donnalemaster

I've struggled with losing weight, having only lost 20# in a little less than a year. When I posted that I was having this struggle, let me tell ya- The fingers came out pointing to me and what I was doing wrong (assumably)!!!! Found out yesterday my PORT HAS BEEN LEAKING!!!!!! Not a single one of these people EVER suggested a band issue, rather, assuming that because their weight loss has been textbook perfect, it has to be the banded doing everything wrong. Not all of us judge. . .that is GOD'S place and no one else's!!!! SO please don't let these individuals chase you away from here. Alot of us are here to support you!!!!!!

Yes! It has been very frustrating. . . .of course it doesn't help that so many people on here who have had textbook results are so judgemental- immediately going to what they assume the banded is doing wrong. I am so glad to know that this is what has been going on! I only wish I had known sooner so I could have gotten back on track! I hope this repair will make everything perfect. I hope.

Ok so here's an update: I have an AP LAPBAND 10cc band in. When I went for a fill yesterday, they found that my port is leaking. I had 9cc's in and he couldn't even get 7cc's out! So, they're in the process of getting an insurance approval to replace the port then I should be back underway. He refilled me to 9cc's but who knows how long that will last. I am not scheduled to go in again until April 21. He ordered an upper gi so I will get that done, find out when my films will be ready for pick up and I'll move up my appointment accordingly. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ready to lose this damned weight!!!!!

Who did you decide to go with?

Ok. . . .it's the 25th now.. . did you go through with it? How are you doing/feeling???????

UPDATE: Per my Doctor it isn't me, my activity or my diet. . .it's the fact that my port is leaking. Sooooooooo. . . . . . .waiting for my insurance approval to have it replaced and I'll be back on the right road.

UPDATE: Per my Doctor it isn't me, my activity or my diet. . .it's the fact that my port is leaking. Sooooooooo. . . . . . .waiting for my insurance approval to have it replaced and I'll be back on the right road.

Me too- I love him. I haven't lost worth a darn having had the band installed almost a year ago, but Brian just discovered yesterday that my port is leaking. Not a happy moment but it sure makes me feel less dysfunctional, ya know? Glad to see someone else loves Dr. Krahn as much as I do!

Get back to your doctor and have them check your Fluid level you could have a leak. I thought I was just disfunctional, but come to find out I have had a leak in m port for the last 2 fills but no one told me about it last time. I will be having it replaced and be back on track soon.

OMG!!!! Who was your Doctor?????

Went in for a fill today and they weren't able to pull out even 7cc's and I was filled to 9 last month. So. . . . .getting approval through insurance to replace port. Thanks for starting this topic. . .I really didn't want to have to be put under and it looks like all but 1 Doctor did it in office. I have to go for an upper GI in the next few days and take my films in at the next appt. My band is a 10cc AP band. ANyone know anything about their history in regards to leakage? I dont know if they'll make me flouroscope before doing this, but it makes sense that they should so they can see if it's the port, tubing, or band instead of assuming it's one or the other. Hope it comes out ok and insurance covers it al because we're still paying our deductibles from the initial surgery 1 year ago.

Dr. Krahn's office is located in San Bernardino. . .NOT Rancho Cucamonga.

I would absolutely recommend Dr. Krahn but this thread needs to be corrected in regards to his location. He is in San Bernardino- NOT Rancho Cucamonga.

They have one in the office to do your psych. Ask them- that's who did mine.

Hi, Michelle! Both a friend of mine and I had that gas pain for several days after surgery. Both of us were told by our Doctors to take gas-x and it did help considerably. No worry about anything that has caffeine in it, caffeine won't hurt anything. Your dressings will be very ugly until they come off. Unless you have a significant amount of blood or serous, don't worry about it.

Hi, Stephanie! Find yourself a good, reputable bariatric surgeon. You should know that you have to go through quite a bit of health clearance, including a psych clearance to be approved. You also have to be at a certain level BMI (each insurance is a little different). The last issue is your age. I cannot say whether or not a surgeon would do the surgery on someone so young, but that would really be between you and your Doctor. You won't know until you begin to seriously pursue this issue. I wish you the very best!

I am beginning to wonder about this myself, or maybe it is too low? I am trying to keep my chin up and go with continuing fills. If I get to 12cc's and there still isn't enough restriction (which I doubt, but who knows), then we will be talking about what is wrong. It could even be that my band has slipped. We will soon see. Thank you so much for your thoughts, JMO!

I'm very confident that it is my not a leaking port. Everytime I go in for a fill they extrude the fluid. They do this to ensure all the fluid that has been previously added is still there and to ensure the color is good (no contamination). Thank you for the suggestion, though, it certainly is a thought provoking one!

Me either and they put 5cc's in mine the first time. No one can tell you how many cc's before you feel restriction- everyone is different. Are you going in within a month for your next one? They had me at 8 weeks, now they have me at a month. My friend has 6cc's in hers and she right where she needs to be. I have 9cc's in mine and I still don't have enough restriction. This is why I say it is different for everyone. Be sure to eat healthy, track your intake (fitday.com), and exercise. You can at least be getting your body ready for the change while youre waiting for the restriction to kick in. Keep your chin up and don't get disheartened! It will happen!

This is ridiculous!!!!!! The moment they saw you were uncomfortable, a good Dr. would have locally anesthetized the area! DO NOT LET THEM DO THIS TO YOU AGAIN! You TELL them you want a local and if they refuse, find a new Doctor. There is no need at all for this to happen to anyone!!!! I am so sorry you had to experience this. P.S. The fill needle my Doctor uses is VERY large, but the anesthetizing needle is teeney tiney. I would MUCH rather be aware of the small needle than the elephant needle, thank you very much!

I am just wondering if there are any other women out there who have their bands this full? I actually STILL do not have enough restriction and will be getting another fill on the 24th. My band holds 12cc's and with my next fill I'll be at 10cc's, and I don't expect that to even be enough. My portions have gotten smaller but not significantly. Is there any other FEMALE banders who are this full or fuller? Thank in advance for responding!

I am a female with a 12cc band. I can eat breads, Pasta, rice, you name it- I can eat it. I have 9cc's in and am getting another fill next Thursday. The only thing I have any issues with are fibrous foods and it isn't because they get stuck- my tummy just has a hard time digesting them. My best friend who also has the band is only filled to 6cc's and cannot eat ANYTHING lap-banders are not supposed to eat, so it just goes to show. . . . . it's different for everyone.

Hi, Courtney! First, I am with Maryanne regarding your husband. . .what is it EXACTLY that he is opposing? Is he maybe afraid you might not make it through the surgery and fears losing you? There is something else there- it isn't just the 'diet and exercise' thing. Secondly, you have taken your first step for support by joining here. Next, your Dr. should have supplied you with some support group locations and times- you need to get in there and join right away. Thirdly, your Dr. should have made you sit through LOTS of education (seminars, web education, reading materials, etc) to make sure you FULLY understand what the lap-band is, the surgery, how it works, etc., etc. THIS is the type of information to be shared with those who are not supporting your choice. It is usually ignorance of the device that causes people to oppose it. I had quite a few 'enlightened' friends after I educated them and now they are considering having it done. Education is power. Once you FULLY understand everything there is to know, you can help stave off nay sayers by educating them. Of course, there will be those die hards and you just have to 'live and let live' with them, but educate yourself so that you can educate them instead of feeling like you're defending your decision. We are all here to support you, so if you ever need us, just let us know!!!! Good luck to you, Courtney!

I have started monitoring my intake in fitday.com and upped my workouts to 30 minutes 5x a week. Just this week I have lost 5 pounds but more importantly I've had TONS of energy and my clothes are getting extremely lose so something is definitely happening. Bfast: 2 HUGE cups of coffee w/ splenda and 1/4 cup 1% per cup 1/2 cup oatmeal w/ 1TB butter and 1/4 c evaporated milk Lunch: Usually salad w/ chicken added, homemade oil/vinegar dressing OR 98% fate free turkey and swiss on rye with a TB mayo Dinner: Because I eat with my family, this varies nightly but my calorie intake has been between 800-1300 daily. My baseline is 1800 so -700 from that and I should be averaging 1100 daily. My Protein is supposed to be 90g p.d. per my nutritionist

I have the same insurance as you and I used Dr. Douglas Krahn with Western Bariatric. I cannot say enough about him, his staff, and his P.A. They are all awesome and I would VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND him. His office is in San Bernardino, however. I found him when some nurses/doctors at my work had done LOTS of research and their choice was Dr. Krahn. He has a website as well if you would like to check him out: www.westernbariatric.com Good luck!