faithmd

I am so sorry you lost your band! And it seems sort of odd they didn't culture the band, but if you didn't have a fever or increased white blood cell count, or if the operative field didn't look suggestive of infection when they got in there, then perhaps that's why they didn't send anything for a culture? It is all supposition at this point. You got you band on 12/18 and I noticed you posted this on 12/29: Yeah, i knew i was gonna lose restriction before my first fill when i healed. Just thought it ironic that i lost restriction the day i started the ibuprofen regime for my knee. Later that same day: I have been having problems with the side of my knee, finally went to the doctor yesterday and she told me to take 600mg of ibuprofen every 6-8 hours until i go see the orthopedic doctor on wednesday. Now, since i started this regime, i havent felt full at ALL.. you think that all this ibuprofen to make the swelling in my leg go down has made my stomach swelling go back down to normal so i have like 0 restriction? I was just wondering if your band surgeon was in approval of the ibuprofen therapy? I was told that I was not EVER to take NSAIDS. I wonder if that had anything to do with it?

If your insurance company has a written policy for a six month diet requirement, then you're stuck. We'd all love to get it sooner than what our insurance wants us to. But when you use insurance to pay, you are bound by their rules. I was stuck with a TWELVE month diet requirement. Dang, that sucked! A word of caution, please make sure you do not miss a single monthly appointment to your MD (or whatever your diet requirement states). It would stink to be almost there and have to start all over again. Good luck!!!!

Not being Canadian, I am unsure, but I recall seeing a couple of threads about this subject in the Canada Forum before. Here's a couple of links to those threads, I hope it helps you! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f76/tax-claim-being-audited-37462/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f76/claiming-taxes-32946/

Absolutely take the COBRA if you can, AND please continue to go to your monthly MD appointments. Even without COBRA, a monthly office visit with you PCP can't be more than $85-100. For three months that would be less than $300. Do not think you have to start all over! No reason if the insurance is still Aetna that you wouldn't be able to use the monthly visits you are already working on! Also, please make get your DH to get with his new employer's HR and find out more specifics about his new company's Aetna plan, then call Aetna YOURSELF and ask if the new plan you will have also covers adjustable gastric banding. It is possible that his new employer may have an exclusion to their policy for bariatric surgery.

Page down to the bottom of this page, you will find several thread links where this question has been answered in abundance. I'm not picking on you, but I wanted you to have responses from a large cross-section of folks. By viewing the posts below, you'll be able to read about the experience from folks that sit at a desk, folks that walk all day, folks that do physical labor, etc... The Poll thread is a good one, you get a nice idea of what the average is. Here's a few more links, and a couple more polls. Hope this helps you! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/poll-time-off-between-surgery-work-24060/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/how-long-did-you-take-off-work-42551/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/how-soon-after-surgery-have-u-returned-work-31539/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/how-long-return-work-34950/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f76/how-soon-before-returning-work-24059/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/how-long-were-you-out-work-after-surgery-23996/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/how-long-after-surgery-before-returning-work-22355/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/how-long-until-you-were-able-work-19585/

I agree, LJM!

What Green said. And that is spoken as a woman who considers herself a Christian. (Rose your opening post was eloquent!)

I'm also in the 200+ category. My high was 371, with a goal weight of 165ish. So barely over 200#, but still a challenge. I'm sitting (since September) at about 300! But doggone it, I'm getting back in the groove! I would LOVE to be at about 251 by my Bandiversary which is June 21st. That would mean I'd have lost 76lbs in the first year, but 120lbs from my start. Not impressive, but it would be nice in my mind.

I've sort of been off plan already today. I ate five mini eclairs, but I'm including it in my fitday.com totals and then modifying what I eat later. I have GOT to do something! Perhaps joining in on this thread will help. LJM: thank you for starting it!

Bearcatgirl, you might want to check out the subforum just for Teens in the Lap band by age forums. Good luck!

pipp, I'd be furious as well. For the same reason you outlined, they had EVERYTHING else ans were waiting on one little thing. I hand carried EVERYTHING to my surgeon's office (other than the psych eval) and the day I received a copy of that, I called them to make sure they had gotten it, too. Then I faxed them another copy, just in case. They faxed my stuff over to the insurance company that same day. No reason if they have everything needed that they don't do it right then. That's what they get paid for. That's their job. I as denied the first time around because I hadn't lost my 5% excess weight required by my insurance company. So the next month when I had lost it, I submitted my new MD note with the new weight on it to them and they faxed the WHOLE package over again the next day. They apparently have to resubmit the entire package again after a denial (my ins co that is). I was fortunate, I had an answer in a couple of days. I understand for some folks it can be months for an approval or a denial. Hang in there!

If you are not hungry for them, don't eat them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking the post-op diet SLOWER than prescribed. The problems come when one takes it faster than what the doc or nut told you to. Congrats on the loss, congrats on not feeling hungry and if you don't want to eat a mushy, don't. Just make sure you are getting in enough Fluid and Protein (protein drinks, etc.).

I am so sorry you have been so ill and I'm glad that you are feeling some better (and that Alli is giving you a full refund). But I am sort of lost as to how a fat blocking pill can give you an infection? I can't see how that's possible. Did the doctors say they thought you might have had a UTI brewing and they believe the Alli contributed to it? Eeek!

I can't speak for the OP, but if you have BC/BS and don't have the requirements yet, please call them right now and ask. Many people can have the SAME insurance company, and sort of the same policy and one's requirements may be different from the other because of riders their employer may or may not have purchased. That's why I always advise EVERYONE to call your own insurance company, and have them look up YOUR policy and then ask them to explain what the requirements for coverage for Adjustable Gastric Banding is, then have them send you a hard copy. And write down names.

June 21st, Dr. Wagner here. Hurley's first AP band.

CONGRATS!!!!!!! Now you need to join the March 08 bandsters and celebrate! That is soooo exciting! You'll be in bandland before you know it.

Here's a link to one really great thread about how fills work, check it out: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/how-lap-band-actually-works-fills-refills-45563/

I'm sorry you have had this disappointment. It stinks, it really does! But no, there is no way around it. I had to do TWELVE months of MD supervised diet therapy. Make an appointment today with your PCP, right now, this very instant. And then make subsequent appointments for every month as soon as you can. You'll need seven of them (at least). DO NOT MISS ONE SINGLE APPOINTMENT. If you do, it's back to square one. Make sure that not only do you see the MD at each appointment (no, a nurse visit with a weight will NOT count), but that your weight is recorded and that the MD puts in their notes what you are doing that months to lose weight. Something as simple as them saying in their note that you are walking three times a week for 30 mins, or you have cut out all refined carbs, or that you are walking the stairs at work twice daily or that you are giving up soda will help. Many insurance companies will not merely accept a letter outlining this from your PCP, they REQUIRE the actual OFFICE NOTES from your monthly visits, and those notes must contain discussion of your weight loss. Call your insurance provider yourself and ask for a copy of the specific requirements for Adjustable Gastric Banding coverage be sent to you so that you have them in hand to refer to. Many of our journeys are months or years long. If you have the resources and do not want to wait, you could always consider Mexico . Many many of us have been/are being banded there. There's loads of threads about it. We're here for you. Feel free to vent anytime.

Here's a link: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/abbreviations-what-they-mean-7959/ Also, you might want to check out that forum (FAQ and References) as it gives LOADS of important info about the band and banding in general.

For me it stands for Dear Hubby/Husband, Darling Hubby/Husband, Damned Hubby/Husband, Dipshit Hubby/Husband, Dufus Hubby/Husband, Doggone Hubby/Husband, etc... In the FAQs and References forum, you will find a sticky that includes various abbreviations, it is VERY helpful!

Here's a few more links, and a couple more polls. Hope this helps you! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/when-will-i-able-return-work-post-op-47296/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/how-long-did-you-take-off-work-42551/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/poll-time-off-between-surgery-work-24060/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/how-soon-after-surgery-have-u-returned-work-31539/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/how-long-return-work-34950/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f76/how-soon-before-returning-work-24059/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/how-long-were-you-out-work-after-surgery-23996/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/how-long-after-surgery-before-returning-work-22355/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/how-long-until-you-were-able-work-19585/

Page down to the bottom of this page, you will find several thread links where this question has been answered in abundance. I'm not picking on you, but I wanted you to have responses from a large cross-section of folks. By viewing the posts below, you'll be able to read about the experience from folks that sit at a desk, folks that walk all day, folks that do physical labor, etc... The Poll thread is a good one, you get a nice idea of what the average is.

Actually, the first set of pictures is kind of telling. The band on the left is the 10cm band (the 9.75cm and the 10cm band both have a fill capacity of 4cc/mL), the band in the pic with 2cc in it is half filled. The next band (the VG) has a 10cc/mL capacity, so the pic with it at 5cc is also half filled. Looking at the pics, it actually looks like the half-filled VG might provide greater restriction than the half filled 4cc/mL band. But you said: I have the 4cc band and my surgeon told me it was kinda loose on me when he placed it, so I had to have a lot of saline in it before I experienced restriction. If they had put the 10cc band on me, I never would have had restriction--my stomach just happens to be smaller in that area than some people. I just wanted to point out that a band with a capacity of a lower number of cc's/mL's doesn't necessarily mean the band is smaller, that's all. BTW, I really liked the wording of your post, it was quite informative and I wanted to mention, you are ROCKING the weight loss, Gwen!!!!

It's the width of the band itself and the size of the baffles that make up for the increase in Fluid capacity needed. Gkeyt's post was most excellent! Surgeon's do make decisions based on a person's anatomy when they "get in" there. My surgeon told me a story similar to one of gkeyt's points about having to change out bands: I asked how many revisions he's had to do and why. He said the only one he had to do he was second on and they placed a smaller band (9.75cm) on a man that they were wondering if it was too small. And the next morning, it was evident it was by his scan and inability to swallow his own spit that it was. They took him back to the OR and placed a larger band.

The rest of gkeyt's post is spot on, the only thing I wanted to point out is that the 4cc band isn't all that different "size-wise" than the VG or the Advanced Platform small. The differences comes in the construction. The 4c band has one single ring (like a tire), the VG is a bit wider and has some baffles and the APS is wider still and has even more baffles, that's what makes the difference in how many cc's/mL's the capacity is. Here's a couple pics to show you what I mean: AP New Band Type picture.bmp