Captive audience

[010308 0]

I am really ticked off after my last fill and I decided that I have to vent.

So I'm going to try to make a long story short.

I live 2 hours from where I get my fills.... and lately I've been broke so it was a big decision for me to get to the clinic to get my last fill. But I felt strongly it was time so I scheduled the appt for this past Tuesday.

I get into the room where they do the fill and "The Queen of Fills" comes in and starts drilling me about my lifestyle. I suddenly feel like I'm 12 years old and my mother has just caught me eating something I shouldn't. She asks me if I know how many calories I have to be consuming to maintain my current weight, she grills me about the amount of exercise I'm doing. She tells me that I should be able to lose 2 pounds per week if I was eating an appropriate diet and getting exercise. Then she tells me that she doesn't know if I should get a fill, but instead modify my lifestyle. I told her that I would like to at least get a little bit of a fill. So... she fills the syringe making it clear that they will be doing a fill on me today of no more then .5 cc.

I felt totally humiliated when I left there.... and I got the joy of spending 2 hours driving home thinking about it. When I got home I wanted to eat everything that wasn't nailed down. I've actually gained weight since my fill.

I realize that when I got the band I thought I would do better then I have, but after a 70 lb weightloss I feel so much better then I did. I eat much less and am far more active then I was before. But I left there feeling like crap. Like the 70 lbs that I'm down is worth nothing.

To end, I cannot help but wonder if she gave me a fill or just went through the motions so that I would think she gave me a fill. So far as I can tell I have no more restriction then I did Monday night, only a waste of my time, my money and a new feeling of failure.

Anybody else been through this type of situation? My aunt told me that she thinks I should write this woman to let her know she may need to work on her style.

Thanks for "listening".

:smile:

[gone 4 ever 6]

I think 70 lbs is great! I personally think that you should contact her supervisor and tell them what went on. Is she the one that does all your fills? maybe you can request for someone else to do them if possible. Good luck. Keep up the good work.

[Jachut 487]

I just dont get why they act like that. The WHOLE point of the band is fills. What right has anyone to judge for you whether you need it or not.

And a lot of the time, when you make poor lifestyle choices its because you need a fill.

I would only agree that if someone were doing no exercise, then perhaps they ought to do that first before they try going tighter, but even THEN its a personal decision and if someone wants to be really tight and barely eat, well they've paid for their surgery, the band is in THEIR body,they're paying for the fill so no doctor or nurse really has a right to deny it to them.

[ibluv29428 0]

hi,i was banded 5/21/08,and since then had lost 70 pounds as well but for the last 3-4 months it isnt moving,so ive had 6 fills so far,and 2 weeks ago i went in for an other fill,and had same experience as you,the doc started like you said grilling me about what i eat,and i did stray a little with sweets,so he told me that he will not be giving me a fill,not cause he was mean,but cause he cares,he told me to go home ,with out a fill,and try to eliminate all the bad foods that i started eating,and come back in 3 weeks,so im trying,but ye,you at least got your fill

[travelinsnorkel 0]

My doc gave me a big lecture last time I was in because I was eating carbs. I told him that I was trying a diet that my trainer recommended because I had no restriction and needed to do something. Although he was willing to give me a fill, he made me feel like crap and that made me want to eat more! As y'all said, if we could do it without restriction, wouldn't we all be skinny on our own? Don't let yourself feel bad! And maybe give them a call and ask if you can get more of a fill for free since she clearly didn't do a good job!

[silvers320 12]

Hey 70 is nothing to sneeze at, so dont let her tone put down your success. I can understand if your having financial pressure feeling like you might not be getting what you are paying for. BUT..

While how she said it might have been really bad (and it seems like it was), I think her questions made some sense. Take a look on the this board and see how many times you can find things like " I am at 9.998 cc in a 10cc band and I live on chips and salsa" or "I throw up everything I eat" - that is not how this is suppose to work. It's about working with the band to make better choices. I think there was a chance her questions were targeted to see if you are making the lifestyle changes we need to with the band.

[HeatherO 7]

Her technique might have been off but I do think it is reasonable for them to ask questions about your lifestyle post banding and offer suggestions as well.

There have been plenty of people whe just get more and more restricted without really changing their lifestyle and later have band problems. I would rather have interactive fills where there is some discussion on how things are going and ways to enhance the process rather than just getting a fill. They say a lot of the success with the band is due to the kind of aftercare you receive. If she could have been a little nicer about it, it would have been better.

[justpeachytexas 0]

What about bedside manners. I can understand the questions I will welcome the questions, but I will not tolerate bad manners. They are there to help us with the band not to make us feel like crap.

[010308 0]

What about bedside manners. I can understand the questions I will welcome the questions, but I will not tolerate bad manners. They are there to help us with the band not to make us feel like crap.

I agree... I really wouldn't have minded the message so much if it had been packaged better. I don't think a person should walk away from a fill feeling like a giant loser (and not the good kind of loser)!

[bumble-bee 0]

I hate it that happened to you. There is a person at my surgeon's office who is like that so I make my appointments for fills with the other person. Most of us have issues from our past similar to this that were a part of gaining weight. (Mine was my step-dad humiliating me in front of anyone who would listen. All that did was fuel me to eat more and gain more.) Very sad.

If this woman is the only person you can use for fills, you need to tell her how this interaction made you feel. She may sincerely have no idea and needs to realize that everyone is different. If she's effective, she'll use a different approach with different patients.