bunkie68

And today? No pain at all. Go figure.

Kim, how are you doing?

Finally, an update. All the CT scan that my primary doc back in Texas ordered found was one ovarian cyst, right side. The CT results mentioned the band, noted that it was there, and didn't mention seeing anything wrong with it, but I don't know that they were necessarily looking for anything to be wrong with it. So. We got ourselves moved to Louisiana in late June, and I had some pains off and on, but they were generally definitely in the ovarian area, most especially the right side. Not surprising, given what the CT scan found. The pain seemed to migrate up a bit from time to time, mostly on the right side, occasionally on the left, but it was never really severe. Twingy, annoying, but not bad. I started trying to find a surgeon here in this area to get in to see for a check-up. No luck yet - both of the surgeons I've found have told me that they don't see other surgeons' patients, unless it's just to see the PA for a fill or unfill (which I don't necessarily want). I've considered looking farther afield for a surgeon, maybe New Orleans or Shreveport, but if I have to have surgery, I don't want it to be an hour (or more) from home unless that's absolutely necessary. I hadn't had any pain that worried me a whole lot, until today. Today's pain feels higher, almost right between my breasts (which seems high to be band related to me, but I am short, so maybe not). It seems to hurt more when I stand upright, less so when I sit down - don't know how I'll feel when I lie down. I don't have any problem keeping food down, I'm not throwing up, I'm not having horrible burps, nothing is getting stuck. I just have this intermittent pain that kind of hurts. It isn't painful enough to send me flying to the ER, it just concerns me a bit more so than previously. I'm thinking that since it's proving challenging to get in to see a bariatric surgeon (and since my insurance covers exactly nothing to do with weight loss, surgical or otherwise), my best option right now is going to be to see a gastroenterologist. Perhaps then I can get some testing that will at least determine whether something looks wrong in there, and maybe then a removal could be approved as medically necessary. I just want to be over this. I want to not worry that every pain in my insides may be the precursor to it all going to Hades in a handbasket, to something going so wrong that I end up having surgery to save me from life-threatening injury. I've got two boys who need their mama, I want to be done with this and be able to wrestle and roughhouse with them without worrying that doing so will pull something loose with respect to my band. Perhaps all those worries are unnecessary, but I have them all the same. And in a funny twist, my appetite has really decreased over the last couple of weeks. When we go out to eat, I usually get three meals out of anything I order. I find myself thinking at meal time, "Hmm, it's time to eat - not really hungry, but I need to eat something." So I eat a small meal, and I stop. I've pretty much stopped eating anything sweet - just not interested most days, or if I am interested, a small bite of something sweet is enough. If I had been able to do that fifteen years ago (or if I had pushed myself harder to do that), I never would have gotten the lap band. All this worrying I'm doing about it, I wish I hadn't gotten it. Whine, whine, whimper. I need to get in to see someone who might be able to help me figure out what's going on. I've got a call planned for in the morning. We'll see how things go from there. If you've read all this, thanks for listening.

Glad everything was OK with your band, and I hope y'all are recovering from Sandy. I live in Louisiana, so we're passingly familiar with hurricanes, and my heart just broke seeing all the devastation Sandy caused.

I'm so glad it was nothing serious, and I'm really glad your surgeon had such a good demeanor. (Can I go see him? I need to find one like that here!) I hope things continue to go well for you.

I called Dr. Bellanger's office and was informed that he doesn't see other surgeons' patients. Dr. Hargroder told me the same thing. I'm hoping they aren't the only two in town, to where the only way I can see one of them is if I go to the ER in excruciating pain and tell the ER I may need to see a bariatric surgeon, that it's possible any pain I'm having may be lap band-related.

Alas, neither Dr. Hargroder or Dr. Ballenger will see patients banded by other surgeons. Any other suggestions?

Praying that all goes well! Let us know what you find out.

I've recently moved to Louisiana. I was banded in Texas, and I'd like to get in to have my band checked out. I've contacted two surgeons here in Baton Rouge, only to be told that they won't see patients they didn't band, and the best I can hope for is a fill or unfill with the PA, no checking anything with a fluoroscope, just a straight fill or unfill. I don't want a fill or unfill, I want to know if there are any problems with my band that need to be corrected. Does anyone have experience with a lapband surgeon in Louisiana who will 1) see patients banded by another surgeon, 2) evaluate the band under fluoroscopy, and 3) consider removal (as opposed to revision) if it's needed? Thanks for any information!

Thanks, y'all! I'll check with Dr. Hargroder.

I hope the procedure gives you some answers, and that it goes well.

I've moved to Baton Rouge, and I'm looking for a surgeon to check out my band. Thanks!

Ha! If worrying were an Olympic event, I'd bring home the gold. :-) And if I'm not using the band as it was intended and don't plan to, then it makes sense in my mind to remove that worry. As for the pain that started this whole train of thought, it comes and goes. Sometimes it's definitely in the ovary area, sometimes higher. My doc said he couldn't really say why it moves around like it does, but nothing showed up in either the CT scan or my bloodwork that was out of the ordinary other than the cyst. Go figure.

Ha! If worrying were an Olympic event, I'd bring home the gold. :-) And if I'm not using the band as it was intended and don't plan to, then it makes sense in my mind to remove that worry. As for the pain that started this whole train of thought, it comes and goes. Sometimes it's definitely in the ovary area, sometimes higher. My doc said he couldn't really say why it moves around like it does, but nothing showed up in either the CT scan or my bloodwork that was out of the ordinary other than the cyst. Go figure.

Heidi, how are you doing?