Swampdoggie

I have United Healthcare thru my husband who is a government employee. They had the 6 mo hoops and covered a lot but not all. My surgeon was out of network. The only thing was that I hit the 6 mo at year end and was told I had to wait until 2015 for approval. My surgeon wanted me to call the US Office of Personnel Management to complain to them about UH because they pick the insurance options employees may select and UH has changed rules to make it harder to qualify. However, I didn't want to raise hell that could jeopardize our coverage (in this unsettled insurance environment) so I didnt call. BUT, I got the news the very same day that I'd been approved. So its just hard to say. I do think the particular account representative's predilictions and knowledge play a role and I think the relationship of the surgeon with the insurance reps also plays a role. Just me own thoughts.

Originally banded (2008), not successful. However, apart from getting stuck and vomiting a lot, no problems with the band itself - no erosion or slippage. Sleeved in January 2015. VERY happy so far (was NEVER happy with band, not even in the beginning). Wish I'd been able to get the sleeve in the first place. As an aside, a bariatric surgeon - not mine - confided to me that she has seen a number of autoimmune problems in people who have been banded.

Katie, you made me laugh out loud.

Been married 25 years. Athletic and average weight for the first 10 or so. Gaining since. Compounded by having been sick sick sick. DH never said a word, only support, whatever I needed, even when I was so sick and in bed he made spaghetti and tacos for the kids 30 days in a row. He's excited that I'm losing and now able to do more things with him and the family. I've also been getting well (AT LAST) and feeling myself for the first time in YEARS!! Still on mega antibiotics (this last time since June) but killing the bugs and doing better. Love my DH!

I like it when I'm doing it but its hard to get started. If I'm having a particularly hard time getting going, I tell myself I will do something for 10 minutes. If I still don't want to after that, I can stop. However, 9 times out of 10, by the time I hit 10 minutes I feel good and want to keep going.

Gown the whole time but I brought a shawl and sound up using it as a fanny cover when I walked.

@@Miss Mac wondered the same myself.

@@Jenngf5 geez we're almost a match. Same surgery date, HW 278, SW 251, CW 236.

I think we former banders can eat more. And I definitely get hungry,ravenously so, and it's not head hunger. It really takes a lot of awareness to make sure not to overeat, because I don't feel a restriction. I've had no issue with vomiting or problems with any kind of food I've tried. Im at 6 weeks and could easily eat 1000 or more calories of the right foods. If I were eating the wrong foods I could probably manage 3000. I'm supposed to be around 750. I just hope the willpower habit will become ingrained because the tool is not as helpful as I'd hoped in curbing hunger.

Does your surgeon get on you?

Hi January Sleevers, I am so happy, I finally got my IV line out on Friday (was in SIX mo, for lyme disease) and now I can exercise. Still on antibiotics, still struggle with fatigue but hopefully being able to work out will kick things up a bit. Plus I'm at a conference in Palm Springs, baby! SO nice to walk in fresh air and get out of the cold.

@@lindawollock Why are you with your husband?

Eye drops. I was so dehydrated my eyes stung. They couldn't give me anything without an order. I wound up using a saline iv flush.

I was just going to mention that! I had a shawl I wrapped around my butt when I walked but I wish I'd brought a robe. Also had a pack of wet ones to wash my hands and face. The other suggestions are great too. My lips got quite chapped.

Yea! That's the best!

I am coming to wonder, based on analysing no one other than me old self, if the concern voiced in these questions that come up so frequently, is less about the pounds dropping than whether this is going to "work". As a failed bander, my recent stall caused a lot of self doubt - doing everything "correctly" and not seeing a change made me fear that i was going to be the anomaly, the one it didn't work for, etc. Now that I've been losing again this week, of course its a delight to see the pounds go, but its also reassuring that the plan is working, that there are phases and physiological cycles, and the work is in fact worth it.

My surgery was Jan 19 and my 50th birthday was on Jan 12, so my mom got me one to get motivated. I do love it and like the other poster only take it off in the shower. Mine is a FitBit Charge. It may be a little more than I needed - it tells me who's calling on my cellphone and how long I slept. That might be a little too familiar for an inanimate object. I'm curious if any FitBit users have gotten the Aria scale and what they think.

Yeah but you're in onderland. That's pretty dang awesome too! And yes, congrats to @JenWith. Wow, and all the posters in this thread. God Bless us, Every ONE!

I use Eat Slower because sometimes I have been known to shovel food in my mouth. Also, this is a site, not an app, but it calculates your BMI, BMR and TDEE: thefastdiet.co.uk Unfortunately, their server seems to have been down for the last couple of days. I look forward to seeing what other people are using to help on the journey.

I had a similar thing. I lost 23 lbs on pre op (I started a little early) and then struggled post op. This week I am finally starting to see change. I DID see measurement changes so I knew something was happening. Based on your post it looks like you lost a good amount prior to surgery too, so your body is readjusting. It is hard. It seems so unfair. But stay the course. It will happen. Also, check with your dr to make sure you're not on any med that might affect loss. In any case, are you feeling better?

Girl, bless your sleeve and your commitment to it!

Surgery was on Jan 19. I'm the ED for a health realted non profit and sometimes the time just gets away from me. I have water bottles all over my office and the water cooler right outside my door, but I still get too focused and forget to actually put them to my mouth. I have been better this week and have had better weight loss because of it. It is a learning process, that's for certain. :>

I am from the Illinois prairie so I definitely know cold (no longer in the Illinois prairie), but I feel pretty darn bad for you poor NorthEasterners. Wowsers. I hope you're not snow drift diving.

Wow, those sound so good! My grandmother was English and used to make pasties - a Cornish staple of pie crust stuffed with bits of steak, potato and rutabaga, with butter, salt and pepper. Cornish miners would take them warm in the morning and in their pockets would keep warm til lunch. Sometimes, they were halved and an apple or berry pie would be in one end (we never did that). Man, those things were so good and hearty in the winter and that's what I'd always ask for when I went home to visit. Those would be more problematic to me than even oreos so good thing no one is making them around me. (And the pastizzi sound better still). What a nice thing to do for your SO!

Yes, I use MFP too but only for the log. I'll look into the reminders. Thanks!