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Hey janice! Don't worry about the weight gain. Honestly, I gain 6 lbs during the 3 month prep, and they never said anything to me. Ha! It was nervous eating and "last super" syndrome all 3 month long. Then I got on a new BP medicine and dropped 7lbs bc I had lost of appetite and drank tons of Water bc it gave me crazy headaches! Water seemed to help the aches. As far as the insurance company goes, don't stress too much. If they have a due of Friday, they have to be done by then. My due date was Sept 7th and I heard from them the 6th. I know it'll be a long wait, but try not drive yourself crazy, but I know I did! Lol :thumbup: Your diet starts Monday! It's really not terrible! I just have to fight head hunger, and sugar free popicles are my best friends! I also always have a bottle of propel or crystal light with me, so when I want something to eat I just drink a bit, and it helps! Good luck to you and keep me posted! Suzette P.s. U can email me anytime! It's easier bc it goes straight to my phone.

I am a April sleever ... I was sleeved on april 14th ,2010 and I am down 53 lbs so far ... I have been at a stall for 45 days now with ONLY 1/2 lb lost:sad0:!! Its very frustrating but I know that it will pass. I have NO hair loss :thumbup:.. My hair is actually extra thick!!!! I get plenty of protein and that is no problem.. I just have the problem with this stall. I pray that it will get better.. No weight gain , just no weight lost... I still have to work @ the weight loss with exercise and diet .. NO SILVER BULLET !!!:thumbup:

Had my appointment with the nut today. According to their scale I am down 27 lbs, which coincides with my 3 lb weight gain from this morning. I can now eat soft foods, including fish, chicken, cottage cheese, yogurt, veggies and fruits. So after the appointment we went to the mall since we drive an hour to the doctor but only spent 10 minutes there. I had forgotten to bring a protein shake, so we went to Ruby Tuesday for lunch. It was my first real meal since surgery and I was in a restaurant, yikes! I ordered Salmon Florentine, which is salmon topped with spinach and artichoke sauce. It was perfect because the fish was soft and the sauce made it even mushier. I shared with DH, so I only ate 1/3 of the salmon, and I had mashed cauliflower on the side. It was so nice to have a real meal again, but I was so nervous. It took me a long time to swallow my first bite, lol. I also found out that I do have fluid in my band, 4 cc's in 10 cc band.

Claire if you are trying to be a normal BMI you have to start eating like a normal person. 5 bowls of potato Soup tastes good and on occasion is not a big deal, however, it has almost no nutrients. Your on the right track with exercise, you need to start building muscle to burn the last few pounds that you are needing to lose but you are going to need to feed the machine if you are going to exercise. My .2 unfill was almost a month ago and I have actually lost another pound or 2. Plus you might want to read some of the posts for people who have had to have their bands removed, a lot of them start the story with " I was too tight, for too long, acid reflux, etc." Acid=erosion. I'm not trying to be mean, but I feel the need to speak plainly. Fills do not always equal weight loss, and unfills do not have to equal weight gain.

TOM and colds/virus are notorious for affecting restriction. it often follows that the week before and during make it tighter as does any cold etc. i was always like this and now on combined HRT the pattern has stayed the same. On the bright side, i have avoided the weight gain sometimes seen with HRT :thumbup:

Well...it's been a long time since I've been on here and written something. I'm pondering if I should write something or "just get over it", kick myself in the rear and do what I need to. What's the problem you ask? It's been close to 2 years since my banding (9/24/08). I did great - went from 210 to 136. My goal was 130 but my body just wouldn't budge past 136. I haven't had a fill in a year. But since May of this year, I've started to gain weight and don't really understand why. I am now up to 148. I still have restriction so I don't think that's the problem. Since my last fill (Aug 09) I no longer eat any meat, bread, Pasta, or rice. Soda has always been out and I never really had a problem with it anyway. I'm so depressed. I still exercise but why am I gaining weight?! My only sinful food I'm consuming is tortilla chips - but I have enough restriction that it tightens up so I don't binge (I can eat corn products but not flour products). I drink beer but only one a day at the most, my coffee is black and I don't buy drinks like Latte's etc. I know if I head in to the doctor he will say I don't need a fill - I need to lower my calories. And let's be honest here - yes I do. I'm depressed though. Even though I have restriction, I feel like I'm right back to where I was before the banding mentally - I know what I'm supposed to do, and yet I don't do it!! I stopped keeping a journal so that I wouldn't obsess about the food but it looks as though I need to start journaling again, but somehow I just seem to "forget". Yeah right........someone kick me in the butt here, tell me to get over myself and jump back on the healthy food wagon! I know what it is to eat healthy, I just don't do it. I guess what's depressing is that I do not eat candy, cakes, popcorn, etc. etc. but I always seem to find a way to get unhealthy food into my mouth. I'm a compulsive overeater. I've been in therapy, but just recently my therapist "let me go" and said I'm fine and I just need to go out in the real world and work on the things she has taught me. I don't know if I'm also dealing with the weight gain from premenopause? I'm 48 and am definately in that stage. Grrrr...I'm so depressed! I'm already having to go into the next size up clothing and it is really dragging me down! I am grateful for my lap band because otherwise I am right now in a binge mode and truly want to binge. So....I am rambling on and on here in this Lap Band forum to keep from binging - or trying to anyway. Y'all don't have to respond really.....I just needed to vent and my son will be coming home from school soon so I will be destracted. (sp) Forgive me for my ranting and raving...I'm just having a little pitty party here as my tight shorts are pinching into my stomach.

I'm sorry. I am cracking up right now... of all the posts on this forum this one came out of left field big time!!! We used to enjoy a wonderful hookah in college... made out of an ocean spray cran-grape bottle with 4 hoses for all of us to share... and we weren't smoking flavored tobacco!!! In fact, my college hookah probably led to munchies that caused at least a 50 lb weight gain! LOL Oh, memories!!! lol

I apologize in advance for my long leadup to my question. I had an appointment with my PCP today concerning switching meds for my RLS and told him of my plans to pursue WLS with the LAP-BAND - he was very supportive. I am attending a seminar tomorrow evening. My BMI has been over 35 for most of the past 20 years and I have tried repeatedly to lose weight only to gain it back plus more. My BMI is currently over 40, I have been on medication for HBP for at least 13 years, I have obstructive sleep apnea and have used a CPAP since January of 2006 and am having a test done to see whether the air pressure needs to be increased due to my weight gain and daytime sleepiness. In 2007-2008 I trained hard for and completed 2 sprint triathlons and 2 mini-sprint triathlons but only lost 15 lbs in over a year. I had gallbladder surgery in 2009. I had foot surgery earlier this year because of the repetitive stress of the weight during that triathlon training. I have gained 25 pounds back. I have had expensive (unsuccessful) procedures trying to manage my lower back pain and physical therapy for knee tendonitis and a torn meniscus ligament (which does not need surgery at this time). So my question is: I have Aetna NAP Choice POS II insurance which covers the procedure and am expecting to get the requirements in the email any day. Needless to say, it has been an expensive year, medically speaking. I am less than $300 away from my annual out-pocket-maximum and I really need to have this surgery before December 31st. Is this doable, even with a 3 month supervision requirement? I am 50 years old can't wait to be able to be more active again. I am not afraid of exercise but diet is my weakness and need this help to get to a healthy weight and stay there for the rest of my life!!!!!

I apologize in advance for my long leadup to my question. I had an appointment with my PCP today concerning switching meds for my RLS and told him of my plans to pursue WLS with the LAP-BAND®®® - he was very supportive. I am attending a seminar tomorrow evening. My BMI has been over 35 for most of the past 20 years and I have tried repeatedly to lose weight only to gain it back plus more. My BMI is currently over 40, I have been on medication for HBP for at least 13 years, I have obstructive sleep apnea and have used a CPAP since January of 2006 and am having a test done to see whether the air pressure needs to be increased due to my weight gain and daytime sleepiness. In 2007-2008 I trained hard for and completed 2 sprint triathlons and 2 mini-sprint triathlons but only lost 15 lbs in over a year. I had gallbladder surgery in 2009. I had foot surgery earlier this year because of the repetitive stress of the weight during that triathlon training. I have gained 25 pounds back. I have had expensive (unsuccessful) procedures trying to manage my lower back pain and physical therapy for knee tendonitis and a torn meniscus ligament (which does not need surgery at this time). So my question is: I have Aetna NAP Choice POS II insurance which covers the procedure and am expecting to get the requirements in the email any day. Needless to say, it has been an expensive year, medically speaking. I am less than $300 away from my annual out-pocket-maximum and I really need to have this surgery before December 31st. Is this doable, even with a 3 month supervision requirement? I am 50 years old can't wait to be able to be more active again. I am not afraid of exercise but diet is my weakness and need this help to get to a healthy weight and stay there for the rest of my life!!!!!

Greek yogurt. Soups So long as you remember that this is a temporary measure until you get to the Dr for that slight unfill. You do not want to stay too tight. It is dangerous and can often lead to weight gain as slider foods are higher in calories and do not keep you satisfied.

Silk sutures would be a good choice. I prefer 2-O Ethibond suture which is a third generation silk suture. A 32 bougie would be a standard size bougie that is a good choice in my opinion. The surgery would not inflame gallstones. Gallstones are more common in women especially with weight gain and weight loss. That is why gallstones are common in weight loss patients. Brad Watkins MD

Band _Groupie - Wow we are in the exact same boat. I had to have an unfill two months ago and I am now up 11 pounds from my lowest weight. I am also watching myself and doing my best this week (and next). If I have not started to lose again, I'll go in for a very small fill. I havent been on LBT in a long time. It's my weight gain that brought me back. Here's hoping you and I both start to see the scale moving down!

Jeff, I'm glad to hear that you're seeing another doc. There is an old-school mentality that thinks that anyone with a BMI over 50 needs a bypass. I truly believe that you can be successful with either surgery, but you need to find what works for you. Since this is "Lap Band Talk", you'll get more pro-band advice, but it comes from experience. I have no doubt that you could lose 200+ lbs with a band, but you will have to eat right and workout. The big negatives for you (from my point of view) are: 1. Much more difficult surgery 2. Malnutrition from the malabsorption aspect of the bypass 3. Permanence. The band can be removed or adjusted, if needed. The bypass is forever. Ask your doctor, how many of his bypass patients experience a weight gain several years after their loss. I don't know the stats, but this has happened to 2 of my friends. They both have regained about 50% of their original loss. I have another friend who has never had that problem and thinks her bypass is the best thing she ever did. Good luck on your decision. Cindy

Melissa....have you ever thought of having your DH pay for individual policies for himself and your DS and you going on your own with a policy subsidised by your state? I am not sure of the GA health ins laws, but in our state it is the most reasonable way to go when one family member is a high risk to ins companies. Might be worth checking out. Even with a high deductible, would be much less than paying out what you would with Cobra. Just a thought. If your DH and DS are healthy, they could choose a high deductible also and everybody would have a savings on premium. Do you have and ins agent that would go to bat for you? If not, find one that will take a look at your situation. I think of you often and the struggles you have been through the last few months. And, YES, you CAN get back to Onderland. Heck, I weighed 119-125 until I started on the weight gain wagon. Put your sights on a number you feel comfortable with and focus on that goal. We are here to help you along that path:tt1:

Hi I had surgery on August 16th. My surgeon had me on clear liquids for 2 days, pureed foods day 3- 14 and regular food, small portions chewed to applesauce consistency. I had so much trouble on day 2 with what was most likely gas pain and swelling that I didn't eat or even drink for close to 4 days. The Dr. took out all of the fluid in my band on day 4 hoping it would help with me being able to swallow. Now--I've been perfectly fine for two weeks and I'm so hungry. I can eat just about anything as long as I chew it up well. Bad thing is, I KNOW some of it is old habits creeping in and I have nothing that is preventing me from eating. I'm so frustrated and I have 3-4 weeks before they will put in a fill. I initially had lost 35 lbs, but have gained back 5. They tell me my metabolism shut down from not eating that first week after surgery and the weight gain is my body's way of self-preservation. But it's SO hard emotionally to gain weight and struggle with feeling hungry all the time, when you thought, maybe incorrectly, that you'd have some relief from the constant desire to eat. So--I'm looking for some support. If you have any words of wisdom, let me know. I'm pretty discouraged right now.

I agree with what was written already. My doctor hardly does GBP anymore. The Band seems to be preferred today. I think it has to do with the idea of eating and getting the nutrition. While I am aware the weight gain is possible with both procedures, I have seen 2 people with the GBP stop losing and regain all, plus more within 2 years of the procedure. My surgeon said I wasn't big enough to warrant the GBP. He said 10 years ago, he would have done it, but now he rarely does not do the band. I was (and still am) morbidly obese. I started at 289 and am 11 months out at 236. He is happy with my progress. So am I. The dumping syndrome w/ GBP is awful, as I have witnessed it w/ a friend who never saw the relation between what she ate and the dumping. Tells everyone she has never had it. This lie along with the others she tells herself is why she has been unsuccessful. She was out of school from June first and returned in September. She had full open surgery and was still not 100% by September. I love my band. I am a HS teacher and was out a week. Third Grade may prove more active:wink2:, so play it by ear. Good Luck and do what you feel most comfortable doing.

I have BCBS and I didn't have to do a 6 month supervised diet. I saw my primary doctor for my annual visit on 5/11/10...upset with my weight gain over the past year. I went to 3 seminars (various doctors) within a week. I met my surgeon on 6/2/10 (consult) and had my surgery on 8/16/10; 2 months and 2 weeks from once I decided on my surgeon. Maybe you can ask that they submit the paperwork and see what happens. I know my doctor's office submitted my paperwork on a Monday and they received word that I was approved the next day for surgery within 5 days. I asked them to push my date back because I wanted to met with the dietrician one last time and get some things squared away at work. Good luck!

Hi Everybody, I saw this article cited on google health news. The research showed that about 1 in 6 people were able to lose 10% of their body weight and keep it off for a year. The study included those who may have lost unintentionally and also those who may have had temporary weight gain (e.g., Freshman 15). The greatest % of loss was among 75-84 year olds, which isn't surprising as the elderly often lose weight unintentionally. Once agin, I'm sure I made the right decision. 10% of my body weight would have been a measly 21 lbs when I needed to lose 75. If you want to see the abstract, here's a link: Access : Long-term weight loss maintenance in the United States : International Journal of Obesity

Hi Chris! I too have Aetna (PPO) and I called them a week ago and they sent via email, a list of what will qualify in order for them to approve the surgery. Just give that number on the back of your card a call, and the rep can help you. mine was very helpfull. unfortunately, i can't relay the email to you because it's secretly coded via aetna lol. but yes, their main requirements is that 1) you have a BMI over 40 or 2) you have a BMI of at least 35 with any of the following co-morbidities: --sleep apnea --coronary heart disease --hypertension (greater than 140/90) --type II diabetes aetna also requires (under my plan anyhow) at least 2 years of documented weight gains/loss and documentation from PCP. or any of the documentation from weight loss programs (jenny craig, ww, etc). i heard from my doctor that aetna was one of the better insurances to have because generally we only have to undergo the 3 months of supervised diet/education vs. the usual 6 months others have. so call that number on the back of your card!!! good luck!

Was the pain from the surgery the horrible experience your talking about? If so it does get better with time. Everybody heals at a different rate & pain levels vary between people. I wouldn't get to worried about the weight gain. Your body's healing & needs time. When you start getting fills then you will start to see a change, but even then we have to be patient. We will come out the winner on this weight loss battle I just know it! Keep posting & let us know how your doing. We care:)

I am 8 days out and becoming more and more incorporated with my family than before. I believe my problem was the fact that I avoided meals in order to avoid food, which made me miss dinner outings with my kids. The last two nights we have made sure to get out of the house for as long as I can stand it. Last night I thought I could make it through dinner at the food court with my family. Hubby and 5 year old get Chinese food. I admit it looked tasty for about 3 seconds then suddenly the idea of getting my eye brows done sounded like a much better and successful idea. Did I mention that the eye strings hurt? No where near as bad as last time when they burned me with wax but it's a bit sensitve especially a few days out in the wicked chair you have to sit in. I was cool as long as I didn't sneeze, cause sneezing = pain. So by the time I got done with my eye brows (which is something as a SAHM I NEVER HAVE TIME TO DO!) they were done eating. I stopped by GNC and grabbed my dinner of Muscle Milk. I had my first post-op with my surgeon yesterday. He is very concerned as to the rash from hell I have and wants a full investigation because the next person who is allergic to iodine may not walk away with just a rash. Plus he wants to give me the name of the prep so I can tell additonal surgeons NOT to use it. According to his scales I had lost 7 pounds. After walking miles around the mall last night I lost another pounds. So I am again in the 219. Plus I am no longer on broth that makes me want the meat that goes with it, but on Creamy Soups which I can live with. Next week I can have Wendy's Chili. So there is an end in sight. I appreciate all the support ya'll have given me over the past week or two and wanted to let folks know you will adapt. Our bodies adapt through pregnancy adapt through weight gain, weight loss. It's our brains that take a time to catch up and say it's not going to kill me.

Hello, I would like to have weight loss surgery, maybe lap band, but not sure exactly. I have completed a six month of supervised weight loss treatment with my family doctor per Medicaid insurance request in 2009. I was a BMI of 39 ½. I have asthma, insomnia, Gastro reflex disease, and chronic cough, usually occurs after meals. I have sent six month records to Winston Salem, I have not received a direct answer from them for two month. I contacted them one last time to check on the status, the nurse told me I was rejected, I wondered why and spoke with director. And found out my records were not read. Now in 2010, Even though my weight loss and weight gain is instable, I had been trying to lose weight to better cope with hyper ventilations. I went down to a BMI of 36. In the same time, I had pursued Duke Hospital around the month of April 2010, I have received a respond from them on August 27, 2010 that I am rejected because I don't have sleep Apnea. In the six month program I had to do I was a BMI of 39 1/2, a weight that I had since 13 years old, all records states that as well, I feel a bit cheated, but What do you guys think?

I originally was hoping to have an RNY when I first started researching bariatric surgery 4 years ago, but my insurance didn't cover it and after spending months, daily, on an RNY board and seeing just how many people had major complications afterward, I couldn't justify taking the chance on going self-pay, and then not having insurance coverage for any complications afterward. The sleeve was new then, and I just didn't look much into it at the time. Fast forward to this past December, when I started looking into WLS again, hoping that our new insurance that kicked in January 1st might cover it. Well, of course it didn't, because the creature who owns our company continues to specifically exclude it from our policy to save a few dollars (he's a multi-millionaire and a horrible excuse for a human being, truly, and I don't say that lightly). But I digress.... so now, suddenly there's all this new info and data about the sleeve, and so many more people sharing their experiences and successes, and much more in the way of complication stats--well, compared to the RNY, they were practically zilch. BINGO! For those reasons, in addition to all the facts and comparisons made by the posters above me, I knew immediately that the sleeve was for me. I saw my family doctor for blood work, EKG, and clearance, saw the surgeon a week after that, and had my Sleeve 12 days later and it's been WONDERFUL!!! I don't remember if anyone noted this above, but so far studies show weight-loss stats from VSG as equal to the RNY, with less chance of rebound weight-gain since our sleeves really don't stretch, but the RNY pouch does. My surgeon expects the VSG to become the go-to, preferred WLS sometime soon, and I've seen other people say that their surgeons say the same thing. In the end it was really a no-brainer for me, and I couldn't be more thrilled with it.

I am currently working on an appeal for the very same reason, insurance denial. I chose the sleeve for several reasons, 1. malabsorption - I want t be able to absorb all the nutrients my body needs. 2. food choices - I want to be able to eat a variety of foods and eat foods recommended by the national guidelines for healthy eating. (relatively little chance of dumping syndrome) 3. I want to maintain my stomach's pyloric sphincter. In the RNY, the bottom of the pouch does not have a sphincter, instead it just has a small opening which can stretch out over time, resulting in food passing through the stomach quickly, and becoming hungry quicker. This often results in weight gain. 4. The fundus of the stomach (which produces ghrelin to make you hungry) is removed, often resulting in lessening hunger pains. 5. the part of the stomach that is left is not as stretchy, and less likely to stretch out of shape over time. 6. the amount of food that can be eaten is a little larger than the RNY and I think that amount is healthier and better for me. These are the things that have made me stick to my decision despite ignorant insurance companies.