Hello! I was looking for a place to get some advice and share experiences. My one year anniversary is coming up soon. It has been an interesting year. I had my surgery in Little Rock Arkansas and a few months later my family and I moved to Germany.

I was on filled to 4.5 ccs when I left the States and did not feel much restriction. I had lost 40lbs though. I got a referal to a German doctor a couple of months after I got here. The fill experience was very different as the put me in front of a Xray and doubled the amount! Talk about a huge difference!

I look forward to getting to know you all!

Yes this is the place for support and to talk and give your opinion no matter what . hope your weight loss is a success. I'm glad you found you a doctor i am 2months after surgery and i already have 4 cc's in mine so i go next friday for my next fill. looking forward to it.

ucdep99

Wow, Becca, that is huge!!! The pounds are really going to melt off now!!!

Mimi

sounds like you are on the right path!! people here are very helpful and supportive!!

Thanks for the warm welcome! I am down to 223 as of this morning. It feels great! I was looking at pics of myself the other day from May 2008 at my highest weight of 299. I can't help but be really proud of myself, not vain, but proud....ya know?

Hello I'm living here in Germany also, just starting the process to get band I have a great Dr. from Landstuhl German hospital that will do my lap band once approved. where do you live in Germany? I from the Kaiserslaturn area.

Hey Tina! We are in the KMC too! Stationed at Ramstein but live off base. I was referred to Prof. Weiner in Frankfurt. He is fabulous! I kind of wish I had waited to have had my surgery in Germany by him. I appreciate that he picked up right where my US doctor left off...he just accerlated things a bit more than they did in the States. PM me if you want my info. I really wish I had had a pal going through the same thing as me when I had the surgery done.

So good to hear from you. We live in Greis next to Meisau. I would love to talk to you I have lots of questions. I feel this will be the right tool for me and want this surgery done. My number is 01638789919 maybe we can meet I work for Naf- AirForce but on Landstuhl post. How much have you lost and when did you have your surgery in the States? Looking forward to talking to you.

I just saw this post on your weight after I sent the last post. Thats great to hear. You've done great did you have any big problems from the surgery? or just the normal recoup?

Hey Tina! I am going to start working at LRMC Family Practice in 2-3 weeks! I am still inprocessing. Maybe we can meet for lunch or a walk or something. I so don't know my way around that base so any help would be great. My one year anniversary is coming up in 2 weeks. I have lost 85 lbs so far. I have dropped 7 this week thanks to Strep, lol.

LOL! Well since that post I went from 222 to 214, like I said thanks to Strep throat. It was not fun!

I did not have any complications after surgery but I was surprised. I had had my gallbladder out the year before and was up and taking care of my son three days later. I expected my band surgery to be the same. It wasn't. I was on pain killers for three weeks and I had to get help to care for my son while my husband was at work. It wasn't bad, just not what I expected. I wish I had stayed in the hospital more than one night. From what I understand the German's make you stay around three days which is great.

Thats great 86 pounds in one year WOW!!!! I have about 88 pounds to lose my BMI 36.6 but have now developed high blood pressure and Diabetic a double wammie. So I think Lap band is what I need, hopefully the ins will approve it I received the letter from the Doctor and I wrote one as well so on Monday it will be faxed to Atena Global. Any secrets to get approved and was yours thru tricare?

It was through Tricare. My PCM put up a fight when I asked him to put in the request. He finally did and the consult was approved by Tricare the day it hit the system. You can check your referals online and I had been checking it everyday! Did the consult and the doctors office put in the request for my band. I watched the website like a hawk! I was blown away. I saw the request in pending status one night (at this point I was checking in the morning and evening) and the next morning it was changed to approved! They approved me within 24 hours. I was suprised because my PCM made it sound like they wouldn't approve me because I don't have diabetes, high blood pressure or heart problems. I have had trouble with my knees and breaking my ankles. I guess Tricare figures it is cheaper to pay for my band now than all that other stuff that was just around the corner.

What time are you going to fax the letter so I can be praying?

Monday morning but the Atena Global is state side so it may take awhile they said it could take 30 days, they do cover WLS 50% but this year I had a simoid resection so my out of the pocket has been met so if it approved it will pay 100% so I'm also praying. Did you have to do a 6 month program or the 3 month multidiscipanry before surgery in order to be approved?

No, Tricare didn't require it. Are you and/or your husband civilian? Is that why you are with Atena? It ended up being super easy with Tricare. The only snag I had was with my PCM but my husband and I were able to talk him into the referal request.

Where do you work on Landstuhl?

Yes, I'm a Naf employee for Ramstein Inns, but Landstuhl location. My German doctor supports the decission she has been my doc for about 7 years and saw me lose and only to gain back, and now with the other conditions she thinks its a good ideal to live a healthy life for the future and thinks I can reverse the high blood pressure and the Diabetes.