Hey everyone! I hope you guys don't mind that I've started a new thread. I've been talking to Terri from Dr. B's office, and she wants to email all of Dr. Bagnato's patients about this website and this support chat that all of us Bagnato Bandsters have going on. She was really impressed by how we've been supporting each other and wants all of Dr. B's patients to be able to come here and get support.

I wanted the title of the thread to be clear and make sure everyone who was banded by Dr. Bagnato knows that they are welcome here, even if they don't live in Albany.

For anyone who is interested, we have formed a support group and have decided to meet once a month.

Our first group meeting will be Feb. 7th at Ruby Tuesday in Tifton, Ga at 6:00 pm. This meeting is basically just a "get to know each other" meeting. I hope to see all of you there!

Okay, serves me right for not keeping up with the board on a daily basis. I see that Georgia Girl would like Jonathan's appointment, but if she changes her mind...... :regular_smile:

Holly

Holly-

Have you called Malik to see if anyone ELSE has canceled? The day I was so desperate for a fill I called and someone had canceled a few days from when I called. She did tell me there was a possibility they'd be backed up and I'd have to wait longer than usual but I did not care! Keep calling, someone is bound to cancel sooner or later. My next appt is april 22 and I'm hoping I won't need it! When is your fill scheduled?

Careful what you pray for, lol. Boy is restriction SUCH a different experience. The first few days I worried I was too tight. I am now testing solids and what a roller coaster it has been. I'm drinking a shake in the mornings since this morning I tried to eat an egg and wound up pb'ing. At lunch I had a grilled chicken breast and took my time and chewed everything to bits and it went down with no problems. Then at supper I tried having grilled chicken again and I got busy when the phone rang and tried to do them both at the same time and wound up pb'ing again. I have really got to concentrate when I eat and pay careful attention to chew chew chew and go SLOW. I can no longer tolerate fluffy bread which I guess is a good thing, If I concentrate and chew my food well things go down fine so I don't think I'm too tight at all, I think I'm just so used to half chewing everything and it going down fine...but man the gurgling throat noises are really embarrassing, lol! My family thinks my band is talking back to us!:regular_smile:

I'll try around 8:30 or 9:00

Thank you Jonathan!! When you call, will you ask them to pencil in my named. I will still call and I'm not sure if they will even do that but it would be nice to have it saved if possible. Thanks again, I really appreciate it!

Edited April 7, 200818 yr by georgia girl

Georgia;

I think they will do that. I had a friend to cancel and she asked them to put my name in, I called like two minutes later and it was confirmed. Don't know if it was just a lucky one time thing or not, but it can't hurt to try.

Mia;

I'm glad that you've gotten good restriction. I don't know what's going on with my band these past few days. First I thought the 1cc put in on Tuesday was too tight, took out half on Thursday. Thought I could eat too much on Friday and Saturday, but today was COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!!! I could hardly eat anything today. The band really does have a mind of its own. Congrats on the 2 pounds!!!

Georgia;

I think they will do that. I had a friend to cancel and she asked them to put my name in, I called like two minutes later and it was confirmed. Don't know if it was just a lucky one time thing or not, but it can't hurt to try.

Thanks Bamboobabe! Do you still want my appointment on the 24th if I can get mine moved up to Jonathan's appt? If so, PM me with your name and I will ask them to put your name in my place.

Bamboobabe

I called today and was able to get Jonathan's appointment for a fill. Malik said she wanted me to also keep the other appt (on the 24th) just in case I needed it (in case I have too much fill or a problem). Sorry, I planned on giving it up but I see her point because it is sooooo hard to get in earlier than scheduled. I would suggest calling Malik daily to see if anyone has cancelled. That's what she told me to do last week but I was never able to catch one, it's all about timing I guess. Hope you get in and I'm sorry.

Georgia;

It's o'kay. Thanks for being willing. I'd PM'd you, but I had decided to keep my original appt. because my restriction seems to have kicked in. Guess I didn't have real restriction prior to this last fill, because I'm finding that I can no longer tolerate some of the things I did before, which was practically anything I tried. Now bread and fresh strawberries are a no-no. Weird, but good. Thanks again. You're a sweetheart.

I had to laugh this morning at the "appointment chatter" because when I called Malik to see about a cancellation on April 10th, she said that someone just cancelled and another person had just snapped up the appointment. Then she said something about all the "activity" on the Lap-Band forum.

I wonder if there are plans to expand the OTC since there do not seem to be enough hours in the day to get appointments? Should we start a petition?

Should we start a separate thread just for OTC appointments?

Personally, I'd love it if there were evening or Saturday appointments! It would be nice to not have to take off so much time to go to Albany for appointments.

My first fill is next week and it could not possibly come any sooner! I need some restriction!

Georgia;

It's o'kay. Thanks for being willing. I'd PM'd you, but I had decided to keep my original appt. because my restriction seems to have kicked in. Guess I didn't have real restriction prior to this last fill, because I'm finding that I can no longer tolerate some of the things I did before, which was practically anything I tried. Now bread and fresh strawberries are a no-no. Weird, but good. Thanks again. You're a sweetheart.

I'm so glad you are feeling some restriction! It definitely makes the quantity part of this weight loss battle a lot easier.

Personally, I'd love it if there were evening or Saturday appointments! It would be nice to not have to take off so much time to go to Albany for appointments.

My first fill is next week and it could not possibly come any sooner! I need some restriction!

ME TOOO! In fact, the time I leave work an hour early to get there, sit and wait to get filled and drive the hour back I miss half a day's work just getting a fill. My boss has been understanding but it is really frustrating. They need more than one person who is able to do fills. They run poor elizabeth and Malik to death. But you know at my last fill Malik was telling me that Palmyra had wanted to move the OTC into the hospital so we'd have to go there for our fills and do it as outpatient- sign in at the front and everything but she fought it. I am so glad- palmyra took FOREVER the two times I had to register with them and I would totally hate to have to do that to get a fill. But they have to know that things are getting WAY backed up- They were eager to take our money and our insurance companies money- they should be just as eager to see us satisfied with our treatment.

ME TOOO! In fact, the time I leave work an hour early to get there, sit and wait to get filled and drive the hour back I miss half a day's work just getting a fill. My boss has been understanding but it is really frustrating. They need more than one person who is able to do fills. They run poor elizabeth and Malik to death. But you know at my last fill Malik was telling me that Palmyra had wanted to move the OTC into the hospital so we'd have to go there for our fills and do it as outpatient- sign in at the front and everything but she fought it. I am so glad- palmyra took FOREVER the two times I had to register with them and I would totally hate to have to do that to get a fill. But they have to know that things are getting WAY backed up- They were eager to take our money and our insurance companies money- they should be just as eager to see us satisfied with our treatment.

I don't understand why they are so backed up. Every time I have gone for a fill, I've been the only one there. On a couple of occasions, one person has signed in while I was there. I don't see why it should take a month and a half to get an appointment. Maybe you all have had a different experience, but it has never been busy when I was there.

I do agree that they need to do something about this, whether it be having an additional person there that can do fills, or working more hours. Sometimes it's really hard to stay focused when you have lost your restriction and have to wait over a month to see them again. I mean, I was really desperate to get in and I was having to basically stalk people to get a cancelled appointment (sorry Jonathan - poor guy got soooo many PM's from me regarding his cancelled appt)!

Mia, I agree with your last statement fully.

You know now that I think of it- every time I have ever been there are only one maybe TWO other people in the waiting room. Lets see, Dr. bagnato has done 500 surgeries give or take and I know they take them from the other Dr as well so i'm sure they have a ton of patients but how can they lay all that on one fill nurse's shoulders. Now I know ppl dont get fills forever and all but still- even that considered that's alot of cases. You'd think with the money they take in they could afford to hire another person. My next fill is scheduled april 22 and I kept it because I got squeezed in this past thursday. It was just sheer luck the day I called someone had canceled. The clinic is not open for fills on Fridays at all- Wonder why not?

I've often wondered about the Friday's too! Now that I've said there is never anyone in there when I'm there, I bet when I go Thursday it will be packed, lol. I've seriously only seen 1 other person there at the most when I've been, and not even 1 other person a few times. Hopefully, if it continues to grow, they will realise they have to do something about it!

I've often wondered about the Friday's too! Now that I've said there is never anyone in there when I'm there, I bet when I go Thursday it will be packed, lol. I've seriously only seen 1 other person there at the most when I've been, and not even 1 other person a few times. Hopefully, if it continues to grow, they will realise they have to do something about it!

When I 'schedule' my fills I try to get them close to lunch because they close for lunch and I know they will be working fast to get us out. The busiest fill appt I've had was at the 9:30-10 bracket and It was lunch time before I got out. If you have future fills you might wanna consider that when scheduling. I always go on thursday's too usually since it's a light day at work for me. I think my next one is scheduled on a tuesday but it was take that or wait till the end of may and I wasn't about to do that.