The last two days I have gotten a call from the Office Mgr. at my doc's office. I went to a support group and ended up really voicing my frustration at the lack of results I am having. I had just come from yet another lecture on how I should just eat one cup of food and then stop and how I should not even feel the band or restriction. I am reading back through my threads and blogs trying to get a handle on just WHAT to say to this lady. So this blog is about my trying to clear up what to say. I do NOT want to be a whiner, complainer, blame everyone else for what is happening to me person! I guess the bottom line is this. When I went to the preop stuff I THOUGHT I heard them indicate that I would feel this elusive restriction thing. This would be a "full" feeling where I just could not, would not be able to eat anymore. According to the TWO lectures I have gotten at the office that is baloney. IF I feel anything like that then I am too full in my band. Now I have read and looked at many threads and blogs here and that is NOT what they all say. Many say once you feel it then you LEARN to not eat too much so you are not feeling that full sign anymore. I think I could go with that. What I cannot go with is that I have seldom ever felt anything and I am just supposed to stop eating. Wish I could have done that before, if so, I would never have gotten the band. So what do I tell this person? I guess it is that I do not feel that what was "advertised" is what I got. I am a college educated ANATOMY teacher for gosh sakes and I think I was not too DUMB to understand what was told to me was supposed to happen. Was I just soooo excited (as so many of these bandsters are) that I heard what I wanted to hear?? And did not hear the real thing?? Maybe?? This weight thing is a LOOOONNNNGG time struggle. It is near and dear to my heart so maybe I am crazy or nuts or just did not get it when I went. I am and have been trying to do everything they asked. I am not perfect but I am doing darn good in all categories. Ask my family, ask my friends....When I really got angry in March the nurse thought I had stretched my esophagus by eating too much! I knew in my heart I had not ! And sure enough all was OK on a barium swallow. Sure looked like all went down pretty easily and well too....hmmm. But I got no fill on that appt. because she was thinking I had stretched by eating too much! I don't eat that much!! Now the next question is, do I mention all the other problems I have there? Such as: 1) I seldom see the actual doctor--it has been since maybe January. 2) They never have my blood test results. When I called to check with the lab because it has happened over and over they said they had been faxed. One time I went in October for tests, At November they could not find them (and I went early enough!), and then in December someone finally did and told me I was low on iron, and handed me an order for my next scheduled routine blood tests! Now How could I make any changes in diet and iron for that test? Recently I went in and at checkout they tried to hand me another order when I had JUST WENT about three weeks before that for tests and they did not have any results! I still NEVER heard anything about those tests?

3) The one time I got angry and got the first lecture about not feeling anything I was then sent to the dietician ten minutes later who said--you just haven't hit your sweet spot(restriction!) yet! Well darn, the nurse had just told me there was no such thing?? What the heck?? Someone is not on the same page here!

4) My bills are messed up. They kept billing the fills as surgery, my insurance rejected that and they kept doing it since November. Finally they tried a different billing code which also got rejected! The lady is very nice --- I have paid them nothing but my copays--but I get the bills saying I owe hundreds of dollars now and it is upsetting. Very nice lady working on it but it is still there. When I asked to talk to this lady last time I was told she was in the Doctor's office and not the Hospital where I go for my appts so I could not do anything about that there.

5) My appts were cancelled and rescheduled a LOT at the beginning of all this. I went it once and I had a card and all saying I had an appt. and they did not have me down. I had to take a full day off work to go to the doc's office instead or wait another 6 weeks to get in. Since I am not feeling restriction(?) I thought I better get in there. However, since January this has been better so I feel I should not take this up at all.

I need to finish this up. It is too long. I need to talk to this lady today. I do not want to complain about everything, I want to focus in. Anyone out there have some thoughts? I think I will just focus in on the restriction thing. What I thought versus what is happening. I think I need an aggressive approach, I need my band tight at least to get me going and something about it is not that. There seem to be docs out there who are making SURE the band is causing a change in feeling. Just not mine. So maybe I am such an extreme case that I need what the doc won't give me. Maybe I am a complete nutcase too?? Could be. The nurse says the doc is careful and has had very few complications. I should be GLAD about that! But it is not helping me get to where I want to go.I cannot sit at a support meeting where someone says: you just cannot GAIN with the band! Well yoo-hoo--you sure can! Even when you are trying HARD! I think I have been patient--almost a year now. 7ml in a 9ml Realize Band. 35lbs. but none since November 08. Have done all the things I was told. Not perfect but pretty good I think. Was told ---this is about it for the fills. Hey this is a long blog but anyone out there got some advice as to what to tell the office and not be a complainer?? I could use the advice!

Get a new doctor sweetie! This is FAR too important! Whether they are doing what they think is right or not, you are not happy and do not feel supported. Find someone that you can talk to and that has time to understand you and explain it to you.

I will say it again - this is far too important!

I agree totally!!! Get a new doctor. Your concern about restriction would be enough to justify a new doc let alone all the other problems. I was told in the seminar and now with my regular doc visits that I will "feel" the restriction. And I do. I know when to stop eating; I can actually feel it. You know if you take one more bit you will be sick. Best of luck! This is just too important to go along the same path. Change is needed...

I would totally get a new doctor!!!!! They do not sound like they are really interested in hearing from you as a patient. You might even check out the doctor on Vitals.com see if they have been reported by other patients. I wish you were in Houston - I would tell you to go to my doctor. He is the best - Dr Garth Davis at The Davis Clinic.

You need a team that really cares about you and will look into the no restriction.

Hang in there!!!! You are doing great with 35 pounds lost!!!