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Jacqui: I've dieted all my life. Like you, it would be nice to lose the weight as a result of the band and not a diet. Thanks:)

I'm feeling great today :wink2: I'm 8 days post op and I woke up this morning suddenly feeling a little jump in my step. I must be pretty well healed up now. Today is my post op appt with my doctor in Dubai. I'm looking forward to asking him some questions including why I have such achiness around the front and back of my ribcage area. I have learned that I have to eat something right when I wake up so I don't feel so sluggish and icky in the morning. I was never like that before but it's necessary now. I just have some yogurt first thing. I found yoplait has a "baby" yogurt so I found that is nice a light and makes me feel better in the morning. Later I will go to "breakfast" with friends. I'll just have some soup. Thank goodness I have always been a soup freak! It makes this pureed diet thing not such a hard thing to handle :wink: I have a friend that has done the same surgery (6 years ago) and she has been wonderful. Thank God for her and her advice! Take care everyone and have a nice day :cool2:

You're so right. My 7 year old niece will run her hand down my stomach and say, "Yep, it's getting skinny." Or she'll see me in something and be like, "Lala, you look so pretty. You are definately losing weight." It's really cute. Although kids can be brutal too, it's nice to get noticed for the good stuff now.

I HATE having my picture taken. My hubby is the same way. Our kids will be so sad when we aren't around because we just don't have that many pictures of us. I really regret not having before picture (I have a few but not many) Also, please take your measurements!! I really regret that I just didn't want to see those huge numbers!! Just like I didn't want my pictures taken. But...I still hate them!! Even tho I now weigh 125#'s and almost lost 1/2 of my body weight. SAD I know.

I got to the mid range of a normal BMI, and I looked pretty good. Not fat, but not a (Aussie) size 8 either. I was still sort of, for a lack of a better term, dumpy. I am actually really glad I ended up losing more weight after getting to "goal". I am at anywhere between 105-107lbs. It's a good weight on me. At 5ft 3, I am short enough to carry that little weight, and still look healthy and athletic. I wouldn't want to lose any more weight, but I am happy where I am.

I had to do a few this year due to allergy issues causing severe tightening of my band. I was able to eat and drink normally again and started losing more weight. Before the unfill, it was torture trying to eat and I was not losing any weight.

I am hoping there might be someone out there that can help. I have trouble with workout pants that will stay up when I work out. I carry most of my weight in my stomach. Anyone with similar problem that has found a good brand of workout pants they can suggest?

I called my Surgeons office, left a message to have them call me back if there was anything that I needed to do to get things moving a little faster... No call back so assuming that they had done everything that needed to be done I called the insurance company... OMG... I wanted to tell that lady right where to go... I kept getting "ma'am we do NOT have any thing in process, or even on file for you" . AND, to make matters worse I have to call from work because they aren't ever available when I would be home so trying to get time, and quiet, and NO body around because I am not telling anyone at the office about this was even more frustrating for me. Anyway, I finally hang up with the insurance and call the surgeons office again. I have to leave a message for the girl who does the insurance stuff because she is on the phone with insurance companies all day long so she returns calls after 5 pm... I can accept that, she has her job to do too and if it were me and had to deal with those insurance companies all day, I'd be bald from pulling my hair out! So, it's really ok. Last night at 6:15 she calls me! :-) however, she says... "I sent your paperwork in today, so you should see an answer in a week or 2 at the most" I wanted to cry :thumbup: at that point. :eek:... ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? :wink2: I was under the assumption it had been submitted 2 weeks ago and that it was the insurance company that was holding things up right now. :thumbup: Last night I was so bummed it wasn't funny. But have dealt with it and decided that I will make this my last holiday without the band, the new year will bring the "Normal" resolution that I have always made (to lose weight) only this time it will work. And it will be easier for me to not tell the people that I don't want to tell!!! Right now you are probably saying (or going to say) why not have it done before the holidays... And I was thinking that too, but I have a trip scheduled in November and then another in December to visit family out of town. and I really don't want to cancel either trip or be recovering from surgery during either trip! So, right now I am just waiting for the approval and then ready to schedule a January, 2010 surgery date... New Year, New Me!!! It's all good! :thumbup:

The two pounds gained must be muscle. Keep your faith and focus on the prize. You doing great.

Here I am 3 months after being banded. I feel proud of the progress that I've made... but sorta bummed because I have such a long road ahead of me. I look back to last April and I realize how far I've come. I actually weighed 332 lbs before I got sick. So, since then I've actually lost 70 some lbs. I know, I know I should be proud but I'm looking at more than a 100 lbs to go to get to my goal. That's a lot of weight. I need to set small goals to keep myself motivated. I'm also bummed because I have so many back problems that its making it impossible for me to exercise. I've had two fills. I have 6cc's in my 14 cc band. I'm calling today to see if I can come in early and get my third fill this week because I know I need it, I'm not in the green yet. Which brings me to my next thought. I had an "Ah Ha" moment this week. I don't know how many times I've heard that the band is just a tool it doesn't make you lose weight. This is SO TRUE! I've had the band for three months and really I've been dieting for three months. I've changed the way I eat and watch my calories. My band isn't tight enough to "KEEP" me from eating. Technically, I could eat whatever I wanted and quite a bit of it, but I'm using my willpower to keep myself on track. Some days are better than others. My point is the band isn't working for me right now so I'm still on my own. I made up my mind that I was going to lose weight and that's exactly what I'm doing! I just didn't realize it would take so long to get my band to the right spot to get me losing with my band. If anybody is reading this that hasn't been banded yet, just realize the band does work it just takes a lot of maintenance. You have to be in contact with your surgeon. I've only been going once a month but I'm hoping to start going every two to three weeks until I get where I need to be. After my fills usually by week two I know how I can eat and what's going on with my hunger. I know I'm just rambling, but that's what my blogs are for! I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving this year and I'm not worried about gaining. I'm more nervous about being around family, and them seeing how slow or what a small amount I eat. Plus, those who know will be looking at me to see if they can tell if I've lost weight. I've lost two jeans sizes. Go me! Go me! Go me! My daughter who comes home on the weekends from college always tells me she can tell the difference in my weight. She told me my clothes were too baggy and I needed to wear smaller clothes to show off my body more. This is another issue. I don't see myself any thinner so I'm still wearing clothes to disguise my body. I really still need to because I have a bad case of muffin top going on now. The jeans are all low cut and I need to lose weight around my middle. Can't wait until I'm to the point where I can get a tummy tuck!! Also, my poor tata's are shrinking. Of course, the first person to tell me about that was my hubby. LOL!! Finally, I mainly wrote this for myself to remind me where I've come from and where I am and to set my mind straight to where I wanna be! I can do this! I am doing this! BUT, its hard. This is not an easy fix. The band is not a quick fix. The band requires dedication and pure commitment to your goal. It's not just another diet either. It's a life changing way to help you eat healthier and in turn you get your life back! I'm getting out more. I'm doing more with my friends and that happy party girl is coming back! Everyone around me has noticed it. I'm THANKFUL that I feel more confident! I'm so glad I got the band and I'm so glad I found this site. Even though it's changed dramatically. I love all my new lapband friends! I'm thankful I have friends and family that are supportive! I feel blessed and I'm going to continue to work hard to lose these last 100 lbs. It might take me two years but I'm going to get there! Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! Till Next Time, Tara

I was told by Dr Cierny that he had removed 60% of my stomach, but I don't know if that was by weight or volume. However it was sufficient to work and allow me to live normally now, I can eat maybe 5oz of steak, or a chicken breast and a spoonful of veg with that in one sitting. I am careful to always eat Protein 1st now.

Hi everyone my name is kristie iam from maryland . I just desided yesturday to do the rny and I am just trying to see how peoples journies went ! I had my lap band done in may 2006 , lost 40lbs ! I put alot of time and money into trying to loss this weight but the weight is at a stand still and no matter what I can't get this 100 lbs off . I started all my revision pre op stuff in august and I am almost at the end ! Nutris. Psy. And sleep study and I am done ! My insurance paperwork and pre op stuff is getting turned in on the 5th of november . So with that being said I am also wondering about how peoples insurance journies was ? I have united healthcare . If you have any stories with them please share !

I have MAMSI / Optimum Choice and they require documentation of 6 months of dieting prior to approval of the procedure. I am trying to find out how anyone else did this. I have been on weight watchers and taking diet pills forever but have not seen my doctor monthly while doing this. If anyone can tell me how they did this, I would appreciate it.

If you lose weight during the six months and your BMI drops (below 40 - I'm right at 40 now) and your co-morbidities improve then can you still be considered a candidate for the lap band?

If your insurance is requiring the 6 month weight loss then if you go below their guidelines for BMI then you will not qualify for the Lapband. The 6 month diet is not to prepar for surgery but to prove that you are not able to persistantly maintain a healthy weight. That is why I had to go through 6 months with two appeals with Aetna. During my diet my BMI dropped to 34.8 (1 lbs below) for only 5 days and they tried to disqualify me for that. In the end I prevailed due to it was only .20 that I went below and not a full point. Just be careful and only lose a "few pounds", do not go below their guidelines.

I don't know the weight, but my surgeon said it was like going from the size of a football to the size of a small/medium banana.

I am still in the decision phase of this all...I have talked things over with my husband and I have made up in my mind that I want to go through with the "lapband" surgery instead of the "bypass" My biggest question(s) are: With the weight loss being slower and more consistent...how does your body feel/adapt? Will I come out looking like some "bypass" post ops? I have two friends and they look entirely different one looks healthy and the other sickly..... WHERE DOES THE SALINE GO....ONCE INJECTED INTO THE BAND??????? I ALSO HEARD THAT IT'S NOT SALINE, IT'S SILICONE????????????? DOES THE LIQUID ABSORB INTO OUR BODIES AFTER SOO LONG??????? Can anyone out there help me....answer these questions?:confused:

Hi PrettyLady Yep you need some more information. I don't even think you have enough to make an informed decision on the LapBand over the ByPass (or any WLS). Im not coming down on you. I just want you to have the correct information on all your surgical choices. Over at Obesity Help .com (Weight Loss Surgery ) they have good information all the surgical options. For information on the Bands go over to: Official Site: the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System for weight loss surgery or Home - REALIZEBand.com These are the 2 makers of the bands. You can find technical information there on how the bands work and what they are made of. Generally the band are made of solid silicone(apposed to the gel in breast implants), are hollow(like an inner tube) and when you need more restriction they are filled with saline. Don't get me wrong I think the Band is great. I can't think of living without it now. I just think you need to be well informed before you have any surgery. Also anyone who has had any of these surgeries will tell you it's not the surgery that "does the work" it is you. You have to wrap your mind around a lifestyle change. Food, exercise and accepting yourself in all phases of your life. Poke around on the LBT forums. Most any question you have has already been asked and answered a few times. :thumbup: Good luck on your journey Amanda

I did not have a real pre op diet as I ended up having surgery earlier than expected. I have read that the pre diet is not that bad it is only a few days. This LB has really worked for me. I was not much of a believer before hand. I had a surgery before my LB too, so when the Dr. went in a second time he was excited to see how I had healed from the first surgery. Best wishes and I hope all works out as well for you as it has for me. Six months banded, 77 lost pound , my head is in a great place and I am skiing my first really big weight loss goal. imaluckydog

Hi everyone! My name is Kris and I live near Cleveland, Ohio. I'm 36 years old, single with no kids. I'm still in the research phase and haven't made any decisions yet. I have a seminar to attend next week and the week after I'm meeting with my general physician to talk about all my options before I go to my first consultation. Growing up I was always the skinny kid in the neighborhood. I was a size 6 until my early 20's. Since then I've steadily gained weight. I've tried every diet out there. Some worked, some didn't. I lost weight only to gain it back plus more. I've done Weight Watchers which is really the only thing that actually worked but once I stopped paying the fee I gained all the weight back. After reading some of the threads here I have a couple of concerns and/or questions... I've been in and out of therapy since my late 20's for personal matters not directly related to my weight. About a year ago I had an appointment with my Psychiatrist for a prescription refill appointment and I broke down and told him that I had been using laxatives on and off for the past 6+ years to lose weight. (As much as they say laxatives don't work for weight loss, they lie because it has always worked for me). Since the admission to him I've also had to come "clean" with my regular doctor and my therapist. Early 2007 I had lost about 30 pounds and was up to 15 laxatives a day. I stopped taking them in July and gained all the weight back plus 10. I know laxatives are bad so I'm not looking for any lectures but its a problem that I'm trying really hard to work past. It's almost like an addiction. Every time I eat a bite of food I think about taking a pill. *sigh* anyway.... My question is... will this end up hurting my chances to be approved for the surgery? Another concern I have is the cost. I called my insurance company and they said the surgery is not covered. Has anyone fought their insurance company and won? If not, how were you able to afford the surgery??? I'm really glad I found this site. I just mentioned to my sister tonight that I was thinking about getting the lap band hoping I'd have her support but all I heard was "how stupid" the idea was! ~kris

I decided in April 2016, went to a seminar, then had to complete at 6 month physician supervised weight loss program. I was approved within a week of completing it and had the procedure on 10/26/2016. No problems with approval as it is covered under my insurance, I completed the 6 months. Started with a BMI of 53 and had co-morbidities (diabetes and sleep apnea). Good Luck!

I'm filling out some forms for my Psyche evaluation that is scheduled for 05/30. I can't help but wonder if I'm writing 3/4 of the report the guy is going to send the insurance company! I had a brief conversation with this guy when I scheduled my appointment. It sounds like he is a non-value-added checkbox along my path of this journey. He has no specific training in obesity issues, doesn't even appear to be a full-time psychologist (only available nights and week-ends). I asked him what his qualifications were for performing the evaluation; his response was that his wife had been through the surgery. Doesn't seem like much of a qualification. My husband will be happy to know that he'll expand his career options once I have the surgery! Oh well...I'm already working with a psychologist on my own. The dr. didn't want her opinion; afraid that she won't fill out the report properly was the reason. She and I have tackled many of the issues surrounding my weight. :thumbup: One checkbox will be complete on 05/30 (Psyche Eval) Second checkbox will be complete on 06/09 (6th month of nutrition counseling). Final checkbox will be the letter of medical necessity - supposedly to be sent by the surgeon. There really is no question on that issue; my BMI is over 55 and I have two co-morbidities (high blood pressure & obesity induced asthma). The timeline I've been told is that to anticipate a surgery date between July 20 & 31. I think I'll be holding my breath until I come out of recovery. :glare:

ok so yesterday was my consultation with Dr, Geiss he is so sweet and nice i really liked him , i picked him cause he has done over 3000 surgery's for the lapband when i got there i first met with the nurse practiciner who went over what i could consume and cannot consume and how the lapband works , then she went over and got me weighed and i had a heavy sweater jacket on with sneakers so it read 253 pounds ! yikes ! so then dr geiss greeted me and i went into his office with my husband he asked me how long i been dieting and why do i want to have the lapband surgery , i told him how i am depressed and tired of being fat . He told me how great my insurance is and said he never has a problem with it , he also said they usually approve everyone he thinks is a good candidate and he said i am a great candidate and i will do great. also a huge plus is my insurance doesnt require a 6month diet with your doctor prior to surgery so i was happy about that , he says they are also so fast to approve they will approve within a week so i could get this surgery by the end of next month whooohoo. so then i asked dr geiss about the realize band and he told me he doesnt like that band that the lapband is more reliable and better so i took his word he then gave me all the tests i need to complete which is the following blood work to see a psycologist a nutritionist which will be out of pocket 250 dollars but my insurance covers everything eles =) cardiologist / ekg, echo, stress test pulmonary consult for pulmonary function test if he thinks i need sleep apnea test then i will go for it upper GI test my weight history documented and then 2 weeks prior to surgery i need to take a education class then i get a surgery date if im approved which he has no doubt so before i went i said to myself id this something i really want ? will this help me ? i asked my self a series of questions and came to the conclusion that i do need this surgery so i can be healthy and be me again! if i dont i will just continue to do my bad habits and gain weight and be depressed forever i want nothing more then to be healthy happy and skinny

No No no don't do that to yourself. Don't compare your journey to someone else's Journey is my model after I tortured myself the first 6 months. Out body structures are all different. I was losing at a slower Pace than everybody else so I would sabotage myself. However with great support and encouragement of others noticing the weight loss in me, I was able to gain Focus and I realized I am not going to lose at the same pace as everybody else and sure enough I didn't. I was sleeved on May 2015 I have a total weight loss of 125 pounds I have been released by my surgeon but I have a personal goal to get to. I discuss my weight loss with whom I was comparing myself to, their weight loss is way under hundred pounds and some haven't been released by surgeon. Moral of the story... Keep eye on your own paper..lol focus on you this is for you. You will know what works best for you. Follow the doctors and guidelines. Don't feel discouraged. Slow and steady is best