Search the Community

I suggest your taking the bariatric Vitamins (I take Bariatric Advantage) and Calcium citrate to correct any potential nutritional deficiencies.

That's kind of a privilege of being a male. Overweight women are pariahs--we are assumed to be lazy, have weak character, etc. I'm not telling anyone (not a single person) because people are nasty, judgmental, rude... I don't need anyone telling me how to eat, or what I should or shouldn't do about my body. For some reason though it happens all the time. "Are you sure you want to eat that?" "Have you ever bought a slow cooker? You can just fill it up with lean Proteins and vegetables in the morning and have a healthy meal at the end of the day!" "I can show you some easy workout routines." These things are always UNSOLICITED. Most recently, a blonde haired plastic Barbie approached me at target to give me her husband's business card. It was very strange but I took it and gave an awkward "thanks..." And as she walked away, I looked down to see that her husband is a Bariatric surgeon. It was this moment that did in fact inspire me to look into WLS, but not because of her recommendation (I am certainly not seeing that surgeon). But because I'm so tired of being judged by other women. I'm only 90 lbs overweight. I can't imagine how other heavier women manage. I don't want my identity to be defined by my WLS or my weight period. It is for this reason that I refuse to tell anyone.

MillyBell- I very much appreciate your posting this, and am so happy things are going well for you! I am one of those people who needs to be OVERLY-prepared for things like this, so I'm on this site every day checking out recipes, as well as everyone's experiences. Truly, I do not mind reading about the complications that may occur, because that way I won't be surprised if/when they happen. However, if all I read about were the complications, I'd never get it done! I try to read as much - if not more - about the happy stories, and am telling myself that I will be one of those with a happy ending. I happened to be picking up my dad from the hospital this past weekend, and it's the same hospital where I'll be having my surgery. I asked the nurse if they had bariatric patients on that same floor, and she said, "All the time!" Then she asked me if I even qualified, because I didn't look "big enough". I took it as a compliment, and left it at that. But I checked out the room to see where I could plug in my cell phone, where I would put all my stuff. Haha! She said they would take great care of me while I was there. Made me smile! Thanks again, and I wish you the best!

From reading great advice on this forum I made a list of these items & gathered in preparation........ :-) bariatric Protein powder (I like the fusion chocolate mousse) & some pre-made Protein drinks for quick & easy grabs GasX (sounds like the gas afterwards for a few days is quite painful) Nexium (ditto on the acid) liquid Tylenol (to use after the dr's liquid painkiller has finished it's job) lots of gatorade, s/f Jello, Water bottles chewable bariatric Vitamins (again the Fusion isn't bad...the mixed berry looks a bit intimidating but is relatively easy to chew up and swallow...my dr advised 2 of those a day for always after.) pill crusher (this is a cool little thing I found at WM which crushes any non-chewable pills you have to take) low cal/lactose free yogurt of course my chapstick! that's all I can remember at the moment! Best of luck! I go in tomorrow morning............(feels like the first day of school when you were a kid!)

I wanted to echo HoosierDoula and say Dr. Chris Jones is fabulous! He has performed all my plastics post lapband weight loss (Breast implants, LBL, Lipo and an upcoming brachioplasty and medialthigh lift). Not only is he an amazingly talented surgeon he is also a wonderful person. I can't being to explain how much he has impacted my life; I love him to bits. I had lost a tad over 100lbs when I went to him for the LBL and was very bottom heavy despite all the weight I had lost so I understand the frustrations of clothing not fitting properly and wanting the your lower body to fit the rest. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a talented Surgeon that is experienced with bariatric patients.

A BRIEF HISTORY... SIMILAR TO MOST ... I AM NOW 57, AND YO YO DIETED ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE....(LOWEST 125!!) AFTER GIVING BIRTH - AGE 30- I FOUND MYSELF WEIGHING IN AT 235... MY HIGHEST!! I AM NOW 230. LIKE MOST OF US, I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH MY DIET, TRYING EVERY SINGLE FAD, EVERY SINGLE DIET TO NO EVAIL. I AM AT AN AGE NOW THAT I JUST CANT DO IT ANY MORE. MY METABOLISM HAS SLOWED AND NOW IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP WEIGHT OFF OR EVEN GET IT OFF. MY KNEES, HIPS, ACHE, I HAVE PLANTAR FACIATIS IN BOTH HEELS, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, ETC..JUST TO NAME A FEW. I STARTED THIS FINAL JOURNEY SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN I HAD A FRIEND WHO HAD A GASTRIC BYPASS..SO I STARTED TO WATCH ON THE INTERNET FOR OPTIONS TO A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO MY DIETING INSANITY! FINALLY LAST YEAR I WAS ON LINE SPEAKING TO A SURGEON IN MICHIGAN WHO HAD SUGGESTED FOR ME TO LOOK INTO PLICATION. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID. I FOUND A SURGEON NEAR MY WINTER HOME IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA. I WENT TO HIS SEMINAR..LIKED WHAT I HEARD. FROM THERE I MADE THE DECISION TO FOLLOW THRU. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE, WHICH OF COURSE DENIED IT BECAUSE IT WAS STILL EXPERIMENTAL! I KNEW THEN I WOULD BE A SELF-PAY.....SO I ACCEPTED THAT AND FOLLOWED THRU WITH ALL MY REQUIREMENTS OF SEEING A DIETICIAN, AND A PSYCHOLOGIST AND GETTING A PHYSICAL WITH MY INTERNIST....GETTING THROUGH TO THIS DOCTOR WAS LIKE CALLING THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA!! ANY QUESTIONS I HAD HAD TO GO THRU A MESSAGE SERVICE THEN I HAD TO WAIT FOR DAYS FOR THEM TO CALL ME BACK! I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE WHOLE PROCESS. SO BACK TO THE INTERNET I WENT...I KEPT SEEING Dr. Ortiz NAME, AND HIS OCC CLINIC OVER AND OVER AGAIN....I STUDIED HIS VIDEOS , READ TESTIMONIALS AND FOUND HE HAD DONE SO MANY BARIATRIC SURGERIES INCLUDING THE PLICATIONS THAT IT WAS A NO BRAINER! SO I MADE THE PHONE CALL TO CAROLYN WILLIAMSON. IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION AND I FINALLY FELT LIKE I HAD MADE THE RIGHT DECISION....... FOR ME! THE REST IS HISTORY.... MY PLICATION DATE IS SET FOR APRIL 17TH, I WILL MEET MY SISTER THERE (SHE IS HAVING SOME COSMETIC SURGERY AT THE ARIEL CENTER - WHICH I MAY HAVE SOME PLASMA INJECTIONS IN SOME FACIAL LINES TOO)!! WE WILL STAY AT THE MARIOTT UNTIL THE 20TH THEN GO ON A VACATION FOR ANOTHER WEEK! I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS JOURNEY AND PRAYING IT WILL BE MY LAST DIET ENDEAVOR!! I STARTED MY 2 WEEK DIET YESTERDAY, AND AM NOW 227.....SO I AM ON MY WAY. I WILL KEEP UPDATING AS I GO....SO TALK TO YOU SOON!! PS HAVE ANY ONE OF YOU NOTICED HOW PEOPLE TREAT YOU WHEN YOU ARE HEAVY? I THINK THEY LOOK DOWN ON YOU...BUT JUST MAYBE IT IS BECAUSE IT IS THE VIBE IM GIVING OFF BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF WHEN IM FAT? NOT SURE, BUT AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS, IT IS DEFINATELY A FACT! BUT I WILL REMEMBER THESE PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE WHEN I AM MORE SLENDER AND HEALTHIER TO EMBRACE MY REAL FRIENDS WHOM I LOVE. :) :)

Find a place that does it outpatient! I had mine done on an outpatient basis here in Oregon. I was in at 7:00 AM and back home (30 miles away) before noon. I was self-pay, though. My insurance didn't cover the lap (or any bariatric surgery) band at all. Good luck. SS

Low carb is amazingly effective. When I entered my bariatric program, I decided to completely overhaul the way I eat. I figured I am going to have to change how I eat after surgery (almost all protein) so I might as well get used to it and make it a habit while I can still afford to slip up and cheat occasionally (which I did). I eliminated sugar from my diet, as well as pretty much all simple carbs like white bread, Pasta, and rice. I also didn't shy away from fat. I ate tons of cheese, and used real butter and cream in my cooking. Because the meals were so filling, I ended up eating less, whereas with carby meals I could eat a ton, then be hungry again in an hour and ready for more (or dessert). The carb cravings were horrible for a while, but they went away. When I did slip though, they came right back, so I learned it's better to just stay away. Personally, I can't do carbs in moderation. If I have some, I will want more and the cravings will intensify. In the 7ish months it took to fulfill all the requirements to get my sleeve, I ended up losing 110 lbs! I seriously considered not having surgery, but I have a LOT of weight to lose, and maintaining is another beast altogether. Also, while I was eating less (and much healthier), I was still eating way more than I should have been. I would just fill up on salad or veggies. Much healthier, but my years of overeating meant that I was still eating 2-3 times a normal serving size.

I'm feeling really good today. Like I've said, every day is better than the one before. I had my follow-up visit with the doctor this morning, and he's happy with how I'm progressing and how my incisions are looking. I'm down 15 lbs according to their scale, 20 according to mine. 15, 20, whatever it is, I'm on my way. I just got back from taking my daughter Chloe for a walk to the library. Felt good to get out for a walk. I walked around the block a couple times yesterday, but it was chilly and raining so not too pleasant. Much nicer out today. Well, I bit the bullet and posted a note on Facebook about the surgery. I woke up at 5 am and couldn't sleep, and all I could think about was getting it off my chest. I spent the next 2 and a half hours working out what I would say. I created the note, then shared it to my wall with the following statement - "Dear friends, please read the attached note in its ENTIRETY before passing judgment. I hope for your support. Thank you, Joe" Here is what the note said: On Friday March 8, 2013, I had a surgery called 'vertical sleeve gastrectomy'. This is a bariatric weight loss procedure. This was not a decision that was made lightly, or hastily. I will try my best to outline my reasons for doing it, what it is, and reasons for not telling anyone. Reasons for not telling people First, I want to say that I was originally planning on only telling a very select few people about this. But I realize that this is probably not very realistic, as the changes will probably be pretty significant, and pretty quick. I've even outright lied to some people, including some of my coworkers and bandmates, which I am very uneasy about. I hope they will forgive me. Please don't be offended if you were not one of the people I chose to tell beforehand. My main reason for choosing not to tell people beforehand was that I didn't wish to invite any negativity, or have anyone trying to put doubts in my head as I had already made the very difficult decision and none of that would have been helpful to me. Every person I did choose to tell had the exact same comment - "you're not THAT big." I appreciate the 'compliment', and suppose I got pretty good at hiding it. Before surgery, I weighed 274 lbs. I'm sure this number will probably shock most of you, as that seems to be the universal reaction. Another comment I heard was "you could do that yourself". There have been times I've been able to shed decent amounts of weight, only to put it all back on, and then some. And each time I would do this, would make the next time even harder. I also REALLY didn't want to hear anyone say to me that I was 'taking the easy way out', as no doubt some of you reading this might be thinking right now. This would have done nothing but anger me, and would have jeopardized our friendship. Believe me, there is nothing easy about having surgery. I'm still recovering, and wouldn't ever want to relive the first 24 hours. It is still going to take hard work and exercise to get to my goal and maintain it. This is only a tool to help me achieve that goal. What it is There are basically three main types of weight loss surgery. There is the gastric bypass. This was never a consideration in my mind, as I view it as being a last resort for extremely overweight people, and there can be a lot of malnutrition involved. I was actually scheduled for the lap band procedure, as I know a few people who have had it done, with varying degrees of success. After hours and hours of further research, I decided against this. Basically, the lap band is a device that is implanted and placed around the entrance to the stomach. The band gets filled with saline so that it inflates and restricts how much you can eat. The 'temporary' aspect of the band (the fact that it can be removed if any issues arose), was the biggest plus to me initially. The more I read online, the more I saw people not happy with the lap band, and having it removed and getting the procedure I had, the vertical sleeve. Some issues with the band include slippage, erosion, and the long-term maintenance (you have to go periodically for 'fills' to adjust how much the band is filled). Some people just could never find what they call their 'green zone', the perfect level of restriction where they are restricting enough to lose weight but not so much that they are vomiting after 2 bites. Also, insurance concerns crossed my mind - would insurance cover the fills forever? What if I moved or had to change doctors? All of these things pointed me in the direction of the vertical sleeve. The vertical sleeve is the newest of the three types, and is basically a laparoscopic procedure where up to 85% of your stomach is removed, leaving you with a sleeve about the size of a banana. Basically, you are then restricted to eating between 3 and 5 ounces at any meal. You can eat pretty much what you did before, only MUCH less. Some people find that they don't tolerate certain foods after surgery, or don't like the tastes of some foods they liked before. It is a permanent solution. The weight loss results are comparable to the bypass, typically very good. Another benefit of this surgery is that the part of the stomach that is removed is the part that produces the hormone grehlin, the hunger hormone, so feelings of overwhelming hunger go away. People say that they go from eating extreme amounts of food and never feeling full before surgery, to having to remind themselves to eat so they can get in enough calories after. The fact that the lap band was 'temporary' and could be removed at any time, was what made it more attractive to me initially, and seemed less 'drastic'. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I needed a permanent solution that would help me make the lifelong changes I needed to make. Wanting something because it was reversible, enabling me to go back to the way I was, no longer made sense to me. Reasons for getting surgery First and foremost, I did this for my wife and kids. I don't want to leave them without a husband and father. Sure, I'm not happy with how I look, but looks were at the bottom of my list of reasons. I would have been perfectly happy to continue to eat 5-6 slices of pizza and being upset that there wasn't any more because I still didn't feel full, and watching my weight continue to rise every year. I 'know' what the right things and right amounts to eat are. But 'knowing' and being able to stick to it because you never feel satisfied are two very different things. I never smoked or drank or did any drugs. Food was my drug, and it was negatively affecting my health. Besides weighing 274 and growing, I had a BMI of 36, which is considered obese. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, erosive GERD (acid reflux), shortness of breath, a leaky heart valve, and what my doctor says is the second worst case of sleep apnea he's seen in his office. If you don't know, sleep apnea means you stop breathing for significant periods of time, which lowers your blood oxygen level, and the 'jarring' that occurs when your breath comes back could cause your heart to go into a deadly rhythm. So basically, I was a ticking time bomb that could die in my sleep at any time. I have a machine called a CPAP machine that helps me breathe at night, but I've tried it and find it impossible to sleep with it. I'm actually getting a new one today that my doctor says is easier because the air pressure level automatically adjusts based on what you need at any given moment, instead of being set at a fixed level that sometimes seems like too much and would wake me up.. I plan on giving it a try, and hopefully once I lose a significant amount of weight the sleep apnea will disappear. I also hope to be off my medications. Most people who get the sleeve are able to get off their medications and are cured of their sleep apnea. I've seen stories of people being cured of type-2 diabetes (which I thankfully did not have, yet) the day of surgery. Amazing. The apnea and medication for blood pressure, while being the result of being overweight, also become self perpetuating problems. They limit my energy level, which in turn limits my activity level, further adding to the obstacles to weight loss on my own. How I'm doing The surgery went well on Friday. The surgeon found a fairly large hiatal hernia, which he repaired while he was in there. The first day was basically Hell. I was in pain, discomfort, had a hard time taking deep breaths, and was extremely tired. All I wanted to do was sleep, not only because I was tired but because I wanted to avoid the discomfort. They pump your belly full of air during the procedure to maximize the space they have to work, and this air leads to gas pain which radiates to your left shoulder. This gas pain is no joke. Every day gets easier than the one before it. I am on a clear liquid diet for 1 week, basically limited to water or crystal light, broth, sugar free jello, and sugar free ice pops. I also need to drink protein shakes until I can start eating foods with protein. They want you to get between 60 and 80 grams of protein in every day, and if I can't get all of that in from food I will have to continue with the shakes. At first, it was very hard to get in the fluids, due to swelling. Very small sips. That is getting easier by the day. After 1 week, I progress to a few weeks of a puréed diet, eating mushy foods. A blender will be my friend for this phase. After that, I can start introducing some 'real' foods, slowly to see what I can tolerate. They still want you to concentrate on getting most of your calories from lean proteins and vegetables, limiting sugars and starches. I welcome my new relationship with food. It will no longer be something that I do for pleasure, consuming unlimited quantities. Instead it will be something that I will have to be conscious of, sometimes reminding myself to eat so that I can get in enough calories to sustain good nutrition and fuel my body. It will be a big change, for sure. I continue to feel better every day. The pain is basically gone, limited to what I would describe as a 'tightness' feeling at the incision sites. I had 7 small incisions, which should leave minimal scarring. The first step out of bed or off the couch is the hardest, because of this tightness, and my fear of twisting or stretching anything the wrong way. I'm walking well, just a bit slow at the moment. The tightness also makes it impossible to sleep on my side or stomach right now, limiting me to my back, which is the worst position for my sleep apnea. To counter this, I've found that sleeping upright on the couch with my feet up on an ottoman is the best for me. I tried piling pillows on the bed to elevate my head, but found that it was pushing my head forward, further restricting my airway. I will get my new CPAP machine today, and look forward to sleeping in bed with my wife again tonight. As of this morning, I've lost a total of 20 lbs, including 9 lbs lost during a strict one week pre-op diet. In conclusion I am a very private person, who doesn't like divulging personal (potentially embarrassing) information, as I've done at length here. I only just decided to write this after waking up at 5 am and not being able to fall back asleep. I hope for all of your understanding and support, and 'friendship'. I welcome any questions or comments, either under this post, or in a private message, or in person. I do not welcome any criticism or cruel comments or jokes (even lighthearted ones, as I might not view them this way). If that is your inclination, please refrain from commenting, or go ahead and remove me from your friends list. I apologize for ending this on such a down note like that, I just want to make it clear how serious I am about this. Thank you.' So far, I've gotten all positive comments from people, except for one person. He used to be a close friend, but we grew apart in recent years, but are still friends on Facebook. It's been years since we've talked, even on Facebook. He said he was hurt that I didn't contact him, because he had weight loss surgery also and could have helped me in my decision. I had no idea he had surgery, and told him that and asked him how I would have known. We sent messages back and forth, and he still was upset, saying stuff about how he's sick of putting himself out for other people only to get nothing back (paraphrasing). I told him that I was disappointed that he chose now, a time when I'm reaching out for support and understanding, to make it about him and his hurt feelings that our friendship isn't what it used to be. Whatever, I can't worry about that now. I need to take care of myself at this point in time.

If you have insurance coverage through your employer there's no guarantee that bariatric surgery is covered. Your employer gets to pick and choose what's covered and if they want to save money on premiums they may exclude things often considered non-essential, including bariatric surgery. I discovered last October that my company's PPO policy did not cover it, so i complained to HR and they got it included in the plan effective our next open enrollment date, which was Jan. 1. There may often be exceptions made if your doctor says your life is in danger if you don't have the surgery, but those are rare. So if your insurance says they don't cover it, go to HR immediately and ask them why it's not included in your coverage.

It seems that every bariatric Dr. has their own variation of a post op diet. Some are definitely more lenient than others. I must be blessed because I have had the easiest and most pain free experience. Only one day of moderate discomfort after surgery - and by the second day I was walking laps around the nurses station. By day 3, I could have easily gone back to work. By day 4, I did go back to work and no one can tell I've had anything done. I have literally barely a bruise. The rash I got from latex bandages is way worse than any bruises I have. I'm down 6 pounds in 6 days and my energy level is super high. I feel WAY better than before surgery. I should probably add this: i see a lot of different variations of even a clear liquid diet out there. My Dr's told me to keep the carbs down. So no fruit juices or sugar anything for me. I am in moderate ketosis at all times. This MAY (I am not a Dr) account for varying degrees of weight loss. If one chose to drink apple juice all day, they could certainly consume a LOT of calories and sugar. I have gone the clear Protein drink direction. My only regret is not doing this years ago!

Glad to hear it. If you are a reader, I just finished reading a good book. It's by a psychologist who works with bariatric patients. It's called Eat It Up! and addresses a wide range of post-op psychological issues.

NikkiD, I called BC a few weeks ago to ask how long the pre-service review took and they told me 5 days max. (REALLY??!!) When I told the surgeon's bariatric coordinator she made a face and looked like she didn't believe it either. I guess I feel confident, since I was told by 2 different BC people. And it IS BC of California. Maybe they have a big pre-service review dept since everyone and their brother wants cosmetic and/or WLS!!! lol ;D (I live back in Michigan now, but my DH still works for his CA company and thats why we have CA ins.) Lets hope its true!!

I never worried about carbs and fats while losing, as if the calories are low enough to promote the desired weight loss, and the protein is appropriate maintaining your muscle mass (typically somewhere around 60-80 g per day for women, 80-100 g for men), then the carbs and fats will be functionally very low. A good default for calories seems to be in the 600-800 range (some with stronger metabolisms can get away with more, but it's good to start low because it's very hard to cut back once you're used to one level). RDA for fiber is around 25 g per day, and that seems to work well for most on a bariatric diet. Sugar should usually be minimized, particularly added sugar in processed or packaged food; that which is naturally occuring in our fruits and veg are less of an issue, and has a purpose for us (or nature wouldn't have put it there - the added stuff in the packaged foods is just there to sell it to us and make up for the flavor stripped out by the processing.

Is it egg itself or the texture? Maybe you could make an egg custard? Or mix ricotta and some no sugar pudding powder? Also the Bariatric Eating (bariatriceating.com) website had a slew of great recipes. Also Pinterest.

I am contemplating Dr Illan in MX but my sister, who is a nurse anesthestitist, states that if there is any complications, no Dr state side will want to touch me. What did y'all do after you came back? PS....my sister had a bariatric patient die on her table due to blowing out his stitches 4 years after surgery. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

In complete agreement with above posters. Meet with Bariatric surgeon and team. Learn all that you can about the procedure. I was able to gain information by following medical twitter and the bariatric thought leaders that post some of the latest data on metabolic changes that surgery brings. Also I found a great podcast by Reeger Cortell ARNP, called "Weight Loss Surgery Podcast". In the past 6 months I only experienced one unprofessional encounter, and that was with Cardiologist during appointment for cardiac clearance. Was scheduled for this next Monday but got the call today to postpone 2 weeks as I'm just getting over bronchitis. Reset for 11/4. Good luck to you! Let us know how things are going!

Hi I'm new here. I've had 3 months of weigh ins. I'm not sure if I have to have 6 or 9. I've been told two separate things from my Insurance company and the bariatric coordinator. Does anyone here have Humana that knows how long the wait is? I'm in Ky if that matters. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

i dont go to the dr every month for an adjustment either. i am in the green zone and have been since april and also since april 20 lbs BELOW my drs goal for me. i am not sure where u got your information but the poch in a sleeve CAN stretch, the band can be adjusted. the gherlin hormone that is a normal body functioning hormone that u need for balance is removed with the sleeve BUT your body eventually figures out how to replace it and then it comes back stronger than before. there is only a window of opportunity called the honeymoon period with the sleeve and rny of about 18 months, there is NO honeymoon period with the band because it is adjustable. this is straight out of a bariatric doctor's mouth at my clinic support groups. and i dont want to seem nasty but i am only out a year and half with my band and i have been below goal since 11 mon.ths, and the wo men with the sleeve and rny in my group out years are still NOT at goal.

So after researching LB for almost 10 years, i finally had the balls to get the process going. I looked into True Results because I was advised my coverage didn't cover bariatric surgery but they told me due to my hiatal hernia I would be covered for all but a $5500 out of pocket charge that would be split into 2 year payments. So.... I just got a few letters from my insurance and apparently I owe almost $30K WHAT!?

The bariatric group wanted it from my primary care doctor so she wrote the letter, she had my history of the many failed diets yada, yada, yada. Keep it direct, simple and to the point, the letter that she wrote was a few sentences. I wish you all the best!

Today my surgery date was set. September 18, 2012 will be the first day of the rest of my life as they say. I am very thankful for this forum! I am amazed at the mountains of information I have found just i the last two hours. I am a diabetic. ( oral meds) I have sleep apnea. I also have Barretts esophagus. For those who do not know what this is it is a pre cancerous state of the esophagus from prolonged acid reflux. My triglycerides are 563. I have about 65 to 80lbs to lose. My endo doc and my gastro doctor have told me its imparative that I lose weight. Its been very very frustrating. I have tried many diets to no avail. I have a concern I am going to throw out here to all of you. I am VERY afraid that I may sabatage my own success. Not sure if this makes sense to anyone out there but I have always cared and done for everyone else in my life.. ie my husband parents and children and friends. I have always put others before myself. It's very difficult for me to ask for help or to be center stage so to speak. Tonight my husband and I talked and I was so very suprised at how supportive he was and intends to be. Our insurance has a Bariatric exclusion so we are paying cash for this procedure. I told him I feel guilty that I have not been able to lose this weight on my own in the last two years. I cried and he told me he loved me and he wants me around for another 25 or more years and Im worth any amount of money that it takes to help keep me here. He made me feel so much better but I asked him not to tell everyone because I really can not handle people negative opinions. Is that the wrong type of attitude to go into this with? Should I be standing up and telling everyone? Anyway this newbie thanks those of you that have shared their experiances. I will be watching and learning! Thanks for taking the time to read my some what neurotic post!

I live north of Everett, and use Tricare Prime. Unless things have changed in the last year, there are no Tricare-approved bariatric facilities north of Seattle. There are several civilian clinics in Seattle that provide services, and you can always go to Madigan, if you want to stay with a military facility. I had my surgery at Swedish Hospital, and I highly recommend the surgeon and his staff. It's worth the drive time from here for me to get the kind of service I expect. If you want to know more, shoot me a PM and I'll give you more details. Hope this helps, Dave

So I've been reading posts on this forum for months now and am just getting around to setting up an account. I am currently scheduled for surgery on March 15th with Drs. Cabrera and Valenzuela at Mi Doctor Hospital in Tijuana, MX through Mexico Bariatrics. I am mostly nervous right now because I am planning to travel alone and it doesn't help that I have a pretty unsupportive family. My mother has told me I'm selfish for not thinking about the fact that I could die from having this surgery and my beautiful 22 mth old baby girl would have to grow up without her mother (I'm a single mother). My dad has told me I just need to exercise and that weight loss surgery is crazy and the easy way out. My sister doesnt think it makes sense for me to go to Mexico for surgery and especially not by myself but I don't have much of a choice. No one is available to go with me and my insurance will not cover it in the states. At this point, I really just need a bit of encouragement, guidance, prayers, a buddy, something! What should I pack? Has anyone had surgery with these docs? Any complications? I'm planning to travel in on Thursday. Scheduled for surgery on Friday. Return home on Monday. Back to work on Wednesday. Is that enough time? I can't take off work any longer than that right now. Will I be able to hug/lift my daughter after surgery? What is post op recovery like? Anything in particular I need to be prepared for traveling alone....this is my first time ever going out of the country. \

I had surgery June 25th as well. I used Gas X strips while in hospital and now am using duel action acid controller complete. You can get it at Walmart or Target for about $10. Both things I mentioned have been approved by the bariatric nurse and surgeon, feel better soon.