HeatherO

Down 2 more pounds and made it to the double digits in loss . . . woohhoooo!!!! Name_________Start Weight _____Goal_____lbs lost *****:party:********** :Banane34:****************:huh2:***** aJoneen............230.........220.......5....... Bea1128............220.........199.......5....... Babs0101...........185.........170.......0....... blesdbyonmzur......159.........148.......4....... BTTRFLI1432........221.........210.......6....... Bunkey1965.........205.........195.......7....... Chocolate_Snaps....254.........240.......6....... Darr5380...........167.........155.......3....... Epm316.............209.........199.......3....... erikadawn..........199.........175.......0....... FloridaGirl........235.........215.......0....... HeatherO...........161.........155.......11...... Heft_Bandit........261.........245.......0....... JennyPoo...........169.........159.......5....... KarenG.............162.........158.......4....... KathyStrick........305.........290.......0....... Lapbandfan.........258.........230.......2....... Leslie2Lose........219.........209.......5....... LessNLess..........144.5.......140.......0....... LilMissBand-Aid....234.4.......225.......5.6..... Lunabeane..........212.........200.......9....... Luu2008............219.........189.......14...... Luv2Laugh..........232.........212.......0....... luvinke............206.........190.......0....... mamato3............199.........184.......6....... mcgreen............189.........175.......0....... mdgarcia31665......225.........200.......0....... melboyd............266.........256.......0....... MollyMolly.........192.........182.......2....... mominlv13..........305.8.......300.......10.2.... MSnika3............228.........204.......4....... NANAbanded.........225.........199.......4....... Ninja..............204.........189.......5....... NukeChik...........221.........199.......6....... Ollie..............242.........210.......0....... Redtulips..........188.........180.......6....... Renewedhope........174.........155.......5....... ronni_NC...........243.........220.......0....... slgandera..........185.........173.......7....... StartingOver.......220.........205.......5....... Sunshine2..........187.........170.......2.3..... want_so_bad........170.........155.......0....... Sades.......(7/16).192.5.......180.......8.6..... Sadie..............216.........199.......5....... tp78...............212.........195.......7.......

I just started having some occasional problems about a month ago but my last fill was 3 months ago. I have also noticed a little heartburn during the day if I don't eat lunch (hectic schedule). I am going to check with the doctor. Is it just me or is supposed to take pepcid or tums a long time to work? Sometimes I have to drink a little milk with it and I can not lay down or it will not go away.

I had the same problem and just had to pick one and stick with it. Scales definitely have significant variance. If you are always relying on one scale for basic measurement, then you know if you have really lost.

I have gotten stuck a few times too but was able to break out of it. Sometimes when you are stuck, you just have to change things up a little. sometimes exercise really does help to kick it into gear. Are you eating a lot of lean Proteins and vegetables? What is your carb intake like? Are you getting enough Protein? Are you tracking what you are eating to get a better idea of your daily intake?

It is still so early after surgery, I would stick to softer foods or different foods that you can tolerate for now. You may not be ready for chicken or eggs prepared in that manner. It could be that you will be OK in another week or two but it is best not to put too much of a strain on your stomach this early on.

Vomiting is serious in that it can cause slippage. I would go on all liquids and see if you can get some anti-nausea/vomiting medication. Definitely call your doctor in the morning. Did you mention to your doctor that you have been sick over the last few days when you were in for your adjustment? If so, what did the doctor say?

I would make sure the doctor is fully aware of what the staff is up to.

I would suggest that you go on liquids to mushies for a couple of days so that your stomach can have a little rest. It is obviously irritated for whatever reason and may stay irritated unless you give it a rest. I found for me that if I have a bad PB, I will continue to have them unless I spend a day on liquids. After a day on liquids I feel a whole lot better. I don't know enough about slips since I haven't experienced one, but I have read that some people who have them immediately can't get anything down, or they are uncomfortable until they get progressively worse over a short period and then they also can not get anything down. If there is a small slip, they may unfill your band to let your stomach relax and allow the band to reposition naturally. I think going on liquids can only help your situation.

If you know what plan you will be on with Aetna, you can take a look ahead of time to see what their requirements are. It could be better or worse than your current insurance.

My first fill did not do much of anything for me, I was still very hungry. However, my second fill was dead on. It happened April 29th and I have not sought another fill since and I am really not sure when I will need another. My doctor said that once you are in maintenance mode, you will probably just come in for a yearly fill tweak or just review to make sure you feel good where you are fill wise.

I would have to say it really depends but you can check into it further before adding the expense of a lawyer. You should save a little money and do a little footwork on your own first. Can you read the section in your insurance policy explaining their bariatric surgery requirements? Perhaps the insurance company can lead you to it on their website or send you the information directly. Look to see how it is worded, if it clearly states that you must have documented weight over a certain BMI for a specific time frame, it may not be worth the fight. You should also see if it is must be a consecutive term over the BMI range or just in general. Depending on the language in your policy and how far back your weight records go, perhaps it can be argued that the year with a bmi below 35 shows you can follow a program successfully but you can not successfully maintain the loss. Also, what kind of doctor told you this? If it is a general primary care physician who deals with multiple insurances all the time, there is always a very good chance that they do not know your specific policy well enough to make that statement because insurance requirements vary amongst insurers and even within providers depending on coverage levels. It is impossible for a general care physician to know every variation in policy. However, if you were already referred to a surgeon and their office staff followed up on your specific policy requirements, this holds a lot more Water and may truly indicate that coverage is not available. Please keep us posted on what you find out. Good luck.

2 more down and only 8 to go . . . I am almost in the land of the 150's where I haven't been for at least 10 years. :0) Name_____________Weight Now____Goal_____lbs lost aJoneen............230.........220.......3....... Bea1128............220.........199.......5..... Babs0101...........185.........170.......0....... blesdbyonmzur......159.........148.......4....... BTTRFLI1432........221.........210.......6....... Bunkey1965.........205.........195.......7....... Chocolate_Snaps....260.........240.......0....... Darr5380...........168.........155.......2....... Epm316.............209.........199.......0....... erikadawn..........199.........175.......0....... FloridaGirl........235.........215.......0....... HeatherO...........163.........155.......9....... JennyPoo...........169.........159.......3....... KarenG.............162.........158.......4....... KathyStrick........305.........290.......0....... Lapbandfan.........258.........230.......2 pounds...... Leslie2Lose........219.........209.......5....... LessNLess..........144.5.......140.......0....... LilMissBand-Aid....234.4.......225.......5.6..... Lunabeane..........212.........200.......9....... Luu2008............219.........189.......14....... Luv2Laugh..........232.........212.......0....... luvinke............206.........190.......0....... mamato3............199.........184.......6...... mcgreen............189.........175.......0....... mdgarcia31665......225.........200.......0....... melboyd............266.........256.......0....... MollyMolly.........192.........182.......2....... mominlv13..........305.8.......300.......10.2.... MSnika3............228.........204.......4....... NANAbanded.........225.........199.......4....... Ninja..............204.........189.......5....... NukeChik...........221.........199.......6....... Ollie..............242.........210.......0....... Redtulips..........188.........180.......6....... Renewedhope........174.........155.......5....... ronni_NC...........243.........220.......0....... slgandera..........185.........173.......7....... StartingOver.......220.........205.......5....... Sunshine2..........187.........170.......2.3..... want_so_bad........170.........155.......0....... Sades..............186.........180.......6.5..... Sadie..............216.........199.......4.......

Congratulations . . . you look absolutely fabulous. Your before and after pictures are very motivating.

I have three scales at home. The first one I bought was a mid-range digital scale $18 or so, not too expensive and fairly simplistic. I found that if I step off and back on, I came in at different weights . . . . which made me crazy. . . . . so I bought a different digital scale for about $60, lithium battery which will last forever, weighs down to fractional pounds, supposed to be much better than all the rest . . . and darn it if I didn't step on and step off and come in at a different weight (the weight might be in fractions of a pound but you don't gain/lose 0-3 pounds immediately by stepping off a scale). . . . . I was annoyed by the whole scale issue and was wandering around target and saw a $7 scale with one of those little display wheels that spins around to your weight, a little old fashioned, white and not really attractive. Would you believe that the cheapest and most simplistic scale technologically was the best. I step off and on and I am always the same. I am absolutely sold on the el cheapo scale and the others are in my closet and will become garage sale fodder. Digital did not work well for me.

It was completely unnecessary. My husband went to a couple of different restaurants, even McDonalds and only used US money. I never even saw what a peso looked like. Where are you going in Mexico and when are you scheduled?

Actually "I'm on a diet" really does wash with family and friends. It works because they see the results in that I am much thinner and they see the exercise as well. Other than the occasional "don't waste away" comments it is really not that big of a deal. Eating a lot less + tons of exercise = a thinner me, no one questions that because it makes sense. The only time I think it wouldn't work would be if a friend saw me sick. Only my husband has seen me sick so far. However, I was with a friend one day and we ate out. About five minutes after we left I asked her to pull over at a gas station. It was obvious that I was sick and I just said I had a stomach bug the day before which must still have me. This episode passed ok as well.

I would definitely call. There is no reason to wait if you don't feel anything and if they will see you a smidge before the expected date.

My first fill was exactly like yours, but my second was a doozy. I went from no restriction to perfect restriction. It is all a matter of luck and timing. I also requested very aggressive fills and luckily my doctor obliged :0)

If everyone is getting these letters and they obviously qualify, I would have to think they are having prolblems with their website. Also, as everyone says, they don't make the decision anyway, it is the doctors and the insurance companies.

I am a 30 something working mom as well. There really wasn't much downtime. I was banded on a Friday afternoon and back at work bright and early the following Tuesday. Other than being a little tired I was fine. The pain really wasn't bad at all. I still have a pain pill left out of the 4 I was given. Going in for the operation was a little scary but more because I didn't know what to expect. I made one mistake in that I was drinking a couple of cups of coffee everyday and ended up with a horrible headache the day of surgery from caffeine withdrawal and I couldn't take anything for it. I remember going into the operating room and it was like as if I blinked and it was over. They were talking to me and then I was awake and very surprised in that time didn't seem to have passed. My throat was very sore after surgery, in fact it was the only thing that hurt. I was never in much pain at the hospital but I found it hard to bend to tie my shoes (thanks to my darling hubby it wasnt an issue). I also found it slightly difficult to get from a laying position to standing up. I had a bit of a cough post surgery due to my sore throat. Really it was no big deal at all. I wish I could go back and tell myself not to worry because I was worrying over nothing :0). This was 10 times easier than having a baby, that is for certain. I have been averaging 10 pounds of loss every month and just passed my six month bandiversary last Friday. Keep in mind that from about 3 weeks out until your first fill, you may not lose much if at all and you will be HUNGRYY, but it is normal. Once you reach your sweet spot and have restriction things become very easy. I also found that there were 2 things that really kept my weight loss going . . . exercise and I have not been eating processed carbs. When I skimp or overindulge in either of these, I stall on the weight loss (no gain but no loss either). After only six months out, I feel great. I have more energy than I ever had before and I am in great physical health. My clothes look really good on me, and I feel that I have blended into the land of normal. I can shop anywhere for clothes now and I am still curvy. If I never lost another pound I would be happy where I am today. It was the best thing I ever did, I just wish I did it in my early 20's if you know what I mean. Good luck in your journeys :0).

Since you are self-pay, I would consider waiting. It doesn't mean wait forever, just until you and your husband are in a better position financially. I think it would be very stressful to add a lot of extra debt on top of an already tenuous situation.

I have kept my surgery a secret for six months now and I have tight restriction. For the first time someone noticed I wasn't really eating much at a business dinner. He said jokingly "you have been eating that salad for over an hour and you haven't even made a dent in it." I just said I am not that hungry and that was it. No big deal. I feel like I eat like a normal thin person does. We have all known people that "eat like birds" and I am just happy to have joined the flock.

A slow loss is still a loss :0). As long as we are moving in the right direction, there is something to look forward to as time goes on. Cutting out snacking is hard but oh so worth it. For me, it doubled my weekly weight loss.

What have you been eating? Are you following the band rules? That can make a huge difference between gaining and losing.

I have to do liquids the day of and then just eat what I can tolerate thereafter.