Nanook

For me my insurance paid for the surgery except for co-pays and insurance paid for the removal except for a smaller co-pay because I was out-patient and the bill was about 1/3 smaller than the lap band surgery.

I found recovery much easier but I did not have any comps. I had the same five incisions and I believe they were very close to the original ones. I did not have the gas pains that I suffered with getting the lap band and I thought the port removal site would be very painful because of the thought of them digging it out of muscle etc... but it really wasn't that bad. Also I was given better pain drugs because I didn't have the lap band, I'm assuming, this time and so that probably helped. Not "extra strength tylenol" which is what I take for a headache anyway! I was put on medication for my reflux about two weeks prior to surgery when I was in the hospital for "chest pains" which was actually my reflux. Then I was approved in that two weeks time to have the removal done. I think the combo of the meds and the removal pretty much cleared up those pains although once in a while I will get a pain because of something I ate or drank, so I assume there's something still there going on there that can be brought on by that. I still see the surgeon one more time before it's all over with and will ask him about that. It's been a month now and I feel fully recovered and the main thing you need to be concerned about is any heavy lifting so that you don't damage stitches or cause a hernia. I am still under a guard for heavy lifting but there's a difference between heavy lifting after getting the band and heavy lifting after removal. I'm sure you've heard of people who have lifted something heavy and the port popped or something like that. So you don't have that issue to worry about. Also as I said earlier I definitely feel my stomach has shrunk as I can tell I can eat much less than I had prior to banding even though the doctor warned me I'd gain back the weight. I never did well with weight loss on the band so for me having it removed made it easier for me to actually start to lose weight. Now I know I'm in that percentage of those who don't lose on the band which is probably small. I hope you do fine and good luck to you and enjoy your trip, Nancy.:thumbs_up:

Don't you think it's a bit insane that certain southern states still have laws like that? Sometimes the fed government could do more good than harm.

Plain she meant "illegal" crotch fruit, I think that's found crossing the border in your neck of the woods and yes that was a racist comment. I've heard an awful lot of people in the Northern VA, DC, MD area who aren't too fond of the immigrants there. Is that where you spew from Beth?:thumbup:

You're welcome and take care you'll do fine, Nancy:smile:

At first it was like I heard food actually going from the top of my stomach to the bottom and it was really weird because it had been so long since I had experienced a normal stomach. So it wasn't really a growl but more noise, lol. Today I had Chinese food and prior to surgery I could eat a full plate and go back for another full plate. After surgery a couple bites unless it was Soup. Since the removal I eat like a normal person it's very strange but I think I'm having success because I had the lap band and then it removed. I know that sounds crazy but the shrinking of the stomach did more for me than the lap band. Now of course it's only been a month so I have to be careful but I am more conscious of a "real" sense of fullness than I had before banding and naturally during banding as that was a fake fullness of sorts. I didn't have to do the liquids like you do because I didn't have problems with my stomach. Also you know how in your head because you've been banded for so long you know certain foods will clog you like bread or donuts or something like that well they still kind of do and I don't know why. Is that weird or what. It's not like I can't eat them but I can only eat so much of them. Also I don't know if my esophagus has anything to do with it because of the reflux probs I had/and still have to a point. But it is a nice thing to be in touch with the "true" sense of fullness which I don't know how long it's been since I've experienced it. I did overeat once and then I realized I can't just vomit like I did when I was banded and that was kind of strange. No one likes to vomit especially from the bottom of the stomach so I try to avoid overeating but when you're getting ready for your period it's sometimes cravings that take over. Take care Nancy:smile:

Exactly, we can still have this antiquated crap on the books and it's fine??? I don't get it, that's why I think there needs to be more involvement from the fed gov!

How can we be so close to Canada in location yet so far in ideals. This always amazes me! You're lucky!

I also don't see how states can approve things and take it back constantly like CA has. To me it's totally insane and possibly should be taken out of the hands of the states in put in the hands of the federal government and make all marriages between any two consenting adults legal!!

Hi Jaime, I had mine removed a month ago and I think I was on light food for a couple days but I have noticed that I feel like my stomach has shrunk because I can't eat as much as I did prior to banding over a year ago. Right now I'm pms'ng so I crave more food especially salty/sweet but that's pretty normal for me. But I definitely do not have the appetite I had prior. I hope you have the same sensation as I know you don't want to put any weight on. I never had an endoscopy done but so in some ways I wonder if there's something else going on in there because of the fact that sometimes I feel like certain foods are still difficult to eat. I see my surgeon next week to ask him about it but other than the reflux pains I wasn't having much of a problem before. Anyway good luck to you, Nancy.:rolleyes2:

In some ways I think some of us are tired of the older white man running this country. I'm sure that may offend but someone had to say it. We need someone to make a change and someone who is in touch with the real world.:smile2:

I agree Coffi, I was surprised how well Elizabeth handled the situation and you could tell she was just as touched as most people were by Obama's speech.

Yes, it's true. I suppose the little hippy in me came out again, sorry it's been suppressed for a few years. What's wrong with voting for the betterment of the country, it doesn't mean we only voted for Obama because he's black it's just part of who he is and if you don't feel it like everyone else give yourself time you may eventually feel it too!

I forgot what it was like to feel pride in my country and now that I have it again it feels good!

When I was in the hospital for chest pains and they were ruling out my heart and finally decided it was my esophagus and reflux etc... the doctor on call there told me NO SODAS. I guess it's a major upsetter in the reflux department and of course that can cause ulcers etc... I decided to have one of those little half cans of diet root beer because they're so good this was the other day and all of the sudden the reflux pains came back again so I know now it's true. But like with everything in lapland it can be very individual.

Plain I'm sure my husband would tell you he's "whipped" enough as it is but not in the good way!

His father has enough as it is!!! I know in my state you have to be 18 but I'm sure as soon as they can he'll have one!!

My daughter was 19 when she had RNY surgery, the gastric bypass. She has it last May and is now 20. Prior to that she had a similar situation with issues too long to go into but she was in-patient for a week due to her suicidal thoughts and other harmful things she was doing to herself. It was a very difficult period and it happened during her last month of HS her junior year. So let's assume she was around 17 at the time. Since that time she's been seeing a therapist and also on meds for anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Mainly these affected her in HS as it was not a very friendly place for her due to her size, she is also 6 ft tall and over 300 pounds at the time. She had wanted to have the WL surgery for a while, and had actually gained much more weight after she was in-patient at the mental facility, not a pleasant time for her, or me but it's about me. Anyway once she was out of HS she seemed soooo much happier applied to the local state university here and decided to dorm. Ended up switching roommates with another girl and made a good friend and things were honky dory for a while. Then that roommate's family moved out of state and she eventually had to move to the state university near her parents which kind of left my daughter a bit vulnerable again. By the time that spring semester was in it's mid-point she was getting bad panic attacks again and got a medical leave of absence from school. During this time she was 19 and had decided she really wanted to get the gastric bypass. Oh by the way she was a vegan also during her HS years and slowly after gaining so much weight went to vegetarian and prior to her surgery now eats fish and seafood but no mammals. She seemed to really gain weight as a vegan because she ate a lot of Pasta and it seemed to be her main diet I suppose but I respected her decision to be a vegan. She eats well now and eats a lot of "Amy's tv dinners. So she's went through the same surgery center I went through to have my lap band, which was fairly new there anyway and with the backing of her therapist and psychiatric nurse and her primary care physician she was approved to have the surgery. She's lost 125 pounds since last April and there's a definite improvement in her self esteem and in her health. She also suffered from back pain. I think she wanted to be certain she would lose the weight as I had not on the lap band so she chose a more drastic surgery but I backed her up even though it worried me to death and probably always will but if she had not had the surgery I'm afraid of what she may have done to herself so I felt my hands tied. I'm just giving you this information because you are not alone out there at your age and I know how hard it is especially this day in age to be overweight and how it makes you feel. I think though that working still with your therapist will help and possibly if you insurance is going to run out maybe your parents could get some type of additional policy on you once you've past that certain age. I know some insurance companies will do that but your parents would have to pay extra in their premiums. I just think it's not an easy fix and the more support you have and knowledge you gain prior to any weight loss surgery is very important. Even though my daughter has lost a lot of weight she is still on her meds and continues with therapy and will for a long time as it's just as it's very important especially with what she's gone through and what she will go through in the future. So good luck to you and I hope things work out for you and you're feeling much better soon take care, Nancy:smile:

I'm going back home to DC for Thanksgiving and expect the air to be a little sweeter this time!!! Nancy Even that Sherry (sp) on The View made me cry today!

Even the flat coke can mess with your reflux!

You're right it doesn't and there are plenty of foods that the band will not stop from going through you which will hinder your weight loss or even make you gain. I was hoping by now people would have been told this before getting the band and I tried to get the word out myself prior to having mine removed due to that and other comps. Good luck Nancy.

Obviously if you all think we voted for Obama just because of his skin color you didn't watch his speech last night. I was brought to tears and he is really the first President I have voted for that I can actually be proud to say I did!

God Bless America:thumbup:

God Bless America!!!!

Hey don't forget "The Great Pumpkin"!!! Sorry I have to figure out how to remove the Indiana Jones whip with "real sound" from my postings, lol!