OK, need to help and going to open up a bit here -

I stated at 338lb and went down to believe it or not 185 (lost a bit too much being a 6'4" guy)

My surgery was 5 years ago and I was doing fantastic until about 18 months ago - thats when my

band slipped and I had to have surgery to fix the slippage. Regretably, in the time my band slip

until the repair, my stomach was stretched. The surgeon even told me that after the repair, that

my stomach was larger than he'd prefer it to be.

After a couple fills, I was not losing weight. I simply gave up and stopped having fills. Well,

since then, have put on over 70 lbs. I'm devastated. Still 50 lbs less than when I started but,

nonetheless feel defeated.

I want to go back to my doctor and start over, but, have two fears - one, although he is a fantastic

doctor, he has no bedside manner what so ever and I'm not mentally prepared for the scolding!

Secondly, and I take ownership here, I was not able to pay the dr's office my outstanding balance

due to some unexpected financial hardships. Instead of confronting the problem, I ignored it

and my balance went to a bill collector, then court and now wages garnished - (only 1100 dollars),

but, I should have been upfront with my doctor and let him now of my hardship.

OK, now that I have that out of the way, I need to do something to get back to healthy weight.

Is is even possible to get back on the lapband wagon with new fills and find the right restriction,

sweet spot after nearly 18 months. I can't face my doctor (although, I should be a brave man and

talk to the office manager) or do I seek a new doctor to do my fills. I'm thinking a new doctor

will want my medical records, but, my surgeon won't release t hem due to balance due.

Feeling a bit weird writing all this here, but, have to start somewhere.

Thanks. Tom

I'm so sorry that you are having a difficult time, Thom. You need to remember that everyone has problems like you are currently having from time to time.

1. Keep up the communication with the office manager at your doctor's office. You are working to pay your outstanding balance and that's the important thing. I'm sure they will be understanding toward your financial situation, especially in this economic environment. Be prepared to pay in advance from now on, though.

2. You gained weight b/c your band slipped. You were heavier before being banded, lost weight when your band was properly inflated, and gained weight back since the problems. You should lose weight again once your back to that "sweet spot". Your doctor just wants you to be healthy, and I'm sure that he understands it's difficult for you - if he didn't, he wouldn't be this type of surgeon. Since this doctor knows your history, I would stick with him. You shouldn't let this finanical issue block your effort of being healthy. So what if he's cranky. You just need his surgical skill. The 30 minutes you'll spend talking to him pre/post-surgery is nothing in the overall scheme of things.

Good luck to you!

Oh, and one more thing....

I work in HR and payroll and see wage garnishments literally all the time. It happens to a lot of people and doesn't make you a bad person. Hang in there!

I do not think that you current dr. can by law withhold your medical records for any reason. You have the right to them. I have fallen off the wagon a bit in a rutt and struggling with this. I have gained back 3 pounds recently because I have no will power. My band is tight but I keep pushing it. I feel like Im giving up on myself...not a good feeling. good luck. sometimes we have to do things that are not comfortable but i assure you that stepping outside your comfort zone might just relieve the stress you feel right now!

The above poster is right, it doesn't matter how much you money you owe their office, it is against the law to withhold your medical records for any reason. If you go and sign the release documents they HAVE to give you your records. If they don't, they could and would be in serious trouble.

I am very sorry you're going through all this. The simple answer is, yes, you most certainly can get back on the bandwagon after even years of falling off it. If your band is in good condition and in place, it's as simple as returning to the doctor and beginning the fill process again. Really, that's the beauty of the band. Unlike Gastric Bypass and the Sleeve, people often stretch their reduced stomach back to their pre surgery size by chronic over eating, leaving them with no options except going back in for another surgery like Band over Bypass. With the band, we have the ability to simply get fills again and start over. It's pretty cool, when you really think about it.

See if you can find a new surgeon to help you and definitely demand your medical records from your old one. Make sure they are aware of the fact you know it's against the law to refuse and are more than willing to report them accordingly if they don't comply.

Good luck to you, we're here if you need us

You know what I love about lapband talk and what I've missed by now being on it, is the incredible support. Thanks all for you kind words, straightforwardness and faith. I know its up to me and I am going to make the committment to get things moving in the right direction immediately! Thank you.

Tom