outside*looking*in

So love your post and reply's!

Has anyone had to pay for an endoscopy? I may have to have one and would like to know a ball park price if I can't get the insurance (who did not cover my band) to pay for it. Thanks

Wow that was quick! Congrats! Have you had time to research everything and have all your questions answered? I am 8 months out and new questions form every week. This is a great place to come for some insight. Not all doc's require the pre-op but it seems like most do. A low-carb type diet (minus all the high fat stuff) is about what mine required. Congrats again.:thumbup:

Everything Betsy said. Don't give up the fight! :thumbdown:

Went to the doc today and he suspects Gastritis. He put me on Pepcid daily and a follow up in 2weeks. If I continue to have symptoms in that 2 weeks he is going to do an endoscope. He says at 8cc in a 9cc band I am pretty tight. I don't feel it like I have seen others describe. I don't get stuck, I don't pb/slime. I can still eat my 5oz of food at each meal and not feel full but mostly satisfied. I asked if developing an ulcer meant that the band had to come out (which I have read on other post) and he said no. That it will be treated the same as treating someone without the band (relief). So, I hope the pepcid helps the irritation in my stomach (I have not had actual reflux) just a dull burning sensation.

I choose the band because I was too scared to have my stomach cut and switched and what not. I liked that the band is less risky procedure. The down side is now I am always in fear of something going wrong with the band and it will have to be removed. Since I paid out of pocket I think the fear is a bit worse. I also don't like having to wait for proper restriction with fills. I have, however, lost about 60lbs in 8 months and feel great about that! Sometimes I wish I had looked into bypass a little more. But I am sure there are things that I don't know about that they have to worry about. Best of luck.

I am still struggling with the changes. I have lost weight. I have had stalls. I have had to have my Gallbladder removed. I still don't have complete "restriction" with 8cc in my 9cc band. And NOW all of the sudden I am dealing with gurgling and gas when I eat?? I am grateful for the 60+ lbs I have dropped. I am grateful that I don't PB, slime or get stuck (only rarely get stuck and I just stand up and it is gone in a minute) I am ALWAYS worried that when I feel a sick feeling in my stomach that there is something wrong with my band and it is going to have to come out! (self-pay). I am curious how many people who had the surgery in the same month are at restriction and how long it took them to get there. I keep wondering if maybe I DO have restriction but just don't know it?? I can eat my alloted 5oz of food (sometimes wanting more) and still get hungry in between. After 2 hours I start feeling hungry and by three hours the stomach is growling and I will start feeling ill if I don't eat. I am sure I will figure this thing out one day! Best of luck to everyone.:smile2:

So EVERY TIME I get a stomach ache I worry that there is a problem with my band or a problem that can lead to it having to come out! I am almost 8 months out from my band surgery and 3 months out from having my Gall Bladder removed. About 3 weeks after my GB was removed I started getting a burning sensation in my stomach every now and again. It never comes up like acid reflux but just makes me uncomfortable all day. Then I stress about if this is a problem with my band or could it be a result of bile constantly dripping into my intestines??? Did I eat something that did not agree with me. Should I call the surgeon or my PCP?? I guess I worry a bit more since I was self-pay and if this had to come out, I would not be able to afford to have a different surgery.

This is probably not what you want to hear but I am 7months out and up to 8cc and still don't have the kind of restriction that I see other people post about. I certainly eat less than before! I measure out my 5oz of food and sometimes it satisfies me and other times not so much. I really think (and hope) I am close since I only have a 9cc band! Of course, everyone is different and I really wish I was one of those people who could have got restriction at 3cc or so. Best of luck.

AWESOME!!! WAY TO GO!:thumbup:

Midol has acetaminophen and caffeine plus a diuretic in it. I have not taken Midol but never have a problem with Tylenol. I used to take Advil for cramps but my doc said they were a no no until about 4 months out and then only the liquid gels. Well, I finally tried them last month for my cramps and I will NEVER take them again! I had upset/sour stomach for 2 days! I guess it all depends on how it sits on your stomach. Can't hurt to call the doc/nurse.

I was banded in Feb '10 and went in for yet ANOTHER fill today. I now have 8cc in a 9cc band. I am HOPING this one will do the trick. I have had minimal restriction (never true restriction) since being banded and for the last 2 months I felt as though I have actually gone backwards and feel MORE hungry. It has been 7 months of "bandster hell" for me. I will not know until I go back to normal foods though. MAN, I really wished I was the one who did not have to even get fills to reach restriction. Best of Luck

It has been all positive so far. In fact, I even went back a month ago to have Dr. Koppman remove my Gall Bladder. The staff is always nice and ready help with any questions or problems. I am still not at that "sweet spot" for restriction but getting closer. Weight loss has slowed down but I will get there. I am still plugging along though. Best of Luck.

I had mine out a month ago and I was banded back in Feb. I slept a lot the day of but the next day I was feeling pretty good. For me, the pain was not bad. I did however reach up too high to grab a heavy casserole dish and slightly pulled open an incision so be careful of those incisions. Best of Luck

Thank you all. I felt fine yesterday but I did feel a little icky last night. I have not had experience yet with being too tight and since I have not had pb's, stuck episodes or throwing up I was not sure if that was the problem. I will be seeing the doc if the reflux happens again. I don't want to trade being overweight for feeling bad all the time. Thanks again:smile2:

I posted a few days ago about "sour stomach" and it did not trigger very many responses. Here is the situation. One month ago I had my Gallbladder removed. Two weeks after I started noticing a little acid/upset stomach. It was infrequent though. Thursday I had a small fill. Friday I had HORRIBLE acid indigestion! It lasted all day and night and I had a sensitive stomach all weekend! I cut out anything acidic that would bother my stomach. The thing is I am able to tolerate food and portions fine. I have not had PB's or slimming or anything like that. I called and spoke to the nurse this morning and she said she never heard of anyone having problems with reflux after GB removal and her thought is that I am too tight. She said if it happens again, go in to the office for an unfill.???? I wish she would run it past the docs though because bile reflux is a REAL symptom! Has anyone had experience with this and what was the outcome? Thanks

I had a fill the other day and have had a sour stomach every since! I have tried tagamet and pepto but it does not really help. I had a few episodes of this before my fill but it only lasted a few hours after medication. I have not had any PB's or throwing up, not even reflux in my throat. I have had heavy menstrual cramps for the past two days and thought this could be adding to my restriction. Is sour stomach a sign of being too tight?? I will call the docs on Monday but any input for now would be nice.

did your doctor give you a fill at surgery?? I have seen that some do this and maybe, if he/she did, it is too much for you?

have you talked to your Doctor? I agree.....give them a call if you have not already done so.

Somewhere on this site I have almost the EXACT same post! I did the same "food break down" then panic:scared2: over the fact that I ate a whole bagel! Worried I would have stretched my pouch and so on. .......I like you,,,did not have restriction. You are probably no longer feeling the effects of being swollen from after your surgery and have been eating less on will power (just a guess). I agree.. don't beat yourself up....this is a long journey and along the way we will have bad days. Just get your head and self together, put it behind you and move on. You can do it. Best of luck.

Uhh....what??? I had an unknown hernia that was repaired while they were in there. They don't charge extra for it. It is a matter of a few stitches! So, if you or your insurance is already paying for everything else, just HOW much are they charging to put in a couple of stitches? I have not heard of anyone saying that had to pay for the repair let alone pay in advance "JUST IN CASE"!!!! That is CRAZY! Plus, you have no way of knowing if they REALLY fix a hernia or not,. By the way if your ins is paying I would give them a call with this. I guess we will see if anyone else has had this happen.

So I have 7cc in my band and I think I am getting near the restriction but not there yet. I definitely can't eat what I could before (for example - before I could eat a whole grilled chicken sandwich with a most steak fries and now I can only eat 1/2 the sandwich and like 3 fries) (just an example I have had that twice since banded. I eat pretty well!) Also, somethings new that I have noticed. 1. If I eat a meat Protein and then something juicy, like a fruit, it is harder to go down. Or take a sip of a drink is more of a problem. 2. I gurgle, like a drain unclogging, about a half hour after I eat?? Problems, I forget to drink Water sometimes and mistake my thirst for hunger! I have to remember to drink more!

I am glad they decided to support you. It is very rare to have a death due to the band unless warning signs are ignored COMPLETELY or it was more due to a co-morbidity complication or anesthesia. Also, many people group ALL weight loss surgeries in the same category and don't understand that they are not all the same. Is it possible that this friend of a friend had a different surgery? Just wondering. Best of Luck

Self pay here as well. Paid close to $18,000. I have lost about 40lbs in 5 months. My weight still goes up and down and then drops and then bounces up and down by a few lbs. If I did not make the decision to do this, I would still be the same weight or higher, still miserable, still have no self-esteem, still frustrated with my clothes and still not going out and enjoying life. Now, even though I have only lost forty, I feel better about my self and more comfortable out in the world. My kids are enjoying their life more because I am able to do more with them. I do worry that if something happens in the future, I will have to fork out money again to have it removed/replaced. I hope we get to the point where my husband can have this or another surgery for his weight problems in the future.

So here is my advice....... throw away the guilt! Try your hardest to make the best food choices and follow your doctors "band rules". I am almost 6 months out and have a total of 7cc in my band and guess what, I HAVE NO RESTRICTION!!!:sad: I have not found that magic sweet spot after going in for 5 different fills! I decided early on that I am going to do the best I can, celebrate the small stuff and not harp on myself for having a bad day or week. I still have trouble with eating slowly. (especially if I let myself get too hungry). I don't exercise like I should or would like too, but have made improvements. I did not learn my bad habits overnight and waking up from surgery won't magically take them away. Maybe you WILL be a lucky bander that will feel restriction on your first fill. I have been in "HELL" for near 6 months now. I have had my break downs, set backs, lost and gained the same 5lbs for 2 months, and on top of that I have lost about 40lbs. Great for me and on top of that it should only get better. I have a lifetime to learn how to use the band. Best of Luck