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I opted for the band simply because I couldn't see permantley ruining a perfectly good digestive system forever. It was not easy to pay 16,000 for the band but it isn't forever changing me. I have heard that at least we absorb nutrients with this restrictive wls while the bypass reroutes most nutrients out the ying yang. So the band it the winner for me. Read through these pages there is a ton of info here.

Donna2153, I think I was in that same orientation class with you. And yes I agree that they push the bypass surgery over the lapband, and they still say they aren't scheduling any new lapband surgeries. They are going to start classes in Corona though, which is where I usually go for appts. I just hope one of these days they say they're going to start doing the lapband at the Riverside hospital or the Ontario surgery center! But at least I'm losing a little weight and if I keep losing maybe I'll just continue on my own...we'll see. Yes, keep in touch!

Have you asked if it's possible to trade the chiro for the accu? Since he's SO certain it's the only thing that will help you? If he's so certain, he should be willing to let you try it and see if it helps. With the type of pain you're describing I can only assume exercising isn't really an option for you at this point correct? That is more than likely the issue with the stalled weight loss. Your calories in vs. calories out ratio.. you're maintaining, but as you said not gaining, which is a good thing. I'm shocked your doctor didn't suggest bypass over banding because of your condition. I have a friend with FM and everything hurts her, all the time, once she did the bypass her pain was manageable after dropping 50lbs in about 6 weeks, she was able to workout and lose. Go off pain meds, and go into "natural" pain management. Speaking of natural have you and your dr tried those types of methods? I feel your frustration through the screen and I genuinely hope your situation gets better. All the best!

Hi, I've had to have iron infusions for the last few years due to my bodies inability to tolerate other forms of iron. I notice a difference with the infusion by about week number two but everyone is different. It sounds like you went through an awful experience and as far as dirty looks from your boss...as long as you have medical leave through Federal or State you should be covered. Human resources should be contacted if you think you are being discriminated against based on medical issues. I know the feeling of severe iron deficiency anemia and it's not fun. As a Nurse I rely on my ability to think quick and multitask and when my iron is low I get forgetful, fatigued, overly emotional, crave ice and have night sweats and chills as well. My plan with my Hematologist is see her every four months in office and call prior if I'm starting to feel like my iron is getting low and she will order blood work. My Surgeon just told me last week 50% of gastric bypass patients do not absorb iron even if they supplement it religiously everyday. It's nothing you have done, the job will find a replacement if anything happened to you. Take care of yourself also. ☺️

I simply called my insuarance company (BCBS of Alabama) and asked if the lap band was covered under my policy and the response I got was no. I didn't ask why or anything else as my heart dropped into my stomach and I didn't know what else to say but "ok". Could she have taken the question in terms of it being an elective thing? In other words, if my Dr. submitted it them stating health reasons, might I then be approved? I have not spoken to my Dr. about this surgery yet, I figured checking with the insurance company first was the best way to start, but maybe not. I did read on the banstersinsurance yahoo group in the database that BCBS of Alabama covered this surgery 100%.. was this just one persons experience? I am not sure what that list is really saying. I know that when I was considering gastric bypass last year I read in the Insurance coverage that 1 weight loss surgery would be covered and do not recall reading any exceptions to that. I will need to go back and dig that book out again. Do you think I would have a better chance get apporved through my Dr? Or is no basically NO and I would have to go through an appeal? Medically I think I am a candidate for this surgery. My BMI is 51, high blood pressure, father had heart attack at 50, his father died of heart attack at 60, 2 uncles on my moms side have had heart attacks and her parents have both had numerious heart bypasses. My mom, grandmother and uncle also have diabetes. Any insight on this would be great. Thanks ETA: I see in my policy under exclusions that it does not cover services for obesity. BUT in the same paragraph is goes on to say, "This exclusion does not apply to surgery for morbid obesity if medically necessary and in compliance with guidelines of the Claims Administrator." So maybe I answered my own question. I am just not sure who/what the Claims Administrator is and what the guidelines are.

Schedule my op date for November 1st!! So excited and nervous at the same time. It is all I can think about.....hope I end up with a successful story and not one of the horrors I have been reading about. I think I need to stay off the internet.

Hi all, just stopping by to see how all is doing. Janine congrats on getting your first fill next week. Now onto your second chance at losing weight again. Now the second time around should bring about greater results than the first time. I look forward to going through it with you. Juli, I'll be signing up for nutrition classes next week. The school has four financial payment plan.s. And classes begin in January,2009 and ends July,2009. I'm really excited about the classes. They even have precourses, so I'll be taking those also. I belong to a support group and one of our members will be featured on show "The Doctors (a CBS show)". She also attended the Philadephia Obesity Help conference and met Dr Dennis Hurwitz, he is world famous for his Total Body Lift for post weightloss surgery patients. They will also help pay for her surgery along with her insurance company and some of her savings. if need. It is EVERYTHING from her arms to boobs, stomach, thighs, liposuction--THE WORKS! (I cut and paste some of her words.) All this is supposed to be before year end. So hope in reporting from her experience of the surgery it will help some of those here considering the surgery. She had gastric bypass surgery and is about two years or more out. She did mention that she was willing to pay for the surgery herself, until she found out it would cost $34,000. Well, I'll cut this short and hope to read good posts from all.

I have not had the test yet... im actually going to have my blood drawn on Nov 15.... and should have my results by Nov 21st when i see my doctor next.... I definitely will let you know... Are you by chance on thyroid meds for your hypothyroidism???? That should help with weight loss... And actually the last time my thyroid was checked my dr. said it was borderline... that's why he suspects it may have gone lower... causing my current problems And here the new thread for the month of November http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f90/marchies-month-turkey-79979/#post1049295

I constantly read all the blogs about weight loss - they are so inspiring. I never really imagined I would have the opportunity to become a wls blogger. Life changes fast. I have been trying to get Lap Band surgery for 3 years. My insurance company, Tricare Prime, excluded the procedure. Of course, I didn't find this out until I had done all of the leg work . . . let me take you back a few years. The year was 2006, I had been researching Lap Band and knew I wanted it. I checked with my insurance and the manual said wls is covered if you are . . . then it listed the types of surgery. One of the ones it listed was vertical banded gastoplasty. I just assumed that was lapband. I went to my PCM, he said that he thought it was a great idea, gave me a referral to the Dr. (Dr. Spiegel), who was in Network. I went to the seminar, met with Spiegel, he said that I was a great candidate. They said I need to have a psyh eval and to meet with a nutritionist. I waited forever for a psych visit. Finally got in. I tried to find a Nutritionist that was in network and couldn't find any - so I called my insurance company, I explained that I was trying to get a consult for lapband. They quickly informed me that lapband isn't covered. I was devastated. I couldn't believe it. Sure enough, I hadn't done my research well enough. It was an excluded procedure. (They quickly approved me for Gastric Bypass) So, I decided I would either change jobs to get medical coverage, or try to be self-pay. After talking with all sorts of people on lapbandtalk, I realized that most of them were under the impression that our insurance would change come January 2007. I waited with baited breath. January, February, March, . . . nothing. I made the decision that I was going to wait till the first of the new year, then go self-pay. Come December 10, 2007, the word came down fast - it was going to be covered. I had never been happier. I had to make another appointment with my PCM, to get another referral to see Dr. Spiegel. I met with Dr. Spiegel on December 20, 2007. I brought all of my paperwork with me, gave it to the nurse to put in my file with instructions how to progress with my Insurance. I should have been suspicious when she didn't write any of it down. I waited until January 3 to call back (Christmas and New Years). They had called, asked if it was covered, got a NO and sent it back. I explained that the change wasn't in the system yet. Explained again how to deal with it. Finally, they got it. My paperwork was submitted to the Insurance January 22, 2008 :eek: I am waiting ever so patiently for the approval. Please, please come fast.

I know I know that I have self-pity for not losing more weight. I can't stand the fact that I am tied to the scale. I weigh when I wake up and when I get home and before bed. If I am at the same weight when I get home from work as I was when I woke up I'll eat some protein but if I have gained any weight I'll just have a shake and then I get depressed. All I wanted was this last 2 lbs to come off before Tuesday because that is when I go for my fill. I don't want to have gained weight. What kind of message does that send to my doctor and I know I went overboard for the 4 days I had off. But is my body really punishing me for that. How can someone gain 10 lbs in 4 days? It doesn't make sense. I am losing sleep over this. Today I actually slept in and woke up at 5:30 so that was good for a change. I have this weekend off and hope to sleep in until at least 7:00. I have to take a xanax to help me sleep along with the other 3 prescription nighttime pills I already take. It is a cocktail that keeps me sane. I want to get off some of the pills I am on because most of them are for mood stabalizing and anti-depressants but how many does one person have to take before they feel like they can make it through the day without cutting themselves or the thought of suicide enters their head. That is what I have when I am not on my pills, I have cutter personality, I think about suicide all the time, I am a mean and hateful person and can't take a day with any stress in it. That is why I am on what I am on and now with the surgery and hopefully losing the weight will help my self-esteem enough that I can face people without the help of medication but I doubt it. I will probably be on something for the rest of my life. My grandmother gave me all her traits and she ended up having shock treatments done on her. Before the shock treatment she was delusional, hated the world, you just couldn't stand to be around her for very long because she was so negative and then after her treatment she was the best I had ever seen her. She and I were so close and I miss her so much. She is always on my mind and the good times we had when I was growing up and how we are so much alike. I just wish my husband could have met her because then he would understand where I get my personality and the things that I do came from her. When we first got together there was some stress because I was insecure and had been hurt so many times in the past. Robert was still close friends with his ex-wife and I couldn't see how 2 people that were involved could divorce and remain friends so everytime she would call I would get upset and cut myself. It made the world stand still and the pain go away. He didn't know how to handle it but since he saw how it hurt me he stopped talking to her. I didn't want her to know what was going on in our lives, it was none of her business and she always bragged about how good her life was and what she bought and how she did this and did that so well that he would tell me and I would feel like I was dirt compared to what she was, how could he go from that---a 5'2" 100 lbs beautiful woman to me...5'6" 200 lb not so pretty and then I gained another 70 lbs on top of it. What could he possibly see in me? All I have going for me is I have a great personality most of the time. I am caring, honest, protective, loving, I would give the shirt off my back if you needed one. I have a big heart to match my big body is what Robert says. He is silly. For our one year anniversary we decided it was time for me to get an engagement ring, well I told him I was a big girl and I needed a big ring, So he went out and bought me a 2.75 carat diamond ring, it is beautiful but sometimes I ask myself am I even worth it? He is a CPA so he has his tax and bookkeeping clients and works out of the house. He does all the housework and takes care of the 2 dogs. All I have to worry about is doing my laundry (which I am doing right now as we speak). He takes care of getting the groceries, making the dinners which has become even easier since I don't eat alot. We usually eat the chili he makes or hot wings from pizza hut. Right now I am on a hot dog kick where everynight I have one hot dog. It fills me up and it is protein so I don't mind eating it all the time. I go on kicks, I am sure you do too. Where all you want to eat is one thing and you can never get tired of it but after eating it for 2 weeks you are sick of it but it tasted so good while you were on the binge. That is what I do, my husband says I take everything to the extreme instead of eating a hot dog one night I eat them for 2 weeks, instead of making chili and eating it a couple of times, we make enough so I can take it for the week and I don't get tired of it. We had nothing yesterday for me to take for lunch so I took a can of artichoke hearts and ate them. They were low calorie and not too many carbs so it wasn't a waste and it filled me up enough to last until dinner. After reading on here I see where some doctors say no caffeine and others say it is fine, well coffee is my best friend in the morning, I usually have about 6-8 cups and then go to work and have another 20 oz's. It fills me up so I have a protein shake and then coffee in the morning and that is my breakfast. I figure as long as I have my protein I am doing good. By lunch I am hungry so the cup of food that I take I really enjoy. Sometimes depending on my mood I eat it real slow and take 20 min to eat it and then other times, I am so hungry I just want to get it down so it will fill my belly and I won't feel the hunger pains....is anyone else like that? I get so tired of people on here bitching because they have only lost 30 lbs in 2 months please people I would kill to lose that. It has taken me 9 months to lose this 15 lbs and I'm still fighting to lose. It is like a constant battle to try and keep the weight I have lost off and then to try and lose more, it just isn't happening. At work yesterday my team found out that we get to take the day off from working the front counter and go to Denver because we won "The Midas Award" which is a big deal for the company I work for. We usually see about 9,000 customers in a month and that is working with 9 employees on the team (most days there are 7-8 because of people taking vacation and days off) so last month with this transition we did with cable we saw 30,000 so we got this award and so we get to travel to Denver to meet with the head of the company and have lunch and get our picture taken. It should be fun, a day off from dealing with angry customers to having a leisure day to go meet new people and be recognized for what we achieved, what we did. It was 3 times the volume of people and our little lobby isn't met for that many people so most days they were out the door down the sidewalk waiting 30 minutes just to make a payment... I've been to the post office and had days like that. At our post office there is one lady who looks like she hasn't had a bath in a week, her hair is so oily it just hangs and she pulls it back with clips, but she takes forever with a customer and the sad thing is people in line have been there before and know she is the slowest person. She wants to sell you a PO Box, Stamps, Tape, Shipping Boxes...anything she can sell she tries. I know she is just doing her job but please lady there is a line out the door and sometimes you just have to go with it and get them through. I know we are supposed to sell at my job and I do get my sales every month and a nice commission but I get through the people. The average receipts for last month was 1,700 and I did 1.995 so I know I do my share of work. It is very nerve racking to have a line out the door and when people leave to take lunch or break you can just hear the customer's getting upset. It is so nice to take that 15 min and just relax and read. I have read just about every lap-band book out there and wish I would have read them before I had surgery but what I am learning now makes sense with how I feel and what I should be eating and how I should be losing weight...well we know the story behind losing the weight. I read the "Before and After" book but she had the gastric bypass but there are somethings she says that make sense even for lap band patients. The one thing she says that has stuck in my mind is nothing tastes as good as thin feels. I say that everytime I want to eat that big burger from Red Robins. Now I just eat it wrapped in lettuce but before I had restriction I would eat the whole thing. How could someone with the band eat the whole burgery and not get sick? That is how I was. I just ate whatever I wanted, now I look back on it and say how stupid I was for doing that. Well I am now off my soap box so hope you have enjoyed reading about a day in the life of Kelly. Have a good day and good luck with losing.

So i mentioned before that I had ppwk submited on 4/30 and I was approved on 5/7..yay me! buuuuuuut...yes, here comes the BUT.... i was reading online on an obesity website bout the insurance approval letters and to make sure they dont expire...well i havent gotten mine in the mail so I called Cigna to see if there was some type of 'expiration' and I was told YES...it expires on 5/23 which means and i quote "you have to have surgery on 5/22" UMMMMM. I had told my doctor i couldn't have it until 6/22 and then cigna said i need to have my doctor call them right away to change the date but it may not be able to be changed because i have to have surgery within 6 months of my start date which was in November.. how can i have surgery within 6 months of my start date if CIGNA requires a 6 months supervised diet and a bunch of other crap before they will approve? so that doesn't make sense and to top it off, i haven't started any type of liquid diet not to mention havent even had my PREOP appt, scope or paid for the damn thing....i HATE HATE HATE receiving mis-information or BS information... has anyone experienced this? or is someone (at CIGNA) blowing smoke up my a--.....ok sorry for the vent post but im pretty pissed...

I'm in the same boat, sort of. I was sleeved 2 years ago and immediately had severe GERD with the worst symptoms when my stomach was empty, so my weight loss was slow and I've regained the little I lost. I was supposed to be having revision to bypass in April, but that was postponed due to the pandemic. At this point, I'm just waiting until they can start scheduling surgeries again, hopefully by the end of June. My surgeon said my weight loss should be closer to 50-60 lbs, which I think I'd be happy with. I have regretted going for the sleeve since day one and am hoping that bypass alleviates some of GERD symptoms.

hi everyone. i think i originally posted this in the wrong forum, so ill post it here now. i know alot of insurance companies dont cover the sleeve. my insurance company doesnt appear to have the new 2010 code 43775 for the sleeve in their system, but they do cover the duodenal switch code 43845, which is basically the sleeve with a bypass. has anyone here gotten the sleeve done by getting approved for the ds and then only having their dr do the first part of the ds, which is only the sleeve? im curious if getting only the sleeve done this way would work to get the insurance company to pay for it or even if the dr would be willing to do only the first part of the ds? also, there is another bariatric open code 43843 that my insurance covers and that code specifically states "gastric restrictive procedure, without gastric bypass, other than vertical banded gastroplasty". has anyone been approved for a sleeve using this open code? any comments/replies would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, my name is Tammy. My surgery date is November 18th- 2013 ( it's coming fast) - I've done a lot of research but am finding that although some books touch on gastric sleeve, I haven't found one specific book that just focuses on gastric sleeve. I'm looking for a book that has it all, surgery info, stages after surgery! Basically, i'm looking for a bible like book on the gastric sleeve. Anyone have any thoughts or info to point me in the right direction. Please let me know... I'm looking forward to chatting and having support as well as offering support to anyone. Thanks

@@Recycled According to the studies I linked, it drops to almost nothing day 1 post op, increases slightly at 6 months, and at 12 months is close to pre-op but not quite there. I am sure that by year 2 it is almost back to normal. In one study there was one unlucky person that has higher levels post op than pre-op at 1 year. Another thing that one study noted was the Sleeve and the Bypass have the same reduction levels. The band offers absolutely no ghrelin decrease at all. I'm a year out and I still barely ever feel hungry and to feel hungry I have to go over 12 hours without eating, and at that point anyone would be hungry.

Hi! I am new here. I have a follow up with my surgeon on 9/21 and he said if all my tests were good and I had lost 5-10% of my weight we could be looking at surgery in October or November. I think I am down 2 lbs and will need to drop 15 more! I am having a hard time losing weight. I dieted for so many years and always managed to lose some weight but always gained it back. I quit drinking 3 years ago and since then have gained 60 lbs and have not been able to get much off. I am 340 now and my highest was 350. Work is super stressful and my best coping skill is exercise but my back and neck hurt and my asthma is out of control at this weight. I am looking for some cheerleading and any support/tips from anyone! Thanks!

I have been reading info on this site for a while...I am a previous gastric bypass patient with a total weight loss of 168 lbs..I had my bypass in January 2001..Kept the weight off pretty good until the last year and a half or so....I have gained about 20-25 pounds, and it scares me to death! I can eat A LOT now with very little restriction :hungry: ! Was wondering if there is anyone else who has been banded that previously had other WLS??? Also, anyone with experience with adolescents and the band?? I have a 14 year old daughter who struggles with her weight...just like I did, and I would like to explore the possibilities of the band for her, as well. Thank you all for sharing so openingly--I have enjoyed reading your posts over the last few weeks!!

Today is May 5, 2009 The 1st to many Blogs I hope..... The day after my Pre-op appointment. Where do I begin... I was so scared and nervous most of all because of the Blood work, the date approaching and just overall scared. I have been praying for so long that I could have this surgery and after being turned down 3 times the date was set for June 18, 2009 only for me to receive an email stating that my date could be pushed up to May 21, 09 !!!! This is Great because it will be done sooner than later which is also very stressful because I am scared. Just a little. I have so many High hopes and expectations! I really truly want it all to go well and I really want to lose this weight, for several reasons the most important Health and the ability to finally become a Mother! I started my journey at 289.1 lbs on November 2008 only to increase to 297.3 lbs after being turned down 3 times. I called and nagged the hospital for an answer I call and asked the insurance company for an answer. I submitted an appeal and went off to visit realities in the South. upon my return home I phoned the hospital for any update to which I learned "nothing as of yet sweetie" The very next day the young lady who handles the insurance company calls and tells me I HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR SUGERY! I would have to wait however till the letter the healthcare provider mailed out. I received the letter the very next day. My surgery was set for June 18, 2009. A week or so later I received an email stating it could be pushed up to May 21, 09, if i wanted? If I wanted?! I jumped on it! My pre-op was set from 2 weeks from April 20,09 I was overjoyed! I started thinking "Oh no I'm fatter now than when I started I need to lose weight". I also needed to learn how to eat right and start putting the lap band rules into practice, so I did just that. I now weight 282 lbs. down from 297 lbs. I went in on May 4, 2009 at 9:00 AM to meet with the Dr. have blood work done, X-ray and meet anesthesiologist. I was so Nervous! I am on my way to a better life and God willing a step closer to becoming a Mommy! My surgery is scheduled for May 21, 09 at 10:00 Am. I will arrive at 8:00 Am and look forward to being health and safe through out the surgery! I will continue to pray for myself and others. I hope you all reading this will do the same!

Hi to all, I have my first consult appt in the beginning of November, 2015. With over 11 weeks to go before that appointment, what recommendations do you have to prepare, i .e., exercise, weight loss, avoidance of certain foods, etc. Much appreciated.

I am down to the last 20 myself . . . and I am still consistently losing. It is getting harder however and I find I have to "tweak" things regularly. I will stay on a particular "plan" for a week and if I see that my weight is moving in the right direction, I stay the course. When I start to stall out or don't see movement, I make changes to exercise, calorie intake, Protein intake, food choices, etc to change things up and hopefully make them move again. It seems like keeping my body "guessing" seems to be the best way to peel off the pounds at this point. I also do not keep my calorie intake the same every day to avoid a rut. I have very low calorie days (800-950) mixed with higher calorie days (but never above 1250 calories). I usually do two low, then one high but it is not always the same. At six months out, I have found that I stall at any calorie level if it is always the same. I also can stall if I eat the same foods every day (which is in my nature to do). This works for me, but of course our bodies are all different. I suffered through many plateaus in the beginning, and once I learned how to break them, I turned plateau busting into part of my regular routine . . . and it is working beautifully for now . . . who knows if it will still work the last 5-10 pounds to goal . . . or if it will work when I bypass my original goal and go for the smoking hot goal of 125???

Hi everyone Thank you all SO MUCH for your feedback and support. I'm really feeling so much better since I "came clean" and posted my story on this board. It's difficult, I didn't want to put anyone off or make any newbies feel nervous, but I thought it was important to share both sides of the sleeve story. In answer to your questions - Yes, I do feel hungry like I did before the sleeve. I'm not sure if my body is still producing grehlin (I read that it is produced in the intestines as well as the stomach so it's not all removed after the surgery) or whether it's just "head hunger". No, I don't regret having the surgery at all. I just wish I had been more aware of my binge eating issues and had got counselling before things got out of control. My surgeon didn't get me to have any counselling at all, not even a consult with a psychologist, even though he knew I was on anti depressants. My surgeon hasn't mentioned the DS at all. I don't know whether he means the DS or the RNY when he says "gastric bypass". I think the system is slightly different here in Australia. For instance, I know there are a couple of restrictive procedures done in the US via endoscopy which can reduce the sleeve size but my surgeon refused to even discuss them. My bougie was a 32, so there shouldn't have been any extra "room" in my sleeve for all the junk I forced in there. I definitely missed soda, and quickly after my surgery I started drinking it with meals which was (and still is) a major concern. I am trying to break that habit now. As for pizza...well before my surgery I could (and regularly DID) eat one and a half whole pizzas. So I should be (and am!!) happy I am still restricted. Any more questions, please ask away. I really appreciate having this forum as a safe place to vent and share :D

In October 2007 I was sleeved in Perth Western Australia by a surgeon named Jon Armstrong (aka Gorgeous Jon). I had a textbook recovery and without really trying or exercising I lost 50kg (over 100 lbs) in the first six months. I went down from 380 lbs to 260lbs and was feeling great. Then I separated from my husband, and ended up having a nervous breakdown and leaving my job. I was diagnosed with major depression, Binge ating Disorder and anxiety. During this time I turned to my old friend food for comfort and started eating junk food and binge eating. I discovered I could eat a lot more than I had before and fairly soon was back to regaining weight. Bad food choices, snacking and overeating led me to stretch my sleeve and now I've regained half of the weight I had lost. Most surgeons consider less than 50% excess weight lost as a VSG "failure". My surgeon has suggested I think about having a gastric bypass as I am still morbidly obese. He's refused a revision or a lapband on the sleeve. I am trying the pre-op liquid diet to kick start my weight loss and will then go on to counting calories and exercising to try and shift some of the weight as I think the bypass is a last resort. More surgery?! I don't know. It's already cost me $20,000 to get this far and I will be out of pocket another $8,000 if I have the bypass. My surgeon has done over 500 procedures and only has three "failures". He suggested my stomach may be overly efficient and empties very quickly, enabling me to eat almost as much now as I did before surgery. Examples: 250g steak, fries and salad or six slices of pizza. I am seeing a therapist to help with my emotional eating and binge eating issues. i really wish I had seen a counsellor before and after my surgery to address these problems early on. I don't regret having the VSG, because I am still lighter now than before the surgery. But I wish things had turned out differently... I now weigh 137kg (about 300 lbs) and need to get down to 80kg to be almost healthy weight range. I'm desperately hoping my stomach will shrink back a little now I'm doing a 12 week liquid and vegetables diet.

thanks for the advise..i did email my insurance company and they did say something about covering surgeries of this type with primary physicians recommendation or such...which might be an issue. At one time my doctor told me he would not recommend me for gastric bypass. He doesnt "beleive" in that surgery..however, i have not asked about the lap-band, which i see as much less evasive. Plus, its been a couple of years now and obviously nothing is working with me trying to lose on my own. Heck, i've been dieting since i was 15...so...if it hasnt worked in all that time.you cant say i havent tried! i will call tho, just to see about this specific procedure...i wonder...should i attend the seminar and have the doctor consult before discussing with my primary physician?????

I agree about the whole NEVER eating certain things again. I asked my surgeon how many of her patients have trouble with bread. Her response was "All of them. I make them tight enough so they can't eat bread". I walked out of there, looked at my mom and I said there is no way she is tightening me to the point where I CAN'T eat something. My mom, having had gastric bypass by the same surgeon, totally understood that. My problem was never so much with what I ate but how much I was eating. I didn't stop at full, I stopped at stuffed. Hopefully with the band I won't be able to do that.

this article appeared in Slate yesterday. it always strikes me as odd that people find it best bizarre and at worst shameful that there is a surgical cure for obesity and that people are taking advantage of it. anyhoo, happy reading: Radical Reduction The benefits of stomach stapling for teenagers. By Amanda Schaffer Posted Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006, at 7:27 AM ET Last month, the already grim prognosis for heavy kids took a turn for the even worse. A study of more than 100,000 women, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that those who were overweight at age 18 were more likely to die prematurely in middle age. And research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that people who develop type 2 diabetes—a condition associated with obesity—before the age of 20, as opposed to later, are at greater risk of end-stage kidney disease and death before the age of 55. Obesity at any age is associated with health woes like sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, loss of vision, and some types of cancer, in addition to diabetes. But when these conditions appear in the young obese, the long-term ramifications are just scary. How about a radical solution—stomach stapling for teenagers? It may sound crazy and desperate, but several major children's hospitals, including Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Texas Children's Hospital, and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, have started offering obesity surgery in recent years. Nightline recently followed a 16-year-old Texas girl who underwent stomach stapling and lost 129 pounds in six months, down from a starting weight of 368. The worry is that such stories distract from workaday efforts to improve school lunches, promote exercise, and establish good eating habits for kids. Critics also point out that stomach stapling is expensive and can cause serious complications, like intestinal leakage, bowel obstruction, and nutritional deficiencies. But for extremely obese teens—especially those who already have a related health problem—less radical treatment options may not work, or at least not work fast enough. Surgery, by contrast, can not only lead to dramatic weight loss but also improve or reverse conditions like sleep apnea and diabetes. Only a small group of kids should be eligible for the surgery, but for these few, it can be a very good thing. In a stomach-stapling operation (the medical term is gastric bypass), a small pouch is created in the upper portion of the stomach, and the small intestine is rerouted to connect with it. The benefit is that a downsized stomach will hold less food and may release fewer hunger-inducing hormones, causing patients to feel full more quickly and stop eating. To be sure, obesity surgery is a risky proposition. One small study, published earlier this year in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, found that roughly 40 percent of kids who underwent gastric bypass experienced some kind of complication, such as intestinal leakage, dumping syndrome, bowel obstruction, wound infection, or a nutritional deficiency. (A similar complication rate has been found in adults.) Nutritional deficiencies, especially of Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B-1 and vitamin B-12, may occur partly because patients are eating less and partly because the operation bypasses a portion of the digestive tract that efficiently absorbs many Vitamins and minerals. The potential for deficiencies means that patients must adhere to strict guidelines. All patients must eat more lean, high-quality protein; exercise; and take vitamins and minerals for the rest of their lives. Teenage girls must take additional calcium and iron. Critics argue that teens are less likely than adults to follow these rules and are too young to make a decision to undergo major elective surgery. They also argue that the surgery takes on a different social meaning when performed on young people: It seems like giving up and is hard to reconcile with the cherished notion that kids can always grow and change. There's no sense in soft-pedaling these issues. But Thomas Inge, co-founder of the obesity surgery program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, points out that when teens are more than 100 pounds overweight, the chances are vanishingly small that they will shed the necessary pounds on their own and keep them off. Programs that focus on changing diet and behavior may work for younger children whose eating habits and behavioral patterns are less ingrained; for teenagers, though, the results are often disappointing. Inge has developed guidelines to identify the small group of teens he and other doctors think should be eligible for stomach stapling. (Here's a brief summary.) Preliminary data show that surgery can really help these adolescents. In one study, teens who underwent gastric bypass lost an average of 37 percent of their body mass index by the end of the first year. Other research suggests that the procedure can reverse or improve sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. Similar health gains have been noted in adults. But that's not necessarily a reason to delay the surgery. Inge points out that the longer a patient has had diabetes, the harder it may be to reverse the condition. The same may turn out to be true for cardiovascular disease, though the data on this are not well-established. Stomach stapling also seems to get riskier the more obese a patient is. So, an extremely heavy teen who is likely to grow into an even heavier adult might be better off opting for surgery sooner rather than later. A procedure that's less risky than stapling, known as adjustable gastric banding, may also soon make surgery a better option. During this procedure, a flexible silicone band is placed, inside the body, around the upper part of the stomach. At follow-up office visits, the band is progressively tightened (here's how). This appears to suppress appetite (perhaps by stimulating stomach fibers associated with feeling full). Gastric banding seems to cause adults to lose weight more gradually on average than gastric bypass. But it has a lower rate of complications. And it's reversible. In 2001, the Food and Drug Administration approved adjustable gastric banding for people over 18. Now a small number of researchers have received permission from the FDA to study it in teens. At NYU Medical Center, about 100 teens have undergone the procedure. About 5 percent have required a second operation because the band slipped out of position. But according to NYU lead surgeon Christine Ren, that's the most frequent complication. To date, there have been no deaths and no hospital readmissions for acute complications. Patients, who weighed 300 pounds on average before surgery, report a decrease in appetite. And they appear to be losing a lot of weight—an average of 95 pounds in the first year. Ren says that adolescents who undergo gastric banding seem to lose weight faster than adults do, perhaps because of differences in metabolism or because they're more, not less, diligent about following the post-surgery rules. There's a lot we still don't know about stomach surgery and its long-term effects when performed on young people. But for kids whose obesity is likely to be life-shortening, not to mention a source of diminished self-confidence and opportunity, the benefits may well outweigh the risks. It's heartening to have a possible life raft to offer them, however bizarre it seems. sidebar Return to article According to Inge's guidelines, teens should have a body mass index of more than 50 kilograms per meter squared or a BMI of more than 40 kg/m2 along with a major medical condition, like type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or pseudotumor cerebri, which can cause progressive loss of vision. For a typical obese teen who has stopped growing, a BMI of 50 corresponds roughly to a weight of 300 pounds for girls and 335 pounds for boys. A BMI of 40 corresponds to 250 pounds for girls and 275 pounds for boys. sidebar Return to article During surgery, the band is connected to a small reservoir placed deep under the skin. At follow-up visits, saline solution is injected through the skin and into the reservoir, which causes the band to inflate and tighten around the stomach. (Think of a blood pressure cuff being tightened around the arm.) Amanda Schaffer is a frequent contributor to Slate.