pta2007

I had the lipo with TT in order to avoid dog ears at the end of incision. I am going back to work on Thursday and have taken a little over 3 weeks off mostly due to the drains being in until today. I would not recommend going back to work until your drains are removed because of the possibility of infection. The total amount of skin removed was 9 lbs. :smile:

Hello firefly, Did you ever see another Dr. in Spokane. I also had Dr. Trotter do my band, but I didn't find out about him leaving until November or so because he had released me to yearly appointments only. I am having my family physician do my bloodwork but would like to have a back-up Dr. because of the revision surgery that I had. I would feel better having someone set up just in case there would ever be a need. I have not had a fill in over a year and fortunately am still at a good fill level. I noticed that you looked at my profile and sent me a message, have we met before? e-mail me if you would like to talk further. :thumbup:

Congratulations on having your surgery done! I know that it is large expense, but if you had your surgery in April and you have not had any fills, then your band is not working for you and you paid all of that money for nothing. I hope that you can find a fill Dr. in the area that will help you out. I know that Dr. Trotter's price is high, but he is one of the only surgeons in the area that will take mexico bandsters (so I have heard). He can be a little hard to work with as well, as he is a D.O. and has some very strong opinions about nutrition. I would love to talk to you if you have any questions, just call me. E-mail me and I will give you my phone number. chefari@msn.com

A TENS machine does not plug into the wall, it runs on batteries, I think that you are confused with an e-stim machine which allows you to administer IFC (interferencial current). TENS machines are often sent home with patients in order to manage their pain.

How many fills have you had? Have you had a bad experience? I have had 5 fills and I believe that if you have a competant person doing your fills there should be no reason you would need flouroscopy. Just curious.

Erik, Dr. Trotter at Spokane Surgeons will do fills on patients banded in Mexico, not sure what he charges though. His number is 344-3100

I had to have my port replaced in April. The problem was that he could put Fluid in, but could not get anything out. It was not a problem with the port but rather a kink in the tubing that goes from the port to the band. My doctor used the same surgical sight, and it was done under conscious sedation, so I did not have to be put out. Recovery was very fast and I was even shopping with my mom less than an hour later, although I probably should have just gone home because when the anesthesia wore off I was sore. It was nothing compared to the first surgery, but still had pain at the port sight due to it having to be re-stitched to the abdomen wall, and I didn't have to go through the month of liquids/mushies again. Hope this helps. Ari

3cc's is not uncommon for a 1st fill, but elaine had already been filled previously, and most Dr's go up gradually from there usually 1cc at a time.

Good lord, what Dr. in their right mind would give you 3.5cc's at one time. Most reputable fill doctor's give only 1cc at a time if you have already been filled. I don't mean to sound harsh, but a fill as little as 0.5cc's can make a world of difference. I felt no restriction when I was at 4.5cc's so I was given another .5 and was getting stuck at 5.0cc's on my Vitamins in the morning and my Dr. took out only .2cc's to bring me to 4.8cc and I am at a sweet spot now. I hope that you are able to get comfortable quickly. Being stuck can not only be dangerous, but very scary as well.

Sunlover, It depends on your policy. I have United health care and mine covered me, but I know of others who have United as well and their policies exclude any bariatric surgery. Sorry I can't be of more help. Ari

Alicia, Welcome to Dr. Trotter's group! I'm not sure what he charges because my fills are all covered by insurance. Give him a call cause I know he will see patients who have been banded in Mexico. (344-3100) Hope to meet you at our next support group meeting on July 8th at 6:00 at Holy Family hospital in the basement. Ari

That is true!!! I have the actitrainer and also am an avid cycler. I went on a 14 mile ride the other day and it said that I had only gone 776 steps. It's great for a pedometer, but I had it on workout mode and it said I only burned 13 additional calories. I think that a nice quality pedometer would do the trick just fine. I do like the fact that it tells me how many calories I burned in a day and what my basal metabolic rate is, however I don't know how entirely accurate it is. Its a great motivator though. Hope this helps, Ari

Just checking to see if anyone is still out there!!! Ari:thumbup:

I got my Wii fit on tuesday and it is great, alot of fun and I think it will really motivate my kids as well. The price of the Wii fit is $89 and nintendo regulates the price so you can not get if for less, unless you buy it from a private party secondhand. If you paid $120 for the game then the store jacked up the price. It tracks your usage on a calander and you earn Wii money for the time you work out, which in turn unlocks new games and activities for you to participate in. Have fun, Ari

Bandster 1007 I completely agree!!! Abby, Please let your psychologist know how you are feeling, hopefully they will be able to help you cope with these feelings. Good luck to all.

I am excited about Wii fit as well, I pre-ordered it and will be picking it up on the 19th. I had a feeling they were going to be a hot item so I ordered it as soon as it was available. I am looking forward to the yoga section as I can really use the help with my balance and form. I'll let you know how it works. :thumbup:

Hi all, I hope the meeting went well last night. Sorry I missed it, I have bronchial pneumonia and didn't figure you all would want me to share. Please let me know what I missed if anyone gets a chance. Ari

If the insurance paid for the surgery then they most likely will pay for fills. My insurance pays for all of my fills, I just have to pay the co-pay.

No hospital with an ounce of ethical responsibility will let you leave without an escort. I even had to sign something saying I would not use public transportation for 24 hours following surgery. This is major surgery, laproscopic or not and you will be under general anesthesia. So no, you will not be able to go it alone. Sorry!!:wink2:

If you are still looking for a support group in Spokane, We meet the 2nd tuesday of every month at Holy Family Hospital @ 6:00pm. You are welcome to join us.

Hi all, Just wondering if anyone else here is planning on doing bloomsday this year? I always said I would do it at least once and a friend asked me to walk with her and her kids, so I said why not. So here goes nothing. Wish me luck. Ari :tt2::thumbup:

The pain will go away eventually, mine went completely away after about 6 weeks. The pain is from the port being sutured to the abdomen wall in order to keep it in place. My dr. also told me that the pain can also be from them puncturing through the abdomen wall in order to get the laproscopic tools to the stomach. I just had my tubing and port replaced on friday due to a kink in the tubing and my Dr. said that the pain will not last as long this time because he did not have to go into the abdominal cavity for anything as it was all done just below the skin, but he did have to restitch the port into place so I am a little sore, but shouldn't last more than a few days. Good luck, it will get better soon. Ari

Hi all, Had my tubing unkinked on friday. All went well, but still a little sore. I was planning on going back to work today but will take one more day because of the soreness. Talk to everyone soon. Ari :rolleyes2:

Have you already been approved with your existing insurance company? If yes, then how do you get your fills when BCBS takes over? I would check with BCBS to see if your surgery and fills will be covered with them. It might be worth the wait if they cover both, so you don't have to pay out of pocket for your fills when you lose your existing coverage. Just a thought.

Hey Lisa, Nope, not fixed yet. I am scheduled for April 18th, but still waiting for insurance approval. I would hate to see how long I would have to wait if it was an emergency situation!!! See you on tuesday? Ari