I haven't been here in over a year ... and I'm not in my happy place

[CaroleK 0]

I'm going out on a limb here - and this won't be a happy post so if you're not in the mood to read a vent from someone who isn't in love with being banded ... maybe this is time for you to stop reading.

I was banded 1/13/06. I just 'celebrated' 3 years with my Lap-Band. Honestly - the band itself isn't horrible. But the situation I am in stinks.

Slightly less than a year after banding I relocated to the town of Hick-City in the state of Podunk - in the far recesses of the Deep Fried South.

I have tried for the past two years to find a Lap-Band surgeon who is reasonably close (no more than a 2 hour drive if I can manage it) who will see another surgeon's patients for follow-up and who will treat said patients like a human being.

So far ... no luck.

I've found two docs who will see me - but neither of them are men that I trust or can work with.

Doc #1 - I made an appointment for a consultation. He walks in tells me he's on call on the surgical floor and he doesn't do appointments when he's on call so he only has 5 minutes. I'm paying for a consult - out of pocket - and he's only giving me 5 minutes for $150.00??? It got worse though when we had this exchange:

Doc: "So you're here to discuss getting a Lap-Band?"

Me: "No. I'm post-op. As I told your receptionist I'm looking for a doctor for aftercare."

Doc: "You don't look like an after. Are you sure you had surgery?"

Me: :sneaky:

Scratch him off the list. Things went down hill from there - including his office billing both me and my insurance company under an incorrect code so he got paid for something my insurance company doesn't cover.

Doctor #2 - Well, he and I have very different ideas of what is safe. He wants me to be so tight that I can only eat 600 - 800 calories per day. I don't think that a 600 - 800 calorie per day diet is safe and I don't think being that tight is safe. Neither, by the way, does my original surgeon.

Doc #2 really capped it though the day I went in for a slight unfill because I was so tight that every single thing I at hurt (including mashed potatoes and thick blended soups) and he said, "Eating is supposed to hurt. If it doesn't hurt people like you won't stop eating and you'll never lose weight."

I have a band that is now not tight enough to provide true restriction I'm not losing weight. To add insult to injury I also have no doctor to do fills or be available if I have a complication.

I want to have the band removed. At this point it isn't doing me any good. I cannot afford 3 days and hotels and gas to go back to my surgeon every time I need a fill. I cannot find a doctor who will accept me as a patient. I am not willing to be treated like crap just to have a doctor.

So right now I'm thinking this Lap-Band was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I have $17,000 worth of surgery that is completely useless to me. Yet when I dare to say that I'm not happy with my decision someone invariably stands up and tells me it's my own fault for not looking hard enough to find a doctor or not being willing to be treated like dirt just to have a doc who wants to overfill me.

I'm not in a happy place.

Has anyone had their band voluntarily removed without complications? Am I really that big a freak?

[gingerbug 3]

They cant make you get more Fluid in your band than what you want. Can you tell them to take it slow on your fills so you can go at your pace? You wont deal with the docs when you go in for fills (at least I dont) and maybe the nurses will be more considerate.

[CaroleK 0]

They cant make you get more Fluid in your band than what you want. Can you tell them to take it slow on your fills so you can go at your pace? You wont deal with the docs when you go in for fills (at least I dont) and maybe the nurses will be more considerate.

I've never had a fill done by anyone but a doc.

I know they can't make me have more Fluid than I will take - but Doc #2 has said that my attitude is "non-compliant." So he might refuse to work with me if I don't do things his way.

[HD Gloria 0]

I'm going out on a limb here - and this won't be a happy post so if you're not in the mood to read a vent from someone who isn't in love with being banded ... maybe this is time for you to stop reading.

I was banded 1/13/06. I just 'celebrated' 3 years with my Lap-Band. Honestly - the band itself isn't horrible. But the situation I am in stinks.

Slightly less than a year after banding I relocated to the town of Hick-City in the state of Podunk - in the far recesses of the Deep Fried South.

I have tried for the past two years to find a Lap-Band surgeon who is reasonably close (no more than a 2 hour drive if I can manage it) who will see another surgeon's patients for follow-up and who will treat said patients like a human being.

So far ... no luck.

I've found two docs who will see me - but neither of them are men that I trust or can work with.

Doc #1 - I made an appointment for a consultation. He walks in tells me he's on call on the surgical floor and he doesn't do appointments when he's on call so he only has 5 minutes. I'm paying for a consult - out of pocket - and he's only giving me 5 minutes for $150.00??? It got worse though when we had this exchange:

Doc: "So you're here to discuss getting a Lap-Band?"

Me: "No. I'm post-op. As I told your receptionist I'm looking for a doctor for aftercare."

Doc: "You don't look like an after. Are you sure you had surgery?"

Me: :thumbup:

Scratch him off the list. Things went down hill from there - including his office billing both me and my insurance company under an incorrect code so he got paid for something my insurance company doesn't cover.

Doctor #2 - Well, he and I have very different ideas of what is safe. He wants me to be so tight that I can only eat 600 - 800 calories per day. I don't think that a 600 - 800 calorie per day diet is safe and I don't think being that tight is safe. Neither, by the way, does my original surgeon.

Doc #2 really capped it though the day I went in for a slight unfill because I was so tight that every single thing I at hurt (including mashed potatoes and thick blended soups) and he said, "Eating is supposed to hurt. If it doesn't hurt people like you won't stop eating and you'll never lose weight."

I have a band that is now not tight enough to provide true restriction I'm not losing weight. To add insult to injury I also have no doctor to do fills or be available if I have a complication.

I want to have the band removed. At this point it isn't doing me any good. I cannot afford 3 days and hotels and gas to go back to my surgeon every time I need a fill. I cannot find a doctor who will accept me as a patient. I am not willing to be treated like crap just to have a doctor.

So right now I'm thinking this Lap-Band was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I have $17,000 worth of surgery that is completely useless to me. Yet when I dare to say that I'm not happy with my decision someone invariably stands up and tells me it's my own fault for not looking hard enough to find a doctor or not being willing to be treated like dirt just to have a doc who wants to overfill me.

I'm not in a happy place.

Has anyone had their band voluntarily removed without complications? Am I really that big a freak?

I don't understand what you mean when you say "only eat 600 - 800 calories per day". How does the band know if you're eating a bowl of porridge or a bowl of ice cream, so how does that limit calories?

[Kat817 19]

Carole, have you checked in the Alabama section? I know one other bandster from Alabama, and I think she is happy with her Dr. It might give you some other options Dr. wise. You might however end up with more than a 2 hour drive.

I too am in the middle of nowhere! I drive 6 hours one way to my band Dr. which sucks in a major way, BUT.....so did weighing what I did...and this is the lesser of the 2 evils for me.

I had a decent experience with a Fill Center---you might look into them, I have no idea if they have one anywhere near you at all.

As for removal--I don't know of anyone who has had theirs removed, especially without health issues at stake.

Do you have any restriction at all?

I know right now I have no fill in at all. I had a couple of other surgeries, so ended up with a totally empty band, and have ZERO restriction, which leaves me feeling like I have no band at all.

So that makes me ask, if you are not having problems, and are facing life without the band----what is the problem with just going on as if you don't? I mean, maybe with the band becoming more and more popular, new Dr.'s will eventually be available to you, at which time you could begin to work your band again.

Until that time, there is nothing wrong with everyday diet and exercise like we all have done for years....and I do know how hard that is, it is being reminded to me every single day now!

As for fills, I too have always been filled by my Dr. who is a band surgeon, there is always a nurse present, but he does the fill---I think I am more comfortable with that....not sure why, but I am!!! I used to have a nurse access my port which was chemo related without issue.....go figure!!! I guess it is what you are used to!

Good Luck to you----I feel your pain of not being in an area where care is easily available.

Kat

[CaroleK 0]

I don't understand what you mean when you say "only eat 600 - 800 calories per day". How does the band know if you're eating a bowl of porridge or a bowl of ice cream, so how does that limit calories?

His point was that I should be so tight that I am "satisfied" with small enough quantities of food to be eating no more than 600 - 800 calories per day. His description of the "ideal" dietary intake for me would be 4 ounces of lean Protein 3 times per day and then literally one or two bites of vegetables.

[smsmithart 4]

I live off around 800 to 1000 cals a day and it sucks but I'm very close to goal and it won't be forever maintaining and losing are very different..give it a shot..I'm not dying or starving to death..

[CaroleK 0]

Carole, have you checked in the Alabama section? I know one other bandster from Alabama, and I think she is happy with her Dr. It might give you some other options Dr. wise. You might however end up with more than a 2 hour drive.

I too am in the middle of nowhere! I drive 6 hours one way to my band Dr. which sucks in a major way, BUT.....so did weighing what I did...and this is the lesser of the 2 evils for me.

I had a decent experience with a Fill Center---you might look into them, I have no idea if they have one anywhere near you at all.

As for removal--I don't know of anyone who has had theirs removed, especially without health issues at stake.

Do you have any restriction at all?

I know right now I have no fill in at all. I had a couple of other surgeries, so ended up with a totally empty band, and have ZERO restriction, which leaves me feeling like I have no band at all.

So that makes me ask, if you are not having problems, and are facing life without the band----what is the problem with just going on as if you don't? I mean, maybe with the band becoming more and more popular, new Dr.'s will eventually be available to you, at which time you could begin to work your band again.

Until that time, there is nothing wrong with everyday diet and exercise like we all have done for years....and I do know how hard that is, it is being reminded to me every single day now!

As for fills, I too have always been filled by my Dr. who is a band surgeon, there is always a nurse present, but he does the fill---I think I am more comfortable with that....not sure why, but I am!!! I used to have a nurse access my port which was chemo related without issue.....go figure!!! I guess it is what you are used to!

Good Luck to you----I feel your pain of not being in an area where care is easily available.

Kat

Thanks Kat. Even my surgeon (in FL) has called doctors in Alabama looking for someone who will take a patient that they didn't do surgery on. He has been unable to find anyone (he's looking not only for me but for a patient who travels in this area of the country for his job).

I keep calling, including doctors that I've already called hoping that they'll change their minds.

I'm just not comfortable with driving more than 2 or 3 hours (tops) because if something goes wrong I don't want to be that far from my doctor.

I had a fill that "caught up" with me two days later and I was PBing everything. Then I had a medication induced gastritis that swelled my stoma shut and I was PBing on Water. Driving the 45 minutes to my doctor's office was hard enough - I cannot imagine having to drive 3, 4 or more hours in that condition.

Maybe I'm being unrealistic - but that's how I feel right now. I also feel like it shouldn't be this hard to find another doctor - but apparently it is.

[CaroleK 0]

I live off around 800 to 1000 cals a day and it sucks but I'm very close to goal and it won't be forever maintaining and losing are very different..give it a shot..I'm not dying or starving to death..

I just don't think that it is healthy or good for my metabolism to do 800 calories a day for any length of time. I've been told by more than one doctor (including two bariatric physicians) and two nutritionists that anything less than 1200 calories per day and you're unable to get even the basic nutritional needs.

From my research and things that I've heard from other doctors I just don't believe it is healthy.

I also cannot tolerate a fill level tight enough to be satisfied with 800 calories per day. If I am that tight I end up sliming and getting things stuck. I've been there and I know that's not healthy.

Edited January 15, 2009 by CaroleK
for clarity and charity

[Kat817 19]

Carole, I totally understand the issue of being so far from the Dr.

I added to the issue by being banded in Mexico!

Originally I went to the seminar and met with a surgeon I had researched out of Colorado---he was among several who were all about the same distance from me. I am in the 4 corners area of NM, and there are ZERO band surgeons in NM. So.....I met with this Dr, and was doing my insurance required diet junk with a local Dr. in prep for surgery. Then I was in a car accident, and is screwed up my 12 month required diet thing, and I only had 6 WEEKS left of the year! Insurance was going to make me start all over!

I ended up getting a settlement from the person at fault in the accident, and it was nowhere near enough to have the surgery done in CO--so he gave me a very short list of surgeons in MX he knew and would work with. I chose my surgeon, and the original surgeon in CO agreed to do my aftercare. BUT they both felt I needed a local Dr. for emergency care, in case I needed an unfill, and the surgeon refused to do my surgery until I settled the issue.

So I got my oncologists office to agree to an emergency unfill only. They had hit ports on me for a year before, so agreed.

With everything set up, surgery proceeded---all was well for 18 months, then like you I got sick, and blocked my stoma.

It was Spring Break~ my surgeon was out of town----so I contacted the oncology office, and they told me to come right in. Only to find they no longer had the huber needle in my file! Some office staffer had removed it, and they had nothing long enough to unfill me!

I finally got advice from a Fill Center Dr. and resolved my problem.....but I DO understand where you are coming from.

We as a society are pretty nomadic, and the issue of not caring for another surgeons patient is going to have to change! It is scary to me! I even understand about me going out of the country---so not having another Dr. to hold liable---but when you simply move and need a Dr. what in the hell are we supposed to do???

The surgeon I had originally planned to use, is one like #2 you mentioned, who feels serious restriction is needed. I disagreed, I have never been seriously tight, and refuse to be! It did not prevent me from getting to goal, and allowed me a sense of comfort since I was so far from help.

Good Luck to you.....but I still think if I were you (and I know I'm not!!!) that I would leave the band in place....even if it is not in "use" right now. Maybe soon you can find a Dr. with compassion and understanding.

Kat

[Nikkisix 0]

how far is Atlanta from you?

[CaroleK 0]

how far is Atlanta from you?

Roughly 4 hours - 5 on a bad day.

[CaroleK 0]

Good Luck to you.....but I still think if I were you (and I know I'm not!!!) that I would leave the band in place....even if it is not in "use" right now. Maybe soon you can find a Dr. with compassion and understanding.

Kat

That's true. I may yet find someone. I guess I'm just frustrated and a bit worried. I mean if something does go wrong I'm up a creek.

I guess it hit home with me this month because I'm under a ton of stress because my mom has been very ill and hospitalized 3 times in 1.5 months. I ended up with a stress headache from hell and increased blood pressure. When my doctor wanted to put me on a high dosage NSAID and muscle relaxant we had to have a lengthy discussion about the NSAID risks vs benefits. Which made me wonder what I'd do if the NSAIDs caused a problem with my band.

Thanks so much for your thoughts ... I think, though, if I cannot find a reliable doc within a reasonable distance within the next year I might consider removal. Either that or a revision.

Edited to add:

Kat - I took the positive note from your message and did another search for Lap-Band surgeons and noticed something new on the search feature at the lapband.com site. It's an option for "Accepts Out of Town Patients" . That's new ... well I searched and two docs (in the same practice) came up with that qualifier. So I'm going to call their office tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Edited January 15, 2009 by CaroleK

[DETERMINED 0]

i was reading your description of where you said you lived and I say the very same thing.. PODUNK and looked at your city and it is HUNTSVILLE!! I live about 40 minutes from there. I am from another state and Alabama is definitely Podunk. !!! How far is Albertville or Boaz from you?

[CaroleK 0]

i was reading your description of where you said you lived and I say the very same thing.. PODUNK and looked at your city and it is HUNTSVILLE!! I live about 40 minutes from there. I am from another state and Alabama is definitely Podunk. !!! How far is Albertville or Boaz from you?

I'm not sure. LOL I haven't lived her long enough to really know where anything is. I don't actually live in Huntsville - but a small town about 35 miles west of Huntsville.

Okay ... Mapquest says I'm about an hour from Albertville. So that's where Albertville is. I learn something new every day. :thumbup:

I never realized how big of a city Tampa really is until I moved here. Don't get me wrong - I like living here way more than I did Tampa. But I have gotten a taste of what rural really means.