shellyj

cynthia posted this to OH.com

well i have been overweight since i was a child (i am 27 now well in 2 days) and i would have loved to have gotten it done when i was younger. my only concern would be that she's mature enough which since your even considering it she must be. i must say kudos to her for picking the band. most people want instant gratification at any cost to their body. they do gastric bypass on people as young as 14 and i cant understand how someone that young could handle that drastic of a surgery. i couldnt do it at my age! when i was 17 i could have been banded and worked it successfully. until you reach proper restriction you can still eat and thats a stressful time, there are ups and down and when they happen i recommend a support group (such as this) because most of the time people here have gone through it, are going through it etc. i am sure she wants nothing more than to be a healthy weight. the lapband can help her achieve that! it is not a magic potion and she will have to work at it but it will work!!! have her read through old posts and see what others deal with so she can see what she may be dealing with! good luck!!!! let us know what you decide!

SAW THIS ON ANOTHER BOARD!!!!!! Original Post by Leilani ~*~ at 10:08 AM PST on 02/03/2004 MyRoseColoredWorld, VA - RNY (01/17/2003) For those of you lookin' to save money on your Protein, how does 0.29 cents per shake sound? Oh, and if you require that it taste good too, it does! Got my order in today from http://www.dpsnutrition.net I rec'd three 5.5 pound tubs of Dymatize ELITE protein. Deep chocolate, coffee Mocha and vanilla. With shipping it was $75 for 255 servings. If I drink TWO shakes a day, I still have OVER a 3 month supply for pennies on the dollar. I've yet to find a site that comes close to this kind of a savings, if any of you have other bargains to share, PLEASE DO!!! Hugs - Lei

WOW ANNE~ i am so glad everything worked out for with the ins co! you are probably in recovery eating a popsicle RIGHT NOW!!!! I cant wait to hear that your doing OK!!!! Welcome to OFFICIAL BANDLAND!!!!! YOU LOSER!!!!

HERE IS A LINK TO A LAPBAND DEATH. HE HAD A HEART ATTACK AFTER BEING BANDED.

GREAT JOB BIRDEE ON TAKING CONTROL!!!!!!!

hey birdee! technically they are called Mulligans! and you bet your ass there are mulligans! so things havent gone the way you had planned as of yet? well there are things you can do!!!! First off- Donali is right, you have to decide you are worth this TO MAKE TIME FOR IT!!!! NUMBER ONE PRIORITY!!! think of it this way~ how will you take care of all your other *projects* if you havent taken care of yourself? set up a few goals for the day EVERY DAY!!! CROSS THEM OFF AS YOU ACCOMPLISH THEM!!! i LOVE to throw away my 'to do list' because it is COMPLETE!!! examples: 1. do not drink with meals 2. drink ATLEAST 64 oz Water a day (a easy way to measure is to drink 3 20 oz bottles a day. 3. eat your protien first then veggies then carbs 4. Dont compare yourself to others remember this isnt a race you have the band for life. Now that you realize you ready for a change MAKE IT HAPPEN!

bailey~ i posted the article before i read it. (dumb) the guy died from ANESTHESIA not the band. he could have been having anything done it just happened to be the band. i personnally didnt- well i guess i did take my time researching WLS i looked in gastric bypass first NOW THAT SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME!!! i never did take the first step with that! i stumbled onto the lapband info and started researching it knowing that is was a better fit! the first step is usually a seminar! so its pretty easy and informative! GO ON CALL AND SEE WHEN THE NEXT ONE IS!!! then the next step is to have a consult. after the seminar you will probaly have a better idea of if this is something YOU want to do! as for questions you are in the right spot! ask away! i personnally would start a new thread though because people might think you posted a comment on the band death and not newbie questions! the numbers below the names are stats... the first number is starting weight/ 2nd number current wieght/3rd number goal

hey kelly i will be asking the DR this IF he calls me back tonight! michelle

well i am getting my swallow study done thursday but it comes with a hefty pricetag of 600-800 smackers. then if nothing is wrong and i need another fill another 150. i ended up starting a 'diet' because i want to see the scale MOVE! i have 3.8 cc in a 4cc band and the band is not stopping my food i can feel it pass through the band. (if that makes sense) since bc bs has an a specific exclusion for wls looks like i am going to have to buy secondary coverage. my boss could care less he was like 'eh maybe you could appeal it' well eh maybe he's an asshole. sorry for the frustration in my post but there is no telling how much ins will cost a morbidly obese person.

hey donali the amounts are about a cup - cup and a half my PA does measure the Fluid in the band before they fill since i passed 3.0 cc's. i do have the 4.0 cc band i do have more restriction than before and sometimes when i take to big of a bite it hurts as it goes down (passes through the band) but thats the problem it goes down it doesnt stop and sit on top of the band. i am glad to hear you say the band stops you from eating more because it doesnt for me and i thought i was going CRAZY!!!!! i will prepare my list of questions for the dr and will be calling him monday!!!!! (he is out of town)

well when i am not dieting i eat EVERYTHING (my boyfriend is a chef to) here are some examples: main dishes- hotwings (made on the grill), grilled chicken, grilled steak, veggie lasagna, eggplant parmesean, hamburger with fries, chicken baked grilled sometimes fried, grilled pork tenderlion, grilled salmon, veggie pizza, chicken with veggies and Pasta in cream sauce, falafel, baked veggie sub, salmon with cream sauce, turkey side dishes: Broccoli slaw, salad, steamed veggies, sauteed veggies, wild rice, mashed taters with feta yum, green Beans, roasted red potaotes, couscous, appatizer type foods: spinach dip, hummus, garlic bread, quiches, crab rangoon's, breakfast: omlets, fried taters, scrambled eggs, kashi Cereal, banana pancakes, thats all i think of right now. most of the time it would be a grilled meat, veggies and a starch. the more complex meals are something i would have on the weekend. through the week Breakfast was kashi, lunch is the night before leftovers. the problem is i have to stop myself from eating. i thought the band would do that? the food i would normally eat are relativley healthy but combined with the carbs when i eat them i just do not lose. BUT I DONT GAIN which is great. its not so much that i feel like i need to eat more than that i just dont know if the band is working correctly? i could physically eat more i am just saying STOP! when i eat i can FEEL the food slide through where the band is. it is my lower stoma that i feed. the food doesnt get stopped by the band more like paused. my main worry is that at 3.8 cc i have hardly room for adjusting left. i will be getting a fill to 3.9 sometime in the next two weeks. but as i lose if i need tightened back up then what?

SOOOOO i had my swallow study yesterday and i was told my band is fine. it has not slipped and my pouch is not streched. so what gives??? my dr's PA (physicains assistant) told me just stop eating at a half cup. well hello if i could do that i wouldnt have gotten to 350 lbs. i told her why dont we do lunch one day so you can see me eat!!!! i asked her what will happen when i get another fill and am at 4.0 cc ther is no adjusting left?? she said we'll cross that bridge....yada yada i had an appointment i thought she would address my questions! i personnally think the band may be to low on my stoma where the tissue is thinner. i am going to have my dr call me after he has had a chance to review the x rays so he can answer my questions. I AM NOT BAND BASHING HERE. I LOVE MY BAND. WITHOUT IT I WOULD HAVE GAINED BACK ALL MY WEIGHT PLUS SOME. IT JUST DOENST SEEM TO BE WORKING FOR ME AS DESCRIBED. everytime i have lost with the band it has been from dieting and exercise. i DID lose 10 lbs this past month but that is from starting the atkins diet. if i dont diet i just stay the same. i hear alot of bandsters saying "why would you have gotten the band if you were gonna diet?" here is an idea of what i eat since starting atkins: yesterdays meals 25 oz Water before i eat breakfast~ 2 eggs scrambled with cheese, 2 sausage links 25 oz water lunch~ 2 cups salad or 1 chicken breast with 1/2 cup veggies 25 oz water dinner~ medium new york strip with 1/2 cup veggies tea with splenda! does that seem like to much??? does it seem the band is doing what it is supposed to for me? i eat all my food within 30 minutes. do not drink with meals. michelle

hey anne thanks, if you have someone in HR i would ask them if when researching new ins they make sure it doesnt have an exclusion for wls. i hope i dont have have to pay to much. michelle

i am pretty sure the reporter didnt do a thorough job investigating or he would know the differences. so i guess this patient either had vertical gastric banding or lapband

OK I JUST READ. I THINK THE REPORTER JUST DIDNT KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. LAPBAND DOES NOT REQUIRE REROUTING OF ANYTHING. SOUNDS LIKE THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST SHOULD HAVE GIVEN MORE 'SLEEPY MEDS'? HOW SAD. HE HAD A WIFE AND 3 KIDS.

NO I JUST SAW THE LINK ON ANOTHER SITE. I WILL READ ENTIRE STORY IN A FEW MINUTES. I DID SEE WHERE HE SAID HE WAS GONNA GET RNY BUT DECIDED ON SAFER LAPBAND PROCEDURE SO I FIGURED IT WAS ABOUT THE BAND AND POSTED IT.

SORRY, HERES THE LINK.... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=383&e=1&u=/ibsys/20040113/lo_WCVB/1954815

also i just told my boss what i found out and he said 'humph you could fight it' and walked out. his wife had gastric bypass gee if she needs a revision she wont be covered either. i thought that was rather rude for him to not care. i did email the state of TN insurance dept. and ask them so we'll see what they say. i guess i'll have to pay cash $$$$ for my barium swallow. michelle

:D i just found out that effective 1-1-04 our insurance changed to BCBS of TN and i am very irritated because there is an exclusion for "services and supplies related to obesity, including surgical or other treatment of morbidd obesity" well if i just had to pay for fills that would be one thing but the more fill i have the more i worry about my actual band needing tightning. i have 3.8 cc and 3 weeks since that last fill it is really loosening up :think :think so since i only have .2 cc's left i am getting pretty nervous... my dr told me when banded ' dont worry i put your band on a little loose' like that was supposed to be comforting!!!! DUH~ i want the band to be tight!!! anyhow it has been almost 5 MONTHS and i have some restriction but as i lose and my band loosens up i dont have much room for more fills... if i have to have a revision to tighten my actual band would i have to 'sue' the dr to not have to pay for the entire bill myself? i am not gonna get a fill for a while because i think i can lose on what i am eating now~ but what the duck an i gonna do when i am at fill capacity! :D :mad: sorry to any ducks i may have offended;)

well i just got finished argueing with BCBS and they are 100% positive that even if i have to go to the ER to have my band removed that it would not be covered by them. if it is related to the band it is not covered.

thanks ladies for all the great info. i am going to call bc bs right now and see what they say. i have to wait till first week of feb for them to check the band.

well kelly you have a great point there! i hadnt even thought of it that way! i am going to call when i get some time and find out the deal from the ins co. i also need a swallow study done (i am waiting on a call back from the dr) i think my band is fine it is just LOOSER than it should be. it was tight at first but has loosened up some over the past 3 weeks. i dont want to get anymore because i am afraid it will mysteriously tighten up on me.

glad it cleared up!!! let us know when you go for your fill! WOW kelly the size of a thread!!!! no wonder you couldnt eat!!! how much fill did they remove? could you feel the reflux? last night before i went to bed i drank some Water, when i layed down i felt it in my throat so i got back up and walked around till i was sure it was down.

sue~ how are you doing unfilled? ARE YOU STILL HAVING REFLUX OR HAS IT SUBSIDED WITH (sorry bout the caps) the unfill? michelle