GRR!! I just had my third encounter with Dr Bowater (at Stephen Watson's rooms) and for the third time I've left his office annoyed as hell and not happy with the results! I signed up for the band with Stephen Watson, not Bowater and I am not happy about being fobbed off because Stephen has gotten "too important and busy" to deal with his patients personally now.

Bowater is inconsistent in his advice and has been pushing his own variation of the US emphasis on Protein, and this is NOT the eating pattern that I want to follow. I'm sorry, but a diet consisting solely of tinned fish in olive oil, fish filets or chicken thighs, eggs, protein bars/shakes and the occasional vege or salad is NOT my idea of a healthy eating plan.

As for his inconsistencies, ARGH!! Immediately after my plastic surgery, he wanted to refill me back to my full pre-op level of 7cc in a 10cc band. I had been pretty tight before the op and wanted to ease back into restriction slowly. Not realising how long the waiting times for follow up appointments were, I pushed him into only giving me 6cc, and intended to come back for another 0.5cc in a month's time. Well it turned out (AFTERWARDS) that I wouldn't be able to get another appointment until nearly THREE months later, by which time all my internal swelling from the op had gone down and my hunger was raging out of control.

So I go back FINALLY for the fill, desperate and upset about gaining 5kg since my pre-PS weight. His response? To tell me all about how he'd only taken Fluid OUT from people that day and his new approach was that people should have LESS fill, not more, to lose weight.

I'm pretty sure I know where that is coming from - if people are too tight, they switch to slider foods and liquids and overindulge in those because they are still feeling HUNGRY as the sliders/liquids don't fill them. Give those people a small unfill and they will be able to eat solid foods again and will be able to get full. Been there, done that, but believe me, that is NOT my problem right now!

On the Saturday night before the fill on Monday, I managed to eat a HUGE dinner of Lamb Rogan Josh, Butter Chicken, Dahl, rice, steamed snowpeas and Naan bread and then went back for dessert of stewed apples & cranberries with icecream! I am NOT too tight!! I need restriction!!

So after telling him all this, he reluctantly agreed to give me a fill. Foolishly, I didn't ask him how much he put in. Usually I check this carefully, but on Monday I was so upset at his reluctance to fill me that I just forgot. So Monday afternoon/evening, I try to stick to liquids as advised but I'm hungry all night. On Tuesday, I eat the eggs for Breakfast and by 11am have already finished the 2 cans of tuna, boiled egg and carrot/celery/cucumber salad that I brought to last me all day and I'm still hungry. I went back to camp and ate a full roast dinner for the evening meal - all this after the fill!

So I call the doctor's office to find out how much fill he gave me - just as I suspected: 0.25!! Bloody hell!! I had meant to ask him for 1cm but was prepared to be talked down to 0.5cm. I didn't think he'd halve that again, after I told him how much I needed it! I promptly turned around and asked the office to make me another booking for another fill, asap. The best she could do is 5 weeks away but that's better than the 3 months I had booked on Monday with Bowater (and he had wanted me to push it out to 6 months down the track!)

I have had enough of this guy! Stephen Watson is a great surgeon, even if he is an arrogant prick and his bedside manner sucks, but at least he LISTENED when I spoke and worked WITH me to get my band to where I needed it to be.

Can anyone in PERTH recommend their doctor? How is he/she with follow up work? Do they listen? How far out do you need to book fill appointments?

PS: Can anyone tell that I'm just a little bit pissed off?

Edited February 24, 201016 yr by Fanny Adams

I'm glad you've finally got someone listening to you, Fanny. I think you needed it, for sure. It shouldn't be this hard for anyone to get the restriction they need. Esp if you're gaining!

I am in a slightly different situation, and I hope it will still mean I can get a fill. I am not unrestricted, I just am far less restricted that I am happy with. I like not fighting hunger, and I am fighting hunger now. But whether a fill would make me lose more when I don't need to lose more, is I suppose is what she will have to weigh up.

It may be I have enough restriction for maintenance. For a while, due to work stress, I was even losing despite poor restriction. But now my appetite is back and I don't like it.

I guess I personally don't feel comfortable with the restriction I currently have. But it may be that I actually don't need a fill per se, and I should be eating more at this stage, to maintain. So we'll see how we go on Tues, when I see her I guess.

Hi all, i go to Kevin Dolan at Joondalup....awesome! you can get either of 2 other docs do your fill, but i just tell them what i want and they do it!....at this stage (9 months post surgery) I know what I need now:biggrin:

Just thought I'd update that I saw Maria on Tues and she was really wonderful. Even though my weight was lower than ever, I explained that I was gaining a little, and was eating more than I considered normal, and wasn't really getting stuck on anything anymore. So she gave me a 0.25ml fill.

Now I know that I really did need it. I am still not as restricted as I was at my sweet spot, so I can only imagine how much less restricted I was before this fill.

She actually said that she believed that I needed a fill if I was gaining, no matter how slowly, because what was the point of me gaining 5 - 10kgs only to have to get filled then and then try to have to lose it again? Best have a small fill as a preventative measure.

So I'm happy as larry. I don't have another fill appt now. She said she thinks I've had enough success with the band to understand how it works for me, and to know for myself when I need a fill. :thumbup:

She's great, isn't she? I'm going back on the 10th of May, which is six weeks after my last fill. I would have gone back after only 4 weeks, except that works out to be the 26th of April, which is a public holiday for Anzac Day. I really need the next fill but will just have to hang out till May. At least it is more manageable than it was last month, but still no where near restriction yet.

I am in a slightly different situation, and I hope it will still mean I can get a fill. I am not unrestricted, I just am far less restricted that I am happy with. I like not fighting hunger, and I am fighting hunger now. But whether a fill would make me lose more when I don't need to lose more, is I suppose is what she will have to weigh up.

It may be I have enough restriction for maintenance. For a while, due to work stress, I was even losing despite poor restriction. But now my appetite is back and I don't like it.

I guess I personally don't feel comfortable with the restriction I currently have. But it may be that I actually don't need a fill per se, and I should be eating more at this stage, to maintain. So we'll see how we go on Tues, when I see her I guess.

this is hard to get your head around. I am very unrestricted these days, and a lot of bad habits have crept back in. I constantly feel as if I've eaten too much and I have to avoid those bad foods consciously.

but I wont go back (unless I do begin to gain) because despite this, despite eating way more than I was a year ago, I am not gaining! So really, its better to eat more long term and be better nourished.

Occasionally, I'll shoot up by 2lb but I get right back on it.

I do think there'll be a time in future when I will need a top up but not yet. You just have to get your head around the fact that it IS OK to eat occasionally! And it IS ok to eat like a normal person - ie. not perfect all the time.

Exercise is, as ever, a very powerful weapon in preventing regain too.

I had to have half my fill removed a month ago just before the wedding. I saw Maria and she was fantastic. Had me have a barium swallow (I have a band dilation) and called me after the results came through to make sure I knew what it all meant and what to do. I've got my next appointment on the 30th of this month (not sure who with but I hope it's with her!) and I definately want some fill in. Apparently I now have less than when first banded! I've been living the honeymoon life over the past month and have put on about 3kgs so keen to knock that on the head! I'm conscious though that I've barely been doing any exercise too. Getting very hungry in the mornings but don't want to put anymore pressure on the band either so I'm thinking about just a .5ml fill and see how I go.

Hi Fanny, I totally agree with you I have seen this guy a couple of times now and the first time I went he told me I need to put on 4kg and then last time at the same weight he said I could lose 2kg more if I stick to tuna and coffee basically. Im sorry I cant offer any help on a new fill Dr I just wanted to let you know I know what you are talking about. I have found a Dr in Geraldton to see now.