Alexandra

CONGRATULATIONS!! That is just about the most amazing moment, especially if you've been in a fight for approval. I'm so happy for you!!

Hi Marc, The first few weeks are about letting your stomach heal. The purspose eating soft and liquidy foods is to keep your stomach muscle from moving too much while it's healing. The more movement you have at this time, the higher the risk of slippage or, at least, the chance that your stitches won't heal properly. It's best not to stress them for at least several weeks after surgery. Normal foods chewed well are what you'll be eating after you've healed and are on to a regular banded life. For this time it's definitely better to stick with things that don't need chewing at all--thick Soups, puddings, and yogurt are all included in this "diet." I had fun with it and wasn't at all hungry. So remember that this time is not for you to work on your eating habits or worry about whether you're getting full or sticking to a particular diet. It's all about HEALING. You don't want to take any chances! (No one told me this, either, but I'm glad to have found it out before deciding to test my theories out on myself. )

Hi Budha, Yup, everyone feels the gas pains differently and they can be quite uncomfortable. Please be assured that they will pass, and soon. In the meantime, it's good advice to walk around as much as possible. Your diet sounds very typical for the first week or so. Don't worry about calories at this point--the first several weeks are about healing not losing, so if you're hungry go for another glass of milk or something. I drank a lot of chocolate milk made with Ovaltine, which I figured was marginally better for me than Nestle's Quik.

Kathy, thank you for your post. It's so instructive to hear from someone really who really knows how both of the surgeries work. People often only hear "100 lbs down in three months" and think that's all there is to it. Thanks again!!

Hi Marc, You are experiencing the feeling of having a stomach only a fraction of its former size. The feeling will fade as your postop swelling decreases, but for now you're feeling what we refer to as "restriction." Large amounts of anything, even liquid, don't go all the way down very quickly, and you are aware of their presence in your pouch. It may not be "fullness" that you're feeling, yet, but you're in the neighborhood. Things will feel a bit different as you get farther away from surgery and before a fill--you might even be able to forget you have a band at all from time to time. And yes, you might gain some weight during this time. But when you get filled you'll have this feeling back, so it's good that you're getting a sense of how it will work later on. Congratulations on being banded, and welcome to the forum!!

Hi Chris, I've also lost 40 lbs in 6 months. I'm very happy with that! Here's my thinking about dieting, though of course your mileage may vary. I hate dieting. Donali's take on eating healthy is, for me, much more satisfying and sensible. Every day is precious to me and my family, and I'm not going to waste time hating myself for being unable to subsist on lean chicken and celery. The other night DH and I went out to dinner, and we shared a cold antipasto plate and I had a bowl of Pasta fagiole Soup. That was plenty for dinner. Then we went elsewhere for dessert, and rather than sit and watch him have key lime pie, I ordered dessert as well. I couldn't eat the whole thing, but what I could eat I absolutely loved. My priority is being sane and as happy as possible. Losing weight is adding greatly to my overall happiness indeed, and I'm not going to risk that with a lot of negative self-talk and self-imposed discipline. I already know I can't diet, witness 30 years of failed attempts, so I'm certainly not going to start now. Eating LESS is my current focus, and I've got help on that score. And it's working!

Hi Kathy! No reason to change your "handle," really. Now that we know your name is Kathy that's what we'll use!

Hi Marc, Welcome to the site! Yours is an interesting perspective I haven't seen yet. Just about all of the people I've ever spoken with who have been banded chose the band as their FIRST preference over bypass. I have heard of a few people getting bypass later if the band didn't do what they had expected, but honestly, I've never heard of anyone whose doctor steered them toward the band when it wasn't their first choice. It's usually the other way around! I totally agree with your doctor, though. Bypass sets up a permanent malfunction in your body and, in my opinion, is only appropriate for people with really significant health problems that immediate weight loss will improve. Banding takes more time, and possibly more "will power" on the part of the patient, but the effects on one's body are infinitely gentler and less severe. I was banded by Dr. Abkin last summer and am absolutely thrilled with the results. A 40-lb loss in six months has improved my energy, strength, stamina, and appearance. I've had no negative side effects and not in danger of malnutrition. I don't have to take supplements and can eat whatever I want. I'm fully in control and am continuing to work on myself and my eating habits. That is something all of us have to do, whatever sort of surgery one has had. And IMO it's so much saner and safer to keep my plumbing the way it is and work on what I do wrong. My take on the elephant in the corner: It's not really there. People who are banded usually had to go more than an extra mile to get there, and you won't see a lot of regrets or pining for a bad decision. Obviously there are struggles along the way, but as far as I can tell it's the rare bandster who really wishes they'd gone the other route.

Hi Elizabeth, I so know exactly how you feel. But the important thing to remember is that you can't let them make your medical decisions for you!! There's no reason to jump ship after one denial, when so many other people have had denials overturned. Here's what happened to me: My carrier had a blanket exclusion for the band since it was experimental. I was approved for WLS, but not for the band. I appealed, was denied again, and appealed again and was denied again, thus exhausting the appeals process within my carrier. But my state, like many others, offers third-party review of insurance-carrier decisions. Find out if your state offers such a thing--call your state's department of insurance or visit the state's website to find out. It was a simple process to appeal to the state board, and within three weeks my denial was overturned. My carrier was ordered to pay for my surgery and at least three adjustments. If you don't want to go through all that trouble, you could just wait it out. It's only a matter of time before the old "investigational/experimental" excuse ceases to hold Water. It's happening more and more often that those denials are overturned. Don't give up! It may take a while, but you're in very good shape if you've already been approved for WLS. For many carriers that's the hard part. Now you just have to get someone rational to overturn your appeal, and I'm here to tell you that is FAR from impossible. Good luck, and keep us posted!!

Hi there, um, n2b42L! (Do you have another name? That's kinda clunky. ) Welcome and congratulations on your decision! I love to hear about medical people choosing the band because it brings home the point about its relative safety. Now to your questions: I was banded on Wednesday and home the same day (before 2:00 p.m.!) It took me until Sunday to feel really "over" the surgery--I'm sure that's because of the anaesthesia. Physically I was pretty much totally mobile by Friday, although my head was still very foggy. I went back to work on Monday and had no problems. Of course, I have a desk job so it was easy. For the first two weeks I was on full liquids and soft foods, and I didn't have trouble with it at all. I used it as an excuse to eat all the exotic things my family doesn't like, such as goat cheese, hummus, and tzatziki. The idea of pureeing regular food made me retch just to think about it, so I didn't do that. I just ate something different from the rest of my family for a while. Solid foods were just a take-it-slow proposition. It was hard--and still is, after a lifetime of bolting food--to take it bite by bite and really listen to my body, but I'm working on it.

Hi Jennye, Nope, I wouldn't consider that too much to eat at one sitting at all. Unless you're only sitting for 5 minutes, in which case I'd say yes, you're eating too much. But over the course of a 20- or 30-minute meal, I'd be able to eat just about that much and be satisfied but not stuffed. It's astonishing that I think that's an adequate meal now. Prior to banding that would have been what I ate while getting dinner on the table.

Shelly, is your plan a large-group plan? I mean, does your employer have a say in what is an isn't covered? Or is the exclusion part of Blue Cross's standard plan in your state?

Hi Laura, Insurance is regulated by the states so the rules will vary depending on where you live. AS A RULE, though, group insurance provided by an employer cannot discriminate according to the employees' state of health. If you get a job you will be eligible for the employer's policy according to the terms of that policy. With individual insurance, though, all bets are off. The state of New Jersey has guaranteed-issue individual coverage, but not all states do. If your state underwrites individual plans according to health factors (like height and weight, prior conditions, etc.) you may not be eligible. THAT SAID: I firmly believe the existence of a Lap-Band should be considered like any other implant--it is not a medical condition and if you've lost weight, you may not any longer be morbidly obese (a category which may render one uninsurable, indeed). If anyone is denied insurance SOLELY for the reason of having a lap-band, I'd strongly suggest consulting a lawyer. There is no reason at all to think that the presence of a band will result in further health problems down the line, which would, theoretically, be the reason for denial.

Congratulations, Dawnsunshine! Anne is right, everything you're describing is perfectly normal. Itching in your incisions is a symptom of healing, so try not to scratch them. (I sound like I'm talking to my 5-year-old...sorry!) Get ready for when your healing gets to the point that hunger returns. I went for thick Soups and puddings to keep the hungries away. I think that period is the hardest part--you're really hungry and trying to follow a liquid diet that doesn't do the trick, and beside you really want to chew! But it's worth the wait to make sure your healing is complete before testing yourself on sold foods. So hang in there!!

Hi Jean, welcome! And congratulations on your good banding experience. Be sure to come back and let us know how you're doing. Do you have a fill doctor set up locally or are you planning to go back to Mexico for fills?

To be honest, Sultana, I don't know how these work. I'll try to find out for you!

I just saw that announcement, too. I think it's the coolest!! We see testimonials all the time for products that sound too good to be true, and I always wonder how much the shiller was paid to say the lines. But this time we'll be able to believe the Wench when she speaks, because she's been sharing her story generously the whole way along. CoffeeWench, our hero and inspiration! :P

TERRI!!! These sentences above are in direct contradiction to one another! Please remember that the first few weeks post surgery are not about weight loss, they are about HEALING. That's all your body is doing at this point. Sure there are lots of people who lose weight while following a liquid diet, but most of the time some or all of that weight will come back on before the first fill. PLEASE don't beat yourself up about it! You are doing absolutely great and there is no reason at all to be down on yourself. Please come back and let us know how your checkup went. Your journey is just beginning!

Hi Kasie, and welcome to LBT! Just read up on all the posts and feel free to ask whatever questions come to mind. Good luck with your research!!

I think the answer to that is yes, though it might not be something your surgeon specifically mentions. I know I was asked when my last pap test and mammogram was at my consult, and the answers seemed to satisfy. Then when it was time for the surgery--ten months later, remember--I was not asked these questions again. There are two rounds of tests, remember--first to qualify for WLS, and then those immediately pre-surgery. The age thing only seemed to come into play with regard to the pre-surgical testing. The WLS qualifying tests were the same for all the patients in my surgeon's practice, no matter how old. But some patients seemed to have different marching orders with regard to the presurgical tests, depending on their age--like women under 40 and men under 45 need only tests X and Y, while people over those ages might need X, Y, Z and more. A lot also depends on whatever conditions one might have already (such as a tendency to heartburn, high cholesterol or whatever). I know some of my surgeon's patients have had upper GI testing but I had never had any digestive complaints and so that wasn't prescribed for me.

Nikki didn't mention that she's asking her carrier to pay for this surgery, did she? If so, I would also be very surprised if they agree to cover this for someone 5'7", 240 with no health problems. Nikki, I assume you're a self-pay, right?

Hi Jojo! Welcome to the forum and to Bandlandia! Be sure to be really good to yourself during the next few weeks; healing is hard work!! :P

My fill was fine, thanks for asking! I'm definitely more restricted than I was before, and happily not so much that I'm getting into trouble. I still get "full" way before I want to be finished eating, so I'm working on that aspect. It's so hard to have something I used to consider an appetizer before a meal and realize that I'm all done. Now I have to wait while everyone else eats and try not to be jealous.

Hi Faith, Congratulations on getting banded! I hope your recovery continues to go smoothly. Don't worry, you're perfectly normal!! The restriction you felt right after surgery was primarily due to swelling of your tissues, since the band itself is not filled yet. As time goes by and you heal, the swelling goes away and you feel less and less restriction. Most people report feeling absolutely no restriction for a time until they get their first fill. So don't worry! Your job now is to follow your doctor's instructions about food and take it easy. It's only AFTER you get a fill that you'll have restriction again and can start learning to eat with the band.

Hi Sultana, My guess is that at least one of those bills is a duplicate. And, speaking as someone familiar with insurance billing practices, I can tell you that the rest of those bills will be settled at some much smaller amount. For example, if your surgeon bills $15K for a surgery he might actually receive something closer to $5K. There are negotiated rates paid to participating providers, especially when a procedure is routinely covered. It is always alarming when we see the bills for medical care, indeed. We've gotten so used to the way HMOs work that we have no idea what the actual cost is of any healthcare. And, as another side effect of HMOs, healthcare costs are very uneven. The same procedure will cost one amount when billed to one carrier, something else from a different carrier, and something entirely different if the patient is paying. None of it makes sense. But the bottom line is that your contract should spell out how your portion of costs are calculated (deductible? hospital copay? in-network coinsurance?) and that will be it.