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Hey Jafter! For some reason I just now saw this post! How are you feeling/doing? I have my surgery the 25th so Im right behind you! How is your liquid diet going? I don't start mine until April 10. Im DREADING it bc I get SOOOO hungry.... hope to hear from you soon!

My surgeon told me that by the end of summer, 9 months after sleeve surgery, I would be done losing weight. I'm just wondering if anyone understands this. Is this bc my metabolism will be used to my low calories? I still have about 40 lbs to lose yikes! Band to sleeve revision surgery 1/16/17 HW: 283 CW: 199 GW: 160

I don't. Something tells me Dr. Scruggs don't do it anymore?? I'm not sure about that but there was one doctor in Decatur that stopped. One that I wish I had checked into is Dr's Britt & Grove. They are out of Guntersville / Albertville but also come to Madison to do the surgery. I can't remember which one of them.. but one of them has the lap band himself. I work with his BIL and although I am happy with the surgeon I chose, I wish I had looked into their practice bc it would have been closer to drive to Madison than Bham.

my office requires chewable. no gummies bc they have hidden carbs and sugars. no capsules bc they add additional barriers on absorption. My surgeons office gave us a full long list of their recommendations, and broke down which ones had additional supplements we had to add with it (example, if you take flintstones complete, you need to add calcium and b complex) I chose the one that was a complete that didnt need additional supplements, and the dietician said that she does not see defiencies with that one, its bariatric fusion, the one that says complete chewable. https://www.bariatricfusion.com/collections/bariatric-multivitamins

Good Morning everyone...I need to ask some questions bc I am having trouble with the approval process....can everyone that has kaiser southern ca answer this please? 1. When did options class end and location? 2. Were u able to do your labs before the option class ended? 3. Were you able to chose the location you wanted you surgery done at? I am trying to see just how different the locations are from ours...mine was done at Corona and ended Sept 28th we had to wait til classes were over and to meet with a specialist then we were sent to do our labs...I am not able to pick were I go...kaiser said I would either go to Pacific bariatric or Crown. Thanks everyone!!

Hi all. I am wondering about the drug test requirement under the Federal BCBS plan. Did you just have your pcp order it?

Just like with WLS you'll hear all sorts of birth control horror stories. Pills make some crazy, people say shots make them gain weight, etc. I'm on my third IUD and have never had a complication. I also already have two kids and don't plan to have more. Personally I would not recommend am IUD to one without kids. I'm so out of the loop with bc options since I've had an IUD so long, but take others experiences lightly... Everyone reacts differently

Seems to me that BS pulled away. Kristina shouldn't be made to feel guilty for protecting herself and her integrity. I have no doubt that Kristina would be there for BS if she needed her, but that said, she doesn't need to enable her in this ridiculous situation. You are bashing someone that doesn't deserve it.

Drama queens..look at how many posts they are receiving for writing BS.. This has to be ignored so it can disappear. Shes not even Dr. Garcias patient...but i am..they are all very professional...

My husband went on the pre op diet with me and is continuing to keep his portions down so between the two of us our food bill has dropped by about $75A a week. We had roast pork a few nights ago and would usually only have enough meat left for sandwiches the next day, well we got two evening meals for 4 and one lunch and i fed almost half of it to the dog this morning. A chicken does 2 meals now and i am not buying my lunch at work. Saving money is a real unexpected bonus.

My only complaint is some pretty intense diarrhea. I guess bc I'm only eating liquids maybe my stools are liquid. I'm around 20 lbs lost

Ok can't find the dr, but I think it was like 7800 for the dr and the same for the PA. I think my copay was $150 Psy charge $672/ paid 407. copay $25.00 Hospital: surgery, drugs, pathology, X-ray ( must be the leak test) etc $28,893.43 bc paid 16,350. Copay $450. Pathology (stomach) $402. Bc paid $402 my part $0 sleep dr paid 0 copay. ( that may have been for the overnight o2, didn't need a sleep study) thought I paid a copay for the dr appt. hubby's overnight sleep study was $100.00 Can't find the eob for my EGD Hope this helps. Sooo about 50,000+ for everything I paid about 800 give or take.

My surgeon/NUT has said to me, re: vitamins/pills... Only ones that are chewable &/or fully dissolvable in a glass of Water within 1/2 hr. Also, that gummies are not as complete as say a Centrum complete chewable (which I'd have to take 2 instead of 1), & that they do not fully dissolve in the sleeve/pouch (& most ppl actually do not fully chew them before accidentally swallowing them) so the nutrients are not released. Also, there is a potential blockage risk, similar to swallowing chewing gum. There is also the thought that they are mostly sugar, & could potentially become a candy substitute for someone who is not coping well...&/or trigger food for someone with sugar sensitivity/"addiction". (I say "addiction" in quotes bc it's not generally medically accepted but those of us who battle it, know it's power) 347*294/285/135 (*347HW/294SSW) | @Mwrarr | mwrarr.wordpress.com

I was told to avoid it until I got my fluid goal bc it could dehydrate you. I haven't had coffee or any caffeine since before surgery which was may 31. I actually don't miss it. I thought I would but I have a ton of energy.

I'm glad lol, bc I started back on coffee about 2 weeks ago and it makes me happy. [emoji4]

Had mine on the 4th about 12:30. Luckily I'm off work until the 22nd of this month so I'm using the time off to get my diet straight. I was down 18 libs on the day of surgery thanks to the pre-op diet but haven't weighed myself since I've been home as I wanted to drop all of the fluids they fed into me while in the hospital. Planning on doing a weigh in every Saturday in hopes of seeing good movement each week. Very happy it's done and I'm on the mend.

You're doing fine with weight loss. I wouldn't worry yet. I'm 3 mos post sleeve and only went down one pant size, but everyone comments on how much over lost. Sometimes it comes of differently. My face looks thinner and my bra size went down. As far a food, make sure you're eating slow, if I eat you fast its easy to eat more than you should and feel sick. Remember just because it's on your plate does not mean you have to eat it. My co worker laughed at me yesterday for leaving three bites of my chicken from lunch, she was like, "you seriously did not leave three bites of chicken. " I know from experience that those three more birds would make me feel like crap. I said it'll make a nice snack later before I go home. She said that is not enough for a snack, and I said wth it is if you've had a protein of your stomach removed. You'll have to learn to listen to your stomach and at the first feeling of yeah I may be full, stop and leave it bc one or two bites have made all the difference in walking away fine out walking away in stabbing pain. Pre op I was originally 256# right before surgery was 231# now I'm 3 mos out 189#. I notice a difference and feel good. Also avoiding carbs has left me feeling more flat in the stomach, when I would eat alot bread Pre op it would leave me feeling bloated.

That's very true - I think its really important to avoid notions of a "right" or 'wrong" way to eat. There's pros and cons of everything. The risks of a higher carb fruit and vegie heavy diet include things like diabetes and even heart disease as a result of the work it creates for your body to digest and store all that instant energy to put it in layman's terms. However, if you're like me, with problems in that area, its very very necessary to prevent nasties like bowel cancer. The great things about a hgih Protein diet include great blood sugar control and less fat storage as a result of the lack of huge amounts of sugar hitting your bloodstream quickly and this too can result in less heart disease. However, this sort of diet can be incredibly heavy in saturated fat, which again, might work for some cultures that dont have exposure to all the other elements of our western lifestyle but may not be so safe for those of us living in different circumstances - for example the inuit would have lived on seal blubber and fresh caught oily fish, not grain fed beef full of hormones and unaturally large chickens and dairy products. by the same token other "healthy" cultures live on much more carb based diets - the Japanese traditionally lived on rice and vegetables as well as fish, whislt mediterranean cultures ate more olive oil, fruits and vegetables and there's also been plenty of publicity on how healthy those diets are too, despite how different they all are. Its a matter of working out what works best for you and makes you feel best. There's another huge factor too of course - we live so long now. The anti cancer effects of lots of fruit and veg for example, become important when you live to 80 or more, didnt matter much when you got eaten by a wooly mammoth at 30. Nor did keeping your teeth, or your eyesight. Personally, I think one of the most important things of all is actually exercise. I think we're evolved to MOVE and that's a root cause of all our problems - we dont move enough.

I'm from Cleveland and was sleeved on 12/20 at UH. Surgeon was wonderful but after surgery sucked bc I did not have a descent nurse. Sent from my VS986 using the BariatricPal App

I'm trying this bc I need to have more protein and love Popsicles thank u!!

I use organic Protein powder and it is great. It is called Fit365 www.fit365.com (Kyle Brown) (858)794-7777. He developed this Protein Powder just for picky people like me. (Smile) Grass-Fed Whey Protein (21g) Coconut Oil High Fiber Live Probiotics Gluten Free Non-GMO Soy Free Low Glycemic I was very concerned about using whey powder, especially since I try to eat organic when ever I can. However, many whey Proteins never claim to be organic and taste great at the same time. This one is and you can taste the difference. It is clean and taste great like I said before. I bought the vanilla bean and it blends with about anything. It is very filling too.

About a month and a half ago I was diagnosed with PCOS. Ever since my daughter was born two years ago I couldn't lose the weight. I would lose some, gain a lot, lose some, gain a lot. Before I knew it I was heavier than I was when I was 9 months pregnant. I feel like crap all the time. Body aches, chronic fatigue, constantly feeling sick to my stomach, hair growth on my face, hair loss on my head and oh god the acne. My periods were nothing short of a nightmare and when I went two months without getting it that's when I knew something wasn't right. I moved and changed insurance recently so when I made an appointment with an obgyn it took a month before they could fit in a new patient. She sent me for a sono and a blood test and it turned out PCOS was the cause of all this. Without really explaining much about the condition she sent me on my way with a script for provera(to induce a period) and necon(super strength BC). That's when I decided I really wanted to get the gastric sleeve done. Six hours into my day I eat for the first time when the nausea subsides, no matter what I eat or how little my body is storing fat like I'm about to hibernate for a decade and after five minutes on a treadmill I feel like I'm about to pass out. If I push through it and make it 30 minutes or more I feel like someone beat the crap out of me. I'm so easily winded. I wasn't like this before my daughter was born, I was at the gym 3 nights a week and walking 3 miles to work and back every day. It's frustrating and depressing. So I made an appointment with a PCP and explained the whole thing to him. He said he wanted me to come back in 3 weeks and 1 week before the appointment come in for a blood test. I asked if he would want my obgyn to fax the blood test I JUST had two weeks before and his response was "It's ok". Whatever. I was ecstatic. I got the process started. I did what I was told. I came back for my next appointment and the doctor told me he wants me to eat oatmeal every morning at 8am and a piece of fruit every hour until 12pm when I have a sandwich and again until dinner and also join weight watchers. I said "but.. Don't you think the sleeve will help me? With my PCOS symptoms I mean if I lose the weight my hormones will regulate and the PCOS can go away" He said "No that surgery stuff is no good. I wouldn't recommend that stuff to my patients. All it does is shrink your stomach and you can do that yourself by doing what I told you. These surgeries all they do is make you throw up and it's messy and you will have a miserable life". He went on to tell me some story about one of his patients who had 27 surgeries and I just stopped listening because honestly I could've just cried right there and then. Why couldn't he just have said that in the first placr instead of wasting 3 weeks of my time? He told me if I really wanted it I would have to call my insurance and find a new doctor. So I went home and called my insurance. I told the woman on the phone I was looking for a new PCP and please give me the number to every single one who takes Aetna in this town, the next one, give my the whole county and then some. She gave me three numbers then started saying "Hello? Ma'am? Are you there? I can't hear you" then eventually disconnected the call. The first number I called told me they weren't accepting new Aetna patients but they do recommend patients for the sleeve and if I change my insurance to Blue Cross they can help me. Second number said they weren't sure if the doctor recommends the sleeve because she's on vacation. They took my info and said the will call me in a week when the doctor returns. The third number was an answering service and they didn't even name the doctor that the insurance woman gave me. I felt so defeated, depressed and hopeless at that point I couldn't gather the strength to call the insurance company back and ask for more numbers. I'm not really sure where to go from here. I can keep calling doctors. If that fails I could try changing my insurance and hope that by the time I get blue cross that doctors office is still taking new patients. And also hope that I can find a good pediatrician for my daughter. I'm also not sure if I can get blue cross considering I get my insurance through medicaid. I feel so miserable now. My optimism deflated. I don't want to give up. Sent from my LGMS395 using the BariatricPal App

oops battery died...as i was saying. I started researching ferosciouly. I couldn't find a whole lot on Dr. Puccini-Sales all i had was the evidence of my friends and their overwhelming success. BTW the original friend that had plication/lipo, had a baby a year after her plication and she had a healthy beautiful baby and bounced right back to her thin weight after giving birth, they actually had to photo shop her baby bump it was so small. i digress, other friends went after her and they too look like bombshells but going to colombia to baranquilla didn't appeal to me and i did not like that i could not find posts on Puccini Sales, not on the bariatric times, or public state posting, nothing. The proof was in the pudding, but i wasn't convinced and the price although similar to what i ended up paying at the OCC + or Minus was about the same. I researched Dr. Ortiz and OCC, i was pretty convinced even though i not one to fall for many marketing tools which they use many, nonetheless the decision was made. I was going to go in March for the sake of combining it with another trip, but after things kinda of fell apart from the perspective of company going with me, my friend who had gastric bypass over 10 years ago went with me. i booked the week before valentines day and was scheduled for the 15th. Tijuana was hard to roll off the tongue, i don't recommend you tell too many people but your closest confidants because you will get an ear full about Tijuana, everyone has an opinion, yet no one has gone or can provide evidence outside their perception. so i flew on Vday, started my liquid diet Friday before going. Which to be frank i didn't mind, i was zoo busy i hardly had time to pay attention. flying from the east coast is a bit of a pain, there are no direct flights, but VIRGIN AMERICA was amazing, every time we made it to the gate it was already boarding, seamless. when we arrived finally in san diego, the van to from the OCC was already there. on time and ready. I speak spanish and it was nice conversation. Everything the OCC does is perfectly choreographed. From the moment you meet the driver at SAN to the moment you end you journey and drive home. I don't want to ruin the experience for you but trust me its funny. The marriott was great, really clean and safe. Lots of security in the lobby and you cannot enter the floor of your guest room without a key. The room was very clean and comfortable. The duvets are white which i prefer at hotels. there is not dates coverall. The bellman gave me instructions for ordering room service bc everything in my OCC diet is included. Broth, popsicles. They know what you need and are ready. My friend who ate regular food as well found the prices to be VERY affordable. No meal from room service was more than $12 with tip. The bellman even scheduled the wake up call. The shower was very clean and the bath products are Bath and Body Works. It does not feel like a hotel outside of the states. Marriott brand standards are very well kept. In the morning i was the first one in. Everything started at 7am, bloodwork, nutritionist, cardiologist, the works...and from the reception to the nursing staff, everyone is EXTREMELY attentive, loving, caring and nurturing. The walk you step by step through every single little thing they do to you and for you. I was taken back though, i don't know what i was thinking but i did not expect to stay overnight. I though i would leave the night of surgery back to the marriott, but you actually stay there. The room is everything they post online. EXTREMELY clean, nice duvets, a calming little water thing on the side of your bed and free calls to the US. Without as much as question. Wifi is there in the center throughout. I went into my room and they had to give me a sedative, i was pretty hysterical. But once that kicked in my friend and i met with the surgeons, from the General Medical Dr. to Dr. Martinez and Dr. Ortiz. They have UNREAL bedside manners, they talk so much with you and address every concern. To the point that my friend and i were in shock because it was at least 30min in the room just talking and talking. I went into surgery very very calm, i lay on that black surgical bed, i was so calm. The anesthesiologist was wonderful and Dr. Ortiz said CIAO! I woke up in my bed with my friend next to me. No pain. Just very thirsty. I spoke to my family and everything was ok. visiting hours ends at 4pm. my friend was taken back to the marriott and she felt very safe. Also, getting into the OCC is no small feat. They don't open the door even for food delivery. My friend ordered food while i was in surgery, there was a delivery selection book. Overnight, i walked a lot. It just felt better. As soon as i got up there was the nurse. I cannot account accurately how ofter or how many times but there were two overnight nurses and one overnight general doctor. They took my temperature, kept my IV always refreshed and constantly monitored my meds. There was never a moment when i questioned where they were or if they had remembered me...i mean unreal the service. Constantly at my call. Although thank goodness i didn't need them. Walking is vital. It helps so much with the gases which is the main source of pain or rather angst. I was up very often but not because of pain simply discomfort. I DO NOT recommend you drink anything or ask for ice. as soon as i sipped on ice and threw it back up and it was not pretty. you don't need it my IV was running and changed so ofter i knew i was hydrated. The morning came, they finished monitoring my med, asked questions, the surgeons came in and checked on me again, spent quite some time again at least 45min this time talking and talking. I was released probably around noon, but not before i was checked with an X-ray machine for leaks and digestion track. I went back to the hotel and just showered, rested and tried to take down anything i could. I walked a lot, i would force myself to do at least 5-6 rounds sometimes ten around the entire floor with my friend. We went down by the hotel pool and took in some fresh air, walked around again and just relaxed. I did not like the broth at the marriott, i was thankful that i packed some ramon noodle packs, i would add hot water from a tea order on the flight or even at the hotel. You can barely take down half a cup. I recommend you pack Gatorade, electrolyte water and packs of ramon noodles even though you will only have the broth. i like mine hot so the room temp broths were not my thing. The meds i bough at the OCC were great. I did not need pain meds even though i bough the sublinguals. The anti-acid is great and the naseau has gone unopened - i had ZERO naseau the entire time. Friday i went back to the OCC for one last check up, even though it was not included they welcomed me and gave me one more look on the Xray, since i live clear across the US it is not easy to get back here nor do i feel comfortable going to a bariatric surgeon in Miami that has neither performed the surgery or knows what they are looking for. I did tell the dr. that the pangs or discomfort from eating and drinking which feels like fireworks are going off in your tummy whenever you eat something was driving me crazy he gave me a small pill that i took a box home. It helps with the stomach muscle spasms which i think is what they were. I will be back in 6mos for my endoscopy and to enjoy everything i missed out on in Tijuana and San Diego. The trip back i booked FIRST CLASS, if your flight is more than 1-2hrs, i highly recommend this. Although you will have a very small amount of discomfort really from the external larascopic sutures, you want need and deserve the care and comfort of not waiting-every dime i spent on first class back on the red eye was worth it. I am back home, i have slept for hours and hours, I've taken very little down, i can't even count. Powerade, electrolyte water, grandma's life saving broth (she claims it can bring the dead back to life lol) and i went to whole foods. I bought some organic popsicles, stocked up on my keffir yogurt for the week and i also purchased a green food supplement that has probiotics and lots of Vibrant Health and Green Vibrance. It has 25 million probiotics from 12 strains. I have been adding a little bit at a time to my broth. Nothing worries me more than nutrition right now. I think it will be key to my success but also in not becoming a small version of a heavy girl. I want to be healthy, vibrant, frisky and fun. Knowing that i have this secret tool that is going to get me to where i want to be forever. So i have been taking my meds religiously, i have only taken 2 small pills that help with the spasms. the only think i wish is i could gulp down a big fat cold glass of water but thats not the case you can only sip and you WILL feel is hit you stomach. EVERY DROP. I am thrilled with my decision, the choice i have made because it is the key to my long term health. I plan on resting tonight and tomorrow a lot, need to get back to work on Monday, and thank goodness it is a holiday and things will be slow. I do work in my own office so i know i can close the door if anything happens but i know everything will be fine. The nutritionist recommends a min of 3days on clear liquids, i am going the full 7 days so that i heal well. yogurt and hearty soups from whole foods will hopefully start on Wed. I bought some veg based protein powder since it might be softer on my tummy in the beginning with almond milk and berries. Lets see just one step and one day at a time but planning ahead. Also, my dreams are soo fun and vivid, all i dream about is shopping for new clothes and funny things i have wanted to do for a while. Its as if psychologically and subconsciously i am preparing for the changes that lie ahead. I can't go back to my trainer for another 3weeks but i plan on doing some slow long distance walking on Monday night - trust me it helps A LOT with the gas. Ok this is all for now, i hope this post helps because when i was soul searching online i could not find a whole lot. not sure how ofter i will dedicate to updates but i will do my best. If you are in search of a decision i promise you i made the right one with occ so far everything was better than expected. My friend that went to see the colombian doctor also changed her mind and is going with a Dr. Kelly in mexico next week. I will have her post as well so that she can offer a contrast and options. I know OCC is not the only once in mexico and i a sure that there are other qualified dr"s that offer the same great care. I don't mean to boast in anyway in my post and i apologize if i offended anyone in any fashion, i am just happy and on a high with the decision i made. I have not weighed my self but i assume i must be at 170 by now...36 healthy pounds to GO! Cheers to loving yourself beyond that which you thought possible. With all of my love and encouragement....134andHAPPY!

That sounds like a bunch of bs....appeal, appeal appeal!!!!

Congratulations!! The gas pain was the worst for me and I felt it in my chest and under my ribs!! Walking helped loads and pain meds.!! Once I got to full liquids I got lots of liquid savory Soups like tomato red pepper, carrot ginger, creamy corn and roasted red peppers, butternut squash, etc mostly the imagine brand bc they are low to non fat and taste great. I added fage Greek plain yogurt for more Protein and creaminess. Some ppl cant handle thickness early on but if you can, those are sone of my suggestions. Happy recovering