losing_the_band

I just moved down here a few months ago, so I need to get established with a PCP. I'm looking for someone that is pro-WLS, since I'm not interested in being shamed for having WLS. Preferably Miami, but Fort Lauderdale would work, too.

Premier is not bad for an RTD shake, but they do get old after a while. Try Jay Robb's egg white Protein and whey Protein Shake mixes. I ordered a sampler of each from www.jayrobb.com, and while they aren't comparable to a regular milkshake, I find them the least objectionable of all the Protein shakes that I've tried. I like the egg white ones the best, since shakes made with whey tend to have a bit of a funky taste (some more than others). I'm really sensitive to the flavor of artificial sweeteners, so I liked that these are made with stevia instead. If you get the vanilla one, you can always add different flavors to it.

I was originally set on revising to the VSG, but I'm fairly certain that I'm going to do the RNY instead. The VSG just has so many "what-ifs." I've already had the lap-band twice (first one had to be replaced due to complications, and now I'm having issues with the second one), so this will be WLS surgery #3 for me. I don't want to possibly need to go for #4 if the VSG doesn't work as well for me. The RNY has long-term result statistics available, whereas the VSG only has truly long-term stats when it was used in conjunction with the DS. My metabolism is horrible for several reasons, so I'm worried that a solely restrictive procedure just won't be enough. It probably would have been if it were my first procedure (I did very well with my first band, until I started having issues), but my metabolism is so much lower now. I'm just so tired of struggling with my weight, and now that my back is going bad (degenerative disk disease with a herniated, extruding disk), I just don't have the energy to fight both. It's like a never-ending cycle. My back won't get better unless I lose weight, but I can't lose weight because my metabolism is so low, and I can't increase my metabolism by exercising the way I need to because my back is bad. I feel like the malabsorbtion from the RNY (even though it is temporary) will help me lose enough weight initially that I'll be able to get back in the gym without killing my back.

I actually had really good success with my first band, and was able to lose all of my excess weight (90 pounds). I would have been fine if I hadn't had a massive slip. I haven't been able to get to a good restriction with my second one, so I've gained almost everything back.

I'm aiming for no later than June, since I already have some time off scheduled then, but I'm hoping for sooner. I met with a surgeon a couple of weeks ago, but didn't really like his practice. I've got a consultation with another surgeon on Wednesday, so hopefully I will know more after that.

I am really, really sensitive to the flavor of artificial sweeteners. Both the flavor and the aftertaste are pretty much intolerable for me. I'm trying to find Protein mixes or RTDs that are NOT sweetened with sucralose (Splenda). I've tried Jay Robb's stevia-sweetened mixes (both the egg white and they whey types), and they're definitely much better than the mixes I've tried with sucralose as the sweetener. Are there any others on the market?

I would recommend looking into laser treatments. I used to have to literally shave every day, because I was growing so much thick hair. Plucking it all was impossible and really irritated my skin. I went to a medspa that was running a 2-for-1 deal, and got my neck and jawline (including chin) done for $750, which included 6 treatments approximately 6 weeks apart. Additional treatments were $90 each, and I needed 2 or 3, so total price was probably about $1000-$1100. It wasn't cheap, but it was quite possibly some of the best spent money I've ever spent! It's been about 5 years since my last treatment, and I only occasionally have to pluck a hair (and those aren't nearly as thick or dark as they used to be). I'm also on spironolactone long-term (I've been on it for about 6 or 7 years). I'm not sure how much it actually helps with regrowth, but it couldn't hurt.

I know this is might be an unpopular opinion, but I think that sometimes, it is us changing how we interact with our friends that leads to some of the issues. Like it or not, we aren't always the same person after surgery. We deal with people differently, we approach them differently, we suddenly have changed what we do for fun (much of our lives don't center around food anymore), etc. Sometimes, the saying is true, that "there is nothing worse than a reformed [insert bad habit here]." By trying to include our friends in our new lifestyle, I think that sometimes we don't think about how it's coming across. Discussing the benefits of WLS, asking if they want to accompany us to the gym, sharing healthy recipes, etc., can sometimes come across as implying that someone NEEDS to lose weight. Our interactions with them somehow start centering around weight. Think about how we reacted when people did that to us before we were ready to face our issues. I'm not denying that sometimes they ARE jealous and petty, but sometimes, it's that we are being unintentionally offensive and just can't see it because we think we are being nice and showing how happy this decision has made us.

Where in Florida are you? I'm in Miami/Aventura. I'm hopefully getting a revision from band to either VSG or RNY (probably RNY), but I'm still trying to find a good surgeon.

I've never seen that list before, even though I was banded in 2007 (and again in 2011)! My personal comorbidity list just got longer, lol. I have family histories of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, and I personally have degenerative disk disease with a herniated disk (get to have a steroid injection in my spine tomorrow, yay!), PCOS, high cholesterol, and possibly diabetes (was prediabetic when I was last tested and haven't tested in a long time).

If I get approved for revision, what I may do initially is tell her that I'm just getting the band removed, not tell her that I'm getting a revision to another surgery. I'll likely tell her after the surgery is done, but not before. That way, I don't have to listen to her until it's too late, lol. A lot of people in real life don't understand that by the time I'm talking about things with them, I've almost always already made my decision. I'm not asking them for their input, I'm telling them what I'm going to do. Input and help making a decision is what these message boards are for! That's the problem with being fat. People think that you want their advice and input about everything from diets to exercise to surgery. I don't know why more people don't have the grace to understand that their input and advice is only being asked for when it's literally being requested.

It's going to depend on your particular plan. Go online to your insurance company's website to view the plan brochure or call them and request a paper copy. Look for the section on surgical services, and the pre-op requirements will be under the section for surgical treatment for morbid obesity.

It's very difficult, because I'm naturally a non-confrontational person. I don't like arguing with people or upsetting them, and I don't like lying to people, even if it's by omission. That's a product of how I was raised, to be honest. I love my folks, but I was raised that other people come first, and to always give other people what they want and not to stand up for myself. it's very difficult to break that mold. It's very easy for other people to say, "Just don't let them treat you like that." That's easier said than done, when it's been ingrained that what other people come first. I don't get close to people easily, and I'm a very private person. I mean, I have a few acquaintances here at work that have the potential to become good friends, but it's difficult to even imagine telling them about something so private, especially so soon after meeting them. It's something that I don't want getting around at work, either, so I have to weigh the possible benefits of telling them with the possibility that I'll be the topic of gossip. Especially since I'm considered a relative "light weight." When I was looking into the lap-band surgery, even the support group I had to go to wasn't very supportive. I was told several times by other participants that I wasn't very big and that I should try losing the weight in another way. I guess I carry my weight well, lol. They didn't seem to understand that I was still in the severely obese to morbidly obese range for my height and that I had several comorbidities. So basically, I have to make a decision: Do I tell my parents and risk them telling everybody around them, or do I tell a coworker and risk them telling everybody at work? I wish I could just get a driver to take me to and from the hospital, lol. I know I'd be fine on my own at home, since I basically did that after both my lap-band surgery and my tummy tuck and breast lift surgery. There's virtually no chance of me convincing the surgeon to let me do that, though.

I'm currently starting the process for a revision from lap-band to either VSG or RNY (undecided about which one right now). I'm debating telling anyone. I'd like to tell my mom, since I'd like to have her with me after surgery. The problem is, she thinks she has the right to tell anyone and everyone my medical business. That's what she did after the band. She and my dad told the entire family, their employees, their clients, yadda, yadda, yadda. Add to that the fact that she's very wishy-washy. I mean, when I was losing weight well with the lap-band, she kept trying to feed me and kept shoving food at me. Now that I've regained almost everything I lost (and I lost 90 pounds and got to goal), she keeps telling me I need to try more diets. Sometimes it's really hard to keep my mouth shut, because I just want to tell her to pick whether she wants me fat or thin and stick with it! I don't know what to do. I just moved to Miami a few months ago, so the only people I know here are my new coworkers, and I'd rather not have my medical business spread around. I also don't want to lie to my mom and dad. But I also don't want my entire extended family to know that I had to have my band removed and revised to another surgery. I'm uncomfortable seeing them as it is, since I keep getting larger and larger every time they see me, and I KNOW that they're thinking I'm a failure. *sigh* Of course, this will all be moot if I can't get the revision approved in the first place. I've had one consultation with a surgeon, but I didn't click with his office, so I've got another consultation in a week or so. Hopefully, that one will be the right surgeon!

Hello, all! I feel like I've been through the ringer. This has been 8 years of misery. This is a long post, so I apologize in advance! I was originally banded in 2007, and had a great success with the band, losing all my excess weight. Unfortunately, I did it by having severe restriction, causing major acid reflux. My surgeon at the time was apparently clueless, since she just prescriped protonix instead of encouraging me to have some fill removed. I eventually got so sick of the reflux that I got a huge unfill. Four years later, and living on the opposite side of the country, I started seeing another surgeon because I regained 40 pounds. Turns out, I'd had a severe slip for several years and didn't know about it. I wanted to revise to VSG at that point, but insurance basically said, "Sorry, you're fat again, but not fat enough! Sucks to be you!" It would only cover a removal/rebanding procedure or just removal, and that wasn't an option (as much as I dislike the band, it's still my security blanket), so band #2 was the only option. Of course, I've not been able to get to the "sweet spot" with #2. I stopped getting fills because I was at the point where I was often too restricted in the morning and not restricted at all in the evening. I feel like the band has just given me an eating disorder. I'm so scared to eat in groups in public, because the band seems to have a mind of its own. Sometimes, I can eat some foods easily, sometimes I can't. Last week, I had a severe sliming/PB episode when I ate a carrot. Of course, I've continues gaining, since the stuff that I can actually eat easily is usually stuff that's not great for me. (If I had awesome self control and was able to control my eating and lose weight with just diet and exercise, I wouldn't have needed WLS in the first place!) So now, I've changed insurance companies, and this one covers revisions (and I've gained enough weight that I'm a candidate). I'm ready to get this damned thing out of me, finally! I just don't know which procedure to go with. One surgeon I've consulted with suggested a VSG, since I'm still considered a relative light-weight, but I'm hesitant to have it. I mean, even though the projected long-term results are supposed to be basically comparable to RNY, there aren't any real long-term results available for it. I fell into that mistake once already. When I got the band, it was supposed to replace the RNY, and the projected long-term results were supposed to be comparable, with lower major side effects. Well, we all know how that turned out! Plus, the band has really screwed up my metabolism, especially combined with my PCOS. I'm worried that if I get the VSG, I'm going to be disappointed in the results, since the band has given me a lot of bad habits when it comes to foods. On the other hand, the RNY scares me a little. I'm not sure about having a surgery where I'd no longer be able to take NSAIDS like advil and aleve, since tylenol really does very little for me. I'm not sure about having mandatory supplements. But, the prospective dumping and the metabolic "kick in the pants" would help keep me honest. Ugh, I don't know what to do. Of course, this is all in theory, since I still have to choose a surgeon and try to have insurance approve a revision. I'm just so sick of this band. I'm about at the point where I just want it gone, even if I'm not able to get a revision.

I weighed 205 at the consultation I had a few days ago. My BMI is between 36-37.

I don't need them often, but I take them whenever I have a headache or back pain (I have a herniated disk that causes me some trouble). Tylenol just really doesn't work for me unless I take a huge dose of it, and even then it's hit or miss. It has never worked well for me.

I spoke with the insurance coordinator for my new surgeon's office today. She says that even though he says that a revision to the sleeve is medically necessary, my insurance will probably not pay for it. Apparently, my insurance makes patients meet all the same restrictions that they had to meet for the first surgery, including having a high BMI for two years before the revision, regardless of whether the revision is because of complications from the original surgery (severe pouch dilation in my case). I'm ready to scream. My insurance is excellent except for this one clause.

I have Federal Blue Cross Blue Shield, and my policy doesn't state any exceptions for revisions due to band failure. The likelihood that my insurance company will change their minds about a denial is extremely slim. There's a member here or at OH that had the same company and was in a similar situation as me (located in the same state and even had the same surgeon), and she couldn't get them to change their denial at all and eventually gave up and had to go to Mexico to get her band. I think that what I've decided to do is to focus my energy right now on getting approval for getting my band repositioned and then saving up to possibly self pay in the future. I would like to give my band one more chance, since it worked very well for me until I became too tight and caused a lot of problems for myself. I work for the federal government, so if I have to, I do have the option of changing insurance companies in the future if my band fails again. The other insurance company would be SAMBA/Cigna, and it has a seemingly more lenient policy on revisions due to complications, but I've heard stories of what a nightmare they can be to get approved, too.

Haven't had my revision yet, but my surgeon does them in two surgeries about six weeks apart.

I had my first appointment with my new surgeon today. Since it had been two and a half years since I'd seen my original one, he did a fluoroscopy on me. We saw that my band was extremely tight and that my pouch was extremely dilated/stretched. The tight band was news to me, since I hadn't felt much restriction in a long time and could eat close to a full meal. The band was so tight that we couldn't see the barium emptying out of the pouch at all. He said that my opening between pouches was probably about the size of a pencil eraser, and that he was amazed that I'd lived with it for as long as I did. He did an immediate complete unfill, since he said that it was pretty dangerous. He said that eventually it would migrate and close off my stomach entirely and I'd have to have emergency surgery to remove it. He gave me three options, all of which are surgery. Remove the band and leave my stomach alone, go in and reposition the band, or do a revision to a sleeve. Right now, I don't meet the BMI requirements for revision, but he thinks we may be able to make an argument that it's a medically necessary surgery anyway. Ideally, we'll revise, if that isn't possible, I'd rather have the band repositioned than removed. I admit that I was kind of hoping to have something wrong with the band in order to justify revising to a sleeve, but actually KNOWING that something is wrong bothers me more than I thought it would. I almost started crying at the surgeon's office. Now it's time to hurry up an wait while we get everything together and submitted to insurance. It's going to be at least a week until anything gets done, since the insurance coordinator is on vacation this week.

I'm hoping that's true in my case. I'm just worried because my insurance policy states that a second bariatric surgery requires a 2-year history of morbid obesity. It's ironic that if I hadn't ever been successful with the band, they'd gladly pay for the sleeve, but because I actually was successful, they might not want to pay for the sleeve, even though I'm regaining. Hopefully, they'll consider the dilation to be a good enough reason to justify revision, though.

My new surgeon's office sent me an email on Tuesday that they would need my old surgeon's records for my appointment on Monday. I'm now living two time zones away from my old surgeon's office, so I couldn't call them about it until first thing Wednesday morning. I call, the lady says that she'll pass on the request and that they might need a faxed release form. I give them my fax number and my new surgeon's fax number, and all is well (or so I think). I check my faxes throughout the day, nothing, so I call around 4:30 that afternoon. The person responsible for faxing them says she'd gotten the message and would do it first thing in the morning. I assume (yes, I know) that she'll do it, and on Thursday and today assume (again!) that since I hadn't received a fax, that they didn't need one, and forgot about it. I get a call this afternoon from the new surgeon's office confirming my appointment and reminding me to bring my records with me. I'm thinking, "That's odd, they should have those by now." I call old surgeon's office, the woman who faxes stuff has gone home already (remember, two time zone difference). I call up new surgeon's office this afternoon, and nope, they've not received them. So now, I get to harass old surgeon's office staff on Monday and hopefully get them to rush-fax my records. They should have plenty of time, considering my appointment isn't until 5pm their time, but then again, they've had 3 days to do it and didn't get it done. I'm just frustrated with everything. If you tell me you're going to do something, DO IT.

I just tried a sample pack of Six Star Elite Series vanilla cream, and it was actually GOOD! It's not the lowest calorie stuff in the world (160 calories per scoop), but it has 26 grams of Protein. I made mine with 8 ounces of milk, and it really tasted almost like a vanilla milkshake. I don't know how it would do with Water, though, and it does shake up foamy. You can actually get single-serving packets at Walmart, so you can try it to see if you like it a lot. The 2-pound tubs of it are about $18 at Walmart. BTW, I'm very sensitive to the taste of artificial sweeteners, and I really couldn't tell that it was made with sucralose (splenda).

I'm another that has bad reflux with the band. Mine started a couple of days after a large fill, and when I called my surgeon (I lived 6+ hours away at the time), she gave me the option of starting proton pump inhibitors for the acid or getting some fill taken out. Since I liked the weight loss, I chose the drugs. I wish I'd done differently. 10 months later, I finally couldn't stand it anymore. For some reason, after I had a tummy tuck and breast lift surgery, the acid got worse. Even with the PPI, I was having to sleep basically sleeping upright and still waking up coughing multiple times a night. My chest/esophagus was aching 24/7. I made an emergency trip and got a partial unfill. The acid is better, but still there. That was almost 3 years ago, and I haven't seen that doctor since. I lost a job, then started a new job and was waiting for my new insurance to kick in (my insurance through my parents which I'd had surgery under, had a $1500 deductible, which I could not afford at the time), then got a different job that took me across the country. I've dragged my feet on getting another surgeon because I didn't want to face the music and admit that I've gained back more than half of what I lost, but I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment for next Monday. I want to get my band checked out. I haven't had any imaging done whatsoever since before my band, so I'm almost certain that I've got a slip and have had one for years. If it is slipped or eroded, I want to revise to a sleeve. I'm sick of the acid, I'm sick of the port pain, I'm sick of not being able to get enough restriction to keep me on track without causing more acid reflux, I'm sick of sometimes not even being able to drink a latte in the morning without sliming and puking.