Tamihott

I am 30 weeks pregnant and banded. About 1 month ago I started having pain near my ribs on my left side. It started out managable and I mentioned it to my band surgeon and he said no it's not the band. The pain continued to get worse and made it almost impossible for me to stand more than a 30-45 minutes at a time. I went to my general doctor and she did some labs etc., nothing wrong. She referred me to my OB and he said it's just the pains associated with being pregnant. I have not had any relief unless I am lying down. Now I feel a tingling sensation in my upper left side as well. I wonder if anyone has or is having similiar problems. I wonder if this is band related and I should consult the band surgeon again. Only problem is how much can they really do being pregnant? Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. FYI I have been unable to work sinc I work in ER and stand on my feet. This is really getting me down.

I am sure with the vitamins etc you are taking that your little ones health is not an issue at this point. What I would worry about is if you start vomiting. I had terrible morning sickness and have been completely unfilled since 10weeks. Yeah I am gaining weight like crazy, but I look at the consequences of a slip and am ok with that. Good thing with the band is you can start all over once the baby is born. Good luck.

I was just contacted by my surgreons office on Friday, regarding the requirements for Lapband surgery. I was prepared for lots of work ie..psych appt 6 month dr weight loss even a nutrionist and 5 year history of morbid obesity, but she seemed discouraged already. She told me that if you go below the 40 BMI during that 5 year period you are automatically excluded. I was shocked and got onto the bcbsil website and read the medical policies on the srugery. It did not say that you could not drop below 40 BMI. I read it as they just wanted to make sure you had weight issues for years not just a short period of time. She continued to state in 2 1/2 years she had gotten only one approval from this particular insurance co. I was getting discouraged, then later in the conversation she proceeded to tell me that honestly when most people find out about all the guidelines and the 6 mo diet they choose to go the self pay route. I think if it is worth doing you have to put some work into it, and that is what my insurance is for! I pay good money for it and think it is worth a shot to get all my stuff together and submit it. I was really just wondering if there were any experiences with this insurance and what was the outcome. Thanks for any advice you have. Tamara

Hi everyone! I just had my first fill last Thursday and it rocks. I have lost eight pounds per the doctor scale in less than a week. Teri I am sorry that you are having more problems. I hope all goes well. I hope everyone else is doing well. Tamara

I am feeling very down at the fact that I had surgery sept 24 and yet to have a fill. I am going to the surgeon tomorrow, but receieved a phone call from their office yesterday saying that alot of insurance comp need pre cert for fills and that I might not get one tomorrow. Fact is if you are losing weight it might not be "necessary" for a fill. I feel super hungry most days and I am not losing hardly anything. Lets cross our fingers that I get a fill tomorrow. Teri I hope you do not have the flu, and everyone else keep up the great work. Tamara

Yep! It sucks! It goes away in a week or two. Thanks goodness I was out of work, until it subsided. I just had to deal with my family running the other direction when I opened my mouth! Hang in there! Tamara

Hi everyone! I was banded on Sept 24th. I have two daughters one is 2 and one is 17 years old. I have been under tons of stress between my job and my teen. I have noticed when I get upset my left side hurts and my band gets tight. I have not had a fill yet and am already experiencing tons of restriction. I can't imagine getting a fill. I also notice during this time, I for the first time since surgery notice and get irritated by my port. I just want to yank it out. I have lost 22lbs and the scales are not moving. That is not the big issue, but I have been a little down. I find myself not even posting on here the past week. I guess I just need a little reassurance and hand holding, to make sure I am normal. Thanks guys. I hope everyone is doing well. Tamara

I am definitely sure that stress makes my stomach hurt or my band is getting tighter. I have had my Mom here for over a week and have felt my stress with my teenager starting to subside. It is the normal teen things. " I don't think I should have a crufew, or tell you where I am and that kind of thing". Tonight I let my daughter go to a Halloween party, making sure she knew her curfew and that I really wanted her to be come tonight. She called frantic around 9 pm stating that her best friend had left the party early to spend time with her boyfriend in his new car. He was testing out how fast his new car would go, lost control and collided head on with another car. He is now dead and my daughter's best friend is in the hospital. I can only imagine what those parents are going through. I am just soo happy my daughter is in bed and home right now. I just hope I get the strength and wisdom to help her through this difficult time. Thanks for listening. Tamara

Anything super cold, seems to make me slime. I always get stuck on hamburger and most of the time on chicken. I also have to be careful with bread.

I was banded on Spet 24 and have no fill as of yet. I have had my share of sliming episodes, that are my fault. I have yet to learn to slow down, chew better and take smaller bites. To me sliming reminds me to do these things, I do not find it bad at all. I have PB'd a few times as well. I am a gaggy type person to begin with, so it is somewhat normal and not bothersome to me. I am not sure if I will even get a fill come November 13th. It is all a learning process. As much as I love this site, you will learn best from trial and error. Good luck Tamara

I am soo sorry this is happening to you. One of my biggest fears is getting the stomach bug. I hope you are feeling better soon. Tamara

Thanks for everything guys! My teen is still causing drama, but I am feeling much better. My Mom is here from Florida for a week, so I have someone to help me and to vent. I went for a long walk today. The super cold is coming so I will walk until I can't. I am joining the gym after my Mom leaves, I am sure that will help. Thanks and I hope everyone is doing well. Tamara

Yep! It sucks when your kids tell you that your breath is bad. I was wondering if it goes away, and boom three weeks post op it went away. I still feel like I always need to brush my teeth though. Tamara

Just to give you the other side of the coin, I was out of work a total of 12 days. I was glad that I took that long off. Maybe could have gone to work a few days sooner. I needed that time off. I was not prepared for how wiped out I would be after surgery. It is surgery, and if you are not up to work, then you should stay home and heal. Good luck! Tamara

Since I was banded I get the hiccups on a daily basis. When I ususally get them it is a sign that I need to stop eating. I actually think it is a great thing! Good luck. Tamara

Congratulations on the weight loss!!! I tend to eat too fast right now, becuase I don't have alot of restriction. I am one of the lucky ones who at certain times of the day without a fill I do get restriction. I probably ate too big of a bite and way too fast. You will do fine. If you do eat too fast or too big of bites it does make you aware not to do it again. It is all a learning process. I find from reading these boards for over a year, I was well prepared for what the process was going to be. Good luck! Tamara

Great job Debbie! I can tell just by your posts that you are a dedicated bandster. Your positive attitude shines through on here and you have been a big help to all of us when we are a little down. Keep up the super work. Tamara

I went for my two week follow up today and I have lost 11lbs since 9/24/08! I am super happy since I really have no restriction yet and I have been feeling really well. I am scheduled for a potential fill on nov 13 if needed. Good luck eveyone! Tamara

You are soo right. It is mind over matter when it comes to working. I have to slow down. I did take a walk during the day today. I work nights so walking during my dinner is not an option. I would not walk there at night! It felt good to walk a couple miles today! I swear slim if I don't lose at least one pound from today, I am gonna freak out!!! Keeping postive, cuz that's just me! Tamara p.s. Happy Birthday Debbie! If one more person watches me eat at work I am gonna spit in their eye! That is the main reason I tried not to tell too many people. Insensitive jerks! LOL.

I am a stay at home mom who works part time at night when my kids are sleeping. I must say I have a two year old and it has been difficult not to pick her up. She can get into her car seat on her own, but I imagine with a 1 year old that may be somewhat more difficult. I think you may want to have some help. I have a restriction of no lifting for 4 weeks. You won't want to be doing any heavy lifting anyway. You need time for your body to heal. Good luck! Tamara

I am not eating enough or drinking enough, thus am not losing any weight. I go to the doctor on thursday lets hope I get a fill. I have never drank enough and now it is even worse. Today I have eaten more than I have since surgery and I feel sick. I started back to work today for 5 hours and was beat. I tried to do too much. I brought some pureed chix salad to eat on my break. I scarfed it down because we were super busy and it just sat in my throat. It was scary and somewhat painful. Will slow down for sure. Everyday is a learning process. I just love learning and sharing with all you guys. Keep trucking! Tamara

I called everyday from day one. I called to see if the fax was received on Friday morning. By Monday morning I was denied. I resubmitted my own paperwork via fax and a letter a week later. It took about a week from the second time to be approved. I actually called my surgeons office to tell them. You have to be your own advocate. It is not being a pain if you call everyday to "check the status of your request for approval'. My insurance company was more than happy to help me out. I will have my fingers crossed for you Froggi. It has been interesting to read your posts and it will be exciting to be on this journey with you. Good luck!! Tamara

I did the same thing on purpose. I am still taking it daily. Last thing I wanted to do was be straining on the pot with all those sutures. I knew from being pregnant that Colace was a gentle laxative. I am Sure you will be fine! Good luck on your surgery! Tamara

I am glad that you are doing better today. One of my biggest irritations the first week was the feeling of having to burp, and not being able to. I was hoping and parying I would not alwasy feel that way. It finally went away a few days ago. There is hope! Tamara

I was trying to describe this exact thing to my husband. I was having such growling and rumbling in my belly that I thought thats what was making me feel sick. I still have not figured that out. It seems to me that you are doing well by eating popsicles. Unless you are nauseated and vomiting all the time I would just take it slow and increase your intake daily. Just remember these boards are awesome, but if you compare notes we all react differently to surgery and the recoveries are quite varied. Good luck! Tamara Banded 9-24-08