Sistabigbones

Ok..I am going to go ahead and say it and I am sure some will not agree but...You MUST have good follow up care in order for the band to work. I had surgery a year ago and went to the dr faithfully EVERY month. Needless to say I NEVER saw my dr at these appointments only his "nurse". I begged for decent fills and was only given 0.5 cc every month. I was miserable..No restriction!! even 9 months out I only had 5 cc in my band!! so a lady that i met in my drs office waiting room told me about another drs office that accepted my old drs patients for fills. So 9 monhts afte surgery,less than 30 pounds loss, i switched drs. That was the BEST choice I could have ever made. I found out that there is a method to how much fill you are suppose to get on each visit with the first fill ranging as high as 4cc. Needless to say, my new dr gave me 1.6cc my first month with him. I lost weight that month but was not in the "green zone" yet so I went back the following month and was given 0.5cc based on what he and I discussed concerning my eating habits. It felt good to have how i was feeling dictate my fill versus what the other dr's office's "nurse" determined she would give me based on NOTHING!! So i guess what I am saying is that it takes more than just GETTING THE BAND PUT IN to make it work. The band is a tool and ALL tools require proper useage and that starts with the provider that you are trusting to be your guide in this. Thank you so much True Results of Atlanta Dr Orris's office for proving to me that I am not a failure. My other dr's office failed me..I did not fail my band!!! FINALLY losing like I should have been losing 10 months ago!!!:wub:

I do eat hamburger and steak w/o a problem as long as it is not too well done. I have been having a problem with chicken lately. But what i have found is that what you are able to eat varies from person to person.

OMG!!! I really needed to see this post today. with some weight gain over the holidays, i have only managed to lose 22 pounds..but I can honestly say that it has not been a slow process because of the band. They say eat protein but I am sure they were not refering to a 10 piece hot wing 2 times per week. So i rededicated myself to the band as of Sunday just passed. Not dieting but making better food choices. Have lost 2.6 pounds since sunday. Exercised everyday so far on my wii and have just realized that i can't focus on what the band "will let me eat" and eat what i know I need to eat. I spent so much time trying to see what i could and couldn't eat that i slipped back in to bad eating habits..had started back frying foods and stuff.. but as I said, sunday was a new start for me and I will reach my goal of losing 15 pounds by Feb 14th....So to all of you that I am sure will find fault in what i did in the past, my response to you before you even start is "Who cares"!!! I recognized the problem and I am fixing it. Everybody has/had food issues or else we would not have needed the band. For my August buddies that started this journey with me, thanks for keeping me posted on your weight loss and thanks for all of the encouragement that you give by your posts!:thumbup:

I wonder why when President Bush was elected we were not doing polls every other day as to whether or not we were happy with the job he was doing...I wonder the same about EVERY other president that has ever been elected. This country is in a huge mess and believe it or not, PRESIDENT Obama did not put us into this mess..It will take 4 years and then some to get this mess corrected and it is very silly to think that in less than a year, the new president will have just "turned the everything around"...Am i still glad that i voted for him?..yes maam and yes sir..do i believe that he is doing a good job with the mess that he inherited? yes sir and yes maam...I am a working upper middle class person and our class is being hit the hardest by the economy yet I still see the light at the end of the tunnel..is the light close? no but i see it! YES WE CAN!!!!!

I can relate to you alot on this post!! I thought of posting myself the same thing but I too was apprehensive of the people who like to jump on their high horse and say that you aren't doing your part because your weight has stalled or you haven't lost the weight. Yes I have lost 30 pounds and was banded in August but in my opinion, I should have lost alot more. Do i exercise? yes Do I eat cake or ice cream? occassionally and i mean maybe once a month if that. I often have to remind myself that just because I excelled in something does not mean that the person struggling in it is not trying. it just means, that person is having a different journey than i am. And I know for a fact that no two journeys with this lapband is the same. Some lose weight immediately, some do not. If you are self sabatoging, then correct that. If you are not doing your part, then correct that. But ultimately, I think you need to find out what works for you with this band and make it happen. If the occassional ice cream is the culprit then maybe cut it out and see if there is a difference. I wish you the best of luck and know that there are ALOT of people still struggling with this tool but still would not trade the experience for the world. I struggle everyday and I am here if you need me. I don't own a high horse! I still weigh too much to get on it!!!:biggrin::tt2:

My thing is that I have worked harder since being banded than i EVER worked preband. This takes commitment!! If this is cheating,there has to be an easier way to cheat!!! Just ignore it and keep making the band work for you!!!

Today is a good day!!! First off, 2 weeks ago I bought a new scale and it was 8 pounds more than the scale that i had been using so of course i almost had a heart attack..So anyway, i was at a stand still for 2 weeks for weight loss but i am proud to say that as of this morning on my new scale, i am down 3.4 pounds making it a total of 33 pounds lost since 8 5 05!!! so proud of myself!!! everyone, keep up the good work cause this is really a struggle some days!!:thumbup:

Hi all!! I was banded on August 5th and so far have lost 26 pounds. My appetite has picked up a great deal and i have minimal restriction. I do go for my second fill on the 9th of October and am hopeful that it will do the trick. It is VERY frustrating!!! But I am hanging in there. I know that i probably should not be complaining and nobody else understands this but I know that my LBT family will. When you lose and gain the same 2-3 pounds every week, it is so frustrating. And I can eat WHATEVER and HOWEVER much i want so all of this weight loss thus far has been COMPLETELY willpower and not band..I am so hopeful that this 2nd fill does it for me. I am not expecting "magic" but I am expecting help,restriction or whatever word you want to give it...I exercise 4-5 days per week..just really frustrated right now and wanted to vent..Good luck to everyone and I will keep you posted!!

It really is not a matter of "insurance companies". It is a matter of what your employer choses to pay for. Blue Cross does not exclude weight loss surgery, your employer excludes weight loss surgery. If your employer was to change insurance companies tomorrow, they still may not cover weight loss surgery. I would go talk to your Human Resources dept and see if there is anything they can suggest to you. But this is really not Blue Cross's fault. I too have Blue Cross of GA and weight loss surgery is covered for me because my employer who just happens to be Blue Cross allows weight loss surgery..I wish you the best of luck in your journey!!

I am an RN as well and no...I don't think I would do a fill/unfill on myself. Just as I wouldn't start an IV on myself if I became dehydrated. Just my own opinion..:tongue2:

I was banded on 8 5 09 and had my first fill today. It was not bad at all. I am doing liquids today and tomorrow and on to softs on sunday. I am sooo hopeful for restriction with this fill...The dr felt that i might have been not eating enuff before the fill(can u imagine that)..i was told today to eat every three hours but to make wise choices with the foods...today has not been bad at all..maybe because of the fill..I was too nervous about the fill to eat any breakfast so I finally got some soup about 1pm and just ate a 1/2 cup of jello cheesecake about 30 minutes ago(4:45)..We will see how the scale likes this every 3 hour eating.. Will keep you guys posted...:laugh:

Hi... I had surgery on 8 5 09 and my husband and I had sex on the 8th of august. Dr Duncan here in Atlanta did my surgery and said that I could have sex whenever i felt up to it. I am due to start the soft phase of my diet on wednesday but started it today instead and will let Dr Duncan know when i see him on the 24th.... I have lost 18 pounds so far and started exercising on Saturday. ..Good Luck with everything!!!!!!!!!!

Hi all!! I was banded on 8 5 09 here in Atlanta, Ga by Dr Titus Duncan. I am feeling good. I went back to work on yesterday (8 10 09) and considering I work from home, everything was fine. This mornings I was able to get down about 2 -3 ounces of international coffee for breakfast at about 7am. Then about 12 noon, I had 1/4 cup of cream of potato soup with a pinch of cheddar cheese shreds on top and 2 teaspoons (literally) of swiss miss chocolate pudding. I am satisfied so far. I have 8 ounces of crystal light sitting by my desk waiting to start drinking it. My goal for this week is to start trying to get my water in and to try to get back to walking. My love is swimming but I can't do that until 4 weeks post op..I still have problems with "head hunger"..I cooked smothered pork chops,rice and a tomatoe,basil and onion salad for my family last night and would have traded my first born for just one spoon of rice and gravy!!!:sneaky: but I didn't eat it, i sat down with my family and had cream of potato soup and 2 ounces of apple juice...hope everyone is feeling good and making great strides towards recovery..:w00t:

I was banded on the 5th at 11am. I was home by 4pm. Gas pain was pretty intense the rest of the evening. I din't do much other than walk arou nd the house and up and down my stairs on the 6th. By the 7th, I was up walking at the outlet mall with my husband doing school shopping for the kids. Shopped for about 5 hours and then started to get a little tugging feeling in my belly so we went home and I took my pain meds and went to sleep. Did much of the same on the 8th and took it easy on the 9th cause I had to go back to work today (the 10th). My appetite came back a little on the 7th. I am able to eat about 4 ounces of frozen juice every 3 hours. I am trying to get water in starting today. I froze my water. For some reason, it feels better going down if it is frozen:unsure:.. i have lost 18 pounds since 7 29 09..So all in all I am happy.. I am sleeping on my belly again as of last night so my sleep has been much better..I am averaging about 4 ounces of juice every 3 hours and today I am going to start trying to incorporate my water with that trying to get my liquids up to atleast 64 ounces per day until i go on full liquids next week.. Hope everyone is doing well post op!!!:thumbup:

I'm being banded tomorrow also and I can REALLY understand this post. I am positive that the band is for me but it does not get rid of the nerves that go along with the actual "surgery" aspect of things. And the fact that I am a registered nurse does not help either. Sometimes a little knowledge is "dangerous":eek:..But we will be fine!!! Enjoy tonight and get some rest because we start the ride of our lives tomorrow and I am READY FOR THE RIDE!!!!

hello ladies and gents!! I am soo excited!! My surgery date is Aug 5th..I started my preop diet on yesterday and it has not been too bad. from reading other sites, seems like i am able to eat a bit more than other pre op diets. I am having a protein shake for breakfast and protein and veggies for lunch and dinner..drinking a ton of water with crystal light mixed in..wishing everyone a GREAT surgery day and A QUICK recovery and most of all TONS of weight loss!!:thumbup:

I am on day 2 od my pre op diet and looking at the diets you guys are having to do, I have it easy. My pre op diet consists of a protein shake for breakfast,protein and veggies for lunch and protein and veggies for dinner..liquids in between...I have done pretty well..I use the GNC whey protein(vanilla). yesterday I added 1 tsp of ff/sf cheesecake to it and today I added 1/4 of a banana to it...It has been pretty good so far..we will see, I still have 12 more days to go!!!:thumbup:

Saw Dr. Duncan for the first time today... He was great!!! My husband (who is very nervous about surgery in general) had alot of questions and Dr. Duncan pulled up a chair and spent a great deal of time going over all of my husband's questions and explaining exactly what the process is like. He is so full of knowledge..I was VERY nervous until I met him now I am sooo much more relaxed and so is my husband!!! Good Luck ladies!!!:smile:

Sorry that u ladies did not see my post for what it really was. But again, when u are so "ready to attack" u often over look things. I don't have anything negative to say back to anyone. Just really wanted to say that i too was just trying to state my opinion. I wish you all well in your weight loss efforts and think from now on, i will stick to that section of the forum!

Hi ladies!! I too am being banded by Dr Duncan. Just got my surgery date on friday. Will be banded on 8 5 09. My first appt with Dr Duncan is 7 20 09. I was very frustrated at first that I didn't get to meet him before the paperwork was submitted but luckily, even if for some god awful reason, i am not to happy with him when i meet him, changing drs is not that big of a deal..ur approval apporved the surgery and as long as u are using a participating provider, everything else is COOL!!! wishing u ladies the best!!!! keep me posted!

I have taken the time to read each of these posts. I am so sorry that so many of you have had such a hard life/childhood. But sometimes that makes us "jaded". Everything in life is not black or white. Do I know if he abused the people he was accused of abusing? no...What I do know is that someone's father,brother,son is dead and will be missed if only by them. I feel very sorry for the people here that have such "strong" opinions about this when they have undoubtly not been provided all of the facts becasue no one was provided all of the facts. Michael Jackson was a musical genius and will be missed if only for that reason. What I pray is for the healing of some of the people on this site. I pray that you are able to get strength from whatever has happened to you. As far as Michael Jackson is concerned, May he rest in peace becasue even HE deserves that. Be blessed and remember "let he without sin cast the first stone".

Was submitted to insurance on thursday June 25 and i was called today by the blue cross csae manager and informed of my approval!! I am so excited!! Maybe I can get a surgery date in the next few weeks!!!!????? Wish me luck!:smile2::thumbup:

Was submitted to insurance on thursday June 25 and i was called today by the blue cross csae manager and informed of my approval!! I am so excited!! Maybe I can get a surgery date in the next few weeks!!!!????? Wish me luck!:blushing::crying:

Hi! I know things can be frustrating just getting started. I am not sure about the "program fee". I do also have blue cross but mine is blue cross blue shield of ga for whom i work for. Each employer group determines the benefits that they will offer for their employee.. To say that, i mean, u may have blue cross blue shield of ga too but work for let's say the bank. You may not have ANY coverage for WLS because your employer decided not to cover it. But with that being said, blue cross blue shield of ga does not require a 3 month diet. BMI <40 needs comorbid conditions bmi >40 needs no comorbids..will have to do a psych eval, nutritionists appt,medical clearance and some drs want pulmonary and cardiac clearance. Call your customer service number on the back of your card, they can tell you exactly what you need and in most cases, will even mail an intro packet to you related to your weigt loss surgery ie: deductibles,copays,etc.. Hope that helps....