lap band

[youtehsuckii]

It's so impossible for me to lose weight now. Does anybody know anything about gastric bypass and lap-band? Like if any insurance covers it if you need it and what happens?

[abrannan]

I'll warn you ahead of time, I have some pretty strong feelings about this topic.

youtehsuckii said:

Does anybody know anything about gastric bypass and lap-band?

Yes, they're *SURGERIES*. That is to say that they're drastic measures not to be taken lightly. The procedures reduce the size of your stomach to hold about 15mL of volume, and focus that volume in an area of your stomach that does not stretch. Essentially, it's surgically enforced starvation. Do you want the Gastric Bypass experience at home? Go to your kitchen, and pull out a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Fill it halfway with food. That's your meal. No snacking between meals allowed. In time, your body will adjust, and you'll be able to go ahead and fill that entire 1/4 cup with food, but not for a few months.

Of course, being that your food intake is so limited, you'll need to be especially careful about your nutrition. You'll need to make sure you get enough of the right kinds of foods. That means following a strict diet regimen. And since the GBP bypasses the duodenum (which is where many vitamins and minerals are absorbed into the body), you'll need to take Calcium and iron supplements to prevent a host of malnutrition related issues.

As I said before, these are serious procedures that should only be considered as a last resort for morbidly obese people facing medical complications of their obesity. All other avenues should be exhausted first. The media has painted these surgeries as easy, simple procedures (With a 14% complication rate), and while they can be enormously helpful to people who have no avenues left, they really shouldn't be used as lightly as they seem to be in today's world.

I would strongly urge you to fully research these procedures and what they entail before making a decision.

[The Charming Canuck]

Oh he for got to address if insurance companies will cover this procedure. I can say yes, but your doctor has to deem it medically necessary. This is a hard process because you will have to follow a diet for at least 6 months, I think thats right. So basicaly you will have to prove to your doctor that you can not lose weight at all.

I know some one who had this prcedure done and she can not eat that much and she has to be careful of what she eats. Soda's are out completely, or at least thats what they tell you not to drink. My friend drinks Mt Dew and I dunno how she does it because I thought you weren't supposed to. also for I think the first two months you can eat nothing but liquid. So basically all your nutritional needs com frm a straw. Like Abrannan said its a last resort and is a serious procedure.

Have you tried a sport that you enjoy, like I Ice skate, its my fave sport and I have been toning muscle and losing weight, i am also calorie counting as well. Watching what I eat and I need to start taking a multi vitamin again. Anyways I hope this has helped some. Good luck and we can pretty much answer any question you might have ^_^

[abrannan]

I didn't forget, wings. I didn't address the insurance question because it varies so greatly from plan to plan. The only way to answer that is for her to call her insurance company and find out.

[BIG ATHENS]

that stuff can be dangerous and i think if you overeat your stomach can restrech and the whole procedure was a waste of time and money. thats my opinion if you think otherwise or i got something wrong

[youtehsuckii]

wings said:

Have you tried a sport that you enjoy, like I Ice skate, its my fave sport and I have been toning muscle and losing weight, i am also calorie counting as well. Watching what I eat and I need to start taking a multi vitamin again. Anyways I hope this has helped some. Good luck and we can pretty much answer any question you might have ^_^

I cant really do any sports or anything. I used to play ddr for 2 hours a night but since I had my son, my pelvic bone has been messed up because i turned wrong and I can only work out now if someone watches my son because he doesnt really like to sit still even if i jog with him in a stroller he gets mad.

[kikome]

youtehsuckii said:

/quote]

I cant really do any sports or anything. I used to play ddr for 2 hours a night but since I had my son, my pelvic bone has been messed up because i turned wrong and I can only work out now if someone watches my son because he doesnt really like to sit still even if i jog with him in a stroller he gets mad.

My little girl yells at me when I play DDR or do anything without involving her. It's hard to find time of your own when you're a mother. If exercise is out of question, have you tried eat less and calorie counting?

I don't know where you are, like your weight or BMI and what you've tried. Gastric bypass is the last option for weight loss, reserved for patient who's extremely obese, suffers complications from obesity and physically not suitable for exercise.

It took me 4 years to find a diet plan and exercises I could stick to. Hoping you can find yours soon.

[Chibi Lenne]

*My first post on these boards go me!*

*coughs*
Anyway, lap band/gastric bypass -can- work, and personally I think it should be used as a very last resort. My mother had the surgery and lost a lot of weight fast, which is unhealthy. I mean, we don't put weight on fast, it gets packed on gradually, so to be healthy it has to come off gradually ( I think healthy is 2lbs or so a week) but that also depends on the person.

I know that OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) will pay for it under certain circumstances. But while it may give you fast results of weight lost, because it's loosing without exercise (because for a few months after surgery you -can't- exercise) you get saggy flabby, gross skin folds, (which can lead to nasty fungus problems). Which then will result in plastic surgery for rapid weight loss which usually isn't covered by OHIP.

Also to keep in mind, that while you get the weight loss, you may develop other problems. Having been support for my mother I know quite a few people who had the surgery and developed Irritable Bowel Syndrom (aka perma diarrhea) and Acid Reflux

[psisar]

chibilenne said:

I know that OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) will pay for it under certain circumstances.

Only problem is they live in NY

I'll concur with everything everyones just said. This is going to sound a bit crude, but you're looking for an easy way out. Surgery is NOT the route to take. Why is it impossible for you to lose weight? You say you can't exercise because someone needs to watch your son, so why don't you exercise at home? Get a treadmill or an elliptical (if you can afford surgery, surely you can afford a personal home gym) If you're still having problems with your pelvic bone, then talk to a doctor or a personal trainer. Losing weight is a lot of hard work, but once you get the ball going you will feel so good about yourself.

[ddr2lose]

isn't the whole idea that it restricts the amount of calories you eat? can't we all do that on our own if we had the will to do so? If you use more calories in a day that you consume, you WILL lose weight. your body has to get its fuel from somewhere so if you are only eating 1200 calories and your body needs 2000 to get through the day, it will look to your fat stores for the remaining 800 calories of energy it needs. Alot of say we *cant* lose weight, even myself at times, but then i realize im lying to myself..its simply that i WONT. I choose to eat and i should learn to control it not have to resort to surgery to control it for me. Surgery should only be an option for the medically unstable for whom exercise is out of the question.

if ddr hurts your pelvic bone, walk. If walking hurts...elliptical is almost no impact; swimming is also a great option. combine that with a low cal diet and bang, you'll be good to go. (easier said than done i know...hence im still fat) BUT surgery is a huuuuuuge unnecessary risk..and will make parenting a challenge as you recover... just my 2 cents.

[krissiluv]

I try to discourage ANYONE from having the lap band surgery done. I, personally, haven't had it done but know 2 people who are close to me who have had it. Both of them, one 2 years after and the other 3 years after surgery have gained all of their weight back and the one who had it 3 years ago has gained more! They both started out fine but gradually, began eating more and more therefore "re-stretching" their stomachs out. They both said they regret going through the surgery and would try to discourage others from getting it. Diet and exercise are always the way to go. If over-eating is an addiction, which it is with soooo many of us, there is help out there, you just need to find it. Good luck in whatever you chose

Oh yeah, one more thing. I'm going to reiterate what a previous poster said earlier. Initially you lose weight so fast that your skin sags. It isn't pretty, let me tell you! Sure, you might be thinner but do you really want to walk around with nasty skin flaps hanging from your arms, stomach etc? Please explore other avenues

[nathalie0226]

I cannot encourage or discourage you either way I would like to say however get information from people who have done it. Hearsay is just not good enough.
There are several yahoogroups of people having either GBP or lap band, and you can get the information from the horse's mouth.

I have been considering lapband for sometime myself and have subscribed to such a group. The only think prohibiting me from doing is money. I think that lapbanding is safer then GBP because: its less invasive as a surgery and it is totally reversible.

You will always hear the negative stories but rarely the good ones.

Document yourself also a lot. Lapband is adjustable, so your food intake can be monitored and adjusted to suit your weight-loss needs. GBP is definitive and so dangerous.

As you can tell I am pro-lapband, but again it is a personal choice.

Make it your own, no one should tell you what you should or should not do whatever they heard or think or feel about the subject.

Good luck on your weight-loss journey.

[mj]

I have mixed feelings about lap bands.

My husband happens to work for the only company that makes lap bands approved for use in the United States.

His mother has one... And she seems happy with her weight loss (though she was not severely obese to begin with)... But she can only eat child sized portions of food at best... And still has to take supplements because she can't get enough nutrition from the amount of food she can eat.

I personally don't think I could live like that. I'd rather be fat.

I also think a lot of people (my mother-in-law included) used it as the lazy way out when they really really didn't need to do something so drastic. When someone was significantly thinner than me at their fattest, and they're willing to have a serious procedure done that I wouldn't even consider for myself, I wonder about their priorities. :P

[xstatic]

why? Given the choice I would do it. I would go under the knife for the quick fix. I may not be considered 'fat enough' for it but why must I be that fat before I can seek medical attention? Why does insurance not cover anyone who is moderately obese and needs help? You can't even see a specialist and be covered. I think it's completely unfair. And ftr I would have a tuck done in a heartbeat as well.

[carnalvale]

I have to discourage you as well on the idea. I think that it should be the last effort. One of the girls I know in my college class told me her horror story. She graduated with a BA in English. She was overweight (by about 150 lbs) so she decided she couldn't lose it other than gastric bypass. She had the surgery and was perfectly healthy before-hand. After the surgery she had 2 strokes and it is hard for her to walk and she speaks but not as fast as she can think.

This is just something that you have to think about. It does happen to good people and would you want that to happen to your family. Diet and exercise might take awhile, but it is healthier.

Sorry for preaching.

[legend of croft]

i have a lot of friends who have had gastric bypass done. a few of them look great because they took care of themselves properly after surgery. a few others, spent most of their first few months puking literally everything solid they tried to force down, in the hospital having their gallbladders taken out, and having other complications. the friends who did well were exercising, eating right, and overall taking good care of themselves. this surgery can be successful if you do the right things, but we still don't know much about long term effects of these surgeries since they are relatively new. i hope you consider dieting and exercising over surgery.