KristinaF

I am exactly like you! I go over 900 calories and I gain weight and it comes on very fast! I actually was sticking to around 600 to 800 calories, was doing great, losing and maintaining nice until a friend was talking to me about eating. I mentioned what I eat and immediately got the "you're eating too little, you're starving your body, eat more!" lecture. So I bumped up to 1200, and WHAM! in a few months, I have packed on nearly fifteen pounds. I saw my weight loss surgery team for my eighteen month post surgical exam and talk to my doctor about it. She said that more and more studies are coming out that people don't need as much calories as they previously thought. Everyone is different. I told her of my issues and she said that she would be comfortable with me eating in the 900-1000 calories range, but if that was too much, and I was not losing/gaining again, go back to my 600-800 range. So now I am struggling to lose this regain, even those I am still at a normal weight for my height, my clothes are tight, I look bloated, and I am miserable. I am 5'7" and maintained around 130lb-135lb, now I am pushing 150lb. No longer listening to others, working on getting back on track... solid protein, green leafy produce, and water. I measure and weigh my food, making sure to keep my meals between 6oz to 8oz.

I have Highmark BCBS as well. I am a band to sleeve revision. No problem with them at all. Completed everything that the hospital wanted me to do prior to surgery. Paperwork was submitted and approval came a week later. So far, insurance has paid for everything, but I got a bill from my hospital for ten grand, stating that my insurance is refusing to pay for the lap band removal. I told them that is wrong, I have two approval letters, have talked with insurance multiple times prior to surgery and have read my policy coverage front to back and sideways. There's nothing in there stated that for a revision, they will only pay to have 85% of my stomach removed, but they won't pay for my leaking lap band to be removed. That's part of the revision surgery. My band was leaking, it is physically broken, we have the fluoroscopy results to prove it.The girl I talked to looked into it and said that the coding it correct but it looks like it was misworded on the hospital's end. So, waiting for billing management to look into it and hopefully get it corrected and resubmitted to Highmark BCBS. We are switching insurance companies in January to United Health Care and my company decided to drop bariatric surgery coverage.

Hi all, I'll add my band to sleeve experience with all the others. I had my lap band for seven years, I lost 150lbs. Went from 291lbs to 140lbs. No problems or issues, I was very lucky. January of this year, I noticed that my weight started climbing. I went in for a fill and after a few days, I noticed that I didn't have any restrictions. Went back for another fill a few weeks later. The NP pulled out my fluids to check my levels and noticed that my CC's weren't matching with what was in the computers. Long story short, after several months and a fluoroscopy, it was discovered that my band was leaking in an area that couldn't be fixed. Talked with the surgeon and I decided to revise to the sleeve. I was was revised on October 29th. I had gained 60lbs with my band leaking. Since being sleeved almost 6 weeks ago, I have lost almost 35lbs. My surgeon told me that revision patients generally tend to lose weight slower than virgin WLS patients, then he said since I had lost so much weight and don't have much to lose to get back to goal, I'm going to lose even slower, BUT I will get there. Apparently, I was one of the few people in the WLS department at my hospital that lost that much weight with the band, as he put it "you rocked that band and you're going to rock the sleeve, it's just going to take a bit longer to get there". I'm fine with that, slow and steady is okay be me. I'm just happy to have been able to get sleeved, we are switching insurance companies in January and my company dropped bariatric surgery coverage, so having my band leak was a blessing in disguise. I got in just under the wire. I'll get back to goal, no doubt in my mind.

I just had my revision from lap band to sleeve on October 29th and I live in Cloquet, or 30 minutes south of Duluth.

Hello fellow Minnesotans! I live in the Twin Ports area and I am scheduled for my revision from lap band to sleeve on October 29th. Been steadily gaining weight since January despite not changing my eating habits or exercise routine. After several fills and unfills to check my fill levels, and a fluoroscopy in July, it was discovered that my band had sprung a leak and so will no longer hold fills. Went through the revision progress and I was approved on September 15th. Looking forward to surgery and being able to lose the 50lbs that I have gained. I will be having my surgery at Essentia Health in Duluth with Dr. Bettendorf.

Well, I'll be joining Team Revision on October 29th. Found out my lap band was leaking in July after trying to figure out why I was gaining weight despite still eating and exercising the same. Began the process of revision to the sleeve. Got the approval on September 15th. Looking forward to getting this weight off and getting my body back. Will have Dr. Bettendorf at Essentia Health in Duluth.

I'm in Cloquet. I had lap band surgery on October 17th, 2008. Starting weight was 291. I now bounce between 140 and 145. I'm 5'7.5"