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TinaM8

LAP-BAND Patients
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Posts posted by TinaM8

  5. Posted

    I had lapband surgery 11 years ago. I had moderate success but not nearly what I thought I would have. I failed the band or it failed me. Maybe a little of both. I am considering revision surgery but I just don’t know. What if I “fail” again. Not sure I could mentally or physically handle it. I’ve seen people have greater success once having the revision surgery. I also am very unhappy with the surgeon that did my lapband and I am looking to find another surgeon that will work with me and actually help me succeed. I never had that from my previous doctor. I’ve got a million things to figure out. My insurance didn’t cover weight loss surgery back then and now it does but I don’t know how revision surgery plays into that. Making calls this week to possibly get the ball rolling. Any advice from someone that has had lapband to sleeve revision or any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!

  6. Posted

    Congratulations !! I have BCBS/TX also. I would have to gain 25lbs before they will approve me and then I assume they still may not so that is a huge decision to make. Plus I seem to have a VERY STEEP deductible at $6000 !!! OUCH! Not sure how to find out of I would have to pay the whole amount or not. :(

  7. Posted

    I am SO you !! I have had 2 c-sections too!! :) I know that I NEED this surgery. I am so unbelievably unhappy with myself just on a day to day basis. That probably sounds so dramatic but it is just really how I feel. I don't know why it is so hard for me to explain that to people that I NEED this surgery. Why they can't understand. I know it is a big deal BELIEVE ME I know it is a huge step but I do need it. I hate to say that the thought of another surgery does scare me. Really just from a nonsense point of view. I let myself think of all of the most ridiculous scary things that could happen and convince myself it is going to happen to me. How selfish I would be to leave two kids behind just on the Quest to lose weight. Anyway, those are the things I always think of.

    I am also just STUCK. Do I gain the 25lbs just in order to see if I can get approved and then risk possibly not being approved and now I am even more miserable than before. Or gain the 25lbs and get approved and then find out that I will have to pay the full $6000 deductible which is still too steep for me. I just don't know what to do at this point!! :angry:

  8. Posted

    I really just need to vent.

    I have all but talked myself out of this surgery and that in itself frustrates me beyond belief. First off I have no choice but to be approved through insurance because I cannot afford another self-pay surgery (I had the lap band in 2006). Even if I am approved I have a deductible of $6000. That is STEEP to say the least. In order to try and get approved I have to gain weight before I can be considered for insurance coverage because I don't have any "check list" health problems and my BMI is under 40. I was told I would have to gain 25lbs. Seriously!! That goes against everything I am trying to do! It goes against everything I have been trying to achieve for the last 34 years of my life.

    I also, have no support with this surgery. It feels like everyone closest to me just wants to talk me out of it. They keep saying "Oh I know you can do it with diet and exercise". OH REALLY? Well let's do the math. I am 34 years old and have been obese my entire young adult/adult life. I was also heavy when I was young. I literally spent 2 years of my adult life not being obese. It was between the ages of 19 and 21. I had no relationship, no husband, no job, no kids, no job, virtually NO STRESS AND I was exercising 4 HOURS A DAY !!! Of course I was able to do it. It took me a year to lose 80lbs which was all I needed to lose at the time and I kept it off a year. That in NO WAY is a success. I gained it back plus 30+lbs so OBVIOUSLY I need help. I know that the opinions o2 weight loss surgery are vastly different. Some people are for it and some people think it is the worst thing you can do. I have found there very rarely is any middle ground. I know it doesn't help that I already had the lap band and "failed at it" but the more I learn and the more the lap band is around I see that the band is just not going to work with everyone. I try not to be hard on myself but BELIEVE ME I am and I feel bad that I wasn't able to succeed with the band. It is a huge disappointment. Not to mention embarrassing. Everyone knows that you had it so it is obvious you aren't succeeding with it.

    I know that there are so many worse things in life that I could be dealing with but right now this is my hell. I have these waves of excitement thinking that I could possibly get a handle on this once and for all. Then it switches to nervousness thinking about having a part of my body removed. Then I just get waves of complete "I am just going to throw my hands up and quit and I will just have to deal with being fat until I die." It helps to have somewhere to vent especially since nobody gets it until they have been there. :unsure:

  9. Posted

    Wow everybody.....so I was just told by my surgeon's office that I would have to gain 25 MORE POUNDS before they will even send off the forms to try and get me approved by insurance. Never in my life have I ever been told I needed to gain weight. EVER! Apparently because I can't check any of the little boxes off on the criteria for what they feel you should have to be worthy of this surgery. HMMMM now I am in a very interesting situation. What in the world is that going to do to me mentally. Also, I am assuming that I still may not get approved even after gaining the 25lbs and having the 40 and over BMI. WOW.....a lot to think about......... :(

  10. Posted

    So, I'm out looking for a few cute maxi dresses to bring with me to Mexico this summer, and I'm in a depression now lol I hate shopping for clothes being fat. It really is getting to me. Just the depression alone is killing me. I just went and bought me some Water to drink at work today rather than running next door and getting a Coke. It won't hurt to try and go ahead and lose some weight now. I ended up gaining like 20 more pounds when I knew I was going to have WLS... food funerals I guess. Now I'm paying for it :(

    I feel ya on this! I hate shopping but I LOVE fashion!! I always said if I was rich and could figure out a way to be a plus size designer I would have jumped on it because I could always envision so many cute outfits but good luck finding anything close in 22/24 and 26/28. I will say that I have had the best luck with shopping at Torrid. I don't have one within 2 hours of me so I have shopped Torrid.com and they really do have some cute clothes. Sundresses, maxi-dresses, and so much more. Also, Simplybe.com is a new one I just started looking at and they have some pretty cute things. As big as I got (282) I still always made sure to try and find the best clothes that I could. I (one day,hopefully) look forward to not having to be in the plus size stores but until then I am on the lookout for the cutest stuff I can find.

  11. Posted

    I called the customer service number on my card and asked if the plan my employeer had covered bariatrics. They told me exactly what procedures they did and what the criteria was to have the surgery. They explained the financial portion also. They also told me after I met all the criteria and the surgeon submitted paperwork for predetermination it would take about 5-7 days to get approval. Very smoothe process so far.

    I wish the customer service rep. would have been a little less vague and told me more on the phone! I am curious what the criteria is. I guess I should call my surgeon's office back and tell them what I have found and see what to do next.

  12. Posted

    I live in Louisiana, I went to Dr. Borland in New Iberia, La I was self pay $9,800

    I would recommend him in a heartbeat. I was sleeved 2/25/13

    I have heard so many wonderful things about him! I too live in Louisiana but I am trying anything I can to not be a self-pay. I previously had the lap band that has given me nothing but problems and was a self-pay but I just can't afford another surgery completely out of pocket.

  14. Posted

    Call the 1-800 number on your card and they should be able to tell you if it is a covered service and what requirements are needed for it to be covered. They will need the group number and stuff off your card. Let me know what you find out

    Well I called. They said that it is covered however, it differs from case to case as to whether you get approved. Doctor will have to send all medical records and a letter and then they will decide. I am just going to get it in my head that I most likely won't be approved. Not to be a negative Nancy but because I don't have any of the obesity related problems that seem to be determininh factors. Things such as reflux, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc. I am still going to try but not get my hopes up.

  15. Posted

    Hi. I am 5 weeks out and I am a band to sleeve revision (one year apart) and AFTER my revision my surgeon told me ppl who had the band before usually lose slower and have less restriction. I feel this is exactly what has happened to me. Some days I am not that hungry and can eat 4bites and I'm full and then some days (like today, sadly) I feel hungry most of the day and eat 1000calories. On an average day I eat 700-850calories. Judging by others on this site it seems like most people 5weeks out can only eat 500calories!!! Am I a total f$&k up or what?! I feel 500cal is not possible for me. I don't feel like I'm exaggerating as I'm eating Protein but I don't have a problem eating 5-6 small portions. I have lost 15lbs since being sleeved 5weeks ago. Am I normal? Lol

    Anyone else feel they can eat more or less because of the band revision?

    This is probably one of my number 1 concerns with getting a revision. I haven't decided 100% to do it yet but I really think I want to. I had the lap band in 2006. Lost 60 gained back 20. I have to say..slow or not...I would be happy with weight loss period at this point! I am beyond frustrated with the band!!!

  17. Posted

    Just to give you a little background I had the lap band surgery 7 years ago. I have had minimal success and a lot of problems. I was a self-paid patient for the lap band but am now considering the vertical sleeve and will have to be approved through insurance because I cannot afford another surgery. I called my surgeon's office this morning and it seems as though it is up to me to find out if I am covered for bariatric surgery. Ummmm.... okay now what? I assumed that the surgeon's office would take care of all of that for me. This is all so Greek to me! What should I do? :wacko:

  18. Posted

    I too have BCBS/TX and will use Dr. Chung if I ultimately decide to have this surgery. I had the lap band with Dr. Chung but have had too many problems. I called their office today and it seems as though it is up to me to find out if I am approved. Now I have no idea where to start!! I was a self-paid with the lap band so I am totally lost !!!

  21. Posted

    Hey everybody,

    Just curious if anyone has a copy of the pre-op diet their doctor prescribed them and if they could post it. I don't have a surgery date and actually have not made my mind up 100 percent for surgery (as I already have the lap band) but I would like to follow the pre-op diet to help me lose some weight right now. I swear I am steadily gaining and it is really taking its toll on me! Mentally and physically. :(

  22. Posted

    I really want the gastric sleeve. Literally I can't get it out of my head. I had the Lapband in 2006 and all I ever lost was 60lbs. I now gained 20lbs back so it is like I only lost 40. I am convinced that the sleeve would do for me what the band never could. I was throwing up everything I ate and even throwing up in my sleep at one point and now I have ZERO ANYTHING from the band except one big headache. The best way I can describe my current situation is that it is like I never had the band at all. I am so encouraged to read stories like yours from patients that have converted to the sleeve. I have a lot of deciding to do !! You story is very encouraging :D

    Purplrose323 reacted to this

  23. Posted

    Well folks...still no answers. Did the barium swallow with xrays and the xray technician seemed to think that everything with the band looked okay. That was almost a week ago and my doctor's office has yet to contact me to go over the results. This is what is irritating me more than anything at this point. I know the second I call and make an appointment all they are going to want to do is give me another fill and take another $125 out of my pocket. I really don't know what to do at this point. It really didn't help that my surgeon was suggesting I get the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy the last time I was in. This is so discouraging to me. Maybe I don't want another surgery. Maybe I want to figure out why this surgery isn't helping me like it should. Maybe I want a doctor that is going to help me figure it out instead of trying to push another surgery down my throat. I feel like in his head he has almost washed his hands of the situation. I am beyond frustrated. Don't get me wrong, I can't lie, I have thought about getting the gastric sleeve surgery just because I feel desperate at this point. Not sure what my next move should be........... <_<

  24. Posted

    I can't help but wonder if you're expecting the band to physically stop you from eating, because that isn't the band's job. It will always be your job to keep your portions to a cup or less.

    Here's a couple articles that I think will help you a lot:

    Best wishes and be sure to follow up with your doctor

    I definitely need to read these and will do so tonight. Thank you :)

    DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! reacted to this

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