Amanda.Root

Thank you! This is great advice from personal experience. Exactly what I came here for. I need to look at everything, I agree. I have had problems with ovarian cysts in the past that left me feeling pretty awful. I have seen many specialists, had many images done, endoscopies, seen the ER doctors several times. I'm not stuck on the idea that it is my band, in fact for the past six months I've been assuming I have abdominal migraines or cyclic vomiting syndrome and have plans to see a neurologist.... but, all this retching cannot be good for a device that is sutured to my stomach. Whether it is the fault of the band or not, this can't continue. My surgeon is a great surgeon but something changed recently with his bedside manner/attitude. Could be personal. Could be that he and I don't get along. My intention isn't to ruin his name as a surgeon. I just need some help... and I'm getting it from a different bariatric center an hour away and they are actually looking forward to getting to the bottom of this.... like you suggested. And I couldn't be happier with the way they have handled things already....listening, asking the right questions... assuring me that there is help. The last thing my surgeon said to me was, "move on" as if I were a homeless person camped on his steps. Not cool. Good surgeon, bad attitude, bad people skills, lousy problem solving skills.

Is your insurance company paying to have the band removed? My surgeon refuses to talk to me about removal of my band even tho I am vomiting for 3-5 days STRAIGHT (no food and unable to take meds) EVERY MONTH. He tells me the band is fine... move on to another idea (like see G.I. doctor which I have done with no solution or even a diagnosis). He also tells me that "the board" wanted to fire me as a patient... basically refuse to treat me or even discuss what might be happening to my body with me. While in the E.R. this same surgeon yelled at me, and my mother, telling me that if I don't get myself under control nobody is going to help me. At this point I've lost my job, had to cash out my 401k with major penalties, and I still don't have a proper diagnosis and none of my doctors have a plan for controlling the monthly vomiting episodes. This bariatric surgeon, after telling me to "move on", then said, "do you want me to talk to your insurance company about taking it out based on your personal preference?" I'm having to apply for disability because a person who is vomiting/retching so hard, to the point of losing bladder function, is not employable. I'm not saying the band is causing this cyclic vomiting/abdominal migraine but I find it really hard to believe that after a year of this my surgeon will not discuss removal of my Lap-Band. It is as if it belongs to him, not me.

Thank you Helen and Jean! I was feeling discouraged after little weight loss. Now I see I have much more to learn. I am going to make an appt with my surgeon today to discuss this with him and see about a fill. Maybe I never made it to the "green zone".

I am so relieved to hear I am not alone! I think we all did the 2lbs a week for x weeks calculations and decided what size we should be by ______ date. It's really exciting! We made this really difficult decision to do the most drastic thing we can think of.... surgery. Granted we all decided to go the slower, more healthy route and do lapbands instead of gastric bypass. But still. Surgery was a tough decision nonetheless. And for alot of us it cost us a pretty penny. To not see the results we hoped for is tough to handle. And to accept that the rest of our lives we will be dieting and struggling... that this was not a way to be free from that struggle... is difficult. But we CAN do it and we MUST do it and now we have alot of help. From our doctors, from our bands, and from each other. Stay positive. Stay strong. Keep trying. BE HEALTHY!

If food only stays above the band for a few minutes, how does it work to make us feel full then? I thought the whole idea was for the pre-band area to fill, we feel full, we stop eating, thereby eating less. Now you're saying that's not true? Then what good is it?

I'm feeling much the same way. I lost about 30 lbs and then the weight loss slowed and stopped. I talked to my primary care doctor and she tells me she's known several people who only lost 20-30 lbs. This completely upset me and left me feeling hopeless. I go in for another fill next week and I'm hoping this will get me back on track. I'd like to prove that doctor wrong. I've since changed doctors for many reasons including the way I felt after this discussion. On a positive note - I'm doing a 5 mile marathon June 2nd to Celebrate my one-year bandiverssary! Wish me luck!

Hello from West Central Oregon (Eugene). It's great to hear about your experience. I haven't been banded yet. My first nutritional counseling and psych eval is tomorrow. Which means my surgery will likely be in October. They only gave me 10 lbs to lose which is great. I've done that a million times! Keep posting! People like me are looking for as much information as we can get.

I don't have TriCare but I know that for Aetna a BMI of 35 and a qualifying co-morbity could get you qualified. Sleep apnea was one. Diabetes was another. I don't recall heart disease being one but it seems logical that it would be. It seems if your doctor wants this and you want this there should be a way to make it happen. And I know people say "no! don't gain weight to get the surgery"... but being 5'1/2" myself I know that it doesn't take much weight to bump that BMI up. I'm just sayin.

There is already alot of information in this thread but here's my two cents. I met with my surgeon recently and he spoke about upcoming weightloss technology that requires your stomach to be intact. This cemented my decision to get the LapBand. The thought of no longer having an intact stomach creeped me out. I believe all the parts of the stomach are there for a reason and it's not a good idea to mess with that. However, my surgeon also told me that if I had more weight to lose than I do (80-100) he would've suggest bypass instead. Have you talked one-on-one with your surgeon?

oh... I have to add this, too: I love my little shake n Take drink mixer. You can measure the liquid, throw in the powder and bzzzzt, done. It can handle frozen fruit and small ice bits but not whole cubes. I keep it at work and it's so convenient for quick Protein drinks. Here's a link so you know what I'm talking about but I bet you can find it cheaper elsewhere. Mine was only $12. It's been working great for years. Amazon.com: Shake N Take Sports Bottle Blender: Kitchen & Dining

I LOVE love love Biochem Sports 100% whey Natural flavor. And I haven't even been banded yet! It mixes so nicely and is not at all thick or gloppy. It has a very little flavor... maybe very slight vanilla. Usually I mix it with nf milk and add a little sugar free vanilla syrup and I swear it tastes like a melted McDonald's vanilla shake. Other times I'll put frozen blueberries in it. (using ice or frozen fruit will thicken it up but only in a good way;) It's fantastic. And I know you can get a single serving packet. I found the packets at my local healthfood store then I went right out and bought a big tub of the stuff online. I just google it and look for whoever has it cheapest at the time. At the healthfood store the tub is pricey but you can get it online alot cheaper. 20g Protein 80 calories 1g carb with that being less than 0.5g sugars. The rest of the carb gram is Fiber. Biochem Sports Ultimate Lo Carb Whey Protein Powder Natural Flavor -- 12.3 oz - vitacost NOTE: be sure to get "NATURAL FLAVOR". the other flavors all have sugar added.