Search the Community

I'm not sure we call it the insurance here but it's same process... blood tests, sleep studies, x ray, endoscopy and weight management. it's a 18 month process in total so I am nearer the end which will be my surgery!! I started my diet today had 2 shakes and went on a 20 min walk during my lunch. looking foward to lentil Soup in a hr or so. Going to make lemon Water to drink later.. as water is soo bland!! how is ur journey going?? oh and I haven't told anyone about my surgery so can't join Facebook :-( xx

My story is rather lengthy and sorted. I am excited to exclaim that today is the first day of the rest of my life. I was banded in October of 2003. By October of 2004 I had lost 165 pounds. My problems began somewhere after that point with a slip. My wonderful insurance that paid for my surgery in 2003, would no longer support the band by October 2004. Somehow I missed the announcement, or decision. My problems began after the major weight loss. TriCare would gladly pay for the removal of my band, but nothing else. My surgeon offered no other solution, but removal of my band. After losing 165 pounds, that was not an option in my mind. But I didn't know what to do. I suffered from frustrating reflux and I deamed my band useless. The food that would go down well was not good for me, empty calories, calories that served no purpose, carbs, sugar, and I rediscovered soda. A down fall for me. I accidently found a new surgeon. I wasn't looking for one, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that, hands down, I have the best, most sincere, caring surgeon in my life. He repositioned my band. I continued to have problems, eating too much, another slip, removal of saline, no fills. Disappointment. Regain 100 pounds, more disappointment, more "rounds" with myself in the boxing ring. It hasn't been pretty at all. I've appealed twice to TriCare to no avail. At one point, when my Saint surgeon "labeled" me with an eating disorder, I did us both dis-justice by following through. If I was going to have a label on my forehead that said I HAVE BINGE EATING DISORDER by gosh I was going to make sure I really did. A few weeks ago, admitting defeat, trying to believe that the band failed ME, I went to see my Saint of a surgeon and tell him to remove the darn thing. I was ready. I can't eat past 6pm or suffer from no sleep because of horrible reflux. I have regained a whopping 100 pounds, so I just wanted it out. Finally, after agreeing with myself that it didn't work, I couldn't think of a reason to keep it inside me? The band failed me. That concept is really difficult to grasp. The band failed me. The band failed me. The band failed me. I talked to Dr. Saint and we decided to replace my band with the new Allergan band. The most bizarre thing happened. The following week I received a TriCare newsletter in my e-mail at work and I opened it up, which I never do. The second article was about TriCare approving Lap Band surgery if the certain qualifications were met, effective FEBRUARY 2007! It is good news, however, Dr. Saint is not in my network. TriCare will only pay 50 percent of what they will approve.

. Hey all: Last time I posted here it was October 1, 2011, and I was nonplussed because my rate of loss was really slowing. I said, tell me I am not stuck at 219. Update: I was not stuck at 219. Today I weigh around 210. That means I'm averaging about five pounds a month now. To me, that is outrageously, unjustly slow but it did renew my faith in the universe.I was hoping to get under 200 by Christmastime and I probably won't, but I'll be *close* and the greatest part about this is that I did it without obsessing *or* dieting. But it is funny how your tastes change. Pre-sleeve I had been starved for carbs for years, and I was sort of a candy, cake, wine, garlic bread type of person. Now I can't imagine that. I can't quite express why Cake is so dumb to now but there you go. My cravings have really diminished and now I find myself wanting food. Every once in a while I'll have popcorn or a muffin but really a week of eating junk makes me feel so gross I will actually stop myself and think okay, kid, THAT is enough of that -- not because it will make me fat but because it makes me feel slow and sick. I'm an adorer of Soup -- especially potato vegetable, I went through a baked potato and vegetarian chili phase and I still drink Sobe Lifewater 0. I'm eight months in and I have 50 pounds to go and I think making it there might be possible. But for a yo-yo dieter like me five pounds a month, while unsexy to the extreme, is a perfect rate of loss.But mostly what I'm happy about is that I am sort of proving my hypothesis, which is that once I refused to obsess about this and just live my life, plus the restrictive action of the sleeve -- I started to crave good nutrition and lost weight without putting myself through emotional torture over what the scale said. Down eighty pounds in eight months. Not dieting. Still going. It might take me another ten months to lose the next fifty pounds but by the end of it I will have learned how to eat like a normal person and for once in my life think about something else. Hallelujah and Happy Christmas.

Crosswind! You are back girl!... and 80 pounds lighter! I had surgery a couple months before you, and at 8 months was losing around 3-4 pounds a month. 5 is NOT outrageously, unjustly slow... its losing and will take you to where you want to go. When you get to goal, it will feel just a sweet if it takes 6 months or two years and it will still be goal. I figure my last few pounds(9) will take at least 3-4 more months, and could even be longer. Its time to get into the ZEN pleasures of S-L-O-W weight loss. Glad to see you back, you always contributed to this site in a unique and enjoyable way. Cheers and congratulations on your weight loss the size of a not so small child in less time then it takes to gestate a baby! (and you are stuck with them for 20+ years after!)

I have only told two of my sisters, my boyfriend, my son, his wife and one other person. Then a good friend at work told me just week she was having weight loss surgery so i told her. lol I am not gonna tell anyone else. People are judgmental. One of my sister's was very supportive, the other being no so much. It hurt my feelings and made me with i hadn't said anything. I figured this is my time and I am gonna treat it like it is:)

I am actually in the same boat. I have 20 lbs left to go and want to make sure I don't go below my goal weight or loose too much to look sick. Congrats on being close!!

Welcome! Please read and research as much as possible before making your final decision. Weight loss surgery is a life altering decision. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask. There are people on this site in all stages of banding and many is every age group. Good luck!!

My diet came all prepackaged. Although I think a broth is fine as long as there isn't too much sodium in them. There is such a wide variety of pre op diets. Some who don't do it at all. Some who have very strict (I think my surgeon does a strict one). But whatever you do - don't read the 'Did you cheat on the pre op diet?' thread. It will have you convinced that it's okay to do it because the diets have such variety. But if you really want to stick to what you have - then you'll stay with it and get a head start on your weight loss. Seeing how hungry I am at this point makes me wonder how if you didn't have a pre op diet - how can you go to eating nothing all of a sudden. With this liquid diet - I will be used to having less after the surgery. I would have gone crazy if I would have waited until after the surgery to have restriction.

I am wearing my 10 year old slacks today, I couldnt stand to get rid of them when I gained weight so they just hung in the closet and now I can wear them again! (My husband says I am a hoarder, lol.) They had been hanging so long that there was a layer of dust on the leg that was folded over the hanger. I am thinking resale shops....

I went to the Gap for the first time in ten years this weekend. I've always been shopping at Big and Tall or JC Penny's Big section and it was such a great feeling to be able to go to a regular store and fit in a pair of jeans! It took alot of control but I put it back on the shelf knowing that I am still on the path of losing more weight and am not ready to change my wardrobe just yet. I'm curious to hear when my fellow bandsters have started shopping and changing their wardrobes,,,

That's great! I'm going on vacation in May to an all inclusive resort which means alcohol and food everywhere (just like Vegas). It seems majority of people on this forum can now resist old temptations after surgery. I can't wait to experience that next month when I get my surgery. Height 5'0" Weight for consultation: 216 lbs. Pre-op Weight: Unknown until January 20th. My profile picture is not me. It's my "FitSpiration" body.

There is no average or standard for how much people lose before first fill. Most fills take place 30-60 days post op. It can take several fills before you feel any kind of restriction or extended satiety. Fills don't make you lose weight. Eating fewer calories than you burn makes you lose fat.

Hello to anyone who is reading my thread and thank you for taking the time out to write back...I met with Psych cleared for surgery as of yesterday, all that's left is my GI doc and Pulmonary since I have slight sleep apnea which the office coordinator has said I will be in the hospital for a night...What should I expect the day of surgery and being in hospital? I never been so scared and excited at the same time even though its been hard for me to lose weight all these years I still feel guilty like what could I have done different and failure for choosing surgery? It's the way conversation goes around in my office about a ladies husband whose been having health set backs and they consistently blame the lap band and say things like he should have just stayed big for all those issues...than my doubts creep in I'm mentally ready and worried I may be the select population to have all the bad things of lap band happen to me...???Šwish me luck everything will be submitted to insurance on July 15, 2013 any information from anyone is appreciated...

please i need help. i have been eating between meals and i gained 4 pounds. i have had three fills since surg in feb. i dont know how to get back on the wagon. HELP:confused:

I bet they are used by sleevers, for sure. I think, for a lot of us, when we make the decision to have this done, we want the weight off yesterday. Patience is a difficult thing, for sure.

Hello! So I've got a bit of a pressing issue at hand here, aside from the being severely obese. I'm in need of a stem cell transplant (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) which, understandably, my doctor refuses to go on with until I lose "significant" weight. I am 31, 5'7", 430lbs. He has recommended that WLS is a viable option. Without a SCT, I have been told my leukemia will likely continue to relapse. I'm in the beginning stages of doing all the pre-op requirements. I have UHC gold in the state of Indiana. Anyone else have a similar experience? Feeling a bit hopeless. Thanks!

Thanks all. I have met, and surpassed my pre-op weight loss (started last may at 275, now at 191lbs) - clinic told me to try and maintain my weight where I am (not gain, not lose) - so I guess I am relieved that they don't want me to lose anymore, but I am worried about gaining - all "diets" I have done have always failed, resulting in all the weight, plus some returning. I had the clinic put me on the cancelation list, so I am crossing my fingers that I am called.

I somehow gained 2lbs this last week as well, though I don't think it's a true gain as the scale dropped a pound this morning and last week I upped my calories and my exercise. Keep on pushing! 7lbs is definitely a great loss in a month.

I hit 50# weight loss ( pre-op and post-op). I am getting closer to Wonderland! Gastric Sleeve is making the difference and making this seem doable and I feel in control for once. HW 264 ( 10/30/20) SW 235 ( 2/24/21) CW 214 ( 3/27/21) GW 130 ( TBD)

I have been facing the "head hunger" issue alot lately. I don't think it's a coincidence that I've also been dealing with family "issues" lately as well. I think alot of this process is mental. I was going along, losing steadily, happy as a clam for the first six months of this journey. Then, bam! People in my life start spazzing out and I start getting inside my own head and weight loss has come to a screeching halt. Hunger is back, trying to knock down the door. I've begun to look at the reasons I became obese in the first place. I spoke to my doctor, explaining that my weight loss is affecting my relationships. He referred me to a psychologist he works with to help post-op bandsters "adjust." <Okay, pun intended!> :thumbup: Talk to your doctor about your hunger. Physical or mental, he can help you. All the best luck! Hugs,

I bet you are! It's a great feeling...getting healthy and losing weight. Almost addictive.