shortgal

Linda, Oh, if only I did what I know I should! I gain VERY easily, even when I make adjustments. Yesterday, I went to the movies with my daughter and son in law. I always feel "gipped" if I don't have Snacks at the movie, so I popped my own bag of microwave popcorn to bring with me and I stopped at the drug store for a pack of twizzlers because then at least the portions would be smaller than if I purchased them at the movies. And I walked five miles yesterday. Just an extra glass of wine at dinner or a piece of bread with the meal and the scale goes up. After the wedding I hope I can be a bit more consistent with the eating. It is very hard to believe a year is almost past since the first surgery. What a difference in how I feel. I have no plans to go back to the "old" me.

Cindy, It sounds like your band might be a little too tight. (I know, hard to accept info from a bandless person) but I have read so many times of people not losing with a too tight band because they resort to "easy"foods. You know yourself and situation the best but please consider the possibility. You've done an incredible amount of work to get off over 100 pounds, I am in awe all the time of all the nymphs achievements. Mzreeda, Absolutely join us in the Challenge. Losing and keeping off any pounds is a great goal and five pounds is half a size. I always set small goals but when you hit it, it feels great!

Thanks Bandpal and Sades for your support. I am enjoying the upcoming celebration too much and that is the problem. My daughter and son in law are here and they have taken vacation days to be here, so we are all celebrating too much. I am walking, so that is a good thing and I know as soon as the wedding is over, I will be back on track. It's just a little scary to see the scale go up, especially with a special dress hanging in the closet that needs to fit well on Saturday. We are all excited about the wedding. I had little to do with the planning for the big day, but I know it will be a beautiful day. Pray for good weather, please. My husband and I have vowed to set Oct and Nov as our "stay on track" months. It helps when we are both on track together. I will be sure to post after the wedding with photos and how the day went. Some weeks are easier than others and this is one of the hard ones. I have to accept that as my new normal, as there is no band to keep me in check. I am happy I have stuck around the forum, you guys have been a HUGE support for me. I truly appreciate it.

Many Bar Mitvah's are as big as a wedding. You still have lots of time to find a dress and lose a few more pounds before you have to look. They always have more to choose from in smaller sizes. The hardest thing for me was so many had no sleeves and my arms are definitely baggy from the weight loss. The store I went to was able to order more fabric and their seamstress added sleeves for me. It came out perfect.

I go up and down the same two to three pounds every week. Too much weekend fun and then it takes me all week to get it back off. I am happy I have been able to maintain my weight, but I really wanted to see the 160's. Not this month it won't happen. There is always Oct. right?

If you are directing the above question to me ( not sure), I cannot offer advice on the different types of bands because I don;t know much about the realize band. I suspect they both have pros and cons. I had the Allergan APS band. I have not been rebanded and won't be. I cannot afford to pay out of pocket again. So far, I have been able to maintain the weight I lost by being very careful about what I eat and walking a lot! My band never really worked and basically I lost the weight by following my Dr's instructions. I would always lose some weight after each fill because I had to be on liquids for two days. Fear of getting food stuck after each fill kept me eating "carefully". I never had restriction.

Hi November Nymphs, Time for me to come out with my problem, too. Sades and I have been in touch with each other as we have each had similar problems of lack of restriction, still have hunger and eat too much at one sitting. Last week, I had an x-ray and the Dr. says my band is unlocked. He wanted to go in right away and fix it, but my schedule did not allow me to go back into surgery until Aug 5th. Like Sades, I am sad that I have to be cut open again, go through the anesthesia and the gas pain from being filled with gas, not to mention the recovery again. Since Sades has found out her problem, I plan to meet with the Dr before my surgery to try to be sure I have the right diagnosis. If my band is unlocked, was it locked at surgery or did it come open? If it came open, will it again and I guess then it could happen to any of us with the same type band. I knew I was not losing weight fast enough and wondered why it was such a struggle for me. If it were not for the walking I've been doing right now, I would have gained weight back. Anyway, I just wanted my friends to know in case you ever have a problem, this would be one thing you'd know to check out. I will post in the complication section to try to help anyone else that does not have restriction and feels the band is failing them. Judy

I did pay out of pocket. I was denied and appealed and was denied again. My policy had little to no info. You just have to submit and they will have one of their Dr reviewers look at the papers then and see what happens, some ins companies are better than others. I think UHC sucks!

I have UHC choice plus, but I was unable to provide the five year history ( I had some weights to show but they had gaps) and I was denied. Maybe they've changed the requirements or it varies by employer????

Your surgeon will help you submit all the paperwork.

Don't make yourself crazy (yet) just call them and ask. then get all the documentation you can get your hands on. Good Luck.

I think UHC choice plus requires doucumentation of a five year history of morbid obesity. If that is correct, they will want weights from your PCP or ob gyn for the past five years. Just call and ask them what they require.

Your ins. carrier will have to pre-certify the surgery, so now that you know they cover it, ask them what documentation they require for approval. Have you seen a surgeon yet? The surgeon's office generally knows what papers, tests, etc the ins. companies want.

After having my band for a while and being filled, and filled and filled an x-ray was done and the Dr. told me he thought my band was unlocked. It was never unlocked ( a diagnosis I now think was made to cover up an error he made). Anyway a second surgery was done to "fix" the problem but I woke up with no band. I now believe my band was never placed correctly and that he removed it either because he was unable to place it properly the second time ( adhesions perhaps) or because he did not want to admit it was incorrectly placed the first time. Of course I have no proof of this. How can we prove things when we are asleep during surgery? Insist on an upper GI after your surgery to be sure the placement is correct. Never rely on an x-ray alone, if you ever have a problem with your band. I trusted my Dr. If I had insisted on more tests, at least I would have a definitve answer to what happend. Good Luck, I am not a band hater. I was just unlucky. Have your surgery and start enjoying life again! I had originally posted that my band had eroded, because that is what I was told. I do not think it was ever eroded and that was another story to cover up. I was never placed on a post op diet after the second surgery, which if I was eroded, I would have been. Another kind Dr. looked at my x-ray and told me the band was NOT unlocked. So I know something else went wrong. I think the Dr did not do an upper GI with the x-ray because he knew he screwed up and an upper GI would have proved it.

Thanks Bandpal, As the mother of the groom, it is not my "production" and I plan to enjoy every minute, including all the food and drinks. I have a dress I love ( which feels great). The bride and her mom are very artistic and have added some very nice details to the wedding and ceremony, that I can't wait to see everything all put together. I will be sure to post a few photos after the event. Thanks for the well wishes.

Cold is better and I will walk tomorrow. I am maintaining, but everytime I get close to losing a pound we have another big weekend and a few pounds come back, then it takes me a week or two to lose it. So I am holding steady. We just got back from Cape Cod. We spent the weekend helping with wedding preparations and of course there was too much food! Bagels, cheescake, and cocktails. I didn't weigh myself yet, since coming home, but I predict I'll have three pounds to get off. I just don't get how it could be so easy to gain a few pounds and so hard to lose them. Hopefully, I can get more serious after the wedding. It does get harder the longer we try to do this. It's hard to stick to being so strict with yourself for an extended amount of time. At least you have your band and at some point (soon) you'll get restriction. Good job on getting back to walking. That is high on my "to do" list this week. Thanks for checking in with me. Judy

Linda, No I am not rolling my eyes, I totally agree with that, but being out almost $20,000 is tough to swallow right now.

Good to hear from everyone. I need the competition to keep me in check. It's tough going without a band, some days I have to fight just to maintain. I am really happy just to stay where I am until the wedding is over ( 18 days left) and then I can concentrate in Oct on the rest to get to this goal. My walking is off track because I am nursing a wicked cold, better to have that now than at the wedding. Ny nose is bright pink! We have half as many people on this challenge as in the past, but happy to see the ones that are here! My confession is I still have 1.4 pounds to go to match my ticker, but I will get there! P.S, Cindy G, you knew I meant Hollyberries when I said Cindy and the cheerleader reference, right?

Name............Start........Current........Goal.......To Go CindyG...........195...........195...........185........10 Momto1plus1......193.6.........193.6.........185........8.6 Foofy............226...........226...........216........10 Sades............185...........185...........175........10 Hollyberries.....245...........245...........235........10 Shortgal.........174...........172.4.........168.........4.5 Wnt2Lose.........195...........195...........180........15 Stephanie......182.5.........182.5...........167......15.5 Linda............183...........183...........170........13 Ok are you people going to let a bandless person beat you in this challenge or are you just not posting? I set a small goal, but I would rather have a small success than a big defeat ( just me,no offense to those with big goals, go for it). Where is TxArcher? And do I have to be the cheerleader, Cindy? I better see some results! Check in nymphs!

LisaMarie, I lost my band after having it eight months. I have been able to maintain my weight since the band was removed one month ago, but my band never really worked properly from the beginning. I lost 45 pounds after being banded. Not as much as I hoped but I am ok with it. ( what choice do I have). I have been able to maintain my weight loss mostly because I have been walking. I would suggest you try that. I walk either 3.5 or 5 miles anywhere from 3 to 6 days a week. I walk on a walking path about a 12 min drive from my house. If you are not doing any regular exercise program then it could help you from gaining more by joining a gym , walking or you can purchase an exercise DVD for home use. Even though I have lost my band I stick around the forum, mostly with my November group of bandsters. I enjoy the support they offer and we are still all trying to lose more weight, so we still have that in common. I have even joined a Halloween weight loss challenge they are having. I made a smaller goal than most of them, but so what. If I lose a few pounds ( or even if I just don't gain any) then it's still good! At least I am surrounded by people trying to eat healthy while I'm on the forum. There are threads on the forum for "life after the band" or people struggling" that you might want to consider staying with. Good Luck!

Thanks Bandpal, That made me not miss my band so much today! Very funny!

Dr's don't really want to get involved helping other patients and no matter what I do I would have to prove serious injury. I know that's not right, but that's the way it is. I haven't completely given up confronting the Dr. with what I have learned, but I'm not ready yet. I am trying to get a little more info first, but in the end it will get me nothing. I'm learning to accept the things in life we can't change. I completely understand your lack of motivation. You probably feel like you're just on another diet and having to endure hunger. You're thinking by now your band should have been working and it wouldn't be so hard. I get that. What I would suggest though, is that at some point ( even with restriction) the walking will again be necessary to get or stay at your goal, so keeping in the habit now will help you later. It's winter there, so if weather is a problem i understand, but if that isn't it then just try a little walk and before you know it, you'll be back to your old walks and feeling better about everything. Well, your twin sister has caught your cold! I have a wicked bad one. Hardly slept all night. Cough and congestion gets really bad when I lay down. I took yesterday off from walking and will take today off too. I hope to walk the rest of the week because we'll be away for the weekend and not sure if I will walk then. We're going to Cape Cod to work on some wedding stuff. I am finding maintaining my weight is going well, losing more, not so good! After the wedding I will work hard during Oct to meet my challenge goal. Hang in there, things will get better!

Sades, You're just in a different place right now. You are going through Bandster Hell, like a newbie, and the nymph's are past that stage. But eventually you'll catch up, you'll get restriction and be at a similar place as the November group. I understand, as I am in a completely different place from everyone, too. It is getting harder for most of the November group to lose weight at the old pace of the early days and you'll have a little jump on everyone when you get restriction. You'll be grateful for that later. I say, just be glad your Dr. was honest with you and you got a new band. I had another Dr. look at my x-ray and there is no way it should have been diagnosed as unlocked. More tests should have been done. The dr. actually said he thought the Dr. missed my stomach like yours did. Now why he removed instead of just replacing it correctly, I can only guess that where he incorrectly placed the band caused a problem so he removed it OR he just did not want to admit his mistake. I wish I had insisted on a floroscopy, but I trusted the Dr. I know this is not the place you wanted to be in at this point, you had other expectations, me too. But we just have to deal with what is, not what we want. Bummer, I know. I have been able to maintain, so far, but losing more is proving to be tough. Everyone here diets after Labor Day ( just like everyone diets on Jan 1st) so perhaps I'll be able to get a few pounds off. I set a low goal for the Halloween challenge but I'd be happy to achieve even a low goal. I just go up and down the same couple pounds, but that's how "normal" people mantain and "normal" is a good thing! How did your latest fill work out?

Linda, His PA was in the room with me when they both told me they "think" my band is unlocked. Trust me, He signs their pay check and they are not going to help me. It wouldn't matter if they did, a person has to prove serious injury, I've researched it. It sucks big time. It's opened up a whole new world for me. I doubt I would be as trusting next time. I should have insisted on more tests etc. before believing my band was unlocked, because it did not look unlocked on the x-ray to me. I trusted the Dr.

My Dr. seems to have done a great job "covering his tracks" and proving what happen does not seem possible. I believe it was the same problem as Sades ( that he never put the band around my stomach), I think he thought he would just go in and fix the real problem ( not lock my band) but something went wrong with where he placed it which caused some complication ( not erosion) so he removed the band and devised a cover story. He did not even put me on a post op diet after the second surgery, so how could I have been eroded? He never did a floroscopy after the first surgery or at anytime, that would have proved if my band was placed wrong. I ahve been told to ask for a CD of the surgery, but the hospital does not have one. I was told by the hospital IF there is one the Dr has it! I doubt he'll admit to having one. It's just all so frustrating. Plus since he is claiming erosion and that is a possible complication of being banded, why would he pay me back? I get mad everytime I think about it, but that attitude is not good for me, so I'm trying to get over it all. I was just VERY unlucky. P.S. my dress and the alterations were pretty expensive, so it better fit right!