gigem

Band worked fine for the first 18 months. I lost weight, but put some of it back on... In November, I started having some odd health issues... If I sat for too long, I would start to get bad headaches - a pounding in my ears. Also had pain in my neck and shoulders. At first I thought it was an inner ear infection. Went to the doctor and they talked to me about orthostatic hypotension. The first though is that I must be dehydrated. That wasn't it. Then I stopped taking some meds that might have caused it. No change. Problem got worse, and I actually had a "syncope event" at work. Passed out - hit the floor! My internist ordered a bunch of tests - brain CAT scan, heart EKG, 24 hour heart monitor, all sorts of blood and Fluid tests. All came back fine. No issues. So I go to my lap band doctor, and he says the band looks fine and shouldn't be the problem. But after a consultation with my internist, we all decide to unfill my band. Problem persists... With no more ideas to go on, I had the band removed yesterday. I just think that it was pressing on my vagus nerve when I sat too long and caused these issues. My doctor says he has never heard of this in the 6,000+ bands he has installed, but agrees that the band might well be the cause. So here I sit, about 20 hours post-op. I can still feel the pressure in my head when I sit too long, but maybe it's a little less than yesterday. And the doctor said it might take a week or so for me to get relief. I sure hope this solves my problem. If not, I am off to find a good neuroligist... This was all paid for out of pocket. That just kills me. My insurance wouldn't pay for the band, and I didn't even ask them to pay for the removal. I wonder if I should have? Probably have a valid argument that the removal was medically necessary, even though it was my decision to put on the band. Any thoughts? Anyways... there is my story... :Banane20:

Just got back. Had Dr. Spivak do the fill this time - no nurse. Got Lydocaine right up front. Piece of cake, no muss no fuss. Did take the doctor two attempts to find my port, but I didn't feel a thing. I went from 1.5 cc to 2.0 cc. Hopefully this will help me feel full sooner than I have been, so I can rely less on willpower than I have been. Next BIG milestone is to get under 250. I have one of those scales at home that has the "big" chunk of metal that you put on 200, 250, 300, etc., and the "little" chunk above it that goes from 0 to 50. Moving that big chunk of metal from 250 to 200 will be a big win. Hopefully within the next week :thumbup: On we go!

Been about a month since I checked in here... Had my first fill about a month ago. It was a crappy experience, but long story short he put in 3 cc's, did the barium swallow and decided that was too much. Pulled off 1 cc, it looked better. Then we decided that since it was my first fill, and I would be out of the country for the better part of three weeks, to pull off another .5 cc's. So I had 1.5 cc's in me. Trips went fine. Found out what "stuck" felt like a few times, but it wasn't too bad. Never hurled. But I knew I was able to eat more than I should. Came back from the first trip (a pure vacation) and had gained 3-4 pounds. Came back from the second trip (work) and was pretty much back where I started. Have lost another 5 lbs. since I got home and back on my routine. Going back tomorrow with the intention of getting that .5 cc put back in (for a total of 2cc). When I am eating the "right" food, and doing it correctly, I am able to eat more than I should, if I let myself. Hope I hit my sweet spot tomorrow. If 3 cc is too much, and 1.5cc is not enough, then 2 or 2.5 should be it, right? Hope my experience tomorrow is better than the first fill. Will demand the doctor do it, with Lydocaine. And no, I am not a wimp!

I did - last month...

Congrats! You might have tied my record... I walked (yes, walked) to the hospital at 7:00 AM, went into surgery a little after 9:00, and was home a little after noon (they wouldn't let me walk home though, had to get a ride)... Worst parts for me were sore throat for first 24 hours, then weirdo referred gas pains in shoulder and neck. Gone in 3-4 days, and not that bad...

Small world! I was the pissed off fat guy, there from 9:30 to about 11:00. Glad yours worked out...

OK, fair enough... Let me qualify that statement... "That particular nurse is for bedpans..." I'm over it now... Next time, I will insist on the doctor, and the lydocaine. My port is hard to get to - I understand that now. She should have known when to throw in the towel... Bad nurse, no empathy, inexperienced... She can suck my bedpan!

June 4, 2008 - Seminar & initial consultation June 5, 2008 - Made up my mind it was for me June 18, 2008 - Surgery 14 days... I paid out of pocket. Ouch! My insurance would have taken a year, if they would have approved it at all...

Good luck!

And another thing... The nurse was planning to put 3 cc's into me. I do not know if she was then planning to use the fluoroscope thing to observe a barium swallow. If she was not (and I don't think she was), I would have been screwed! 3cc's was clearly too much. Maybe her ineptitude was a blessing in (a really good) disguise? Who knows... All good now... My traumitization is diminishing... On with the weight loss!

Sorry for spamming this in two areas, but I was mad enough that I felt justified. I don't post much, and when I do it's here in the Men's Room. But I wanted everyone to learn from my experience.

Been a month exactly since my surgery. I've lost a lot of weight (see below). All good so far, so I go in for first fill... I knew going in that the plan was for a nurse to do it, not the doctor. I wasn't too happy about that already, but whatever their procedure is, right? So I'm on the table, and she's feeling around for the port. She is feeling way higher than where I thought the port was, but I assume she knows better than me. Wrong! Stab, OUCH, hmmm... no port there. Oops, that's just scar tissue from one of the other incisions... Strike One! Oh, HERE'S the port... Hang on... Stab, OUCH, just... can't... get it... Nope, not in. Strike two... Gee, it seems deep. Let me try again, and move it around alot, and make it hurt like shit! OUCH!!! Nope, no dice... Strike three! Gee, sir, you sure bitch a lot. Want some lydocaine? Yes, please. She puts some topical on. Why didn't we start with that??? Stab, small ouch, wriggle around, test it, no dice. Strike four??? As she goes to get the fifth needle, I tell her to go to hell. She says that the doctor can do it, and he can give a lydocaine injection. Why are we just now suggesting that???? So I wait an hour, doc gives me real lydocaine (tiny pain, compared to Nurse Ratchet), get's into the port (zero pain, but it took him a few seconds too, but nothing like the nurse)... Go into the barium room... he puts in 3 cc's - too much. Pulls out 1, better. We decide to pull out another .5, as I am out of the country for two weeks starting Monday, and better safe than sorry. Plus, I've lost a ton already, on no fill. Morale of the story is... nurses are for bedpans... Sorry if I offend any nurses here, but I am beyond pissed right now...

Been a month exactly since my surgery. I've lost a lot of weight (see below). All good so far, so I go in for first fill... I knew going in that the plan was for a nurse to do it, not the doctor. I wasn't too happy about that already, but whatever their procedure is, right? So I'm on the table, and she's feeling around for the port. She is feeling way higher than where I thought the port was, but I assume she knows better than me. Wrong! Stab, OUCH, hmmm... no port there. Oops, that's just scar tissue from one of the other incisions... Strike One! Oh, HERE'S the port... Hang on... Stab, OUCH, just... can't... get it... Nope, not in. Strike two... Gee, it seems deep. Let me try again, and move it around alot, and make it hurt like shit! OUCH!!! Nope, no dice... Strike three! Gee, sir, you sure bitch a lot. Want some lydocaine? Yes, please. She puts some topical on. Why didn't we start with that??? Stab, small ouch, wriggle around, test it, no dice. Strike four??? As she goes to get the fifth needle, I tell her to go to hell. She says that the doctor can do it, and he can give a lydocaine injection. Why are we just now suggesting that???? So I wait an hour, doc gives me real lydocaine (tiny pain, compared to Nurse Ratchet), get's into the port (zero pain, but it took him a few seconds too, but nothing like the nurse)... Go into the barium room... he puts in 3 cc's - too much. Pulls out 1, better. We decide to pull out another .5, as I am out of the country for two weeks starting Monday, and better safe than sorry. Plus, I've lost a ton already, on no fill. Morale of the story is... nurses are for bedpans... Sorry if I offend any nurses here, but I am beyond pissed right now...