rn_82

I have to get my band removed (long story, basically it slipped). I am looking for a good Ft Worth surgeon that is not Richard Carter or Adam Smith. Carter put in the band and refused to take any fluid out when I started having problems. Smith (after several tests) couldn't figure out what the problem was. My primary care doctor was the one that figured out why I haven't been able to eat for 4 months...poor placement/slip. I have a letter of medical necessity to get it removed, just need a doctor. Any suggestions?

I have to get my band removed (long story, basically it slipped). I am looking for a good Ft Worth surgeon that is not Richard Carter or Adam Smith. Carter put in the band and refused to take any fluid out when I started having problems. Smith (after several tests) couldn't figure out what the problem was. My primary care doctor was the one that figured out why I haven't been able to eat for 4 months...poor placement/slip. I have a letter of medical necessity to get it removed, just need a doctor. Any suggestions?

I have had one hell of a LAP-BAND® journey and can't wait to have it removed. My original surgeon, "Dr.X" put the band in four days after I said that I was paying cash. I thought I had researched it enough on my own, but I was wrong. He even said I would be back at work in 3 days (ha)! The first 6 months or so went good, steady weight loss. After that, I told him before every fill that I was having reflux and excessive vomiting. He always said on guided swallow that everything looked great though, so no removal of fluid. This past October, he hesitantly took .7 cc out of the band because I was miserable. That night, I wasn't even able to keep water down. The next AM, he wasn't in his office...so they referred me to another surgeon "Dr X 2". They immediately removed all the fluid out of my band and told me to go eat and drink water. There was swelling in the guided swallow, "but it should clear up". Swelling never cleared, and I have not had a meal since. I live on milkshakes (but I am still maintaining weight) .My primary care doctor did several tests...one revealed that completely deflated (and after unsuccessfully attempting to dilate it), my opening was the size of a bic pen and the band was "tilted more than average" and had issues passing fluid. I'm not sure what this even means! My primary care wrote me a letter to have it removed. I took it to Dr X2, and he refuses to admit that anythings wrong, and "I'm just not chewing good". Well, I'm out $15k for the surgery, and $1400 from tests to find out what is wrong (my insurance only covers $1500, and that was used up by January 31). All I want is a re-imbursement but not sure if I will get one. Any thoughts? Again, sorry I wrote a novel!

I have had one hell of a lap band journey and can't wait to have it removed. My original surgeon, "Dr.X" put the band in four days after I said that I was paying cash. I thought I had researched it enough on my own, but I was wrong. He even said I would be back at work in 3 days (ha)! The first 6 months or so went good, steady weight loss. After that, I told him before every fill that I was having reflux and excessive vomiting. He always said on guided swallow that everything looked great though, so no removal of fluid. This past October, he hesitantly took .7 cc out of the band because I was miserable. That night, I wasn't even able to keep water down. The next AM, he wasn't in his office...so they referred me to another surgeon "Dr X 2". They immediately removed all the fluid out of my band and told me to go eat and drink water. There was swelling in the guided swallow, "but it should clear up". Swelling never cleared, and I have not had a meal since. I live on milkshakes (but I am still maintaining weight) .My primary care doctor did several tests...one revealed that completely deflated (and after unsuccessfully attempting to dilate it), my opening was the size of a bic pen and the band was "tilted more than average" and had issues passing fluid. I'm not sure what this even means! My primary care wrote me a letter to have it removed. I took it to Dr X2, and he refuses to admit that anythings wrong, and "I'm just not chewing good". Well, I'm out $15k for the surgery, and $1400 from tests to find out what is wrong (my insurance only covers $1500, and that was used up by January 31). All I want is a re-imbursement but not sure if I will get one. Any thoughts? Again, sorry I wrote a novel!

I have to get my band removed (long story, basically it slipped). I am looking for a good Ft Worth surgeon that is not Richard Carter or Adam Smith. Carter put in the band and refused to take any fluid out when I started having problems. Smith (after several tests) couldn't figure out what the problem was. My primary care doctor was the one that figured out why I haven't been able to eat for 4 months...poor placement/slip. I have a letter of medical necessity to get it removed, just need a doctor. Any suggestions?

I have to get my band removed (long story, basically it slipped). I am looking for a good Ft Worth surgeon that is not Richard Carter or Adam Smith. Carter put in the band and refused to take any fluid out when I started having problems. Smith (after several tests) couldn't figure out what the problem was. My primary care doctor was the one that figured out why I haven't been able to eat for 4 months...poor placement/slip. I have a letter of medical necessity to get it removed, just need a doctor. Any suggestions?

If anyone could help me I would be so grateful. I was banded August 2008 and all was well and I was losing great...until about 4 months ago. I kept telling my Dr that I wasn't able to keep food down, but he said it was my sinus drainage and reflux causing the problem and I didn't need fluid out. He gave me medication for both problems. One night, I couldn't even drink water so I went to my dr's partner and they let all the fluid out, but said the guided swallow showed that I had a blockage, maybe stuck food. They said it would pass and I should be able to eat in no time. So 2 weeks went by, still not able to keep food down. Had another guided swallow, and the "blockage" was gone and they think there was never food there, it was inflammation from the irritation from vomiting. Got a steroid shot. I have had an EGD, at least 5 guided swallows and they still don't know what the problem is. Now they are ruling out my gallbladder being bad, but as soon as I swallow the food it comes right back up (not typical for GB). They say my band looks good...but I haven't had ANY fluid in my band for a month now and I still throw up after each meal. I am so frustrated and I just don't know what is wrong and what to do next. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks for reading!

If anyone could help me I would be so grateful. I was banded August 2008 and all was well and I was losing great...until about 4 months ago. I kept telling my Dr that I wasn't able to keep food down, but he said it was my drainage and I didn't need fluid out. One night, I couldn't even drink water so I went to my dr's partner and they let all the fluid out, but said the guided swallow showed that I had a blockage, maybe stuck food. They said it would pass and I should be able to eat in no time. So 2 weeks went by, still not able to keep food down. Had another guided swallow, and the "blockage" was gone and they think there was never food there, it was inflammation from the irritation from vomiting. Got a steroid shot. I have had an EGD, at least 5 guided swallows and they still don't know what the problem is. Now they are ruling out my gallbladder being bad, but as soon as I swallow the food it comes right back up (not typical for GB). They say my bad looks good...but I haven't had ANY fluid in my band for a month now and I still throw up after each meal. I am so frustrated and I just don't know what is wrong and what to do next. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks for reading!

Cleo's mom, thank you for the quick response. By my drainage, they mean from my allergies, and also from acid reflux. They put me on medication for both, with no avail. I haven't lost any weight because I have replaced food with Starbucks. Bad idea, I know...I am just so hungry! I just wondered if anyone had the same thing happen.

Since I am a nurse, my Dr made me take 6 weeks off work until my lifting restriction was over. I was able to do light duty after 3 weeks, but I work in the ER, so there is not that much light duty to do. Employee Health at my hospital would not let me work until I have a note from the doctor clearing me. This was really bad, because my dr told me originally that I could have surgery on Wed, and go back to work on Monday. Then, after the surgery I couldn't go back, so thankfully my boss is working with me and my unexpected 6 weeks off..what a nightmare it has been! I had to take a temporary leave of absence!

Thanks for all of your ideas, they are good! I will call him on Monday to see what we can settle with. I was so disappointed, but I guess nothing is for free, especially in medicine! I will also have to look at my paperwork and see if I signed anything authorizing any needed "extras". I'm sure they have a loophole for charging fro these kind of things! Thanks again for all of your input!

Hi all! When I had my surgery on 8-20-08, my Dr told me I had a hernia that he had to repair while in surgery. I wasn't surprised, I knew this was common. Well, today I got a bill in the mail for $5200 for the hernia repair! I was a self-pay because insurance (Cigna) gave me the run around for too long. They tried to file the hernia repair with my insurance and they wouldn't cover it, because it was an out of network provider. I'm so frustrated. It took me a long time to save up $15000 I paid for the surgery. I saved up so I wouldn't have to finance it. Now, I'm going to have to finance the hernia repair! Sorry for the rant, I just had to vent. So self payers beware, you may be charged extra if there is a hernia repair involved! :lovechoc:

Don't use hydrogen peroxide, that is the worst thing you can do, it will prevent it from scabbing and healing. Try using hibiclens, you can get it at any pharmacy. You can at least call your doctor and tell him what your scar looks like. Just be sure and keep the area clean and don't keep a bandage on it, it needs to breathe and scab up. Good luck to you!

This thread cracks me up, I love it! I am cracking up because I am 12 days post of and my steri strips finally started to come off. So, I decided to just go ahead and pull them off. I am a RN it the emergency room and I never dreamed I would have reacted the way I did. My incisions are healing nicely, but when I saw my port incision...I almost passed out! My face turned completely white and I had to sit down due to the shakiness, and I started dry heaving. My sister is still giving me a hard time about that one, lol! I can see incisions on other people all day long, every day...but when it comes to my own, forget it! Sorry for the long story, it cracked me up and I had to share!

Wow, what an interesting thread. First of all, I do not smoke marijuana. I am a nurse and I would never risk losing my job over it. Secondly, it is my own personal preference, I don't care for it. But............ This is a website where we all have one thing in common, being overweight. How many times have you been judged for being "fat". People make assumptions, like you are lazy or a slob, and it is just not right. So, for the people on here judging honest, everyday people for asking an opinion......shame on you! You know what it is like to be judged, so how dare you! I think this should be a place where you can ask any type of question and not be judged. We are all in this together, remember?

Hi all, Has anybody tried eating gummy snacks, like the welches fruit snacks? They have SF ones and I was wondering if anybody has had them and how they go down. I am still in mushy stages, and was just curious. Thanks!

I just had surgery on 8-20 and my port site is in the same place as yours. Did you have trouble wearing a bra? I haven't been able to wear one for more than a couple of hours due to the discomfort.

I had surgery on 8/20 and my instructions were: First 5 days: Clear Liquids only Days 6-10: introduce mushies (anything you can mash with fork. Mashed potatoes, grits, malt-o-meal, ect) Day 10-15: more "solid" mushies: eggs, tuna fish, ect... Tonight I goofed when eating chicken tortilla Soup and ate a small piece of chicken. I didn't scoop all of it out, and once it was in my mouth I was too embarrassed to spit it out, I was at a very nice restaurant. I chewed and chewed like there was no tomorrow! I didn't have any problems with it. I think I am getting too brave for my own good, lol. I am gonna stick with grits and malt-o-meal for a little while longer. I am afraid of stretching my pouch, band slipping, ect!

My surgery day was 8/20/08 and I arrived at 0800 for a 1030 surgery. The nurse had me sign consents for blood, ect and started my IV. She gave me LR and Pepcid IV and a heparin shot. Then, it was time for surgery. They put me under before I left the pre-op area! Next thing I remember is them waking me up and I had a huge mask on me. My chest hurt so bad and I was having some shortness of breath. I was still groggy and seeing double, but she told me they needed to shoot an xray. So, the rad tech held my hand and walked me over to drink barium while shooting. They then gave me some water and started doing my vitals. I walked around for a bit, went to the bathroom and got dressed, and I walked outside where my mom and sister helped me into the car. I left around 12:30. It felt like everything was just go, go, go. Drive thru surgery is what we called it! I was nervous about leaving so soon, but the nurse assured me everything was OK. So far, I feel like I have had a good recovery. No crazy cravings (at least not yet) and I started on mushies on Monday. So far, I have lost ten pounds and I feel great. I don't have a fill for three months, so we will see how it goes! I liked reading all of your surgery day stories!

Hi, I had issues with Cigna and I hope they don't give you the run around. I was a self pay with Dr. Carter in Arlington/Hurst. I think he is a great doc if you get to pick..but I am questioning why he placed the port right under my left breast. Makes wearing a bra tough! I'm sure he has his reasons though! Good luck on your journey!

I had the same concern too! I am a RN in the emergency room, so luckily I work with people who don't get grossed out easily. I asked one of the docs and she said not to worry...yet. I just finished my Clear liquids, and she feels that when I start eating my mushies, I will have a BM. I started mushies today, so we will see. Good luck to you! Banded: 8/20/08

Hi all, I am still waiting to hear from Cigna HMO if they will approve the surgery. From reading posts on here, it sounds like it is a tough process. I know one of their requirements is a 6 month activity and diet log. I joined a new gym in January, and kept my own personal diary of food intake, and exercise for that day. I have kept this for 8 months now. Will Cigna accept this, or does it have to start after they approve (assuming that they do). I didn't think to ask the consultant at my initial consultation meeting. It was so much info presented at one time, it was overwhelming! Any info would be great! Thanks!