winthropgrad08

So I've had the band since November 20, 2008. The good news is that I've lost about 55lbs since the last time I checked (about 2 weeks ago) the bad news is that I'm having serious complications and no one is able to help me. Let me explain........ I orginally had my surgery in Atlanta, GA by Dr.Steinberg (great doc). I've been out of town the past three weeks on business and for the past week I haven't been able to eat or barely hold liquids down. At first I thought I had a piece of food stuck so I assummed in time it would pass (my mistake). Well after letting almost a week go by I decided to take myself to the emergency room in Tampa, Florida. Big freak'n mistake! It was almost like my issue was foreign to them. No one was truely able to understand what was going on in my situation. God forbid you go to an emergency room on the weekend when bariatric doctors don't work. I was given an I.V because I was dehydrated and they did a CatScan to see what was going on. Well it just so happens that my band slipped all the way to the top of my stomach. The E.R doc said that my stomach is the size of an 18 month old baby but that I should be o.k for another week or so until I get back into town. It struck me as being a little odd since I'm not able to hold down any fluids or food. I'm now stuck in limbo with what I should do. My doc back home won't be back in the office until Tuesday so even if I did go back he wouldn't be able to see me until then. All I want is for this band to be taken out for good! I've suffered so much and I'm just so sick and tired of all the complications I've had. With that said I haven't even listed everything that has gone wrong. I'm miserable!!!!:w00t::smile2:

I have a 10CC band and at the time I had 7CC's in it. That was after 3 adjustments and me going back the third time to have an unfill because it was too tight. It's been an uphill battle. My stomach hates the band. Now my band is completely empty and I'm starting all the way back at square one. But I can eat and drink right now and lord knows that's more important to me now. I realized how important things like water were to me and how I take simple things for granted. I hope you figure out what's wrong with you. Good luck.

I had very similiar problems with my band and still do. My stomach just isn't taking to the band that well. It's a continuous process of going in and out fills and unfills. I think that everyones body is different and they all react differently. I just had my band completely unfilled because my stomach was so inflammed that it wasn't allowing for any fluids to pass through. I lost over 30 pounds in 2 months. Although that was great i was completely miserable. It was totally not worth it for me. My advise to you is have it unfilled for a while and let your stomach have a little break. We put our bodies through shock each time we have an adjustment and it can't be good. Since my unfill yesterday I fill almost 100% better now and my stomach is thanking me for it. It can always be re-filled. I'm sure this didn't help much but thought it might be helpful to hear somebody elses perspective. Hope you feel better. Take care.

Update*** Firstly, I wanted to thank everyone for all the information and responses in general. I ended up driving back to Atlanta first thing Monday morning where my GREAT surgeon Dr.Steinberg insisted I see him ASAP. He was completely taken back by how horrible the treatment was at Memorial Hospital. He told me firstly that there was no reason for a catscan to be performed and that in fact the should have completed an xray for a much better image. Secondly, he couldn't understand how someone who wasn't a specialist would conclude that a band slipped when in fact it DIDN'T. That darn doctor in the ER really had no clue what he was looking at. Needless to say after see my REAL doctor in Atlanta he realized that my stomach was having a really really bad reaction to possibably something I ate, neither of us were sure why. My stomach was so swollen that it looked wrapped around my band. When I drank the barium it just sat at the top of my stomach because it was so inflammed. He took out all the Fluid which released all the tension in my stomach. I am feeling almost 100% better now. For those who are reading this who are considering the band you need to realize that it's a learning process. Not everything will go as planned and you won't have the answers to everything. It can be a real struggle at times and it takes A LOT of work along with dedication. It's not a quick fix and it's a lifetime commitment. I love that I'm losing the weight but in the mean time you shouldn't be completely miserable with the experience. Each day that goes by I'm learning something new about my body and the band. Thanks again to everyone who responded and allowing me to vent out my frustrations. What a long journey this has been.

I have Federal BCBS and had no problems. In fact, they were very helpful with anything I needed when I called. My doctor told me that they were one of the easier ones. What he also said was that BCBS for STATE employees was horrible and that they do not cover most bariatic procedures.

I just can't believe BCBS is giving you the run around that much. It's obviously not that unbelievable since they are insurance but I had no problems what so ever. Not sure why but maybe going to your surgeons just wasn't enough for them. My doctor didn't leave any question unanswered. I find it kind of ackward that your doctor doesn't want you to get any type of clearance from other specialist. But they're all different and they all take their own level of precaution. I really hope everything follows through for you.

It's pretty simple, they're just reviewing what you or your surgeon submitted to see if you qualify. I too have BCBS Federal insurance and it took about a week to get an answer. I'm not sure what you submitted but with my information submitted it included my complete blood work, Xrays, psych eval, nutrition counseling, seminar information, surgeon and family doctor recommendation, pulmanory clearance, and my Upper GI clearance. A lot of the things I listed were not required through my insurance but through my actual surgeon. All that my insurance required is that my BMI be over 40 and that I have a psych eval and a surgeon recommendation. After my first approval, last minute I changed my surgeon along with the hospital. I've gone through the approval procedure twice. Each plan is different so I'm not sure which will apply to you. The entire process takes about 2 months, from you initial visit with your surgeon to your actual surgery date. But then again every surgeon is different and may require less or more time. Just be patient and things will work out. This is a serious surgery and every precaution should be taken. Good luck and I hope this was helpful!:thumbup:

I have been losing weight quicker then i thought and I need clothes that are sized 20/18 bottums and XL tops. I'd especially like work clothes, khakis, and jeans. If anyone could help me out I really appreciate it. Money is kinda tight so I'm just trying to find ways to making it by. I could probably manage to pay for shipping. Thank you very much!

Your body is most susceptible the first two weeks after your surgery. The last thing you should be doing is traveling long distances. You need to be close enough in the event that you have to see your surgeon. You should be mobile to keep the blood flowing but not that mobile. If you're not mobile you put yourself at risk for blood clots. I'm about two weeks post op and I ended up with an infection yesterday. God forbid I wasn't close to home and couldn't get the right care I needed. Your surgeon knows you better then any other doctor at this point and he/she would know exactly what to do. Be cautious. In the event you suffer from any type of infection or whatever else the band is in a very sensitive location and you could easily die if you're not careful. Just relax for a while before taking any big trips.

I'm set up for my surgery this Oct 8th. As far as I knew everything was good to go. When I had my initial visit with my surgeon Dr.Daly in Atlanta, GA he told me about a "program" he had. The customer pays a set fee of 2,000 which covers all post-op visits in his office. This would include all the fills your little heart desires for one whole year along with a membership to his support group. I told him I wasn't interested 1) because i'm never home so I wouldn't be able to attend his support group and 2) I'm a federal employee and have my own medical fund I can dip into for my fills as I see fit. I know for a fact it won't cost me 2K for the amount of fills I'll need. Tops I'm thinking 1K. So I spoke with his receptionist today and she told me that I'd need to bring my 2K friday when I come in to talk to the surgeon before my surgery. I told her that I wasn't interested and told the surgeon that. She started freaking out and said that she'd have to talk to him about it because for as long as she worked with him she has never had someone decline it. I told her that it shouldn't effect me having surgery one way or another. My insurance will actually cover a few fills and my post op visit and I just wasn't interested. Does this sound right to anyone. I feel like I'm being screwed over. The surgeon was very pushy at the time when I first met him and he just wouldn't take no for an answer. But he told me it was optional. What the heck?????? someone help me. :smile:

Glad I read this blog before I had my surgery on Thursday. Best thing to get is the GasX and make sure you get the kind that you put on your tongue and it desolves. If at all possible get any meds in liquid form. The worst thing I've had to do thus far is crush my medicine and drink it down with water...it taste HORRIBLE! Also, make sure you have lots of jello and popsicles. It gets old after a while but it's the next best thing to food.

So my story begins about 5 months ago when I decided to get the realize band. It was an uphill battle from day one. I struggled with finding the right surgeon, to finding every type of specialist under the moon, and working around my job in order to get my goal achieved. Two days after surgery I sit here and thank good that I had enough strength and will power to follow through with everything. So here's my surgery day story......... My surgery wasn't set until 3pm at Dekalb Medical Center in just outside Atlanta GA. I was scheduled to be at the hospital by 1pm in order to get prepped for my surgery. A week prior to my surgery date I had to go to the hospital and do pre-op paperwork, blood work, and meet with the anestisolgist (i know i spelled that wrong, excuse the morphine). So back to my surgery day i arrived at 12:45pm just to make sure i was there on time. I played the waiting game in the lobby for about 45 minutes. I was taken to a private waiting room where i was told to strip down and put on a robe. The humiliation began... my butt was hanging out of the rob so i jumped on the bed and covered myself with the covers. my father was there with me up until i was wheeled back into the operating room. So with that being said I think he was more nervous then me and actually got on my nerves in a serious way. He felt the need to blab to any and everyone who came into my room to prep me for my surgery. I wanted to kill him but i knew he was just nervous and that i needed to let him work it out. so after laying on the bed for about 20 minutes the first nurse came in and told me she needed to hook my IV up. I asked her if she was good with needles because i had horrible veins and i was afraid of needles. She began to tell me that she was the best in the hospital and that i had nothing to worry about. Not to my surprise she stuck me twice with a needle and still couldn't find a vein. The hospital has a policy that after two tries a new nurse needs to try. So the second nurse came in and I warned her about my discomfort with needles. They decided the best place to put the IV was in my wrist since that was the only place they could see a vein. Lets just say it hurt. My surgeon was really backed up in his surgeries for the day so I actually didn't go back to the OR until 4:30p. When i was taken back i had to wait another 30 minutes. my nerves were so worked up at point i was ready to run out of the hopsital. finally i was wheeled into the room and the surgery started. next thing i remember i was being wheeled in the post op room where a nurse monitored me for an hour. The hospital was so backed up that i actually had to wait another hour just to get a room. by the time they got a room i was aware of my surroundings and wanted to see my family. they put me in a private room which was nice and my family came in to see me. the nursing staff was ok but the tech were horrible. if it weren't for my family i don't know what i would have done. there was one tech that was great but she was gone after a few hours. the hospital was too unorganized for me and i know i won't go back there for any more surgeries. the only reason i went there was because my surgeon does all his operations there. he was a great guy but i wasn't impressed with the hospital nor the staff there. i found that many of the staff members had attitudes or they were very forgetful. anyway, i'm home now and the surgery is over. it wasn't the best experience i've ever had but then again its surgery and theres nothing ever great about being operated on, except the final result. :smile2:

That was excellent information! I've started my two day pre-op liquid diet today and I'm already struggling. I haven't even made through half the darn day yet. I've been dreading this moment and have said a lot of prayers in hopes that I'll be strong through all of this. I've never wanted anything more in my life so I've used that as my motivation to succeed. I've been miserable and fat for too many years and I'm ready to get back to a normal HEALTHY size. I'll keep the both of you in my thoughts and hope that your surgeries go well. Take care.

Don't give up just go to a different surgeon. I too was put through a bunch of loops. I'm just now in the process of getting scheduled again for my surgery. Some surgeons just want to make sure they get paid the most they possibly can. But here's the kicker if they actually require additional money like you've said what are their real priorities their patients or money. Things happen for a reason and you just need to move on and not give up. You can do it!

To be honest you seem like one of the exceptions. I just met with one of the best surgeons in the Atlanta area yesterday and told him about my situation. He said the "average" patient has about 4 to 6 fills the first year. Fills in my area range anywhere from $125.00 at the fill clinic to $175.00. The surgeon i'm seeing now actually includes all the fills you need the first year FREE. I was scammed and there's no other way to put it. I was given a lot of good advise from the members of this site and I feel confident this time that i've made the right choice. Thanks for your input but I'd prefer for my blog not to turn into a debate. It's strictly informative take your drama with that other person somewhere else. Thanks

the perks of having insurance at least mine is that i'm provided all those services free of charge. i'm not interested in paying for additional things when I know my insurance will do it. I ended up cancelling my surgery with Dr.Daly this evening and now I'm back on the search. Can anyone recommend a doc in the area that doesn't take long to get scheduled especially since I'm pre approved. How frustrating! Thanks again for everyones input you have all been so helpful.

I go through BCBS Federal Employee Program. How long did it take you to get your appointment and have your surgery. I'm completely bummed because I've done everything necessary to do my surgery and then this happens.

Thanks for the information. I feel like you're completely right. His Name is Dr.Daly and he's one of the pushiest people I've ever met. He actually thought he was talking to a dumby when he tried to explain his fees. I told him that I know all about money especially since I'm the one with an M.B.A. It didn't feel right but I kinda blew it off. I'm super upset because I "thought" i was all set for my surgery. I really wanted it done on Oct 8th and now I know that'll probably never happen. What a jerk!!!