Jim1967

Just got this response back from my HR Dept. We have been notified of this issue. Fortunately, our employees are not being affected by this change. Even though we are through Cigna, we are part of the Tuft’s platform which means that coverage will remain the same and it will continue to be accepted at your primary care physician’s office and Lowell General. Only people who carry Cigna insurance on Cigna’s platform are being affected. This has been confirmed by our rep at Cigna. Hopefully this eases your mind a little bit. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Spoke with the office and it is the only hospital he is affiliated with....

Good point!! Thanks for mentioning that. I know he is affiliated with another hospital but I cannot remember which. I have to check that.

wow, I am so sorry to hear that. Have they done a fluoroscopy to make sure the band was properly situated and no leaks from the tubing or port?

By the way...if you're going to be depending on insurance to help with the costs believe it or not any issues you have will just help your cause in getting approval. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea. All that stuff just makes a stronger case for the surgery so make sure you tell them everything even if you find it embarrassing...

I wouldn't worry about the meds but like everyone else said make sure you're honest with the Surgeon. Process to get banded is not quick by any means. I had a 6 month monitored diet requirement by my insurance and my doctor required me to lose 5% before he would do the surgery. Other things that had to be done prior to getting a surgery date was Psych exam, Nutritionist visits, Upper GI, EKG, Chest x-rays, ultrasound stomach and a lot of blood work. Finally after all that was done they submitted to my insurance for approval. For me it was a little over 7 months from seminar to surgery day. I know some people had to do additional tests as well. I know some had to have a sleep study done to see if they have Apnea. I was already diagnosed and used a CPAP before starting my journey.

Whoa...I think you need to slow down a bit. This first month is for healing so don't worry about weight loss or getting the appropriate calories to lose. Eat and drink until you feel satisfied and then stop. Make sure you are staying hydrated that is key. Take everything slow and treat your pouch as if it were a newborns stomach and you will be fine. Chances are you have very little saline in your band at this time so I wouldn't worry about damaging your pouch but you have to introduce everything like it was the first time again. You need to start having conversations with your pouch. You have to analyze whether you are actually hungry or your brain is telling you are. Head hunger is a major cause for over eating.

Congrats!! You'll be home and recovering in no time.

You may be able to feel your port but the band itself you won't feel unless you take too big of a bite and something gets stuck. I notice now when I eat too fast I get the hiccups and that is my sign to slow down and chew smaller. If I ignore the hiccups 9 out of 10 times a stuck episode occurs.

Ever hear of anyone maxing out their band?

My first fill post surgery was 6 weeks. Then I had a fill two weeks after that and I am scheduled for another next Tuesday. Different Docs, different rules...

I have had two fills and still not feeling restriction yet as well. My appetite is more diminished and that's not a bad thing. I have 6 cc's in a 11cc band. Scheduled for another fill on 7/3.

My problem is trying to figure what the sweet spot is. I got my 2nd fill two weeks ago and everything was great the first week but starting last week it seems my stomach starts to growl at the 3.5 hour mark. Good news is I don't have cravings. I thought for a short time I was at the sweet spot but now I find myself questioning that. I have 6cc's in a 11cc band. Hope I reach it soon.

I have had two fills now and I last about 3.5 hours then my stomach starts to growl. I guess I am still not quite there yet but jeez the band is more then half full now. Good thing is I haven't had cravings in between meals which is awesome.

If you want your insurance to pay for it you and the surgeon need to follow their criteria. I had to do a 6 month as well. Like Grandma said the Surgeon probably doesn't know about the insurance part and probably has a Staff that worries about that.

Oh and your to answer your second question they bill my insurance $128 for a fill. If you tell them you're a self pay perhaps it could be less.

Give a call to Center of Weight Management and Bariatric. Great group of people there and it's a center of excellence. http://www.lowellgeneral.org/go/services-and-specialties/center-for-weight-management-and-bariatric-surgery

That's exactly why I stay away from donuts, hamburger rolls, hot dog rolls, bulkie rolls, sub rolls. Large soft bread just looks like a stuck session waiting to happen. I have had wheat and white usually toasted and that is fine. Pita is about the only bread I have tried without toasting it first and it went down fine but it took 30 minutes to eat.

I am only a little two months post op and I've got 6 cc's in an 11cc band. We had a couple of days heatwave here in the northeast. I didn't notice any real difference...

And chocolate with bypass will make you down right sick!!

I would say it depends on what your taking in. I probably went close to a week without going since I was on all Clear liquids. It wasn't until I started the Protein shake I started having normal ones. Even now my movements are nothing like they were before. I used to go every single morning and now it seems every other day. Way I see it as long as you can go when you have to go then everything is fine. If you have to go and cannot then that's a problem.

Sorry, I missed the fact that you're not banded yet. I would say go for it and have a goodbye soda. I had a terrible diet pepsi addiction for a very long time. I haven't had any soda or beer since April. Surprisingly I am not missing it either. Good Luck on you surgery tomorrow!!