PrincesaJenE

Well, as I discussed in my blog about my 6th 7th fill my doc said that he felt I was ready for tummy tuck. As you may recall I was shocked. At the time I was 307lbs. I am 293 2 weeks later and still what I feel is way to heavy for an adominoplasty. But I went to the consultation and my doc said that I'm an ideal candidate. He said I would be a bit happier with the results if I lost another 20 lbs of so but that either way I would be very happy. He is going to start the process of gathering all the paperwork for insurance approval which he beleives will cover it. My doc said that insurance covers panniculectomy and not abdominoplasty - he says he does not do just a panniculectomy he always does an abdominoplasty because its about the looks for him and he wouldn't do that to a patient. He will bill for a panniculectomy and do an abdominoplasty. He said the surgery should take out about 10 -15 lbs worth of skin and fat! Yay! I expressed to him my concern about scarring ( I keloid) - he said that he will put quite a bit of focus on making sure the skin heals properly and though he can not guarantee that it will not scar he will take great efforts including special cortizone tape and different creams that he feels will substantially control the scarring. So I'm a happy camper. He said we're gonna shoot for about 3-4 months from now because I have different business trips I need to take in April and May so we're gonna go for late May, early June! I hope late MAY! That will give me 3-4 months to lose about 20 lbs. In 3 months I hope to be able to lose closer to 30 or even 40. Every little bit helps. We'll get together and set the date in about a month! I'm excited and keep trying to imagine my body without this pannus! I need to start saving up now - the insurance won't cover the whole new wardrobe I'll need! :thumbup::rolleyes2:

Well I had my first unfill. Since my last fill on 2/10/10 where I got .4 ccs in my band - I've been STRUGGLING. I would go for days where I could barely keep anything down. At first it was mostly just the morning and early afternoon - but usually by late evening I could eat. I figured I was just getting used the the band and I was losing weight like CRAZY! My thought process was, losing weigh so quickly my band would quickly become loose and thus I just need to wait out the tightness of the band. I tried to just stick to soups, Hot tea, water, but it got to the point where I could keep down nothing and was throwing up 5 to sometimes 9 or 10 times a day. I started waking up in the middle of the night coughing up stomach acid. I read about throwing up so much causing acid reflux - with this information and going 4 straight days not keep ANYTHING down I knew that I needed an unfil :-( . So I called my doc. He got me in this past Saturday. In just over 2 weeks I had lost 14 lbs ! I lose about 5-8 lbs a month so I was floored with the 14 lbs. My doc unfilled me 6 whole CC's - to put this in perspective my last two fills I got .4 ccs each time. 6 CCS removed takes me back down to about 6 months post surgery and since thens I've lost like 40 lbs so that impacts it as well. My doc said that I needed to rest a bit - he said I will be able to eat like normal so I need to be careful. I dread gaining any of these 14 lbs loss - I needed that burst! It brought me under 300 lbs which was definitely a milestone. He's going to have me back in in 9 days for a fill and I can't imagine gaining too much in those few days - but the idea of water weight scares me. I will be okay with no more than 4 lbs - I'll be sad for any more than that. Don't want to get back to over 300 - NEVER AGAIN. I ate pretty sparingly today and yesterday. I did kinda test my band today and was happy with the result - I can't eat like "normal". I ate 1/2 of a burger - and a little dessert. Normal would have been to eat the whole burger, and all of the dessert plus 3-4 glasses of strawberry lemonade (I had water :rolleyes2:). It was interesting though - I've become used to eating so little food that I forgot about how heavy your stomach feels after eating. A cup or so of food does not feel heavy but 2 or 3 cups can really weigh right on your midsection - never really noticed that before. So, we'll see how this goes :thumbup:. Wish me luck!

Well, as I discussed in my blog about my 6th 7th fill my doc said that he felt I was ready for tummy tuck. As you may recall I was shocked. At the time I was 307lbs. I am 293 2 weeks later and still what I feel is way to heavy for an adominoplasty. But I went to the consultation and my doc said that I'm an ideal candidate. He said I would be a bit happier with the results if I lost another 20 lbs of so but that either way I would be very happy. He is going to start the process of gathering all the paperwork for insurance approval which he beleives will cover it. My doc said that insurance covers panniculectomy and not abdominoplasty - he says he does not do just a panniculectomy he always does an abdominoplasty because its about the looks for him and he wouldn't do that to a patient. He will bill for a panniculectomy and do an abdominoplasty. He said the surgery should take out about 10 -15 lbs worth of skin and fat! Yay! I expressed to him my concern about scarring ( I keloid) - he said that he will put quite a bit of focus on making sure the skin heals properly and though he can not guarantee that it will not scar he will take great efforts including special cortizone tape and different creams that he feels will substantially control the scarring. So I'm a happy camper. He said we're gonna shoot for about 3-4 months from now because I have different business trips I need to take in April and May so we're gonna go for late May, early June! I hope late MAY! That will give me 3-4 months to lose about 20 lbs. In 3 months I hope to be able to lose closer to 30 or even 40. Every little bit helps. We'll get together and set the date in about a month! I'm excited and keep trying to imagine my body without this pannus! I need to start saving up now - the insurance won't cover the whole new wardrobe I'll need! :thumbup::biggrin:

Well I had my first unfill. Since my last fill on 2/10/10 where I got .4 ccs in my band - I've been STRUGGLING. I would go for days where I could barely keep anything down. At first it was mostly just the morning and early afternoon - but usually by late evening I could eat. I figured I was just getting used the the band and I was losing weight like CRAZY! My thought process was, losing weigh so quickly my band would quickly become loose and thus I just need to wait out the tightness of the band. I tried to just stick to soups, Hot tea, water, but it got to the point where I could keep down nothing and was throwing up 5 to sometimes 9 or 10 times a day. I started waking up in the middle of the night coughing up stomach acid. I read about throwing up so much causing acid reflux - with this information and going 4 straight days not keep ANYTHING down I knew that I needed an unfil :-( . So I called my doc. He got me in this past Saturday. In just over 2 weeks I had lost 14 lbs ! I lose about 5-8 lbs a month so I was floored with the 14 lbs. My doc unfilled me 6 whole CC's - to put this in perspective my last two fills I got .4 ccs each time. 6 CCS removed takes me back down to about 6 months post surgery and since thens I've lost like 40 lbs so that impacts it as well. My doc said that I needed to rest a bit - he said I will be able to eat like normal so I need to be careful. I dread gaining any of these 14 lbs loss - I needed that burst! It brought me under 300 lbs which was definitely a milestone. He's going to have me back in in 9 days for a fill and I can't imagine gaining too much in those few days - but the idea of water weight scares me. I will be okay with no more than 4 lbs - I'll be sad for any more than that. Don't want to get back to over 300 - NEVER AGAIN. I ate pretty sparingly today and yesterday. I did kinda test my band today and was happy with the result - I can't eat like "normal". I ate 1/2 of a burger - and a little dessert. Normal would have been to eat the whole burger, and all of the dessert plus 3-4 glasses of strawberry lemonade (I had water :biggrin:). It was interesting though - I've become used to eating so little food that I forgot about how heavy your stomach feels after eating. A cup or so of food does not feel heavy but 2 or 3 cups can really weigh right on your midsection - never really noticed that before. So, we'll see how this goes :thumbup:. Wish me luck!

I went to a my doctor today for a routine fill and he began feelin around my hips and upper thighs. He said, "I can feel your bone". He said that he thinks I'm ready for abdominoplasty. I was like (because I couldn't beleive what I was hearing) "how much more weight do you think I need to lose?". He said, I think you're ready now. At the most maybe another 20 lbs, but I really think you're ready now. I was shocked. I was banded a year ago (2/13/09) and have only lost just over 65lbs (I was hoping to have lost closer to 100). Does this sound right? A abdominoplasty at 300 lbs? Really? Has anyone ever heard of this? I would think it would look weird. I have another 100+ lbs to lose - would I need another then? My mother who is a nurse said she once observed an abdominoplasty of someone who was far hevier than I where they removed 60+ lbs of skin and fat from her stomach. The prospect is exciting but 'm confused. I thought I would need to be near or at my goal weight. Please let me know what you all think.

I went to a my doctor today for a routine fill and he began feelin around my hips and upper thighs. He said, "I can feel your bone". He said that he thinks I'm ready for abdominoplasty. I was like (because I couldn't beleive what I was hearing) "how much more weight do you think I need to lose?". He said, I think you're ready now. At the most maybe another 20 lbs, but I really think you're ready now. I was shocked. I was banded a year ago (2/13/09) and have only lost just over 65lbs (I was hoping to have lost closer to 100). Does this sound right? A abdominoplasty at 300 lbs? Really? Has anyone ever heard of this? I would think it would look weird. I have another 100+ lbs to lose - would I need another then? My mother who is a nurse said she once observed an abdominoplasty of someone who was far hevier than I where they removed 60+ lbs of skin and fat from her stomach. The prospect is exciting but 'm confused. I thought I would need to be near or at my goal weight. Please let me know what you all think.

WHAT DOES PB MEAN - someone PLEASE EXPLAIN! In detail - I've been wondering this for a year. As for vomiting - I went for about 8 months after being banded never having vomited. Then one day - it happened. Like someone earlier said - did not have to put my finger down my throat just happened. My stomach suddenly curled and there it was. Probably over the next couple of months it happened 2-3 more times. But it was always clearly because I ate WAY to fast. I sometimes forget that I have the band and on the way to work in an attempt to eat breakfast every morning I'll scarf down breakfast in the car - no good. I got a fill on 1/16 and the vomiting became way more frequent - But I learned that I could not try to eat what I usually eat for breakfast. My stomach had to work up to a meal. I think this is what they are talking about when they say your band is " tighter in the morning". If I ate yogurt or something really creamy and smooth and in small amounts for breakfast, lunch I could eat something with a little more weight, and then for dinner I could eat steak or anything - an my portions were also pretty good sized (a cup to a cup and a half). I also noticed that I HAD TO EAT BREAKFAST. Breakfast was my way of loosening up my stomach. The longer between meals - dinner the night before and my first meal the next day - the increased likelihood that I would vomit. So, I MADE myself eat SOMETHING for breakfast. If I did not eat breakfast - then my first meal would have to be something really light - no harder than a banana, and I could only eat a few bites at that. I said all that to say - you may just need to be a little more regimented and structured on how you eat, when you eat, and what you eat. Hope that this helps.

Thank you atgoalgal for your advice. I ended up getting the fill last tuesday - .4cc. I have been super tight since - I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. This fill I've really had to make some changes in the way I eat - which may or may not be a good thing - I'm still trying to decide. The first few days I was having a really hard time getting anything down - I was afraid that I might be too tight. Even by evening I was having a hard time. I've never had to do liquids after a fill but I resigned myself to liquids. I had some chicken soup and I first started with the broth then tried some of the chicken. I actually got it down. I was reading some other posts here on lapbandtalk and one person recommended to someone who was having trouble getting her first bite down to drink tea or something hot before eating - that there may be some mucus kinda clogging the path. I tried this and its make it a lot easier to get things down. I can still eat just a little - which is good! But I can get it down! This week I've lost 5 lbs! Yikes. Probably an anomaly - at the most I should be losing about 3lbs per week. But its a good little jumpstart. Sure it will taper off this next week. Again, thanks for your advice.

I need your help. I am scheduled for a fill next Tuesday and I'm not sure whether to get it or not. My last fill was 3 weeks ago. Since then I've lost 8lbs (Yay). I feel however like I'm able to eat a lot of food in the last week or so. My band is definitely tighter than its every been with previous fills and I'm struggling with eating in the morning. My first meal of the day is so hard to get down and If I don't eat in the morning I often throw up my first meal. For Breakfast I have to eat yougurt or mushy Cereal or something really smooth else it won't stay down. Anything harder than a banana and its coming back up. At breakfast hours I can eat about a half to whole small banana. Later in the day - especially around dinner I can eat quite a bit and don't stay full for any significant amount of time - maybe 2 hrs. After fills I used to easily be able to go for 3 and 4 hours without even thinking about food. Now, after 2 I'm looking for food to snack on - I think I'm taking in lots of calories this way. So, I'm not sure whether or not I need a fill. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for your responses. I'm still in shock but have spent the last week really trying to research this. I have my consultation on next wednesday (a week an half from now). Probably then all my questions and concerns will be answered. Ohm, I was banded at my largest weight - so all my extra skin is due to the 71lbs I've lost since being banded a year ago. I've been really looking a lot at my body since this revelation. I've really noticed that a lot of my weight is in fact in my belly. I'm tall so I've always held weight realy well. More very curvy - but my lower belly is really the problem area. As I've lost weight - even before talk of the tummy tuck - I had really reveled at the fact that just under my breasts I had really gain some definition and shape - there is hip bone there. I'm actually quite lucky in the way my body is shaped from looking at all the abdominoplasty photos. I have a fairly smooth physique in the stomach, waist, and hips areas until it comes to the pannus - that's really the problem areas. As I've looked through pics of abdominoplasties I've seen some shapes similiar to mine - I don't think they are quite as big, but comparable. Either way this goes - if he tells me that I have to lose another 20 or even 50 lbs at my consultation before I can have it done that's still exciting. That means perhaps in the next 6 months or so - I was thinking I'd have to lose ALL my weight before having this done which is another 100 lbs. If with the tummy tuck they take 15-20 lbs of fat and skin that will also propel me towards my weight loss goal and losing that big flap will be a huge boost in my appearance. Yay - I can't help but be excited. I just hope I don't get dissapointed at this consultation. Has ANYONE else out there had a similiar experience. To give this some relativity - I'm about 1/2 way to my goal weight. Any comments, suggestions, concerns, or questions I should ask my doc are welcomed. I realy love lapbandtalk. Thank you all in advance for your help.

I went to a my doctor today for a routine fill and he began feelin around my hips and upper thighs. He said, "I can feel your bone". He said that he thinks I'm ready for abdominoplasty. I was like (because I couldn't beleive what I was hearing) "how much more weight do you think I need to lose?". He said, I think you're ready now. At the most maybe another 20 lbs, but I really think you're ready now. I was shocked. I was banded a year ago (2/13/09) and have only lost just over 65lbs (I was hoping to have lost closer to 100). Does this sound right? A abdominoplasty at 300 lbs? Really? Has anyone ever heard of this? I would think it would look weird. I have another 100+ lbs to lose - would I need another then? My mother who is a nurse said she once observed an abdominoplasty of someone who was far hevier than I where they removed 60+ lbs of skin and fat from her stomach. The prospect is exciting but 'm confused. I thought I would need to be near or at my goal weight. Please let me know what you all think.

Well, today makes one year! Yay! I remember just getting out of surgery thinking you just gotta make it through the hard part - like a year from now, everything will be good. Just keep thinking about a year from now! Well here we are - one year later. Let's chat about what has transpired over the last year. Well as of a few minutes ago I've lost 69 lbs! Yay! Now had you asked me how much i would have lost a year ago - I would have said at least 100 lbs or more. I must say - though I am very happy with my weight loss - I am a little dissapointed. I had hoped to lose a lot more - a lot faster. I remember being 2 months out - having lost 20 lbs and well on my way to that 100 lb year end goal - reading blogs of people who had lost 100 lbs in 10 months thinking that's gonna be me soon! It has not been me. I feel like I'm just in the transition from feeling circus freak obese (I'm sure I'm not circus freak obese), but I am quite large and on top of that I'm 5'11 - which just makes me an unusually large woman. So, I've transitioned from feeling circus freak huge to just normal fat. Which has been great. I still weigh just over 300 lbs - 303 to be exact. It would be nice on my bandiversary to say that I'm under 300 - that would be a nice benchmark. Anyhoo, some other changes. Am going to the gym regularly a minimum of 3x a week. Minimum - often 4 x and sometimes 5x. Its become a total habit. My clothes have changed - though there are no clothes that I just absoultely positively CAN'T wear anymore - they are definitely way too loose on me. I have clothes that I started out a year ago and could not squeeze in to at all - that are now too big for me. That's awesome. I've raided the too small for me clothes box in the garage and many of those are now too big as well. I feel better, have more energy etc., etc. I'm currently awaiting an appt to consult with my Plastic Surgeon for a tummy tuck - that's awesome. Things are well. Things are good! Things are very good. I must say this is, thus far, the best decision I've ever made. Just imagine how I'll feel in another year! :confused:

NO WORRIES! My first fill went really badly and after 30 minutes, over 10 sticks, and many tears - we decided to try again in 2 weeks. My doc had warned me at the time of the surgery that because of scar tissue they had placed the port deep. If you want to hear the details read my blogs about my first couple of fills. It gets much, much better. I must say that the anxiety of my first attempted fill experience plagues me though. Everytime I go in I pray and pray that it goes well. It has - and it keeps getting easier and easier. I think you'll be A-ok. To be honest - reading your post makes me feel better about my experience.

No - today is my bandiversary and I can say there has never been one day in the last year that I've regretted the band. Not one! The first 3 days after my surgery I did struggle through - but dude I HAD JUST HAD SURGERY! Honestly, I feel like the band is not even there - I just eat less and stay full longer. I can't feel the band. For me there have been no negative consequences to the band - none at all - except for some difficult fills initially. NEVER REGRET IT. My only regret it that I didn't have it done like 10 years ago. Wasted my 20s being fat!

Well, today makes one year! Yay! I remember just getting out of surgery thinking you just gotta make it through the hard part - like a year from now, everything will be good. Just keep thinking about a year from now! Well here we are - one year later. Let's chat about what has transpired over the last year. Well as of a few minutes ago I've lost 69 lbs! Yay! Now had you asked me how much i would have lost a year ago - I would have said at least 100 lbs or more. I must say - though I am very happy with my weight loss - I am a little dissapointed. I had hoped to lose a lot more - a lot faster. I remember being 2 months out - having lost 20 lbs and well on my way to that 100 lb year end goal - reading blogs of people who had lost 100 lbs in 10 months thinking that's gonna be me soon! It has not been me. I feel like I'm just in the transition from feeling circus freak obese (I'm sure I'm not circus freak obese), but I am quite large and on top of that I'm 5'11 - which just makes me an unusually large woman. So, I've transitioned from feeling circus freak huge to just normal fat. Which has been great. I still weigh just over 300 lbs - 303 to be exact. It would be nice on my bandiversary to say that I'm under 300 - that would be a nice benchmark. Anyhoo, some other changes. Am going to the gym regularly a minimum of 3x a week. Minimum - often 4 x and sometimes 5x. Its become a total habit. My clothes have changed - though there are no clothes that I just absoultely positively CAN'T wear anymore - they are definitely way too loose on me. I have clothes that I started out a year ago and could not squeeze in to at all - that are now too big for me. That's awesome. I've raided the too small for me clothes box in the garage and many of those are now too big as well. I feel better, have more energy etc., etc. I'm currently awaiting an appt to consult with my Plastic Surgeon for a tummy tuck - that's awesome. Things are well. Things are good! Things are very good. I must say this is, thus far, the best decision I've ever made. Just imagine how I'll feel in another year! :frown:

Well I went in for my sixth, no wait, seventh . . . heck I've lost count. I went in for a fill today. I have had som much trouble with the doc finding the port and it coming out and all that business. Today, he slid it right in in 2 seconds FLAT! No I could attribute this to the heavy praying I did right before that it would go smoothly but I'd really like to attribute it to my weight lost. Anyhoo, he put another .4ccs in and we were done! Like that - Whole thing to maybe 3 minutes. Crazy happy! The doc then starts feeling around my hips and waist and upper thighs. He says, "I can feel your bone." He then says, "I think you're ready for an abdominoplasty". I was like really? He was like "yeah". I was SHOCKED :w00t:! I said, because I ws quite positive that I was misunderstanding something, "how much more weight would I have to lose before I did that". He says, " you're ready now. The Plastic surgeon may ask that you lose another 20 at the most, but I think you're ready now." I said, " I thought I needed to be near or at my goal weight to have that done." He said, "No, you're ready now, we want to go ahead and get rid of that. Its mostly skin, with some fat, but we should do it all now, even your hips." I was floored. Now, I honestly haven't lost that much weight. Between me and you, I'm really dissapointed with my weight loss. I have my bandiversary coming up in about a week and I had really hoped to have lost closer to 100 lbs. I'm only at about 66lbs now. :w00t: I know I should be happy - and beleive me I AM! I just had expected more. But I know that slow and steady wins the race :smile: Anyhoo, I'm still over 300 lbs (305 to be exact). I just can't beleive they would do an abdominoplasty at 300lbs. Now I am a tall girl 5'11 and I've always carried my weight quite well. I am trimming down very nicely, very nicely. My thighs, arms, waist, etc. . But my belly is not seeing a significant difference. If anything my pannus just keeps getting lower and lower cause its losing the bulk so it hangs more. No real rash, just kind itchy sometime. I must say that it can get in the way of exercise - I always feel like it has to catch up to my rhythym. So I can only go as fast as my pannus will. Its always a beat behind me which often gets up both off synch. :tongue_smilie: Anyhoo, so the prospect of this is incredible! That would probably take off at least 20 lbs. 20 lbs! Wowsahs. Also, it would make exercise easier. And most importantly it will remove what has been the bane of my existence since age 14! I wouldn't know what to do with out that! Man, can you imagine all the things I can do better. Exercise, dress, sit, stand, and . . . .I'm a little embarassed to say this but what must sex be like, SANS PANNUS! Wowsahs! Ummmm, eerrrrr, I mean - its will just make so many things better. I'm now just a light with anticipation. I can't wait to get the appt from the Plastic Surgeon - I'm ready NOW! Just kidding - well I am - with the right information of course. I just, I never expected this when I went in this morning. This could be game changing. So I wait - in anticipation, trepidation, and just pure fear. What if I've gotten all excited about this prospect and then the plastic surgeon says - absolutely not. There is no way my doc could be THAT wrong though right? Right? Well, I'm excited - I know its major surgery but I've had like 30 surgeries in my life due to an accident I had as a small child that has plagued me my whole life - so I'm a surgery pro. Wow - game changing!

Well I went in for my sixth, no wait, seventh . . . heck I've lost count. I went in for a fill today. I have had som much trouble with the doc finding the port and it coming out and all that business. Today, he slid it right in in 2 seconds FLAT! No I could attribute this to the heavy praying I did right before that it would go smoothly but I'd really like to attribute it to my weight lost. Anyhoo, he put another .4ccs in and we were done! Like that - Whole thing to maybe 3 minutes. Crazy happy! The doc then starts feeling around my hips and waist and upper thighs. He says, "I can feel your bone." He then says, "I think you're ready for an abdominoplasty". I was like really? He was like "yeah". I was SHOCKED :tongue2:! I said, because I ws quite positive that I was misunderstanding something, "how much more weight would I have to lose before I did that". He says, " you're ready now. The Plastic surgeon may ask that you lose another 20 at the most, but I think you're ready now." I said, " I thought I needed to be near or at my goal weight to have that done." He said, "No, you're ready now, we want to go ahead and get rid of that. Its mostly skin, with some fat, but we should do it all now, even your hips." I was floored. Now, I honestly haven't lost that much weight. Between me and you, I'm really dissapointed with my weight loss. I have my bandiversary coming up in about a week and I had really hoped to have lost closer to 100 lbs. I'm only at about 66lbs now. :thumbdown: I know I should be happy - and beleive me I AM! I just had expected more. But I know that slow and steady wins the race :scared2: Anyhoo, I'm still over 300 lbs (305 to be exact). I just can't beleive they would do an abdominoplasty at 300lbs. Now I am a tall girl 5'11 and I've always carried my weight quite well. I am trimming down very nicely, very nicely. My thighs, arms, waist, etc. . But my belly is not seeing a significant difference. If anything my pannus just keeps getting lower and lower cause its losing the bulk so it hangs more. No real rash, just kind itchy sometime. I must say that it can get in the way of exercise - I always feel like it has to catch up to my rhythym. So I can only go as fast as my pannus will. Its always a beat behind me which often gets up both off synch. :thumbup: Anyhoo, so the prospect of this is incredible! That would probably take off at least 20 lbs. 20 lbs! Wowsahs. Also, it would make exercise easier. And most importantly it will remove what has been the bane of my existence since age 14! I wouldn't know what to do with out that! Man, can you imagine all the things I can do better. Exercise, dress, sit, stand, and . . . .I'm a little embarassed to say this but what must sex be like, SANS PANNUS! Wowsahs! Ummmm, eerrrrr, I mean - its will just make so many things better. I'm now just a light with anticipation. I can't wait to get the appt from the Plastic Surgeon - I'm ready NOW! Just kidding - well I am - with the right information of course. I just, I never expected this when I went in this morning. This could be game changing. So I wait - in anticipation, trepidation, and just pure fear. What if I've gotten all excited about this prospect and then the plastic surgeon says - absolutely not. There is no way my doc could be THAT wrong though right? Right? Well, I'm excited - I know its major surgery but I've had like 30 surgeries in my life due to an accident I had as a small child that has plagued me my whole life - so I'm a surgery pro. Wow - game changing!

I had the lapband procedure done and it was completely covered by my PPO insurance through Aetna. My sister has expressed interest in getting the lapband. However, her company is telling her they will only contribue $5,000 and she'll be responsible for the other $7,000. She does not have this money and it will take her quite some time to save it up. I don't want another year to pass with out her feeling the same victory that I have felt. Her insurance is a PPO and its Fiser/UMR. Does anyone know about this company or how we can get them to cover more?

I'm confused at this whole "restriction" talk. I've felt like I felt "restriction" from day one. Ever since I was banded, even before my first feel I have felt like I could eat considerably less than I did before - thats restriction right? Now, as time goes by usually 4-8 weeks the amnt of food that you can eat seems to gradually increase. For instance - I feel good when I can eat only half of a regular size sandwhich. One day I realized I had eaten a whole sandwhich - that made me realize I needed to get a fill. Now, there is no way I could have eaten 2 sandwhiches or even a sandwhich and a half but I usually can eat only half. When people talk about restriction it makes me think that they finally get to a place where they start feeling full. So if they say it took them 3 or 4 fills to get restriction does that mean they went months after having the band not feel full. That baffles me. I've always had restriction after a fill - and after awhile that restriction goes away which tells me that I need another fill. Am I just lucky?

Its been a while since I posted so I decided to jot down a few lines. Well the dress I blogged about is getting to big! Doesn't fit the same - I've lost 60+ lbs now But I've worked my butt off for the last 20. I've been working out 3x a week (which I really enjoy). I've been eating better - making healthier choices and staying away from the cookies, cakes, brownies, that do me in. October I was super sucessful, lost 15 lbs. In November I didn't lose ANYTHING! I'd like to think that all the working out gained me some lbs in muscle. So far this month 3 lbs. I'm creeping towards my bandiversary and I'd really like o have lots 100lbs. This may not be possible as I need to lose 40 lbs in two months. Maybe I'll take advantage of the New Year's gusto and really spend that 6 weeks with the pedal to the medal. Increase my work out from an hr to and hr and a half or maybe 2 and go 5 times a week. Alsom really watch what I eat. If I can't do 100 - I'd like to come damn close. Wish me luck! :tongue2:

Its been a while since I posted so I decided to jot down a few lines. Well the dress I blogged about is getting to big! Doesn't fit the same - I've lost 60+ lbs now But I've worked my butt off for the last 20. I've been working out 3x a week (which I really enjoy). I've been eating better - making healthier choices and staying away from the cookies, cakes, brownies, that do me in. October I was super sucessful, lost 15 lbs. In November I didn't lose ANYTHING! I'd like to think that all the working out gained me some lbs in muscle. So far this month 3 lbs. I'm creeping towards my bandiversary and I'd really like o have lots 100lbs. This may not be possible as I need to lose 40 lbs in two months. Maybe I'll take advantage of the New Year's gusto and really spend that 6 weeks with the pedal to the medal. Increase my work out from an hr to and hr and a half or maybe 2 and go 5 times a week. Alsom really watch what I eat. If I can't do 100 - I'd like to come damn close. Wish me luck!

Today I had a SKINNY DAY! My first REAL GENUINE SKINNY DAY! I bough a dress 3 months ago that I COULD NOT fit into. First I could barely pull it down over my belly. About a month later - I could SQUEEZE into it - but could not sit! This morning I went to my closet and pulled out a shirt that I wear every now and again and it fit TOTALLY different on me. I stood in the mirror and thought - OH this is how this shirt is SUPPOSED to look on me. I thought to myself - WOW! I've REALLY lost weight! I crept over to the closet and pulled out the dress. I was thinking that this was just another "try on". Just to guage my progress. I didn't think it would fit - I REALLY didn't think it would FIT! Really! I didn't think it would fit so much that when I put it on I actually said - hmmm, couple of more weeks maybe! Then I looked again - it was fitting. There were some parts that were actually TOO lose. I sat down - no problem! IT FIT! IT FIT! I wore the dress today! And it was BEAUTIFUL! I got so many compliments! I was so excited all day. Yeah, I've pulled some things out of the garage that I had packed away because they were now to small and can now fit. But I guess it was just odd that I COULD NOT fit this dress and now I CAN! AWESOME! And its only been 40lbs! Here's to many more SKINNY DAYS!

Today I had a SKINNY DAY! My first REAL GENUINE SKINNY DAY! I bough a dress 3 months ago that I COULD NOT fit into. First I could barely pull it down over my belly. About a month later - I could SQUEEZE into it - but could not sit! This morning I went to my closet and pulled out a shirt that I wear every now and again and it fit TOTALLY different on me. I stood in the mirror and thought - OH this is how this shirt is SUPPOSED to look on me. I thought to myself - WOW! I've REALLY lost weight! I crept over to the closet and pulled out the dress. I was thinking that this was just another "try on". Just to guage my progress. I didn't think it would fit - I REALLY didn't think it would FIT! Really! I didn't think it would fit so much that when I put it on I actually said - hmmm, couple of more weeks maybe! Then I looked again - it was fitting. There were some parts that were actually TOO lose. I sat down - no problem! IT FIT! IT FIT! I wore the dress today! And it was BEAUTIFUL! I got so many compliments! I was so excited all day. Yeah, I've pulled some things out of the garage that I had packed away because they were now to small and can now fit. But I guess it was just odd that I COULD NOT fit this dress and now I CAN! AWESOME! And its only been 40lbs! Here's to many more SKINNY DAYS!:sad:

The bands works! I totall yget your point - I've thought that too. Why get the band if you have to do all the work! I still think that. I really learned more about the band and to be honest, more about myself after I got the band. Everyone has already said it - so I don't know why I feel compelled to say it again but - food doesn't control your life anymore. I remember about a month after the band being at a work seminar that served lunch buffet style. When I first saw the buffet the fat girl in me was excited ! Unlimited food she screamed! The LapBand in me screamed - u gotta figure out how to get the most of the foods you enjoy most into this itty bitty space. Whereas the fat girl in me was trying to calculate how much food I could fit on one plate without drawing any stares the labband in me was elminating food to make the good stuff fit (no top slice of bread, no potato salad, etc.). Get this - there have been times when I ve stopped eating a cookie MID BITE! (Now for those of your hardcore bandsters - I know I shouldn't have been eating a cookie!) There are times - most of the time - I start eating a cookie and I'll get like 1/2 way through it and will just set it down - and it will sit on my desk, untouched for the rest of the day and will end of up in the trash at the end. That NEVER would have happened before the band. I would have had 3-5 Cookies. Before the band I was so scared that I wasn't going to be able to eat - but you can just very little. But you don't know its very little - in fact, I found myself looking at others in disgust at how much food they were gorging down. U can't really understand the feeling until you experience it. You're good - You're done eating - and have no desire to eat for 3-4 hrs. There are no cravings - I haven't found this to be a struggle at all. I'm 6 months out - I've only lost 40lbs - but I have been unable to get consistent fills because I have significant scar tissue from a previous surgery and they have a hard time getting to my port. I probably should have had 2-3 more fills than I've had. My fills thus far (3) have tended to last 2 weeks and I always loose 3-5 lbs in those 2 weeks. I have a fill on Tuesday - Yay! Wish me luck. Good luck to you too!

I am by now means the poster child so totally don't quote what I have to say. I was banded Feb 09 and have lost about 40lbs without exercise. I lost 20 lbs the first month after surgery and then then fluctuated between the same 5 lbs for the next 3 months. I got my 3rd fill about a month ago and then suddenly my weight loss took off! Been losing 3-5 lbs per week and have lost about 20 more lbs in the last month. So many bandsters have said that it takes a few fills for the wieghtloss to start. And I'm starting to agree.