Jonna

Best of luck to you!! Keep us posted on your progress! I start my liquid diet tomorrow, then my surgery is on the 27th.

Hey there,

Great to hear someone else used Dr. Brebia, he seems like a great doctor. I'm getting really excited to have my surgery on the 27th. We'll have to keep up with each other! Take care!

Hey! I also have Dr. Brebia! I was wondering which shake and Protein bar had the highest Protein and lowest sugar.

I know how you felt, I was very nervous about telling my husband. I was afraid he would say "do it like everyone else does". But he has been so supportive and comes home just about everyday with new information from others who know people who have had it done. I told him that the main reason I was having it done was for myself, but a lot of it is for us!! I really feel it will help grow our relationship stronger if I were more confident in myself. My husband isn't thin, but far from being heavy and I think to myself sometimes why does he want to be with a fat person like me. He's told me before, he didn't care if I weighed 500lbs that he would still be with me because he loves ME. He's not a very affectionate person, as I am but I truly feel this will help all the way around.

Thanks everyone!! Looks like you've all done really well, I just hope I will as well!! Best of luck to you all!

My doctor has suggested I eat a Protein bar if I start to feel real hungry during my 10day pre diet, which I start on May 18th. Can anyone suggest which are the best? Also, I'm losing my excitement I guess because its been such a long waiting game. Has anyone else gone through that?

Thanks everyone!

Best of luck to you!! We'll have to keep each other posted of our progress and challenges.

Congrats!!! As my surgery is the same day. I just received that they had a cancelation and moved my surgery up earlier. I don't think I will be ready to get up at 5:30 AM but surely will be glad to start my new life!!!

I have Coventry of Delaware! I can tell you that they don't cover the Lapband, however I was able to get in under a loop hole. I work in Maryland and in July 2009, Maryland past a law that all Insurance companies MUST cover the Lapband surgery. Even though I live in Delaware, my insurance is covering it because I work in Maryland and the policy was signed in Maryland. You may want to just call your insurance commissioner in MO and ask if this is true there.

Best of luck to you!!

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with Coventry of Kansas City? My husband is possibly getting a new job (we are waiting on the phone call any day now) with the largest Missouri University and they have Coventry which I am desperately hoping will cover lap band because our current health insurance excludes it. I was just curious if anyone knows the ins and outs. Even if the employer is different any information would be much appreciated...the suspense is killing me. Thanks!

Went to my last surgeon appointment and finally got my surgery date..................May 27th will begin my new life and boy am I ready!! I very excited, but nervous all the same.

That's awesome!! You should be down almost a dress size now LOL!! Just remember, if you lose it to fast its going to be tough to keep toned and you'll end up with the saggy skin. I should have my surgery sometime toward the end of the month, I hope! Just be a little patient and trust in yourself, family and friends for support!! Best of luck and keep up the good work!

Yup, I had to do a stress test. However, I didn't have to do the treadmill because I have a bad knee. They have to get your heart up to a certain number of beats per minute and make sure all the muscles around the heart work properly. This tells them if there are any possible blockages. Nothing to be concerned with! I'm sure everything will be just fine. Your EKG was probably off because you were getting irritated at the doctor LOL! Good luck to you!

I'm so sorry so many people do not have support from loved ones, when this is one of the biggest decisions you can ever make for yourself. Yes, this is for yourself and NO ONE else!! I have been fortunate and have support from everyone I've told or maybe their just being nice. Whatever the case, I could care less what they think because I'm doing this for me, myself and I!!! Please don't let anyone tell you what is right for you, you are the only one that knows that. Trust in God with your decision and no one else!! Take care and best of luck to everyone!!

Phew, it would be a bad day if my husband was to do that! I have to say, my husband could care less if I cook or not. He always tells me, he can always find something to eat. He is super good about that and will eat anything I make except Kidney Beans, he really doesn't like them at all and I love them.

Congrats to you!! I'm looking forward to being banded, probably in May. Best of luck!

WOW, congrats to you!! That is awesome! I'm in a 22/24 now and can't wait to get in a size 14!

My insurance company required 6 months, but it was basically going to the Nutritionist class once a month. My first visit counted when I went to see the Nutritionist, then had class for 4 months and my last surgeon visit will count as my last months class. Good Luck to you!! It really does go by really fast!

Thanks so much for sharing your story!! Awesome job, I am about the size you were when you started and can't wait to get my last approval. I'm hoping to have surgery in May.

I posted this on the pre-surg forum as well. I ALSO posted this on my blog and thought it may be nice to come and visit lapbandtalk as well! I have been banded over 2 years. I started at 327 pounds and now weigh 159. I love my band. Sometimes those of us "old timers" can forget all the questions we had when we were newbies...so I tried to think of as many as possible. I don't have tons of updated pics on here, but you can always see more on my blog. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I am an open book.

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Sometimes we forget when we were first beginning. Do you remember the first time you googled Lapband? Or the first time you logged into the forums...frantically searching for before and afters....looking at successes and getting pumped...stumbling upon a horror story and then getting scared? Do you remember the stupid questions you asked? I remember posting on lapbandtalk.com something like "is one cup of Wendy's chili bad for you?"

Well, I am going to try and remember back to when I didn't know much about the band...and what information would have been helpful. Here goes...

Did you know:

• I started at 327 pounds. My doctor, the wonderful and handsome Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, told me that the band is not always the best choice for someone who is a grazer. They find that the band is actually more successful for men, because men tend to eat in volume (sitting down for a huge dinner and getting really full, vs eating and munching on little things all day).
• Some doctors say that the band will not work as well for those of us who are or were really morbidly obese. I disagree. And there are plenty of us out here who are proving them wrong.

Did you know:

• The band may not work for you? You could have the surgery and not lose much weight at all. It is not a sure thing. BUT, if you work with the band...it can and will work for most of us.

What does "work with the band mean"?

• Every doctor has a different regimen they want you to follow. Every doc is different, as it almost every patient. Some say no pop/soda, some say it's fine. Some have a 2 week liquid preop and scare the sweet baby jebsus out of you about not shrinking your liver enough for surgery and not being able to operate (thank you Dr. Friedman). But, you will have to do your part with the band. You will have to watch what you eat. You will have to eventually get your ass up and exercise. You will have to make healthier choices and just be better. I know you are saying WHAT? That sounds like a diet to me. And I fail at diets!!! The band is a TOOL, not the Alpha and Omega of your weight loss journey. You can "cheat" the band by eating sliders and soft food. I for one could eat cheetos all day long and the band would sleep right through it. But with the right restriction, your band prevents you from eating that large pizza, the extra value meal, the entire bovine.
• You have to find a doctor that you can have a relationship with. They have to be open with you and you have to be open with them. You HAVE to go see them for fills. You have to follow up. You have to be a good patient. ASK QUESTIONS.

What can you eat once you are banded?

• At this point in my journey, I can't think of one thing I CANT eat. However, there are somethings that I try to stay away from because they are difficult with my band. Example: Bowtie Pasta. It doesnt go down well. And then it just sits in my band and expands...causing me to PB (get to that in a second).
• I can't eat a sandwich, or a hamburger with a bun, but I could eat a roll if I tear off little pieces at a time. Hot dogs give me problems for some reason. Dry chicken or reheated meat (with the exception of a hamburger) often give me problems as well.
• I still drink soda, I still drink beer.
• I love Soups. I can eat veggies. I can eat fruit.< /li>
• Eating after being banded is about going slow. It's about chewing. They say with proper restriction that 4-6 ounces of solid Protein (a piece of meat about the size of your fist) should keep you full for 3-4 hours.
• Most docs want their patients to avoid "slider meals". Meaning, eating a bowl of Soup for lunch or yogurt for breakfast isn't going to keep you full or satisfied because it will SLIDE right down. You want your food to stay in your pouch, and slowly drop down.
• Sometimes though...food may get stuck and then you get "sick".

The Dreaded PB:

• A couple things may happen if a piece of food gets "stuck in your pipe" as Heather refers to it. You aren't going to die. It's not like it gets stuck and you need the Heimlich. But if a piece of food gets stuck, ain't nothing else going down until it moves or comes up.
• The first thing that may happen is a productive burp (PB). This is not throwing up. When something gets stuck, your slobber starts to build on top of it. For me, when this happens, I get a weird sensation in the back of my jaw. And if I wait long enough, I will have to get somewhere private (hopefully) and let it come up. What comes up is this weird slime/foam combo. It doesn't hurt. And hopefully...it moves whatever is stuck.
• Sometimes though, it takes a little more work. Sometimes that one piece of food I didnt chew enough will be down there for hours. And then, it's not PBing. It's sort of like dry heaving until that piece comes up. There is a tightness in the chest...a pressure. It's not fun.
• I will say that not everyone gets stuck or PB's. And most of us would agree that when we do get stuck...it's our fault. We eat without being present, we didn't chew, we ate too fast.

Restriction and Tips for Eating:

• Unless you are extremely lucky, you will not awake from surgery with perfect restriction. Some docs put a little liquid in your band to start with, others wait. I had to wait 6 weeks for my first fill. And again, unless you are the rare case, you probably won't get restriction with your first fill. It took me several fills before I had good restriction.
• ASK your doctor what his/her fill policy is. Some docs are super restrictive with their fills. They only fill on a schedule. They don't care whether or not you have restriction. All I know is if Dr. Friedman hadn't let me tell him that I was ready for a fill...and if he had made me wait regardless of what I could eat...I wouldn't have been as successful as I was.
• You will know you have restriction when you have it. It's sort of like having sex. If you have to wonder if you had an orgasm or not...um...you probably didn't.
• Restriction will keep you full and satisfied for 3-4 hours. You will be able to eat less.
• Restriction DOES NOT RESTRICT YOUR BRAIN. You may still mentally crave things. You will have to learn the difference between head hunger and physical hunger. This is very hard.
• When you do have good restriction, you will have to change the way you eat. This is easier said than done. You should be taking small bites. For example, if you are eating steak, you need to cut that sucker up into pea sized bites. You need to chew. Then, set your fork down and wait a few seconds. You should eat sitting down. You should pay attention to what you are doing. You will learn that things like eating in the car is rarely going to end well. (Always have your emergency PB kit in your car. A couple of bags, some papertowels or handywipes. Trust me.)
• You probably shouldnt drink with your meal or for 30 minutes after. Liquids can help push your food down...thus...cheating the band.

How much weight will I lose? How quickly will I lose it?

• Now you know that there is no one answer for this. Statistically, Lapband patients lose around 40% of their excess weight. SO, if you are 100 pounds overweight, statistically you will lose 40 pounds. I hate statistics. And remember, they are an average. 17 more pounds lost and I will have lost 100% of my excess weight...and I am not alone. It can happen.
• However, there are so many factors that go into how much and how fast. Genetics, age, diet history, personal support, family life, exercise. Some weeks I lost 7 pounds. Some weeks I gained 5. The weeks I gained, I gained because I ate poorly. I cheated the band The weeks I lost, I ate and made healthy choices. There are some weeks, even when I WAS doing the right thing...I didn't lose. It can be frustrating. But you can't give up.
• You will have to keep upping your game. At some point, even with the band, you will either have to adjust your food or exercise.

But, I feel like the band is "cheating". I feel like if I have WLS, I am weak.

• I'm gonna tell you what. Who gives a flying monkey's ass?! Cheating what? Cheating early death? Cheating sleep apena? Cheating high blood pressure, sore joints, diabetes? I say CHEAT AWAY then. There is no shame in WLS. It's not about will power. It's not about failing. It is about trying to find a tool that works to give you some power, give you your health.
• I tell whoever wants to know or will listen about the band. And yes, I have heard "Oh...well...I thought you did it the hard way"...or "hmmm...that must be nice". I say listen FOOL. There ain't nothing easy about the band. It makes some things easier but it is still work. And I find that people either give you 'tude about the band bc they are afraid or jealous or because they don't understand. Either way, that is okay. I will educate or I will ignore. I feel like if I were to say "oh, I am just watching my diet and working out"...that I would be lying by omission. AND, my real fear is that someone who is overweight will think "Well, Amy did it "the old fashioned way", and they will feel like a failure when they try and do not succeed.

Will my relationship fall apart if I have the surgery?

• We all hear the stories of what happens when someone has WLS. The divorce rate and seperation rate is a little higher for us. There are several reasons. One, for some of us....when we lose weight, we become a different person...or the person we would have been if our bodies hadn't been our enemies so long. Our expectations may change, we may want more. OR, our partners may not be able to deal with the new us. OR, as in any relationship...sometimes it's just time to move on. I don't think that having WLS should make you fear losing or changing your partner anymore than the normal person. There are tons of bandsters out there still happy and maybe even happier with their significant other. Sometimes though, even though we can't see it or don't want to admit it...we have settled. And once you start to shed your cloak of security or denial...you realize you deserve more (too bad we don't realize that to begin with. Long story short...people change and grow...with or without weightloss surgery.

Are you worried about complications:

• No. But most days I am not a worrier about things that may or may not happen. I heard recently that the stats for band slipping are about 5% and for erosion, about 1-2%. Slipping for example, can be avoided most of the time and according to the docs...is easy to fix. Erosion is of course a little more scary. But I hope that by always paying attention to my body, my band, and how I am feeling...I can avoid it or if it ever happens...catch it early.

Do fills hurt?

• Mine never do. My doc has never done one under fluoro. He gives me a numbing shot and then the fill.

How many fills do you have to have?

• To get restriction, it took me 4. My first year I had around 6 fills. My second year, I had 2.

Will you ever have the band taken out?

• Lord I hope not. Even now that I am at goal weight and weight loss is more of what I do instead of what the band does for me...it's always there. It's my safety net. It will keep me from ever being 327 pounds again.

Why did you choose the band over other options?

• I was 28 when I decided on the surgery. I didn't want my stomach cut apart. I still wanted to be able to absorb my nutrients. I wanted to be able to eat sugar and other things without getting physcially ill. I liked that the removal of the band was a possibility if something went wrong. I liked the idea of being able to control my restriction. And even though I bitched and complained along the way, I liked the idea of a slower weight loss (vs Gastric bypass). It gave my skin and my brain a little more time to adjust.

Did you know there are different brands of lapbands?

• I have the Allegran Lapband. Ask you doctor your choices and the differences. Mine is a 10-11cc band. Some are smaller.

Were you worried about the loose skin?

• Barely. I figured I may look like a saggy deflated sack after I lost my weight, but I would rather be deflated then morbidly obese.
• And I am lucky. My skin is nowhere as bad as it could have been. Again, so many factors go into skin. Age, genes, working out, sun...etc.

Would you do it again?

• In a heartbeat my friends. In a heartbeat. It was the best decision of my life. It was a tremedous catalyst for change. I can't think of one negative consequence of the band.

I had to laugh at the "fat lazy wls chick" LOL!! I'm fortunate or should I say they are fortunate that I haven't had anyone negative thoughts about my surgery. If they do, I will have plenty to say!! Although, I'm sure there is probably plenty said behind my back and as long as I don't hear it they're safe LOL!! This is our decision and our life and NO ONE has the right to judge us! I am 41 years old and have been fighting my weight my entire life. When I was in my early 20's I lost about 125lbs and thought I was the sh--!! However, it came back quicker than it went and I haven't been able to get it down again. I wish you nothing but the best and don't let anyone make you think, you made the wrong decision for yourself!

My first mistake was not letting the surgeon get me an appointment with the pulmonary doctor and using one closer to where I live!! The appointment was made in November and the soonest they could get me in was March 31st!! That was the last clearance I needed and was expecting be an April Bandster, but now because of all the tests he wants to do looks like it will be May! I was suppose to go tomorrow to get my surgery date, but because I haven't got clearance from the lung doctor, they said to cancel and reschedule for the first week of May. I know I've waited for 6 months, but was so looking forward to my doctor visit tomorrow and getting that surgery date. I just hope the next month goes by as quickly as the last 6 months.

I had my Lung doctor appointment last Thursday and he said he wanted to do several tests. He said he wasn't going to do a sleep apnea test, until after the surgery but was going to recommend they put me on the c-pap machine when they pull the ventilator tube out. I have to go for several breathing tests on the 18th. I understand they are being very cautious, but I don't understand the whole c-pap and why they would put me on that. I don't have any breathing problems now and just thought it was kind of weird.

Welcome! I'm pretty new myself, but have found a lot of great information on the sight and a lot of support! I had to go through the same nutritional classes for 6 months, well actually just 4 months. The first visit was a one on one and the last visit with my surgeon counts as the last month. I also had to have a psych evaluation, clearance from a heart doctor and lung doctor. Best of luck to you! Teagirl is right, it really does go by really fast. I think the longest has been this past month.

I went to my Psych evaluation was in November and I haven't seen a bill yet. I believe she and the surgeon are in together and the whole thing is kind of in together. I haven't even seen a bill from my first visit to the surgeon, which was November 9th.

I called my insurance company just to make sure they would cover it, then the doctors office called them and told me exactly what the steps were I had to take. Yes, once I have all the clearances they will submit everything to get final approval from Coventry. Its just the process they take, to ensure all the doctors say you are a candidate for the surgery and are healthy enough to handle it. Apparently, even Medicare requires the facilities to be a "Center of Excellence" and so does Coventry. It just means they've done a certain number of surgeries to acquire that title.

I will tell you that I started this process back in late October and as you can see I'm still going through it, so if this is something you really think you want to do I would consider starting it now. Have you been to a seminar yet?

I would like to continue where I am but trust me I will definitely think about it. I am still trying to figure this process out. How long til the doctor submitted your claim for surgery? How long was it when u heard anything back from coventry? The physicians office told me that i need to go to the clearance appts before they can submit anything . Is that true? Sounds backwards. How r things going with you? So u said u have to wait now until it is a center of excellence? What's up with that?

104lbs, you should be so proud of yourself! That is a huge accomplishment. I should have my surgery next month and can hardly wait to start my new life. Good Luck and continued success to you!

Had the lapband on 3/24/10. I had to be on a diet 6 mos before surgery d/t my insurance. I have lost a total of 104lbs. I have not yet reached my bmi goal. I last had my fill a few months ago... I know its too tight b/c i have regurg at night, belching all the time, only able to eat soft foods because all other foods get caught... Which I end up getting sick! I have been eating all the wrong foods b/c it's what I can get down.

I have lost motivation since i haven't lost any weight. I am going to the doc tomorrow! I have to get back on track... If anyone wants to talk about their experience or has any questions... Feel free to post! I love hearing others experience.

Thanks everyone! Had my follow up visit yesterday with the cardiologist and everyone was so nice that I couldn't bring myself to say anything, I'm going to just say she was having a real bad day and hopefully she took all her frustrations out on me instead of someone that was really sick. Needless to say, I past and clearance has been given!! Woo hoo!! Now, just need to get clearance from the Lung doctor and I should be on my way to get my surgery date!

Thanks for this information, I just ordered some to try it!