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.

I am having mine removed in 2 weeks. Lost 27lbs. Not what I had hoped and very disappointed that the weight loss completely stopped after the 3rd month. (had a small loss last week, but I really focussed hard on keeping calories very low.) I too am an emotional eater, looking for comfort as I live with 4 teenagers! I also eat just for the sake of eating without really caring if I am hungry or not. I knew those things before the balloon, but the balloon did break those habits. Now, I just don't care if I eat or not. I have very few cravings and I am certainly not hungry ever (although I can eat way more than I should with this thing in my stomach.) I pray that when its removed I will be more aware of when and why I put food in my mouth. I have actually asked my doctor to insert a NEW balloon when he takes this one out but he said all results point to the fact that weight loss slows down substantially after the first few months and I would be better off waiting a few months and then getting a new one. Not sure what I will do...but he also offered me appetite control meds for when the balloon is removed. I am really nervous about gaining the weight back, especially since it is still summer time and there are so many opportunities to eat poorly!

You are the second person that mentioned the sore throat, so good to know to expect that. Glad that you are feeling ok, otherwise! Did you follow any special diet the days leading up to the procedure, to make sure there was little to no debris on the balloon that could be breathed into the lungs?

Congratulations on 35 lbs! My removal is scheduled for Jul 22. Mixed emotions. I am afraid of feeling hungry and going back to old ways, but am looking forward to feeling normal again. I have been feeling hungry the last week or so, so am going to have to be diligent about my eating habits. I have only lost 25 lbs. Have not lost anything in the last 4 weeks. But I have gone down 2 pants sizes so I feel pretty good about this decision. Good luck tomorrow. Please keep us posted, I would love to know how you felt after the procedure.

On the fence. I think I would recommend if the person said they have tried everything else and desperately needed to get some weight off and were committed to working out. Its not for the faint of heart. The first 2 months were brutal. Month 3 was very uncomfortable. I am starting month 6 so I am not uncomfortable anymore, but am also not losing any weight and no longer have the feeling of being full with small portions. In fact I can eat a complete meal and not feel anything but normal fullness - I think my stomach has stretched to accommodate the balloon + food. And the worst part, since end of month 3, i have not lost one pound, despite being very good with diet and exercise. I spent $8000 to lose 25 pounds. I got my health issues that were starting to build, completely under control and have broken bad habits and started new good habits. So, it has put me on the right path, but only half way down that road, so soon it will be up to me to continue on my own. If I had to make this decision again, I might have done the sleeve ...although I have not done extensive research on that, as I did not want something so invasive and permanent at the time, but I think something more permanent would have been more cost effective with stronger, long term results. At the end of the day, I did way more work than the balloon did, haha. I worked out 3-4 times per week and every food decision was thoughtful. The only thing the balloon did was make me uncomfortable for 3 months so I had no desire to eat food. If only I had had the motivation from within to do this on my own, back then....but the motivation came from spending all that money!

My first few weeks were not too bad. I was very nauseous in the mornings. And as long as I had a very small dinner early in the evening I was ok. I remember having a lot (a lot!!!!) of gas those weeks. But week 4 I developed brutal reflux that lasted about 3 weeks. A few good nights if I skipped dinner but that was not sustainable. I had only been instructed to take 20mg of omneprazole but doctor upped it to 40 mg which helped some. Propping my pillows helped too. By end of month 2 or so it would only happen if I ate after 7pm or had too much dinner. I wish I had kept a food diary to track what made the reflux worse. But I do believe some foods were worse than others.

I was able to eat chicken and steak by week 2. Very small amounts. No issues. I remember certain vegetables, like asparagus and broccoli and salads were irritating the first few months. I had very bad reflux month 2, so had to dial back solid food for a few weeks then.

I needed to be propped up most nights for months (I am in month 4).If you eat a light dinner, before 6pm, you might be ok. But that is hard to do in the real world, if you go out or have kids or have a full time job! I did not have labs from my doctor, but had gone to my primary for something else and she was fascinated with the balloon and had me get blood work done as a baseline. Turns our before my balloon I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. We did the blood work again after 3 months and all my stats were way down, in the healthy range! You sound like you are fully prepared, so go into this with the attitude that you are doing something good for your body/health and even though there may be bad/uncomfortable days and even weeks, you are helping your body get healthy! Good luck. Keep up posted.

I stopped losing weight at 3 months. I am currently at 4 months and am fighting like crazy to lose a pound. 1300 calories per day and working out 3-4 times a week. I no longer feel full and keep eat a normal sized meal without too much, if any, discomfort after. I wonder if our stomachs stretch a little with the weight of the balloon and/or get used to the sensation. Anyway. I am down 25 pounds and 2 dress sizes to a size 12, so I am happy with my decision to do this. Its made me more aware of the food/calories/nutrition that I consume. I was contemplating having a second one put in when this one comes out in July but I don't think its worth the cost. Like you, if I can't keep this weight off, and take a few more off on my own, I will move to the sleeve next time. I feel so much healthier right now and confident and am enjoying clothes shopping, which I haven't felt in a long time!

@@Wayward Traveler - you're like a doctor, or an undercover Orbera Sales Person...lol... you seem to know SO much about the balloon, the procedure, side effects and the meds used.

I was given anti nausea meds and only used maybe 6 pills in total the first month. There were a few mornings that I needed it. I never had pain....some discomfort from bloating or reflux, but no pain. I was also given anti anxiety pills, without me asking for it, and had no need at all. Maybe it somehow relaxes a very upset tummy, but again, had no need.