jayres14

Has anyone been a self pay customer, had a problem with the band, got insurance to cover the repair?? I am frightened on a daily basis that the unthinkable will occur and I have to go back in for surgery to repair or replace the band. I am still paying for my surgery which cost $12,000 and if something went wrong that I had to incur costs, it would devastate me financially. I read on here where another bandster had a bill of $28,000 for an emergency slipped band repair. I am hoping to hear if someone got insurance to cover a repair being self pay to begin with and how they made it happen. This is very valuable information, if it exists, to many of us living in fear. Thanks

I suggest a blood test to check thyroid level. I did this and discovered my thyroid was barely functioning. I am now on a daily med and have TONS of energy!!

I am still taking my thyroid medicine. Even with the weight loss, my levels stayed the same. My doctor said i'd probably be on it for life. I don't think the two are related, as in losing weight will not change the thyroid out put since it is hormonal. Not totally sure about that, but remember reading something like that once.

Never beat yourself up for a few indulgences every now and then. As hard as you work, you deserve an occasional treat. As long as you are still losing weight, you are doing something right. Just keep in mind that for every indulgence, harder work will be required. I have an occasional small bowl of ice cream or a piece of cake. I just remember to do an extra five to ten minutes exercise. It is all about moderation. Good luck to you!

Forgot to ask my surgeon, will laying in a tanning bed affect the band? I find that outside temps and weather conditions make me tighter and looser on different days. I know the port has some metal on the back side. And YES, I know tanning beds are bad for you, and YES, I know self tanners are a better option, but I own a tanning bed and I like to keep a little shade on my white body and the warmth helps my bones in the winter time. If you have spoke to your doctor about this and have a legitimate answer, please let me know. I will make sure to ask when I go back, but that may not be for a while.

I want to share what I do when I carelessly eat and get a piece of food stuck. When I get stuck, which happens more than it should (yea, I know... chew, chew, chew), I have found that raising my arms above my head to stretch and taking deep, long breaths helps to get the food to move and get unstuck. I often times pace the floor too when this happens. I, knock on wood, have never vomited from being stuck and i'd like to think this method helps. Hopefully this advice will help someone in the future, if not, just ignore the post. Happy losing weight!!

I am three months post surgery and I still have port pain. Some days worse than others. Price I pay to lose weight.

This is a wild stab but do you think it could be gas pains? I often find when I have eaten less than a normal day or when I have to do liquids after a fill that I am extra gassy and sometimes get gas pains on my left side lower abdomen. Might not be your problem but worth thinking about.

Congrats!! I am so happy for you and this awesome experience you had!! Not only do you have confidence, you are building happy memories with your daughter! Keep it up!!

I wonder why that happens? What does the band have to do with getting drunk quicker? I noticed the other night that after only a few sips of a margarita on the rocks that I was already feeling tipsy. It seems to me that the drink would go right through the stoma so it would be digested the same for the banded versus the regulars. Maybe it is because we eat less so there is less to absorb it?? IDK, but that is very interesting. Anyone know the real facts about it??

I'd prefer to have it pass through than to vomit, or for better words, spit up like a baby. Less chance of the band slipping. To each his own...

Good topic, daisy, and I commend you for putting yourself out there like this. Does your step-daughter know about your band? If she does or even if she doesn't, I think you could use a little bit of manipulation to address healthy eating. If I were you, I would casually ask her one day if she would mind helping me look up some healthy recipes to try to help with the diet. You could tell her that you are bored with the same food choices and are looking for new ways to spice things up. Flatter her and tell her you know how smart and creative she is and that you think she could offer valuable help. Maybe you could ask her to go shopping with you to buy the ingredients and make some of the stuff. It would be a great bonding experience and also make her some what aware of healthy foods. I have often found, especially as a teacher and a mother of an autistic child, that when you approach a touchy topic as needing advice for yourself, the reaction is a much better one that just preaching. It humanizes us non-perfect adults. Good luck to you.

If this topic caught your attention, hopefully you have some insight to add. I have lost 24 pounds since the surgery. I am losing in my face, neck, legs, stomach shoulders, everywhere but my BOOBIES!!! My bra size is slowly decreasing around my upper stomach but the cup size is not changing. I feel like I am slowly becoming Dolly Parton!! From my understanding, boobs are a good portion of fat so shouldn't they be decreasing too?? I guess a downside would be sagging but I can finally shop in the regular women's sizes except for the boobie part!! How has weight loss affected your boobies??

Thanks ladies, I am glad to know others have not had any problems with using it. I do agree that I will probably not be able to lay on my stomach anymore b/c of the port. That's okay though, when I get smaller, i won't have to turn for an even cook!! :lol:

I am so sorry this is happening to you. I know it is important to have a strong support system and it sounds to me like your PA is not being a good cheerleader for you. I have a good relationship with my surgeon but something struck me as odd. My surgeon has never checked the total fluid in my band. I have had 4 fills and the amounts were 2, 2, 1, and 0.5 (none when the band was put in.) Maybe he doesn't check the level each time b/c he is the only one that has ever put the fills in. Anyways, some days I can tell the band is there, others I could eat my weight. I hope both of us figure out what we need. Good luck to you and be proud of your accomplishments!

I think we have the same body!! I, too, have no butt and little legs. All my weight is in my upper body!! That is the main reason why I want my boobs to shrink, so I can be more proportional.

Yea, I am hoping they will shrink a little. I am down to 188 and it has been years since i have been this size. I don't ever remember having small boobs but WHEN i hit my goal of 155, surely they won't still be this size. If so, i may need a reduction. Thanks to everyone for their input. I guess there is no real answer, my body is going to do what it wants in the boobie area.

That's what I am afraid of. I want them to shrink, God knows i'd love to fit in regular shirts, but I do not want them to get saggy. I'd almost rather keep the big boobies, i am sure my husband would agree. Your picture looks great though!! Your body is definitely beautiful!! I hope you get the money for the lift you want, I am obviously pro-surgery improvement!! Good luck to you!

You have no obligation to tell anyone anything. But think of this, you are a walking testament of the band. You did it!! You made it work!! No one can take that from you!! Not even negative comments, which actually have no grounds considering you did it wonderfully. I am not saying you owe these women anything, but you never know, you could lead someone to a decision that could save their life in the long run. To me, the band is not just for cosmetics, it is for health and life. Either choice you make is the right one, good luck to you!!

So my port is located right under my sternum. I read that some people's is on top of the sternum but mine is under it. I think it is in a good place b/c it is in a natural indention below the sternum, attached to the abs and will not show much when I lose a lot of weight. It think it is in a bad place b/c my girls are rather large and require a heavy duty under wire bra. The under wire often presses on it when I am lounging in bed or in the recliner. Any time I lean against something, I can feel it being pressed on. I have always been a stomach sleeper but can no longer sleep that way because of the port. I can feel it pulling when I try to sleep on my stomach or sides and now I have to hug a pillow as I sleep to keep the pressure off of it. It has been two months since my surgery so everything has healed. I can't ever seem to go an hour without touching it or feeling it under the skin. I am not too sure I can go the rest of this journey with the port distraction. I am having a great experience with the band itself, not getting stuck anymore and almost at the green zone. It is the port that I can not get used to. If things do not get better for me in that area, I my have to have a port replacement/movement surgery. I know this is mostly mental, me being aware of a foreign object inside my body, but it is really starting to get to me. I would like to know where everyone's port is located and how much they like or dislike it. Thanks!!

I didn't tell anyone but immediate family before the surgery. I was not going to tell anyone after the surgery but I started telling a few people and all I got was support. No one had anything negative to say. Now that could be because I am sometimes perceived as a b***h and they are too afraid to! HAHAHA!!! Really though, it is a personal decision to tell others, I don't broadcast my band, but if someone compliments me on my weight loss and asks what I am doing, I tell them. I also make sure they know this is the hardest thing I have ever had to do for my health and that I am proud of the decision i made for myself and my family. There may be a few certain people in your life that you really don't want to tell, in my case, my mother-in-law. I don't tell her for HER sake!! She is not the nicest person and I would hate to have to cuss out my husband's mother!! :lol:

Georgia, I feel you at the foot long sub comment!! i could too, easily!!! Slm, I hope 5.5 is a magical number for us 10cc banders. I have another fill appt tomorrow and I am getting another .5cc fill to make 5.5. I feel like I am almost to the green, hopefully tomorrow will put me there!! Fingers crossed!!

My port is right under my sternum and I can feel some pressure on it during intimacy. Any time I am in a position to be scrunched up, it feels weird. I don't think there is any particular place that would not cause discomfort during intimacy since it has to be so close to the outside of the skin.

I thought at one time I read someone had a port near their arm pit, maybe a little lower then the actual pit. I wonder if anyone has a placement there?