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I have BCBS Alliance Select in Iowa. From what I've read on the company website lapband is covered if you have a BMI under 50. I'm at 50 but I think I can manage to lose 10 pounds to bring that down. Anyhow I know every insurance is different but if they say the procedure is covered does that usually mean your fills too? Or is this something that might be all out of pocket? I'm just realizing that this surgery is really something that could require quite a few visits and I just would like to know what I'm in for I guess.

I started the day after surgery with 30 minute walks and now two weeks post op I'm back in the gym 2 hours a day doing my normal cardio and light weights! Our all depends on you're body and when you feel well enough to excersize... Banded August 28 2012<br />Starting weight 293<br />Day of surgery weight 273<br />Current weight 258<br />Goal weight 160 5ft 10

Hi guys I'm 31 years old female living in London! I has my banding on the 18th June I'm on the liquid phase and will be starting mushy food on Monday, I've lost 18 Pound so far but 11 was list in the week leading to surgery I'm starting to worry that I have made the right decision. I'm concerned that my will power will let me down! I'm so determined to loose weight and finally be fit and slim but I keep having that nagging feeling that I may fail. I was so confident I'd do well prior to the operation but now I find myself having more Soup or shakes that I think I possibly should Did anyone else feel like this or is it just me? Thanks Kel

Thank you so much everyone!! I took a lot of your advice and started REALLY slowly last night and kept a big king sized pillow pressed up against my tummy the entire night. I rolled over to my left side just slightly with the pillow against me and it was HEAVEN!! I actually got 5-6 straight hours of sleep which is ALOT. I don't typically get more than that because I have a son who has night terrors in the middle of the night and 9 month old whose sleeping pattern is completely off since I left for surgery. Needless to say I feel soooo much better and refreshed today and I can't thank you enough!!! I think I'll be waiting until day 10 or so to get it on, but my hubby is sooo understanding and supportive that he would never complain. Thanks again...you guys are all so wonderful!

Dos- 11/19- cw 149

Congrats! I am about 10 months post op with a loss of about 50 #. I also view my band as a friend! My biggest fear right now is losing it! Stories such as yours are encouraging to me! I have had only one fill so far and am close to my goal. I am enjoying eating whatever I want (just not overeating) and living a "normal" life. I wish I had had it done 25 yrs ago! Here's to the next 4+++ years!

Yup, I am in my fourth week and get my first fill a week from today. I am very ready. I am using a certain size of rubbermaid type container to eat out of to help me recognize when it is time to quit eating. Usually within 10 minutes of stopping eating, the desire to eat more goes away. I never feel "full" but am getting to where I recognize real hunger. I look forward to the fill hopefully making this easier. I have 3 cc now, left in at surgery (10 cc band).

All Bran makes a drink mix similar to Crystal Light that has 10 grams of fiber. It comes in 2 flavors. I've only tried the pink lemonade it's really good and you can have it while on the liquid diet. It helps a lot. Benefiber is good too but one serving only has 3 grams of fiber.

Hello everyone! I've been reading and gathering info for so long now, I thought it was finally time to join on and say hello. This forum has been amazingly helpful, and you all seem so wonderful, I'm really happy to have found my way here :couch2: I'm Ann, 22, from Northern California (Windsor to be exact). I'm scheduled for banding with Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana on Sept. 28, 2006... Only 3 weeks to go! It's still conditional on my funding coming through 100%, so feel free to cross your fingers for me I am beyond excited, I can't even express it. Like many of you I'm sure, I've tried EVERYTHING to try and lose weight for the past 10 years. I've had some success, but apparently "long-term" is not in my vocabulary if you know what I mean. I'm just ready for a permanent change, so that I can find permanent success. I know that it will still take alot of work, I'm just tired of it being a constant struggle - especially one that feels like a battle I'm always losing. I fell like the band is just calling my name! Again, I'm really happy to here, and looking forward to getting to know you all.

Parrothead probably had her gall bladder taken out before they could do it laproscopically. That's how they used to do it probably 10 years ago, the way she had it done.

Hey, Sleeve Plication Talk Members! Now that Memorial Day has passed and we’re well into June, it’s summer time! Why not use the warm weather and casual dress code for motivation to stick to your diet? Of course, the newsletter’s a great way to remind you to be good, too! We keep you updated on what’s going on at SleevePlicationTalk.com, and we’ll jump right into this newsletter with: Sleeve Plication Support Groups: Are you taking full advantage of special forum groups on SleevePlicationTalk.com? To Tell or Not to Tell – Do you tell others about your sleeve plication? Member Spotlight – None other than Alex Brecher, founder of SleevePlicationTalk.com! Sleever Challenge – This is a great one to kick off the summer. We encourage you to stay involved with SleevePlicationTalk.com. Ask your questions, answer your peers and keep your profile current. All of your participation keeps you on track and helps everyone else! Always let us know when you have suggestions, comments and questions. Enjoy the newsletter. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Sleeve Plication Support Groups: What are They, and How Do They Help You? SleevePlicationTalk.com can be a huge part of your life. Many of us check the boards every day or more, and depend on the site for support, information and encouragement. Joining one or more SleevePlicationTalk.com support groups is a great way to get even more out of SleevePlicationTalk.com. These support groups are like exclusive clubs, but all you have to do to join is to participate! Just look at the different types groups we have. Monthly groups based on when you got your surgery Groups based on your hometown, age and weight goals. The sleeve plication buddies and mentors forum in case you need a little extra help or want to help someone in their weight loss journey. And more…for religious sleevers, gay, lesbian and bi sleevers, crossover addicts, biker sleevers…and way more. These groups are smaller discussion forums for sleevers who have a lot of things in common with you even beyond your weight loss surgery. They may have great solutions to problems that you’re having, and they can be super sympathetic to your situation. You can make close friends on these boards because you already have so much in common, and because you can spend a lot more “one-on-one” time with them. Come on over to the SleevePlicationTalk.com support group page and see which groups you want to join! Hot on the Boards: Coming out of the WLS Closet. To tell or not to tell? That’s a pretty sensitive question for a lot of weight loss surgery patients. It’s normal to feel embarrassed about your surgery, especially when you’re dealing with people who look down on you. Always remember that you don’t have to let others make you feel bad. As long as you’re healthy and happy, you should feel proud of your accomplishments. Anyone who truly loves you will also be proud. It’s a personal decision whether to tell people about weight loss surgery. You might tell your closest friends and family first, and let others in on the secret when they start to ask you how you lost so much weight. You don’t ever have to tell anyone if you’re shy or just don’t want to. Or, if you prefer, you can tell everyone as soon as you set the date for your surgery. Maybe that’ll make you feel more accountable and inspire you to success. What are your thoughts? Do you tell people that you’ve gotten weight loss surgery? Do you explain to them what a sleeve plication is, since they probably don’t know? How do you choose when to tell, how much to say and whom to tell? Do you have any tips for other sleevers? Tell us about it! First Member Spotlight – It’s Alex! We promised, and now we’ve delivered! It’s time for the first true Member Spotlight, and who better to be honored than…Alex! He’s the founder of RNYTalk.com and the other communities belonging to WLSBoards.com. He manages and promotes the boards to make sure that they’re here for everyone. He is truly passionate about helping others reach the same weight loss success that he did. Here’s his story. He’s the handsome, friendly face you see hanging out on the forums, but he took the same journey as many of you to achieve those looks. Alex struggled with obesity and diets for years without finding permanent weight loss success. He finally realized that he needed to lose the weight if he wanted to be around for his children for years to come. Alex got the lap-band, lost more than 100 pounds and never looked back. Thrilled with his new energy and health, Alex had the motivation and confidence to stop smoking. Today he is an active, lean family man who loves to run, bike and spend time with his children. In 2003, Alex founded LapBandTalk.com, which quickly became the largest weight loss surgery community in the world. He started VerticalSleeveTalk.com in February of 2009, and the other WLSBoards, RNYTalk.com and SleevePlicationTalk.com, followed in 2011. That’s right – we’re only starting our second year, and we’ve already got thousands of great members! Alex works hard to make sure that all members to have positive experiences and benefit from being part of the communities. Do you have someone you’d like to see featured in the Member Spotlight? Would you like to be our spotlighted member? Come tell us in the Member Spotlight forum! It’s a regular feature of the newsletters to let you learn a little more about someone in our community with an inspirational story or who helps out our members. Thanks for your nominations so far! Sleever Challenge! Challenge Yourself and Achieve Something New! We give you a challenge in each SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter. It’s not a challenge for you to compete against anyone else. It’s just a way to set a new goal for yourself to try something new or push yourself a little harder. Nobody’s keeping score, so try it! You can always find the old challenges in the Challenge Forum. So far, the two challenges have been: Try a new food or recipe. It’s pretty simple. Come up with a new recipe or try a new food that fits on your diet. Tell us about it! Recognize your non-scale victory (NSV): An NSV is something that is an accomplishment during your weight loss journey, but it isn’t based on the number on the scale. It might be something like fitting into a dress you like or being able to keep up with your grandchildren without getting tired.. It’s never too late to try the old challenges and write about them. Share what you come up with to brag a little and help out others. The New Challenge: Be an Exercise Buddy! This challenge is great for your health and the health of a lucky new or old friend. Why? Over the next two weeks, your challenge is to do a workout with a new person. Some ideas for the challenge are to: Ask your neighbor to take a walk with you Ask someone at your gym to be your partner while you both lift weights Go for a bike ride with your kids or spouse Take a new exercise class Be creative! The goal is to do something fun and healthy, and maybe make a new friend or two along the way. Don’t forget to post your challenge results in the Challenge Forum. The forum’s also great place to go if you need ideas or have advice for other Sleevers so they can complete the challenge. Good luck! And Finally: Please Support Us! Just as a reminder, we’d like to ask you to support us when you can. We know you value SleevePlicationTalk.com and all of its free services. We’d like to remind you to please ask your surgeon and other healthcare providers to post SleevePlicationTalk.com fliers in their offices. We’re always growing, and you can help. Thank you. That does it for this newsletter. Thanks for reading and for your continued participation on the boards. Take care! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.sleevepli...&tab=newsletter

Have Market Street near me! Will be pitty patting my recently sized 8/10 butt down there today. They will be perfect with our anniversary filet mignon and really nice bottle of wine. 34 years deserves the best! There will be no guilt involved tonight for such indulges!

They can do a nicotine test. Smokers in my surgeon's practice have to quit smoking 10 weeks before surgery and the rest them preop and will cancel surgery if they restart. I guess the 10 weeks part is that if you've been smoke free that long presurgery you're unlikely to restart afterwards.

I had my surgery on Monday evening (10/27/08) and was back at work the following Monday. I probably could have went back sooner, but was glad to had the time off to be lazy and heal.

revisions always seem to be slower than virgin surgeries. That said, you can always lose more weight by cutting calories....I mean if you're willing to do that (I know I could lose more by cutting them, but evidently I'm not willing to do that because here I sit....still 10-ish lbs heavier than what I want to be...)

You and the prediet are going to be fine. My favorites so far, Peaches and. cream Premier Protein , Blueberry Muscle Milk, Svelte French Vanilla, and in 4th place caramel Premier Protein . Have also tried Eqaute shakes from WalMart, $2 cheaper but one fault I find. I think they have a. processed evaporated milky undertaste, I can't eat anything chocolate because of allergies but. I am sure the Cookies and Cream would be very good. I found a liquid calcium at Walmart, brand is Wellnesse, cost under $10 , citrus flavor and it is Calcium citrate, like we are supposed to have instead of Carbonate.

My surgery is 10/21, but I do not have a time yet. My schedule for surgery is as follows...Today-start 10 day diet. ( Switch to clear liquids ONLY day before surgery at 2pm until midnight. No bowel prep needed due to diet.) Monday is EDG. Wednesday -stop oral warfarin ( I am a lifer on blood thinners due to repeated DVTs) Thursday (my birthday)- see Dr. Bruce for final pre op appointment. Friday- start Lovenox injections. Monday- SURGERY!!! After that....heal, feel better, be healthy and lose this weight!!!

Quest Protein Chips. 19-20g protein, 140 calories... I'm more than a year out and they're still a part of my routine.

I recently posted an article titled “The Biggest Loser:” Irresponsible Weight Loss Surgery Comments? . We received many fantastic comments from our concerned members. I've decided to follow up our article with an Open Letter to Dr. Robert Huizenga or Dr. H as he's known on the show. The letter will also be sent to the shows producers and staff members. Dear Dr. Huizenga, I am the founder of BariatricPal, the world’s largest online community for weight loss surgery patients and potential patients. I am writing to you today regarding your role as an expert on “The Biggest Loser.” I am asking you to please stop publicly portraying weight loss surgery in a negative light without any explanation. Most recently, during the Season 16 Finale, you stated that losing weight using methods used on the show were far healthier than turning to weight loss surgery. The implication was that bariatric surgery is under no circumstances the best choice for individuals struggling with obesity. I am asking you to stop making comments like this. You and “The Biggest Loser” have a significant amount of influence on America. The season finale attracted 5.4 million live viewers, with untold millions watching the show at a later time. Given that one-third of American adults are obese, it is almost certain that many viewers have obesity. “The Biggest Loser” reaches out to this audience throughout the show. Contestants, trainers, and health experts like yourself directly address viewers who need to lose weight, offering encouragement and tips. As you know, positive gestures like this can motivate people to change their lives. Unfortunately, the derogatory comments about bariatric surgery can have just as much impact, but in a negative way. Your statement at the Season 16 finale of “The Biggest Loser” and similar ones make weight loss surgery sound like a shameful, dangerous, and ineffective choice in all cases, with no further explanation. According to the Weight-Control Information Network (WIN), 4% of men and 8% of women in the U.S. have extreme obesity (BMI over 40). That translates to about 20 million American adults who are potentially eligible for weight loss surgery. This figure does not include the approximately 60 million Americans whose BMIs are between 30 and 40, and who might be eligible for surgery due to the existence of a co-morbidity. Not all of these individuals are eligible for and interested in weight loss surgery, but many are. BariatricPal alone, for example, has a quarter-million members who are weight loss surgery patients or who are considering surgery. For weight loss surgery patients, your comments can be hurtful. Weight loss surgery is not the “easy way out.” It is a tool to help control food intake. Eligibility criteria include a requirement that patients be committed to the strict dietary changes necessary to lose weight after bariatric surgery. I and millions of other weight loss surgery patients who have successfully used weight loss surgery as a tool against obesity worked hard to get where we are today. We do not deserve for you and your colleagues to suggest that we have cheated to lose weight. Comments that groundlessly condemn weight loss surgery can harm potential patients just as much if not more. Eligible candidates might decide not to get the surgery in part because of your position. First, your comments can lead to a feeling of shame for even considering bariatric surgery to fight obesity. This is unjust, since the post-surgery diet is strict and requires a lifetime of attention, just as “The Biggest Loser” contestants must modify their own diets for the rest of their lives to maintain weight loss. Secondly, your comments on the show seem to imply weight loss surgery does not work. While there are patients who do not respond to surgery, and complications are always a threat, the scientific literature overwhelmingly agrees that weight loss surgery is a viable option for the treatment of morbid obesity. Furthermore, the scientific community largely agrees that weight loss surgery can improve health and metabolic parameters. To varying degrees, methods such as gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, and gastric sleeve have been linked to improvements in diabetes and other obesity-related conditions, such as hypertension, sleep apnea, and dyslipidemia. The UK’s healthcare system, known as the National Health System or NHS, is so convinced of bariatric surgery’s effectiveness, safety, and cost savings potential it covers bariatric surgery procedures. Unconditionally stating that weight loss surgery is the wrong choice is particularly unfair given that “The Biggest Loser” contestants do not always achieve or maintain their goal weights. An article on Today.com, which is owned by NBC, looked at initial, finale, and current weights of selected contestants from the first 11 seasons of the show. Of the 56 contestants they highlighted, 20 were within 10 pounds of their finale weights, and 8 had gained back at least 40 pounds since the finale. These results are impressive but not perfect. And, “The Biggest Loser” is not for everyone. So far, only hundreds of individuals have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to lose weight on the show. For a few others, losing weight at one of the Biggest Loser resorts is an option – but not a practical one for most people. At $3,000 per week, it could take $50,000 or $100,000 or more to reach goal weight, not including time out from work and life. Weight loss surgery may be the only practical choice for people who have work and family obligations, and who live within a budget. People struggling with obesity do not choose weight loss surgery because they think it will be easy. They choose it because they have no other choice. Nothing else has worked for them. For me and hundreds of thousands of other weight loss surgery patients, it worked. Because of this, I ask you again to please stop publicly attacking weight loss surgery without explanation. You and I and everyone else who is connected to obesity knows what a terrible disease it is. We should join forces in fighting it. Let’s work together to get the greatest possible number of people healthy, and not work against each other with derogatory and divisive comments. Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment to fighting obesity. You have established yourself as one of the most influential health experts in obesity, and I hope you will use your voice in a positive way. Thank you for considering this. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal

My surgery is tomorrow, 10/22/07! I'm a little nervous, but I'm excited and very determined. Good luck to everyone, and I look forward to sharing as we move forward.

i was banded on 10/31/06 Lost weight, gained it back, do to the fault of poor aftercare.... I found a new surgeon, they put me under Fluoroscopy, and we are now rolling. I also journal my diet, and exercise. I hope you gave yourself a calorie limit to follow, and stick with it, and if it's to high then yep you can cut back in different foods. Some stuff goes a long way. Also look for another surgeon, and get checked out. They will also give you new guidelines.

I was banded 01/07/08 and I feel no restriction, I have had 2 fills. I have another fill on Monday and getting a fill has been a pretty traumatic experience since I can feel the doctor fishing around in there with the needle. I asked, how do you know you got it, he says, he doesnt know???? he said because he can pull some saline out, but I gotta tell you it hurts! so he is having another surgeon present on monday and they are gonna take a stab at me and see if he can find it. i said I think that the port has flipped and he said, no that almost never happens.....I am almost afraid I am never!!I can eat like before and I feel no restrictions. I have gained 2 lbs and am afraid the scale is moving the wrong way!

I am currently unfilled. My surgery was almost 10 months ago. I was having problems eating, and it kept getting worse instead of better. I had no restriction before my first fill. I had 6ccs at the highest. That was too much. I couldn't eat anything. 1cc was removed, and I ate fine, and then it got harder. We don't know why yet. Two weeks ago my band was completely unfilled. I have absolutely no problem eating. I can eat stuff that was hard to eat, nothing ever gets stuck and I am never in pain. I have lost 6 pounds since my band has been empty. I can eat a normal amount sometimes, and sometimes I think I have restriction. I believe the 6 pound weight loss is because I eat healthy and I am active. I guess sometimes I feel I have restriction, and sometimes I don't. Maybe it's just because I have been used to eating so little for so long.

The thing is I am sure you are eating a lot less than before the band (we were all massively overeating or we wouldnt have been obese). For me, (an old dog in maintenance a long time) I eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food at each meal which can be 4 to 5 times a day. I really cant eat more than that of any food (I have no sliders) and I done eat any low cal or diet food. As I lost weight my band did loosen and I had to get fills to keep losing. My first green zone was at 6cc in a 10 cc band and took 3 fills to get there. Then I leveled off at about 180 lbs for MANY months until I figured out to go get a fill. Once I did I started losing again easily and then I plateaued at 155...I got 0.3ccs and in a couple of months went to 140.

it made me VERY depressed and restless right about day 10 or so.. but also that same day I suddenly didn't care about smoking anymore.. so I quit smoking and immediately tapered back off of it over a few days