momof4monkeys

Fordgal, Good Luck w/your approval, I have BCBS Basic Federal and they approved me for abdominoplasty and a panniculectomy. I was worried because I see alot of people messaging that insurance almost never approves these procedures especially the abdominoplasty. Well they do, I had no problems whatsoever!! I was approved within 2 weeks. I am also getting a belt lipectomy so I had to pay $1500. Update us on your Journey and again good luck to you!!! My surgery is next week May 19th, I can't wait!!!!

For me the hardest part of this journey has been getting my mind in tune with my stomach. Even though I can't eat very much, my mind tells me I still want more!!! I am down to 163lbs from 295lbs and let me tell you it is still a daily struggle!!!!!!! The slider foods are the easiest to get down, so you have to stay away from those and exercise is very important. I have struggled with both exercising and eating well!! Good Luck on your journey!!! I have 13lbs to goal!!! I never thought I would get this close to goal, and yes I too would do it again in a heartbeat. I love my band!!!

I don't think your abnormal. I have a 10cc band and it took me about 7.5-8cc to feel restriction. I know someone who has the same band as me and had too much restriction at 3 cc's. It's different for everyone. My band slipped once and I had to have Fluid removed, but everything is now back to normal and I have probably about 8 cc's maybe a little more in my 10cc band and have good restriction. Not too much restriction, I can drink water just fine and even rice!! Good Luck I wouldnt worry if I was you, your doing great.

I'm from S.E. Houston, TX and was banded by Dr. Garth Davis on 3/6/2009, I've lost close to 130lbs. I loooooooooove my band!!!!!!!

Back in late December I found out I had a slight slip, and one of my symptoms was coughing at night!! I also would wake up with fluid in my pouch, and it was hard to hold anything down. It was a struggle to even keep water down. After my fill everything was fine, but I kept getting tighter and tighter. My dr. kept unfilling me 1cc at a time, until I finally went in for an UGI and that's were they saw my band had slipped. I got unfilled and now 3 months later everything is back to normal!! Just see your dr. and don't worry whatever it is your dr. will just fix you right back up. Good luck!!!!

Hi Pursediva, The main problem I was having was reflux, every morning I would wake up with liquid in my pouch. It wouldnt go down, and I would have to throw it up. It just pretty much felt like I was super tight!! My dr. ordered an upper GI, and that is how they found out. My dr. said it is a slight slippage in the back part of my band. The weird thing was that sometimes I could eat and drink just fine, then other times it seemed like I couldnt get anything down. My dr. unfilled me, but after begging she left 3.5 cc's in my band. I felt immediate relief, and have had absolutely no problems ever since. Except for that I have no restriction and have gained back some weight. I go back in 1 1/2 weeks to see if the band is back in place, if it is then I can get a sm. fill if not they will completely unfill and go from there. I asked why this happened and she said it just happens sometimes, she said it is a risk with the band and it happens to 30% of the patients. I still wonder if it is my fault, by wanting to be agressive with my fill!!! I don't know but I'm just gonna follow what they tell me to do, and hope everything works out!!

Thank you!! Take your time, we will meet when you are ready!!

Cheri, I'm so sorry to hear that!!! My condolences to you and your family!!

Hi Dancingbutterfly, One of the ladies who has been organizing the meetings hurt her leg right now. So we havent been updated of any more meetings. I am also waiting on one, and might try to find another one until we start up again. So you've been banded for 11 months, how are things?? I've been banded since March 6, 2009 everything was going great until about a couple of weeks ago I started having complications and found I had a slight slippage. So I was unfilled, and my eating has been out of control since. Therefore I need to get into some meetings really soon, before I gain all my weight back. I was at a loss of 120 lbs, but have gone up 5lbs since the unfill. Good Luck to you, and if you find out of another meeting I would love to know were!!!

Hi Everyone, A friend of mine needs to find a doctor here in houston that will give her an adjustment. My dr. will not do adjustments unless he does the surgery, and I really want to help her find one ASAP. Things are not working out with her doctor, and she has been totally unfilled for about two months. Please help if you can, she's ready to get back on track. Thanks!!!

Either day works for me!!

I've been waiting for a support group on this side of town. Yes I would definately like to join!! Please PM me the time and place. Thanks!!

Hey everyone, I hope yall are all doing good!!!! I see a lot of you are having the same struggles as me with the holloween candy. This has been a major problem for me I was only 1lb away from being 100 lbs down and thanks to the holloween candy I am up 2lbs making it 3lbs away now. I have a party to go to this weekend and am seeing people I havent seen in a while so I really wanted to do go, but the candy has a hold on me. My daughter hid it in her room but I can't help it, It's also that TOM for me and I can't stop eating the reeces peanut butter cups. Well hopefully we can all get passed this without to much harm. Congrats to you Tracy on your loss, I wish it was me instead I'm going in the opposite direction.

Hi Tracey, This band is so finicky one minute I'm complaining about not being able to eat and the next I'm just pigging out and can't control myself. Now it's been along time since I've had this problem, but tonight I can't stop eating!!! Now I'm sure you all can understand when I say I'm overeating my portions are a little off in my mind, it's alot compared to what I've been eating but it's not regular size portions. I ate half an ice cream sandwich (homemade, yummy). half a bologna mustard sandwich (top bread taken off) some doritos and two small pickles and now I'm munching on almonds. Now before i got my last fill when I was at this same fill this use to happen to me right before I started my monthly. I would be able to eat whatever I wanted for a day or two then my band would suddenly close up for about a week while I was on my period. Does this happen to anyone else??? Maybe that's what's going on with me. Oh yea I forgot to say I've been able to drink lots of water also. I'll be able to see in a few days. Hope everyone is doing well, I enjoy reading everyones post. Good Night!!!!

The aloe is to sooth the stomach, and it has helped me tremendously. I think I will still make that appt. with the dr. though, because I had reflux all night.

I'm so sorry to hear this!!! You are right when you hear of something like this you realize that your problems are minute compared to this. I will say a prayer for her, I'm sure she must be scared too!!

Hi Elfie, I just wanted to comment on your post. I have had my band in since March 09', I'm on the other end most of the time now days I can't eat much. I have really good restriction, and I had to actually get an unfill due to having trouble with liquids. I am like you I didnt get this surgery to have to do WW, Atkins South beach. But In the beggining it was all about choices, I know people who don't lose much weight with the lapband, because you do have to watch what you eat in the beggining. It took me about 5months to get proper restriction and in that time I lost about 70lbs most of this was due to my will power and I exercised like crazy!!! If I didnt exercise I wouldnt lose!! Our bodies adapt to the amount of calories we take in, and we have to exercise to boost up our metabolism. Recently I havent been exercising, because I hadnt been able to eat much so I have been a little weak. I definately feel my body getting looser and skin sagging since I stopped working out. I personally think exercise is essential to have a healthy weight loss. You are right you will eventually lose without exercise but it will be very slow, as I said before our bodies adapt to the calories we take in. A friend of mine had gastric bypass, she didnt exercise and lost a good amount of weight in the beginning, however she has stalled out close to 190lbs. She barely eats, but I believe her body has gotten use to the small amount of calories she takes in. I have an aunt who had gastric bypass and was at goal in 7 months, she exercises every day!!! I'm no doctor and don't claim to be an expert in this, it is just my opinion and what I have seen with my own eyes. Good luck to you!!!!!

Thanks for all the advice!!!! Well this morning I woke up and of course could not get anything down not even water. I tried hot tea, and it all came back up!! Being very frustrated and very thirsty I went to the health food store here near my house. I explained to the lady there and she agreed with the comments I got here from all of yall, my pouch is very irritated. She recommended the papaya enzymes and aloe vera, and let me tell you almost immediately I could eat and drink. Thank you so much for the comments, I feel so much better!!! As soon as I got in the car I drank 2oz of the aloe vera, a few minutes later I ate a protein bar (almond bar that was so yummy!!) I got from there and it all went down fine. After I ate the bar I took 3 papaya enzymes, an hour later drank 16oz of water and even ate a small salad for dinner. It feels so good to eat and drink again. Thanks guys for the advice. If tomorrow goes well I'm going to call and cancel my appt. for the unfill. Tracy the heat and humidity were horrible today, but since I could eat and drink again i didnt let it get me down. Lol!! I hear were getting a cold front coming in this week. YEA!!!!!!!!!

I too was a beer drinker, and at times miss it so much!!! When I do have a drink I now drink dirty martinis, they are so good!!!! I can't drink too much, because of my restriction but with these you don't really need much. One or two drinks and you will be feeling real nice.

Hey yall!!! I have a couple of questions, hope it's ok to ask on this thread. Sorry for the long post. I'm debating if I should get an unfill, Ok I was at 7cc's in my 10cc band. I had OK restriction in the morning and none at night so I went in for a fill that put me at 7.5cc from that day on I had terrible reflux. I could actually hear gurgling in my stomach and it was even hard to get water down, so after about a month I went in to get an unfill and the PA took me down to 7cc's again. I felt immediate relief and as soon as I left I immediately "chugged" down a bottle water with no problem. It felt so good to drink water again (I have always drank lot's of water). I could eat and drink again, I was actually worried that I would gain. I have managed to lose about 10lbs since then, but then somehow I am back there again. I still have the 7cc's but I am so tight again, and I'm confused as to how before my last fill 7cc's was not enough, but now I am struggling to get water down again especially in the morning. I can't eat or drink much until around 3pm. I do okay at night and try to get all my water in when I can. The reason as to why I'm not sure about getting an unfill is because sometimes I can eat a lot at night. Sometimes I can eat more than I should, but come morning it's a struggle to get even water down. And those protein shakes forget it, I don't know what it is but I can't drink them either. Now my question is do you guys think I need to go for an unfill again? I'm so scared to get an unfill because I don't want to go backwards. Please anyone if you have advise I would like to hear it. Thanks!!!!

Hi Pdenpaula, First of all congratulations on getting approved!!!! If your experience is anything like mine then the hard part is over, the girl who schedules the appointments is super sweet. I believe her name is Tricia, and she was very helpful and nice with me. Tameka is the one who was rude. When I finally got to talk with Tricia, everything was great she scheduled my surgery and was so helpful with all my question. The front office staff is sometimes a little rude, but everyone else in that office is soooo nice. I think you will be pleased once you get scheduled for surgery. Good Luck w/your Journey!!!!!!