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I think I need to vent and a little encouragement. Saturday I did an African Dancing class...the first time I've done such an intense cardio workout in forever. It was amazing and so challenging and I kept up! But at the end, after the adrenaline wore off, I realized I had scraped all the skin off one pinkie toe and had a cut on the bottom of the other. Fast forward to today and I am having to limp as my macerated toe won't permit me to walk normally. I am worried bc I have become rather 'addicted' to my workouts. They keep my mood elevated and act as a natural antidepressant. Especially I long work days like today and gloomy weather, I feel I need it. So how do I cope? Take a few days off and let it heal or go ride the stationary bike or something? I hate that I am dependent on exercise for maintaining a positive outlook but I am. Thanks for any support. I realize this isn't a big deal, but I have a tendency to slip back into old habits (food, watching too much tv) when I don't get enough exercise.

Thanks so much to everyone. Wheetsin---you are a wealth of information. I went through the rest of the day with no issues. I didn't dare put anything else in my mouth though...I was too scared. For dinner I had cream of crab soup (fed the DH king crab legs and made the kids a heart shaped pizza). I knew that a PB was bound to happen one day. I think that I did pretty good by going almost 10 months without one. I can assure you that I never want that to happen again and if I have any say over it, it won't. I have had a love/love relationship with my band but today I wasn't so much in love with it. I'll get over it and move on, but I don't know how people can do that two and three times a week. That's not for me. Again guys, thanks so very much for all of your replies. It really did help me through my very first PB. On a better note...off to the outlets tomorrow for some new clothes...you know...ones that actually fit me now.:mad:

At my follow-up, I asked if ibuprophen was off limits. (I have a bad knee injury that ibuprophen helps for pain). My doctor said ibuprophen was ok, so long as it is ground up first. I use Goody's (aspirin & acetominophin) which comes in those little powder packets. BC is another brand but read the ingredients. BC contains caffiene. Goody's does not.

Ok...I'll jump in and post to reply to some of your points. Some of what you said is very valid, other stuff not so much, altho please do not take any of this to be criticism on your thought process !!! I am over 2 years post-op and have emailed, phoned and sat face to face with numerous bandsters who were banded all over the place. Some in Ontario (keep in mind I am in BC), some in Mexico and some like myself, in the US. Saying this is just to say that I have heard plenty of things, both good and bad, from all 3 of the possible surgery scenarios. First of all....Mexico. - Hospitals and clinics have unknown standards True enough, altho I think by reading sites like this one, Obesityhelp.com and the many Yahoo groups available (I name these because it is where I did most of my early pre-band reading) you can learn a lot about different surgeons and clinics in Mexico. I have sat face to face with people in meetinns who went to Tijuana who have told me that they have ~never~ been in a cleaner or more organized facilty anywhere. - Dr's claims to huge surgical numbers are unverifiable Again, I agree, but I would never chose a surgeon that I had not read extensively about and spoken to some of his patients. By reading thru these sites you can easily pick out a few Mexican surgeons that it is easy to tell that they have numerous patients. As well, if you read things about certain surgeons (Dr. Ortiz immediately comes to mind) you will see that they are outstanding in this field and have in fact trained certain 'big-name' Drs both in Canada and the US. (by 'big-name' I mean well known in the bariatric surgery field) - Free follow-ups require traveling to Mexico Yes, however there are plenty of Canadian clinics who only offer short-term or limited 'free' aftercare. - No liquid diets noted prior to surgery... does this not put the liver at risk? I never had any pre-op diet to follow, liquid or otherwise. This is almost entirely dependant of your surgeon and varies greatly, the same as your immediate post-op diet will vary surgeon to surgeon. Another variable my be your health status at the time of surgery and how much weight you have to loose. My surgeon did not put me on a pre-op diet, but I know other people from the same clinic that were required to follow one. This said, there are 2 ladies in my support group who have just recently been banded by Dr. Ortiz in Mexico and they ~both~ were put on a pre-op diet. So Mexico is just like Canada and the US on this point, some require it, some don't. - Unless you speak Spanish, are you sure you are safe? Not at all. These clinics depend on their American and Canadian clients and all speak full English, all the way from the fellow driving the hospital 'taxi' (most clinics provide transportation from the airport to the clinics) to the surgeons. And the US... The US dollar issue is a given. If you manage to have surgery when our $ is good, then it can be good, if our $ is down, it's not so good. You will pay for your aftercare in USD which will fluctuate as the $ goes up and down. - The consultation we had in a good hospital in a good market gave us the cost of the procedure at 16000 USD but they did not provide any free follow-ups after the first year or fills ever. I paid 16000US and my clinic provided free fills for 13 months, free support for life and if I need to have any 'repair' surgery that will also be covered for life. I was happy with that and found it comparable to anything close to me and Canadian. - Even if you decide to get it there and use the clinics up here to fill and follow-up... expect to keep paying and paying. Agreed, but everyone needs to know what is included in their surgery regardless of where you have it done. Plenty of Canadian clinics don't offer free care and fills for your lifetime....so any of us can keep paying and paying. And Canada.... - Since you will use a clinic close to you... the follow-ups and fills are probably free As I said...this is only true ~if~ the clinic you choose offers free care. Everyone needs to be certain of what is included in the cost of your surgery and for how long. - Your band clinic will be contacted for emergency complications and I should hope that your banding doc would have something to say about the band's removal before it happens. Yes and no. I just spoke to a woman in Ontario recently who had some complications with her band and went to emergency at the local hospital. The attending Drs had no idea about 'bands' and were not willing to call her surgeon. They would not access her port to defill her. Her hysband finally took her home after having an IV to rehydrate her, and they called her band clinic once they got home. It is pretty rare to have some kind of complication come up that will require ~immediate~ surgery and removal of your band. I would hazard to guess that in 99% of the cases you would personally be able to contact your surgeon regardless of where s/he is. The people that I know who have been banded in Mexico come home with the surgeons personal cell #, and a 24 hour emergency call #. - If you have complications that only require a visit within 24-48 hours to your clinic... you can get there! Agreed, and this is exactly why I chose the US and not Canada. This will depend on where you are located. There were 2 surgeons in Vancouver for me to choose from for my surgery and I decided that neither were a good fit for me. That left me to either drive to WA state or fly to Ontario. I decided that I wanted to be able to drive to see my surgeon and not worry about a plane ticket and trip across the country. I personally think your post is great. It will give everyone something to think about when they are deciding what is best for themselves. You've pretty much done what I have suggested others do before surgery.....make a pro and con list and see what works best. I'm glad you've decided to go ahead with banding....I honestly don't think you'll regret spending the money, it's an ~amazing~ journey !!! All the best and good luck !!!! Patricia

Spoke to the billing clerk 7/16 about how much fills cost (my 1st 3 months were covered under the cost of surgery) I said I was wondering since BC/BS of MI doesn't cover them.......she said "yes they do" We kinda argued back and forth for a minute and she wrote down the CPT code for me S2083 Adjustment of gastric band diameter. She said BCBS covers every time, all I pay is my $10.00 office co-pay. This code is new as of July 2007 according to my BC/BS of Michigan policy. It falls under the Obesity Surgery catagory.

Anyone have any idea how long I will have to wait To get approval from my insurance company? I submitted everything they asked for yesterday and was hoping someone can give me an estimate of how long it takes for blue cross blue shield to make a decision.

Also I should throw this in the pot... I'm having my sleeve in Mexico so we also have a nice long drive bc I'm not about to fly! We are...oh... 15 hours from our destination!!

I have BC/BS PPO, I just got my approval letter Friday. I had to have a BMI of 40, and had to do a 6 month diet, and get approval from a heart, respiratory, and phyc. Dr. I also had to give them a copy of the last 5 years of being over weight. I had to lose 15lbs for approval. Im waiting for my surgery date. Its taken me 9 months to get here. I hope its all worth it.

Thanks so much for responding. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me your stories. What was the final straw for you to finally make that move to go to a surgeon? Did something happen or were you just fed up with being overweight and just decided to go through with it? I guess I just have reservations about doing it. I know a few people who had the gastric bypass. One is gaining his weight back 3 yrs in and the other a female seems to have put alittle bit of her weight back but she has had ALOT of hair loss. She also had skin removal not long after her weight loss. Both seem deficient in vitamins etc. I just dont want to go through all this and ultimately end up gaining it back. Id like to think that I could say on target and make a change in my eating habits and the types of food I eat but seeing others starting to put the weight back on makes me second guess doing it.

Hello! I'm new here, but have been banded since 2009. I have had problems w the band & now it slipped. I'm considering removing it bc I have read lots of info which says if i fix it, a slip could happen again! I want this to be my last surgery! I don't wanna risk slippage again & go through all the acid reflux issues I have. If u have had it removed--how was your recovery? Same as being banded or easier?? What abt Eating schedule right after surgery?? Is that the same?? Thx and ANY info would be much appreciated!

My doc allowed me caffeine. Thank goodness bc I love my coffee!

Well 40 BMI which is no problem...my bmi is 41.6 and I have PCOS with Insulin resistance....but other than what Dr. Steward requires my insurance just says 40 bmi or over. I have Anthem BC/BS of VA but I live here in KS....hubby gets insurance through working on post through a contractor as a mechanic and that is who they go through for insurance.

I have BC/BS PPO in California. Once you get all your consults in, you also have to get "medical clearance". Mine came from the endocronoligist that works with my surgeon. Sometimes they can make you go thru additional testing before giving you clearance. Once you get that, the coordinator from the surgeons office will submit everything to insurance. Mine only took 2 days to approve!! Good luck. Sounds like you're keeping pace with everything!!

Dang¡ i used it maybe twice! And bc they told me was for gas i figures id be fine and they never check ir asked if i used it i left it there

Yeah i know and i just flew in a total of 10 airplanes for my surgery which was in mexico! I cant seem to wint for losing!!! Well this just means i have to stay extra extra extra healthy- no matter what bc ive had lots of ct scans my life time and dont plan on flying many planes in my future- ill have to stock up on extra antioxdkant Vitamins as well I guess eventually thismwill be easier but for. Now its crazy!

I know exactly what you are talking about. but I have an idea for the apple and pineapple juice. first they have to be sugar free. then I usually put 1/4 of a cup juice then continue with water, so it is diluted. what about soups? . my doctor put me on clear liquid diet for one month:(( I am losing but I am so fed up. anyway only 10 days to go. 20 days are over already. I know I don't want to mess with the staple line. but I will try JELLO tonight. I loved SF popsicles though. may be try a different flavor. I know everybody is different. my doctor also did not mention anything about Protein shakes in the first month and when I asked him, he said NO protein shakes at this phase. he said are you trying to gain weight??. He said after 30 days I can think of taking one Protein shake daily.

Hey ladies! Here's some HOPE for you!! I TTC for 7 years due to PCOS and was also very overweight. We adopted our beautiful son in 2007 and thought our family was complete. I had my VSG in 2010 and lost 140 lbs in 1 year. At a yearly physical, my OBGYN took me off birth control (taken to regulate my periods) because she realized I had a blood clotting factor and it could be very dangerous to continue on BC. We didn't do anything to prevent pregnancy because it hadn't happened in 7 years right? Well, 2 months later I was preggo! I gave birth 11 days ago to a beautiful, HEALTHY, 5lb, 4oz baby boy and we couldn't be happier! An unexpected blessing that I KNOW would not be here without my sleeve! In my opinion and experience, weight loss DEFINATELY increases fertility!! Good luck!!

I have the implannon and haven't had my surgery yet. I'm scheduled on Nov 7th. I have gained about ten lbs on while on it. I am now on the liquid pre op diet and I have lost weight while on the diet. My question is to those who have already had the surgery. Were any of you on BC and did it have any impact on how much weight you lost after surgery?

Yep, the iron. Much like taking too much vitamin Bs make your pee more yellow.

Oh I know exactly how you feel, I wanted every last tiny detail from anyone! LOL. Deep breaths serenity, it's definitely gonna happen for you!!! I know it! :wink2: :biggrin: For me, it was 2 months after my surgeon's visit, add another month before that for gathering up data, visiting my PCP, psych eval, and boom. Done :hand: Once the surgery date was set, the weeks WHIPPED by. It was so weird. My friend Lexy just got banded yesterday and she said the same thing. OK honesty time. I soooo did not last on the 2 week liquid pre op diet. I lasted all of 5 days, then went back to Wendy's. I felt like crap, I was hungry, I was upset, I felt unsatisfied, did I mention hungry, emotional over being separated from my food when I wanted it. The biggest thing I think was that frankly, Slim Fast, Carnation, all that CRAP is completely filled with preservatives, processed stuff. Since getting on the band, I went to the Blood Type Diet (now the GenoType Diet), and SLOWED DOWN enough in eating to realize my specific body just hated certain foods. Slim Fast is one of them. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine...any "low fat" food is chock full of monstrously distorted natural foods...and then it was confirmed when I had some testing done and found my body was allergic to preservatives! Ha. It knew better than I did, I just never listened. I could eat 20 calories a day of natural organic food and never feel as crappy as I felt on Slim Fast, Herbalife, Smart Ones, Healthy Choice etc. I think if you try eating low fat Beans, rice, veggies, even if not organic, then make them FRESH, you will slash the fat in your diet, feel full and SATED (which is incredibly important) and drop weight pre-op. I guess the docs want you drinking liquids to 'get used to it' but I think it's BS, personally. Some docs don't even require a pre-op diet, so clearly it's not all about the fatty liver issue :ohmy:

Thanks for the quick response. How long did the whole process take? I mean from the seminar to the surgery date? I'm getting anxious. I have BC/BS/ of Michigan and they tell me that's one of the best. you have a great day....I'm about to head to the beach and as always will most likely be one of the biggest babes there!! Life goes on anyway....lol

Best advice is that remember you don't eat as much so you get inebriated a lot quicker - Learned this the hard way! I can pretty much drink anything non-carbonated and can drink beer after the fizz calms down. I am almost 2 years post op though -- Take it slow and the lighter in color the better bc colors bother me but wine is fine and doesn't It is really trial and error

. Yep I totally feel your pain! I think it does get easier once u can eat purées and soft foods. Yesterday I got in 72 grams!!! That's the best I've done in weeks! But then I only got in 4 cups or Water :/ it's a trade off I can't seem to do both! Water or protein. When I was on full liquids I had no problems with constipation or diarrhea. Now I'm totally constipated. Emailed my dr to see what to take bc I feel lousy today from it!!

I have logged into this website at first on my laptop and just used to connect through fb link. Now when I use my iphone app I cannot get logged in bc I don't have a user name/password. I tried to register using my info but it says that my email is already in use as is my name. Does anyone know how I can fix this?

Hello- you just justified my surgery to me- I am 20, 5'8 and 225 and getting surgery soon... Im a little nervous, but I think its the right move bec Im so fed up with diets and want to be a normal healthy weight- sick of struggling and yo yo ing... I am also flying in from overseas to do this- so Im sure you can figure it out with your move... Good Luck!!!