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I wish at 28 I knew surgery was an amazing tool to help me. I wouldn't have wasted money on trying Jenny Craig just one more time in hopes of keeping the weight off or other fun dieting gimmicks that never worked. Or joining the gym to turn around at the door bc I was afraid people would stare and watch my rolls flap together. I did Zumba at home on my wii, I enjoyed it but it didn't do what I needed it to do. It's not a last resort and if diet and exercise worked people wouldnt be spending time, money and effort on surgery bc it's definetly not a picnic in the park on a sunny day. It totally sucks at times but the benefits from it far outweigh the risks for some. I'm glad I didn't waste more time and finally (after a year of dealing with insurance) at 35 years old I'm the proud owner of a sleeve. Joined the gym last week and worked out with no thoughts of rolls flapping @@MelissaRose24 do your research, it's a tough recovery and it does impact your life. I no longer base my days on meals and that's been a huge adjustment, my family gets together for dinner and it's a hard reality when I can't eat what they are eating or get full after 2 bites. I'm learning, but everyone around me is too. As for pregnancy, I know it's far off for you but my sister's friend was sleeved and 18 months later had a beautiful baby boy, she has kept the weight off and looks amazing even after pregnancy. So if this is a step you take just know it is possible!! Good luck

Pammie Sue, How hard was it to get your surgery approved by BCBS Fed? Do you have the standard option? My BMI is around 38 but I have co-morbidities. I am nervous. I have jumped thru the hoops as far as I know. Just need to lose about five more pounds that the surgeon requires. Thank you. Melinda

I have Fed BCBS CA (HMO)... Wow! I got my notification via phone call from the surgeon's group 9 days after they submitted and I was stoked... the mailed letter was actually dated 2 days earlier, so I am totally surprised it took only a week. I was fully prepared for it to take 4-5 weeks, and was NOT thinking I'd get banded so soon... I was optimistically hoping for Halloween (but honestly didn't think the bureaucracy would move so fast)... when the scheduler called they actually offered Sep 20th.... which was actually too soon, so I pushed it to 10/8. Best of luck! And don't you kinda love BCBS right now?

I have a few tattoos (shoulder and back) and have a bunch more I want/plan to get. I want one that goes down my back and around my hips. I wonder if it would be better (read less painful) to get it when I still have some "meat" on my bones than when I get to goal. So, maybe when I still have 20 or so pounds to lose. My goal weight is still technically "overweight" according to those BMI things, but I don't care. I've seen virtual images of what someone my height would look at a "healthy" (read BS) weight and I would look like a boney twig. Curves are sexy and I definitely plan on keeping mine. I too worry about the excess and flabby skin. I hear pretty much the same things: stay hydrated, moisturize, lose gradually, work out...plus it will depend upon your skin type, age, etc. I won't have any money left after I pay for this surgery so I hope I don't need plastic surgery.

at night i was getting these terrible reflux/regurgitation episodes...not sure why,im not too tight b.c i can eat during the day no real problem, was once too tight i know what that feels like...anywho...so if i eat or drink anything after 6 at night, i am up regurgitating for hours...last night i had some water at about 7, mistake, b.c i woke up chocking with fluid, which i assume is the water coming up into my mouth and out my nose!!!! i guess bc. i was choking...anyone else have this? i am so mad about this b.c next month is me and dh anniversary and wanted to go out to eat, but i cant! or else i will have a terrible night! anyone have similar stories or words of wisdom

Jill65-i know exactly how you feel. I don't know if i am hungry...but i know i miss eating, i can't even watch commercials of food and my husband has to eat in another room. and more importantly, it's been exactly 4 days and i know exactly what you mean about the gas....it's the worst feeling. i have only been drinking fresh juices and water and barely bc i am so scared of gagging. i have lost 8 pounds already...but i could care less. i want to feel good again...i want to feel where i was before this. i am strating to think i made a mistake.

Its my birthday today and I decided to buy food from a place called limetree.They make the most delicious salads and quiche and of course,carrot cake.I bought 2 salads and 2 slices of quiche for 4 of us and I had a tiny bit of each...or thought I would have. Since this morning i have had a tummy ache like I have gastritis. (know what it feels like as I had it often while I had the band).I had a few bites and fed the rest of my food to my 11 year old that came back from camp today and was starving.Then I cut the 2 slices of cake in half and for myself half of half....and it made me feel so sick. Had a nice long bath afterwards and then at about 22:00 I decided that it is m birthday and I am allowed to eat..got myself a little tiny 100 calorie packet of sweet chilli ryvitas,minis, and low and behold,at about 5 and have been spitting it out ever since.Just like with the band the food just seems to pop back into my mouth..I dont vomit and the food is really clean just as it was when I swallowed it. I have realized once again that I cannot at his point eat just to eat...even if it is my birthday.Food have to be more functional and the protein thing is something I will have to get right. Sweet stuff makes me feel horrible and i seems nothing tastes as nice as before the surgery. Maybe if I try to get a bit more serious about exercise I will feel a bit more serious about the adaptations I have had to make around food.I am just struggling a bit with the very small portion size...like I've said before,just when I get ready to eat I am full. Ok,this day is over and maybe my tummy feels better tomorrow.

anca~ Thank you for your insight. I do appreciate it. My parents had a very rocky relationship and my mother kept me from my father....shoot, Im 33 and she still tries. She did what she thought was best though. Looking back on it all, I dont know what she accomplished by not letting us see each other. My father had a lot of issues that were part of her decision to stop us from seeing each other. But he could have come to the house and seen me, we could have spent days together. I have an AWESOME relationship with my father now and I really think it sucks that we were held away from one another for years!!! I spent a lot of time hating him for things that were force fed into my head.......hating him for things I couldn't have changed then and certainly can't change now......I dont want our son to grow up thinking I kept them two apart. I know it hurts a child when they dont see their parent for what ever reason. You sound like the rare case where your comfortable without your dad in your life. I wasn't comfortable with it. I cried for him day in and day out. My son occassionally asks for his father. I call him on the phone and let the two of them talk...and today when his father came for him, my son couldn't get his hat and coat on quick enough~ So, I know he misses his daddy. I do believe taking it one day at a time is going to really help us all out right now. Talk to you soon~

This is major surgery and the normal post surgery conditions will apply. Gas, sore throat, incision pain and stomach distress. I was very fatigued for several weeks as a result of the surgery and decreased caloric intake. Many people refuse pain medication but not me. I took it as directed and stayed agead of the pain and experienced very little discomfort. Your stomach will be very swollen for several weeks and uncomfortable. Sip very very slowly and wait between sips. You may feel some pain in your chest when you drink. Wait for it to pass. I found warm chicken broth the easiest to tolerate that first week. I did not stress out about meeting the fluid and protein requirements and just did the best I could. Three months out I still don't meet the recommended fluids but get close. The first week I was hormonal and doubted my decision but that passed in several days. I'm not going to lie. The 1st month is tough. Three months out I am 52 lbs down and feel great. A stall will happen but stay on course bc it will pass. It is all normal. The weight will not magically fall off 48 hrs after surgery. At this point I lose about half a lb daily and weigh twice a week. I am 67 yrs old and this surgery will extend my life. That was my purpose. Relax and just ride it out. The journey is worth it. Best of luck.

My name is Amy Workman and I am a bandster (everyone: HI Amy). I haven't posted on here in a long time and thought I might share with you my blog post from today. If any of you watched the recent Dr. Oz show about Lapband, I thought it might be nice for those of you just beginning to see a more realistic idea of the band. I was banded January 27th, 2009. I weighed 327 and today weight 159 pounds. I love my band. My before and after pictures on here are not updated, but you can find all my pictures on my blog. If you have any questions, please email me and ask away. Sometimes we forget when we were first beginning. Do you remember the first time you googled Lapband? Or the first time you logged into the forums...frantically searching for before and afters....looking at successes and getting pumped...stumbling upon a horror story and then getting scared? Do you remember the stupid questions you asked? I remember posting on lapbandtalk.com something like "is one cup of Wendy's chili bad for you?" Well, I am going to try and remember back to when I didn't know much about the band...and what information would have been helpful. Here goes... Did you know: I started at 327 pounds. My doctor, the wonderful and handsome Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, told me that the band is not always the best choice for someone who is a grazer. They find that the band is actually more successful for men, because men tend to eat in volume (sitting down for a huge dinner and getting really full, vs eating and munching on little things all day). Some doctors say that the band will not work as well for those of us who are or were really morbidly obese. I disagree. And there are plenty of us out here who are proving them wrong. Did you know: The band may not work for you? You could have the surgery and not lose much weight at all. It is not a sure thing. BUT, if you work with the band...it can and will work for most of us.What does "work with the band mean"? Every doctor has a different regimen they want you to follow. Every doc is different, as it almost every patient. Some say no pop/soda, some say it's fine. Some have a 2 week liquid preop and scare the sweet baby jebsus out of you about not shrinking your liver enough for surgery and not being able to operate (thank you Dr. Friedman). But, you will have to do your part with the band. You will have to watch what you eat. You will have to eventually get your ass up and exercise. You will have to make healthier choices and just be better. I know you are saying WHAT? That sounds like a diet to me. And I fail at diets!!! The band is a TOOL, not the Alpha and Omega of your weight loss journey. You can "cheat" the band by eating sliders and soft food. I for one could eat cheetos all day long and the band would sleep right through it. But with the right restriction, your band prevents you from eating that large pizza, the extra value meal, the entire bovine. You have to find a doctor that you can have a relationship with. They have to be open with you and you have to be open with them. You HAVE to go see them for fills. You have to follow up. You have to be a good patient. ASK QUESTIONS. What can you eat once you are banded? At this point in my journey, I can't think of one thing I CANT eat. However, there are somethings that I try to stay away from because they are difficult with my band. Example: Bowtie Pasta. It doesnt go down well. And then it just sits in my band and expands...causing me to PB (get to that in a second). I can't eat a sandwich, or a hamburger with a bun, but I could eat a roll if I tear off little pieces at a time. Hot dogs give me problems for some reason. Dry chicken or reheated meat (with the exception of a hamburger) often give me problems as well. I still drink soda, I still drink beer. I love Soups. I can eat veggies. I can eat fruit. Eating after being banded is about going slow. It's about chewing. They say with proper restriction that 4-6 ounces of solid Protein (a piece of meat about the size of your fist) should keep you full for 3-4 hours. Most docs want their patients to avoid "slider meals". Meaning, eating a bowl of Soup for lunch or yogurt for Breakfast isn't going to keep you full or satisfied because it will SLIDE right down. You want your food to stay in your pouch, and slowly drop down. Sometimes though...food may get stuck and then you get "sick". The Dreaded PB: A couple things may happen if a piece of food gets "stuck in your pipe" as Heather refers to it. You aren't going to die. It's not like it gets stuck and you need the Heimlich. But if a piece of food gets stuck, ain't nothing else going down until it moves or comes up. The first thing that may happen is a productive burp (PB). This is not throwing up. When something gets stuck, your slobber starts to build on top of it. For me, when this happens, I get a weird sensation in the back of my jaw. And if I wait long enough, I will have to get somewhere private (hopefully) and let it come up. What comes up is this weird slime/foam combo. It doesn't hurt. And hopefully...it moves whatever is stuck. Sometimes though, it takes a little more work. Sometimes that one piece of food I didnt chew enough will be down there for hours. And then, it's not PBing. It's sort of like dry heaving until that piece comes up. There is a tightness in the chest...a pressure. It's not fun. I will say that not everyone gets stuck or PB's. And most of us would agree that when we do get stuck...it's our fault. We eat without being present, we didn't chew, we ate too fast. Restriction and Tips for Eating: Unless you are extremely lucky, you will not awake from surgery with perfect restriction. Some docs put a little liquid in your band to start with, others wait. I had to wait 6 weeks for my first fill. And again, unless you are the rare case, you probably won't get restriction with your first fill. It took me several fills before I had good restriction. ASK your doctor what his/her fill policy is. Some docs are super restrictive with their fills. They only fill on a schedule. They don't care whether or not you have restriction. All I know is if Dr. Friedman hadn't let me tell him that I was ready for a fill...and if he had made me wait regardless of what I could eat...I wouldn't have been as successful as I was. You will know you have restriction when you have it. It's sort of like having sex. If you have to wonder if you had an orgasm or not...um...you probably didn't. Restriction will keep you full and satisfied for 3-4 hours. You will be able to eat less. Restriction DOES NOT RESTRICT YOUR BRAIN. You may still mentally crave things. You will have to learn the difference between head hunger and physical hunger. This is very hard. When you do have good restriction, you will have to change the way you eat. This is easier said than done. You should be taking small bites. For example, if you are eating steak, you need to cut that sucker up into pea sized bites. You need to chew. Then, set your fork down and wait a few seconds. You should eat sitting down. You should pay attention to what you are doing. You will learn that things like eating in the car is rarely going to end well. (Always have your emergency PB kit in your car. A couple of bags, some papertowels or handywipes. Trust me.) You probably shouldnt drink with your meal or for 30 minutes after. liquids can help push your food down...thus...cheating the band. How much weight will I lose? How quickly will I lose it? Now you know that there is no one answer for this. Statistically, Lapband patients lose around 40% of their excess weight. SO, if you are 100 pounds overweight, statistically you will lose 40 pounds. I hate statistics. And remember, they are an average. 17 more pounds lost and I will have lost 100% of my excess weight...and I am not alone. It can happen. However, there are so many factors that go into how much and how fast. Genetics, age, diet history, personal support, family life, exercise. Some weeks I lost 7 pounds. Some weeks I gained 5. The weeks I gained, I gained because I ate poorly. I cheated the band The weeks I lost, I ate and made healthy choices. There are some weeks, even when I WAS doing the right thing...I didn't lose. It can be frustrating. But you can't give up. You will have to keep upping your game. At some point, even with the band, you will either have to adjust your food or exercise. But, I feel like the band is "cheating". I feel like if I have WLS, I am weak. I'm gonna tell you what. Who gives a flying monkey's ass?! Cheating what? Cheating early death? Cheating sleep apena? Cheating high blood pressure, sore joints, diabetes? I say CHEAT AWAY then. There is no shame in WLS. It's not about will power. It's not about failing. It is about trying to find a tool that works to give you some power, give you your health. I tell whoever wants to know or will listen about the band. And yes, I have heard "Oh...well...I thought you did it the hard way"...or "hmmm...that must be nice". I say listen FOOL. There ain't nothing easy about the band. It makes some things easier but it is still work. And I find that people either give you 'tude about the band bc they are afraid or jealous or because they don't understand. Either way, that is okay. I will educate or I will ignore. I feel like if I were to say "oh, I am just watching my diet and working out"...that I would be lying by omission. AND, my real fear is that someone who is overweight will think "Well, Amy did it "the old fashioned way", and they will feel like a failure when they try and do not succeed. Will my relationship fall apart if I have the surgery? We all hear the stories of what happens when someone has WLS. The divorce rate and seperation rate is a little higher for us. There are several reasons. One, for some of us....when we lose weight, we become a different person...or the person we would have been if our bodies hadn't been our enemies so long. Our expectations may change, we may want more. OR, our partners may not be able to deal with the new us. OR, as in any relationship...sometimes it's just time to move on. I don't think that having WLS should make you fear losing or changing your partner anymore than the normal person. There are tons of bandsters out there still happy and maybe even happier with their significant other. Sometimes though, even though we can't see it or don't want to admit it...we have settled. And once you start to shed your cloak of security or denial...you realize you deserve more (too bad we don't realize that to begin with. Long story short...people change and grow...with or without weightloss surgery.Are you worried about complications: No. But most days I am not a worrier about things that may or may not happen. I heard recently that the stats for band slipping are about 5% and for erosion, about 1-2%. Slipping for example, can be avoided most of the time and according to the docs...is easy to fix. Erosion is of course a little more scary. But I hope that by always paying attention to my body, my band, and how I am feeling...I can avoid it or if it ever happens...catch it early.Do fills hurt? Mine never do. My doc has never done one under fluoro. He gives me a numbing shot and then the fill.How many fills do you have to have? To get restriction, it took me 4. My first year I had around 6 fills. My second year, I had 2.Will you ever have the band taken out? Lord I hope not. Even now that I am at goal weight and weight loss is more of what I do instead of what the band does for me...it's always there. It's my safety net. It will keep me from ever being 327 pounds again.Why did you choose the band over other options? I was 28 when I decided on the surgery. I didn't want my stomach cut apart. I still wanted to be able to absorb my nutrients. I wanted to be able to eat sugar and other things without getting physcially ill. I liked that the removal of the band was a possibility if something went wrong. I liked the idea of being able to control my restriction. And even though I bitched and complained along the way, I liked the idea of a slower weight loss (vs Gastric bypass). It gave my skin and my brain a little more time to adjust.Did you know there are different brands of lapbands? I have the Allegran Lapband. Ask you doctor your choices and the differences. Mine is a 10-11cc band. Some are smaller.Were you worried about the loose skin? Barely. I figured I may look like a saggy deflated sack after I lost my weight, but I would rather be deflated then morbidly obese. And I am lucky. My skin is nowhere as bad as it could have been. Again, so many factors go into skin. Age, genes, working out, sun...etc. Would you do it again? In a heartbeat my friends. In a heartbeat. It was the best decision of my life. It was a tremedous catalyst for change. I can't think of one negative consequence of the band.

Hi All, Being nearly 40 and fed up of being a fat bloke I’ve decided to get myself some WLS. Thinking sleeve as don’t like the re-plumbing idea! My GP has referred me to the NHS bariatric service but I can’t face the wait so am looking at private options. Curently thinking of traveling to Belgium using either Prof Dillemans or Chris De Bruyne. Does anyone have any experiences of these guys and of getting aftercare back home in the UK?

Did you try to appeal this? I suspect there are different levels of coverage. I have Empire Blue right now but may be switching to BC/BS of MI and would be pretty dissapointed if they didn't cover fills etc.

That would be awesome if the 6 month thing was waived if you went to a BC of excellence....I am calling my insurance company tomorrow and I will let you know...this means I might actually get to have my surgery this year!!! I wish you had started this thread earlier :eek:

If you just got your fill 3 hours ago, I am guessing you havent eaten? I dont know what your docs orders are, but I am supposed to be on liquids for 48 hours after and then move to mushies. Maybe you docs orders are different. Give it a week or so of regular solid foods before you go back in for a fill. You wont be able to tell if you have restriction while on liquids or mushies. I had 4ccs my first fill...no restriction. 1.5ccs my second fill (I called and got in two weeks after my first), and I felt a little something but not much, so i called again and got in 1 week later and he gave me .5ccs and I have restriction . That was almost 5 weeks ago and I had to call and move this weeks fill back 2 weeks bc i am still pretty restricted. Hope that helps. You will get there. Hang on through Bandster hell.

I was so so so happy my husbands company switched from BC/BS...they didnt cover anything having to do with weight loss...I called Cigna tonight and they cover surgery...almost passed out...lol...my bmi is 49 will I still have to do the six month program...I am fine either way..whatever it takes.Any input on anything is appreciated as I know nothing just starting..ty

We have several things in common - I also live in Arkansas & I'm also 39 years old & I also have federal bc/bs. I went for my first appointment about a month ago with the surgeon. The following week I did the sleep study & psyche eval. I got my call this Thursday to schedule my surgery. I couldn't believe it. My BMI was 40. I also found I had 2 co-morbidities that I didn't even know I had. Well one I sorta knew about. I had some high blood pressure troubles last year when I went through a rough divorce after 17 years of marriage. The doc just assumed that was why & never put me on meds for it. But when I saw the surgeon she told me I needed to go back to my family doc to get on bp meds because it was too high. I also found out during the sleep study that I have sleep apnea & I would've never guessed that. I go Monday to get fitted for my c-pap machine. I'm not sure if that helped me get the insurance to pay for the surgery but it probably didn't hurt. With our insurance I was told that we had to have 5 years of medical records. I was worried about that because I have always been a yo-yoer. One year my weight is only 30-40 pounds overweight & the next year I'd be 80 pounds overweight. I also had to show evidence of trying to lose weight for at least 6 months. I was worried about this because I didn't have any medically-supervised programs. I showed journals of different plans I had done on my own & they made copies of these to send to the insurance companies. She told me our insurance does not say that they have to be medical-supervised. I am still in shock about all this but really can't wait to get started with my new life. My 40th bday is in October & I want to have my weight issues under control for the last time by then. Good luck with everything!

My BC/BS would not cover me at all...the policy states they pay for 2 nutrition classes per year and nothing else toward weight loss. Therefore, next Saturday the 19th, I'm fly to Tijuana, Mexico and surgery is set for that afternoon after my pre-tests. :sneaky: I am excited, but right now on the liver shrinking diet of 40 - 50 carbs (max per day) and high protein, calories do not matter. So far - so good!

Ok, will try to answer some of the remaining questions- no, not taking any pain meds, only allowed Tylenol these days and that does exactly nothing for me so I use alternating heat/ice ..elevate etc.. to deal with knee. Getting MRI tomorrow and should know more. As far as water at work, we are a manufacturing facility of medical parts- we have one small cell that deals with chemical finishing that should not have water in/near those chemicals- the rest of the plant is just regular machining, inspecting, shipping/rec. They decided to unilaterally punish everyone in the plant minus the office staff up front by removing all drinking abilities (water,tea coffee, whatever ) and we only have water fountains at both ends of the facility and one in the clean room. I myself only do computer and paperwork, have no chemicals near me (nor does 98% of the plant) but they made up some bullshit OSHA rule about not being allowed to have drink containers of ANY kind out on the floor. It is cruel, inhumane and I'm looking for a new job, not just because of the lack of hydration but the mandatory 10 hrs of OT they've been shoving down everyone's throat since May of 2018. I still am able to walk and get around, but I'm slowed significantly because sudden changes of direction could cause more damage, kneeling or stooping is impossible at this point, and stairs are risky bc the knee wants to go it's own direction without notice. My husband used to ask me to slow down my walking and called me a "sandpiper" bc I always walked like I was on fire or something. Now it takes a long time to get anywhere and it's frustrating to me. When your mobility is changed for any reason, it's a frustrating adjustment. As far as lifting my arms, do that all night long. My arms never stop all night long. Just want to be able to enjoy (and trust my legs again) so I can walk around, garden, go shopping, etc without pain and restriction. Don't want to be hurt right now. If I've missed a question- please forgive.

Wat was the probiotic for. ? You will see MANY MANY posts on these forums about constipation post-op. I never had any problems at all with constipation since surgery and I thank my probiotic for it. I think it really does help! Often in those threads, I see many posts from people saying they take a probiotic and don't have trouble with constipation and most of the people who DO have trouble, don't take a probiotic. Thriving gut bacteria is essential for proper digestion. Most of the ultra-pasturized, anti-biotic fed foods we get in stores today don't provide the proper flora for a healthy digestive system. Taking a probiotic daily can help restore gut bacteria and then eating prebiotic foods helps to feed those bacteria. [/quote What brand of probiotic ?

I had my bypass surgery 5/3 and was discharched yesterday. It was my first surgery so I didnt know how my body would feel post opp. Day 1 was pain. Day 2 i felt like a balloon. Day 3 i was pain free. I was discharged a day later than planned bc my blood pressure and heart rate were high night 2.. plus my intestines were slow waking up. I still cant believe its done! No regrets so far. I havent needed my diabetes meds since surgery! And no hunger. Sugar free cherry jello taste sooo good now lol. I have no interest in regular food. Im just having trouble drinking enough fluids... i feel full fast.

Thanks everyone...Day 4 update...it's a little better. I was never alone with my son today unless he was sleeping...HA! Did the trick. Hubby took my daughter to school and came back home and stayed until my sister got here, fed "him" (the operative "him" my son) then went on to work. My Dear Sweet I-owe-her-more-than-I-can-afford Sister cleaned my house the way I would have, even better! She did laundry, swept and mopped, wiped down everything!!! and cleaned my toilet, I just don't know what else but it took stress from me to have those things done, I can't believe it. I took two naps today and was generally off the hook. AND I added Centrum liquid Vitamins and a scoop of Protein mix to my fruit juice. She's coming back tomorrow to take us (me and "him") to the grocery store to stock up and hubby is leaving work early. So I am hoping for another good day. I just needed help. I hate it but I did. It has made a huge difference. OH! And my sister had a Magic Bullet in her pantry, just sitting there!!!! I almost bought one, so glad she had it and right on time. I'll be pureeing broth Soups tomorrow after going to the store. Plain old chicken broth really hits the spot but adding in some pureed veggies should help me feel better. I hope. I even asked hubby tonight if he...ah, was, in the mood? NNOOOOO! He wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole! He's so funny. He just wants me well and healed. Hopefull, it will happen soon, don't worry. Just make your back-up plan for extra help with the kiddies, housework, etc. Thanks for the encouragement Bandit, it's all honest here, no sugar-coating. I know in hindsight it won't be near as dramatically difficult but right here in the middle of it, hmmm. It's Hard! Hey Rebecca, does the binder not hurt? I just can't imagine soemthing tight over my belly, especailly my port area, but I did use the heating pad on it tonight and Ahhh, that was nice. Nighty-Nite Ya'll! Thanks for checking in and (((((((hugs))))))) to my band buddies here on LBT!

I see you wrote this in July - but I am just now on United and any and all weight treatment is EXCLUDED on their policy. I had previously been on BC/BS and on the road to a bypass, covered by them, but my company dropped them and went to United and they cover absolutely nothing - not meds, no diagnosis - nothing. Even their fat representative commiserated with me. Did you get yours covered with United??

Oh, and I forgot to ask.. where is your surgeon bc I don't recognize the name?

My stomach hurts. I cant tell if it is because I waited too long to eat, or if I am just scared sh*%tless...LOL We are staying up late bc my surgery is not until 1:00pm tomorrow and I cannot eat in the morning. I would rather just sleep until that last minute possible. GOod luck to those of us being banded tomorrow. Oh and I think my stomach hurts bc I am scared bc it started hurting a few minutes ago right after I spoke with the anesthesiologist...LOL IT"S ALL MENTAL!!!

i have had very little gas but what i do have tends to get stuck in my left shoulder which is totally anoying bc i am lefthanded