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@@meantforsunshine Hi There, Congratulations on having your surgery. So sorry that you now have this crappy diagnosis. I have Psoriatic Arthritis and my mother had Rheumatoid arthritis. Recently I started showing signs of Rheumatoid as well and I was tested for it when I was tested for Psoriatic and the tests were negative. Not sure what the Paddison program is but I will tell you this. I have to limit my Protein because of kidney issues caused by years of medications for my arthritis and being overweight. I have a strict no more than 65 grams of protein per day or it taxes my kidneys. I eat a diet mainly of meat, veggies and fruit. I have noticed that my Psoriatic Arthritis has improved so much since my 152lb weight loss. My disease has been in remission and the only time it seems to kick up now is when they put me on oral or IV steroids so I avoid them unless it is life threatening which has not happened since 9 months post op. In fact, I spoke with my doctor on tuesday and we have been weaning me off of cyclosporine which is a immuno suppressant and are even lowering my dose of Stelar which i get every 10 weeks now. It used to be 8 weeks and double the dose. There is even talk of removing me from it completely at some point. So, I tell you all this because both my rheumatologist and my dermatologist are amazed at the transformation this surgery has done for my health. I suffered with Psoriatic Arthritis which is auto immune my whole adult life. I remember the onset began when the weight started piling in in my mid 20's. Obviously with RA, the goal is always to get you on a biologic that stops the progression and the same is true of Psoriatic arthritis so i am nervous about taking me off of the thing that gave me my life back. Anyway.....the diet you are speaking of meats, veggies and fruits are exactly what got me to the point that I am at. I did not have to pay for a special diet as this really is what the bariatric diet is centered around. Not sure if this helps but it has been my personal experience and I could not be happier.

Brad, Well, you are the least expensive for self pay of any place I'm familiar with in the region. Thanks for the information. What do you charge for fills for patients who don't have surgery with you? I know what you mean with regard to insurance not paying adequately. ButI can't self pay to protest that my insurance is paying too little. My insurance doesn't cover any related care following surgery, including fills. Which seems stupid because after they've paid the big bucks for the surgery if a patient can't afford to have the fills and doesn't have improved health the insurance company will be paying even more to continue to cover the care for diabetes, high blood pressure etc. I don't know the answers to the insurance problem. Employers search for the lowest cost insurance and in order to provide low premiums insurance companies cut deals with health care providers. If the insurance were expensive enough to pay what healthcare providers charge, employers wouldn't pay for the insurance or the cost to employees would be out of reach for many families. On a whole other subject, malpractice insurance seems to be a huge cost to providers. If only some people didn't see medical mistakes as the lottery perhaps insurance reimbursements would become more affordable. Thanks for answering my questions. Most of the people I know who are considering it have insurance. But we still have to pay a percentage of the total cost. In my case for in network providers, it's 10% up to $750, then it's 100%. Out of network it's 30%, or roughtly $4800 (which is about what we had to pay Barix 2 years ago because they were out of network when my husband had his surgery). And I considered going there but their policy now is that the entire amount has to be paid up front and then the patient gets the insurance check. When he went, after insurance paid they billed us for the remaining balance. I can say that it was a wonderful facility since their entire practice is related to bariatric surgery. A draw back is in case of emergency, they have to send you to a nearby hospital, which wastes time. And I agree that these message boards are great places to get information. So thanks for adding yours. I'm have no doubt that there will be people in your region who are self pay will be interested.

Did your NUT give you a list of foods/shakes that are approved? Are you still on Clear liquids? Full liquids? I am not familiar with Herballife shakes specifically so you will need to read the labels and check with your NUT to make sure they have the right Protein to carb ratio. Many Protein Shakes aren't bariatric friendly because they have too many carbs.

Yeah, jerk indeed. I wouldn't stop my vitamins because some a$$ who likely doesn't know anything about WLS said so while being a dismissive SOB. I'm someone who totally doesn't believe that supplements are good for people, but that doesn't include medical grade supplements designed for bariatric patients.

I didn't cook one darn thing this year. I just couldn't. But I did enjoy some hot chocolate (the bariatric pal stuff in the store)! At least that's something I can enjoy. I tried to focus on the people and the events more than the food. It's a re-thinking of our holidays. I liked not having a bunch of crap around that I feel like I had to eat or it would go to waste!

I’ve been taking things in stride as best I can but am rather miffed at doctors and events today so I am just going to rant even though I need to be trying to sleep. Prior to my gastric bypass surgery and gallbladder removal My gastroenterologist insisted I have a colonoscopy due to the fact that previous ct scan had shown severe narrowing of my colon and a recent ct showed possible colitis. But the colonoscopy had to wait until after my surgery. I went through three days of clear liquids and hellish prep trying to swallow the required liquids. While the nurse was great I was literally the last patient and they were already starting to close down the facility before my procedure started. I had an unusually hard time waking up from the sedation and just wanted to close my eyes but they were in a hurry to get me out, I was barely awake and told to get dressed and get in the car to go even though I was stumbling and could hardly walk. I didn’t get answers from the colonoscopy. I don’t know if endometriosis can be confused for colitis. But why would a ct scan show something but not a colonoscopy. It showed melanosis in the colon usually caused by chronic laxative use which I refuse to use laxatives on a regular basis so rarely take it. Also diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon which has been there some years now and the last doctor just said well you have to wait until you end up in the Er with an emergency to even do anything. Like ok. But no biopsy was taken of the darkened spots of my colon. And no explanation of my symptoms. My bariatric surgeon said My gastroenterologist could do the endoscopy since he is closer to where I live, and he got all my information and everything. I had previously had a balloon dilation of a very narrow stricture. They saw the stricture during this procedure (so I guess the previous dilation didn’t do anything) but my endoscopy report reads: “ge junction with mucosal tear from hiccup during dilation” I didn’t speak to the doctor, I wasn’t alert enough. He made it out like nothing to my mom. They didn’t take any biopsy from either tests. And I have a mucosal tear but not what to do about all the pain? Im just tired and frustrated. I can only manage so much when I don’t have clear answers. I have to have another procedure this time a surgery in two weeks to do with the endometriosis. Not even sure the doctor will be able to find where it is since it can be anywhere and the main reason is my ovary has to come out. All my long rambling, sorry. Has anyone had a tear happen during a balloon dilation? From what I see dilation isn’t a cure just a treatment or temporary fix. I know you don’t want the stoma too big but too small is not good either. I’ve been having spasms in my left side, crushing chest pain, nausea and difficulty with purée and other symptoms. I’m the end I just shut up and deal with it. Im not regretting RNY because with my nonexistent metabolism I would not have lost nearly 63lbs. And I knew it would take its toll on my chronic illness but so much at once has me exhausted. end of rant.

Some pain med - I requested Tramadol over Percocet. Only needed it a couple of days and then used liquid tylenol. Some Zofran for nausea - never needed it. Omeprazole. Then of course you need your bariatric multi vitamins with iron. Also calcium citrate, vitamin D, vitamin B-12. All the vitamins are OTC - the best deal you can find for multivits is here on the BariatricPal site.

I am about 6 weeks post op. I've already called my bariatric office and left a message. About 10 days ago my husband had a stomach bug that we thought was food poisoning from him getting Chinese take out. It lasted three days. This morning, I woke up and felt "not right." Then I started to get nauseous. I took a zofran and drank half a protien shake with some decaf. Four hours later, I popped another Zofran because the nausea came back. I went to the bathroom and had diahreah, but once the zofran kicked in again I felt better. Now, I'm having this strange gurgle pains going through my intestines. (I think it's my intestines at least.) I ate a sf Popsicle and I felt it travel all the way through. I haven't thrown up at all but I thank the zofran for that because I truly think I would be otherwise. I've had no complications at all, I think everything is healing okay inside. I haven't had any pain anywhere. Yesterday I was packing some boxes and now I feel a little like I did some ab work from bending and moving around. Usually, I would take pepto or Imodium and go from there--but I've had issues being "backed up" two times in the recent past and I don't wanna constipate myself. Is the gurgling all the way down thing normal? Should I take some pepto and tough it out later? Should I try saltines? I've been the anti carb since I started.

If the doctor died, you would switch doctors. Don't feel guilty like you are abandonning him. If he is not responding, he has abandonned you. My primary is an internist and well-versed in bariatric care. You are not obligated to anybody unless you have crapped out insurance that forces you to use a particular practice. It's your body. Why not look for someone who is patient-minded? I wish you good luck on your search.

I too have Blue Cross...they told me today they needed old medical records...btw, I sent them to my surgeon's office. The customer service rep was super nice...she said she had bariatric surgery in February and reassured me that bcbs is quick to approve surgery bc they understand it's better in the long run! Fingers still crossed!!!

August 22, 2006..I remember that day like it was yesterday. I arrived at the hospital so happy so excited so full of joy and ready to prove my doctor WRONG. You see my pre-op weight was 416lbs and the surgeon wanted me to undergo a gastric bypass or a duodenal switch (which I don't think they do anymore) because my BMI was so high. But at that time I was only 20 years old no serious medical issues and my mother didn't want me to have either of those surgeries so lapband it was. Moreover, my bariatric doctor made it very clear that I wasn't going to lose any weight and in two years I'd be back for a gastric bypass. Fast forward a few years and I was making tremendous progress. I'll never forget when I walked into Dr. Prachand's office in August 2008 for my two year post-op appt and I was down 138 lbs. And he looked at me with a smile and said "well Liqui you proved me wrong" that was the best feeling I ever felt. I was on a mission..I had a point to prove. Needless to say a few years went by and the weight slowly stop coming off...I was getting discouraged...I was losing my motivation and I had to switch doctors (I started a job and my health insurance changed). In 2011, I started seeing a new bariatric doctor (who I'm stilling seeing today) and it was like starting all over again at the time I had gained some weight back and I was about 310. At my first appointment with Dr. Mihil he told me to tell him my journey to this point...although he had my huge file in front of him. I told him my story anyway and he said "so let's start campaign prove Dr. Prachand wrong again." I laughed through my tears of disappointment and agreed. He proceed to say "I don't know Prachand personally but I want you to succeed because he wrote everywhere in your file. Placed band despite better judgement." When I tell you that doctor was AGAINST the band he was AGAINST the band and if I'm not mistaken he doesn't place them anymore at all. Moreover, my motivation started to come back I was checking in regular with the new doctor, losing weight, then BAM in 2013 I found out I was pregnant with TWINS. I was sooooo happy and excited yet sad because I knew I was going to gain weight. Well needless to say I gained more weight than I and the doctor expected. During my pregnancy I gained 73lbs I was mortified. I delivered my twins 4weeks early so I can't imagine how much more weight I would've gained if I carried them full term lol. My babies were born completely healthy but I was left with almost 60lbs of weight to loss. I avoided the bariatric doctor for two years...I kept saying "I wanna loss the weight before I go see him." I hadn't seen him since I was 4 months pregnant and he removed all my Fluid from my band. Then one day a few months ago I realized that I wasn't going to lose the weight on my own (which is why I needed weight loss surgery in the first place). And I finally made in appointment to go see him. I felt like a dead man walking.. I weighed in at 359. Which I was okay with considering I was 374lbs post babies. So I had lost weight but I still wasn't where I started. I was sitting in the room so nervous I thought the doctor was going to chew me out for waiting two years to see him and gaining so much weigh. He came in the room, gave me a hug and asked to see the babies. I just started to cry. I felt like I let him down. But he reminded me that "you're doing this for YOU and now those babies not me." That visit was such a breath of fresh air until he tried to give me a fill and to our surprise my port has flipped around. We played around with it for a while but no luck he couldn't get the fluid in. Another doctor came in and tried to give me a fill as well... No luck So I left that day with no fill but gained my sense of hope back. I have an appointment in the 26th of this month. And we're going to try it again or discuss possibly going in for a revision surgery which I really don't want. But I know something has to be done because right now I have no fluid in my band and feel no restrictions. I know everyone feels differently about the band and although weight wise I'm not were I want to be I'm still pretty happy with it because I haven't had as many complications like I hear about from the other WLS. And when I have fluid in my band it works of course with exercise and eating right. Moreover, I just really hope at my next appointment they can find the top of my port and give me a fill. Has anyone had a lap band revision surgery? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for the replies on this, I am currently taking a chewable bariatric multivitamin that has the calcium citrate in it. It's a one stop shop until my tummy can deal with swallowing tablets. The downside is I have to take three of them daily and they're fairly hefty - but since I've been taking them in the evening thanks to the advice here, life has been much easier!

Heard from the Drs office today that my insurance denied my surgery and then denied me after the peer to peer review. I cant' get to the bottom of the issue. The Drs office is saying that they have done everything the insurance has asked. However, the insurance called and requested information from the Drs office 3 times. The "only" person that handles bariatric surgery was out of the office for 6 days, and no one else could send it in apparently, so that was the first reason I was denied (lack of paperwork). Last Friday they were supposed to have the peer to peer review, but the Drs office said the insurance medical director called early and he wasn't available, so it didn't happen. The insurance company is claiming they talked to the Dr and he had no new information to submit, so it was denied again. I have no idea WHO to believe! They now want me to go through the Lindstrom Obesity Advocacy to submit an appeal. I've seen a few good things about them, but still can't help to think if the Drs office had been on the ball, none of this would have happened. I did check with my insurance company (UHC) who initially told me they cover LapBand for a BMI over 40, and no co-morbidities were needed. My BMI is around 44. so I fit into the range. I was hoping to be a Nov Bandster since this was started on 10/3, now I don't know if I'll ever be a bandster :-(

Thank you for your comments. Beef is back on the menu six months after surgery for our patients at The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center. We understand that some patients can tolerate beef earlier than what is recommended by our guidelines. Beef is no more special a Protein source than other meats like poultry, fish, seafood or pork. It does have more Iron than the other meats, which might help a patient whose iron stores are low. Beef is an option if you can tolerate it. This really speaks to customizing your meal plan to what works best for the patient.

I started my journey on feb 22 with a consult to a bariatric surgeon. My preop requirements were: 6 mo dr monitored weigh ins Psychological exam Pulmonary clearance Cardiovascular clearance Sleep study Surgery seminar Support group participation X-rays Blood work Dietician consult Letter of medical necessity I was one of the lucky ones. I had already seen my PCP monthly since dec for unrelated concerns and since I was weighed at those visits, those counted toward my 6 month dr monitored weigh in. Because I was on this app, my surgeon released me from the support group requirement and due to my previous research and binder I brought with me to my consult, he cleared me from the seminar. My NUT told me it would take a good 6 months just to get me in since she was so busy, but she had a cancellation within a week and because of my preparation, cleared me that same appointment. My psychologist didn't accept my insurance so I thought I was going to have to pay out of pocket, but all of a sudden another psychologist called and said they'd get me in and use my insurance. I had already done a sleep study within the previous year due to unrelated concerns so the dr accepted that as completed. So here I am a bit blown away by how quickly this went by. In 2 1/2 months, I completed everything and just got a call today from my surgeons office to select a surgery date (may 26th) and preop appt (may 16th). I was hoping for less than 6 months, but as of this week, didn't think it would be earlier than the 2nd week of June. I'm surprised my surgeon got me in so quickly for surgery. She said the only reason why I have to wait 2 more weeks is because that's allowing the insurance to approve. She says she calls them almost daily to push for answers so they can get their patients in within 2 weeks of clearance. Had a twinge of fear when I heard may 26th just because it seems so soon, but this is what I've worked so hard for. Anyone else on May 26th??? I'm going to go through this alone since my husband is working and no one else knows. It would be nice to have a buddy. [emoji4]

Your system needs water to keep things "moving" correctly. And Berry78 is right - it doesn't always have to be plain water. Try flavored water, tea, coffee, things like that. Dehydration causes lots of other problems in bariatric patients like us, so drink up!

I use bariatric advantage calcium citrate supplements. They are chewable and come in cinnamon, which I love. You can find them online. They also have multi vites and iron (I use them as well)

Its 9:37am and I'm in recovery, doing well and should be going home briefly! Just finished talking to the surgeon and the bariatric nurse. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi everybody! My name is Louise and I am a researcher in bariatric surgery from University College Cork in Ireland. Having personal experience of the bariatric journey, I was amazed by the huge psychological impact the surgery has & how much we still need to learn. Ireland has quite a small bariatric community so I would be so grateful if you would lend your voice/experience and be apart of something meaningful. The questionnaire doesnt require any identifying information, just your experience & will take about 15min to complete. I am more than happy to forward you the results once I have completed it if you would like. Here it is https://docs.google....5Sk2Kw/viewform If you would like anymore information or the final results, my email is listed on the first page. Also, if you decide to do the survey, leave a comment & let me know so I can send positive thoughts and love your way! Thank you so much in advance to anyone who contributes their experience, I hope your own journey is going well

Bariatric Fusion 4/day chewables. No need for extra anything. They have all that you need. Recommended by my surgeon after my rny and I'm 7 mos. out, exceeded all my goals and my bloodwork is excellent. Very affordable and comes in a bunch of flavors, very low carb/sugar as well.

The ones I had to use for my surgery where no help at all.....it was the same old thing I have heard time and time again, right from the book......and they were asking me about Bariatric Surgery. I see a lot of patients in my job, and more common than not we get stumped as to why a patient is gaining so much weight...going through the patients file, we see a NUT/Dietician has put the patient on an appropriate diet...a diet for a normal healthy person should follow, right from the book, very standard.......however there are people who have various disorders and/or are on certain medications.....you can't follow the book with everyone. I feel the same way about people who have undergone WLS....a standard plan right from the book is NOT for everyone...people are different. And lets face it, if you qualify for WLS, you are not normal/healthy....

I just rejoined WW because I knew that the band alone would not be enough for me. I haven't told anyone at the meeting that I'm a bander and don't plan to. I find that people that call it the "easy" way out, ignorant of everything we have to do. I don't think 10 days of liquids, recovering from anesthesia, taking the risk of any surgery, further dietary restriction the easy way out. Try not to confuse mean spiritedness with ignorance. In the meantime, I too am curious about points and adjusting the band. My surgeon's practice is only 10% bariatric, so I'd appreciate any input that I can give him.

Well,,,, Nuts I might have a few every now and then. Popcorn is out and gum no way! If it should slip and go down and get stuck ! How are you going to get that out ? My Bariatric Surgeon said Gum is out the question ! So I don't even give it a thought.

All good responses above. I had the same reaction after visiting some bariatric forums. It’s normal to worry and stress over surgery procedures. There are risks with ANY type of surgery. Talk to your surgeon about the statistics for complications. Know that your team will take good care of you. Your pain will be managed with medication. I’m five years out. No complications.

My bariatric clinic gave me a business card that says, "This person has had surgery and is required by doctor's orders to restrict the quantity and types of food consumed. Please allow her/him to order a smaller portion or make a selection from your children's menu." I carry it with me everywhere I go and no one has balked about it.