Cleo's Mom

Thanks, restless, I made a copy of that information. Plus, and here is the funny thing, on that medical records report it listed as manufacturer: General Store. What did he do, pick it up at Wal Mart on his way to surgery? I called Allergan and gave them the serial number and it indeed was one of theirs, but general store? Who knows? Maybe it was an old one and he wanted to use it up before starting to use the newer ones. I may never know.

I did some additional research on these two types of bands and the one I have is a smooth continuous tube whereas the AP Standard 10 cc is scalloped (like the letter mmmm) creating little chambers that I understand minimize the contact of the band on the stomach and might reduce chances of erosion.

Lilith - if you have a hard time telling family members what you need from them, try writing it in a letter and sending it to them. Don't be critical - just tell them what you want and how it makes you feel when they are unsupportive or critical. Then tell them that the next time you call, you hope they will be supportive and understanding. Then if you call and they still say mean things - just say "Well, it's obvious you aren't going to change and I need supportive people in my life right now, so when you're ready to be supportive, give me a call." And hang up. That's all you can do. You can't really change people - only your reaction to them. Forget the guilt. You have nothing to be guilty about. If you do the above, the ball will be in their court.

lilith - I'm older than you (58) and have dealt with mean people in my family and at work, etc..Here is how I deal with them. If they don't treat me in an acceptable way - they are out of my life. Period. Life is too short to deal with people like this. Tell your grandfather that you are having this surgery for your health and based on medical opinions. You are doing it so you will be there for your kids. Ask him for his support and to refrain from any negative or mean comments about it. Tell him what you need from him. And tell him that if he is unable to do that, then you will be unable to call or contact him. People have to be motivated to change. If he wants you in his life, he will change, if he is not willing to change - well, then, that tells you a lot. My beloved husband died 3 years ago of cancer and I haven't spoken to his mother in over 6 years. Because of her treatment of us. I also haven't spoken to my brother or his family in almost 15 years -again because of the way they treated us and my parents. I don't miss any of them. My life is much better, healthier without them. No more negativity, drama, battles, etc... I have only people who care about me (and me them) in my life. One of the big lessons I've learned. Good luck with your upcoming surgery. I wish you much success.

I changed doctors today to the one I went to for my second opinion last week. My current doctor had only done 22 bandings prior to me and doesn't have the experience do deal with complications. This new doctor looked at the same upper GI and said I have a slight slip (part of my stomach is pushing up through the band). My doctor didn't see this. Also, there seems to be some confusion about what kind of band I have. My operative report says #10 (a specific model that holds 4cc) but my doctor says I have an AP Standard 10CC. I am in the process of getting this information clarified from medical records. So, in my 7 month journey since being banded, I have only been filled twice, slight unfill once, have a slightly slipped band and don't know what kind of band I have. And when I was having all my problems after the second fill - reflux, heartburn and pain when eating -my doctor just told me to eat protein and throw everything else away and not to drink water in the early morning to take my synthroid (that has to be taken on empty stomach at least one hour before eating) - because the water was causing more reflux. It reminds me of the patient who tells the doctor it hurts to raise his arm and the doctor says not to raise his arm then. This doctor is more experienced, does his fills under x-ray, seems very knowledgable and was happy with my weight loss to date - something my current doctor has never complimented me on. Anyway, I meet with him again next month for an upper GI to see how it compares to my last one when everything was a mess - esophagus & pouch swollen. I don't know if he will want to do a fill because he said I have already lost a year's worth of weight in 6 months. I will keep everyone who has followed my drama updated.

I had an endoscopy yesterday because after my second fill I developed reflux. The gastro doctor said either my band slipped up or my surgeon intentionally placed my band higher than he had seen in other lapband patients. He said the pouch was small, tight and high and the only place for food and liquid to go was up. Plus I have a hiatal hernia. I didn't have either of these conditions before the band. The gastro doctor works in the same hospital as my surgeon (and they refer patients to each other) so I doubt his report will be second guessing him. You know how that works. Has anyone else had their band placed too high or slipped up? If so, how was it resolved? I am going to ask my doctor to remove the amount of fill he put in the second time. We have a lot to discuss. Has anyone else had these problems?

agbardoe: When I had an upper GI after the endoscopy, my surgeon called me in that day for a slight unfill. I have felt much better. but as of today, I am changing doctors to a more experienced surgeon from a hospital of excellence.I went to see him for a second opinion first - before I decided to change. I don't believe my old doctor had the experience to deal with problems and complications. When you say the band hasn't been working for you - in what way? What kind of pain? From eating? Do you have reflux or heartburn? What does your doctor say about this? Have you had a recent upper GI? What caused you to gain 20 lbs? Anyway, before you make any changes - get answers to all your questions and concerns. If your insurance paid for the band you might need to be persistent to get a bypass if it is found that you have a severe complication from the band. Good luck.

After I had my hysterectomy 6 years ago I developed severe back pain that turned out to be a herniated disc. When I was hospitalized for it many said that abdominal surgery can cause back problems by weakening the abdominal muscles. Your lapband surgery could have done the same. I would get it checked out if it doesn't get any better. I ended up bedridden for 6 weeks unable to walk or sit.

I always thought my old surgeon was adequate as a surgeon. But he is a general surgeon not a bariatric surgeon. But it was the aftercare that showed me he didn't "get it" like some of the more experienced surgeons I see profiled here. For example: -3 weeks after surgery (2 weeks liquid, 1 week mushies) I had my first follow up appt. With no fill, he wanted me to lose 10-15 lbs. in the next 3 weeks while adding soft food to my diet. I had already lost 41 pounds at this point (from the beginning of the program - including 10 pounds from surgery). -When 6 weeks after my first fill I hadn't lost any more weight (I felt no restriction) I got the "come to Jesus" talk about the band being a tool, etc.. A more experienced surgeon would take this as a sign that I needed a fill. -Apparently he doesn't know the difference in band types as the conflicting operative report and what he tells me I have shows. -instead of finding out why I was having all those problems, he blamed me. Like I was abnormal for wanting to eat veggies and fruit. -he demonized certain foods - all bread is bad, all meat is bad, etc... So, now I will be going to a hospital that has been ranked #1 in bariatric surgery two years in a row. As for my insurance - it was accepted by both doctors. I don't see a problem with it. It covers fills. I've only had two fills and one slight unfill in 7 months.

BMAZ - DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT have your surgery done by this doctor. First of all, their insistence in your having the bypass should be your first red flag - he doesn't do the band but only started to do it because of patient demand. That is no way to have surgery done - by a reluctant and inexperienced surgeon. I went to a surgeon who had only done 22 bands before me (and is a general surgeon) and a month before my surgery I posted a thread asking if that should be a problem and got the replies that the surgeon has to start somewhere and it shouldn't be a problem. Well, it is a problem and today I just switched to a doctor who has done many bandings and does nothing but bariatric surgeries. My doctor's inexperience showed when I started to have trouble with my second fill. This new doctor looked at the upper GI disk and said I have a slight slip. My inexperienced doctor didn't see that. So, from my experience I would tell you to run, not walk, away from this surgeon and find one who has done a lot of bandings. You will be thankful you did. There is no hurry either. Take your time and research other doctors. Find out about the number of bands and complication rate, etc.. Good luck.

Where did that person post? Tell them to find a more experienced doctor. Not only was/is mine inexperienced but he is a general surgeon first and just got into the bariatric surgeries when another doctor retired. So, he only sees bariatric patients on Tuesday afternoons in another doctor's office. I always felt like we patients were a sideline and he fit us in. My new doctor does nothing but bariatric surgery and has an impressive office complete with a large staff.

Whatever you do - DON'T PAY THAT $1026. You were pre- approved for this procedure by your insurance company and I'm sure your doctor checked on that. If not, your surgeon would not have gone ahead. Therefore, the costs related to this procedure are covered, too. Get copies of everything, starting with your insurance approval before your surgery. Make your insurance company send you everything they have relating to your surgery and GET THE NAME AND ID NUMBER OF EACH PERSON YOU TALK TO AND DOCUMENT ALL CONVERSATIONS - DATE, TIME, DEPARTMENT, ETC. And Good luck.

Kimo - obesity is a very complex disease and one that even the doctors haven't been able to fully understand. There are hunger hormones, genes, emotions, metabolism and a whole host of other factors that cause us to be obese - not to mention the obvious - taking in more calories than we burn. The best quote I ever heard about dieting is "It's like holding your breath, you can only do it so long." Diets have a 95% failure rate. If any other medical intervention had that high of a failure rate, do you think doctors would continue to advise it? Now on to WLS. With the lap band - how it works will vary from person to person. Just read the different forums here. Some are still hungry (me) - some are overly restricted and put up with reflux, heartburn, vomiting and getting stuck because they are losing weight. Some manage to find their sweet spot. Keep in mind that you will not be able to tolerate some of the foods you eat now. For everyone those foods are different. If you are required to go on a 6 month pre-surgical diet - this will be the time to re-train your hunger and eating habits. Like you, I have always required a lot of food to feel satisfied. But, unlike you, I didn't eat fast foods or sweets. I was satisfied with anything - cereal, a bagel - as long as I ate until satisfied. Now, I can't/won't do that. But I still have hunger a lot of the time. And no, it is not head hunger. You won't know how the band will work for you, but you need to work with your doctor and nutritionist and make healthy food choices. Everything I eat now is no fat, low fat, sugar free, low calorie or diet. Every item that you eat you can find a lower calorie, lower fat, lower sugar version. Start replacing those right now. And then when you are banded the adjustment won't be so dramatic. For example, do you use butter or margarine? If so, replace with a no calorie spray margarine. I use "I can't believe it's not butter" spray. Buy very low fat ground meat (90% lean) and lite buns and make yourself that hamburger and shred some lettuce, add a tomato slice and put some lite mayo or ketchup on it instead of eating a fast food hamburger. Good luck to you.

Senority is used for more than just increases in pay for longevity. It is also used to determine layoffs and bidding on jobs. Last hired, first to be layed off. The good old boys network doesn't work well in unions because everyone is equal - men and women. Contracts are spelled out and gender doesn't matter. It's when you don't have unions that office politics comes into play. Then promotions, salary increases, etc.. become subjective - i.e. they are based on things other than senority. Who the boss likes or doesn't like. Who is related to whom. You can't argue with senority as a bases for benefits (be it salary, layoff, etc.). It is clear cut and objective. Basing these things (benefits) on productivity is difficult in an economy that is increasingly service and technology oriented and not manufacturing.

knotchy - yes I had one years ago. I'd have to dig to find my results - but I think it was between 1500 and 1600. As I recall I was put in a quiet room and they measured my breathing. I can't remember exactly how they did it but there was no dome or coffin.

knotchy - what test did your doctor do to test your metabolism? And did you get a copy of the test results? What was he looking for and what were your results? If it was resting metabolic rate - what was yours?

We value experience in the work force and the one way to value it is to pay for it. The more years on the job, the more experience, the higher the salary. It might not mean that person is more productive but productivity cannot be measured in every job. It might not always seem fair to those with less senority but it is a concept in the workplace that most understand and accept as fair. Yes, women have always been penalized in the workforce for being the bearer of children. First when they were fired for being pregnant and even before that for just being married, then for the time off of work to care for the baby and also for lack of paid maternity leave and childcare. We like to portray our country as "America - where we love baseball, Mom and apple pie" - Yeah, we love Mom as long as she doesn't ask for paid maternity leave to have her baby or affordable and available childcare. Our attitude toward women and children in this country compared to other industrialized nations is shameful. Women have paid a heavy price for it and making only 75 cents for every dollar a man makes is only part of it.

Maybe you should call your doctor and mention the change in restriction.

Benefits are usually based on all employees in a pool which helps lower costs. It might be factored into total salary package but doesn't differentiate between married and single people except when you choose single or family medical coverage. Some will give you a cash refund if you refuse health insurance (if covered under a spouse) - but that is negotiated. If a person works overtime (weekend on call) then they should have negotiated for overtime pay. THIS IS WHERE UNIONS COME IN AND WHY WE NEED THE FREE CHOICE ACT HERE - TO MAKE IT EASIER TO JOIN UNIONS. Unions help level the playing field. Corporate CEO's negotiate their contracts - why shouldn't the worker who actually does all the work for the company? As to making pregnancy some kind of punishment in the work force. ABSOLUTELY NOT. We women have worked too hard just to get to the point where we could continue to work during our pregnancies to have it now be used as a punishment because we don't just squat in a field, have the baby and return to work. Come on - if men got pregnant - it would be a sacrament with a year off with full pay. Only in the US do we treat pregnancy as a "you made your bed - so you lie in it" mentality. Unpaid leave, no benefits. So, back to the main issue. Women and men should be paid the same for the same work. If one works more than the other then a change in title and pay is called for. As for giving bonuses for sick leave not used - that works. You see what happened when they took that away and didn't allow days to roll over. Why wouldn't people use all their days? There is no incentive not to. Again, here is where unions come into play. They negotiate these things. And it is in the best interest of the employer to have its employees on the job - not just taking days so they don't lose them. We've got to quit pitting men against women and start looking at it as employee and employer.

Those who have been following my band drama and going for a second opinion on Tuesday and finding out some things from him that I was not told by my current doctor (like my band has slipped a little and there is conflicting info about what model I actually have). You can read my post titled "UPDATE:...." Anyway, before I jump ship and change doctors (my current doctor had only done 22 bands before me but lives very close to my home, the other doctor is experienced but is an hour away) - I need to know what to ask about this new doctor. Here are some questions I will ask: 1) How many bandings has he done 2) What is the band complication rate 3) What percentage of band removals 4) How are emergencies handled 5) How do you reach doctor after hours 6) What is the approach to fills 7) Are support group meeting mandatory 8) How closely with nutritionist do patients work I need to know what else I should ask and find out before I change doctors which is a very big step - especially when I get high anxiety driving that far to the city. I think my current doctor's surgery skills are adequate but I don't think he has experience with complications. He did not see the small slip on the upper GI but said it was pouch swelling. My operative report says I have a #10 band (a specific model that holds 4cc) whereas his nurse says I have an AP Standard (which holds 10cc) - which is a very different model. I am in the process of finding out exactly what band I have. So, to all you experienced bandsters out there - any questions I should be asking about this other doctor? Thanks.

Gonna lose it: Did you try the nasal pillow type of CPAP? It is similar to those oxygen tubes you use in the hospital. It sits under your nose and two little "wands" for lack of a better word blow air into your nose. Of course, like with other devices, your mouth has to stay closed. Can you ask to try that type before your surgery? Usually the reps for the companies that make the machines will come to your house to demonstrate them. It's worth looking into. But if you tell your pulmonologist you are not going to use the CPAP after surgery - your surgeon will find out. They send reports. Good luck on your surgery.

For those who have been following my drama here is a re-cap of my situation. Sept. 2008: surgery - I WAS MY SURGEON'S 23RD BAND PATIENT. Nov. 2008: First fill of 2cc Jan. 2009: Upper GI February 2009: Second fill of 1cc Problems start here: reflux, heartburn, pain when eating. Feb. 2009: Went to see doctor about above problems. He said just eat Protein, throw the rest of the food away and take Vitamins. Ordered an endoscopy. March 9, 2009: Had endoscopy. Gastro doctor said band had slipped up or doctor had intentionally placed it high. Said I had a hiatal hernia. March 19, 2009: Had the second upper GI ordered by doctor. March 19, 2009: When he saw the results called me in right away for an unfill of 1cc. Very different attitude. Showed me how the esophagus & pouch were swollen. I have felt better. Now to the second opinion in red: Doctor said it appeared the band had slipped slightly in the second upper GI film. But he wouldn't do anything about that right now. He said my operative report says I have a #10 band - which is a specific model of band - that holds 4cc. They don't use it much anymore. My surgeon's nurse has told me that I have an AP Standard Lapband that holds 10 cc's. If I have the former, it would explain why only 3cc's caused me to be too tight. You better believe I am going to get to the bottom of exactly what kind of band I have. I am calling tomorrow. This doctor was very happy with my weight loss and said I have lost a year's worth of weight in 6 months. He said if I were his patient he would be very happy. He did calculations based on what the band is promoted as allowing you to lose each year, etc..and he said I have done great. I have not heard this from my doctor. He is going to write this all up and send it to me. My doctor suggested I get a second opinion but he had his partner in mind. I was not about to go to another inexperienced doctor. Lots to discuss at my next appt. Why don't I just change doctors? Because this doctor is an hour away in the city and I have high anxiety driving, especially in the city and my current doctor is 15 minutes away in the next town. But it might come to that. So....stay tuned for continuing drama in my band experience..... I was armed with all of my test results, operative report and two CD's of my upper GI's. It is very important that we all do this and review our tests results and keep them on file. Sometimes, they can be a real eye-opener.

Update part 2: I called my doctor's office and of course his nurse is off for the rest of the week so I asked the other nurse for the catalog reference number and serial number of my band. She called back and told me that I had to call medical records. They told me I have to complete an authorization form, which they are mailing me. And the beat goes on....Someone in that hospital had better know what model band I have in me.

Loserbob - I sent you a private message about this. Restless- A month before my surgery I posted on this site about my surgeon's having only done 22 prior bandings. Most did not think it was a problem. I agree now that experience is important but no one was telling me that then.

Jennifer - rude people need to be put in their place otherwise if we are silent it is like validating their bitchiness. I am so glad you spoke up. Maybe next time she decides to be mean-spirited she will have second thoughts. This goes for co-workers, sales people, and family members, among others. If we don't speak up - their unacceptable behavior will just continue. Thanks for giving her what she deserved.