Linda Hamsing Rosen

Hi, I was banded 2/27/08 and I have several issues. I feel like crying...I don't think I made the right decision. It doesn't appear to be working for me. I had my first fill 3 weeks ago. Here are my problems: (1) little weight loss. I've lost a total of 18 pounds but 15 of it was during the liquid/mushy stage. I am losing very little now. Even after a fill I can eat a pretty large portion of food. Plus the band doesn't keep you away from bad food. I have made little progress on weight loss in the past month (down and up the same 3 pounds). (2) of most concern are these spasms I started getting this morning (before I even woke up), in my stomach area. It doesn't really hurt but really annoying--not something I could live with. Has anyone else had these? (3) Pain in my left side, near the port area and sometimes lower. Sometimes it's just pain and sometimes its a burning sensation. But the spasms concern me the most. Has my band slipped or is something else wrong? I'm very very discouraged. I have another Dr.'s appointment May 5. I don't know if I can wait that long.

Hi, I am 4 weeks post op and per the doctor's diet, I have been on "regular" foor for a week now. I feel very little restriction and I can eat almost the amount I ate before (not quite). Also, I can basically eat everything, even the foods that are supposed to be problematic like bread. Further, although I try listening to my body in terms of evaluating hunger, it has been difficult because it seems to take a lot of food to stop the hunger. I have never thrown up or gotten food stuck. I have lost 15 pounds but it was all in the first 2 weeks. Now I'm just struggling to maintain it. I haven't lost anything in 2 weeks. Is this normal? Is this simply because I haven't gotten a fill? (I am due 4/7) Will I feel more restricted and not be able to eat as much after the fill? I liked the feeling after surgery where I felt like I couldn't eat anything. I have since heard that is from swelling. I would like to get somewhere close to that point again. I hate feeling hungry. It's the worst feeling ever. Any advice/comments would be greatly appreciated !!!

Hi, I'm considering the lap band and am favoring it over the gastric bypass. Hopefully I won't have a problem but I've been wondering about this scenario: I lose a bunch of weight and then there's a problem with the band (erodes into stomach or whatever) and I need a revision to say the gastric bypass. Would the insurance pay even though I now have lost most of the weight? Would they require me to regain it first? I hope this doesn't happen but just trying to prepare...I have BCBS federal employees plan (FEP).

Hi Tish, I had something similar. High liver enzymes. I had to have an ultrasound where they found fatty liver on 30 percent of liver. Then they had me to a liver biopsy. They do this to find out whether there has been permanent liver damage or cancer. ONce that cleared, the diagnose was officially "fatty liver." My guess is that your doctor wants you to do further investigation just to confirm it's fatty liver and not something else. I would doubt that the doctor wouldn't operate on you if you had fatter liver. So many people have it !!!

Hi, I have the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Federal Employees Plan. The center I am going with submitted all my paperwork documenting my BMI (38) and health history (high cholesterol) for insurance approval. After 4 weeks, the insurance wrote back and didn't approve or disapprove but asked for a psychological evaluation to be submitted. Why would they do this? Is this a good sign that once I "pass" this, they will approve? Has anyone else had this situation? What are they looking for exactly? Thanks so much ! I'm excited but scared

Hi everyone! I'm new to the website. I'm considering the surgery and had a consultation this week. I qualify for both the gastric bypass and the lapband (BMI 39 with high cholesterol of 330). My doctor will support either decision I make. I'm leaning strongly toward the band because the bypass just seems too drastic and risky (and my doctor supports the decision). However, he did say that for high cholesterol, the bypass seems to do better. So my question is: (1) Have any of you had success in drastically lowering your cholesterol with the band? Other questions: (2) when you're eating, it if takes 20 minutes to get the food down or register to the brain, how do you become "full" with a few bites of food? Are you truly not hungry with the band (after the recovery period)? (3) I love steak. Am I going to have to give that up forever? Can anyone eat steak and how? (4) It seems like a very straightforward procedure, then why am I so scared? Thanks for your help and support !!!