This is the chat thread for the August 2006 Band Crew!!! Don't forget to update your totals, fills, etc in the August Updates thread in the main forum!!!

Chat away!!!!!:biggrin1:

Hi ABC Crew -

I had my 3rd fill last Thursday and can totally say I have good restriction, I had been able to eat pretty much anything, well tonight I tried some rice with my chicken and lets just say I pb and it was really gross, I didn't like it at all so I guess no more rice. It got stuck filling and it hurt soooo bad I thought I was going to die, my sweet son came running after me and said is it stuck mama, but after the pb I was ok. Hopefully now I will see the scale move more, with all the working out and less food intake.

Happy Birthday Jamie, Hope you have a great one..:biggrin1:

Keep up all the great work everybody

** HOLLY **

Wow, everyone is doing so well. I just had my second fill on Halloween. I only got 1cc added, though he offered to give me .5 more I refused. I guess slow and steady wins the race and I didn't want to be sick. This fill was so much better than the first one. They used lidocain to numb me this time, worked great but it leaves a bruise about the size of a half dollar. While doing my fill the Dr. drew up all the fluid to see how much was there, he got about 4.5ccs. I was supposed to have 5.5 and he said thats normal, some was probly trapped down in the band and he wrote down that I have 5.5. I asked if I should be concerned that I was missing some and he advised me not to get hung up on numbers, its more about how I feel. I have been a bit obsessed with the numbers (weight, fills, ect.), I guess its a control issue. Take care everyone, Rock on.

I had an appt for my 2nd fill in Port Huron yesterday at 3:30. I had my fill at 3:30ish and drank water and was doing fine. We went across the bridge to canada and were shopping in Sarnia Ontario when I decided to get a propel. One drink and the water wouldn't pass through so I had to go out to the parkinglot and throw it up. I waited a little bit..took another drink. Instant tight feeling in the chest and threw it up. At that point I'm spitting up my salvia so we decide to go back to the U.S. so after we cross the bridge I take another drink...throw up. So I call the after hours line because it's after 6pm by this time and they say "Dr. Boutt (my doctor) isn't on call tonight, Dr. Bhesania is so we'll have him contact you shortly" so 5 minutes later he calls me and I explain what's happening and that I'm from Lansing (2 hours away) but I'm still in Port Huron and he says "call the lapband center tomorrow morning and we'll get you in" and I said "but I'm still in port huron right now" and he says "but I'm not near the hospital. Call tomorrow and we'll get you in" and I said "you want me to drive back to Lansing tonight like this and drive all the way back tomorrow to get unfilled?" and he says "yes. I'm not near the hospital" So I said ok and hung up. I then drove directly to the hospital where the lapband center is and went to the ER and said "someone has GOT to unfill this right NOW because I'm in misery and I'm not driving back to Lansing like this and getting up tomorrow and missing work to drive all the way back here to get this out." So they called Dr. Bhesania and told him I was in the ER and asked him to come in (I'm hearing the conversation while I'm in my hospital room)and the ER doctor says "I don't know how to do that. I've never even seen it done. Ok.. Hold on" So the ER doctor comes over and asks to look at my stomach. So I show him and he pokes around for a minute and then goes back to the phone and says "I'm sorry but you have to come in. I don't know how to do it and I'm not going to try. No. You need to come in here" So he gets off the phone and you hear him talking to another doctor saying "He's a specialty doctor that's been trained to do that, I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't feel comfortable stabbing a long needle into that ladies stomach when I've had no training. Last thing I need is to get fired" and the other doctor says to him "no kidding...but I did hear they're hiring at the grocery store down the street" So an hour later Dr. Bhesania strolls in all cocky and asks 2 ER doctors to come in so he can show them how it's done. He emptied all the fluid out of my band and I had immediate relief. Now I have to call back today to get in there in the next week to get refilled with a little less fluid. I was SO stressed out. I have an appt next Tuesday with my doctor to have 1.5cc's put back into my band. I didn't get back home until midnight.

Went in for my second fill on Monday 11/6 in a fillcenter in Sacramento and the doc did not know what he was doing. I got very uncomfortable with him during the procedure since I had one done by Dr. Ortiz office on my first fill. There was no flouro but I thought if he had enough experience it would be OK. He put the needle in my stomach and did not hit the port and proceeded to poke me three times and dig around in my stomach until he found it.... yikes. He pulled out 1.5 and then supposedly injected an additional .5cc, then he just stopped. I told him I should sit up and drink some what to see if I felt any restriction, he wasn't sure about that, so I told him that I was sitting up with the syringe still in. I drank some water and let him know that I did not feel any restriction but he had already put all of the saline in and I did not want him digging around any more. While they were doing it the nurse said the "other lady" had done that also about drinking the water which meant to me that they had only done one other fill. Also while he was feeling around for the port he said "she needs to lose weight" and the nurse said "that's why she is here". They offered to do another fill for free if I did not feel any restriction but I left at that point. The people were nice but I did not feel as though they knew what they were doing....

:omg:

So yesterday I booked a flight to Dr. Ortiz for a fill, I want to see if this guy did any damage during the digging part of the fill. And I still need a fill so that was my experience.... I will update after my fill by Dr. Ortiz office on 11/9.

Wow Josette and Terry your experiences sound horrible. I would have been very upset. I am very greatful to have my Dr he is great he has gone above and beyond for me after my band including alot with my tumor removal surgery which he didnt have to do since it had nothing to do with the band. Ive called his office and hes been out of the office and even off duty and he has met me at his office right away. Good Luck to you guys with your next fills, and I would make sure to complain about those other Dr's thats not right how they treated you.

wow, those experiences are horrible!! My first one was bad but not that bad! My second was a breeze though, and I am back on solids now and doing fine. I had meat loaf and mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli for dinner and everything went down fine :success1: Tomorrow is my 25th birthday, lets just hope I dont over do it!

:happybday: Jamie Hope you have a great Day :happybday2:

Happy Birthday Jamie!!!

Wow, really sorry to hear the horrible fill stories.

I'm SO sorry to hear about the bad fills. Man, what turkeys! Geez, people, show some respect for the patients! I swear it is because we are overweight. Josette, that doctor is such an ass! YOu couldn't even drink Water. You could have serious emergency dehydration from that condition. Doesn't he have any compassion?

And Terry B...good grief, that guys sounds like a complete fool. "she needs to lose weight". yeah, thanks, workin' on it a-hole!

Sorry girls. I hope the next oen goes better! :success1:

Happy Birthday Jamie! Scorpios Rule!

(my b-day was the 7th)

Happy Birthday Jamie!!!!!!!!! ***big Birthday Hug!!!***

Thanks guys!!! Happy belated b-day Pelorojo!!

You guys, I'm all frustrated. I had too much lunch today...and no pain or issues. So immediately I went into the food obsession/bad self-esteem mode. "This band isn't working" "I will go broke paying for these fills!" or the worst, "I want to leave work immediately and go eat while I can".

Why do I totally equate self-esteem with restriction and feel like a failure as soon as I can eat more than bandster portions?

I feel mad and disppointed that I had a fill ONE WEEK ago and now I feel like I need another. And they are 150$. Yet, the lack of retsriction makes me want to get a fill with flouro -- which is 350$!

Guys, any advice or words of wisdom? Should I pay up for the flouro? Should I be patient and wait a few more weeks? Am I rushing the restriction?

Ok I posted pics in last months thread but you really couldnt see my face in the before pic so I found a better comparison shot of me at my highest weight about a month before surgery. The first pic is me at the end of June 2006 and second is me at end of Oct 2006

Pebbles, the difference is amazing. I love having only one chin now, albeit a chubby one. LOL!!!:biggrin1:

Pelorojo, I don't know what to tell you. I can understand the sudden loss of restriction. It's happened to me too. Unfortunately, you're gonna have to get more fills, and pay for them. As for with or without fluoro, that's up to you and your wallet I suppose. How many fills have you had so far? Because even with fluoro it may take a few to find the "sweet spot"