shues138

I was on the same boat as you! We pretty much have the same story, but I'm a female, no kids and I don't live in NJ lol. Anyway, since getting back on the band wagon, I have lost a ton of weight (weighed in at 314 in December, down to 258 as of yesterday). I'm glad your surgeon is supportive, take it one step at a time, and you'll reach your goals! Keep up the good work!

@bayougirl I live in Connecticut. The major cities in this state (Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford) have the highest obesity rates in the state, due to the fact that low income residents live in these cities, therefore making poor food choices (ie fast food, convenience foods at bodegas, etc). We also have a fun "program" where crack heads, etc will sell their food stamp cards to people for a reduced rate for cash. For example, if a person has $500 on their foodstamp card they'll sell the card for cash for $250, before you do that you go to a bodega get like a pack of gum and it'll show the balance of the foodstamp card on the receipt. Therefore, food is taken out of children's mouths but they get cash for whatever they want it for. I have to say though, the city I work in (one of the major ones) they are really trying to get people that live in the city to get healthy. They recently opened up a Stop and Shop in the worst area in town and also opened up a co-op (unfortunately with HIGH food prices, but still accept foodstamps) that has a healthier range of food products (I'll even shop their in a pinch). Trust me, my job is not easy, I used to work in the maternity section of where I work, and when I would see patients, they would be like "oh am I signing this so I can get more money for the state?" uh, no you're signing it so your child can have medical coverege. I would hear a lot of "I don't care about that, I want my money" ::rolls eyes::

I had to comment on this blog, I work in healthcare and see the abuse of the system every darn day. Medicare as everyone stated prior is earned, and it is there to help people over 65, disabled individuals and transplant receipients. Medicare benefits at that are kind of crappy which drives me nuts since everyone pays into it. Medicaid on the other hand is a whole different beast. I live in one of the most expensive states in the union, and about half of our patients are on medicaid for medical. I honestly don't feel bad about children receiving it, I'm from the school of every child under 18 deserves medical care. But, what frustrates me is that where I live, every six months you have to literally mail in a postcard to the state updating your demographic info and your medicaid is updated for another six months. People who don't do this, expect me (who has nothing to do with the patient other than paying for their medical) to do it, I'm like "you're an adult do it yourself" of course I can't say that, but I say it in a nice way lol. I think there should definetly be a time limit on how long people are on medicaid, unless they have a chronic illness (ie cancer) and they literally cannot work due to their illness. @bayougirl, you think that's bad in regards to the junk food on your dime? How about where I live they can use them at fast food restaurants. Real nice, huh?

I was on the same boat as you, was banded in 2007 and life really got into the way, in December of last year I weighed myself and gained all the weight minus 8 pounds from my pre-op weight. That scared the crap out of me and I jumped right back on the band wagon. I was scared to death to go to my mds office, but they were like "not very good, but it happens all the time" and I've been going every month getting fills and so far I've lost 53 lbs. So, if I can do it, you can do it! Good luck and you'll do great!

Please don't take my medical advice to heart since I'm in no way a medical professional but, is your gall bladder still in? The symptons you have sound like mine when I had bad gall bladder attacks. If you aren't feeling any better go to an urgent care center or Emergency Department asap!

@humming bird-those sound like a good idea, I'll have to try that! I drink a lot of sugar free red bull, it's an expensive habit this may be a cheaper solution!

I think most addicts will trade one addiction for another. I have two (well three) examples. The first, a friend of mine moved to San Diego and got addicted to snorting Crystal Meth. When she came back to the east coast, she wasn't able to access it as easily as she did when she lived out west (it was so bad she was fedexing money to her dealer and of course no drugs would come back) so she started drinking a lot. It was so bad, her husband almost put her into rehab for alcoholism. Another friend of mine was addicted to cocaine, had to give it up because it was costing her her life and her family (her daughter was taken away from her by her ex-husband) she cleaned up her act and then got addicted to smoking angel dust, which she is still doing to this day. I think if someone has an innate addictive personality you do end up "switching" for me (the third example) the itch will always be there to eat crappy food, but I feel like my new addiction now is buying clothes. I'm an online shopping fool! It's such a great rush, but after you feel bad. The other day i went to Victoria's Secret was fitted for bras and bought about $500 worth, the minute I left the mall I thought to myself "wtf I'm just going to have to get new ones in six months!" but then the other side of me goes "hey it's $500 you can't take that money with you when you're dead"

It hasn't done anything to my BP (thank goodness, even when I was over 300 lbs my blood pressure was 120/80) I forgot to bring it with me on vacation last week, so I started taking it again on Sunday, so maybe that will kick start it working again.

My APRN prescribed it to me when I only lost 8 lbs in one month (granted I just got back from vacation two days prior to the appt) anyway, when I first took it I lost 21 lbs in 6 weeks, now that my body is getting used to it I've probably only lost a few pounds this past month, more than likely I'll need a fill. I feel like my body gets immuned to any sort of medication quickly (ie six weeks) so I don't know long term this is going to work, unless she has me double up on the medication, we will see on Monday when I go back.

I was never told to give up caffeine, but I think the theory is that it does dehydrate you and for some it can irritate the stomach. Another reason may be that if you add milk/cream/sweetner it can up your calorie intake. As for me, I'm not a big coffee drinker and I do drink it black. On the other hand I drink one sugar free Red Bull a day (drinking one now!) which is lightly carbonated, but I'll pour it in a cup and stir it to get most of the bubbles out.

Is Gardein the company that makes the fake stuffed chicken breast? I bought it once at Whole Foods and it was so good and I can't find it anymore! Also, I like the fake chicken by Quorn. They have "grilled chicken", "chicken cutlets" aka breaded chicken, and I think one stuffed with Gruyere cheese. I'm not 100% vegan/vegetarian, I just hate chicken!

That sounds like something I would do! I had a dentist appt one time after a fill appt. I had to get a cavity filled and I have a big dentist phobia especially with the novicaine needles coming towards my mouth, so I start tensing up in the dentist's chair and I got the worse port pain ever! I'm like "never doing both on the same day again!" Glad to hear that the jumping around helped!

I've been banded since 2007 and still have this problem! My co-worker gave me chia seeds (yes like chia pet lol) and they are suppossed to help with getting things going in that area. She got a big bag at a really expensive grocery store in the city we work in for $6.00 so it's probably less expensive elsewhere, she puts about a tablespoon or so in her Water. I haven't tried it yet, I will later on today and let you know how it tastes and if it works. Constipation sucks!

Good job!!!!!!

They cannot deny you for checking on the status of your authorization. Like I stated prior when you're paying hundreds of dollars a month for insurance you have every right to know what's going on with your healthcare. If a rep says it'll delay the approval process that's a total lie as well and if a rep tells you that ask to speak with their supervisor immediately. Denials for an approval have to be justified. They can't deny bc the subscriber inquired too much about his/her authorization status. It would be like a contract exclusion or not medically necessary or the md didn't submit enough clinical.....

Welcome to lap band talk!! It's such a great wealth of information! I work at a hospital and I deal with insurance companies and authorizations so I'll tell you what would happen at our facility but its not a text book situation since every doctor, facility, patient and insurance company is different. Usually the md will have a tenative surgery date so that when they submit the auth to the insurance company it'll light a fire under the insurance companies behinds to get the ball rolling and review your case. Most insurance companies say it'll take 30 days to get an authorization but its not always the case. Once the mds office tells you they submitted the clinical info to the insurance company wait 48 hours and get on the phone with your insurance company. Ask them to check the status of your authorization and get a pending authorization number as well since it'll make the whole process easier when calling back the insurance company. Some people may disagree with me on this in regards to calling the insurance company but you pay for your benefits and you have every right to find out what's going on. In regards to time off when I had my surgery I took a week off from work (i was a hairstylist at the time) I still had one more semester of university left so I still had to go to class, I went back to class the Monday after my surgery (my surgery was on a friday). It was tough but manageable. I have an office job now and I would probably take a week off just to get adjusted to everything. Not only did your body go through the major trauma of surgery but you're also going to be dealing with emotional issues too I had times where I thought to myself what did I do???? My suggestion in regards to time off from work is take a week off but if you feel up to it see if you can go back to work for like a half day and see how you feel. Good luck with your journey and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

Awww hope everything works out!!! Good thing they were able to re schedule without having to do another authorization.....some insurance companies will have an authorization approval last so many days, months, etc without having to re submit it.

Good for you!!!! Same thing happened to me today! 20's were too big, 18's were okay, 16's fit but they were tight! But I could button and zipper them which I could never do before! Keep up the excellent work!

I'm really strict with my calories four days out of the week and three where I don't keep track but make healthy decisions so when flo comes to visit and say for example I'm craving ice cream I'll walk down the block from my office and get a frozen yogurt. There's nothing you can do to control your hormones but if you give into your urges just make smart decisions!

Make sure to tell you MD the symptoms you're having after going off the medication cold turkey, I did the same thing with Pristiq my primary care doc had a fit! She was like "you can't quit cold turkey!" well I did lol. But from your OP you're prepared for that lol. When I went off it cold turkey I didn't have a problem food wise, but I was smoking cigarettes a lot more. It's crazy how medication messes with us (in good and bad ways). For example, I was on Seasonique for like the past year (it's an oral BC). I HATED it! It's the best birth control because you have your period literally every month! And the side effects were horrible, I had the worse food cravings! I was so frustrated I called my OB/GYN and she said "you hate it? Go off it, we'll get you ready for a Mirena". The week after I went off it, I dropped 5 lbs, and now I'm about 6-7 days before my next aunt Flo and that's when I usually get the weird cravings and nothing at all right now. Got to love prescription meds!!! LOL

Bandster Hell stinks! I don't know if your MD wants you to eat a certain amount of calories but what helped me was instead of having 3 meals a day, I had six small meals a day to get me through it. For me, the mushies was the worse part of bandster hell it seemed like that food just went through without a problem! Also, it seems like you are probably in the mushie stage now (I was banded in 2007 so I forget how long each stage was post op) but once you start eating firmer Proteins you'll feel a little better. I also agree with the other post in regards to drinking with eating, it's a good idea in theory, but in a real world situation, especially someone who is so new to the bandster lifestyle, it may lead to bad habits down the line (who knows though, because I'm not the OP lol). I don't drink with meals, I drink up to the time I have a meal and I wait an hour after but I don't drink with my meals, I have had plenty of stuck experiences before thinking it was okay to eat and drink with the band, kind of like negative re-inforcement lol. Good luck with your journey!

It depends on your insurance company and your contract with them. For example I have Anthem BC/BS of CT and my benefits for specialist copays are $30 a visit. My band doctor is considered a specialist so I pay $30 every appointment. If you have insurance, call the customer service number on the back of the card to ask what your responsiblity would be for an office visit/fill. Sometimes it's a deductable or a copay. No person's contract is the same (unless you have the same employer lol). Also, if you don't get a good answer from your insurance company, call the md's office because they will want to get the benefits as well so that they will get paid in a timely fashion.

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, my life and work has been so busy, I can't find the time! But here I am, catching up with you, whoever you are. LOL. So, after reading my last blog entry, and the whole Adipex situation, I was definetly over-reacting. I've been taking Adipex since the last blog entry and have lost 21 lbs. I don't feel jittery anymore, but also I don't feel hungry. I eat three meals a day, my calorie intake is less than 1000 calories a day and I'm okay with that! I don't know if it's the band or the Adipex or both, but whatever works lol. Overall since December 2011 I have lost 53 lbs. I am literally one pound away from the "goal weight" I wanted to be for my trip to Mexico next month. My original overall goal weight was to be 180 which would be considered a normal BMI for my height (I'm 6' tall) but thinking about it, my primary care md and OB/GYN stated that BMI's were designed by insurance companies for contract exclusions and they both would like to see me when I reach around 220. Especially my OB/GYN. She wants to make sure I'm extremely healthy since I will probably be pushing out a couple of kids in the next few years (I hope before 35!). I also told my band doctor that and everyone was fine with it. They basically told me when I get down to 220 see how you feel/look whatever and maybe a consult for plastic surgery (which I'm a little confused about since I would prefer to wait after I have children, especially for a breast lift/implants). Long story short, I have to lose 41 lbs to get down to 220. It seems like a ways to go, but I've lost more than half so far (I think so I'm bad at math). My clothes are fitting differently, my breasts are smaller I feel like I'm losing weight differently than before. I think I need new bras, I'm going to go to Victoria's Secret Saturday and get fitted. I bought clothes from Old Navy in my old size, XXL shirts and 20 pants and everything was too big. I tried on size 16's and I could get them buttoned but not zipped up, so I'm guessing I'm an 18 lol. It's crazy too because I feel like I don't excercise that much. I walk back and forth from the train station to my job it's 2 miles round trip and 40 minutes total a day. Yesterday when we walked we stopped and got frozen yogurt lol. I definetly don't deprive myself. I was so ready to give up on the band, but after giving it another try again, I feel like it's actually working. I went in for a fill this Monday and the APRN said I didn't need it because I was losing weight so well and she was a little nervous giving me a fill and then me leaving the country lol. I have another appointment when I get back, so I may ask for a fill then just to feel better. It's like I'm getting anxiety like "omg I just ate and my stomach is growling I need a fill!" but I know it's all in my head lol.

I was in the same situation as you, they completely unfilled me and started all over again, so far I have lost 53 lbs. Don't get frustrated and don't be embarassed to go to your doctor. I had the mind set that they probably have patients worse off than me.....take it one day at a time and keep up the good work!

I promised myself when I lost 50 pounds I would post a success story, I still have a ways to go, but that was my rewards for a 50 lbs weight loss. Hopefully I can inspire you and if you need a buddy, I'll try to help! I was banded in January of 2007 at 322 lbs. The first six months I was the model lap-band patient. Once I started a new job and new life, I basically blew off the whole process and I had a book of excuses. I'm looking back now and I was sooo not emotionally prepared for this (I was banded at 26 years old). Eventually I got into a very abusive relationship, the only thing he "loved" was my cooking, so I just kept gaining weight. I stopped weighing myself when I saw that I was up to 280 (my lowest per the md was 268) Finally in December 2010 he left and in January 2011 I met the dbf that I have today (who I love to death). I finally realized that I met someone that I wanted to get healthy for so we could have a long future together. In August of 2011 I was presented to the emergency room with a massive gall bladder attack. In September, I had it removed, at the time I was 288 lbs. After the removal it felt like I could eat anything and eat I did! One day after complaining to my mother about how my pants don't fit, she says to me "you work at a hospital there has to be a scale somewhere" so I go down the hall and weigh myself....314 pounds!!!! I was so disgusted with myself that when I went home I threw out all the junk and bought tons of healthy food (chobani was my drug of choice for a while!). I went back to the md for a fill, they had me do an endoscopy to see if there was erosion (thank god there wasn't) and basically I have started all over again. Since December 2, 2011 to today I have officially lost 53 pounds. I can't believe it, I'm still in shock. I have a long way to go, but I literally take it day by day. Also my doctor suggested I go on Adipex which is a prescription appetite supressant. I really don't notice a difference from before I was taking it, for all I know the pharmacist is putting tylenol in the prescription bottle. Some people will get on me about this bit of information, but it's my choice and I'm following doctor's orders. Food wise, I eat less than 1000 calories a day. I eat three meals a day and don't snack. I drink tons of Water....tons lol. Honestly I only keep track of my calories 4 days out of the week. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays I don't write down what I eat, but I make sure to pick healthy options and not to over do it. Once and a while I do have something extra, but it doesn't taste the same anymore lol Excercise wise I walk 2 miles a day or 40 minutes back and forth from my job to the train station. For anyone out there that is a long term bandster, don't give up. Heck, even go get a complete unfill and start all over. That was the deal between the doctor's office and me. Try it all over again and if I don't get down to my goal weight (220) they will start submitting the authorization for a revision. Today was the first doctor's appointment where I didn't get a fill because they were impressed with my weight loss. I never thought that would happen. I really never thought I would lose weight. I guess I've "grown up" and realized that this band isn't going to do all the work for me, that I have to do most of it. I also realized I'm not doing this for vanity purposes....I want to be a healthy wife and mother, and I want to grow old with the dbf I have now (I think he's the one lol). I will try to post pictures soon. I don't have any current pictures of me now, but I'll be going on vacation to Mexico with the dbf and will have pictures from that. Anyone who is reading this, keep up the good work, you're an awesome person, and take it one day at a time!