Mert

:confused:I researched and decided the band was for me b/c it was the less intrusive. I thought my doc was pushing the gbypass b/c that was his expertise. Well 27 months later I have not lost weight with the band. He told me today that the 10cc VG band was defective and he no longer uses them. :whatchutalkingaboutSo, I am back to square one and this time I choose a revision to remove the band and do gastric bp.:laugh:

I use Steven Petak, M.D. at 7400 Fannin #850 (713)791-1874. He is very smart and no nonsense. Does a hormone assay and seems to be up on the latest. He looked for a Vitamin D deficiency and found that I was deficient years ago. Thankfully he put me on a big monthly dosage. Vit D deficiency is dangerous.

I am looking into band removal and an additional surgery. I have had the band now for two years and have only lost about 5-10 lbs. I was asked to consider the gastric bypass from the beginning but I wanted the less invasive. Now I know they were right. I should have had the bypass. I throw up a lot, so I know I don't need a fill. I have a 10ccVG band. Sweets are my nemisis. If I could avoid them I would not be in the fix I am in still today. My BMI is about 50 and I have sleep apnea. I have not asked the insurance company I have now b/c they do not cover bariatric.

I like that.

Is there a Brazoria County Lap Band Support Group or intrest in forming one? I am south of Pearland about 30 minutes, towards Freeport. :help:

What a bummer that must have been to have to reschedule at the last minute. Better safe than sorry, though. I had a stress test. It was no fun, but then what medical test is fun!!?? Let me know what the latest is.:confused:

Today, 8/2/07, is your BAND DAY! Wow be sure and let me know how you feel after the surgery and how you are adjusting to the band. :clap2::clap2::clap2:

right. it seems to be OK for people to blaim the obese person for some kind of character flaw. maybe one day in the future it will be politically incorrect to blame an obese person for his/her condition, but for now...:straight

My doctors do fills. However, there was a problem with locating the port for the first three or four fills. Thats why I say go with a doctor with lots of experience. I get my fills under floroscope only now, and they are effective. I went to the first OA meeting in Angleton and it was very helpful for me. I guess you have their literature? I've had a bad experience with every weight loss program I tried (including OA a few hundred years ago:rolleyes). It is somewhat easier to get my compulsive eating under control since I got the band. I've got to cut way down on the sugar and flour. However, the old saying that the band is only a tool is very true. And living one day at a time.

Hey Nana Renan, sounds like you are having a tough time. I am still trying to get mine filled enough for continuous constriction one year after surgery. go with a doctor with lots of experience. I found an OA group here in Angelton that meets on Tues and Thurs evenings. I have not attended yet, but have corresponded with two members (one of which has the band). do you think you would be interested in the OA meetings or online only? It is so much harder for me to go to a meeting than to talk online, but I want to meet some people in the area who can impart some wisdom from experience. so much of mine is emotional

Dr. Robert Davis was my surgeon and Garth is my fill doctor. I was only Dr. Robert's third lap band. Garth is more experienced since it is the newer surgery. Dr. Robert advocates gastric bypass and tried to talk me into it. I was afraid however. It has been very difficult so far getting the fills I need in this 10cc VG band to meet with success. I like the show. Those guys really are kind and compassionate. I was really impressed that Garth came to all the support meetings and answered any and all questions. That was before the film crew started coming. I guess the really big people are more interesting and thats why they show people with very high BMI's. The psychologist, Mary Jo, is coming off like an itch-bay on the show. She is really a nice lady but she doesn't mince words. Yes, she is very thin and a real sharp dresser and beautiful. She specializes in addictions. She is cool even tho she is a skinny person. I like the show but sometimes it is too painful to watch.

Carol, Your sister sounds like a gem, er, could you send her over to my house? You sound like you are doing so well. good for you. I am still trying to get started on weight loss. I am having difficulty! But I'm inspired by your phenomenal success...

I was banded yesterday about noon and I feel great. I am still a little hungry, but broth and jello satisfy. My darlin' mom made me some eggdrop soup (yum). :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

I got the 10 cc band in 8/06. I have had 3 office fills and 2 under flouroscopy. Today I finally made Doc listen that I HAD no restriction. Dr. had in his notes that I had 7.5 cc's, and he said no way was i feeling no restriction. WELL, Way! Went to radiology and voila he was only able to extract 2cc's from my band, and said I was wide open. He gave a good fill and I feel restriction for now. could this be a leak in the band sytem? or have they been missing the port during injection? I have felt some restriction for a few days after a fill a few months ago. but for most of these 7 months of being banded-nothing. has anyone had any experience in this? how did it turn out?

I am still filled from 3/12 so I'm pretty sure they have been missing the port up until now and there is probably no leak. unfortunately I can't feel when they are in the port and when they're not. I am just put out that I've made a bunch of wasted trips (5 trips) to the doctor's office, not to mention wasted money.

hey Chubster I'm looking at your signature and at that progress you're making, though. great!!

I have felt some restriction after prior fills. So, there may be a leak and/or they have been shooting the saline solution into my abdomenal cavity at other times. What a mess.......well at least Doc believes me now and I won't get THE "eating around the band" lecture again, which teed me off . I was so upset about this band not doing anything for me. It was such an emotional let down. I do feel renewed hope again. I just hope we'll get things going properly now.

God bless you and keep you, Donna. You can beat this.

I am so happy to see that 42% of the 10cc vg band folks take 8 plus cc's to get good restriction. I am almost there (at 8cc's) after 4 fills and was very frustated at not yet having good restriction. Maybe there is hope that after fill #5 I will get the restriction I so badly need!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Wow, sounds like He was sending you a message, you're right. Stay tuned and let us know how you are doing.

Hello Prasman, Here is my two cents worth. i have a 10cc VG band also. I started out with 2cc's. Then I got a fill of 2.5cc's, still could eat like I wanted to. Then last week I got another 2cc's. I can definitely feel the restriction now. There was a poll on this website or somewhere that said that the average fill to get to restriction for folks with a 10cc VG band was 8cc's. My doc wanted to be very careful and give me 1 cc at a time. I had to insist on more. And thankfully he did give it. He said that if I didn't feel restriction this time we would have to investigate under flouroscopy. It took several days after this fill to start to feel something. Last night I tried to wolf down a home-made cinnamon roll in my old fashion and OUCH :speechles it was definitely an eye-opener. So long story short : at about 6.5 fill in a 10cc VG band I finally have restriction. So take heart!!

Stephanie, After you log on to this web site look under the WELCOME at the top right and there you'll see private messages (in blue underlined.) Click on that and see if it takes you there. I first heard about the band in May of '06. I knew it was what I had been waiting for so I dove into it- researching and trying to get approved by my insurance. I have summers off so I devoted the summer to it. I lost several weeks by going with the wrong doctor and waiting for their office to do something. Don't do that! Meanwhile I was gathering my own medical records from the endocrinologist, internal specialist, gynecologist and general practioner. I wrote a letter to BCBS and supported my statements with reference to the medical records. I found a human being to talk to at BCBS and spoke to her each time. She was nice and helpful. BCBS offers a service (LifeMasters 1 866 341 1167) where an RN calls you at home once every two weeks to ask you how you're doing and etc. I told her all about my quest to get the lap band. They say that LifeMaster doesn't share what you say with BCBS, however it was not long after talking to them and writing the letters, faxing the medical records, praying to God, fulfilling the requirements for surgery and finding a good surgeon that I was called by the nice lady at BCBS and I was approved. Wham-o it came out of the blue and I had all but given up. That all happened between May and July of this year. Like I said though, I was working on it full time. the surgery took place on August 11 (last month). I had my first fill yesterday. I have not lost much. I have a big band, 10cc VG, and slow loss is to be expected. Read all about it here and gather your medical records. It will all come about in time. It is very hard to wait, though, once you've made up your mind, isn't it? I feel fine.

I had given up and was making plans and had a surgery date in Mexico today when RRRIIINNGGG It was BCBS calling to say I am approved !!! Right here in Houston ...no self pay...no robbing the 403B acct. I am approved in Houston GOD IS SOOOO GOOD.

Rick Perry is a crook and he doesn't give a rat's a$$ about Texas schools and children. He needs to be run out of the state. So stick that in your money grubbing pipe and smoke it, Rick.

have you tried the baked cheetoes? they're as good as the fried ones.