LastChance4Me

Hi Hmarko, I was in a lot of pain after the restiching and plication. As I said earlier I couldn't get anything down so dr took out plication stiches. So, it was two surgeries in three days. Since I was in the hospital for three nights/four days I was on lots of pain meds via I.V. so I didn't hurt much until I got home then I started to hurt a lot. It felt like I had done 1,000 sit ups! It has been three weeks today since the last surgery and I am just now feeling back to normal. Still hurting a little but better. I am a little disappointed that I was not able to keep the plication. I just had my first appt with my doctor this last Tuesday. He told me he also replaced the port. (I wondered why I was hurting around my port area too!) He did my first fill - I think about 2 cc's which has done nothing for me. I have NO restriction. I'm scheduled to go back in a month but I may try and get in sooner since this fill is doing nothing for me. I think you must be in a lot of pain due to all the other procedures you had. You have done so well you'll soon start losing again. Hang in there you'll feel better soon.

3/23 Surgery - Fix lap band and gastric plication. My doctor found that my lap band had been flopping around in there! My band would stay in place if it didn't have much Fluid. As soon as I had fluid put in where I would get a nice restriction it would move/flop around and then I would have to have fluid removed. He restritched the lap band down. I also had the gastric plication. (folds in stomach stitched) But after two days I couldn't get anything down! I was told I could not leave the hospital until I could get some fluid down. After two days my doctor had to go back in and take the stitches of the plication out! Dr said my stomach was so swollen and that's why I could not get even an ounce of fluid down. My body just seems to swell a lot and that was the problem. I have to say that even when I had the lap band originally put in back in 09 I was very swollen then too - just from that. My band always worked for me until it slipped, then was flopping around. Now that the band is back in place I will be fine. I was hoping the plication would work since I hear you lose lbs quickly. I will just have to be patient!

Cleveland Clinic calls it "LAPAROSCOPIC GASTRIC PLICATION" It is a very NEW procedure. No cutting, stapling, removal of stomach. Reduces stomach up to 70%. Minimally invasive. Cleveland clinic has a VIDEO LIBRARY Introducing the new procedure. I am having it done in California. Thank you for giving me your input!

This is a very NEW procedure. The Cleveland Clinic website calls it "LAPAROSCOPIC GASTRIC PLICATION" It is sewing one or more large folds in the stomach. Reducing the stomach about 70%. No cutting, no stapling, no removal of the stomach or intestines. The Cleveland Clinic website has as VIDEO libray showing procedure. Also pictures on website. My doctor is going to replace lap band and do the Gastric Plication.

Maybe having Gastric Plication at the end of March. I have had the band for a year. The first 7 months was perfect. Lost 35 pounds. Then my band slipped. Doctor unfilled band and it went back into place. Waited a month then started back with putting small amounts in. But whenever the band would get close to where it was when I had my sweet spot - the band would start to slip again. Then I would have to have Fluid removed AGAIN! This has been going on for months. So I am having my band either restitched or replaced in a couple of weeks. My doctor also wants to do a Gastric Plication. He seems to think that it will help me tremendously. The info I can find on GP is that it is a good procedure and works well. The only problem is that it hasn't been around in the US long but has been done for awhile in Europe and Brazil. I found some good info on the Cleveland Clinic website.

Banded in Sept 09 Worked great for me for 5 months. Lost 47 pounds. Had a fill and was fine for four days. Vomited on Thursday and by Friday night was feeling terrible pains in my entire stomach. ER on Friday night. Dr there had an xray but showed nothing wrong and sent me home with pain meds. Saturday started hurting the minute I tried to take a sip of water. Back to ER and they finally got a hold of my surgeon. He had them do a Barium swallow test which did show my band had slipped. Dr. completely unfilled my band and had me spend the night in case I needed surgery in the AM. :crying: Another test in the AM and my band had repositioned itself! Was sent home w/instructions to have liquids and soft foods only. Three days on liquid and now trying soft foods. I see the doctor again on Friday. I don't know if they will ck and see if band is still in place. Don't know if I will get a fill or? I do have to mention that I thought the last couple of months I was at my sweet spot but then after a couple of weeks I start having problems with keeping things down and have to go for an unfill. So I am perplexed with my problem. I feel I would have lost more but with the filling and unfilling lately I keep going up and down. Anyone else have this problem? Thanks for any input.

Banded in Sept 09 Worked great for me for 5 months. Lost 47 pounds. Had a fill and was fine for four days. Vomited on Thursday and by Friday night was feeling terrible pains in my entire stomach. ER on Friday night. Dr there had an xray but showed nothing wrong and sent me home with pain meds. Saturday started hurting the minute I tried to take a sip of water. Back to ER and they finally got a hold of my surgeon. He had them do a Barium swallow test which did show my band had slipped. Dr. completely unfilled my band and had me spend the night in case I needed surgery in the AM. :drool: Another test in the AM and my band had repositioned itself! Was sent home w/instructions to have liquids and soft foods only. Three days on liquid and now trying soft foods. I see the doctor again on Friday. I don't know if they will ck and see if band is still in place. Don't know if I will get a fill or? I do have to mention that I thought the last couple of months I was at my sweet spot but then after a couple of weeks I start having problems with keeping things down and have to go for an unfill. So I am perplexed with my problem. I have lost approximately 47 pounds since September. I would have lose more but I have to keep going in for unfills the last two months. Anyone else have this problem? Thanks for any input. :crying:

I was banded in Sept 09. No pain until the last few weeks. Inside at port area. Same with me - no pain on the outside. Comes and goes. I have left a msg at my dr's office for them to call me. Thanks Happy Girl - hope that's what my dr tells me.

Had my surgery on the 16th. For some reason I thought I would be back to normal within a week. No such luck. I have been fine as long as I am not doing much. Went for a walk on Sunday - 4 days after surgery and could only walk about 15 minutes. I'm thinking it will be two weeks before I am back to my "normal". I think it takes longer than everyone says! My husband keeps reminding me that I did have surgery! My tummy is sore by the port and very bloated. So hang in there -- we just have to give our bodies time to heal!

BMI 35 Surgery scheduled for Sept 126. Received my insurance approval August 20. I will start my pre surgery diet plan on Sept 1 - after I return from vacation. I have to really get into re reading all the packets of information I was given. I was so afraid of not getting approved that I just didn't study the material in depth. I am glad there is a September Band site.

So glad your Mom is supportive as my daughter is being for me. My daughter was here visiting and I just sort of blurted it out too! I am starting on my pre operative diet too! I don't have a pear shape but I really don't have a shape at all anymore well I guess I am now an apple shape. Big in the middle which is soooo bad for your heart etc. I have lost weight the last year or so but then gain it back + more. So this will stop for us soon!

Glad to see your surgery is scheduled soon. Good Luck!

Even though I said I was NOT going to tell anyone other than my husband about my upcoming surgery I decided to let my grown daughter know - just in case something didn't go right. I asked her to keep it private. She was surprised and wanted all the details about the procedure. I am currently scheduled for mid September! I too want it done before I get any bigger. There have been many times in my life when I've done something and thought gee why did I wait so long to to this. I think being banded will be one of these things I will think about next year!

Hello Tory, You still have my thoughts and prayers! My doctors office had all the paper work in order and I was approved today - August 20. I know that the sleep apnea test results are important to the ins company. S0 hang in there! :confused:

Hi ColoradoMom, August 20th. Thanks for your thoughts. I hope you can have your surgery soon. I just found out today that I was approved for surgery by my insurance company. :confused: I'm sure the insurance company looked at my records for the last year and can see that they have paid out $$$$ for my many visits to PT, Chiropractor and my Cardiologist. I know the 800 range of my tryglicerides amazed my cardiologist so I'm sure the insurance company saw it too. I also have a family history of diabetes, heart attacks etc. My dad passed away at 66! My approval came just in time as I was at my orthopedic doctors today as my knee has been hurting and swelling. I have had two previous knee meniscus surgeries and I am hoping that I don't have to have another surgery. He gave me a cortison shot - another reason I need to drop some weight. I also live in the land of the slim and fit in Southern California. I almost told my daughter today but then decided not to. She's in her thirties and weighs a mere 112 pounds! She has been lucky so far as she takes after her fathers side of the family. I might tell her the night before I go in for surgery - but then again I just might keep it private. I'm sorry you don't have insurance to cover your surgery. I know I would have found the money if I had to as I can not deal any more. I have heard the price can be anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 here in Southern California. BTW As I told you I was just approved today. But last month my insurance covered all of my other testing. sleep Apnea test, blood work, Upper GI test, some swallow test, cardio pulmonary test etc. So hopefully your insurance will cover some of the other expenses that aren't necessarily for pre lapband surgery. I didn't realize that even if you are paying for the surgery yourself that you have to have a BMI of 40? Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Hang in there. I have been going through the process for three months, psych evaluation, sleep apnea over night test, etc etc. I too am waiting for my doctors office to send in the request for approval. The way it was explained to me by the doctors office was that they want to have all the paper work in perfect order so there will be less of a chance for the ins co to deny the request. I also have Anthem Blue Cross. I have been feeling down but when I think of all the years I have been trying to lose weight - another month I can handle - and so can you!

I have a bmi of 35 and have sleep apnea, tryglicerides of 800, cholesterol of 340, bad plantar fasciitis for the last year. I hope that my insurance will cover me. My dr is sending in request next week. No one but my husband knows I am doing this. I have been having a rough time with dieting the last 10 years and I am over it! I don't want to hear one more person tell me that I just need more will power. Nor will I be telling anyone that I had it done. It's my business!