LapBandFan

Hello fellow bandsters, I have been off the boards for a while, been so busy with work, but hope to be back as a regular now, I need you guys and have missed you all. Latest on me. I had my revision surgery on February 26th,2005 yeehaw!:banana and have lost a grand total of 138.5 pounds to date. I am scheduled for my first adjustment or "fill" on April 26th. I realize that is way later than normal for a first adjustment but my surgeon felt like we needed to wait a while and allow my stomach swelling to go completely down and for me to get healed up after the second band placement. I am so exctied to say the insurance did pay for the second band and Praise the Lord for that! (happy dance in progress):banana:banana:banana:banana:banana I have been kinda bummed out lately though cause I need my adjustment as I am back on regular food and I am able to eat way more than I should. Have to keep telling myself to eat the bandster way when you are SATISFIED, not necessarily FULL!!! I just have to make a conscious effort to watch it and that is why I have not lost any more. I also have got to get going on the exercise and Water intake again too. I feel like a failure as I have not been being very good lately in my snacking etc. I am sharing with you my goals now I need to lose 80 more pounds and here is what I plan to do to make it happen: 1. Be on this board daily as I need the support DAILY!!! 2. Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. 3. Exercise 30 minutes (at least) every day. 4. STOP SNACKING BETWEEN MEALS!!! (those one or two bites of sugar free candy and sugar free icecream and sugarfree Cookies make a difference!!!) 5. Last and most importantly PRAY for guidance from above. Please pray with me as I start the second part of my journey. I need your support. You guys are great thanks so much for letting me vent.

Welcome to our world! I am so happy for you! I am so thankful I had the surgery done and that God provided the wisdom for them to make this wonderful new tool to help me lose weight. You will be sore for a while, but this too shall pass. Take it easy and please do exactly as the doc ordered on the diet and exercise, it is so worth it. I will keep you in my prayers that you will heal speedily. Take care!

Hello, I have a friend who has finally been approved for her surgery but she needs to lose about 30 lbs before they will do the surgery, as a safety thing I am sure. She is very nervous about this and wants to get it off, but don't know where to start. I suggested that she go on a low-carb diet and lots and lots of Water drinking and walking if she can, but she had lots of health problems so the walking is probably not an option. Is there any of you who have done anything to lose some weight quick before surgery? If so please advise me and I will share with her..... Thanks so much!

Did I ever! I think we all do that, it is a mental thing where you know you you are giving up a lot of your favorite foods in the world and eat like there is no tomorrow! Don't feel bad for doing that, it is a normal reaction of us food addicts. I have been postop for right over one year with second surgery for slipped band since 3 weeks ago and would do it all over again in a heartbeat! You will miss certain foods and I actually went through mourning over some of the foods I can't have any more (diet cokes especially!) any carbonated drinks and pastas and breads! But the good Lord above knew I did not need these things and now I have adjusted and accepted the foods I cannot have and love my band! I have lost 140 pounds in a years' time and have about 80 more pounds to go. So don't feel gullty for enjoying your last supper. Good luck on your journey to a healthy fun life!

Marie, Yes I did have to stay overnight with the revision/rebanding. I am getting stronger every day. My doc allowed me to advance to full liquids now so I can drink some Protein shakes (a little at a time) so that gives me more energy. I am still very sore and it is just as sore as it was the first time around. I hope that goes away soon, but I know it will just take time to heal. The sinus drainage is better. I am so excited about that. I take the claritin nightly and it seems to work better than taking it first thing in the morning. Thanks for asking. Just to clear things up, I only had band slippage, not erosion at all. Take care and good luck to us all!

Hey folks, I am now three days out from my revision surgery, still sore but not hungry in the least, I have wonderful restirction as with the first surgery but I am sure it is from the stomach still being swollen. I am blessed to be able to work at home (I do medical transcription) and only felt like working 4 hours yesterday before pooping out, but hopefully I can work a little longer today. I am still doing the clear liquid diet, usally have 1/2 cup of warm chicken broth and about 2 popsicles per day with sips of water throughout the day. Thanks for all your prayers, words or kindness and concerns. I love the caring, considerate folks on this board. I needed this board when I found it. You guys are great for support. Thanks! Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's day.

I made it through my revision surgery Friday. The surgery did take longer than the first surgery mainly because of adhesions and scar tissue from the first surgery. I was in surgery 4 hours. He also had to remove the old lap band and install a new one the reason being that my stomach that had prolapsed over top of the band was so swelled up and inflamed from my almost nightly vomiting that it would not pull back down through the band at all, so therefore he had to remove it and replace with a new one. Bless his heart, I know he must have been worn out after my surgery. I am pretty sore, but have been blessed to have not had any nausea at all and very little gas pains. God is so good. I am moving like a granny woman, but at least I have my new best friend back with me. Please pray I heal up well and that this sinus drainage drys up so I don't cough any. Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers.

Say a prayer for me today as I go in for my revision to reposition my lapband. I am looking forward to having my "best friend" back in working order. Thanks.

You go girl! You are an inspiration and a darn skinny one now! Would love to see before/after pics. keep up the good work.

Just had to share.... God is so good, I just heard from my surgeon that my insurance will be covering my second surgery for my revision! PRAISE THE LORD! I know I have pestered everyone to death asking for you to pray for me about this and I appreicate all your prayers and concerns. Please keep me in your prayer as I go through the surgery this Friday, 2/11/05 at 1 p.m. Just had to share.... God is so good! [/url] Brenda Fain

I have been banded since Feb 2004 with a 135.5 pound weight loss within 11 months' time praise the Lord. Anyway now my band has slipped and I am scheduled for revision surgery this Friday and have not heard back from BCBC of MA for approval on the revision. They are who covered the first surgery to get the lapband so I am praying they will cover the revision. Any of you had slippage and had to do revision? If so if you have this insurance did they cover for revision surgery? I am praying they will.... Thanks for any prayers from you all on this....

Here is a very informative link for the lap band with several video clips explaning several things. Enjoy. http://www.uclabariatrics.mednet.ucla.edu/resources/resources_videos.htm

I have created an online website for pics of my weight loss journey, in case anywone wants to visit. It is www.picturetrail.com/befain click on the album Brenda's Weight Loss Journey.... Please sign my guestbook while you are there. I would love to see your site if you have one regarding your weight loss journey. Have a great day.

I am sure it was devestating to be this close and have to be put on hold. Just think of it as a "bump in the road" on your new weight loss journey. There are reasons sometimes in life we are not allowed to have what we want, so be patient and just take care of yourself right now and the immediate health problems and in time, you will be a bandster along with all of us. Keeping you in my prayers!

Well, no news yet on insurance coverage for my revision. The nurse anticipates it will be covered but don't know for sure. I am on the surgery schedule for next Friday, 2-11-05. By that time we should know about coverage or not. Thanks for all your prayers...

Leatha, yes, same insurance company and plan.I am praying so hard they will cover. I am not a wealthy person and need them to cover. Thanks for your encouarging words. I will keep you all posted.

As I have posted last week, I do indeed have band slippage (by the way with no apparent symptoms except vomiting/spitting up nightly) and was able to eat normal, solid foods so I must say you can have slippage and still be able to eat and drink and food go down fine. Scary that there are no symptoms I know.... I am supposed to hear from my insurance today on approval for revision and surgery for fixing of the slipped band. Please pray they do cover. If so I am to be scheduled for surgery either tomorrow morning or Feb 14th. I will keep you posted. I have faith in God that he will help me on this... Thanks for your prayers and concerns....

Here are my before/inprogress pics....I do need to update the recent pics.. but until then down -135.5 pounds Praise The Lord!

Thanks for all your kind words... The Lord has blessed me and helped me...just keep a prayer for me in mind about insurance approval for my revison... Any of you have before/after pics? Is there a place on the forum to look atjust pics before/after? Thanks

Good morning fellow bandsters... I finally got time to fix an attachment of a pic of me from before and after. Not too good at technical stuff on the computer sometimes. Is there a place on this board for us to view other before/after pics of you all? Just curious. The first pic with me in blue is me at my highest wt of 365 lbs Feb 2004 the other pic is of me at Christmas at 240 lbs. I am so thankful for my BAND! God is so good!

Never mind, the pic came up with this post.... I don't know what was wrong before....

I load it from my PC then it shows up on the screen as if it is there then when I say save changes, I get this error message: There has been an error in the upload. Please ensure that the file has been correctly selected and that the upload has taken place successfully. I have resized the pic so it is actually smaller than the recommended size. Any suggestions? Thanks.

We will certainly be praying for your family and the Lord is our Source of Strength in all our matters of life. Take care.

Emmy, Good to meet you too. Thanks for your kind words, l love Dr Rose, he is the best. I will have to figure out where to post before/after pics and will let you know...If you want to correspond my personal email is fainmemorykeepsakes@yahoo.com and I see you are a scrapbooker like me, you were born the same year as me. Some things in common....Yes, I do come back to memorial for adjustments and follow up visits, I will let you know when I have to come back, right now it is pending.... what is your email? Take care Good luck on your wonderful WL journey.... Brenda

Ladies... thanks for responding love the support you give.... Leatha, I hope that I do not gain during this time as well. I hope I have enough knowledge about how to eat now to continue the small portions and Water, etc. Thanks for your encouargement, it is good to know I am not alone in this slippage thing.... Paula...No we have not discussed a discount on this second surgery? Hopefully insurance will pay the majority as they did before. He said it had to be fixed one way or another insurance or no insurance approval, but he has a payment plan....we are praying to get approval though of course....He thinks I need to keep the band as long as possible due to my previous addiction to food....we will wait and see what Insurance says, if they do not cover, I may opt to remove it.... although I would hate to, it has helped me so much....thanks for your thoughts... DeLarla....Please note my name change...you are right, I have a negative outlook on me, will try to work on that one.... Thanks for your reassurance about the slippage, I realize there is the chance of erosion too, but I tend to blow things up worse than they are sometimes thanks for setting me straight,I needed that. Sorry you have been through so much, but you are a trooper and are like me and want this so badly.... proud of you and your perserverence through tree surgeries. I will pray for your healing on that problem wound that won't heal. Thanks again for your encouarging words..... Mary....thanks for your prayers...No time line yet, but you can bet I will be calling after lunch today If I have not heard back from the doc office, their insurance person is supposed to contact my insurance for me today and then let me know something within the next few days....hopefully we can get the surgery approved and scheduled soon as both me and my surgeon are worried about me getting dehydrated etc from the continued vomiting.... the unfill did not help apparently as I still had the vomiting last night too... thanks again for your prayers...