Alexandra

Whether you can tolerate spicy foods is such a personal thing, I don't know if our experiences will be helpful. I've had no problem, but then I have an iron stomach. It stands to reason that if someone has a more sensitive stomach prior to banding, the surgery could easily make it more prone to irritation. So the question is, how are YOU with spicy food?

Kim, though it all must have been and continue to be frustrating, I applaud your determination and serious sense of purpose! It's more than possible that by the time your six months is up, Kaiser will have re-examined their stance on the band. And if not, well, there will be six months more time for a body of evidence to build about its effectiveness. I'm sure you will prevail with that level head of yours. You remind me of me, exactly two years ago. :eek: :eek:

Nancy, good luck with your new restriction. Take it slow!! Ginny, yeah, it can be really disconcerting the first time you have a serious PB issue going on. I remember thinking it felt like a heart attack or something; I was sweating and really getting ill. But it passes and you realize exactly what went wrong, and now you know how to avoid it in the future. It's amazing how a bit too much food in my esophagus can set off this chain reaction of unpleasantness, but now that I know about it I do what's necessary to make sure it doesn't happen. CHEW!!! That's your best defense. And then STOP EATING when you have even a suspicion that you've had enough. If you wait two or three minutes and still want more, have another bite. But you were probably right and that was enough. Restriction is a funny thing sometimes, but it's what does the job.

Congratulations!! Now the countdown begins. How exciting!

LOL!! That's really great! Personally I'm a big fan of t-shirts in general, and if I were to be with y'all in Vegas I'd definitely wear one. But I'm not so sure about out in public in my daily life...I'd have to think about it.

Amy, don't be so quick to discount Aetna. They've rewritten their coverage determination with regard to the band and I think as long as you can get your doctors to make a strong case for band over bypass you have a good chance. You might want to spend some time working on a list of reasons you don't want bypass. If you have any medical issues that make the bypass even marginally a bad choice, write them down. If your first request is denied that will probably be the course you have to take in convincing them. Good luck, and I'll be very interested to hear how things go!

Hi Amy, Welcome, and it's nice to meet you! From what I hear there are precious few things you could have that might make you a bad candidate for banding. You may have health conditions that make you a bad candidate for SURGERY, but that's another story. And if they do find anything in that vein, you will be much better off to have whatever it is diagnosed and treated. Surgery can always come later. Presurgical testing is more comprehensive than your average physical, and I've heard of people having heart problems, tumors, stones of one sort or another and various other things diagnosed in the process. But obviously that would be true for any other medical procedure requiring significant testing as well. As far as not qualifying for the band, really, I can't think of much. Significant abdominal scarring from previous trauma or surgeries can present complications, but even with that it may be possible. Are you worried about something specific? You're taking a big step forward in reclaiming your health and future, so take each step as it comes and try not to worry. Worry in itself can raise your blood pressure and so on, and you don't want to create problems where none exist! A stress test was not required for me; I'm not even sure I know what one is. I would guess it's not routine unless indicated by a given patient's health. Let us know how your doctor visit goes. And relax!

I've been getting those announcements for a year or so and this is the first chat I think I might like to attend. Have you done any of them? What are they like? This is an important issue for bandsters, I think, and I'd really like to see what a surgeon has to say about it.

Hi Kyleigh, Nice to see you!! :mad: Did you already own that charming boa, or did you buy it for the occasion?

All Right, Donali!! I totally agree with you about the shrinkage. It's almost like there are two completely different processes happening simultaneously: the numbers dropping and the inches coming off. The two seem not related to one another at all. Yay for you!!! :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :mad: :D

A request has been made that this thread be locked. I'm not inclined to do so at this point but I will say this. We can discuss the doctors and our experiences with them freely, but please keep the personal comments and drama out of it. "He said" vs "she said" stuff is never helpful, and rehashing of history that occurred elsewhere is just distracting and annoying to the rest of us. People reading this board are responsible for making their own decisions and doing their own research. Let's keep the soap operas out of it. Sandy, you are welcome to post here, of course. If you have an affiliation with a physician it would be nice for you to disclose it, but that's up to you. Same goes for everyone else. Let's start again, and assume that everyone is posting honestly and without malice, and move forward from there.

Bailey, my doc says one day liquids and then see how I feel. I've always gone straight to work after a fill; after a big cup of coffee I feel just fine.

Mbz, please don't feel attacked, we're just concerned. From the way your posts read it sure sounded to me at least like you were choosing a situation that might be dangerous over a situation that might just be inconvenient. If your doctors feel there is no danger then that's who you should listen to. Perhaps we've been oversensitized recently because of the several reports of problems that have come up. The worst thing is to catch a problem too late, so you'll have to forgive us if we're recommending a level of caution that may seem extreme to you. Many of the stories I've read of problems start out with "I had this little issue and thought it was nothing, but..." Please keep us posted. I hope your issues resolve on their own and that you remain healthy, happy, and slender. By the way, I keep meaning to ask where in NJ are you? Does your surgeon's office have support group meetings? You may be able to get good feedback there as well.

I know you're addressing the other Alex, the one who founded the board and is the technical wiz, but I don't know how often he reads anymore. As far as the logging in and out thing goes, that may be a cookie issue on your own computer. That's my only guess.

This is something I think about too. I'm trying really hard to internalize and memorize the amounts I am eating, so that if I ever have to limit myself without help I'll have an easier time recognizing what's ENOUGH. It's hard to imagine that I'd be able to do it without the physical assistance of the band, but it's something I'm trying to do for my mental health too. But god, that impulse to take big bites and swallow them whole is still with me. How do I get rid of that? If I ever lose my band that's going to be my biggest demon.

MBZ, I agree with everyone here (which is no surprise, I'm sure). What is the worst thing that can happen? Losing your band? Gaining some weight back? NO! The worst thing that can happen is a serious complication necessitating emergency surgery. From that point all bets are off. Why take chances??? Take it one step at a time and go for the complete unfill RIGHT NOW. You can see what the next step will be after that. You are playing with fire and it's your health and well-being at stake, not just your thin figure. PLEASE get this taken care of!!

Oh, honey, I'll bet you're in mourning. Totally understandable and you have every right. But this was NOT your last hope for a normal life, far from it. Science is moving ahead and tearing down the barriers between it and a real way to win against obesity. It's going to happen. sleep tight, and things will look brighter and brighter as you feel better.

Originally posted by donali My doc's office said that the vast majority of the erosions they ee are diagnosed via endoscope. Which implies to me that those patients were symptom-free as well....I don't know if there is any benefit to finding out about an erosion earlier than later, when you start exhibiting symptoms, like a port infection, loss of restriction, or pain. Yeah; the first thing that popped into my head when I heard the docs' answer about annual scoping was "how many patients do you have with UNDIAGNOSED erosion?" But of course, there's no answer to that. I don't know either. It seems to me that it could be possible that a "little" erosion isn't a bad thing? Maybe it's possible for it to get to some point where it's stable, and doesn't cause any harm--like if there's good scarring or something? Obviously I have no idea what I'm talking about, but the bottom line for my doctors was that scoping everyone would just be expensive and time-consuming for very little benefit. Apparently some docs advise waiting until the band is completely eroded into the stomach for removal of the band itself via the throat. Gad. Doesn't that just freak you out? I can't get my brain around that. And I must say that once I KNEW my band was eroding, I was a mess of psychosomatic feelings, and needed to have it out before I drove myself crazy, worrying if there were going to be holes in my stomach leaking into my abdominal cavities, causing perontinitis and other frightening things... I'd have felt EXACTLY the same way. I can't imagine waiting until it finishes the job of slicing my stomach in half.

Janis, What you're experiencing is a very normal and expected phase. You will be hungrier as your body heals and as long as you are still limited to liquids or mushies. You don't need a fill yet, you haven't been banded long enough and your healing isn't done. But what you do need is to eat more and keep yourself from getting too hungry and possibly eating too quickly. Go ahead and EAT if you're hungry. This time is not about dieting, not about starving, not about suffering, and not about weight loss. It's about HEALING. When you are fully healed you will get a fill, and when you get the right restriction you will be astounded at how the hunger fades. But not yet. Be patient and be good to yourself, and know that any weight lost at the start is a bonus. Start concentrating on eating the Protein first and even without a fill you will be taking in way fewer calories than you were pre-band. You may very well continue to lose weight, but even if you gain some back you are way ahead of the game. You are banded, and someday soon you will start on your weight loss journey in earnest. Congratulations, and relax!!

Carolyn, oh wow, what a shock that must have been! Thank goodness they caught it and took care of it. You poor thing. Are you feeling better now? I understand about there not being a band in your future, but there are far worse things out there than that. How is your recuperation going--are you on liquids for three months or anything awful like that? Oh, man, I'm so sorry for what you went through. Take good care and heal up quickly!

Last weekend we attended a party for a cousin's child. (See photos in A Chance to Compare.) Last night I got an e-mail from my uncle, who has long been a beloved figure in our lives but whom we only get to see twice a year or so. Since my dad died in 1994 this uncle has served in loco parentis when needed. He said, essentially, that he was sorry he hadn't had a chance to compliment me on how I looked at the party. He said: "I gather you've reached your objective." I was stunned, but realize that he hasn't seen me at this weight, well, ever. So that was pretty cool right there. But I wrote back and told him that while I have reached AN objective I'm not done losing weight and hope to lose another 60 or so. He said: "I'm very proud of you." Sniff.

I think the advice on foods to avoid is always dependent on whether one is sensitive to it. Some people can't go near jalapenos, while others have to have them on everything. I have always had an iron stomach, and haven' t had a moment's discomfort or reflux since being banded. I have no qualms about eating spicy food or drinking coffee as of now, but if I were to experience any heartburn or reflux that would definitely change. As for the incidence of erosion, we asked our doctor about this at a recent meeting. Drs. Abkin and Bertha have banded over 350 patients and their experience dates back to their participation in the US clinical trials in 2001. They've had ONE patient with erosion. That's a rate of less than .3%. And, apropos of an earlier conversation on this board, we asked the docs about the need for an annual endoscopy just to see if things are OK. They do not see any need since the incidence of complications is so low. Obviously it's a good diagnostic tool if there are any problems or symptoms, but if everything seems fine they see no reason for an annual scope.

I'm the same as everyone else here. I do eat Pasta once in a while, but it's even more difficult mentally than other foods because it takes so little to fill me up. I mean, dinner can't really consist of ONE piece of ravioli, right? It makes me feel cheated so I don't generally go there. As for soda, nope, I can't drink it either. I was never warned about its dangers but I just don't like the feeling it gives me. Carbonation so high up in my stomach is very uncomfortable.

Hi Kim, Here's the link to the thread that has a couple of appeal letters in it: http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2527&perpage=15&pagenumber=2 At this point all you're doing is getting a referral from your PCP to explore weight-loss surgery. Don't worry about what TYPE of surgery yet; that's not a call for your PCP to make. Once you get the referral to a surgeon, start going for all the diagnostic tests and whatnot that the surgeon requires. The first step is to get the doctors and Kaiser to agree that you are a good candidate for surgery at all. Then it's your surgeon who will be putting in the request for pre-cert for the surgery itself, and at that point you need to be all over the lap-band vs RNY thing. Make sure the surgeon's office requests the correct surgery, and if you are denied make sure you know exactly why. Then take it from there. Good luck!!

That's EXACTLY how I feel, Tellie. It's literally changed my conception of my future, in a wonderful way. I LOVE MY BAND!!!