Alexandra

Beth, it sounds as though your doctor is going to need to provide notes for you. Have you been seeing any doctor in the last couple of years in an attempt to control your weight? My carrier had a similar requirement (for six months, though) and it was satisfied by my doctor's notes that I had sought treatment for my weight issues over the last couple of years. If you don't have such a record you may just have to pull up your bootstraps and get started now. A year isn't all that long, and will go by very quickly. Call your PCP and make an appointment right now to start that medically supervised weight loss program!

As a self-pay there won't be much if anything to hold you up. If all your medical ducks are in a row you can probably schedule surgery within a couple of weeks. There are no long waiting lists for banding surgery--it's still WAY less popular than RNY, sad to say.

Collegeteacher, what exactly is hurting? Are you still sore from surgery or is it something else? Referred pain in the shoulder can, I understand, go on for some time. Surgery is a big deal and we all heal at our own speed. You will feel better, day by day, just rest up and be good to yourself. And welcome to bandland!!

Everyone heals at their own rate. Certainly the docs give us post-surgery food plans that have a medical basis, which is to give us the right amount of time to heal so the band will sit firmly in place. That said, the food plans vary so much that there's clearly a lot of leeway in there. Carrie, you haven't stretched your pouch--you just don't have any restriction yet so you can eat plenty at this point. HOWEVER, if you're not supposed to be eating solids yet, DON'T. The golden post-op rule is to FOLLOW YOUR DOC'S INSTRUCTIONS. The best approach during this healing time is to do what is necessary to not get too hungry. It's almost impossible to exercise impulse control when you're starving! So don't get that way. If you're supposed to be on soft foods, EAT until you're not hungry. Stay away from pizza (not a soft food on anyone's plan), and stick with eggplant parmesan. Anything you don't have to chew to swallow is a soft food, and there are LOTS of ways to keep from getting hungry under that guideline. This too shall pass, ladies. The important thing is to stay off solids as long as your doctor has told you to in order to keep your band still and stable while it's healing in place. You can do it!!

Hi Nik, You're in good shape with BCBS of NJ. If you are medically qualified for the surgery, and if there is no exclusion on your plan, it's covered. Your doctor is probably your best resource for specific information, but everything I've heard about BCBS NJ is good. Welcome to LBT!!

Hi Grandma! Welcome to LBT. Wow, 9 grandchildren??? I'll bet they keep you busy. And you're so young you have plenty of time to enjoy them. Lucky lady!!

I started at 340 lbs, is that close enough for you? Exercise is one of those things that everyone approaches differently. I didn't even start thinking about it until I got down to 280 or so, and then it was a whole different ball of wax. Now it's part of my life and it's a LOT more fun than it used to be.

Glad to hear you're up and kicking!! :)

How wonderful, Daisydoodle!!! :) You think being banded changed your life? You ain't seen nothin' yet, honey!!

Stacey, now you really have to baby your esophagus for a day or so. A really bad PB like that can lead to ongoing irritation if you don't let it rest. Stick to liquids for at least the next couple of meals. This was your bandster initiation, and now you know it's not kidding around. EAT SLOWLY and take very small bites. Pay attention when your stomach says it's full and walk away. Trying to get down just one more bite can really have some negative consequences. Welcome to bandland!!

Darcey, with that attitude you're a total success. I hope you heal up quickly and continue looking forward on to brighter things.

You know, I'd call that doctor and ask why the postop diet is so restrictive. I mean, most doctors and patients are already considering a fill at 6-7 weeks out, so just about everyone is already on solid food by then and has been for a week or so. I can't believe you're supposed to be on soft foods through three months? I'm wondering if you weren't given the RNY post-op diet instead? But to answer your first question, I'd have to say NO. As I've said on many an occasion, a world without ice cream is not a world in which I want to live. Sticking to a strict "diet" is a guarantee of misery for me, and that's not at all why I went into this. Fast food is part of life, and so are sweets. But being banded means very limited portions, and that's the trick. Being banded was only one step in a LIFE LONG battle. If I expect to live with these changes, they have to be changes I can live with. Um, I have news for you: You're HUMAN! Four hours is a perfectly appropriate time between meals. If a half-cup of food is keeping you satisfied for four hours, you'll be losing weight steadily in no time!!

Yep, both my GP and my GYN have been very impressed with the band because of my experience. I saw my GYN the other day after not having seen her for 4 years and she was blown away. She said she has a friend who has been thinking about RNY but who is scared, and I told her to tell her friend about this site. Hope she visits!

Barbara, that's so funny! At least he cautioned you against comparing your fill with other people's. I'm guessing you have the larger band? Hope to see you next week!

Darcey, I'm so glad to hear you got help before something really serious happened!! Thank goodness you're all whole and healthy and safe.

That is a remote possibility, I guess. But in a case like that, relying on the patient's memory wouldn't be the way to go anyway. If it really mattered how much Fluid was in the band I'd hope someone would contact the surgeon and ask. My doctor's thinking is, I guess, that the specific amount of fluid in the band is not "information that directly applies to [our] medical care." In any sort of medical emergency the really important thing is that we can indicate that we HAVE a band at all. The precise amount of fluid in it is not a number that will matter in any real way at any time. Only the effect of the fill--whether it's too tight or not--is what matters. I trust my doctor enough to think that he really knows what he's doing on this point. If, in your example, there were some fluid left over, what's the harm as long as it's not obstructing the patient's ability to eat or drink? If it were important to TOTALLY EMPTY the band in some medical situation--as opposed to loosening it enough to serve the purposes--then I'd expect more doctors would feel it important that we are aware of that.

Mellie, Kathy is exactly right. When you say "they" have an exclusion, whose exclusion is it? That's the first step to figuring out whether you can go around it or not. Good luck!!

My doctor says the same thing, and I totally see his point. The actual amount of Fluid in one's band IS completely irrelevant. As an academic matter sure, we have the "right" to know, but we can't help drawing conclusions based on a number that our doctors know is absolutely meaningless. It is a piece of information that actually matters about as much as our shoe size, yet we are drawn to making health decisions (like whether we need more) based on it. It's practically impossible to have no reaction to the number; it might even influence our behavior or attitude if the number is higher or lower than we think it "ought" to be. So I can understand the reasoning behind not revealing the exact amount to the patient at the time of the fill. There are only three fill amounts: too little, too much, and just right.

Hi Helen, Congratulations for coming out of the closet and finding your way back to a band support group! It's time for you to take care of yourself and you know that losing weight is a great way to do that. Your band is there to help you, if you can get it together to help your band do its thing. First, STOP WITH THE REGULAR COKES!!! What, are you nuts? If you must drink soda just reach for a diet. Before you know it you'll be accustomed to the flavor and you'll be saving more than a hundred calories every single time. Another great thing to get you motivated is registering at Fitday.com and logging your intake. This is totally private and you don't have to share it with anyone, so be as completely honest as you can. This is a very eye-opening exercise which can really help you make even small changes that will cut your calories. And keep coming here!! You're not alone and we're here to cheer you on. We'll help you find that wagon!

All you're doing wrong is expecting a perfectly steady rate of loss. You're doing PERFECTLY, even EXTRAORDINARILY well. Any graph of weight loss shows lots of fits and starts, stalls, stops, and even nudges upwards from time to time. The only way you could be considered "unsuccessful" is if you think it of yourself. You're WELL on your way and you just need to take a step back. RELAX!

Hmmm, maybe it does have something to do with the heat! I've definitely had a bit more restriction in the last week, taking me from almost-none to just-barely-enough. You may be on to something, La_Madam!

Hey, now, Dr. Bertha is the BOMB!! Lauren, he's lectured me on occasion too and I know how easy it is to take it personally. But you're doing GREAT and Dr. Bertha is really just trying to make sure you take being banded as seriously as he does. I know he wants all of his patients to succeed and that involves a lot of personal commitment. Personally I'm very impressed with the amount of followup care Dr. Bertha et al. provide, and when patients don't show up it seems to indicate, well, you know. The practice is very big on taking a team approach, and that means both parties have to do their share. Leatha is exactly right. You're doing wonderfully!! I hope you'll come to the support meetings Dr. Bertha's office holds--those can also be a big boost when things like this get us down.

Linda, you've written a post MANY of us can identify with. The head issues that are not solved by banding are a larger problem than perhaps we realized going in. We've been "dieting" so long that we can't fathom a new life where there is NO END to the new eating discipline. I know I've run up against that emotional wall a couple of times, indeed. A too-tight fill is a scary thing, and I agree it does seem to be more common in people with the smaller band. The "just-right" fill is out there, and when we have it the band's miracle can work. Yet even a "just-right" fill can't help with the head issues that make food itself seem like some holy grail. Unfortunately.

I just did this recently, and I was told that coffee or tea with no sugar or milk was OK. I try to have my bloodwork done first thing in the a.m. to make this easier.

No choice for me, either. Mine's in my left midsection, two inches below my ribs.