Maribelle

I'm just starting the process again. Had the band for 6 years and went from 240 to 160. Had emergency removal in January, 2015 (I had an unexpected pregnancy and I think it affected placement). My insurance company at the time had no bariatric coverage so I paid for the removal out of pocket. I regained most of my weight over the next 18 months. Thankfully, my new policy Anthem BCBS does have bariatric coverage. I have talked to my primary care physician and she is on board with me getting the bypass surgery, especially as she just had gastric bypass surgery herself last year. She started to document a medically supervised diet at my appointment last week. I'm confused about a few things, though. First, my current bmi is around 36, so I know the approval process could be trickier. I don't have any of the more serious co-morbs but my doctor thinks my documented history of GERD and depression (only periodic) will suffice. I'm worried Anthem will be picky, though. I haven't had an initial appointment with a surgeon yet bc I'm wondering if I should "gain some weight" before I weigh in again with my pcp. I just need to add 20 lbs, and I am pretty sure I could fake that with a high sodium diet, Water, heavy clothing and some well placed weights. But would that look bad if I gain weight after the documented diet began last week? Has anyone else attempted to get approved with <40 bmi with these less severe co-morbodities? Any suggestions or advice? Thanks!

I am curious to hear what your doc says, too. I did Alli before and had modest results and very little in the way of side effects. I'm thinking I might like to combine it with the band to maximize my loss. Let us know what he says.

Thanks! I was starting to worry it wouldn't work at all. I will be curious to see if it gets less restrictive or more restrictive over time.

My doctor said I could take the gauze bandages off after 3 days, and that the steristrips below the bandage would fall off on their own after 10-11 days. You have to take the gauze off on your own.

I know exactly what you mean and I had been wondering the same thing. I mentioned once to my nurse at the dr's office that I could feel each bite plopping past some sort of restriction, and she looked at me like I was crazy. I think I have figured it out. We are feeling the food dropping from the end of the esophagus into the stomach. When it drops, it must displace the gas that naturally exists in the pouch. (I saw this occur when I had my first fill via flouroscopy). If the bite is too big or too gooey, it meets the pressure of the gas and cannot drop through. It is painful because the food is sitting there, and the gas is trying to escape. When the mass finally shifts, I can feel it slide in, and I usually burp or feel bubbles. So I think in this case, the food is not stuck in the band at all, but only having problems passing into the upper stomach due to the new design.

Sounds like a pulled stitch. It is painful but will not cause a problem. My doc told me to take pain meds as needed (it HURT!) and it would resolve itself. It did after about 10 days. Hope you feel better soon!

I had my second fill three days ago and I tried some regular food tonight. It was awesome! I hadn't had any restriction yet, but I ate about 3/4 c. food tonight and I was very satisfied, and it lasted for several hours. I even had chocolate in the cabinet that I could resist because my stomach said it was already happy. I did not have any problem with food getting stuck, but I was very, very cautious and chewed about a million times per bite. I just hope the restriction sticks, but even if it doesn't, I finally feel like the band is pulling its own weight. I feel a lot more inspired now to follow the diet better and amp up my exercise routine to start seeing some results.

I'm sorry you are feeling bad still. I agree with your doctor taht it sounds like gas. The shoulder pain is a give away on that. Your abdomen is full of gas, so the GasX you are taking won't do anything, since it can only target gas in the stomach. That gas can cause stomach pains because it causes pressure on your organs, your stitches, and the tender area around your band. It isn't dangerous at all, just very painful for some people. IT WILL GO AWAY SOON! I know you are probably thinking that will never happen, but you are in the home stretch now. One morning, you will wake up and feel great! You said when you eat it hurts, but can you drink? If so, keep chugging the Carnation Instant Breakfast to keep your energy levels up. I know this feels awful, but you are going to have an awesome initial weight loss due to this discomfort. Hope you feel better soon!

Wow. If it is always all about the choices you make and not about the band being filled, why does he do band surgery? I think I would have kicked him in the head! LOL.

My doc says it is OK to eventually drink pop. My dietitican says she drinks a lot of Dt. Red Bull. I started drinking some a few weeks out and it is fine. I don't feel very gassy of bloated. In fact, I get much more bloated and gassy from the protein shakes I make in the blender than I do from pop. I guess it all depends on how it affects you.

Sounds like a pulled stitch. I had one and it hurt like crazy! It took about two weeks to heal up and feel better. My doc said it is fairly common. Hope you feel better soon!

I did the same thing. I have been a little better since my first fill, but not much. I can still eat a lot. It is not weird at all to overeat, because our bodies have the satiety signal produced when receptors near the top of our stomach are activated by the pressure of the stomach contents. So, until your fill holds the food in and enables it start the satiety signal to your brain, it will be easy to overeat. I just got my second fill today and I am hoping that it will make me feel satisified more quickly. Good luck to you!