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I did read that if it hurts when you get a fill or unfill there is erosion...........like incredibly painful.........when they pull the fluid out..............reminds me of April no wonder they kept her in the hospital.

Ah Nicole.............I did alot of research and I don't know what to say. I am not a doctor. I looked at alot of barium swallow pictures both slips, erosions and normal. It is just so hard to tell the difference to me. I really hope you feel better soon!! I also remember being told we could come back. But that was Liz that said that. Dr. Baggs very clearly told me several times she was not right that he couldn't see people if they lost the insurance. So sorry.............I do know most ER's don't know how to handle the band. I explained the whole band and fill and unfill thing to them last time I was there. LOL. Maria welcome back, welcome back!!! So glad your back and glad to hear I would be hurting if I slipped or eroded. I wonder thought about esophagal dilation?? I just want to be sure I am doing ok. Maybe going in and talking to him will help.............I know my band gets tight if I start to gain weight so I am holding steady. Not losing but holding steady is good too!!

Nicole could this be because of the stress of the custody stuff................. I have dealt alot with Kaiser professionally the last month. I haven't liked the "customer service" I have seen lately. I am disappointed. People are people............I know money and profits are also important but really? really? I know that is the medical industry but so disappointed in what I have observed............Nicole I am sorry not have health insurance really puts you in a bad spot. I hope Dr. Baggs will do a consult for you and I hope it all works out!!

Ah Nicole I am so sorry.............are you able to eat again? Glad you got everything done.........they wouldn't let me have any tests involving the band when I was in ER in June. THey said it had to all go through Richmond. Glad you were able to get help. No pouch? Hmmm........that doesn't sound right. I am trying my hardest to get Richmond to let me do another barium swallow and x rays. I am waiting for them to decide. I need to see for myself everything is ok before I consider any more fills. The last one scared me.........I want to see the x rays so I know for sure. I will do some research are you sure there was no pouch........or is it there is a pouch but it all runs through so fast you can't really tell. I am worried about you.

NIcole I agree if you just go there what can they do..........I do know by personal experience the ER's in town won't deal with the band. I was told to drive to Richmond for anything band related at all. Not even a barium swallow or x ray at the ER's in town. So I think you are better off over there. Seriously who said you can't come over there?? Did you actually get someone on the phone?? I thought our bands were covered for life just no labs or fills. Are you to tight suddenly?? Or did something slip or erode?? Those are reasons nothing would go down..................are you hurting? Is it just that your throwing up so much you can't keep things down OR is it that the band won't let it go down. If you can't keep down liquids you have to go see someone you will get really sick. Been there and hated every minute of it........... Call me or text me later.

Hello all Nice to see everyone this weekend especially Nicole who I haven't seen in a year................... I am going in two weeks to get my band x rayed. Still have problems breathing off and on and Kaiser here in town can't find anything wrong. They said maybe I should get the band checked out to make sure is it not rubbing on my diaphram. Not sure why they can't xray it here in town...........but gonnna get it done to see if my band is still happy. Wishing you the best of luck today Nicole!!!

Richmond Kaiser is to far for me as well.............I work full time and it just does'nt fit into my schedule. THanks Pam. I agree I take celexa everyday and it helps. MIchaela and I have jumped through alot of hoops to get to this point so I hope it works. Also going the cognitive therapy goup route with Michaela and me for six weeks starting in September. I am excited about that as well!! :-) I still wanna do the stress reduction group........but that will come after we take Michaela's class first. Took us six months to get to where they are considering the meds so we both are feeling positive about the how things are going right now. She is in therapy to now with a really great lady at Kaiser. Really was impressed with her. Pam how is you transistion going??

Today is so hot I can't eat~~ I hate eating when it is hot it wipes out my apetite!! I need to call Kaiser and get another appointment. I am guessing they are booked until October now. I haven't been in since my last unfill in May 2010. Keep forgeting to call and than it is after five when I remember. Tomorrow I will remember...................

I am here!! Just really, really busy right now............I am going to try and to be there this weekend. My daughter was just diagnosised with Depression and will be starting meds this week...............It has been a long crazy year. I am glad we have some answers and hope this helps. Between work and my girl things have been crazy. Haven't cleaned my house for two weeks.................gotta get on that this weekend. I agree we need to keep in touch it does help!!

Hope you feel better Mo................ I agree with Audsmom if you lose your insurance Kaiser isn't allow to work with you anymore. I went through all that back in March and it is true they can't see you anymore. I was told you go on a list of patients with no insurance they hold for a month or so than close out. But any insurance would do the same. Mexico people and self pay have to find their own doc and pay for all their treatment. MOst bariatric doctors won't see you if they didn't do your surgery. It is easy to end up in LAP-BAND® la-la land........................ I know alot of people like their band and that if you don't like yours more often than not people blame the person not the band........"your are failing your band, not your band failing you"..........but I dont' always think it is that simple. I think I am getting moved to Health Net insurance in October if I still have a job. I am hoping they can find me someone to work with me................or revise me!! LOL

If you have the band you NEED insurance........I would be very scared of my band if I had no insurance and no one to take care of me if the band ever has problems. But again RNY and Sleeve could be really scary with no insurance too............All three seem to involve possibilities for problems later on...............what do you do without insurance if something goes wrong............ I know the regular ER's don't know what to do with us when we have complications.................they just say "go to Richmond"................. I fear being without an insurance in case something needs to come out or be adjusted..................

In the end it is always about money...............which is disappointing in the end. But the sleeve is being pushed and the band is being phased out by default no matter what they say. At least Fremont is honest about it.... The sleeve is the band just your at your sweet spot walking out the door................ I cancelled my last fill ...........so no fills for three months. I am kinda done with fills ...........i am tired of the ER visits...............if I could convert to sleeve I would and than just be done with the fills for good. Or maybe just take out the band and be done with the surgery stuff. I am back to working this on my own. My band is a tool..........but one I can't really use for whatever crazy reason my body has for deciding it can't handle fills..............I am done fighting the fill and restriction battle. For now I am just doing my own thing and trying to stay on the1200 cal protien plan........ I don't like the flip flopping either Jes. Just tell me straight. Either they don't like the band or financially they don't like it. I could live with the truth.......if there is medical problems they are seeing with the band or they are having to take them out..........slippage, erosion.......I want to know that too even if it would scare me. AT least I would know what to watch for................

Yea I really like having the old group back and posting.........so cool!! I don't know what medifast is exactly but I think her working out so much is the biggest thing. She has done medifast for 18 months.........she quit three weeks ago and hasn't lost since than. She worked at Lane Bryant (so her clothes are AWESOME) and she said so many people come in after surgery and talk about what is going on .............she said with RNY she saw really band things and people told her crazy stuff and they regretted surgery. So she back out of the program and decided to do it on her on...............She looked really good and is smaller than me!! SHe said when I lose more weight she will let me know about her smaller sizes......LOL. I have a few things now that have gotten to big and I will bring them into the next meeting. I have a huge wardrobe of things only a couple of months old From Lane Brayant for 150bucks. Half of it with tags still on. And funny enough alot of things I had in 18/20s and gave away!! Gotta tell ya I was happy with that...................hit the jackpot this time!!

Oh Pam I need to know that kinda stuff.............just makes you think really serious for a few days. RNY you lose quicker and faster. Period that is true. Sometimes that seems like such a nice thing.............we all think about it i am sure. I met a lady last week on craigslist I bought all her 14/16 clothes..........turnes out we knew each other from Kaiser orientation. She was RNY and has lost 80 pounds........she didn't go through with the surgery due to all the horror stories she haerd about RNY from family that did it. She lost it all with Medi fast..............works out like crazy!! She really had me thinking we ended up taking in a parking lot for two hours....................she is happy she didn't have surgery. She never considered band said she had friends that did it and told her she would do better losing on her own as the band wasn't much help...............

Reggie I have had alot of people tell me that they wonder if things would have been better with RNY............people in our group. I know I have wondered too. I think wondering is 100% normal either that or I am abnromal.

I got back to pre surgery weight to>>>>>>>>>>>>>or at least the weight I was the day of surgery. than lost 10 after the last fill and another five without restriction on my own. `Definetely slower the second time losing. Kaiser wants me to get a fill but I passed on that the last two months. Your so not the only one who gained some back!! Me too!!

Reggie your back. I really, really have missed you.......don't leave we are all struggling and it helps to keep in touch. At least for me..............:-)

Hey Riley hope things are going better. I hear ya about the gallbladder. I am having pains to that I am pretty sure are gall bladder related.........but nothing so bad I can't stand it. IT comes and goes. We were all told the gall bladder could act up when we lose so I sorta try to keep an eye on it.............Let us know if you have to get it taken out and let me know what to watch for Pam.........I feel sick reading that. My daughter is 15 and struggles emotionally. I am just so upset by this and makes me worry about my daughter to. I mean you think they would never........but than after hearing this it is scary. Kids this age can be so mean to each other!! Its awful. I dear this just really upsets me................... Chris: You make me feel better :-) I have been off and on track for the last six months. If you can get on track after a pregnancy I can too!! Do you have restriction? I am on the edge of having restriction..............I didn't go to my last appointment because I feel like I need to be on track with my exercise and water a bit more before I get another fill. I also am a bit paranoid of another ER visit :-( Rather be a bit to lose and "work it" on my own than to be two tight and and PBing until I end up in ER......Oh I watch your videos I get updates when you post:-) Keep it up I like watching them got some good ideas from the last one. Hey how is Candi Doing??

agreed...........I would add if you have psychological issues before surgery you will have them after......and if you used food to avoid anxiety, stress or anything else get ready for it to hit you full force................you can work through it just this time not with food!! Head hunger will rear its ugly head and you will have to deal with it..........sometimes one day at a time. They band your belly not your brain.

I also was not pr RNY and went band because of that.........the sleeve I am curious about though.

I have been banded for a year now..........I have had a very, very hard year. FOr some reason by body fights the foriegn object and I have swelled really band with my fills. Than had to have the fill taken out...........never really made it to a good fill level due to fills/to tight than ER visits to get all the Fluid out and start over again........last time I got a fill I ended up in ER twice once for the unfill and the second time due to espohagual spasms............. I am the only one in my group that has had problems.......just my luck. I don't think the foriegn object agrees with me. I have lost 50 pounds but alot of that was pre op...........would I get the band again probably not but I had no idea how my body would react Right not I am trying not to get anymore fills and trying to do it on my own..................I may convert to the sleeve if we can't figure out why I can't get fills without ending up in ER.

ALI careful on the slurpees............I used to be addicted to them as well. I did a bit of research and because if some anti freeze agent they use they are high carb!! I still get them once in awhile but I was shocked what they put in them. I think there is also just a bit of carbonation to make them stay slushee. But geez I am so craving one right now it has been ages.....if I can find my old research I will post it. Sadly someone broke the news to me after they saw me drinking them everyday. Hopefully I didn't ruin your day!! :-(

Hey Riley so sorry to hear about your house!! Hopefully the move in with Chris is a good one. Thank God your kids are grown that is blessing!! :-) But still losing your house is very hard............ SPECIAL K LOAF: Oh wow I love that stuff I haven't have it since that day at Reggies. I might make some of it this weekend. Problem is I like it with mashed potatoes and peas. I will have to find a replacement for the potatoes.........maybe Canda's mashed cauliflower! Oh anyone every try Cold Soup.......so good in the summer. I know its a slider but it all vegetables so it can't be to bad...........V-8 Juice (I get low cal or low sodium) A little bit of olive oil and than you shred cucumbers, carrots, celery, green onions, sliced tomatoes.........any veggie really!! put in in the fridge for awhile...........ah it is so, so good!! ok I am hungry......didn't eat much today!!!

You will like Dr Baggs so that is a positive. WHen I started out with orientation they were overbooked and I didn't get an appointment when I left. They told me they would call me. I waited about six weeks with no call and finally I started to call them........I got a cancelled appointment in two days. Had to take off work last minute.................but I did get in because I called alot. I also got lucky cause after the psych appointment Dr. Baggs had a last minute cancellation so I walked right into my surgeon appointment the same day. After that I had surgery in 3 months. Could have been sooner but I went to Africa for a month. So once it finally does get moving it goes fast. Now that I am banded I would think they would hestitated to do other surgeries. I know I have scar tissues especially at the port site :-(

Congrats John............I would say after meeting you last week that the WII is totally wrong you don't look overweight at all!! :-) Just got back from the Lake.........it was a really hot one today and the sun tired me out. Back to work and court tomorrow :-)