Got Fill #2 today-doctor still a crackhead

[giveyouthemoon 4]

I think you're doing great and want you to know that I'm really intimidated by our surgeon. I go to see him next week and have only lost 12 pounds since surgery. I'm sure he is going to be displeased with this. I'm hoping for my first fill.

Kelli

Ok Kelli...best to just brace yourself. The surgeons at LAPSF have a sickness....they want us to be anorexics. Just set your gut for the fact that he *will* have something to say....just smile at him condescendingly when he does....get your fill....then go home and comfort yourself!!!

I've often said in regards to my surgeon.....In real life...I'd NEVER let that man lay a hand on me...and yet somehow I let him cut me open. I try not to think about such things.

I have an appointment to see the evil Dr. on the 19th. Remind me about the advice I just gave you....prepare for him to be an assh*le and hope for the best......

[pugmum 0]

Karen,

"Dr. Evil!" LOL That made me laugh outloud!!

I have a feeling they will be the same regardless what we weigh!! Thanks for the post!

Kelli

[S@ssen@ch 745]

"don't you think it's a lot to expect a 300 pound woman to eat 800 calories?" And she just looked at me like *I* was the idiot......

I couldn't have said it better myself. I've been seeing more than one post about docs/dieticians recommending low caloric intakes. Do we have a pattern here? WTF? Maybe these docs really ARE on crack? And the dieticians, too! Why would any respectable medical professional recommend such a low caloric intake for an obese person? Our bodies are used to taking in a significantly higher amount...DUH or we wouldn't be OBESE! To drop us to 650 calories immediately after surgery or 800 calories somewhere thereafter is ludicrous. Our metabolism would go into absolute shock, thinking we were in some starvation time and actually slow down worse that it already is. IDIOTS! You'd think they were strictly going on calorie in vs calorie out. It's much more complicated than that.

The human body is designed so efficiently that if we do go into lean times, we can endure, we can survive. DAMN human nature. Therefore, if we reduce our calories so significantly we actually sabotage our weight loss by slowing our metabolism. Ever heard of the Yo-Yo syndrome? It's this part of the human adaptation mechanism that causes the yo-yo syndrome. We diet and reduce our intake. We lose weight. We return to our previous eating patterns and gain weight PLUS MORE because our body has become more efficient.

Please, I know that usually you want to (and you're advised to) listen to your doctors and dieticians. BUT if you feel they're giving poor advice, seek a second opinion..........research for yourself. Feel confidant in what you're doing to your body and putting in it. You said yourself that on 800 calories you felt weak. That's evidence enough that you weren't getting enough fuel to run the bio-machine.

Alright I've ranted enough........

[Bensmum1109 0]

Kelli, don't let Dr. Feng intimidate you. You are supposed to heal in your first six weeks of surgery, it's not really supposed to be about weight loss until you get a fill. But he will disagree with that theory as we both know.

The funny thing about Dr. Feng is that while he is giving you a hard time about 800 calories a day and how much you are (or aren't) losing, he always does it in a very disconcerting manner, because he is smiling and happy and even kind of NICE while he is ripping into you. You and Karen (if she has ever had to see Dr F instead of Dr C) are the only ones that are going to understand what I am saying here. It's WEIRD.

By the way, Kelli, Dr F hates to give you lidocaine before he fills you, but just an FYI, if you insist on it, he will do it. So if you really want to be numbed for your fill, don't let him talk you out of it!

And thanks Dawn, you are so right!! I have gotten a second and third opinion, and 800 calories a day is unhealthy for me. It's unhealthy for most people. My surgeons participate in a lot of studies where their patients weight loss successes are tracked, and I think it is important for them to have all of their patients lose weight very rapidly so they look good to their peers. Whether it is good for the patients or not.

I have come to rely on the advice my fellow bandsters on this board, and it has helped me on many occasions. I am happy with how far I have come and indebted to those who came before me, because they have also been the same struggles I go through. For the record, my surgeon is an Asian man who I am certain has NEVER weighed more than 150 pounds in his life.

[seajoan 0]

This doctor may be attempting to make his stats look real good. However, encouraging pt's to take 800 cal/day consistently or less sounds not only impractical but is setting his pt's up for nutritional problems.

Why don't you ask this guy to show you any Inamed or FDA protocol calling for 800 cal/or less day for lap band pts. Havn't ever heard of one. You might want to ask him why he doesn't think 6lbs/month is adequate. Just a thought.

[giveyouthemoon 4]

You and Karen (if she has ever had to see Dr F instead of Dr C) are the only ones that are going to understand what I am saying here. It's WEIRD.

Yup, I've seen Dr Feng when Dr C wasn't in the office (they trade off months for being in the SJ office). Yeah, for a while I actually favored Dr. F because he seemed so much nicer....until he ripped into me one day....and that smiling ass chewing didn't sit too well with me.

Dr C just is surly from the get go....lol! So I see Dr C next week....gonna have to toughen up since my loss has slowed quite a bit lately.....

For the record, my surgeon is an Asian man who I am certain has NEVER weighed more than 150 pounds in his life.

Yup...and Dr C is tall and *skinny* too. Neither of them, from all outward appearances, have had weight issues.

For a while I thought that Dr C just didn't like fat people. I figured he was in it for the money....but one of the ladies at the LAPSF monthly support group meetings says she goes in every other week (she wants her value for the money she paid) and says that when Dr C gets surly with her, she asks him "why are you talking down to me?" or "why are you so upset?" and he will quit and she said then she actually gets some good support from him. Gonna have to remember that.....

[Angie C 0]

Losing 6 to 8lbs a month is a very healthy weight loss with the band. It's not bypass surgery and you should be consuming around 1200 calories aday. The band is a much slower process. (Some of these doctors I am reading about are nuts, it makes me glad that I made a good decision with my doctor)

[giveyouthemoon 4]

Hey Heather and Kelli! Well color me SHOCKED. I had my appointment with Dr Cirangle and he was actually NICE to me! Wow. He came in the room, started looking at my file and said "well, you are doing really great". I said "uh...huh? Wow. This is going better than I'd expected". He says..."you've lost 80 lbs in 9 months, you don't think that's good?" I said "*I* think that's good...but last time I was here you got on me about not losing ten pounds a month." He sort of shrugged that off, said "yes...well....anyhow, I'm happy with your rate of loss. Honestly, if you'd lost 40-50 lbs in the first year I'd call this procedure a success. It's good for me to see how much you've lost. It lets me know that it's possible for band patients to have results that are near what bypass patients get but with mush less invasive procedure. It also shows me what results are possible when people really use the band as a tool and don't expect it to do all the work."

It ended up we had a really nice visit. We talked about lots of things...what to expect as I near my one year mark and other stuff.

He was actually...um...NICE.

Wow!

He must have put the crack pipe down for a minute.

This is only the second time (out of about ten times I've seen him) that he was decent. And when he's being decent he can be really interesting and articulate. Just wish he could be like that more often.

In other news....I noticed that the way he spoke to me was far different than in the past. This just furthers my theory that Dr C doesn't like fat people....he treated me with more respect and deference than he ever has in the past...even the one other time he was nice to me. Sort of a strange profession to be in if you don't like fat people!

And so it goes on with our respective crack head doctors!

[pugmum 0]

Karen,

Well, this is certainly a change for the better!! Maybe they just become frustrated because they don't get the results they want/need. :party: You are definitely an inspiration with that weight loss! GOOD FOR YOU!! Woohooo!!! I am 12 weeks post surgery and down 15 pounds. I had to postpone my next appointment because of work and so I go on May 16! I have been eating better (more in line with their suggestions) and I really do have restriction so I don't know if he'll give me a fill or not. Thanks for posting about your experience!!

Kelli

[sheryl 3]

When I read Dr F and 800 calories, I thought about Dr C. Then I noticed that you are in San Francisco and Dr C and Dr F are together!

I was considering Dr C when I got mine, but he was still inexperienced. I read about his support group and saw where he wants people on 800 calories/day and I thought that was rather low. I talked to Dr Ortiz about it and he agreed, though he and Dr C are friends.

Don't worry about what he thinks. You ARE doing a FAB job!!! If you continue what you are doing, you will be down to where you want to go in 13 or so months. That is AWESOME!!!

[carlacollins 0]

6lbs a month is wonderful and if he is saying otherwise then he is a serious crackheadfacehateful man! (teehee)....Keep it up....slower it comes off..the better it stays off too!.....

Much Love

[Margo 0]

Are you happy with your weight loss? I think it's wonderful...kudos to you!!

And really, who gives a shit if your doctor is happy are not....screw him!

[MelAnne 0]

Your doin great! Your healthy your happy and your on your way!!!!

Your losing it at YOUR body's pace is how I see your doing it.

Congrats on the good unfill and refill!!! (I did not know they UNfill it before they up your restriction?)

[Bensmum1109 0]

Karen, I am so glad Dr C was nice to you!! Maybe he is changing his ways. Or maybe he is lurking on the board and is seeing what his patients think of him. Or maybe they just aren't involved in any published statistical studies at the moment. And your weight loss is FANTASTIC. You should be so proud of yourself!:clap2:

Anyway, folks, haven't changed my ticker yet, but I was on the "stomach flu" diet all weekend, and lost 4 more pounds!! I had forgotten the difference between a PB and a forceful vomit, and was viciously reminded several times over the last three days :sick . Not the best way to drop a few pounds, but I'll take it.