Amelia40

Hi everyone! Hope that everyone is doing well....... I will not be able to make it on the 9th. Right now I am working a part-time job and I am scheduled to work both days the weekend of the 9th. So I will have to miss this one as well. I had my 3rd fill today He added another 2 cc in my VG band. So I am up to 8 cc's. I went shopping on Monday and found out I am down from a 3x to a 2x. I just wish teh scale showed it. The Dr would not even try to fill my band in the office because the scale said I had only lost 1/2 pound. He took me across the hall to x-ray and did it via flouro. He tried to feel it right first and was able to feel it, he was surprised (I had told the follow and the nurse aid that I had went down a size but it was not reflecting on the scale.) When Dr Denham then did the fill he said it was easy and said I lost my pound right over the port . I then told him about going down in size but not on the scale. He jokingly said that the scale in the office was fixed. I told him my scale at home is fixed as well. He wants me back in 4 weeks to see how I am doing. Hopefully the pounds will start to come off now. Mandy ~ I have been thinking about you and your daughter. I hope everything goes well next week. Thanks for the PM, I have been pretty busy trying to finish everything up at my job and I have been working a part time job at Catherines and I am totally exhausted, I was before the job and still am. Hopefully I will get some energy back next week after my last day at my full time job. I will try to call you later next week a couple of days after your daughters surgery. Take Care, Amelia

I just looked at my labs tonight. My Iron is up from 30 a couple of weeks ago to 48 (65 low normal) and my B 12 is 1600+ (1000 high normal). So the Dr right now is suggesting just continuing as I am. Unfortunately this does not explain why I am so exhausted and my skin feels like I have a sunburn all over. I have to send my PCP an email I am just so fruastrated. Mandy thanks for your support. If you need anything my last day at my job is 6/5. So if you need to get out for a few minutes after your daughter surgery let me know I can come down and help you out. Sonia thank you also for your support. I have also not been loosing weight but I have been to tired to excercise. Thanks for the info on the Wilton's Tent sale. I love their baking supplies and decorating items. I will have to try and get there. Thanks you again for you support!!!! :) :) :)

June 9th will be good! Sorry I missed the last one. I have not been doing well still and the Dr's (been to 4) still can not figure out what is wrong. I am loosing Iron and they have not been able to determine why. I just had my blood work done again on Monday. Expected to have my results yesterday but I think my PCP is determining what needs to happen next. He basically told me and asked me if I wanted a transfusion (which I did not realize until after ward he meant B;ood Transfusion). Since i am already taking 3 iron a day this is probably my next step. I am hoping they they figure it out soon. My last day at my job is 6/5 and then I have to wait for cobra to kick in or pay cash out of pocket. I have been so exhausted and week that I barely make through work. Today I was falling asleep at my desk at work. For those of you that just got the band or are about to get the band welcome! Please do not think that my problems are from the band. I was diagnosed with anemia/iron defiency in 6/06 and did not get my band until 1/07. Good Luck! Sorry I just needed to vent a little because I have been struggling with this and then I am not loosing like I had hoped. Since I have the VG band weight loss it very slow. I need another fill but I am afraid to go see my Dr because I have not lost anything. This would be my 3rd fill. I just wish I had the energy to excercise. Maybe in 2 weeks after I loose my job I will have more energy, since it will not be spent at work. Sorry for the long. post. Hi Mandy, Hi Sonia Sonia I loved the plant!!!!! Take care everyone!

I had to have my first fill and my second under fluro because they could not find my port. Mine is an inch or more below the port scar. They said once I loose weight it will be easier to feel. I sure you will be fine. Good Luck!

I vote for Chicago, because it is home Southern CA because I have never been. Las Vegas because it is least expensive.

I am not fimiliar with Dr Vitello. However my surgeons office is talking about having "fill clinics". He had told me initially that fills are $100 in his office, since before surgery I knew I would be losing my job. With them doing "fill clinics" it may even be cheaper. He works out of Evanston Hospital and Vernon Hills, IL. I know it maybe be a drive but it maybe cheaper. Also I know there are a few folks in Aurora that is closer to you and maybe fimiliar with some Dr's that are closer. If you have not posted on the Il Chicago link I would try posting there as well you may find more folks closer to your area. Also we try to meet once a month for support. The last 3 times have been at Panera Bread in Oakbrook and it would be great if both of you could join us. Hope all is going well for you. Take Care.

Carolena, I was banded on 1/31 at Highland Park Hospital. Dr Denham did my surgery and all turned out well. I had some gas pain not to horrible. I wish the best of luck. Pm me and let me know how you are doing. Maybe after your surgery we can talk and give some support locally. take care, Amelia

I also have the VG band and was banded 1/31. I have only had one fill which was suppose to be 4 cc but I am not sure that is how much he put in since it was done via flouro. I see him tomorrow to find out if I can get another fill. In the last three weeks since my 1st fill my weight has been up and down give or take 7 pounds. I feel that I am not being successful sometimes when I read about everyone elses success but I also have to remind myself that many of the folks have the smaller band and with their fills they seem to get some better restriction right after the fill. Hopefully I will feel some restriction after my second fill. I hope I do not have to weight for a 3rd fill. Good luck to you.

I just had my first fill done on 4/10 (surgery was 1/31) and UHC paid for it. It was done via Flouro. I had mentioned to my Dr staff about what I have read here with UHC and she had said that if they were changing their policy "overall" and not paying for fills they would have to wait a year (after "publizing" it I am guessing) before they could actually implement this change. The person I spoke to work in the medical insurance industry for 10 years and knows the regulations as to what the insurance company must do before implementing the change. She also had not heard about this being an issue with UHC. So it maybe employer benefits verses the insurance comapny itself. I hope this helps. Good Luck!

I may not be there on Saturday I maybe going to visit my sister in Bloomington. Just in case I will keep checking to see if you are all still meeting up on Sat. Take Care Amelia

Hi! how is everyone? I just asked for another fill today. It has only been 2 weeks since my first one but I feel no restriction at all. Hopefully I will be able to get it. I spoke to my Doc''s nurse at a support group meeting tonight and she will let me know tomorrow. I am keeping my finger crossed. Sonia to you know about what time you might be done on the 5th maybe we could plan for about an hour after you guys expect to be done to meet. Take care!

I have a friend who is being treated for the Morton's Nueroma. She was seeing one podiatrist who recommended surgery to have them removed. he would have preformed the surgery through the top of the foot. Because she switched insurance in the process she had to see another Podiatrist who treated her with shots for about 8 weeks or more and has now asked to wait a month to see if it gets better. If not then he will do surgery only he will go under through the bottom of the foot. She has also been taking lyrica for pain which is suppose to be like a Vitamin for the the nerves and is not suppose to cause any side effects however I had to take thie at one point and gained 10 pounds in a week from retaining Water. She is currently taking 2 pills a day that is for reducing edema and high blood pressure. If you do not find anyone else on here but have some more specific questions let me know and I will ask her. Good Luck! I know how bad/painful this can be from watching her suffer.

Thanks Mandy I will let you know.

Well I was finally able to get my first fill Tuesday (4/10). I have little to no restriction. He had to do it via flouro because my port is flipped He was talking to another radiologist that was with him and he said they usually flip 90 he had never seen one flip a full one 180. I did not get to talk to him much but I have a feeling mine is flipped 180 based on how he had to put the needle in. He did not discuss fixing it with me. Have any of you had a flipped port? I just can't cut a break.

I was diagnosed 10 years ago. Tried dieting intitialy eventually had to go on oral meds, tried one made me nauseated. Then I went on another and was okay for awhile and then started getting nauseated every day for 2 years until I could not get the script filled and the nausea went away. I was then put on insulin in '05. I was taking hemalog before each meal and then 65 units Lantus in the evenings. My A1C in Jan before my surgery was 5.7 (non diabetic). At that time my PCP took me off the hemalog since I was going to be banded and I continued my Lantus. I just had my A1C checked again and it was 6.3 not bad. I figure I will eventually be off the insulin all together. Also if I had to do it all over again I probably would have wanted to start off with the insulin verses the medications, not because they made me sick but because insulin is more natural for the body. I was told by a couple of Doctors that insulin was better because the longer you are on the oral medications the more your body/pancreas come to rely on them andeventually you wind up on insulin and would not be able to come off the insulin no matter what. Whether they told me this as scare factor or not I have done much better with the insulin. Good Luck to you and hopefully you will not need to be on the insulin long.

I would be up for a trip to Europe maybe later this year or next....

12/05 (pre band)I was unable to remeber my pin number for my ATM which I have used for 10 years. At work I would get reminders for meetings even 5 minutes before the meeting was to begin and I would forget the meeting. Then I als started to do a few other things that were strange, forgot to put a bra on and did not notice until I was walking into work, another I put hair gel on my toothbrush. I also had some other issues like burning skin sensations that start with only lasting a few minutes until it progress to lasting more than 30 minutes. Plus I was extremely tired coming home from work and sleeping a couple of hours. When I talked to my Dr he checked all my B1, B6 and B12 levels. My B1 was low which really affects the mind, and my B12 was at 202. Lab level of normal for B12 was 200, however my Dr believes that 400 is low. I know now when my levels are low and we cen catch and he increases my B12 shots. Unfortunately I have not been able to get my levels up and keep them up. I have also been diagnosed with anemia, currently my blood work shows no signs of the anemia however my Iron is very low. (mine is 35 low normal is 65). I was also told at one point I had sleep apnea and did not pushed the Dr's into giving me another sleep study. The 2nd one reflect that it was I was fine and not significant enough to be causing any problems. It is important that you determine whether this is sleep apnea or low vitmamin levels before you have surgery. Although I was being treated for Low iron and low B Vitamins (Prenacious Anemia) prior to surgery, I have developed nerve issues that may be because I had surgery with this problem. I just read about this complication to surgery tonight emailed it off to my PCP and I am waiting for his response. Since they can not determine why I am losing sensation in certain parts of my body. I do not want to scare but I do not want anyone to have the issues I am having after surgery. And to check the B Vitamin levels is a simple blood test. If you want more details please PM me. I hope that you are able to work with your Dr to determine the problem. Let us know how things work out.

I was dignosed with low B1, and B12 before surgery. The reason I was diagnosed is because I felt that I was having memory problems and just not focused. Such as I forgot my ATM code after using the same number for over 10 years and it took a day for me to be able to recall it. Then I was doing crazy things like going to work without a bra on. :omg: anyway having the great Dr I have he listen and tested me for Vitamin B defiencies. Although I do not have Wernicke encephalopathy Vitamin defiencies can happen with or without surgery. And I also agree that with the lap band there should be less risk of developing vitamin defiencies with the band, since you are able to digest more food in your diet and it is absorbed into the body.

My surgeon is Dr Woody Dunham out of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston Hospital. He is really nice. So are his office staff. No sure how much you have to loose but he was concerned about me getting the band because he said that most people do not loose all the weight they need to and that I will have to work at it. I told him I would not be in his office if it was not for the band because I would not have the bypass. He was fine with that. Good Luck to you!

Hi all I returned from vacation on Monday night. I would love to join you this Sat. Can we confirm that it will be the Same Panera in Oakbrook. Medical update, my Brain/neck MRI's came back negative. So I have my follow-up appointment with the neurologist next Friday 4/13. Hopefully he will have some answers. I also received a sixty day notice at work yesterday my last day will be 6/5. They are outsourcing my job to India. I have finally been scheduled to have my first fill via flouroscope (they could not find my port when I went in for my first fill 3/16) I can not wait to finally feel some restriction. Hope you are all doing well. See you SAT...

I have UHC Choice Plus and mine was covered 80% plus co-pays. My aprroval cam within a week of everything being sent in. Just after mine was sent in I receved a phone call from the nurse with UHC. She said she was calling just to touch base for the new year. Anyway I found out later that she is also following up with me regarding how I am doing after surgery. I also found out that the pshyc evaluation was not need by them for approval. So all I need was an interview with the pscologist and as long as he felt comfortable making a recommendation for the Dr he accepted this. Good luck to everyone. I believe it really depends on the plan benefit employers have selected.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. The neurologist spent 1 hr and 45 minutes with me. He has order and MRI with and without contrast of the Brain and the Cervical spine. I go for these Wed afternoon. I will not get the results until I am back unless I can get them from my primary care. Anyway he told me that the first thing that comes to mind MS (Multiple Scerlosis) however he said if I had that then it should have shown up in an MRI I had a few years back. I am just trying to get all this done and get ready for my trip I will be leaving in 30 hours YEAH!!!!! Again Thank you guys so much and God Bless!

Hi everyone. I just thought i give a quick update. Over the weekend The numbness I have been feeling in my left leg has now moved to my Left shoulder, arm and face. If feels really strange to talk. I am seeing a neurologist tomorrow. My MRI of my left ankle shows that I have trombophelbitis (inflammation of the vein) which is caused by a blood clot and that I have a problem with a muscle ( no muscle response) in foot. My PCP wanted me to discuss all me results with my Podiatrist who has never treated trombophelbitis and wanted to know what my PCP said and then his only thought for treating the muscle is physical therapy, this would be my 4th round of physical therapy on my foot. Anyway I hope to get some answer from teh nuerologist tomorrow. I am hoping to get some prespective befor I take off for St Thomas. Looking forward to my trip. Take Care

Good clarification, however my Dr told me that I have a 10 cc band and that for the first fill he does 4 cc then 2 then 1. So maybe this is the VG band but referred to as a 10 cc band. You may want to clarify with Dr as to how fill the band will hold verses what size band.

My surgery was 1/31 at 3:00 pm I was not discharged until 5:30 2/1. I was in a lot of pain and if I wanted the Dr would have had me stay but I was afraid insurance would not pay. So I went home and was actully glad I did. I was actually able to get un-interrupted rest.