RestlessMonkey

I did fine after my first feel and didn't feel restriction till my 5th. While I did eat LESS...I could still eat too much and I could eat ANYTHING except carbonation. Now I can still eat anything pretty much but 1/2 cup and I'm done. It took me a long time to get here, but it's worth it!

Of course it depends on your insurance and their work load. I was approved within 48 hours; for some it can take weeks. What did your contact tell you?

Could be salt, ask your nutritionist. Lots of people gain a little as they heal. It MAY be starvation? some people say they have to eat more to lose. not me; I've been eating about 400-600 cal a day since May 7 and am dropping weight like it was easy and feeling wonderfully. You would know yourself best; what past diets worked for you? Coming off a liquid diet will cause your weight to fluctuate a bit, and many of us are hungry and gain a bit (or diet like fiends) until we get good restriction. Your surgeon and/or nutritionist can help you!

I've only been losing like that for just under 4 weeks but hair/skin/energy etc are all tip top. I lost hair post op as many patients do; my doc said he thinks it's a side effect of surgery. I am careful to get enough Protein daily, Fiber daily, I take a good multi and some other supplements daily. I stay well hydrated (I am a recent RN graduate, I know what to check!) and would not continue if I felt I was harming myself. On the contrary I feel less sluggish and look better (out of the eyes, etc) than I have in a while. So I'm just enjoying it while it lasts.

Headhunter I think you're right to a point about the sales thing. However, my experience was very low key. In fact, because I'd wanted the band since 2003, had researched it TO DEATH and back, and knew I did not want any other procedure (I was a nursing student; I know how to research medical issues) I called and asked if I could just skip the seminar and make my first appointment to see the surgeon (I had researched HIM and figured I'd go with him) I was put on hold and then told "No. You have to go to the seminar before we'll schedule you." My doc presented all surgeries, talked about his style, his ethic, his credentials, and then after a Q and A session where he patiently answered what seemed to me like the same questions over and over, we were let go. We couldn't even really schedule an appt after because his staff was essentially gone, so that meant we all HAD to sleep on it. Of course this may be just a clever advanced sales tactic. I understand you feel you chose a poor surgeon and have paid for it. But all men aren't dogs, all blondes aren't dumb, and all surgeons aren't in it JUST for the money. Money is an aspect, but for the good ones, it isn't the only aspect, or even a top aspect. We just have to be prudent in our choices.

Your doc is an idiot. He may be a genius, but he's an idiot. Dump him. I got banded 8/29 and until 5/7 and my last fill, pretty miuch thought I'd just paid A LOT for a pricey belt for my stomach..window dressing as it were but no use. NOW I've lost over 1/2 of my total just since then. The difference? IT aint me, babe...it's restriction. I'm the same, it isn't. It's not you, it's him.

I donate. My mom grew up during the depression and almost didn't get to graduate from high school because she didn't have any clothing to wear. A family member who was better off gave her 2 old dresses and she wore one and washed the other every day. She told me about that one day when I was a grown up and from then on I don't ever sell my clothes. They are given...to a friend, or to a charity.

I agree. I FINALLY found out what all the fuss was about when i went from 6.0 cc to 6.5 cc on 5/7. I've lost almost 30 pounds since then. I'm full on about 1/2 cup of food and stay that way for literally HOURS. It is a miracle. If you aren't "there" yet, don't give up. It's worth it!

Sorry, I haven't. Have you tried MAKING yourself eat? You may be in "ketosis" and a side effect of it is no hunger. If you make yourself eat, especially something with carbs like a potato or so on, it may help pull you out of it. (although your doc may very well have checked for this) I have lost almost 28 pounds in 26 days and feel on top of the world: My skin is clear, I feel energetic like I haven't in years, I'm happy and feel like FINALLY I have control of the monster I've wrestled with all my long life. I've achieved good weight loss in the pass, by the skin of my teeth, by hanging on, by struggling, but this has truly been effortless. I don't know your age nor your endocrine status (ie thyroid ok? Diabetes?) I think maybe you need to try to make yourself eat for a day or two and see if that doesn't help your appetite return. Good luck: I'm sorry that you feel so physically ill.

Yep! You're eating incorrectly, I think. I hit close to the sweet spot for me at 6.25 cc in March 2009...but with 1 1/2 months to go for nursing school, my senior year, and EVERYTHING INSANE!!!! I didn't have the patience or oomph to make sure I chewed well and took small bites (previous to that level I, like you, could eat ANYTHING, and I did!) The Doc unfilled me to 6.0. FF to May 7...finals over, graduated, Sigma Theta Tau, pressure OFF. I got 6.5 cc (had to cajole my doc) and I haven't felt that misery once. I've lost just at 27.9 pounds in the time since the 7th. I take small bites (about 2/3 to 1/2 my old size; not TINY) and I chew well. It's 2nd nature. I had to do it intentionally for the first 2-3 days; after that, learning occurred. Now I honestly am STILL working on my 8 oz well done ribeye from Sunday (I can eat it FINE but am full after about 2 oz) and once I've eaten, I am full for hours. It is like a miracle. Like someone flipped a switch in my brain. I am in less food-related pain than at any time before in my life; I am less controlled by food and hunger, I am "satiated" easily and the feeling stays. Nor does it ever hurt me to drink or swallow. It is amazing. SO Work on your method...chew, small bites, etc..the rest will come. How I know I'm full is this: After each bite I think if I want another (easy because I'm not really ever very hungry) and if i do, I take another bite. I ALWAYS hit a point where I think...ok. One more bite and it's coming back up. No pain.....I'm just, done. I stop there. Wonderful.

Christine it sounds like you have the "newest" Realize band. The "old" style holds only 9 cc, the "new" one 11 (I believe). So it means your band can hold 11 cc of saline. Think of the cc's as being comparable to the length of a belt like you'd wear around your waist. If you are a smaller person, a smaller belt works for you and with the holes in it, if you lose you can tighten it adequately because you're already small; odds are you won't ever need to lose a lot. If you are larger, you'll need a larger belt, and as you lose, there is still room to "tighten it up". (although the lap band doesn't have excess "belt" hanging around, you know! LOL) REALLY large people (as I started, and still am) need a BIGGER belt but again as I lose it can still be tightened. They found that the original Lap Band belts that only held 4ccs were too restrictive initially for some people (like me; I'd have probably had to have it removed). They've realized one size does NOT fit all; so they have options. Lap band now has belts that hold 10 cc (AP Small) and 14 cc (AP Large) , and the older 4cc belt is also still in use, although largely in Mexico and other countries. Apparently Realize has come up with their 11cc model, I assume to complement their 9cc model. Options are good. I'm feeling very tight restriction at 6.5 ccs (I'm losing over 1 pound a day!) in my 14 cc band...I have a LONG way to go before it is totally tightened for me. Docs usually decide which band, they ALWAYS decide what size, once they get "in" there. OOPS did I go on too long? Or help? :frown: anyway that's what ccs are...the amount of sterile saline that is injected into the band is measured that way. Just FYI 30 cc's is about 1 ounce, so you can see that 10 ccs isn't a lot of Fluid.

We've tried; the concensus is you need to go to a good doctor who will confirm your fill level and the patency/placement of your band and help you get back on track....you of course have to do what you think is right for you

I agree w/jujuvee, most docs have a preop plan for you. Mine was very similar to hers and was 64 oz Water per day, 2-3 of a specific shake, and 3-4 oz of lean chicken/turkey/fish and up to 1 cup of a green veggie. no sugar no butter no breading no nothing else but more water. I cheated on it, lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks, didn't get the band. I stuck to it for 17 days lost 17 more pounds and got banded that time.

In my admittedly limited experience PBing usually happens because you are eating too much too fast. I have GREAT restriction and can eat anything...but only if I'm careful; small bites, chewed to mush and beyond. Of course things we call "slider" foods (like ice cream, cookies, candy, chips) go down easy. They need to be avoided if you are trying to lose weight. You should talk to your doc about your fill level. I don't really expect it to take me 54 years to lose my excess

I lost 42 pounds preop and post op (down to 363 from 405) for the first two "liquid" weeks (back when I was banded 8/29/08) and then slowly gained back to 378.5 on 5/7 when I went and got this fill. In the 25 days since my fill I have lost 26.5 pounds and am now down to 352. This is ALL because of the band and finally realizing what it is to eat about 1/2 cup of food and stay full for 6 hours or so. I don't know how much you've gained and I don't know how much fill you have but go back to your doc. You will NOT be the first person to gain. You're only a failure if you quit. Believe me, restriction is worth it.

I don't mind answering AT ALL! Just remember everyone is different so my answers are all about me; your experience may be something else altogether. I was banded on 8/29 (after an unfortunately unsuccessful attempt on 8/11 when my liver was too thick) and on 5/7 I weighed 378.5. I got my latest (7th fill) that day and since then have lost 23 pounds...I now weigh 352. So for me obviously restriction is the KEY! I am not sure exactly what dates I had fills but my doc won't give them earlier than 4 weeks apart and some stretched because of school, holidays, he was at a seminar etc (My port is flipped and he does the fills, not his NP). I have had fills since 6 weeks after 8/29 as follows: (listing my level, not the fill amt) 1.5 cc, 3.0 cc, 4.5 cc, 5.5 cc, 6.25 cc (got that in march and PANICKED. Last semester of nursing school, PB'd constantly, MISERABLE! so I got a slight unfill the next time) back to 6.0 cc and then up to 6.5 cc on May 7 (school was over may 5! LOL) I realized that my panick in March wasn't really because I was TOO TIGHT but because I was TOO STRESSED. I would forget and eat too large a bite or too fast; I just didn't have ANY patience to mess with it. Because at 5.5 cc I could eat essentially anything...an entire chick fil a, a whole steak and a good portion of baked potato, etc. at 6.25 apparently I had enough restriction to put a halt to that and it was the exact wrong time in my life. After the unfill I ate whatever whenever and graduated. I knew though that immediately afterward I wanted to work on my band so my doc reluctantly put me to 6.5. He said "but you were vomiting at 6.25" and I said Doc, I've trusted you all this time. Please now, trust me. I will not PB, I'll lose well, and if I don't I'll come and get an unfill asap. So he did as I wished. And It has been marvelously successful. I had scheduled another fill for 6/4 but have cancelled it (though I think i'll go weigh) and will see if I need to keep my 7/2 appt. I have heard as we lose our restriction tightens so once my loss slows drastically or I can eat too much, I'll get more. For me adequate fill is like just sitting in the roller coaster car versus going down the drop. You can just sit there FOREVER but once you take that drop you know what all the fuss is about. That's "sweet spot" for me. And I'm tricare; it isn't standard ins. I have a $150 deductible then I pay 20% of all covered services until I've reached a catastrophic cap. Therefore my fills are 80 each. Sometimes I pay it; sometimes they bill me. Some people feel restriction at the first fill (rare lucky devils!) some it takes a LONG time. That was me. But I didn't give up, I kept at it, and I am so glad I did. I haven't lost as much as I'd hoped at this far out, but by the same token I am stunned to have actually lost 26.5 pounds in 25 days. Not water either; I take a good diuretic and am not usually puffy any more. (some of it's water but we store water with our fat) I'm thinking now I can maybe do some catching up! :smile: WOW this was long! Sorry!

Full for me is very different from the bloated stuffed way I used to feel. Now I eat slowly and at some point hit a spot where I think...OK one more bite and I'm going to PB it back up. The "full" feeling is around my band or in my esophagus, not down in my "stomach". And I truly don't get hungry again for HOURS. No food seeking, no stomach growling (except some normal digestion sounds) I CANT physically eat like you still can but .5 ccs ago I could. I think you aren't properly filled yet.

now you know why people say the band isn't the easy way out. Restriction for me has been the key but I don't like Chardonnay! You know restriction won't stop that. you have to, if you are cheating and ashamed of it. Restriction takes care of true physiologic hunger. The rest of it, you have to deal with. Maybe some therapy would help you?

I will say this...when I was 16 I got a bladder infection. I always drank tea (even then) never water. It hurt like the DEVIL! Our family doc told me If I would make sure to drink at least a few glasses of plain water each day I'd never get another. He said beverages leave sediment I have no idea if they do or if the science has evolved but I can tell you I'm 54 now and have NEVER had another bladder infection by drinking some water each day. So I agree we don't really need 64 oz, I think drinking some is good for you.

I can (and have) downed buckets of unsweetened tea (no lemon) daily and not lost as well as I do when i make SURE I get 64 oz of water a day. My band restriction is more consistent, my skin is looking better (which i thought was just a bunch of bunk propogated by pro-water anti-tea people LOL) and so on. I've become a water convert. I still drink my tea, but only after I get my 64 oz of water in each day.

Because I knew someone who got the surgery in 2003, I have wanted it/not wanted it/wanted it for a LONG time. By the time I was in my PCP's office and he said "You need to do something or it's all going to hell for you" I was ready with a big R. I can say I have not honestly once since that point had a single solitary doubt. I love my band.

I understand your concerns and don't honestly think you're being even a little paranoid; I've read some true horror stories here about people being denied because their BMI was 39.9 instead of 40 for example (not specifically w/Aetna...but just any ins) However...if you can find it in writing, then you have a legal ground to demand your rights. I called my ins, Tricare, 3 times and each time was told "no we don't cover lap band" . Then I got a military flyer discussing how tricare had covered it since Jan 1! I don't know if those 3 agents were intentially lying or just hadn't gotten updated training (and were too lazy to look) So..I understand your reticence. But it's something we all eventually have to bite the bullet and go through. Some people get so frustrated they just "self-pay". Not all companies are so inaccessible, though. Hopefully your experience will be a good one. Once I had proof that tricare paid, I actually was approved in under 48 hours. So good luck!

I have no idea why your doc won't tell you; ask him! (or her!) I can say that especially being a medical type myself, I wouldn't tolerate not knowing. It's info about me and what is in my body; I have a right to know that info. Some people don't care and that is their right and prerogative; we do what works for us. Me? You aren't coming at me with a needle until I know what's in it, how much, and what it's supposed to do. i don't care WHO you are! LOL So ask. I think legally he HAS to tell you. If he won't and you feel (like me) you have a right to know, you can report him or find another fill doc.

I think you should probably defer to the doc about a fill amount, especially since you don't yet know about what size band, what a "cc" is, etc. It can be dangerous if you are filled too much too fast (jury is out with docs in both camps) If your doc is one that believes fast aggressive fills can cause issues he likely won't speed up the process just because you ask. Conversely if he is one of the ones who believes in quick restriction, then you'll be getting that anyway, And yes it's common to not lose unless you are dieting the old fashioned way until you get restriction. Good luck; your doc can tell you about your band, what brand, how much it holds etc if you want to know. Again, some people want to know, some couldn't care less as long as it works. Both sides are right in their own way! Good luck on your first fill!

Welcome! Honestly you're going to have to call the ins, I think. Employers can modify policies, as can state laws etc, and so one person's Aetna coverage is not necessarily YOUR Aetna coverage. Call and find out what the requirements are. They are probably listed in your book but who keeps those things? Perhaps if your ins has a website you can check there. Many policies which DO cover banding require, with a BMI of 35 to 40, that you have a comorbidity or two. I'm honestly not sure what they are, but again it varies by policy. Good luck; start your journey with a call to insurance. I hope it works out for you! For years I put this off because my insurance didn't cover it. I finally decided I was worth the price of a compact car and started the ball rolling when I received info that my insurance WOULD begin finally to cover, retroactive to 1/1/2008. So even if your ins won't cover, don't despair.