My Doctor will not give me a fill....and I feel like a failure

[kiddow 0]

Hi everyone,

Hope to get some thoughts on what you think.

I was banded July 31 2009, and so far I have lost about 33 pounds. I only have had one fill since the surgery. I continue to go to my 6 week appointments, but my doctor will not give me a fill. He's saying that we want me to do it on my own. If it was possible then I wouldn't have had the surgery in the first place. But he still refuses to give me a fill and then yells at me when I don't loose weight.

I started out at 277 and now I weigh about 244. I can't seem to get to 220, which i was hoping for by my birthday which is in April.

exercise is not a problem, but i still have the same food cravings as before I had the surgery. What do I do? How can I overcome this if this was my problem in the first place.

I feel like maybe I wasted time and money on getting this surgery done, but Dang Gone IT..........CAN A SISTA GET A FILL PLEASE!!!!

:wink:

[BetsyB 9]

I only have had one fill since the surgery. I continue to go to my 6 week appointments, but my doctor will not give me a fill. He's saying that we want me to do it on my own.

WTF?! Then why did he place a band around your stomach? Seriously, you're going in every six weeks, making your copayment, and ...getting nothing out of it?

I'm not a big one for switching doctors mid-stream, but in this case, I would seriously consider doing so.

What, precisely, does he think that band DOES in there? Why is he performing the surgery, rather than operating a diet clinic?

[kiddow 0]

Thank you!!! My thoughts exactly!! And yes, every time I go I make my co-pay, get weighed, and then get yelled at for not loosing enough weight. I wish I would have known this before hand, then I would have chosen another Doctor, but now I feel stuck. At this point I feel my weight should be down by at least 50 pounds.

The stress is killing me.

[ElfiePoo 109]

I would make an appointment with the doctor and be blunt with him. Tell him you chose him because you were under the impression that he understood the purpose of the band and how it works...and it only works when you get enough fills to give you restriction. Depending on his response, I would then tell him that if he's banding people with no intention of giving them the fills that make the band work, then he is banding fraudulently.

In the meantime, I'd find another place to get your fills. There are many bariatric clinics and doctors and you should be able to find one who will continue with your fills.

Then I'd file a complaint with the bariatric association.

I'd also put his name on this forum to warn others away from him.

.

[Mimilou2004 13]

WOW, that is crazy....I would do everything the other posters said. Your doc is not acting in accordance with the standards of care....please let us know how it goes!!!!

Mimi

[pickles123 0]

Change doctors. Don't give him even one more copay.

[SassyB 0]

Kiddow, I feel your pain. I was banded April 2009 and had only lost 20lbs up until Feb. 18th. I must admit that I didn't have much restriction even after having 6 fills, which of course caused me to overeat. ElfiePoo on this site helped change that for me when she posted what she's eats and how much she eats daily. THANKS ELFIEPOO!!! I'm down 11 lbs since the 18th. I too had cravings for carbs (I blamed it on menopause) and thought that I had no control over them. I did not want to take the time to write or log what I was eating, my excuse was that I didn't have time...BIG mistake. Truthfully I didn't want to know because I wanted to continue to eat like I had been eating. I had to face the cold hard truth :eek:; I was not following the rules. So I changed some things...I have been eating and drinking my Proteins, eating fruits and vegetables and trying to get my 64oz of Water in. Some days I only get about 42-50 ounces. I have found that I do better having the decaffinated green tea instead of plain water. I no longer an craving the carbs :wink:. I pray that I can stay on track and continue to use my band the way it was intended. I say all this to say to you...TRY JOURNALING if you aren't already. I journal using LIVESTRONG.COM, it has the nutritional values of a lot of food already, which takes the guess work out of journaling and the time. Best of luck.

[BetsyB 9]

Depending on his response, I would then tell him that if he's banding people with no intention of giving them the fills that make the band work, then he is banding fraudulently.

Definitely. I'd follow up with a complaint against his license (I have Illinois contact info if you need it), to the Bariatric Association, and to the quality assurance department of hospital(s) out of which he operates (this is a BIGGIE).

The band is adjustable for a reason. If he doesn't comprehend it or believe in its appropriate use, then he must be corrected (not by you--but by the appropriate agencies) and/or prevented from banding patients.

I know a great doctor in Joliet...

(ETA: I could journal until the cows came home--and in fact, I do. Well...no cows, but you know what I mean. But without restriction? Well, that's where I am right now--and while I'm happy to be compliant despite stomach grumbling because I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, I would be considerably LESS happy if I felt there was not one. The restriction provided by the band IS that light. Otherwise, why bother with it?)

Edited February 24, 2010 by BetsyB

[MrsCabes 2]

OMG - so sorry you're going through this!!!! Hopefully, your doc will pull his head out of his arse and give you a FILL (isn't that WHY we get lapband surgery?) Jeesh!

I feel for you and my thoughts and prayers are with you!

[kiddow 0]

Wow,

Thanks everyone!! My next appointment is on March 8th and I'm dying to see what I have lost, if any....I don't weigh myself at home anymore because it was making me depressed when the scale stayed the same each week.

I will have a talk with him and give a reminder as to why I received the band in the first place. If nothing comes from it, then I will take everyone's suggestion and go to a higher authority.

Again.......Thanks! Feeling a little better..:wink: