Alexandra

Kathy, we're obviously not qualified to determine whether your band is positioned correctly or not. But I can say that the barium flowing upward is just reflux. I've seen that happening to me via fluoroscope when my band is closed too tightly. When the fluid can't go down, it has to come up.

Bandit, I don't think Fauxnaif meant anything hurtful by those comments. Please don't be insulted. I can understand someone expressing surprise when people with such low BMIs even consider weight-loss surgery. Obviously we don't know everyone's history, but I know when I started out I couldn't imagine ever having a BMI as low as 32 (which I am almost at now). Since I've taken 18 months and a loss of over 100 lbs to reach this point, it's does seem odd that someone else at the same place I am now could be considering weight-loss surgery. Of course, banding isn't like RNY and could be seen as a relatively minor procedure. That may be the way it's perceived outside of the US, where the strict qualifying standards may not be used. It may have a perfectly wonderful role in weight management for people of all levels of obesity--but in the US we have this bright-line determinant for the time being. Everyone has to come to their own conclusion with regard to whether banding is the right tool for confronting a weight problem, and we can't make judgments for others. One man's floor is another man's ceiling, in WLS as in so many other things.

Wow, Michelle, you skinny mini!! Congratulations on reaching such a great NSV. I know what you mean about not losing weight but still losing inches--I just bought five new blouses in a size 16 to wear now, and an actual size 16 pair of jeans that I'm sure will fit me before summer...even if I don't lose another ounce. The shape is changing even if the scale isn't moving. So true!! You go, girl!! :D

Vinesqueen is right, there is no such thing as normal. You are now fully healed and don't have a fill, so it is totally possible that you can eat almost as much as you could pre-band. If your weight loss stops, and/or you find yourself getting hungry much sooner after a meal than you can handle, a fill might indeed be indicated. If you're still cruising along, comfortable between meals and eating no more than you need to feel satisfied at meals, then enjoy it! At some point your body will probably adjust to the lower calorie level and your weight loss will stop, and that will be plenty of time for a fill. You're not racing anyone and the adjustments will always be there if you need them.

Hey Trish, just wanted to chime in with support and cheers for you!! The time will fly by and before you know it you'll be back posting with questions about mushy foods. Don't worry--you'll do great!! You have a rock, that helps A LOT ! (And yes, he is a CUTIE!! ) :D

Happy, happy, happy birthday, Marie!!! :D

Hey Roxanne, another Jersey girl!! Welcome to LBT. I'm a bad person to answer the consultation-to-surgery question, because in my case it took almost a year. I had to fight my insurer to the bitter end, but I finally won. Proof that it can be done! Bless New Jersey's guaranteed right of third-party review. Who is your surgeon? If the office you're going to is anything like my doctor's, you'll be handed a list of things to do once you leave the seminar. There's a bunch of testing to be done, some standard and maybe some specific for you depending on your health issues. Once you've had all the testing, which will probably include a psychological evaluation and nutritional counseling, the time frame could be as little as a couple of weeks. So it's very hard to say at this point. We're glad you found us and look forward to cheering you on!

Lisa, any doctor who does bariatric surgery will consider people with a BMI over 35. The usual standard for medical necessity is that with a BMI of between 35 and 40, a presence of "co-morbidities" is required. Those can be any condition that is caused by or exacerbated by excess weight, and which will be improved by weight loss. Diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and joint pain are some of the more common ones. So basically, the standard is if your BMI is over 40 you are considered ill and qualified for surgery even if you're otherwise perfectly healthy. If your BMI is between 35 and 40, evidence of specific health problems is needed to establish the medical necessity for bariatric surgery (of which banding is only one kind). Doctors and insurers both use the same standard for qualification, so if one agrees on the medical necessity the other should too. Then, of course, you have to deal with whatever other issues your insurance company may raise. But the bottom-line standard of medical necessity is not a gray area--all American doctors and insurers are pretty much on the same page there. The medical community finally sees morbid obesity as a disease and recommends that it be treated as such, which is the reason weight-loss surgery is being covered by insurers at all. It may not seem "sensible" if you're the one wanting it and being denied, but it's widespread medical practice to use standard measurements to assess the severity of disease. And it's the ethical and sensible way to determine if insurance should cover it. All of this is said with the caveat that there can and will be exceptions, of course. But as a starting place, the BMI scale has broad medical support and seems logical to me.

When I had reflux my doctor also wanted to take a look and see how things were. The first fluoroscopy was a little unclear, so he gave me an unfill and told me to come back in six weeks. The reflux went away with the unfill, and so six weeks later he gave me a little more fill. That time the fluoro confirmed that everything was fine with my band, no slippage or erosion. But with the fill the reflux came back and this time it stayed. So I've had another little unfill and now things are fine. I think with the passage of time it's not surprising that our esophagi act differently, and people who may never have had problems start to experience some refluxing. The strawberries could be the culprit, but if not an unfill could be in order. Don't worry about that, it's not the end of the world and you'll feel better!!

And oddly, egg rolls are something I have no trouble with. But the hot and sour soup I loved so dearly has things in it that can cause problems. See? It's all totally personal. My current favorite is shrimp with lobster sauce--the sauce is loaded with egg white upping the protein factor even more.

Thanks for the update, Kathy, we're worried about you! Having asthma must complicate this a lot. I'm sorry you're having so much trouble! Good luck tomorrow and don't forget--we're checking up on you!

Lauren, try cutting yourself a normal bite, and then before eating cut that bite in half again. Then once again. Really, I'm not kidding. Basically nibble your way through your meal. And remember to wait between bites! Slowly you'll discover how truly tiny food has to be before you can swallow it comfortably. That's restriction!

Lori, what does your surgeon say? How are you with liquids and mushy foods? Even mushy and soft foods can trigger an esophageal spasm, which can feel like something getting stuck or a PB. Has that been considered? From what I hear there are medications that can help with that. My only other thought is that perhaps the band used is just too small? Inamed makes a larger band which may not have been available to your doctor a year ago. If you have absolutely no fill and still feel uncomfortably tight restriction, maybe it's worth investigating that possibility. Good luck, and please come back and let us know how you're doing!!

Weight-loss surgery is considered a last resort for people whose excess weight has reached a point that it is putting their health at risk. The medical community has established some guidelines for how to determine what that point is, and that's the yardstick used by just about every American doctor. Below that point, the health benefits of weight loss do not overcome the medical risks of surgery. On top of that, insurers have come up with their own qualifying standards for patients, involving medical histories and past diet attempts. People with BMIs under 35 don't even meet the American medical standards for being considered severely overweight, and even with attending health problems wouldn't be medically qualified for weight-loss surgery. So while you may be able to find a doctor who will be willing to do it for a price, you will almost definitely not be able to find an insurer who will pay for it.

I was really nervous too. It was my first surgery in 20+ years, and the only one I had advance notice of. So yep, it's nervewracking indeed. I took my family and went on a weekend trip to Cape Cod, just so I'd be occupied. The next two days I just took a melatonin at night and concentrated on work during the day. It will be here before you know it, and then it will be over! You're almost there!! :D

Epitomy, first off, nothing is "forbidden" to any bandster. It's always just a matter of what works for you and what doesn't, and everyone's list is different. That said, I was a HUGE Chinese food fan before banding, and now my feelings are a bit different. Early on I had no trouble eating it (skipping the rice, which was never my favorite part). After I finally got decent restriction, I found that fibrous things like celery and asparagus were trouble, but the meats and tofu dishes were fine. That's still the case for me. But to my surprise, I found I didn't like it as much as I once did--the attraction had faded somewhat. The problem, if it's a problem, is that Chinese food was always a huge favorite more because of the gargantuan amounts we always ate than for the food itself. We'd buy three dishes for two people, each eating enough for four or five normal folks. Now that I only eat a small amount at a meal, Chinese food isn't as much a staple as it used to be. We still get it, of course; as long as I stay away from things I know are difficult to eat I can enjoy it just fine, but my former passion has waned. If anyone had told me that would happen, I'd never have believed it. Nor would I have believed that I would ever give up bagels. (I'm a New Yorker, and was raised on Chinese food and bagels.) But neither of those foods have the magnetic sway they used to have over me, and that's a GOOD thing.

Ouch, Rebecca, I hope you're feeling better this morning. Tax day at the P.O. sounds like my idea of hell on wheels. There's no "usual" for recovery after a PB. Some people go right ahead back with solid foods, but I think we've all learned that a day on liquids and soft stuff after a bad episode is much better. You should be fine tomorrow morning. Good luck today!!

Penni, you're kidding, right? You don't know what a Yodel is? They're the be-all and end-all of junk-food pastries. I think there's a similar product called Ding-Dongs. They're cylindrical cakes rolled-up with frosting inside and dipped in chocolate. Pretty yummy, which is why adults have to stay away. Holy crap, 440 calories for one serving!! Good job, Mayra!! Toss those puppies. :D

Hi Dawn, nice to meet you! You're beautiful, and a very snappy dresser at any weight!

Kathy, if you're really not able to take Water in there is something wrong. You're playing with dehydration if you're not swallowing liquids. Have you called Dr. Kuri? (Sorry if you've mentioned this elsewhere--I'm just catching up.) By this time it wouldn't be a surprise if you were still having discomfort with mushies or solids; it's only a week and healing can certainly take that long or longer. But if you're really having continued trouble with liquids there is something wrong that needs to be addressed. You may even need IV liquids--not feeling thirsty doesn't mean you're not dehydrated.

Best of luck to you on your trial, Vera!

Thought I'd update my photos too, and show off my new spring colors! And I think this is the worst "before" photo anyone has ever taken. Blech.

Congratulations!! I well remember that total rush when the approval news came through. It's exciting and terrifying all at the same time. You're on your way, though, so good for you!! :D

So glad you got relief, Sensy! Donali is right (as usual), be extra-good to yourself for the next week or so. Think of it as sort of healing all over again. Take care!

A beautiful couple of bandsters! You look terrific, both of you. Congratulations!!