Alexandra

Hey there, I'm the original ice cream addict!! I have totally come to terms with my addiction, and embrace it as part of my personality. It has not gotten in the way of my weight-loss goals, although certainly I realize that indulging will slow me down. But a world without ice cream is not a world I want to live in. I have some form of frozen dessert, I'd say, five days a week. We keep ice cream in the house and though I try to buy the no-sugar, no-fat variety that's not always the case. At ice cream stores I'll often go for the sugar- and fat-free frozen yogurt, but again, not always. I never really pigged out on ice cream the way I've heard others admit to--eating a whole pint of anything has always seemed like A LOT to me, and now even more so. My servings are typically more like 8 ozs. It doesn't feel like something I'm fighting, because I consciously gave up the fight. There's a balance that lets me maintain or lose weight and still have ice cream in my life. If I decide I'm not losing fast enough or whatever, I'll know the reason why and know that action is within my control. You've lost 80 lbs in what, 6 months!?!? Holy cow, man. I think you deserve some ice cream!! There's no rush to kick a habit that will cause you distress to quit; we're not in this to feel deprived or depressed or cheated out of a normal life. If you're truly overdoing it, just try taking it down to a better level. I'd worry that if I were to try kicking it altogether I'd just find some worse thing to adopt as a vice. So I've settled with the demon and call him "friend."

Another not-dumb question!! Eating too much is possible after you've been banded for a while and get used to the sensations of your band. Some people feel it less than others and aren't even aware that they're eating too much. Others deliberately might try to eat more and stretch the pouch or use the esophagus as a sort of pseudo-stomach. Anyway, the point is that whether it's conscious or not, it is definitely possible to eat too much and cause damage. That's why it's important to not rely solely on the band to tell us when enough is enough--we also have to learn the visual cues of a good-size portion and pay attention to the time when we eat. (Lots of bandsters could get down a whole chicken if they give it enough time.)

Congratulations, Vera!! I'm sure it feels absolutely fabulous knowing you stuck to your guns and were right all the way. Too bad it took sooooooooo long to resolve, but you're the winners!! :)

Those things are called "tickers" and they come from other sites, not here. I think if you go to www.tickercentral.com you might be able to get one. (I don't have one and don't know the specifics, sorry.)

I didn't start exercising at all until 6 months after my surgery. And even then it wasn't until 6 months after that I developed any kind of a routine. My weight loss kind of slowed down with regular exercise, but I sure noticed a difference in my size and muscle tone! I have to get back to it; I've been slacking off a lot.

My doctor says 24 hours of liquids and a day of softer stuff. Nothing about clear liquids at all.

Congratulations on your banding, trooper! I have no advice for you about the pain, except to say that it really will fade a little each day and you'll be better before you know it. I didn't take any pain meds because I didn't like the mental fog they put me in, and by the 4th day I was back at work and feeling fine. Good luck, and welcome to bandland!!

Esmeralda, your questions are not dumb. We're always concerned when someone reports a slippage or erosion, for onvious reasons. I'd also be interested to hear whether Vikka had any symptoms, since some people do have them with slips and others have no idea anything might be wrong. As for who pays for it, usually insurance would cover any complication with a band if the treatment is medically necessary. Even if the carrier didn't cover the banding originally, if it's clearly a separate medical event from the surgery it becomes its own medical claim. That is, if it happens more than a couple of months out it can't be called a complication of surgery and should be covered in accordance with your contract.

Vikka, I had a doctor say something like that to me once, although he stopped short of diagnosing an actual slip. Are you having any symptoms? Did they take an x-ray of your band to diagnose you? When I had a little reflux, the doctor looked at me under fluoro and couldn't tell clearly how the band was positioned. He took a bit of the fill out and told me to come back in 6 weeks. So I made an appointment for right before Christmas, and he asked me if it would ruin my holiday to find out that I needed another surgery. Phooey! But when I did go in for that appointment, he took another fluoroscope view and all was well. So don't panic! I have heard of minor issues indeed being resolved by an unfill and rest period. A lot depends on the severity of your situation, and only time will tell the story.

CollegeJoe, I have to tell you that you may experience a problem with Aetna. When you are making your initial case for banding, try to get your doctor to list reasons why RNY is NOT acceptable to you. Aetna still prefers RNY over banding and will try to get you to go for the more drastic procedure. Of course I think they're nuts, but that's the way it is. Your doctor should try to come up with whatever reasons he can why banding is his medical preference for you. Your AGE would be a big one, I'd think. Good luck!!

Wow, litn_bug, that is quick! I hope the jitters don't get the best of you; you've clearly been working on this a long time and it's finally here! Be prepared for the immediate post-op period of pain, soreness, tiredness and possible questioning. It happens to everyone! But each day out from about day 3 will see marked improvement in the way you feel and before long you will have completely forgotten about the discomfort and distress. And you'll be banded! Good luck, and please let us know how it goes!

Carolyn, I had the exact same experience with Aetna, which totally excluded the band based on it's being "experimental" back when I was trying for approval. I took it through the two internal appeals and then went to the state--the great State of New Jersey guarantees HMO members the right of external appeal when there are decisions we don't agree with. Long story short, I WON!! Please don't give up. If Amerihealth has approved you for bypass you have a VERY GOOD CHANCE of getting that decision overturned on appeal. They have already decided you are a good candidate for bariatric surgery, so what is their reason for denying banding? Have you appealed yet?

Breastfed here. And though I don't put much credence in this theory, I admit it was one of the reasons I wanted to breastfeed both of my daughters as long as possible.

Gypsynurse, if you had no lapse between coverages there should be no waiting period or pre-existing condition exclusions. This is a federal regulation under HIPAA. Check with your benefits administrator to be sure; you may need to provide proof of your prior coverage. If you can provide that and if there was no lapse or a very short lapse, you should be good to go as of your effective date!

Congratulations, Penni! Sounds like traveling is your personal litmus test, and you passed with flying colors. Mine is the holidays. I said to someone last year that if I get through the holidays each year and hold steady (which really is what you did, 2 pounds means nothing) I'll consider it a wondrous victory!!

I go to the monthly seminar and see lots of spouses. That seems like a fine idea. I'd be less interested in having my spouse at the consultation, though--some things should stay private and my pre-op weight was one of those things.

Nora, Kathy's right. There's plenty of time to get a band but your health is more important. It really stinks about the doctors making you wait!! That's cruel. Good luck, and please let us know how you're doing!

Nykee, take a deep breath. My doctor's office instituted a similar requirement for people who want fills, and at first I rolled my eyes but I think it makes sense. So many of the problems people have when banded are due to indiscriminate fill practices, and doctors just want to be sure patients are doing their part as well. The last thing anyone wants is a patient who gets too tight and is unhappy for that reason. So they're trying to determine if you're doing your part and protecting you from relying too much on a fill. I just read on another board about someone who is more than two years out and having problems. The patient freely admitted that over the last two years an overreliance on a tight fill is what caused these problems. The patient admitted to KNOWING this was wrong, but did it anyway. So I can understand a bit of why doctors want to be cautious. Anyway, just be honest about what you're eating and let them know that you're getting hungry after only an hour or two. Say that you're sticking to Protein first but it just doesn't seem to fill you up. Tell them about whatever restriction you're feeling (or not feeling) and reassure them that you're paying attention to the sensations your band is giving you. Just be honest and don't panic! This really is for your own healthy sake.

The first fill can be very difficult to handle, whether it's too little or too much or even just right. It's very hard to get used to the idea that this little band of silicone has such enormous power over something so basic to us, the way we eat. If you're eating regular food and having trouble, I'd suggest really trying to eat as carefully as possible. The hardest thing to get used to is WAITING between bites, but it's so important to learn. One tiny bite too many can cause a newly banded person great distress. So take it very slowly, let things settle as much as you can between bites. Living with restriction really is a learning process. As far as being hungry goes, that's normal! You're not supposed to NEVER be hungry--we're human, after all. If you're hungry less then three hours after a decent bandster meal, then there may be an issue. But if that's about the time between hunger pangs, go ahead and have a snack! The rhythm of living on small doses of calories is very different than the giant doses we used to get, and our bodies need to adjust to it. Corgi, what kinds of foods are causing your problems? Do you think you're not being careful enough? After a bout of PBing or vomiting, I hope you're letting your esophagus rest. That can be very irritating and eating too soon afterwards can lead to a vicious cycle. Stay on fluids and soft things for a couple of days if your doctor doesn't think you need an unfill. Be careful, and take care of yourself!!

Wow, Jamie, welcome to the land of the filled!! Now just be careful and don't take that NEXT bite when you think you're feeling a little restriction. Just wait two or three minutes and make sure everything is going down. If it's not, GET UP AND WALK AWAY. For what it's worth, I don't know how much fill I have ever had, either. My doctor's thinking is that the actual amount is irrelevant; all that matters is the amount he's gone up or down from the prior amount. It's all relative.

As DeLarla said, all you're going to get here are opinions, which are really worth what you pay for them. But we have a lot of collected experience and I hope you'll find what we have to say valuable. True or False? --- banding is better for large eaters, by-pass for those who eat normal amounts of junk food or sweet tooths. IMO banding is better for anyone who needs some help eating less. No WLS is an operation on the brain, and if someone has a real problem with an addiction to sweets the band may not provide the negative reinforcement the person needs. But RNY may not either--I'm frequently told that only 20% of RNY patients experience the dumping syndrome. So if someone chooses RNY on the assumption that they'll be unable to eat sweets, they may be sadly disappointed. People who are morbidly obese EAT TOO MUCH. The band helps us EAT LESS. Ergo, weight loss. True or False? --- banding has a higher long-term success due to the ability to re-fill versus a weight loss window. I can't quote you statistics but from everything I've learned and heard it seems like the results 3 or more years out are about the same. I'd be very interested to hear about even longer-term results, like 5 and 10 years out. True or False? ---- you do not lose your hair with banding. I think people may experience a bit less dramatic hair loss after banding, but I know I lost enough to inspire a haircut at one point. The same thing happened after I had my babies, though; so it may be just the bodily trauma that does it. My hair all returned, all three times. True or false? --- banding requires much more will power and ability to avoid fattening high calory foods like chips, sweets, carbs. which could prevent any weight loss. False. To my mind there's less will power involved if one is banded. When it's adjusted properly, the mechanical device in our bodies exerts powerful negative reinforcement when we eat too much or too quickly. (Some foods are indeed easier to eat than others, but not being hungry takes away a lot of the temptation.) If the restriction fades over time with weight loss, it can be recreated by having the band tightened. Of course, lots of people get impatient or angry with the adjustments required to find the perfect restriction with the band--the place that will keep us from overdoing it but allowing consumption of reasonable amounts of healthy foods. It takes patience and effort, but I see that as a good thing since the treatment is truly personalized. With RNY, if you don't have the dumping syndrome, there's very little negative reinforcement and what there is fades over time and can't be recaptured. I see the band's adjustability as providing a fresh start each time. True or False? ---- if you don't lose the weight within your 13-15 month period with by-pass, you are stuck since your body will have become efficient at working on less calories and make it near impossible to lose more. I think the "window of opportunity" may extend to more like 12-18 months, but the principle does seem to hold true. The malabsorptive effect of the surgery will eventually disappear, but only with regard to calories! RNY patients will have to deal with the malabsoprtion of nutrients for the rest of their lives. True or False? --- many people with banding only lose a small amout of weight in the first two years and often require up to four years to lose 100 or more pounds? I don't think this is fair to say. With banded patients the weight loss is definitely more moderated than with RNY, with the average loss being 1-2 lbs a week over the losing period. The length of that period depends on too many factors to make generalizations about. But the bottom line is that this pace of weight loss is the healthiest pace for our bodies, and avoids the negative physical, emotional, and psychological effects of sudden major weight loss. 1-2 lbs a week is 50-100 lbs in a year, and most bandsters I'm aware of do fall into that range.

Happy, happy, joy, joy!! :D

Audrey, how great to hear from you and WOW! You're doing wnmderfully!! Have a terrific vacation...I'm sooooooooo jealous.

Congratulations on a great NSV!! I keep forgetting about Old Navy. Hmmmm, gotta check them out soon!!

Hi TJ, I think all of us probably went through the same decision-making process you're going through now. Each person's medical situation is different. But for me, the deciding factor was that I was HEALTHY, albeit fat, and RNY creates a situation in the body that is, essentially, illness (malnutrition). So even beyond the greater surgical risk in the short term -- which is IMMENSELY greater -- this malnutrition can lead to big complications in years to come. I'm totally with your doctor. Why do something drastic when something less invasive and gentler to the body may be all you need? My goal was to have a BMI healthier than 47, and to be more mobile and energetic to keep up with my kids and live a long time. It wasn't to drop 100 lbs in the first three months (which sounds scary, all by itself) or to get into a size 6. And then there's that infamous "window of opportunity"! The band is adjustable and will remain that way forever. With RNY, after a couple of years, the wad is shot. If the patient hasn't changed his/her ways in that time they're going to gain the weight back. Bandsters have a mechanical assist in eating less food that will never go away, and that's how weight is lost and kept off. There's a place for RNY, don't get me wrong. But I want to take good care of myself, not create a foreign situation where I'm artificially starving myself to death and then have to deal with the consequences of that. If someone is dealing with imminent health issues that will be helped by rapid and immediate weight loss, then by all means RNY is the right thing. But my choice was clear from the start, and I've never once thought I may have made the wrong choice.