BetsyB

Oh, sorry I misunderstood. A year does sound terribly discouraging. But think of how well prepared you'll be! You'll have lots of opportunity to work on the habits that will make you a banding success. (You never know, either; my insurance changed from a six-month to a three-month supervision right before I started the process. Maybe during your wait, the policy will change, and you'll get to the OR sooner.) I know it's really frustrating--but it will be worth the wait. It really will.

Different docs, different patients, different bodies, different rules :smile2: You didn't get a particularly liberal diet--you are getting, from food, the same things others get from Opti-Fast. A low-carb diet that will reduce the liver's glycogen stores. My doctor's regimen is not as restrictive as many--but it is severely carb-restricted, and lasts 2 weeks. The carb restriction is what shrinks the liver. You can achieve that using shakes---or a number of other ways. Like the one your doctor recommends The two days of liquids clear out the bowel.

Well, he may drink. But the fact of the matter is that SOMEONE has to tell her surgeon that she's an alcoholic. It's immoral not to. If you don't think he will, call yourself. Or find the surgeon's email online and send an email. "I am very concerned about my friend, your patient Jane Doe. She has a severe alcohol addiction, and has indicated she has not shared this information with you. I am concerned about surgical risks; in particular, I am concerned that she might experience delirium tremens during the immediate postop period. I have asked her to share this information with you, and she has indicated she will not--that she did not share it during her psych evaluation, and will not comply with any preop diet/postop rules you have about drinking alcohol. I know that HIPAA prevents you from discussing this patient with anyone, but I hope that this information is received in the spirit it is intended---to protect my friend, and to protect you."

If I'm correct in understanding that your insurance has in fact verified that banding is not a covered procedure, your best bet is to make a case for an improvement in coverage to your employer. (If pressured--and convinced that providing this coverage will cost them less than covering comorbidities and absenteeism of morbidly obese employees, they may change the policy when it's time to renew.) Can you get coverage through a spouse's employer? (Or vice versa--through your own, if you are currently using your spouse's insurance?) If so, read the available policies to determine which is most favorable for bariatric surgery. I would not assume anyone in the doctor's office [italic]lied[/italic]. Sounds like there was a mixup, and they thought you were preapproved----and notified you as soon as they discovered the error.

The scale is fickle. A large fluctuation is just fluid retention--nothing to worry about. (I know, it does play mind games. But you'll learn to take them in stride.)

For altitude, I might--just because of the tightness many experience at higher altitudes. (But not to get more energy for skiing--I want my body to use the energy stored on my ass and thighs for that!)

My doctor is a three-meals-a-day guy, too. And he recommends 65-70 grams/day. I find I lose and feel better if I go for 80-100--but your mileage may vary. I eat around 3-ish ounces of Protein (chicken, turkey, fish, Beans...whatever) at every meal. But I also use protein supplements a couple of times a day. (Not sanctioned by my doctor; he likes patients to limit to 1/day, and as a meal replacement. I use them as Snacks. Still, I am losing at a greater rate than most of his patients.) I like the Inspire and PURE Proteins from bariatriceating.com.

I don't keep it a secret, but I don't tend to tell people who don't need to know. It's just like any other personal information, IMO. That said, if I think it will help someone, I do share. I do this because the father of one of my son's friends was banded and told me about his band when I asked about his loss. It helped me when I was in the early decision-making process.

Prescription diuretics your doctor has given you for this purpose? Or over-the-counter ones? I tend to just wait it out--move a bit more and give it some time. But six pounds in a couple of days can pose health risks for some people--if you have any blood pressure or heart issues, I'd give the doc a call.

Awesome! Congratulations!

When you lose weight, you lose inches. No magic about it.

Congratulations!

Congratulations! I noticed, this morning, that my hipbones are now visible when I lie down. Odd, discovering body parts we lost long ago!

My fills have been over a longer period of time--but my surgeon was willing to do both my second and third fills 3 weeks ahead of schedule. (He usually does 6 weeks between fills; I asked for my second fill early, had it at 3 weeks, then used my 6-week appointment for my third). He fills fairly aggressively--though with recent fills, it's been more cautious (I'm at that, "Is this enough? Will more be too much?" stage.) I would trust your doctor knows what he's doing--as long as you're aware that as you go forward, the fills will be smaller and their effects MUCH more dramatic (i.e., you may find yourself experiencing more swelling/discomfort at first), you're golden :smile2: If nothing else, you've been spared a prolonged bandster hell. You'll need to be very cautious as you introduce solids, though--they are a whole different ballgame. My doctor starts his patients on solid Protein (first pureed, then regular) on Day Three postop--so all fills take place after we've resumed eating. The ability to tolerate food is one thing he assesses when determining the need for fill. Removing this from the equation, I wonder what criteria your doctor uses to determine whether you are too tight. That's the one thing that gives me pause; what happens when you start eating?

Eh, it doesn't matter what people say. Easy way out, hard way out---it's the way out. Some people find a different way. That's fine. We are using this way. In many regards, you'll find that it is easier. In others, it's not. No one who has not experienced it will understand or appreciate your rationale; no sense in arguing the point or becoming aggravated.

as long as you're not experiencing discomfort, there is no cause for concern. You're simply taking in so little that there's less moving through your body. Anesthesia and pain meds contribute to the slowdown. Don't be alarmed if you experience diarrhea when things do start moving; it's very common.

No one has ever died from the preop diet--you'll make it through. It's good prep for bandster hell <evil grin>. Seriously, it's just a matter of time before food assumes a much less important role in your life. Right now, it's really rough--and it will be for a while. But in the end, it's very freeing to lose the attachment to eating. Food is still wonderful--things taste good. But the relationship really changes.

Well, the good news is that you chose Protein and fat--so your decarbing wasn't disturbed. The purpose of the preop diet is to reduce the glycogen (carbohydrate) stores in the liver. This reduces the liver's size, making it easier for the surgeon to maneuver during surgery. No harm, no foul. (In fact, some surgeons--like mine--permit one protein + leafy meal/day during the preop diet.) Hop back on the wagon. You're almost there, and it will be worth the ride.

Smoking hugely increases the surgical risks. Factor in obesity, and the risk of serious surgical complications such as blood clots, pneumonia and circulatory problems skyrocket. Wound healing is delayed by smoking, as well. In the long term, smoking increases the risk of stomach ulceration. But even things like a smoker's cough can ultimately be problematic as related to the band. I'm a former smoker, and quitting was the best thing I ever did. Even better than the band---and I think everyone knows how much I love my band. It's an incredibly difficult addiction to kick. But it's so worth the effort.

I love soup. It was one of my favorite meals preop, and remains so now. Not everyone is satisfied with it--but it always does the trick for me. (I think it's psychological as much as anything else. There's nothing as therapeutic, to me, as a good bowl of homemade soup.)

A serving of Protein is usually 3 ounces; if diced and measured, that often comes to about a cup, but of course there is variance. (I have a set of Mario Batali measuring bowls--you can get them from Entertaining at Home or Target online--that are handy; I eat from them rather than measure with them.) You can't convert "a cup" to 8 ounces when talking about solids. You have to weigh or measure. My doctor's guidelines had me focusing on protein at 5 weeks; a 3 ounce serving was recommended. (Now it's 3-5 ounces; I usually get full on just under 3.) A couple of weeks later, nonstarchy veggies were added. A bit later, fruit. All doctors/nutritionists/dietitians seem to have different recommendations; mine does not advocate reintroducing starches/grains until 75% of excess body weight is lost. ETA: Honk's "sandwiches" are one of my favorite lunches. A couple of romaine leaves, each with an ounce of protein (turkey, chicken, fish, whatever...) and a half ounce of cheese.

My doc's rule of thumb is that it's okay to wait it out--to give time for swelling to subside--as long as you can tolerate liquids. Keep sipping! And be really cautious as you reintroduce food over the next several days. Take it slow. I find that liquid Benadryl helps with the inflammation post-banding.

Nah--it's not made of anything that would set it off.

I've steadily lost weight at the same rate since banding--but I still am fine-tuning adjustment at 8 months. I felt some restriction with my 3rd or 4th fill--and have been tweaking it since. (I think I'm there--but the beauty of it is that it can always be adjusted, forever.) My doctor's eating regimen is stringent, but was really great for promoting loss even without good restriction. Yes, I was hungry---but that was time-limited :thumbup:

Anesthesia and surgery interrupt your hair growth cycle. Mostly, it's just a matter of time. But you can increase your odds by making sure you get enough protein, taking a good-quality bariatric multivitamin, biotin and zinc and using a hair-loss shampoo/conditioner such as Nioxin.