In my last post I spoke about how my original surgeon had his patients handed out based on insurance. Well Hubby and I ended up with Frank Felts, M.D. as our new bariatric surgeon.

Time went on as it has a tendency to do. The first year with the band I lost about 140 pounds. I started at 297 and ended up a little over 160. Life was good. For some reason I always had a major problem with adjustments of my band. I played the "fill then unfill" game for many months. I woke up one morning after getting a fill the week prior and discovered nasty enough, that I was unable to swallow my own saliva. That's a bit of a problem considering I had to be at work no matter what. I worked in another specialty and physician's office. The funny thing about working in the medical field. They know you're sick. Heck you can be at death's doorstop yet they expect you to be at work. I worked in one office where the doctor diagnosed his nurse with the flu. She had gotten sick at work and had a positive flu test, after being around all his sick flu infested patients for 40+ hours a week!! I heard the doctor say, as your doctor I think you need to go home and sleep and rest for a few days to get better. But as your employer you need to make it to work ALL TIMES or else pickup your last paycheck. Well, I wanted to maintain employment when the inability t swallow Saliva came up, I requested that every drop of liquid be promptly removed from my Lap Band. This was back in February, 2008. As of today I have NEVER gotten another adjustment and have lived life with what should have been no restriction and a wide open Lap Band.

In May 2008, we discover we were pregnant with our second baby. We were thrilled at the thought of giving our 4 year old daughter a sibling to go through life with. Even though I went through my entire pregnancy with little to no morning sickness I failed to gain ANY weight while pregnant. In fact I lost weight while pregnant!! I lost approximately 40 pounds while pregnant. I have the best OB/GYN in the world. She was very concerned about the nurishment the baby may or may not be getting. I had approximately 10-12 ultrasounds throughout the pregnancy to make sure she was growing normally. I also consulted with a High Risk OB as well. After one last ultrasound to estimate weight, we scheduled a second c-section for February 12, 2009. Our second daughter entered this world shortly after 8 am that Thursday morning. She was larger than her big sister weighing in at 7 pounds 12 ozs. Needless to say everyone was surprised. After losing all the water weight I was about 40 pounds lighter than before i got pregnant.. Apparently pregnancy is a great diet for me. lol. Too bad we decided we are out of the baby business!!

Around the time our daughter turned 6 months old I began having problems eating. Keep in mind I continued to have ZERO liquid in my band, which as you know should have meant a wide opening. It got so bad that I would eat 2-3 small bites of food and immediately feel a sharp and stabbing pain my chest. I placed myself on liquids drinking my meals to see if perhaps it had to the "little turkey" I had given birth to in the previous months changing or moving my stomach into an unnatural or weird position.

At the beginning of July 2010 things had finally gotten to the point where I had enough liquids and felt it was time to get Dr. Felts involved. Of course the very first thing he wanted to do was a complete unfill. I explained to him that had already been done 2 years ago. So onto a Barium Swallow with him present we went. I did as instructed and slowly drank the Barium Drink. Dr. Frank Felts had me stand in 2 different positions so he could see the entire draining process. I felt the uncomfortable pain I normally felt and watched the screen as the Barium seemed to make my stomach Contract. The Barium still hadn't drained 40 seconds later according to the photos I have. Dr. Felts wrote on a form that I had "adequate restriction", which in my opinion should have been NO RESTRICTION. I informed Dr. Felts I was tired of the band however I did not want to gain my weight back. He had mentioned that he was doing the Vertical Sleeve Gastretomy (VSG). I told him I had done research on it and I would rather not have RNY or Bypass due to the fact I already had a mild to moderate case of IBS and I could only imagine that removing some of my inside tubing would only make that worse. He agreed and told me that he would recommend that since I'm having problems that I should have TWO seperate surgeries. The first to remove the Lap Band. Then wait 4-6 weeks and see how well my stomach works. Basically about the time I start feeling human again it would be the time to have the second surgery, the VSG Procedure done. Dr. Felts submitted the Letter of Medical Necessity and Prior Authorization Forms to my insurance company for approval for both surgeries. I was scheduled for an EGD two weeks later even though Dr. Felts knew I had difficultly swallowing liquids and that my Barium Swallow failed to empty fast enough even though I had was should have been no restriction.

About two weeks after my office visits as I continue on liquids, I get a letter in the mail stating that my surgery for Band removal was approved but that VSG done as a stand alone surgery (without a bypass) was an Investigational or Experimental procedure and therefore was DENIED. Apparently Premera Blue Cross and Blue Shield (and BCBS in general) does not approve Sleeve procedures which is something the insurance lady at Dr. Felts should have known. This should have been my first clue that he hadn't done many sleeves and especially revision surgeries such as a Band to Sleeve Procedure. His insurance lady also refused to file an appeal on my behalf. She stated that she had heard rumors that BCBS MIGHT be covering the procedure in or around the September, 2010 time frame. Again that is with a huge MIGHT.

The next day after getting this letter I was scheduled for an Upper Endoscopy (EGD) to find out what the inside of my stomach looked like. Because of DEHYDRATION, the nurses had to stick me 6-7 times to get an IV started prior to the procedure. I had 4 different nurses trying to get one IV started because I was so dehydrated. Yet, he didn't believe that there was that big of a problem. At the moment I continue to look like a major Druggie because of the bruises, a few of them done at my wrists HURT. Dr. Felts told me I was perfectly normal and he didn't see anything wrong with me. After sufffering for months and months, feeling constant stabbing pains while eating solids and primarily consuming a liquid diet to have someone who knows I have ZERO Liquid in my band to say all is well and there is no reason I shoudl be having problems was a bit more than I could chew. The weird part was after the scope was done and my stomach repositioned simply because the insertion of the scope, for some reason I can now swallow food and drink like a person who has no restriction. My fear is that my stomach will "move" or return to the position it was in when I was unable to eat or drink! Weird I know!

I began asking Dr. Felts questions such as how many sleeves he had done. He as very quiet as he reassured me he was qualified to do the procedure, yet he failed to give me even an estimate as to the number of cases he had handled.personally. My husband and i began to think that the reason why he wanted to do the two seperate surgeries was simply because he had never done a conversion from Lap Band to Sleeve and he was ued to dooing the Sleeve Procedure ONLY on people who have NEVER had weight loss surgery, not those of us with defective bands.

I had been speaking with a very nice lady on Obesity Help who happened to have a husband who worked for the same company as mine. They had the exact same insurance as we do yet she was approved to have her band removed and a sleeve done at the same time. I found her doctor's website and found that he actually specializes in revision surgeries for those unfortunate folks such as myself who have had problems with the Lap Band and are ready for the Sleeve. He does this in ONE surgery and is experienced and confident in doing this. Needless to say I made an appointment with Dr. Manuel Castro for his next available slot which was only 8 days away!!!

I called Dr. Felt's office to request my medical records and told them I'd be by to get them in a couple hours. It was weird how NICE they were to me. Almost scary!!! Keep in mind this was the same day I'd had my EGD and I feel asleep from what I guess was left over drugs in my system. I woke up too late to pick my reocords at Dr. Felt's office, so I called to let Dr. Felt's office know I woudl be there the next day.

I drove out to The Colony and Dr. Felt's office. He had a room full of folks waiting to be seen and I had my 1 year old baby with me. I gave the receptionist my Driver License as she said she ahd to have it and a form signed. She disapeared and came back with the Dr. Felt's Office Manager. The Manager handed me a large envelope with my medical records along with a business sized envelope. I knew what was inside. I asked his office manager how many sleeves he had performed. Again she was couldn't have been more indirect and avoiding in her answer. I asked if perhaps there was a number value she could assign to it and she said more than 10. I was like wow.. I opened the small envelope as a lady began talking to me saying she had the sleeve done by Dr. Felts and I shouldn't have "cold feet" she was fine. I told her that there was a lot of history between Dr. Felts and I and I had found another doctor. As expected the small envelope contained a letter stating he woudl no longer be my doctor after 30 days. And in the immediate time he would only see me on an Emergency Basis. I guess I asked too many questions?????