JulyBandster

I've had my band for 9 months now, and have never pb'ed! I'm wondering why, actually!? LOL! I have the VG Band, and am guessing that my doctor is going so slowly with the fills that I am not fully restricted yet! UGH!

I love Dr. Haag ~ but have to agree that some of the office staff leave a little something to be desired. I tried not to take it personally, but it is hard not to - they can be so snippy! I began this process a year ago, and thought I'd be a self pay. I asked Dr. Haag about self pay costs, and he quoted $12K-$15K. I hired a great and inexpensive lawyer in the meantime, who fought my insurance and won......so they paid 100%. And continue to pay for the fills! Dr. Haag mentioned that fills would be included for the first year......... One of these days, someone has to tell Dr. Haag about his staff...maybe he can do something! AK

Sounds good to me ~ I'd love to get together! Fills don't hurt at all. I get mine from Dr. Haag, which isn't the same as Dr. Fiallo, but can't be that different. He has you lie down, then crunch up, lifting shoulders off the table so that he can get/feel your port. Then he injects the needle, you relax and lay back down, and about 30-40 seconds later it's all over! I've been for 6 fills so far ~ I have the VG Band, and it seems to be taking awhile for me to get to my sweet spot. I'll be there again Monday, hoping this is the "one!" Don't worry about fills - they really don't hurt. All you feel is the initial bite of the needle, like a blood test! And I'm the biggest weenie there is! Amy

I take Metformin and don't have to cut or crush it at all - goes right down, although I am careful, and have to be mindful while taking it....not like before, when I could down two in a gulp.

I am almost 9 months out from my band surgery, and this remains an issue for me too. I had almost given up from hearing anyone else discuss it, cause it seems like I am the only one still suffering, long after surgery. My doctor isn't sure what causes it either.......... Here is what I have learned about why it happens to me: I never have it early in the morning, when I first get up....it happens, usually, mid morning, right before lunch when I am hungry. Also, hits me late afternoon when I -you guessed it- am hungry again...or just need more Water. My husband noticed that one day I was especially complaining about it, that when I bent over to pick something up off the floor I let out a heck of a belch-----------and felt immediate relief. Can't explain it, but seems to work. Meaning, if I can get rid of some of the air, I feel better, tho not forever. (It doesn't go away completely at this point, but is definitely relieved for the moment.) I don't use straws, so can't imagine how this keeps occurring.....I am a teacher, and talk a lot - maybe I really am full of hot air? HAha. Another way I get some relief is to lie down on the left side..........I usually feel air moving around, and sorry for tmi, but it heads out one way or the other, and I feel better. I never experienced this preop....don't have a gallbladder anymore so it's not that...and I know that it comes and goes depending on the fills. Can't explain it to save my life, but I have really tried to figure out why I'm suffering! (I am no where near full restriction yet, so can't be that.......Still working on getting to sweet spot) Good luck.......and know you aren't alone!

I am a patient of Dr. Haag's too, and was denied by my insurance too, at first. I got an attorney, Steve Kalman (bandedlawyer.com!) for next to nothing and appealed and won. (I had Anthem Blue Cross/Shield of CT) When I first visited Dr. Haag, he quoted me a price of $12-$15,000 for the surgery out of pocket. This was a year ago. Anyway, my insurance wanted to see diet history too - Because I had PCOS and Insulin resistance, I was visiting my gynecologist regularly, and she wrote up a letter for me, in addition to the letter from my PCP. Also, check with the yahoo group about bandster's insurance companies - they regularly update and share their results with different companies...was very helpful to me at the time! Good luck - don't give up!

My first ultrasound for my troublesome gallbladder was "fine" too - it wasn't until a fourth or fifth attack showed that the stones were moving back and forth in the opening, which explained why I sometimes was fine and other wasn't! A lot of what you describe were my gallbladder symptoms - feeling like I was having a heart attack, pain in the upper right quadrant, radiating to shoullder, stabbing pain........had it all. Next time you are in the midst of the pain, you might want to go to ER and have them do ultra sound again....my stones showed up more clearly when I was in pain, unfortunately! Got the band in early July, and the gallbladder out less than 2 months later! Good luck to you.............Amy

I am a turtle, and I have PCOS! I'm taking 1500 mgs of Metformin and Yasmin Birth control each day to try and control symptoms.

OK - Don't know where I heard this, but somehow I was under the impression that sex happened when a man rubbed his penis against a woman's bellybutton - that terrified me. Now I believed that as a young girl, say ages 10-14 or so. At some point, I must have heard differently, and because it was such a deep seated belief, I turned that around to the man having to FEED the baby that way - that he used his sperm to - uh, saturate - the belly button on the female, and that that helped to feed the baby. I'm embarassed to say I believed that up until about 16 or 17....How weird is that? lol

I had my lapband out July 12, and my gallbladder out September 2. I had a tough time with the band surgery - was out of school for the summer, so can't comment on specific time off - but no way would I have been ready to go back one week later. I'd say a good 10 days was needed........ My gallbladder surgery was 10 days out of work. I found I needed more of the pain pills the dr prescribed for the gallbladder surgery than I needed with the band surgery - no one can explain why/or predict how or why we respond to surgery. Good luck!

How about a teacher's perspective? I work in elementary schools, with kids in grades K - 5. I see MANY parents fight the labeling of ADD/ADHD, and that is understandable to a degree. However, I see what happens when parents do that.......I see the kids when they are left back a grade, or are needing to be placed in a resource room situation rather than a regular classroom due to their lack of control - yes, even the very smart kids with ADHD! An example: I am working with a family that has one child, a boy, who now is 11 years old in 5th grade, with an IQ of about 130, upper average. He has struggled with school since Kindergarten. Nice little boy, who WANTS to do well, but can't help it when his impulse is to yell out an answer, or to turn the game board over when he is losing....things that don't work well in a public school! He is receiving Cs and Ds, and there is discussion of having him repeat the year....he's been so unavailable to learning.........His teachers reached out to parents each year, asking parents to have him evaluated. Unfortunately, he couldn't sit through the school evaluation long enough for the results to be valid. Parents don't want to medicate, even though his family pediatrician believes he has ADHD. They wanted to try hypnosis, the FienGold Diet (from the 70s--eliminates sugar, etc..), nutritional supplements.....each year it was something new and different. Meanwhile, his grades have absolutely plummeted - parents are not hurting for money, so they hired a homework tutor every day so that they could remove themselves from that battle; his peers laugh at him, and he sits alone at lunch time because he seems so different to the others; doesn't do well on team sports since he is so impulsive; was recently suspended when he snapped a classmates bra strap cause someone told him to do it, and he lacks the impulse control to stop and evaluate; How sad is all of this? He asks his parents for medication so he can be like the others.....just breaks your heart, yet the parents don't believe in medication. I see many kids throughout my day who are on meds that might be able to handle contracts, charts and stickers....but as they get older, these aren't as helpful to kids, and contrary to what someone wrote earlier, this generally doesn't "go away" and they don't tend to "grow out of it." What happens, is they stop making the growth their peers continue to make, and are kept apart from the group, making them feel like outcasts....grades suffer, and many have to stay back because they have no sped help, and no medication to help - so they learn to self medicate, with drugs, alcohol, food.....pick your poison! Instead, with help from professionals, these kids learn how to help themselves with organizers, check in/check out in school, extended time given for tests and assignments....but not if the child isn't identified as having ADHD. If you hide from it, nothing good will happen, that I can guarantee you! I have a lot of experience working with kids and families dealing with ADHD...can you tell have a lot of passion about this subject? I'm not promoting medication, but just warning that if it really and truly is ADHD, medication can work wonders..........and doesn't need to have the stigma many wish to attach to it. I had a student a couple years ago that by the time he had reached 5th grade, he wasn't able to complete any homework independently, was failing many subjects......friendship issues....parents finally decided to try meds. They tried one, and it caused eating issues. Tried another, didn't work well. Almost ready to give up, and tried another---this was the winner! The child commented to me, "Mrs. K, the room stopped spinning! I hear your voice so clearly now-" Wow - how powerful is that? (ADD kids often have trouble isolating noises - they hear everything all the time and aren't sure how to tune in to one thing and let the others fade...) This kid had been so unavailable to learning for so many years - he had a lot of catching up to do! Last I heard, he was making honor roll! Talk about success........... A good source of information is Dr. Hallowelll.........can't recall the books he's written at the moment - it's been a long day already, lol! But if you do a search on him, you should come up with a couple books he's written. I believe he equates kids with ADD needing their meds just like a diabetic needs their insulin..........it's a brain chemical interferences, and it's cruel to assume they can themselves can "fix" it with just a behavior modification chart, or something along those lines......... Feel free to email me any questions - I can be a bit long winded about this stuff! :nervous

I had lots of burping, pain that started in the right/middle of chest, gravitating to shoulder...........felt burning pain initially. Woke me in the middle of the night. I had 2 attacks before getting the band....went away for quite awhile, unless I ate a particularly fatty meal, or something that didn't agree. Turned out to be my gallbladder! I had the band placed July 12 this year, and had the gallbladder removed (by my band surgeon!) less than 2 months later! An ultra sound could rule it out, if you still have your gall bladder, of course! Good luck to you! AmyK

I am 6+ months out, and have never pb'ed! Never! I am down about 34 pounds, and feeling great, but am awaiting that first PB. AmyK Vanguard Band/5.5ccs so far!

My doctor now seems to use only the larger band on everyone - I believe that doctors think the larger band has fewer incidences of slippage; who knows! I have the larger band, and it does takes a bit longer to reach restriction........but you get there. Just takes a few more visits. I don't believe it is a matter of one being better than another - some people do better with the smaller band. Your doctor will know best! And you have a leader in this field doing your surgery, so no fear! Good luck! AmyK

I believe I have read somewhere recently that bruising is a sign of low blood sugar! So it is good news that you had blood tests............That should pick up any issues. Best of luck to you! AmyK

Don't worry - nurses have seen it all. I had my period the morning of surgery too - I was mortified. When you brought to admitting, the nurse hands you a gown - that's when I mentioned I had my period - she didn't say a thing - just reached into a drawer and handed me a pair of mesh underwear - couldn't believe they would fit, but they did - and a ginormous pad. NO TAMPONS allowed - I heard the story in my support group of a women who decided not to tell anyone, wore a tampon into the OR, and when she awoke, it was gone...........ugh, ugh, ugh. I knew not to do that! So the pad works, and when you wake up, unless your flow is extremely heavy, you will feel well enough to be able to go to bathroom in your room and change things....no problem. Hope this helps! AmyK

My doctor said that I can take ibuprofen "as needed" for my monthly cramps without fear. He said to drink lots of water with it, and it shouldn't be a problem. It came up at a support group meeting, and it seems that when bands were first being placed the general advise was a lot of NO's to everything - now they have eased up a bit, and don't think it causes the problems it was believed they caused.....My doctor's rule is that it is ok to take any pill the size of a thumb tack or smaller without worry. But always go by your doctor's advice!

Pj, you asked me how long I was out with the gallbladder surgery. Well, I was out for 6 workdays - had two weekends on either side of that.........I found the gallbladder surgery to be easier than the band surgery, but everyone is different. I know I took my pain meds for 5 days with the gallbladder, and needed them! I am so glad I had it out - i had no idea how much nausea I had been living with..... AmyK

hi there - i had my gallbladder removed about 7 weeks post op. Dr. said no way to removing it at the same time as the band surgery. guess the gallbladder and it's stones - being diseased/in need of coming out- can leak into the abdominal cavity - who wants that with a brand spankin new band, right? could cause trouble. i think delaying the band by a couple weeks and having the gallbladder out is probably a good idea. good luck to you! amyk

What a fun thread! I am so excited about this right now, cause we just booked it. We are giving my mom and father in law an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii this summer! I have been bursting to tell someone - haha! I'm so thrilled. They retired youngish, but have run into some tough financial times recently, so they think they will not travel for a year or more. (They love to hop in their cars and make trips they can drive to in a day or two........) We are paying for their airfare out to Hawaii, for 3 nights in the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel - a much nicer place than they would ever pay for themselves - and then we hop on a cruise ship, and do a 7 night cruise together. The other night a program about Hawaii came on the tv and my mother looked at my father in law and said something like, "We will never be there, I guess...I sure wish we could go. Maybe we'll hit the lottery, or something." Which made me so happy to know they WANT this gift ~ Christmas will be really special this year! AmyK

I'm a big fan of spinning classes, and can't tell ya enough about them! My hubby has joined me, and we go together about twice a week. I like it cause there is some anonymity (sp?) involved in it - my club does it in a darkened room to some really loud, pumping music......I love it, and find I sleep like a baby when I'm done....You can adjust the tension on your own bike, making your spin as challenging as you like. Try it!

Congrats to you on your upcoming surgery date! I used the same office - only I used Dr. Haag, not Dr. Fiallo - They both are wonderful. I'm thrilled with my band! Good luck! AmyK

I posted about this same topic a couple weeks ago! I have since had an additional fill, and the grumbling went away. I simply cannot explain the extreme hunger I felt from that last fill - I would swear someone took the band away from me during that fill, cause I would rumble and feel so hungry. And it wasn't head hunger this time! Anyway, I got another little fill last week, and the rumbling went away. I asked my dr. about it, and he couldn't explain it. I had excellent restriction for a couple months after surgery - didn't even need a fill. Went for a fill and GOT HUNGRY?!? Got another fill, not-so-hungry now. Still loving my band, but wondering just the same! AmyK

I have PCOS too - I wondered about the surgery, and if it would help me to loose, especially since, I was never able to loose much of anything before. Well, I'm happy to report that I was able to lose around 30 pounds so far! I'm as thrilled as can be. I have reached a stand still now, mostly because I haven't got restriction - just got home from my 3rd fill! So all in all, I'm amazed and thrilled. I do take metformin, and continue to take it after my surgery. It is mostly for regulating my periods more than anything else.....but it supposedly helps place girls like us with PCOS on a more level playing field with everyone else.... Hope this helps! Amy

Jorjet - I had my band surgery on July 12 - and had my gallbladder out September 2....so I know where you are coming from! If it helps you to know, I found the gallbladder surgery a lot easier than the band..........I had my band surgeon do the gallbladder! I was lucky it worked out. It never happens at the right time - I teach 5th grade, and had to miss the first week of school....that was bad timing too! Good luck.....and take your pain meds when you come home....they told me to take them continuously for the first couple days....I stayed on them for 5! But the surgery itself was a lot easier for me. Let us know how you do! amy