WASaBubbleButt

The end result will be that you are responsible. Right, wrong, or indifferent, you will be. There is a person here with a faulty Inamed band, there is a leak at the area of the band (not port or tubing) and there isn't a thing she can do about it other than to self pay to have the band removed and a sleeve done in place. I have seen FIVE people post over the last couple of years (between LBT and OH) that their US surgeon (different surgeon in each case) put the band around a wad of fat instead of their actual stomach and not a single one of the five could even get a lawyer to take the case. It wasn't worth enough. One had the band replaced by insurance, one had the band removed via self pay, the other three I do not know the end result. If you get an infection from a bad fill there is no way to prove it was the fill, you pay again unless you have insurance. Then if you have ins but not WLS coverage... hard telling. Let's say that you have a 10cc band and you have no restriction at 10cc. What are you going to do? Just not allow the band to work so you don't harm the band? Or get a fill and try to work your band?

Priceless, just priceless. First the orderly came here saying he had more education than MacM and I, then he comes back as a surgeon. What next? I guess it will all depend on which profession he'll need to bolster his next set of opinions. Personally, I'm betting that the next incarnation will be a Realize employee admitting Rocky the orderly is right and the entire J&J company making the Realize band are finally admitting the error of their ways. Heh...

Excellent post! That used to be a pet peeve of mine to see someone writing about how they were starving to death. I always pictured a little kid in Africa with a BMI of 12 while realizing the person writing was MO.

Not really, the info obtained was obtained by the posters own posts.

I don't know, I'm kind of fascinated that a surgeon would come to a forum and be drawn to this thread of all threads for their very first post in support of a person that has previously inferred fake credentials to support and bolster his opinion. All the while giving out biased, one sided information. Do you see that as curious as I do? Amazing, this same surgeon signs up the *very* day the poster in question leaves while using the same exact incorrect grammar as the poster who left. Usually when surgeons come here they are sure to give out their name, office address, business hours, phone number, etc. Welcome back to the forum.

Why don't you show us where the FDA tells Allergan and J&J what limits they have for the fills on bands. We'll wait. Also, show us where the insurance company says that if you overfill a band they will not pay for a replacement due to this reason. We'll wait for that, too. Then take a lesson in pharmaceutical companies. They write things to cover their collective butts. Doctors overfill bands all the time and why? Because the newer bands are too big and people are not getting proper restriction. They have no choice. Since you are an expert in what doctors do vs. what the FDA suggests, why don't you explain Off Label Use for. You are passing yourself off as an expert on bloody everything (being the PACU transport person that you are) so do tell us how doctors can utilize off label use. We'll wait for this as well but we know it will never happen, will it?

It wasn't MacM that revised from band to sleeve, it was me. I was at goal when I revised so I tried very hard not to lose but it was very hard. Both were about the same for recovery. I think they were exactly the same... pretty easy. Doctors... I'm partial to Mexico! ;o)

Just in case Rocky forgets what HIPAA is, here is a link for him: HIPAA.ORG Perhaps he should read through it a time or two. ;o)

I'll bet a cyber dollar it has more to do with a parole board than Bubba.

The scripture you referred to was one about witnessing to others in an effort to recruit them but you said you weren't trying to convert me. That scripture doesn't mean a thing about discussing political issues as we were. Do you see the dilemma here? We were discussing political issues, when I turned your own questions around on you and Beth you both decided you weren't going to respond to the topic anymore. I know, you still don't get it but I don't know how to explain it in better detail.

You know what will be interesting? Rocky claims that he has more education than MacM and I together. I would love to know why such an educated person is sticking with a transporter position. Violating HIPAA laws is no minor matter. He could have gotten the entire hospital in a world of trouble.

You are comparing short term weight loss in your most recent post. Who cares about short term weight loss? Long term is key here and you know what? I don't believe you are going to keep your excess weight off long term with any band. That's my personal opinion. Too many things can and do go wrong with a band. People battle band issues for a long time. The puking, esophageal damage from hurling, slips, erosion, esophageal dilation, pouch dilation, esophageal spasms, stoma spasms, infections from fills/unfills, band intolerance, the extreme fluctuations in restriction due to time of day, time of month, stress, food temp, weather, etc. Then you have issues such as the time you spend on liquids as after each fill, weeks of liquids after a slip, each time you get stuck and swell... more liquids. Top that off with the fact that the band is the hardest WLS to succeed, has the slowest weight loss, the lowest weight loss, and the rate of complications and revisions are skyrocketing. There is a lifetime of aftercare required for a band for more reasons than fills and tweaking fills. It's to correct the medical problems the band causes. Oh! Let's not forget mechanical problems with the band such as leaks, faulty bands, etc. Did you know that your beloved Inamed company is calling surgeons asking them why they are not buying as many bands as they used to? They want to know if their sales are down because of the economy or what. The doctors are telling them they are as busy as ever but they are doing more sleeves, bypass, and revisions than bands. Why do you suppose that is? So instead of running around insisting that your silly band is better because weight loss is fast in the beginning, why not look at the long term data on bands period. Inamed boasts of 5 year stats showing a 55% loss of excess weight. That's barely considered successful when you figure that 50% is considered successful for excess weight loss. For higher BMI folks when they reach their 50% weight loss they'll still be obese. Look at my posts, look at your posts. You regurgitate the same sorry crap time and time again and then you slam others for not being supportive? Why not get out there and post something from personal experience vs. parroting what you hear actual medical professionals say? Why not show SOME support somewhere? Why not show stats of all procedures, why not show risks and complications with ALL procedures including your own? I may not believe the band will be great for most people long term (short term it is usually great) but if that is any person's choice in WLS I will support them all they need. I will provide any information I can for them. Not biased information but personal experience, stats, tips, tricks, a shoulder, anything. So don't you dare sit there and infer that only you are helping with your crap load of information. Cheers.

Dr. Kuri does not do sleeves, he only does bands. For a sleeve surgeon you really need someone very skilled in staple lines. This is certainly one procedure you do NOT want to be a guinea pig, you need someone who has done a LOT of sleeves.

Honestly, I do not understand why you are attacking, calling people names, assuming they do not know what they are talking about, assuming they don't have to work for a living, assuming females are jealous of another... all because a few disagree with you. Nobody is claiming anyone can't voice an opinion except for you. You are the one attacking and insulting one person while almost being infatuated with a different poster. Disagreeing with the stance of another is not attacking. However, what you have done is attacking. Nobody suggested that you shouldn't have an opinion on the cost of fills. I really don't know where you are getting all these assumptions. Instead of reading between the lines why not just take the words at face value because you are pulling stuff out of the air at this point. What I did suggest is that instead of coming here and blasting everyone that doesn't agree with you and insulting them in every way you can find, why not learn from the vets and relax a bit. You have a long journey ahead of you. Making enemies right off the bat really isn't in your best interest. Before you suggest that you are the only person fighting the cost of fills, perhaps you should read a bit and learn. I am one of the few that has gone up against a doctor on a public message board more than once regarding their policies, fees, etc. I have challenged them on this board ($1,000 for a blind fill, no fluoro) and on another board that makes bogus claims about not being able to fill someone he did not band due to medical malpractice (another complete load). Quite frankly, slamming Mindy because you don't like the policy of a given doctor or business is lame.

Nope, it's pretty hard to run Wasa off. ;o) I have been working many hours lately. You are the one that was stomping those feeties saying you wouldn't discuss the issue anymore. Remember? When I was turning your own questions back to you and asking about those special rights and all then you suddenly decided I was discussing religion and you wouldn't continue. When I asked you things such as.... if those with religions you disagree with wanted equal time before a football game you told Beth it was time to blow dust off your feeties and run like hell. How quickly we forget.

Regarding the diabetes issues with Native Americans... there was a study done I believe at the Phoenix Indian Hospital (Might be wrong but I think they are the folks that did the study) that shows the biggest reason for diabetes in NAs is that many many years ago it was feast or famine for them. In the summers they would gain a great deal of weight while food was available and in the winters they would often starve thus, losing a great deal of weight. Doing this year after year caused many problems and the folks doing the study felt this is the reason that NAs in general have much higher rates of diabetes. Together that with poor diets is a double whammy for them.

I wrote that I would and I am. I am blocking you. Please realize that I won't be able to see more of your sermons.

You insist on making this all about your religion. I have asked ONE question about prayer. The rest have been in response to your own comments. When asked to defend your own claims then you make it out to be that I am preaching to you. Not working.

Maybe it's time someone clues Dr. Geiss in on this person. ;o)

Not quite, when someone slips the band does not move, the stomach does. The lower stomach slides up through the band and the pouch is much bigger.

No, my info wasn't wrong. That post was written over 2 years ago and at the time I wrote it, it was correct. They have had one price increase since that time.

Did anyone do an upper endoscopy to see if you have eroded? You might want to ask about that. Pockets of fluid along your tubing is not a great sign.

Why are you attacking someone that you don't even know just because you disagree with her POV? Mindy is well known here, people like her, and SHE knows how to behave. Perhaps you could learn from her. You are a newbie, you have a LOT to learn about lapbands and living with one. Perhaps let Mindy teach you a bit instead of attacking her, calling her childish names, and overall misbehaving. Instead of taking all the experience of your whole 5 posts and trashing a mod that you don't even know and worrying about friction on a forum that isn't even yours, why not let Alex (the owner of this forum) worry about it instead?

Who cares? To compare 6 & 11 month stats with 3 years is like comparing you to a person with no agenda, the two do not compare. Regain, Rockyboy. It's a big issue with ANY WLS. Can't you go troll somewhere else?

Under the circumstances, how is it even a question? How will you get an emergency unfill if need be? Inamed's own stats are showing that after 5 years people average losing about 55% of their excess weight. Those are not great stats. Sleeves show about 80% at 5 years.