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similar situation, getting revised to the vertical sleeve, band destroyed my esophagus, mysterious manufactured 1.5cc's of fluid. Since emptying I've had constant diarrhea and have gained back 50 of the 100;bs i had lost. I cannot wait to get this voodoo piece of cr@p out my body

Does anyone have a suggestion or two for some solid Lapband specialists in Vancouver BC? Please help as id like to get it done locally. thanks.

Hi I had the balloon put in 3 months ago and have lost 2 stone. It was very uncomfortable afterwards for about a week but has all settled down now. I tried orlistat and reductil and neither worked as nothing else did. My doctor wouldn't refer me because of costs but luckily I had enough money to go private. It cost just under £4,000 in manchester spire hospital. I was so fed up of being fat after having my kids I had to do something drastric

Hi everyone, I am a 58 y/o woman, 5'3", 281 lbs, and a 50 BMI. Right now I have good BC/BS Insurance both as a primary and as a secondary, and I have been trying for about 8 months to get their support for my surgery without success. Now I have found that one of the native American tribes is willing to pay for my surgery. Their rules are: 1 join and attend a weight loss group 2. Exercise daily and keep a journal 3. Attend all appointments with the physician who will refer me to the surgeon 4. Keep a daily journal of the foods I eat 5. Loose 30 pounds There is a weight watchers group in the small rural town wherein live, I plan to join them. I have been walking 30 min on the weekend and riding the stationary bike 15 min twice a day at work. My next appointment is October 21st. I have been keeping a journal of my food using " my fitness pal.com". I have learned a lot about the number of calories I eat at this site. My goal is to loose the 30 pounds in 2 months. I know this all looks good but it is only my first week and I need friends to guide me and hold me accountable.

I think I may have a slippage to my band Oh' God I have to say I am so fed up can anyone advise! I cant eat anything I have heart burn and when I do I have a funny gurgling noise and a horrible sensation as a stuck feeling afterwards and salivate +++++.. I had a medium sized Meal yesterday and may have been too much post this was being continually sick.. my poor gutz feels battered..Can a band move from heaving too much..? Can someone tell me what is happenening with the band?.. I have not had any fills since surgery and this happens now! I have been exercising on a Vibration Plate and wonder if this may have moved the Band out of position. I feel so uncomfortable and am considering getting it removed with my track record... have not lost much weight and feel this was a huge mistake..as it was self funded.. Can anyone advise me please on this..I am on just sips of Water now! HELP HELP HELP!

hi everyone. i am in the uk, and used all my savings to fund the op, i know its a different system to you guys in the usa.. but i agree with all you say.. its such a huge decision we make for ourselves and motivation is a huge part of that. its such a shame the hospitals don't grasp our motivation by the balls and put it into good use.. !! do i sound harse ? well maybe i do.. but i had to go through the usual assessments and i cant help but wonder whose purpose they where for, the psych just really wanted to check i wasn't depressed and offer my private funded counselling afterwards. I understand the medical checks... but the other long winded process makes no sense to me. I only had to lose 5lbs, and thank goodness i managed it ok. the dietician was nice , but lets face i am sure we have all been to countless weight watchers classes in the past and if there is anything we are experts on, its what we should eat to lose weight !! its not the knowledge i need it the support to do . My other issue is my hospital failed to tell me that post lap banding it can take several fills before i get any restriction.... i have only just found this out since i joined this site yesterday (i have been on the site for hours learning so so so much , its fab !!). I had my first band fill 2 days ago and have no restriction and i am gutted. i feel a bit fed up with my hospital, in my 'price package' i have two band fills and i have no idea how much they cost after that. ( i thought 2 would be enough -- but thanks to this site i know its so individual i may need many more). my aftercare package is pretty slim... i see the dietician and bariatric nurse monthy (at the same time) and my next surgeon appointment will be 6 weeks from the last. i cant tell everyone how this site has motivated me this weekend.. its great to not feel alone. my only problem now is that i have to get off the computer and do some housework :heh:,, but i am desperate to learn all i can from all you guys. anyhow i have gone on a bit .. its hard to keep motivated without that nagging thought at the back of your head ; 'i have to eat a lot now as i won't be able to for the rest of my life' ....... but you are on your forward path and i hope the path goes smoothly for you.

I have a good friend that does approvals for BC/BS. While they are not my insurance carrier, it was interesting to see the process from her perspective. She said that she rarely if ever denies bariatric surgery if the BMI is over 35. The rest of the hoops you jump through are just a formality. My surgeons office knew exactly what I needed to do and how to submit each part of the requirements. I needed a letter from my primary doc stating she had supervised my diet and exercise for at least 6 mos. They didn't require a log or any notes. There was no minimum weight to be lost prior to surgery either. Your surgeon's office should be your best resource.

i am very sorry that you are hurting but take my advice. i became celibate after my last break up (around june) and not only that but i stopped dating altogether so i could concentrate on ME. My needs, my goals etc. It's been the best thing I have ever done (besides my surgery). I have really been able to see myself and what *I* need. I'm not bogged down with drama and BS of a relationship or someone else's needs. Take this time to concentrate on YOU. What do you need? What are your goals? And live your life. We'll give you support. Best of luck.

I was sleeved may 16th and also got stalled at 265. My starting weight was 289. I have found that if you let go a bit and increase your calories by indulging in something like a cookie or a piece or your favorite dessert it will restart your metabolism because it feels like its being fed again. Don't go crazy and pig out lol. Just indulge for a day. I stalled at 265 for almost three weeks before I took a day off from clean eating. I ate cheese puffs and enjoyed a slice of watermelon (a big no no) and last but not least I had a vanilla latte. That weekend I dropped 4 lbs.

I am neither a regular smoker or regular drinker. The two do tend to go hand in hand for me, but usually it is weeks or months between my 'party' nights out. I don't drink or smoke at all when not in these sorts of social situations, and I do neither to excess when I do go out. Once every year I go on a campout with a group of people that is pretty much a party group. I've been going to this event for over 10 years and it's my one time of year when I get to let my hair down for a few days. This year, it happens to fall over Memorial Day weekend, which is right before my 2-week pre-op diet. I am going to TRY not to drink more than a beer or two each day or smoke any cigs at all, but I know it's going to be difficult around this crowd. I'm wondering how much effect a few days of less-than-perfect behaviour with the alcohol/nicotine thing might have, or would the two weeks of following the pre-op diet to the letter be enough.... *sigh* I'm also not going to go off my BC pills until 2 weeks pre-op (as the idea of dealing with feminine hygiene while camping is not a good one), and I hope that 2 weeks will be good on that too. Argh, I hate second-guessing all this. :thumbup:

It all depends in your insurance req, bc I hv a 90 day supervised diet req so my dr has to wait til my 90 days r up and then he will file asap, my dr encourages his patient to lose weight, and I also researched it to that is a good idea to lose weight and start an excercise regimen way b4 surgery, with that said I set my own personal target of losing 25lbs by my 11/21 surgery date, and as far as insurance co dr turns in my initial weight for approval

I really haven't exercised much at all. Bad I know . But even so the skin is looking better over time. I plan to hit they gym hard in April and May bc i lose motivation quickly so I wanted to wait til closer to summer so I can firm up.

What are the issues? What's wrong with the new you? Please be objective bc others might soon to through this as well. I'm fact it's one of the Cons

Thanks ppasjm for sharing your experience, that's exactly what I was looking for. I know there are plenty of people who have been working out (even if not consistently) before surgery and their experiences would be very different than mine. I'm definitely taking your and JohnLatte's lesson to heart. I'm going to plan in small 5 or 10 minute increments at a time. I'm going to push myself but not bc I want to reach a "time" limit, as I get in better shape I'll be able to push like that. The idea is I want to be sure I can return to the gym and go regularly so I'm going to avoid being too fervent my first few days out. Just gonna start to get the hang of things. After I go today I'll be sure to report back and let you guys know how I did! Thanks again.

@GassyGurl, I've been in touch with Dr. Wizman's office. They said he is $10,600 for the sleeve plus $2,100 for BLIS. I feel that's a fair price, but when I asked if I would have to fly back to Florida for complications, the office staff didn't know anything about how BLIS works. I assume I would, my understanding is it's the surgeon who is insured, you are "extending" your contract with them, so to speak, using BLIS. But if it's an emergency, like a blood clot or leak, do you really have time to fly to Florida? Not that I wouldn't love to stay there for 3 months, but I wouldn't be saving enough money to make that possible!! No, I didn't contact my insurance co myself to ask about complications. So far I am taking Drs office word, plus on Ins website, when I look on my profile and my covered/non-covered services, what counts toward co-insurance, etc., it says that anything I pay toward services that are non-covered under my plan do not count toward co-ins or deductible (I don't have a deductible, but I guess for those who do). Just the way everything's worded makes it seem very negative. Like some, I'm a little afraid to call and ask and "tip them off" that I'm having the surgery bc if they don't know maybe they would cover some things just thinking it is basic health care related. But you're right, in the end I will probably have to call anyway! Surgery at my local hospital was quoted to me as $16,880 for Surg/Anesth/Hosp, but now they are saying they need to recheck cost of hosp & anesth and nut will be an extra $800, plus the co-pays for the other stuff (END co-pay will run me $100). It's adding up higher every day...

Had my conversation surgery today. I feel good. Much better than the lapband. The first few hours were hard bc anesthesia does not like me . I should be going on Sunday. I'm still NPO until tomorrow when they will so the leak test Scheduled for lapband to sleeve-8/9. CW-279. Sent from my iPhone using VST

BTW, 2 of my cats have a heart murmur. They are doing exceptional. I knew one had a murmur bc the breeder got it back from someone who purchased him and returned him back as defective. He is the best CAT I've ever had. He's an Ocicat. Hang in there.

This is going to work for you and you will start to lose weight. As you do, you will need to deal with the emotional issues to why you eat. Just like others said, you will still be able to eat out with your husband. It's more about the experience and the people you are with than the food. In fact, it is even more of an intimate experience bc now I will just share something w my DH when we go out to dinner. Eventually you will find that there are other things that you love. I used to think about food all the time..when my next meal was (while I was eating) what I would eat, when, etc. It consumed me. It no longer does and it is such a better life now!!

Thanks so much! I love Vega Vanilla and chocolate protein powder as well as PB protein powder each mixed with almond milk. I also just discovered Ghost protein powder which is amazing! Literally tastes like cereal milk, chips ahoy etc.. and you can buy samples! You definitely want broth and sugar free popsicles. Both we’re life savers! In the full liquid stage any cream soup you like will be your go to… get a strainer bc you will use that a lot! Also get a few protein shaker bottles! A scale is a must have! Order your vitamins and protein ahead of time for sure! I bought but don’t use baby spoons or anything like that bc you can judge how much a tiny bite is. Look up lots of full liquid and purée recipes especially the ricotta bake for purée! I don’t feel like my tastes have changed and I have no cravings! I have gone out for pizza with my family and it did not bother me at all. There are times I literally have to remind myself I need to eat! Plan to walk a lot it helps so much and fills the food void. My biggest problem was over preparing and being hard on myself, it helped but I literally thought I had control over this process and I have very little. I just go hour by hour, day by day as far as what I need to be doing. Good luck to you! It’s so worth it! Keep the questions coming!

So it's not like I had a big chest to begin with but man, what I had has left the building completely! Its not just my ego that's deflated about it... I honestly never thought I'd be a person who'd consider implants but I seriously am. I can't be the only one who's had this so what did you guys do? I'm not looking to be a girl with huge b**bs, just a girl who's bra is an actual portrayal of what lies beneath.

@Janet thanks for the advice. everyone is telling me the same thing the slower the better. i joined this group bc i really need to stay focused and motivated. its frustrating because i did go through the surgery and really dont feel different. i know i have to be patient it also doesnt help me at all that i am obsessed with the scale. i know i should stay away from it but can't. i even told my hubby to hide from me lol. really obsessed im on it about 6 times a day. @ymjackson i think i eat enough just really staying away from all the junk and rice. rice is my downfall i used to eat it everyday, now I'm down to once a week. that's a challenge! i don't track my calorie in take i know i should. I just really don't want to feel like having surgery was just a waste of time. hopefully next week when i go in for my second fill i will feel a lot better. thanks for listening girls!

Hi livn, Well, I know that the office has gone through a personnel change over the last few months. I was sort of in the middle of it and the only difficulty I had was getting them to send/fax me the list of required medical tests to my family doctor for pre op testing. It became a hassle but all worked out in the end. I'm not sure about your approval process, but a lot depends on your insurance. I met the "national standards" for obesity as required by my insurance (BC/BS Federal). Some insurances require a year of recorded dieting, thankfully mine did not. My insurance also required a "center of excellence" which does fit with GBMC. I went to GBMC at my diabetes doctor suggestion..he had 11 patients before me that had lap band surgery and all went there...another had RNY but in DC....all lap banders are doing extremely well. As for GBMC, I can't complain...except for the initial paperwork delay. Post op, I ended up back in the hospital....had surgery Friday and did well on Saturday, but on Sunday afternoon, I couldn't get liquids down....Called Dr. Mo Monday AM and he had me come straight in..here, my esophagas had swollen (very rare)..admitted me into the hospital for 1-1/2 days for IVs, was preventing dehydration, plus steroid IVs for getting the swelling down....Dr. Mo was great throughout....I've been back a few times, with no problems with the office...yet to get my 1st fill. I still have some restrictions and don't have the need yet...am losing 1-2 lbs per week so Dr. Mo and I discussed putting it off until I need it. I cancelled my December appt for a fill and will go back in January for check up. I really haven't been involved in the monthly meetings...just don't have the time to get up there....I work in DC and just adopted a greyhound that keeps me busy... I know people have complained about GBMC, but if you feel uneasy, check out all of the other places nearby...make sure you are comfortable with your choice.... I'd probably go back to GBMC over again.. GOOD LUCK !

On my dad's side of the family they all tend to be swelt My mothers side all tiny and thin... guess which side I take after. My DD who'd 4 is chunky.... she's like a fish, she'll eat until she bursts. I'm hoping now that she is in an all day daycare/school she will thin out. My Mom watched her since she was born and just fed fed fed w/out exercise (kinda like what I went thru living there as a kid lol).

I chose to keep my surgery to myself because I knew it would bother me when people said that I took the easy way out. I also know that bariatric surgery has a stigma attached to it and I wasn't willing to deal with that. A lady I worked with had a surgery and everyone knew about it. When she lost weight all anyone said was well, she has lapband so it's not like she's working hard and when she gained it all back, everyone was all smug about how her cheaterhead surgery failed. That irked me and it contributed to my decision to keep it to myself. My three best friends know and no one else does. I am now 2.5 years post-op so my weight loss really isn't a topic of conversation anymore. When people asked what I did I just said I worked out more and ate less, which was entirely true. I like the idea that lies by exclusion are not lies. I don't feel that I have any personal obligation to other large people to tell my story- it's my business, not theirs, and I plan to keep it that way. My boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, once said something like...it's almost like you had that stomach surgery. I was thin! I also have major plastic surgery scars that someone who sees me naked and isn't stupid can conclude that I had been larger at least at some point. The big contributor is the fact that food makes me puke, so when I'm dating I either can't eat half the places we go or I do eat and then barf. All I said to him was...I thought that surgery wasn't supposed to make you barf? And he was like, ohhh yeah, you're right. End of story. My mom said once..."did you have your stomach cut out?" and my response was, "what?, why would I do that?. Again, end of story. I am fine lying to protect my privacy because in the end it is about number one, and this number one did not want to deal with the bs people like to throw at those who have had this surgery. I am ok with that, and in the event anyone finds out I lied to them, I frankly don't care.

April 8, 2010 Today I had a visit with my pcp. We were on vacation in Gatlinburg the week before. I felt terrible the whole trip...headache, nausea, shortness of breath. I made an appointment the day after returning home. I had already decided I would ask his opinion about weight loss surgery as an option for me. He was not against it, but he did not offer much encouragement. April 15, 2010 Today I had the test done that were ordered by my pcp. First was an intensive stress test. He said no surgeon would operate without it. I doubted this and should of let the surgeon decide if it was necessary. This was the second time I've gone through all these tests. I had to have a cardolite IV. It involved walking on a treadmill and pics taken by a machine that gives images of the arteries in the heart. The images take 20 minutes (two sessions) of laying completely still. Then it was on to the echo cardiogram. Basically it was an ultrasound of my heart. It's interesting to watch the screen and see the valves in my heart working! Next it was on the lab to have blood drawn. The tech was a newbie and since my "good" vein in the right arm already had an IV in it (for the stress test) she called a veteran tech to poke me in the left. It hurt like heck...she said she must have hit a nerve...I'LL SAY! My loving hubby came into town and took me to breakfast, then I went back for the second injection of cardiolite and the second set of images. It all went really well. The tests results showed no problems. Later in the day I called a nearby hospital in Bowling Green Ohio that has a well known weight loss program to register for one of their seminars. They were totally booked for the two seminars in April. I am registered to attend the one on May 15th. I'm hoping my hubby can go with me. They are a Center of Excellence hospital so I feel confident with them. Also, I know of at least 3 people who had bariatric surgery done there. April 21, 2010 Wednesday morning I got my test results. All the heart and stress tests looked good. The stress test tech noted that I tired easily on the treadmill. (I would of liked to put her on there with her smokers breath to see how she would of done ) My blood test came back alright, but my BP was up a little more. He had suggested in Jan. that I add a 3rd BP med and I had resisted. Now, I'm ready...bring it on! Add another co-morbidity link to the list. I called Anthem yesterday and grilled them to see if they covered the Sleeve Gastrectomy. The rep said it is included along with all the other WLS as long as the diagnosis is morbid obesity and I meet all the criteria. Looks like I may be on the way! I registered and got the ball rolling with the surgeon by going to the seminar at Wood County Hospital. May 15, 2010 Today dh and I went to the seminar in Bowling Green Ohio. It was held in a meeting room at Wood County Hospital. The surgeon, Dr. Lalor, was the first speaker. He explained all the different surgeries he preforms, sharing all the good and bad. After the seminar we got to talk to him one on one. It seemed to me that he really is sold on the sleeve gastrectomy. He likes the fact there isn't any malabsorbtion involved. He even mentioned that BC/BS is not approving many sleeves, but since I've had 4 open abdominal surgeries and already had surgery on my colon that they might consider the sleeve for me! Then the dietition spoke and lastly the ins rep for Dr. Lalor's office. Doc answered every single question he was asked through his whole presentation, which impressed me! He stayed and answered questions till the last person finally left. I have my surgeon's consultation on June 17th. I feel really good about him, his staff and the facility!! May 24, 2010 I decided to attend one of the support meetings at Wood County Hospital Mon. May 24th. I was waiting outside with some supper when hubby got off work and I kidnaped him and took him along. Bless his heart! He just finished a 12 hour shift, was tired and dirty, but he seemed anxious to go. The meeting was okay, it was sort of disorganized. They sometimes have guest speakers. Two women took control of this, meeting talking about all their personal problems. [Note to me: Remember to talk with the appropriate person at the appropriate times about personal problems.] Nothing to do but wait and worry till my surgical consultation June 17th! June 17, 2010 This was my first surgeon's visit. The nurse took me back and had me step on the scales. Then she had me take my shoes off to measure my height. So, I got to weigh with my shoes on, but measured with them off, making me weigh heavier and measure shorter! YEA!! I was worried about my BMI not being high enough so this was important to me! She asked me a ton of medical questions and we talked a little about which surgery I was leaning toward. I said the sleeve I thought was the best choice for me and that I would not have gastric bypass, due to the malabsorbtion issues. Next the doc came in and he asked me some more medical questions and questioned me alot about my previous surgeries. Then we discussed the sleeve and he said he would fight BC/BS if necessary to get me the sleeve. He said if they tried to push gastric bypass he would tell them that he felt it would be alot more risky for me. My impression of him is that he is very careful and very honest. He took all the time I needed to answer all my questions, which were numerous! He took me to the front desk and went over all the paperwork that included the tests I needed to schedule, the visits with the nutritionist and the visit with another doctor, who interprets the tests results and does a more thorough medical workup and physical. Next I went down the hall to have my first visit with the nutritionist. I will have a total of 3 visits, to satisfy BC/BS for a 3 month surprised "diet" to satisfy their requirements. I was really impressed with Beth. She gave me alot of information, answered all my questions and we worked on goals. They like patients to lose 5% of their weight before surgery, which is 10lbs for me. Doesn't sound like much, but I have so much pain in my hips and my feet that it will be a struggle. July 13, 2010 Today I met with the shrink. He basically had me go through my whole life history starting with when and where I was born. We discussed my weight issues along with family and even school issues. Then I had to do a personality test with over 100 questions...it took forever! Oh well it's done and over with and I think I did well. Next I went down to Dr. Lalor's office (same building) and met with Beth for my second nutritionist visit. That went really well again! I find myself becoming obcessed with WLS websites (this one and Obesityhelp.com). I am reading stories and looking at before and after pictures. I think it helps keep me going until I am approved and get a surgery date. Looks like the end of September or October would be the earliest I could have surgery.