep replacements at bay as long as I can) and can eat like a normal person. The PT and nutritionist had me doing things that just didn't work for me...not once but TWICE. I told them over and over I couldn't exercise on my knees nor could I eat the portions they were assigning to me. Frustrated, I started researching revisions. I found one I was seriously contemplating, regardless of insurance coverage (I was THAT desperate). I was on the verge of calling my GP for a referral when I thought, "What about going back to basics"? So, about two weeks ago, I found some sites (this is one of them!) with bariatric specific meal plans, food, vitamins, gadgets, etc. I took the plunge and ordered protein powders, protein snacks, meal replacements and changed my vitamin routine to the 1 A Day on here. I bought shaker bottles for my shakes, 15 minute increment water bottles to make me drink my water (if you knew me, you would know I HATE water), and I also cleared two shelves in my pantry for JUST ME. It's now been just over a week and I am down 4 pounds. I have so much more energy that my husband was like "who are you and where is my wife"! I have already noticed a difference in some of my clothes - no more dancing routine putting on my yoga pants! It's not easy, but I have to remember where I was and where I want to be once again! Sorry this was so long but I started typing and couldn't stop!

Hi everyone! I have been lurking for a couple of weeks now and just joined a couple of days ago. I am 5'6" and 265 pounds. I'm tired of being fat! I used to be "merely" overweight, by about 3 pounds, and thought that was the worst ever. Boy, was I wrong! I was a teenager and constantly picked on by a step-father who enjoyed making cruel comments and pig noises at me. Now, I am 34 years old with two children and zero energy. I look at pictures of myself as a teen and wish I still looked that cute. For a long time I used to view every bite I took as an "Eff you" to the ex-step-father. I have made peace with my past and realize it was his issue, not mine. (FYI his comments to his sister, and apparently also his current wife, have made them both anorexic. That really helped me realize he is a small man, and I am worth so much more than him.) Unfortunately, now I am terribly obese, and cannot lose the weight. For years, I considered weight loss surgery but did not want to be re-routed. I also did not like the thought of a band stuck in me. I recently discovered the sleeve and I know this is the best option for me. I lost my job two years ago, which meant losing my insurance, too. I just qualified for Medicaid and view this as an opportunity to finally get the surgery I know will help me. I am pre-diabetic, have PCOS, high cholesterol and heart disease runs in my family. I am not living the life I deserve. My children are not getting the mom they deserve because I have no energy. Medicaid is a new thing for me! I have contacted the bariatric center I will be using and the *** (I had to choose an *** through Medicaid, so I chose Coventry Cares because they have an excellent dental plan). Can you believe Coventry has no actual criteria? They view each case separately which is scary! My first appointment with my PCP is October 2 and I am hoping I can convince him to make my case look like I badly, badly need this surgery. I suspect I will still have to do the 6 month medically supervised diet. I was hoping I could get that cut down to 3 months since my sincere wish is to be back on my feet financially and off Medicaid by the time the 6 months are up. I guess my health is worth waiting a few extra months! Has anyone else had any experience with Coventry Medicaid in Pennsylvania? Or any of the Medicaid HMOs in PA? The bariatric surgeon I will be seeing is Dr. Neale in Wilkes-Barre, so any advice to this newbie would be so very welcome. I apologize for the novel!

I got banded last month at Hollywood Regional Hospital in South Florida which is a Bariatric Center of Excellence. I was pleased to use the office of Surgical Consultants of Hollywood, which is actually in a wing of the hospital. What was nice was that all my tests, etc. were able to be run right at the hospital. I'm 63. They have informational group seminars quite often right at the hospital.

Hi I am the wife of a police officer and was banded on 9-8, my first step was with my primary care doctor. I asked if my HMO insurance would cover banding, and was shocked that they did. I got a referral to a Bariatric surgeon. That was on June 10th, so things really went pretty fast for me. Also, since then my husband decided he wanted to be banded, his bmi was 39.8. We just got word on Friday that he was APPROVED. I really don't think you will have a problem being approved. Just get the ball rolling! Good Luck!

Before you look into self-financing, check whether the ACA plans cover bariatric surgery in your state. It may be worth dropping an employer-backed plan and joining one of the ACA plans for the year, once you've worked out the costs. The ACA plans seem to have decided on bariatric coverage on a state-by-state basis, and some of those may have changed over the years, so make sure you're checking for insurance year 2019 in your state. I believe enrollment is open until Dec 15, but don't wait until the last minute - do your research now and make a decision soon, sometimes the sites get overwhelmed by last-minute signups.

After researching and wishing for nearly four years, I am finally going to a seminar. Yes, first actual one. Why? I don't like public. I don't feel comfortable outside my home. Yes, being overweight has turned me a bit agoraphobic. My insurance has a clause in it that specifically says NO BARIATRICS!! So that sucks but I am still going through with it. I like the sleeve better than the band for all the same reasons others have mentioned. I am going to just travel a few hours away for my surgery. Just scared of the tests leading up to it all. I don't have any other conditions (besides being too big) so I don't see a problem. I just see it as a hurdle in my way. When I lose weight, what do I want to do the most? Run. And take my kids to an amusement park and do everything with them- not sit on a bench and have them check in from time to time.

Hi Lina: Welcome. We're here for you. Just post a question and we'll try our best to answer. You should probably start with your primary care physician who will be able to recommend a surgeon for you. Then make an appointment with the surgeon and he will tell you his process from there. It is all pretty straight forward. You usually have to attend an information session with other people interested in bariatric surgery as well. There is a lot of knowledge available on these boards. People are friendly and willing to help. So just jump in and begin talking and soon you'll know more than you ever dreamed ,

Thanks for the welcomes!! I look forward to seeing how our journeys play out!! As far as insurance coverage - I've had conflicting reports. MY insurance company says that no 6 month diet is required and I don't have to prove a 5 year history. The bariatric center that I want to go through says that insurance companies will say that but when the Dr sends in the Letter of Medical Necessity, they say that they require all these other things. I don't want to wait 6 months and I'm not sure what I can prove for my 5 year history. I can prove an overweight or obese status for many, many years. Hopefully it all works out!

I have been heavy all my life and just getting heavier. I have been lucky so far as to not have developed any co-morbidities. My husband and I were trying to have another child for the last 3 years. I put $5000 in my flexible spending account for this year and after being told it would be around $20,000 to do invitro with donor eggs - I was looking for other ways to spend my funds. I had been contemplating and researching this for a while. A couple of friends/colleagues had mentioned it a few times as they knew people who had done it and we worked in the medical field so they knew staff and the physicians at the local bariatric center. Once I make a decision, I don't waste time. I went to an info seminar on March 9 and I had surgery last Friday (April 23). I have no regrets and am happy with my decision. I want to be healthy for me and my family to enjoy our lives. I have spent far too long hiding from pictures and situations because of my weight and uncomfortableness. It was time for a change and I'm proud to say I did it.

If you don't want to go all the way out to Oregon, there is a doctor is St Louis that specializes in higher BMI patients. His name is Dr. Van Wagner and he works through a great program in St. Louis called St. Alexius New Start. Here is his web site: Heart of America Bariatrics, LLC While he is not the person doing my surgery -- I have heard great things about him. Hope you find someone.

Hello Everyone, I just had my gastric sleeve done on 02/28. To date so far I have lost 13 pounds in on week. I have about a 130 pounds to lose but I am happy I am on my way. I really dont have much pain. I am little slow moving around because I still have a little discomfort. The first week was a little difficult because whenever I would eat or drink I would get a bubble feeling in my chest. After reading many of the posts I started taking prilosec. It has helped tremendously! I am getting ready to start walking everyday and once I am feeling better I will start running. I am not starving but the smell of food I used to eat does attract to me but I am still staying on course. My only problem has been the Protein shakes. I was taking the Bariatric Advantage shakes but they are just disgusting to me now. I also tried the Isopure but I cant stand it. So now I am doing the Atkins and muscle Mlike shakes. At first I was having some regrets but after seeing my weight loss in the last week I am feeling much better.

After trying years of diets and yo-yoing up 5-10 pounds each time, I decided to go with the Lap Band device. I went through the pre-surgical testing and got my insurance company to approve it upon my first appeal and an additional six-month waiting period. In that time I dropped from 380 pounds down to 360 (which was my pre-surgery goal) and on Valentine's Day in 2008 I got the surgery. I was in at 7 am, and home in my recliner by 5 pm. The abdominal pain was absolutely minimal. I was able to get out of bed and walk within the first hour, and was voiding my bladder and cruising the hallways soon thereafter. I refused the morphine they were offering as I wanted to go home, and honestly there was no need for it as I was in minimal discomfort. Once home I quickly adjusted to the phase-one diet and ate the clear liquids and developed an affinity for nice cool Jell-o (lime or orange). I no longer experienced "hunger" as I once did. Even though I knew I hadn't eaten but a handful of calories in any given day, I did not feel "hunger". As I approached phase-two I began to develop some "cravings" which after discussing with my nutritionist I found to be a healthy response to the surgery--a way for your body to tell you what you're needing. I don't even question it when my body tells me that raw calf's liver would be SOOOO good right now. I just do it. Once onto phase-three and normal life I began to feel better about myself as I (rapidly) dropped weight. Within 12 months I had dropped nearly 100 pounds, 3 trouser sizes, two inches from my neck, 2 shirt sizes (from a XXXL-Tall to a XXL) and amazingly--TWO shoe sizes--I once wore a 14 and can now fit a 12 comfortably. My knees stopped making horrible grinding noises, my hips stopped hurting and I found I had more energy to tackle my tasks with. To make myself feel even better I once loaded 100 boxes of butter (sorry Safeway) into a cart just to see the physical quantity of weight I had lost. Likewise--I have thrown a pair of 40 pound bags of dog food on my shoulders to experience just SOME of what I was carrying around. It makes all the difference in the world when you still perceive yourself as a "fat man" to look at some tangible facsimiles of your achievements. Now--about my device, my post-op life and the joys of living with the Lap Band: I received an "AP Standard" device in lieu of the "AP Large." My surgeon has never been able to give me a reason why other that "I have never used an AP Large device and didn't feel comfortable doing so here." Initially I thought this was a bonus as I would lose weight a little mroe rapidly. What I did NOT know whas what to expect in the process. Yes, I went to ALL of my classes, nutritional counseling, etc. Yes, I understand fully how to eat. NO! I did not sign on for this. Each bite of food I take--regardless of how I chew, registers somewhere in the 7 range on the pain scale. Even water--is about a 5 for 10-15 minutes after I swallow. The surgeons (I have multiple) have all scoped me, barium'd me, fluoroscope'd, swallow studied, etc me to no end. There is no slippage, no obstruction, no swelling, and no redness. Only "An extremely small pouch with very tight restriction." During my first adjustment (more on that later) my surgeon primed my device and in doing so, completely closed my esophagus and rocketed me into a vasovaglic episode. Since that time I have had ZERO Fluid in my device--not a single CC in the bladder, not even a drop of saline to prime it. Of course in order to make sure of this, each surgeon has to attempt to drain it again--so I got very used to being adjusted. As long as your surgeon is competent (NOT like Colin MacColl) you don't even need any of that local anesthetic-stuff. None at all. It's just more needle-sticks and to tell you the honest truth--the "big" adjusting needle doesn't hurt AT ALL. If you'd like to see what it's all about, go to YouTube and search "POV LapBand" and you'll see Colin MacColl failing miserably and repeatedly at accessing my (very easy) port. While this particular procedure was uncomfortable for me (as evidenced by my toes in the video...) it was NOT painful and I had zero anesthetic. When I finally grew tired of a life in pain and constant medical testing with no results I accused one of my surgeons (Colin MacColl) of practicing "diagnostic medicine" on me and demanded that he do something other than shrugging and saying "Let's try this." The next week I received a letter informing me that I was "fired" as a patient of Oregon Bariatric and would have to seek a new doctor. In the end--I am now 18 months post-op, sitting at 235 pounds (down 155 pounds) with an un-regulated and completely un-restricted device. I have no surgeon/bariatric doctor. I am hypoglycemic, I have 3 major Vitamin deficiencies, I vomit at least twice a day, I eat less than 200 food-calories in any given 24 hour period and when I do I am down-and-out-in-pain for a good 90 minutes after I eat it--IF I can keep it down without vomiting. Am I happy being the "new-man?" Hell yes! It's GREAT being "Skinny(er)." Would I recommend the Lap Band procedure to anyone? HELL NO! Looking forward to talking with you all. Cheers!

Hello everyone, I have been visiting VST for a while, just now introducing myself. I have pretty much the same story as everyone else. Yo-yo dieted most of my life, weight loss expert that can tell you how to loose it, just not keep it off, emotional eater, etc. But in August of 2012, I went to a seminar at New Life Bariatric Center in Knoxville Tn. and met Dr. Boyce. My VSG journey started then. Other than insurance requirement of 10% wt. loss and one denial from insurance it has been a fairly easy process. And finally I have a date Feb. 18, 2013. Yeah!!!I am so excited,.,.,, nervous at the same time. Worried about all the changes for me and my family, how to cook for them, eat at family get togethers etc. I really enjoy reading all your positive and helpful info. so any pointers would be great. Thanks

Hello, all! texasmelody here, about 16 days after getting my sleeve here in Dallas. Dr. Castro was my surgeon, and I had the sleeve at Baylor. I began my pre-op diet exactly a month ago, and in the month before and after the sleeve I'm down 43.1 pounds -- so, only about another 260 pounds to go. Sheesh! Everything seems to be going well so far. I've had the usual intestinal distress, but that seems to be calming down. I've had a couple of occasions where stuff seems to sit in my chest. Distressing, but do-able. I've had some early-run dizziness that turned out to be the fact that my blood-pressure dosage was suddenly too high -- so that's now been cut in half. Woot! So...now, just experimenting with Protein powders and flavors. I love the Isopure Zero Carb bottles, but hate the cost. The Bariatric Advantage stuff turned out to make me VERY sick. Not sure why. So....I would love it if you guys would weigh in with your protein recommendations -- or, ideally, the best place to pick up the Isopure Zero Carb Grape Frost stuff. Look forward to interacting with you all! Big group hug, texasmelody

is anything you're drinking have food coloring,or have you been drinking grape juice, that gives you green poo, keep on with your liquids,bariatric patients fare better on Fluid drive just like some cars.!

I went to a seminar yesterday and I really want to do this!!! I am in VA and would be using a Dr. Stelmack. He is board certified and a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. I feel good about his presentation but I wonder if I will pass muster when all the test start. I had brest cancer in 2002. I had a masectomy, chemo, radiation, and reconstruction. My insurance is military and I did read that they cover the surgery but tomorrow will be the real test when I try to get confirmation. I am expecting a lot from you guys because I know I'll need help and encourgement. The Avon Breast Boards were my rock, so get ready me.:biggrin:

Went to meet with the Bariatric Coordinator on Wednesday to start the process. She thinks I’m a good candidate and has given me all the first steps I need to do Already have all kinds of appointments set up... psyc consult, nutritionist and physical theory (that one was new to me... apparently its to help people who have not been active get active safely... she admitted it was silly for me but I have to go anyways). Go back in a month to see how I’m doing and how much weight I have lost (Need to lose 11lbs before I can have surgery). I’m very excited, but of course I had a curveball thrown at me today... found out I’m officially 'pre-diabetic' (exactly what I wanted to avoid) and I have some insulin issue too... now the doc wants to play the game of weight gain because of above or above because of weight gain :scared2:. This should be fun but seeing I have been over weight my whole life, I think the band will be a great tool for me. Well, that was long but what can I say... I’m excited :w00t:

Well with my bariatric surgeons office, they have a print out they give the insurance company that shows my weight, bmi, and other factors that prints out on this special scale. Dont ask what it is but I had to stand on this scale barefoot and it printed out all this information the scale got from the bottom of my feet. I guess for proof of what my real weight and bmi is.