Alexandra

Things are a little weird right now, definitely. This evening's local news was full of horrific traffic accidents, a playground shooting, a 2-yr.-old girl run over by a city bus, another 2-yr.-old falling out of a window, and on and on. I mean, there's always one or two incidents for the local newspeople to drool over, but tonight it was literally over the top. And closer to home, in the last week I've had a work colleague go ballistic on me, a cousin have a nervous breakdown, and my sister-in-law diagnosed with breast cancer. It's been quite the bad week all around.

Good luck, Krystal!! We'll be waiting to hear your post-op report when you get a chance. Have a great trip to Bandland!!

Kathy's right, Flower, it totally depends on what makes you more comfortable. I was DONE with dieting years ago, frankly, and really have internalized the "making good choices" mantra. I could never get any control over quantity, though, and that was my demon. Post-banding I have never said or thought for one second that I'm on a "diet." Being banded has very much changed my approach to food, but 90% of the change is about quantity. The other 10% is about texture. It hasn't changed the way I think about calories and nutrients, and nothing is off-limits as long as I understand what I'm putting in my mouth is my choice to make.

Julie, I think we're twins!! I'm 43 and have also NEVER been a normal size. My lowest weight as an adult was 230 lbs, after a liquid diet, but I was 28 years old at the time. I'm now wearing sizes I could never have imagined...when I see the "L" on the label for my new raincoat I am always taken aback and sure it's not mine. I really can relate to every aspect of your post. Just this morning I was looking at myself in the office bathroom mirror, amazed that the lines of my body are essentially vertical, instead of roly-poly with lots of spare tires. The word "slender" popped into my mind for a split second, though I know that's laughable when applied to me. I'm a good 50 pounds away from what anyone would call my "ideal" weight, and I'm not in any hurry to lose more right now. Part of the reason is the disconnect you're feeling. That liquid diet taught me one thing, at least, that body image really does inform our self-identity and changes that come too quickly can be harmful in more ways than one. If it takes me another 5 years to lose the next 50 lbs, maybe by then I'll be ready to accept myself as a "slender" person. My friends and family are still wigging out about how I look now, so they'll benefit from more time to adjust as well. It'll be nice when they can stop expressing surprise about me.

Yikes! I would have fainted dead away. You're a brave soul, Kimberly!

Joe, Aetna has a stated policy of only covering the band if bypass is contraindicated for some reason. That means that they may think you're a great candidate for weight-loss surgery, but UNLESS you have some reason that you CAN'T have the bypass, that's going to be Aetna's surgery of choice for you. That's going to be the challenge for you and your doctor, showing Aetna that the band is better for you than the bypass. There are loads of reasons why the band might be preferable, but what you need to do is come up with medical reasons why bypass is not a good procedure for you. Do you have any intestinal or bowel issues? Any weakness or immune issues that could pose a risk to you as you proceed with RNY? That's MAJOR surgery in a way that lap-band is not, so if you have any reasons to think it poses a risk to you, write 'em down. Good luck!!

Yeah, Kelly, a fluoroscopy is the first diagnostic test that would be done. Erosion can be detected that way depending on the degree. I don't know if it can be ruled out that way, though, so if there are symptoms of concern it might be a good idea to have an endoscopy anyway. Please tell me you're not asking for yourself? Is everything OK?

No one here will have had the bypass (I don't think) since this is a board for bandsters. All of us have made the decision that bypass is not for us. I know I never considered it seriously at all--for me it was banding or nothing. A properly adjusted band does indeed damper your appetite and slow down cravings in a BIG way. That doesn't happen overnight, and it may take a couple of fills until your band is adjusted correctly for you. But I think that's a GOOD thing--it gives you time to mentally adjust to eating much smaller meals, and there's nothing you can't eat if you want it. You just eat LESS of everything, and that's how you lose weight.

Stacey, take it easy! It's only been three days and everyone heals at a different rate. PLEASE rest and let your body take care of itself. If you're really having trouble getting liquids in you might want to call your doctor, but post-op swelling can indeed cause that sort of trouble for some people. It's not at all surprising if you're not interested in taking in anything--you've just had abdominal surgery! You can expect to be sore for several days or even a couple of weeks, but it will get better every day if you rest up and don't try to overdo it. As long as you can drink fluids don't worry about calories or anything--we all have plenty of reserves to get through a few days without extra. Once you're on full liquids and can do the Protein supplements you'll start to feel even better still. Good luck and take care! You're on your way!!

Heather, at this point you have no restriction. It's VERY unlikely that you could do anything to stretch your pouch out since the food you eat is passing through it practically without stopping. Your appetite has returned because you're a healthy normal person and your band much of an effect at this point. On solid food you may find that it's not as hard to control your portions as you think. Wait until you're completely on solids before thinking about a fill, but it may well be that a fill is in order. Don't expect to be full on 4 ozs now if you weren't full on 4 ozs prior to banding.

Barbara, yes indeed people do get approved without comorbidities if their BMI is over 40. Absolutely, positively, yes. My surgeon's office's insurance experts say to the preops every single month that if your BMI is 40 or above you qualify medically, period. Whether your insurer will pay for your band is another question entirely, but if they deny it the reason will NOT be that it's not medically necessary. If your BMI is 40 or above, that's a given. I'm one of those people who had to fight my insurer, but it wasn't for medical reasons. My BMI was 47 prior to surgery and they approved weight-loss surgery immediately though I was otherwise healthy. It was banding they had a problem with. (I fought it and won, for the record.)

HamuChan, I've asked the same thing of the nutritionists at our support group meetings. The answer always is, you need Protein to keep your body running well, ESPECIALLY when you're taking in less and less of everything else. 70 or so grams a day is desired, and that means every day. I had asked specifically if, say, an all-fruit day would be OK, and the answer was no, not really. I can't say I am 100% on this, but by starting each day with an Atkins Protein Bar I'm good for 20 grams right there. You might try something like that if you really don't think you can get enough protein in from food. They make protein supplements for a reason, so use them!

The only way to break that carb habit is to break it all the way. It's definitely hard but when you stop eating carbs the cravings really do diminish. Whether you want to follow Atkins or just chuck anything that smacks of bad carbs, either will work. And it will get easier.

Welcome to Bandland and LBT, Corsha!! :D

Probably no surprise, I LOVE MY BAND!!! I was prepared for anything and have been very pleasantly surprised at how relatively easy this ride has been. Sure, I've had my PB episodes and the moments of wondering how a meal could end so soon, but over time and in retrospect it's a learning curve I am GLAD to have climbed. Obviously, my preop self was out of control. After 30+ years of severe obesity there was just nothing left to try to get my weight down to a safe level and be able to keep it there. I was absolutely at the end of my rope, but still unwilling to take the risks that went with anatomy rearranging. As hard as some aspects seemed from time to time, the band has been instrumental in helping me eat less, every day. And that's all I needed it to do. I have absolutely no regrets, not for one second.

Krystal, June 2nd is WEDNESDAY!!! That's less than a week away and all you have to do is get through this. You'll do fine! My advice for getting through this is just go do something else when you're thinking about food. It's hard to do but really so important. Whatever techniques you discover now for distraction will come in very handy as the healing period progresses and even later on during times of little or no restriction. Learn to crochet!

Zarathustra, thanks so much for letting us know about these! Fascinating!! Especially the malpractice piece. That may be the path to MUCH wider acceptance of the band as a surgical treatment for obesity. Just imagine how much lower the incidence of medical malpractice suits must be for banded patients than RNY patients. Sure we have complications sometimes, but they're not the life-ending or life-altering kinds of things you see in bypass patients.

Sorry, Princess. I have to take out the full text of these articles. We can't be seen to be sanctioning copyright infringement. You wouldn't be the one held responsible.

Congratulations to the newbies! Welcome to Bandsterville!! :D

All right ladies, more tough love here. You all know your bands are not going to help you much until they are properly restricted. And we also seem to be hearing some people say that when they DO have restriction, they not happy either. Restriction is what you have going on, Dallasdoll. Learn to eat with SMALLER BITES, and wait longer between bites. Let each one go down before taking another one. You will soon learn that you really are full by the time you've eaten for 15-20 minutes, even though you haven't eaten much. Try this: eat your meal (Protein first, lose the bread altogether!) for 15-20 minutes with really tiny bites and slow dep breaths between bites. I'm talking a successful bandster meal with no golfballs or PBing, After about 20 minutes, stop and really think about whether you are still hungry. Explore the way you feel with that much food in your stomach. Give it a few minutes and see if you want more. Chances are, you won't. So pay attention to your body and observe: This is what full feels like, now. Learning what this feeling is takes time and practice. It does NOT mean you'll be on Atkins the rest of your life, or that life is going to be one long diet. It does mean that you and your banded tummy have to work together to explore the dimensions of your tiny tummy and find the right ways to fill it enough, but not more than enough. PATIENCE! And practice. The right combination of fill and new habits is out there for us all, we just have to find it.

Hello to Sara from another Jersey girl!! Welcome to LBT and good luck with your surgery. We're saving you a seat here in bandland! :D

Kathy, that's 4 lbs per month, not .25 lbs per month. That's absolutely perfect! Trish, you're doing great and it's wonderful you were able to keep it to yourself for so long. I'm telling you, that's one of the biggest drawbacks to RNY in my opinion--it absolutely can't be hidden and it can't be explained away. And I'm with you, I HATE discussing my weight with anyone. Congratulations on your freedom!! The next job will be better and you'll be free to be the new you that you're becoming. Do check in as often as you can, we'll be here! :D

HamuChan, I'm with you. Too much sugar is evil, no doubt about that, but sugar substitutes have their own problems. I mix it up, using sugar substitute in coffee and tea but generally going for the regular-sugar versions of other things.

Proclndoll is right. The fact that you are using your secondary insurance doesn't mean they'll cover you at any lowel level than they would your husband. It just means that you go to them second. Get your denial first from your carrier and you'll be on your way. Good luck!!

Hi Bird lady, I read all that Aetna claptrap too, with a magnifying glass. When I started in 2002 Aetna excluded the band altogether based on its being "experimental." Phooey. The band is LESS INVASIVE than RNY, so any complications that occur are going to be less dangerous, difficult, and damaging. Excess weight lost is a function of US and our behavior; I refuse to be defined by statistics. It doesn't surprise me one whit that it has records of less "success" than RNY--people have to work with the band more than with the RNY and of course there will be more failures due to noncompliance. I do not see that as a bad thing, just a fact. The RNY changes your anatomy and permanently creates malnutrition. Of COURSE you're going to lose weight. But I for one had absolutely no desire to relinquish control of my health to a one-size-fits-all rearrangement of my intestines. Malabsorption is NOT something I wanted to face the rest of my life with. Aetna has a vested interest in not adopting a new procedure that will attract thousands more patients who might otherwise not have surgery. Of course it's going to pick and choose the studies that support its position. If you think that having help controlling your caloric intake is going to help you lose weight and maintain that loss, then banding is for you. That's all there is to it.