jansluv

Yay! Congrats!! Good luck - keep us posted

I am so sorry! Did they give you a reason? I am starting month 3 of pre-approval.

Hi - I am in the pre-approval phase. Aetna. One Doc I met with said it would take 4 months from first appt to surgery; a different doc said it could take 8 months!! What is the 90 day program?

Oh so sorry to hear that! No, that had not happened to me, but I did read that was possible and it advised to do "downward dog" yoga position to help shift it. Good luck!

Awesome!! Congratulations!

I am only a week out, post Balloon Removal, and so far so good. My goal is to not gain weight for the rest of the summer. Workout 3-4 times per week and only allow cheats on the weekend. I still feel very motivated and do not have any cravings...although I do feel those horrible hunger pains, that I didn't have much of the last 6 months!!! I have a trainer lined up for Sept, when I will dive back into a solid weigh loss plan, on my own this time! If I fail, however, I am very open to getting the sleeve.....but right now, my head is in the right place, thanks to the balloon!

Yes, I lost VERY little the first 3 weeks...like barely 5 pounds, when everyone else had lost like 15 in 3 weeks. I was SO frustrated and worried that maybe it was leaking or my metabolism was shot. I started to work out at that point and tracked every calorie I ate and then the weight started to come off.. But it was slow and steady the first 3 months. I never had any big drops. And then it stalled...so be prepared that that might happen also. It's not a magic pill, unfortunately, and I had to work for every pound I lost. Have faith - if you are eating 1200 or less calories a day and getting exercise in, it will come off.

Had my balloon removed 2 days ago. I got to the surgery center at 11:30 am and walked out at 2pm. Quick and easy. My doctor forewarned me that they now recommend using a breathing tube during the removal to avoid any complications from inhaling any debris into the lungs which can be very dangerous, post op. I did not love the idea of the breathing tube, as I was not told this when I signed up for the balloon. But, it is what it is. I felt good after the procedure, a little groggy from anesthesia but no pain except a sore throat....until middle of the night when I woke up with extreme torso/neck aches - the deep tissue pain you get when you work out really hard. For two days every movement of my upper body was excruciating - turning over in bed was impossible. My doctor brushed it off as muscle spasms. But when I researched the internet, it seems that the muscle relaxant the anesthesiologist used before inserting the breathing tube, can have this post surgery effect. NOT FUN, and advil was useless. Oh well, just add it to the possible side effects of the balloon. Also, and I do not know if this is a side effect of the balloon, but the doctor discovered a hiatal hernia when he removed the balloon. He never mentioned it when he inserted the balloon, so I can only deduce the balloon caused this new feature in my body!!! OK...will have to deal with that later in life I guess. My wrap up of the balloon: Yes it was worth it, if you have 50-60 pounds or less to lose and do not qualify for sleeve and have tried unsuccessfully to lose on your own, but you have to be motivated to work. You need to watch your food choices and you need to exercise. The weight doesn't just fall off on its own after the initial weight loss from reduced calories. The good: I lost 32 pounds, going from a 35 BMI to a 29. Brought all my medical stats down to normal range (blood pressure, cholesterol, sleep apnea) and dropped 2 pant sizes. But more importantly, it taught me to be more thoughtful and strategic about my food choices. I still have 25 pounds left to go, on my own, but more than half way there is a great, empowering feeling! Very motivated!! The bad (MY experience): Lots of gas (livable) that causes bloating and discomfort. Severe acid reflux the first 6 weeks that got under control once I increased omneprazole dosage. Woke up in the middle of the night, several times, with extreme throat pain from acid reflux. And lastly, I did not lose the big weight the first 2 weeks that everybody else experienced, so I was very discouraged during the time I felt the sickest. And finally the post balloon muscle pain I experienced is/was excruciating for 2+ days. The not so bad: Over stuffed feeling after meals (the first 3 months.) Vomiting a few times, minimal, the first week. Nausea in the early am and late pm the first few weeks that is controllable, for me, with doctor prescribed meds. Nausea on long car rides (I guess because of the position of the balloon as I sat upright.)

I have always yo-yo'd. Lose 30 pounds, gain 30 pounds. Back and forth for years. But my BMI never went above 35. I was open for the sleeve, knowing I probably needed something permanent. But I did not qualify for insurance to cover it. It did not cover balloon either, since it was so new. So it came down to two things: I did not necessarily want such an invasive, permanent change to my stomach; and 2) money. Balloon won. Now it will be my job to continue the momentum. BTW, the balloon I got was the Orbera (there are several options out there.)

there is also several closed/private Facebook groups you can join. Its really helpful to have another person or two going through the same issues for advice. I have read two stories of people whose body just rejected the balloon - constant vomiting, leading to dehydration and hospitalization. They did everything they were supposed to, but their stomachs could not adjust. Both had it removed early. So...there are horror stories out there too.

Regarding foods - there are some that cause trouble (for me - green vegetables like broccoli, salad, asparagus) and some, unfortunately that sooth (like bread and pudding!) You have to be very careful not to over indulge in the soothing carbs. I switched to whole grain everything so if I were to want bread, it was the nutty kind and bought sugar free pudding and ate lots of yogurt with fruit. And yes, after the 2nd month, it was manageable. But month 2 was rough - the acid reflux was very uncomfortable and concerning.

I had 50-60 pounds to lose. 60 to get to a 24 BMI, but 50 to be where I am comfortable and happy. So we are in the same ballpark. The first week was not bad. I vomited once the night I had it put in and then one more time about 6 days later. The first week really wasn't bad when I stuck to a very soft, liquid type diet. My biggest complaint week 1 was I felt nausea in the morning and so couldn't drink my coffee! But the discomfort built as I ate more solid foods. Most mornings the first 3 weeks I had that nausea. Once that went away, I started working out and my days were fine. But the evenings were rough, I am not going to lie. Even when I stuck to the rule of eating before 6pm, I would still have acid reflux in bed. My doctor doubled the dose of omneprazole from 20 mg to 40 mg per day and that helped tremendously. After that, my only other major discomfort was gas, and I still have it. But I can live with a few loud belches a day!

I am having my balloon removed TODAY, after 6 3/4 months. It DID work for me. Not as great as I wanted. I lost 31 pounds, 2 pant sizes, brought my cholesterol and blood pressure down to normal and got my sleep apnea under control. My BMI went from 35 to 30. The balloon was challenging from Day 1. Lots of nausea, acid reflux, and gas the first 2-3 months. AND yes, the weight loss stalled, big time month 4-5 - no weight loss at all. But then I dropped 5 pounds in month 6 for some reason. Its not perfect. Its not the magic pill. But if you need a kick start and/or have medical issues that you need to get under control it does work...but you have to really want it, because you still have to work for the weight loss. I keep my calories under 1200 most days and worked out several times a week. But the balloon kept me feeling full the first few months, then just satisfied the rest of the time (my stomach adjusted, I think, to having the balloon in and I stopped having the full feeling after a few months, but I never really felt very hungry.) Could I have lost 30 pounds on my own? Yes, but I didn't have that motivation and my medical issues were building up. Now, I have the motivation, because I have had success. I am more than half way to my ultimate goal. I look good and feel great. So, hopefully, I can keep this momentum going on my own. Good luck with your decision.

Welcome and congrats!!! Happy to hear its been pretty easy for you so far. I was able to workout at about 3 weeks. And did not feel the balloon inside of me. Although I will say that some mornings, which is when I work out, I feel very gassy from the balloon and that can be uncomfortable when I work out (burping!) But it passes, haha, and I move on! Goo d luck and hope you continue to feel good!

I am not totally disappointed! Thrilled I lost what I did. And happy that my head is back on straight, when it comes to eating and nutrition!! Just surprised, and disappointed, that this was really a 3 month gig, and not a 6 month one. I used orbera. And he filled it to the max. That feeling of fullness went away after 3 months, but I can count on one hand the number of times I felt hungry. SO it still is working, just not enough to curb my eating, as it once did. Doctor is working with the company that makes the balloon to see if they can get me good pricing on a second one in a few months. But I don't think it will be worth the surgery center's fees. If I have to consider weight loss surgery again, I think I will do the more extreme gastric sleeve. I am in my low 50's and am very tired of always focusing on losing weight.