delrio

Hi there, I'm ashamed to admit that I was banded in 2004 and I'm still struggling. I lost 80 lbs. and then developed severe bulimia which lasted from 2005-2007. I'm in recovery now, but I had the band completely emptied in 2006 and have since gained back the 80 lbs. and then some. Yesterday I finally filled again and I'm a bit nervous. I don't want to bring back the bulimia! I'm much more in control though, and in therapy too. I'm still hopeful that even after 5 years, I can still succeed at this! Thanks to you all for your support! P.S. I posted this somewhere else before I found this support group... my apologies for the duplicate!

Hey all, If you're familiar with Fill Centers USA, I'd like your feedback regarding their fill policy. They say if you get an overfill, you can come back within 72 hours and get it emptied at no additional charge. However, for underfills, there is no protection and you're charged an additional 165.00!! This doesn't seem fair. My doctor (the only Fill Center doc in Utah) is conservative, and I got a fill yesterday and I'm still feeling no restriction. Any comments or suggestions? Also, when I signed up for their services a couple of years ago, they promised me 150.00 for fills. Then they upped their rate despite their statement that fills would always be 150.00. This also seems shady to me. But they stood their ground.

Please forgive me if this is already a topic in another forum. I couldn't find any information on it. I can barely get any food down until mid-afternoon, and even then it's not really substantial (a couple of bites maybe). I know that it's important to start eating early in the day, and throughout the day, so that I'm burning calories as I take them in. By the end of the day though, I'm really hungry and I'm trying to cram in 2-3 small meals. Any suggestions?

Wow. Hadn't heard of it. Thanks for the info!

Congrats to everyone here who is making the uphill climb against PCOS. I just wanted to throw in my two cents. I had laser for my entire body for over 2 years, and I had a modicum of success. My facial hair is thinner, but it's persistent. I went religiously every few weeks, but only my leg hair really went away (which is a blessing!). However, someone recently told me that prior to having laser it's important to get your hormones under control, and I don't think mine were when I started. Apparently, in addition to weight loss, there are birth control pills and other medication you can take to help manage your hormones. Unless your hormones are controlled, laser often won't work well. Regarding the body odor, I found a great solution (albeit a pricey one!) that finally worked. It's called Body Mint, and it's pure Alfalpha or Chlorophyll (or something like that), so it isn't a medication. You take it twice a day and it deodorizes your entire body/breath. The stuff works!!! It takes a couple of weeks to notice a difference though, then you have to stay on it. The website is Body Mint - Fight bad breath, body odor and foot odor. It runs like 20 or 30 bucks a month though, so it's not cheap. It will also turn your stools green. However, when all else fails, it's a godsend. Best of luck to all of you!

I just purchased some protein powder to make shakes with (powder mixed with water), but I've heard that we shouldn't use these while banded. Anybody heard anything similar? Or to the contrary from their doctor?

Can you tell me more about your protein hot chocolate? I love chocolate but I've given it up. If there's a way I can bring it back into my new lifestyle I'd love to do so!

Thanks for the info! I'm wondering if you would be willing to expand on the soy-based comment? I've recently switched to soy milk and it tastes much better. But more importantly, I thought I was making a healthier choice. Is there something I should know about soy??

Yum. Thick chocolate! Care to share the brand name??

Has anyone tried Phentramin? It's a newer version of Phentermine minus all of the yukky side effects. Here's the link if anyone wants to check it out. I've heard (from neutral reviews *not* on their website) that this is good stuff. Phentramin-D Reviews - Diet Pill Reviews of Phentermine Alternatives I'll have to check with my doc and see what he thinks.

delrio. I hope you were on the debate team in high school. Never was, but thanks for the compliment. If not, perhaps you could find a fun Creative Writing class at your local Community College. Really? Thanks! I'm beyond the community college stuff, but I appreciate the feedback. I've often considered creative writing, is that a hobby of yours? If you'd like to share some ideas with me via email I'd love to hear them. Your words are elegant. Your grammar, spelling, and syntax -- bar none. I am jealous of your clear, precise thought processes and unrelenting attention to detail. Why thank you! I'm blushing, you're altogether too kind. Please don't be jealous though. I'm sure there are areas that you excel at that I don't... like your ability to shower someone with compliments. However, I agree with WASaBubbleButt--you were shockingly RUDE (ooppps, sorry for yelling) to Mindy. I have to disagree with you here sweetie, I was civil. Perhaps you find me rude because when I made my points I was 'elegant', as you put it. No one gets on these boards to have every opinion and experience they express BLASTED I certainly didn't express my opinion to be blasted. I didn't blast anyone, either. (oops, there I go again--tee hee) and over-analyzed by others Are you serious? She's just a person like you and me. Don't think so. In fact, I'm sure of it. She's nothing like me, except that we're both banded, and we have opinions on the price of fills. You came here to express your distaste for your fill center's pricing policy and ended up tearing coltonwade a new one and offending all of her friends. Wow, you give me far too much credit. 'Tearing coltonwade a new one', and 'offending all of her friends'? I sincerely hope that was not your intent. It wasn't my intent at all. I didn't even know she had friends. I didn't mention them in my posts (since I have no idea who they are), so I'm not sure how they got offended. Do you think others might be feeling wronged because of my opinions? ______

Amella, Thanks for the support :thumbup:. I had hoped for an enlightening discussion, I don't understand the attacks at all. I was hoping that as I suggested in my posts, bubble butt would let it go (I think that's what her name is, or was there another one? I've lost track). Anyway, nice to know someone is here in the minority with me! Neither of us should be intimidated because we're 'new' or 'green' to this place. I'm hoping the moderators on this board aren't a reflection of moderators throughout the site. In the spirit of contention (which I'm quickly learning from the moderators is part of the 'fun' of the boards), I'll add that maybe when I'm a moderator I'll get 'atta gals' from other moderators for debating, instead of getting attacked. To those of you who have accused me of having the surgery without 'learning the rules', I'll defend myself by stating that when I had my surgery I flew to Mexico for my fills at no cost. When the free flights came to an end I was forced to look at alternative options. However, I had heard what fills cost in the United States prior to my surgery and of course I took that into consideration when I got my surgery. However, I didn't agree with the prices then, either. I haven't 'changed my mind' since my surgery. Best of luck to you, Amella. You didn't attack anyone, you voiced an opinion, and unfortunately, you paid a price when others didn't like that opinion. Embrace your voice, my friend! Delrio

Kimaly, Good to hear that your fills are working for you! If you had a fill that needed an adjustment, do you think 165.00 is a reasonable fee for that? Hopefully, I'll be able to find my 'sweet spot' and not worry about fills anymore. Miya

Hi Bamgal, It's good to hear that someone agrees with me, they're bleeding us for fills. I didn't know that doctors who include adjustments with the surgery tend to overfill. Interesting. Thanks for the feedback, Miya

Mindy, I apologize if I've come across as hostile. I believe this website has an area that you can submit complaints about posts. You're welcome to submit my post to them. I thought I'd give you a heads up that when you post messages on discussion boards, using all caps for words or phrases is considered yelling, and that too could be interpreted as hostile. I've noticed that in your posts you have a tendency towards 'yelling', so perhaps you might tone that down. Also, when you start a post with 'the only thing I have to say to you is that .... ", it's usually best to limit your post to the statement you make following that statement. When you make that statement and then continue to elaborate for another 1 or 2 paragraphs, you're contradicting yourself. Just a friendly tip. :thumbup: With regard to your subsequent post, it sounds like you've misinterpreted my original post. Perhaps I could clarify some things for you. First of all, your experience with your doctor does not reflect everyone else's experiences. There is no evidence that your experiences with your doctor represent the majority of other bandsters, either. So when you insist that your doctor and you are always right, and we cannot have experiences that contradict yours, I think you're being unfair. We're all entitled to our opinions, just as you are. Yes, fills can take up to two weeks to either get the full affect, or to realize that they did not work. Note your use of the word 'can'. This word indicates that whatever 'can' be done is not an absolute. If fills 'can' take up to two weeks, you're also suggesting that they also cannot. This contradicts your original argument that fills 'cannot possibly be right or or wrong within 24-48 hours'. Apparently, they 'can'. Again, you appear to be speaking for the majority of bandsters. Even if you're correct, my experience is that I know within an hour or two whether or not my fill is correct. If you have any scientific evidence that backs up or suggests that your experience is right, and mine is wrong, I'd be interested to take a look if you'd share it with me. If I'm learning too quickly that my fills are working or not, I'd like to address it. In your original post you insist (or rather shout) that there is 'no way' of knowing whether or not a fill is working within 24-48 hours. I know many doctors who would beg to differ. One doctor who filled patients in Texas whipped 5 or 6 patients out of the flouroscopy room in an hour. Following the fill, patients were asked to sip a cup of Water. Depending on how that felt to them, the doctor would adjust their fill. Many patients came in from out of town. This doctor was aware that it would be unreasonable to fly back to Texas if he was inaccurate. He reassured me that testing the fill within a few minutes of the fill would in fact be indicative if the fill was correct. Dr. Kuri and other doctors I've spoken with suggest the same thing. Does this mean that that they're right and your doctor is wrong? I don't think so. These doctors who have done thousands of fills are speaking from experience. I'm glad that your doctor takes the time to chit chat with you for more than ten minutes. He sounds like a nice guy. However, by sharing this with us, do you mean to suggest that every other doctor who does fills follow the same procedure? Or perhaps you're suggesting that my experience is all in my head? When I say that my fills take 10 mins. or less, that's what I mean. Perhaps some of Dr. Kuri's bandsters could testify to this, as I've seen him perform multiple fills within an hour. With regard to the Fill Center's policy on adjusting fills. You suggest that you don't see 'how they could possibly set a policy for a band fill'. But they already have, Mindy, haven't they? Perhaps you could explain to me why they charge for an unfill, but not an underfill? If you can do so, I'll be impressed. Because they themselves cannot, and they set the policy. Since a fill and an underfill take about the same amount of time and skill, the only difference is that with the fill, they're using a little more Fluid than with an underfill. This suggests that the 150.00 that they're charging is for the additional fluid. What else would justify the difference? Does this make sense to you? It doesn't to me. I don't think a few cc's of fluid is worth 150.00. Furthermore, whether they overfill or underfill, the bottom line is that they've been inaccurate. I'll concede that this doesn't mean that they've necessarily made a mistake, but for 150.00 and the knowledge that they're merely guessing on the right fill, I think it would be reasonable for them to allow one adjustment if the fill is incorrect. When they charge you if they're wrong, I think this is unfair. It may not be their mistake, but it certainly isn't our mistake. So why should either of us be penalized with an additional charge? I should re-emphasize that they know that they are merely guessing. When I purchase a gift for someone, but I'm guessing whether or not they'll like it, most stores have a policy that I can return that item with 30 days. Many doctors have policies that the guess they've made on a diagnosis is just that, a guess. My doctors often invite me to give them a call if my symptoms change or indicate that their diagnosis is incorrect. They don't charge me again for that phone consultation, even if it lasts 20 minutes or longer. This is reasonable. They recognize that medicine is not an exact science, so charging patients for every time that they're wrong would be greedy and unfair to their patient. I acknowledge that there may be some doctors who charge additional money for phone calls. There may be doctors who charge money for a follow-up exam if they've missed something. However, this has not been my experience with my doctors. I think fill doctors realize that filling bands isn't an exact science either. They know that they are guessing. Charging additional money when they're wrong is simply greedy, and it's also more profitable for them. When you state that 'each person is different when it comes to the band', I'm not entirely sure that this supports your argument against this policy. Since every patient is different, and doctors are aware of this, it seems unfair that some patients are penalized because they're different than the patients who get their fills right the first time. You suggest that your doctor would 'laugh at you' if you told him exactly which amount you wanted him to fill. That was my original point. Doing so would indeed be ridiculous. I used that example to illustrate that the only justification I can think of for charging 150.00 when a doctor is wrong, is if the patient 'guessed' the fill and the doctor merely followed orders. In that case, the patient made the mistake and the doctor did not. So fine, charge the patient. I know of some bandsters who are so familiar with their band and which fills work for them, that they can in fact pinpoint which fill works for them, and they're probably right most of the time or they'd leave it to their doctor's discretion. Your doctor might laugh at you if you told him which fill you wanted, but many doctors realize that their patients know their bodies better than they do, and they respect their patient's judgement call. If your doctor would laugh at you if you advised him how much of a fill you wanted, that is unfortunate. It indicates that he has no respect for your knowledge of your body and what works for you based on your experience. I find that doctors who listen to their patients and then offer their opinions are much better doctors. Since you yourself suggest that it is 'safe to say that doctors guess', you're acknowledging that fills are not an exact science. I agree, and because of that, I'm refuting this policy. You also suggest that 'fill centers probably take advantage' of patients. By acknowledging this, you contradict your orginal argument that the Fill Center's policies on profit are perfectly reasonable. Is it reasonable to take advantage of a patient? I don't think so. Yes, most doctors make more money off of the surgeries than they do on fills. I don't understand how this is relevant to our discussion though. The Fill Center does provide a valuable service, Mindy. I haven't suggested otherwise. Especially when it comes to bandsters who have had their surgeries elsewhere. But in my opinion, valuable service doesn't justify taking advantage of a patient. A slightly higher fee of 15-20 is reasonable. But the Fill Center is a monopoly, and monopolies have rarely been viewed as being fair. Take utilities, for example. They know that customers can't go anywhere else for their electricity or heat, so they charge a premium for their services. Is this fair? Maybe. But I'm especially giddy when competition forces price decreases for companies like this. When monopolies are broken up, consumers always win. Why do I use Fill Centers? Because as I suggested in my last post, they have me over a barrell. There aren't many doctors who do fills in Utah. So Fill Center is convenient for me. Is that convience worth the excessive fees that they charge? No. But my only alternative is to go to even greedier doctors who charge upwards of 500.00 for fills. This is one of the few positives associated with Fill Centers. However, if more doctors in Utah learned to do fills, and the increased competion forced Fill Centers to lower their prices, then my question is this: were their original fees reasonable? I don't think so. It suggests the exact opposite of this. There are many services that we as consumers utilize, and we don't agree with all of their policies. Can you think of a personal example of this? Are you perfectly happy with all of the companies you deal with? Especially when they have absolutely no competition? If so, congratulations. You have exceptional luck in this one area. Suggesting that I should 'go elsewhere' because I don't like one of Fill Center's policies is ludicrous. It is unreasonable as well. So Mindy, I understand that you are not trying to be rude. However, I do think that you've been argumentative. I think we've both spent enough time on this debate for this discussion post. I'm happy to discuss this with you via email if you'd like. Let's give others the opportunity to share their views on our discussion and try to learn from them without attacking them, okay? Best of luck on your continued success, Miya

Hi there, Thanks for the feedback! That makes me hopeful. In the past, my fills have been pretty consistent in that if they're not working within a day or two, weeks later they're still not working. However, this may be an exception! I'll pay close attention and cross my fingers that the fill will tighten up.

Mindy, First of all, I think it's rape to charge anywhere near 100.00 bucks or more for 5-10 mins. work. There may be a few exceptions, but my fills have never exceeded 10 mins. I don't care what the doctor is doing. Fills are a ripoff to begin with, especially in the US. Doctors in the US who charge this amount or more do so because they can, not because they've earned it. They know that patients need multiple fills, and many patients can't get back to their doctors in other countries. They also realize that there aren't a lot of doctors filling patients from other countries. So they take advantage of that. They're milking patients for every dime. I've seen specialists for hour long visits and have never been charged 165.00. If specialists don't make that in an hour, how do doctors justify charging it for 5-10 mins. work? Especially since the majority of fills are uncomplicated? If a fill doesn't go well, fine, attach a 10.00 fee or something. 165.00 is exhorbitant. Furthermore, what's the required training for giving a fill? A few hours? A couple of days? It's not as if they've invested themselves extensively to learn how to do a fill. Many nurses do fills, so it doesn't even require an MD to do them. Your fills may take 4-7 days. However, my fills are either working or not within 24-48 hours. This has been consistent with 8 fills. I've been told by 3 doctors that 1-2 days is usually how long it takes for patients to know whether or not the fill is correct. Furthermore, since the Fill Center has a policy of 72 hours, there must be something to that time frame, don't you think? If 4-7 days out was typical, and they wanted patients to have fills corrected accordingly, their policy would be likely to reflect that. What doesn't make any sense at all is that they cover overfills, but not underfills. I don't see a difference. If the fill is inaccurate, it's inaccurate. Futhermore, they've never been able to justify this policy to me. If you've got a policy, be prepared to provide clients with a reasonable explanation for it. I guess my question to you is this: since fills are always iffy, and it's difficult to tell immediately following a fill whether or not it's working (meaning within an hour or so), it's safe to say that the doctors usually guess. If they're guessing and they're wrong, why should the patient be further burdened? If both parties know that the doctor is merely estimating a fill, one or two adjustments are NOT unreasonable to expect within a reasonable time frame. I think you're right that 1-2 weeks is unreasonble, but not 72 hours. However, if it was an exact science, and the patient specifically requested 3cc's for example, then that's different. If the patient is certain that their choice for a fill is correct, and they're wrong, fine then, let them pay for the correction. I never go in for a fill requesting a specific amount. I discuss my symptoms with the doctor and he guesses. Why is it impossible to promise additional fills then? What's unreasonble? 2 additional adjustments *might* take 30 mins. total, and that's being generous. I don't think 30 mins. justifies 165.00 either. So how would they make their money? Well, what's reasonable for 5-10 mins. work? 20? 30? 50? At least we're in a reasonable range here. If they charged 30.00 and did 6 fills an hour (which isn't untypical), that's 180.00 and hour. That's still outrageous (again, the specialists don't make that). But at 165.00 a fill, 6 fills and hour, they're making 990.00 an hour! Who makes that?? You'll never convince me that doctors are worth 990.00 an hour, I don't care what their specialty is. But 180.00 an hour isn't a bad living, most people could live comfortably on that, even today. I think it's a little ridiculous to suggest that if they weren't charging huge amount of money for fills, that they wouldn't be able to make a living. These outrageous charges for fills are nearly exclusive to the US. It's merely another illustration of greed withing the medical community. Not all doctors are greedy, but those who are seem insatiable. When lap bands were finally approved for the US, prices skyrocketed (for the surgery, not the hospital costs, which were added on top of that). Today, they've more than doubled what is charged in other countries. Is that reasonable? Are surgeons who have performed a procedure 500 times worth twice as much as surgeons who have performed the procedure thousands of times? I don't think so. So no, I'm not feeling lucky that I'm making some greedy doctor ridiculous amounts of money because he knows he has me over a barrel. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, it feels like financial rape. That's not a good feeling. Ever. Anyone have thoughts on this?

I'm in Utah. Willing to ship if COD or paid up front. It's a huge hefty bag of stuff, prolly expensive to ship. If you're in Utah, I'm in Salt Lake and you're welcome to pick it up. To the gal with the 18/20 Land's End swimsuit? I'm so interested!

Hi all, Can anyone tell me about how I know I've hit the 'sweet spot'? Also, how many oz. of food should I be able to eat at one meal without feeling sick or stuck? Thanks!

Yep. Their initial fee is 300. (it may be more now). Then it's 165.00 after that. Although beware, they'll tell you 165.00 for life, but they raise that price all the time.

Sunshine, Does your doc do fills for Mexico surgery patients??

Good luck to all of you! I'm 41 and I wonder if you think it's significantly more difficult to lose weight with a band in your 40's? Any thoughts?

Hello all! I was banded in 2004 and lost 80 lbs. Then I developed bulimia, had the band emptied and gained it back and more. :thumbup: I was just refilled yesterday and I'm a bit nervous. I'm in counseling for the bulimia and I've been in recovery for over a year now. Has anyone had experience with starting and stopping the weight loss process this severely? Any success? Any tips or encouragement? Thanks!