Alexandra

Wow, Carlene. Thank you. That was absolutely heartbreaking. God, how I want this war (and all wars, come to that) to END.

For me, being unfilled was not like being unbanded. Even when unfilled, there is the consciousness of a port and the reality of a silicone band creating a bottleneck in the stomach where non exists in nature. It helped me immensely in moderating my intake, even if the influence it has was primarily motivational. Unbanded there is nothing, nothing between me and my behavior.

I'm completely sick to death of anything Anna Nicole. Just when I think it's finally over, there is a headline about Larry Birkhead out for ice cream with his daughter. Spare me!!! I'm also preparing to be sick of any and all the candidates. Every.single.day there is "news" about one or the other of them and some tiny, minute point in their background, or some inane thing he or she said and will have to explain, defend, and dissect ad nauseum. One year of this is bad enough, but we have almost TWO still to go. Much as I love current events and even politics, I'm trying to pace myself so I'll still be interested when the time actually comes. Sadly, that means avoiding large chunks of the daily paper.

Hey, Karen, what's your BMI now? I don't know if you saw my post elsewhere, but the request for precert for my re-banding surgery was denied based on my low BMI. Did that issue pop up for you? Or is the fact that you're having it all done at once mean it doesn't matter?

Wow, Carrie, I really admire you. Honestly, I'd like to think I'd have the same attitude you do, but I'd probably just be scared to try again. Not that I'd blame the doctor--honest mistakes do happen and I'm not one to get all up in arms about it--but I'd be gunshy anyway. If you're not, I say go for it!! You have wonderful support in your primary doctor, which counts for a lot. What does she say you should do?

I got on a scale today. Ugh. This un-banded stuff sucks. Why does the weight come off so slowly, and come ON so damned FAST!!!

So I called the surgeon's office yesterday to see if everything was in order for June 4, and to find out what time I was going to have to be at the hospital. Well, there was no answer to the time question (they don't schedule it until the day or so before), but there IS an insurance problem. Seems my insurance denied the request for precert because my BMI is too low. Saw that coming. The insurance person at the office said that first thing Tuesday morning we will talk and they will expedite an appeal. She said that is usually turned around in 48 hours. If that's denied, though, I am SOL. I certainly don't have the $20,000 I'm sure it would cost here. Now I have to get through Memorial Day weekend without overeating due to stress. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

Potty mouth? 396, I didn't say anything about Mark's comment the first time I saw it because I read it as hyperbole. Most other people did too. My inclination in most cases is to let things go to see if they provoke objection, unless they are direct personal attacks. In this case, I should have anticipated the objections, sure, but I'm not the only person who saw it as a pointed barb and not serious.

Mark, this is over the top even as sarcasm. Please rein in the language. (Or pepper it heavily with smileys. They're there for a reason!)

Hi Babygirl, This thread is really old, and I am pretty sure that Amerihealth has revised their coverage policies since 2003. The only way to tell is to call them and ask what the coverage criteria are for bariatric surgery. If it's an exclusion on your plan they'll tell you. Good luck!!

This is brilliantly put, Mark, thank you. There is never any downside to taking the high road, and MANY a downside to the "eye for an eye" way of doing things. It's not civilized, period. It's totally bewildering to me that the fact of US being in the company of the countries listed in the OP (China, North Korea, Syria and Saudi Arabia) hasn't swayed anyone's opinion of this practice here at home. We say they're not civilized, that we have some moral high ground, yet we copy one of the most barbaric practices of theirs and call it "justice." Unbelievable. I just pray that sometime in my or my childrens' lifetime the dawn will come, and the US will actually walk the walk of the moral. The truly moral, not the senseless "morality" that comes from cherry-picked rules in ancient books.

Ali, I know exactly how that is. Working parents of small children have it particularly hard, and I don't think you should beat yourself up about it. Just think about moving more than not moving during the day. I have a desk job, so that's really hard to do, but if nothing else I will stand up when I'm on the phone if possible. I got a 25' phone cord specifically so I could move around more when I'm on the phone. Also, get small barbells or a resistance band and use them when you're home at night. Even if you can't get the cardio workouts in that we all think we need, you can really have a positive impact on your metabolism by building muscle. And that doesn't take time away from home. I know that I can't do really active exercise after about 7:00 p.m. or I can't sleep for hours, but working with weights doesn't have the same effect. And it's really beneficial on lots of levels. Don't worry too much. You'll have more freedom some day. In the meantime, just try to stand if you're sitting, walk if you're standing, and move around as much as possible in your daily life.

You sense correctly, at least partially. I didn't "agonize" over the decision, but there is no question that there is emotional upheaval. When faced with an unplanned pregnancy we are forced to look at a variety of potentialities, and that is a dizzying experience. When the dust settles, one path seems clear and right to the woman and at least in my case it was easy to proceed on that path. But it is not correct to say that it was done without a ride on an emotional rollercoaster. I remember my experience as a period of shock, uncertainty, fear, anger (at my failed birth control), and confusion, followed by peace and relief. There really was no sadness.

Congratulations, Laurend! Now the countdown really begins!

It is unreal. I hope that baby never sees either of her "parents" again. And if it's at all possible, may she be spared the knowledge of what they tried to do to her.

What a great idea! Here's a snapshot of my chart, which covers months 11 - 20 of my banded life. I lost, overall, about 50 lbs that year, but as you can see there were a lot of peaks and valleys!

Yes, she's likely thinking of a vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), an earlier incarnation of gastric banding. It may have been laparascopic (as in lap-) but what it wasn't was adjustable. The device that the FDA approved in 2001 was the first adjustable gastric band available in the U.S. It's not done much anymore since it had a high rate of complications and failures.

The band has been used in Europe, Australia, and Mexico for upwards of 10 years. People that far out of surgery don't spend a lot of time on message boards, I think. In the US it's only been in use since 2001, when it was FDA-approved. ANd insurance carriers have only slowly been getting on board, so there weren't a lot even in 2001 and 2002.

Hi Jrrtubbs, You didn't say what your fill history is, but it sounds like you have substantial restriction at this point. Have you considered having the fill taken out? That might enable you to eat more comfortably, while still helping you control your intake. I recently had my band removed due to slippage, and I have to say I'm unhappy about the change it's made in my appetite. I can eat anything; I'm hungry almost all the time (though I wasn't for a while, it came back in spades); and getting satisfied is very hard. Not gaining weight is proving to be impossible, and if I didn't have a new band in my immediate future I'd be panicking, big time. When I was 24 was the first time I thought I'd get a handle on my weight problem, for good. I made an appointment with a nutritionist (who actually made a housecall!) and was so proud of myself for taking a truly adult approach. Sigh. I got nowhere. That was just one of several attempts over the years to rein in the beast that is my obesity, and just one of the many that failed. But I vividly remember the sense of seriousness and determination I had when meeting with that nutritionist. Ahh, youth. I certainly understand the insurance issue. But will insurance cover a removal? Without a finding of medical necessity, probably not. Also, there's a pretty good chance that your band issues would be covered under a new plan. Nothing is certain, of course, but in general pre-existing conditions can't be excluded if you come on a new plan on your eligibility date. And if you have complications that require medical attention, THEY can't be excluded just because they're the result of something done electively. My point is, don't make this drastic decision based on a lot of what-ifs. You have the band now and the path of least resistance is to find a way to live with it. Discuss your concerns with your doctor and maybe together you can find a way to keep your band and eat healthfully.

Actually, it's not against the law. The IRS takes taxes from anyone, legal or not. They actually issue "dummy" ID numbers to people without socials, and they stand by the practice. IMO that makes perfect sense, since it's an important way illegals can contribute financially to society. I'd like to see more pressure put on employers who hire illegals. It really bothers me when they say they can't get Americans to do the jobs. If they were penalized for hiring people they know to be illegal, they'd FIND ways to hire Americans.

Congratulations, indeed, and welcome to LBT!!

I hear you, babygirl. One of the lowest moments of my life was at my daughter's preschool, when one of her friends leaned over and "whispered" to another one about how fat Gillian's mommy was. As they say, kids can be cruel.

Sushi is a great bandster food, but once you have good restriction you'll want to ditch the rice and seaweed. And the wrapper has been the culprit of some of the worst cases of stuckage ever. So be very careful! Once you get good restriction, just go with sashimi and you can't go wrong. Soft, lean, perfect protein--sashimi is the perfect bandster food!!

Where did you get that from? I'm not aware of any such regulation. Perhaps doctors seek the spouse's signature on consent forms to protect themselves from litigation, but it most certainly is not a law.

Hi Seppi! Nope, it's the 2nd and LAST Wednesdays of the month. I know, it's confusing.