kimmcneely

I had my band in '05, got pregnant in '06 and had my son in '07. I only gained 9 lbs during my pregnancy and he was 7 lbs 1oz. Big difference from the 50 lbs I gained with my first one 11 years ago without the band. Of course my band got pulled and I had to have it replaced when he was 3 months old. I had gotten very anemic because I wasn't able to eat any protien. But I liked what the scale was saying. Of course now I am back at around 160. I have stayed there consistantly.

Dr Ciaravino is in Houston. Here is his website. Houston Plastic Surgeon Michael Ciaravino MD, FACS and his phone number is 713-627-1200.

Just getting back to the forum after months off. I had a baby in June, replacement band surgery in September and a number of other things. I am also a Spivak patient, living north of Beaumont and considering PS with Dr. Ciaravino. He seems excellent. A few of my friends have used him for different surgeries and they were very very pleased with the results. I really want to lose about 20 more lbs but am anxious to get all this belly fat off too. Just wanted to make sure you had check into Ciaravino because he could be a great fit for you. Good luck and keep us updated.

I have been suffering with terrible reflux and went to the dr this week and he said that during my pregnancy (my son is now 5 weeks old), that my band had moved around my stomach and was now blocked. So I have to have it removed. Good thing is, acid will be gone and insurance will pay for a new band.

When I went to visit Dr. Spivak in Houston for a consultation back in June they were very persistant to tell me that Blue Cross Blue Shield would deny me. They said they hadn't had any approvals from them. I was prepared to pay out of my own pocket but I let them submit it anyway. I have no comorbities and my BMI is barely 40. When I got home that night and my husband and I talked about it, I had decided to just pray everyday for the same thing and believe that it would happen. My prayer was that the insurance would approve it as though they had never seen it. That there wouldn't be any denials, they wouldn't ask for any other paperwork and that they wouldn't drag it out forever. My husband stood in agreement with me on this prayer and today, one month after my consultation, I received my letter of approval. Isn't that something? No, it is something...it is God. I know this is a lap band forum and not a prayer forum, but I just wanted to share my experience.

Ok, well I guess I will reply. I just don't look on here very often anymore. I was banded in July of '05 and love my band, even to this day. My husband and I decided to start trying to have a child together in July of '06 so I stated getting myelf off of birth control and by September was completely off and was pregnant in October. I am scheduled for my c-section on the 28th of June. I have actually done excellent with my band during my pregnancy. I had my saline taken out of the band in November so that I could eat more. Don't know that I am really able to eat a lot more. I am almost 31 weeks pregnant and have only gained 6 lbs. The baby is growing great and I have had a great pregnancy other than the heartburn. If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me at kim_mcneely@hotmail.com as I don't get to check the forum as often as I would like.

I must be lucky or either my doctor attached something to my band that runs directly to my brain when he did my surgery because I have been very well but not over restricted since my surgery. I actually had lost down to a little less than 150 lbs (which I never thought I would see) when I found out I was pregnant in Nov of 06. Now...6 months pregnant I am still at 150 lbs. I had lost about 6 lbs in the beginning of my pregnancy, thankfully not because of morning sickness, but I have just now gained that back. I rock between 147 and 150. I have gained a belly where my "little man" is growing well, just haven't gained in numbers. I think that my biggest gain from the lap band surgery is the mental piece that I have had to have to lose the weight and keep it off. Although when I found out I was pregnant, I was immediately scared about gaining. Even now, even knowing that it is all baby, it is hard to look at my tummy growing big again since I had lost all of it and had a nice semi-flat stomach. I am just anxious to continue and meet my new son come June.

Congrats! I am also pregnant with the band. I have had my band since July of '05 and am almost 6 months pregnant. I lost several pounds in the beginning of my pregnancy even though I never had morning sickness and now am just starting to get a belly but haven't gained any weight yet. Even though I had all my fill taken out at the beginning of pregnancy I am still very restricted. Oh well. The doctor said all is well and that the baby is growing just as it should. Thanks for your inspirational story. We will keep both you and your family in our prayers.

We go to Alaska every other year to fish and there are lots of ways to cook both the salmon and the halibut that we bring home. I am like you, salmon isn't my favorite but I love the halibut. One easy receipe that even the kids love is to: deskin the halibut season with lemon pepper and whatever else you like. take ritz crackers (amt depends on how much fish you are cooking) and put them in a zip lock bag and pound them until they are fine. Coat the halibut in a milk and egg mixture and the put it in the zip lock bag and coat it there. That make the crust. Put it in a glass pan (works best) Drizzle with butter and cook on 375 for about 8 min. This might vary on how thick the fish is. We love it!!! I hate it because I have a freezer full of this and salmon and because I am pregnant I can only eat the salmon.

Congrats! I am also banded and pregnant. Now in my 12th week. This is not my first baby although since my son is almost 11 it feels as though it is. This is my first band baby though. I still have questions about that. I had an unfill done when I first found out that I was pregnant but I still feel really restricted. Of course I had lost a lot of weight so the size of my stomach is very different than what it was. I try to eat a lot of small meals but I have a hard time even doing that. Like my first pregnance I haven't had any morning sickness so that has been nice but there have been times that I have felt that my food wasn't going down and that I needed to just "get it up". I am still very, very tired at this point. I am anxious for that to pass and to get my energy back. I am taking a prenatal Vitamin (chewable of course) that is really not bad. I was nervous about that because I wasn't liking the thought of chewable Vitamins...yuck! but this one is really okay. My OB doctor says that there isn't anything to worry about with having the band. Since I had a c-section with my first, I have to have a c-section with this one so they have tentively scheduled me for the last week of June. I am so looking forward to it. Good luck and hope to hear how your progress is going.

I have a low profile port and mine sticks out pretty good. Mine is directly between my breast bone and my belly button. I like the location because my bra doesn't irritate it or anything but I am considering a tummy tuck. As a matter of fact I had already had my consultation for that and my boob job when I found out I was pregnant. Guess I will have to wait a bit. Anyway....what I was going to say was that my low profile port still sticks out quite a bit. More when I am laying on my back than anything but I have lost a lot of weight in my tummy and it is noticeable. However I wear a girdle and it seems keep it tucked in. Now my concern is going to be the baby pushing on it.

I also have more restriction in the morning and help loosen things up with something warm to drink.

I apologize, I meant keep my fill until then.

I have just found out that I am pregnant. We haven't had an ultrasound yet and have had strange periods so I am either 5 weeks or 9 weeks. Not very far along at all. My lap band doctor said I could keep my band up to my 7th month but I am going to go ahead and have it out. I currently have only .7 cc in and am real restricted. At one point I did have 2 cc but began to have acid reflux. Congrats!

I am happy to annouce that I am between 4 and 5 weeks pregnant. Very early on. I had my band in July of '05...so just over a year. Loving my new body and nervous about the one I am going to get but excited about the gift God has given me. My doctor said as long as I had my fill taken out by my 7th month I should be good.

Count me in too. I am weiging in at 150 to date. I had all my fill taken out in early August due to some reflux and got .7 cc back on Monday so I am looking forward to losing those much needed last pounds. Thanks,

I can tell you that after much research prior to my band, I went with Dr. Spivak in July of '05. Everything about him was fantastic and still is. I of course didn't have UHC at that time. My insurance did cover my surgery at that point and then in January of this year my company switched to UHC. I haven't really had any problems with my insurance at all. Several people at my office have had surgery since me and even though the majority of them have went with Spivak, I know of one or two who went with Speigel. I wish you all the best in determining what is a "right" fit for you.

I think that the amount of excercise that you do combined with the normal elasticity of your skin will determine how much excess skin you will have after losing weight. I have lost over 100 lbs total now and do have some excess skin, but now a great deal at all. I contribute that success to working out 2 to 3 days a week on average. Some weeks more. In the beginning I did a lot of cardio and little weights. Now I do a lot of weights and little cardio. Talk with the trainer at the gym, they can suggest a routine for you to follow.

So what is the challenge? I haven't participated in one even though I have been banded over a year, but what the heck. I need help getting the last bit off.

I went on 8/1 and had a complete unfill because I was suffering from acid reflux terribly an since then I have had a constant pain in my left side under my rib cage. It is like when you run so much that your side hurts. That is how it feels. Anyone else experience anything like this?

Well as you can see from below, 150 was my original goal. Now that I am there I have adjusted it some. I don't know that I have an ideal number in my mind. I think I will know when I get there. I am 5'5 and am wearing a size 11 which you can't find in all jeans, but I have managed to in some. I am comfortable with my weight except for my belly fat. I want all the PS that my husband can buy me. Many people say I look too thin now and most just say I look great. I think because I dropped so much weight in my face there is such a noticeable difference there. My mom is coming in from Iraq on the 22nd and she hasn't seen me since Jan, so I am anxious to see what she has to say.

Not sure where this post needed to go, but the last couple of days every time I lay down after eating, (within an hour or two), I start vomiting. It is as though it doesn't sit well on my stomach or something. My stomach will make all kinds of noises and stuff and then it just starts coming up. This is going to be gross, but typically when I am vomiting from being sick I have advance warning because I get the mouth sweats and stuff, but not in this case. I just throw up and there it is. I have done this several times while I am asleep. Which wakes me up of course. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this or has any clue what may be causing it. Thanks,

I know this is why it is so weird to me. My last fill, which was only my second one, was in late October. I didn't start having reflux until July??? What's up with that?

I was suffering from the same stuff. I let it go on for almost a month but I finally went to my doctory yesterday and they gave me an unfill. Much better today. They said to leave it out for two weeks and then come back and they will gradually give it back to me. They called it pouch delepitation???? (not sure how to spell it)

It is a sad day. I went to the doc yesterday and they removed my fill, all of it. 2cc. I feel lost now. I am constantly watching what I put in my mouth worrying if I am going to gain an ounce. He said to try it for two weeks and see if the reflux gets better or not. We shall see.