leatha_g

North Texas Bariatric & General Surgery 4333 N. Josey Lane Plaza II - Suite 207 Carrollton, Texas 75010 PH 972.939.8218 FX 972.395.1789 Dr Frank Veninga - he replaced my slipped band. He also takes BC/BS although it was not my insurance.

Aww, Michelle. What is there left to say that everyone else hasn't said? It's true. This is terrible news. If anyone deserves to keep their band, it's you. You've done an awesome job! It may turn out that this thing is truly a temporary reprieve for those of us who live with obesity. Maybe it's MEANT to be a lifetime thing, but reality doesn't always turn out how we MEAN it to. You're right. We all need to 'make hay while the sun still shines' because our day of rain may come as well. Me, for sure. Thank God you were allowed this great opportunity and this 'leg up' on your weight loss desires. Goodness knows what would have happened this past 2 yrs without it, right? So you've got a headstart now. You know the ropes. You'll slip, we all will, but we all know you have what it takes to make it work, with or without the band. What's most important is your health and I'd want mine out too, if I knew it was eroding into my stomach. I really hate that you'll have to go through yet another surgery, but you know you have a great surgeon. He'll take extra special care of you, I know. Just know I love you and I'll have you in my thoughts and prayers and please, please keep us updated. We care.. Leatha

Did you call Dr Veninga?

Johnathon, Do not give up. It is true that occasionally a band will right itself if unfilled and allowed to rest awhile. As for yours being too small. I'm not sure I buy that either. I would ask for a longer period. Say 30 days to see if the band will fix itself. All this means is the pouch above the band slips back down into place. It's happened for numerous people before. (Not me, but mine did move down some, just not enough.). A week on liquids seems rather silly, actually, but it may help your reflux (so will unfilling the band). Take a deep breath, focus on what you have done so far. DO NOT go back into previous naughty eating behaviors, let the band have time to show what it will do and begin again. I don't see in your first post where you say the band has been unfilled??? This needs to take place if there is hope to have it resolve itself.

I have systemic Lupus and have had no problems whatsoever. I think in the beginning, there was a liability concern due to 'silicone' implants, however, the band is made from a totally differenty type of silicone that is not known to leak. It is solid.

Yes. a Fill often waits a few weeks to make itself known. It's very common. Secondly, if you are pb'ing, you most definitely may have esophageal irritation which perpetuates a sort of vicious cycle. You probably definitely need to contact your doc. Maybe go on liquids. Maybe ask for some carafate to help with esophageal healing and even possibly get a bit of an unfill. The band is not meant to be TOO tight and you should be able to eat without the ongoing problems. Good luck!

Cigna paid for mine, twice... I only had to list diet attempts and history, but no consecutive Dr Supervised info was required. Of course, each doc is different, each insurance co. is different and times have changed since I was banded.

Shoe size was one of the first things I noticed. I've returned to my 'normal' size of 6.5, some 6's. Rings, definitely 1 size.

no cup size loss for me. ..

Hmm.. Black Sabbath/Van Halen Nazareth Foreigner/Cheap Trick Van Halen again Ted Nugent/Pat Travers Loverboy/Joan Jett Sammy Hagar Def Leppard Damn Yankees Ted Nugent/Bad Company Bush/No Doubt Robert Plant/Jackyl Aerosmith Moody Blues Pat Benatar Stevie Nicks Tori Amos Sarah Mclachlan Vertical Horizon/Five for Fighting Blue October

The interesting thing here is : is the $800 what Medicare will pay the physician for his part in the surgery? Because the band itself costs around $2000 or more - hospital cost. I'd be sure, before I agree to anything how much my hospital stay, supplies and separate OR and physician fees are all going to come to and how much of that Medicare will be paying. Just my 2 cents.. Good luck!

I take 5 whole pills every evening. I always take them with my dinner, so that the throat is not too dry and that they move through with the food. Only time I've ever had problems is if I was filled too tightly. Large capsules, I would not risk. M&M is probably a good rule of thumb.

Well. I would like to have gone, but my daughter decided to come over for the day and I haven't seen her in quite awhile. So I guess I better stay. You guys have fun. Take pics!

:straight long as ya'll think SHE'S the bad one,my lips are sealed.. lol

definitely see your doc, your fill may be too tight, or you could have slippage. either way you do not want the damage to the esophagus that this reflux can do, not to mention aspiration pneumonia that waking up choking/throwing up can cause.

I really oughta go, shouldn't I? lol

cigna paid for my original band under ppo, then again under hmo after slippage, however, each employer purchases a different policy, so just because mine covered WLS, does not mean the next guy's will. Good luck!

Sounds to me as if you have some folks who are uneducated and scared to take responsibility for your coumadin/warfarin maintenance. If he thinks you may have a problem because of a fill, He is really very naive. It's a pin prick. They're not going into an open vein or artery. The amount of blood loss you may have is minimal, less than a nose bleed for sure, barely more than a finger stick, in my experience. True, blood thinners are critical drugs, but with patient knowledge and doctor's education, it's very manageable and easily maintained. I was bounced between my PCP and finally, a cardiologist to monitor mine because the PCP just was not comfortable with being responsible for the maintenance. Today, I do my own home testing, I call in the PT/INR to my Cardiologist's coumadin clinic and all is well. Of course, I know that the last thing I want to do is get dumped off the back of a motorcycle going down the freeway, or be involved in a major collision in my car. I don't skydive on a regular basis, but if I knick my legs shaving, I am NOT going to bleed to death. The day I got my lapband, they also inserted a vena cava filter, so that I might prevent any further major issues in my lungs, brain or heart. I have had numerous fills since without ever having to halt any meds or taking any extra precautions. To help manage your INR be sure to arm yourself with knowledge about different foods and drink that effect the drug levels. If you eat too many foods that contain Vitamin K/green foods, it will decrease the effect of the coumadin and thicken the blood - hence your levels become to low and clot faster. If you drink too much alcohol, cranberry juice, grapefruit, other things, you could cause it to become too thin. These are all serious but manageable things as long as you empower yourself with the knowledge it takes to maintain. Check out this website for great information www.ptinr.com Good luck!

I had an abdominal hyst in '96. Best thing I ever did for myself. Pain.. yes. Temporary situation for much relief. I'd do it again.

I love my band, so much more than my existence BEFORE the band that I can't even articulate it in words. Have I had issues with my band? Yes. I've been banded twice due to slippage. I have had A episode of nighttime reflux. I have had two instances of being too tight - so I had it fixed. These are mere DAYS out of 2 great years that I might not have had if I had continued with the health I had before banding. If I had it to do all over again, I'd sure do it, only sooner and with more enthusiasm, but of course, every journey is a personal one. I wish you peace with the one you choose.. :mad:

snickle pottytush, ewww..

I take blood thinners daily. Have since before I was banded and I have had many fills without ever adjusting medications. That is ridiculous! I also had a clot to my lung before my band surgery and was NEVER required to have an additional scan to prove it was gone. That's ridiculous also. Anyone with clot experience knows that the body reabsorbs the clot. The reason for the thinning medication is not to 'dissolve' the clot itself but to keep the blood from clotting more around it or in any other area. Also, has this doctor been having you monitor the level of this medication and your PT/INR ratios? Blood thinning medication is critical and has to be monitored constantly. Do you know what your levels are? Stopping the meds can be done without tapering, however, anytime you have had a clot in the past only sets the stage for it to happen again. :mad: In some cases, one has to maintain the dosage for life. The reason I ever had the clot in the lung was actually because I begged off the meds after a DVT episode. I thought ' I'll be good, I promise' and I begged them to let me off. 6 months later, I had a clot in the lung. I nearly died because I didn't want to take the meds or admit I might have a serious propensity to clot. Not good. :mad: Have you been having this monitored?? Are you taking Coumadin or Warfarin??

Scrambled eggs, lobster, scallops, haddock, raw pineapple, english peas, pizza dough.. BTW - PBing is NOT recommended. If you PB on a daily or even weekly basis, this is a good sign you are either too tight, eating too fast, taking too large of bites or not chewing well enough. PBing on a regular basis is very risky for your band and your esophagus. No amount of weight loss can be worth the damage this vicious cycle of damage can cause in the long run. We are supposed to be eating hard Proteins, not soft foods to get around the band. If this is impossible, there is something not right about the band.

Yes. It's very normal. You'll find that the port itself can be quite tender for some time to come.

Yep. I had it from the time I was an adolescent until I was about 40, along with a heart arrythmia called PSVT.