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Unfortunately I was told that same information today from my Dr. office. Somewhere or another I had read that BS had a 20% approval rate for the LapBand, however, I am thinking that will change. Hopefully one day they will see the light.

@@BIGBRAND0105 _ have BCBS fed employees and they did answer relatively quickly! keeping my fingers crossed that you are 'good to go' soon!

Hi I am interested, I am on Vancouver island bc, nanaimo, my postal is v9t4m9. Any idea how much it would be to ship?

when will the diahrrea stop? I did find out that I am lactose-intolerant after the surgery. I have switched over to Lactaid and avoid all dairy. Lastly, I am not getting in three Protein drinks. This is bc I am full or want more bad side-effects. Has anyone tried protein supplement pills? Do they work? Is there a difference between men & women's pills? Where do I get them?

I have B&BS and I am with true results. So you should be fine.

I call BS on that, personally, as does my surgeon. Your easiest results happen in the first year or so, but that's not the end by any means.

I frequent a board and a lady on there WON $20,000 today on a race to a waist compition her in the Salt Lake Valley. She lost 90 pounds in 3 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!! here is what she said copy pasted Well thank you every one. I wish I could say that I ate right and worked out but it is only half true. I worked out every day but Sunday. The other thing I did do a colon cleanse (which I realize has been debated on this board) and juiced vegies. After I did the colonic I ate for Thanksgiving and gained 12 lbs. I realized then that I had rung the proverbial bell and couldn't unring it and went back to juicing. (I hope I didn't loose any one with that one...I just meant I couldn't go back to eating until after the race). As for the winnings there will be a need for surgery but that will be a year from now. I need to finish loosing (180 is my goal) and my body needs to see what is going to bounce back. I have a feeling my b**bs never will and my stomach will need a little help as well. wow! Just WOW! jen

YES!!! I went through the same thing. Like to the point of insanity. I had a hard time with protein drinks bc I wasn't allowed milk by my surgeon- water was gross with it-.. and I was on the acid reducer as well. It does pass, I promise. As soon as you get to the step to eat eggs, canned chicken etc..you will be full quickly. Best of luck & hang in there

That's certainly bad luck after such a good start. I could only say follow doctor's advice regarding the fill. Band or no band, you've got to get that hernia sorted out. Have you discussed this with your banding hospital? Try not to get this setback out of scale. You will feel fed up, I certainly would. But try not to go back to bad eating habits. You've done great so far, and in a few weeks or months this setback will just be a memory.

Everything was going so well for me banded 7th july after 3 weeks 28lb lost and was due to have a fill 5th august started at gym and all was fine, then bang its all gone tits up, i have a hernia right next to the large wound on my left side, its massive like a small football, i am gutted, canceled my fill and now await a hospital appointment, i feel as though my world has fell apart, i am so fed up. do you think i could still have a fill with a hernia?

Oh gosh. Well girl I'm five yrs out and having kinda the same problem but mine is called esphogeal spasms(nutcracker type) I'm trying to get that fixed now somehow waiting to see the srgeon. Since u r so short out it could be this a spasm or u could have a ulcer. When I had an ulcer I hurt right below my sternium at the very end where the zygomatic process ends..that's where my pouch is. That pain came on when I ate something mildly Spivey or took medicine and that pain was pretty intense actually caused diarrhea. Now my spasms start randomly and can be caused from eating or just by getting aggravated that feels like I've swallowed something wrong. The pain is sharp and intense in the center of my chest. Feels like a heartattack and like my body is being bear hugged tightly..it radiates into my back strraight between my shoulder blades. The best I can describe is if uve ever swallowed something wrong and ur eyes tear up and the pain is intense ..well that's how the spasms feel and there's two types u have mine and u have the kind where I vomit bc as soon as u go to swallow ur esphogaus goes nuts and u vomit. I have vomited with my spasms before and I'm telling u I'm crying on hands and knees to the Lord when that occurs. U need to call ur surgeon and he will prob want to set u up with a egd to find out. Til then try to stay hydrated and get ur Protein in..if it hurts to eat don't but make sure what ur drinking counts ok? Hang n ((hugs))

2 weeks ago i went for my first fill and the new dr; bc my original dr opened his own thing and my insurance wont cover me to move or something) i saw didnt do fills till 6 weeks and they scheduled for 4( theres another post about that) so long story short i obviously didnt get it. Then today was my second attempt to get my first fill again... well the dr put the needle in and fished around for a few mins and couldnt get to the port bc it is too deep? So now i have to go to the hospital to do an xray fill. Well first off they have to get an approval from my insurance THEN schedule the appointment. Thats going to be at least another week! I have gained 3lbs since i have been on reg foods. The hospital is like 45 miles away! I know its not the dr fault this time but wouldnt you think they should have longer needles if, as he said "it happens more then often", instead of having to send me or other ppl to the hospital?? Im not happy at all!!

I just found this thread. I was banded on 10/5... I had my 1st fill on 11/6... The 1st fill was so weird... He put in 2 cc's & it was sooooooooooooooo tight I could not even swallow 1 sip of Water. My daughter was with my (she is 11) she heard all the noises coming from me from across the room, she kept saying stop that... I said I can't... Then the doc came back in & said whoooaaa those noises, how did the water go down & how much have you had to drink? I said 1 little sip & it has not gone down yet... He said he figured from the noises. He took 1cc out & that was great... I got the water right down! He said now you know what it is like to be to tight! Ick I do not want that again! I have lost 27 pounds as of now... I am working out at the gym as much as I can. I am very happy with how this band is helping me. I did not tell my family I had it done. They have been mean to me my entire life & I figured it is none of their business, this is my life not theirs. I want to be there for my daughter & enjoy life. I also do not want to hear their bs that I took the easy way out. Although I do not think surgery is the easy way out at all... But I grew up with my mom calling me a walrus, my brother calling me a fat sweat (sister too) & my dad just saying you make me sick... And they are just 2 of the comments they would say... I never once heard that I looked beautiful & the sick thing was I was a size 10!!!! A size 10 & a walrus??? Sheesh I can only imagine what they said when I was at 289!! See I never measured up with my sister who has done movies etc & she is the perfect size "2"... Me, growing up with them at a size 8 or the 10 I was in high school was just walruslike to them... So I told them I had my gall bladder out... they never even asked when I was having it out... they did nto care... So I did not tell them the date... so then when they called to tell me my sister had her baby & when am I going to see her... I said when my doc says I can drive, I just came home from the hospital... she said ohh ok well she had a boy! They did not even say how are you feeling! lol yup I have a caring family don't I??? NOT!!! They funny thing is. my sister the actress & size 2 has 3 kids now & with each one she has gained more weight & never lost it... My hubby even said she is getting big, I think she is now a 12-14-16?? But with me previously being a size 24-26, she was still skinny... hmmmmmm I wonder... will I get thinner than her??? Will my parent then switch & call her the walrus??? Only time will tell I guess... anyway I have my hubby & daughter as support & hope that I can meet some new friends on here for more support. If I did not bore you to sleep from reading this, thank you for listening...

I had my surgery July 9th and my weight loss was great. I started my birth control once I got my period, stepped in the scale one morning and all of a sudden I gained 6lbs. The weight is coming down about a 1lb a week and it's very frustrating. Has this happened to anyone? I feel like getting off the BC but if I got pregnant that would be a whole separate problem. Please help Kellee

I really want the paraguard over mirena because I had a really bad reaction and gained lots of weight on bc pills. Hormones are not for me. I have a fear the iud will move or I will get pregnant around it. I am hesitant to trust paraguard alone for this exact reason and I don't want to have to use a backup form of bc forever. Nadz, did you check your string monthly and this still happened?

Accept your genetic body type. Your weight, height, and bone structure are strongly determined by your genes. Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Stop comparing yourself to others. Be media conscious. We are bombarded with media messages telling us our bodies are not perfect… Most fashion and women’s magazines focus on an ideal of beauty that is just not something thatanyone in real life can be. Remind yourself that the body images you see are manufactured by make up artists, hair dressers, airbrushing specialists, fashion designers, lighting specialists, and cosmetic surgeons. Also know that many fashion models have eating disorders and are not able to maintain their low body weight in a healthy manner. Create a Why I like myself List. Think about all the things about you that you like… are you funny? Creative? Honest? Intelligent? Think of all the reasons you deserve to love yourself and write them down. Remind yourself of all the things you are besides a body. Read this list daily and add to it every time you think of something else you like about you. Create a Body Appreciation List.Think about how your body has been loyally functioning on your behalf no matter how much you fed or starved it. Write these things down (remember that your heart has continued to beat, your lungs continue to breathe, your liver continues to detoxify your body, also perhaps your body has learned a new skill, gotten stronger, taken you to the top of a hill, rejuvenated during sleep, or allowed you to comfort a child, share love with a spouse, or go shopping with friends!). Celebrate your body and the marvelous things it can do. If you’ve had WLS note all the things that your body can do now that it could not do before. How has your life changed because of the changes your body has gone through? Read this list daily and add to it every time you are grateful for something your body has done. Stop thinking that thinner thighs are the answer to all of life's problems. When you find yourself hyper focused on your body stop for a moment and ask yourself what you would be doing, thinking, or feeling if you were not obsessing about your body. What is this preoccupation stopping you from being present to in your life? Am I in anyway benefiting from focusing on what I believe are my physical flaws? Deal with and set goals about the real issues in your life - relationships, job, etc.. “Act as if you” were comfortable in your body even If you are not quite “feeling it” yet. How would you walk, what would you wear, how would you speak to people, what kind of self talk would you be speaking, what kind of eye contact would you make with others? If you change a behavior the feelings will eventually catch up. Give up judgments about your body right now!! If you find yourself being critical of your body, stopand acknowledge that this will not support you feeling good about yourself, then respond to yourself as you would to a best friend. For every negative thing you catch yourself saying about your body, apologize to your body and say 2 loving/ appreciative things about your body. Make a decision to truly “nourish" yourself. Read a good book, take a bubble bath, schedule a massage, get a haircut, dance to your favorite song, make plans with a friend, take a nap, ask for a hug, give yourself permission to say “no”, meditate, pray. Make it your intention to move and enjoy your body; go walking, swimming, biking, dancing, do yoga, tai chi, etc… not because you have to but because it makes you feel so good. Your body deserves to be treated well. Surround yourself with people who celebrate and appreciate who you are. Say “thank you” to compliments without discounting them. Know that you can control your experience of your life by the thoughts you choose to think. How you experience your life is a direct consequence of your predominant thoughts. By making a decision about the thoughts you choose to think you take responsibility for creating your reality. So if you decide to think about what is not good about your body you will experience not only your body not being good enough but you will also experience your life as never being good enough, always being in a state of waiting till things change before you can really be happy. If you choose to think about what is good about you, what you like and appreciate about you, you will feel gratitude for this life that you experience as abundant and joy-filled! You choose! SELF LOVE AND COMPASSION is the foundation upon which a healthy body image must be built. The next time you find yourself being critical of a particular body part, sit down and write a letter to that body part telling it exactly what you don’t like about it and how it makes you feel. Then have that body part write back to you telling you how it felt to read that letter. Then write back to that body part…….. and just notice what happens………. If you have any questions or comments about this article I would love to hear from you! You can email me at louisa@louisalatela.com or call me at 856.429.9799. To learn more about my telephone support groups visit www.louisalatela.com www.ysayit.com

I was sleeved 10/09/13 and Sunday weighed 207 got on the scale today and was 212.5 which there is just no way. I'm wondering if anyone noticed a fluctuation when they went back to using birth control pills? I almost forgot I started taking my BC again on Monday so was wondering that's the culprit

I sas suppose to get my first fill today but bc my old dr is no longer there the new dr doesnt fill till 6 weeks. Well would have been nice to mention on the phone! I didnt need a check up thank u.

Ok so tomorrow I start my 2 week diet. It's not completely liquid as I get a bar a day but still won't be easy. The thing is that for the past six months I had been talking about how the day before I would go all out on food and have a wonderful steak dinner. Well I've been sick for the last three days and have had no appetite. Today I had oatmeal for fb and a lunchables for lunch. I'm not craving ANYTHING. The only reason I feel I should eat is bc this is it for a while you know. Although with time I will be able to enjoy those foods again, it just feels like I need to gobble it all down. But not tonight, tonight I'm having baby carrots and grilled chicken for dinner. And it's only because I need my Protein after the kick ass workout I did. If I did go out I would probably be forcing myself to eat. Let's hope I feel the same the next three days as I heard they are the hardest lol Ok blabbing over

Wow, you guys gave me the greateat ideas!!! I defintely try some beans. Also, I'll start dipping my beef, pork, and chicken in Heinz 57 sauce. I love that stuff. I love this board bc you guys always help me out so much!!! Thank you!!

I have BC/BS CA. My plan requires six months of supervised diet and exercise. I thought it was a requirement of all CA BC/BS plans, but I might be wrong

good luck! Drs office submitted my paperwork on Friday, I called federal bs/bs to make sure it was submitted they said it takes 24 hours to download into system. Will call again today. Can't wait!

I second Land's End--and anyplace that sells Miracle Suits. I get suits with underwire, bc they are the most supportive.

Ooh I loveee my BA shakes bc they're so thick. I think it's made the two week preop diet better. Are you telling me that feeling will change after surgery??

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