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1-I can't tell you about insurance bc my ins pays for NO wlsI paid cash. 2- I can say the pain was pretty minimal for me. I was given medication in the operating room and went home (it was an outpatient procedure) with liquid Lortab. I never took a dose of Lortab. For me, the pain was very minimal. But I can say I did have some nausea the first 24 hrs.

I was banded in September 2009 and became pregnant in April of 2010 with twins. I was down 63lbs (weighing 158lbs) at the start of my pregnancy. I had no band complications but was concerned with my babies getting enough nutrients since I didn't get an unfill. I did see my band surgeon upon finding out I was pregnant and his recommendation was to stay where I was and play it by ear. His point behind doing that was the fact of unhealthy eating and blood sugar levels while pregnant. With my pregnancy being twins and my history of miscarriage, I was watched very closely by my OB and Perio. Both doctor offices agreed with my band surgeon. I delivered 8 weeks early but at weeks before delivery I was having a hard time with heartburn (which ended after being banded) and everything being "squished". It would take me a long time to eat but I would do what I could to get it down. I breast fed which made a huge difference in my post baby weight loss. My boys were in NICU for 34 days and when I got home from the hospital and NICU stay I had lost all my pregnancy weight plus an additional 2 lbs. All in all, I delivered 2 healthy baby boys and I am still healthy too!

What if you have a BMI of 46, age 54, have not only Medicare but Anthem BC/BS (Virginia) too? BP is creaping up, borderline Diabetic, swelling feet/ankles/legs, Asthma and other things getting out of hand. I know from the seminar that there are things that neither will pay and I think I can come up with the $$$ to handle that up front. May have to wait till tax refund time but that should finish it up. Anyone have any idea what my odds will be? I know dumb question, but I am scared that I am wanting something that may not be within my reach. With all the other bills that we have on us any extra bills are out of the question right now. So private pay is not an option.

The first 24hrs is rough. You won't hurt bad but you will be tired and a little sore. By day 3 you will be comfortable moving around. They will remove your drain tube that night and THAT is the best. From then on you will be fine. You can drive whenever you want. Just keep your luggage light bc you can't lift more than 15lbs.

Thank you! I definitely have to figure something out bc I can not go without them! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

This is a rant and a rave. Firstly I would like to say that I have always found the people here to be in the most part helpful and supportive. The same cannot be said for all other sites. Some of the sanctimonious BS from some peeps is unreal. Example Wow reading this thread is depressing. So many people saying never to drink alcohol again. Absolutes ( never )are very hard to accept. I got my band 9 years ago and was never told I had to give up alcohol. I enjoy a glass or 2 of wine a couple of times a week. Maybe I'm lucky I didn't become an alcoholic! Now looking at revising to RNY so I understand that I am going to have to give that up, at least for the foreseeable future but I would hate to think that I could NEVER have a glass of wine again. alcohol is pure sugar. The body uses that pure sugar to function instead of burning your stored fat for energy. Maybe ifvyou had not used alcohol you would be at goal weight and not looking for a revision. You are a perfect example of the truth of what those who are saying about alcohol use are saying. Alcoholics and drug abusers in recovery use the never absolute every day. They have to, no other choice. Not using absolutes, like never is often just an excuse.

Hello everyone, I am pre op however I am excited to hear about the increased fertility that comes with being sleeved! My Husband wantes to use Condoms for the first several months before I am Cleared by my Physican to begin trying to have a baby. Note that this will be our first child, I have been on birth control for over 10 years and this is thee first time I will be going without BC. To add to that My Hubby who is Military will be returning around the time I will be having surgery which is SCARY! For the first time in my life I am excited about the possibility of having a baby~ I am 29 years young and have been married for nearly 6 years~Birth control has also resulted in me gaining extra weight or other complication~~~~I know he wants to use condoms and not traditional birth controls but I don't wanna get preggos too soon and have complications~ What has been YOUR experience with Pregnancy Post op? When did you begin trying? How long after Surgery did you get pregnant? Thanks in advance~ T~ :wub:

I can only say, I hear you. I'm at 9 mos out and am stuck at 72lbs. I haven't lost for 8 weeks. Mind you, I still have 100 to go minimum. I don't know the answer bc I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day and the scale goes up 1, goes down 1. Playing that forever it seems.

HiI Everyone! So I went to my nutritionist today to ck in and it'll be 3 months since my surgery nxt wk. Ive had a 1cc fill about a month ago and I've lost 10lbs (I was careful to NOT say ONLY 10 lbs bc it's a loss nonetheless!) anywho in reviewing some bloodwork I did about a month ago she said my thyroid is out of control...(hypo).. I'm going back to see the MD nxt wk to see if medication wb required but I've been diagnosed before (2010) as "intermittent hypothyroid" most annoying diagnosis ever.. However THC levels have only gotten worse post surgery.. I read that having surgery, stress and other factors can trigger the hormonal imbalance.. Has anyone else experienced this? Where you put on meds? Had surgery to remove thyroid/did it help? Change of diet? Any info would be helpful.

Hi if he is having this unsupportive attitude now how will he behave after? if this is his general way of being its better u know now and consider this may not be a person u want in your life in the long term to quote a tv dr the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior u may have to be your own strongest ally I do know how it feels to not have anyone to count in it hurts however being unwilling to put up with ppls BS and standing up for yourself and expecting support when needed and respect always makes u stronger person we must have expectations of ppl in our lives and hold to standards or we just keep drawing these types of ppl into our lives best of luck to you

Thank you for the suggestions BigViffer they all sound good! I do wear my fib bit every day as well and the machine monitors my heart as well and usually puts it about 130 during my work outs so I will scrutinize it to see if my Fitbit agrees. As far as salt it is possible that is an issue I am on lithium as well which can cause water retention. But since starting the medication I have notice no real changes lucky for me my blood pressure is usually quite low so I don't have to worry about that so much. I find I just can't relate to other weight loss patients though bc my weight loss was better pre op than post talk about worst nightmares realized! Lol

Oh my freaking head - will this NEVER end? So, she filed the divorce, moved out, divorce is finalized on 6/29 , and now she's begging me to take her back!!!!! She realizes now that she made a huge mistake, that this never would have happened had she have stayed on her medications the way she was supposed to, and says that the business about the boyfriend was all BS to make me sign off on the divorce without resisting. Don't get me wrong, I still have feelings for her, but the trust is COMPLETELY gone. There have been too many lies told to me that I found out the truth about. On a positive note, I have a job lined up now that will start the first week of next month, ironically, with the same company that I worked for before, but with a 40% pay reduction (it's better than unemployment!).

I have this problem also. I am currently in my first month of 3 month supervised. I gained 2 lbs and I'm so nervous what the doctor will say. I'm at home all day long and will eat bc the kids waste, or out of boredom, but I also never get the full feeling. So tomorrow I am sending all snacks and junk food to my mom. I got healthy snacks for the kids and I really am trying to only eat 6 small meals a day and get all my water in. Wish me luck!!!

My surgery date was July 10 and I have yet to have a true hunger sensation. It's strange but I eat BC I know I need to eat but not BC I'm hungry. However, I do have cravings......however, I try to stay away from them.

Thank you so much. I've been a little discouraged today bc of it. I'm SO thankful my recovery has been smooth so far but I was a little concerned bc I don't "feel" different. I guess it's just a process of retraining my mind as I go? Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

My physician required a 250.00 first time appt fee for every insurance except for BS which thankfully I have. But the also have a program fee that they charge to all patient of 3500.00 to covered unlimited visits to the nutritionalist, unlimited fills if insurance only allows so many, support groups. A little excessive but the only other place to have it done is 2 hours away and I would have to travel for fills and everything.

Just sharing another complication story in case it helps anyone out there. This one involving a miserable band experience, gastroparesis, and a suspect vagus nerve. My dad was banded in 2009. Despite numerous fills in his 10cc band, he never achieved what I would consider good restriction - he was constantly hungry, didn't have portion control, had no food type intolerances, or any of the 100 other indicators one might look to as a gauge for proper restriction. But he would say he was "PBing". Which, after questioning him, was not "PB" at all but was bona fide vomiting. (I no longer feel like a linguistic school marm for insisting there's a difference, and an inherent danger in not understanding the difference). I think he was banded about a year, and in that time he probably went in for 30+ post-op visits. He'd have some trouble and they would unfill him. He'd do ok for a while and they would give him a slight fill. He'd have more trouble and they'd take more fill out. Up & down & around. So finally it gets to the point where he's just manifesting really strange symptoms, like super delayed vomiting: eat peas on Mon, feel fine Mon - Wed, and Thu out of the blue vomit up peas. Violent, wrenching vomiting. And then he eventually got to where he'd vomit even if he hadn't eaten, and was starting to bring up the ubiquitous coffee grounds. I told him enough BS, demand a swallow test. Dr. agreed, he had one done, and he passed with flying colors. Esophageal motility on track, no prolapse, no erosion, pouch cleared in under 5 minutes. They scheduled him for an endoscopic procedure and he was absolutely riddled with ulcers. Poor guy looked like a pizza covered with white pepperonis on the inside. AGB Dr tried to say "need unfill" so I had a talk with him, during which time I reminded him that the band doesn't work on a vacuum concept & you can't take out ccs from a band that's already empty. (Note to people out there -- never, ever, ever feel sheepish about advocating for your medical care). So he put my father on a 2 week liquid diet to see if things would calm down. 2 days into that diet the exact same symptoms are occuring, and now we're vomiting 24/7 with virtually no liquid/solid intake. So he calls me and I tell him to go to the ER, get hydrated, and don't leave until they tell you something. I drive out to see him in the hospital and they have him forcing liquids down because "maybe" they'll stay down. Uh uh. We switch to IV hydration, and the vomiting continues. He's now afraid to swallow, and vomiting on a pretty regular 45 minute schedule despite being chock full of antiemitics. After 4 days in the hospital he's diagnosed with gastroparesis & xferred to AGB surgeon's care for immediate "let's see what's going on" surgery. During surgery, a significant slip is noted (that apparently was not there during the tests about 2 weeks prior) and the band is deemed irrepairable & removed. As soon as he woke up from surgery he felt 100% better, and has not had a single problem since. This includes the past 6 - 8 months during which he was rebanded. The best guess out there is that something in his band positioning was irritating the vagus nerve, which caused all the problems up to & including the onset of gastroparesis. Slippage was attributed to the vomiting attributed to the gastroparesis. AGB surgeon says "he had the problem before banding, and the onset/worsening is coincidental." Everyone else says it's the other way around. I know he had no problems, ever, before his first banding. And I'm probably forgetting a couple things in there. My reliable memory is about 8 minutes, and we're talking months & months. The end.

So sorry for all of my questions and posts. I have not had a PCP for years. I have been going to an urgent care facility for anything that comes up - sinus infections, flu, etc. My insurance (BCBS Fed) requires a letter of reference/referral from my PCP as part of my approval package. I asked today if the urgent care could write such a letter and was told no since they have never treated me for weight loss or obesity. My bariatric counselor referred me to a PCP that takes my insurance and she said they refer a lot of people there. I have an appointment on Friday to get my blood work and EKG completed, and I have my medical records from the urgent care. Do I wait for a couple months before asking for this letter of reference? Do I mention it this week? Any advice you have would be great - thank you!

Hi April. I too am 30. Been with my husband 14 years this September and have a 3 year old. I looked into the surgery 6 years ago, didn't like it. Thought about it a few years ago but the thought of not having a baby for over a year after put me off again. Finally last year was all I could take. My dog died last January after being by my side for 14 years. My life was him. Especially the last several years as I am a stay at home mom, an he was sick. So I took care of him as u would a child. His death sent me in a deep depression. I mean I didn't care about anything. I had to force myself to smile or laugh at my daughter. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and possible lupus. I have high blood pressure. The list goes on. I finally decided it was time for this!! My process started oct 2, 2012. I weighed 367lbs. Between then and surgery date which was Jan 14th I lost 38lbs. Since surgery I have lost another 30. I am 5.5weeks out. I regretted my decision my very first night home bc after over a 2 hr drive I was in horrible pain. I have never regretted my decision. I am smaller than I have been since my wedding. Day o surgery was my last blood pressure meds, and after taking lortab for only 3 days after surgery I haven't taken a pain pill since. I was taking 2-4 a day before surgery for horrible pains. Here is my personal key advice: when you read sip sip sip, walk walk walk. Listen!! I was up several hours after surgery and pacing the halls. I came home day after surgery. The next day I was walking a mile... Slow. Don't stop walking! And try to get back to normal as fast as u can. Like don't hide in bed. I was doing dishes and making food for the family. I wasn't lifting or straining. I went shopping and took my daughter to school. I rested for sure and was slower than normal. But force that liquid down! Force it!! Get ur Protein in right from day 2. It helps soooo much. Good luck to you!!!

I'm laughing DaniThomas, but I get it. I got the same reaction from people I told. I hoped they would be supportive, but instead I got the same old BS "why don't you just diet? You're not big enough to do something this drastic." I'm 5' 2" and 215 lbs. My back and knees are killing me. I can't even walk my dogs anymore. I can't sleep laying down or I feel like I can't breath. This is for real. We are suffering. My sleeve is scheduled for January 17. Not even nervous, just want to get my life back. You go get the surgery and never look back.

It is a very long story....I got a leak and had surgery to clean it up...They induced a comma.. I was in it for 19 days...I woke up and could no longer walk or move and could not talk because they put a trakia in so I could breath... I got a category 5 ulcer on my butt from the comma and then I was soon moved to another floor...out of ICU ..There they looked after me and I ended up with 10 surgeries altogether as they were trying to repair the leak which would not heal.....Finally after 4 and a 1/2 months when everything else failed I had a surgery where they gave me both the sleeve and bypass......I had to lean to walk and talk and write again.....I have 12 incisions where most people have 2-5....I am still being treated for the ulcer on my butt almost 11 months later I lost all my hair as I was fed by IV for 5 months...and nobody told me I did until I saw it in the mirror at home....They even had to reteach me how to eat and swallow....I became addicted to pain killers and a detox Doc helped me through that..... This is just a small overview of some of the things that I went through..... But!!!!!!!!! I would do it all over again if I had to..I am so much better then I was before surgery....i can do so much more and the little things make all of it worth it for me....

What has been your experience about how long you had to wait for insurance approval? I have Fed BCBS.

Hi: Joine the BC WLS website. This site is mainly for BC residents who have had gastric bypass or gastric band. Just post and you will get all sorts of information. You have to apply to be a member. Also, there is a monthly meeting of Gastric by pass patients all over the lower mainland and one monthly meeting for gastric band patients at the Lions Gate Hospital. You have to be very agressive with the BC Government. If you doctor recommends it, you could also be sent to Washington State. I know of a gastric by pass patient that went that route. By attending these meetings you will get all the accurate information your require. I had a BMI of 50 and now down to 40.5 and I could not get help so went private. If I waited any longer I would have died. Since the band, I have a cleaned our RRSP but I also have had my medications reduced considerably. You may want to try going private. Doddie

@krystallynn This same exact thing happened to me. Two weeks before surgery i had a period for the first time in three years and after the first one i just conitued to bleed constantly. I started on a birth control pill and after about a week of taking it i stopped bleeding and started having monthly periods!...Talk with your doctor about some form of BC it will help!

Hello Hope 2 do you know any support groups in the area? bc the ones I have ran across on base are geared more toward gastric by pass and the sleeve surgery.