Alexandra

I think we all have our own triggers for hair loss. For lots of people, surgery of any kind will do it. I lost hair after having both my children, after lapbanding surgery, after my endoscopy, and after my band REMOVAL surgery. (That last one clearly has nothing to do with weight loss!) My head just drops hair anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months after a trauma, I guess. It comes back, every time.

We have to remember that the amount of saline in the band is not the only element that goes into creating restriction. I personally am one whose fills have taken up to three or four weeks to "kick in." My theory (and it's one my doctor likes, though it's not proven) is that our stomach tissue reacts to the increased pressure of a tightened band by thinning out--it's the body's natural reaction to an unnatural pressure where there was none before. It takes time, sometimes lots of time, for the stomach tissue to return to its previous density and thickness. This doesn't seem at all odd to me, so it continually bemuses me that everyone finds it so amazing that fills can take time to be felt. Our bodies are systems with a billion moving parts--it's often not as simple as "press here, and this happens..." Give it time, see how you react. There's a very good reason doctors want us to wait at least four weeks between fills. MANY people have jumped the gun, gotten more fill too early, and had to have it taken out. We knew going in that this wasn't going to be an instantaneous change, and that patience is the name of the banding game.

Oh my god, you are lucky to be ALIVE!! Thank goodness you weren't hurt more seriously. I hear you about the Honda CR-V. I had a piece of metal junk fall off a truck and land square on my windshield a while back, totally destroying it and almost going through into my face. The windshield held, though. That is one strong car!!

I wondered about this too before banding, but found that panic was never something I came even close to feeling. Even in the worst PBs, there's never an issue with breathing so there's nothing to panic about. At its worst it can be painful, but you never ever feel like you're in any danger. So for me, at least, there was never a panic possibility.

Congratulations!! You've been so persistent and patient and it's finally paid off. You have a lot to be proud of already! Best wishes for a completely uneventful surgery. :biggrin1:

It's all just a function of how tight the band is on the stomach. Smaller bands might very well not require adjusting for some time after surgery, maybe never. I think it will become much less common for people to never need fills as larger bands are more frequently used.

I don't even think it's as easily categorizable as this. Dramatic weight loss can lead to emotional and mental upheavals, sure, but there are probably just as many people who find health through bariatric surgery and DROP their addictions without replacing them with anything. Is someone who became morbidly obese because they ate too much an "addict"? Not necessarily, of course. So someone who loses a lot of weight and later on becomes an alcoholic isn't necessarily "replacing" one addiction with another. Sure, there may be people who can point to their bariatric surgery as the start of an addiction. But any significant life event can trigger that sort of thing in people who are vulnerable--childbirth, divorce, winning the lottery, losing a job--whatever. I don't think there's anything special about bariatric surgery that creates new addicts.

Hi Jenny, I'm planning to be on vacation a little under two weeks after surgery as well. It won't be on a houseboat, but I'm traveling far from home. Having been through the surgery before I am not worried. I know I'm a good healer, and two weeks after surgery I expect to be nothing more than a little sore or stiff. Other people have different experiences, and of course there's always the chance something unexpected will happen (like an infection), but if everything goes as I expect them to two weeks will be enough recuperation time. (I'm scheduled for surgery on a Monday, and I'm planning to go back to work that Thursday. Vacation starts a week from that Saturday, so I'll be 12 days out of surgery when it starts.) Have you ever had laparascopic surgery before? Any surgery? Healing times vary considerably for everyone, so I think your best gauge is what your experience was if you've been through anything like this before. As far as what you're eating by then, that's up to your doctor. Most patients would be on a full liquids or mushy food diet by then; some very few docs might still limit their patients at two weeks out to Clear Liquids (unusual, I think). With a little planning you shouldn't have any trouble as long as you have access to refrigeration on the boat.

Ahhh, yes, but "medically necessary" is the magic phrase here. Obesity in general is not considered to require medical treatment (which is why such treatment is excluded on almost all medical plans), but morbid obesity is. The clause you copied says "medical necessity...as defined by us" so call them and get a copy of what they consider the definition to be. I'd be shocked if it didn't exactly mirror the generally accepted medical definition of severe or morbid obesity: a BMI of 40 or above, or a BMI of 35-39 with accompanying comorbidities. With a BMI of 46 you definitely qualify under medical guidelines, and if they say you don't, again, you'd have an excellent case for appeal. As for it being BCBS, one BCBS is not the same as another. Each state has its own, as well as its own rules about what can and can't be excluded.

This is the key provision. Are you medically qualified for bariatric surgery? If you are, then your carrier does provide coverage. The fact that only two kinds of surgery are mentioned specifically just means, to me, that it was written some time ago. Adjustable gastric banding is a newer version of vertical banded gastroplasty, which is pretty much not done any more. My guess is that the boilerplate language in this contract has just not been updated to keep up with medical developments. Call your carrier and ask for their current coverage policies on bariatric surgery. But overall I'd say your contract is good news, because bariatric surgery isn't excluded. If they deny based on something other than your medical criteria you'd have an EXCELLENT case for appeal.

Jacqui (or anyone), what do you think of Hyundais? They were really maligned for years here but now they're earning a great reputation. They have a 10-year warranty and are coming out with new models that are pretty good-looking! (I just wish they'd do something about that cheesy slanted H emblem that looks like a Honda wanna-be.) I have no experience with Kia but will be watching this thread. Our Toyota Sienna is about to bite the dust and we'll be looking for a replacement within the year.

If you could or wanted to do any of these things BEFORE being banded, you'll be MORE able to do them after you lose weight. The band will not in itself prohibit you from taking any crazy chan... I mean, doing whatever extreme sports might float your boat. Have at it! :biggrin1:

Will they be doing your refll under fluoroscopy? Unless they are, I'd be worried that 1.5 cc is too much. Most people find after being unfilled for a while that they can't tolerate what was an acceptable level before. And in any event, they shouldn't go into the fill with a preconceived notion about what they're going to give you. I'd suggest taking it slow, and being really cautious. If there's no fluoroscope being used, I'd tell the doctor to stop at 1 cc no matter what it feels like. And if it feels tight before that, don't be shy about stopping earlier. If there is a fluoroscope in use they'll have a visual on what they're doing, but even then they should err on the side of caution. Too little fill is always easy to remedy. Too much can lead to big problems. And if you had only 1.75 in a 4cc band, you don't have a lot of margin to play around with.

I found those percentages comforting, actually. They seemed much more realistic than what I'd seen for other bariatric surgeries--much more attainable. I wanted something that would WORK, and if I could actually get to that place of having lost even 50% of my excess weight it would have seemed a miracle to me. That's what being morbidly obese all your life does to you--you absolutely don't believe you could ever be normal. As it turned out, before my slip I'd lost 130 lbs of what was probably (medically speaking) 170 lbs of excess weight. So 70-75%, roughly. It was a miracle, and I can't wait to be banded again to get back to that place where maintaining that loss is even possible without my life being a hell of hunger and constant dieting. THAT is the success that banding held for me, not reaching some imaginary number that's just a point on a chart. And it delivered in spades.

I've been thinking of you, Karen, and so glad to see you post! Congratulations on your next step, and heal quickly!! :hug:

We have to remember that it's not the BAND that tightens spontaneously. It's wrapped around our stomachs, and that is human tissue that changes in density with Fluid fluctuations. It's not at all uncommon for people to feel tighter at times of greater Water retention (like right before or during a period) or congestion (like during spring hay fever season). That's when retained fluid makes the stomach tissues thicker, which in turns makes the stoma smaller and our banded stomachs feel tighter. At times like that we have to be EXTRA cautious and eat as carefully as we can. One PB can lead to irritation, which can lead to swelling, which can lead to increased restriction, which can lead to more PBs, etc., etc., etc. And if a fill is too much to start with, well, it can be a neverending vicious cycle.

What exactly do they mean by "ruin your entire life"? If your entire life revolves around eating to the expense of any regard for your health, then I'd agree. But that's the only circumstance in which I can say that being banded would "ruin" one's life.

I think you'll find that a lot of people have reflux from time to time while banded. It's usually a sign that the band is too tight, that tissues are irritated, or something else is going on. It's a symptom of a problem that needs attention, not a routine result of being banded.

Lanny, I hate to be a hardnose but why is it YOUR job to come up with things to feed HIM? He's the one being banded, he's the one who's going to have to live with the quantity restrictions and he's the one who's going to have to adjust his palate. Does he want to be banded? Does he understand that a meal will be half a chicken breast and some green Beans? The great thing about the band is the time we are given to learn and adjust to our new capacity, but if all he likes now are meat and potatoes he really should think hard and long about what he's getting himself into. What works for one person may not work for another, so any suggestions other people make are only that, suggestions. I was never able to eat eggs while banded, for example. It's not that he won't be able to eat meat, but there will definitely be times when things he loves will be difficult to get down. And even if not, he'll suffer nutrionally if he doesn't learn to like more high-Protein things. If be concentrates on the potatoes, for example, he'll quickly find that's all he will be able to eat that meal. And one cannot live on potatoes alone. I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, but your post has me a little concerned that you are taking responsibility for what he will be eating. That's got to be HIS job. What does he say?

If you've been hanging around here any length of time, you'll have seen similar messages from SCORES of people. The fact is that the first fill may very well not make any significant difference in the way you feel. It may also take a week or more to "kick in." No matter what, you shouldn't be trying to eat solid food until tomorrow, and on liquids you won't feel any restriction. Give it time. The first fill is often a "baseline" and only has minimal if any effect on the way a bandster feels. It's often only the second or even the third adjustment when any real difference is felt. But your experience may be different, and you may feel something in one day, one week, three weeks, or maybe not until you have more Fluid in your band. The rule of thumb is always to take it slowly after an adjustment until you really see what the effect will be. Don't leap to conclusions just because you don't feel anything that day.

I really don't have any thoughts about it, just what I read back in 2002. It was discredited and very few insurance carriers covered it. Of course, I don't mean to say that insurance carriers are the final authority, but that's just the impression I got at the time. If you're doing research now you will know a lot more about it than I do.

I am not sure why it is this way, but the medical qualifications for banding have always included having controlled symptoms of things like high blood pressure, hypothyroid, diabetes. That is to say, if one presents with uncontrolled issues in this vein, the doctors will want to make sure that the correct medications are on board before they approve the patient for surgery. I know of lots of people who have been diagnosed with one condition or the other during their pre-surgical testing who then have to wait a bit longer while that condition is managed. Don't worry--a hypoactive thyroid in no way means you're not eligible for surgery. Your doctors are just trying to get it managed before they will approve--and if your levels aren't responding the way the docs expect them to, they have to investigate and find out what the problem is. For example, if it turns out that your levels are wacky due to some other issue then it may not actually be safe to undergo surgery at this time. I had to see an endocrinologist prior to surgery, too. Once I got the right medications to manage my hypothyroidism, it was no longer an issue. Really, this is the best thing for your health, so try to be patient.

I swear, I think I am the only person in the world who buys coffee when I go to Starbucks. Really, there are lots of skim options there, you just have to read the menus. Many people manage to live a very successful banded life without terminating their Starbucks habit.

Unfortunately, if you have a large-employer plan and the employer has chosen to exclude all bariatric treatment from the policy, there is very little you can do. If there is a more specific exclusion, such as exclusion of banding but not RNY, you might be able to appeal that on the grounds that it's preventing a preferable treatment. But if your employer has the right to design its own policies and its chosen this route to save money, you may be at their mercy. Take a look at your contract and see how the language reads. Then check with your state's department of health or insurance (whichever one has jurisdiction over health insurance plans) and see if you have any recourse. Good luck!!

Unfortunately, if you have a large-employer plan and the employer has chosen to exclude all bariatric treatment from the policy, there is very little you can do. If there is a more specific exclusion, such as exclusion of banding but not RNY, you might be able to appeal that on the grounds that it's preventing a preferable treatment. But if your employer has the right to design its own policies and its chosen this route to save money, you may be at their mercy. Take a look at your contract and see how the language reads. Then check with your state's department of health or insurance (whichever one has jurisdiction over health insurance plans) and see if you have any recourse. Good luck!!