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My program gave us the following sample schedule - Sample Vitamin/Mineral Schedule With Breakfast (i.e. 8 am): 1 Bariatric Advantage Tropical Chewable Multivitamin 1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate Lozenge With lunch (i.e. 12 pm): 1 Bariatric Advantage Tropical Chewable Multivitamin 1 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate Lozenge 2 hours after Lunch (i.e. 2pm) 29 mg Chewable Iron Supplement (ferrous fumarate)With dinner (i.e. 5 pm): 1 Bariatric Advantage Tropical Chewable Multivitamin 1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate Lozenge Before Bed: 1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate Lozenge Sundays (or 1 day/week): 1 (1000 mcg) sublingual B12 tablet

I would not pay up front without checking with my insurance myself to see if it's covered with that provider. May I ask if you are going to see a therapist that your surgeon wanted you to see? I called my insurance company and got a Complex Case manager (they manage things like folks who have home nursing care, vents, bariatric suregery requests, etc.) and asked that person who my insurance would pay for me to go see for a psych consult for bariatric surgery. She gave me a list of names, and I called the offices and made an appointment. Then the office called my case manager and got the approval code. I had to pay my co-pay which was $15 a visit, but the therapists' office said that even though I was only there for about 1 1/2hrs, it was considered three visits, so altogether it was $45 out of pocket. I still don't get it, but whatever. I saw the therapist for about 45 mins and then sat and took my MMPI-2 (the personality test-in simplest terms) which took me about another 50 mins. Then I did have to go back and retake my MMPI-2 because I scored too high in the K scale (and that means litle, I know, but suffice it to say, I guess I got my money's worth).

I had surgery 14 May 2013 at 98 kg. I expect to be 68 kg within the next week and my 6-month anniversary is 14 Nov, also this week. That will put me 30 kg down (66 lb) and exactly at 70% of excess weight lost. This was my surgeon's goal as it puts me at the very top of the Overweight range, rather than obese. Personally, I want to get to the middle of the healthy range if I can, which means losing another 18 kg or so. But I already feel like a success. How did I do it? I eat around 800 calories a day, get at least 40g Protein, and try to stay under 100g carbs. I'm not fanatical about the calories or carbs. I usually eat 50g of a meat for lunch and dinner every day, along with veggies and a little carbs. I started a running program and now run 15+ km a week in three runs. I log all food and exercise on MyFitnessPal. I do a lot of walking now as part of my everyday routines. And I stop eating when I'm full, regardless of what is left on my plate. I follow my surgeon's and dietitian's plans, which allow me to have everything in moderation. But I did not cheat one bit on the graduated diet. It's really hard for me to understand the severity of craving that makes people put their brand new sleeves at risk by advancing their diet too quickly. The first 6 months is the honeymoon. I realize that it will slow down and I will have to work harder to get the other 30% excess off. I'm not kidding myself that I have it all figured out. I have read every book I could get my hands on about the sleeve, bariatric surgery, and long-term success with changing habits and making life-long changes. I recommend "Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients" which is available for the kindle or iPad as well as in book form. Another good one is called "Eat it Up." I have read the Vet forum since day 1 because I recognize that they are living the hardest part of the journey. I'd like to lose the rest of my excess weight within the first year post-op, but if I don't, I hope I won't be devastated. The most important thing is not how long it takes me to get there, but how long and how consistently I stay there.

I've pretty much decided on my surgeon and hospital. I feel great about him and the hospital has nothing but great reviews. But, it's almost 1 1/2 hours drive through sometimes very heavy traffic. I'm afraid that afterwards it will deter me from attending the support meetings. There are programs closer but from what I've learned so far they usually charge a fee for people who did not have their surgery there. So I'm kind of torn about if I should look for a closer facility and go through having to get all my tests and diet visits transferred again, or should I just go with the dr. I've chosen and do my best to attend the support meetings? What do people who go to Mexico do for support? Just come here or do they find local groups or what? I really like the dr I've picked: William Johnson in Suwanee Ga. The hospital is Emory John's Creek. New and has a bariatric floor that I hear is top notch. I live on the southside of Atlanta. Just would like to hear other's input about how important the support meetings are.

So I am pre-op on a liquid protein diet. Right now I am drinking Bariatric Advantage the chocolate flavor. I like it a lot, it is just the right thickness for me. I make them with water and a couple ice cubes in a shaker cup. I do not like the other Bariatric Advan. flavors at all. I'm sure there is a thread somewhere about all this but I can't find it. I was going to order some Unjury flavors but I don't know how thick they are. Any help is good help. I don't feel like I can be succesful if all I drink is chocolate bariatric advantage. It's getting boring at 4 shakes a day. HELP ME! Thanks!

Saturday evening, I started to feel pain deep underneath the general area of my port incision. When I bend or turn too far to that side, it is a very sharp and very intense pain that leaves me holding my side and taking some deep breaths. I have had no pain for a couple of weeks now, until this. It is not constant, and today its not as severe as Sat., but still hurts when I move wrong. I called my surgeon's partner Saturday night (my dr is on vacation) and he said it was nothing. Said I probably pulled a stitch or tore the muscle its stitched too and to relax...it happens. Well, today I called my bariatric nurse and she said I should go in and get checked out to be safe. So I called the surgeon's office and they transferred me to his MA (I don't even know what that stands for). I am waiting for a call back. I am thinking about ripped stitches, flipping ports, major things that would require revisional surgery. But the surgeon seemed unconcerned. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully the MA will call me soon. Thanks.

I am getting very frustrated and for a fat girl that eats when she is upset, that is not good I went to my seminar on the 8th. Contacted my insurance and found out they do cover lap band with a 6 month supervised program first. Went to my primary care physician, told him I wanted to have surgery. He said my medical group requires a 6 month diet (no problem, have to do it for insurance anyway.) Said he would refer me to the doc for diet. Last night I went to orientation for supervised diet. Told them I wanted lap band surgery, but have to do medically supervised diet first. Was told I need to see my primary care again to have a physical, EKG, and bloodwork done. Made appointment this morning, will be going in on Friday. Got a phone call from a nurse from the supervised diet people (after I made dr appointment) and she informed me that my medical group does not do lap band surgery. They only do bypass...don't want bypass!!!! She recommended that I get an appointment with the doc for a bariatric consultation and see what he has to say. I thought that my primary care had already faxed a referral for me to see him and found out they have not received anything from him. They would contact his office and find out what is going on. Well, it is going to take 7-10 business days for the referral to be approved and then I can make the appointment. I thought this had already been stared so I have lost another 5 days to incompetence. I am hoping someone out there has had the insurance/medical group issue and can give me some light on the subject. I do not know if my insurance will cover the surgery out of my medical group. Please help!!!:rolleyes2:

Hi, I am also 47 and had my band surgery August 26, 2010. Although I am also new also I would be happy to answer any questions about my recent experience. I had the same experience only in reverse. My husband and children were very supportive and still are. I am kind of an open book so when I said I was taking off work to have bariatric surgery I felt like people were judging me. Some even starting telling me horror stories. Since I started this I have lost 37 lbs. I have had one fill 4 weeks after surgery. I found it a little hard to adjust to the fill so I cancelled my second appointment. Now I realize that was a mistake. I will have the another fill on November 30. After 2 1/2 months I can tell you that I believe this was definately the right choice for me. I have found it is hard to find someone to talk to about this, I guess it is like anything else you dont know if you haven't been through it.

Yep, very true White Scale! Nerves are all a part of it to. Everyones journey is different and I take my hat off to anyone who has tried all means to lose weight and become healthier, then feel bariatric surgery is their last option. No judgements here! I wish you all the best but please know its a process after. I did so much research, did everything I was told but it didnt prepare me to what a process it truly was after the fact. I guess you have to do it to let it totally sink in. In saying that, I dont regret it. Hey we are all different just go for health first because the weight WILL come off! Sent from my SM-G925I using the BariatricPal App

I’m sorry you are having this issue. I wish I could advise you of what to do but I have similar issues w my dr. His office would go days without returning my calls. I complained to the office manager and things got better. I used to work there when I lived in Auburn. But the dept I was isn’t related to bariatrics.

Autumn, I do not have lupus but my ex did. Tough disease. Please let me know (pm?) if you get some good info about lupus and VSG. My ex wanted bariatric surgery and I'd like to be able to give her some more info. What's the problem with bypass and lupus? Many people with lupus already have to do B12 shots because of the lupus attacking the intrinsic factor in their gut, so it seems that bypass wouldn't make it any worse. But then again, I don't hsve lupus and don't know the full scale of all the problems it can cause.

I dont know, but I imagine that most of the guides are for bypass which has a malabsorption component. Thankfully the sleeve has no malabsorption so you are able to get many vitamines from food. We don't eat a whole lot though, so we need to take a little something to make sure we are getting all we need. I take centrim daily vitamins as well as calcium citrate supplements. Many people take iron, vitamin d, and B12 sublingual as well. If you get a multi make sure it has biotin and zinc to help stave off hair loss. If you go to the Bariatric Advantage website, they have vitamins by procedure. I haven't had my labs yet so I don't know if I'm low on anything, but I feel pretty good.

So I am 2 weeks and 3 days out. My pain has been gone since my 7 day post-op with the exception of some pain with bending and laying in bed. Now that the abdominal swelling is gone, I can feel small knots under some of the incisions which I am sure are from the internal suturing. Here is the issue. The left abdomen incision (the one the stomach came out of and most of the instruments were in) has a much bigger knot than the rest. Maybe the size of 2 mini-cadbury eggs or half a whole cadbury egg. The pain when I bend has gotten a bit worse instead of better (burning and shooting) and sometimes I feel like I'm having muscle spasms or something. Bad enough that I can't bend without crying out in pain so I can't bend. I guess I am concerned about a hernia, although I know the incidence of herniation is extremely low with sleeve. Also, I am supposed to go back to work next week. I am a nurse, so I am unsure how I will go back to work without being able to bend. (Yes, I may be a nurse and a surgical nurse, but not a bariatric surgical nurse so what I know about something this specific to this surgery is what I've researched and what the classes my program offers tell me) I know I could call my doctor's office, but I'd hate to do that with a stupid question. What do you guys think?

Hi guys, quick update... Day 4 of renewed journey and I'm starting soft foods... Down 8 lbs, I know most is Water weight but downward movement on the scale is good enough for me, even if it's water weight! Hope all is well for you and have a great weekend! oh and ... #GOHAWKS (Seattle Seahawks, that is!)

I used the Bariatric Advantage as well. I'm a chocolate lover, and I have to say, I did not love the chocolate but the vanilla was very palatable especially if you add sugar free Jello or flavorings, ice and the like. And if you actually have all you are supposed to (4 with milk or 5 with water) your body will be very happy with the complete nutrition it is getting. (Your brain is something else entirely). I did not have a choice in the matter, as my surgeon likes a level playing field. Everyone gets BA or Optifast. I had Optifast years ago and did not care for it. My brain was REALLY hungry until around day 9 when I had a total emotional meltdown. Then the next day and from there on out, I was fine. I just didn't care any more. After surgery I had three more weeks of that, so I was on liquids for a total of 5 weeks. (one week of that was Clear Liquids post op.) If you go with B.A., you will need 3 canisters (about $200). Also, If they haven't told you yet....if you drink coffee, get detoxed well before surgery. You don't need to go through caffeine withdrawal while you're trying to recover from surgery. (you can have it back later, don't worry ) My two cents.

I recommend therapy with a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders and bariatric surgery. Good luck.

On August 15, 2011 I had a consultation with a bariatric surgeon and now my surgery is scheduled for October 10, 2011. In some ways things seemed to move along glacially and in other ways I feel like I just made this decision yesterday. I was blessed with a fairly easy approval process that hit some bumps in the road: 1. The psychologist that was supposed to do my psych evaluation went on vacation and no one bothered to tell me, and 2. My PCP office took 3 weeks in getting my paperwork back to my surgeons office because they lost the papers on 2 separate occasions. I know these are minor things compared to the hoops that other people have to jump through and I am blessed that my insurance coordinator was on the ball with everything. She even got the psychologist to call and apologize to me personally, while he was on vacation. She also managed to put the screws to my PCP's office and managed to get them to fax her the paperwork the same day she sent it. She is a rock star. Today my surgeon's office called me with my date and it was a lot sooner than I expected. I called my boss and she is willing to give me the necessary two weeks off. I am a little worried, because things are so weird at work right now, but hopefully it won't have a negative impact on my job. I am hoping that my mother, who lives 4 hours away will be able to come and babysit me for a week. It would be nice to have her around and I am going to need some help dealing with my three rowdy beagles. My husband and daughter are both going to have school, so it would be tricky for me to handle these things on my own. I did it last winter when I had a broken foot, but I would prefer to have a little help. I am excited, but I have a few fears. I have never had surgery before, so I am very scared that something bad will happen to me during surgery. I am terrified of leaving my daughter without a mom. However, that is also the reason I have decided to have this surgery. I don't want to have a heart attack in 5 years and leave my daughter motherless. She has assured me that my surgery will go great.

When I google, the following turns up at a Medicare site: Certain bariatric surgery procedures for treatment of co-morbidities associated with morbid obesity are considered reasonable and necessary under the Social Security Act (Section1862(a)(1)(A)) if the following conditions are satisfied: 1. The Medicare beneficiary: Has a body-mass index (BMI) > 35, Has at least one co-morbidity related to obesity (such as diabetes or hypertension), and Has been previously unsuccessful with medical treatment for obesity. 2. The Procedure is performed in an approved facility listed at Bariatric Surgery on the CMS website.

Researching, identifying, and selecting an insurance carrier that covers WLS, will accept you as a subscriber at a premium you can afford to pay, and will eventually approve you for surgery sounds to me like an enormous task for an individual patient to undertake. Doing all that could add years to your journey. I suggest that instead, you research bariatric surgery clinics in your area, attend an educational seminar, and hook up with a clinic's insurance coordinator to get suggestions for how to deal with the insurance issue. If you eventually decide to self-pay as 2muchfun suggested, I wouldn't recommend the band. Don't get me wrong, I love my band, but the band requires a LOT more aftercare than the other procedures because it usually doesn't work without fills, and those fills (and unfills) can get to be expensive both in terms of cash and in terms of your time and energy. You'd also need to consider the possible expense of revisional or corrective surgery if something went wrong. For example, my port flipped over so I needed surgery to reposition it. My insurance company was billed a total of $34,628.70 for the repair surgery, and paid the providers a total of $4850.11. I don't know about you, but I don't usually have an extra $5000 stuffed under my mattress! Jean

I am one of thoses people who looses 10-15 lbs a month I am 8 weeks post up and down 33 lbs It's really frustrating. I was actually going to question it here in bariatric pal, but since I saw this post Daisee68 I'm glad i'm not alone. I really wish I would loose a bit faster, but really can't do nothing about if i'm already following all instructions. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had a similair situation.. My insurance required people to have a BMI of 40 or higher or if they are lower than 40, they have to have co-morbid diseases. Soo I too was very nervous when they sent my paperwork in for approval. But the lady at the bariatric center was honest and told me it was going to be a struggle, but that she would help me. I too have a huge family history of obesity, diabetes, heart problems, etc... She encouraged me to get two different primary care physicians to write a letter about their decision to support me and for me to write a letter to the insurance describing what i have been through with dieting and losing weight and how being overweight since a child has affected me. Im guessing it worked because they approved me in a week, and the staff at the bariatric center was shocked because I guess my insurance is very strict about their guidelines. My advice is dont give up and keep pushing the insurance... good luck to you!! :thumbup:

Uh ok, I'll be the first to say it....After all, I have been married for 10 years. Renewed sex life. Fitting into airplane seats. Hugs from my daughter. Being able to run more than 50 feet. Rubbing it in my family docs face that I don't need her stupid medications that would probably make me feel worse anyway. Feet that are an entire size smaller. Finding old 'skinny clothes' in your closet that are actually to large now. Fitting in to restaurant booths. Burning old granny panties in the fireplace! Shopping in regular stores, knowing that the clothes will fit. Not worrying that they wouldn't have a wet suit large enough for me when I went to snorkle in Florida this sumer. Ohhh, the list goes on and on and on....what are some of your favorite things about your new you. And best of all, bending over to empty the dishwaher just to have your hubby come up behind you and say..."Wow!" and not out of sheer horror, for once. That was my personal cherry on top moment.

Bariatric fusion. Take 4 a day and its all the Vitamins u need. They are chewable HW: 360 SW: 323 CW: 282 RNY: 10.31.2016

I was banded six years ago. Lost 70 pounds. Two years ago I began vomiting, etc. Saw the G I guy who has done all my colonoscopies. After all those barium tests he said my band had slipped and I should call my bariatric guy. When I did, he informed me that his bands do not slip and he made me take the tests all over again. His conclusion was that the band had "repositioned itself". I chose not to ask how that is different from slippage. At any rate, he replaced the band. I lost another 30 pounds but have had a lot of nausea. More G I tests. Apparently they show Barrets and a structure at bottom of esophagus. I am terrified that I'll have to have the band removed and I'll gain 100 pounds or maybe even more. I have one more test, then see both doctors in early February. Meanwhile, the proton pump inhibitor that the G I prescribed last month really helps. I guess I had GERD, but didn't know it because no pain. Also, I've given up bedtime snacks. I've eaten them all my 70+ years and I miss them, but no more.

I copied and pasted, below, some of my early posts from the first few months after band surgery. I was so enthusiastic and on board with my new lifestyle. I was fully committed to learning everything I needed to know in order to succeed. I did not want to hear anything from anyone who was saying their band didn't work out. There were people who posted that they followed band rules and lost their band due to slips, erosion or esophageal dilation. I countered that very few complications are band caused. I suggested that perhaps they over ate, ate too fast...you get the picture. I was wrong to do that. It's true that early in our band journey we NEED to hear positive reinforcement that we made the "right" decision. That's why you won't see me post negative information on a post from someone who is doing well, newly banded or had decided to band and isn't asking for help deciding. If I posted in a way that seemed insensitive or overtly negative anywhere but on the complications forum, I apologize. I try to avoid that, but I'm human. I believed, as many of you do, that if I did all the right things, I'd keep my band for the rest of my life. I cannot convey the disappointment and even grief I'm feeling over the impending loss of my band. I'm also feeling a lot of anxiety about post removal. That might be bleeding thru in my posts. I'm in constant discomfort, unable to eat much of anything and generally not feeling very well at the moment. My point in this post is to encourage everyone who has WLS to listen, sympathize and file away posts about band complications. As I've stated in more than one post, the information might help you save your band one day. I don't want to scare anyone. I just want to share my experience within a community that might benefit from it one day. Don't be afraid to read my message. It can't hurt you. This was 2 months post op: Tonight I am going to a play with friends...I subscribe and we go out about every two months Nov-July. Yesterday I figured I should try on some of my smaller (size 24) clothes to see what I should wear. NONE OF THEM FIT! THEY ARE ALL TOO BIG! I am between a 20-22 so all the 24-26 and 3x are going to the donation pile or to my ebay collection. I went to the Talbot's outlet and bought two pairs of 22 WP shorts, very nice for $27 including tax. I now have one pair of jeans, a pair of capris and two shorts that I can wear. We always go to Maui in October and was trying on my dresses that I take with me and got into some of my Blue Ginger dresses I haven't been able to wear for a long time...some of the others are way too big.... Any way enough rambling on! Happy day for me! My first fill: I got my first fill today and it went very well...no pain and so far so good with water. I lost 5 lb in almost 5 weeks and due to travel plans in September and October opted to go ahead and get it now. My surgeon's office does them under flouro and it took about 10 min to do...port was flat on the abdominal wall and very easy to access. It did feel weird as she was numbing me up, but other than that couldn't feel it. I am hoping to up my loss to about 1.75 lb per week or 7-8 lbs per month with this fill... whew...glad to have that under my belt! A post on accountability: This morning it occurred to me that I have not lost any weight since the 30th of August. My first impulse was to post something on the forum regarding a stall, frustrated, etc, but then I got to thinking about it HONESTLY. I have not logged my food since the middle of July! I looked back and I remember thinking that this is so easy, I don't have to log every bite! WRONG! I lost consistently (even without a fill) 1-1.5 lbs per week while logging. Since I stopped logging I have lost a total of 6 lbs in 6 weeks, but nothing for the last two weeks. I don't think I am eating as much as I am burning, but how do I know??? This could be the 20% stall, but without documentation of my intake, I cannot really tell. My highest weight was 290 about 2 years ago. 20% of 290 is 58 and I am down 51 lbs from that weight so it is close enough to be called that, but most likely it is what I am eating, rather than how much. I have been eating more carbs... There have been numerous social events, so I have been drinking a bit of wine... And I have had some dessert... here and there... So now I recommit to journalling my food intake so I can assess why I am stalled and what to do to change it WITH SOME CERTAINTY.... I have lost an inch or so since the stall started, so it isn't really a stall, but a great opportunity to refocus my efforts towards meeting my goal of 1.5 lbs per week on average. I do have restriction and I need to do a better job of utilizing it to my advantage. Me, defending the band: Many folks who are anti-band will use a study that was published in 2003 and followed lap-band patients from 1997-2002...that would be like car and driver only reviewing cars made from 1920-1970 and holding them to today's standards of road-worthiness... The bands in use today are much more "user-friendly" and the surgeons who "install" them know a lot more about the causes of complications like those cited in the early study and MOST complications are caused by overstuffing the pouch and eating around the band (grazing, sliders etc) as well as over zealous docs who overfill bands. Go to the WLS failure forum, complications forum or regrets forum and read about the issues the people who have chosen many different surgeries experience, then you can be satisfied with your decision, whatever it may be. I also question why certain individuals feel the need to hang out here and tout their surgery. If they were as knowledgeable as they claim, they would be publishing a book on their surgery, pointing out the benefits vs the risks, and it would speak for itself. Here is an example of a study on VSG and it's failure rate...I found this doing a quick search and now it is out there and will be quoted by the VSG haters to support their position.... The exact failure rate of sleeve gastrectomy is unknown. Using the Spanish National Registry for bariatric surgery, Sanchez-Santos et al[7] reviewed 540 patients who had undergone SG either as a primary or staged procedure over a six-year period. The authors reported excellent overall outcomes; however, 15 percent of the subjects were considered failures based on weight recidivism in the first three years, with 3.3 percent of patients submitting to a second bariatric procedure. Younger age, lower body mass index (BMI), and thinner bougie size were attributed to improved sustainable outcomes. Similarly, Himpens, in an article by Deitel et al,[8] presented his early five-year results after sleeve gastrectomy at the First International Consensus Summit for Sleeve Gastrectomy in 2007. In 46 such patients, he reported a disappointing 37 and 23 percent inadequate weight loss and second procedure rates, respectively. More recent unpublished presentations by Himpens indicate failure rates as high as 30 percent in five years.[9] Studying the Austrian experience with SG as a stand-alone operation, Felberbauer et al[10] reported a seven-percent failure rate at three years based on a cutoff of 25 percent excess weight loss (EWL). Applying the traditional 50-percent EWL criteria, the failure rate increased to 25 percent.[10] Me supporting a struggling poster: Good for you Tanya....that is why the forums are here, to share and hopefully keep us from getting too complacent and not utilizing our chosen tool. The side note that I have been meaning to post since the day after I wrote this is that though I haven't lost pounds, I have lost a full size, so it isn't about just the weight. Perhaps it is time for a fill or a talk with your nutritionist to help you to get back on track... Congratulations on your recommittal and I will look for you to post your success!! This was me the first year. I was afraid to hear what might go wrong, just like many others. This is a support site for ALL banded people, not just those who don't have complications. Seeing the words can't hurt you, but ignoring signs of trouble can. Just an FYI to those who keep calling me a "basher", "full of bs as usual", "100% incorrect"...every time you call me a name, I will respond politely. I will also continue to post. I don't back down when attacked, but I refuse to attack back.