AARRGGHH!!!! I had my surgery in Maine 5/17/05 and moved to Orlando, Florida 7/20/05. I have called numerous places and all but one has refused to treat me as I am a liability! the one place that woudl treat me wanted a "program fee" od $ 1,000.00! then the fills would be 150.00 is the dr did it and 75.00 if the nurse did it. I asked what the program fee entailed and was basically a "refresher". Well, I know why I did this and how, I don't feel I need to pay someone that much money to go over it again. I feel like I am being taken advantage of. What happens if you relocate witha pacemaker or other implanted device?? I know that it is basically because the band is so new but still really angers me. I am fortunate enough to have a friend who is a pilot and helps me get back to Maine and then I pay 300.00 cash for my fills. If anyone knows of a reasonable place in Florida who does fills please let me know...Don't care where at this point. Thanks for listening to me vent!:phanvan

Thanks for the clarification!

I believe the $196 is for the initial consult.

I paid that on my first visit and from now on I pay $30/visit. Unless I get a fill which is $100.

Hello Stacey -

You say your BMI is 35. Well, I was borderline too and for what it's worth, I think some of what I have experienced may have to do with that fact: After going through the first few cautionary weeks of clear liquid only, then all liquids, then puree & liquids, I gradually started to incorporate other regular foods into my diet - obviously trying to eat healthily. Strangely, I felt none of the fullness/satiety that I'd read about. My capacity seemed not restricted AT ALL! and of course, I still felt as much hunger as I'd always had before the surgery. Not only that, I'd cautiously try little bits of rice, steak, and even bread and having found no ill effects, would continue to eat and again -- no pblms AT ALL! - even put away almost a whole portion of chateaubriand one time! Didn't even feel full on smaller amts of food than I'd had before, much less ever experience the backwash (vomiting), or pain of passage of the no-no foods that I'd read so much about. Anyway, after one month I had a fill of 5.7 cm. At first I could sort-of detect some tiny difference, but in next few wks, I began to think that difference I thought I'd detected was simply wishful thinking - purely psychological. In other words, back to feeling no discernible restriction at all. I know we're supposed to still be exercising some judgement and self-control ourselves and not counting on the band to do the whole job for us, but after all, I really wasn't getting ANY help at all fm mine. Went for a 2nd fill after about 5 wks to 8.7cm. Now, I definitely have some of the negative symptoms if I try the no-no foods (tho steak isn't too bad if I eat slowly and chew thoroughly), and I do feel full on less food than I used to eat -- but even now, there's no way I have a sense that the pouch can only hold 3-4 oz. of solid food at a time, which is the claim. I can still eat a fair bit of food compared to other people, just a bit less than I used to eat. (I do try to watch my choices of course, re-joined Weight Watchers & a local gym).

Anyway, overall, I'm still glad I did it, have lost some wt since banding (tho most of it in the 3-4 wks right around the surgery), & will continue to lose, hopefully sensing some help fm my band. I only tell you this as a forewarning that it may not be as effective for you if you have say, 40 - 70 lbs to lose, as it seems to be for people who need to lose 100 or more lbs. Or -- maybe it will. Everybody's body is different, and of course, every surgeon is different. Maybe the diameter of my band when originally installed should have been smaller??? Don't really know how that works - ie, if they can be tightened or loosened at discretion of surgeon. So in summary - do it, but have realistic expectations. Anybody else out there have similar experience?

Lorrie Zuzek