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Why would you opt for a revision? The sleeve won't stop you from eating the wrong foods or too much anymore than a band will. You're looking at bariatric surgery as if it were a governor placed on your body that completely controls your intake and that's just not how it works. Any WLS is a tool but if you don't use the tool, you won't find success. I see posts from others who also deal with the non supportive families and I have to admit I'd struggle with the issue too. I think that this is an area that surgeons don't evaluate well enough. Some patients should be screened out or not encouraged to have WLS until they're in control of their own environment. Although, I have seen some patients who also work in a restaurant who have had WLS. Sorry, I have willpower, but not in the quantities needed to refrain from not cheating in that environment. It must be very difficult to plan and execute a healthy eating lifestyle when you're not in control over the meal planning? tmf

JULY SUPPORT GROUP MEETING Date: July 19, 2008 Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm Event Details: Meet at Regina Holiday Inn at 1800 Prince of Wales Avenue Room: Hector Room Speaker TBA __________________ “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Denis Waitley

Bonjeanie, as I understand it the MGB is really not considered a safe and effective surgery. It's not done much at all these days. However, there are lots of other options and almost all of them can be done laparascopically. I know there are many, many doctors who do both RNY and lap-banding who will do one on top of the other if necessary. Your best bet is to find an experienced laparascopic gastric surgeon and talk with him about your specific case. It may be a good idea to talk with more than one, if you can. You might start by looking at the OH website (obesityhelp.com) to locate bariatric surgeons in your area. Good luck!!

She's anti-Mexico but went there this morning for a consult, had the consult, was raped, and yet she's been on line all day. She doesn't know anything about WLS and that is why she is here absorbing info yet she knows 50 people in real time that had complications and she's held their hand while they suffered through band removal. Do any of us even KNOW 50 people in real time with a band let alone suffered less than 3% complications requiring band removal? If 50 is 3% of "X", what is "X"? That's a whole lotta banded folks Tit's knows. I'm a nurse, I've been in medicine for many years (but in all fairness, not bariatrics however, I have logged some hours in an ER) and I know one person in real time that lost their band due to complications. Yet she doesn't work for a doc but she's held the hands of 50 people who did lose their band. She claims I have promoted the safety of Tijuana but not a single post defending her claims even though I have posted that TJ is not my favorite place. She claims I'm a coordinator for ALL Mexican docs when in reality, I have been very clear there are some dangerous docs. She claims I'm nothing less than evil for not pointing out the bad side of surgery in Mexico but when I do point out the bad side of surgery in Mexico I just don't work for THOSE docs. Yet I work for all of them. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sooooooo confused~ What do I *really* think? I thought I knew but I was wrong. All I have to do is read her posts and I can finally discover what my own opinions are.

Has anyone had lapband in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Tricare Prime paid for it? I spoke with my PCM and he said I needed to find a surgeon. But tricare doesn't have bariatric surgeons listed on their site to find a specific doctor. How do you go about finding a surgeon that take tricare prime?

Hello all! I'm so excited to find some friends from Ft. Hood. I was banded on Dec. 14th. Yep, during R&R. lol I go to Southwest Bariatric's in Austin. My Dr. is Dr. Marquez. She is wonderful. The hospital I choose was Seton Williamson in Round Rock. The hospital is new & full of wonderful experienced nurses. :laugh: Ok, now for the questions! I was doing well till Tuesday. I was feeling sore/very uncomfortable on the way to & back from DFW(taking Hubby back:cry_smile:). I stopped this side of Dallas & threw-up. I was dizzy & was really hurting. :confused_smile:I debated on trying to make it home or stay the night near by. I also wondered if I may be so hungry but didn't really know it. McDonalds was next door. I decided to try my luck & eat the most forbidden food in our new dictionary of foods to eat, french fries & a hamburger. I ate a small amount of fry's(approx 6) & 1/4 of the burger & felt better right away. Yes, I felt guilty but I made it home with 4 kids in tow...Please don't tell me I shouldn't have done that because it was the only thing near when I felt so aweful. I don't plan on doing it again... Will my first fill(Dec, 4th) help with feeling so aweful? I also have so much indigestion & diarrhea is horrible! My diet right now is lots of vegetables, jello, soup etc... My other questions are is anyone hurting under their left rib cage? Does anyone feel their port? My feels just like when I was pregnant & could feel my child's knee! What does a slip feel like?Please let me know what you all have been experiencing. Jean:confused:

1st out of curosity where area of the country are you in? I am a life long - since birth 43 years ago today Kaiser patient. My rants are about their lack of understanding of bariatrics....that said I was referred to the program in approx March 2003..... after doing a handful of support meetings and the nutrition counseling and phsyc eval I was denied - approx Sept 04. For open enrollment in Oct of that same year I added a second carrier and when it was effective on Jan 1 04 I went outside the Kaiser family and to a different surgeon.....3 months later Kaiser sent me a letter saying they had reconsidered and I was green lighted. It would have taken me 9 months, at best, from that date to have been given a surgery date, so I stayed with the private doc - best and right decision.....mind you I never appealed their denial, this letter came out of the blue. I am back working my way through the Kaiser system to get the right fit for my fills and it is worse then ever. I personally think Kaiser is great for everything except bariatrics and phsyc...Tell me what region you are in and I may have some pointers

The best advice I can give you is to call Tricare directly. Anytime I have had to change a specialist for one reason or another, they have always been helpful. Just ask for a list of bariatric surgeons in the area, research them, decide who you want for your surgeon, call and ask if they are accepting new patients, and then tell your PCM to give you a referral to that doctor.

Wow. Thank you Merydia. There are times where it gets difficult-I realize that. And sometimes it's hard for me but I look at it like this: the past 2 years has been all about taking good care of myself. I've seen a counselor, made new friends, started a new life. I call it repair, rebuild and renew myself. I have not always been able to focus on me/my needs and sadly, it took leaving my ex hubby to realize that.

A bariatric doctor would know. Here's a link to the symptoms: http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/weight-loss-surgery/dear-doctor-i-think-my-band-slipped-what-are-the-signs What do you mean you're having trouble eating? What kind of trouble? What are you eating? Many people gain weight if their bands are too tight. They tend to gravitate to slider foods that won't benefit or aid in weight loss. Some people find it difficult or impossible to adhere to the band eating lifestyle and also eat the wrong foods and eat like a Bandster. A good doctor can help you get back on track but it's still your responsibility to follow through with the plan. Good luck and I know where you're coming from. I too gained weight the last 6 months but an adjustment has me back on track again.

You also might try Washington Bariatrics in Renton near Valley Medical center. My Doctor was Dr Earl Fox and to see him I have to travel to Richland but the place in Renton said they would take me as a patient.

I would check with your bariatric team. Higher protein may be fine since you are newly banded. I know that excessive protein can cause kidney stones etc....but the protein grams would be super high and I doubt you could exceed once you are on solid food. You are drinking lots of water which is very important.

I recently enrolled in healthcare benefits for 2017 at my job and they do not cover bariatric surgery. Dr. Maytorena from Long Term VSG is hosting a contest for a giveaway of a free gastric sleeve procedure. We were asked to make a video stating why we needed the procedure and why we thought Dr. Maytorena would be a good doctor. The winner is the contestant that has the most likes on their video via the Long Term VSG facebook page. I need your support by watching and liking my video submission on their page. I have included a clickable link to the post. Thank you in advance for your help! <3 https://www.facebook.com/longtermvsg/posts/10153842916770216?notif_t=like&notif_id=1479520537966154

I wonder about the fact that we have our follow up care for bands done with our surgeons and not some other type of specialist. It does seem like it would be better to use a doctor that specializes in aftercare, not surgery. Anyway, his "bedside" manner leaves a lot to be desired, but believe me, I researched very carefully before deciding to use him, and his record is very good. And it is a center of excellence. He does only bariatric and does several each day he operates (four on the day he did mine), and he's been doing this for more than five years. I'm not filled to tight--until my fill last week, I had virtually no restriction at all from my band, and now I have moderate restriction. So, the doctor is good and his results have been excellent for most people, and perhaps they are good for me, too. I think that perhaps I am just extremely sensitive to the band, that my body is not "rejecting" it but is not exactly accepting it happily, either. I don't think that there is anything really "wrong", per se, as this is not acute pain, but more chronic, low level pain/discomfort. And I would guess that there is a bell curve here of levels of comfort, with some people on the happy end, never having any problems (yeah, I've seen them on this board!) most people somewhere in the middle, and then a few of us on the other end of the curve, with chronic discomfort and pains from the band. I think that's where I am. To me, here's what it feels like: I feel like someone opened me up and wrapped a tight rubber band around the top part of my stomach, and attached that band with stitches to my stomach. And that when I move around, that band kind of digs in and hurts, and when I eat, it restricts me and hurts, and when I lie on my side, my stomach flops over on top of the band a bit and gets dug into by the band, and when I...hey, wait a minute, this IS exactly what's happening... But then, I guess I am still worried, especially when I read posts like the ones above, that there might be something more. I do NOT want to damage myself, no matter what!

As a healthcare provider, I can tell you surgeons in general are notorious for having bad bedside manner, so keep that in mind. That being said, you should use someone you are comfortable with and who will answer your questions and put you at ease when you have concerns. Most WLS offer free seminars. I don't know how far along in the process you are, but maybe you should attend some at other clinics until you find a good match. My insurance would only pay for me to use a surgeon and hospital recognized as a bariatric surgeon/center of excellence. You might check into credentials such as these. The recognition is based on outcomes and patient feedback. Good luck.

I am new here. I had my band done in Crosby, MN at MIMIS by Dr. Paul Severson. This group is very well respected in the Bariatric circles of drs. in the midwest. I have been very happy with my care. It is only 90 minutes from Duluth. You can contact Shar at 1-888-546-4343. My surgery was done in 2003 and have been at goal after one year of being banded. The bariatric dept. still keeps in touch and makes sure I am back there yearly. The first year, it was every month. Now, if I feel I need a fill, they are very good about it. I loved my experience there and highly recommend them.

The Star Tribune website has excellent maps (click on link) detailing alternate routes for travel. OH also has a listing of Bariatric Surgeons/Clinics that may be able to help locating an alternative fill doc.

Hi Everyone. My name is Cindy and I am waiting for my primary insurance to send their denial letter so my surgery can be scheduled. My primary insurance will not pay, but my secondary insurance will pay. Plus secondary insurance does not do pre-authorization letters. So, as soon as the denial letter is received from the primary insurance we can schedule my surgery. My surgeon said it will most likely be mid-May. I have thought of myself as being overweight most of my life. Looking back on it, I was a twig when I graduated from high school. It's just that those who were around me were so petite. I had one successful pregnancy 30 years ago and was never able to lose the excess weight I gained then. Over the years I have tried every diet, sensible and fad, that I could find with varying results. But every time I lost weight on a "diet" I would put it back on and then some when the "diet" was over or I got sick of it. Over the last 3-5 years my weight has been steadily creeping up and I am so tired of being tired and out of breath all the time. I want to be able to do things with my grand-children but I am not able to do much of anything for more than a few minutes at a time before I need to rest. I am winded just walking up one flight of stairs to our bedroom so I avoid having to up and down as much as possible. I started my surgical weight loss journey about 5 months ago. It took longer for me to decide this was really what I needed to do than it has to do all the prerequisite visits, tests, and screenings. I really wanted to get the gastric sleeve but it is excluded by my insurance, so I will be getting the by-pass instead. The reason I wanted the sleeve was to avoid the malabsorbsion (sp?) and to be able to continue taking my anti-inflammatories for my osteo-arthritis. However, I have made peace with having the bypass and having to make the commitment to be really careful to get the proper nutrients and supplements to keep my healthy; because that is what this is all about anyway. I want my life back. I am sick of living a half life. In February I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. I have not lost any weight, though my body composition has improved, I have more lean and less fat than I did when I started exercising. The best thing about doing this is that I have found something that I love to do. I can't believe I would ever say that I love going to the gym and working out with a trainer. It is fantastic and I am really looking forward to the improvements I will see after I begin working out again after I am healed from the surgery. I am sure the that the walking that I will be doing during the healing process will get me ready for even more intense work outs than I have been able to do to this point. My husband had this same surgery 14 1/2 years ago. He never had the kind of support that is available today and is amazed at the amount of pre-surgical preparation and information that I am getting. He lost about 80 pounds when he had his surgery and over the years had put some of it back on. But since I have started my journey he has been using the things that I have been learning and has lost nearly 15 pounds since December. He is nearing his lowest post-surgical weight. I think he is even more excited about me having this surgery than I am. He is being very supportive. When I told my family back in January that I was considering having surgery they were all very supportive. My best friend, who is more like a sister than merely a friend, decided that it was time for her to have bariatric surgery as well. She had not heard of the gastric sleeve before, so as soon as I told her about it she started researching it for herself. Last month she flew to Mexico and had it done. When I talked with her several days ago she had lost a total of 29 pounds (including the pre-surgery weight loss). Anyway, I feel like I have a great support system in place. And I am SOOOO ready to make this change in my life and to make it a permanent change. It's funny, I have never felt so certain about, or committed to, any of my previous weight loss attempts. This is my year for change.

I found out that my insurance co-ordinator at the bariatric clinic was going on a two-week vacation and no one woukd be covering her. So, I called the insurance company myself, and got approved in two days. They sent me a letter (another three days down) and I faxed that to my surgeon's nurse manager. I had a date that same day still a week ahead of the co-ordinator coming back from vacation!

I was in your shoes about this time last year - our insurance doesn't cover any bariatric procedures - and I ended up looking in Mexico mainly based on price. I had a friend who had used a dr near El Paso, TX - and really liked him - but he was pretty expensive - at least in my opinion. I did a little research on the Bariatric Pal forums and could find nothing even remotely troubling about Dr. Illan - and his price was one of the lowest I found. Long story short, I had my procedure this past January and was 100% satisfied - I've lost around 80 pounds - so happy that my wife is coming back in a couple of months to have the same thing done with Dr Illan - he's great, the facility is great, his whole team is fantastic, and the whole group that makes up BariatricPal MX is top-notch. If you pick them, you can put your mind at ease -and start shopping for smaller clothes!

I can share my experience with hair loss through RNY but not lapband. I've made several posts on this as it's not something that's really talked about in depth. People say, I'm losing "alot" of hair. Define "alot"! I knew going into RNY surgery I might lose some hair. I obsessed over it! I took hair supplements months prior to surgery and thought if I took all my Vitamins, Biotin and proten, I'd be fine. Uh uh. This article won't make you happy, but explains why it happens: https://www.drdkim.net/ask-the-dietitian/understanding-hair-loss-after-bariatric-surgery/ I have very thick, dark coarse hair. I began shedding at 3 months and it's just starting to slow down at 6 months. If I put my hair in a ponytail, it's half as thick as it used to be. I don't have any bald spots but I can see area's where it's thinned. GOOD NEWS!!!! I've been using this spray on color that's made for touching up your roots in between hair coloring. I spray it in the thin area's and don't see my scalp. There's also products you can spray on that have fibers that attach to your hair making the thin area thicker. I even looked into wigs, wiglets and extensions if it got really bad-it hasn't. BEST NEWS!!!! It grows back. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if needed-best decision I've every made.

http://www.mybrandnewlife.org/patient-stories-and-support/bariatric-dietitians-guide-to-successful-weight-loss/

You are having what we call a food funeral. It's hard to eat less when you still have a regular stomach. By the time you lose the first thirty pounds you will start to feel the difference in your gait, your posture, your digestion and flexibility. My surgery improved my blood pressure and cured chronic diverticulitis. If you are not already on a medication for depression, ask your doctor about. My bariatric physician prescribed Wellbutrin at my first visit. My appetite went down and my libido went up. Just this past Monday my primary doctor increased the dosage to help with my appetite and I could feel the difference after the first day. Hang in there, the waiting is actually the hardest part of this whole deal.

every insurance company AND surgeon are different, and each may require certain pre-op things including: -apt with family doctor and written letter from them In full support of surgery -supervised nutritionist classes and on-on-one nutritional counseling that requires you to keep food logs, count calories, Protein, fat, etc. plus Fluid intake, Vitamins, supplements... - psych consult (my surgeon required more than one apt) and sometimes ongoing psych appts for counseling - multiple appts with the surgeon themselves -cardiac clearance, usually including a stress test - Upper endoscopy or EGD or barium swallow - Pulmonary Function testing and apt with Pulmonologist - MAJOR amounts of bloodwork including thyroid, liver, kidney function, lipids (cholesterol), diabetes screen including fasting blood sugar, A1C, blood insulin levels, various hormone levels, complete metabolic panel, CBC, pregnancy test, and more... - sleep Study and if positive, a 30 day compliance with CPAP machine (the machines have an SD card that stores the data of compliance and it is downloaded)... - Some require proof of ongoing weight loss efforts either through gym, trainer, formal programs like Weight Watchers, etc, and I have seen some require that proof for a 6-12 month timeframe - Required attendance to a bariatric support group for a period of time At the time of surgery, the hospital may also require a chest x-ray, urinalysis and pre-op blood work and EKG and more. These were my requirements. Luckily, I breezed through most of this within a couple of months and just wrapping up my nutrition appts! Like I said, they are all different. Then, there are also some insurance companies that barely require anything at all other than a BMI of 40!

Insure Nutritions works! Not a scam, as long as your insurance covers protein supplements. They also send you a cream for scars and bariatric vitamins, only thing I paid was the shipping. I had to stay on the doctors office and Insure Nutritions people about faxing, signing and sending prescriptions.