mrsto

WOW!!

I'm so sorry for you. I know how mad you must be, and I would feel the same. it's a huge emotional undertaking, and then, to be cut off at the last minute??? UGH!! Unfortunately, I think we're going to be seeing more & more of this due to Obamacare. Many insurance plans are dropping bariatric coverage all together, so the hospitals supporting it will take a hard hit. It sucks! Again, I'm so sorry. Please don't take this as a sign that you shouldn't be having the procedure. This isn't the universe telling you anything. It's f-ing Obamacare that has changed insurance coverage. If you want to file a grievance, file it with the White House

The Quest bars are my "go to" for sweet cravings. They're high in Protein and Fiber, and do not spike blood sugar. For me, if I have a regular cookie, cake, candy.....any of it, it sets me up for an out of control eating frenzy. Also, being that I have reactive hypoglycemia, it messes badly with my blood sugar in a way where I have to eat a lot just to balance it. Not worth it... The Quest and Atkins bars are fabulous, and eating one doesn't leave me wanting to eat the entire box.

When the "Physical" part keeps saying NO...eventually the mental part just gives up asking.... If that were the case, most of us wouldn't be here. My issue wasn't chronic hunger, it was compulsive overeating. If I stopped when my "physical" told me to stop, weight would never have been a lifelong issue.

My doctor's post fill protocol is pretty mild compared to what I read here. On the day of the fill....AFTER the fill, full liquids for the rest of that day. If the fill is early in the day, full liquids, and then.....if tolerated, something mushy in the evening. After that, proceed with caution, meaning, start slowly back on solids, and let your body be your guide.

Explaining the green zone is like trying to explain love. It's something you have to "feel" to understand.

Head hunger is what got us here in the first place. If we didn't fight with the intense desire to eat when we're not hungry, we wouldn't have needed surgery. As I've said so many times in these forums, we're never cured from this curse, but with the help of the band, we have a much better chance of fighting the fight.

Kristen - I feel your pain! Band or no band, our emotional attachment to food is VERY powerful. I agree a gazillion percent with BandedDietician above.....it's not about the food! In order to get back on track, your brain/motivation needs to get back on track. It's very difficult when you lose your "mind" on the whole thing. I hope you're able to pull back on the reins sooner than later. It would be a shame to go all the way back to square one. Just try and focus on why you went through this surgery in the first place. It was a huge undertaking, and you were off to a very good start. You can do this!!

I agree 100%. I am in the green zone, and during these last few weeks of "holiday eating", I've pushed hard right past ALL the signals; band AND plication. Was I able to eat the same as pre-band, no....I was not. But at times, I certainly chose to ignore the signals and pain, in order to fill my mental/emotional need to eat. I've done very well since surgery, but I'm hardly a "model band citizen". But what I have gotten a LOT better at since surgery, is hopping right back on the band wagon. IMHO, any WLS takes a tremendous amount of motivation. The surgery doesn't take care of the "need" to eat all by itself. You will never find one post of mine over the past 10 months, where I say "I'm cured and will never gain weight again". After 58 years of dealing with this curse, other than death, I know I will never be cured. But with this "tool", I finally have a fighting chance of staying on track, or getting back on track when I've overdone it.

I have the band with plication, and at 9 months out, have no issues at all. Like CarolinaGirl, I've never been stuck, nor have I PB'd or slimed. I'm very happy with my decision, and feel that the plication gives me a very strong signal, at times I've tried to eat through the band signals. I cannot say what it would be like without plication, but I just know that I'm doing very well, and haven't had any surgery related issues. There have been a couple of times when I thought I was having an issue, but after testing by my doctor, it was nothing. The feeling that alerted me was a sticking pain at the bottom of my sternum. During the holidays......when I pushed it a bit, I've had a couple of stomach aches. But I can't honestly say that wouldn't have happened when pushing it without surgery. The difference is, pushing it now is so much less food than before.....which was the whole point of having WLS. Good luck to you!

Sharpie - I bought a whole box of white chocolate raspberry, but didn't care for them. I gave the last four to a friend that came on New Years :-) But I do love the chocolate chunk! I almost feel guilty when I eat one.

These are my favorite, too. I love the chocolate chip cookie dough, and also the vanilla almond crunch. I buy them by the box, and eat one just about every day. Better than Snickers!

Joanne - here is a link to some info on the procedure. http://www.nwwls.com/banded-gastric-plication

I have the same issue....and concerns. I do have what's called "silent reflux", which effects the throat, larynx and vocal chords. Here is a link to more info. http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/laryngopharyngeal-reflux-silent-reflux It was diagnosed by my ear, nose & throat doctor long before I had band surgery. I go on and off Prilosec for periods of time, which helps dramatically. Over the past couple of months I've had a huge problem with it. Although, I've also had a recurring upper respiratory virus, so it's difficult to know what's what. Your doctor will know more after the test. There are a lot of viruses going around right now, that cause a lot of the post nasal drip, sore throat, etc. you mention. Once you rule out that, you'll know what you're dealing with. I'll be interested to know the outcome of your UGI. Good luck - I hope you feel better sooner than later.

LOL! it's another term for lap band with plication.

Same here. I'm glad I had plication done with my band surgery. I have no reference point, but the secondary restriction is a savior.

When looking at the whole picture, it sounds like your body is rejecting the implant device. I totally understand you not wanting to lose the band, because I feel the same as you. But the reality is, what is happening with your body and the port, is very dangerous. Have you considered a revision surgery; possibly the sleeve or bypass? Honestly, I think the very first step is to figure out why your body is fighting back. I'm not certain your bariatric surgeon is the right one to do the work up; possibly an internist. You've had some pretty big issues, and finding out what processes may be going on in your body, is important. Good luck.....I hope everything works out for you.

Well said, Terry.

I'm thankful that I live in California, based on the current benchmarks posted by Alex. I still think it's going to be a "wait & see" issue. When I called my bariatric group, they told me that they're already seeing the coverage drop off. It's all very disconcerting....

Ditto!

Aside from what may or may not be wrong with the band, I would tell your surgeon to suck up the costs of the tests. She doesn't even know what she implanted in your body, and you should not have to pay the price to find out. Just my 2 cents.

As you progress through the post-op diet phases, you will find what works for you.....and what doesn't. Once you're no longer restricted (diet wise), you will quickly find out what you tolerate, and what goes down without issue. Just make sure that whatever you eat, is taken in small bites, and chewed to a pulp. I am nine months out, and can eat pretty much anything. Some fruits & veggies go down fine, but they cause gastric discomfort. I feel best on solid animal based Proteins, with a little bit of veggies. I snack on Protein bars and (sometimes) popcorn, but a lot of people no longer do well with popcorn. Our bodies are all so different, but I'm confident that you will settle in and find what is best for you. Good luck!

I've been on this site since early March. I've been pretty active at different times, but burn out on it for many reasons already stated above. The other piece is, that it starts taking too much time out of my day, so I have to completely "close the door" to stay focused on my work. Amazing how much I caught up on when my attention wasn't diverted to this site. For me, this has become more of a social outlet over actual lap band support. I'm glad to give support, but I rarely seek it out for myself. Though I've lost most of my weight, I'm far from a "model lap band citizen". If I'm struggling with anything band related; emotional, habitual or anything else, I will not post it on this site.....which is a shame. Though I've made some friends here, overall, it's not a safe place if you're struggling with band compliance. Sometimes, all anyone wants is to talk with people who may be going through the same thing. But the backlash by some of the (apparent) "model band citizens" isn't worth it.

Ditto! Sometimes I just need a break from it, for a garden variety of reasons.

I don't think you're being paranoid. If you haven't experienced this type of ongoing pain before, then it's certainly something to ask your doctor about. I have been having the same problem; a constant stomach ache. It started a couple of weeks ago; some days better than others. I am also concerned about possible complications, and will discuss it with my surgeon next month. For me, this pain isn't something new, though. I had bouts of it pre-band, and I think it was stress and too much stomach acid. Knowing that, I went back on Prilosec a couple of days ago. And to be completely honest, during the holidays, I've pushed my stomach capacity to the limits. No weight gain, but giving into some old habits. My paranoia about this pain is because of that. As banded people, we do need to pay attention to symptoms of possible issues. Knowing how neurotic I can be, I paid very close attention to all of my gastric pains & other issues before surgery. I made mental notes so I wouldn't freak out that it was surgery related, afterward. Even so, I will rest easier when I address this current issue with my doctor. Our minds can really do a number on us