SkinnyKathy

I had a lap band under United Healthcare PPO in 2008, lost 250 pounds, then had to have it removed in 2018 due to terrible acid reflux, Kaiser insurance. Have gained over 100 pounds back. Now I want to have RNY gastric bypass, and was set to get this going through Kaiser but got derailed due to COVID. Now I just started a great new job which I am very excited about, but the downside is that they only offer one insurance option, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. I have to start the whole insurance process all over again, in fact find new doctors again, but today I called the customer service number for BCBS of AL and asked about bariatric surgery and they told me that it is not covered on my policy! Has anyone ever had this experience, and were you able to find a way to get bariatric surgery covered under appeal? I really want this surgery but the out of pocket costs are pretty bad. I can't believe that this isn't covered in any form. Help!

Ugh. I see I will have to lobby the head of HR to include more insurance options next year. I don't mind paying more for better health insurance to get bariatric surgery covered. I just wanted to get it done in 2021, not wait until 2022. I wonder if I should start documenting the 6 months of medically supervised weight loss now in anticipation of hopefully a new medical insurance option in 2022 that will cover it. Or would the six months have to start once the policy is valid?

Hello all, I was banded in 2008 at 433 lbs and lost 250 pounds to get my weight down to ~180 in a few years. Kept the band almost 10 years but the acid reflux got too bad and I had to have it removed a little over 6 months ago. My weight had been creeping up to 240 before the lap band removal and up to 280 now. I am strongly considering the RNY but am concerned about the permanent rearrangement of my insides. That's why I went with the band in the first place, because it was reversible. I am concerned about developing malnourishment, although I am good about taking supplements (which I do every day even now with no bariatric surgery in place). I am looking for success stories. Who has had their band removed and then put in a RYN and had a good experience? I need to lose at least 100 pounds now and want to keep it off for life this time.

Thanks, everyone. I'm facing a similar situation. Long time bandster, lost 250 pounds, now 100 of that has crept on. Band had to be removed last December due to reflux. I was in process to get RNY when COVID hit and I stopped everything. I was away from the program too long and they dropped me, now I have to get back in and finish the pre-op checklist. I'm looking for success stories to bolster my confidence to do this.

I had a tummy tuck with anchor incision, breast lift with implants, and arm lift all done at the same time. Interestingly enough, the arm lift was the most uncomfortable part. I planned ahead well and rented a recliner with a lift, borrowed a walker, and had helpers on standby. The first week was a bit tough, but I never regretted it, and it was great that I didn't have to take all that time off work several times. Even though this was a lot of surgery, my plan was to do the back half of the tummy tuck (to make a circumferential lift) and thigh lift in a second surgery, which for various reasons never happened. Since then I have had to take my lap band out and have gained weight. So I need to get that under control before I can finish my surgical transformation. But I still do not regret doing multiple procedures in one operation.

Hello all, I was a lap band success story at one time, surgery in 2008, losing from 433 to 178, keeping most of that off for years. But life and acid reflux have taken their toll. I’ve had my band unfilled and refilled several times over the past years, but it’s no use. I can’t get to a sweet spot again where the band helps me lose weight and the acid reflux is manageable. The band is coming out on Monday. I’m depressed and worried. For me the band was magic, it made it easy (or at least possible) to lose so much weight. Now with an empty band for several months I’m struggling so much. I’ve regained 100 pounds in the past four years. Although I don’t have much restriction now, I’m worried about further weight gain. And also feeling like a failure, although I know that the band failed me. I did lose 250 pounds! I’m thinking of getting a RNY but I still don’t like the idea of cutting myself up like that. I’m trying to lose weight without further bariatric surgery but I’m not feeling confident. I’m mostly feeling depressed that this thing I loved at one point has turned out to be such a disappointment. Like a relationship gone bad. I’m breaking up with my band but still mourn the loss.

Well it’s all over now. At least the band part of my life. Band removal surgery was two days ago. I’m healing ok except for a seroma under one of my incisions. I have a call into my doctors office to see what to do about that. Doc said I had a lot of adhesions that he had to remove, and also that the valve between my stomach and esophagus was shot due to the band. So definitely no sleeve in my future, but RNY is still an option. I have to wait 3 months and lose 20 pounds on my own first.

I was banded 11 years ago and was very successful with the band for a long time. I lost 250 pounds and kept most of that off for many years. Now, in the last few years, my band has gone from being my friend to at times my enemy. Lots of acid reflux, waking up with stomach bile in my mouth, and also not some days I can eat anything and other days I can barely sip water. It has gotten to the point where I have started thinking "what can I eat" rather than "what should I eat"? I have also gained back 100 pounds of the 250 I lost. Technically, by the numbers, I am still considered a "lap band success story." And if you asked me several years ago I would have highly recommended the band. But now I wouldn't. Needless to say, I am starting the process of having it removed and strongly considering converting to RNY.

Hello all, I had lap band in 2008 and lost ~250 pounds, from 433 to 178 pounds. I thought the band was a miracle. Then the band went from being my friend to my nemesis. Trying to manage severe GERD has led to almost 100 pound gain. Long story short, I have a doctor appointment tomorrow to see about getting the band out and convert to RNY. (Sleeve is out of the question due to GERD). I have Kaiser and they will only do it in two steps which I am bummed about, but I just want to get the process started. Anyway, the reason for my post is I have been re-emerging on this forum to find others who have transitioned from lap band to RNY. My main question is, for those who have gone from band to RNY, how was the transition for you and did you find that the RNY worked well for you after your band? I read a lot of these stories about people losing a lot of weight quickly on RNY but they are talking about their first bariatric surgery. As a second bariatric surgery I want to know more about what I can expect. Are there forums on here for revision patients? Kathy

Elcee, thank you for your reply. How much did you lose on the band in the first place? How long were you banded? How was the recovery from band to bypass in one surgery?

I was banded in October 2008. It was awesome for the first two years, then still good for a number of years after that. I went from 433 to 178 pounds. But the last few years have been quite difficult and depressing. GERD, vomiting, foam in my mouth, food getting stuck, and poor eating habits developed by thinking "what is my body able to tolerate now?" rather than "what is healthy to eat?". Gained nearly 100 pounds back of the 250 I lost. I'm done with this band. Ready to have it removed and revise to RNY as quickly as my doctor will let me, looks like 3 months. Doctor appointment to kick off the process is tomorrow. I think I may have to go through the usual pre-surgery hoops.

Hello all, I'm in a similar situation. Lap band in 2008 and I went from 433 to 178. I thought the band was a miracle! But in the last few years I have really struggled with GERD, throwing up, constant flem and white foam in my throat. Gross. And managing the pain from GERD has led me to various unfills and also bad eating habits gained from my fear of GERD pain (not "what is healthy for me to eat" but "what will my body not reject now?") have led to regaining almost 100 pounds out of the 250 I lost. So tomorrow I'm going to the Kaiser bariatric clinic to talk about having the band removed, and after the minimum 3 month waiting period, revised to RNY. Sleeve is out of the question due to GERD. It seems that everywhere on this board I see pre-revision people like me but not many post-revision people. I want to know how it has gone for those who have done the band to RNY revision!

I was banded in 2008. Lost 250 pounds from 433 to 183 or so. I thought the band was a miracle. Then problems with acid reflux started. I have had all the problems people gave mentioned on this thread. I’m managing it now by avoiding eating or drinking in the evening, and emptying my throat as much as possible before going to bed and anytime I wake up at night. I keep a plastic cup on my bedtime table to spit up in. Plus my band is not very tight. But I am still having acid reflux pain during the day and occasionally wake up coughing still. At times I’ve had to have my band completely emptied. And I’ve gained weight, now up to 270. I’m strongly considering having the band removed, and getting a RNY instead. I have Kaiser and they won’t do it all at once. I wave to wait 3 months in between, which is a bummer but I have to admit that my band isn’t working for me anymore. I’m scared about malnutrition from the RNY though, and cutting out to much of my insides just seems wrong. I wish I could keep my weight under 200 without such drastic measures but I’m not feeling confident that I can do it anymore.

I was banded in 2008 at 433 pounds. For the first two years, the band was like magic, and I lost 200 pounds in 2 years very easily. The next 50 pounds came off much more slowly, with a lot more effort and several long plateaus. But I got down to 178 pounds which although still overweight, is not too bad on my 5'9" frame. My weight fluctuated a bit but always stayed below 200 pounds until about a year and a half ago. My acid reflux started getting really bad and even with prescription acid blockers was still causing me trouble every day. The band was no longer taking away that "head hunger" that was so magical in the first years after the band. My weight started creeping up and up, and when I tried loosening my band to deal with the acid reflux, the weight gain comes on even faster. At the moment I have no fill in my band because I wanted to see how I would do without it. Unfortunately, I am not making the right eating choices. And I have fallen off the exercise bandwagon. This morning, when I stepped on the scale, it said 249! I'm upset and depressed. I feel like the band isn't working for me anymore and I don't know what to do. I don't want to gain this weight back. I'm considering converting to a gastric bypass but would like to give the band one more go. Has anyone had luck getting their band to help them lose weight past the 7+ year mark?

Yes, I had this every time I flew. I found with the band that any kind of stress -- altitude, lack of sleep, changes in routine -- would make my band tighter. With air travel, especially over long distances and time zones, it's all of the above. And one of the gotchas with the band I found is that when I gets tight and you get dehydrated, the dehydration itself causes more tightness and it becomes a downward spiral where even when you are doing everything right it is very difficult to get yourself turned around. One trick I learned to turn myself around when under dehydration stress like that is to give myself an enema with pure water. You can buy enema bottles at any drugstore and THROW OUT THE LIQUID that they come with as it has salt that you don't want. Rinse it out and replace with just water. Apply as per directions but keep the water in. It won't take long to absorb. You can do this again if needed. I found that when I got dehydrated like that and I couldn't take in fluids orally, I could take them this way, which would relieve the dehydration stress enough so that I could take them orally again and get myself back on the right path.

Julie, yes it can be brutal! But for me it was not brutal at the onset. This is the hardest it has ever been for me. I'm glad to see other long-term bandsters though that are making it work. That gives me hope that it can be done. I was thinking about it and the other thing I did religiously in the first few years was log my food intake. So I recently joined loseit.com and am now logging my food intake every day, honestly accounting for every bite. Sometimes its the small nibbles that add up that can sabotage you, so I am committed to being honest and transparent with myself.

Thanks, Bayougirlmrsc. It's good to know someone else who has kept the weight off for so long with the band. I'm sorry you had to have yours removed and it sounds like you have a great outlook which I'm sure will help you stay where you are. Needtorecover, I have changed insurance since my surgery so I am working with a different doctor now, but I have been under the care of a bariatric doctor the whole time. I've been checked for slippage several different times and I'm fine. I do have a bit of erosion but not enough that it is causing these problems. I did have a revision surgery about 5 years ago to correct a leak in the port/tubing. Once I got that fixed my band went back to working like a champ.

Yes, I know that it ultimately boils down to my eating and exercise choices. I lost 250 pounds and kept it off for 8 years so believe me, I've lived it. What I'm saying is that the "tool" that the lap band provided me which helped me achieve that is no longer working. The "tool" being two things: (1) restriction, without unmanageable acid reflux, and (2) cessation of head hunger. #2 went away first, lasted maybe 3 years. #1 lasted until within the last year or so the acid reflux has become such a severe problem that I had to have the restriction taken away to manage the acid reflux. My question should really be directed at bandsters who have had their bands for 7+ years. Every other long-term bandster I know is also struggling with acid reflux and weight gain. Julie, are you struggling with acid reflux at all? Good suggestions about protein bars. I have maintained my morning tradition of a green protein shake since my surgery up until today so I know I am getting plenty of protein. My biggest problem is evening snacking. I switched to an apple in the evening to keep me full with less calories.

Hi bandsters, I haven't checked in here in a long time, but I just wanted to let you all know that as of today I have lost 246 pounds on my lap band journey. I was banded in late 2008, and lost about 200 pounds in two years. Then I plateaued for about a year, thinking that perhaps that was as low as I could go. Then when getting another fill my port tubing got struck and my band was slowly leaking. Only we didn't know that at first. I had a bunch of tests done to rule out band slipping, etc. I had lost most of my restriction and I gained back 30 pounds. I had port and tube replacement surgery a little over a year ago, and ever since then, my weight loss has gotten back on track and more. I've lost over 60 pounds in the last year for a total weight loss of 246 pounds. In the last year to get past this long plateau, I've had to get really serious about diet and exercise. Now I'm on a Paleo diet, and I drink my own fresh pressed green vegetable juice every day. I use fresh green veggies like celery, cucumber, mint, brocolli, lettuce, kale, sugar snap peas, plus an apple or some grapes, and a lemon for acidity (helps alkalinize the body) and to keep it from oxidizing longer if I don't drink it all immediately. My body loves it! It's vitality in a glass. I use an Omega vegetable juicer. I also do regular yoga. In the month of January as part of a challenge my yoga class is doing yoga every single day, and yesterday we went to an all-day yoga workshop! Honestly, if even a year ago anyone told me that I would be doing daily exercise and going to an all-day exercise class I would have LAUGHED IN THEIR FACE! But now I'm really loving it. Yoga is great because it focuses on the mind as well as the body. I think most of us, whether morbidly obese or not, need to rewrite our "stories" about ourselves. And yoga really gives you tools to do that. It's more than just exercise. So I just wanted to let people know that YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! Really, when you change your thoughts you change everything. So just start thinking about how you are living a healthy lifestyle, and you have the power to overcome any challenge, and you will be surprised how the results add up over time! What's next for me? Well, I've already surpassed my first (249 lbs) and second (199 lbs) weight loss goals. My next goal is 180 lbs, and at 187.2 this morning I'm getting pretty close to it. I may or may not set a lower goal after that. Even at 5' 8.5" height that still puts me in the obese category according to BMI so I may go lower still before plastic surgery. I definitely need plastic surgery. I have a LOT of loose hanging skin, folds in my skin both horizontally AND vertically. I know the surgeries will take some additional weight off, too. I have met with a local plastic surgeon who recommends three surgeries: (1) a lower body lift with anchor incision, (2) breast reconstruction, arm lift, and lipo on the thighs, and (3) medial thigh lift. It's quite expensive here in the SF Bay Area though. Soon I have a consultation at Cosmed in Tiajuana to see what they would charge. The challenge is both finding the time as well as the money. Well, I hope this is helpful to some of you all. Good luck and keep up the faith! Kathy

Update: I've had a lot of difficulty with my band over the last year or more. I've had acid reflux pretty bad and had to have all my fill removed for a while. I'm getting more put back in, but unfortunately the band isn't working as well for me anymore. I just got another fill to get me back to a fairly restrictive setting and I'm hoping that this will help. But, my weight is up to 246 lbs. I'm alarmed and definitely don't want to go back to being morbildly obese, but I'm already back to having to shop in the Plus section again. I switched medical insurance to Kaiser almost a year ago, and my new doctor says that they have found that the band stops working so well after a number of years for many people. If I can't get my weight back under control I may convert to a sleeve or gastric bypass, which would have to be done in two separate procedures. I really don't want two more surgeries so I am pulling out all the stops now. In addition to getting my band tightened, I am trying acupuncture and hypnosis (not all at the same time though!)

I was banded in September 2008 and have lost about 240 pounds since then, from 433 to 190. I'm finally serious about getting cosmetic surgery. I met with my plastic surgeon yesterday, and I am scheduled for my first of two surgeries on July 24! I am going to have a tummy tuck with anchor (vertical) incision, breast lift with augmentation, arm lift, and lipo on the thighs. The second surgery (date TBD) will include the backside to make it a full lower body lift and a medial thigh lift. I am so excited! I know it's a lot of surgical procedures all at once, so I'm sure the recovery will be tough. But I want to get this done and out of the way! To give you an idea of what my surgeon is dealing with, I've attached my "before" picture. That is, before plastic surgery but after 240+ pounds gone. I will keep you all posted here with progress updates and pictures too. Any pre-surgery advice from those of you who have been down this road before? Kathy

Janice, the only thing I wish I had done differently were to have a front-closing sports bra before surgery, as I didn't own one before. And to stock up on seasonally-appropriate long-sleeved shirts. I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but having arm surgery in August, the hottest month of the year, and I didn't own many lightweight long-sleeved shirts. I did a lot of preparations that turned out to be unnecessary or I only used for a short period of time. The walker I borrowed, I only used the evening of my surgery coming in from the car to the lift recliner. The lift recliner, which I rented for a month, I stopped sleeping in after a week and a half. I continued to use it as a comfy chair until the month was up, but I didn't need it. The toilet seat riser was handy for the first week.

UPDATE: I had the first of two planned cosmetic surgeries five weeks ago. We changed the plan a little bit. Surgery #1 which I just had included tummy tuck with anchor incision, breast lift with implants, arm lift, and lipo on the thighs. I thought the recovery would be rough but it wasn't bad at all. Surgery #2 sometime soon I hope but not yet scheduled will be a butt lift (making the tummy tuck into a full lower body lift) and medial thigh lift. I've got a thread in the Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery forum titled "Kathy Goes Under the Knife" with lots more info.

It's been a while since I've posted. I'm doing well. My last drain fell out after two weeks. I'm now at 3 1/2 weeks. I've been out and about doing pretty much everything since two weeks out. I do sleep more than I did before and my left arm is a bit stiff but other than that I'm pretty much back to normal. My incisions have healed completely in most places, but I did have the incisions open up slightly in my underarms a few weeks ago. So there are some places where there are still some scabs or the skin is growing back together. Next week I will start using BioCorneum on the scars to start fading them. For now he doesn't want me to put anything on the incisions. I can see now that my tummy is not as tight as it possibly could have been. My doctor sees that, too, and said he would do a revision on it when I go in for my next surgery. It looks good, it's just that there is still some laxity in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. Given what I started with, a mess of skin all over the place, I think he did a good job. Now that I am very close to normal he can aim for an even tighter stomach next time. In the meantime, I am enjoying having a nearly flat stomach for the first time in my adult life. In fact, I wore a bikini on Sunday! I was over at a friend's house and she said let's go in the pool, and I said I didn't bring a swimsuit, and she said no problem, you can borrow one of mine. Now I never thought of her and me as the same size, but she brought out a bikini (that's all she wears) which I tried on with trepidation. It fit! Now it wasn't a string bikini (thank goodness) as my hips and thighs are still a mess, and it only partially covered my rolls there. But somehow I was shocked that bikinis exist in a size that I can wear. If anything didn't fit, it was the top! My boobs are pretty large, which I love! Yes, you can see the vertical incision, but it's not that bad already. So I slathered up the sunscreen and played in the pool for a couple of hours in a bikini. Now I don't think I will be wearing a bikini to the beach or a public pool, but still it was a milestone for me. I don't think I have worn a bikini since I was 12.