angbutler0712

1. How long have you been banded? 6 months 2. How much weight did want to lose? I would like to get to my ideal weight, which puts me at 160. For a total of 99lbs needed to be lost 3. How much weight have you lost? 28lbs 4. How happy are you that you have been banded: Scale of 1-10 (1 being regretful, 10 being elated) This is a tough one. I was very displeased at the beginning with how hard this process is.. But now that I've reached restriction with my band and the weight is starting to come off, I'm feeling better about it. I would rate this one at a 7.. for now.

Welcome!! There is so much information on this site to assist you with your journey, along with all the wonderful people here to ask for advice! Good luck!!

Your story is so very similar to my own. It's so disheartening!!! It took me two years to get approved for WLS. The first go around I was denied, I appealed and was denied again. Reason for denial, I wasn't heavy enough for long enough! I wrote this long appeal letter to the insurance company (AETNA) begging them to reconsider.. and pointing out specific health problems that are made worse by the weight, but the wouldn't consider my problems as co-morbidities. (I had even had two heart surgeries for atrial tachycardia and they wouldn't count that.. it had to be heart disease.) After my second denial I was absolutely CRUSHED! My doctors office said, the only thing you can do is wait it out until after the first of the year (I would be 2 years over the specific BMI at that point) and go through our program again. It was about a 6 month wait.. and when the first of the year came, I called up my doctors office and started the ENTIRE process again. Thankfully I didn't have to repeat the sleep study, but every other presurgery test had to be redone. We went through EVERY possible test to find any comorbitity that I could possibly have. Now, I started out at a 39.5 BMI this second time. so I needed two co-morbidities to go along with the weight. I was hoping my heart problems would be a factor.. it wasn't. I was diagnosed with GERD (1 comorbidity) and osteoarthritis (2nd comorbidity) They also submitted that I have high blood pressure not treated with meds.. all they had were a couple high readings from when I came into their office. (Ins counted that as a third comorbidity) Once I could prove that I had been over a 35 BMI for 2 years, I was approved immediately. Now, GERD and Arthritis are not listed on my insurance providers list of comorbidities.. so definitely talk to your surgeons office. There should be someone there who specializes in working with the insurance companies and can talk to them to find out what they will consider as comorbidities. Before my approval, I was discussing with the doctors what a second comorbitity could be for me. I have a herniated disc, but my insurance wouldn't take that either. My doctor suggested I get an xray done of my back, just to check if I had arthritis.. low and behold, came back positive. It was very minimal, but still there and able to count as a comorbidity. He told me that most people who are obese have some form of arthritis in their back. If your surgeons office is not going the extra mile to assist you with insurance, then they DO NOT deserve your business! Did they do any tests on you looking for comorbidities? Barium swallow (GERD), Heart Echo (heart disease), Diabetes test, xrays to look for arthritis, Upper GI to make sure your stomach is healthy enough for the surgery... Oh yeah, they submitted depression as a weight related problem to insurance also.. Since I had been taking anti-depressents for years. Not sure if the ins co counted it.. but it can definitely be used as a comorbitity the doctor said.. The day I was approved, the woman I had worked with for 2 years to get approved called, she said "Angela, you are approved!! When I took this off the fax and read that you were approved, it gave me goosebumps and I knew I had to call you before I left for the day!" It was 5pm and closing time. That entire office worked so hard for me. I am forever in their debt.. So with all that said, DO NOT GIVE UP! Okay.. this is getting lengthy.. Just know that you are not alone. Its so hard to fight with insurance, but so worth it to save your own life. Of course there is so much more I could tell you with this process, but I'll spare you. If you ever have any questions or want some advise, email me. abutler0712@gmail.com ~Angela

Congrats on your upcoming surgery Aubrey! As difa said,everyone is different. It really depends on you and how strict you are. You've probably heard or read that about 3-4 weeks after surgery, you start feeling back to normal again. Since you'll probably have minimal if any fluid in your band,your stomach will pretty much be like it was before surgery. This is what we call "bandster hell". If you have a lot of will power and are going into this surgery prepared.. you will do great! As you go in for fills, you'll start to feel restriction and it'll take less will power to fight off those food urges. Personally, I lost 10lbs before surgery on my preop diet, then lost a total of 8lbs over the first 4 months. Just this last month have I really hit my groove.. I've lost 10 more lbs since my last fill and am definitely feeling the restriction and less hungry. With that said, I was NOT strict enough with myself. The more you exercise and eat healthy.. the more you'll lose. Just like if you didn't have the band at all. Good luck and keep us posted. Angela

We waited a week and were careful of my stomach.

That is absolutely hysterical! solid food.. hmm..

Hang in there.. it'll get better. REST!! That's the best way to allow your body to heal. Also, talk short walks if you can. That will help with the gas.. also deep deep breaths. This actually worked better for me at expelling the extra CO2 than walking. Take your pain meds. It'll give you some peace over these next few days. Another thing.. I used a heating pad on my shoulders and back for about a week after surgery. SUPER soothing! Good luck! You're already over the biggest hurdle!

Hi All, So.. I stopped taking my 20mg of Celexa about 1.5 weeks ago cold turkey. I know this is not recommended, but I thought since I was on a lower dose and have been feeling great, that now was the time to do it. I've been on Celexa 20mg for almost 3 years. Started it soon after my son was born to help with a bad case of anxiety. Starting last Sunday, all i've wanted to do is eat! Thank God for the band being in place, because it restricts the amount I can have it one sitting, but I find myself going to the kitchen and sifting through the cupboards and fridge every 30 mins or so! I'm not hungry at all.. it's all in my head. The urge to eat is over powering! I can't think of anything else... Since I'm almost 2 weeks out of taking my anti-depressants, there is no way I'm going to start again. I've definitely felt the side effects of stopping cold turkey. Dizziness, irritability, super sleepy.. I didn't think that head hunger would be an issue.. but it has been. Has anyone else had this type of side effect coming off medication? I know that I didn't do it the right way.. and don't want to be reprimanded. I'm sure my doctor will do that when he see's me next week. I just want to know how you got past the munchies. The urges to eat are like nothing i've ever had before.. Even on a liquid diet it wasn't this bad. Thanks!

Hang in there.. I've been where you are and it's NOT fun. I really didn't feel restriction until my 4th fill, almost 5 months post op. It's going to be a hard road while you fight through this.. but think of how far you've come already! One of my biggest mistakes was thinking that once the band was in, I was done! Weight would just magically fall off.. I was oh so wrong and it really contributed to my negative mood swings and my negative feelings towards the banding process. Finally for me, I'm starting to see the positives now. Took a while, but it eventually came. Eat as much protein as possible. At this point, your band is probably wide open.. no fill.. meaning your stomach is pretty much the way it was before. So there really is no "food sitting in your pouch" phase yet. I'm sure for some people there is, but I didn't have that and have many friends with lap band that also didn't have that experience right out of the gate. I ate and drank as I did before surgery and I even did it together against my doctors orders. But like Allison said, it helped me feel full and being a food addict, it was the full feeling I was looking for. Now like shues said, you don't want to form bad habits. Once you start getting fills and feeling restriction, drinking while you eat can cause harm. At this point, I have no choice but to wait at least 15-20 mins after I eat before I can take a drink. If I try drinking sooner, I usually end up throwing up. Listen to you body. If you're hungry, have a snack. Look for low cal, high protein. I also add a scoop of protein powder to my fat free yogurt to give it a boost of 20grams of protein. Super satisfying. Good luck to you.. and try to stay positive.. i know how hard it is, but you've already come SOOOO far!

Thanks mylynn1377! I should try pepper strips. I've eaten them in salad a few times and they haven/'t given me trouble. I did try eating carrot sticks with hummus.. the hummus goes right on down, but the carrots.. not so much.

dhales, I hear you there.. if I'm home alone, I pig out. At work i'm fine. I let the hunger pass, have a few sips of water and move on. Once I get home.. man it's a different story! I have definitely been trying to keep myself busy outside gardening and working on the lawn.. but once I come inside, i'm heading straight for the fridge! ugh. Thanks tmf for the suggestions. Luckily i'm pretty tight, so it take a while to pass some types of food through my band. It's the fact that I don't want to stop eating! I've been super good over the past month, but now I'm eating until I feel sick. My down fall this weekend was pizza. I didn't even care that I may get stuck. I chewed like i've never chewed before to make sure I could eat it! UGH. Not proud of it. We are going shopping tonight, so I'll definitely be purchasing some healthy snacks for these unbearable moments. i'm wondering if there is something going on with my serotonin levels in my gut. I'm holding out that this too shall pass. I have my 6 month check up next Tuesday, so if not, I'll talk with the doc.

Gosh.. I'm losing it all in my butt and thighs!! It's so funny how the weight comes off differently for everyone. In the past I've always kept a nice round butt and my boobs and belly would shrink.. Now I'm losing my butt and my boobs and belly are staying the same. AHH.. i'm afraid i'm going to end up pear shaped!

Thank you sweetangel. You are right, I guess I'm just so nervous about my band not being tight enough. It has taken me 6 months of going through bandster hell to get to this point. It has been some of the longest months of my life and I even started to regret getting this. You are correct, the band is a tool. That is something I've had to learn over this past 6 months. I was hoping I would be able to lose weight quickly with little effort. BAHAHA.. boy was I wrong. I went through 2 full years of prepping for this surgery.. I knew it was going to be a slower loss than with gastric bypass.. I just didn't realize how much slower. I am definitely the type of person that likes my band tight. It helps restrict me from eating things that I would LOVE to eat.. such as bread and muffins and cake and cheeseburgers.. I have very little will power and the tight band keeps me in check. Lack of will power and an addiction to food got me here in the first place. Along with the band I use myfitnesspal.com to track my calories and work out at the gym 4 days a week. I see my nutritionist every 3 months to stay on track with food choices. After this last fill, was when I started really seeing changes and feeling restriction, instead of feeling like I was starving myself. I go see my doctor in 2 weeks to discuss another fill and have my 6 month post op. Unfortunately, my mind is saying.. I don't want to "waste" this doctors appt and not get a fill after all the time and effort I've put into this process. Please don't take that statement the wrong way! I know that any time I have with my doctor to discuss my band is not a waste.. it's just my head telling me that I need another fill to continue losing weight.. Some days I think I'm in the green, some days not so much. I think you're right about waiting until weight loss slows and I start feeling less satisfied. I would rather be safe than sorry.

Reading these unfil stories is making me nervous for my next appointment. I am hoping to have another fill.. a small one, but I don't want to over do it. The last thing I want to happen is to have an unfill and start over or to have a slip from being too tight. I was reviewing the lapband green zone chart yesterday.. I would say i'm 75% green, 25% yellow. Is that close enough? Should I even try for another fill or wait a few months? I am 7cc in an 11cc band. I know the cc amount doesn't really matter since ever person is different. I am satisfied after a meal that consists of a weight watcher meal and a yogurt. I usually stay statisfied for about 4 hours between meals. I really should eat more snacks, but I forget and then it's too late and i'm starving. I'm not able to eat bread or dry foods at all anymore. Even ground burger or turkey is hard to get down. I definitely have seen a reduction in the amount of food I can eat in one sitting. However, there are days when I feel I can eat more than I should be. A couple cups of food at a sitting.. I would say i'm averaging between 1200-1500 calories per day. Since my last fill 3 weeks ago, i've lost 6lbs. So with that all said, I feel like I'm getting there... and could use maybe just one small fill . What do you guys think? From what I'm telling you, is this the green zone? I want to lose weight so badly.. but I do not want to be over filled. Thanks,

Don't push it. If you feel pain or nausea that's your body telling you to stop. I would say that most of us have gone through what you're going through. My doctor instructed me to start my chewable vitamins on day 4... every doctor is different. For the first week after surgery, I was lucky if I could get in 400 calories a day. It was just way too uncomfortable. I concentrated on my protein shakes, since the protein helps with healing. By week 2, I started getting my appetite back. My week 4-5 I was back to normal. You're only 2 days post op.. rest, relax and take this one day at a time. If you get to a point where you can't keep hardly anything down or are in an unsual amount of pain, call your surgeon immediately or go to the ER. If that stuck feeling doesn't go away, and you try taking in fluids and they come back up, you'll have to go in. Do you know if they put any fluid in your band during surgery? Some doctors put in 2cc during surgery. Good luck and welcome to the group! Angela

tmf, I am EXACTLY where you are! I have found this entire process absolutely frustrating. I do finally have restriction, but the fact that it took me almost 6 months to lose 24 lbs makes me want to cry! I came into this experience having gone through 2 years of prep work required by my insurance and the surgeons office..(I was denied by ins the first year because I was not a 35bmi for more than 2 yrs, 6 months after my denial, I had to restart the entire workup process all over to resubmit to insurance) I had heard the horror stories of bandster hell, and I thought, no way, that's not going to be me. BAHAHA.. My surgeon even called me on my cellphone one week before scheduled surgery to see if I wanted to change to a gastric bypass. (he told me he's seen so many people disappointed with the results) NO way I told him. I was so afraid of that surgery and that there was a much greater chance of complication.. I also liked the fact that I can be 5 years down the road with the band and have an adjustment.. 5 years after gastric bypass.. you're stuck as is. The reality of it all... there are many days I wish I went with gastric bypass. Lapband is very difficult esp during the first phase. It does get easier with restriction. To all the bandsters out there that have hit their goal weights, I applaude them. This is a tough road to travel. I think a lot of people go into this with the misconception that they are going to lose a massive amount of weight quickly.. that was my problem. I'm so disappointed with the fact that I was only able to stick to my calories for the first 6 weeks before I fell off the wagon. Just like EVERY other diet I've done in my life. Luckily now with this last fill, the band reminds me what I can and CANNOT eat. Tried eating one of my sons french fries the other day.. nope. refused to go down and ended up throwing up. I doubt I'll ever eat french fries again. Now it's trial and error until I get this right. Bandster hell does play with your mind. Keep positive! A

I use the mobile app on my IPad all the time. Love it!!

Like 2muchfun said, this is the beginning of bandster hell for you. Of course it's different for everyone, but once your stomach heals and you have zero fill in your band, it's pretty much like it was before surgery. You will need to diet and watch your calories until you get some restriction. I just finally got restriction with my 5th fill. I am almost 6 months out. They call it bandster hell for a reason.. so if you need support, feel free to let out all your frustrations on here.. we've all been there. btw, at two weeks out I was taking in about 600 calories per day, mostly through protein shakes, yogurts and fat free puddings. I was always starving. I cried to my doctor that there was no possible way I could stay between 400-600 cals a day. (thats what they recommend for the first 2 months after surgery) psh. no way could I do it. My stomach felt like it was eating itself. I bumped my cals up to 800-1000 per day. Like Jean said, make sure you're spreading out your calories throughout the day to help with the hunger. The more protein in your meal or snack, the longer it'll be before you feel those hunger pains. Good luck!!

I have heard of this quite a bit on this forum. I am totally bewildered by this. When I get my fills, I always feel it immediately. After a few days I'm usually able to get more through.. i'm assuming it's because of the swelling. However, this past fill was different. I felt tight immediately after my fill.. then after a few days I was able to move onto solid foods without an issue. Then about a week and a half later, I feel super restricted again.. the way I felt after my fill and go back to mushies. I wonder whats happening with our bodies to make the band tight again a couple weeks after a fill. Definitely not complaining! I'm excited to see the weight coming off!

Praying that all goes well. So excited for you!!!!