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Do you like to make and sip homemade beef and chicken "bone" broth? If you do, I highly recommend making some now and freezing it in little blocks for whenever you need it. I am nearly out of all the bone broth I made pre surgery so I currently have 3 pots simmering on the stove and they've been simmering for about 48 hours now. When the chicken bones disintegrate in your hands, when the heavy beef bones are stark white, they're "done", you've extracted your nutrients, minerals and collagen. And my nutritionist said this is so much better than the packaged or the cubes in jars, and the stuff they give you in the hospital. Some people can afford all grass fed, some can't. I've had same Gelatin quality results from both. I'm not a scientist so I can't say more than that. Other than it was a godsend! When you refrigerate it and it turns to a gel, a g jiggly gelatin, you did it right. =) Heating it up, OMG it's so delicious. Youtube has so many fun and different recipes! It's not the same as "stock". If you have time, make it. My nails are so strong post op, lol. Not losing hair, maybe that doesn't happen yet, I don't know ... ?? I also had tons of Water. Sip Sip Sipping water. Ice chips. I was allowed sugar free Jello and sugar free Popsicles, but I don't like the tastes of those at all, so it was just bone broth and water for me. =) It was not hard and I did not feel like I was on a diet or missing out on something. =) I was not allowed any type of Protein mix in. I see here so many surgeons are so different with their guidelines pre and post op. PS I got bored with chicken and beef, so one day I made it from fish bones and shellfish, mussels, clams, etc. YUM.

My surgery lasted a little over 3 hours. I had a revision of a nonadjustable band to a bypass. I chose the bypass because it is tried and true. When I got my band it was the new thing. It really sucked when I began to have issues, bc a lot of surgeons did not know enough about it.

Thank you What insurance do you have? I haveBCBS Fed. I had a 3 month supervised diet---which was 3 monthly group meeting with a NUT, a psych eval, a few medical tests, and that's it. The time went by super fast

Lol 38 not 37 And fed bcbs basic I had standard last year and it would of been way more

Might be March not sure yet insurance has approved, just waiting for doctor to find out. 37 y/o 6'2 440 at my heaviest, 420 now, with sleep apnea, no other issues luckily. Used to be army infantry. Dr Hamilton in Topeka KS will be my doctor. So stoked when I found out my out of pocket is 200 for surgeon 40 for preop visit co pay, and 100 a day up to 500 for inpatient at bcbs center of excellence in topeka. I have fed bcbs standard.

It depends on your personality. I did weigh stuff for the first couple of weeks on the general diet but then I learned to visualize. I do checks here and there but I'm pretty good about eyeballing something. However I'm def not obsessed with food. If I go out to eat I can pick healthy food for the most part. If I have a drink I don't beat myself up bc I work hard most days out of the week. Would I lose faster if I obsessed? Probably, but my personality is that I can be obsessive about something new and then get bored or exhausted after a few weeks so I go back to old patters. I give myself some wiggle room, and just continue plucking away. I see it as a lifestyle change, not a change for 6-9mo. On the other hand I do know people who are obsessive about food and they go in viscous cycles of being obsessed with eating healthy foods and working out and then other cycles of binge eating crap food and never working out. So it's pretty much a personality thing and how you look at this journey.

Thanks for saying this. Someone with his personal history can never preach to me concerning relationships. Cannot believe so many have fallen for his BS. Steve is nothing more than a snake oil salesman selling basic common sense to people. There is nothing new or insightful in what he is spewing.

I went to see my Dr today bc 3 days of diarrhea was really starting to worry me.. Anywho I found out I am 15.3lbs down only 6 days post op.. Im pretty excited about that but I don't feel any lighter. I need my energy to return.. Im truly dragging.

Anyone who has the chronic constipation prior to DS that's only exacerbated, painful, and even the strong script for linzess isn't stopping the horrible pains in your stomach ?? My dad had his DS 1/18/2016, I'm looking for any Intel or advice or suggestions or resources to help him Bc it's hard enough to see your dad finally get a chance at a healthy life at 71 after he devoted himself to helping everyone else, never having anyone until my amazing mom came along to support him & teach him to cope without feeding his feelings so now it's my turn to give him all my efforts & time to try to make my family's wish I've had all my life come true - all my life I wanted my daddy to be healthy & now at his age with his prior battles with cancer, no spleen, no gallbladder, no immune system, quadruple bypass, metal discs, spinal stenosis he has begun to feel good about himself, he has loss weight, he no longer has diabetes !! And if only he wasn't suffering in pain everyday Bc of the small amount of food he consumes is mainly made of liquid Protein (still in liquid stage) and his strong script for linzess isn't lessening his discomfort but to make matters worse & im sorry to be graphic - but he takes Coumadin & he cannot strain his muscles to poop (per say if he begins to bleed he will not stop- the medicine will put him in great danger over taking a poop!) how does it seem possible that afterall the struggles everyone on this forum has faced that poop could actually pose a threat or at the least horrible discomfort; which I'm so sorry you're experiencing after having read what seems similar to what my dads conveying & I am injured (immobile from an accident) so I can't be his nurse or move around to help him but I was a teacher & im good at researching most anything yet I can't find any definitive cause or resolution for this problem with pooping less and the stomach pain described so I'm here on the forum hoping anyone who reads this will take a second and lend me your story or advicw .. Anything helpful Bc My dads my hero & I can't bear to see him finally begin to feel healthy only to suffer daily bouts of debilitating stomach pain and problems pooping getting in the way of the only dream I think it's fair to say anyone who has had the DS has people who care about them & maybe, like me you or someone who loves you even yourself only wished all your life for a healthy body & now that wish is xominf true. You are all brave heroes for what you have acheived already & if you have any info to share please do. Sorry for the verbosity, thanks & God bless. Sent from my iPhone using BariatricPal

Dr office doesn't know yet but I have been approved by insurance. Asked insurance about out of pocket costs and it's $400 total, if 2 day stay in hospital 100 less if one day. Fed basic bcbs at a bcbs center of excellence. 200 for surgeon 100 per day for inpatient

Dr office doesn't know yet but I have been approved by insurance. Asked insurance about out of pocket costs and it's $400 total, if 2 day stay in hospital 100 less if one day. Fed basic bcbs at a bcbs center of excellence. 200 for surgeon 100 per day for inpatient

Retired Fed/gov't contractor

I'm jennah I'm 27 from TN I has my weight loss surgery Jan 26th I'm doing great it was a good experience I've lost from 261 to 240 in the amount of time from having it I feel so much better I got it BC I wanted to lose weight I've not always been big or curvy I became diagnosed w hypothyroidism where your metabolism doesn't work and already I'm on a smaller dose of the meds for it I'm just so thankful for that and that I'm getting healthier

I am 27 I had mine done Jan 26 and I have no regrets at all I have hypo thyroidism I went from 125 pounds to 225 in like 2 months BC it was so out of whack then I had two kids and was married my highest weight was 261 I am now at 240 in only three weeks!! I've never been so happy w it my parents were very supportive and I even got into a gym because the excess skin I do not want that at all my surgery went great he said it was textbook I had a little reaction to the sturry strips but no infection nothing I missed for for about a week and then I got OK w it ! Im so glad y'all divided to do it it is so life changing ! I feel 100% better already @lesleslosinit ur surgery was two days after mine

Yaaaassss! Recently I've realized that sitting on hard surfaces hurts my tushy. I was wondering what was wrong until I realized that it's bc I've been losing weight and my tail bone is touching. Hahaha! It's a good problem to have I suppose.

Hi, I started in August 2015 and surgery is slated for 3/1. I also have BC/BS (Federal). Because of my age (52) I had to do some additional things: Endoscopy Colonoscopy (or proof of one within last several years) Cardiac Eval Chest X-Ray Stress Test LOTS of bloodwork sleep Study (or evidence of one within ten years) Pre-Anesthesia testing (EKG, more bloodwork) Psych Eval Six months of nutrition classes (one each month-mandatory) It is quite a bit to go through. I actually found that the most stressful time for me was the almost 3 weeks it took BCBS to approve the surgery....I was going crazy thinking I might have to start all over to go to Mexico (didn't know they had different requirements). So...here I am in the early days of my pre-op diet. Keep thinking about the new me and pressing on! Hang in there, one day (or sometimes minute) at a time.

The brand is called Biohealth and the proteins is called grass fed precision blend

I wonder where she gets her numbers and statistics. The 60% number I have seen in research studies. My BS meter is pinging all over the place from what you have told us.

Hi Ladies (and Gent!) - It looks like we are the newbies on the site, and congrats to you all for your decision and your fortitude to go thru with this 'drastic' measure to regain control of your health! I was banded on Feb 3, and I have one more day of liquids. Truly. Cannot; Wait. My stomach growls about 1-2 hours after I have a Protein drink, but I don't feel the same type of hunger I did before the surgery. Now it's more of an annoyance, but BS (before surgery) if I didn't eat when my stomach started to growl, I'd get the shakes, get sweaty, and feel weak. I have been thinking about the diet I have been following pre-op and post-op, and thru this time I have cold turkey'd most sugar, all diet sweeteners, aspartame etc., and I like to think it's purged all the toxicity from my body. =] Question to those of you that have transitioned to soft food.. there's a part of me that is scared to death to eat anything that isn't liquid. I plan on having a scrambled egg as my first "meal". Does it feel different to eat now? Does 'feeling full' feel the same as it did BS? thanks and let's chat often and support each other through this new chapter in all of our lives. =] ,

Hi everyone! I'm new here! I had a lap band done about 5 years ago. At first everything was great! The band was working, and I never had any problems with it! I occasionally got stuck, but I was always able to move the blockage by walking and or drinking something. Anyways, about 3 years ago I woke up very ill. I was vomiting pretty badly. Turns out my gallbladder had to go. I had the necessary surgical procedure and it was removed. Ever since then it has been terrible. Since then I've had random stomach aches, acid reflux, and nausea. Through patience, ginger tea, tums, and crackers I was able to deal with it. Then everything got bad. The reflux was bad. I couldn't eat anything except snicker bars. (I know that's insane, but it's true!) I went to a gastroenterologist, and she prescribed me dexilant. I was skeptical, but desperate and it was like a miracle. My stomach aches, nausea and reflux were totally gone! I could eat anything I wanted. This blissful time went on for about 2 years. Fast forward to about a month ago and things go bad again. I was regularly taking my dexilant but I was getting terrible reflux. I couldn't even digest BROTH! chicken BROTH!!! So I got fed up and went to my bariatric doctor. He said it was time for the band to go and I was not alone. I felt so much better hearing that from him! He said my symptoms would almost immediately go away! I was so ready to get this thing out of me!!! So I had my band removed about a week ago. February 9, 2015 to be exact. The doctor said my body reacted negatively to having a foreign object in it and my stomach somehow made it like I had two lap bands? I have been trying my hardest to take it easy but the reflux is nowhere near gone! It's the same as before the surgery. I called the nurse and she said to take the dexilant until my tummy heals and then wean myself off of it. I am devastated. I was hoping to see at least a little relief, but that hasn't happened yet. So I sit here praying that my dexilant kicks in soon so maybe I can get some relief and eat maybe some applesauce. I haven't had solid food in a month and it's starting to take a toll on my emotional health. Does anyone have any advice for me? Is this normal? Will I have acid reflux for the rest of my life? Will I have to take dexilant for the rest of my days? I'm only 23, and I look forward to having children in the next couple years, but currently there is no way that can happen in my current condition. I'm scared, hungry, nauseas and depressed.

If I NEED an energy drink I do monster rehab, or a rockstar lemonade. Neither of those drinks have carbonation or sugar and are very low calorie. Be careful though because they will dehydrate you and you'll be on the toilet more than a few times. Lol. Just know that however many ounces of caffeine you drink of you'll need to drink double the amount of ounces in hydrating fluids. For example: if you drink 12oz of an energy drink you'll have to drink 24 extra ounces ABOVE your liquid goal for the day. At least that's what my nutritionist has said, and what I've read here from other posters. Also I'm 7 weeks out. I've done it once, and never did it again bc of the bathroom and dehydration...

Hi everyone! I'm new here! I had a lap band done about 5 years ago. At first everything was great! The band was working, and I never had any problems with it! I occasionally got stuck, but I was always able to move the blockage by walking and or drinking something. Anyways, about 3 years ago I woke up very ill. I was vomiting pretty badly. Turns out my gallbladder had to go. I had the necessary surgical procedure and it was removed. Ever since then it has been terrible. Since then I've had random stomach aches, acid reflux, and nausea. Through patience, ginger tea, tums, and crackers I was able to deal with it. Then everything got bad. The reflux was bad. I couldn't eat anything except snicker bars. (I know that's insane, but it's true!) I went to a gastroenterologist, and she prescribed me dexilant. I was skeptical, but desperate and it was like a miracle. My stomach aches, nausea and reflux were totally gone! I could eat anything I wanted. This blissful time went on for about 2 years. Fast forward to about a month ago and things go bad again. I was regularly taking my dexilant but I was getting terrible reflux. I couldn't even digest BROTH! chicken BROTH!!! So I got fed up and went to my bariatric doctor. He said it was time for the band to go and I was not alone. I felt so much better hearing that from him! He said my symptoms would almost immediately go away! I was so ready to get this thing out of me!!! So I had my band removed about a week ago. February 9, 2015 to be exact. The doctor said my body reacted negatively to having a foreign object in it and my stomach somehow made it like I had two lap bands? I have been trying my hardest to take it easy but the reflux is nowhere near gone! It's the same as before the surgery. I called the nurse and she said to take the dexilant until my tummy heals and then wean myself off of it. I am devastated. I was hoping to see at least a little relief, but that hasn't happened yet. So I sit here praying that my dexilant kicks in soon so maybe I can get some relief and eat maybe some applesauce. I haven't had solid food in a month and it's starting to take a toll on my emotional health. Does anyone have any advice for me? Is this normal? Will I have acid reflux for the rest of my life? Will I have to take dexilant for the rest of my days? I'm only 23, and I look forward to having children in the next couple years, but currently there is no way that can happen in my current condition. I'm scared, hungry, nauseas and depressed.

I'm choosing sleeve bc I'm not a fan of the idea of moving around my insides! The sleeve is straight forward.....they cut part of your stomache out!

Disputing health insurance companies is a little bit like talking to a brick wall. Even when the words are in black and white in the policy, they deny claims. But if you have the time and patience and want to give it a go, then by all means try. It sounds like you have 2 disputes. One is with Active Health. They required that you lose 5% of your weight before you qualify. But you failed to do this (with the consent of your surgeon). The reason you gave is that you would fall below the 35 BMI requirement. Many insurance companies require that you try and lose weight and that your qualification to the BMI requirement is determined at the initial weight officailly taken when you first apply for the surgery. So if you had lost the 5% of your weight you might not have been penalized for it. The area that I would explore is why your surgeon did not push you to lose weight during the pre-op period. Was there some medical issues that would make this weight loss a problem. If so can you surgeon's office articulate this in a letter to your insurance. The second dispute might be with BC/BS, that appears to be out of network. The cost incurred generally includes the hospital, the anesthesiologist, the surgeon, and a secondary surgeon. It is difficult to ensure that all of these are within network before surgery. Maybe impossible. I believe BC/BS offers fairly good policies and I suspect that most hospitals are within network. So anyways I would check to see what is in network and out of network for each of these elements. This is probably accessible over the internet. During my second round of pre-op testing, one of my specialist clearly showed up as being in network (that is why I chose him) but when I received the bill I was charged as an out of network. His name was clearly listed on the latest in-network doctors. When I talked to the insurance they claimed he was out of network. I told them that their website clearly showed him as in-network. But they still disputed the charges. I met with the specialist staff, they said the specialist was in-network and that they would handle it. And they did. I never received that bill. Also even though I made sure that my hospital, surgeon, anesthesologist were all in network prior to the operation. I received a large bill for the assistant surgeon. I didn't even know there would be an assistant surgeon. It turns out that this assistant had not yet submitted the paperwork for becoming qualified for in network. I asked the surgeons office to reconsider and they said they would take care of it. Again, this charge disappeared. So I had better luck working the problems out with the surgeons, hospital and other doctors than with the insurance companies.

I have 2 insurance companies, WebTpa (had to have approval from Active Health which does medical determination for the procedure and BC/BS federal. I had a lap band in 2008 which did not work very well. I was having a band removal and RNY (which I actually had last week on the 9th of February). Active health approved my band removal but denied my RNY because I did not lose the required 5 percent of weight, which my surgeon said not too, I would be too close to the 35 BMI level. BC/BS approved everything ( they paid for the band in 2008) but are out of network. I would like expert advise if I should try the 2nd level of appeal and with what information? Or just let it go and pay the bill that is left. The thing that really gripes me, is I had been with company for 18 years and a director that had been recently hired got approval in a few months and was not required to lose weight or go through the 6 months of diet, exercise, etc. I have since resigned and am starting a new job next week and am not sure to proceed with the appeal and insurance commissioner or just let it go. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks in advance Cheri