I am so depressed. i have been the best patient and never once have complained -- i got banded April 29 2010 -- so i am coming up on a year (keep that in mind).

I dont want to say my dr's name yet. But I weighed 224 at the band. and i was 192 last weigh in. Ive been 192 since last summer. i got down to 184 but i had some phentermine for a month and that really helped. but obviously i dont want to continue with those since i had a lap band for $13K which i paid out of pocket.

Anyway--in january -- he wouldnt fill. said it's fine. i said i was hungry and the indication on the color chart was yellow, but he said he knew better. he said -- "dont become a fill-aholic." he has said this so many times.

then february -- i lost bec of the phentermine. he said i was in the zone and didnt need a fill. i was still 30 lbs from goal. HE DIDNT EVEN LOOK AT THE BAND. he didnt exray or anything.

fine i respected his decision.

Now i went in last week and i had gained up to 192 -- he says NO FILL. again. i asked him why and he said the liquid i drank on the exray was going thru fine. but i am hungry i said. and can eat more than i should as if i have no band at all. i havent had a fill since December and i havent lost..."

he says, "FINE OK, I WILL FILL YOU A LITTLE BIT"

i lay down for the fill and as he has the needle in me i say "so how much are you going to put in?"

he says, and i quote:

"DONT TELL ME HOW TO PRACTICE MEDICINE!"

as soon as the needle was out i told him i wont be back -- i dont care if i have two free fills before my year is up. I told him i have every right to know how much he is injecting into my body. that's not telling him how to practice medicine, it's being an informed patient and i wont tolerate this. i told him i have referred patients to him and now i will not.

he immediately started groveling like a weirdo -- said he's in physical pain bec of a surgery -- to which i said "i dont care. dont come to work if you cant be civil to your patient who spent $13 thousand dollars" he said he's just had a bad day. said he put 3/10 of a ml. or whatever into my band. which is like nothing.

i feel depressed and like i wasted my money. i will have to go to another dr and get fills and pay for it. i have to beg this guy to fill me. i have been a perfect patient. never hassling him. always on time to appts. always follow directions. then he has the nerve to not tell me what he's injecting?

NO -- i hate this guy.

i know the lap band is just a tool. but it's a tool that is supposed to restrict the amount of food i can fit in my stomach and i am supposed to get satiated with less food bec it takes longer to go thru to my big stomach -- sorry for the juvenile words.

but you know what? aside from not being able to eat some foods bec they get stuck - i have no difference. i dont know how much my band is at now - i would guess 5.3 maybe but this guy makes me feel so helpless i can't stand it. i have NO SAY in my treatment. i UNDERSTAND he's the expert and i need to defer to his expertise

BUT HE DOESNT EVEN LISTEN TO ME IN ORDER FOR HIM TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.

i tell him i am hungry

i tell him i can eat more than a cup of food

he sees that my pouch is not stretched out or misaligned

and yet he refuses to fill me -- why?

it's not bec he says i need to learn -- he says its bec the exray indicates the liquid is going thru like it's supposed to

ISNT he supposed to take other factors into account? like my physical description?

OBVIOUSLY something is wrong -- i havent lost since AUGUST!!!!!

i have two fills left til i have to start paying $100 each -- do you think that's the real culprit here?

i do

i hate him

I am so depressed. i have been the best patient and never once have complained -- i got banded April 29 2010 -- so i am coming up on a year (keep that in mind).

I dont want to say my dr's name yet. But I weighed 224 at the band. and i was 192 last weigh in. Ive been 192 since last summer. i got down to 184 but i had some phentermine for a month and that really helped. but obviously i dont want to continue with those since i had a lap band for $13K which i paid out of pocket.

Anyway--in january -- he wouldnt fill. said it's fine. i said i was hungry and the indication on the color chart was yellow, but he said he knew better. he said -- "dont become a fill-aholic." he has said this so many times.

then february -- i lost bec of the phentermine. he said i was in the zone and didnt need a fill. i was still 30 lbs from goal. HE DIDNT EVEN LOOK AT THE BAND. he didnt exray or anything.

fine i respected his decision.

Now i went in last week and i had gained up to 192 -- he says NO FILL. again. i asked him why and he said the liquid i drank on the exray was going thru fine. but i am hungry i said. and can eat more than i should as if i have no band at all. i havent had a fill since December and i havent lost..."

he says, "FINE OK, I WILL FILL YOU A LITTLE BIT"

i lay down for the fill and as he has the needle in me i say "so how much are you going to put in?"

he says, and i quote:

"DONT TELL ME HOW TO PRACTICE MEDICINE!"

as soon as the needle was out i told him i wont be back -- i dont care if i have two free fills before my year is up. I told him i have every right to know how much he is injecting into my body. that's not telling him how to practice medicine, it's being an informed patient and i wont tolerate this. i told him i have referred patients to him and now i will not.

he immediately started groveling like a weirdo -- said he's in physical pain bec of a surgery -- to which i said "i dont care. dont come to work if you cant be civil to your patient who spent $13 thousand dollars" he said he's just had a bad day. said he put 3/10 of a ml. or whatever into my band. which is like nothing.

i feel depressed and like i wasted my money. i will have to go to another dr and get fills and pay for it. i have to beg this guy to fill me. i have been a perfect patient. never hassling him. always on time to appts. always follow directions. then he has the nerve to not tell me what he's injecting?

NO -- i hate this guy.

i know the lap band is just a tool. but it's a tool that is supposed to restrict the amount of food i can fit in my stomach and i am supposed to get satiated with less food bec it takes longer to go thru to my big stomach -- sorry for the juvenile words.

but you know what? aside from not being able to eat some foods bec they get stuck - i have no difference. i dont know how much my band is at now - i would guess 5.3 maybe but this guy makes me feel so helpless i can't stand it. i have NO SAY in my treatment. i UNDERSTAND he's the expert and i need to defer to his expertise

BUT HE DOESNT EVEN LISTEN TO ME IN ORDER FOR HIM TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.

i tell him i am hungry

i tell him i can eat more than a cup of food

he sees that my pouch is not stretched out or misaligned

and yet he refuses to fill me -- why?

it's not bec he says i need to learn -- he says its bec the exray indicates the liquid is going thru like it's supposed to

ISNT he supposed to take other factors into account? like my physical description?

OBVIOUSLY something is wrong -- i havent lost since AUGUST!!!!!

i have two fills left til i have to start paying $100 each -- do you think that's the real culprit here?

i do

i hate him

I hope you are feeling better since you last posted this. Regarding this matter -- I've search for doctors in that area and found some doctors (hope not the surgeon that is causing distress), however perhaps you could do a more in-depths search to attain their address and number.

Dr. Felts from LapBand solutions near the medical complex in Houston

Dr. Spivak

Dr. Collier The Woodlands or Conroe

Dr. Wilkenfeld in The Woodlands

Also, if you cannot locate another surgeon or somehow another surgeon does not take transfers try out this website: Lap Band Fills. Perhaps there is a fill center in your area.

No way you should be taking that kind of attitude from anyone! You're a customer and there are plenty of places to get lapband now!

I got my first fill today after almost seven weeks and I've lost 22lbs!!!. 2.5 cc is how my doctor (Dr. Fernando Miranda in Houston) put in. I already ate tomato Soup and later had some yogurt. Went down fine. Mostly just knowing I have a band on has been making me nervous enough not to overeat. I don't like throwing up, and so far I haven't! I'm still a newbie and right now I'm simply excited that I've finally started losing weight and stopped putting it on. I really like my doctor, he answers all of my questions and is real friendly. Plus his office manager (Gloria) is super nice and does a great job answering my emails and calls. I can't imagine a doctor snapping at me while he's got a needle in my stomach!!!

I am a patient of dr Wilkenfeld. I have had the best experience with him and his staff. He is very focused on education and making sure that you know what is normal and what isn't. I am only 2 weeks post surgery, so I haven't had my first fill yet. He and his staff emphasized the fact that coming in monthly (he will do fills no closer than 2 weeks apart) was very important and that you shouldn't be hungry (after the first 4 weeks, of course). They are very focused on calorie counting and try to keep you close to 1000 cals per day. I would suggest calling his office!

Good luck!

I am looking to be banded in Houston and want to avoid this doctor. Can you please post his name? I am looking at True Results - Dr. Hollis or Reilly