I am 19 months post op. It hurts like heck I paid cash for my surgery with absolutely no support from the drs. I paid for an american surgery instead of going to mexico I want it removed they are not even telling me if they will and how much more they are going to charge for it. Does anyone know where I can get this done? I would prefer to go to mexico as I have already spent more money than I should have. I am down 13lbs in 19 months 325 to 312 as of this morning Please help if I can keep one person from making the mistake I made please let me know I will gladly give you all details. If you must do it at least go to mexico and save 10 grand.

Hi Amisha !!!!:biggrin2:

I'm so glad to hear that you've had a great experience so far !!! I'll tell ya, the staff at NWWLS don't lose interst in you and they offer a pat on the back and an encouraging word every single time you need one. Even for me, almost 20 months out, I have absolutely no doubt that if I called or walked into the office looking for help or advice they would bend over backwards to give it !!! They're an amazing bunch of people and I'm thankful all the time that I chose them to help me with my journey !!!

Good luck to you and congrats on the weight loss so far....you're doing amazing !!!!:biggrin:

Patricia

If Snoho listened and understood her doctor's instructions and explanations as well as she did the forum's posters, I'm not surprised she had unreasonable expectations and skewed understanding of what was involved with being banded.

penni, we each make a decision as to whether the effort of being a successful bandster is worth the end result. food and eating consumed my life pre-band much more than it does now. I am healthy and happy for the first time in many years. Yes, I have to remember to chew slowly. Yes, if I don't follow the rules I experience some discomfort. But I'm not up all night with chronic gastric reflux anymore. I'm not hypertensive and pre-diabetic anymore. I'm not shopping at Lane Bryant anymore! I've only had to get two fills, and I will never need another.

Not everyone has as easy a time with the band as I have. But I would definitely not say it hasn't been worth it.

Too bad you have had such a hard time but that doesn't meant it not right for others. Sounds like your doc wasn't a very good choice. Encouraging people to go out of country to save is also not very sound advice either. Anyone who has complications find it difficult to find a doc stateside who will take them on and then the savings goes right out the door. I'm astounded that you have lost so little and I am very sorry that you have done this for basicly nothing at this point. Maybe you need to find a different surgery group that will better meet your needs. Do you go to any support group or anything like that to get help. They are very important and any doc who doesn't tell you that is in my opinion negligent. If you trully feel you need your band removed I hope you find someone to do it and are then happy with your decision. Good luck to you. As for me even with the complications I have had I wouldn't trade mine in. I'm 1 # from my first gaol of 300#'s, 38 #'s in just 2 months. I could never do that before without the band. So lots of us are very happy with our choices. Everything has 2 sides to the coin and no one thing is right for everyone.

Too bad you have had such a hard time but that doesn't meant it not right for others. Sounds like your doc wasn't a very good choice. .... Do you go to any support group or anything like that to get help. They are very important and any doc who doesn't tell you that is in my opinion negligent.

There are several replies in this thread (including one from me) from patients who went to his doctor or his clinic -- his doctor is WONDERFUL! In my opinion, his situation cannot be blamed on the doctor.

I am deleting this. I do not remember the brand I think it is a large 10 cc band during my free year of fills I had 4 I think I no longer get free fills I had my surgery by Dr. Montgomery at Northwest Medical Weight Loss surgery in everett wa in late december 06. I think my band has 7.5cc in it now hurts like hell in my throat

I do not care if any of you believe me. You may all go screw yourselves

OK.... see now you;ve giving some info.. I admit I've skipped pages before replying and quoting...

I don't think you are lying. I think you are upset and that is FINE.. we all get upset. OK... so you have the large band and you have 7.5cc's in it and you have pain in your throat.

This tells me that you might be a bit OVERFILLED.

That you may have an inflamed esophogus... or that esophogus spasm (sorry I may be saying this wrong)

1st thing is.. if you are IN PAIN you need followup, and if your doc won't give it to you then FIRE HIM and find another.

Start by getting a total unfill, and then give your esophogus time to rest... and then decide if you want to restart the process...... or stay unfilled and go on about your life... (getting a total unfill would be cheaper than getting the band taken out and would pretty much have the same effect)

SERIOUSLY GO GET IT CHECKED OUT and then let us know what you find out. This site is NOT a shithole, but you have to put into it what you want out of it....... I for one would like to see you turn this around ....

it is a complete learning experience for us all.

Tracy

4/26/2007

272/181/who knows

moving to complications board.

I just don't like the way you phrased it. The band is NOT for everyone. But hopefully anyone looking to get the band takes this thread with a grain of salt. Instead of saying "DON'T DO IT SAVE YOUR MONEY", the correct way to phrase it is, "Research it, make sure it's something you want to do". Make sure it is right for you. For every negative story there's at least a 100 good ones around here. I for one-love my band.

I thought Snoho was a guy. Doesn't really matter. I do think that he/she was upset.

If his story makes people think one more time about the band and do a little more research before getting it, that can't hurt.

In my opinion, way too many people who are not ready for the band, who are not ready to give up overeating, are getting banded. It's such a huge industry right now. I can't believe how they move people through the practice that did mine. I like my doctor very well, by the way, he is very good, and did a good job.

It doesn't hurt for people to say they don't like the band, even though it might upset someone's mojo.

Snoho, I hope you see a doctor and I hope you find peace from pain and health.

Live long, and prosper.

I am deleting this. I do not remember the brand I think it is a large 10 cc band during my free year of fills I had 4 I think I no longer get free fills I had my surgery by Dr. Montgomery at Northwest Medical Weight Loss surgery in everett wa in late december 06. I think my band has 7.5cc in it now hurts like hell in my throat

I do not care if any of you believe me. You may all go screw yourselves

Hi I am new here too.I had my surgery in Mexico by a doctor this forum kicked from her first surgery LMFAO..You can't let what a few think stop you from getting what you want and need.From what I am hearing you say your band may have slipped and that is causing you pain and you want lose weight.Take a deep breath and relax a second.Maybe the kinda of work you do has been rough on your band or being to tight has caused a slip,or maybe it is just not working out for you,either way you need to see a doctor before you really hurt yourself.now if you want a Mexican sugery hey you got my vote I was treated very good in Mexico.Either way please see a doctor right away and get an x-ray,maybe even consider while you are having it removed get a sleeve done requires no fills and you will lose weight even if you don't exercise .Just remember its not reversible

cost about the same as just having it removed and you want feel like you have totally pissed away all the money for nothing.Lapband is not for everyone that is why you go through all the questions and doctors before you can even get one.Anyway what ever you decide just please go see a doc soon :biggrin:

I had surgery at NWWLS too. I have to just add to the comments that those of you have already made about the office and staff. I have found that they will try to get you in to be seen as soon as they possibly can. The fill nurse will even see you at your house in an extreme occasion if it is an emergency for you to have an unfill. They really try to work with everyone for success and to keep you as healthy as you can be from everything I have seen.

Hi Snoho

What happened, why are you in pain? I have a story too. I will make it short. Banded 10/07 5 weeks later site swollen dark, hot. Checked for infection (bacteria) none found. Just a zillion bacteria fighting cells. Yes my body was treating the port like it was an infection. Port finally removed March, 2008. The infection fighting cells still would not go away.

Surgery June 2, 2008, sliced and diced, healing from the inside out. Today is the first time in 9 months that I know I will be ok! That's enough to make a person think twice about another port, but I remember after getting the band. I had restrictioin and it was so wonderful to feel full on small amounts of food, so wonderful not to have food on my mind 24 hours.

I remember thinking that some people are just naturally that way without a band, then I would cry thinking that I am not one of them. I was banded in Mexico, my Dr. is not to blame, it was my choice. I hope that you get relief from the pain and that whatever your goals are you meet with success. take care

Obviously, this is a bunch of crap. This person is pushing Mexican surgery. The biggest clue is their inability to grasp casual American conversation... they should have spent some of that cash they're making on and paid a real American to type the text for them.... hhmmmmm- business must be bad.......:redface:

Man I'm starting to lose faith in you people, grab your torches why don't you and run everyone who doesn't agree with you out of town! What a welcoming to a person with a complication. Maybe she didn't come across the way you wanted her to but you immediately assume the worse from the woman and think she's got some major plot going on to send all people to Mexico! I just don't understand a lot of you????? sorry brandyII

Man I'm starting to lose faith in you people, grab your torches why don't you and run everyone who doesn't agree with you out of town! What a welcoming to a person with a complication. Maybe she didn't come across the way you wanted her to but you immediately assume the worse from the woman and think she's got some major plot going on to send all people to Mexico! I just don't understand a lot of you????? sorry brandyII

I agree. I suppose most will now blame it on the OP's title. Someone did something similiar, but posted it in the Rants and Rave section. Most people blamed their snarky replies on the fact that the poster placed it in that section, so all was fair game. This is NOT that section. This is the complications section. Cut him/her some slack and quit being so damn ugly.

I get the feeling you are young and do not have the perspective of someone who has spent decades yoyo dieting only to gain back more than I lost. May I ask roughly how old you are?

Have you have followup appointments and fills, or have you give up completely shortly after the surgery? As I understand it the band is empty when put in place, and if you gave up and did not follow through it is not fair to say that you did not lose any weight.

I have done lots of research on this and even watched videos of the real surgery rather than the pretty animations, I know what I am in for down to every cut and stitch as well as the complications that can occur. I have pain in my back anytime i stand for more than 10 minutes, I am at the point that I would trade that off for nearly any complication short of mortality. My knees get stiff from minimal exercise. Without the surgery and weight loss my arthritis and backpain will only get worse.

Knowing what I know now, I would like to say if I could go back to 20 and do it then I would have, but without the life experience I know I could not have committed to the disipline required to follow a healthy diet. I can honestly say at that stage I would not have stopped drinking and socializing as part of it, it would not have worked for me the. Now is the right time for me, I have the conviction, determination and willpower.

If I am correct, perhaps you will decide otherwise in several years after trying other things and give this another try. Try to work hard on those weight issues without medical assistance if that is how you chose to address it, but realize that statistics are not in your favor. If you are morbidly obese you have a 1% chance of success using natural methods.