In another thread someone was talking about band problems. It got me to thinking that this might be a good place to discuss the problems of banding we had.

When I was banded I'd get stuck on Water some days. Thankfully I live in the desert as walking/heat helped me when I was stuck. I'd have to go outside in 110F temps and walk around the block a few times to get unstuck. I did it so often that I had a routine. I'd go out walking and call a friend of mine and we would chat while I walked.

I was thinking recently about those days. Walking, hot temps, IV supplies in my house and calling my RN friend to come and start an IV on me, the drugs I tried to stop stoma spasms, inflammation, stashing plastic bags everywhere so I always had something to barf in, in a pinch... I'm shocked at how it all became so normal. It became a way of life. I just got used to it. I had such a hard time deciding between revision (and the fear I was making my problems permanent) or getting fat again. I knew I couldn't do the band forever.

I didn't realize how severely the band impacted my life until I was sleeved and my life returned to normal. It was gradual and in my mind if I wanted thin I could either figure out a way to work the band or become MO again. Being MO was not an option and I didn't want Bypass.

Now that I have my life back in looking back some of it is kinda funny but a lot of it was not funny at all. It just makes me realize... the things we do for weight loss. (Slowly shaking head.)

A band gone bad affects every single aspect of your life as I wrote previously. It affects your employment, personal relationships, private life, health, everything. Absolutely every part of your life.

Solids is going great for me. I can only eat a few bites and am stuffed, but am enjoying what I do eat. I am also happy because I am now able to take larger gulps of Water, instead of tiny sips, which is definitely helping with my water intake.

The hardest part of being sleeved for me was not guzzling water anymore. I really missed that. Everyone told me I'd get used to it and I was positive I'd NEVER get used to it. But, I did. Now it's no big deal.

Now that the weather is getting warmer I love drinking ice water and every now and again I wish I could just down a glass of water but it's not a big deal.

Thank you so very much Obesity Help = OH.

I want to have the revision surgery before I even contact an attorney, plus, I've heard suing doctors in Florida is next to impossible. I'm not a big litigation person to say the least, and don't want monetary compensation, but it will be nice for his a$$ to be black listed by the military, so other military spouses do not have to endure his craptastic care. I have met with a Tricare patient advocate and we are working on what my options are. . . In my heart of hearts, he got a large chunk of the $35,000 from Tricare, and he was happy with that, once I became needy, he didn't want to deal with me, if I would of had bypass like they tried to convince me of, I think he would of treated me differently and I heard he charges $50k for bypass through Tricare. . . It's just scary, because Tricare pays without blinking an eye.

I found that place before this place.

John's been gone for around 6 weeks. We talk once a week via phone. He works 6 days on, 12 hour shifts, so our comm time is quite minimal. Luckily, we do get email 2-3 times weekly.

This is our first deployment as a married couple, one day, I'll share our little love story ha ha ha It's pretty amazing.

I"ll keep your nephew and his family in my thoughts and prayers as well.

Stay strong! I was married to an Army man. I know how hard deployments are. Your husband is not the only one serving his country, you are serving by proxy too.

My current husband is retired Navy but is on active recall list. I hope that call does not come.

I am disgusted at the care you received. You deserved better. Keep us up to date on your husband and quest!

I am now able to take larger gulps of Water, instead of tiny sips, which is definitely helping with my water intake.

I wish I was not able to gulp large drinks of water since I am not supposed to .It's very difficult for me to sip and watch the clock until I can have more.

I've heard suing doctors in Florida is next to impossible. I'm not a big litigation person to say the least, and don't want monetary compensation, but it will be nice for his a$$ to be black listed by the military, so other military spouses do not have to endure his craptastic care. I have met with a Tricare patient advocate and we are working on what my options are. . . In my heart of hearts, he got a large chunk of the $35,000 from Tricare, and he was happy with that, once I became needy, he didn't want to deal with me, if I would of had bypass like they tried to convince me of, I think he would of treated me differently and I heard he charges $50k for bypass through Tricare. . . It's just scary, because Tricare pays without blinking an eye.

John's been gone for around 6 weeks. We talk once a week via phone. He works 6 days on, 12 hour shifts, so our comm time is quite minimal. Luckily, we do get email 2-3 times weekly.

This is our first deployment as a married couple, one day, I'll share our little love story ha ha ha It's pretty amazing.

I"ll keep your nephew and his family in my thoughts and prayers as well.

Thanks Tiffykins. As for suing for malpractice nothing is impossible if you have the good attorney-- and if you're not seeking monetary damages, you should at least be able to be reimbursed for your costs and your pain and suffering and your future surgery. Where in Florida do you live? I could get you a referral -- at least you should go and talk to an attorney so you know what your rights are and when your statute of limitations to do anything would run. Not trying to force you into anything -- obviously couldn't if I wanted to -- however, I think you have a right to know what your rights are and that doctor needs to be strung up by ... well, you know ...

If you want to share your love story with me, feel free to pm me here or at my yahoo address.

Hang in there -- each day is one day closer to our military families returning home.

:thumbup:

Thanks Tiffykins. As for suing for malpractice nothing is impossible if you have the good attorney-- and if you're not seeking monetary damages, you should at least be able to be reimbursed for your costs and your pain and suffering and your future surgery. Where in Florida do you live? I could get you a referral -- at least you should go and talk to an attorney so you know what your rights are and when your statute of limitations to do anything would run. Not trying to force you into anything -- obviously couldn't if I wanted to -- however, I think you have a right to know what your rights are and that doctor needs to be strung up by ... well, you know ...

If you want to share your love story with me, feel free to pm me here or at my yahoo address.

Hang in there -- each day is one day closer to our military families returning home.

:thumbup:

Thank you, I'll send you a quick PM. Well, it won't be quick because I am long winded.

I have been reading this site as research while I waited for my lapband consultation. I was dead set that the Lap band was for me. I had my appt this week and the NP told me that I should go for the sleeve rather than the band because of all of the obvious reasons you all have been through. So I did change my surgery request to the sleeve. I immediately went home and did the research. Then I searched sleeve on this site and here I am learning more about the sleeve method than I ever would on "google". The NP encouraged the sleeve when she saw my insurance is BCBS Federal. She said she believes they are one of the few that cover sleeve.

This is straight from my benefits handbook:

"Gastric restrictive procedures, gastric malabsorptive procedures, and combination restrictive and malabsorptive procedures to treat morbid obesity – a condition in which an individual has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, or an individual with a BMI of 35 or more with co-morbidities who has failed conservative treatment; eligible members must be age 18 or over."

How do you all interpret this quote? (I know some of you are in the health care field. Would this include VSG or am I going to have to have bypass? Because getting the Lap band is out of the question for me.

My BMI is 40.3 so I will get approved for some kind of WLS. I just would prefer the one with faster WL and less complications.

Thanks for reading. I eagerly await your replies.

I have been reading this site as research while I waited for my lapband consultation. I was dead set that the Lap band was for me. I had my appt this week and the NP told me that I should go for the sleeve rather than the band because of all of the obvious reasons you all have been through. So I did change my surgery request to the sleeve. I immediately went home and did the research. Then I searched sleeve on this site and here I am learning more about the sleeve method than I ever would on "google". The NP encouraged the sleeve when she saw my insurance is BCBS Federal. She said she believes they are one of the few that cover sleeve.

This is straight from my benefits handbook:

"Gastric restrictive procedures, gastric malabsorptive procedures, and combination restrictive and malabsorptive procedures to treat morbid obesity – a condition in which an individual has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, or an individual with a BMI of 35 or more with co-morbidities who has failed conservative treatment; eligible members must be age 18 or over."

Restrictive procedures are the band and the sleeve. Gastric bypass is a restrictive and malabsorptive procedure. Failing conservative treatment means diet and exercise. Some companies require proof of a 6 month medically supervised diet.

How do you all interpret this quote? (I know some of you are in the health care field. Would this include VSG or am I going to have to have bypass? Because getting the Lap band is out of the question for me.

My BMI is 40.3 so I will get approved for some kind of WLS. I just would prefer the one with faster WL and less complications.

Thanks for reading. I eagerly await your replies.

The best answer is to call the insurance company and ask them. Get the name of the person you speak to and ask him/her to send you the information.

Welcome and good luck!

I have been reading this site as research while I waited for my lapband consultation. I was dead set that the Lap band was for me. I had my appt this week and the NP told me that I should go for the sleeve rather than the band because of all of the obvious reasons you all have been through. So I did change my surgery request to the sleeve. I immediately went home and did the research. Then I searched sleeve on this site and here I am learning more about the sleeve method than I ever would on "google". The NP encouraged the sleeve when she saw my insurance is BCBS Federal. She said she believes they are one of the few that cover sleeve.

This is straight from my benefits handbook:

"Gastric restrictive procedures, gastric malabsorptive procedures, and combination restrictive and malabsorptive procedures to treat morbid obesity – a condition in which an individual has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, or an individual with a BMI of 35 or more with co-morbidities who has failed conservative treatment; eligible members must be age 18 or over."

How do you all interpret this quote? (I know some of you are in the health care field. Would this include VSG or am I going to have to have bypass? Because getting the Lap band is out of the question for me.

My BMI is 40.3 so I will get approved for some kind of WLS. I just would prefer the one with faster WL and less complications.

Thanks for reading. I eagerly await your replies.

:grouphug:

It would fall under a gastric restrictive procedure.

BC/BS Fed does indeed cover the sleeve. There is another person on another board that has that ins and she was approved.

The NP encouraged the sleeve when she saw my insurance is BCBS Federal. She said she believes they are one of the few that cover sleeve.

They are. You are so lucky!

This thread is amazing. You see all of those commercials for the band and it sounds like a piece of cake. That is what I originally was going to push for. Actually my insurance would pay for it.

Then I started researching and read about all of the problems associated with the lapband. I am not a barfer. I can't even remember the last time I barfed. Not even during pregnancy. So no way did I want to spend the rest of my life barfing - even on healthy foods.

Then I saw something on the sleeve and started to look into it. I knew this was for me. I kept researching and see that complications are more of the exception than the rule. That convinced me.

I didn't even want to spend months and months trying to fight my insurance company who would pay for either a lapband or the bypass. So I started accumulating my funds and now I will be done in a few days.

Also, reading this thread makes me understand Sharon Osborne. I saw her on a t.v. interview show and she mentioned that she was getting her lapband removed the next day and she could not wait to get the bloody thing out of her body. I didn't know what the problem was, but I do now. You just don't hear about any of this much on t.v.

this thread is amazing. You see all of those commercials for the band and it sounds like a piece of cake. That is what i originally was going to push for. Actually my insurance would pay for it.

then i started researching and read about all of the problems associated with the lapband. I am not a barfer. I can't even remember the last time i barfed. Not even during pregnancy. So no way did i want to spend the rest of my life barfing - even on healthy foods.

then i saw something on the sleeve and started to look into it. I knew this was for me. I kept researching and see that complications are more of the exception than the rule. That convinced me.

i didn't even want to spend months and months trying to fight my insurance company who would pay for either a lapband or the bypass. So i started accumulating my funds and now i will be done in a few days.

also, reading this thread makes me understand sharon osborne. I saw her on a t.v. Interview show and she mentioned that she was getting her lapband removed the next day and she could not wait to get the bloody thing out of her body. I didn't know what the problem was, but i do now. You just don't hear about any of this much on t.v.

tl/rb....

(((hugs)))

Do y'all ever want to go over to the lapband boards and tell the people with surgery scheduled 'DON'T TO IT!!!! STOP!!!!'?:purplebananna:

it's really hard in the chat room. I used to really enjoy chatting in there, but anymore, they ask me why I had my band removed, then they get mad when I tell them.

it's really hard in the chat room. I used to really enjoy chatting in there, but anymore, they ask me why I had my band removed, then they get mad when I tell them.

Probably more out of fear that the same thing may happen to them and if they aren't presently experiencing any problems, the thought that they may, and that they may have to go through another surgery, scares them. Fear is a powerful thing.

Do y'all ever want to go over to the lapband boards and tell the people with surgery scheduled 'DON'T TO IT!!!! STOP!!!!'?:purplebananna:

Oh man, you have no idea! I don't go over there to down the band but if someone asks I'm not going to lie.

People believe less invasive means safer and that's just not true. It's a safer surgery by LESS than 1% but it's damn sure not safer long term.

I am sad when I see a bandster so excited because they have a date. I have a pretty good idea how their future will pan out.

Has ANYONE here EVER met anyone that had a successful band with successful weight loss for longer than 10 years?

I haven't. :Banane01:( I've been posting on band boards for almost three years and I've never met anyone banded over 10 years. The longest was 9 years and she was contacting me for information on the sleeve, she needed a revision.