lmpope825

I got the labband in 2007. Had had some success with it, lost and have kept of right at 60 lbs. I have struggled with the usual problems that come with the band, heartburn, acid reflux etc. Well it was determined about three weeks ago that my band has slipped. The Doc recommended removal and revision to RNY. It request was submitted to BCBS for approval. Received a copy of the letter, and they have approved the removal but not the revision. I do not meet the criteria now. I have worked hard to losse this weight and try to keep it off, and I know without the band or something I will gain all of the weight back. I have been unfilled and it is already starting to happen. My lapban surgery was with a diffrent insurance not BCBS so it would be my first WLS with them. The criteria says that I have the diagnosis of morbid obesity for a period of 2 years prior to sugery, duh, I had the band and got my weight down; My bmi is now 33, so still suffer from obesity but not morbid obesity with a comorbidity I no longer have a problem with blood pressure like I did before I am no longer borderline diabetic I still need to loose about 50 lbs Has anyone else had this problem and how do you fight it? Thanks, Laura

Tiny - I have started to regain some of my weight. Trying to stay on top of it so I don't regain very much, now about 10 lbs. I sure want to eat the paint off the wall on some day. I dont know yet if he will be doing the surgery all at one time yet. Waiting on insurance approval to see what is going to happen, then we will talk about the actual surgery. ElleG - Tomorrow will be a week since mine has been submitted. Hope I hear something soon, maybe next week. I hope I have the same luck as you. I would love to get to the goal that I set when I had my band put in. Laura

Hey eveyone, I got the band in 2007. I was a model patient and followed all of the rules to a T. I have learned to live within and EAT within the limits that the band gave me. I have lost 70 lbs of the 100lbs that I had to loose. But was told by my Doc. that was really good for the band. Well, about this time last year I got reallllly sick. A real bad tummy bug and it was not very nice to me. Not long after that I developed very bad reflux. Stupid me I did not think much of it because I had been having heartburn and some reflux on and off. But this was diffrent. Then I had the flu and it gave me very bad dry heaves and then another round of so kind of tummy bug..... I was a mess. Acid coming out my nose. So my GP prescribed me some precription anti acid meds, and order a upper GI. (I have moved from the town where my WL Doc was) Well the upper showed that nothing was wrong with my tummy, but something was wrong with my band. So I got back with my WL Doc and he ordered more test. Well, I guess you have all guessed it..... my band has slipped. Well I was very upset at first, I have had a love hate relationship with my band, as all of us seem to. But I don't want to live without the help it give me to control my weight. I know me, I have a eating problem. The band has been my good tool. But now it has to go. I went on line to do some research on where to go from here, what is going to happen. After some research I thought, hey I want the sleeve. Went to my Doc with that in mind. When I told him that he told me, "Well, you can do what you want Laura, but why havent you even considered ByPass?" I just have alway thought bypass was so drastic. "Well, what do think the sleeve is?" Well, rerouting the system is a little much for me. "And removing part of you stomach is not?" What? "Yes, Laura, I thing you need to just look into it, do some research on it, and then we will talk. Just keep in mind that the bypass is tried and true, and proven over and over. The sleeve if fairly new, and we are already seeing patients comeing in after the sleeve to be revised to bypass." I love my Doc. and trust him. And he knows me so well. I did my homework. I am now 100% on board with bypass. It has been submitted to my insurans and now we wait. I have BCBS Federal, has anyone else had problems with them approving the band revision to bypass? I am starting to get excited. Thanks for all of information, it has helped me so much with this decision. Laura