kimrox2000

I have been at the local dr.s office and heard people say things like I am going on vacation, so unfill me. I think that is the stupidest thing. What is the point in going through surgey, being poked and prodded monthly or whatever, just to say I want to be able to eat BIG This week/night/month or whatever. Trust me this is never gonna happen to me. I am so frustrated with this band that I ma determined to make it work. The only thing I find myself wanting to do is fill more frequently as I feel the restriction going away. Trust me this is not the way I imagined or planned this thing to go. If I could afford it right now, I would have this thing taken out and have the bypass done. I am TIRED of being FAT!!

I have the proper equiptment and am using sterile supplies. My port is very accessible, in fact it actually sticks out.

OK so I had my band put in 9-11-06 in Mexico(self pay, obviously). Kewl. I was excitded. I lost 30 pounds right off the bat. that was great. I went in november 06 for my first fill to a local doctor. $350 later I am thinking I am well on my way to being in shape for the summer. Well no weight loss but maintaining so I get another fill in January 07. A little tighter this time so I am excited agian. Well the restriction fades and I go back in in febuary 07 and my band has less than 2ccs in it. They fill it back up to 5.2. I go back a week later and there is less than 2ccs again. They tell me you must have a leak call your surgeon. So I play phone tag with him for about a month and he says "oh no it cant be leaking bla bla bla, come back I will check it" Well that requires a plane trip and more money. Well life got really complicated my mom got sick and died. I spent alot of time on the east coast with her and family over the summer. Well I get back home and think it's time to get this thing fixed. So I book a flight to Mexico, book a room, arrange with doc etc etc. In september almost a year to the date of my surgery I go back to have my band checked out. Well that was a total waste of my time and money. The doc puts contrast in my band and checks it out under fluoro. Cant see anything leaking. Well obviously its a slow leak, but you should see something. So he says if you want we can check it in the morning b4 you leave. I say YEA. So that night I was told not to eat bla bla bla because of the fill and I do anyway. I want to put pressure on this thing so he can see the leak and fix it(at my expense) while I am down there. Well next morning nothing. So I go home thinking ok all is good. Flash forward a week and a half and no restriction. Yea I am getting angry I want this to work and I have seen it work in others and I want to get this weight off. So I call the local doctors office and ask what they would charge to check and fix my leaking port/tubing(whatever it is) and they tell me again call my surgeon. They also tell me "you shouldnt' have skimped on the surgery and we would have fixed it bla bla bla. " So basically they will fill it but not fix it. So here I am 16 months after surgery, still down 30 pounds (thank god) but very frustrated. (this is where everyone is gonna get viscious) I have been filling my band about every 10-20 days at home. I am slowly losing a few pounds but know this thing should be working better for me. Any suggestions?? Thanks for listening

just use a flour tortilla. I used to work in pizza and that was basically all we used for thin crust pizzas. you can buy them at some stores like Cash n Carry.

Yes water is good. But BEWARE of too much water. You can die of water intoxication. Water intoxication can also make you very ill. Make sure you are getting proper nutrients daily as well as your water. Too much water can dilute your electrolytes, throw your Ph off and make you very ill. Ever notice in the hospital they give you saline in IV's? That's because it has the closest Ph to the body's natural Ph. I got very ill last summer from water. No Joke, I was drinking water like crazy. I was hot and I know that water is good for you. But I wasnt eating much and got very ill. Here is some literature on the facts of how it works. http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

You GO Girl !!!!!!

I was banded in september, I have the 11cm band that I believe holds 10cc. I had my first fill in november of 4cc. January I had another fill of 1.3cc, bringing me up to 5.3cc. They checked and the first fill was still in the band. I had good restriction for a week or so and called to schedule another fill. I went in yesterday for a fill and there was only 1.3cc left in my band. I wanted to cry right there. The nurse who does my fills (under fluoro) said not to get too upset that it happens sometimes. I dont understand. If it is leaking I would expect it to be empty right? I am supposed to check back next week if I don't feel any restriction in a couple of days. I am so confused, any help is greatly appreciated. I have only lost 25 pounds since september and that all came off within the first 3 weeks. I have bounced 2 pounds up and down here and there. I feel like such a failure and now if my band is leaking I don't know what I will do. I was a self pay in Mexico and have spent 375 three times for fills. I am broke and not losing. IT SUX Help me, tell me it's going to be ok :think

Fluoroscopy is when you do a barium swallow under an x ray machine, they can actually see how liquid is flowing through the band. It also helps the nurse, doc or whoever to see your port. Without fluoro they just feel around for the port and put some saline in the band and hope it's not too much or little. I had my first one done under fluoro (with Dr Neals office, never seen the actual doctor) just because I wanted to see how it was done, how my pouch looked, what kind of restriction I was getting yada yada. I went back for my second fill and next week will be my third. Its expensive but I feel more comfortable going to the same place and I don't have to wonder about how my band looks because I can see it!!!!

Christiana, I live near Tacoma and I called Dr. Fox in Tacoma and he does Mexican fills for 275 no flouro. I go to Dr. Neal in Olympia and they do fluoro fills for 375. Hope that helps ya.

Some doctors will do free fills forever. Unfortunetly I I didn't have one of those. I was banded in Mexico and the local doctors I have found arent cheap. I have had 2 fill @ $375.00 those are under fluoro. A different doc does fills with no fluoro for 250.00. Good luck, maybe your doc has included fills for life.

The husband had just finished reading a new book, 'YOU CAN BE THE MAN OF YOUR HOUSE" He stormed into the kitchen and walked directly up to his wife. Pointing a finger in her face, he said sternly, "From now on, YOU need To know that I AM the MAN of this house, and my word is law! You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished Eating my meal, you will serve me a sumptuous dessert afterward. Then, after dinner, you are going to go upstairs with me, and we will Have the sex that I want. After that, you are going to draw me my bath So I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my Robe. Then you will massage my feet and hands. Then after that's done, Guess who's going To dress me and comb my hair?" His wife replied, "The funeral director would be my guess."

My doctor told me that my port metal was titanium and thet it would not effect any metal detectors. Stainless is also not magnetic. Hope this helps

Wentworth Miller Andy Garcia the big tall goofy guy on "Till Death" previously of "Raymond"

I an a Mexican Bandster and I was told to go on a low carb diet pre op to shrink my liver which they have to move out of the way to get to the stomach. Well since I was paying out of my pocket and I scheduled my surgery in less than a week, I did NO pre op diet. In fact I told my doctor this when I went for the surgery and he said tomight is your last meal eat what you want. I did and I was also told no smoking well I smoked about an hour before surgery and about 18 hours after surgery. This was my surgery and I was paying for it. I hear a lot of people complaining about a pre op diet of liquids, that would suck. Maybe it shows insurance or doctors dedication, I don't know but I am glad I didnt have to go there.