RavenClaw779

For folks visiting NYC, we prefer you take in skating at the Roc or an off off Broadway show. A 15 hour visit to the ER is not on the Big Apple tour!

Hope I gave you a laugh...

For more details on my adventure, you'd have to scroll back through my blog.

It's been an interesting three, almost four years with an 11cc band that ultimately was never filled. When I went in for my first pre-band removal confab with the surgeon back in July he told me he's, "Taking out more than he's putting in...". Apparently this little detail has been out there for some time, just wasn't highlighted in all the 'Get The Band' hype.

Mine never slipped. When I got to see the films before and after they took it out, it was ugly. The band was entirely encapsuled in scar tissue. I was vomiting so much that the irritation triggered more scar tissue growth as my body was trying to wall off the foreign object. According to the surgeon, a couple more months and nothing would've gone down.

I can only imagine it would've come to a head sooner if I'd actually had fill in the band.

Suggestions...hmm. Well, clearly you've reached a good weight and learned to eat in such a way as to accomplish that, so I'm going to assume, not having a sleeve myself, that your new smaller stomach will accomplish the same thing as the band, without the negative side effects and extreme restrictions on what you can eat.

I can say that this past month has been great. Not having my hair falling out, my nails breaking, bruises all over and sores in my mouth due to poor diet and the inability to take supplements has made me feel more like myself than I have in a long time.

As for tomorrow - remember you can also have clear liquids, popsicles, italian ice, plus a full liquid shakes made with protein powder, yogurt, pureed fruit can be frozen and eaten like ice cream. Technically, an ice cream milkshake would also be a "full liquid" and if that's all you're eating you could afford those calories.

I've had more than my share of surgeries. I find that especially the day before surgery I'm so busy getting everything squared away that I'm generally too busy to concentrate on eating. Depending on your pre-op prep, you maybe able to do clear liquids all day and then nothing to eat or drink after midnight. I can guarentee you won't be hungry after surgery for at least a day or two. Don't freak if you gain weight - it's a product of the drugs you'll be given before, during and after surgery and those dandy painkillers which tend to be constipating.

As far as the "elective" surgery goes...I'd push back on your insurance carrier. I live in New York and there's only one plan in this state that allows you only one shot at WLS - MVP. I guess if you have the band and it fails you, that's it - no revision period. All the rest, including my carrier BCBS, approve revision or conversion especially when it's documented the patient made progress &/or the prior surgery or device failed.

I actual was aiming to do the removal/revision and BCBS approved it, but the WLS practice was insisting I go through all the pre-approval crap I did for the band again...sleep lab, psych, nutrition, labs, more tests repeating tests done just prior to this surgery. Want to guess why? $$$

What was really incredible was that they were going to rush all of these "necessary" pre-op clearances through in the two weeks prior to surgery. That's when my red flag went up and I wondered just how concerned they were about me as a patient.

Turns out they wouldn't have been able to do the revision at the same time due to the inflamation and scarring. When I asked my surgeon's PA if I'd done all the additional pre-op clearances and then the surgeon had found out when he went in that it was a no-go, would they just hold those clearances until it was safe to proceed?

Here's a laugh..."only for six months". Then I'd have to do it all again.

Apparently this has something to do with them knowing what the different insurance carriers will pay. One of my support group friends - had our surgeries at the same facility - had a similar experience, but her insurance would not pay to duplicate all the pre-op clearances. Bet you're guessing she didn't get her revision. Nope - she got her band removed, and her sleeve at the same surgery with no hoops to jump through! When the practice figured out they weren't going to get paid for all clearance nonsense, the fact they'd make more money on a removal/revision than a straight removal, meant that magically,they were willing to move forward.

My point - push for answers from your carrier and definitely read your health plan details or ask your benefits department for help - you never know.

Sounds trite, but you'll be in my prayers Thursday. All will go well, and you'll be fine. I look forward to hearing about your experience - maybe it'll convince me to go through the hoops again!

Thanks Guys for the Good Thoughts!

Thanks ladies!

Holly Clare - just remember that everyone's story is different. Just like everyone's body is different. Take any story - good or bad - and compare it to your knowledge of your body and situation. It's educational, but only to a point. These support sites provide valuable feedback that will help you know what to expect, what's normal and when to be concerned.

Try to answer everyone at once:

dylanmiles 23 - late October was the soonest they could get me in.

Mis 73 - I have NO fill!

cheryl 2586 - isn't it weird...I can do oatmeal with no problem and it's mushy.

LovetheNewMe - Won't bore you with details; my whole story is in my blog. I have no fill and have been told by my doc I should be able to eat everything, just smaller portions. I too am three years out; and find that regardless of cooking technique I can't do meat or chicken. Hands down the weirdest thing I can eat that actually has some texture and good mouth feel - SeaPak Shrimp Spring Rolls - go figure!

What happened to me could happen to anyone - true, but you're only six weeks out, so keep the faith. You'll do just fine. Jill

Do you mean a different practice? Yes, it's possible as there are several others in the area. However, I'm not their patient thus I'd most definitely have to go through their pre-surgical requirements.

If you mean another surgeon within this practice, I suppose I could, but my surgeon already agreed to do this as one procedure, so it maybe that he's not aware that the business side of the practice has these requirements. That's not uncommon as doctors focus on the "practice" side of a medical office and the business side is handle by admin types.

I can't even say for sure that this requirement is a mandate for all of this practice's patients. It may be based on the type of insurance you have or a particular carrier dictating the "need". Example - BCBS(my plan) doesn't require anything for a bonafide revision but based on my plan(PPO) they'll pay for almost any doctor's visit I need. The case coordinator knows this(as she knows all of the various carriers plans and policies) hence the practice is "requiring" all these additional steps because they'll get paid.

Another insurance carrier may also not require any additional steps prior to revision and won't pay for another psych eval, nutritional counseling etc. The practice wants to make money. They'll make more doing a removal/revision than just removing the band. If the patient is not going to be covered for all their "required" additional steps, it's not likely the patient is going to foot the bill for additional tests, visits etc. So since the practice will get paid to take out the band and do a revision in one procedure it makes more $$ sense to do this, than to hold the line on requiring re-certification which might result in the patient just having the band removed and never returning to go through the whole process again before yet another surgery.

Here's the kicker - there's NOTHING in my 11cc band! Can you imagine if I did have anything in it?!?!

It's a way to make more money?

Half dreading Monday - I'm still trying to blame myself..."it must've been something I did or didn't do"...and what if they get in there and in their view, nothing's wrong?(Not that they'd tell me that; I'm sure I'm going to be told I "need" the diag lap as well)

Is it all in my head and I'll just have to deal with it?

Mining for even more info online and it appears that I should be able to eat a small salad, veggies instead of getting my green fix a la V8.

Yesterday was classic...crazy busy...errands, volunteering and given that it takes me 40 minutes to get down breakfast I opted for a protein shake...went down, no problem. Four hours later, got home, dropped off the perishables, had a glass of iced tea and grabbed four(4) Combos pretzel snacks(To a certain extent I can do crunchy). Chew,chew, chew...back in the car and within 10 minutes I knew I was going to be sick. Pulled into a shopping center and barfed in one of the poo-poo bags I keep in the car for the dogs! Made it to the store I was headed to and right into the bathroom to throw up twice more.

Last night I was able to do a slice of toast; this morning - no way.

Thank God for gummy vitamins, fiber and probiotics for keeping me somewhat healthy and coffee for keeping me going. Nevertheless, I'm always tired, look bloated and my nails look like crap fairly sure I'm not getting enough protein. I know ...whine, whine, whine. Well, at least someone around here is happy...my two dogs who get to eat 3/4 of what I make for myself! LOL

You all are too sweet - but I appreciate all the support. Breast Cancer is one of those things that most women fear - and rightly so. It really doesn't seem to be preventable as it strikes all ages, races, thin, not so thin...we've got girls(and I do mean GIRLS) at my local cancer center in their late teens and 20's dealing with this beast. There is a positive - it's a disease that's getting alot of research and attention and doctors are less likely these days to make light of a younger women with suspicious breast issue or family history. Despite the fear of this disease more women actually die of heart disease than breast cancer. That said - Eat Healthy, Exercise and Do Your BSE!!

"Talk to my doc" - Good luck with that! Haven't seen him since the procedure - not even for a post-op. It's all PA's and NP's now. Oh - the first three fills are "free". It's reportedly $150 for each add'l. Like everything else you can't get a straight answer. Of course, I've reached my annual deductible so I owe zip for any medical procedure from now until 1/1/11. What's odd is I haven't seen a single EOB for my fills - you know they've got to be billing someone for them - unless they're as disorganized on the end as they are with their fill schedule. The focus is total on getting people in the WLS machine and when they're done it's a kind of "here's you hat, what's your hurry?" approach. I also suspect the price varies by your insurance carrier, so if they can't bill me for any add'l and my carrier only pays the contracted amount, I'm sure dragging these fills out until 2011 when they can nail me for my deductible and co-insurance out the ying-yang is all part of the plan. Wait - maybe I'll be so frustrated with my laugh of progress that I'll let them give me gastric by-surgery - CHA-CHING!

Glad I'm not the only one who thought this was absolutely the craziest thing I'd ever heard. It was all I could do not to stare gape-mouthed as this story unfolded!

I'm impressed with your pre & post procedure success. Me - only lost 11 pounds since surgery but I'm not even remotely restricted so I'm plodding on. Keep up the good work!

Attended a support group meeting with a friend. There were about 80 people there and not surprising most were quite obese. What got us was when we went around the room with everyone giving their surgery date/weight loss etc and it turned out that most of the people there were a year plus out - and hadn't lost much weight or had reached a plateau. Sadly, the people running the meeting (surgeon's group)had no valuable input to give beyond the same old "60-80grams of Protein!, Exercise!, Eat Less!" Equally troubling - the number of attendees who'd had the procedure yet had no clue about proper nutrition, the presenter when fielding a question from a diabetic patient who commented that because she'd had the procedure she, "couldn't still be a diabetic...next question!..." and the push to go back on Medifast(which they sell - Buy some NOW!) when you reach a plateau.

I get more from this site and my NUT - thank God my doctor had the sense to hook me up with the right person!:thumbup:

...not the one affiliated with my surgeon's practice. Got some concrete instructions, calorie goals and a framework which will hopefully get me moving in the right direction. Still seeking a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and child abuse as I realize that's the true root of my problem.

It's been over a month since I've seen any weight loss. I remain at 241 regardless of how much or how little I eat. I'm still hungry an hour or so after eating and can only hold out for so long. Prior to deciding to go with gastric banding, I reach a peak weight of 283. I was able to get down to 253 on my own, but the only time I was able to get lower was when I couldn't eat for several weeks due to a severe sinus/ear infection. It feels like it's happening again - I've reached a set point and my body is not going to let go. I guess this harkens back to the severely restricted momma mandated diets of my youth. I'm seeing my NUT today - hopefully she'll have some insight. Guess I should've gone for the GB after all.:confused:

Once again my lack of comparative restriction allowed me to eat fairly normally - just less.

We've been roped into a family dinner celebration at a very pricey and intimate restaurant tonight. This will be the first time I've eaten out since the operation and my stomach is already roiling in anticipation. I'd have prefered my first meal out to be somewhere noisy and crowded so that if I need to make a quick trip to the restroom, it won't be so obvious...think I'll have a protein shake before we leave and just pick at an appetizer....

I'd read that it was supposed to be every 6 weeks!?! My surgeon's practice is all about the $$ so my guess is the sooner they get you to the "sweet spot" the sooner they get to move on to another case.

...and it ain't the fabulous restriction provided by my first fill. Stuck to the clear liquids for 24 hours following my fill and was extremely hungry - in fact when I go too long without eating something real, I get a migraine - so by Thursday morning I was ready to kick some serious a-- ...made it through most of the day on broth and shakes but by that night I was on to mashed potatos and beans. Now it's 2 days since my fill and I am back on regular food, have no restriction and am hungry less than two hours after eating - and I can eat well over a cup with no PB. This is strange as I had PB situations prior to the fill. The PA who did my fill said the band was really, "sucking up" the saline.

Call me crazy, but I'm wondering if my band is defective - I shouldn't be feeling LESS restriction than before the fill - Right?

I am thankful that my Vanguard fund is bouncing back after the low point in 2008 and my "spring line" for the local artist venue sold out...and I haven't gained any weight...nor have I lost. :w00t:

Arrived 10 minutes late for my 10:45am appt and thought they'd have to reschedule - but as usual they're running late and I sit for another half hour - guess it's a good thing my afternoon was free.

The nurse took me back and got me on the scale - then the PA came in to do the fill.

He was really nice and it was painless - 2.5cc.

What was really interesting is that I go back in another two weeks for another fill and apparently every two weeks until...

The PA told me the first three fills are "no charge" - Gee for close to 30K they ought to be free!

Clear liquids today, so I have a raging "no food" headache, but I found that these "test tubes" of liquid protein (100 cal/0 carb/0 fat/25g protein) while not tasty did do the trick.

Made the Veggie Mary this morning with the Bariatric Eating "Pure" unflavored protein product and added a little garlic and pepper - very good. Even tasted the powder by itself - NO FLAVOR! Will order some today - my quest is over!:thumbup:

How awful is it to absolutely loath a fellow bandster? I really enjoy reading everyone's comments and get a lot of useful info, but there's one community member whose self-satisified, Holier-than-Thou, preachy lectures make me want to scream. That vague school-marmish tone directed at fellow bandsters who've slipped on dietary rules. That "maybe you should question why you have the band" finger wag. What -because you slipped you should get your butt to the doctor and have him take it out because you're just not committed enough?!

Everytime I read this bandster's comments I cringe - esp for the person who originally put the question out there looking for positive support and not a smarmy lecture.

Even my husband read few of this bandster's posts and had to laugh - his comment is apt - "Get Over Yourself!"!:thumbup:

*Warning - A totally non-WLS rant posted because it's my blog and I'll post what I want to:tt2:

My s-i-l hates to drive at night, so I'll be trucking down to the city to pick up my college age niece. Apparently she has a medical issue which she could've had taken care of at her university health center, but when her mother(my s-i-l) suggested this, my niece had a meltdown and demanded Momma make her an appt at home and fly her in. What a surprise! Momma does what baby wants. She may be 19, but emotionally more like 15...like her group of college friends who hang out together living a "high school but away from home" type of lifestyle. 20-some years ago when I was in college, we were a lot more mature and aware of key world issues. The effect of helicopter parents?! It's scary when my niece tells me she doesn't like kids but wants to teach 'cause she'll get lots of time off. Wow - just who I want educating the future!

Back to the "Apple" topic - my niece is now upset because her mother told the doctor about the problem when she made the appt. Apparently, my niece wanted her to just say that it's for a "check up" (& no - this is not a woman issue)! My s-i-l (rightly so) told her that the doctor needs to know the real reason so as not to waste time.

S-i-l wonders what her baby is thinking?!!

RU kidding? Here's where it "falls from the tree"...my s-i-l is a DM2 who tries to deny it. It took 3 years of warnings of pre-diabetes and then 6 mos after diagnosis to get her on oral meds. She's still not testing and tries to "trick" her labs by fasting for several days prior or eating "healthy" the week before. Of course, the numbers are still bad because she's non-compliant and hasn't educated herself. She calls me post doctor visit to report that the doctor wants her on more "meds" because her "numbers are bad" and she feels he's probably getting paid by the pharmacutical companies to give her more "stuff". So I say - "Could be - what new meds does he want? what were your labs?". She says..wait for it.... "I dunno - I wasn't paying attention!". Excuse me? What is more personal than a visit to your doctor - how can you not pay attention when it's your health??

This then leads to a conversation we've had before of how her health plan works and me telling her again to print me a copy and I'll review it...which she forgets - as usual.

I guess I'm not too surprised as this is some one who wishes she were back in high school, doesn't read the paper or watch the news, and threw a fit when her boss told her she was going to have to take some tech classes - started crying and shouting that she "didn't want to learn anything new!"

I'm actually fond of my s-i-l as apart from the tendency to gossip she is a very kind and non-judgmental person(wish I could be more like that) - but I often feel like I'm dealing with a child.

Not surprising - her mother (my m-i-l) is the same way. No, she doesn't want to go back to high school - instead she's fiercely independent...sort of. She's moderately more aware of what's going on in the world, but so flightly she only grasps half the story. When she doesn't get her own way - or doesn't get buy-in from the "fam" she just goes off and does whatever she wants then let's the rest of us pick up the pieces, the tab...whatever.

When it comes to medical issues - see above. She takes whatever scripts the doctor writes but doesn't know why..."I'm not going to take this Liptor anymore - I don't feel any different...". She's still seeing this ancient doc-in-box who treated her mother. She nixed her prior doc because the doctor did an Alzheimer's test on her and was concerned enough to contact my s-i-l.

Par for course, my m-i-l wanted my s-i-l to keep it a secret - Right!

Her driving skills have always been sub-par and now they're even worse.

Sunday night was a classic - when after two glasses of wine she was red-eyed, staggering and slurring but refused to give up her keys or let someone else drive her home and my s-i-l tells me, "She's not drunk - I'd know!"(sorta like, "She doesn't have memory issues - I'd know!") I'm torn between making a confidential call to the DMV before she hurts someone or herself or just stepping back and letting her kids take responsibility.

Sigh - good to vent and hope it gives my readers a laugh; I'm sure plenty of you are in the boat.

My husband and I married later in life(late 30's) so the in-law extension was already place when we started dating. I've always been able to step back from the big picture and see the various characters for what they are. I used to be disgusted, now I'm just amused!

Veggie Powder is freeze dried veggies in a podwer form that you can mix as a drink or add to other foods to boast your daily intake. There are various brands - GNC, Vitamin World both carry. Currently I'm using "My Daily Veggies" comes in a 14 pack box.