2thebeach

i am in the same boat-- i feel hopeless and ashamed- i was self pay too- almost the exact same as you - the first year was good, then my band was too tight - now its like i dont have a band at all. :thumbdown: i dont know what to do :thumbup:

hi there :thumbup: im 5'10" adn i order thru catalog or online from "Long Elegant Legs" they are a little expensive but hte quality is very good, and they have great stuff:smile2:

i have the same story as you and alot of others here. i gave UHC everything they said they wanted and then some... letters from 7 doctors and an attorney that was heloing me with the appeal process- so-- they changed what they required, and i gave them that, then they changed again! i beliece that whatever i gave them would not be enough ever! and my policy states it is a covered service! what a waste of time and emotional energy all that was- surgeryloans.com saved me-- i got my band last august and have lost 50 lbs and have 50 more to lose. i make a monthly pmt and its the best money i ever spent! good luck dear dont give up on getting the band

please dont worry about the incisions. i have 4 tiny ones and one that is maybe 1 inch long- ( i have one of those 'scar solution' band aids on in right now) i do not mind the scar tho- without it i would not have my wonderful "tool" that will make it possible for me to be at a healthy weight. good luck- im happy for you :thumbup:

i take belly dance lessons also.. dr ortiz said it should be no problem for the band or the port. i have never felt any pain or discomfort while in class. i started taking lessons years ago before i got soooo big, and now that im losing, im starting back up again. ( im still big, but getting smaller so i figured what the heck) :cursing:

hi eapth-- congrats on getting the band soon. after your surgery you will probably be on strict liquids for a time- your doc will tell you when- but the reason why they cant fill right away is that your new "pouch" tummy will need time to heal- very important -and will help you avoid band slippage and other potential problems i the future- also, you will not feel the full effects of the band until you have had enough fills that you have hit the "sweet spot" - and that may take several fills- some get to the sweet spot with 2 or 3 fills- and for others it takes 5 or 6 or more fills. i have had 3 fills so far and am just now starting to feel the restriction that i want. as you can tell by the "slow losers" thread it is a long process and the weight loss can be very slow. but it will happen :eek: i remeber when i finally got my surgery date.. i got so excited that i cut up my lane bryant credit card! lol... like i would be skinny right away i know now that it takes time but it is the best and healthiest way. congrats again!!!!

Thanks soo much for the advise on unjury and body fortress. i will try them both. nubeginings- thanks for the sweet words and encouragement-- i have 90 lbs to lose and it will come off- just like i put it on- one pound at a time :eek: ----i bought a (cheap) exercise bicycle and that should help alot too ... please keep posting your progress too. since i have the 10 cc band i kinda expected to have to get 5 or six fills before i got restriction that lasted past 10 am but after my 3rd fill... wow! what a difference a fill makes! i have great restriction until after 3 pm. and even after that i am really limited t how much and what i can eat i expect i need need another fill or 2 in the future but for now i am grateful for how this feels. i joined weight watchers last month ( i did not tell them about the band) to help me make better food choices and for the weigh ins.

i could not possibly get one down until the evening time- they are so thick- i will try drinking one for supper and see if that 'jump starts' me -

nubeginings- hi there i was banded 8-17-07 by dr ortiz in tj. and i too have not lost much since my surgery. i got my 3rd fill last weekend and i THINK? im at my sweet spot. i got my first fill in tj and i got 3 ccs. next i got 2.5 cc's for a total of 5.5 cc's . last weekend i got 2 cc's more for a total of 7.5 cc's .. and i think for now im at my sweet spot-i can hardley eat 2 or 3 bites of scrambled eggs for breakfast and have to almost force down some chicken or beef and soft veggies for lunch and cannot eat very much for my evening meal. i have to drink my water very slowly but i do get all of it down. i have NEVER pb'd or slimed - i can tell if i had not chewed something well enough tho- i guess this means i am at my sweet spot- i understand that as i lose weight i will probably need another fill or two. i really enjoyed your quote" dont stop 5 minutes before your miracle" i have been very discouraged reading abpout others that were banded the same month as me and they have lost 50 lbs and i have not lost hardly any i will hang in there:) i hope the next few weeks let me know if this is my sweet spot

you'll get there i have a 10 cc vg band. banded 8/17/07 - i got 3 cc in my first fill- no restriction. 2.5 cc more with my 2nd fill- still very very little restriction. 3rd fill (lastw weekend) got 2 cc more for a total of 7.5 cc. i have good restriction in the morning and early afternoon. i FINALLY can that the band will work i will have another fill Jan 12th. - my fill doc says i can come once a month until we find the sweet spot. so i hope to start losing some inches soon:)