vessa

i got pregnant a few weeks after getting my band...:rolleyes at first i was totally unhappy, but thrilled (first baby) it was 2 of the things i wanted most in life, but both going down at the same time??? I had a very small fill (it never affected my pregnancy) and i exchanged my band doctor for my obstetrician. Well, even though she was gorgeous and barely 100 pounds, she said, "No biggie about the band, in fact, i bet it will keep your weight in check." I had a very uneventful pregnancy, except in the last month I developed the gestational hypertension. I only gained about 10 pounds in 8 months, and thirty the last month! Ha ha, yikes! (It was water weight she kept telling me) Anyways, I had to have a c-section because Nadia was a little breech baby, and the doctor was very careful not to disrupt the port. It has now been two months since Nadia was born...perfect in every way. I went from 324 (highest weight right after baby, from swelling they said) to 280 within 6 weeks. Now I am 268 and losing, having had a great fill a couple weeks ago. Sometimes I think i can get overwhelmed because im doing both these things for the first time at the same time, but Nadia loves to get in her front carrier, and i get great exercise with her. The only thing I really think it affects, is I on't get much time to eat, but i also am too busy to analyze my food. Sorry to go on and on, i guess my point is that what seemed like a BAD thing was actually a blessing in disguise, seeing as though my husband and i only ever wanted our one beautiful baby, an now i can go on to use my band as it was meant to be, without worrying about pregnancy weight and issues in the future. And the band has done lovely, with my last fill, it is as if it was waiting for me. Perhaps I have wandered off the issue, but honestly, the band really really helped my pregnancy, and is doing great now as well.

I got my lap band on August 8th and everything has been great. I had no complications, and I had a fill on Sept. . That went well, and I started having decent restriction, when (somewhat suddenly) I started having "the signs". Well, after a positive, but cheap walmart test was tossed, my husband and I spent $40 on 4 different tests, with 6 different sticks, all of them were the same. SO, then I went to the clinic out here, and they only did a urine test as well, but same deal. So, now go to see an obgyn on monday. Here's the thing, my husband and I are THRILLED, but surprised. This would be our first, and we wanted to, but I just got my band! I just lost 40 lbs. in the last year! And, you know, I asked 3 different specialists if I should get on birth control, and they all said, "no, you won't have no chance of getting pregnant" and I figured as much since my husband and I have not been using birth control for the last 2 1/2 years. I figured this was the least likeliest time possible. Like I said, I'm estatic, a bit perturbed simply because this means I'll have to unfill for the time being, but to have a baby is way more exciting for us right now, plus that's the beauty of the band, it's ajustable. I guess my confusion is how come sao suddenly? And how come the doctors rule it out so easily? (p.s. I know I'm goona get yelled at by my surgeon, I'm dreading calling her on Monday, I sure wish I had tape recorded them all saying "no, you won't get pregnant" ! Even her nurse did! Anyone else get pregnant so fast??? The doc says I could be anywhere from 2 weeks to four, that would mean we concieved 2 weeks after the band!!!!

thanks everyone for all the great replies. It's so nice to get support when I was scared I'd get yelled at a lot. Also, I finally got the nerve to talk with my surgeon, and she also suprised me by being very happy and hopeful for me. that the band might be very helpful in keeping my weight gain in the 15 to 20 pound range (i'm only suppose to gain this much because of my current weight). And also that if I need to, I can get an unfill. this whole situation makes me very grateful to have the band, the adjustable band, more than ever.

Perhaps some may think it's crazy, but, I turned off my cable 3 months ago (and have no antennae), and I don't really even miss it. The bill wasn't killing us, but my husband and I ( we both work 3rd shift) would come home, tired and veg out in front of the TV, living vicariously through tv personalities & news. It got to be that both of us only worked, watched TV, and slept. We hardly ever talked, and definitely got very little exercise. At first it was a little hard,(because I NEEDED the news and NEEDED to know what the movie stars were doing, BUT then I got a life, and now we are quite happy spending time with each other and doing stuff outside. The TV turned out to be an addiction that went hand-in-hand with my eating habits. It was one of the best changes I've made yet.

Dear whiskers, I have Dr. Que in Rochester, and she suggested lap band because of my age, and it is less complicated. As I know it right now, she is the only surgeon there doing it (right now) I went through the hoops at rochester (phsyc stuff for 12 weeks, doctor ok (I called the endocrinology dept. and they got the ball rolling for me- # is in Mayo website. They got me a regular doc at mayo, and set up any and all other docs I had to see (orthopedic and sleep) All in all, it took about 5 months (physc stuff the longest) and they worked all my appointments together because I live 2 hours away (mankato) and work at night, so they really do everything for you, the most important I think is dealing with the insurance. The pre-authorization "team" moves quick, in late June I seen Que for the first time, she said , the soonest she had at the time was August, ( she schedules very quick ) and Mayo had the paperwork sent and I had my approval from blue cross/blue shield in 12 days (even over 4th of July). She seems like a great doctor, very matter-of-fact. I went in there 100% serious and she was too, and now I am only 15 days away from surgery! I say good luck to you.

So, anyways, as much as I hate to admit it, I was just dying over waiting on my insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, who I have through my husband's workplace. Well, all that is over now. Hurrah! I could hardly sleep over the fact that I spent 6 months going to Mayo out here, had a physcologist, worked out like crazy, etc. and it all would have been for not except for Blue Cross. Oh, I love them. And it wasn't that hard once I jumped through all the hoops at Mayo ( the craziness is, is that I did this for the bypass, and last month my surgeon said, "get the lap band" much less trama for your young body." ) And all these people said Blue Cross would never cover it, but they did! I guess they revised once in 2004, and then back again shorty after. Mayo wrote my letter, (and probably included the book's worth of info on me they collected in 6 months). After the secretary for my surgeon said they sent it to pre-authorization, I called them 2 days later and the gal there said,"I was very lucky to have Blue Cross/Shield, they are very good for approval and fast", they had it mailed, and exactly 12 days later ( including 4th of July) I and Mayo got the approval by mail. So anyways, for anyone out there like me, who was literally freakin' out, it was easy and painless with the insurance, the approval said "deemed medically necessary" . And also, Mayo in MN just started doing lap bands. Dr. Flo Que, she's great, and gets you in fast! Anyways, I didn't want to post this to gloat, just to let other worry-warts like me get some positive stuff, because I always loved the positive posts for insurance. Surgery 8-8-06

Did I fail to mention I had just moved from North Dakota to Minnesota?? How interesting what you said! I lived in Cando, 30 miles (about) from Canada, and winter was insane. Entire towns would shut down for days. My skinny husband would cry about the cold. I once had to put gas in my car at -40! It felt like the wind was a solid sheet of ice pushing against me. Usually, the car wouldn't even start in that weather! The last winter in Minnesota was great! I was waiting almost until February for the wind (but Minnesota has trees! Awesome!) I grew up in Wisconsin, but out of the 3, I like MN best. but not the Vikings,:omg: (SORRY) One a cheesehead...well, you know. You are in Africa? Has it got no trees like ND? What Is the wind like there? JUst hot? p.s. Did you know that N.D. has one of the highest percentages of overweight people? Because it's so cold! Now that I no longer live there, I no longer need to aclimatize to that weather - so adios adipose!

Has anyone dealt with the surgeons and insurance in Rochester, MN? I've had a pretty great experience with them, lots of testing and hoops to jump through, and then at the very end, my surgeon decided that the Gastric Bypass was just not worth the risks for someone my age, and after discussing it forever, she and I decided on the lap band, and I am thrilled! Initially, at the 1st meeting, they said it would take 6-12 months, the longest part was the psych part, they have a class in town, but I live in Mankato, so I got the chance to see someone out here. It was 12 weeks. As far as waiting, it wasn't as long as I thought it would be. Anyways, so now I am waiting for August 8th to get here(for surgery). HURRY HURRY HURRY. And I am also waiting for BC/BS to approve (although I am not worried about them because the pre-authorization dept. at Mayo does all the paperwork and gives them 14 days to respond, and she said I was very lucky to have bcbs, they are quick and very good with bariatric surgery.) This is a first post for me. Also, is there any kind of support groups for post-op surgery people in lower Minnesota? Also, does anyone else have the ridiculous fear that they will be cold-er this winter without their layer of (eskimo) fat for insulation? Is this stupid? I guess I am just anxious and overthinking. :nervous