X-Post: Good News!
As some of you may have heard, I recently had a complete unfill due to esophageal dilation and achalasia (a motility problem). Since my surgeon will not re-fill my band even if the unfill fixed the dilation, and will not put any other band in me, I ask her to submit band removal and revision to VSG to my insurance company. Today I received a letter from Anthem BC/BS approving the surgery! According to the letter, the surgery date is April 24th, but it's too late today for me to call my surgeon's office and verify that.
The prospect of losing my beloved band and regaining weight was so discouraging...now that a good alternative is in sight, I feel so relieved! Just had to share my good news, and if any band-bashers want to sing, "I told you so," all I can say in reply is to repeat that nothing about the current course of my WLS journey invalidates anything I've ever said or written about the band. And I plan to make my VSG at least as much of a success as my band.
Jean
The prospect of losing my beloved band and regaining weight was so discouraging...now that a good alternative is in sight, I feel so relieved! Just had to share my good news, and if any band-bashers want to sing, "I told you so," all I can say in reply is to repeat that nothing about the current course of my WLS journey invalidates anything I've ever said or written about the band. And I plan to make my VSG at least as much of a success as my band.
Jean
Jean McMillan c.2009-2013 - Always a bandster at heart
author of Bandwagon (TM), Strategies for Success with the Adjustable Gastric Band & Bandwagon Cookery. Bandwagon for Kindle now available on Amazon. Read my blog at: jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com
No band bashing here, nothing but support. Congrats on getting approved!
HT: 5'4" HW: 251 SW: 237 CW: 172 GW: 135
"You can control how much water you drink, how much protein/carbs/cals you consume, and how much you exercise. FOCUS on those and not the scale, because no matter how hard we try, we do not control the scale." ~ acbbrown
"You can control how much water you drink, how much protein/carbs/cals you consume, and how much you exercise. FOCUS on those and not the scale, because no matter how hard we try, we do not control the scale." ~ acbbrown
I too loved my band and lost the majority i had to lose on it. I too had a band fail. This surgery is a much more elegant surgery. The worst mistake i made was to gain a ton of weight between having my band deflated and getting the sleeve. Weight loss for me has been slow but i started at 188 and it has taken me 7 months to lose almost 40lbs which is the exact amount of weight i gained while waiting on the sleeve, despite being completely compliant. I do think that my metabolism got wrecked with the band, as there were many times that i would just give up on eating and believe it or not i was never hungry with the band and the vsg is different than that for me. The sleeve for me has been more difficult because the diet is incredibly strict, at least in my experience. Good luck on your new journey.
I think the band has messed with my metabolism too. Since I wasn't hungry and would even forget to eat, I subsisted on very few calories for a long, long time. As soon as my band was unfilled, my hunger came back big time, and I started gaining weight really fast. My gastro doc says that's because my body is preparing for the next "starvation" period. I've regained 8 lbs so far, but the gain seems to be slowing down, thank goodness.
In what way is your diet incredibly strict now?
Jean
In what way is your diet incredibly strict now?
Jean
Jean McMillan c.2009-2013 - Always a bandster at heart
author of Bandwagon (TM), Strategies for Success with the Adjustable Gastric Band & Bandwagon Cookery. Bandwagon for Kindle now available on Amazon. Read my blog at: jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com
Well it's 600-800 cals, 80 grams protein and carbs under 40. On the band i didn't eat very much but i could eat what i wanted in terms of food groups. It's true that i couldn't get a vegetable or a fruit past my band and meat was so hard i pretty much gave up. But a glass of wine, some crusty french bread and cheese was simple as was mac and cheese, it was totally a texture thing, so if i felt like cake and coffee, then cake and coffee it was and because i wasn't hungry sometimes that would be my intake for the day. Healthy? Not so much.. Now it is a diet, a real diet, counting everything, eating every 4 hours even if I'm hungry (it really is relative because nothing like pre either surgery) and white knuckling it sometimes. I'm on a diet and when i had the band i certainly was not. Really is a different world.
Jean,
I am sorry to hear you are having to lose your band! I have my band repositioned about 6 weeks ago and I go back in 2 weeks for a fill but oh my I know what you mean I am so use to not eating cerain foods and I have been like a kid in a candy shop! I am hungery all the time and I am eat certain foods for the first time again in 3 years. I have only gained 8 pounds and I hate myself for it but I cant help but eat. the amount I am use to eating is not cutting it! I do know that I will never be able to have 5 -6 cc in my band ever again because I dont want to run the risk of slip again so if I can do 3cc or less and go back to 105-109 that I was and had been for over 15 months I will be happy.
I am sorry to hear you are having to lose your band! I have my band repositioned about 6 weeks ago and I go back in 2 weeks for a fill but oh my I know what you mean I am so use to not eating cerain foods and I have been like a kid in a candy shop! I am hungery all the time and I am eat certain foods for the first time again in 3 years. I have only gained 8 pounds and I hate myself for it but I cant help but eat. the amount I am use to eating is not cutting it! I do know that I will never be able to have 5 -6 cc in my band ever again because I dont want to run the risk of slip again so if I can do 3cc or less and go back to 105-109 that I was and had been for over 15 months I will be happy.
Hi Jean,
I guess I don't feel like the VSG diet is incredibly strict after the 6 week healing phase. Technically, I am allowed to eat anything except alcohol and carbanated beverages. We do, however, eat protein first then other healthy choices. Many of us stop at the protein. Perhaps that is what was meant? I find it easy to go out to eat, eat at a friends, in a work situation, etc due to there not being restirctions or dumping issues. I just choose to make healthy choices, focus on the protein, and adjust to what is available.
Good luck with your surgery :)
I guess I don't feel like the VSG diet is incredibly strict after the 6 week healing phase. Technically, I am allowed to eat anything except alcohol and carbanated beverages. We do, however, eat protein first then other healthy choices. Many of us stop at the protein. Perhaps that is what was meant? I find it easy to go out to eat, eat at a friends, in a work situation, etc due to there not being restirctions or dumping issues. I just choose to make healthy choices, focus on the protein, and adjust to what is available.
Good luck with your surgery :)
Surgeon: Chengelis Surgery on 12/19/2011 A little less carb eating compared to my weight loss phase loose sleever here!
1Mo: -21 2Mo: -16 3Mo: -12 4MO - 13 5MO: -11 6MO: -10 7MO: -10.3 8MO: -6 Goal in 8 months 4 days!! 6' 2'' EWL 103% Starting size 28 or 4x (tight) now size 12 or large, shoe size 12 w to 10.5 150+ pounds lost
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