HeatherO

kintime, you look wonderful in your pictures. The change is amazing and very motivating. Thanks for sharing.

It does sound like it has been a strange journey. You are doing absolutely wonderful and have such a great attitude. Not to mention you are getting very close to goal as well. This will all pass quickly and I am happy there is a good solution for you to rectifying the leak.

That is hilarious, if only we could get the subliminal messages more often, lol.

I guess my first question would be, what are you eating? What are your calorie and protein intake levels?

Jachut definitely has a point. I have been really strict about protein intake, yet I have hair loss. I take vitamins daily as well, eat lots of fresh veggies but almost no other carbs unless they are from a natural unprocessed source. I followed all of the rules and still have hair loss so protein can not be the answer in my case. Perhaps it is the very low calories for such an extended period. I am fairly sure that if I did not try to maintain a healthy diet and take my vitamins regularly, that what has been minor hair loss would probably have been major hairloss.

I didnt have additional problems other than my surgery was a little longer than the others and I was a little slower to recover post surgery, however the slow recovery time may have just been me and not the hernia repair, who knows? After surgery, I had severe neck and shoulder pain that last a few weeks. It was more than just gas and was unpleasant . . . but that also passed as well and I am doing great.

I had one as well which was easily fixed with banding.

25 pounds is not a huge loss over two years, specially if you have a higher bmi. I am not sure it would be that much of an issue depending on what your bmi happens to be.

I have read a lot of threads, but I have never once heard of a removal solely due to reflux/hiatal hernia or any combination. A partial unfill usually helps with reflux and most people who have had a hiatal hernia had it repaired during banding.

It sounds promising that you are getting closer to approval. Good luck!!!

Low carb banding has worked beautifully for me. It has really kicked my weightloss up a notch.

You should check the minimum requirements which they should have posted on their website. However, I think it is unlikely you would be approved unless your insurance is very atypical. Minimum BMI with comorbidities is usually 35.

I am also amazed at how little it takes to support our bodies . . . specially compared to how much we were eating before.

I had this 1-2 months ago for about a week. It gave me the briefest pregnancy scare, which was impossible anyway because I was on the pill. It was kind of a dull achy sore to the touch, uncomfortableness. It went away and I am still not sure why it happened. I figure perhaps the weightloss released some excess hormones trapped in the fat cells. I am just so happy it was brief.

I had one before that was fixed with banding, but have never heard of someone developing one post banding. Will they be able to do a repair? Are you still having problems eating? I had a significant hiatal hernia prior to banding but never suffered a single symptom. They affect everyone differently. I am not sure if it would affect your ability to eat, but whether it does or does not affect it you may need a slight unfill if mushies are a problem.

Thank goodness. I am so happy you were able to avoid something that is usually inevitable . . . whether it be medication or divine intervention :0)

I am now at 150 and can wear an all too form fitting size 8 or a comfortably loose size 10 in pants with a medium shirt. I feel that I am as normal a size as normal can be . . . right in the middle. I can shop anywhere . . . but I still walk around in the plus sized section first from time to time. My brain has just not fully adjusted yet. Also when I hold up a medium shirt and look at how wide it is, I really truly think there is no way on earth it is going to fit me, but they do 90% of the time and they fit well without being too form fitting.

One more comment . . . I have been reading threads for a very long time. It seemed to me in my readings that those who followed the basic bandster rules regarding protein and vitamin intake along with a healthy diet did not have a significant problem in this area. It should not be so much of an issue if you meet your bodies nutritional needs.

I didn't think I would experience any hairloss. My Protein was always good, I take Vitamins daily and even took Biotin supplements. I thought I was good until I reached about 7 months and noticed as I run my fingers through my hair or wash it, several strands of hair was always coming out in my hands. I have lost a little thickness but no one has noticed it other than me. I also had some "shedding" when I was pregnant as well. It could be that even with working so hard to avoid it, I am just more susceptible than some. I already notice that less is coming out now than a month ago and I think I will be relatively fine. One unfortunate side affect is that I had to start wearing my hair pulled back in the kitchen. I was noticing an occasional stray hair in inappropriate places that was grossing me out.

See what you can find out about how the surgeons office was given the "go ahead." If they received a letter or something documented, you might have more ground to stand on.

Recovery is not so bad post banding. I was working 4 days later full-time. I never could have accomplished that if I was suffering. What is a couple of days of discomfort which will be dulled by pain meds compared to the years of suffering and possible obesity related health problem recoveries that you might face down the road. It is sooo worth it, and not a big deal at all.

Is it worth it to pay for the final visit with out-of-network prices? It might be easier than switching for the final visit and might also make insurance approval a little smoother.

You can generally eat what you want for the most part, only you are satisfied with so much less. However, you do need to stay away from ice cream, chips and those kinds of things because they go down easy and can prevent weight loss. Banding life is so much easier. food moves from the center of your life to something on the periphery. I am so happy that I have been banded. It is the best, most fulfilling decision I ever made.

I also think it is very highly unlikely to be related to the band. Specially if the reaction seems to be on your skin. Sometimes it is something very small that can start the reaction. As far as the liquid diet being a possibility . . . aren't you ingesting Protein drinks that you probably never had before, or certain kinds of broth. We don't usually eat large quantities of the kinds of food we ingest on the liquid diet so it is a possibility. One thing to keep in mind, it it continues they can do a test to see what is causing the reaction. I had to have this done and discovered I was highly allergic to my two small dogs . . . but I was never allergic to them before.

Refried Beans can be heaven soon after banding because you can mix them with chicken broth to the right consistency and sprinkle a little cheese of top. After a pb, it is a mistake not to go on liquids for a day because you can keep pb'ing and cause swelling as well. I always weigh myself first thing in the morning without clothes to get a truest measure of where I am because it is not affected by eating or drinking throughout the day. Exercise is a great stress relief. It is so hard to get started, but once you establish the habit . . . you never want to go back to not exercising.