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I take the flinstones as well, I was taking celebrate bariatric and when comparing the 2 they had almost the same ingredients. The doctor actually approved them. I take 2 flinstones a day, even sAys on the bottle adults take two. I just have to add extra B12, which u already do. I think you just have a heavy work/ life load. Try to take some you time if you can find it, easier said then done (I know I chase around a 2yr old all day). Maybe try to add extra iron or a supplement if possible. Good luck

try finding a bariatric wt loss group and donate it or sell them to someone in the group. I go to group when i can we meet on sundays everyone in the group has either been banded or had the bypass going to or family. a great place to network, get recipes .. try that.

I was banded back in 2001. I did well for a while but stopped getting fills after I lost my health insurance. I have to go through Flouro for a fill which is VERY expensive. Anyway, I have gained back almost all that I lost, but am recommitted to the band and have health insurance again. My original doctor has now left the practice. The doctor I have now just isn't filling me as aggressively as I need him to. He is putting in 1cc to 2cc's at a time and saying it is aggressive, but within a couple days I have no restriction. Should I keep going to him? Should I ask for another doctor in the same practice (they are now a bariatric center rather than the small practice they were when I was banded)? or should I seek out a new doctor at another practice or center? Would love to hear your thoughts. I really need a doctor that is going to tighten this thing and I have given my current doctor a couple shots at it and still nothing. (which is especially frustrating when I didn't have health insurance and I told him I was paying for the fills out of pocket at the tune of 3000 per one) Thanks in advance.

I've started mine. I HATE the bariatric advantage shakes!!! One drink of that and it almost came back up! I LOVE the Atkins Shakes. I've been having broth I have to have it out of a spoon. For whatever reason drinking broth always grosses me out Of course feeding my son makes me want to take a huge bite out of the chicken but I'm managing! I hope we all do great and shrink our livers and ourselves! I can't believe how quick it's coming I'm having mine on June 4th and it's really starting to hit me.

Typically, just until you can tolerate regular ones, though surgeons will have different opinions and instructions on this (along with everything else, it seems!) I never used chewable vitamins - only calcium supplements as those are typically are such horse pills - and I used them much longer than I needed to simply because I had a big bucketload of them from Bariatric Advantage to use up. I could only take pills one at a time with a sip of water each for a while, unlike the handful at a time as I could pre-op, but I was back to the handful approach (including the calcium horse pills) after a few months.

HI Everyone, :laugh: I am really really struggling...I am seriously having the fight the insurance co & my PCP blues. Pasted below is draft copy of a letter that I am working on to send to the insurance co. and maybe even the insurance consumer division. Although a really tight squeeze for now, I am working on Plan B. Dr. Alvarez in Mexico, 9750 for sleeve. Here struggling...having gained 18 pounds since September 15--all of my clothes are fitting way way way toooooo tightly! Bumming Here's my letter! I just dont know what to do.... Any insight is greatly appreciated! I am not sure if I should be outright saying I want to request an appeal or just asking for an update. Please review and give me your insight. Thanks! Group/ID Number: XOH842901948/H06800 Primary Care Physician: Dr. Derek Kelly Diagnosis: 278.01 Morbid Obesity Procedure: 99241 Office Consultation Referred For: Office Consultation Requested: 12/9/08 Denied: 12/9/08 Services Requested: Consult with Dr. Vitello for a Sleeve Gastrectomy Referral Authorization No. 23,562'Denied (Referral Denied'This is a request for an out of network non-contracted provider with Managed Health Care Associates Managed Health Care Associates 2740 W. Foster Avenue, Suite 411 Chicago, Il 60625 FAX: 773-271-0264 Illinois Department of Insurance Consumer Division 100 W. Randolph Street Suite 15-100 Chicago, IL 60601 Greetings I a writing to formally request an updated status of the referral decision rendered in December 2008. First of all, the services requested are inaccurate. Since October 2007, Dr. Derek Kelly has provided referral authorizations for me to see Dr. Vitello regarding lapband adjustment. From October 2007 until September 2008, I visited Dr. Vitello for lapband adjustments and presented with complications of my adjustments on a monthly basis. Resultingly, September 2008, I had to have emergency surgery to remove my lapband due to slippage. I followed up with post-operative care with Dr. Vitello, who then consulted with me regarding revisional bariatric surgery. In the interim, I informed Maria, of Dr. Kelly's office and contacted the BCBS of IL to be advised of my benefits coverage and protocol for seeking revisional surgery. At that time, I was advised of the criteria for coverage, which I meet now and did so at the time of request, and advised Maria of the same. She advised me to have Dr. Vitello submit the referral authorization and that she would handle the request, as she had handed the processing of all of my prior referral authorizations to Dr. Vitello. Upon mutual interest, Dr. Vitello petitioned for referral authorization for revisional bariatric surgery, vertical sleeve gastrectomy. My last follow up appointment with Dr. Vitello was October 31 and the referral authorization was submitted twice by Dr. Vitello's staff (University of Illinois at Chicago) before warranting a response by the Managed Care Group. This petition submitted in full disclosure, my operative and post-operative reports and medical necessity substantiating the need for the procedure. According to my insurance terms, bariatric surgery is a covered benefit as long as it is deemed medically necessary; this is furthered for revisional bariatric surgery with indication that as long as the first bariatric surgery was medically necessary, there is no waiting period for clearance for the authorization of a revisional surgery. Additionally, according to my policy's terms and conditions, I have been advised of the following: Repeat of a covered bariatric surgery may be eligible for coverage only when ALL of the following criteria are met: For the original procedure, patient met all of the screening criteria, including BMI requirements The patient has been compliant with a prescribed nutritional and exercise program following the original surgery Significant complications or technical failure (i.e., slippage, etc.) of the bariatric surgery has occurred that required take down or revision of the original procedure that could only be addressed surgically Patient is requesting reinstitution of an acceptable bariatric surgical modality. Dr. Vitello submitted his referral authorization to Dr. Derek Kelly indicating my request to reinstitute an acceptable bariatric surgical modality, vertical sleeve gastrectomy. On December 9, I received paperwork advising of a decision of denial for a consultation. It indicated the denial was based on the fact that the services are available in-network and the request was from a non-contracted provider. The basis of this claim request for out-of-network coverage is due to this surgical procedure being revisional bariatric surgery, which is an acceptable bariatric surgical modality. Secondly, the letter advised of an alternative for the non-approved service, to contact Dr. Kelly for a referral to an in-network specialist. On December 15, 2008, I met with Dr. Kelly in follow-up to the denial. Dr. Kelly advised that he needed to submit supplemental supportive documentation along with the referral for processing to secure an affirmative decision. Dr. Kelly then proceeded to review my operative report records from the surgery and reviewed my other health records in my medical file and interviewed me regarding my health status. Dr. Kelly indicated this procedure should take approximately 30 days maximum and to anticipate an affirmative response to proceed with revisional bariatric surgery and that I had his medical support in substantiating the medical need. I have been waiting since December 15, 2008 and to date am more frustrated now than ever. For the past 2.5 months, I have meticulously called Dr. Kelly's office regarding a status update. Maria, the administrative assistant, has provided several updates. The updates have included the fact that the previous medical director retired and was replaced and the new director was then on vacation, to the medical director making request for additional paperwork (which was submitted), to the medical director needing to meet with Dr. Kelly regarding the details of the approval process for this type of referral authorization, to the medical director and Dr. Kelly being unable to meet to further discuss the nature of my referral, to Brenda communicating that there was never a properly submitted referral from Dr. Kelley to the Managed Care group which resulted in the initial denial decision. In my first direct contact with Brenda Blazek, the Referral Coordinator who signed the referral denial letter, she claimed to know nothing regarding my case and further indicated that there was no documentation in my file. When I followed up with Maria with Dr. Kelley's office, she advised that Brenda did not find any information in my file because all of the information was being held by the medical director. Whatever the real case is, this is neither professional nor acceptable in accordance to my patient's rights under section 502(a) of ERISA. Just yesterday, I called and spoke with Maria five times to get an updated status, to exhaustedly be declined, yet promised an update by the end of the work day. I have not spoken with Maria, nor have I missed an update call from Maria. This has been my experience for the last 2.5 months. Below is an excerpt of the fax sent to Dr. Kelly, which was confirmed as received by Maria on February 5, 2009. Maria, I would like to reiterate that on 12/9 the referral authorization stated that the procedure, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, is a covered benefit in-network; however my request was to have the procedure done by an out of network provider. Additionally, this was confirmed by Tammy on yesterday at 12:50 with Blue Cross Blue Shield that this is a covered medical benefit as long as it is deemed medically necessary. My appointment with Dr. Kelly in December was to have provided me with a specialist referral to have the procedure done or we could have executed an appeal. I think Dr. Kelly submitted an appeal for coverage of the procedure; however, I am requesting to have this surgical procedure done by Dr. Vitello or be advised of the in-network provider who can perform this surgical procedure. Even in accordance to the appeals process, the timeline has been elongated to address issue of medically necessity when that is not the matter'the issue is approval for out-of network coverage or referral to an in-network specialist. I hope this clarifies the situation more. I will call you tomorrow to see if you have an updated response. Additionally, I was contacted by the non-contracted provider's office as a follow-up to the request in January and February. Last week, I advised them of the insurance referral hassle that I have been experiencing and they formally resubmitted their request, directly to Dr. Kelly (attention Maria), to the medical director of the Managed Care Group and to Brenda Blazek. To date, no response has been received; however, they have confirmed receipt of such documentation. Resultingly, I am assuming that since the only official documentation I have received to date is the referral denial, then I am evoking my patient right to request an appeal, specifically an expedited appeal process. However, I am highly dismayed because Dr. Kelly advised that there would be no need to execute an appeal. I would like to seek clarity first on the status and if this is in order, I would like to request an activation of the appeals process and under separate cover I will or will have my attorney to handle the appeals process. Before escalating to that level, I am very much interest in seeking resolve immediately. If and when I need to activate an appeal, I am requesting an expedited appeal process because my health at this point is continually declining and it is therefore imminent and serves my best interest to not further jeopardize my quality of life by waiting for a decision. Since December, the following symptoms I have presented: my breathing has become labored and therefore results in extreme shortness of breath my severe obstructive sleep apnea condition has worsened (hypopnea with severe oxygen desaturation) my acid reflux has returned my amenorrhea has returned and I have again began experiencing tumultuous joint, knee and lower back pains __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

Hi all, my name is Lisa. I had the Lap-Band in Monterrey MX in 2003 and had success. I initially lost 100 lbs, but I have gained back 40 of it. I still consider it a success since I have kept 60 pounds off for over 10 years. Last year I started throwing up in the middle of the night, as well as throwing up at every meal. I thought that was just how it was going to be - my insurance didn't cover my surgery and I have tried to get follow up appointments with other doctors in town. Most of them wouldn't touch me without an outrageous "takeover fee." One doc wanted $5K up front before I stepped foot in the office! I finally went to my PCP in April and they set me up with a bariatric doc - since I was having an issue, insurance approved it (I have Sierra Health). Doc said the band was slipped and I also have a hiatial hernia and suggested revision to a gastric sleeve. Well - today my surgery was approved - in 48 hours! Lap band removal, repair of hernia, and revision to sleeve. My surgery date is August 5. FYI - my insurance just changed July 1st. I was told by them that because of Obamacare (PLEASE no political comments!!), that complications because of prior weight loss surgery, whether it was initially covered or performed in the country or not, HAS to be treated as any other illness and all I have to pay is the deductibles as for any other surgery. Yay! So, for those of you who have previously been denied or have not been covered in the past, it might be worth looking into. I was told that the changes went to effect on July 1. Not sure if it effects first time surgery or not, but worth researching!

I am looking for someone in the Quad Cities IA/IL either side or surrounding area. I am going through Genesis Center for Bariatric Surgery, I would love to be able to talk to someone who is or has gone here. Hope to hear form someone! Thank you! Amy

Your PCP should be able to order lab work for you that will test all your vitamin and mineral levels as well as indicate whether you are getting enough protein. You shouldn't need a bariatric surgeon for that.

I had my surgery in Gainesville... I live near Lake City.. Dr. Sarantos @ N. Florida Bariatric Center performed my surgery.. I had my band on Jan 15,2013.. I have lost 60 lbs.. never felt better.

I use Mynetdiary.com, Fitbit One, Aria scale, Bodytrack.it and Bariatric Pal. MND, FB and Aria all sync together tracking weight, food, exercise and fluids. Bodytrack.it keeps measurements and pictures - so you can see your progress. There is a lot out there - check everything out and see what you like best. ????

This is a link to an interesting chart from the "Bariatric Times". http://bariatrictimes.com/wp-content/uploads/Physician-Handout.pdf

ZERO.,, My bariatric center did this all for me. I would check with the people your hiring to take care of your procedure. They must have a business administrator. Chris

That definitely doesn't sound normal. I would definitely consult your bariatric team or PCP.

I have completed 3 months of the 6 month supervised diet. I didnt do the best and managed to gain 15lbs but I have 3 months to lose the 15lbs and hopefully plus some. I checked in for my second doctors visit weight check and only have one more Doctor visit weight check which will be October 17th. I started the Medifast Diet to try and lose the 15lbs plus some. You eat 5 of their meals plus one lean (protein) and green (Veggies) meal. This is my second day and will jump on the scale next week. I chose this diet because they also have a bariatric diet plan for banded patients (Liquid Pre-Surgery diet and soft foods post surgery). I have attached my Pre-Surgery Pictures......No judgement...Right

I suggest finding a bariatric support group near you and go make an appointment with a psychologist and NUT. You just need a little help to get back on track. We all do at times.

Girlie girl My doctor is Peter Kwon of tri state bariatrics In ?Middletown NY

Im from NY also. May I ask which doctor you will use? Mydoctor is Peter Kwon. Tri state bariatrics. Middletown NY

I have esophageal dilation from my band causing achalasia symptoms. I was told RNY might be an option, but after removal was told the tissues at the lower esophagus are too damaged to tolerate further surgery. I would see an esophageal surgeon to consult on your options. They generally work closely with the bariatric department and can give you a better idea about further surgery. Good luck!

I contacted my NUT because I saw some people who ate 500-600 calories a day and others who didn't. She said that according to the AMBS (American Society of Bariatric Surgeons), successful bariatric patients consume about 1000 calories up to a year post op. After the year, post op average calorie intake is 1200 calories to maintain weight loss. Calorie needs may vary some based on the age, sex and amount of activity for each individual. Once I started tracking my calories and I stayed at or under 1000 calories, I started losing more frequently than I did before I tracked it. I would say as long as you're getting about 1000 calories and 50+ grams of Protein a day you should see the weight come off again.

I have been stalled over a month, so I feel your frustration completely. For me, it's become especially hard the closer to goal I get. I think all of our bodies go through periods of plateau. The severity and length of said plateaus just depend on the individual. You have lost quite a lot of weight in 6 months, and have a lot to be proud of. Keep mixing up your food and exercise routines and the scale will start moving downward again, you'll see. I agree with the folks above about 65-70% being normal excess weight loss for bariatric patients. I've lost nearly 80% of my excess weight, and I have my sleeve and my determination to thank for that . You will get there with perseverance and patience!

Not sure if this would help with the Protein but my bariatric clinic at the hospital gives a lobg list of recommended protein supplements both powder and liquid. On the list is a liquid protwin called body fortress suoer protein shot. Is liquid form, only 3oz, and packs in 26g of protein. No caffeine, sugars. Someone on the board mentioned to be careful bc of the different types of protein (soy versus others). But I think its an awesome way to get a good amount of protein in with just a few oz total. I bought 24 little tubes since the bariatric nutritionist said it was a okay

Is there not an all in one website where you can get your nectar, Bariatric Advantage, Isopure, chike, powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury, ect at the same time?? I've been online this morning and had to order from 4 different websites!

If your docs don't know what it is they will probably consult some other docs. Sometimes the consulting ends up here: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/florida/departments/general_surgery/bariatric/default.aspx The Cleveland Center in Florida is one of the best in the world. My 1rst class surgeon studied there.

I had purchased patch vitamins and EZ melt vitamins to meet vitamin requirements. Purchased Propel water at Sam's club, 15g protein, 0 cal, 0 sugar to meet liquid intake to prevent constipation. Purchased from Bariatric pal soups, chocolate drinks, shakes replacements to be sure all protein was met. After surgery on the 28th of August 2020, no pain, some discomfort. Went home the next day after x-ray showing no leakage at Mayo Hospital in Florida. I did walk in place in the hospital to help release excess gas. I did purchase a abdominal binder on Amazon and used it after the surgery. This helped a great deal and Dr said this was a good idea to do this. My goal is BMI 20 or less. Enjoy your healthy journey. Dr. Stephen Bowers did over 1000 gastric bypass surgeries and he was awesome.