Jonathan

Congratulations. I wish you nothing but the best. Take it easy, and let your body heal! Jonathan

I ate a lot of chicken and vegatables. If you're eating skinless chicken, you can eat an awful lot of it and still be low calorie -- and certainly low fat, low carb. Be careful with fruit. Your doctor is trying to put you into a state of ketosis so that you body can burn some of the fat around your stomach so that there's enough room between your liver and stomach to do the surgery safely. Eating too much fruit, although a healthy food choice, will keep you out of ketosis and your body won't accomplish what your doctor is hoping it will. Chicken, vegatables, turkey, turkey-based deli meats (or almost any deli meat for that matter) are your best bets. Low carb isn't nearly as much fun when it's low fat too, but it's a very effective way to lose weight. Best wishes, Jonathan

I'm done with the band. I don't think it's a bad choice, but I'm just done with it. I have to have surgery and have my band removed -- the doctor is convinced that there will be too much scar tissue to have another one put in, or to have the current one repositioned (if it could be) . I'd have to wait 6 months to a year, then have another band put in. No thanks. $16,500 to lose 40 lbs. And it's been hard. I've had 10 fills/unfills now. I was completely miserable for 2 weeks after my surgery, was miserable after my slip, and am miserable when I look in the mirror and see what a failure the last year has been. I'm not looking for sympathy, or for anyone to say "but you look great" or anything like that. I'm being honest with myself. I had goals, and I failed to meet them. The lap-band, like ANY weight loss surgery solution, has a complication rate because there are, at times, complications. I rolled the dice and crapped out. Someone has to. This time, it was me. My new insurance *does* cover bariatric surgery. I don't know what it will do for me, but I'm leaving it in the hands of the surgeon I have a consult with on March 2nd. He's supposed to be one of the best bariatric surgeons in Dallas. If I get what I want, I'll have a revision to bypass (I think he only does RNY, not DS, but I'll ask, and try to investigate the differences) and it won't cost me anything. If it has to cost a little, I might be able to do it, but to be honest, my wife and I are both graduate students, and the $16,500 was my life savings. If revision will cost too much, then I'll just have the band removed. I'm pretty sure my insurance will cover that. If that's what happens, I don't know what I'll do. I imagine I'll pretty much lose my mind, or re-evaluate my decision to do without the band. Although, MY band, as it is now, is completely useless. I feel like (for some reason) my insurance will come through for me. Of course, with *my* luck, bypass will kill me. But, c'est la vie. Ou, peut-etre, c'est la mort. Either way. *shrug*

It's possible, and that would have to be done during exploratory surgery, which means I wouldn't be able to make a decision at the time. The problem is that because the band has slipped down, up, down, and possibly back up (I had an enormous amount of pain 2 days ago that has subsided, and have a lot of restriction right now, which leads me to believe that the band has slipped back into place and created a bit of swelling as it did it), there is a track of scar tissue that will facilitate the bands "dynamic slipping", as some call it. See, there's more to it than repositioning. As I said, it's very possible the band is back where it's supposed to be now. But when the swelling goes down, I'll have no restriction, and when the band is filled to an appropriate level, it will almost certainly slip again. Each slip is dangerous. I've been lucky, but there's no point in continuing risking more serious damage. The best I could hope for, if I wanted to stay with the band, is to have this one taken out and a VG put in. At my size, the VG is the appropriate band (and certainly was the appropriate band 40 lbs ago), and it's increased *thickness* (not just diameter) results in far less slippage (at least, that's what I've been told). But, if there's too much scar tissue, which my surgeon tells me there probably is, then they'd have to remove the band, wait 6-12 months, THEN put a new one in. I just don't think I'm interested in that. I haven't made a decision yet, but even if I made one in the next five minutes, it wouldn't be a rash one (and I don't think you were implying that it was)... I've been really thinking (and praying) about this since the first slip back in November. Jonathan Jonathan

Everyone, please rest assured that I've taken every comment as it was intended, I know that you all have nothing but best wishes and hopes for me -- although I have seen a few disparaging remarks on LBT over the last year, I've never seen one directed anywhere near me, and have never taken offense to anything anyone's said. And, to put everyone's mind at ease, I said that the last *year* has been a failure, and it has, as far as the band goes. I don't consider myself a failure in the least. I am, as you all know (and can surely tell) frustrated and, at times, despondant, at the amount of time, money, and energy I've put into this for the result that I've gotten. But, as I said, even if the band works perfectly 95% of the time, that still leaves 5% who are going to have troubles. Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug. Ya know? Peace, Jonathan

I'm not goin' anywhere. *hugs*

For a week after my surgery, I was unable to keep down my own saliva. This resulted in vomiting over the course of that week over 100 times. It is likely that my band slipped at that time, but there's no way of knowing, since my doctor chose never to do fills under flouroscopy. It wasn't until 10 months later that I had my first fill under xray and discovered that the band had slipped. After removing all the liquid in my band, it slipped back into place, but as soon as we refilled it, it slipped again. Chances are it was the original sickness that caused the slippage, but at this point, I don't know that we'll ever know for sure. Several doctors have told me that the band the doctor put on me was too small, and that's why I was so sick right after surgery.

I went in for another fill yesterday, and the techs discovered that my band has slipped again. I met with the surgeon who agreed to accept me as a patient (since my original doctor doesn't take BC/BS and doesn't accept any responsbility for the slippage) and we discussed some options. Nothing caused this re-slip. He says that sometimes scar tissue builds up in such a way that creats a track that the band can slide up and and down, and that even if it slips back into place, it will probably slip again once I start getting fills. There's no way around surgery. So, they can take the whole thing out -- and may have to, depending on the scar tissue. If they take it out, they can put in a VG band, which is what I needed in the first place, or it's possible I could have a revision to bypass. I'm contacting another surgeon this afternoon to discuss that possiblity. If they leave it in, they can try to fix it, clean up scar tissue, etc. He didn't seem overly hopeful about that possibility. I just wanted to update you all. I'll keep posting and let you know how things unfold. Jonathan

Today is my first bandiversary. It's hard to think of the entire process as successful at this point. I lost 40 lbs in the first 3 months, and have lost and gained the same 10 lbs since then several times. However, I have another fill scheduled for next week, and this fill should give me real restriction -- I haven't had much restriction at all since my slip/unslip, and I realize that like many tools, the band is a tool that doesn't work if it's not properly calibrated. So I'm looking forward to being back where I should be. Of course I'm not happy that my band slipped, but I'm so thankful that it slipped back, and that there was no damage as a result. Further, I lost 40 lbs this year. Even though it's not the 120 lbs I might have lost with bypass (or the ~80 I could have lost in a "perfect lapband world") it's still 40 lbs. And that's my goal for this year -- another 40 lbs. If I lose more, great, and I hope I do lose more. But if I lose only 40, then I *will* consider this whole thing to be on the "success" track. Anyway, here's to another year. Cheers. Jonathan

Those of you who got banded in Mexico, did the doctor take credit cards, or did you have to bring a cashier's check with you? When they ask you at customs whether you're there for "business or pleasure", what did you tell them? Jonathan

My band slipped. I followed the instructions given to me, which included having all of my fill removed, a completel liquid diet for a week, and then a week of mushy foods. After the week of liquids, I went in for another flouroscopy, and it showed that the band had returned to the correct position. They did a partial fill. I went back 2 weeks later and got a little more of a fill, and the band was still in perfect position. So far, all's well.

There's an insurance code for "diagnostic surgery". They use it when you have "unexplained stomach pain". Under that code, they can "open you up" (laproscopically, I assume) and when they "discover" that the band is causing the problems, it can be removed. The "diagnostic surgery" is covered by almost all insurances. Of course, your milage may vary. But generally, that's how it works, from what I understand.

Can someone clean up the Before and After pictures post? There are LOTS of comments there. Thanks, Jonathan

NSV: No seatbelt extender for me on the plane! It was snug, but I could pull the loose tab 3 or 4 inches if I needed to; it's so nice not to have to ask for that extender! Vegas was WONDERFUL. I've honestly never had so much fun, and as "silly" as it was to get married on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, it ended up being a very meaningful, religious ceremony, and a memory I'll treasure for life. Here are the wedding photos taken by the Star Trek people. http://images.mellette.net/wedding/bridge Jonathan

=) There will be NO little Jonathans OR Megans =) We each have 2 kids already... 4 is enough Thank you all =)

... to get married! Life is good. I had another flouroscopy this week, and my band still looks great. I had another fill, and am up to 1.6 CC now (in a 4 CC band). I still don't have much restriction, but I have a little, and it feels good. And yes, I'm getting married this Saturday, in the absolute geekiest of ALL weddings. Rather than just tell you, I'll let y'all guess what we're doing Just remember, it doesn't get much geekier than this! Oh, I'll post a picture of the rings =) I'm very proud of them -- we had them custom made by a shop in Ireland! Peace, Jonathan

We're not dressing up as space aliens, if that helps I'm looking for you on AIM... I'm "Jonahan".

You don't have to beg (although it kinda turns me on). =) The ceremony is at 2:00 PM -- If you really want to come, PM me and we'll swap numbers Jonathan

I remarried my ex-wife once -- I'm not sailing on that ship again. This is someone different. =) We haven't been seeing each other too long (6 months), but it's long enough to know that it's right, and will be forever. (Or, at least, until one of us dies. )

*grin* If I had a blow up sheep, I wouldn't need to get married, would I?

Ding ding ding! =) We'll be getting married on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise =) (1701-D, for anyone who knows the difference between the generation of ships.) Yes, it's geeky, and yes, I think it's cool too =) I guess that makes me ... a geek!

This is even geekier, I promise

It's a bold move...

I went for my fill today -- the first under flouro. My band has slipped. Most of my stomach is sitting on top of the band. This explains why I don't have restriction, why I've gained weight, and why I have reflux. The techs who read the flouroscopy said that they think the band my doctor used was too small to begin with, and that I may need a new (VG) band, as opposed to fixing the placement of the one I have. Surgery will be $4500 + doctor's fees. A new band will be $4000 on top of that. I can't afford this. I couldn't afford the $16,000 I paid for surgery the first time. I can't believe it's 10 months later, I've only lost 40 lbs, and I have to go through this all again, at this cost. The really frustrating thing is that it's possible that my insurance company now will pay for "diagnostic surgery" which would cover the costs of the surgery to fix the placement. (Nobody can tell me what would happen in that circumstance if they found I need a new band.) However, this seems to be a moot point, as no doctor I can find will accept my insurance company. For some reason, everyone is swearing off BC/BS. Even doctors that take BC/BS aren't taking new BC/BS patients. In the mean time, I have to go the next 7 days on liquids only, even though they said that the band is too small for the stomach to fix itself. 7 days of liquids, with no restriction, over Thanksgiving. I want to crawl into a hole.

So sorry Penni. You'll be in my prayers.