Lost my band - Any advice?

I'm trying to stay positive.  Lost my band about 3 weeks ago due to a major slip.  I feel much better but concerned because I starting to gain weight back.  My appetite is back full force.  I'm exercising daily and doing my best to watch my food intake but I've been here before and I'm pretty sure I will not win this battle.  My doctor doesn't want to redo the band because he hasn't seen much success with replacement.  So now I am researching the sleeve which I wanted originally but was not covered by my insurance.  Now my insurance (Cigna) does cover the surgery but I am not sure what I have to do to qualify for a sleeve.  I hope I don't have to wait to gain the 80 lbs I've lost so far (gained back 8).  Any advice out there from by friends?

No advice, just hugs (( )) Best of luck on the sleeve.

I pretty new so I can't offer advice.  I just wanted to send best wishes.  I'm sorry this has happened and I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can qualify without having to gain weight.

If this was me, I'd take this opportunity to figure out why I'm gaining weight? As in do I have issues w/emotional eating? Do I just not feel full or even understand what feeling full means? There is a really good author named Geneen Roth who used to be severely obese for the majority of her life. She conquered her destructive eating habits and now write, speaks, and does workshop on healing the inside of you in order to conquer weight issues. I'm recommending her because she's saved me from beginning to resent my band. From continuing to be personally destructive & mean to myself about my weight & my food issues (which up until I read the first paragraph of her book "When Food Is Love" I swore swore swore to hell & back I DID NOT have a eating disorder). Healing myself on the inside & then starting all over again - that I don't even remember having the band because I eat according to ME not the band. SO maybe this will help you also till you find a better solution. Her website is http://www.geneenroth.com/ . She has a page dedicated to where to start in her series of books, workbooks, & audio books - starting with her first book "When Food Is Love" - http://www.geneenroth.com/learning_packages1.php.

To anyone else reading this post. Please please consider reading Geneen Roth's first book. I've recommended this book to several people all ready in this forum & they too have found it to be personal beneficial in helping them understand their weight losses & goals and how they got obese in the first place. This comes from a place of sincerity. If those that took my offer to read her books would like to speak up I hope they do, but they aren't forced to, because everyone's journey to discovery is their own personal journey so I'm not going to "out" anyone.

I hope you find the answers you are looking for & don't have to struggle to hard to get where you need to be.

Good Luck & Blessings.

You need to find out exactly when your insurance would cover a sleeve.  Would your major band slip be a mechanical failure qualifying you for a sleeve without having to regain?  Please call your insurance company.

Sorry you lost your band and are having a tough time!
Kristi

I am so sorry to hear that you lost your band....did you talk to your dr about revising to the sleeve? Do he do this type of WLS. 

I would get with your insurance to see what their qualification for a revision is, since your band failed you, it is a great possiblitity that maybe you only have to wait to heal but the best to answer this question I think is your doctor and insurance.

Good luck and again sorry

Well I had my band emptied yesterday but my game plan is to continue eating the bandster way. Still use my small plate, eat slowly and chew, chew chew. Hopefully that will keep me on track, so far I haven't had any increase in appetite but like I say I just did it yesterday so time will tell.

What did I miss, Lady? 
What's going on?  Trouble, too tight?  I'm praying for a quick resolution to what ever is going on with you and your band.

Hang in there and keep that awesome attitude!

Lisa O.

First of  all I am so sorry you lost your band. I agree with the previous posters that youll want to find out as fast as possible what the steps you need to take are to get revision. Your surgeons office has to put it on paper and usually knows the loop holes for insurance revisions so they should be your first contact.

Per the weight gain, I had my band fully emptied for almost 2 months and I know what a struggle it can be doing without that much needed tool :( I did 2 major things. First I joined Weigh****chers. It is such an excellent program filled with support and accountability. It kept me exercising (more than ever in fact) and tracking my meals. However no matter how hard I worked at WW I couldn't seem to lose. SO the second thing I did was I started the South Beach Diet. It is a very balanced  system of giving up simple carbs and eating healthy. Its not the traditional low carb diet as it promotes the complex carbs our body requires for energy like beans, vegetables, and dairy. Also after 2 weeks you can reintroduce fruits, and whole grains in moderation. The key here is to know your body. If low fat diets have been useful to you in the past WW's is amazing! However I have insulin resistence and counting points with WW's just didn't give me full awareness of the sugar content I was consuming so South Beach was more effective for me. I still do not have restriction and have now lost 7lbs doing South Beach and I dont feel like I am dieting, just that I am finally eating right.

Best of luck!!

This must be pure hell for you.  All we can do is offer support and wishes of good luck and hopefully you can see about a sleeve quickly.