Alexandra

Marie, you're at the start of a process that will change the way you feel satiety. That's the hard part for a lot of people, and I know it was for me. What I did that really helped was this: When the time came to stop eating because I couldn't swallow any more, I made a serious attempt to understand this NEW feeling as being FULL. This is what full feels like now. Give yourself 20 minutes and take stock again--if you are really having hunger pangs then go ahead and eat some more. But if you're NOT, you're not hungry and lo and behold, the band is effectively making you eat less (which is, of course, the point). We wouldn't have gotten obese if we didn't rely more on our heads than our stomachs to tell us when we were done. "Done," to a non-obese person, is the point at which one is no longer hungry, not the point at which we no longer "want" to eat any more. Mentally satisfied is really a whole different thing than physically satisfied, and it's the latter we have to learn to recognize and accept. It's not easy, but it is worthwhile. It's this leap that changes us from obese people to normal people!!

At the very least, you'll need a ride home from the hospital. But you don't really "need" someone to be at home with you, in my opinion. You absolutely should have someone's phone number or a person to call if you need help, but I spent the first few days after surgery just sitting around the house. Everyone is different; recovering from surgery can be easy-peasy or it can be a big deal. You should have someone available if it turns out to be harder for you than you think.

Hi Douglas, It's your company that dictated the terms of the contract, not the insurance carrier. Obviously you should have your ducks in a row with regard to showing it's a health issue, not a cosmetic one, but you'll be appealing to your employer rather than the carrier. I have no idea what your employer may feel about making exceptions or altering the contract; I know it's been done but every employer is different. You might want to talk with a lawyer, since a case might be made that your company is denying crucial health services to employees in need of medical care. That could be considered discriminatory--would they carve out cancer patients, for example? But really, every situation is different and your best bet is to proceed with your employer. Good luck!

Once again, exactly what I was going to ask. (Leatha, get out of my head! ) Carrie, what is going on and for how long have you been feeling this way? Where are you with regard to fills?

This is exactly what I was going to ask. You shouldn't be in pain, but you know that already. Have you had an unfill? How do you feel when you're at a lesser state of restriction? I'm of the mind that an unfilled band is likely the way I'll keep it for as long as I keep it. I've lost more weight than I ever thought possible, and even though I'm not at anyone's idea of "goal" I'm dedicated to the pursuit of maintenance. Taking the band out would not help in that regard, but then, I'm not in constant pain. Please try an unfill before you think about having another surgery. I'm so sorry you're having trouble!

Hi Douglas, The first thing you have to do is find out who would be deciding your appeal. If your company's contract has an exclusion for bariatric surgery, you'd have to appeal to your company. If you have a large-group plan, Anthem BCBS just provides the coverage your employer pays for and won't make exceptions just because you ask or appeal. If you have a standard plan, find out exactly why it doesn't cover bariatric surgeries and what your grounds for appeal might be. For example, when I first applied to my carrier they excluded lap-banding specifically, but not bariatric surgery in general. On my third appeal I was allowed to go to a third party for a determination (that is, a party other than the carrier itself) and the exclusion was denied. My basis for appeal was that a) I was medically qualified, the policy provides for treatment of my condition, and c) the treatment I wanted was not investigational or experimental (which is their original reason for excluding it). If your policy has an across-the-board exclusion for bariatric treatment even if you have a diagnosis of morbid obesity, I don't know what your grounds for appealing that might be. So you have to find out exactly what sort of exclusion you're up against. Good luck!!

There have been times when I ate like that, sure! You learn after a while how to manage a meal so it doesn't take forever, and then of course there are times when you can eat a bit more at a time. But no, you are not alone.

What kind of broth? Any kind you like! And once you're on "full liquids" you can progress to any sort of soup that tickles your fancy. Have fun!!

Wow, that's really interesting information. I'd be curious to know if people on this board who have or have had reflux experienced the same symptoms. Thinking back on my own experience I'd have to say yes, I did, back in early 2006 when I had significant reflux for almost a month. I thought at the time (and still think) that an allergic reaction was responsible for the initial swelling that caused the reflux in the first place, so at that time I blamed the allergies for the whole package of lousy feelings. I think the idea that aspiration of any substance into the lungs creates an immune system reponse is quite on target. If a bandster is dealing with reflux to this degree, clearly it has to be addressed, and quickly.

You're still recovering from surgery, so being tired isn't very surprising. Are you getting enough protein? Try to get in at least 60 - 70 grams of protein every day, because that's the one thing your body can't save and really needs enough of to operate effectively. Then get some rest! You'll be feeling better day by day. Welcome to bandland!!

Photodiva, what this says is that you must have a diagnosis of Morbid Obesity for any treatment to be covered. With a BMI of 47 you absolutely qualify medically, so just be sure all your doctors use the appropriate diagnosis code when submitting claims for payment. Good luck!!

My docs say to stay on liquids the day of the fill, then eat soft the next day and normally after that. Basically the message is: take it slow. You don't want to be surprised by restriction by getting something stuck!

Crishell, the psych evaluation is basically to make sure that you are mentally prepared for the changes that bariatric surgery will make in your life, and that you're ready to make the changes you will have to make to be successful. It's easy enough to "pass" if you say the right things, but don't make any attempts to be dishonest because you won't be doing yourself any favors if you hide anything. I'm sure you'll do fine as long as you have really considered the consequences of surgery and examined your behaviors and motivations. If you've done that and come to the conclusion that banding is right for you, I'm sure the person evaluating you will agree.

It took me a year to be approved with my carrier. During that time I lost about 30 lbs, but it had started to come back on toward the end. You're not alone, and it's never a bad idea to start taking better care of oneself. Good luck!

"Fullness," when banded, is a physical barrier reached WAY sooner than our heads are willing to admit, at first. But after a while we get used to it, and have to learn to accept that physically FULL is now what "satisfied" feels like. It takes some learning but when the day comes that wow, you realize you haven't thought about food in hours--THAT'S when the beauty of the band shines through.

Sonia, there's no reason to avoid hard candy at all. And even the kind with sugar has only a few calories per piece, so as long as you don't go crazy you can indulge from time to time. Be careful, though. Some sugar-free candy can have a pronounced laxative effect, depending on the sweetener used. Even a few pieces can have that effect if you're susceptible to it, so don't start sucking down a new brand for the first time if you are going to be away from bathrooms for a long time (like a long car ride).

Hi Fran, The Abkin/Bertha support groups are on the 2nd and last Wednesdays of every month at 7:00 p.m. These meetings are held at the doctors' office building, on the other end of the floor from the main office. You can check their website for the precise dates and cancellations. As for your rescheduling your one-year visit, it seems to me that if you're happy and all your meds/labs are good there's no reason to worry about it. Maybe you can schedule a phone conversation with the nurse practitioner to talk about anything else, but the really important stuff is the health assessment. You're doing great!!

You're experiencing normal post-surgery pain, and in a few days it will be WAY better if not maybe even gone entirely. Just take things slow, rest a lot, and stick strictly to the postop diet your doctor gave you. You'll be fine!! Contgratulations on your banding and welcome to LBT! :biggrin1:

Pre-operatively, an upper GI seems to depend on the patient's particular circumstances. Many people don't have to have that test at all. Post-op, there must be SOME test done in the hopsital to show that the band was placed correctly and Fluid can move unimpeded down the esophagus. I'd guess that in most US hospitals that's a barium swallow under a fluoroscope (basically, an x-ray movie). There are other ways to perform that test but that's probably the most common.

I just eat the fish part, which is readily available as sashimi. YUM!!!

My surgeons say the same thing as Terry's. The material in the band is designed to last "forever" and won't wear out unless damaged.

BCBS of New Jersey is very band-friendly. You're lucky!! If you're medically qualified, it is absolutely a covered procedure if you're covered under a standard contract. Your employer may have an exclusion, but if not you're good to go!

You've asked WAY too big a question for anyone's specific answer to help you. There are just too many variables. The only common factor seems to be the criteria for medical qualification for bariatric surgery, which in a nutshell is this: You are medically qualified for bariatric surgery if you have a BMI of 40 or more, OR if you have a BMI of 35 WITH at least one significant co-morbid condition (a medical condition that is caused or exacerbated by your obesity). Once you have determined if you are medically qualified for bariatric surgery, the only way to know how your insurer will handle things and what your next step might be is to call your insurer. Laws vary so much from state to state that it's impossible to generalize about even the largest insurance companies. And even if your insurer says it's a covered procedure, getting approved for surgery might be a quick process or it might take months of pre-operative testing and hoop-jumping. Good luck with your research!!

Hi Kimberly, This question gets asked a lot, of course, and the fact is that you will not find people in the U.S. who have been banded more than a few years at most. The longest-banded people here were banded in the late 1990s in clinical trials. Since that time complications have dropped considerably as technique refinements and experience have improved our surgeons' track records. Good luck with your research, and good luck with your banding!!

Kathy, exclusions are the very hardest things to fight. The carrier isn't doing anything wrong, they are delivering exactly the service the contractholder (probably your employer) is paying them for. They have absolutely no responsibility to go one step farther than that, and no one is going to hold them resposible. There's no point in appealing such an exclusion to the carrier or the department. Your best (and possibly only) bet is to appeal to your employer. If there is any wiggle room or any way an exception can be made, they are the party who must request that it be made. Call your HR department and see if there is anything they can advise. Good luck!