So I was banded June 5th and have had no sliming or anything getting stuck. But that is probably because I don't even feel like I had the surgery at all since I have no restriction, and haven't for last four weeks.

On July 11th I went to my dr for a scheduled fill, but I mentioned to the nurse I was going to Florida July 14th for a week. You would have thought I admitted to kicking a child, they were so aghast! I was told no dr in their right mind would give a fill so close to vacation and I'd have to wait till I come back. Thankfully I only gained 1.5 pounds in Florida, so I wasn't too upset.

I went back for a fill the 23rd of July to find that the good doctor was on vacation until august 1st, so I had to wait until today to get a fill. I've only lost 20 lbs in 8 weeks, and almost all that was the first 3 weeks, so I'm ready for a change.

Out of all this what really chaps my hide is that I'm self pay, so any fills I get 3 mths after surgery are free. I was hoping to have at least 2 fills in that time, but my doctor like to wait 4-5 weeks between fills so my next one might not fall in the 3 month window.

The guy is a popular ****** then... Who cares? Ok so you got someone good to cut you open. That's good. You have to know that a properly trained nurse practitioner can give you a fill. It's not a big deal to go elsewhere for fills. Thank god you are only financially tied to him for 3 mo.

You got a band to fill it. If you had the self willpower to do it on your own, you would have.... I love the band because it counts the calories for me and I don't have to bother because I am adjusted well. The portions are done for me.

Get someone to do your fills that you can have a productive working relationship with. This guys a ****** (that's a medical term you deserve Better.

Who Is your doctor?

I take it you have Dr. Woodman.

I had plication with my band and I found out he doesn't like to give any fills when you have the plication done (almost ever).

I've lost 23 pounds in 6 weeks, and I plan on having 7 more off by my post op appointment on the 16th. But I would still love a slight fill.

I'm 22 and my mom came to some appointments with me since I'm self-pay and she's helping me. He totally has the hots for her so I might need to bring her in with me! Haha

But don't let him tell you 20 pounds isnt great! Get back on your diet and make sure you're working out too (it has to be both, not one or the other). Show him up You can do it!!!

Sounds like a total jerk to me. I don't see why doctors think its their decision if you should be able to get to your green zone or not. The doctors opinion on weather or not your eating perfect all the time or exercising every day should not effect whether or not you get to the green zone! For crying out loud a fill is not the doctors gift to you, getting a fill is part of the process of having a lap band. If the doctor doesn't like that process then he shouldn't do lap bands. Grr it makes me mad when I hear about this attitude that some lapband patients are getting from thier doctors!!

Betting it's Woodman. No one else could be that awful. He is doing mine with plication on 8/10. I'm self pay too. I still have 2 lbs to lose before my weigh in the day before surgery so maybe I won't even make it! I'm so sorry he talked to you like that. Can we change to Weaver in 3 mos for fills? That man needs an intervention. And the preop nurse at Baptist said that all the nurses hate having his patients bc they have to deal with him.

Pennie

Betting it's Woodman. No one else could be that awful. He is doing mine with plication on 8/10. I'm self pay too. I still have 2 lbs to lose before my weigh in the day before surgery so maybe I won't even make it! I'm so sorry he talked to you like that. Can we change to Weaver in 3 mos for fills? That man needs an intervention. And the preop nurse at Baptist said that all the nurses hate having his patients bc they have to deal with him.

Pennie

When I had my surgery all of the pre op nurses hinted at the same thing! I would've switched doctors, but I was already so close to getting the band I didn't want to put it on hold longer. He is a great surgeon, but not the nicest. I'm planning on moving to Dallas in 6 months anyway (I would have never told him that) so I will be finding a doctor there!

It is Woodman, and although he is a great surgeon, he is an awful man. I will be going to Vanessa Weaver when my three months is up because I don't want to give him one more penny. I just couldn't believe that he made me fight to get a fill when everybody on here was saying they had an appointment for a fill. When I called to make an appointment for a fill, I was told they couldn't do that, it just had to be a 'general checkup' Such a bunch of BS. What really got me was that he said he trains all the doctors around here on how to do the surgery and what to expect afterwards, so he told me not to believe anything anybody from the Southeast said on this forum because it had to be a lie. I don't believe his head could get any bigger.

Well I can't see myself using him for my follow up either. He is so disapproving of everything you say. I am having plication and I pray I don't need a fill. And about what you said about not believing what you read on here, i bet that he just hates that people talk about him. I wonder if he reads here?

Pennie.

Wow! Passive aggressive there, Doctor! I am sure that he feels his "bedside" manner is what it takes for many people to lose weight; my own daughter ran into a problem with our surgeon. He wanted to lecture, too. She finally said, look just fill me! She has been banded for almost 3 years and has lost about 40-50 lbs, but has recently gained back 7. She is now logging her food intake. You really need to go back to logging your food. It does help. He has never been the kind to force a weight loss tho. Best wishes. Karen

Sounds like he is dragging his feet past the 3 months of free fills to me! I think you should report him. Google his name and find a site where you can leave comments and see if others are complaining about the same thing. Contact your local Medical Board of Physicians. I would be firm but fair and accurate about what transpired. It is your responsibility to diet and lose weight, but it's the surgeon's responsibility to provide adequate fills to get you to your Green Zone so the band can do it's job!

In the mean time, call his office and schedule a fill for August. Tell them what you suspect and let them know that you are going to take action. Hopefully this will get the ball a rolling in the right direction!

That really sucks! Makes me appreciate my doctor and the office he works for. They are always encouraging, high-fiving, and leaving most decisions to me (with guidance, of course). Shout-out to Dr. Haag and Pioneer Valley Surgical Group! And keep on pushing, you are doing just fine!