2muchfun

Maybe you should let your wounds heal and look at this again in a few months or a year? There's a new procedure that is being researched right now that is much less invasive. It's called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty. You can keep your stomach and there's no slicing and dicing of your body. Check out this link: http://7online.com/health/medical-marvels-new-procedure-to-lose-weight/163195/

I agree with the doctor. You have satiety and now it's time to pay attention to those band eating rules. You can always go back and have .1-.2 CC taken out. Doesn't take much to go from yellow zone to green zone.

I reported your post so you should hear from someone? I went to the same spot and you're right, no way to look through the forums or posts?

I've had about 10 adjustments over the last 3 years. I've never felt anything from liquids or Soups as far as restriction goes. Satiety, yes I have felt satiety. It's perfectly normal for the stoma area to swell after an aggressive fill like 2 CCs. Most of my fills I felt more restriction a few days later and this last fill I felt a lot of restriction about 7-10 days after. I've read where many people really don't feel the extra restriction for a couple of weeks post fill. You might want to be very careful once you convert to eating more solid foods and make sure you eat very small, very slow and chew food to an applesauce consistency. Getting stuck with such a tight band as you have can only bring on more swelling and then you may not be able to even swallow Water. That could lead to a trip to the ER.

Swelling from the band placement and sutures can cause your pouch/stoma area to restrict anything you consume. If nothing is going through these fluids or food can back up into your esophagus directly under your sternum/xiphoid. It can be very uncomfortable. This will be the same feeling you'll get later on if you eat too fast, don't chew enough or take bites too large.

Cumbfrog, Never too late. I was 63 when I was banded and I'm going in this Monday for the first of my two knee replacements. I had hoped taking 50 lbs off my legs would delay my surgery or at least mitigate the pain and discomfort but they only got worse. Still a good idea to eliminate as much weight as possible.

Sure, it's possible to be free? Every policy has different hoops to jump through. Typically you need a psych eval, a nut visit or 6 and some blood work? Your PCP has to refer you usually? Sorry, not much help. It'll all be in your policy online. I had BCBS and had 6 months of supervised nutritionist visits. My doctor required I go to a 2 hour long consult with his nutritionist along with about 15 others. Then one with him that only took 10 mins.

Wow, you made it to Onederland awfully quick? Well done.

Well, crap! Hmmm? Must be someone above him in NJ Government that you can go to? He can't be the Knight guarding the bridge saying "None shall Pass"? Sorry, had to throw in a Monty Python quote in there? Like someone else said, PCP's know squat about the band and you need a specialist?

I think what she's saying is that she must have a referral to go to a specialist if she wants it paid for by insurance?

If you're telling your PCP that you want a referral to a bariatric surgeon to remove the band, I can see why he's hesitant? If you would have worded it like you want a consult with the bariatric doc to find a way to make the band work he probably would have given you the referral? Many doctors are part of this ACO(accountable care org) that guides physician groups, hospitals and clinics to drive the cost of healthcare down.

I was out in 2 hours so I took nothing.

Relax! Most clinics have an insurance person and they may have particular days they follow up with patients or insurance carriers. Or, they may get their approvals via snail mail. People who answer the phone may not be privy to patient referrals. A few days here or there won't make a difference in the long run. Understandable why you're impatient but this is how many if not most doctors operate.

Failed4me Here are a few links to document my opinion and of course you were voicing your opinon. One would have to be illiterate not to have read it several times. And btw, my comments pertain to all WLS techniques, not just the band. But I have the feeling that no matter how many studies, anecdotal evidence or facts I present you, you're going to discount them all because you have an agenda? Remember, almost everyone on this forum has undergone numerous and I mean numerous attempts at losing weight via a structured weight loss program, fad diets and calorie restrictive diets. They all failed but there are thousands here who have found success via WLS(all forms). One question for you? How much weight have you lost on your current weight watchers program and for how long? http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/74/5/579.long http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieting-Does-Not-Work-UCLA-Researchers-7832 http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/news/20130117/lap-band-shown-effective-long-term-weight-loss http://archsurg.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1790378

I assume you're getting fluids intravenously so you're not really dehydrating?

Failed4me, well thank you for your input. And I actually agree with much of what you said. There are some people who should not get WLS, of any kind. Unfortunately, there's no effective filter to determine who will fail and who won't fail? And contrary to your experience, more than half the people who have WLS lose more than 60% of their excess fat. Compare that to studies that show 95% of dieters fail completely, I think WLS is a very viable option. That's my opinion and it's based on facts and not personal and anecdotal hysteria. tmf

For those of you who are newly banded, don't expect the band to erase all feelings of hunger. For a very few this is the case and let's hope you're one of them, but for most of us, the hunger goes away but the head hunger, the mental cravings, never leave. Three times a week I skip Breakfast and don't eat lunch till about 2 pm. I fast from 7 pm one night to 2 pm the next day. That's a 19 hour fast. I do get hungry and it's true hunger. I can tell the difference between physiological hunger and psychological hunger now. Just remember when you were on a liquid diet and carry that feeling with you. Remember, you still have a complete stomach below the band. You can still eat till the cows come home if you want. Hopefully the band has curbed your appetite. That's pretty much all it will ever do. tmf

Getting stuck is no fun but it's a time to Celebrate the fact that your band is working.imo

Coding is used for all medical surgery techniques and diagnosis. Maybe your PCP is trying to write a referral letter to the insurance carrier to make sure you're covered by your policy?

Several of us were stalled so we tried the 5:2 or 4:3 interval fasting diet. Justwatch started this thread. Come join us: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/318937-starting-52-and-no-scale-this-week/?p=3596606 I've lost 17 lbs on it so far.

After care or post surgery care is so important and some docs are great at it and some are good but some stink. Don't know where yours fits in and doesn't sound like the nurse if invested in educating you or getting to the bottom of why you aren't losing? How many times have you seen the nurse and how long ago? Does she know you're struggling and what does she say? Your band won't work it's magic till it's adjusted properly. I lost 12 lbs the first 2 weeks and then nothing till my 3rd fill 3.5 months later so I know how you feel. But, I had a sit down with my doc and my nutritionist at 4 months. My 3rd fill at that time and some timely suggestions from the nut made all the difference for me. It's hard to do this on your own so if you haven't seen your nurse/doc lately, do it. And let them know you're not losing. Keep in touch here too.

What does your surgeon say? What are you eating? How many fills? Do you feel any satiety? What does a typical days meal plan look like? Do you exercise? How many calories a day(do you track?)? Sorry to pepper you but need more info if you want advice?

I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks post op and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Starting with my 3rd fill I finally started to feel enough restriction to eat less food which inspired me to eat healthier foods. I could easily have gained that 12 lbs back those first 4 months if not for exercise and eating healthy foods. Like Kitt asked, what and how much are you eating? The band won't work it's magic if you're eating slider foods so stay away from them. Many patients take up to 6-8 fills before they feel enough satiety/restriction to not be hungry for up to 4 hours. tmf

Yup! 3 days post surgery he UPS guy was delivering a package and I raised my shirt and said, "look what I did"!! Yeah, I'm a dork that way. Looking back I wish I would have been more discreet.

Everybody including the UPS driver.