tonyahebert

I had my surgery in May 08. It took me 6 fills before I ever felt restriction. It was November before I started losing weight. I was soooo frustrated. I just went for another fill today, and honestly think I am overfilled. I am going to wait until the morning before I throw in the towel but pretty sure I am going to have to go back for an unfill. :crying:

Garwood's number in College Station is 979-696-3700. His number in Willis is 936-856-5665. Don't have addresses, but the offices are really easy to find.

I can sooo relate to you. I have had 6 fills myself, since July. I had my band in Mexico on May 31st. It has been a real struggle for me, and finally began losing weight in September. I have lost 25 pounds since September, and though I am happy with it, I wish (and expected) to have lost more by now. I finally feel restriction on most things now, I still have foods that I can eat. I wish I didn't know what my sliders were, but do...I am scheduled for another fill on January 26th, and hoping that it will be THE ONE. As far as supplements, the only thing I take is Flintstone vitamins, so can't really give you any advice. I do know that I have a lot of trouble drinking anything with my meal. If I PB it is because I drank something on top of my meal. My fill doctor told me that the reasoning behind not drinking was the liquid would help flush the food through the band faster.

Well....I just did the math...curiousity was killing me...Heba had a percentage of weight loss of 46.94. Michelle had a weight loss of 45.45. Ha ha ha. So, if America had of voted Heba in, she would have been the biggest loser. Gotta suck to be her. Being part of the betch duo cost her 150,000. So, I guess karma will get you in the end.

did anyone notice what the percentage for Heba was versus the percentage for Michelle? I could go back and watch (DVR) but all the stinking commercials makes it hard to find exactly where I need to be to look at Heba's percentage of weight loss. I thought it was so TELLING that America voted for Ed...just a shame that Vicki couldn't have been in the bottom...would have been fun to hear Ali say, "the voting was overwhelming and 99% of people voted for this person". yeah.

we love our wii. i just wish there were more fitness games that incorporated the board. they get borrriiiing. love to hula hoop. i am the queen.

I am so glad I found this thread, because I had begun to feel like a whiner in other forums where the majority of posts were from happy posters who really could not relate to me and my story. I went to Mexico for my lapband due to the fact that i was self-pay. I was very happy with my experience there...the one thing that I wish would have been emphasized more was the problems I would have with after-care... My surgery was May 31st. My first fill was July 17th. My fifth fill was November 7th. I have lost 25 pounds and feel very little restriction. I can't eat bread or red meat, or I get stuck. I have PB'd 4 times, maybe. (Not wishing to PB but emphasizing the fact that I don't have much restriction) I have been happy with my fill doctor so far...have actually recommended him to people on this board. His pricing is fair and he has been doing fills as long as the lap band has been approved in the US. I only have 4.5 ccs in my 10 cc band. I called my doctor today to schedule another fill (he has a 10 day window) and he talked me out of coming in this week for a fill. He basically told me "at some point, you need to learn some self-control." (direct quote) and asked me to start a food journal so that he could see exactly what I was eating cause apparently I was doing something wrong. I have cried throughout the day. I have been on the computer and phone today, looking for a new doctor. My problem is that I live in very rural east Texas, and my current doctor is 150 miles away from me. This new doctor is basically the same distance, but she is selective on which patients from Mexico she takes...She will only take Inamed or Allergan band...My paper work from Mexico says I have a J&J Swedish Adjustable band, so I don't think she will take me, even though she is listed on my Mexico doctors website as a recommend fill doctor. I am not going to give up. And I guess I am really not here for advice. I just need some support from others who haven't had the picture perfect lapband experience. Some might say that being 25 pounds down in six months is not bad...but when I read of the people who had their surgery at the same time I did, and they are down 50, 60, 70 pounds, I just want to scream. Thanks for listening to my vent.

Just an update...I went back for another fill, (my 6th since mid-July) I now have 5.5 in my 10cc band. I was surprised that he gave me a whole cc this time...I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Dr. Garwood is in Willis...a little bit of a drive. I don't have his phone number close by, but if you do a search on his name, you should be able to find the number. He charges $200 for the first fill, $150 thereafter. He also will do an adjustment within a 10 day window if your fill wasn't adequate. Good luck! I went to Mexico too, and had a great experience there.

I have been researching doctors in Mexico...while cost is the factor in choosing Mexico, I also am researching doctors because I am not going to setlle for the cheapest I find, if he does not meet certain criteria. I have just about decided to go with Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Monterrey. I found him at a website called Lap band surgery - Gastric Banding - Grupo Endro-Bariatrico Mexico . I have heard from his patient facilitator, and she gave me a price of $7900. On this forum, I noticed an ad for Gastric Bypass Weight Loss Surgery, Mexico - The Bariatric Group for $6500. I went to their website, and clicked on their doctors tab, but did not find names for their doctors. Well, I then began reading testimonials and they mention Dr. Arturo Rodriguez by name. So, my quesiton is...is he associated with 2 different groups in Monterrey, or does his group have multiple websites? Has anyone mentioned this ad when settingup their appointment? Did you get a better price than the $7900? Thanks for any advice you can give me! Tonya

I would also like some more info on Ms. Zuber...mainly, will she do a fill on someone who had their band in Mexico? I have a fill doctor but he is 150 miles from me. I checked with Yahoo Maps, and she is 135 miles from me.

the doctor who did my surgery lists doctors in the states who will do fills on "us". he has these two doctors on his website... Dr. Paul Cirangle San Francisco Marin area 415 561-1310 Dr. Ajay Upadhyay Oakland, California 510-465-5523 will only fill Inamed band and requires an operation report $150.00 per fill

Wow, you are really paying a lot for fills...Have you "shopped around"? My doctor charges $150 a fill, and he gives me a 10 day window so if I think I need another fill he won't charge me. Why don't you post your location and maybe someone can direct you to a doctor with more reasonable rates.

I have posted in the last week about this very same thing happening to me...I was filled last Friday (a week today) and by Monday I was in a panic. i didn't feel like I had any restriction. I am now feeling some restriction, but not where it is supposed to be. I called my doctor, and he told me to give it another week and see what happens. I only have 4.5 in a 10cc band. I need more. There is a poll in this same forum that asks where is your sweetspot in a a 10cc band. It is wide ranging for everyone, but the majority say between 6 and 8.

Ok, guys...need some help. I had a fill on Friday...Put me at 4.5 in a 10cc band. I had super restriction when I left there. I tried to eat a salad the next day and got three bites in and could not drink anything on top of it. I felt like I was FINALLY there. Well, now, three days later, I have no restriction whatsoever. I don't understand what could have happened. I did keep my granddaughter over the weekend, and she is a chunk...27 pounds. Is it possible that lifting her could have caused my line to disconnect? I am going to call my doctor first thing in the morning. I am scared to death, cause I am self-pay and actually was banded in Mexico. Anyone with some suggestions?

Thanks, everyone...I was really panicking. I am definitely going back on Friday to get another fill. I can tell I am getting close. That was why I was so sure that this last fill was "it" and when all of a sudden food was going down easier....welll...you know...I freaked. Like everyone else (I am sure)...this is just so important to me. I can't stand the thought of having gone through all I have and not have this work.

I totally agree with you about standing your ground with your dr. I have had an almost identical experience as you. I was banded on May 31st in Mexico. Had my first fill in mid-July. Went back within two weeks because I knew that I still had no restriction. Long story short, I had my 4th fill on September 25th and finally began to lose weight, and (most importantly) finally learned what restriction actually felt like. Even with the restriction, I felt as though I was still eating too much, so I made the decision to go back this week for another fill. He put another .5 cc in my band, (up to 4.5 in a 10cc) and now I truly believe I am where I am supposed to be. I tried to eat a salad and was able to get 3 bites down. I have had to learn to become very aggressive with my doctor, and I fully expect my band to finally become the weightloss tool it was meant to be.

I was banded in Mexico, and use Dr. Garwood for fills. As a matter of fact, I went for a fill yesterday at his new office in Willis. I have to drive 150 miles (one way) to get to him, but it is well worth it. Dr. Garwood is very knowledgeable, very likeable, and very fair with his pricing. He gives you a 10 day window. If you don't think your fill is enough, you can go back to him within 10 days and he will not charge you. He charges $200 for the first visit, then $150. He doesn't use flouro, but I have been to him for 5 fills and he has never had a problem finding my port.

I had my surgery in Mexcio as well (Dr. A-Rod, Monterrey) and would do it again, no questions asked. The only thing you have to realize is that having the surgery is just step one. Step two is your aftercare. Make sure you have a doctor in place to do your fills BEFORE you ever go over there. Depending on where you live, you may have problems finding a fill doctor. I live in rural East Texas. Even though there are bariatric practices within a hours drive of my home, the closest doctor who will do fills is a 3 hours drive away. I have had to take a very aggressive stance with my fills and I am finally beginning to see the scales move. You also have to realize because you go to Mexico you will not be on a pre-op diet like most people who have it done here, so at first your weight loss will not be as great as theirs. That has been a source of frustration for me because I compare myself to people who had their surgery about the same time I did. BUT, I didn't have to jump through hoops like insured people did...like having a psych eval, pre-op diet, etc. Its a trade-off. Just make sure you go into this with your eyes wide open. Hope this helps!

i bought the gas-x for my surgery and didn't use it...i am with you...the gas-x is for your stomach...the gas that everyone talks about is actually air that they use to inflate your body...just my two cents!

I was banded May 31st and have only lost 14 pounds, so I completely, totally, obsessively understand your frustration. I was banded in Mexico. My first fill was in mid-July. I had my fourth one yesterday. I could basically eat anything I wanted. I would get stuck if I ate bread, so I knew what eating too much would feel like...I just never got that feeling. With the fill I received yesterday, I am praying I am there. I know I can literally fill water going down now, I never have had that feeling. Have you spoken to your doctor about your frustration? Are you having to pay for your fills? If so, have you considered changing doctors?

I went to Mexico, and as far as the surgery went, it was great. My surgeon was very good. I was one of the lucky ones who had a very quick recovery. I never suffered from the gas pains that everyone talks about...and within two weeks, I was completely back to normal. I have had issues with getting my fills here in Texas though, because I have to drive so far to my fill doctor. To be fair, though, I live so rural that had I had the surgery here, my closest doctor would be a two hour drive from me. Right now, my fill doctor is 200 miles from my home. He has just become affiliated with another practice and will be able to offer the fills a little closer to me...160 miles, so life is good. :crying:

Until this year, sex toy shops were illegal in Texas...they finally did away with this law (I think it still stands in Alabama) but here is the funniest blog I found in a local spin-off of one of the major newspapers of SouthEast Texas...Hope everyone enjoys, lol. Thursday, February 14, 2008 Phallus Interruptus: Texas' ban on sex-toy sales goes limp in federal court Just in time for Valentine's Day! Yesterday, a federal appeals court struck down Texas' ban on the sale of sex toys and vibrators, saying the law violated privacy protections of the 14th Amendment. No word on whether the ruling also overturns Texas' archaic law against owning more than 5 ... well, you know ... simulated male organs. (How did they decide 5 were prim, but 6 were slutty?) "[Texas] wants to use its laws to enforce a public moral code by restricting private intimate conduct," the appeals judges wrote. "The case is not about public sex. It is not about controlling commerce in sex. It is about controlling what people do in the privacy of their own homes because the state is morally opposed to a certain type of consensual private intimate conduct." You might remember a couple years ago, Beaumont cops struck a brave blow against the scourge of self-gratification by raiding three local shops that sold adult videos and sexual devices. Talk about getting the shaft. They busted nine astonished clerks who were threatening the world order and the virtue of all womanhood by selling dirty movies and blobs of vibrating rubber shaped like a .... oh my god, a penis. (Here in the South we still whisper words like "penis," "pregnant" and "cancer.") Of course, this is the same state that gave us the chicken Ranch, Anna Nicole Smith and a would-be governor named Kinky, so we're not exactly innocent, but one must keep up appearances, even if one is a state where creating something bigger than the next guy is a virtue. In Texas, you can walk down the street with a six-shooter strapped to your hip, but until yesterday, a dildo was a deadly weapon. But today is a new day, thanks to the strict constructionists on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Today, you can go on a Valentine shopping spree at your favorite dildo dealer without fear of doing "hard" time. Love is in the air. But please be careful with these things, friends and lovers. You can put an eye out.

When I read posts like these, it makes me so glad that I went to Mexico for my surgery. I called, made an appointment, had the surgery. But, it is a double-edged sword, because I have had a tough time because the weight isn't coming off as fast as others who do have a doctor who has followed them through surgery and fills.

I was banded on May 31st and had my first fill on July 16th. I was leaving on vacation four days later, so my doctor was conservative on my first fill. He only gave me 2.5 ccs in a 10 cc band cause he didn't want me to chance me being too tight and being 1400 miles from home. I am going back this week and hoping to get to 4. The only problem foods I have discovered is RICE. OMG. If all food gave me the same feeling as eating two bites of rice, then life would be good. As it is, I can basically eat anything. The quantity is not as much as pre-band, but I know it is way too much.