kgloverii

The phentermine is not safe for long-term use, and most doctors will stop usage after 12 weeks. If you choose to continue after 12 weeks, you need to know you are putting your health at risk. Keep this in mind. As some of the other posters have said, the amphetamine WILL mess with the tightness of your band. I take Adderall for ADD, and my band tightness fluctuates GREATLY with when I take it. There are some days that I can barely eat anything, and other days I can gorge, if I wanted to. The band allows me to keep this in check, as well as some willpower. But there are some days when I can barely eat ANYTHING and it gets VERY frustrating... Just some things to keep in mind as you go along on your journey.

How long ago was the revision? Could you have a stretched pouch? Have they done flouro on you?

Are you experiencing good restriction? Are you consuming empty liquid calories? Are you drinking when you eat? Are you getting enough sleep?

Your cycle can get messed up from surgery and weight changes... if there is any doubt, I'd get a pregnancy test though...

Depends on the doc. My doc says coffee is cool, 6 months post-op. I gotta have my daily fix...

If there is a WLS EXCLUSION, then there is no way to appeal around it. If it was a denial based on other factors, then you may have hope. Aetna policies are different for each company, and just because someone was denied and eventually was approved does not mean that it is something that can/can't happen in your case. I truly feel for you, and if WLS is indeed an exclusion, I am sorry. I too had to self-pay. Of all of the different insurance policies that DH and I have had through different employers, we've never had a policy that has covered bariatric procedures....

A band restricts your portions. It limits your intake. And as you get your fills, it helps with the constant hunger and food obsessions. I chose my band so I could eat like a 'normal' person .... just not so much. I no longer count my calories, limit my fat, or eat anything 'fake' like sugar free or low-fat. I eat everything that has the 'regular' amount of fat, not the light version. But I don't gorge myself like I did before. Ice cream is one of those things I enjoy. I eat full-fat varieties, but no longer the whole carton, but instead a small bowl. The band is all about having a normal relationship with food and not obsessing about everything you put into your mouth. If people start obsessing for you, tell them to take a leap... in the nicest way possible. it is SERIOUSLY not anyone else's business.

I love popcorn. But it is a 'slider food' for me, so I have to watch how much I consume.

As you get your fills and your restriction, your relationship with food WILL change. For the BETTER. I promise. You'll stop thinking of it so often and not have such a fondness for eating to fill up. I LOVE MY FOOD and am quite the foodie, and have learned to cook DELICIOUS meals, and am a MUCH better cook post-band. But now, I don't obsess over what to eat. You'll get there too.

We love using our salad plates... Everything is supersized, and I like the IKEA idea a lot. Another idea is to visit a Salvation Army or thrift store and get some antique china someone has donated and purchase that. The older stuff is much smaller in size...

I went from a 40DD to a 36 c 1/2. I look pretty deflated. LOL. But foam is your best friend. A good bra makes all of the difference in the world. I've attached a pic to show how my boobs are **GONE**. But I'd rather be thin with no boobs. No regrets.

The band rewired my brain. It is NOT the lack of ability to eat food for me that did the trick, it is the proper fill level. I got to the right fill level and my brain was 'rewired' and I no longer obsess about food anymore. I AM A FOODIE, though. I ENJOY FOOD. I enjoy cooking really yummy food, and even enjoy Throwdown with Bobby Flay. :glare: But, I don't wake up thinking of what is for breakfast, and what I am going to eat for dinner... or how long it is going to be till I eat. It is an amazing transformation in my brain...

Pre-existing conditions are a bear, and unfortunately, if you can find someone to accept you, you will have to pay exorbitant premiums and/or have anything to do with your lap-band excluded from coverage for a length of time. That is why group coverage is far superior to individual coverage most of the time. I hope the Obama Administration finds a way to level the playing field for people with medical conditions that find themselves unable to get healthcare coverage as an individual. My DH had Type I diabetes and without group coverage is basically uninsurable, even though he's never had any complications.

I agree with Heather. Work on the psychological food issues, and also realize another partial fill may be just what you need.

I agree with the others. See this as a glass half full. :thumbdown: Cheer YOURSELF on through this journey and accept others cheers too! The more encouragement you accept, the more successful you will be.

People will always accuse you of 'cheating' or taking the 'easy way out.' I don't really say much except try to explain that for ONCE IN MY LIFE, I had a MEDICAL DEVICE installed that took away my constant hunger. It helped REWIRE MY BRAIN so that I think of food like a normal person. If 'cheating' is viewing food in a normal, healthy way, then I am PROUD to have 'cheated.' And I look damn good in my size 6 jeans, no matter how I got there.

I concur it is different for every person. Statistically, if you look at someone who has a band vs. no band, you have a MUCH BETTER SHOT of losing the weight and KEEPING IT OFF. I took my weight off many times, but was never able to maintain it for more than a year. And fill levels are different for every person, but my doc has made it very clear to me that 90% of people that have any sort of significant unfill post weight loss see a weight gain over the long term. It might not be immediate, and it might not be significant, but it does tend to happen according to the information HE has. I simply don't want people to be naive and think that once they learn 'good eating habits' they will be able to get the band removed or unfilled and stay thin. Sure, there are exceptions to every rule, but most people are not the exception.

Initially, the poster stated they wanted an unfill so they would not offend family members by not eating their food... I DO NOT advocate going to Europe super tight, but a 'medical complication' simply due to a trip in Europe is not very likely. I fly all of the time, and besides some added restriction for a half day post flight, there are no complications. And I maintain a pretty tight band, restriction-wise. Most people would not be as affected by a flight as I am.