Alexandra

Hi Klynn, I was exactly where you are before being banded, and you are doing GREAT. You've lost close to 50 lbs in half a year and that is EXCELLENT progress!! I lost 70 lbs in my whole first year, and continued losing another 50 in my second year. This is the way it's supposed to work, slow and steady and PERMANENT. Don't worry, you are doing terrifically well. Patience and persistence is how we win this fight!!

Seppi, a motility test is to see if your esophagus is working correctly--if it's moving food and Fluid down into the pouch the way it should. Evidently compromised esophageal motility is a risk with long-term bandsters. I'm not clear why it's such a big deal, though it's true that band removal is what doctors say is the only fix. But even if you have such a problem, I don't see what that has to do with pain when you are tight. Was the pain there even before you drank barium?

I've been unfilled since March, too. For a couple of months I didn't even notice a difference, but now I'm aware of hunger kicking in between meals and an ability to eat more. I'm hoping to get a tiny fill in August if my insurance works out, but even in the meantime I'm aware that I have to work on eating more slowly. That's my biggest demon. But I hear you about enjoying the greater bulk! I've been loving the summer fruits I can eat with abandon. Nothing beats a ripe, juicy peach!!

Oh, Penni, my heart goes out to you. But as NewSho says, you're really in great shape! Your options are wide open, you have a great and supportive doctor, and you're smart and well-prepared. Whatever you decide, it's sure you'll know it's the right thing before you do it. Best of luck with your research and don't forget about keeping us posted! :hug:

It's absurd to label a procedure "experimental" that's been in place for five years. My bet is that you can have it reversed on appeal. There is no legitimate justification for calling it experimental at this late date.

Chelleanne, it's very common for fills to take some time to make themselves felt. Give it a week or three and you may be surprised with restriction when you least expect it. My theory about why this happens is that the soft tissues of the stomach wall "thin out" in reaction to the increased pressure. Then with time they return to the pre-fill thickness, which results in a smaller stoma than before the fill. People's reaction times are different, of course, but for me I know it took about three weeks each time for my fills to become evident. So don't panic yet. :biggrin1:

Happy Bandiversary, Seppi! :clap2:

Kanda, your husband is fine. This is a VERY common occurrence as the post-op swelling goes down and healing progresses. Hunger returns, and that's a good sign that everything in there is normal. Now he just has to hang on until his first fill, and try hard not to overdo it. This is called the "hardest part of banding" for a reason--people feel like nothing was done and they get frustrated. Just let him know that he should try his best to eat enough to satisfy his hunger, but no more. It's important tnat he continues to follow doctor's orders. Adjustment time will come soon enough, and then he'll be on his way!

Hey Michelle! Just yesterday my hubby brought home a new trail bike for himself (Merry Early Christmas! ) so we're all good to go. Now we need to get a bike rack. And we're on our way!!

As I said, it varies a great deal from person to person. I didn't take any pain pills or meds following surgery; perhaps I didn't need it because the anaesthetic from surgery itself was still in my system. My memory is fine, that wasn't the problem. I just felt a little foggy, and wasn't even really aware that I was that way until Sunday evening, when it cleared up. Everyone is different.

This varies from person to person. I know I didn't feel "myself" until several days after surgery. From Wednesday to Sunday evening I was foggy and a little dizzy; my brain didn't fully clear until late in the day on Sunday. Mild fatigue? That can certainly hang around for a while. Surgery is rough on a body!

Check out the Abbreviations and What They Mean thread in FAQs and References.

I still find it VERY hard to admit what I weigh to actual people in real life. In fact, I just don't. But once I decided to get banded I realized a whole new approach was needed, and articulating my starting point was part of that. It became a constant eye-opener to see that number staring me in the face every time I sae my signature. It was really important that I admit and accept where I was, so that I could start the journey away from that point. My husband never asked, and I never told him, but he knows how much I've lost and that I'm thrilled to weigh less than he does. If he did the math he'd get the picture. But he loved and loves me anyway!! :kiss2:

Beautiful, Vines. :biggrin1: Be sure to give him an extra wraparound hug from all of us!!

Rhlane, you are NOT alone. This is a process that all of us have to go through, and for some it's easier than others. This is the "head work" we hear so much about. For me the only answer was and remains getting interested in something else. That means getting up from the table and actively doing something else so my head can't think about food. When I'm not physically hungry that is much easier than if I were trying to conquer hunger pangs--and I have the band to thank for that--but it still takes action on my part. I can't just sit around and expect the thoughts of food to disappear on their own. They don't. Being banded makes it MUCH easier for me to get over it, though. And just move on to something else. Mealtime will come around again, it always does, and then I'll be ready to eat again.

Niecy, individual plans are often bare-bones sorts of plans. Does your employer qualify for a group plan? Does he have other employees? You might want to call a broker in your state and find out if there are any reasonable options for a small business owner to pursue. Hell, if your boss has individual insurance he might discover it's cheaper to buy a group plan, and he'll likely get better coverage for himself!

My girls definitely will be, no question. Good news!!

ASH TREE (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support. Not me AT.ALL. Well, I'm reliable and I don't much care for criticism (who does?), but that's about it.

If you're in Missouri you should look up your state's health insurance website and see what the rules are for individual policies. In NJ they all have to cover bariatric surgery, for example. Calling the carrier really isn't necessarily the best way to find out, because each carrier has so many different kinds of plans and variables. Good luck!

Hi Clovermeg, There certainly are things you can do before the first appointment! Try to get from your surgeon the list of tests they'll need to have in place, and then start having them done. You should probably schedule a physical and complete bloodwork, and the results of that will tell your doctor if any additional tests (cardio, sleep, whatever) will be necessary. You should also write up an extensive diet and weight history, because both your surgeon and your insurance carrier will want it. Good luck!!

I'm glad to see your message too, Saul. Good marriages are irreplaceable, and I wish you and your wife all the best of a long, healthy life together!!

Randi, fills here are done by the surgeon himself at the hospital in the radiology suite. The surgeon's fee itself is about $300, but there is also the hospital charge over which they have no control. The surgeon makes a special trip and blocks out part of his day to do fills (though they could easily get away with letting someone else do the fills, I'm selfishly glad they don't). And we're in an NYC suburb so prices are very high anyway.

Southbeach, you can share your information and experience in other ways besides making accusations of criminal activity. I'm not going to close this thread because this time you're being civil. Can you share your experience with us? Don't talk about what other people might or might not have had happen to them--what happened to you?

Hi Leener, Man, that is a sucky trap to be in! I know that both Morristown Memorial and St. Clare's Dover are in the process of becoming Certified Centers of Excellence, but who knows how long that will take? In the meantime, I'm sure that the docs at ALSOM will help you work out a payment plan for them. The hospital will too, I'm sure. But I hear you, you really don't want to be racking up that kind of charge for a fill. Have you talked with Josephine or the doctors about it? You can't be the only patient in the same boat, I'm sure. See if they have any suggestions. They might actually refer you to a doctor in the city or something for the time being. You're not going to jeopardize your relationship with them because of this, I promise. I'm sorry about this...I'm sure it's little comfort but there WILL be a Center of Excellence in our area in the near future. You can be sure of that.

My surgeon does the fills and there is someone there who I think is a radiologist. (It's done under fluoroscopy.)