MdGardengirl

Hello Lapbanders! I have been banded for a year this month. Went for my yearly check up and got a small fill. Things are really going well and I am very happy with my band. I am always looking for information about the band because I firmly believe that knowledge is the key to success. I am very active on a few other lapband sites and this one gets mentioned a lot! So here I am. Look forward to meeting new friends!

I have BCBS of Maryland and I had to do 6 mos of supervised diet, psych test, pulmonary, sleep study and my doctor's blessing! Quite a bit involved, but it's all good because you have time to get into the diet mentality you are going to need for the rest of your life living with the band. The supervised diet can't just be you saying you are on a diet. It has to be something like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Medifast. I did Medifast. I just kept a graph of my weight and inches lost. They accepted it. Also, I had to stay on the same diet for at least 3 months and then could change to another one for 3 months, or stay with the same one for 6. But not 4 months/2months. Weird, but make sure you call your insurance company and get as much info as you can about their rules. My surgeon's office coordinated pretty much everything. But don't depend on other people. Follow up with BCBS just in case! From my first visit with the Surgeon to surgery date was 8 months. Good Luck on your Journey!

Good question Sissy! I just celebrated my 1yr bandiversary last week. More than anything, I wish I had known how long it would take to feel restriction after you heal from the surgery. At about week 6, I became very hungry and for 4 months it was like I was not banded at all. Come to find out, this is normal and you will be this way until you get enough fills to start feeling restriction. I started eating more, but the right things, so I didn't gain any weight. I always share this with new people because I think we are so inundated with information, that we don't hear all the little details. This was a BIG one for me! The second thing would be to keep your head in the game. This is not Gastric Bypass where you lose a lot of weight all at once. The Lapband is a tool. Hopefully, one of many that you have in your toolbox. You still have to do the work of eating right and exercising. Don't get fills too fast. Most problems start after being too tight. Remember..... this is Life, not a Race!!