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Hi Michele- I was banded in 2004 and released about 60 lbs. I was really happy with my weight loss and the band... but about a year ago I started gaining weight because I could eat more... I also started experiencing bad acid reflux. It turned out the my band had slipped and needed to be removed. I had surgery to take it out in July of this year... I've gained back most of the weight I had lost. I'm not anti-band... but for me, I need to investigate other options. If you click on my name to the left, you can pull up my posts that share more about my jounrey. Lots of light and success to you! __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

It sounds like your surgeon is unfamiliar with the sleeve and therefore he is uncomfortable with doing it and coming up with excuses. You need to find a surgeon who regularly does them and is familiar with them and get a second opinion. As to the things your surgeon says, many of them are not true. For example: 1) Cancer - the sleeve will DECREASE your chance of having both stomach cancer and ulcers. Losing weight will significantly decrease your risk of certain cancers overall including breast cancer. 2) Pregnancy - there is no reason you can't have a baby after a sleeve. You only need about 200-300 more calories a day when pregnant and that can be easily accommodated by having an extra snack each day. There are guys who are consuming as much as 1800 to 2000 calories a day with the sleeve. The sleeve will limit the amount of food you can eat at any one time, but you can eat every hour if you need to (not that you will or should). 3) GERD - generally in the first couple of months with a sleeve, your stomach is producing too much acid for the new stomach size, but it will adjust. In the meantime, this is easily controlled for most people via a daily dose of a PPI. In my case, my GERD got better after my sleeve because of my hiatal hernia repair. A small minority do have significant issues with acid during this temporary period, but most have no issues that taking a PPI can't cure. 4) All WLS is permanent. The band right now is making scar tissue on your stomach that will never go away even when the band is removed. The idea that the band is this safe surgery that is completely reversable compared to all the other scary and unsafe permanent surgeries is, IMO, the Big Myth of the band. 5) The sleeve is not that new. It's new as a stand-alone procedure for weight loss, but it's a partial gastrectomy and those have been done for decades. My aunt had one over 45 years ago, for example, due to stomach cancer. We know the long-term issues with removing part of your stomach and they are few and far between. Mostly, you have to be religious about Calcium supplementation and on the lookout for other possible deficiencies such as B12 and anemia. Otherwise, as long as the pylorus valve is intact, there really isn't much that happens long-term; the main complications are short-term as a direct result of the surgery. Does your surgeon do anything but lap band? The way he talks about other surgeries makes it seem like he doesn't. A surgeon who doesn't do a particular surgery is not the best source of information about it. The bottom line is that it's your body, not his, and you owe it to yourself to get another opinion from someone who actually knows what they are talking about and isn't going to use scare tactics to talk you out of what you want. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

Mac, you have a pic! You've got a nice skinny face! Marlena, I think, for peace of mind, if I were you I'd seek a second opinion from another surgeon. I have never heard anything to do with weight loss surgeries causing cancer and I suspect he doesnt want to do the sleeve, is trying to put you off and may well have just made that up. You may have a good working relationship with this guy but I would like to see someone completely impartial. I think with the band, there are just certain people it does not work well for. It may be as simple as an error in placement. I have a friend from another board whom I also know in real life who was my inspiration to be banded. I'd known about the lapband sort of in the back of my mind but when she did it it started me thinking and I followed 6 months after. Unfortunately for her, she has followed that same underfill/overfill pattern and lost maybe 20kg in 3.5 years. Well, a few months back, she and her surgeon decided to swap her over to a new band, and at the same time as he went in he found a hernia, which he repaired. The weight has fallen off her in the past couple of months, the new band is working brilliantly - what it was we dont know - new placement, hernia repair, new style of band, maybe a combo of all three, but sometimes, there's just something wrong in there. The sleeve isnt really a common option here yet, the band is getting more and more popular but deciding to be rebanded without having slipped or eroded made all the difference for her. My point is not that you ought to be rebanded but sitting here feeling like YOU have failed the band isnt really productive and surgical intervention of one sort or another might be your answer. My friend's hernia was not picked up by any testing, till she went in for surgery and it was actually seen. I'd definitely seek another opionion just to compare notes. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

Looking for Old Goat Buddies just Banded or in the Process. To share are current struggle with the bulge and hopefully make it work for all of us this time. My definition of an Old Goat is a Male of Retirement age or Older just like ME in pursuit of a heather Body that’s able to wear much smaller clothes. Now about me - 70 years old, 6 foot tall since 16 till I got checked for my BMI they tell me I am only 5’ 11-3/4” BMI 42.2 WGT 309 Top WGT 333 Charts say should be under 170 Wow 190 would sure be nice. Live in Kansas City and working with The Bariatric Center of Kansas City and DR Hoehn For me the thought of possible eliminating My Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, sleep Apnea, and Reflux. Or at least reducing the Medication would in itself make the Lap Band worth it and Weight Loss well nothing is required to be said for us. As for the Ladies think you are great have three Daughters and a loving Wife for 44 years would just like to try to make this trip with Old Goats First. But if I have to work with Women younger than my Daughters to get err done than that’s what I will do. I will also post this in the Men’s Room if you would like to Buddy with me.

I would be inclined to agree with you but everything I have read and researched eventually indicated otherwise. Here is a link to a study that was done and the results showed better weight loss after VSG for patients that maintained at least 90 gr of carbs per day based on an 850 calorie diet. That is between 40-45%. http://bariatrictimes.com/recommended-levels-of-carbohydrate-after-bariatric-surgery/ Personally I have set my daily goal at 40% carbs; 45% Proteins and 15% fats. I absolutely agree that proteins are the priority. The major problem with getting too few carbs is that once the body runs out of our daily carb intake, it starts to burn up our protein intake which is counter- productive. It's definitely very interesting and quite the learning experience

Hi all, Im scheduled for revision on 3/13/13. Met with surgeon to sign consents last week. I currently weigh 256 and although I don't know what to set as an exact goal weight, I am thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of 140-150. The Dr gave me this sheet of paper with my starting weight and a weight of 183.5 as a weight that I will "probably" end up at. I would think that he would expect me to lose more than that. I sure do. Not so sure I want to go through all of this and only lose that much. I know that the ultimate amount that I lose will be up to me.. guess I just needed to vent a bit..lol In the other part of my question is for those of you who have had lapband removal and VSG (in one procedure). How long were you in surgery? My doc was telling me between 4-5 hours. How many days did you spend in the hospital?

great job with the loss I have lost 60 lbs and the sag still looks better then the fat but better then that is how I feel and what I csn do now. I woukd love to have a tummy tuck some day just cause of the sores I get sometimes under the sag if I don't put deorant there daily. I am 64 and will never be undressed in front of anyone again but I love being thinner. Have a better day and stay away from a mioor when undressed.

So I had a sleeve to bypass revision on 3/11. I am so lucky I had it when I did because of this virus. Anyway, I was worried because with my sleeve I lost 118 in a year and heard with the revisions it is much slower. Like everyone else, I want my excess weight gone as quickly as possible. Well, I am happy to to say I’ve lost 18lbs in 4 weeks. It’s a little slower than it was with my sleeve, but still, 18 POUNDS!!! I already can see the difference and I’m back in size 12’s. The only issue I’ve had is with my pain pump incision. I seem to have an abscess under it but that isn’t related to weight loss. I’m really happy with my progress so far. So I’m posting this for anyone who is worried about weight loss being hard after a revision. It’s not. I’m happy to say I’m a loser again!! I’m feeling much more restriction with my bypass. I’m also making healthier choices this time around whereas last time I ate whatever the hell I wanted and I know that’s why I had a regain. I learned nothing about how to eat healthier. I’m eating things like broiled vegetables and tilapia and salmon which I thought I wouldn’t like but holy crap is it good! I feel so good this time around, like I’m going to keep it off this time because I’ve actually learned from my first failure. So, my fears are subsiding and I feel fantastic. No worries at all. YAY!!! Take care fellow losers!!

So excited to start my weight loss journey. My sleeve surgery is scheduled for 4/20. Can't wait!!!

I was sleeved 3/24/11. I made the decision NOT to tell my family at all, except my husband. It was very easy to not tell as we were empty nesters at the time. My weight loss was going great until my mother came to live with us 4 months after my surgery. Her constant comments as to me "eating like a bird" made it very difficult but I still did not tell her. I equate the brick wall that I hit at that time to her presence. She was only here for 6 months but I just have not been able to get it moving again. Sometimes I think it would have been easier to tell, but at this point, why bother? I did tell some very close friends and they were wonderful but I just didn't want the flack from my family. Kind of rethinking that decision now but.....its your choice! Good luck.

Hi, I'm new here and only a week post-op. Doing fine on liquid, sticking to the diet and definitely looking forward to pureed foods. Lost only 12lbs so far but okay with the slow weight loss as long as it keeps coming and am looking forward to getting a dog I can actually walk with without getting winded! That being said, despite being an uber-shy person for most of my life, over the last six years, even while growing in size and width and clothes sizes, my confidence blossomed, due to new found independence, relationships, etc. And while I still hate being 'fat', I refused to let anyone's opinion stop me from loving my body. I felt comfortable in relationships because they felt like they not based in shallowness but in real connections. But there's a problem. Ever since I decided to get the surgery(about 6months ago when I first got an appt with my surgeon), my self confidence that I was proud of....died to some degree. I'm happily single now and did mention the surgery on my online dating profile(that is disabled at the moment until I feel comfortable to some degree), but now there's an everpresent nagging feeling in my gut that most of the people out there that will start responding to me, both online and off, wouldn't have ever taken a second out of their lives to do so had I remained at my starting weight. For my entire life, I've had people give me **** for not fitting into the 'skinny' world around us, and I'm terrified of attracting those who, had I remained heavy, would have been the ones making snide remarks about my thighs or size, etc. Gosh, it sounds stupid to complain about attracting more people but I feel like I should be nipping this in the bud before I get super paranoid about this.

My insurance does not seem to have a pre-wieght loss requirement. Do the docs have it anyway? I am just finishing with labs and no one has said anything about looking weight. After my blood test I should be good to go, or maybe not ...

A lot of ins. Has a weight loss requirement. Could be months. Did u call ur ins. Before hand to ask that stuff? I was lucky and medical weightloss was not required so my journey to surgery was much quicker. Good luck dear!

Ok, I fell off the wagon badly yesterday but today I am gonna pick myself up and get back on it. From post-surgery to the day before yesterday (20th Dec), I had gone 9 days straight on less than 400 calories a day - not aiming for that number but just eating the fat free Soups, yoghurts and jellies up to 4 times a day. Regardless of all the "you're healing after surgery", "you're just rehydrating", etc, I still felt I should have seen SOME movement in the scales - how the hell can you eat so few calories for so long and not lose?? But there I was - regained 3lb in the days immediately following surgery, then have been stuck without movement for a week! Yesterday, I couldn't take it anymore and gave into the cravings that have been bugging me since I started the pre-op. I rationalised it by saying maybe I've gone into "starvation mode" and what I need to do is EAT! So anyway, it was only Post-op Day 10 but I went to Domino's and got those spicy chicken wings I was dying for and ate all four!! My god, they were GOOD!! I ate them really slowly, chewed thoroughly and relished every bite, so there! It gave me no pain but I did feel full afterwards (whereas previously I would have eaten them as an appetiser, then had half a pizza [blush]). I also had several soups and two serves of custard, so I felt like I had stuffed my face all day. Surprisingly, FitDay says it wasn't as bad a blowout as I had thought - here's the numbers And after all that? This morning on the scale - no change! I'm going to just go back to eating semi-normally (still mostly soups and smaller quantities, and just say f**k it till I get my fill. I'm disappointed that the loss is stopping, as I have told all my friends and family and I was looking forward to being able to show off a big difference at Xmas, but I guess I'll just have to settle for the 6kg loss and pick it up again after January... Can anyone tell that patience is not my long suit? LOL!!

For those of you with a pre-band BMI between 35-40... Did BCBS FEP require a 3 or 6 month weight loss program before authorization was granted? What conditions do they consider to be co-morbidities? How long did it take to obtain approval? I appreciate your input.

What insurance do you have? I've never heard of any insurance company not being able to tell you the information you requested. I have Cigna...which has the reputation of being incredibly hard to work with in terms of bariatric surgery, but I had NO issues with them and they approved my surgery 1 1/2 days after I submitted my paperwork. Cigna's requirements for bariatric surgery are available on their website, and I was able to "checkmark" each thing off the list before I submitted my stuff. Now I will say I did call one surgeon back in May (the one my PCP referred me to) and they practically hung up on me when I told them I had Cigna. So I had to find another surgeon on my own. I did have to go to their weight loss seminar, and their 5 hour nutrition class. And then the insurance coordinator in their office was never particularly easy to get a hold of...always took numerous e mails/phone calls to get a response. But overall the process was not near as daunting as I thought it would be...just time consuming! Almost all insurance companies that I've read about are okay with approving surgery for someone with a BMI over 40, even with no co-morbidities. I have a BMI of about 42, but am healthy as can be...just fat! But Cigna still approved me. It seems in general, for most insurance companies, that you have to do the 6 month supervised diet with your physician, meet with a nutritionist, have a psych evaluation, log your diet and exercise program, and either have proof of a BMI of over 40 (no co-morbidities required), or between 35-39 with two or more co-morbidities from the last 24 months. So if you haven't started your 6 months of dieting I would get on it...and call your insurance company again and ask what their requirements are for approving bariatric surgery, and if they say they can't tell you again ask for a manager. Also check their website. Good luck!

So I'm only 18 days post surgery now. Up until the other day I had lost 22 lbs. yay! Then I weighed today and I have gained 3 lbs?? what is going on? I am having flashes of previous weight loss failures... , anyone have any advice, thoughts??

I've been stressing about the in-laws visiting for DH's birthday this weekend because they always want to go out to the stuff-yourself-silly buffets. DH said he wanted Japanese so we went to the hibachi place. I had shrimp and fried rice. I took a couple of bites of everything (salad, Soup, veggies, and rice) and ate 4 shrimp. It was delicious and I wasn't over-stuffed. It made my carbs go a little high for the day (49 grams) because I ate some of the sweet sauce with the shrimp and some of the dressing. But I took the rest home and now I've got 2-3 more meals. The in-laws never mentioned me not eating much. They also didn't remark on my weight-loss. I'm wearing the same clothes I always have they're just looser on me so they just didn't really notice. So I didn't have to get into me having the surgery with them. Yay! Next month I will probably be lighter enough that they will notice. But they are old. So maybe I'll tell them that I lost weight over a year ago and they just forgot! LOL!

Jillybean- I know what you mean about the slow weight loss. Since I started regular foods I haven't lost anything! But I have also been sick with chest cold and have not walked or excercised. I'm feeling better so will start walking again with the hope the I will drop some more weight. I have had one fill at 2 ccs and feel little to no restriction, but I am trying really hard to not overeat. The band is helping if only because I don't feel hungry, but I still think I can eat more that I would like. Drinking lots of water helps too. I am going to start logging all my calories to see if I am perhaps eating more that I thought. If that's the case I will cut back and get back on track. Hope that helps you. Good luck to you.

This is a great read for members interested in upcoming Bariatric procedures. The Lyon New Bariatric Tech and Expert meeting highlighted some of the hot topics regarding "state of the art" and very recent minimally invasive weight loss procedures. Here are some highlights from the meeting: Part 1 Part 2 Page 3

Everyone keeps saying UHC Oxford doesn't require weight loss in the "6 month motivated attempt". I've gain like 12lbs. I was dieting before I started then I've been sick off and on for like 4 months. I pray to God that I won't be denied because of that. I'm so tired of this stress of insurance approval.

I have been wondering the same thing! I called Oxford and they said as long as it is a motivated attempt of weight loss for 6-months and your doctor or nutritionist is noting your progress, you should be fine. I even asked if I gained weight would I get denied and they said no. I also asked my nutritionist and she said the same thing and has never experienced any authorization issues with Oxford. That makes me feel better, but I’m still terrified of getting denied! I had 4 nutritionist appts already…the first two I lost about 5 pounds altogether and the third one I gained a pound (after the holidays). I actually have my fifth appt tonight and I know I gained some weight back UGH! I’m just nervous that all this weight gain is going to get me denied and I’ll have to do this whole process again!

OK, this one is gonna be a bit long...I have been so depressed and discouraged that I have not logged on to the site since Wednesday evening. I had my appt. with the surgeon Thurs. and everything was going wrong. There was a bad accident on the freeway, so I was running late. To make matters worse, after hustling to be on time for my appt., I finally get there and they tell me that the doctor is away visiting his father (who happens to be VERY ill), so, of course, I feel terrible about being upset that he's not available. In walks his 'assistant' who was about 4'9 and weighed about 98 pounds. I had a feeling that she was not going to 'understand' my 'situation', and, boy, didn't she!!!! She was the most negative and discouraging person I have ever met. For starters, she had ABSOLUTELY nothing positive to say about the band. She praised the RNY and went on and on about how its better because you lose weight 3 different ways opposed to only losing 1 way with the band; she demonstrated this by drawing 2 different diagrams on the white butcher paper that is on the little beds. Isn't that soooo sweet of her? She stressed (over and over again) that I would have to wait 6 whole months before surgery. I asked what would happen if I lost about 60 pounds by then since I would no longer qualify? Would I have to wait until I regained all my wait back (and then some) and start the whole process over again? She was not happy with my sarcasm, so I explained to her that I have lost that much weight several times before and regained it. She told me to look on the bright side- at least I would be thinner and healthier. I guess my question just went right over her pretty little head, because she had NO CLUE!!!!! Furthermore, she was not able to answer most of my questions (that you all provided for me, thank goodness). And the ones that she DID answer were not really answered. She also answered those questions as if I would be getting an RNY. I was SO offended and frustrated, and I am sure that she could sense it. Believe it or not, the appt. actually lasted for close to an hour. I needed answers, so I kept trying to get them. I asked her when the papers would be turned in to my insurance co., and she could not help but tell me that it would be "a really long way down the road, seeing as how you just started the whole process in the beginning of August". I'm not DUMB! I know that they are not going to be turned in now, but I wanted to know if I could get an approximation, to encourage me to keep goin' strong. What a waste of MY time. I finally told her that I would just make another appt. with the ORIGINAL surgeon, and, hopefully, he could answer my questions better than she had. She told me to make the appt. for a month from our meeting. Of, course, I ignored her and asked for the receptionist to make the appt. for 2 weeks from that meeting. So, if all is well with the surgeon and his father, I will be seeing the surgeon on the 6th of next month. I've actually spoken with the surgeon, and he seemed really positive about the band. I left the office feeling dissatisfied and sooooooo let down. All I wanted to do was cry and throw in the towel. My therapist tried explaining that the teams' job is to try to 'hand pick' the people that 'they' feel will really succeed with weight loss surgery. I can understand that, but I cannot understand her being soooo negative. Thanx to every one for allowing me a vent session. I actually feel a whole lot better

I may not be the one to ask because I kind of have my own program. 1 frapachinno in the morning 1 multivitiman salad and alvacado (small) for lunch tortillia chips and salsa for supper And a lot of cheese I have done this for the last eight months almost everyday. Maybe not in the same order. I did start loosing some hair, so I started drinking a protien supplement. Thank you for all the support.