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Would you have lost the 40 pounds anyway? This is what I'd ask myself! You've done terrific work. Even though you know the band requires work and proper restriction, it ok to be frustrated (especially when you so those ol' bypassers are passing you up). Remember, it's not a race!!! You already are the WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **The first year, for me, was a very emotional time. It also takes awhile to "wrap" our heads around our food/marriage/body/self worth issues. Shawn

I called Tricare and the very nice lady who could not give me a definite answer. She told my to have my doctor submit a pre-authorization and see what happens. I could not find a solid answer in the Tricare manual so I did a lot of searching and this is what I came up with. CHANGE 55 6010.54-M JANUARY 30, 2007 SUMMARY OF CHANGES (Continued) CHAPTER 4 (Continued) 5. Section 13.2 (Surgery For Morbid Obesity). 43644, 43842, 43846, and 43848. No change. New CPT procedure codes were within procedure code range. We added the following to Exclusions: laparoscopy, gastric restrictive procedure (CPT procedure codes 43770:cry - 43774) and gastric restrictive procedure (CPT procedure codes 43886 - 43888) is unproven. Added “for gastric bypass procedures” for unlisted codes. 6. Section 20.1 (Nervous System). 61000 - 61860, 61863 - 63048, 63055 - 64999, 95961, 95962, 95970 - 95975, 95978, 95979. Pulmonary ateriovenous malformation (PAVM) was removed from paragraph III.B. because it did not belong in this chapter. New CPT procedure codes 61630, 61635, 61640 - 61642 added to Exclusions. Deleted CPT procedure codes 64561 and 64580 from paragraph IV.J. because they were the wrong codes for this procedure. New CPT procedure code range is 61000 - 61626, 61680 - 61860, 61863 - 63048, 63055 - 64999, 95961, 95962, 95970 - 95975, 95978, 95979. Link to PDF So, now we know more than they do.

I had my bypass done 9/5 and was wondering when most of you all got cleared to workout? I would like to start hitting the treadmill and light weights to help with my weight loss. Thanks Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you, Michelle and ColoradoChick. It's really touching for me to know that there are people who are willing to read books on tape for me. When I talked to our reference librarian and the coordinator at our braille press, I felt that both of them were thinking, "Well, of course, you're not doing this," or "Why would we even want to transcribe books like that?" Interesting, I talked to an old friend of mine who had the duodenal switch in 1998, and another friend who had bypass surgery a few years ago, I'm not sure which, but both of them are blind--well, one is visually impaired, and definitely would have benefited frombooks on tape or in braille. Lapbandtalker, I think you're absolutely right; I am going to have to do it myself, either have books read on tape, or put in braille. Michelle, usually when books are recorded for the National Library Service (NLS) they read every page, but I'm not so sure I'd want that; it's a lot of reading. Also, if you don't have any means to record, I wouldn't want to have you buy something just for that, though it's a wonderful offer. I'm going to talk to our recording coordinator, because although I have some ideas of what needs to happen I want to find out just how much is involved. I'm afraid it might be too much. Anyway, hopefully I'll have an answer on Monday, and if there's not too much involved, we can do this. I can't thank you enough.

i had gastric bypass surgery september 13, 2018 and have lost 134 lbs now. i am no longer on oxygen or a c-pap. i only take blood pressure meds prn. i have gone from a 6xl to a size 20. my life has totally changed

Being nervous is perfectly normal. The days leading up to surgery were exciting and scary at the same time. I almost backed out of surgery the night before and the morning of surgery. On surgery day, I sat in admitting thinking "I could leave right now and I'll only be out $500." Then I looked over at my husband who was equally scared as I was. We didn't say anything to each other - I don't even think we made eye contact. I just looked at him and knew this was something I had to do. I made the choice to walk down the hall and get things started. I am so thankful I didn't let fear win in that moment. I'm 18 months out and am finally living the life I was meant to live. My weight and food no longer rule my thoughts and my world. I'm happy and content. I smile A LOT now. I am active in my own life and not just in the physical sense. I'm more engaged with my family and friends. I'm a better wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, etx. I got a promotion at work - I don't think because I'm skinnier, I think because I carry myself a different way - I'm more confident, I'm not pissed off at the world all the time and I am more calm. I feel better physically - no more aches and pains. I do hot yoga 4-5 times a week, I hike, I work out at the gym, I like being active. I have a goal to do a 5K every month until November and I made a goal to log 1000 miles in 2015. I feel attractive to my husband - he never said anything about my weight, but one time I remember asking, "How can you possibly find me the least bit attractive?" Was it all sunshine and lollipops the past 18 months? Hell no! It was hard work filled with anxiety, second guessing my decision to have surgery, tears, anger, frustration, etc. It's been hard - I was not emotionally prepared to make this journey; I had not addressed my emotional issues towards food. I had to address those issues while recovering from surgery which was very hard. There are still days where I wish I could sit down to a bowl full of Pasta and awesome crusty bread slathered in butter and just go to town, but those days are fewer and farther between than they used to. This surgery is a life changer...for me it was one of the biggest decisions I had ever made in my life. Now, 18 months later, I know that short of marrying my husband and having my son, it was the best decision I could have made for al of us. Best of luck to you. You're down the home stretch! Let us know how you're doing...

Okay so, I called insurance in November 2012 and again for the 5th consecutive year I was told NO we do not cover weight loss surgery or anything to do with weight loss period. so my DH and I decided we would pay out of pocket. I'm excited and am getting surgery in 8 days, guess what.... now my insurance will cover, BUT I have 6-8 months of hoops to jump through to see if I qualify. My Husband says lets just get it done he doesnt want to fight with the insurance, and so sweet he says to me, you have waited so long and worked really hard you've earned just getting it done, we've saved the money and theres no guarantee that the ins. will pay any way. I won't lie, I don't want to wait, but I worry now if I pay for it out of pocket, if in the future there is a problem leak, slip etc... will my ins refuse coverage cause I didn't get it through them? I'm curios if anyone here paid for their band and didn't wait for insurance and still have them help later if there was a medical emergency or complication with the band? Or do I bite the bullet and atleast try to go through my insurance even if it means waiting another 6-8 months? I know it's my decision and in the end only I will know for sure what I should do, but I need opinions from people with experience, PLEASE help me out what do think/know? Thanks for help!

Hi everyone, I had my second fill almost 3 weeks ago . I'm only down 3 pounds since then and on top of that ,when I eat ,it feels difficult at time(uncomfortable). Is this what they mean by bandster hell ? Is this normal ? How can I get back to my faster weight loss? Any suggestions would be great. I'm pretty bummed out about it. I've lost 60 pounds in a years time but only 30 since the banding back in November. Have any of you experianced this ? Should I go back to a more liquid diet?

I would suggest you research the relationship between gallbladder complications and weight loss so that you can make an informed decision. I'm not exactly sure what the relationship is but I know that gallbladder complications almost always follow rapid or large amounts of weight loss. If memory serves me correctly my aunt who had gastric bypass several years ago said that the removal of her gallbladder was automatically a part of the procedure. At any rate, it let's you know there's a definite correlation. I was able to lose 70 pounds on my own a few years ago and sure enough, "BAM" out of nowhere I started having gallblladder attacks. It is excrutiatingly painful. I think I'd rather have a baby. I had to have an emergency gallbladder removal. I was one of the lucky ones, I didn't have any stones lodged in my common bile duct. That would have been a whole other additional surgical procedure. Check the web for info. and stats and also consult with your surgeon. If your surgeon is offering to do it at the same time as your band, it may not be a bad idea. Let us know what you find out and what you decide.

had gastric bypass DS loop and my gallbladder removed on March 11th 2019. Since then I have gone from 297.7 down to 242. Total of 55.7 lbs. in 3 months and 13 days. But I’m the last 39 days I have only lost 10 lbs. is this a plateau? Is this still good since I have not gained any weight back? I’m feeling better in the last 2 weeks FINALLY.... I had surgery complications and medication changes and problems that caused extra pain and some minor depression, so recovery took longer than “usual” patients. I think? I don’t know how long other people take to get out and about, start regularly exercising (just walking and some 2 pound weights) But the slow down in weight loss worries me. Also, I have a HUGE fear of stretching my stomach back out. Every time I eat I get scared my stomach is stretching at the staples. I would love some feedback of your experiences, ideas, your suggestions, possibly re-assurance that I’m doing ok?? Also, I love to eat fruit, and I try to limit myself to 2 a day, but I worry about sugars... what do you all do? Thanks! Claire

I also have Anthem and live in VA. I would suggest seeing if ypur doctor's office has any better luck with getting coverage. You are close on your BMI. Do you have things like sleep apena, high cholestrol, heart issues, etc. These are some of the things the insurance company is looking for. The doctor's office has lots of experience working with insurance companies. Some thoughts to consider. During the past general assembly session, I received a call my by Doctor's office saying that there was legislation being brought forth to take coverage of gastric bypass surgery out of insurance coverage. What my doctor's office told me was that for lap band fills, I would end of paying about $600.00 per fill ($100.00 for the doctor's office and $500.00 for use of the hospital radiology department equipment. This scared the heebee geebeeies out of me. I was banded in 10/08 and have had 3 fills since then. I knew if this insurance legislation passed, I'd be up one long, bad creek with no paddle! PS I don't think the legislation passed based on information in the newspaper but open enrollment for our insurance is just around the corner and I'll know for sure then. I would suggest that before you make a decision about going to Mexico, that you read through some of the threads on this website from folks who have gone to Mexico and some of the difficulties finding a doctor where they live to do fills. You may want to check with the doctors in your area to see if they will do fills if you go elsewhere for the surgery. Good luck with your insurance and your decision.

When I had my bypass 9 months ago I just told everyone I was having surgery and did not elaborate. Mo one asked what kind! I wad out of work for 4 weeks. The weight came off pretty quickly, but if anyone suspected bariatric surgery they didn't say so. I don't think you have to give details! Best wishes. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello everyone, I am a new to the whole idea of lapband. I overheard something about it on tv but I did not get the whole story. If someone could fill me in on all the pro's and con's about it. Like how much does it cost, is it easy to find a Dr., how would I even start to find a Dr.? I'm 27 single mother of two (6yr and 2 month old) I'm 5'7 and 265 lbs. I want to have energy for my kids and be there for them when they get older. I hardly fill full and when I do I'm hungry less than a half hour later. Would I be a good canidate for the whole thing or should I try something else. I was thinking about the bypass surgey but I dont really like the chance of lossing my hair, (it's getting thinner everyday anyways). So if someone could help me make sense of it all I would really appreciate it.:rose:

RNY is gastric bypass Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using BariatricPal mobile app

I am having the exact same problem. He has removed all fluid and they think I might have something called Achalasia - my doctor wants me to consider revision to gastric bypass but I have an insurance policy (different from when I was banded) that is going to give me problems because my BMI is 37 and the only co-morbidity is PCOS which he says they don't really count. And if I have achalasia he said he cannot do any surgery. so I have to see a specialist and go from there. This band has made my life a living hell.

I FINALLY got up enough nerve to call and schedule an appointment for a consult! My consult will be April 9th, 2007 a 4:00. I hope I don't chicken out and cancel:phanvan !! I called 3-26-07, I was hoping that I could do a phone consult, but Marilyn said he will only do consults over the phone with out of state patients...boooooo! When I told my husband, he was okay with it. I think he just wants me to be happy. My children too. My oldest son said he thinks I should go for it because it will make me happier! Their support is awesome! I have been talking about having it done for a long time(years and years). I chickened out about four years ago. I was going to have the gastric bypass. My insurance even said they would cover 100 percent, I would just have to pay the $50.00 co-pay! Oh well, I chickened out and now I am going i to talk to Dr. K about the lapband and my insurance will not pay for anything now, so I will be self paying(I hate the sound of that). One week away from the consult, I log onto the website every chance I get to read, read, read. This site is so inspiring and infomative. I don't want to chicken out this time, so I am looking for all the support I can get!!

I thought that was only for Gastric Bypass. I could be wrong of course.

My wife has fibromyalgia. And has had knee surgery on both knees from a fall she had which caused her to gain allot of weight..and allot of pain from the fibro and knees...she had the gastric bypass done..and she feels great..i hardley ever hear about pain she has. Her knees feel fine and she is on zero meds after surgery. She was diabetic. And on meds for pain from the fibromyalgia..she had the surgery over a year ago and i think she has only had 1 or 2 flares from the fibro but nothing bad at all..and im actually typing this on my phone. While i wait for her at zumba!!

Let me just say, while the holiday season has been wonderful with my family, it has been horrible on the scale. There was one big obstacle to my goal weight/size this December and that was a stupid fall I had in my kitchen. I turned around and stumbled backwards after tripping over an open dishwasher door and BAM, concussion. I waited 9 days before going to see the doctor, but the headaches and general fuzziness was just too much and I had to get myself looked at. Don't you know I had a moderate concussion and was told to stay home from work and was put on "brain rest". OMG, so boring and going to the gym was completely taken off of the table. The concussion on top of the never ending food parade in our family, I guess I should be happy I only put on 3 pounds. I was supposed to wait until 1 January to start working out, but I am feeling MUCH better and I have been doing light workouts for the last three days and I feel fantastic. I guess I'll just put my nose back to the nutritional grindstone and keep hitting the gym. Basically, get back to do what I need to support my healthy living goals. I had my first fill at the end of November and I felt absolutely NO restriction so I'm going back on the 22nd of January to have another fill, hopefully this one will put me back on track because honestly, I'm damn hungry. I'm craving crunchy anything. Does anyone have any suggestions for crunchy Snacks. I'm turning orange, no I'm not really, from eating all of the carrots that I'm eating. There is a lot of other stuff going on, just like everybody else's crazy life. The one big thing is that the Army has chosen to move my husband from Ft. Campbell, five hours from home, to Ft. Lewis, Washington, which is a stupid long plane ride away. He has been at Ft. Campbell for almost three years now and I've been spoiled and frankly don't want him to be so far away. I'm struggling not to fall back into old habits like eating because I'm sad, it is sooo hard not to eat, especially since I'm hungry. Arghh. Thanks for letting me vent, time to put on my big girl panties and go on with life.

I'm more concerned about my boyfriend than myself for the intensity level, haha...I used to box competitively, so I'm used to very challenging workouts. We haven't started it yet because I got an awesome discount for an unlimited one-month bootcamp, so we've been going there instead. Lots of plyometrics, we did 2 days in a row and today I'm pretty sore! But I got us resistance bands, weights ranging from 3 to 20 lbs, a chin-up bar, and yoga mats, so I'm excited to start P90X in November once the bootcamp's over.

Yes, first be proud of your accomplishments. You have come a long way in a short time. You're edging in on halfway to goal and yes, every pound you've lost is one gone forever. That said, I get it. We all do! I'm at goal, I'm quite small and there are still days (particularly when I'm emotional or moody) where I feel like a fat person. Why? Because we've gotten in the habit of being mean to ourselves, we're incredibly hard on ourselves and sometimes, we have unrealistic expectations. I lost 108 pounds and yes, I hate looking in the mirror and seeing all that skin. What? Did I honestly expect to shed all the weight and still love my abused body? I'm at goal. I'm small. It's amazing what our damaged self-esteem can make us feel - I'm in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and I'm considered plus size here. I can look in the mirror and know that I'm small - but still feel BIG in comparison to the local ladies! When people stare at me here, I always feel self-conscious all over again, even though I know in my head that they're staring at me because I'm obviously not Central Asian or Russian, and because I have visible tattoos! It's weird the way our brains work and it takes a long time to get over some of these things. Hang in there. I was right where you are now in November of 2010. I was a few months out from surgery and down about 50-60 pounds. Yes, I was thrilled to be the size I was but honestly, I was stalled out for nine weeks around that time and felt like I'd never get smaller. It was right around this time that I was just starting to have people notice the loss, too, and it wasn't all the time, either. The reality here is that it really does take a lot of loss to start seeing size changes when you're plus sized. For me, I didn't lose the first pant size until about 30 pounds off - and then another after 20 more pounds. It wasn't until I was in non-plus size clothes that I could lose a pant size after dropping only 10-15 pounds. Once you start seeing a real difference both in the mirror and on your clothing tags, I'm sure you will feel a little better. As for whether or not people are considering you that large person I wouldn't be so sure. I was horribly self conscious when I was larger and always felt that anyone laughing or smiling near me was laughing at me. I hated going out in public and I felt like the fattest girl in the room every time. I was always looking around for other girls my size so I'd know how I measured up to the other women. After I shed a lot of the weight, I realized that it was all me. Nobody else had the issues with my size that I had. It was actually kind of egotistical of me to think that everyone was looking at me, anyway! I can say that if you hang in there and keep on working at losing the weight you'll recover some of yourself. You'll start to feel a bit more confident each time you see your successes and you'll hopefully shed some of the self-esteem issues. It might help you to talk to someone like a counselor, too. Take care, ~Cheri

Yep. I just got mine removed 5 days ago and so glad I did. I had so many problems with GERD and initially wanted to revise to sleeve, but based on my history of GERD, my surgeon says that the sleeve would cause me to continue to have the same reflux and heartburn due to the high pressure of the sleeve so He recommended bypass and after thorough research, and I am an RN with several friends who have had both sleeve and bypass..... and numerous conversations with my surgeon, I will be revising to gastric bypass in November. The removal of the port has been the most painful. I stayed the night in the hospital due to pain control because he also removed the scar tissue around the band as well. Adhesion removal can be painful. I was on IV Dilaudid every 4 hours, IV Toradol and Norco in the hospital. They switched me to percocets and I have been fine on those. Take a pillow with you to hold against your tummy to splint the incision so you can cough. Also get a start on taking some over the counter miralax to help with constipation because pain med can cause things to slow way down, on top of the anesthesia. I have asthma so I needed breathing treatments and I used my incentive spirometer every hour while awake to exercise my lungs which helped me greatly! They leave the incisions open to air and seal them with Dermabond, a type of glue. I am healing quite fast. Here is a pic of my incisions. He did a total of 3. The biggest was where the port was. Make sure your decision is yours and also listen to your surgeon and what will be best for you. The next few months will be the hardest, however I still feel restriction post op.

Good luck in your journey - I haven't had the sleeve yet so can't answer most questions. Call your insurance to see if they cover the sleeve. As for weight loss, I have heard it can be comparable to gastric bypass.

Thanks for the response. My guy is on the heavy side, but unfortunately weighs less than me:eek His weight goes up and down. When I first started to look into WLS this past summer, he decided to go on Optifast. He lost 30-40 lbs, and had more to go. He told me afterwards that he went on Optifast to show me that weight can be lost without surgery. As much as I've told him that I have faced the fact that I can't do it alone, he claims it can be done. (He was furious at me when I was considering gastric bypass. But then I met a bandster at a surgeon's open house, and decided that this was the way to go). P.S. My guy has since gained all the lost optifast weight back.