Search the Community

My lapband failed and I had a revision to the RNY. It's not a step in the process. Talk with your doc and have a open honest conversation so you and he/she can make the best choice for you! Best Wishes

Best of luck! I am scheduled for May 1st for my revision. Let me know how it goes.

I started this journey about six months ago when I attended my first informational meeting at MMC. Now here I am getting ready for my surgery. I have struggled all my life with my weight since age 6. I have been on many diets and thought there was never going to be anything that worked for me. I had never considered gastric bypass surgery so when my physician suggested it to me I was very interested. She had seen me struggle through the years exercising losing and gaining .... I had always thought gastric bypass surgery was not for me because it would mean I was weak and unable to do this on my own. I am so happy to find out that that's not the case at all. It is especially for me! And I deserve it and I'm worth it! my surgery is scheduled for May 30. I am on my preop diet now. It is harder than I thought but I know what will be worth it!

Hi! I haven't been banded. I am just doing research regarding LapBand. I weigh over 100 lbs. beyond my goal weight, but the gastric bypass is too invasive! I am 59, and not sure whether this is for me. Secondly, my husband has Medicare with Tricare for Life, and I am covered as his dependent (spouse) with Tricare Prime; I do not qualify for Medicare. I found Tricare Prime accepts referrals from Primary Care Physicians for GBS. However, I checked about 4 months ago about whether they approve for LapBand surgery, and was told "No, not at this time." Has anyone heard different as to whether they have reconsidered? I am curious. Does anyone know why Tricare Prime would pay for GBS and not LBS? Maybe because the procedure is still too new? I would also like to know why it is easier to exercise and eat right when one has the LBS, than before the surgery? Doesn't the motivation have to continue? Perhaps the LBS does motivate, when youhave gone that far? I know one thing... I have been too heavy, too long (about 8 years) and realize that soon I am prone to diabetes, sleep apnea, etc. as it runs in my family, both sides. My motivation to lose lasts about 1 week, then it fades. Could be because my husband can and does eat Desserts, or anything he desires, with no weight gain. Guess you might call that co-dependent, but I can't help it. When sweets are around, I weaken. I have not been a happy person for a long time now. This weight is depressing. I would hate to think that I would have to carry my two dogs around all day long, but my excess weight outweighs them! ...and they are BIG dogs!:help: Any information about insurance, or advice about LBS will be appreciated! Thank you! Pam :clap2: pamblundell@aol.com

I have been approved for my lapband. My surgery will be done on Dec 5th. My surgeon is Dr. Edward Cussatti. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I attend a support group at Good Sam Hospital in West Islip NY. Most of the people there are gastric bypass people and they sometimes seem to be down on lapbanding?? So I guess I really need to hear some of your success stories. I think that will really help me. Were you all scared before surgery?? Barbara :omg::whoo:

I am so sorry to hear of your cousins' deaths! That is so horrible! I can imagine how your family just might have an issue with this surgery!! We can only point out the obvious...that this surgery is much less invasive than gastric bypass and is totally reversible. Have you ever done research into low-carb dieting to help with PCOS? There are very good results with it...amazing ones, actually.

Absolutely -- look for the center with the most aftercare support. Having people on staff who are banded themselves is a huge help for them understanding what you are going through. Don't use a surgery center that mostly does bypass surgeries, especially one that gives the same instructions for both. Instead, go with one who specializes in banding and has experience with the long-term aftercare for bandsters. Good luck!

Hello, I am scheduled to have surgery on May 21st! I am excited, but a little scared. Not sure what to expect. This is my question..........how bad is the pain during recovery? Is it reasonable to expect to go back to work in a couple of days instead of taking a whole week off? I have been reading alot of the threads and I identify with so many of you. My difference is that I have had a previous gastric bypass about 13 years ago. I feel like such a loser for gaining the weight back! - but am blessed with two beautiful daughters to show for it! I have been struggling with feeling selfish for wanting this surgery so bad - I am a self pay. My husband said we will just have to treat it like a car payment and my life is more important. - I hope he still feels that way after a few years of payments! lol Well, if any of you have had a prior gastric bypass or if anyone has any thoughts for me, I welcome the comments. Hope everyone is having a great day! Christy

It is really good to know I am not the only one that is obsessing with this. I also have 2 books and have another one on order. But like NtvTxn said the also mainly deal with the bypass or the lapband. But there are some really good recipes in them. It is all I can do to hold off on calling the insurance company. I know it is probably too soon for them to know since they probably just got it on Tuesday. I got my Protein samples that I ordered, these are actually pretty good. I got the information about them off of another post. It was a really good deal and I ordered them on Thursday and got them Tuesday. Here is the information if anyone is interested. They are offering a special deal on the sample pack right now. Only cost me $9.99 and there is 23g of Protein in each packet. nectar ?Variety Sampler? containing 11 full serving packets of the following flavors: Apple Ecstasy, Caribbean Cooler, Crystal Sky, Fuzzy Navel, Roadside Lemonade, strawberry Kiwi, Twisted Cherry, chocolate Truffle, Strawberry Mousse, vanilla Bean Torte and Latte Cappuccino. The price is $21.89. We are offering a coupon discount of $16.90 leaving a total of $4.99 plus $5.00 UPS Shipping. The total you pay is $9.99 and arrives in 2-5 days. If you would like to take advantage of this offer, please give us a call at 866-333-7403 x 801. Our hours are Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm Central time. Best regards, Amanda SI03 Order Department Phone: 866-333-7403 x 801 Email: orders@si03.com www.si03.com Again thanks for all the support and it is really nice to know I am not alone on this.:thumbup:

Hi Everyone. My journey started in 1996 with my gastric bypass. I'm now 18 years post-op and have maintained a 130 pound weight loss. I have had 2 pregnancies post-op. My kids are now 15 & 16 years old. My surgery was open and lapriscopy wasn't an option then. I've dealt with issues of birth control and anemia. I had no setbacks until my 10 year anniversary when I developed an internal strangulation hernia that required surgical correction. I also had an upper Gi bleed this past January. Other than those items, my surgery enabled me to have the lifestyle and become the wife and mother I had only dreamed of previously. I keep within a 10 pound window for maintenance. It gets harder to keep within that window as I get older; however it is achievable by keeping to the same rules used for weight loss to maintain. We all need to be mindful of our Protein, limit the carbs, exercise and keep hydrated. I think having support is so important and I'm greatful to have found this site.

I just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Jamie and I have been looking into the possibility of lap band or gastric bypass fora bit now. I am trying to gather as much info as possible regarding each procedure to make the right decision. Any help either way would be great!!! Thanks All! JAmie

Yes I checked with BC/BS PPO back in June 2010 and they told me that Medicare does not cover VSG surgery but they do. I was told by BC/BS PPO that I met their requirements and they would pay even if Medicare denied it. I have to wait & see if this is true. Shady Grove Hospital did not bill BC/BS because they said if Medicare did not pay for the surgery neither would BC/BS. BC/BS told me that is not true so I called Shady Grove Hospital and told them BC/BS want my claim to cross over to them and they will decide what to do. Shady Grove filed a claim with BC/BS after I insisted they do and start doing their job correctly. I have at least 30 days until I find out what is up. The surgeon does not take any insurance except Medicare so I need to appeal Medicare decision because until Medicare agrees to pay the surgeon I am in for $9000.00. BC/BS may pay him some money for the surgery if they pay some on the hospital. Medicare needs to get with the times & recognize VSG surgery. Gastric Bypass is becoming obsolete because VSG is much better surgery and allows the patient a normal way of living. I can eat most anything now except in smaller portions. I continue to lose weight and I feel great. No Dumping.

Hello Everyone, I am new to the site and just wanted to say hi to everyone. I was banded on January 24th. at Kaiser in Harbor City and my doctor is Dr. Zane. Prior to starting the classes with Kaiser I was 316lbs. and currently as of today the 11th of June I am at 251.5lbs. :cool2: I originally was going to get the Gastric Bypass but upon researching online the various options, I found the LapBand was better for me. I hired me a personal trainer at the gym and meet with her twice a week and twice a week I workout by myself. I attend the support group Kaiser offers but almost everyone except for 2 of us had the Gastric Bypass. I would like to see if anyone knows of a support group in the closest to Los Angeles. I did have a question for those who are more familiar with the band. I already had my first fill of 1cc in my 4cc band in March. I am going for my second fill on the 16th of this month. I am planning on flying to Las Vegas on July 3rd and fly back on July 7th and heard someone say that when the altitude changes that your ban gets really tight and stays that way for a few days. Is this true? :confused2: I look forward to talking with people who have the band and learning from their experiences.

Hi Lynn, I see that you've been banded back in February. So was I, on the 18th. I am just curious as to why you have not yet had your fill? I had a port revision surgery this May 5th, and I've had two fills since then, one during the revision surgery, and one this past Thursday.

If they approved the sleeve but the doctor didn't do it, then I would think that it would still be approved since your surgeon *technically* only removed your band and never revised your stomach to the sleeve.

Welcome Firedust! All I would advise you to do is to read, read, read--everything you can get your hands on regarding Lap Band Surgery (and even Gastric Bypass--just to see what's going on in the WLS world). Have you attended a seminar yet? That's your first step--it's totally free and you can ask all your questions of real professionals. Find a Bariatric Center or contact your surgeon and they will be able to line you up. It's the most informative 3 - 4 hours you can spend, other than online here!

Getting banded has been really great so far. My surgery went without a hitch and I was out of bed and rarring to go almost immediately following. Its early days, but I remain hopefully optimistic that this will work out in ways that all the other diets that I have tried have not. I consider myself a professional inexpert dieter --if its out there I have tried it. Low carb, no carb, nutri whatever, ww, fasting, diet pepsi and cigarettes, opti, medi, HMR, slimfast, diet pills (Rx and OTC) added to the mix to keep my appetite in check. My best and longest successful dieting foray was from the winter of 2000 through the summer of 2003. With boatloads of Water, a low carb diet, and as much exercise as I could stand -- I managed to lose about 90 lbs (this left me still needing to lose about 50 or 60 lbs to achieve a healthy weight by American standards and certainly by my standard). However, the long plateau worked to undermine my dedication and the weight began creeping back at a pretty steady clip. I never again got to my high of 292, but at my first weigh in with the lap band surgeon I was about 268 or so. It was a tough decision for me to make. For a variety of reasons I wasn't interested in a bypass....and it killed me that essentially I am paying someone to restrict my food intake. But the yo-yo dieting had really defeated me. I have been forturnate in that I am a relatively healthy fat person -- but I knew that time was working against me and the older I got -- the less likely that that trend would continue. So it was with alot of baggage that I started shopping around for a bariatric doctor to explore the lap band. The whole insurance thing was/is a hassle. They cover, but I couldn't find an in network provider (in NYC or NJ), just out of network with a threatened 70% coverage amount. I haven't seen any bills yet. I will certainly provide updates as that situation unfolds. Post surgically I have "officially" lost 14 lbs.... this is a little sketchy in my opinion. They weighed me at the hospital the day of .. and I was a whopping 274. I think working the day before from home, planted in front of my computer all day with no food after 3pm and no liquid (because I can be overzealous in following pre-surgery instructions) had me retaining major water. If I go by my last weigh in at the doctor the week before my surgery my weight loss as of 12-19-2007 is closer to 4 lbs. Post surgically, I was bullied by my doctor to lose about 10 lbs. Surprisingly, I have found that I am not at all interested in monitoring my weight other than whatever I am forced to do when I go to the doctor. I mean why torture myself? That's why I decided to get the surgery, right? This should not be interpreted as not monitoring my intake.... I have. Although I didn't do so good with the whole crushing pills until 1 month after surgery. Yuck! I just couldn't. I have tried my best to limit my intake, eat three times a day with no snacking and don't eat and drink at the same sitting. The last has proven to be the toughest thing. Also, it has put me in jeopardy of not taking in enough water -- I am trying but if you can't drink during, or up to 30 minutes before or after, and can't gulp it down like medicine.... I am reduced to totting around a bottle and taking sips all damn day. It has proven to be my greatest challenge so far. :faint: But generally speaking -- its so far so good and I am hopeful that I will have lost another couple of pounds when next I see my doctor 1-15-2008. And if I haven't... that's alright. The average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year is like 5 lbs, right? If I managed to dodge that bullet -- its all good. Later,

what are you afraid of? The procedure? I don't know if this will help you, but I have never had any kind of anything done to me. No broken bones no surgeries. In fact the only time I have been in the hospital is One over night stay for the birth of my son and to visit other people LOL I am so convinced this is soooo safe that I am not scared in the least. My Dr told me the worst thing that he has happen is three of people had infection around the port area and they just go in and move it to a different location. For me the positive far out way the negative. Ultimately you have to do what is best for you. I would not even consider bypass the risk were to high for me but many people have had it done...it's not for me though. This on the other hand I can do. My biggest worry is, if I will be in alot of pain after wards. Do more research, talk to more people, people who have had it done, talk to your doctors. I did so much research and have read through these forums and my PCP Dr, one of her nurses had bypass I talked to her about it even though it was bypass. I hope this helps. I haven't been approved yet so my help and advise can only so far.

Ok, so I went to the weight center in the fall of 2011 and went through all the classes, psych eval, nut, weigh ins, etc and paid my surgery track fee....Then found out that my husbands bcbs ppo national account had an exclusion on bariatric care. I even went and was was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, which i am glad i got the CPAP as I am sleeping better and my husband says I am not snooring as much as in the past, plus on this account! So, I wrote a 6 page letter outlining my history....Please don't worry after you read this, but when I was almost 20 I was crossing the strret in college, of course in the middle of the night with all the athletes before spring break trips for sports and I was hit by a 55 mile an hour car crossing the street. I broke my back, pelvic, had Filled up with fluid in my legs and the hip I was hit on, plus fracturing my skull and damaging my neck. No worries, I survived, but was told I would never be able to play sports like I did because of the injuries and were bad, but that didnt stop me. i learned to re-walk and care for myself....then the following season I wanted to just try to play soccer knowing I had ,issed softball all varsity sports, so I didnt want the driver to determine my fate.....Coach and the team were so excited to see me dressed.....I walked out on the field took one pass to me and as I crossed half field to kick it in the goal, which would have been easy for me....i kicked and felt a horrible pain through my body...shruuged it off, asked for another one thinking I could pass and low and behold body told me H..LL NO. I hugged the team and said sorry I just can't do this. The trainer drove me back to the lockers and that was the last time I was ever on the field until I had children...but before children I had surgeries to remove fluid off my hip and legs, but it will always be there. I was healthy at 180 lbs just not as muscular as I was in the past. So having children, wasnt sure that could happen based on the drs reports. So my husband was told this on our first date because I decided I didnt want him to get connected unless he was aware, yes he laughed...i already went through a long relationship and he was different than anyone I had ever been with..he says its because of the accident and I say its because he made me laugh. Ok, got preg for our first, deemed high risk...now the drama, the found a fibroid growing beside our baby...i was watched every week. Anyway was put on bed rest, the day of the c-section was def a comedy show, i had 2 surgeons in case I needed emergency hysteroctomy but when they said our new son was fine, they asked if they could take pictures of the fibroid as it was large, we asked them to remove it, but it was too dangerouse and I could die from blood los, etc so they tucked it back in my uterous and my life has never been the same. I couldnt loose the preg weight due to the pain on my back...so the dr told us if we wanted another child now or never...so they helped us get preg for our second...the fibroid grew, we ended up aving an emergency c-section 7 weeks early and our daughter was 5 lbs, again too dangerous so tucked fibroid back in. Anyways, i finally had enough....went in for an eval for the hysterectomy and after them saying no more and we couldnt get preg again, surprise of our lives we were. Thought we lost the baby cause I was bleeding and they didnt expect the baby to make it. A nurse at my work gave me shots to help me along....needless to say, our third was taken emergency c-section if you couldnt guess but she was over 8 lbs abd healthy...me on the other hand not so much....the re-oppened me that night as I had a major infection. I was then packec at home for months to heal, but we had our last baby...tubes tied as well. Now to heal, 2 yrs ago I had an ablasion to stop the horribly female cycles due to the fibroid, but it didnt help with the size....i am getting to my question, but figured you needed this background....so now its been 10 yrs, our son just turned 10 but had the fibroid for 11yrs, now its pushing on my bladder and I drip all the time, uterous is pushed uo as its inside the wall, constant back pain and it pushes on my pelvic and back.....so, this 6 pg letter was just captured in this paragraph...but it was to my husbands company as we would out there is an exclusion for weight loss. Needless to say, I self paid all the previous apts but stopped going as we wrote the letter to see if they would waive the exclusion...YES after 5 months of follow my husbands HR team overrode the exclusion and worked with BCBC to approve me. Now my letter said verticle sleeve, but they wrote a note that after review they approved the bypass......NOW what...they are working on how to notify the drs and Heres my question.....what are my chances of getting the sleeve? Can i loose over 100 lbs?? Also my uterous is enlarged so i am worried about bypass and only wanted sleeve! I dont know when I will be able to go back to the dr, but now that I have ben waiting and got the news wasnt sure what your thoughts are on getting them to agree to sleeve versus bypass. Thanks for listening! I read all the discussions and guess this is my largest post. Thanks again for your time.

Hello all... I'm from the Kansas City area and have recently decided to start the process to get banded. My wife was banded in 2002, her two sisters after that and between the three of them, have lost almost 500 lbs. I swore I would never get fat. In high school and when I was in the military, I was never more than 210 lbs. I'm 5'10, but was athletic and physically fit. About the time I turned 25, I had gotten out of the military and started working for a local police department as a dispatcher. Sitting for 8-12 hours a day, talking on the phone and radios. It didn't help much that our office was right next to the break room and the vending machines. By the time I was 30, I was weighing in at 260. I got married to a wonderful cook and here I am, almost 40, and topping at 365. If I had held true to my word as a young man, I would have killed myself when I hit 300. Luckily I didn't and here I am. Eating for me has rarely been psychological. Or at least I don't think it has been. I enjoy food. I enjoy the tastes, the textures, and I enjoy a good meal. I guess I enjoy it too much. The only time emotion has ever come into play is every once in a while, when I get down on myself and down on life, I will order a pizza and finish the whole thing in one sitting. That happens about once every 3-4 months. So that's brought me to where I am now. I currently travel alot for my job and every time I board a plane and have to ask for an extension, part of me dies inside. It's not pleasant to watch people when they realize they have to sit next to the fat guy. Most people try to hide it, but many times I've gotten that "You've got to be kidding me!" look. I used to love flying. I decided to call my insurance company, Anthem / BCBS. I wanted to find out if they even covered bariatric surgery. Turns out that the plan my employer has with them does NOT cover any kind of weightloss surgery. Not the bypass, not the band, not a thing... So now, I wonder... do I self-pay or do I go thru the initial process and see if my Doctor can get them to approve the surgery? I went in for my initial consult with my local family doctor and he referred me to Tallgrass Surgical in Topeka, KS. They have a rule that before they will even see you, they require you to attend a monthly seminar for the lap-band. This is not uncommon from what I've seen. So, one Saturday morning, my wife and I packed up, drove over an hour to Topeka in the middle of a rainstorm, and got there 10 minutes late. I was turned away at the door, being told that they don't allow late arrivals. I will not do business with someone who is not only rude, but has no compassion for prospective clients. There are many other local doctors I can go to for my procedure. Anyway... has anyone had the same block with their insurance? What did you do? My credit is not the best, otherwise I would just finance it. I know I need to lose the weight, I just don't know how to overcome this $10,000+ hurdle. My name is Brian and I'm a fat guy... *sigh*:biggrin:

@@Qtpie28 welcome Kayla! My name is Ericka! I'm 25 5'5" and weigh 311. I also have uhc and have started my journey recently. I am beginning my 6 month diet this month first nut appt on the 22nd....I will not be looking at surgery until next year either due to uhc requirements! I was originally wanting to get vsg but after talking with my surgeon I decided on gastric bypass. I felt like we were kindred spirits when I read ur post and wanted to reach out lol. If you want a journey buddy I am here since we are in a similar place! Good lick and congratulations on your decision to live a healthier life!

Hi my name is Tasha and I'm 3 days post-op with the bypass. Right now I feel like I got run over by a truck. I'm trying to push through but it's hard. I'm not hungry at all but just feel so uncomfortable and sore.

For those who read my previous post earlier today..I spoke to my friend who had gastric bypass surgery about a year ago. I'm feeling better now about having the surgery...another plus is that I will quit smoking!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!! I call the hospital tomorrow for pre-registration. Not sure how long the process will take before my surgery can be scheduled...but it'll be enough time for me to get the right "mindset" :teeth_smile: Thanks for your support...I'm sure I'll need a lot more as this progresses

went to my first seminar with the Dr and am now in the beginning of the ins requirements im not sure on what way to go the Dr recommends the bypass but im leaning towards the band any suggestions are welcome

i had gastric bypass a little over 10 years ago and the weight is back and then some. i'm looking for other options, as it's unlikely that my bypass would be revised (it's not broken, just stretched). i've seen lap band commercials, and since i believe everything i see on tv, i figured it must be worth a look :thumbdown: has anybody around here had lap band as a second weight loss surgery? to which section of the forum should i venture for this info? thanks! ffff