cadezma77

July 12th to the 16th at Florence

I will be at Florence/Marriott July 12 thru 17. Surgery with Garcia on the 12th.

Wow! Agree big difference in a short time. Awesome!

I switched my surgery dates and will now go to Florence instead of Mi. alma says its very nice and better equipped with ICU and etc I'm not worried as I trust dr Garcia and alma, as they have been great thus far. Just curious about Florence hospital and if anyone's went and their thoughts.

Not until July 12

Just read Cindy's post about Florence. Great details.

U will do great. Good luck.

Good luck, hope All goes well. I can't wait to be where u are!!

I'm tentatively scheduled for June 27 with Dr Garcia, but hoping to get it done sooner.

will having this procedure done in mx or just the procedure itself be an issue in trying to get insurance later on? I have cobra insurance now and it will run out in march. We tried to get insurance on our own, but we were told they couldn't guarantee approval due to me having the lap band (which is now out). Just curious if anyone knows ???

Finally after a long process my band is out. I had it removed on Friday. Recovery has been tough. Lots more pain than I remember in getting the band. Every movement that involves my tummy muscles hurts Like $#@&. Just glad it is out. I will be scheduling the sleeve with Dr Garcia after my 2wk checkup with my us Dr. I currently have cobra insurance that will expire in march. My Dr said I need to wait 6mths before we even discuss the sleeve. Therefore I will be self pay anyway and had originally decided to go yo Garcia when I felt my doctors weren't listening to me.

I'd say it feels great to have the band out. My life is revolving around food anymore and anxiety about can I eat that, will this work etc. the fact I haven't thrown up in over a week is amazing!!! The pain isn't too bad anymore. I was having a lot of pain on the right side..... Which I thought was odd, but now the pain has centered right where the port was. I was beginning to question if they left the port in cuz it was so swollen n when I pushed it felt like something was there but it must be all the fluid. Ick! I had intended on going to Garcia for both procedures but there was that 50% chance that I could come home without the sleeve due to lap band scarring. So I figured let my insurance cover the removal, heal n then get the sleeve!! Hopefully sooner rather than later

So after a long drawn out process the crap band is finally coming out!!! I had my upper GI and dr said everything looked good. Band looked like it was in a "slightly different" place but that shouldn't cause any issues. I then was still having the nausea, and problems eating, vomitting etc....they finally gave in and did the EGD. The printout that I got afterwards talked about possible Barretts esophagus. They took 4 biopsies and it was a week from hell waiting for answers. The more I googled the barretts the more stressed out I got. In the end it was NEGATIVE...thank God! It turned out to be esophagitis. I then met with dr and she said soooo what are you wanting to do?? my reply TAKE IT OUT!!! duh!!! same thing ive wanted for months now!! I asked if the esophagitis was a possible reason for the inconsistancy inthe band and why I can eat better some days and not so well others....her reply "not necessarily"...hmmm Honestly, I still believe that my doctors think I am nuts. If I have to hear one more lecture about "using my tool correctly" Im going to freak!!! Do they not see that my "tool" worked great for 2 years....and then issues arose. Need I remind them that I was comfortable with 7ccs in my band and at this point can't get past 4.5 or 5ccs without issues. Not to mention I am 100% unfilled right now and have vomitted and had days where things were too tight! In my opinion that "slightly different placement" of the band may be the key! I am not a doctor but thats my thoughts. so I left my appt with no dates info etc. emailed two days later to see what the plan was and got a phone call saying insurance approved it and Im sched for nov 20. They wont discuss the sleeve until 6mths out. In that time my cobra will expire!!! I have been researching Dr Garcia in MX and now I am trying to weigh my options. If I go to him for both procedures, there is a possibility both procedures can be performed at the same time. Of course if not then I would be better off just doing the lap band removal in US and waiting to heal. Its a tough choice!!!! Another thing that I have to consider is my hubby and I are going on our first cruise and honeymoon in march (after 14yrs of marriage) and if I go to MX there will be about 7weeks between surgery and cruise. I am not concerned with not being able to pig out on the cruise, but I am concerned that I will be on a somewhat "normal" diet and healed fully enough to enjoy our vacay. I am just glad to be getting it out!!! I am up to my presurgery weight and I pray I do not gain anymore!!!!

is anyone, or has anyone had the band to sleeve surgery with Dr Garcia? if so what were your band issues. was it completed in one surgery? I know that each person is different as far as scar tissue and etc. I am just curious to see if majority has to have two surgeries. I have startes the initial process of going to Dr Garcia. I am just waiting to see if insurance denies surgery and going from there.

As of now I am still banded. I am hoping to revise to the sleeve. Pretty much waiting on my Dr to deem it medically necessary. For insurance to cover it.

ive had a pain in my upper left side for about 6 weeks, had upper GI and they say everything is fine. sorry I dont have any advice but I csn definitley relate.

I have been feeling very depressed lately and can feel myself slipping back into my old behaviors, not eating related. It's more to do with anxiety and avoiding people. Since I was younger I have always had issues with social anxiety. As I gained weight the anxiety worsened. I didnt want to be around people,I avoided my kids school functions for fear of embarrassing them and myself, I really became a hermit. After I had the lapband and had lost some weight I noticed the anxieties lessend. I think I had a confidence in myself that I never really had before. I felt good!! I went out and enjoyed life, took my first airplane trip to Vegas, attended so many events I would have never in the past. Now that I have gained the weight back I am back to that old person who I hated. I avoid events as much as I can and stick with my small circle of friends.I don't like to go out with the hubby for fear that we will run into his work friends and he will have to introduce me to them. One thing I make sure of is to avoid anyone I havent seen in awhile. I don't want them to see that I have gained the weight back. Last weekend I went to a BBQ and as my hubby and I were getting out of the car i heard my cousin say "is that cadezma" (obviously using my screen name here). Just the tone in his voice was like OMG she's huge again!!! I had that instant feeling of being punched in the stomach. I wanted to get back in the car and drive away, but of course I put my fake smile on and stuck it out. I absoulutely regret the lapband and want it out, more so I regret losing the weight with it. I look at it as a tease of what life can really be like. Maybe I should use it to motivate me to get to that point but if I could do it on my own I would have never had to get the lapband. I am not usually an emotional person but I am an emotional mess these days!! As far as the dr appts go.... I demanded an Upper GI and endoscope. I had the upper GI last monday and the dr who did it said everything looked good.(he told my friend the same thing and when she seen the LB Dr that same afternoon, she was told she had a slip and dialation!!) I told my friend they probably got the charts mixed up and they were looking at mine, since her GI was just a check and she was having no symptoms. :P I don't see my dr until this week and havent heard nothing more from them, so I assume that things are good. I still want to have the endoscope done. I need to be sure there is no erosion etc. I am still having the nausea and things just don't feel right to me! Hopefully we can just get the process going on the sleeve!!!

I had my appointment today and dr said according to the Upper GI the band looks good. Too bad it doesn't feel so great to me!! I am still having the nausea, though not as horrible as before....still have the weird pain on the left side. She asked me "so are you pretty much done with the band?" My response was YES! She asked if I wanted all the fluid removed today...I said NO, it's not too restricted right now, I have been much tighter before. I obviously don't want to remove it all and wait for them "to build their case for insurance"! Honestly, what's a little more vomitting here and there for another month??!! I once again explained that I know my water retention plays a huge roll in the restriction and inconsistancies. If I don't take my HCTZ until later on in the day, I can forget about trying to eat a "normal" meal (normal according to band) I don't think she believes me on this one!! Like I stated before, I really think this dr thinks that I am just telling her these things because I want the sleeve, which is far from the case. I really like this doc but when I feel like she's not taking me seriously it really pisses me off! So the "plan of action" if you can call it that is for me to meet with a dietician (that right there tells me she thinks the weight gain is my fault) which she is right to a point, because any bandster who has struggled with being too tight knows you find what works and eat that! It's not my fault raw veggies, fruits, & Salad dont work for me! After meeting with the dietician I will then meet with dr. I did ask what exactly medically necessary mean and her response was that they need something concrete that the band isn't working. it just blows my mind that constantly vomitting and nausea etc isn't concrete enough. Not to mention previous slips and dilations that weren't diagnosed by xray. I understand they are helping me by building a case and I spose' they know more about insurance than I do but it would be nice if the dr would say I AGREE with you, you should get the sleeve, but she doesn't seem to be on my side on this one! sooooo frustrating!

Hope all went well with your surgery

Thanks you for your post, It definitley gave me a little hope/inspiration this morning!! CONGRATS on you sleeve!!! Can I ask how was your band defective? I am hoping my Dr will give me some answers tomorrow and we can get this ball rolling!!

The band isn't too tight, as they have taken alot of the fluid out. At one point I had 7cc's in my band and now we can't ever go past 5. If I remember corretly I currently have 4.5cc's. I did tell my dr I wanted the sleeve and she basically said "we will continue to work with the band while gathering info for the insurance company" Which I understand they want to make sure insurance covers it, but as far as the medically necessary aspect of it...I believe throwing up all the time and constant nausea should qualify me but maybe they are waiting for my stomach to combust or something...hahah I have an appointment tomorrow and I know I wont be getting a fill but hopefully some answers on when this whole sleeve process can get going!!!

Hello!! I had the lapband done in April of 2008. Starting weight 263, lowest weight 199 and current weight is 256. I have had numerous fills and unfills...atleast 5 total unfils. In April I had a total unfil, dr thought it was a slipped band and two weeks ago I had a my second fill and band is back to being inconsistant. I have always had hit or miss days....some days I can eat and some days I can't.I vomit alot due to food getting stuck. It's so frustrating and I am honestly sick of this lapband! I have had upper GI's(last one a year ago) in the past and supposedly everything is on the up and up. I have to wonder what all the vomitting has done to my body! So my question is...I am going in to my dr tomorrow, How do I suggest this revision to sleeve? Do I just come out and say I'm done with this band? I'm afraid of my Dr thinking I am giving up too easily...even though I think 4 years of constant issues and about 30 plus fills and unfills, daily vomitting is enough!! Also, one other question what is the difference between an upper GI and an endoscopy and should I be requesting these? thanks in advance

I have the lapband....I went in last week to have some fluid removed due to possibly being too tight and nausea after eating. The nausea has continued and is now 24/7, I also have a burning sensation on my left side under my ribs. I called the dr today and they told me it sounds like it is upper GI bug and to call back in a week if I am still feeling this way and they also called in some anti nausea meds. Does this sound normal? I am frustrated and irratated, I can not stand this nauseaus feeling another day! Any thoughts and opinions??

Thanks Izuri for your reply..I did email the drs office for a different RX, so we will see what the day brings. Christine, anythings possible with this crapband...lol I vomit often from things getting stuck. Things are just so inconsistant with this thing. I don't have any reflux or pressure like in the past. However, I was thinking that the awful taste in my mouth and the "burning, churning" feeling in my stomach could be acid reflux??? I don't know but I hope I get some answers soon. I might be way off, but I almost feel like my LB dr is brushing things off because she knows I want the lapband taken out and revised to a sleeve....and I feel like maybe she thinks I am making issues up to move the process along, which is definatley not the case!!! Hopefully I can get some answers today

Someday I am going to have a positive entry...lol I have been having nausea for 2 weeks now, the past couple days has been 24/7. I also have this horrible taste in my mouth...YUCK! So I called my LB dr (nurse) and she tells me she's pretty sure it's a gastric bug that has been going around, prescribes zofran and tells me to call back in a week if I am still feeling this way or if I vomit. After taking the zofran, no relief! The only thing I got from that was a big ol' headache. I call my family dr (nurse) and tell her what's going on and that I am kind of looking for a second opinion. She states that it probably is a bug and if it's anything lapband related they would just refer me back to the LB Dr because they don't mess with that! This is frustrating to me. My family doctor could do blood work, order xrays and what not....correct??? SO because I have a lapband I can't see him for anything stomach related?? All I know is I have four kids and a job and I cannot continue to function feeling like a big pile of pooooo!!! anyone that ive talked to said to demand some tests, but how when I can't get past the nurse. I know it's thier job to be the go between but I feel like they are blocking me. just very sick...n frustrated!