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Morning All... Eileen... Wow... You really have had a plate full of family scares! I'm so sorry about your neice and I pray that they will decide to go ahead with her surgery sooner if for no other reason than to spare her more pain. In regards to th thyroid... they are trying to kill it off... the radioactive iodin is only absorbed by the thyroid gland and I will have to take thyroid hormone replacement for the rest of my life. THe pros... no surgery and the risks that go along with that... the cons... it is a more gradual process than surgery and I will have to be careful the first few days so that I don't kill anyone elses thyroid...lol. The nice thing will be losing that feeling of fullness/choking in my throat. Betty... I wish I did live closer to you... I think we should all pick a town and relocate there...lol. Don't worry... I am not in the mood to have a doctor cut my throat...bring on the glowing pill! Congrats on the raise! Sherry... Glad you had fun at the fair! It's amazing to see the difference in what can be shoved sown the ole gullet once you have restriction isn't it! Not sure when they will give me the trtmt... they are to call me on Monday and set it up. Cindy... Hope to see your friend here posting soon... the more the merrier! SOunds like you will busy this weekend! I colored my hair a week or so ago... got tired of the highlighted look...guess I'm ready for winter! Dianne... Hope Lucy is feeling better and LMAO on the Mushroom Head comment... hehehehehe... I wonder if they teach them to do that in beauty school???? MAybe is is because they practice on too many lil blue haired women in beauty school? Mary...Glad you are feeling better... I hope your weight gain is just due to all of the muscle being bulit from the increased exercise! I feel your frustration girl! KAt... You go girl... you are really kicking butt! I know how good it feels to really be exercising regularly! I don't know why I fight it so hard when I feel so much better doing it! I'm proud of you! Boy... you are going to have an awful lot of B-day cake to resist this month! Pat... I think you look beautiful in the picture for operation smile... so there. The wine doesn't look half bad either...hehehehe. Okay... I went to POGO... I'm not a big game player but it has been fun. My name there is DarceeLynnPlyr. Mandy... I'm sorry about your puppy... sounds like this may be why he was at the shelter. Hopefully he will stay safe and be picked up eventually! I may need to get that website addy from you... I'd love to pick some little things up for Christmas presents! Patty... Heck girl... I'm off the wagon more than I'm on. I wish it were different and I know that the band is really working for all that post to this thread... but sometimes it is hard to be the lone failure...lol. THe one good thing is that you can see that the Lapband does work for the majority of people. Hoping that all the legal efforts will make the difference for you finally getting your Band! Anne... crossing my fingers that the scale will pop up with a brand spanking new LOWER number for ya! If I missed anyone... forgive... hope the rest of the weekend is great for everyone!

I don't tell people I'm not close to (i.e. coworkers who aren't also personal friends) because it's really none of their business and I've gotten enough judgment from other people about my weight and eating-- I'm not interested in more. Now that I'm a year and 4 months out, I feel like it's too late even if I wanted to tell-- some people might feel "betrayed" even if they legitimately have no right to feel that way. I don't really regret being cautious, but I do feel like I'm in a corner where it would cause problems now for me to "come out" to acquaintances who have been very complimentary about my losses. I suppose if someone came right out and asked I would definitely tell the truth, but so far that hasn't happened. People who haven't struggled with true obesity (and even some who have) are still very ignorant about what it takes to successfully lose and KEEP OFF excess weight. The research is very clear that dieting in the traditional way does not create long-term weight loss, and in fact, stimulates long-term weight gain, but "common sense" says it's so easy to lose weight- just don't eat as much and exercise! I think it is going to be a difficult thing to change opinions about bariatric surgery, but it will happen someday. In the meantime, you have to do what is right for you. This is YOUR LIFE.

I think it is knowing what I did that sabotaged me is the key. I got back on track yesterday. I told my lap-band buddy at church what I had done wrong. I told my support group what I had done wrong. Yesterday, I did every thing that I was supposed to do. I felt much better about myself yesterday than I did in all of the holidays. What is funny is that I felt smaller at the end of the day. I even stayed away from here because I was embarrassed. I will not let the weight gain defeat me. That was the old me, and I would have given up. This is the new me. I will WIN. I was up on base doing my grocery shopping yesterday, and the commissary has started selling Pure Protein Shakes in the can. These are actually good, but the only place I had seen them before was at the Vitamin Shoppe and HEB. They average any where between $1.50 - $2.00 per can. They had them for less than a $1 a can on base. I got me a couple of boxes of them at that price. Plus all of my new Leslie Sansone DVDs have shipped from Amazon. They should be here Thursday. I can't wait to get them.

Don't give up on yourself. If your hungry all the time, it may be that you have alot of acid in your stomach. Check with you surgeon to see if you can take a PPI (prilosec). I was always hungry and I started taking prilosec and I'm not hungry anymore. How many calories are you consuming on your liquid diet? Are you getting enough protein? Are you exercising at all, like walking? Have you lost inches? Hang in there, it will happen..... Kaiser educated on the dangers of drinking of alcohol. Some weight loss patients have died from drinking alcohol. How manydrinks they had, I don't really know. Also, alcohol can contribute to weight gain.

Denise, is your infection all sorted now? Do you feel any better? Sorry to hear about the insurance crap -- that is always a huge PITA. I'm totally sick to my stomach right now. My husband just texted me that he gained 7kg...by moving the scales from the bathroom where we always keep them, and weigh on a tile floor -- to the hallway where there are hardwood floors, and his weight was 7kg higher on the wood floor. I can't even think about this or I am going to FREAK THE EFF OUT. I'm already dealing with 10+ kg weight gain, what if it's more like 15, or 20??!? OMG. I'm in hell.

OK, I'm on my second week of mushies (surgery May 23rd) and ever since I lost the initial weight gain after surgery (went from 207 before surgery to 215 day after) I have not lost anything. I go up and down the same two or three pounds. Anyone else had this same problem? I have one full week left on mushies and then on to real food for two weeks before I get a fill. I am discouraged even though I keep telling myself that I am only in Bandster Hell but is it normal not to lose anything when you aren't eating too many calories? Seeking reassurance. :think

your comment has upset me a bit and i asume it is implied towards my comment about my mother and seeing as you do not know my mother let alone ever met her i would like to tell you. My mum has been a 'taxpayer' for over 40 years, she takes over 5 medications a day and she has type1 diabetes which incase you dont know is not caused by weight gain and is not cureable!!! my mum struggles so much with her diabetes and its the position in which the band sits arround the stoumach that sends messages to the brain to use the insulin she has to inject - the weightloss is an added bonus. my mother eats a reasonably healthy diet and it was the insulin she was perscribed that caused my mum to pile on 15kilos in just over a year. My mother has been through so much and sacraficed so much over the years if they could afford the op then she would never have been recommended to the DHB, and seeing as she was denied we are working on raising those funds. i believe people like my mother that have worked their whole lives and have an illness that impacts their life so much deserve a surgery that could change the impact the illness has on their lives 10 fold. I do not think that the surgery should go to people that have bearley worked a day in their lives and live off us, the taxpayers (like my brother), that is where i believe these surgeries are going. sorry for my rant.

Grace, I'm right with you on losing weight on an "ordinary" diet - including ALL foods in moderation. I believe junk foods form a part of a healthy diet when they're treated as "sometimes" foods. Its OK to go out to dinner and enjoy it, its OK to sometimes enjoy a cooked Breakfast on Sundays with your family, its even OK to have a small bit of chocolate every day. But when you take the path of including too many of those foods on too regular a basis (which by your descriptions you appear to have done) and you rely on a tight band to get you through you can still lose weight with a band. Doesnt mean its the best way to go. The trouble is then if you ever lose your fill you've not learned a darn thing about choosing foods wisely. If you ever begin to eat in the quantities that unbanded people do again (like if you have an unfill) you're going to be very prone to weight gain because your choices arent great. Its right to fear an unfill in those circumstances. So the sensible path is not to allow yourself to become malnourished, its to start to eat PROPERLY. Have a bit of an unfill and eat some real food and cut the sodas etc. out. Grace, if you really are suffering issues like lack of potassium, you've got more to worry about than whether your collarbones are showing and you probably do need to halt your weight loss. In ordinary circumstances, there's plenty of people around who just have to accept that they're not curvy, they're thin just the same way that some of us have to accept that we will NEVER have the very thin figure we desire. All of a sudden, I"m devastated by the fact that I appear to have misplaced my boobs. I have none. I've always had a great pair! I dont know where they went, but THIS is where my body took me, I did not starve to get here, this is just me, its how I'm meant to be - and I can fix it with PS if I wanted to. Let your body tell you where it wants to be. It is going to be very difficult to maintain a weight that's too high for YOU just as it is difficult to maintain a weight that's too low for you. Truly, without going back into the whole skinny is ugly thing, I really think you've got some head issues that need sorting. What on earth are you so afraid of?. You might stop losing in 5 more pounds anyway, there's nothing to say you're going to fade away. You're not underweight, you're a healthy weight. Enjoy it! And eat something decent. Seriously, the band does NOTHING for our heads. We still have to work on those ourselves. Its very uncomplicated. If you're losing and you dont want to, have an unfill and eat more.

I have no clue why this popped up on my phone this morning but as I read first post then second a few more then I stopped reading. I forgot I had the app honestly because I stopped being on here. I had just decided to do the surgery a few months ago, went to the seminar, my first appt was done and I was still up on the air about it. As I started to go through the process, all of the testing read more and I joined this forum to get other people's experiences, see how you all are doing, looked at some on youtube videos I guess to see if I really wanted to do it this time. I started the process three years ago and stopped halfway said I didn't need it because I eat healthy salads, veggies not alot of food, bake not fry and I excercise but here I am three years later. Still weigh the same as when I started, I'll lose it and gain it right back but never go over what I've been. It wasn't my time back then and one thing that I read that I absolutely agree with is that you truly have to mentally prepare yourself for this. I've made my decision based on the fact that I want to be healthier without all the meds I take daily. I can and will honestly say I don't have a problem with food because I barely eat. Which is also a problem lack of eating which I've been working on. I have health issues high blood pressure, asthma, pseudotumorcerebri, and REM apnea as to why I qualify for the surgery because your BMI has to be 40 or above mine is and was 38 my first dr visit. My weight gain came from me taking the birth control shot years ago and I have never been able to go back to under 200 lbs and currently 248 I'm 5' 7". I'm scheduled for surgery Dec 6th and I have my last pre op test today. No backing out this time. I am stocked and ready to start my liquid diet in 2 weeks. Wish you all the best of luck on your journeys ????

I did it today to see what the difference is on a work day. Plus I ate so badly yesterday that I really wanted to get back on track quickly. It really makes me mad that I can't wear a lot of my summer clothes. All of a sudden, I have this spare tire around my middle and all of my tops are too small. It doesn't make sense to me, because I'm not up that much from last summer. I got a book for .50 written by Dr. Oz at the library today. it's a cool book and it explains all about hormones and weight gain. It's not just the women hormones. There are all sorts of other hormones, like the hunger hormone and the satisfaction hormone.

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.

Have a question for all of you, How do you approach someone, nicely, they need to loose weight? Or even better, How could someone approach you that you have gained weight? This could possibly be related or even unrelated to WLS surgery. I am asking this because, apparently, most if us are upset that someone mentions to us that we or a person have gained weight. Could it possibly be that we might care about this person, and do not want them to have the health issues which go along with weight gain. So we try to say something, yet when we say something they are hurt and eat to sooth themselves? I've noticed that many of us do not like to hear that we have gained weight. So how does one approach us, without us being offended?

I haven't weighed myself yet since being back from the hospital b/c I'm so bloated and my belly feels so huge. They told me at the hospital that they had given me more IV than needed because they assumed I wouldnt be able to get all my fluids in at first. (They were right, i feel like ive been drinking pretty often but am still at half of my liquid requirement).@QueenCity, I wouldnt worry about the weight gain. I'm sure they did something similar to you and you'll drop it in no time. I was able to go #2 twice already today, which I think is a good thing given that my doc was worried about constipation. It helped with the bloating, but i still can't for the life of me burp or pass gas. I never wanted to so bad in my life!! Lol I also have this weird "depression" in my belly right around the belly button incision (photo attached). It looks bigger in person. It wasn't there before surgery and it's freaking me out that it will stay this way (the nurse assured me it wouldnt). Have any of you experienced similar?

Yes, I have Kaiser and they require/suggest you loose 10%. I have actually lost 22%. My doctors are a little lenient on the 10%, they just absolutely do not want to see any weight gain.

Hi everyone. I have never posted here, didn't have the need until now. While only an HPT has confirmed it,I do believe I am pregnant. I am in shock. I do not know why since Dh and I did not do the right things by b/c last month, but I was under the mistaken impression that since I had fertility issues in the past my 44lbs weight loss would not be that significant. Well, I ws wrong. I am terrified! Terrified of telling my dr since he was adament about waiting for two years. Terrified that I will have to stop jogging which gives me pleasure or that I will be too tired to do it. I am horrified that I am concerned with the weight gain I may experience because for the first time in a long time I like the way I look. We were planning on starting in the beginning of the year but now, I guess not so much. I don't want anyone to think that I am not happy about this. I am ( I think) but right now I am just in shock. I haven't even told my husband yet, although I told him I really thought I was pregnant two days ago and he laughed and said I wasn't and to stop spazzing since I am so irregular. I guess I need for someone to tell me the obvious. I am a grown up and my doctor won't holler at me ( too much) and that I am not really going to gain 70lbs (only gained 18 with our son pre-band--he is now 18 months) and that really, worse things have happened. Thank you all for letting me vent. Mikki

I am really nervous. I am not eating that much, but have gained 5 pounds in the last week. Am I doing something terribly wrong? I'm not eating bad stuff - carbs, pasta, rice or anything. I have sausage or eggs for breakfast. Tuna, turkey, chicken salad for lunch or dinner. If I have a late breakfast, I won't be hungry for lunch so I'll have the salad for dinner. This weight gain has me worried. Any advice?

HB-That video is creepily beautiful lol! Is creepily a word?? Bobbie-Sorry to hear it didn't go quite as you had hoped. When a door shuts a window opens. Me-I really need to vent so sorry..apologizing in advance..and I am not looking for sympathy. I just keep asking myself can I DO THIS?? I have eaten crap, not exercised like I should and I just can't seem to get myself on track. There is no motivation and willpower at the moment and it is honestly breaking my heart. I hate that food is where I turn to. My feelings just make me want to run to ice cream. I used to smoke...that was my escape. Quit that for food. Gained lots and lots of weight (so who knows maybe I would've been healthier a smoker!). I don't deal with stress and anxiety well. There is alot of stress & anxiety in my life right now and I just can't deal with it...and now I am feeling like a failure on top of it :smile2:. I have an appt with my PCP, but soonest I could get in on an evening is the 22nd. I don't know if there is anything he can give me for anxiety/depression that doesn't have weight gain as a side effect. Also seeing him because it seems my exercise induced asthma is in full swing again (which is not helping with the whole weight loss thing). GRRRR....Isn't there just a skinny/happy/life is perfect pill??

Hi There, Haven't posted this thread in ages! I got banded in manchester in April 2007. here is my story so far.. Lindsey, I feel l this is important to know, as the past year I have heard mosly successful band stories, with people loosing their weight from the get go. Firstly..Five years ago I weighed 10 st 8lbs.. had a personal trainer and a body fat of 20%!!! Seven years ago I weighed 17 stone 3 lbs. I white knuckled over six stone off my frame and went from size 22-24 to a size 12 who could run up stairs 3 at a time! This lasted until I got engaged 4 years ago and then the weight started to creep on. I gained 7lbs the week I got engaged because I 'let my hair down' and I FREAKED out!! NOT FAIR NOT FAIR!! Was my mantra, and I became Very Very angry. I just wanted it gone, I wanted it to be fixed and never look back. It was only a 7lb gain but it drove me to distraction and 18months later on m wedding day I was up an additional stone. In hindsight it wasn't such a disaster, but I was just FED up that my sweat and tears didn't shake that F***ing monkey off my back. In saying that I was BEE-AUTIFUL on my wedding day, and I cherish those photos!! I gained about a stone on my honey moon, bringing me close to 13 stone. I tried getting back on track and tackling the demon again with weight watchers, Motivation weight loss clinics, hypnotherapy and counselling but I was totally defeated!! Fast forward 2 years and I'm at my lapband consultation weighing 17stone 10!!! So,I weighed 17stone 10lbs last year at my initial consultation, followed by a 10 day liquid pre-op diet which got me to 17stone at my surgery date. In the following 4 weeks I lost another stone, bringing my total weight loss to 24lbs in 5-6 weeks. That was it..I did the 2 weeks liquid post op and 2 weeks mushies after that and then went back on solid food. To my horror, I felt I was eating without restriction, BUT as I had not had a fill I knew it wasn't anything to panic about. So, because I fly to manchester to get my fills, I didn't make it over until June for my first fill. I was maintaining at 16 stone but hadn't lost a pound since starting back on solid food. After that fill, once again to my horror I felt no restriction and started to feel quite down that this band was all a cod and I had spent my money on what? This feeling continued and I said nothing to anyone but it was obvious there was no restriction as I could eat anything, and my mam sister & husband were kinda saying.."what's the story?" And i was feeling mortified, but "dieting" to maintain at 16 stone. This continues until September when I finally made it over again for my 2nd fill. At this point I was up 4lbs and embarrassed that I wasn't doing as well as 1..I thought and 2...as well as other peoples tickers were showing on this site. That fill made me feel no different either and I was able to eat Steak, Crisps (my worst weakness) Anything really. WITH THE EXCEPTION of McDonlds or any french fries/ nuggets/chicken gougons.. they were painful and would come back up as a PB.. So hey...I was getting somewhere. But Nope.. Depression..this band wasn't the magic wand I had told myself it was, I was putting too much faith in it, I didn't want to do ANY work loosing this F***ing weight AGAIN..I just wanted to EAT and LIVE LESS LIKE A "NORMAL PERSON" There was my problem, I wanted the band to magically transform me while accepting no personal responsibility for my actions either. After all, all I wanted was not to think about this weight loss thing anymore and for it to just happen to me! So I gave up AGAIN and said..waste of money, waste of time..once again defeated and this is how it is and always will be. My mental attitude was all wrong, I just couldn't face it anymore. So since Sept of last year, with Chips McDonalds Gougons etc being my only restrictions I started binge eating again, and binge drinking and could see my face getting puffier and puffier right before my eyes. In Jan this year my first Nephew was born and it made me face everything again and I decided to come out of my hibernation and contact the clinic again to tell them that I was failing miserably. To my surprise they were saddened for me and that I had gone MIA on them and wanted my over straight away to help me get back on track. So I joined Weight watchers again..weighing in at 18 stone 3lbs (Jesus!!) And went to Manchester that week for another fill. This one was aggressive. For almost two weeks I struggled to get anything but soup down. I am tight. I have hope again and I am doing my damndest to get focused and loose this weight realistically and the band IS Helping me this time. I can't eat much, but I still drink too much, and twice in the last 3 weeks I have somehow managed to scoff 8 bags of crisps in one sitting (but it takes hours instead of minutes) why and how did I manage this when I couldn't even get porridge or scrambled egg down? I just don't know, It was total after drink binge eating. But twice in 3 weeks instead of daily, and suffered the consequences of mush crisps in my neck as a result. I have lost 3.5 lbs in 2 weeks still (Oh wow..big swing..only 90 more to go) But I can't allow myself to think like that. I am now geting water back into my daily routine, cutting down on the alcohol and I am STAYING with weight watchers, and If it means ONE pound a week that's what I will take. I am too long doing this to expect starvation and horrible extreme dieting to be the answer to my prayers. I Have to LEARN to do things differently. For anyone who drives, here is an analogy that describes exactly how hard it is to change being a subconscious/ emotional/ habitual eater. If you drive, that is something you had to learn to do. At first it was difficult, you had to concentrate, you had to be conscious of looking in your mirrors, changing gears and steering. In the beginning you couldn't talk on the phone or scratch your head while concentrating on driving. 15 years later (for me) I can drive, talk (even on the phone), scratch anything that's itchy, change radio stations/cd's all while I'm driving because it has become subconscious. All the driving manuevers have become second nature and I don't need to instruct my self anymore what to do coz I just do it. Now, Imagine UNLEARNING how to drive a car? How can that be done? That is is tantamount to the challenge I have at hand now. I have to unlearn how to do what has always been second nature to me, I have to unlearn how to do what has put me in this situation at the age of 32 and that is not going to happen today, tomorrow or even this year. BUT...IT WILL BE DONE..however slowly, it will be done. I will never white knuckle it again. I will never loose 7 stone again only to gain it back, my will won't let me which is why my will has given me this whole past year of struggling to learn this lesson. What have I learned? I have learned to begin UNLEARNING. THAT is my weapon and that is what I will do. SO, I won't be slim for my nephew's christening in May, or for my birthday or for Christmas..But I will be UNLEARNING. AND I WILL BE MY OWN TEACHER, I will stumble and fall, but I will learn to get up and walk on. I will never be perfect but I will be smarter, wiser and happier. There is my experience. The Band IS great, but it is not plain sailing for someone like me. It is helping me definately, no doubt about that now, but it is not as strong as whatever it is inside me that has been yelling for the last year to get my attention about how to do this once and for all. That is my epic, my story, and I apologise for the MASSIVE post but it was to show that not everyone has the same experience with the band and that ultimately the issue is MUCH MUCH bigger than a pice of plastic or food a diet. This is coming from someone who's communion dress was let out because of weight gain at the age of 6.

Hi! I was sleeved on Aug. 22. I have bipolar. I haven't been sleeved for long and, if anything, I'm still really tired all the time. You raise an interesting question though - I am anxious to see what the future holds w/r/t weight loss and my bipolar. I know you didn't ask for this advice, but one more thing I will add, FWIW, the only medication that EVER worked for me in terms of stopping the cycles of up and down is Lamictal, which is a mood stabilizer. It is generic. And it doesn't cause weight gain. I'm throwing that out there to the extent you end up finding that you're "too high." Good luck - nice to know there are others on this journey!

Im so happy! I just spoke with my doctor, and my surgery is back on track for next Tuesday 21st! It was a few days of uncertainty and stress with the possibility of having to reschedule due to my previous weight gain, but I proved to myself and the doctors how committed I am. I have lost 8 pounds during the first week of liquid diet thanks for your support, and good luck to everyone on your journeys!!

I am real glad I am checking in with all of you. I am getting some real good motivation from all of you to keep working at this. I am down 100 pounds which is awesome. I could really stand to lose another 50 but I think I will set my next goal to lose 20 more pounds. For the past month I have been going up and down 3 pounds. I am not trying real hard. Eating at a maintenance level. It could also be the dexamethasone I take every week too. It can cause severe weight gain and did in the past. It just means I need to try harder I believe. I am fighting cancer again but I am not going to let that stop me from losing this weight. So keep the stories coming, they help.

You're so right that a loss is so much better than the gradual, yet intermittent weight gains any day! Curves is good because there is no spandex or girls "trying too hard" and you can get done with your workout in a reasonable amount of time. At the one I go to, the music is more oldies so I'm looking forward to graduating to a gym that has a little more up-to-date music. It is especially good to go during the slow times at Curves so that you have access to all the equipment; for me that is mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Ladies here seem to flock in after dropping off kids for school or before they head home after work so if your job or hours are flexible enough, I'd suggest off prime time.

My heart breaks for you. I gained weight because of a medication I started taking (7 lbs in 3 weeks) but I was able to just quit taking it and the weight gain stopped. It is not as easy for you and it very much sounds like your body's hormones are out of whack. Can you have it removed or do they have to be in place for so long?? After I quit taking B/C to get pregnant with my first son, I never took it again because it had messed up my body so badly. But I know that is not an option for a lot of women. Oh, I had also sent you a PM about getting your thyroid checked...not sure if you got it or not, but it might also be something to think about if you haven't already. Just a thought. Keep us posted, I am thinking of you!

I am so glad all of you had such a WONDERFUL experience w/ FEP BCBS. Here's my story: I had a lap band in 2005 that I paid cash for here in the US. I LOST a 132 pounds I kept my wait off even after my port broke. I had some weight gain and had my port repaired in 2012. It has not been right since that time and last April I suffered my first slip....So in April of last year my doc scoped me and unfilled my band. In a month my band returned to position and a way I went. I haven't felt well since April and in November I went and saw my surgeon and decided to go for a sleeve as I am now having on going issues w/my band. When I feel I slip I go back on Clear liquids and my band calms down(I am 3 hours from surgeon and am a nurse), So they submitted everything to my primary Insurance the end of November and I was approved on 12/5....However here is the catch My doctor was approved but not the hospital. So now here I sit 2 doctors later and a surgery date coming up on March 1st about 5.5 hours away from home. So now please realize I have 2 insurance and BCBS is not my primary. So I literally saw the doctor on the 2/2/15 and was approved on 2/3/15 by my primary. So when they went to submit it to FEPBCBS. Which most offices and Insurance companies here is the 21st century accept electronic records or faxes. FEP BCBS said...OH NO HUH-UH, you have to go to the post office and mail those records to us.(Ya know????SNAIL MAIL). People, the government if fining hospitals who are not getting on board with ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS and FEP BCBS won't accept a PRE-DETERMINATION electronically or fax??????????? Wouldn't you think this would be important as I AM having a serious complication from my device???????? REALIZE the codes for bariatric surgery are all ELECTIVE procedures no matter WTH is going on with a person. So the representative asked when my surgery date was and she assured my coordinator that they would NOT get to my approval that soon since it is a PREDETERMINATION and they don't have to give a time frame since it is a PRE DETERMINATION! Plus, she wanted to make sure the coordinator is familiar with the FEP BCBS guidelines and that they more than likely would want to meet all of FEPBCBS criteria again. THERE GUIDELINES ARE BS. They have no clause in there GUIDELINES for complications of a bariatric surgery....SO I have to meet the same criteria of someone who is either a failed Bariatric surgery(even though I lost 132 pounds) or a new Bariatric surgery....My BMI is 35 - 39 this year. They don't consider my comps complications(plantar fasciitis) or I would have to have a BMI over 40!(FORGET THAT!) In my H&P due to my intermittent lap band slippage I am at risk for necrosis and other life threatening issues. I feel like CRAP! My primary insurance recognizes this and approved me, ( I walked out of the office at 3:30 and got an email the next morning at 7:00 that I was approved) within 14 hours! I am really glad you all feel really supported by the FEP BCBS because the gals answering the phones won't do anything but quote the damn manual and I don't fall into any of there categories and they won't put a RUSH on anything or for anyone. So my primary insurance is covering it but I have a 5000/copay. So hopefully I will be feeling better in a couple of weeks....if you are curious or care Medicare, VA and multiple other insurances have a provision in there GUIDES for complications arising from a prior surgery. God forbid any of you experience a complication and need a revision of your bariatric surgery! Because when the office calls to get pre-auth they are going to be quoted the manual and you will be expected to meet all of that criteria again(Seems ludicrous to me) then they will have to MAIL your records for your pre determination!......Good LUCK everyone and GOD BLESS! Sorry for the NOVEL but I am angry! I know I know at least I have insurance!

I've actually taken both Effexor and Prozac (not at the same time) as well as many other SSRI's and antidepressants. Most SSRI's can make you gain weight (5-10 pounds), but not near as much as the psychotropic meds (Seraquil, Zyprexa). I switched to Welbutrin a few weeks before surgery because its doesn't cause weight gain and is suppose to decrease cravings and binge eating. It seems to be working okay for now. Some psychotropic and antidepressants actually increase your craving for carbs and effect blood sugar (Abilify) so be careful. I don't remember exactly why or how, but ask your doctor or read your drug warning sheet if you want more information. Not everyone experiences the same side effects on these drugs, so only time will tell if it will cause weight gain. The best you can do is stick to the guidelines and Bariatric Eating plan.