HeatherO

It sounds promising that you are getting closer to approval. Good luck!!!

Low carb banding has worked beautifully for me. It has really kicked my weightloss up a notch.

You should check the minimum requirements which they should have posted on their website. However, I think it is unlikely you would be approved unless your insurance is very atypical. Minimum BMI with comorbidities is usually 35.

I am also amazed at how little it takes to support our bodies . . . specially compared to how much we were eating before.

I had this 1-2 months ago for about a week. It gave me the briefest pregnancy scare, which was impossible anyway because I was on the pill. It was kind of a dull achy sore to the touch, uncomfortableness. It went away and I am still not sure why it happened. I figure perhaps the weightloss released some excess hormones trapped in the fat cells. I am just so happy it was brief.

I had one before that was fixed with banding, but have never heard of someone developing one post banding. Will they be able to do a repair? Are you still having problems eating? I had a significant hiatal hernia prior to banding but never suffered a single symptom. They affect everyone differently. I am not sure if it would affect your ability to eat, but whether it does or does not affect it you may need a slight unfill if mushies are a problem.

Thank goodness. I am so happy you were able to avoid something that is usually inevitable . . . whether it be medication or divine intervention :0)

I am now at 150 and can wear an all too form fitting size 8 or a comfortably loose size 10 in pants with a medium shirt. I feel that I am as normal a size as normal can be . . . right in the middle. I can shop anywhere . . . but I still walk around in the plus sized section first from time to time. My brain has just not fully adjusted yet. Also when I hold up a medium shirt and look at how wide it is, I really truly think there is no way on earth it is going to fit me, but they do 90% of the time and they fit well without being too form fitting.

One more comment . . . I have been reading threads for a very long time. It seemed to me in my readings that those who followed the basic bandster rules regarding protein and vitamin intake along with a healthy diet did not have a significant problem in this area. It should not be so much of an issue if you meet your bodies nutritional needs.

I didn't think I would experience any hairloss. My Protein was always good, I take Vitamins daily and even took Biotin supplements. I thought I was good until I reached about 7 months and noticed as I run my fingers through my hair or wash it, several strands of hair was always coming out in my hands. I have lost a little thickness but no one has noticed it other than me. I also had some "shedding" when I was pregnant as well. It could be that even with working so hard to avoid it, I am just more susceptible than some. I already notice that less is coming out now than a month ago and I think I will be relatively fine. One unfortunate side affect is that I had to start wearing my hair pulled back in the kitchen. I was noticing an occasional stray hair in inappropriate places that was grossing me out.

See what you can find out about how the surgeons office was given the "go ahead." If they received a letter or something documented, you might have more ground to stand on.

Recovery is not so bad post banding. I was working 4 days later full-time. I never could have accomplished that if I was suffering. What is a couple of days of discomfort which will be dulled by pain meds compared to the years of suffering and possible obesity related health problem recoveries that you might face down the road. It is sooo worth it, and not a big deal at all.

Is it worth it to pay for the final visit with out-of-network prices? It might be easier than switching for the final visit and might also make insurance approval a little smoother.

You can generally eat what you want for the most part, only you are satisfied with so much less. However, you do need to stay away from ice cream, chips and those kinds of things because they go down easy and can prevent weight loss. Banding life is so much easier. food moves from the center of your life to something on the periphery. I am so happy that I have been banded. It is the best, most fulfilling decision I ever made.

I also think it is very highly unlikely to be related to the band. Specially if the reaction seems to be on your skin. Sometimes it is something very small that can start the reaction. As far as the liquid diet being a possibility . . . aren't you ingesting Protein drinks that you probably never had before, or certain kinds of broth. We don't usually eat large quantities of the kinds of food we ingest on the liquid diet so it is a possibility. One thing to keep in mind, it it continues they can do a test to see what is causing the reaction. I had to have this done and discovered I was highly allergic to my two small dogs . . . but I was never allergic to them before.

Refried Beans can be heaven soon after banding because you can mix them with chicken broth to the right consistency and sprinkle a little cheese of top. After a pb, it is a mistake not to go on liquids for a day because you can keep pb'ing and cause swelling as well. I always weigh myself first thing in the morning without clothes to get a truest measure of where I am because it is not affected by eating or drinking throughout the day. Exercise is a great stress relief. It is so hard to get started, but once you establish the habit . . . you never want to go back to not exercising.

The wedge pillow is an excellent idea. You could also use a comfy chair at home if you are uncomfortable in bed. Just make sure that you have something soft, cushy and supportive to prop up your feet and maybe if you have a small pillow or two for behind you to find a comfortable angle. Nothing beats a good recliner, even if you havent had surgery or a new baby or anything of the like. My family loves our recliners :0)

I am having a really odd situation. My period is over one week late, but any pregnancy tests I take say no. I haven't taken another since last Thursday because it is a little depressing, annoying and pricey to keep taking them with no results. So what is up with that??? I have never been over a week late before. Could it be that all of the weight loss is causing strange things to happen with my cycle???

One last thing, as far as the apple cider vinegar goes . . . it all depends on what your biggest problem is. Are you suffering from the acid or just the reflux from the blocked stoma? If the problem is that things are just not working their way through the stomach, then that vinegar is just going to be sitting in your stomach for a long time and that might not be pleasant. Our stomachs are not normal when we have an issue with a bit of blockage and the vinegar might make it worse . . . specially if acid is not really the problem. If I ended up regurgitating the vinegar and coughing on that, I am sure it might make me sick. For me, mine was reflux from food/drink that could not go down so it came back up. However, under normal circumstances I think the vinegar is a good idea. If you still have a little blockage from something that is still in your stomach and not going anywhere . . . I have read that pineapple juice (strained of course since pulp might not help) or a little bit of meat tenderizer mixed in Water or papaya enzymes will help to break up whatever has you blocked.

I had the same problem and ended up having an emergency unfill last week. If I knew last week what I know now, I would have stopped trying to eat and went on nothing but "clear" liquids for a few days to give my stoma time to relax and let the swelling go down. I kept trying to eat mushies, would get sick, which would cause more swelling and continued repeatedly. I have a 4 hour drive before I can see a doctor so I tried to get through it on my own, but I think I did not battle it aggressively enough by going on Clear Liquids for a day or two, then back onto full liquids before mushies started. The worst part about it is that I was OK on a Sunday night but by the following Thursday I was in bad shape because it progressed so quickly. Mine got bad enough so that I could not lay down for more than 10 minutes before I was coughint on regurgitated food . . . and the last day I could not drink more than a couple of teaspoons of Water every few hours. The unfill was instant relief . . . I could feel the difference before ever taking a sip of water. While you are suffering with the extreme reflux, it helps not to lay down. It is better to sleep in a recliner or a chair if you have to . . . not the most comfortable but better than continuous coughing and choking. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I had a terrible headache as well for a couple of days, but it was definitely due to caffeine withdrawal. I was drinking a couple of cups of coffee and diet pop daily before banding . . . then I drank nothing but water and protein shakes. I had to live with it until a few days later it worked is way through my system.

That is crazy because you know the hospital did not pay that much for the implant . . . and then people wonder why the insurance rates go up so high every year. What kind of markup is reasonable, certainly not more than 100%???

Congratulations Mikki!!!

I was told to wait at least one year. People definitely conceive easier after losing weight . . . and perhaps if you are physically healthier it might be easier to carry the baby to term.

Sounds like a cute idea for the grandmother tea party . . . and the ManBQ. My husband wouldn't want it if it was focused on fatherhood, but no reason not to have a general get-together.