Alexandra

Hi Grant, welcome! And congratulations on your banding and great progress so far! How have you adapted to life with the band? Any problems over the holidays? Nice to have you here. Post away!!

Hi Trixi, I can tell you that in general United Healthcare is band-friendly. What they are not so much is WLS-friendly. More and more plans are being written now with WLS exclusions, so that's going to be your big hurdle with UHC. If your plan does not exclude WLS in general, and if you can get approved for it, getting the band paid for should be the easiest part. Some states, like New Jersey, have minimum coverage requirements for insurers, who then cannot exclude treatment for certain conditions. If you have any concerns about whether treatment for morbid obesity is excluded by your plan, call your state's department of insurance and see whether there's any state regulation overriding that exclusion. Good luck!!

Hi Natasha, I can't speak about the differences in the bands with any authority. I do know they are different in some physical way, though, not just in who makes them. But what I wanted to say is that even if a bandster loses only a few pounds in the first year, that's not at all having it "go wrong." The band is not a try-it-once-and-it's-over sort of thing. It's still there, always, for us to give it another tweak and take another whack at working with it correctly. Almost all of the "I didn't lose weight" stories I've heard include the line "I haven't had a fill yet" somewhere in there. Well, the good news is that a fill can often be the answer! Even a year or more later, our little friends are waiting patiently for US to get with the program. It's not the band that fails, it's our own motivation. This is true no matter which band is actually used. Anyway, good luck with your research and please keep asking questions!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings here, onemoment. Real-life reflections such as yours are so helpful and enlightening for the rest of us! It sounds like you have come to a good place with your band, and I hope your success and understanding continue to grow. This is not an easy journey we're on, and it's so inspiring to hear how other people are doing and learning and achieving. Thank you!

Shelly, Jennye has a good point. You should ask your carrier about ongoing treatment for a current condition; I don't think that can be excluded from a new policy. Even if the carrier tells you it can be, you should place a call to your state department of insurance and ask that same question in general terms. They may tell you that it's just not covered, but I'd think it's worth finding out the applicable state regulations so you know if you have grounds for an appeal. Good luck!

Good luck, Al! our fingers are crossed for a quick approval by your insurance carrier. Let us know!

Wow, 38 lbs so fast! Congratulations!! Welcome to the board, Toyman!

Hi Peggy, Hi there, and Merry Christmas! What a nice gift to give yourself. Welcome to the board and a healthy, happy New Year!!!

Hi Leannie, I remember having some of the same symptoms my first few days on fuller liquids. I figured it was an effect of the funnel that was created in my stomach; thicker substances get backed up a little and take a while to travel through. Taking things rrrrreeeeaaallllyyyy ssssslllllooooowwwwlllllyyyy seemed to help. As your swelling subsides you'll find that these effects pass. Another thought is that you might be swalling more air than you realize; it's really easy to do. Swishing things around your mouth pretty much guarantees that you'll take in more air, so try not to do that. Just take very small sips and try to wait a few seconds between them. So don't worry, these are normal feelings that will pass soon. Welcome to Bandlandia!!

Yooo hoooo, Kellymoos!! Here I am {waves}!!! I am here, and doing fine, but the holidays had us so frenetic I barely had any time to go online! And then when I do get a chance to visit, all I can do is read before one kid or the other (or a husband :rolleyes) reminds me I have other obligations. But I'm here! Thanks for noticing, though, sis. I miss you, too!! :D

Just want to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone here. May all of us reach at least some of our goals in 2004, whether it's deciding on getting banded, actually having surgery, learning to live with the band (me!), or any of the multitude of minigoals we set for ourselves. Let's make a collective resolution to keep LapBand Talk thriving. It's been a huge help to me and lots of others, and we can't overstate the importance of experiences shared. Thanks to you all for being here. Enjoy the night, everyone!!! :D

I SOOOO hear you on this milestone, Quakergirl!! :D :D!! It was a huge deal for me, too, having been over 300 since I was 24 (except for a short, Opti-fast-related drop at 28). I was over 350 at my highest--I don't know how much over since they didn't bother weighing me before my younger daughter was born. This time, for the first time, I truly believe the 300s are behind me for good. You too!! Congratulations!!!!

What a great way to start the New Year, Becky!! Congratulations and welcome to Bandlandia. We're a friendly bunch and are happy to have you aboard! How did your surgery go? You seem to be in good spirits; are you fully recovered? Let us know how yo're doing from time to time. And welcome to LBT!! :D

Ohhh, I'm jealous! My LOTR Christmas booty was limited to three calendars (two of the same) and the ROTK soundtrack (LOVE it!!). DH and I were looking at the Trivial Pursuit game in the store the other day and almost caved, but it was a bit more than we wanted to spend. But Valentine's Day is coming, yippee! (The game's questions are based on the movies, right? I mean, the amount of trivia one could glean from the books is too astronomical to contemplate...)

Hi Holly! You're absolutely right--you almost ARE not banded. Without a fill it's entirely possible to feel completely normal, with perhaps only a tiny restriction that keeps you from gorging. This is absolutely normal and tells you that your stomach is well on its way to being fully healed. It's only after a fill (or two) that your band will assert itself. Patience is key at this stage, because your brain feels like you've taken this immense plunge but you don't really feel any different. We all understand and have been there. Don't worry about calories or amounts at this point. Reintroduce foods and textures slowly, but go ahead and enjoy them. Now is the time to just take care of yourself and--I'll say it again--don't worry!!

The first few days after banding are really hard for some people, Sultana. PLEASE don't worry about your weight, or even eating at this point. You should still be on a liquid diet and it may take a few days but there will definitely come a dip of a few pounds as your body loses the fluids it's holding on to. It sounds like you're having a hard time just recovering from the fact of having had surgery of any kind--I know how that feels, I had some of the same reaction. It wasn't until the fifth day after surgery that my head felt completely clear! Take care of yourself now, that's all you have to worry about. Good on your husband for taking over for you! You are entitled to some whining, you've been through a physical ordeal and need to just heal for a while. Be good to yourself!! And Happy New Year!!

Congratulations on beating the insurance monster! I remember that amazing feeling of opening the letter to find an approval. I almost fainted, having been expecting a big fat NO on my third appeal. Let us know when your date is and we'll be cheering you on from the sidelines. Congratulations again!!

Hey there Jersey gang! I'm a patient of Dr. Alexander Abkin and will be operated on at Morristown Memorial hospital at the end of this month (providence willing). I'd love to connect with other NJ people from north of the border.

Oh, Kelly, don't be upset! Your doctor did absolutely the right thing and I know in time you will come to agree. A thread?!? Not enough, no way, no how.

Hi Jayla, I think that sort of disclaimer is a very broad-stroke one. Only your surgeon can decide whether you are a good candidate for lap-banding. Certainly there are people who have had a whole lot of abdominal (stomach) surgery who might be excluded, but I don't think c-sections fall into that category.

Ahhh, another Bertha/Abkin victi... um, I mean patient. I completely understand your frustrations with that office. It's ridiculous. I didn't get any of my information AT ALL from them, even through the preop "class" and several conversations with both the nurse practitioner and the surgeon. Thankfully I've had no problems so I have no knowledge of how they'd react to an emergency (well, I hope), but I really do think they could do a much better job of educating the patient as to life with the band. That's why these boards are so important. (There's at least one more Bertha/Abkin patient here as well, and we all share the same opinion.) I'm glad you found us and we were able to help!

Hi new guy! I responded to your other post but failed to notice that we're neighbors! Where did you have your surgery? I'm in Morris County and work in Summit. Welcome to LBT!

Welcome, Poje! Your doctor hit it right on the nose. What you're experiencing is that wonderful phenomenon known as HEALING. The trauma of surgery creates swelling in your insides, which is what causes the initial restriction in most people. After a week or so just about everyone experiences a loss of this post-surgery restriction and an attendant increase in hunger. It's perfectly normal, and a very good sign that your stomach and esophagus have weathered the implant process well. Now your task it to try to take it easy with the food textures, even though you might feel hungry. There's no limit to the amount of liquids you can consume, and now is not the time to worry about calories. So explore the world of Soup with abandon! But don't jump the gun on your doctor's instructions with regard to solid food--your stomach will still be healing for up to six weeks and you don't want to strain it during this time. After that period you can talk with your doctor about getting a fill if you think you need one, but for now you just have to let your body take care of itself. Welcome to Bandlandia, and have a good holiday!

Hey Bright! Thanks so much for thinking of me. Only part of my absence is due to the miracle that is ROTK. (Two times and counting...) You know how life can just go crazy sometimes, especially with kids. I'm so thrilled that this site is hopping; I've been lurking with dedication and reading almost every message. But there's just not so much going on with me, band-wise, so I'm hanging on the sidelines. No news is definitely good news, though! My weight has been hovering within two pounds of what you see below, and I'm just thrilled it's not been a hassle to keep it there. And all of a sudden, as I mentioned elsewhere, my restriction has suddenly reappeared and that's fine with me too. Maybe I'll get to change my signature before too much longer. Happy holidays, Bright, and thanks again!!

Hi ladies! How very weird! I've been experiencing increased restriction lately too! My fill was on 10/20 and the restriction seemed to have been easing before and through Thanksgiving and beyond. But just in the last week I'm suddenly having to stop eating after only a few bites. I'm not complaining, as it's not been uncomfortable or troublesome, but wow--how very odd that it's happening to so many of us!