Search the Community

well i just wanted to send an update on what happend when i had the my second stricture procedure yesterday. i went in and had my stricture stretched to the maximum 20mm. that's the good news. the bad news is that once he did this he noticed i have a kink in the middle of my stomach from the way it healed after surgery in december 2011. so, if i am still unable to keep my food down it is no longer because of the stricture since that has been stretched to the max it will be because the food hits the kink and and cannot make the bend. i am on 4 more weeks of soft/pureed foods then i go back for my recheck. of course if i am still getting sick then i will have to go back to my origional surgeon i guess to have the kink fixed. please keep postitve thoughts that i will be able to keep my food down and not need to have the surgery to fix the kink. that would be inpatient at the hospital and i really don't want that. the dr. said because of the kink i will always have to eat 6 meals of no more than 4 oz and i will always have to make sure to take VERY small bites so that it will have a better chance of passing the kink. he said i will also have to be very careful with what food i eat to ensure that i can get it chewed enought to pass by the kink. gees if it's not one thing it's another. who would have thought i'd get hit with 2 complications from it. i would still do it all over again just would like to do it without the stricture and kink! i'll keep updating if anything new happens over the next several weeks. but i hope to have an uneventful 4 week of soft/pureed meals. i am so very thankful that i am not hungry or by now i would have gone mad only eating such a limited food choice for almost 19 weeks now. my focus over the next 4 weeks will be fluids, and trying to get my protein in. i don't want to have to have a 4th procedure and i don't want to become any more malnursihed then i already am at this point because they have tossed the phrase iv nutrition around if i cannot get my numbers up from eating over the next few days. sleeve patients cannot be tube fed because we don't have enough stomach to handle that type of feeding so that only leave iv nutrition and it's pretty expensive. so i'm trying real hard to focus on just getting the food to stay down and eat has high protein count and i can handle.

I didn’t have a calorie limit bc I wasn’t expected to eat/drink that much. They mainly want to make sure youre getting your 60-80g of protein. So try not to have such a high calorie diet but Plan your meals and/or drinks around your protein. When I was at your stage I think I was 500 cals or less. Can’t be too sure. I had foamies ALOT and still kind of do if I over do it or eat too fast. Post op 2/21/19. Right now I’m only able to get in 700-900 calories. Not feeling nauseous is good. I was nauseated the first 1-4 days bc of the anesthesia, but havent been nauseous since.

as some of you know, I have 5 more months on my doctor supervision before I can have surgery..which does depress me and upsets me and really makes me feel...I am being punished somehow bc of how I look...but I know and realize (via reality) setting in about it. But for anyone reading this who has also had to wait, please give me (and whomever else has to wait also) ideas, any thoughts on how I can hang in there bc sometimes, it seems like forever...and a day

Hi, I am also in Regina, Sk. I am pre-surgery - getting my surgery in Mexico so that I can skip the waiting. I am curious to know what kind of help you are getting from the bariatric program? Is it the same old "eat less and exercise more" kind of bs? Cuz we all know how well THAT works! But seriously, I would love to know what kind of diet they want you to follow, since I don't get any pre-op assistance at all. I think I have to do fluids only for a week before surgery, but that's all.

I'm scheduled for my procedure on July 23rd. It's a Friday. I was told that I will fly into San Diego early, be picked up and taken to Hospital BC and have my procedure that same day. I will stay that night and Saturday night at the hospital and Sunday I will be at the hotel. Monday I will check out of the Hotel and be driven back to the airport in San Diego and then fly home. Everything taking only 4 days. I'm worried that I'm not giving myself enough time to rest. Is this time line realistic? I don't want to be in excruciating pain or hurting myself trying to do to much to soon. Any feedback?? Sent from my moto g stylus using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi if he is having this unsupportive attitude now how will he behave after? if this is his general way of being its better u know now and consider this may not be a person u want in your life in the long term to quote a tv dr the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior u may have to be your own strongest ally I do know how it feels to not have anyone to count in it hurts however being unwilling to put up with ppls BS and standing up for yourself and expecting support when needed and respect always makes u stronger person we must have expectations of ppl in our lives and hold to standards or we just keep drawing these types of ppl into our lives best of luck to you

I am going for my first fill on March 1st. i keep reading about some people whos drs dont give them a fill if they are loosing weight. is that true? I am loosing weight (without a fill) but dont be fooled- its a HUGE struggle. i basically am just doing what i normally would do if i didnt have the band and i was on a diet. i am hungy and i want to eat i just dont bc i figure whats the point if i just went thru this surgery in order to get heathy. BUT now im worried now that my dr isnt gonna fill me when i go in... is it silly to think that? or could that be an issue? any and all thoughts on the situation would be appreciated especially if u have been thru something like this...

Thanks so much for responding. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me your stories. What was the final straw for you to finally make that move to go to a surgeon? Did something happen or were you just fed up with being overweight and just decided to go through with it? I guess I just have reservations about doing it. I know a few people who had the gastric bypass. One is gaining his weight back 3 yrs in and the other a female seems to have put alittle bit of her weight back but she has had ALOT of hair loss. She also had skin removal not long after her weight loss. Both seem deficient in vitamins etc. I just dont want to go through all this and ultimately end up gaining it back. Id like to think that I could say on target and make a change in my eating habits and the types of food I eat but seeing others starting to put the weight back on makes me second guess doing it.

When I went through my psych eval the doc and i talked about this. She wanted me to know that the divorce rate is significantly higher for WLS patients. Clearly, several things can happen. Either the person loses weight and realizes they have been settling for a person or lifestyle just bc they are fat...and they want something more... or... the WLS patients partner cannot handle the added attention the patient is now getting...and this leads to fights, and so on. I work at a hospital facility where loads of people are having surgery...bc our insurance covers it 100%. I have seen my divorced coworker go from a homebody to a drinking "sexual" person (saying it nice). She has replaced one addiction when several unhealthy ones. the point of all my blabbering is yes...it can change a person. It is life changing surgery. But, it doesnt have to change a person. I, like you, have always thought pretty highly of myself, considered myself kinda sexy at times :thumbup: etc. My boyfriend and I talked pretty openly about his fear that I may "get hotter" and leave him. I explained that I am with him bc I love him...(I will spare you all the details). But, I just try to let him know that I am not with him bc I am fat...hahah...that doesnt even really make sense. So just talk to him. Reassure him. Put it in perspective for him. Ask him "would you leave me if you were fat and lost weight"? His answer will be no. And then you can say..."then why would I leave you"? Just some thoughts! Good luck with everything! Amy

Hello everyone. I had my request for surgery sent into bcbs last Tuesday after all of my pre op testing was complete. Today I received this message from my case manager. I tried to call to make sense of it all and basically am reading it as I have to wait another year for surgery. (WTF). How do I go about this message, I called up there and my case manager was busy. Now it's after 5 and I'm unsure how to somehow get my insurance to accept my request. SIDE NOTE: I actually do have a year worth of weight loss attempt consecutively since February of last year as written down for them to know. I just don't know how I can get my physician to document it... or idk if I have to do this for another year simply Bc I was not aware that I had to have 12 months of that documented with a physician or else I would have been seeing one. If anyone can tell me their story or help me understand how to go about this, that will be much appreciated. Xoxo

THANK YOU! I too have PCOS and I have never heard from another’s experience with IR and PCOS, I can’t even tell you how helpful this is and how much hope it gives me. I too have been eating 1300/1500 calories for years and still gained. In the past it seemed that there was *nothing* I could do to make the scale budge, no matter how patient I was. My main motivation for the surgery was bc I have read quite a lot about how sleeve can immediately improve IR. As soon as the scale stopped last week my first thought was “oh no, here we go again”. Your story gives me so much hope (something I haven’t had in years)! Thank you!!!!

Mr. doctor had me tested for Vitamin D, and advised that I needed supplements. I took them, as prescribed. This was based on my bi annual blood work. Personally, non peer reviewed information as presented above is pure BS! I listen to my doctor, not a wanna be internet specialist with no credentials. Sorry, but that is the bare truth. What the hell is a Nrd??? Goodgle searches bring up nothing! Is that a recognized medical degree??

I am a nurse and wear scrubs all the time. At work last night I was told to get some new dang clothes! They said I looked like I had on a droopy diaper bc my pants were so big! But they said it in a loving supportive way. Question, at what point did others buy new clothes? I hate to spend money now when I am only 1/4 of the way to my goal.

hey im having such a hard time sticking to my post op liquid diet. first of all my surgeon gave me a hand out that said in huge letters NO JELLO. also i find that i can eat allot of food in quantity and in type. someone who has had the band for a while told me that the reason you cant eat solids in the post op diet even if it goes down -which by me it does- is because when theres chunks-no matter how well you chew!- the stomach moves when it digests it and that can cause a band to slip. this is prob only off the books but people told me that the eat cheese curls on the liquid diet bc it melts in your mouth as you chew it and turns to liquid....id love to know ppls thoughts on the matter....

@@BIGBRAND0105 _ have BCBS fed employees and they did answer relatively quickly! keeping my fingers crossed that you are 'good to go' soon!

Absolutely would do it again! The first few days are difficult but bearable. Yes you're uncomfortable- the pressure from swellling & gas pain. If you have hernia repair which it seems about half of us on here have, the discomfort is more. But its a surgery- its inevitable to be uncomfortable. Are you in agony and brought to tears by it? Far from it. At least for me. I took liquid loritab (yes ofcourse all ur meds should either be liquid or you need to buy a pill crusher ($4 at walmart!). A crushed pill can be put over a tablespoon of something flavorful to avoid the taste. (Protein shake or juice) That's this nurses trick! =) For me cutting out rice & bread during pre op dieting helped curb the withdrawls during post op diet. I always loved carbs but I haven't had it for so long it doesn't bother me. Same goes for soda! Be prepared at home pre op. Have your supply of broths, Protein drinks, crystal light, v8splash light (good way to get your veggie/fruits in!), gasX strips, heat pad, and the help of a friend or family member that you're comfortable with & can depend on. You will need help the first 24hrs- you will be out of it immediately post op til the anesethesia wears off. You may even need help getting on/off the toilet. (Bending hurts!!) You should know you will be passing a lot of gas due to the co2 used during surgery... so if you're like me & don't like tooting in front of the bf- warn him!!haha =) If you live with ppl make sure they understand the process- it will help them be more supportive. I emptied my kitchen of temptation before the pre op diet- chocolate syrup, Cookies & all fatty condiments. My bf now eats light or fat free everything bc its all we have & its really not that different. You can't eat what isn't there. I recommend having a special day to weigh in and otherwise keep your scale put away. With the swelling & gas the first weeks your wt will fluctuate & it may throw you off your game if you don't necessarily see results daily. Keep in mind it takes 2-3 days to lose a single pound depending on your basal metabolic rate. (A deficit of 3500calories is equivilant to 1lb loss). Beware of bandster hell! You may take a while to find your sweet spot of restriction. I personally felt restriction from day 1 but from what I've read that's not common. Be prepared to use self control & will power for a while. Don't expect immediate rapid weight loss. People that expect to lose a lot immediately tend to have post op regret/depression. And for many of us depression leads to comfort eating. Excercise!! Lack of calories slows the metabolism so keep your body moving to keep it up & you can keep losing! Remember the band is a tool you have to do your part. Make smart food choices, do NOT drink with meals & do not eat or drink a lot of empty calories. And finally find & keep a support group! Accountability is essential for me. I tell certain people my losses & my slip ups. And if I slip I forgive myself & make a plan how not to do it again. Don't be too hard on yourself this is a learning process. Other bandsters will know exactly wat ur goin through & how you feel. The best ppl to advise you are those who have been there. Stay positive & inspired. You can do this!

I have BC/BS Fep too. I’m really nervous for submission because of being on the low BMI side. Only 35.5/36. I have 2 co morbidities (Hypertension and Severe Osteoarthritis in my knee). My surgeon said he feels pretty confident I will have no issue with my insurance and those issues for approval but I’m doubtful. He said BC/BS is one of the better ones for approvals too. I’m sorry you got denied GTGirl. But fight the insurance on it. You’ll get it.

Congratulations on your banding! I had dry mouth but I chew gum all the time, sugarfree of course and I haven't had any gas from it. I felt really tired and hard to move around for about 3 days but if you have a desk job, you may be ok to return on Monday. But, if you don't feel up to it, don't push yourself. I have had a few BM's but they really didn't start for several days. I had been on the liquid diet 2 days before surgery and then took phoso-soda to clean me out so there really was nothing in there. Then, after surgery, you are on a clear liquid diet so it is mostly liquids and not really anything of substance for a BM. I cooked pork for my family and took the broth, skimmed the fat and froze it in ice cube trays. Each cube is one ounce so I would just take 2 cubes, pop them in the microwave and then I added a little carne adovada seasoning for flavor. It worked great! I also took chicken noodle soup, strained everything out (fed that to my kids) and then froze that soup in ice cube trays also. It was better than pure chicken broth because you could taste the flavor of the noodles. My port is on the left so I was able to sleep on my right side about 2 days after my surgery but not on my left until about 5 or 6 days after. I still have not slept on my stomach because I am not sure if that is ok. I did not use a straw, just took small sips. I did not feel hungry until about day 9 on the liquid diet and had a really hard time until I was able to eat mushies. I called my Dr and they approved for me to get my first fill (only 2 cc) at 2 weeks post-op. I feel much better. I took my pain meds and anti-nausea medicine for only 2 days but it made me feel extremely nauseous. After I quit taking it, I had no more nausea and I haven't had any pain either.

Hi Butterfly. Not to worry. Everything will turn out just as it should and you will be fine. It won't be easy, but is anything ever????? I also have BC/BS and had to go through the whole psych visit, 3 visits to the dietician/nutritionalist, provide 5 yrs. of weight history, etc., etc., etc., but I got approval rather quickly. I started the liquid protein diet on Wed., and that's all I'm allowed (well, water as well), but I do have one cup of coffee in the morning. It's a challenge, but so far, so good. I don't know how much I'm expected to lose, but I think 20% of the total lbs. overweight? My surgery is on the 14th. Good luck

Your mom surely, in my opinion, over reacted. However, as a mom of young adult children, I can see that SHE is scared too. You're her daughter, her baby. She's scared bc she's not as educated about the surgery as you are. She didn't say the right things.... She said the wrong things in a dramatic way.... But, she loves her girl and is scared!

I know it has not been very long since I posted but it seams forever. Friday I was at my job of 5 years and it was my last day, got a call while on-line (at work) for a new position. Yea! But I don't have time to play on the internet! can you imagine? I have work to do? Well it seams to be going ok, but I really miss my support group. Even though I don't post much I was reading every day!!! And honestly I had a lot of time to play because there was no work, and thus the reason for my lay-off. So I took you guys advise and hit the library...my sister is working afternoons and I had planned to use hers. Kinda feel like I am at work with people looking over my sholder. lol Any how I got another fill last week cause of the questionable upcomming changes in my bc-bs. Boy am I tight now, no PB's but really slow going down I think I have lost 5 lbs since then. With the liquids for 2 days cause of the tightness, then stomach upset because of the lay-off, and the stress of learning the procedures in a new company....well I guess you get the picture. It's all good I got my new library card and I can visit anytime. Going to go catch up now. Love to all Trish

Ronwifey, From just reading the benefits brochure, I dont think this would be an issue if I would have stayed overnight (inpatient) as opposed to doing it outpatient, which really makes no sense to me. I'm really anxious to get the paperwork from the hospital and see if they made some type of mistake. I've read the forums here and never seen other fed bc/bs folks mention this.

What feels to me like the biggest hurdle has been jumped! And it's fine! I came down on the other side on both feet! I had my appt with my PCP today. I need from her a letter of medical necessity. And I wasn't sure how my visit with her would go - whether she would make me defend and justify this, whether she would be adamantly against it, whether she would emphatically support it...I just wasn't sure at all! And she said she would absolutely give me that because while she's only known me for a year, she's seen enough to know that I'm not lieing when I say "I TRY!" And it comes off. And it comes back. She said we would do some testing to prove a comorbidity that she thinks I may have. She said we will jump through those insurance hoops and give them NO REASON to deny this! She also said three or four years ago she would have been hesitant, would have said, 'do it yourself' but she's seen those people she told that lose the weight and then gain it back plus some. It's something about a BMI over 40 that makes your body NOT WANT TO LET GO! And she's seen lap-band® after lap-band® do wonders for people. She said my choice in surgeon is fantastic. Can't beat him in my area and she would have suggested him had I not found him myself. She recommended doing the supervised exercise and diet program with them because she likes their nutritionist and the staff in that office are all fantastic. She gave me copies of everything I need for the consult tomorrow - which should help some of this role along faster. I did some blood work because I had questionable liver function earlier this year and she wants to see if we can prove it's fatty liver. If the blood work warrants it, I already have the order in hand for a abdominal ultrasound. She said even if we can't prove that comorbidity, it's enough that my parents are ALREADY deceased - were deceased by 55 (mother) and 61 (father) - for things that are comorbidities. I already have tons of odds against me, I don't need this weight stacking my odds even further! To me, getting her approval was potentially my biggest stumbling block. Had she said no, I would have gotten myself a new PCP and kept trying. But I like her and I didn't want that hassle which would also potentially become a demotivator. And I KNOW I'm fat enough. She laughed at that. Was impressed at how much research I've done, what I knew, and how I've been taking care of myself in this endeavor. Wasn't asking for the answers, was asking for endorsement - and from what she said, the people willing to do this from start to finish like this, on their own - if you will, are the successful ones. The people on this website, I'd venture! Can't be done on your own - don't get me wrong. But I'm not being spoon fed my information. This wasn't suggested to me, I explored the thought. That's what I'm talking about... Anywho... She said she has seen it before where people are like me, on the fence with the BMI with no comorbidities. And she's seen - and even supported - minor weight gain to get them to the "acceptable level of fatness". I find that sad. But it's the game we have to play, apparently. Comorbidities help, but I've enjoyed my food this weekend to ensure my weight today and tomorrow would not be an issue. And hopefully tomorrow can start the six month supervision. And hopefully I can be looking at the March/April time frame. And if not, I'll take it as it comes. My biggest stumbling block has been passed. I just feel like now I can say "Ok, hope is on the horizon!" YAY!

I do not vomit or pb, I do not keep my band so tight that I have any problems. I dunno that I have ever really gotten anything stuck. sometimes if i eat too fast I can feel it going down very slowly, but it never stays for more than 5 minutes. LOVE MY BAND!!! I think bc I don't over tighten my band is why I have such an easy time of it. I try to eat slowly, small quantities and chew chew chew! good luck!! amy

I get my fills at SCOR. But i have only had 1 fill...the 2nd time didn't work. And yes, they poke around blindly. ouch. I don't know any better bc the 1st fill was great, she found the port right away and that was it. The 2nd time the lady didn't know what she was doing and I ended up crying bc they freaked me out. The last time I was thinking to myself, would I have had this surgery if it was going to be like this??