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I guess this is rather common. I can't get another fill appt til 4/20, so I guess by then I will have a better idea what is going on. I wonder if I was a little tighter if it would keep it from going through and maybe it wouldn't get stuck. This morning actually was the first time I could actually feel my coffee stopping at the band, and then going on through. So for whatever reason, I am really tight today. Irish 76, I understand the frustration. I lost 17 pounds before my surgery... 3 more pounds 3 weeks after surgery, and nothing else for the next 5 weeks. I thought I was finally to restriction, and now.... *sigh* Now I am eating no where near my caloric daily intake because of the getting stuck issue, which has caused the weight loss to skid to a stop too... :smile2: Hopefully someone will reply who has had this and had something done that took care of it. Or has some suggestions. I always have a cup of coffee in the morning, but still only mushies will go down. And seems like if I get stuck, then I can't eat anything after that except more mushies...

Shoulder pain can be gas. Per WEBMD: Belly surgery. If you have laparoscopic surgery, which is done through a small cut, on your belly to remove your gallbladder, make your stomach smaller for weight loss, or for other reasons, you might get shoulder pain afterward. That happens to up to two-thirds of people who have the surgery. Laparoscopic surgery can make your body hang on to carbon dioxide in your belly area. That can irritate your spine and nerves, which can trigger shoulder pain.

Hi there, I have no advice as far as procedure but congratulations on deciding to grab hold of your health issues now. Your kids are young and what a difference weight loss surgery will make to the coming decades. One thought reading your post is that you will want to check with your insurance company to be sure what they cover and whether there are any restrictions. I only had one -- my BMI had to be over 40. Also, I don't use my real name on the forum as it's all here on the Internet for the world to see and we share such private things.....

I have PCOS too! I started having regular cycles about a year ago. I had lost some weight and Boom, they started coming. I still deal with all the other symptoms and I am actually going to an endocrinologist at the end of the months to see if she can straighten out my hormones. I sing as well and I was able to perform 2 weeks after surgery. Good luck!

I am curious of your experience in this.... and it pertains to women, though men are welcome to respond For those who have lost weight and are BELOW a size 12 for example: What is your expereince when you walk into a room, or an event, or somewhere with a crowd? Do you think people noticed you MORE when you were larger, or do you think people notice you more NOW that you are smaller and perhaps fit into the more normal size range? Now I know this is about confidence for some..... and for some it could be about <physical> beauty. Some might feel they stand out MORE as a smaller person and they like that, and some might feel they blend in more and they like that. I am having this emotional fear that when I drop this weight, I am going to get "lost in the crowd". I wonder if my size has added "presence" to me that my personality wouldn't ordinarily convey..... On the contrast, I wonder if I will look sooooo fabulous that people will notice me everywhere. LOL So what has your experience been???

Your not suppose to join : THE STARVATION NATION.... I try to stick to 800-1200 calories a day, with 60-80G. of Protein a day I lose between 1 1/2-2 lbs a week. If you starve yourself your body will lose weight in the beginning, but will start to slow down, then when you eat more then 800 calories, your Body will start to GAIN weight. That's because your Metabolism will be all messed up. It's not worth doing. Slow and Easy wins the race....

You've lost 65 pounds!! You should be celebrating that! Stress and negativity will get you absolutely nowhere. You need to find things to Celebrate. Did you take your measurements? If not, start now. Even when I wasn't losing, I saw a decrease in inches. As to why you haven't moved to a smaller size, the larger sizes take a lot more pounds to lose out of. For example, when I started I was in a size 20/22 pant (and squeezing into them because I didn't want to buy anything larger!). Because I was squeezing into them, I didn't change to a smaller size until I had lost 40 pounds. Now, the sizes are much closer together. I can lose 10-15 pounds and move to a smaller size. I think if you accept from the start that you are going to have stalls and whooshes (times when the pounds fall off), you'll be a lot happier that you had the surgery. Are you seeing a therapist? I used food as a coping mechanism, as a pick-me-up when I was stressed. When I no longer had that as an option I started to feel anxious and a bit depressed. That coupled with the release of hormones that were stored in the fat that I was losing resulted in depression and anxiety. My therapist was able to help me find more healthy coping mechanisms. I was a slow loser and felt lucky if I lost 2 pounds in a week. I figured that I didn't gain it all at once, so I wasn't going to lose it quickly. I also have Hashimotos (thyroid autoimmune disorder), which affects my metabolic rate by about 10%. It also helps to look at the actual numbers for how you lose weight. I would guess at your weight that your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is about 1,800cal/day. If you are eating 600 calories, your deficit is 1,200 cal/day. Calculating that out for week would result in 8,400 cal deficit for the week. One pound equals 3,500 calories, so you would probably have around a 2.4 pound loss for the week. If the number is higher, that means you are losing Water weight. The first few weeks of the pre-op diet the majority of what you are losing is water. You can go for about 3 months eating 600 calories without it affecting your metabolic rate. After that you need to start increasing your calories. That happens pretty naturally with the surgery as after 3 months you can eat a bit more. I wouldn't factor in exercise unless you are really exceeding an hour threshold. For example, I ran 10K today, which burned around 1,200 calories. I may eat an extra 500 calories to compensate, but I probably won't see a huge loss from that. You also need to make sure you are getting enough Protein. My minimum requirement is 60g, but I try to hit 70-80. What happens if you don't eat enough protein is that your body will start using your lean muscle mass for fuel. That will result in fewer muscles. Muscles increase your metabolic rate, which is why you should make sure you get your protein for the day and why you should start some type of weight resistant training. That can be done at home using your body weight for resistance. For my program I have never counted calories. The only 3 things I ever concerned myself with were protein (60g+), water (60ou+), and exercise (60min). As long as I did those three things every day I had steady losses. Stalls are frustrating, but really nothing to stress about because we all have them and there's very little you can do to stop them. Lastly, here's a really good article on why we stall: http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html#.Uu0i3X-9KSN It should be mandatory reading for all WLS patients!

Hello All, I would really love to connect with anyoneout there willing to share about how to manage this lifestyle change and avoid weight gain long term. I was banded back in 2008, lost all my weight...over 140 pounds and recently gained back over 20 pounds. As you might imagaine I am in a bit of a panic and wonder why I have found myself reverting back to bad foods and bad habits. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has overcome anything like this. I really need some support and would appreciate any and all thoughts....thanks in advance for helping me out of this situation. AzRobyn.

If I may ask how did you find out exactly what Anthem BCBS would accept for poof of previous attempts to lose weight. I have them as well and have been getting the run around when it comes to finding out exactly how long they want me to wait and what kind of documentation they need. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for your thoughts! I am def planning to wait at least 12 months. I do want to optimize my weight loss before getting pregnant as much as I can. I do worry about weight gain with pregnancy, but I plan to work closely with a nutrionist to ensure the baby is getting what he or she needs and try not to stress too much about my weight.

I am 11 months post-op. I lost 20 pounds pre-op and 80 pounds post-op. I am now down to 160 pounds and at the bottom of my weight loss. It took me 6 months to reach a happy state. Part of this was figuring out a meal plan that works for me. I figured out that when you mix food groups together, they can make eating enjoyable again. At week 9 after surgery, I had enough volume in the meals and enough ingredients on the approved lists to do just this. Since then I have been eating Soups or chili for each meal and loving it. These are homemade and contain around twice the Protein of store bought soups and chili. The interesting thing about this approach is that I do not have any pain (heartburn, nausea, dumping) when I eat as I initially experienced with solids.

blashlee, It’s tough – it really is. And it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel a few weeks after surgery. You’re at one of the hardest points for some people – when surgery is no longer brand-new and when you’ve been unable to eat real food for weeks now, but at the same time, when you still have a lot of weight to lose. Try to see the positive side of things, even though it’s hard. Think about how hard you’ve worked – not everyone is able to go through with surgery and follow the diet properly. Think about what you said about not even wanting junk food. That’s huge! Think about the progress you’re making every day. As for your boyfriend and Easter dinner (and other things he eats that bother you), make sure he understands how you’re feeling. Ask him for a reasonable compromise, like maybe he eats certain junk foods outside the house and away from you. If he doesn’t compromise after you explain it to him, you may just have to accept it and remind yourself that this journey is for you. No matter what he eats, the only thing that affects your body is what you eat. Finally, give yourself permission to “wallow” a little. Wallow a lot. Complain as much as you want. Just stick to the diet! Good luck.

ladysplenda- I am also 18, if you dont mind me asking, what insurance company did you and your daughter use and what was your daughter Amanda's BMI and weight? I am at a BMI of 41 and weigh 264. I also have ankle, knee and hip joint pains.

I just would love to hear from others on their experience....good or bad. Everyday, many times a day I think about my weight and health and how I would love to feel good about myself again. Would love to get rid of 80 to 90 lbs. Have first appointment set up for July.

Boo Boo, I forgot to tell you, you are at my goal weight girlfriend!!! When I get to that weight I should be a size ten/twelve.

I actually had a breast reduction about 3 1/2 years ago (Pre Band). I had gotten down to 200lbs to have it done and went from a 38DDD to a small C cup. Of course 5 months later I found out I was pregnant again. Gained back all that weight plus some. Now after having the band and getting down nearly 70 lbs. I have noticed a big difference in my chest. With the weight loss I'm flat and deflated on the top (before I had "teenager boobies") and the skin is a bit wrinkled, but they are still nicely shaped on the bottom. I don't think I'd consider implants, but I have 30 more pounds to go so I may change my mind. I do plan on having a TT for sure. Besides my band ~ the breast reduction/augmentation was the best thing I ever did. :thumbup:

I have to say, my approval from UHC was laughably easy to get. I needed: ultrasound pulmonary assessment, a little blood work, nutrition consultation, psych evaluation, a note from my PCP. That’s pretty much it, in fact I did the first three things all in one day. They asked for a supervised weight loss history, I gave them an old Jenny Craig evaluation form from about five years ago (from a center that’s now closed, no less), and they accepted it. All in all, about three weeks from start of process to approval. Another person I work with had a full bypass; he tells me they went for it with almost no questions asked. It all depends on how much of a plan your employer has worked out with UHC. My company has a pretty comprehensive plan, so they tend to go for these kinds of things with little strum und drang. Your company may have a lesser plan, and you might get some hassle. All you can do is try!

I got my fourth fill (half cc) on Thursday (5/6/10) and they had me drink some Water right after. All was fine went down, no problem. So I go home and have some Soup (based on what the nut said, I could have soup as part of my full liquids for 24 hrs) After the 3rd spoon...I was stuck...on soup. I tried to just wait it out...you know, the sliming, and strange little contractions your stomach does to get the food to go one way or the other. But after 2 hours and it never going down, I allowed it to come back up. After that, stayed on liquids, everything was fine. Then went to mushies...had fat free baked Beans. They are soft...basically dissolve in your mouth. Got stuck after 6 beans! I have been on liquids since, but the problem is that I can go for awhile just sipping water or fat free milk, but if I go for too long just swallowing saliva, I'll get a minor stuck feeling - can't get any fluids down - until I spit up the stuff in my pouch. Which is usually just foamy saliva. What's going on? Should I be a trooper and hope that my swelling will go down? At what point do you give up and call the doc for an unfill? I realy don't want to do that again. For 2 months prior to this fill, I gained 4 pounds. UGH! :confused:

I have been thinking about this for myself... I don't always have the snacking fiend thing in the evenings, and there is no real rhyme or reason to my "cravings". The only factor I KNOW about is late afternoons, kids running around, getting ready for supper, hubby on his way home, hectic, and I can easily start shoving Snacks during that time. If I plan better and manage my time (can you say Crock Pot? Oh Yeah!) then it's easier to stay away from the nibbling because I'm not so stressed. I also usually put on a small pot of coffee in the afternoons. That helps. SO, what causes this hunger? I THINK it's metabolism related. I hovered around 220 for months and months before banding. Since 2 weeks after surgery, I have been hovering around 208. For weeks! I think our bodies try to maintain our current weight? If it starts to lose, we get the hungries so we will maintain instead. I remember my sister saying that Oprah said hungry is good. Blech. No way, you shouldn't feel starved when dieting. I'm thinking now she is right? A little bit of hunger is a good sign that the output of our metabolism and exercise is outweighing the input of our calories. Now, to NOT eat when the hungries kick in. That's the hard part. Jacks' food demon, right? However, a properly adjusted band helps SO much with the hungries. There's a website I found out about on here...let me find the link. I need to take another look at this one. Hope it helps you, too. http://www.room42.com/nutrition/basal.shtml

Hey everyone, I'm curious to see if anyone on the board has had plastic surgery overseas, like maybe in Argentina? I've heard about all these supposedly reputable places you can get it done for less than half what you'd pay in the US on the tv and online, but I don't know of anyone who has actually done it or investigated into it. I know when I'm done losing weight I'll want a few nips and tucks and I really don't want to blow the rest of my savings getting it done.

All I can remember before anethesia is the surgeon telling me I had a big window in my room, the anethesiaologist telling me to take deep breaths twice, and that is it. The next thing I remember is them waking me up and wheeling me through the halls, and feeling nausiated. I was in ICU for the night which is just a normal procedure. When I woke up post up I did see the world, or shall I say my outlook on life different, I was happy that I finalloy had a chance at a healthy life that I know would not of happened it I had not had been sleeved. My love ones treat me the same, but my mom has told me I am different I'm 7 weeks post of she says I am taking more pride in myself, I don't think I act any different, but maybe I just don't see it. I have hidden behind my weight for many years. I have not been on a date in so long that I can not even remember. I don't like being in any kind of crowd. I have decided when I need to deal with emotions I will have to find another way to do that, don't know how yet, but know food will not be the way. Good luck on your journey, I can tell you I do not regret it and wish I would of done something alot sooner.

@@tiredmama i had a good surgeon he was nice surgery was successful luckily my surgery went without a hitch i didn't have any problem with pain or recovery doc never requested a follow up in other words no advice or help was ever given to me i saw my NUT 3 times prior to surgery she left the hospital no follow up from anyone else hope you get more help than i did i am constantly hearing/reading stories people say they talk to their NUT or surgeon getting advice/help i'm sad that i didn't receive that help maybe i should have spoken up more and "tried" to get some help from doc/nut would have been nice to have someone to talk to, ask questions luckily i found this board, and you all have been very helpful, except............... December 15th i have my annual appointment that day is my 4 year surgiversary (confession is good for the sole - i am 6.2 lbs over goal - but i am working on getting those nasty excess lbs off i will do it!!! i go once a year to get weighed briefly talk to nurse she and staff always comment how great i look (always nice to hear) hope you have been given good info from doc/NUT this past year congrats on your weight loss keep up the good work kathy

Here is a link to Anthem's medical policy: https://www.anthem.com/medicalpolicies/policies/mp_pw_a053317.htm "The individual must have serially documented active participation in a non-surgical weight reduction regimen for at least 6 continuous months, in the 2 years prior to surgery, to enable both behavioral changes and adequate assessment of anticipated postoperative dietary maintenance. These efforts must be fully appraised and documented by the physician requesting authorization for surgery;..." So it's six months within the past two years. If you have that, you're good. And a tip: it isn't a claim until the service is provided; beforehand it's a request for authorization before a decision is made, an authorization once it has been approved. Good luck!

Hi everyone, I had the lapband put in two years ago. I lost about 30 pounds and in the process of doing so moved across the country and had to find a new doctor to provide fills for my band. Although my original fill was under fluoroscopy (which obviously worked since I lost the 30 pounds), subsequent fills have been "blind" and have seemed to be either too tight or too loose. And to make matters even worse, sometimes when my band is loose, there are times when it gets super tight and I do the PB thing. It seems to be when I'm anxious or nervous I can't eat, but when I'm relaxed I can eat too much. I'm frustrated because I've gained back some of the weight I've lost because my band fill hasn't been right. I think I need to get a fill under fluoroscopy but I guess I'm skeptical about whether my band is even going to work for me anymore, especially given I've had it for two years and I know most people lose most of their weight in the beginning. Is it too late for me? Any opinions or advice would be appreciated. Thanks

LOL I love Candy Crush too! I call it mental Junk Food Congrats on your weight loss success! You should update that ticker!