Cocoabean

I had a brilliant response all typed out the other day when the site crashed! Rats. Anyway...see if I can re-create it. I think many people feel we don't deserve to be cured of our disease. People see it as elective surgery, and it is, in a way. I see any surgery as elective, some are just more urgent than others, but a person can say no to any treatment they don't want. People also see obesity as a disease we have caused and deserve. A treatment that involves making us look better, well--that ought not to be allowed! But if you were to get knee replacement surgery from osteoarthritis, you'd have full support from everyone. I doubt you'd hear, "well, if you lost weight, you'd not need a new knee!" Knee replacement could be considered elective as well, last time I checked pain was not fatal. As to the deaths that have made the news recently...yes, deaths do occur from surgery. It's a risk. As is getting in your car. Hopefully you have researched your surgeon. He or she comes highly recommended, and you've checked your state's medical board. If you do some searches on the doctors involved with the cases in the news, there are multiple complaints against them.

I snipped your post a bit. I've been wondering about your posts talking about ghrelin being influenced by the band. I was under the belief that bands didn't affect it. But I found this study http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/reprint/88/9/4227.pdf Interesting reading. So many times medical 'science' finds something works, thinks they know why, does more research, finds out it is an entirely different mechanism. For me, my band works like Humming Bird's. I don't weigh and measure my foods. I eat until I hear a "whisper of satiety" as I call it. I try to make healthy choices most of the time. It has worked as I'd hoped it would. My band DOES limit the amount I can eat at a meal. I cannot eat portions the size I used to. It isn't possible for me to do it, unless I sat there for an hour or longer waiting for my pouch to empty and nibbling on the food. But that isn't the goal of being banded. This is my experience only, but if I have to wait a while to be able to eat more of my meal, then my meal is over. If I tried to eat the same size portion I used to, I'd be in significant discomfort. In between meals, I have to fight the urge to graze. If I am truly hungry, I'll eat. If not, then it's a battle of the brain. But the band gives me control of the physical hunger making the battle with my brain a little bit easier. I don't always win that battle, but I win it more than I lose it, and that makes me feel as though I have won the war.

Melody, the gain and your band tightening happended at the same time. They MUST be related. You are retaining so much fluid that it has affected your stomach tissues, also. Can you look back at the other times your band got tight and see if you had a significant gain at that time? 7 lbs overnight is NOT fat. I know you know that, but it bears repeating. Hang in there!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! A tip about sharing meals at restaurants. Some charge a fee for this. So at those that do I will order a small side salad or other inexpesive tiny item to get a plate and silverware. Then grab food off his plate. I realize it costs them money to wash an extra plate, fork, and knife if we share and entree..but some split fees are $5.00. I'd rather order a salad and have them toss it, just to make a point. I am not really into wasting food, but they make portions so huge and don't offer smaller choices. You learn to be creative. DH prefers to just say he isn't going to eat anything then share the fork as well. Yeah, it works, but I am not into that plan, thanks!

Angie, I'm sticking with my theory that the new placement site is the difference. It will be an interesting question to ask your doctor. I am betting it feels nice to be able to eat without pain, but scary as well for fear of regain. Insurance companies do pay for life-threatening complications. I'd think a slip that severe qualifies, but I am no expert. I'd be concerned as well. I does sound as though your surgeon has had experience with insurance and going the ER route. That might have been very wise. Keep us posted as to how you are doing!!

If it is your left shoulder that is not uncommon. If it is that severe and getting worse, call your surgeon. Try gas-x strips, they can help dissipate the gas. Walk and heating pads help, too. Hope you feel better soon.

Do you mean insulin resistant? Which would mean pre-diabetic. If you are insulin dependent, you would be taking insulin and know it. WLS is a good treatment for insulin resistance. Losing weight helps control blood sugar.

I had originally set my goal about 5 lbs less than where it is now. My PCP would like me to be about 10 lbs less. But we talked about and he said if I am happy, he can live with it..gee thanks! But I feel good at this weight and don't want to work as hard as I would have to to get down to that weight. I've also heard the "you're too skinny" line from people. That I just ignore as them not being used to seeing me at a healthy weight. I am at the high end of normal BMI, so there is no way I am too thin. Since I have been at this weight for a while now, I don't hear that any more. They seem to be used to seeing me now. My response to the too skinny comment is that I am at a healthy weight and my doctor is happy with it.

Mattie, a slip generally means that the stomach has come UP through the band, not that the band has slid down over the stomach. Was your first band the same size as this one? The placement might have been a little different, that could explain the change in appetite. Also, sometimes the surgeon puts in some fill at the time of surgery, he might have left it empty this time to give you time to heal.

Renee, What are you supposed to be eating now? During my pre-fill days after I'd healed I didn't really have an eating plan. Just to not worry a lot about my weight. I even went on a 10 day Panama Canal cruise during that time. My doctor said to enjoy myself. I postponed my first fill until after the trip so that I did not have to worry about complications. You are nearly a month out. Many people are back on solids by then. I am not saying to not follow your doctor's orders, but some doctors let their patients back on a full diet by that time. Mine did. Please don't beat yourself up over it. You will also find as the days go on that the band is a fickle thing. Some days food doesn't want to go down, others NO PROBLEMO!! You are down 20 lbs! That is awesome! Accept that and let your body adjust to being banded. Glad you put the scale away.

Call your insurance company and ask what they require, IF they cover it. Some don't cover WLS at all. They will let you know what their requirements are. Until you know that, there isn't much to be said. You may have a supervised diet requirement you might not. You might need 2 co-morbidities you might need 1. You might not need any, you don't state what your BMI is. Do they require a referral from your PCP or can you self-refer? Do you need a 5 year proven weight history? These are all questions we cannot answer, but they can. Give them a call. Or look online, most companies have their medical policy available to their members on the web. Best wishes.

Hey Sashay! Good to see you! I am in La Mesa! Maybe we could walk Parkway Plaza sometime or something.

Stacie, I was just thinking of you on my drive into work today. Good to see you! Yes, my life is a true soap opera right now! A friend said I should write a book about the shenanigans of family on the way to Hawaii. So DH last night -- while I was eating my dinner (we were having pork chops, so I was eating slowly) says, what are you doing? Eating each pea one at a time? Damn, it's taking you forever?!?!? Uhmmmm......you know I have to eat slowly. You know when I eat drier meats I eat even MORE slowly. I got started eating a tad late because like a dork I had forgotten I started a load of laundry after work and needed to get it into the dryer. And YOU ARE BEING A JERK!!! Ok, none of which I said, because I am being a supportive wife. But I really did want to smack him. Instead I tossed what was left on my plate, did the dishes, put away the laundry, and went to bed. The weenie.

Why I chose this tool? Because I had tried the uninvasive tools over and over again. WW, pills, diets. The definition of insanity, do something over and over and expect different results....at 43 years old and after some 33 years of "dieting," I was done expecting different results. So, I looked at more permanent tools. WLS. At the time when I first started looking, my choice was bypass, insurance would not cover banding at the time. That scared the heck out of me. My BMI was on the "low" end of obese. I considered bypass very drastic for my condition. My DH was dead set against it. When I attended my very first seminar, they said that bands would be covered by insurance soon. So, I did more research and waited. Sure enough, insurance companies started covering bands. I decided I liked the fact that none of my digestive tract would be re-routed, no malabsorption would be involved. My biggest issue pre-op was portion control. I knew banding was a restrictive procedure. I did some grazing, but getting my appetite under control has allowed me to get the grazing under control. I also didn't have any problems with diabetes. My surgeon will not do a band on a diabetic. He feels that bypass is a much better treatment for diabetes because it has an immediate effect on blood sugar. So far for me, it has been a great decision. The sleeve was not an option for me at the time, I hadn't even heard of it. I don't know if I would have considered it if given the chance.

I have never been very original. We had a chocolate labrador named, Cocoa.

Venting is allowed. Glad things are better for you! Also glad you clarified for any potential patients of the doctor. Get darts and a pic of the ex and enjoy!

I went to "full liquids" at 3 days post-op and was on a regular diet at about a week. Every doctor's orders are different. Just because you see something different here does not mean your orders are wrong. If you are concerned, call your surgeon's office and discuss it with them. Your primary care doctor probably won't be able to tell anything by looking at you. I believe slips are diagnosed via an Upper GI. Are you have any problems with reflux or vomiting?

What are your doctor's orders? Pre-op diets vary dramatically. I did Medi-fast. It wasn't great. In fact it was pretty horrid tasting, but I got through it. Mine lasted two weeks. With the focus on doing well for surgery, I could get through just about anything. My surgeon told my hubby that he could tell I followed it very closely because my liver was nice and small making the surgery very easy for him to perform. That felt good to hear!

I agree with Reverie, if you cannot see your band surgeon, go see a band surgeon. Not all gastro doc's are real familiar with bands. Go see a doctor who is.

Heartburn can be a sign of overfilled. As can the back pain. Weak and dizzy? Not sure about that one, are you eating very little due to the pain? As in not eating enough? I'd check in with the surgeon's office just to be sure, especially if it is all coincident with the fill and unfill.

I also chose Bandit for mine because he was being a bad band at the time and stealing my meals from me! So DH and I refer to him in the third person. How's Bandit today? People think we are talking about my dog. One of the best names I've seen here is Ralph!

Oh yeah! Saggy bottom. Been there! Isn't it a great feeling? I had baggy bra, too..that was sad! AquarianCrab, you might also be able to sell them at a consigment shop and get a little more than at a yard sale.