adagray

It took me a whole year to get mine approved through insurance, two denials of coverage, and two appeals. Hang in there! It really is an amazing journey. You will need some time to wrap your head around all of this and also to get real w/yourself and start imagining a new lifestyle and commiting to it. I am now 3 months post-op so a year and 3 months into this whole process. And, even though I'm just starting the real weightloss, I'm amazed at what I have accomplished mentally in this time and habit-wise. Today as I was watching my son's T-Ball game, it suddenly occurred to me that this is the last year I will be fat. I've had doubts this whole time I guess, but the weight is coming off now and its only a matter of time that it will be gone for good. I'm not 'dieting', I'm not hungry, I enjoy exercising. There's no reason this won't be sustainable this time. Even after all this time, I still have a hard time believing it. So, take the time and enjoy the journey. What else are you going to do w/that time?

Just got my 4th fill yesterday which took me to 6.5cc in a 10cc LAP-BAND. And, it was about three hours after 'lunch' (broth and a protein shot), that I realized something had definitely changed w/this fill... I was NOT HUNGRY! And, I have remained NOT HUNGRY ever since. Even though I'm only allowed liquids for 72 hours after a fill, I was NOT HUNGRY when I went to bed and NOT HUNGRY when I woke up. This is frickin amazing!!! :w00t: Yeah, yeah, I know this is one of the main reasons I got the band. My mom has the band and said that she is just not thinking of food or looking for food much anymore. And, the people who are at goal in my support group say the same thing. One lady has to set an alarm to remember to eat. And, I've been longing for this NOT HUNGRY feeling ever since I got the band on 12/17/09. Until now, I had not felt this yet... not even right after surgery or after any of my other fills so I was worried it would never happen for me. But, now that I've experienced it, I'm happy to say it has exceeded my expectations because its not just that I'm not hungry, but I don't even feel empty (even though I haven't eaten). I feel like you feel an hour after you ate a good meal, but all the time. Well, at least for the last day. I'm hoping this restriction sticks w/me. I'm the type who actually gets tighter a couple weeks AFTER a fill so I'm also hoping I don't end up too tight. And, I haven't eaten yet, so I have absolutely no idea how this level of restriction is gonna work w/food. I can drink about 4 oz of water at once, though, and it does go down fairly quickly, so I'm really really hoping, this is it! (or close to it) Anyway, no matter how it works out, I now know that this NOT HUNGRY thing is possible w/me. And, I am thrilled!!!

Is ham generally band friendly or not? I haven't had any since being banded, but was thinking it would be good for the band (can be chewed up real small). I'm making Easter dinner and haven't decided on the menu yet. Prior to my fill on Monday, I wouldn't have worried about what to serve because I could pretty much eat anything. I'm not sure after this fill, though.

I haven't felt the band tighten when being filled. But, at my doctor's office, they put some in, then have you drink Water, see if it goes down ok, then fill more, drink more, etc. And, I can feel the water go down more slowly w/each addition of more fill into the band. It should never happen that they miss the port, though. Normal procedure is to pull a little bit of Fluid back to ensure that they have the port. Also, the back of the port is hard and they can feel the tip of the needle hit up against that. So, I don't really get how a port is missed entirely unless the person doing the fill is not trained properly.

The 'AP' bands are 10cc and 14cc so you must have the 14cc one. The 4cc is from before the 'AP' versions came out. Most doctors in the US only install the 'AP' (Advanced Platform) versions now.

Update... It is now 10:30am. I just got done working out (one hour of Jazzercise). All I had was tea before working out. Usually I am always starving after Jazzercise, but I am still NOT HUNGRY. I just had a protein shot (25g of protein, 100 calories), though, because I want to make sure to replenish my muscles. Wow, I may just make it the whole 72 hours on just liquids this time. Even though that has always been my doctor's rule after a fill, I've never been able to make it that long. I'm usually so hungry I progress to mushy foods by the second day and solid food on the third day. Sara, I hope your next fill does it for you. I still don't know if this is really my 'sweet spot'. I have to eat and see what happens over time. But, its just cool to know that it is possible to get this adjusted so that it really does turn off your hunger. I was beginning to worry that maybe my hunger was just too strong or maybe I had too much 'head hunger' to ever really turn it off. I think the band causes a lot of self doubt because it is such a lengthy process to get it adjusted properly. I hope that my post will give others more confidence and hope that they will get there, though. I know that whenever I was struggling, it was good to hear that patience has paid off for so many others on this journey. :->

Just got my 4th fill yesterday which took me to 6.5cc in a 10cc Lapband. And, it was about three hours after 'lunch' (broth and a Protein shot), that I realized something had definitely changed w/this fill... I was NOT HUNGRY! And, I have remained NOT HUNGRY ever since. Even though I'm only allowed liquids for 72 hours after a fill, I was NOT HUNGRY when I went to bed and NOT HUNGRY when I woke up. This is frickin amazing!!! Yeah, yeah, I know this is one of the main reasons I got the band. My mom has the band and said that she is just not thinking of food or looking for food much anymore. And, the people who are at goal in my support group say the same thing. One lady has to set an alarm to remember to eat. And, I've been longing for this NOT HUNGRY feeling ever since I got the band on 12/17/09. Until now, I had not felt this yet... not even right after surgery or after any of my other fills so I was worried it would never happen for me. But, now that I've experienced it, I'm happy to say it has exceeded my expectations because its not just that I'm not hungry, but I don't even feel empty (even though I haven't eaten). I feel like you feel an hour after you ate a good meal, but all the time. Well, at least for the last day. I'm hoping this restriction sticks w/me. I'm the type who actually gets tighter a couple weeks AFTER a fill so I'm also hoping I don't end up too tight. And, I haven't eaten yet, so I have absolutely no idea how this level of restriction is gonna work w/food. I can drink about 4 oz of Water at once, though, and it does go down fairly quickly, so I'm really really hoping, this is it! (or close to it) :frown: Anyway, no matter how it works out, I now know that this NOT HUNGRY thing is possible w/me. And, I am thrilled!!! (oh gosh, should've posted this to my blog - I will cut-and-paste there)

Just got my 4th fill yesterday which took me to 6.5cc in a 10cc LAP-BAND. And, it was about three hours after 'lunch' (broth and a protein shot), that I realized something had definitely changed w/this fill... I was NOT HUNGRY! And, I have remained NOT HUNGRY ever since. Even though I'm only allowed liquids for 72 hours after a fill, I was NOT HUNGRY when I went to bed and NOT HUNGRY when I woke up. This is frickin amazing!!! Yeah, yeah, I know this is one of the main reasons I got the band. My mom has the band and said that she is just not thinking of food or looking for food much anymore. And, the people who are at goal in my support group say the same thing. One lady has to set an alarm to remember to eat. And, I've been longing for this NOT HUNGRY feeling ever since I got the band on 12/17/09. Until now, I had not felt this yet... not even right after surgery or after any of my other fills so I was worried it would never happen for me. But, now that I've experienced it, I'm happy to say it has exceeded my expectations because its not just that I'm not hungry, but I don't even feel empty (even though I haven't eaten). I feel like you feel an hour after you ate a good meal, but all the time. Well, at least for the last day. I'm hoping this restriction sticks w/me. I'm the type who actually gets tighter a couple weeks AFTER a fill so I'm also hoping I don't end up too tight. And, I haven't eaten yet, so I have absolutely no idea how this level of restriction is gonna work w/food. I can drink about 4 oz of water at once, though, and it does go down fairly quickly, so I'm really really hoping, this is it! (or close to it) :wub: Anyway, no matter how it works out, I now know that this NOT HUNGRY thing is possible w/me. And, I am thrilled!!!

Finally, the scale is moving down some more! My body just seemed to love the range of 218-220... has been hovering there for 25 days (not that I'm counting or anything LOL). I saw 218 yesterday and have been soooooo good lately about following the rules and getting serious exercise in, I was really hoping I might finally see something lower than 218 today... like maybe 217 or 217.5. I would even take 217.9, but I have an old scale that only goes in half pound increments. But, what do I see this morning... :w00t::w00t::w00t: 216! Woohoo!!!:w00t::w00t::w00t: TWO pounds down from my lowest weight. And, I'm proud to say I DESERVE it! :sad: Boy, this band will drive you crazy w/self-doubt because the weight just does not come off very steady. Seems to come off in spurts for me. But, I don't have proper restriction yet either so that may be part of the reason for this (as well as not always consistently following all the rules ). Anyway, regardless of HOW the weight is coming off, I am still thrilled w/my band because it IS coming off. :blushing:

Woohoo!!! Congrats to you!

Update... I'm not hungry! This is amazing. I've only had water, a cup of broth, and a protein shot for lunch (about three hours ago). And, I'm not hungry. I can hardly believe it. I've never felt this 'not hungry' since getting surgery. Even right afterwards when most people say they don't even think about food. Or, after my other fills. I was always sooooooo hungry during the time my doctor told me I could only have liquids. But, this time, I am not hungry at all. This might be it!!! :->

I'm really hoping this is the fill that will take me to my sweet spot (or close to it). Of course, I am on clear liquids now for at least the rest of the day so I won't know for awhile. But, for the first time, I can not guzzle a huge amount of water at once anymore. I can do about 4 oz at a time. I think that is a good sign. Woohoo!!! :wub: And, I was able to confirm at my appointment that I have gained some lean body mass (muscle) and my body fat percentage is down to 48.6. The last time it was 49.6 so I lost a whole percentage point of body fat in four weeks which is awesome. I haven't been losing weight as quickly this month, but my clothes have been fitting better so I kinda figured I might be toning up. All that Jazzercise is paying off! I brought my four year old daughter to this appointment because she's on spring break. I thought about having her go out of the room when I got my fill, but I just took her for her appointment at the pediatrition a couple weeks ago and she got four shots. So, I figured it shouldn't phase her too much to see me get one. She was a perfect little angel the whole time. I made sure to talk and smile through the whole thing so she would know I wasn't being hurt. She even brought her Barbie band-aids and put one on me when the fill was done. Such a cutie.

Another thing to think about... if WLS surgery didn't have a very high success rate, insurance would never pay for it.

One of the psychologists who works w/my surgeon's team did a presentation as part of our pre-op education and one of the things he said is that this is the most common fear of people getting any sort of WLS... that I will be the one person it won't work for. But, the reality is that the surgery works and it doesn't matter how many diets you've failed on. This is not like just going on another diet. I don't know if it helps you any, but it helped me to know this is a common fear that everyone feels. I can tell you now that I'm banded that you would really have to break a lot of rules to not lose weight w/the band (or have some other factor - like a medication preventing weightloss) for it not to work. Basically, even when I'm breaking rules w/the band, I'm still losing weight slowly. If I want to lose weight at a better rate, then I gotta really follow those rules to a T. But, its so much easier to follow the rules (or diet) when you aren't hungry all the time. Oh, you will also need to be patient because you probably won't feel much restriction until maybe the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th fill. Its a gradual process so it can create a lot of self-doubt, but surely enough, you will see that the pounds come off.

Great advice so far. I would just add, if you are on any medications, do a search online to see if any of them can cause weight gain or trouble losing weight. I say to check online rather than w/your doctor because my previous PCP put me on a BP medicine (when he knew I was trying to lose weight on WW) and did not tell me it could cause weight gain (or for me to stop losing weight). I plateaued for over 6 months on WW before I realized it was the med (Atenolol). It was a terrible terrible discouraging and frustrating time for me. I never take a medication anymore without fully researching it MYSELF. webmd.com is a good site for looking up medications, but there are plenty of other sites as well. Best of luck to you. I know how frustrating it is. Hang in there!

Also, for many people, they just aren't in the habit of drinking a lot of water. If you go to a WW meeting, there are plenty of people there who say they have trouble getting all their water in (the band not even being a factor).

She is hungry, miserable, and jealous. Just ignore her. I've had people tell me I just need to change my 'lifestyle' before and my response is that the lifestyle I need to lose weight and keep it off (without the band) is a lifestyle where I am hungry all the time. I know because I've done it before on WW. And, nobody can live a 'lifestyle' that requires them to be hungry all of the time forever. At least that's not a lifestyle I would want. BTW, she may be anorexic and truly jealous that you are getting the band. A lot of anorexics would like to have a band. Seriously. I know that sounds crazy, but a former hairdresser of mine that struggled w/anorexia said she wished she could get a lapband. This was way before I was even considering it.

One important question you may want to ask your surgeon is whether or not the criteria used to determine if you are allowed a fill will be different depending on the type of band used. At my doctor's office there are charts in each room (one for realize and one for lapband) and the questions are different depending on which type of band you have. With the Lapband, even if you are losing 1-2 pounds per week, you can still get a fill if you find that you are hungry between meals or snacking. With the Realize band, if you are losing at a fast enough rate, they will not do a fill. I found this out only because when I went for my 3rd fill, the PA at first said that she didn't think I could get a fill (because I had good weightloss), but she went out to double-check because I have a lapband and she is more familiar w/the realize band. And, when she checked, she found out that I could indeed get a fill because I had a Lapband, but if I had a Realize band they would've said no. Of course, I say check w/your surgeon because as we all know, all surgeons are different w/their rules. Also, I don't know if my surgeon is just following the particular product's guidelines. I'm assuming that's the case, though, because the charts on the wall w/these criteria are printed by the Lapband and Realize companies. Anyway, I happend to pick Lapband for some other reasons, but had I known about the different rqmts to get a fill, that would've been a huge factor for me. But the reasons I actually picked it are: * better product design (IMO) * although the lapband port is slightly bigger, it seems more durable (made out of silicone, not plastic) - I don't know why this would make any difference, but the Realize port just seemed flimsy in my hand * The company that owns Lapband recently acquired another company that has developed the technology to create a port that is implanted w/the fill solution already and then the band can be filled by a remote control without the need for injection. Of course, this is not available today or we'd all be getting it. BUT, I like that Lapband is looking to the future and working to improve the product. And, maybe (this is a huge maybe), once they get this technology perfected and tested, perhaps they will make it compatible w/pre-existing lapbands so that I might be able to get the port switched out to one of the new remotely controlled one. I know this brings up a huge question as to who controls the remote... probably you would still want your doctor to control the remote. But, you can see how this technology should reduce the cost of fills and make them more accessible (less training needed to teach someone to use a remote than to do a fill the current way). Anyway, those were my reasons for finally picking the lapband. Its a question I pondered a long time, though, and originally I thought I liked the Realize band better because it does feel softer in your hand. Bottom line, is both of them work great. I don't think you can go wrong. Oh, I should add that I think the Realize band is easier for the surgeon to place. The port is self anchoring (so they don't have to stitch it down) and the system used to latch it around the stomach is easier for the surgeon to manipulate. If I had a less experienced surgeon, this may have swayed me to picking the Realize band. Pretty much they've made it foolproof for the surgeon. But, since my surgeon has tons and tons of experience (not just w/lapband, but all the WLS and operating on super obese people other surgeons won't touch), I had full confidence that she could install the Lapband properly even though it is not as easy.

I would definitely contact Aetna. I have Aetna too and it seems that a lot of the people who work there don't really understand the band and how it works. I had a situation where Aetna dropped my surgeon as an in-network doctor and told me I needed to go to a different bariatric surgeon for my fills. I called and explained that I did not feel comfortable switching this closely after surgery and I got another 3 months approved w/my surgeon so I can hopefully get to proper restriction (or close to it) before I have to switch doctors. They were very nice on the phone, but just uninformed. Once I explained the whole thing, they approved my additional follow-up visits the same day. They called me back and gave me an approval number just two hours later. I would bet that they assume the first 3 months of fills were included in the surgery charge. This is how my doctor does it. So, all my fills were free and not charged to my insurance and no co-pay for the first 3 months after surgery. If this is what Aetna is assuming then the insurance person at your doctor's office needs to talk to someone at Aetna and explain that for their program, its not included. Or, your doctor should learn to charge Aetna more for the surgery and include it. Its so confusing. Every doctor and every insurance is different. But, ultimately, what it comes down to is you have a medically necessary implant that will not function without these adjustments. Since Aetna paid for the surgery (deeming it medically necessary), the fills are medically necessary as well and one way or another, they need to pay for those.

Well, I can see from your siggy that you are now pretty much in the healthy BMI range (25) so I'm not surprised you are totally satisfied w/where you are at now. My goal is to have a BMI of 25. Maybe your original goal was just too low? Ultimately, you may still end up losing more weight (even w/upping your calories a bit), but its nice to feel comfortable w/where you are at and not really feeling like you have to try to lose more. Personally, I have in my mind that I feel pretty good about my body when I am about 170 pounds (which is 20 pounds above my official goal). That's about the lowest I got on WW the last time and I felt GREAT, but I just couldn't stand the starvation needed to keep it off. I guess weight is all relative. I think even if I feel great at 170, I will still strive for my goal (149) so I can be a BMI of 25 and in the healthy range. I just want to feel as healthy as I can and I guess I feel like I won't know what I'm missing unless I really try to get down there. But, if I have to be miserable and hungry to do it, forget it. Life is too short! All in all, I don't see my weight goal as the ultimate end all. My ultimate goal is to create a new lifestyle for myself that is healthy, enjoyable, and sustainable. If that means I am 170, 150, or 130, I'm happy either way.

It is a slow progression, but I've gotten a little bit more help w/every fill. My feeling of restriction is not the same every day, though. I am definitely more hungry on some days than others. I'm not at optimal restriction yet (after 3 fills - you can see details in my siggy below), but I know I'm getting closer. I'm hoping my 4th fill (on Monday) might be the one that gets me to the sweet spot. I don't want to be overtight. I would still like to eat decent sized meals, but would like to get to the point that I am not hungry in between. On some days, I am there. Some days I am definitely not. So, I think/hope that I'm getting close. :->

My surgeon and all her staff are in the no snack camp. So, far I've been happy w/it. I'm only 3 months out and don't have perfect restriction yet so its not like they scold me if I snack. But, they do ask me at every appointment if I am snacking or hungry for food between meals. And, if I am (which I always have been so far), then that is reason to give me a fill (even if I'm losing weight well). So, I am happy w/that because I want to keep getting fills at every appointment until I'm at optimal restriction. Now there are some days I make it on only three meals a day. But, there are some days I feel like I need more and this 'rule' makes me stop and evaluate if I am truly experiencing real physical hunger. And, if I am, then I feel no guilt having a healthy snack. I get more than enough Protein in during my meals, so for a snack I'll have some fruit or vegies. My mom has the band (two years out and 100+ down) and says she just isn't always looking for food like she used to be. Most of the people who are at goal and maintaining in my support group say they don't think much about food either. One has to set an alarm to remind her when it is time to eat her meals. I guess I see this as a eutopia. I would LOVE to be freed from food and just not thinking about it much. I have gotten closer and closer and I think not snacking has helped me do that. The other thing about not snacking is that it really simplifies your food buying and your day. On WW, I was always checking to see if I had enough points left for a 100 calorie bag of popcorn or whatever. Now, I eat as much as I want at mealtime (for no longer than 20 minutes - that is my surgeon's rule) plus the other easy rules you all know (Water, protein, etc.). But, I don't have to weigh/measure/track anything and I don't have to ponder what I might have in between meals because I don't snack. So, for me it has been freeing. But, I don't think one way is necessarily better than another way. Hey, if you are losing and happy w/the rate of it, you should do whatever works for you. Generally speaking, I think there is a bit too much of 'do only what your doctor tells you' on this board. Ultimately, we are all responsible for creating a new lifestyle for ourselves as individuals. What works for one person, may not for another and that's OK. I say try what your doctor recommends and then tweak away until you have a lifestyle that is gonna work for YOU for the rest of YOUR life. :->

Just try to stay patient w/it. The same thing happened to me right after surgery. I lost 10 pounds right away and then nothing for a couple weeks. I don't know why it is, but the weightloss seems to come in spurts. The worst thing you can do during those stalls is to doubt yourself and the band and revert to bad habits. I'm guilty of it. And, it just makes the stalls last longer. I also find I need to remind myself over and over to be kind and patient to myself. We are learning a new lifestyle and its not gonna happen overnight. Also, it typically takes 3-6 months to get the band adjusted to its optimal restriction. Its really unlike any other diet because w/every other diet, you get the most weightloss at the beginning. With the band, you get the most weightloss after you finally get it adjusted properly and that takes awhile. So, try not to focus on the scale too much. Look at this time as time to create and practice new habits and the lifestyle you want for the rest of your life. At least this is what I tell myself. It is an emotional journey. Hang in there!

Things have been a little more rough since I left the hospital. The dosage of pain medication I was prescribed for home is significantly less than what I was getting in the hospital and boy does it make a difference!!! My gas pain was pretty bad last night and the gas-x strips don't seem to work very well on it when it is in my back and shoulder. A heating pad helps w/my back, though, and I did end up getting a good night's sleep. I had one big farting episode in the middle of the night that helped relieve a lot of the gas pressure and then another today. I have never wished I could fart more in my whole life. I would love to just toot toot toot all the rest of this out of my body and be done w/it. Sorry, TMI!!! I am also really getting tired of only being able to have broth, herbal tea, diet jello, and water. I did discuss this w/my surgeon's assistant and she assured me that the hunger I am feeling right now is really just head hunger. And, I agree because this doesn't feel like the real hunger I had right before surgery. Right before surgery (I had not eaten for 24 hours), my stomach was growling really bad and felt like it was eating itself. I couldn't think of anything except how hungry I was and how I wanted to be knocked out so I wouldn't feel hungry. My 'hunger' now is more of just wanting to taste and enjoy something different than jello, broth, and tea. Anyway, I am so thankful my husband has been so supportive and helpful AND has not been eating around me. What a saint! He went over to my inlaws tonight w/the kids for dinner. I just have to get through one more day of no eating now and then I can start trying foods on Monday. My surgeon has you go straight to real food, but to be safe I will start w/cottage cheese or yogurt I think. Then, I have some good deli meat I got from Costco and also some smoked salmon. Mmmmmmmm, that sounds so good. I also have some yummy soups in the pantry... roasted red pepper & tomato w/a dollop of greek yogurt... mmmmmm, I am giving myself more 'head hunger' now. :tt1: I watched Julie and Julia last night. What a great movie to watch when you can't eat eh?

I have to admit that one of my biggest hurdles w/the band is trying to figure out how/when/if I can still enjoy wine. I've been all over the place w/it from completely cutting it out to having a couple glasses a night like I used to. I am totally committed to create a lifestyle w/the band that is healthy, enjoyable, and sustainable. The problem is I truly love wine and the band just can't help me w/that... empty liquid calories sliding right through. So, I've tried different ways of keeping it in my lifestyle, but putting some rules around it so that it is not a daily thing. I just haven't come up w/a rule that I could really embrace. If I set a number of drinks per week, then that feels like a diet. And, its really more about putting it in its proper place in my new lifestyle rather than limiting to a certain number. This all got me thinking... what is something else in my life that I love, but have learned to moderate well? And, the answer is... Cake! I LOVE Cake!!! If I could eat cake every day, I would. And, there was a point in my life when I actually did. I would buy those single serving slices at the grocery store and have a little bit after lunch and a little bit after dinner. Yeah, I really knew how to live it up when I was 'off' a diet. :mad: But, I learned long ago (way before the band) that this just wasn't gonna work (diet or no diet). So, I managed to tame my cake habit. Now, I never buy cake just to eat for no reason. But, I thoroughly enjoy eating a piece of cake at EVERY birthday party I go to, every wedding, every baby shower, and I may even order a slice to share after a nice dinner out. Its just not a daily thing or even a weekly thing anymore. Somehow I have learned to put it back in its proper place as a special occasion treat. And, this is exactly what I need to do w/wine. Epiphany! :w00t: My new mantra, repeat after me... wine is cake wine is cake wine is cake Would I eat cake right now? No? Then, no wine. Wine is for special occasions! :frown: