Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Help! I need Help!



Recommended Posts

Will try to make this short.

I was banded (self paid) in March 2007, started at 235 and got to 174. Was at 174 for many years, wouldn't gain and wouldn't loosee, and I was ok with that, but my doc said I was a good candidate for a plication and it would go hand in hand with the band. So March 2013 I self paid for the plication. I felt like it did nothing as I continued to stay at 174, didn't loose anything. up till may 2016. This year, may of 2016 I started regurgitating at night an would wake up drowning in my own puke. Went to se doctor, took xrays and barium swallow and everything looked good,my band looked good and he took out all 2.5 out of my band, just to give my esophagus/band a break for a couple of months. We waited a bit and in July, 2016 added 1.75 to my bad. Then was good so went back for another fill in sept, to total 2.0 on my band. Between all this I gained 16lbs. Seems like I'm gaining again and not loosing even after the fills. My doctor suggested getting it removed and having a gastric bypass instead.

After my last fill in Sept 2016, I have a gained another 2-3lbs. And have had this small pressure/soreness that's on my chest right about my breast and goes to my back. I feel it more at night and when I inhale or exhale it gets a bit stronger with like a pinching feeling. It feels like my lungs hurt, went to seperate doctor thinking it was my lungs, and they found nothing. My lungs are good. I havr No regurgitation, not getting food stuck, Water goes down well.

My doctor has mentioned a few times to have the band removed and converting it to a gastric bypass instead. And I'm ok with that. But here is where my depression comes in. After the Doctor found out my insurance won't cover the band removal nor pay the gastric by-pass, he said my band was fine and to keep working with it.

But now I have this pressure/soreness and scared that it might be the band

When I got my band back in 2007 it came out of my pocket. I used money that was gifted to me. So here I am depressed and having issues with my band. Insurance won't cover anything at all! I am broke as hell! My family and I lost everything a couple of yrs ago and have not been able to get out of this hole. We are living pay check to paycheck and sometimes don't even have enough for groceries. On top of all my family worries and stress I am now stressing out on loosing my band. I don't want to loose it and be fat all over again if I had the money I would do this in a heart beat. And getting financing is out of the question, our credit is trash so no one would finance us or give us a loan.

Has anyone been in this predicament and found an insurance company that they could enroll in that covered a new surgery?

Are there such thing as getting an insurance company that will cover it that won't cost and arm and a leg and your 1st born?

Has anyone found any other solutions?

Anyone have any suggestions/advice or something that worked out for them and got the band removed and got another surgery?

I pray daily so that I won't loose my band or if I do that God can provide a way possible for gastric bypass. I feel so lost, broken, sad, worried and depressed thinking that I will loose the band and not be able to get another type of surgery I don't want to go back to my old self, when I weighed so much. I had tried everything under the sun to loose weight and nothing workedm. getting the band was a life saver for me and my heart is in a million pieces thinking about the possibility of loosing it and not being able to get another surgery. Please God help me

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Eve411

      April Surgery
      Am I the only struggling to get weight down. I started with weight of 297 and now im 280 but seem to not lose more weight. My nutrtionist told me not to worry about the pounds because I might still be losing inches. However, I do not really see much of a difference is this happen to any of you, if so any tips?
      Thanks
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Clueless_girl

      Well recovering from gallbladder removal was a lot like recovering from the modified duodenal switch surgery, twice in 4 months yay 🥳😭. I'm having to battle cravings for everything i shouldn't have, on top of trying to figure out what happens after i eat something. Sigh, let me fast forward a couple of months when everyday isn't a constant battle and i can function like a normal person again! 😞
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×