LOOKING FOR INFO ON BARIATRIC SURGERY!

[lessismore52 1]

My doctor just gave me a referral for bariatric surgery. I am looking for people who have had it or are going to or even people who know a lot about it. Things I would like to learn are:

Cost

Insurance coverage

Immediate post op results

Appetite afterwards

Recovery

Weight loss

Change in diet and exercise required?

Any other info is greatly appreciated!!!!

[Miss Mac 6,261]

Welcome to the forum. You landed in the right place. I found this site in August of 2103, after my primary doctor gave me a referral for a lap band. In the first information session I found out there was a procedure called the Gastric Sleeve, which I had never heard of. When I Googled it, I discovered Bariatric Pal. The folks here answered my questions and were very helpful in calming my fears. You can expect open and honest opinions, although approach and tact will vary. Not everyone has a textbook recovery, and some folks here have suffered considerably. If you want the naked truth, you will find it here.

My surgery did not cost me anything except for a few small office co-pays with the nutritionist and psych. I had to do a three month supervised diet, and provide a two year record of my physician's participation in my attempts at weight loss. I had two pre-op visits with a psychologist, two pre-op visits with the surgeon, and monthly visits with the nutritionist. Post -op I see the bariatrician and nutritionist every three months until I hit my two year mark in December. My insurance, BCBS Federal Employee covered everything.

Actually, the hardest part for me was not the post-op recovery, but the ten day liver shrinking liquid diet preceeding the surgery. I had no complications with my recovery, but I was nauseous for about a month, until I progressed to regular food. It took another month to get some energy back.

My appetite was almost non-existant for the first month. I had to force myself to eat the required 1/3 cup of food and meet Protein and Fluid requirements, too. No lie, the first month is tough because your body has really taken a hit and feels brutalized. Miss Tummy was mad at me for a while. She is the boss of me and lets me know it. If I eat something that displeases her, she makes me suffer for at least four hours.

However, at 15 months out, I am close to my goal of 100 pounds. Some people lose that much in four to six months. I am a slow loser, but am still moving forward to maintenance soon. I eat what I want, but what I want has changed. Now my body craves and thrives on Protein and veggies and I can eat about a cup of food at one meal.

Because of orthopedic and post-stroke issues like poor balance and fall risk, exercise was always difficult for me.

As soon as I dropped that first thirty pounds, my posture started to improve because that big ol' 53" belly wasn't pulling me over as much. As I lost more weight, my spine (which has 17 herniated disks) has mellowed out and not given me near as much nerve pain, and I can walk without a cane around the house. When I go out, I need it because of the balance issue, which is worse in open spaces.

This whole process has been a give and take. Sure, I had to drop comfortable old habits that were leading me to an early grave, but due diligence is rewarding me with better health and enough energy to exercise every day, including strength training twice a week.

If you want to search a certain topic, go to the search bar at the top of the page, and type it in. There is a little down arrow. Click on that and go to the forums section. You will then get your results. Most newbies asked the same questions, and I did too. Hopefully we can encourage you and help you get the answers to your questions.

[Crosby 303]

I would suggest reading lots. There are many variables to your questions. Read this site ...and others. Read research materials and the American Society for Bariatric Surgery is a GREAT resource. https://asmbs.org

[Djmohr 6,965]

Hi there and welcome!

This is a great site for researching information about weight loss surgery, getting and giving support to others who are thinking about getting WLS or have already had this surgery and also venting when there just isn't anyone to share you concerns with.

I am a RNY gastric bypass patient who is 7 months post op. This surgery was all about getting healthier for me. Weight loss was secondary as I was in a bit of trouble health wise. I currently have psoriatic arthritis, hypothyroidism and degenerative spine disease. Prior to surgery I had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, uncontrollable reflux/gerd and stage 3 kidney disease. The kidney disease is what pushed me to have this surgery. At my check in with my nephrologist in February, I was told that my kidney function was normal and I was no longer at risk.

I chose bypass because I was informed it would resolve my reflux and the sleeve would make this worse. I had also done a lot of research and learned that the band was not an option given how many people have to have it revised to a bypass down the road.

Immediately following surgery my diabetes and reflux were completely gone! Within 4 weeks post op my kidney function had improved and my cholesterol was normal. I was removed from all medications with the exception of hypothyroid replacement and a beta blocker used for the prevention of Migraines. I was on a ton of medications.

My recovery was text book. I followed all of the rules and continue to do so and I believe this is why I have been so successful.

I am down over 90lbs with 53 to go.

I would agree that the 10 day pre-op diet is challenging but very doable and it sets you up for success. For me the toughest part was the puréed diet. Ugh! I just did not tolerate blended meats and I don't tolerate Beans of any kind. They cause me to gag and vomit.during that stage I lived on Protein shakes, cottage cheese, yogurt and creamed Soups.

This surgery was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. There was not ever one second that I regretted it.

I can eat anything I want without getting sick. My body craves good Protein and good carbs. My sugar addiction is completely gone.

I love to get exercise when I used to hurt so bad that I could not move.

This week I discovered that I can sit on the floor with both my legs crossed Indian style. Do you know how long it's been since I could do that? I can literally run up and down the stairs when I used to suffer just to get up a small flight.

I look and feel fantastic. People that have not seen me for a while are shocked at how great I look. I used to hate shopping, now I love trying on new clothes. It is a blast!

Insurance covered everything for me with the exception of co pays. It took 9 months to get through the process mostly because of the six month supervised diet. That time was critical to helping me build good behaviors. This surgery is NOT the easy way out, it requires hard work every single day. My new pouch is a tool I use to help make good nutrition possible.

I wish you the best of luck. Please feel free to reach out, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

[James Marusek 5,244]

On the top of this website is a pull down bar called "Resources". It tries to answer many of your specific questions. Also it links to a number of books on the subject.

[Stevehud 1,790]

Welcome to a great place. You will most certainly find what you need here, there are many wonderful informed people here who will do their best to help you in any way. I am proof of that. Even people you may not get along with or agre with, can help you a great deal and be inspirational.

Welcome, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi there and welcome! I stumbled on this forum in June of 2013 when I started my process then I got my lapband in November. I was impatient but in hindsight that timing was great for me. I upped my exercise and started seeing a therapist to sort out my triggers, etc. it was good for me to have a third party to discuss the process with -- another way of showing up for myself, really. For me, weight loss surgery was about choosing myself first and my healthy future. Insurance companies vary -- mine had only one requirement, a BMI of 40 or more. Call yours and find out. I must have called four times, I was so nervous and excited. I have found the process to be very easy. I am not on a diet and am so grateful to have a dimmed appetite. The links in my signature below helped me understand the procedure I chose. Sometimes there is discord here (my surgery is better than yours) but only you and your doctor know what's best for you as an individual. The important thing is deciding to get healthy -- congratulations on that and all that is ahead! We live in amazing times.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Hi there and welcome! I stumbled on this forum in June of 2013 when I started my process then I got my lapband in November. I was impatient but in hindsight that timing was great for me. I upped my exercise and started seeing a therapist to sort out my triggers, etc. it was good for me to have a third party to discuss the process with -- another way of showing up for myself, really. For me, weight loss surgery was about choosing myself first and my healthy future. Insurance companies vary -- mine had only one requirement, a BMI of 40 or more. Call yours and find out. I must have called four times, I was so nervous and excited. I have found the process to be very easy. I am not on a diet and am so grateful to have a dimmed appetite. The links in my signature below helped me understand the procedure I chose. Sometimes there is discord here (my surgery is better than yours) but only you and your doctor know what's best for you as an individual. The important thing is deciding to get healthy -- congratulations on that and all that is ahead! We live in amazing times.

Welcome to BariatricPal. I finally got my sleeve on Monday and came home last night. It was a long road getting here and learning as much as I could really helped me to be at peace about my decision and to calibrate my expectations.

As everyone has suggested, read as much as you can, ask lots of questions, and do what is asked of you by your bariatric team. When I went for my surgery I committed to myself just to suck it up and do whatever I was told.

Best of luck.

[samuelsmom 670]

My doctor just gave me a referral for bariatric surgery. I am looking for people who have had it or are going to or even people who know a lot about it. Things I would like to learn are:

Cost

Cost is very variable. If you have insurance, it is usually not too bad. Those without insurance commonly go to Mexico. There are quite a few reputable surgeons and the price is about $4000-$6000 depending on the practice, your travel costs, etc.

Insurance coverage

More insurances cover this surgery now. If you have insurance, the specific requirements will be in the evidence of coverage brochure. There is a wide range of requirements so you want to know what yours is from the get-go.

The answers for the questions below will vary greatly. I will share my experience

Immediate post op results

Shockingly enough, I did not wake up 100lbs lighter ! lol. I did lose 12 pounds in the first 2 weeks. I have continued to lose but at a slow pace. If you were a slow loser before surgery, it probably will not speed up dramatically. The beauty is that the trend continues down instead of that yo-yo effect most of us are used to.

Appetite afterwards- I had no appetite for several weeks. After one month, it came back full force. I was so disappointed as I was hoping not to have an appetite for 6 months! Oh, well... nothing to do about that and to my knowledge, there is no way to predict how long you will not have an appetite

Recovery- Wonderful and easy! No post-op pain, did have a lot of gas pain. Rarely took medicine. Honestly, being past 50 and weighing over 270lbs, I expected to have a very difficult recovery. I was thrilled to be lucky in that respect.

Weight loss- I am at 78 pound down since my first doctor visit in July, 2014. Weight loss is not fast now, but that's ok!

Change in diet and exercise required? Absolutely. Going through this process requires us to seriously evaluate just what we are eating and the nutritional values of it. Exercise also helps reach fitness goals so is a part of the whole plan. Not everyone does it, but it is a good idea to. Since being back on solids 4 weeks after surgery I have been able to eat anything without any problem. That being said, i can only eat small quantities and for the most part, make wise choices!

Any other info is greatly appreciated!!!!--This surgery has helped me to have hope for the future. It is not secret that morbidly obese people have more joint issues and shorter lifespans. I am so happy that I am just in the obese category now and NOT morbidly obese. Maybe I will have a party when I get to the "overweight" category!

Edited April 22, 2015 by samuelsmom

[Kim Modlin-Simpson 0]

I have a question and not sure where to ask, so I'll start on this feed. Considering gastric sleeve, husband does not support it, thinks I can do it without surgery by restricting calories. So why did you choose surgery considering it is also a restrictive diet? Thanks!