ocbreeze4u

Hello to all in Lap Band Land! I had my Lap Band Surgery on July 17, 2008 and at the same time I had a Hiatal Hernia Repair, it was severe, 1/3 of my stomach was above my diaphram so my diaphram had to be reinforced with mesh...a very large piece:scared2:. I was told after my surgery that my recovery would be a bit longer and my pain would be greater. All was good, I did not experience "bandster hell" at all. I was able to swallow liquids with no problem and I am now in the soft food (mushy) stage but here is the problem, last Sunday evening after dinner I began to have extreme pain under left lung. Since then I have had to take shallow breaths as I am not able to breath in without severe pain and when I lay down on my back or left side the pain is worse than labor contractions during child birth...no joke! The pain has been persistant since then. I went to my bariatric surgeon this evening and he is conserned that my spleen was injured during surgery. I am in the medical industry so I know that any good surgeon can have this happen during lap band and hiatal surgery and it does happen. If my pain is not better by next week he is going to run some blood work and do an ultrasound to see what is going on and if his assumptions are correct then I will need to have my spleen removed. My question is, has anyone had spleen problems after surgery? If so, how did you deal with the pain outside of medications. I was given Percoset and an prescription anti-inflamatory (I cannot recall the name) but I am still in pain and I have not had much sleep in 3 days. I need some advise as this is brutal and I am going out of my mind here.

I had a Hiatal Hernia that was discovered before my surgery. Mine was not sliding, 1/3 of my stomach was above my diaphram and it was repaired with some mesh attached to my diaphram to reinforce it. That explained why I had severe heartburn and reflux for many years and no medication on the market would resolve my issue. For the first time in 5 years I do not have any heart burn any my food goes down easier.

I love Isopure Zero Carb by Nature's Best. It is clear and comes with 40g Whey Protein Isolate. I love them and they taste simular to Crystal Light. Do not get it confused with the Ispure Powder drink mixes. This one comes in ready to drink bottles. You can purchase it at most vitamin stores however it is less expensive to get it online, I purchase mine at www.bodybuilding.com

I called my doctor today and I told him my apprehensions or waiting for another week so I have an appointment for later this afternoon. He wants to do some blood work and he said that will tell us if my spleen is functioning normal. He said that if it is not then they will admit me to the hospital for further testing and we will take if from there...hey, maybe I will get some better drugs for pain there!...lol...Honestly, I cannot take this anymore. The pain is like the first stages of contractions during labor except this does not let up, it is constant.

I was 5 lbs heavier for three days after surgery, I am now 14 out of surgery and I have lost 8 lbs since surgery day. Your body retains a lot of fluids, hense the swelling, to help your body heal and it all comes off within the first week after surgery...I promise:biggrin:

No, they are very clear on what their requirements are and they do not deviate from them. My appeals were due to my BMI dropping to 34.8 (they require 2 years persistant BMI> 35) for only 4 days, I dropped below by ONE POUND so I was initially denied. Yes, they can deny you by one pound so I highly doubt they will accept anything less than a 6 month diet and do not miss your monthly weigh-in...they will deny you. The only reason why I had the two appeals over turned was due to I discovered that the doctor had my height wrong in my chart, they charted 5' 7", I am only 5' 5" so that meant that my BMI never dropped below 35. I had my surgery on July 17th and I am doing well.

I have Aetna PPO and I am also a Nurse Practitioner. My BMI was 36 and I had only one Comorbidity...Diabetes. I had to go through two appeals and a peer to peer review, I handled my own appeals without the help of the surgeon's office and I won. With that said, I know Aetna VERY WELL. First off, they told you wrong information about they need "price information", it does not matter how much it cost at the institutional care level. When you use an Aetna Provider, Aetna and the doctor have a fee schedule they use and Aetna pays no more or not less...example, Lapband surgery as billed by doctor is $18,500 however, as a provider for Aetna they will pay $11,900 so the surgeon only gets paid $11,900 and you pay any copays and coinsurance out of pocket and nothing more, the surgeon eats the difference of $7,400. Aetna will tell you different things depending on who you talk with. If you are PPO and not HMO then you do not need a referral to a Bariatric Surgeon. Find out who is on your provider list in your area and call that office, attend their seminar. After that they will schedule a consult and at that time your doctor will find out what your insurance needs and he will handle it for you. Aetna's qualifications are a persistant BMI 40> for two years, 6 months physician supervised diet including diet and exercise behavior modification education and monthly weigh-ins. They no longer require a psych evaluation however, your surgeon may require it. You may also qualify if your BMI is 35> with one comorbidity such as diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea. But like I said, the surgeon you choose will walk you through this and also oversee your 6 month diet. Good luck.

I see very little fresh fruit and vegetables, they are very important as you need the fiber they provide and the nutrients. If your body is starved of this it will slow its metabolism to retain what little it is getting thus weight loss slows.

My surgeon put 4cc in my band during surgery and none of it was removed. My swelling must be completely gone as I can drink a large amount of water without any problems however, regarding food...I fill up easily.

MyMeshelle....I am an OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner. I do not like to bash anyone in the medical industry however you should not for any reason reduce your calories below 1800 if you are breast feeding because you burn about 500 extra calories a day nursing alone. If you are not breast feeding you can keep your calories safely between 1000-1200 and still lose weight. You just had a baby and it takes several months to get your hormones back in check and to heal. I have my calories between 1000-1200 and I have lost 7 lbs in the first week after my lap band surgery and my daily caloric intake includes 30% carbs (whole wheat and grains) and 60-80g protein. You will get your energy back in two days if you increase your caloric intake. Yes, you will lose weight quickly in the beginning with 350 calories a day but after 4-8 weeks your body will lower its metabolism so it will burn less and ration the very little calories you are taking in thus you your weight loss will slow drastically and it will take your body many month after you increase your food intake to raise your metabolism again to burn fat. Please increase your calories, you are a new mother and you probably do not get much sleep and your calories are dangerously low. You are "burning the candle at both ends". Trust me, you will lose weight with 1200< daily if you keep the carbs below 30% and your protein is at 60-80g. Good luck, I am worried about you.

I had Aetna PPO, it took 2 appeals and a peer to peer review and I won!

Did the paramedics mention how your oxygen level was (they would have called it blood ox) during your attack? Have you had your Upper GI done yet? I had simular symptoms for over a year on occasion and when I had my upper GI they discoverd not only a hiatal hernia but it was so severe that 1/3 of my stomach was above my diaphram and in my chest cavity. I had it repaired during my lapband surgery with a few inches of mesh for reinforcement so it would not happen again and for the first time in over a year I no longer have heartburn and spasm pain.

Aetna just wants you to prove that you have been educated/counseled on exercise and just make sure that your doctor makes notes in your file each visit about exercise and diet and weight. Just in case, keep your own journal (lie everyday if you have to) of all exercise and food. I found it much easier to use calorieking.com for all of my documentation. Just in case Aetna says that your doc did not follow up correctly, they will accept your journal of food and exercise as well...just do not go below your bmi target! I cannot stress that enough. Hopefully for your sake you have apnea, it will give you some wiggle room to lose a few pounds without worry. Aetna will not refuse you if you did not lose weight on your 6 month diet nor if you gained either. During my diet I lost 20 and gained it back 5 months later when I consulted with a doctor for the lap band. Please let me know if you have any other concerns I can help with. Good luck!

I have been on here one month and I have realized that most of the weight loss tickers are including weight loss from PRIOR to surgery. I want to know what others have lost SINCE DAY OF SURGERY??? My surgery was 7 days ago and I have lost 7 pounds!!! Thank you for sharing a little inspiration here:thumbup:

wuan2000...sorry to bother you again but I spent 6 months with Aetna and handled my own appeals w/o the doctors office help so I became very intimate and informative on what they require. Aetna will not deny you because you did not lose weight on the 6 month diet, they just want you to make an attempt while supervised by a physician to prove that you are in need of surgical intervention. If you gain during that time it is ok, just DO NOT go below your target BMI whether it is 35> or 40> and I cannot stress enough how important that your physician documents the weigh-ins. If one is missed, they will deny. Did they also tell you that your 6 month weight loss must include behavior modification/education AND diet counseling? If you just counsel with a dietian a few times and get a exercise plan IN WRITING from your physician...that will count and be accepted by them...you do not need to spend money on personal trainers and such for Aetna. Sorry to make this long but I fought with Aetna on my own for 6 months and I learned a lot and it also helps that I am a nurse practitioner so I know the medical system inside out (please contact me if you need any help) I won in the end and got my band on July 17th and I hope you do too.

Warning! Aetna WILL DENY YOU if your drop below their guidelines. I have Aetna PPO and during the last 2 years while I was on a doctor supervised diet my BMI dropped to 34.8 (I was in the 35 BMI catagory) for only 5 days, I fell below by ONE POUND and then 5 days later I was back above 35. They denied based soley on that. I was lucky, during the appeal process my doctor measured my height and discovered that my chart said I was 5'7" when I measured at 5' 5" thus changing my BMI so after two appeals I was granted my surgery! Keep a food diary and make sure that your doctor actually documents you weight at ALL office visited MONTHLY and do not allow yourself to be successful at your diet. Good luck. Also, are you sure you do not have sleep apnea (if you snore then your chances are high that you do)? Many over weight people do and do not know it. If you can have that looked into by a medical professional and you do then that will allow you to be in the 35> BMI catagory...look into it.

I purchase all of my drinks and liquid vitamins from Bodybuilding.com Click here for the exact drink that I like http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nb/drink.html. Delivery charge for one case of Isopure and my liquid vitamins (two bottles, one multi and one zinc/calcium) was only $6.99. I know that the Vitamin Shoppe and I think GNC also carries the Isopure Zero Carb Protein Drinks and I swear, they taste really good and they are 50g of protein per 20 oz. bottle and it is clear like Crystal Light, not thick and pasty like some.

I am only able to eat about 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time, after that I feel full. I am eating about 900-1100 calories a day with 80g protein via Isopure Zero Carb (orange-pineapple-banana is my favorite). I do not feel hungry between meals and I definately have restriction but I also have 4cc in my band already and it was placed there at time of surgery.

Titancupcake....I am eating 1100 calories a day with 80g Protein. All the carbs I am eating are whole grain, I avoid potatoes, white rice etc. Isopure Zero Carb Protein Drinks really help with getting in the protein and they taste like Crystal Light. I am not exercising yet due to my surgery was last week but I am starting on Monday and I am going to walk an hour a day to start with. All of you have done so well so far! I want to hear more?

Yeah Rachael! Keep it up!

The second day after my surgery (7/17/08) I weighed myself and I was 4 pounds heavier than my surgery date. Today when I got on the scale I was 5 lbs. lighter than my surgery date. Your body retains water and other fluids after surgery. I noticed that the last two days I have been urinating more than I have been drinking and at the same time my swelling has drastically gone down...that explains the 9 lbs weight loss since Saturday.

I agree, this sounds serious especially you being only 6 days post op. Call you physician right away.

I talked with my Aetna Insurance today and they do cover fills from previous ins. as long as there is not a lapse in insurance over 30 days when ins. changed but that is just MY policy. My employer did not exclude WLS in their Aetna Ins. Policy for all of thier employees nationwide. Obvioulsy it depends on what the exclusions are and every group policy is different. Sorry I was wrong previously in my recent post.

I have Aetna PPO and as long as you do not have a lapse in insurance of more than 30 days then they will cover pre-existing in most cases.

I am turning 40 this December and what frightens me most is that I do not have any wrinkles (my photo is 6 months old) yet however, as I lose weight I am sure that they will start coming out! Yikes!