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.