1 Yr. Bandiversary Update

MAria, 

I just spent some time reading all the post.  As you know I recently had a revision and understand how you feel.

I had restriction/sweet spot at 4-4.5 cc's but that is when the problems started.  I do totally understand how you feel.

So I know you were self pay with the lap band.  Is there anyway that you can get insurance to pay for revision surgery.  Oh I would hate to be in your shoes.  I would be devastated.  My insurance paid for the lap band and then paid for the gastric bypass.  Strangely it did not pay for the band to be removed.  Luckily my surgeon waived the surgery fee to have the band removed and the hospital had to accept payment for what the insurance paid.


Tamara

Thanks Tamara. Sorry you had so many problems with the band as well. You will do great with the RNY though!!!

I don't have insurance so no chance of getting a revision paid for that way.

I think your experience with the band truly sucks! 13 fills without restriction really bites. I would be raising seven shades of **** with the surgeon. I hope someday you can post what he/she has to say about that. Something is not right.

Those considering wls need to understand that if they choose the band that it can take months to get restriction, though a year is outside of normal. I had to plan for several months of just me dieting in case I was one of those. I was terrified it would be that way and am grateful it wasn't but I felt I had to be prepared so I wouldn't cave in when it got really hard. I commend you on your dedication to continuing the hard work in spite of everything. It got really difficult and you have persevered.  That deserves a big pat on the back. Way to go!

You and I have/will disagree frequently but I am really sorry you have had this much trouble. I hope that when we clash that you keep in mind that I will not knowingly slam you personally nor the results you have had. I also  hope you really do raise hob and insist they find out exactly why you have these problems. I sure don't believe it is your own doing.

BTW it is my understanding that often even if your insurance won't pay for the initial surgery the will pay for repair. It is worth checking into. I wish you the best in this.
Sue
I am not going to get into anything else right now because this is your own surgery update. Next time I might be a real witch, lol.

No insurance.

Thanks GM!

 hi lisa thank you for all that good info. i did know all that since i have researched this surgery for four years and am not going into it lightly. my responce to maria was to her if newbies knew you would not get the sweet spot in one year they would not get the surgery. since i know both people that have and have not received that sweet spot/ full restriction in one year i am ok with the fact that it may take longer. like one poster said it took her 2 and half years to get the sweet spot. anyway i am not here to argue or be told i am completely wrong. all i am saying is that there are people out here that do not expect to get the sweet spot in one year. since my surgeon said that the band is a tool that helps with hunger but will not help me lose the weight. it only helps with the amount of food i eat at each meal but hey if i keep grazing all day it won't work at all. like you said i may need more fills as the fat decreases around my stomach. if it takes me longer than one year to lose all my weight i would expect to receive more fills as i decrease in weight. now i do expect in the first year to have restriction so i don't feel hungry as often. now since i have researched as long as i have my eyes are clearly opened to all complications and success. i guess i am one of those people that would like to give it a try and if it doesn't work it doesn't. i would be pretty upset if i was maria too but i would keep getting fills until my surgeon told me there was no more room for fills if thats what it takes for a full restriction. i think thats really what all the concerned posts were about. i hope maria you see that not everyone is bashing you and some of us are responding to things you have said. i do appreciate you caring enough to ask lisa to respond to me.  i am hoping the way you responded to me was because of the responces you had earlier and you feel i was also responding in that fashion. i really do wish you the best of luck in either getting more fills, getting a reversal, or getting another surgery type done. 

Wow.  I couldn't get through all this crap but you say you've had 13 fills, can you get another or have you just given up.  From personal experience I can tell you that even with restriction and the sweet spot you can eat around this band, and I do on a daily basis.  There comes a point in time where you have to accept some personal responsibility.  I have gained back almost all the weight I lost (which by the way was less than your total) and I can sit here and whine and blame the band all day but it all comes back to cheese and cookies and sweets and not eating my 3 meals and NOT avoiding snacks and NOT just eating for 20 minutes but sitting there until I got the entire portion down and drinking while eating,  etc., etc., etc.  Let's not forget the self sabotage...I lost 5 lbs this week PIZZA TIME!!!

I know you're upset, me too, but I can't see screaming at those who actually made this thing work for them.  Stop whining, figure out what YOU'RE doing wrong and either fix it or get another surgery that will do all your thinking for you.  I know what I have to do to get back to my previous weight; no it's no where close where I want to be but at least it's not where I am now.  BTW I couldn't lose a thing until I started exercising.   Burn more calories than you take in and you will lose weight, yep sucks that you might actually have to do something but that's the way this damn thing rolls for some of us.

~I know you're upset, me too, but I can't see screaming at those who actually made this thing work for them.~

And when did I do this??? Lol.

~Stop whining, figure out what YOU'RE doing wrong and either fix it or get another surgery that will do all your thinking for you.~

Stop whining?! After wasting all this money on the band??? NO!

Figure out what I am doing wrong?!?!?! Are u freaking crazy??????????? The only thing I did wrong was get the band! If I was at fault would I have lost what I have with no restriction/sweet spot?!?!?!

Go eat some more cheese and cookies and sweets and then figure out which one of us is doing something wrong!

If I was at fault would I have lost what I have with no restriction/sweet spot?!?!?!



Yes, I lost 58 without it.  You depend too much on the band to control your behavior, it won't.  Reading your post and responses it's very easy to see what the problem is.  

What MY problem is??? YOUR the one that gained back almost all the weight she lost! Now let's talk about which  one of us has the problem. Lmao!

Well lookie there, by your own admission you're a complete success with the band.  Way to go and keep up the good work.