3nuthut

Great news! Now you'll be in shock with your clothes!

I was approved with UHC on my first submit. I have the lapband and esophagus issues. I went in for a fill, took a barium test and found issues with my esophagus/swallowing. Since last summer I've slowly been gaining weight. I've been eating great, excising, active, etc. EVERYTHING the same. I'm around 170 but was 135-140 since being banded (SW:230lbs) Dec 2011. My Dr. submitted me for removal and revision in early July. I was approved 11 days later for both. My insurance for the band was BCBS but UHC covers me now. I was really expecting to go through the peer to peer review. I do have high BP and now have a hiatal hernia due to the weight gain...I'm total apple shape. Stay on them! Good luck. You're doing the right thing. The Lapband is starting to show the long term affects...I wonder why there's no class action. Insurance sure knows the failure rates are at an all time high. It's even in their best interest to approve. They'll end up spending so much more, at least on me. Isn't healthcare all about preventive care? There is no way in hell I was taking it out without revising to something else. Getting to my normal weight has changed my life in ways I never thought possible. Keep me posted. I'd like to know if you win your appeal/case.

I had started slowly gaining weight starting last year. Changing NOTHING in what I ate, but eating more of it. So I scheduled a fill and they requested I do the barium swallow test. They found that my lower esophagus looked like it was “quivering”, and it kinda did. So I never got the fill. Three different esophagus tests later, my band had slipped and due to my weight continuing to gain, my hiatal hernia is back. So basically my process has been the tests...basically a breakdown of the esophageal muscles. I don’t have to go through the 6 month requirements. Maybe due to the urgency of getting the band out???

I think more and more insurers are approving these band revisions ( I don’t know anything about sleeve to bypass). I’m not just dealing with weight gain, which is not above even 30...going down that dark path and fastI, but now the muscles in my lower esophagus have started to weaken and deteriorate, food is stuck all the time, the port has caused a hernia, and the band has slipped. And all this happening out of the blue within the last 5 months!

August 13th for my revision from band to sleeve. I can’t wait to get this band OUT! Plus I have a hiatal hernia that feels like a baby’s foot up in my rib cage... ugh!! Gallbladder going too. I hope I’m not an outpatient...have a call with Dr. on Friday. Good luck all you August Surgery Daters!

Good luck! Let us know how you’re doing!

Hey there! I have a band to sleeve revision scheduled for Aug 13th!!! I’m having the revision, hernia repair and gallbladder out. Has anyone had all this done at once, and how long was your stay at the hospital?

On St. Patty's day I had the band for two and half months, completely forgot, and ordered a beer... big mistake! Too many bubbles trying to go through the band and too much trying to come back out of the band... Very painful. Try taking a sip and keeping it in your mouth. Notice how much of that sit foams up in your mouth. That's why everyone recommends letting it sit out for a while. But bloody mary's don't get me any problems.. :0)!

I was just like you were in January of this year. I started my preop on December 15 and lost a total of 15 pounds. Then after surgery I had only lost 3 pounds. My first bill was January 29th, 1cc. 2 weeks later, another .5 cc and I was still not feeling the restriction I had felt right after surgery. Then anthor .5 cc at the end of March...still the yellow zone. It wasn't until Friday, April 13, i got .7 cc and now I finally feels like I'm in my Green zone. Everyone would tell me measure it by the first year not the first couple months. Hang in there I promise you'll start seeing results once you start getting closer to your Green zone.

I too was just approved by BCBSTX. We sumitted on Dec 1st, I called yesterday to check the status and they had mailed the approval letter that day! 8 days? Wow, I'm impressed.