sue in ne

Suggest you see an attorney with this appeal Your surgeon's office may refer you to one. Money is tight but pain is real. I know nothing about peer to peer conferences. You need someone to play their game. Good Luck !

JMS is correct. Neither are good for you. And both can cause serious problems with the band if not stopped.

:wink2:Florida Pete or whoever is editing the spread sheet., If you are updating this, Why is mine gone? I'm still in this. Hoped to lose 5 # in June ;lost 7, to 235. For July, hope for 5# more.

Vickie, Hang in there, we will lose as muchin 3 years as if we did the bypass. It's sticking to the plan that's hard. i may have lost more but have more to lose.

Another 1# for me!!yippee!!

YES, Eat Shrimp. I am about 6 months out from surgery and the food consistency I can eat will vary due to a # of factors(i,e, Recent fill).IMO the consistency of the shrimp is probably the best indicator of tolerance. I have and have not tolerated shrimp (And I love it)depending on the consistency . For me, right now, a more thoroughly cooked/ diced shrimp is safer to eat.

i like ice tea but sometimes a little flavor is nice ( but DON"T DO IT TO MY COFFEE:biggrin:) there are brands who carry teas with flavorings like Celestial Seasonings, Bigelow, Constant Comment and even our local coffee shop ( The MILL in Lincoln NE - is online & ships) have regular and flavored teas. Some are in bags and others are loose teas ( You will need something to hold the loose tea in while it steeps in the water, like a tea ball) For those teas with lots of non tea ingredients, steeping in hot water is probably best method. These teas work cold or hot. For Sweetener, try your favorite no cal sweetener. I Also will take the Crytal Light Raspberry ICE (which, for me, is too sweet), and mix it half and half with regular brewed ice tea. Hope this gives you some ideas

Hi, I had a similar issue. I did sometimes (a few times a week) have something stuck and throw it up,. Then, I became ill which caused me to throw up everyday for almost 2 weeks. Because i could take liquids and my meds, they wanted to find a solution before unfilling the band or surgery. My stomach pouch was filling with fluid and I would be throwing up after a bite or 2. My stomach and port were sore. My next fill was under X-RAY ( whatever it is they use to see inside) to be sure everything was OK. I had to slowly reintroduce solid foods. If it had continued, they would have unfilled the band. I still occasionally get something stuck and throw up, but am much more careful. I did not have any slippage. But throwing up for that long, I can see where it would happen. It was no picnic even with no long term damage. I did not have the stomach flu (merely a sinus infection with lots of drainage). Something that really makes one vomit, like stomach flu would be NO fun at all.

Hello, , Keep up with the fluids and exercise will help, too. walk, if you can. I found coffee, even a cup of hot green tea to be helpful. if there are no solids in your system, you will not have a movement until you start on 'mushies'. If you feel constipated and the usual methods don't work, suggest you contact your surgeon.

Congrats Veronica!! everyone is different. I keep have to reminding myself the band is only a tool- i have to do the work- meaning stick to the diet, and no grazing ( I'm a terrible grazer!) But have found other things to do instead of eat. (Housework only if I'm desperate!). The fills will increase as we lose weight , so am more concerned about amount of miles walked, protein, calories, NSVs, and the scale. BTW, am down 1# this week to 235. ( Any loss is a win!)

MimmyJD, i, too, have a 10cc band and am somewhere around 6cc ( on my 3rd fill, the PA decided I was obsessing about it so he would not tell me. - :unsure:All i did was ask the size of my band and how much was he adding) The Sweet Spot, to me is the sensation of being full, still being able to eat some foods,without feeling hungry nor too full. It's almost in balance.

WHO is updating the Spreadsheet? I thought we only had to report on this and 1 person was doing the updating ? Lost 0# in May and 6# by June 14, now have lost 2# more am at 236# Gee, 11 more # Which will take a while- and I won't be morbidly Obese! LOL:laugh:

HI ALL, Veronica, I know what you mean- I, felt little restriction until my 4th fill (4 in 5 months) . It isn't in the 'sweet spot' they talk about :unsure:but enough to work. I expect to need a few more fills before the 1 yr anniversary. The surgeon said the 1st year, 6 fills is not unusual.

JoanMarie, 43 #! is great!!. Remember with the band, most weight loss is over the 1st 3 years. Afraid I'm still shopping from my closet but the pickings are getting smaller. I always seem to be between 2 sizes. Oh well, at least they are smaller sizes:rolleyes2:

Violet Flame, i personally never had to appeal this. Your Surgeon has probably dealt with more of these situations. Follow their advice. My Surgeon had a Nurse track the process for insurance approval for every one pursuing surgery. The surgeon's office will be able to give you advice and tell you what happens next. BTW, i have BCBS- NE now and switching to them right after surgery was a pain. :tongue:( My job did it; I had no choice) My first fill was delayed over 2 months because they "lost" the information that was to be transferred and would not authorize it. I called HR, and the Dept. of Insurance and ranted (unfortunately at work ) til it was settled.

:thumbup:Originally Posted by janesays c'mon guys! together we've already lost almost 100 pounds!!! WOW!! This is fantastic!!

Mommy JD, Thanks for the encouragement1 I am finally feeling positive,. the last 3 months were a bummer. Am finally seeing the scale move!

DowninSOCAL, Listen, we can tell you what we've tried. Over the counter meds are a simple thing to try, if you want. You need to talk to your doctor or have him refer you to a sleep specialist; usually it is a Pulmonologist. They can do a few simple tests to see if you even need an overnight sleep study. Do you fall asleep watching TV? or At work, if your job is sedentary ? DO you snore? Does your partner say your pause between breathes while asleep? all these symptoms can indicate sleep apnea. Been there- this can sneak up on you.. You may not realize there is a problem

Hi All, We are at the 6 month Mark since surgery. how is everyone doing? I had a minor illness which messed up my diet and exercise for awhile. Still have lost 84 # since the start, 54# of that since the surgery. Sounds like many of you are still losing ! Speak up

Pete, How is the college work going? Don't worry, there a lot of older students these days. I did it and my stomach turned over in the 2nd class:crying:- didn't know what the professor was talking about- turned out no else did either. You can do it !! look how much you have accomplished so far!! :smile: Congrats Irish Gal- enjoy the skirt while you can !! and think of the compliments every time you see it!!:wink:

HI All, Another NSV or two- down 2 more sizes in clothing. Slacks i bought 2 weeks ago (fit well), are too loose now. ( Am running out of clothes that fit!:wink:) Not quite out of plus size clothes. Also did 2 + hours in the garden - before I could barely do 30 minutes w/o having trouble breathing.

Kaninag, What I meant about back to basics was checking portions again. Remember when you first started on regular foods? It was 1/2-1 cup of food for the entire meal, and maybe 1 snack, esp. if short on protein. I realized I was extending my evening meal expecting to feel full - I wasn't getting the sensation of full- only too full; "Just a taste" became a regular snack. I was trying to see how much I could get away with - so stopped. It was 'head hunger'. Am now eating about 850-1000 calories and 70-85 g of protein/day. i do use cottage cheese with 1 serving each of fruit and veg /day and lots of water. With exercise, it really is making a difference. I expect to increase the calories after a bit, when my exercise increases again.:shades_smile:At 236 this morning!

J Whipple, I am sorry you are going through this. Life happens, whether we like it or not. They say the surgery and weight loss changes everything- including the relationship with your spouse. It is true. If she isn't taking her meds, and still goes through mood swings, sounds like she has something more than depression. There may be a silver lining to this (but it's hard to see, right now) Yes it hurts, but you need to focus on you. GET an attorney and change your accounts at the bank. If her name is on an account, she can empty it. YOU need to check with the attorney, child support office with your state Welfare agency or County Attorney. They can make adjustments to Child Support if you qualify. Do it ASAP- it isn't automatic. DO talk with your daughter- let her know you love her. ( REAL MEN honor their committments) Take to her Mom- let her know the stuation, too. And get moving. You need to do something. Apply for unemployment benefits, do volunteer work until you get a job ( it will help gain some perspective) Ther going is tough , you need to get going. Prozac can cause weight gain ( been there, done that), ED, and the sleeping. Anyone would be depressed in your situation. IT is short term. You can change. Good Luck!

Stay the course. You are doing fine. The insurance companies make the extra hoops so those who really can lose the little extra weight they have, don't do it instead of diet and exercise. There are surgery junkies, and hospital junkies and all kind of nuts out there who will think this surgery is for them. i initially had a denial based on insufficient information . (my current doctor has a file 3+ inches thick on me and that isn't everything !) The surgeon sent in more and it was approved, conditionally. ( standard practice for many procedures, not just bariatric surgery) After surgery, they had to again review all the costs and necessity- they paid in full, BTW.thought It was going to be only 80 %.

Well, went back to basics , with the diet. Am at 238# :thumbup:Finally!!. Had hoped to be at 220, but life happens.:tongue_smilie: