drkel

Wow, I am so so sorry you had to go through that! In 5 years I've never had a fill without the aid of flouro!

I had my first band for nearly 5 years and it slipped. I have BCBS, and they paid for the first band to be removed and replaced, b/c it was medically necessary. I did NOT have to meet the requirements again (b/c I had lost my weight)--they replaced it with no questions asked, b/c all of the scans showed there was slippage and that the only way to fix it was to replace it.

Yes, weight loss was fairly slow...it took about 19 months to lose 103 pounds. BUT I've kept it off pretty easily for a couple of years.

I'm sorry you're struggling so much--is is frustrating, for sure! If this perspective helps at all....I had my first band (4cc) for 5 years. The MOST I could ever handle as a fill was 0.8--that's it!! So just know that some of us are just more sensitive to fills than others. The band still works great! :thumbup: So, take it nice and slowly, and just work your way up to a higher fill level. :eek:

I've been banded for 5 years, and still can't handle steak. That is one food I stay clear of!

Hello! My doctor is Cory McBride (female)--she's at UNMC. AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING doctor (and all around wonderful person!). She has an OUTSTANDING staff, her PA, Emily, and her nurse coordinator, Melissa. I never go more than 4 hours without an email response. Phone: 402.559.5100. All the best :shades_smile:

Just got my hospital bill for my band replacement: $28,752...and that doesn't include the surgeon's fees! YIKES!! Thank the Lord for insurance!! :biggrin:

Darlin', ANYTHING is semi-mush friendly if you go after it long enough!

I saw my dr on Thursday and pretty much threatened to eat the neighbor's toddler...she didn't move my fill appointment up! haha! I had my first band for almost 5 years, but when it slipped I gained back about 30 pounds b/c I had ZERO restriction. I HATE not being restricted right now! It had become such a way of life for me, and I miss, miss, miss it! I don't want to re-gain these few pounds I've lost so far....but I've been down this road before, and I KNOW I will probably gain some back before my first fill. I was just looking at the calendar....my first fill is on Apr 10. No way on this planet will I make it that long!

Lise, I'm following your journey! We were banded about the same time, and have lost about the same amount of weight so far. Best to you!!

I'm right there with ya'll! I was re-banded on Feb 27, have lost 15 pounds so far. But if I wanted to, I could eat ANYTHING. I'm really pi$$ed at myself, b/c I have eaten almost an entire bag of Cheetos Puff Corn today --a whopping 1100 calories! I'm so mad!! So that means I've consumed almost 2000 cals today. I have got to get my fat a$$ back to the gym tomorrow!!

2 weeks post-op (banded Feb 27), down 15 pounds!

Congrats! I, too, was banded on Feb 27...no pain at all though, but I never really had any pain at all when I woke up.