Request a fluoroscope?

Frangipani · June 5, 2008

I lost weight on a 5 week preop diet, 25 pounds, liquid Medifast but after my first fill they thought I had the small band, 4cc one and I had the large 10 cc band and so my first two fills totaled less than 1 cc. So like I was taught before to chew chew chew I was doing that but then one day I found out that I had no restriction and didn't have to chew any longer. That's when I met with my surgeon and he withdrew all the saline and found the mistake and then put in 3 ccs and so I was full at 3.5 around Thanksgiving time. So for the first three months it kind of messed with my head thinking I had restriction then boom I had it. Then the holidays came and along that time Cookies and because I finally had restriction I'm pbing all Protein and finding out that Christmas Cookies and fudge go through the band.
So I put on probably 10 pounds from surgery through the holidays. So probably around January I go to the PA and I've gained 10 lbs so their reaction is to give me a fill. Come back in two weeks see how you're doing. Two weeks later I've gained five pounds, give her another fill she's gaining weight. Mind you I hadn't gone to the forum yet. That fill was a mistake somehow she put in one too many and wrote down the wrong amount and I now had over 5 ccs and that's when I was vomiting for 10 hours straight my own saliva and met with my daughter's surgeon who took out all the saline and looked at my chart and found the mistake and removed the one extra leaving me with 4 ccs. Since then I've gone from 228 to 248 and at my last appointment which was with my surgeon I begged him to take out 2 ccs so that maybe if I didn't have as tight a restriction I wouldn't eat the slider foods and eat healthier and start losing again!

He didn't want to but he did and so far I've been adjusting, haven't gained but haven't lost stayed stable. So now I don't know what to do. Tomorrow I meet with the PA, the one who gave me three bad fills and I'm going to ask for a fluoro, and thanks for the warning but it's one of those risks we take that we try not to think about, and I still don't know whether I should get a fill or a partial cc or not.

Sorry to lay it on you and you may have read this before but it's just been pretty frustrating. In some ways I wish there was something wrong with the band so they'd remove it and I could get an RNY like my daughter has!! I did want this to work initially but I just may have been the wrong candidate and these other mistakes just made it worse, who knows. But anyway you've done very well on your band so congrats to you and I wish you well and if anything comes of this I'll let you know, thanks brandyII.:thumbup:

Hi Brandy,

I totally agree with your decision to push for a fluoro. Please do let us know how it goes and Good luck :thumbup:!

But the majority of people get their fills fine....so why do fluoro if it isn't indicated? That would just make getting fills that much more expensive. Now for people that are having problems, or are symptomatic of suspected band malfunction...sure, do the fluoro. But for people that aren't having any probs whatsoever...why screw with it?

Plain, I hear what you're saying, but having fills done under fluoro makes the Band adjustment process that much quicker, easier, and more precise.

I have a piece of hardware wrapped around my stomach and I want someone looking at it and seeing exactly what they're doing when they adjust it. I don't want someone doing this blindly -- any more than I would want someone reaching in to repair or adjust my car without seeing what their doing.

Furthermore, I want to have the Dr. look at my Band every so often to make sure that there is nothing wrong with it and/or my stomach or pouch.

For me, it makes no sense to have my fills done any other way.

Livingthe Dream · June 5, 2008

I hit goal weight last month and then the band started to tighten. It was weird that a fill that lasted 3 months all of sudden became to tight to manage. I had a choice to go back to Dr. No Fluoro or reach out to a new doctor. I decided a new doctor was in order because I wanted to be more exact and not go off how I feel. Most would not consider a tight band as a complication but I sure do. I don't have time to guess at how I feel as people watch me sip Water.< /p>

brandyII · June 5, 2008

Hi all,

Ok, went to see the PA today and was going to request the fluoro, so here's the good and the bad.

The bad is "oh we don't do those" and I got a cc put in. Ok, and if this had been the whole appointment I probably would have cried and left more hopeless than usual but I think my guardian angel was sent there today, even if one doesn't believe in them I think you'll understand my meaning.

Normally a nurse weighs you prior to getting to see the PA or the surgeon and takes your blood pressure. Well today was a "new" nurse who started actually talking to me about my issues and why I felt like a failure and told me that she's going to help me get on track and she's starting a lap band group beginning on Monday and I am to come and she also gave me other advice and was really nice. She has the bulk of her training with psychological issues and addictions etc...

So long story short when I'm at my downest (new word) someone just happened to pop up at the time I really needed it.

So anyway hopefully I can get things turned around, at least there is hope again!!!:thumbup:brandyII. Oh and I'm down a pound since the last time I was there so I'll have to fix my ticker someway somehow.

Frangipani · June 6, 2008

Hi Brandy,

Congratulations on your excellent stroke of luck today :lol: !

You sound excited and very optimistic -- good for you :wink2::thumbup: :lol: !

brandyII · June 6, 2008

Thanks Frangi

But on the other hand I was a bit disappointed when it came to the PA making those comments about the fluoro. I kind of wonder what percentage of lapbanders actually get them done. You bring it up and they're like where did you hear this????? If I really want one done I'd go to my primary and ask him to give me a script for one. Right now I'm going to not delve on that and hope that going to "lap band group" will help. She gave me some advice which was nice and said that the next time I have a craving for something sweet to write in my journal, anything, just to get my mind off it and my hands doing something else. So we'll see, I'm an old dog and maybe I can be taught some new tricks!! thanks brandyII.

Oh and good luck with your PS, did I read you were getting it?