adagray

I dropped 10 pounds really quick right after surgery too and then had a week when I lost nothing, but now am losing again at least one pound a week (sometimes two). So, now I am 5 weeks out and down 15 from my surgery date. Just keep doing the right things as much as you can and hopefully you can still lose a few more pounds before your fill. Just gotta realize that the band isn't doing much for you right now because your swelling from the surgery is gone and you don't have any restriction. I think most of us have gone through the same thing or are going through it right now. I know I am!

They will charge $63k to your insurance and then your insurance will pay whatever the 'negotiated amount' is which will probably be around $15k. Its so ridiculous. I don't understand where the high numbers even come from... totally not based on any reality of what anyone or any insurance company actually pays. With the fill, I would assume it works the same way... they charge $800, but your insurance will pay a 'negotiated amount' which will be much lower (probably closer to $150) and you will be responsible for whatever coinsurance percentage you have on the negotiated amount (not the billed amount).

OK, I am going to Bunko... the girls won't let me out of it. LOL All my friends know I'm banded and are supportive so at least I won't have anyone making a big deal about me not eating or drinking. It will be different to be there AND not be able to indulge, but its probably a good thing for me to get used to since I'm sure it won't be my last fill.

My friends actually call it 'Drunko' so it really is more about drinking and eating than the game. I mean I know I could just go for the company, but I'm not sure. Its an adjustment for me to just have ONE drink and a little to eat... just not sure if I am ready to go to an event like this and have NOTHING. Then again, it seems like almost nobody has such a long liquids phase after a fill like my surgeon does. It would be about 34 hours after the fill so maybe I could experiment at least w/some bites of food.

I do it low impact style. In my post-op education class, they said nothing but walking and stationary bike for the first month. I was supposed to have my one month appointment on Friday (actually 5 weeks post-op), but they had to postpone it until next Wednesday. I am really sick of just walking and I feel like I am losing what little muscle/fitness I had gained when I was doing Jazzercise before. Do you think its safe to just go ahead and start back doing it even though I haven't had my 1 month check-up yet? As it stands, my 1 month check-up is gonna be 6 weeks post-op. I could just do the low impact aerobics part and skip the ab and floorwork at the end. I've tried out a few of the moves just to see how they feel and it feels fine to me. I don't have any pain left from the operation at all. Even my abs feel normal. What do you think? Did anyone else here start low impact aerobics around 1 month post-op?

I was just grocery shopping when my surgeon's office called to tell me they had to reschedule my appointment (first fill). I was supposed to have it on Friday (day after tomorrow) and now it will be next Wednesday, the 27th. I'm not really annoyed... I know stuff comes up. But, I was just so excited to get it done on Friday. I feel so deflated, figuratively and literally! I had made a point of not planning anything for the weekend so it wouldn't be a problem to not eat for 72 hours. And, now I gotta cancel my volunteer day at my daughter's school on Wednesday. And, my mom friends were planning to play Bunko next Thursday night and maybe I should cancel that too. It might just be torture to go play Bunko if I can't eat or drink anything. :thumbdown: OK, enough of my pity party. It is what it is. Bleeehghghghghghgh!!!

I've either discovered I have an intolerance to wheat or convinced myself that I do. Anyway, a few months ago I went on an 'exclusion diet' to try to figure out what foods were causing me problems. The problem I was trying to figure out was more gastrointestinal (turned out to be lactose intolerance), but by way of the same process, I found out that any type of wheat product makes me very very very tired. Now that I associate wheat stuff w/feeling so tired, I don't want wheat stuff anymore... except at night when it doesn't matter if I'm tired. ;-> LOL

I was not given a calorie limit, just to follow these rules: * eat 3 meals per day, no snacking * don't eat for longer than 20 minutes * don't drink w/meals or for at least 30 min after * eat at least 60 grams of Protein per day (I get more like 90) * drink at least 64 oz of Water per day * exercise at least 30 minutes 3x per week (but I try to do every day... ends up being more like 5x per week) * avoid carbs, sliders, liquid calories, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and Desserts I think that is it. She said she doesn't want us trying to limit the amount of food or calories right out of surgery... to concentrate on healing and making good habits first and the band will eventually take care of the portion control.

I'm not military but somehow clicked on this thread anyway. Is everyone in the military under Tricare? If so, I'm just wondering if the reason Tricare can give better coverage for WLS is because their customers stay with them longer (less changing from one insurance to another). Basically, I've heard that it is cheaper for insurance to pay for WLS in the long-run because of all the related health costs to obesity. But, most insurance companies are looking more short-term because the typical insurance customer switches companies every two years or so. But, I would imagine that in the military (if Tricare is the only option), they could count on it for people to stick w/them for a longer time (so they can recoup the costs). Just a thought. I'm not trying to defend civilian insurace. I wish all of the insurances would look at the long-term and there wouldn't be so much variability between coverage for WLS. Also, I feel like most of the civilian insurances play a game where they deny you on any little thing they can... hoping you will just go away. I hate to read on here when someone says they will see if they are approved and, if not, they will just pay out of pocket. That's what their insurance WANTS them to do!!! Chances are if you've come to the conclusion that you need WLS, you probably do have a medical necessity for it. Anyway, I put up the good fight and finally got mine approved by Aetna. Its silly that I had to wait a year, but I refuse to pay for something that my insurance should cover.

Does your surgeon's office use one of those fancy Tanita scales that breaks out your lean body mass % from your fat %, etc. I get this little printout (like a receipt) every time I go in. Well, for my pre-op appointment, I was so embarassed because I knew I had gained weight. I had a terrible time w/insurance doing multiple appeals so about four months had passed between my final nutritional visit and my pre-op appointment. In that time, I did not gorge myself, but I also did not diet. I refuse to suffer and be hungry anymore. But, I did decide to get my butt in gear and get more serious about exercise. I started doing Jazzercise which was really really hard for me at first because I was really out of shape. My muscles were sore and it was hard to get through the workouts. OK, long story short, flash forward to my dread at getting on the scale for my pre-op appointment because I KNEW I gained weight and was worried my surgeon might scold me or even cancel my surgery because I didn't lose the 10% of my excess weight that they want. And, what happens... she CONGRATULATES me because she sees that I actually gained EIGHT pounds of lean body mass. So, even though the scale was up a few pounds, I had actually lost a bunch of fat. Woohoo!!! So, just giving you this as an example of how you really can be gaining muscle when the scale is standing still, going down or little, or even going up. I never believed in that cause my WW instructor had told us before that this is a myth and that most people don't work out hard enough to really be gaining that much muscle quickly. But, darn it, some of us are!!! ;->

I'm not sure how I feel about naming it, but if I was to name it, I think I would call it 'Holden'. That was on my short list of names I wanted to call my son. And, I think of the band as HOLDing me iN from eating too much so that seems fitting. LOL

Breakfast: eggs, turkey sausage, Omelette w/small amount of low fat cheese, greek yogurt or 'carbmaster yogurt' from Fry's (if you have that grocery store - this yogurt is 12g per 8 oz and already flavored - not as much Protein as the greek yogurt, but quick and easy since you don't need to mix anything in) Lunch: Low fat deli meat like sliced turkey or ham, vegie burgers, but mostly I make extra dinner so I have leftovers Dinner: Any fish, chicken, or turkey, ground turkey, favorite meals I make out of these meats... chicken chili, chicken fajitas (skip the tortilla), grilled salmon, grilled chicken w/bbq sauce, meatloaf (using ground turkey), chicken cordon bleu casserole (chicken breast in a simple white sauce w/ham and low fat swiss cheese on top of the chicken)... Pretty much just search online for any chicken, fish, or ground turkey recipe and as long as it is not super high fat or mixed w/a lot of carbs, it will be a good protein choice. I try to eat real food most of the time, but when I need something on the go, I eat the mint chocolate zone bars. They are really yummy and 15 grams of protein. There are also high protein wraps made by 'Flat Out' that I think are 10 grams of protein in one wrap. One might be too big depending on your restriction because they are pretty big, but that would be a good choice for making a sandwich out of for lunch (instead of bread) so you can get extra protein.

I would just make sure to compare the Protein content and try to get the ones w/more protein. Unfortunately, a lot of frozen meals don't have much protein since its cheaper for them to add more carbs than protein. I think my dietician said the South Beach ones tend to have more protein. If you like vegie burgers and soy products, those are quick and tend to have a lot of protein. I like to have two vegie burgers for lunch w/a little cheese melted on top (no buns) and ketchup to dip it in. Each vegie burger is 15 grams of protein so between the two plus cheese, that's at least 35 grams of protein.

Hang in there! I know the waiting is soooooo hard. It took me a whole year to get my surgery between the requirements by my insurance company and two appeals. Don't worry too much about the extra weight gain. This is one of the most stressful processes I have ever been through so, OF COURSE, I was gonna gain. The good thing is that you will drop that extra weight fast after you get the band. I'm not saying go out and go crazy, but try not to stress too much about it. You have enough stress already. One thing I would recommend to help you pass the time is try to start making some changes already that will prepare you for after surgery. If you haven't been exercising already, start an exercise program now. Don't worry about losing weight by exercising... just do it to create the habit and figure out what you would LIKE to do for exercise. I did this prior to surgery and it was so valuable for me. It was the first time I was exercising just for the sake of exercising and not because I was obsessively watching the scale and trying to lose weight. It helped me to learn how to enjoy exercise just for how it makes me feel. Also, if you haven't been drinking at least 64 oz of Water per day, start working on making that a daily goal. And, 60-80 grams of Protein per day (or whatever your surgeon recommends). These are all things you can start doing now that will help you later, but won't make you feel hungry or deprived since you don't have your band yet. Oh, another thing I did to pass the time pre-band, is I had a friend come over and help me go through all my clothes (in my closet and old stuff I had in boxes). We went through all of it and she made me get rid of anything that I should never wear again (either too old, out of style, not flattering). And, we took the stuff to save and sorted it into boxes for 'stage 1', 'stage 2', and 'stage 3'. Stage 1 is one to two sizes below what I currently wear, stage two is the next two sizes, etc. That way, when I shrink out of my clothes, I have boxes of clothes organized and ready that I will WANT to wear. The 'stage 1' boxes sit right above my current clothes in the closet as motivation to me. The rest are in the garage so I don't feel overwhelmed w/how far I have to go. There is nothing in my closet or drawers that doesn't fit me right NOW. That is a great feeling! I'm sure you can think of some other ways to pass the time. Best of luck to you. You are in the home stretch!!!

Its definitely time for a second opinion. I'm certainly no doctor or lawyer, but it seems like the esophageal dilatation was caused by the band being placed too high in the first place and you deserve damages for all this has put you through in the last 18 months. Personally, I would not go back to the same surgeon after I suspect he has been negligent or, worse, used me as a guinea pig to test out his own theory. Was your initial lapband placement covered by insurance? If so, you should be able to see a different surgeon and get the ball rolling w/investigating the problem and fixing things right away. Not all surgeons will take on revision surgeries, but generally, the best of the best will and they take pride in being able to fix problem cases. If you are self-pay, its a bit more tricky because then you probably need this settled in order to have the money to proceed w/revision surgery. But, still, I would not be tempted by your original surgeon's promise that he can fix this for free. You don't want him messing you up so badly that another surgeon can't fix it. Even though I'm sure its heartbreaking to put the weightloss on hold, I would unfill the band if you have to in order to get your settlement first if necessary. Best wishes to you and I'm so sorry you have to go trough this.

One habit I've been so proud to break is the awful late night eating I used to do. I would affectionately call it my 'Fourth Meal' (like those taco bell commercials). Usually my 'Fourth Meal' was the biggest meal of my day. Actually, not really a meal at all, but endless grazing that would go on from the time my kids went to bed to when I went to bed... usually based on a little bit of hunger mixed with a whole lot of 'I deserve it'. Well, since the band and all the pre and post-op education I received on 'head hunger', I've pretty much eliminated that 'Fourth Meal'. I think the band has genuinely made me feel satiated for longer, but also I am being a lot more mindful of trying to break this habit. What I learned today, though, is that a skipped meal will always catch up w/me. I remember Dr. Oz talking about how eating breakfast is so important otherwise you are trying to catch up to your hunger all day. And, I'm good about eating breakfast. I can't remember the last time I missed breakfast. But, today I slept in and had a late breakfast and by the time I was thinking about lunch, it was only two more hours until dinner. So, I forced myself to make do w/just a yogurt until dinner (figuring I might save some calories today). Boy was I wrong about that! After my dinner of grilled salmon and asparagus, I just could not shut off my hunger. A couple hours later, I grabbed a few rice chex figuring maybe my body was craving carbs. I try to keep the carbs low, but sometimes its the only way to quiet my hunger. The rice chex did NOTHING for me. So, I had a big bowl of strawberries... still hungry. OK, so I had a big bowl of more grilled asparagus leftover from dinner (figuring that would make me feel 'full')... no way! Time to bring out the big guns... Protein. So, I reheated a piece of leftover salmon. But, even the salmon does not satiate me. At this point I am feeling like the Very Hungry Caterpillar... STILL HUNGRY!!! One half bag* of Peanut M&Ms later... SO SATISFIED!!! The moral of this story... don't skip meals! They catch up with you!!! AND, I can't wait for my first fill on Friday. I can eat A LOT of food right now! :confused: * Just want to clarify that was 1/2 of a normal size bag of M&Ms (like the kind you get in the checkout line at the grocery store)... not the jumbo fill your candy dish type bag. Don't want to make myself sound worse than I am. :wink2:

LOL There's a reason why the jumbo sized bags aren't allowed in my house anymore. I could've totally taken care of a big bag if I had one. I actually handed the half small bag over to my husband after I finally got the edge off my hunger and asked him to finish the rest to make sure I was 'done'.

Woohoo!!! I'm so excited for you!!! I can also fit into my nicer 'go out' jeans now so I totally get it. And, I soooooooo need a fill. Mine is on Friday and it cannot come soon enough!!!

One habit I've been so proud to break is the awful late night eating I used to do. I would affectionately call it my 'Fourth Meal' (like those taco bell commercials). Usually my 'Fourth Meal' was the biggest meal of my day. Actually, not really a meal at all, but endless grazing that would go on from the time my kids went to bed to when I went to bed... usually based on a little bit of hunger mixed with a whole lot of 'I deserve it'. Well, since the band and all the pre and post-op education I received on 'head hunger', I've pretty much eliminated that 'Fourth Meal'. I think the band has genuinely made me feel satiated for longer, but also I am being a lot more mindful of trying to break this habit. What I learned today, though, is that a skipped meal will always catch up w/me. I remember Dr. Oz talking about how eating breakfast is so important otherwise you are trying to catch up to your hunger all day. And, I'm good about eating breakfast. I can't remember the last time I missed breakfast. But, today I slept in and had a late breakfast and by the time I was thinking about lunch, it was only two more hours until dinner. So, I forced myself to make do w/just a yogurt until dinner (figuring I might save some calories today). Boy was I wrong about that! After my dinner of grilled salmon and asparagus, I just could not shut off my hunger. A couple hours later, I grabbed a few rice chex figuring maybe my body was craving carbs. I try to keep the carbs low, but sometimes its the only way to quiet my hunger. The rice chex did NOTHING for me. So, I had a big bowl of strawberries... still hungry. OK, so I had a big bowl of more grilled asparagus leftover from dinner (figuring that would make me feel 'full')... no way! Time to bring out the big guns... Protein. So, I reheated a piece of leftover salmon. But, even the salmon does not satiate me. At this point I am feeling like the Very Hungry Caterpillar... STILL HUNGRY!!! One half bag* of Peanut M&Ms later... SO SATISFIED!!! The moral of this story... don't skip meals! They catch up with you!!! :ohmy: AND, I can't wait for my first fill on Friday. I can eat A LOT of food right now! * Just want to clarify that was 1/2 of a normal size bag of M&Ms (like the kind you get in the checkout line at the grocery store)... not the jumbo fill your candy dish type bag. Don't want to make myself sound worse than I am. :smile:

I wondered the same thing, but bought some anyway. I tried them and they didn't work for me. Really, the only things that helped was walking (to work it out of my system) and a heating pad (for when I'd get an intense pain).

This is crazy! I feel so sorry for all you have been through. Definitely find a lawyer. You should be compensated for this. I also don't understand how it could just be floating around in there because it is standard practice to sew part of your stomach around the band (in addition to using the locking mechanism that is part of the band). Did they take x-rays right after surgery to confirm that your band was placed properly? Request copies of all your records. You don't need to tell them you are seeing a lawyer. You can tell them you are moving and need to transfer your care.

Great post! I'm in the 'tell all' camp because I hate to perpetuate the myth that I could take it off on my own. Lord knows, all my friends and family have already seen me try everything else. My mom also struggled w/her weight her entire life. I got to see first hand how HARD she REALLY tried and could never get it off or keep it off. My mother is one of the strongest people I know. I'm glad she told me that she got lapband because a year after when I was down in the dumps because I failed WW AGAIN, it gave me hope to have something else I could try and that worked for her. ANYWAY, so I tell, tell, tell and have been very happy to find that ALL of my family and friends have been supportive. I do not judge others who do not want to tell, though. Every individual has to make their own decision as to whether telling others will be more helpful or hurtful to their success. And, if in doubt, its probably better to hold back on telling until you are totally comfortable with it because you cannot 'untell'. For me, anyone who would judge me for this or gossip about it, isn't a true friend anyway so I don't really care what they think. And, really, gossiping is most hurtful to the person who is doing the gossiping. Its bad for the soul. I know because I used to gossip and it only ended up making me feel bad about myself. I also figure gossipers will gossip whether I give them material or not. So, if they want to gossip about me, then I say go for it. I'd rather have them gossip about me (cause I don't care) than gossip about someone who would be hurt by it.

I don't think it should be the calories or nutritional content you should be concerned about as much as the fact that it is a 'slider food'. Hahahahhahahaha! Sorry, could not resist!

The funny thing is everyone says how hard it is to get protein in and I get 80-100 grams per day with no problem. My dietician only really requires 60-80, but I usually have that covered w/just breakfast and lunch and I don't even do protein shakes. Its all chicken, chicken/turkey products, ground turkey, beans, fage yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese, etc. Of course, I don't have a fill yet so its easier for me to get all this stuff in now than it might be after Friday (that's when I get my first fill). For the record, though, I don't mean to say that pork or beef is bad in general. I've never given it a second thought before. But, I was diagnosed w/high cholesterol about six months ago and put on Crestor for it. I didn't bother trying to make any dietary changes at that point, but now that I've cut these things out and not really missing them, I'm thinking I may just be better off without them since they are sources of saturated fat. Even if low fat, the fat is still saturated fat. Trust me, I would never even give this a second thought, though, if I didn't already have high cholesterol and have to take ANOTHER pill for it. I also used to love Diet Coke and Iced Coffees too. I've found I have to force myself to go to bed earlier now and get a good nights' sleep since I can't rely on caffeine. I also have to avoid wheat products because they make me tired.

BTW, I get my first fill on Friday. So excited and a little nervous at the same time!