leeanghadn

Quick question: I've been advised to have mine removed by a GI doctor following 10 years of complications, but the doctor also said that unless the band slips, it won't be covered by insurance. Have any of you had to cover this expense out-of-pocket? I'm bothered that I have medical complications from a foreign object and cannot get it removed as medically necessary. Thanks in advance for any help with this.

Hey kristilaw!! I told you I don't come on here much... today's my first time since April 08 when I found out I was pregnant. I'm here searching for answers and advice, I think I might have an overfill from 3/6 if I'm reading right... guess I'll be going back soon for a slight unfill. I'm sick constantly and the weightloss is not happening, but I'm hopeful! Looks like you're doing great! Everything going ok for you?

Hi, just heard of this site and joined today. I was referred by "mamato3" ~ she was my roomie after surgery and says this site has been most helpful and help is what I need right now. I had my surgery on Jan 7 with Dr. Brengman with Richmond Surgical Group at St Mary's in Richmond, VA. I am finding it extremely hard to communicate how I feel to those around me that don't have a clue. I've called the doctor's office, but the nurse and I keep playing phone tag and the info given to me, I'm finding, is quite vague. So, I have lots of questions with little to no answers. I lost 7 pounds during my pre-op LSD diet and then gained 5 of that back during my 24 hr stay at the hospital b/c of the fluids, etc. 2 days after surgery I "re"weighed and had lost that 5 plus an additional 4 pounds which was SO exciting for me. THEN, I started on the soft foods and the scales haven't budged since... now I know it's only been 1 1/2 weeks and we're supposed to move slowly with this, but I'm getting discouraged. I don't feel any different now than I did before surgery as far as food... I feel like I could keep going like always, I never seem full and the hunger pangs hit at least every couple of hours. More than that, I feel like I need to see a psychiatrist b/c I didn't really graze before surgery and now I can't keep my head out of the fridge. What do you all do for that? or am I the only one with this issue? Jeez, this was quite an introduction... sorry about that. On a positive note, I am a Type II Diabetic and have been on medication for quite some time and I've already been able to stop the meds and my sugar is NORMAL!!! Now, I'm sure this is b/c of the food I'm eating, but still, that is awesome!!! I opted for this surgery to get my weight down & control my diabetes so that we can have another child.... we start trying Jan 09, & lord willing we'll conceive a happy, healthy baby!

hehehe!! We were just talking about this yesterday waiting to get our fills!!! I burp ALOT more too and very LOUD and LONG ones, they're amazing, not something I can say I'm proud of, but they do make me laugh! I told my husband they feel like they're moving through my body from my toes up!! He's so impressed with it! Men ~ ya gotta love em!

Yes, Suzanne, it was divine intervention!!! :wink2: Anyway, I had a thought and was just wondering... do y'all think maybe, just maybe, or bodies are holding everything they get because it thinks we're trying to starve ourselves and our bodies need to adjust to this new way of life and realize we're ok... like protecting us? Sounds corny, I know, but with Weight Watchers you're told "Eat your points, even if you're full, eat your points" and kind of for this very reason. And, if we were doing WW, for most of us, we're in NO WAY eating our daily allowance of points and therefore our bodies are rebelling against us...? Holding what we're putting in? I'm doing a poor job of forming words around my thoughts, but if any of you can read my mind... do you see what I'm saying? Make sense to anyone but me? I guess I'm trying to rationalize this weight gain thing, if only temporary... because it seems common among most of us.

I just want to say, this forum is so therapeutic for me. I've been really depressed today and truth be told, I still am, but I feel better. Throughout the day I feel so alone, that no one understands and then I come here and so many are going through what I'm going through... thanks to all who post and share, it has helped SO much!

I had my surgery on the 7th also in Richmond, VA and depression is getting to me too and I hate that. It was biggest fear from surgery, I'll have to admit. I so wanted to avoid this teary stage, but it's hit, full force!! It doesn't help that I have someone gauking at me as I eat anything!! In fact, it's quite annoying, like suddenly I need to be monitored. If I'd been monitored before maybe I could have avoided surgery, but that didn't happen, so I want to say, "don't bother now, please, I can take care of myself" but you didn't ask all that. I guess, overall, I'm doing good. I feel good physically most of the time until I make a wrong move and feel like I've ripped my port from my abdominal muscle (that hurts) and I'm satisfied as far as hunger goes, most of the time, but psychologically, I need help. Even when I'm not hungry, I find myself looking for my next bite of food... I'm going to see a nutritionist next week after my f/u with my surgeon. At least if I eat, I may make healthier choices until my first fill, when, from what I understand, it will be extremely hard to cheat ~ and for that, I am thankful! Next?

...just found your post! How cool is this... Oh, I didn't experience the shoulder pain Renee had, so maybe you'll be lucky too. I'm so glad I didn't have that, sounds PAINFUL!!!

Janet, I completely understand your frustration, I am in your boat completely. I had my surgery on 1/7 and I'm worried about the same things... stretching the pouch, wanting to eat (everything in sight) and the head hunger... I find myself constantly in the kitchen looking for my next bite to eat and it's very upsetting and has made a little more depressed than normal over it. I've worried about being a failure on this too and I feel it was a last resort. At least I'm not alone and I have TONS of questions for my doctor!! I hope he's prepared to answer them all! As far as the post-op diets go, they are very different for individual doctors/groups and I don't think they're "wrong" one way or the other... my doctor wanted me on liquids for one week and soft/mushies for 2 and I feel VERY comfortable with this and certainly don't feel I'm compromising my health by doing one less week of liquids, nor do I think my doctor would compromise my health by advising it this way...

I just finished my first week and was starving and SICK of the high Protein shakes by the 4th day after surgery and needed a little something to replace a couple. I called the drs office and was told to fix creamy soups so I did and they were delicious and filling!!! You can buy low fat, low sodium Campbells soups. I would heat them up in a sauce pan with a cup of FF milk, salt, pepper and an oz or 2 of LF cheese (melted, of course) and they were great. My favorite is cream of broccoli cheese... just make sure you strain them your first week so your stomach doesn't get overworked with those few solids that are in the soups. I also had cream of chicken and tomato Soup.... it's amazing what you learn to love! Walmart sells cheddar cheese made with 1% milk and it's VERY good and very LITTLE fat!! Good luck, this helped me ALOT!!

apparently I am the only one with this problem...

You're my new buddy!!! I feel like I'm experiencing EXACTLY what you described, but WOW, your weightloss IMPRESSED the heck out of me. Your beginning wait was 2 pounds less than mine, your goal wait is mine exactly and your surgery was only 3 days before mine. I finally found someone, I'm so excited!! Please feel free to email me privately or PM me. I didn't start my pre-op diet, though, until 9 days before surgery vs 2 weeks so I only lost 7 on that and now I'm at a total of 12 pounds lost. And I've gained 1 lb back myself, which has thrown me into a slightly depressed mood. So, I've looked through my info, called the dr, and finally was told about this site which in the last couple of hours (since I joined) I found your post. So, don't be sorry you "reposted", I really needed to read it and see that I'm not alone. It sounds like we're just at a temporary standstill, I sure hope so! But, thanks again for your post!!

I am also on Prozac and suffer from depression (I take 60 mg/day and it's the ONLY thing that keeps me sane) Anyway, I was VERY nervous too, but it was no problem at all. The psychiatrist is basically checking to make sure you're mentally stable for surgery, that you don't have any eating disorders or potential eating disorders. I felt like she was trying to get to the root of my overeating so it wouldn't be a problem post-surgery. She encouraged me to eat balanced meals and exercise. No matter what, I wouldn't stop my medications before surgery or after until directed by a doctor.... don't worry about the evaluation, they want you to take care of your mental health as well.