GB2011

Carfigure I had about 3cc in the band. I recently changed fill doctors and have a little restriction (little) right now. It's a lot better in the mornings than the afternoons. I can still eat with ease in the afternoons.

Shap it won't be that bad, I felt like I was back to normal after about a week. You just have to be sure you watch what you eat until they start filling the band. The way you're thinking positively about the changes you need to make will get you going in the right direction after your surgery. Good luck!

The doctor who performed my surgery (whom I'm not fond of) does not use x-ray to do fills. You basically lay on a table and he pokes around until he finds the port and gets the needle in. The problem for me it that every time I have a fill scar tissue forms over the port. So, each time I have a fill, it becomes harder and harder to get the needle into the port. Needless to say, the last fill I had in Nov. took roughly 10 minutes and two different tools. It is uncomfortable and it hurts. I have an appt with another fill doctor next week who uses the x-ray. I am hoping for a better experience and also a doctor who is trying to help me reach restriction. I had my surgery 8 months ago and only have 3cc of fluid in my band. Talk about wasting my time.

Mmmmmm! Very good topic. Let's see if any haters will show up to rumble.

Horrible, Horrible, Horrible. Verbally abusive and doesn't take the time to talk to you. Herds patients in like cattle.

Wow, that's terrible. UHC is usually one of the better insurances when it comes to bariatric surgeries. Keep trying and don't give up. I went through the entire process in 2006 only to change jobs (where they had United Health care insurance), only to get to my orientation to find out they had switched insurance to some local mess that did not cover weight loss surgeries. I just got my surgery done in May. If you want it, keep pushing for it. Good luck to you!!!!

I was banded on 5/6/11. I have seen my doctor 5 times and he only does .5cc per visit (in my opinion, to bill my insurance as much as he can). Needless to say, I found a new fill doctor today and after I receive my records from his office, will be moving on to someone who is going to put the band in action. My band has 2.5cc in it after 7 months. This is BS. I paid for this band to work not to get bilked for all my insurance coverage. I can understand anyone's frustration when you have NO restriction after so many months.

A lot of them are just billing the insurance company..such as mine...and not trying to truly provide a service. Set his ass up and call him out.

Horrible experience post-surgery. His only concern is to keep you coming in each month for fills so he can bill your insurance company. He called me a 3 year old because I wasn't counting my calories and had put on weight (a result of putting on muscle because I had been walking more...didn't even ask if it was a result of exercise). I have filed a complaint with the state medical board and my insurance company on this piece of trash. Every fill has been painful and his staff is less than competent. I will be officially taking my insurance to another doctor in Jan. It's my life's mission to have this man shut down.

I had my surgery in May and since then I have had 4 fills of .5cc each. At this rate it will take me a year to reach my sweet spot. I'm hoping that my doctor will vamp it up at my next appointment this week. These monthly visits are already getting old.

I am on fill #4 and I have little restriction. The only time I feel anything is when I eat sandwiches (bread) and when I eat things like pretzels. I started out really good, working out, counting calories, and watching portion control and I figured I'd be at a better place by now and I'm not. The discouragement of not having more restriction has caused me to go back to old habits, and eating too much of the wrong thing. So far my MD is only adding .5 cc each visit. It may be 2012 before I actually get some restriction, but I am back on track as of today. I have my gym clothes laying on the bed and I'm hitting the treadmill today. I've paid too much money to go back to the old me. Don't feel like you're alone because we all go through it. Just start a new day and vow to do better. I rooting for you!

Fast Food is how I got the way I am, so I have avoided them since being banded. I have days that I go straight from work to class and have to consume something during my 45 minute commute. I usually just plan ahead and make an extra protein shake then eat when I get home. I have no control over the type of food they use in fast food establishments (fatty ground beef vs. lean ground beef), so I avoid them all together.

No, but I know of others with the lap band who really need to seek counseling for their food addiction. Since my surgery I don't eat the same or think about food the same anymore. I am really embracing a healthier lifestyle.

My doctor told me pre-surgery that I have a limit of 1200 calories a day. I use My Fitness Pal on my phone to track my calories. He told me not to eat the extra calories I get from exercising. So far, I'm down 10 lbs since surgery listening to him with no fill yet. I also sometimes struggle eating the entire 1200 calories.

Go girl.