Sarah8807

Hey girl! I'm about where your at with the weight loss. I got a fill last week and I felt restriction for that day but then the next day still feel like I have very little restriction. I scheduled another fill for next week. I did the same thing with the stuck feeling. I ate some butternut squash way too fast and omg it sucked! And dry meat is not my friend either!! Thanks for keeping us updated. Hope your fill goes well

I just received my first denial letter for my lap band yesterday and my insurance coordinator assures me that the insurance company has ALL the required medical info and evals and that this is typical of Blue Cross *** to deny on the first submission. i chose the lap band because I have type 2 diabetes due to my weight and I am on high levels of insulin and i inject 2 different insulins every day. The side effect is hunger. So, naturally, I'm hungry ALL THE TIME. That of course leads to high sugar spikes and MORE insulin, etc. I am really hoping the lap band will help curb my hunger and make it easier to make the eating and lifestyle changes required to be successful with the lap band. The gastric sleeve and the gastric bypass scare me but stats show almost complete resolution of diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea, but not so much with the band. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Keep submitting your paperwork to the insurance. If you meet all the requirments they have to approve you. I think by law they can deny you 2 or 3 times before they have to submit it to a doctor that is not with their company and most of the time it's approved at that point. If not contact ObesityLaw. They are partially funded through allergan (part makers of lapband) and everyone I have seen go through them has gotten approved. DONT GIVE UP!!

Don't be scared. :-) I am one month post op and lapband does not do all the work for you. I have changed the way I eat (although occasionally I've had a few treats) and I think it would be really hard to live with lapband if you didnt change the way you eat. Like carbs and things like that a lot of banders have trouble with and cant get them down, but I've had a little and had no problems. So it's no gaurantee what you will be able to eat. Lapband is not the easy way out and does take a lot of effort if you really want to lose the weight. It's more than just portion control. :-) I know how you feel though. It is a little dishearting knowing that I may not be able to eat some of the foods I use to love...but at the same time I am greatful for that because those foods I "loved" are what put me in the boat I am in now. I have more than 100lbs to lose and to me thats just crazy! A whole person! So in a way I am greatful that the lapband does not tolerate certain foods and that I have had to change my lifestyle for it!

Thank you ladies. Yes I am back at 270 now so Im a little happier with that. My fill is Tuesday and I cannot wait! lol. Never thought I would say that....lol

Thanks for the positive encouragment! I have been doing much better today and getting back on track!! I am really interested to see what this fill will be like because so far there has been nothing that I have eaten that has not gone down...I still try to make the right food choices, I guess Im just a little suprised after knowing so many people that cant have breads, rice, or any type of carb without getting sick.

Sorry hun! :-(...Does your doctors office typically numb anyone? My surgeon sprays this stuff on my stomach and all I feel is preasure...I hope next time is better for you!!

Thane, It was hard to tell really. I guess I just got really sick of putting everything in a blender so I though I would try something thats not too hard. I started with cottage cheese. That went down great no problems. Then i had some scrambled eggs. Everything so far has gone down fine. The ONLY time (so far) that I have had problems is in the morning. I cant eat much early in the morning. So I just stick to protein shakes or maybe yogurt. Brenda, How much weight have you lost? Is your band a 10cc? Thats great that you do mini meals. I think I prefer that too. It is weird how the band affects everyone SO differently... Good luck to both of you!!

Thanks Mickp24, I think that you are right in some ways. I really want a fill though becuase for the last week I've hardly lost anything and Im starving. I feel like I could eat a buffet if I wanted to. So for me I would just like to have some sense of fullness and not be so hungry

Thanks!!!!

Great blog!! I have only been banded for almost two weeks but I feel like I can already relate to you about this. My biggest fear before I got banded was the slippage or erosion of the band. My surgeon assured me that the rate of either of these things happening was less than 1% of patients. He also told me that when your band does slip it is usually because of what your eating. Before I was banded and he told me this, I thought hey no problem! As long as it doesnt fall apart on its own surely I will be able to control what goes in my mouth. I have no regrets to getting banded but I think I went into it with a false sense of security. Like I wasnt going to be hungry anymore lol. I have not gotten my first fill yet so I cant really complain. But because there is nothing in my band I am hungry. Almost the same as I was before I was banded. I know that when I start getting fills things will get easier, but a lot of what I do now is simply me and not the band. Anybody that says that band itself is an easy way out is an idiot and has not idea what we put ourselves through for this. Like I said before I have no regrets, but yes I think we all worry about failure. I think voicing it and being honest about it though helps to hold us accountable. Good luck to you!!!

Thanks Maddy! Great idea

I love this post! So true...Im learning a lot about myself by not being able to eat all the time or just eat whatever I want. It really makes you realize just how strong you are!!

I wasn't going to tell anyone (except close friends and family)...I then decided to tell someone I thought was a friend at work. She knew that I was working for months to get approved through my insurance but I think she thought that because it was taking so long I probably would just give up...well I didnt and when I told her that I was approved for surgery her facial expression was anything but accepting. She almost seemed mad...She is overweight herself and swears that she can do it on her own and that surgery is just the easy way out...if she only knew...After she found out EVERYONE I work with found out. Which was fine. Im not hiding my life from anyone. But I work with some really negative nancy's so I would say only 1/4 of the people actually "approved" of MY decision. Either way I dont care what everyone else thinks. I am doing this MY way and as far as Im concerned it takes a really strong person to do what us lapbanders do!!!

Yeah the chili is the one thing that satisfies!! For the butternut squash soup your amounts on everything may very a little as it is hard for me to give exact amounts. I am one of those cooks who just cooks something and doesnt go by measuring everything lol...But heres how I do it...

Depending on how much soup you want is how big your squash should be. You would be suprised how much even a small squash makes

squash (I peel the skin, take seeds out, and then cube it up into small peices)

add squash to your pan (somewhat large one) with about 5 tsp oil or margarine

sautee squash until its golden brown and starting to get mushie

take a masher (or whatever you use to make mashed potatoes) and mash squash until there are no large chunks (it will be more firm than potatoes)

add skim milk (It's hard for me to tell you how much because I eye it, but I would think anywhere from 1 cup to 3 cups depending on your squash) You could use half and half for this to make it more thick but that of course would be more calories...

you will be able to tell how much milk to put in when you start mixing it with the squash

add your seasonings...I use....

salt

onion powder

a little cinnamon

pepper

again....sorry for no accurate measurments, I just add mine and taste as I go

Simple and Delish when done!!

Your not alone!!! Im 1 week post op too and have no real "restriction"...Im on the pureed diet and the pureed chili is the only thing that really satisfies me...I also put on a little of the weight back on after surgery. Hang in there! You have people here who can relate Good Luck!!

Wow this is very inspirational!! Way to go!!! That is truely amazing. I've seen a few people online lose weight that fast but its not common. I'm down 20 in two weeks. Hope I can be as successful as you!!!

There are a FEW good lapband books out there. I would start by looking on Amazon or Ebay under "Lapband book" I know there is one lady that I use to talk to that wrote a book about her lapband journey and I think it had some recipes in it...Sorry dont remember what it was called lol. You may also look outside the Lapband genre. I myself really like the Mayo clinic recipe book. Its a huge book full of great recipes (and most are lapband friendly) and they have all the calories and things of that sort in them. Hope that helps..

Hang in there!!! I know how you feel. I had to quit smoking before surgery too...I must admit....I did cheat a little lol. But nothing for the week before surgery...I somehow justified to myself that if I didnt smoke for a week before surgery I would be OK...lol. I am now one week post op and STILL trying not to smoke...but man its hard. Especially when your on a pureed diet!! So just hang in there and try to keep yourself busy This online communtiy is really helpful and sometimes you can just lose yourself in all the conversations, pictures, and so on, and that really helps!!!! Feel free to blog as much as you need to!

Thank you ladies for your support! I really love this online community. Who knew that you could feel so close with people you have never met in person!!

Thank you!

Glad you are doing well!! I hope I am at that point soon too!

The hospital stay for me was great. I went to Weight Loss Surgical Center in Overland Park KS, which only does lapband. So it's a small hospital, but all the nurses and doctors specialize in lapband so they knew all the ins and outs. I stayed in my gown for the most part of the time I was there. I've had some gas pain but walking really does the trick with that. I havent had any gas medicine and I've been ok. The most pain is where the incesions are. Sitting really hurts and getting up sucks!! My throat is also a little sore from the breathing tube during surgery. I will keep udating. I hope tomorrow is better, but I really cant complain too much! This was NOTHING compared to my C Section!!

lol pooh!! I agree. I am so tired of these people...

Good luck girl!! You can do it! Let us know how it goes...I have less than a week now. My nerves are shot!

Tan ya, Is this the whole pre op diet you had to do? The two days before surgery? Just wondering. I know a lot of doctors are different in what they require. My doctor has me on liquids for a week until surgery! It sucks! lol. Well good luck!!! Let me know how it goes for you!!