snowbird

Hi, getthin. I have a 4 cc band and did go to OCC for my fills. I had 1.7 cc with the first fill and only .2 with the second. Reaching proper restriction is an extremely personal thing. My daughter, also banded at OCC, has had about 7 fills/unfills, and only had her first one at OCC. My husband has a 10 cc band, and has needed 5 fills; only his last one was NOT at OCC, and it was the first one that really gave him much restriction. The OCC doctor who used to do fills and did my two, was fairly aggressive, but he is no longer there. Their new doctor is a bit more conservative. You might want to go back to OCC for your first fill, just so they can do a fluoroscopy and check the position of your band and your stomach. However, I really don't think it is necessary or even more advantageous to go back there if you don't live nearby. I spend part of the year in Washington state, and have a fill clinic nearby that I trust. If I really needed a fill while I was up in Washington, I would not hesitate to use the Washington clinic. If you can find someone near your home whom you trust, I would go ahead and use them.

I was banded 9 months ago and have two fills total. I will not need another to reach goal. It is not necessary to check your band every couple of months unless you stop losing or notice a real difference in your restriction level over a period of a couple weeks or more. As you lose weight, especially the fat around your stomach, your band may become looser without an change in the saline level, so you may need another fill. But I see no reason to get it checked unless there is some reason you feel you need to do so. I'm glad you checked and got another fill, but I don't think it is something everyone needs to do on a scheduled basis.

Oh, dear, if I could only count the number of times I have lost 20 or 30 lb through dieting. Yet I was on my way back up to my highest weight of 255 when I had lap band surgery last October. I was pre diabetic, hypertensive, and had some bad knee pain. Now my blood sugar is 88, my blood pressure is 110/65, and I'm riding my bike 15 miles a day with no knee pain. I felt sore for a week or two after surgery, but managed the flight and two hour drive home the third day after the operation with no problem. Yes, I occasionally pb when I eat too fast or the wrong things. This is not a complication; it's the band stopping me from eating badly. I followed my doctor's pre op diet and lost 19 lb before surgery, but that certainly didn't make me feel I could lose what I needed to just by dieting, because without the surgery the loss wouldn't last. I followed all my doctor's post op diet recommendations and stuck to liquids for 3 weeks. I have had no complications and feel the band has been a total success for me. You could not pay me $160,000 to go back to the way I was before this surgery. I know you are worried about your wife's embarking on elective surgery, but please be very sure you are not letting your fears of how she may be able to beat obesity and become a new, happier person, intrude on your opinion of the surgery. The risks she runs from continuing to harm her body through her obesity are much greater than the risks she runs from the surgery itself. By the way, my husband and I were banded the same day. I wouldn't have it any other way, as we support each other, share our meals, commiserate (with a smile on our faces) about our bands, and understand each other's roadblocks and victories better than anyone else could. My daughter is banded too. This is the best thing that could have ever happened to our family.

Well, i just went out to lunch with friends. I ordered a shrimp special with rice. There were 26 shrimp in the meal; I ate 9, which is more than I can usually handle (they were small, not big prawns.) I ate one bite of rice. Pre band I would have finished the meal easily. My sister in law (congenitally skinny) cleaned her plate. I can eat steak, but it is so much work to chew it that I usually give up after a few bites. I went to a buffet the other night. I filled my plate with about 1/4 of what everyone else had, and ate maybe 2/3 of what I took. I couldn't eat any more. If I wanted to make poor food choices, my band would let me drink milk shakes and eat ice cream, so I don't keep those foods in the house. I do have them occasionally for treats when we go out, but I don't keep a half gallon or two in the freezer like we used to. What it comes down to, is the band stops us from pigging out and eating large quantities at one sitting. In fact, after nine months with the band, I am absolutely appalled at the amount of food other people eat. It doesn't make us eat right, but it makes us realize that we are eating such small portions that we need to pick good nutritious foods to keep ourselves healthy. It doesn't stop us from deliberately thwarting it with foods that will slide past the band. For me, that means I have to keep all temptation foods out of the house. No bread (can't eat it anyway) no Cookies (I would eat them all in one sitting) no ice cream (ditto). I was fat for 48 of my 54 years, but as of last week I am officially no longer overweight (BMI under 25). I never thought my portions were that large before, but I was WRONG. So the band won't do everything for you, but will give you that added push to eat less, and it may inspire you to eat better. I had been on many diets and even lost significant amounts on some of them, but never could keep it off. Now, I think, I will.

It is common to miss a period after your body has gone through something stressful, and any surgery would definitely qualify for that. I used to be so sensitive that I would miss my period if I got the flu or had anything physically going on with my body. I think it's a way your body holds onto its energy and saves it to heal.

Walk. Bend over and press very gently on your stomach. Take some papaya enzyme pills. While walking, promise yourself you will never ever eat that food again for the rest of your life. This is what I do, anyway.

To return to your original questions, you may be anticipating problems that will never occur. I have pb'd, but never publicly. I don't burp excessively. I can excuse myself to the bathroom if necessary. In social situations, take small servings and if need be, move them around your plate a lot. People are usually focused on themselves and not on you! If they know about the surgery, they may be interested to see what and how much you eat, but if they don't know, a simple remark about not being that hungry or even "I'm trying to lose weight" will suffice. I don't keep my surgery a secret. I have told almost everyone around me about it, and if someone asks me how I have lost weight, I tell them. I feel that it is important to share, especially with those who have weight problems and may want some real answers rather than a short remark that I am eating less. Some people give me negative reactions, but it doesn't bother me, especially if I look better now than they do!

My daughter's boyfriend has dropped 165 lb without a fill. He was banded several years ago and the put a 4 cc band on him, and he was a really big guy. He has never had a fill and has been maintaining his weight for a long time.

5 cc in a 10 cc band isn't all that much. Plateaus are common, and I got off my last one by upping my exercise to 15 miles per day on my bike, from 10. My husband just had his fifth fill, so he has 8.6 in his 10 cc band. He had been on a plateau for six months, even with two fills during that time. It has only been with this latest fill that he is feeling restriction and starting to lose again. You really haven't given much information. How long has your weight plateau'd? Are you able to eat nearly normal portions of meat and vegetables? Or are you restricted and overdoing it on soft, easy foods? That is what would determine if you need another fill or not.

I would think your PCP would be able to prescribe what you need. That is a good reason to have a PCP who is on board with your banding and makes an effort to educate him/herself about it. My Mexican surgeon is accessible by email and cell phone, so he could let me know what his opinion is, and I could convey that to my PCP.

My husband and my daughter have gone to them. They do not use fluoroscopy with barium, although you can arrange for them to do a fluoro to check your band placement. You sip water to determine how your fill feels. They are good people and my daughter and my husband have confidence in them. Especially since you are not on your first fill, I would think you would be fine with them.

There is a Port Orchard group that meets, I believe, on the third Wednesday--not sure if it is monthly or bimonthly. It is coordinated with the visits of Fill Management Northwest, at Le Garmache catering in downtown Port Orchard. Check with either Fill Management NW or the caterers, as they are bandsters. Northwest Fill Management providing affordable lap-band fills for weight loss surgery patients. Welcome, Kitsapman. My husband and I are from Gig Harbor originally and were banded the same day, and it has worked very well for us. My daughter is banded too, and lives near Key Center.

My husband has had five fills and has 8.6 cc in his 10 cc. band. It was only with his latest fill that he has really had any restriction. I have a 4 cc band and have had 2 fills with a total of 1.9 cc, and I don't expect to have another. We are all different. Don't give up, and get another fill if you feel you need it. Some people actually have more than 10 cc in their 10 cc bands.

Claiming the cost of surgery as a medical deduction can save you some on your taxes, but it isn't going to "get your money back."

Yes, I did. I had BCBS Federal Employees' health insurance. I paid for the surgery with Dr Ortiz and was reimbursed by BCBS after submitting an overseas claim form. The surgery cost $8000, and BCBS reimbursed me about $7200 and my husband, also a bandster, $7900. I haven't tried to get the fills covered. We live about 5 hours from Tijuana, and get our dental done there, so we drive back to Dr O's clinic for fills. They cost $100 with fluoroscopy. I don't know if BCBS would reimburse me for them or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if they would. I could probably claim the fluoroscopy as a post surgery follow up, and Dr O's clinic actually bills you $100 for the fluoro and says the fills themselves are free.

I ate Protein and vegetables prior to banding. I did a modified Atkins diet, even though the portions I ate were too large to allow for weight loss and I was actually gaining. I am actually eating more carbs and less vegetables now with my band, but all portions are WAY down. I went to a buffet last night, and had a chicken drumstick, a spoonful or barbecued beef, and maybe two teaspoons of salmon, plus green Beans and a couple tablespoons of mashed potatoes. I felt like I was eating huge portions, until I looked at my sister-in-law's plate and realized you couldn't see any plate between the two inch tall piles of food. I am not really trying to lose any weight right now, so I didn't worry about what I was eating but just took what I wanted. As heather said, you become (if you are wise) much more selective about what you are putting into your body. Before the band, I figured I was eating enough that I would get the protein, Vitamins, and Fiber I needed without thinking about it too much. Now with smaller portions I try to be sure I am nourishing my body properly.

GramaLisa, FEP BCBS paid $7200 of my surgery in Tijuana, which cost $8000. My husband's BCBS FEP paid $7900, so he had to pay only $100 out of pocket. My surgeon is more experienced than any US surgeon and may have trained yours. If you are concerned about cost you might think about Mexico. You are near enough that you could return their for after care, and they are very good about taking care of their patients. Just a suggestion. I know Mexico sounds scary, but it doesn't have to be. I had a BMI listed at 35 (my PCP screwed up and added an inch to my height) with co morbidities of GERD, borderline hypertension and pre-diabetes.

My husband and I were banded the same day, and it has been great going through this together. We have our own mini support group. We aren't going in different directions for meals and snacks, and we can support each other rather than sabotaging each other, which some spouses do! Best wishes for an easy and successful surgery and post op.

Talk to your PCP again. Your blood pressure is totally normal? Blood sugar? Cholesterol? No joint problems whatsoever? No acid reflux problems at all? See if he will order a sleep apnea test. If your PCP isn't on board with helping you, think about changing doctors. My doctor interviewed me at depth and documented my weight history through the interview (no other evidence) and went to bat for me totally. The result was that my BCBS federal plan reimbursed me for my Mexico surgery and I had to pay less than $1000 out of pocket. Good luck.

They told me they didn't do prior approvals, just to be sure I met their requirements. I did, and they reimbursed me 90% of my surgery in Mexico.

Hi, Heather! I lived in Gig Harbor for almost 30 years, and my daughter still lives there. Plus, my birthday is August 15. My daughter, my husband, my daughter's boyfriend, his mother and I are all bandsters. Our Fourth of July barbecue was pretty interesting! Best wishes for a successful and complication-free surgery. There is a support group that meets in Gig Harbor, I think, plus one that meets monthly in Port Orchard. Welcome to the club!

My daughter's boyfriend has lost 165 lb and has never had a fill. You shouldn't get a fill until you need one, and how do you know you need one if you have never eaten solid foods? Admittedly, the people who do not need fills ever are very few, but I would think you would not want to get one until you feel that you need it--you are able to eat solids in portions that are too large, and you are getting hungry too soon.

There are lots of little bike computers out there. I have one that I bought at a bike shop for about $25 that works great. I drove my car around my bike route and the odometer on the car matched the bike reading, so I think it is accurate. They are great tools for setting goals for yourself. Until you get one, you can drive your car around a mile route and then repeat that route on your bike for your mileage tracker. You might look at a sheepskin seat cover for your bike. They are usually cushioned and may help with the comfort issue. I am up to 15 miles a day and have a good seat that doesn't give me problems, but my husband really likes his seat cover. One added benefit of bike riding I have found is that it really helps you in getting to know your neighbors. We went to a neighborhood potluck barbecue last night, and I sat next to a man I hadn't met. He turned to me and said, "I know you--you're the bike lady!" I also stop and talk to neighbors who are out gardening or walking when I ride every day. I love it, and that's coming from someone who was extremely anti-exercise a couple of years ago.

Dr Martinez is still there. Dr Romero, who was doing something like a residency with Dr Ortiz's clinic and was doing fills there among other things, has moved on to another specialty (I have heard cosmetic surgery, but that's in the realm of a rumor). Dr Ortiz has two other doctors there who do fills under fluoro for his clinic, plus an anaesthesiologist and a cardiologist. I have been on this forum for about a year now, and I see very few Ortiz patients complaining about their treatment at his clinic. I do see comments occasionally from non patients who have "heard" bad things about his clinic, although they rarely say where they have heard such things. My experience has always been good there, and I have been to his clinic seven or eight times with my daughter, for my own surgery, for dental work, and for fills for my husband, so I feel I have pretty extensive experience for someone who has had no complications or problems of any sort. I don't see Dr Ortiz for fills and aftercare there, but his staff is capable and caring.

We have one of those old fashioned in the ground garbage cans with a step-on-to-open lid. I have actually found myself on my hands and knees in the driveway after dark, rooting through the garbage to try to retrieve what I threw away. How pathetic can you get???