Alexandra

Lala, unless something goes terribly, terribly wrong during surgery I can't imagine any possible way being banded could affect one's fertility. The incisions are all well above my navel and internally, well, we know where the stomach is in relation to the important girl parts. You have NOTHING to worry about. What might affect fertility is weight loss....affect it positively, I mean. I've heard stories from people who have experienced regulated cycles and increased ovulation as a result of losing weight.

With your health issues I'd say that your BMI shouldn't be a problem. Your bigger problem is qualifying for the surgery with your insurance, but I'm STRONGLY of the belief that time will take care of that eventually. My suggestion to you is to start the process now, because it may be a long one. Don't let the "fact" that Humana isn't covering the surgery stop you from proceeding. I knew the same thing about my insurer when I started, and a year later I was banded and my carrier paid for every dime. Don't give up. Just take it step by step. See your doctor for a physical and have a serious discussion about your weight so it gets into your file. Tell your doctor you're looking in to weight loss surgery (no need to specify which kind yet, unless he asks--the qualifications are the same for all of them) and you want his help in documenting the medical case. Then find a surgeon and schedule a consult, and you'll see where your next step lies at that point. Good luck!!

i have a bmi of 38 so would i be able to have a band, and is it wise to have one, i need to lose70lbs and i can`t seem to do it, at least for the last 8 yrs anyway A BMI of 38 by itself isn't enough to qualify someone for a band in the U.S. You could be banded in Mexico or elsewhere if you wanted, though. In the US someone with that BMI would qualify only if he or she also suffers from weight-related health problems (co-morbidities). IMO, carrying 70 extra pounds for 8 years shouldn't necessarily mean a diagnosis of morbid obesity. also can you drink beer, wine or scotch, after its all done and your on solid foods, not that i`am a big drinker but i like to go out one day a week, I'll bet if you stopped drinking altogether you'd probably lose a good deal of weight just from that. Men have it easy--my ex-husband stopped drinking beer and immediately dropped 30 lbs without trying at all. Weight-loss surgery is a big step and if you're planning on drinking afterward, in my opinion you may want to think twice about it. will the band take away your hunger , will it stop you from eating, after you have your 3-4oz of food, i eat mostly when i am not hungry i eat just to eat even when i`am full do any of you have this problem, did the band stop you from eating when your full I definitely feel a STOP EATING signal when I'm full. That's the whole point and purpose of the band. If you keep eating after that you'll either vomit or damage your pouch and/or band. Most of us don't want that, so we stop. Personally, this is the reason I felt I'd be a good candidate for the band in the first place, the fact that I had trouble judging and controlling the quantity of my food. Now I let the band do it for me, and it does a MUCH better job!

Hi Elbell, The first step in this process is to have a complete physical and talk to your doctor about your weight. If you have it in your medical record that you have been working on your weight problem, recognize it and have a history of trying to control it you will have a much easier time with the process. This is true whether or not you are trying to have insurance cover it. I went to my family doctor as my first step and told her I was ready to take serious measures to change my health. She asked the questions, I talked. You just have to take that first step of telling the medical professionals in your life that you are ready to make some significant changes to get healthy. Weight loss surgery shouldn't be anyone's FIRST attempt to lose weight. You're pretty young, and if you haven't had these discussions with your doctor you may want to try other things first. Let us know how it goes!

Welcome to you both! I hope someone here can help you with specific information pertaining to your location. You might also try asking your questions of the doctor's office directly--they often have a printed info sheet that can easily be faxed or mailed. Obviously the best source of information on a specific doctor is that doctor's own office. With regard to your other questions, you've come to the right place! A great way to start is reading old messages and threads, and posting new questions about things you want to know. We have bandsters at all stages of the game, and we're happy to help. Once again, welcome!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Pregnancy is a trip, and I hope you do everything you can to enjoy it, because it can be hard. Please don't worry about losing during this time. Kiera is right--you will be doing a very important job and your body and the baby BOTH need plenty of nutrition. I think her doctor's advice sounds right on. And as far as breastfeeding goes, my experience was that it did not contribute to weight loss until I actually weaned. My body, contrary as it is, held on to my baby weight until my baby was no longer feeding off of my body at all. Then it dropped 20 lbs seemingly overnight. There's just no predicting! But no matter what, please know that your weight loss can ALWAYS be addressed after you are done carrying, delivering, and feeding this baby. The miracle of the band is that it will still be there for you waiting for another adjustment. Having a baby will and should take all your mental/physical energy and you definitely don't want to compromise your or the baby's health worrying about a few extra pounds. Yay for you!! You're really in for a ride, you lucky devil.

That's a good cautionary tale about the frozen drinks. Thanks for sharing! The last thing I want is PAIN so I'll definitely remember that next time I'm tempted. As for being able to eat more at night, there was theory bouncing around a while back that made sense to me. It's a self-fulfilling cycle: eating more in the evening means food is sitting in your pouch overnight, where it's not supposed to be. I gather there's some swelling in reaction to that, and then in the morning it's harder to eat. But by afternoon and evening the swelling is gone and it's possible to eat more. The suggestion was to really try to eat something for Breakfast and also aim to allow at least four hours between eating and going to bed. Does anyone know if this really works? I almost never eat after dinner and even so I can't eat breakfast. This morning I had less than one scrambled egg before feeling uncomfortably full. So I'm no proof one way or the other.

Carolyn, I know what you mean. My sense of what people are doing when they air their "bad" behaviors is that they are writing it out mostly for themselves. No one needs to be TOLD that certain behaviors do not encourage weight loss; that is one area in which we are ALL experts, or we wouldn't have gotten here in the first place. The act of writing such a post is in itself helpful--it lets the poster get the truth down in words that can be read back, making it easier to fight the subconsious desire for that next potato chip. We're here to help OURSELVES, mostly, and exchange information that can help people considering taking the banding step. Lecturing people having trouble is not going to further either of those aims.

Hey, not fair! I was yelling at your doctor, not you. No patient is responsible for getting bad advice!! Donali, I want to highlight something you just said because I think it bears repeating: I could lose weight faster if I exercised more (and kept from going so high on my calories), but I'm not sure I could maintain that behaviour for the rest of my life. So I am trundling along like I am, doing things I feel I can maintain as a permanent lifestyle. YOU GO, GIRL!!! That is precisely the approach I think makes the most sense for anyone who is deeply desirous of long term weight management. And while everyone agrees that you're a success story, and I certainly think 96.5 lbs in 16 months should be big-time success by anyone's standards, your loss has averaged 6 lbs per month. But there are people out there who, when they look at themselves maybe having lost 36 lbs in their first six months, are declaring themselves failures. This trip takes TIME, ladies and gentlemen. And we all must remember that a slow loss is a PERMANENT loss. And more than anything else, I think we all agree what we want is permanent weight loss.

LOL!!! Ginny, the most well-known are Spotlight Health (click on Morbid Obesity and Support Groups) and the Yahoo Groups dedicated to banding. The two Yahoo groups I'm familiary with are Bandsters and SmartBandsters. These are boards that can either be accessed via the Web or you can sign up to receive messages by e-mail. There are scads of Yahoo groups about banding, some are geographic (NJBandsters, for example) and some are about food or exercise or the overall struggle (StrugglingBandsters). Obesity Help also has message boards and discussion, but I don't know much about those. The site itself is more concerned with bypass issues.

Oh, and I was also going to say Hell Yes to the morning coffee without guilt!! I am addicted to caffeine and see no reason to try to kick that. And I use whole milk or half-and-half to lighten it. I want to ENJOY that cup or two in the morning! There are enough things to feel guilty about in this world. Coffee sure ain't gonna be one of mine.

DeLarla, you do not need a fill!!! I hope you were kidding. PLEASE remember that you will absolutely be able to eat more and feel more hunger as your stomach heals. It's NORMAL AND MEANS YOU'RE HEALING. liquid goes right through and even a swollen stoma can easily tolerate it. Now your challenge is finding liquids that will keep you full, full enough so that you're not tortured by cravings for solid food you can't eat yet. Try egg drop soup, meatless chili, hummus, black bean soup--all of these are high in Protein and will go a long way toward keeping you sane during this phase. It's hard, I know, and everyone seems to come back with the exact same question. I did myself, when at one point I finished an entire can of Progresso soup (14 ozs) with no problem. But it's still liquid, and your band doesn't even know it's going down. So if you could drink it preband, you'll be able to drink it postband and you should NOT be alarmed or concerned. You're doing great, not to worry!

Wow, I've never heard of them! Aren't we in the same state? How funny! I've recently discovered Fruit20, a flavored Water that is really pretty good. The Citrus Energy Boost flavor has caffeine and guarana in it too. Gotta love those pick-me-ups!

Cindy, that menu sounds like a perfectly fine menu for anyone. There's no "bad" about it. Two points, though: There is NO REASON TO AVOID SUGAR AFTER BANDING. (I'm yelling so your doctor will hear me.) Holy cow, what a horrible piece of advice!! Absent any medical reason, like diabetes, natural sugar in food is a perfectly acceptable part of any diet. The huge amounts that are added to packaged food are NOT what I'm talking about--so stay away from the Count Chocula--but milk and fruit and things like that were made by nature and we can process them just fine if we're healthy. As for whether your menu is good, ask yourself how long does that bowl of Cereal last you? That half-sandwich at lunch? If you're eating quickly your band is not working for you and you'll probably be hungry in a short time (mentally, anyway). I know a bowl of cereal was NEVER enough for me for Breakfast preband--twenty minutes later it was like I'd never eaten anything. So does it stick with you? That's the question. If it does, you're golden. If it doesn't you might want to try to find foods that do. Protein in the morning does a much better job of keeping me full than anything else. I've been known to have fish for breakfast for that reason. My husband thinks I'm weird.

Why did your doctor tell you to stay away from milk?!? I count on my morning shake for Protein AND Calcium, and I couldn't get that any other way in the morning. Calcium tablets are too big under any circumstances, for one thing. And the amount of egg or cottage cheese that I MIGHT be able to get down just is not satisfying enough. After sleeping overnight my tummy wants something substantial in it. My weight loss follows a pattern, it's not at all steady. After my first fill I lost about 10 lbs pretty quickly and then stabilized for two months, at which point it started up again for about another 4 lbs. After my second fill the same thing happened: 10 lbs pretty quickly, and now a 4-week plateau. And now that I've scheduled my next fill, I'll probably lose another couple of pounds before it happens...I think my band knows what's going on and doesn't want to get stuck with a needle! On an average, then, I'm losing about 4 lbs a month. But what amazes and gratifies me more is that these plateaus are true plateaus--my weight is STABLE instead of RISING. I don't mind taking breaks from the downward slide now, because it doesn't mean an inevitable upward crawl. And THAT'S absolutely revolutionary in my lifelong battle with weight control. For the first time, my weight IS under control, it's been reined in. I often say that if this is all I get out of the band it's more than I could EVER have achieved on my own, and worth every single hoop I have to jump through.

Cindy, I'm so glad you came here to share your story and ask for information and help. Thank you! In addition to Donali's questions, I'd like to know if your sense of the band was ever "just right" or if it really caused problems for you all along. And are you a big exerciser? Was there ever a point where you felt, whoops, something is different now inside me? Now for a little cheerleading: 70 pounds is phenomenal and you should be VERY proud of yourself!! Do you think you could have lost that weight without the band? And, more importantly, would it stay off? Whenever I get frustrated with the band (which is easy to do, of course) I remember that the 50 or so pounds that have come off me ARE NOT COMING BACK this time. Right there it puts the whole thing in perspective, and the frustration disappears. Tomorrow is another day and it sounds like you have a better doctor this time, so the future looks very bright. Comparing menus is all well and good, but as you know it is very different for every person. A given quantity of food means nothing--and it could be three meals for one person or half a meal for someone else. More germane to banded people is whether the food is a) nutritious, edible (meaning will it go down), and c) going to keep you satisfied for more than a little while. I've just scheduled my third fill because, 12 lbs after my last fill three months ago my restriction has all but disappeared. Here's what I eat in a day: -- 24 oz of milk with Protein powder for Breakfast -- the insides of a deli sandwich for lunch (with restriction I usually could only eat half of the insides; now I can put away all of it) --handful of raisins and nuts for a snack --2 chicken thighs or similar for dinner, with small amounts of salad or veggies --ice cream (yes, I admit it, I'm a junkie) Obviously this varies but it's pretty typical. The reason I scheduled a fill is that yesterday at lunch I ate 14 LARGE pieces of sashimi and felt no restriction whatsoever. I'm not concerned about the calories in that lunch, but the fact that it just went down with no obstacle. I NEED that obstacle to be there in order for my weight loss to progress, so that's why I called the doctor.

Hey, Tangerine, what the heck is a Bawls?

My thoughts on that sort of thing are simple: to each his/her own. It is kinda cool that we're even on anyone's radar, though! This is the first message board I've ever been part of since inception, and it really is a kick to see how it's grown! Go us! :banana Seriously, every message board is different and brings different things to the table. Most people frequent more than one for this reason. Comparing them is silly, ESPECIALLY because that sort of thing can escalate into slamfests when the participants are so inclined. (I think of this place as the "civilized" site, where none of that is ever likely to happen. That's why I love it here!!)

I was not given any warnings or instructions with regard to carbonation. It seems to be about 50/50 whether people get anti-carbonation advice; it's by no means universal. I'm not a big soda drinker, but I have tried it on a couple of occasions post-banding. Frankly, it's very uncomfortable! I can feel it in a whole new way, especially if it's cold, and it's not at all pleasant. Yesterday I thought I'd give it a whirl again, since my restriction is almost absent these days, and had another surprise. It felt fine going down, so I had three or four smallish swallows of Diet Pepsi over about 5 minutes. Ten minutes later I was very bloated! This too was very uncomfortable, but only in my stomach. In other words, I may have needed to burp but it wasn't coming up and didn't quite feel that way. It just made my stomach hard and big, and after a while a little achy. The feeling passed in an hour or so without my really noticing--there wasn't a big burp or anything--but it's not an experience I'm eager to repeat. (This did NOT happen with beer, however.) Your mileage may vary--some people have no problem, while others seem to think they can damage their pouches. I doubt that, but since I can easily live without carbonation I see no reason to force it.

Takea deep breath, Donali...or at least let us know where the men in white coats are taking you! We'll come get you out, after you've had a little rest. Artificial sweeteners are very hard to replace when your favorite disappears. My father, a diabetic, mourned the day they took cyclamates off the market for years and years. Personally, I like the way Equal tastes the best but now use Splenda because of all the bad press. I despise Sweet & Low (but isn't that just saccharine?). The problem with going back to regular sugar is that the fake stuff is many, many times sweeter than sugar. When I have my morning 20 oz coffee, if I have to use sugar it takes something like 5 teaspoons to get it where I like it! That's two Equals or Splendas, and they don't cause the sugar sleepiness I get later, too.

The determination of whether the band will work for you, whether you'll be able to make it work, is not made in the first few weeks. Clearly there is a disconnect between what your doctor thinks you should be feeling and what you ARE feeling, so you and your sister should work on that. But that is NO reflection on whether/how you will use the band to attain your goals! One thing that doesn't get said enough is that time is the X factor in banded life---time to get restricted, time to learn how to live with that restriction, time to learn other ways to handle cravings and emotional impulses, time to learn to stop criticizing ourselves and gain control and accept the slower pace of weight loss. All of these things will come, but problems arise when we don't allow proper TIME for them to happen. To answer some of your questions specifically: Do we just wait and wait until we have enough saline in our bands to begin real weight loss? Do we diet as hard as we can for as long as we can and pretend the band is working for us? Do we pressure the surgery center for more fills until the doctor gets it right? Yes, no, YES. Dieting as hard as you can will only result in weight lost and a doctor who now thinks you don't need a fill. Usually, a lack of weight loss is one indication that a fill is in order, so don't go out of your way to try to lose weight if you're not adequately restricted. Waiting can be hard, sure, but how long have you waited to get banded? How many years did you assume the weight-loss battle was hopeless? You're closer now to having an effective tool in your arsenal than you've ever been before, so why despair and tear your hair out now? A few more weeks won't change the eventual outcome. Inamed looks down on doctors who have a strict fill schedule. It is NOT the right way to determine whether a patient needs an adjustment. Of course, your doctor may just have a restrictive schedule on its own, like mine does: my surgeon's office only does fills once a month, so if you miss getting on the schedule one month it's at least a 4-week wait for the next time. Is that what's going on? Personally, I think 8 weeks between fills is a perfectly decent time. Fills can surprise you, kicking in days or weeks later. And if this is your first experience with restriction you really don't want to be surprised by the way it feels. Much better to take it really slowly so you can avoid swallowing more than your pouch can handle (which is REALLY easy to do in the early days). Hang in there, ladies!! Your day will come, and then you'll look back on this frustration and see it as a minor blip.

The determination of whether the band will or will not work for someone is not made in the first few weeks. Patience is difficult to come by, but remember that this whole process is going to take lots of time. If you regain some of the weight you took off on the liquid phase, it doesn't mean you're a failure!!! Please remember that you have the rest of your life to work with the band and let it help you lose weight and maintain that weight loss. This is just a tiny blip on the journey, and will be over before you know it.

Ugh. This show was supposed to "motivate" moms who want to lose weight. Forget it. The first woman had 25 lbs to lose and lost 12 on the South Beach diet. Yay for her. The second woman had about 35 to lose before her high school reunion, and decided to do it by running a marathon. Yeah, right. The third woman is MO, but only gained weight during her pregnancy and first few years as a mother of quintuplets. Before that she'd been slim all her life, even competing in a 1990 beauty pageant at age 21. She's 5'6", weighs 258, and had bypass surgery a few months ago. She said it's so she'll be around for her five kids, but also mentioned that she wants, once again, to have a body she can be proud of. I am absolutely dumbfounded by people like this woman, who only got fat as an adult, while she was carrying SEXTUPLETS (one was stillborn), and she was consuming 7500 calories a day on her doctor's orders. Six years later she weighs more than her highest pregnant weight, but had gotten down to 190 in the interim. So it's only the last two or at most three years that she's been carrying 100 extra pounds. She seems to me like a TEXTBOOK case of someone who should be banded and NOT bypassed. How can a doctor sincerely recommend such drastic surgery to permanently change the basic functions of a healthy young body that has only recently gone awry? Given time and a certain amount of caloric restriction she probably could have lost a lot of that weight on her own. The band would have been PERFECT for her. Yet nowhere was the band mentioned. Of course. Grrrrr.

Hi Bailey, This is really a very routine request, and such a letter has probably been in every single one of our files. I mean, why would you even consider weight loss surgery unless previous attempts at weight loss had failed? This is a no-brainer, but the insurance carrier requires your doctor to attest that this is so in your case. Your PCP should have no problem writing such a letter, assuming it's true and that he supports your desire for WLS. Go ahead and ask him, maybe even draft something he can adapt. Give a general list of what you've tried and summarize the results or lack thereof for each one. Not to worry, this is routine. You'll get there yet!

My first conversation with a surgeon came months after I'd made my decision. Up until that point none of the doctors I'd been in contact with had even HEARD of the band. Not my PCP, not my endocrinologist--HE actually recommended the VBG to me, a surgery that is not even done anymore. :cool: Nope, by the time I went to see my surgeon my mind was long made up, and all I needed him for was to do the work. Of course I jumped through his testing hoops and attended his meetings, but nothing anyone said made the slightest bit of difference--there was just no way I was going to subject my healthy body to such drastic surgery. If the band got more press, good or bad, maybe more people would be motivated like me to do their own research. I'm afraid loads of people have just never heard of it, so it can't attain the critical mass necessary to move forward in a big way. :cool: