lap band laura

I am 11 days post oP and I've only lost 11 lbs is that normal? I previously had the Lap Band it was not sucessful. Should I have lost more.

I went to get my first fill last Thursday (banded 8/6/07) and the doctor stuck that needle in my stomach at least 5 different times. He dug around inside me and slipped 4 times off of the port which felt like he hit my rib or backbone and then one felt like he hit my throat from the inside. It was horrible he even did an utlra sound before he started and then while the needle was in my stomach he did another one which hurt because he had to push down on my stomach with the utlra sound machine in order to get the picture. He finally gave up and said that maybe next month after I lose a little weight then he will be able to hit the port. Has any one else had any problems getting their fills. My daughter who was banded 2 weeks before me has had 2 fills and no problems. However, she did said she thought she was going to pass out watching me trying to get mine. :help: Doctor: Dr. Storey / Pasadena, Tx Banded 08/06/2007 Lost: 17 lbs 110 lbs left to go.....

Okay all you newbies out there, I just want you to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just in case you missed my "2nd fill" post I have reposted it here. I am doing this because I am so happy now and I would hate for someone to read the first post and think that it stayed that way. I am not scared to get my next fill now that I know about the Lidocaine even though this means 2 injections. Let me tell you I paid very close attention to the Lidocaine injection and to compare the two would be saying Lidocaine is like getting a shot with a hair thin needle and the "fill" is like getting a shot with a horse needle. However, with the Lidocaine you never fill the horse needle at all. I would like to thank those people here in this forum that told me about the Lidocaine because I wouldn't have ever known with out you.:clap2: Thank you, God Bless and keep posting! _______________________________________________________________ 1ST POST I went to get my first fill last Thursday (banded 8/6/07) and the doctor stuck that needle in my stomach at least 5 different times. He dug around inside me and slipped 4 times off of the port which felt like he hit my rib or backbone and then one felt like he hit my throat from the inside. It was horrible he even did an utlra sound before he started and then while the needle was in my stomach he did another one which hurt because he had to push down on my stomach with the utlra sound machine in order to get the picture. He finally gave up and said that maybe next month after I lose a little weight then he will be able to hit the port. Has any one else had any problems getting their fills. My daughter who was banded 2 weeks before me has had 2 fills and no problems. However, she did said she thought she was going to pass out watching me trying to get mine. Doctor: Dr. Storey / Pasadena, Tx Banded 08/06/2007 Lost: 17 lbs 110 lbs left to go..... ============================================ 2nd POST GOOD NEWS!! I went to the doctor last thursday for my fill and it went great! I told my doctor that I had been a nervous wreck for the last month because of what happened the last time. He gave me Lidocaine cream but when I finally got into the room it had worn off. My doc told me that he could give me a Lidocaine shot. I got the Lidocaine shot and it didn't hurt at all. I saw him pick up the needle to fill my band and I said "wait a minute and make sure I am numb" and he said "why I already stuck it in". I couldn't believe it, it was all over in seconds. I never felt a thing and he hit the port right off the bat and then I was done.

GOOD NEWS!! I went to the doctor last thursday for my fill and it went great! I told my doctor that I had been a nervous wreck for the last month because of what happened the last time. He gave me Lidocaine cream but when I finally got into the room it had worn off. My doc told me that he could give me a Lidocaine shot. I got the Lidocaine shot and it didn't hurt at all. I saw him pick up the needle to fill my band and I said "wait a minute and make sure I am numb" and he said "why I already stuck it in". I couldn't believe it, it was all over in seconds. I never felt a thing and he hit the port right off the bat and then I was done.

My port hurt for 2 1/2 weeks after he tried to fill me. I couldn't sleep on it until 3 days ago. Next Thursday will be 1 month since he tried to fill me.

Well I called my doctor and asked for a prescription of Emla Cream and the Nurse said "For WHAT" I told her that after what I went through I want to be numb for my next visit. The nurse told me that patients don't use anything for numbing cuz it doesn't hurt but if I insist then they will use lidocaine cream. So I told her that I want the Lidocaine cream for sure! She said they have it in the office and to request it when I come in. I better not find out when I get there that its the lidocaine shot instead of cream.

Does anyone know or can anyone find out what the numbing agent is that they use to numb the port site instead of using a needle because if I can find out then I am going to call my doctor and ask him to have it. I go in on Nov 1st. For those who have asked…..Dr. Storey is the only doctor on my insurance in Houston and the surrounding area, so I feel a little stuck on where else to go. You know the funny thing is that all my family told me not to get the lap band, because with my luck, if something can go wrong then it usually does with me. I just thought that with all the hell I have been through in my life I deserved this to work for me. I finally got up the strength to do something for myself and I don’t think that asking for this to go smoothly is too much to ask for. Okay, enough self pity for me….dam that felt good though!

Thanks for the replies I am glad to know that I am not the only one out there that has problems. I hope that the port is in correctly though because that would suck if I had to have surgery again. I suffer from severe panic attacks and have for 12 years. It took me 3 years to get up the nerve to do this and then 6 months of insurance required doctors visits (which I had a full blown panic attack on each visit). I cried the whole time I was in the area waiting to go back to surgery and luckily a girl I knew from high school saw me crying and asked if she could help me. She talked to me and calmed me down, I didn't recognize her at first but she recognized me so it gave us something to talk about. The other nurse had opened my IV wide up and the medicine was burning and my vein was bulging in my arm and then I started to itch. I was so glad she was there to help me. Afterwards I was so proud of myself for making that far. Then when I went to get my first fill I had my usual nervous stomach (the "runs") and anxiety but for some reason for the first time I didn't have a panic attack. Yet everything that I feared happened, so I'm sure I will have one next time. GREAT! Dear "pashmina": I am sorry but your story cracked me up. I am sure I looked very stupid sitting in my room looking at my computer cracking up laughing. I laugh because I can relate so well with it. I too had to do the stomache crunch and I had a pillow under my stomach the whole time. I love your humor though, as I read your story I felt like I was reading my own. I read it to my family telling them this best explains what happened to me. Thank you!

Has anyone out there had to have food removed by the doctor. I'm curious how often that happens. It scares me to death. Doctor: Dr. Storey / Pasadena, Tx Banded 08/06/2007 Lost: 17 lbs 110 lbs left to go.....

I was just wondering because my doctor said that he had a patient who ate a hot dog and she didn't chew it up good enough so it got stuck. He said that he had to take a scope and go down her throat and get it. He said that he has to do a scope about once every couple of months. Doctor: Dr. Storey / Pasadena, Tx Banded 08/06/2007 Lost: 17 lbs 110 lbs left to go.....<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Has anyone out there had to have food removed by the doctor. I'm curious how often that happens. It scares me to death. Doctor: Dr. Storey / Pasadena, Tx Banded 08/06/2007 Lost: 17 lbs 110 lbs left to go.....

Don't give up. I was denied and then approved 2 weeks later. My insurance requirements are: - BMI of at least 40 for the past 5 years or - BMI of 30 and being treated for at least 2 of the following: Heart Disease Diabetes High Blood Pressure sleep Apnea Well I was denied because 5 years ago my BMI went down to 39 on one of my visits to the doctors office. The insurance refused to budge an inch on this. I don't have any health issues and I was freaking out. The only thing I do have is border line high blood pressure but only when I go to the doctor (white coat syndrome). The nurse at my lap band doctors office told me to go ahead and have the sleep apnea test done and also see if my family doctor would treat me for hypertension (high blood pressure). I went and had the sleep study done and I ate the biggest hamburger, fries, coke, and McDonalds cinnamon roll in the parking lot of the place so that when I went in I was so full I was miserable. I usually sleep on my stomach but I told them I sleep on my back. I heard that you snore more on your back. Guess what......it worked, I tossed and turned all night. The next morning they told me that I had a ruff night. Yeah I felt horrible alright and I had indigestion, but I now have sleep apnea. I went to my family doctor and told him what I was doing and could he give me something for high blood pressure. He gave me Water pills for it. I immediately sent the info in to my insurance and they approved me. I was denied 4 weeks ago and approved 3 weeks ago I had my surgery last Monday (1 week ago today). Hope this gives you Hope.