Starting to think I chose the wrong program...

[Sue40 0]

I started on the Tufts/NEMC program three weeks ago. There are a LOT of requirements including 5 weeks of behavior classes (group therapy basically), 2 nutritionist appointments, 2 physiology appointments, 2 psych appointments, 2 medical consults, 1 surgical consult, 1 "intro" session and now I've learned 2 group physiology classes. It takes a lot of time. They make no effort to bunch appointments together, so I'm spending a lot of time driving to Boston.

Here's the reason I'm peeved today. I had my first medical consult. She asked me if I snore. Yes, so? Now she is going to make me stay overnight in their sleep center to determine if I have apnea! I do not have apnea! She made a big deal out of the fact that I wake-up during the night. I have to pee! As I've aged I've lost my ability to hold it that long. All my friends the same age say the same thing! I snore because I have a partially deviated septum, large adenoids and I'm allergic to pretty much everything! She also may make me go for a hematology consult, which takes ages and ages to get. Oh, to top it off, she tried to convince me to switch to gastric bypass. I explained to her that GB is not an option for me because I want to have a child and 42 is the cutoff for IVF, so I don't have time for surgery, healing, and still have successful IVF before I'm 42. She agreed, but thinks the higher weight loss I'll likely achieve with GB is more important. And she insists I need to lose ALL the weight I will lose with LB before I get pregnant. That it would be "very bad". PLEASE. Plenty of people get pregnant with LB, get unfilled if necessary, and then get refilled later. Slowing my weight loss is less of a big deal to me than never having a child. This is a very delicate subject for me and she just didn't seem to get it. She kept talking down to me saying things like, "I do this for a living".

I was on the verge of tears driving home. I lost my job (after 10+ years at the same place) in February and they KNOW I need this surgery done before I can look for another job (because there is no way I could do all this with a new job, there are just too many appointments, which they agree with). I had contacted them about the program before I lost my job, I didn't decide to do this because I lost my job. They told me they could put me on a "fast track" since I have no co-morbidities. Except for having a BMI over 40 I'm really healthy, which they acknowledged.

Now I don't know what to do. I'm about $300 into it (not including all the travel costs), which isn't that much. I don't know if I should just find an "easy" center. I chose Tufts because they are the pioneer of LB in New England and have had zero erosions. And now I'm questioning my decision to choose LB or GB! Does anyone have any advice? Should I just scrap it and start over somewhere else? The psych doctor, who shepherds you through the program, told me to call him if I have any questions. Should I call him and talk through this with him?

[julietj1970 0]

CALL HIM!!!! This is your life and your health. If you are not happy with the results you are getting with this one lady find someone else. I understand wanting to have a child. Im 38 and had my son 15 months ago... dont let anything or anyone stand in your way.

GOOD LUCK.

[Kalipso2 25]

that sounds like a lot of consults! the surgeon i decided on gets a lot of out of town patients and he schedules all the consults for one day. i go the 19th to get them all out of the way.

i decided on the lapband because its less invasive and less down time. GB scares the crap out of me. people have died from that. i don't think anyone has died from a slipped band. i don't have a month to recover. the chance of becoming malnourished scares me too.

go with what your heart is telling you.

[luigismama 0]

This is your health and your life- call the psych guy and really do some soul searching. I'm sorry that woman was so condescending to you- she has no right to talk to you like that. If having a child is that important to you, then you need to go with your gut (literally and figuratively). You have to live with your decision at the end of it, and these people don't. I completely agree with you that GB scares me,and I'd much rather lose it slowly with the Lap Band.

Have you tried posting under the pregnant with the band forum? Maybe some of those ladies can talk to you about their experiences.

Good luck to you, and you're in my thoughts

[jaylow 1]

I'm going to Emerson in Concord, MA and they have a very similar plan. I did manage to get all the medical tests done but then when I went for my first month appointment they said congratulations you lost the required weight but come back in a month, bye bye.

[kbinaz 0]

I think you have valid concerns, and it might be wise to look elsewhere. But I do urge you to be careful about trying to find an 'easy' program or doctor. The issues with appointments and long drives are valid concerns. Some of the medical/pre-op hoops they are making you jump through are necessary and I would question the credentials of any doctor that didn't look very closely at those issues. The education with nutritionists etc. are also very important and while it seems like they take up an awful lot of time I am convinced that doctors who require these things have better results. When I read postings on this sight from people who were not even instructed on what to eat when after surgery or who don't even have basic knowledge of how the band and fills work, I wonder about the skill of their doctors. So you should definitely look for an 'easier' doctor as far as you schedule goes. Just don't look for an 'easy' doctor in those other areas.

[shortgal 5]

It sounds like this very large BRAND NAME center is doing a clinical trial. If they are gathering a lot of info and all these tests, something is up.

Not to say, there aren't tests that many people go through on the forum, but this seems excessive.

I had a pysch visit. One visit. A nutritional consult. One visit. And an appt with the surgeon. A sleep study can be routine for some Dr's because sleep apnea can be a co morbid that will help ins approval. ( And something your facility can document as improved or not improved after surgery, if they re doing a trial.)

I would have had to have an ultrasound but I already had my gallbladder out and an upper GI, but I had one already and knew I had a hiatal hernia, which was repaired at surgery). Pre-op testing once you have a surgery date includes bloodwork, chest x-ray and EKG.

Maybe she suggested GBP becausethe two groups of WLS patients they are tracking needed more in one group than another.

I was once part of a trial at Yale and never again! I later felt like a guinea pig. They were just trying out a way of getting rid of gallstones. I had several treatments and wasted time and still needed traditional surgery to have it removed, when the new way of treatment failed.

Sure I would be willing to be in trial if surgery were free maybe or if I had an untreatable cancer and had no choice.

Not sure if this is what is going on where you are, but consider asking or getting a new Dr.

[klf27 0]

CALL HIM!!!! This is your life and your health. If you are not happy with the results you are getting with this one lady find someone else. I understand wanting to have a child. Im 38 and had my son 15 months ago... dont let anything or anyone stand in your way.

GOOD LUCK.

HI! how do you FEEL since your surgery two days ago?? Are you hungry? I am being banded on 3/12 and I am so worried that I am going to feel sick - like that sick headache you can get from not eating? can you share your experience?

[JaimeSTL 4]

I think a sleep study is important. I had one in October after I almost died during a routine surgery (tubal ligation). I have severe sleep apnea. My symptoms were snoring and waking a lot in the night to pee. Since I went on cpap, I no longer snore, and I usually don't wake up at all, maybe once to pee. My surgeon puts patients with apnea on their c-pap in recovery to help them when coming out of anesthesia. I would want to know if I had apnea before surgery.

I also had two pregnancies, the first with a starting weight of 240 lbs and the second starting at 270 lbs. Both pregnancies, but especially my second one, were full of complications and both babies were premature (4 wks and 7 wks respectively). I would really consider getting as close to goal weight as possible before conceiving. I had every complication in the book just about--pre-eclampsia (starting at 14 wks w/#2), gestational diabetes, etc. So much was related to my weight. Personally, I won't even consider another pregnancy unless I was under 200 lbs because of my history (the tubal didn't happen after all).

That seems like a lot of testing and unnecessary appointments. I had all of my testing done on the same day, including nutritionist and psych consults, met with my surgeon 3 times pre-surgery and then had surgery. If you aren't happy with your program now, find another one. I had minor issues with the hospital and let them slide and ended up having an awful inpatient stay. I love my surgeon but I sure wish he practiced somewhere else.

[nomadem 1]

NEMC is one of the premier hospitals for WLS, that being said I knew how instense their program was. At this point would you be able to switch gears mid stream or is it better to just stick to the plan and all the appts? could you be frustrated and stressed about the choice to have WLS? We all have gone thru it.

have you looked at other Boston hospitals like the BI or B & W? I wouldnt call thier programs easier, both are hard with great surgeons.

[shortgal 5]

You can do an advanced search on the forum for previous threads/posts about your clinic.

The advanced search is at the upper right of the forum page. Do not pick the google search box, look higher on the page and you'll see advanced search. Put your clinic name in the search on the left and then choose the Doctors and hospital section on the right.

Previous posts will come up that you can read through. It could be very helpful to see where other people in your area went or read about people that went to your clinic.

Other searches such as Doctors in Ma or Doctors in Boston might help.

[sfeiner 2]

I think you are getting an excellent work up and will probably get excellent care. The people that don't have work ups are the ones who end up with problems down the road. I believe the centers of excellence that medicare pts go to have about the same program. I know you are in a hurry but remember, It took a long time to get in the shape you are in. It's going to take awhile to get it off too. If you want a quick fix, go to Mexico and then try to find fill Drs and emergency help and education afterwards.

[mbanja 1]

I just wanted to throw in that with the lapband it is recommended that you wait a year after surgery to try and get pregnant. If you are trying IVF I would think that you would be better off waiting the year and not trying sooner because of the healing/adjustment period and weightloss. I don't know much about IVF, but I do know that if you are already having fertility problems that IVF is not a 100% garuntee. Plus you would want your body in top condition so that your chances of having a successful pregnancy would be high.

[shortgal 5]

I had my surgery at a "Center Of Excellence" and did not have all those extra visits. Remember except for the sleep study everything else mentioned physiology AND pysch AND behavior AND nutritional are not the same as a chest x-ray or an upper GI series or an EKG.

I had lots of testing but not a lot of behavior classes or nutritional visits etc. My group has post op classes I can attend for counseling about diet, foods, behaviors etc after surgery, while I am really living with these issues. Before surgery, it's just info we don't know what to do with yet or how to implement the suggestions into our life, becasue we're not banded yet.

I realize they are being very through but it sounds like overkill and is not working for this particular patient.

I agree with you that people could end up with problems if they don;t do some pre-op testing etc. and some people have been very satisified going to Mexico. We can have a problem if we go to Mexico or if we stay in the US, some is bad luck and some becasue of bad decisions.

[make33 2]

I'm with sfeiner--in the SIX MONTHS of testing and consults prior to my surgery, yes, I was poked and prodded over and over and saw multiple doctors (and not in one day either!). I work and am lucky enough to have a caring employer who allowed me the time for all the testing it took beyond my vacation and personal time.

And blood letting?? I am the worst blood-giving patient ever and one afternoon (of many) I spent at the hospital I gave blood twice, through my vein AND an artery!

I think your Center is being thorough and you are experiencing what many pre-op banders go through. I know I was GLAD to have such a caring facility and surgeon...:thumbdown: