Melinco

I've not had any fills with the fluoro. My doc has me drinking water during the fill, not just afterwards, to measure how well the water is going down. I get my fourth fill today! Which is a good thing, as I ~ need~ it!

Jessica, if I recall correctly, I think that preventive mammograms are mandated in each and every state in the US. You might want to have your mom call her insurance agent (if she purchased her coverage herself) or ask her HR department (if she gets it through her employer). At the age of 50, she should now be able to get preventive mammograms once a year. Prior to age 50, it's suggested once every two years. Of course, if her policy is more of a catastrophic type policy (where it covers only hospital benefits), she may not have preventive coverage. There are so many different types of individual insurance policies out there you really can't make any assumptions about them.

Our story is a bit different. We tried having a baby and when not successful after two years, attempted assisted reproduction via IVF. After three failed attempts with one RE (reprodoctive endocrinologist) we switched docs and protocols, and finally made it through an entire IVF only to get a negative. My issue is DOR (diminished ovarian reserve), which has nothing to do with my weight. Size 6 women who are only 26 years old can have this, unfortunately. So our next attempt to have a baby involves using donor eggs or donor embryos. In order to reduce possible complications during pregnancy caused by my weight, our new RE as well as my OB/GYN suggested Lap-band surgery. My husband has been on board with this from the get go as we really do want to have children (and please do not bombard me with adoption suggestions). I've lost 55 pounds, and would like to lose another 50 pounds before we attempt DE. By then, I'll be under 200 pounds, which should greatly reduce weight-related complications. But, even if we don't have kids, I was ready to lose my excess weight and my husband was supportive of me. In fact, he is trying to lose weight as well, albeit sans band.

Down .4 this week. I thought I was going to gain, as my restriction has flown the coop. I'm so glad I'm getting a fill today.

Let me ask you a question or two. Do you buy insurance for your car after you have a wreck and expect the insurance to pay for the wreck you already had, or do you buy your car insurance when you first get the car, in case you ever have a wreck? So why don't people buy health insurance when they are young and healthy, prior to actually needing it? In many cases it is because these people would rather spend their money on other things (know any young adult males who'd rather buy stuff to trick out their cars then pay for insurance?). In some cases, it's because they think someone else should pay for their care (entitlement mentality). (And please note that I am NOT being all inclusive here - I said many and some, not all.) There will always be cases of people who have extraordinary issues, and I'm all for helping them. But for those who don't think they should take responsibility, and then cry when they can't get help, I don't feel quite so bad for them.

I always weigh in on Mondays. I stay consistent even if the various challenges are on different days.

That's just jacked up! Does the Guiness Book of World Records pay people to be in it? What is the benefit besides an early death? I truly hope she DOESN'T meet her goal. Wow.

Down 3.2 pounds this week to 239.2.

I don't see where you say how large your band is (how many cc's it holds) or what your total fill level is. It could be that you don't have enough in it yet. Also, are you trying to limit your food, or totally relying on the full feeling to stop eating? I've had to do both, as sometimes it feels like I can just eat and eat. Hopefully someone with more experience will post with suggestions. Congrats on the almost 100 pounds you've lost so far! That's great! ETA: Okay, based on how many fills you've had and a couple of assumptions on my part, you have about 7 cc's? Give or take a cc? So if you have a 14 cc band, you may indeed need more fills to get to restriction. My band is 10 ccs, though it can hold 12 ccs, and I'm at about 6.75 ccs. I'm approaching the green zone (sweet spot). Just as your doc said, as you lose weight, you'll also lose the fat around your tummy that your band encompasses, which means it'll loosen up, needing additional fills to maintain, or even achieve, restriction.

Thanks! My scales this morning were closer to what the doc's said than yesterday. 240.6. I must be doing something right.

I'd recommend calling your doctor's office and letting them know about the heartburn. That is one of the things, in addition to night coughing, that my doc wants me to let him know about right away.

I found at WalGreens some really cheap flavored sugar free drink mixes from Snapple, Wylers and Hawaiian Punch. The HP flavor was Purple Passion, or something like that. Basically it's grape. Oh it is so good! I got an iced tea from Sonic the other day and when it was gone, I mixed one of the grapes with water and poured it over the left over ice. It tasted just like a grape soda, minus the fizz! The boxes were only $1 or $2, depending on brand, with 8 packets in each box.

lol, the lack of food must be getting to you. It sucks, huh? It'll be worth it though. Again, good luck with your journey. I'm sure you'll do great.

I lost 2. something pounds this week. It's late and I forget. Exact amount lost so far in challenge is below in my ticker.

I was supposed to get my 4th fill today, but according to the doctor's scales, I've lost 6 pounds in two weeks, although my scales don't show that much. But I'm actually feeling pretty good restriction right now. I wouldn't say I'm at my sweet spot, but for now, I'm definitely within the green zone.

One of my incisions seemed to be infected so I called the surgeon's office, told them about it, and they called in an anitbiotic for it. I'd give them a call in the morning, tell them what you've told us, and see what they say. But I wouldn't wait until Thursday. Good luck with it!

I didn't throw her under the bus. In fact, I didn't even address her issue as plenty of others did. My issue was with what you said that because your insurance required you to do a 6 month pre op program that you must be more informed than those of us who didn't. That's the generalization that I read from your original post. Just because I pointed this out, does't mean I'm putting you down or judging you. And by the way, I don't think any question is stupid, except for those that don't get asked, because then they don't get the chance of being answered. Best of luck with your journey.

It could be a couple of things. One could be you are ready for another fill. Or two could be that you're not eating enough protein to sustain you the 4-5 hours. Or a combination of the two. Another thought is are you drinking during your meal or within an hour after eating? That could do it too.

Just because she is self-pay please don't make her lack of research a generality for all self-payers. There are many of us who paid for this procedure ourselves, including ALL of our post surgery adjustments, who researched the heck out of what we were getting ourselves in to, because if something happens to our band, we're on the hook for the complications, not the insurane company.

I was self pay and paid the surgeon his fee a week before the surgery, since I was at his office and had the money. Then I also paid the anesthesiologist and surgery center about 4 days prior to surgery. The dietician and psych consult I paid at time of service, cash. My surgeon waives his initial $200 consulting fee if you attend his seminar, which is free. ETA: You might want to ask the question how much will you have to pay for adjustments. I've read on here how much some people have to pay and it's outrageous! Some people can't even afford their fills as their docs charge so damn much. Luckily, the first year of adjustments for me are free, then after that they are $50.

No, I didn't have to lose weight prior to surgery, but being on the pre-op diet helped me to lose about 14 pounds, which was about 5% of my body weight. I was only on the pre-op high Protein low carb (30 grams of carbs) for 10 days. Had I done it longer, I would have lost even more. It can be done if you put your mind to it and think about what the rewards will be. A high protein low carb (like Atkins Phase I) isn't too hard to do, if you can stay away from breads, white rice, Pasta, white potatoes and other starchy foods. Let me tell you, I had a lot of big thick juicy steaks during my preop diet. My hubby loved it!

All of my adjustments the first year after surgery are free. After that, they are $50. I'm self-pay. Located in SE Colorado.

All of my adjustments for the first year after surgery are free, whether it's a fill or unfill. After the first year, adjustments are then only $50. I can't imagine paying $500! That's highway robbery!

I'm 2.5 months post op and I haven't PB'd, or vomited, although I did slime twice, but I think it was my body trying to get sick, and I worked my way through it (it was related to my menstrual cycle). So no, not everyone does vomit. Now I'm not saying I won't ever PB, but so far I haven't. I've got about 6.5 ccs in my 10 cc band.

Two and a half months and I'm down 24 pounds. Sometimes it all depends on how much you have to lose to begin with. If you're someone like me with 100+ pounds to lose, it will go quicker in the beginning. However, if you're someone with only about 50 pounds to lose, it might not go quite so quickly. Good luck! I'm sure you'll meet and exceed your goal!