AmberStarrC

I was banded in October 2009. It has been 6 months and I have lost only 15 lbs. I too am frustrated beyond belief. There are days when I hate myself for spending sooooo much of our hard earned money on this monster in my stomach. My husband is in the Army- he goes to war to pay for things like my lap-band and I have tremendous guilt over this. I am working on my relationship with the band, but am having lots of regret and remorse. I have had 2 fills that totaled 5.5 cc's in an 11 cc band. When I went to my last appt, my fill doc actually did an unfill of .5 cc's putting me down to 5cc's I had lots of vomiting with solids, food constantly stuck and still with all this, no weight loss. I have even had my primary care doctor (who would not refer me for bariatric surgery because I had a bmi of 39.5 not 40 and was only prediabetic) refer me to a specialist to ultimately remove my band. Well, I couldn't go to the specialist because the thought of giving up so soon was awful - I feel like this is my last hope for permanent weight loss and a real life. So, at a recent appt with my primary care doctor, the woman looked me right in the eye and said, "I spoke to the gastroentologist, you know the specialist, you saw and he told me that you were not losing weight with the band because you are consuming a high number of liquid calories." My doctor lied to me. She looked me right in the eye and lied to me. She assumed that I was sabotaging myself, because I'm fat and after all that's what fat people do right. I never saw a specialist or anyone else about my band, but as I'm learning if you don't have success with the band it's your fault. My fill doctor does the same thing to me. He assumes I am drinking calories. I AM NOT DRINKING CALORIES. I have never been a calorie drinker. I used to drink diet coke (yes I know no calories) but I even stopped doing that since I have read that some artificial sweeteners actually make you crave sweets. My fill doctor even gave me a "Weight Loss Report Card"- I failed. He noted that I need to work on my soft calories. Okay. Every day I have a protein shake in the morning and for lunch since I cannot swallow anything before about 6 pm. The protein shakes I drink are super low carb, I believe 3 net carbs total/110 calories/2g fat. Then for dinner I try to eat a lean protein and a steamed vegetable. If I cut my meat into very very small pieces and chew for a ridiculous amount of time, it goes down ok. I don't eat ice cream. I don't eat sugar. I'm exercising as much as possible. Brisk walking on a steep incline or the eliptical and some weights. Usually only 4x per week and yes I know I need to step it up with the exercise, but I have a baby and am always so tired. I know what it's like to be frustrated beyond belief. When I read a post on this forum that said someone had lost 86 lbs in 4 months, I literally wanted to punch myself in the face. I do not understand why the band hasn't worked for me. I do not understand why the band works for some so well and not at all for others. I'm sitting at 200 lbs. I have to fight to not gain every day.

I love the "A calorie is still a calorie" comment!!!!! That was super and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Now, I'm right on track and doing great! Seriously though...I saw my fill doctor on this past Saturday. They postponed my fill by a week we've had a batch of bad weather here. Now I'm about to say something that EVERYONE is going to say something about, but I felt like it was my only option. Before my appt. I fasted for 3 days to lose 1 freakin pound that put me under (along with the nurse this time letting me remove my snow boots and sweater coat) my last weight by one pound. SOOOOOO, I didn't get bitched at, in fact the doctor came in said how often are you vomiting? "4-7 times a week" then "can you tolerate any meats?" none. Ok, he says hop up on the table we're unfilling you. I start crying (guess the cocktail of anti-depressants and other meds didn't prevent that) and he pops the needle in takes my fluid out. Says you should start losing 2-4 lbs a month now. Wellll, now I can eat as much as I want again. Thanks doc. I went to my primary doc. She sent me to general surgery. They are going to take a look at it and see if it's ok. I've had several x-rays, but with the last couple months of tightness I don't know. And yeah, I don't meet the requirements for a gastric bypass. Not here anyway, and I can't afford any more surgeries. I'm gaining again. I'm drinking two protein shakes a day (EAS 17g protein, 1 net carb, 110 calories, 3g fat) and eating dinner like grilled chicken pieces with veggies. No sugars or anything like that. But of course I'm sure I'm doing something wrong as usual. Good news is the nurse felt so bad for me since I was in tears leaving the office, that she didn't charge me for the appt.

So...I was banded October 6th 2009. Now, all I think about is getting this thing removed and having a gastric bypass done. At decision time I weighed 217 lbs. At surgery time, I was 212 lbs after the pre-op diet. After surgery I went down to 198lbs. Then came solids and I started to gain slowly. I was hungry from the minute I woke up from surgery...literally starving, stomach gurgling and I was soooo hungry. At my first fill, (Nov 11)I weighed 200 lbs. I had no restriction what so ever after the first fill so I gained another 4 lbs. when I went in for my second fill on December 16th. They pretty much bitched me out and weren't going to fill me. But the nurse said she was going to "go ahead and give me 1 cc." She kept bitching at me because I couldn't tell her how many carbs I was eating a day. They said I had to stay under 50 carbs a day and since I was out of control with my carbs I was sabotaging myself. I kept trying to explain that I had NOOOO restriction, but no one was listening. They gave me a "Weight Loss Report Card" and obviously I got an F. So finally she fills me and then does fluoro and says "Oh you ARE wide open, even after that last cc." NO shit Sherlock. So she gives me another .5 cc and sends me on my way telling me to eat 50 or less carbs per day and RANCH DRESSING. I DON'T EAT RANCH DRESSING...EVEN BEFORE SURGERY I NEVER EAT RANCH DRESSING, MIGHT AS WELL EAT A STICK OF BUTTER. But they believe because it's low carb, it's better. So now, I can't eat anything without pb'ing or straight out vomiting. It's not a matter of portions...one bite of the wrong thing and I am in pain or throwing up. The only thing that goes down easy is dry cereal (tons of carbs) and crackers...and of course anything that doesn't need to be chewed. For instance ICE CREAM AND PEANUT BUTTER. I am miserable, I hate my life right now, I'm at 210 lbs again, and I'm throwing up constantly. I've started seeing a psychiatrist and therapist and am on several medications for depression and anxiety. My therapist is trying to help me get this thing out through my insurance and get a gastric bypass, but I don't see it happening. This tool is not helping me at all. I have been drinking EAS carb control protein shakes (1g net carbs) for breakfast and lunch and dry cereal for dinner. and still gaining weight. This was not the right choice for me and I wish I had known $7,000 ago.

I can't say I'm glad someone else has gone through this, but I thought I would jump on the band wagon (bad pun) and see what others thought as well. Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going back to liquids. Very little pain today but I'm not eating anything solid for a while. I will pick up some Papaya Enzymes in case this happens next time I try solid food. Thanks AngieB. I knew I liked you!

Ok so I made it to my 21 days...and I just wanted a bite of french bread. That was at 10:30 this morning. Since I ate it, I have been having pain so bad in my chest it feels like someone is squeezing my lungs, esophagus, heart in a pair of vice grips. It hurts like hell. I tried to eat some fat free refried beans for dinner. That just upped the pain level. I haven't had any vomiting or even the urge to vomit. But, I have had LOTS of burping. I mean huge, rumbling, straight from downtown, man, burps with a lot of bass. I've had major issues with gas since surgery, but I would have to say the burping is a little bit worse right now. I'm seriously scared I did something to my band. I can't afford a slipped band. I would just have to have it removed and I would be out $7,000. Godddddddd whyyy?? Is this just food stuck?? Someone please help. I can't go to a doctor. I don't have my first fill until November 11th (when I pay the remaining $600 for my first four fills and aftercare) and I don't think my aftercare doctor will even look at it until I pay the rest of the "program fee" which I can't pay until a week from now. !@#$*^%&*%$##@@ ---That's a bunch of expletives that I am yelling at myself right now

Hahaha..thanks guys! I gave her my email, but the day after surgery when we were supposed to go shopping I was in serious pain and had to go back to the OCC. My cell didn't work there in Mexico, and we couldn't call out from the hotel phone (she was at the Marriot I was at the Lucerna). So she probably thinks we ditched her, but I would love to talk to her again.

I had surgery on the 6th of October and am trying to get in contact with another woman who had surgery the same day: Dear Crazy Canadian Connie, I miss you... . Quit trying to be all and hide from me. You left before we did, and now I am :lb12: ... Love, Amber P.S. If anyone knows Connie tell her she is being stalked LOL

I thought since we were all sharing I would add my experience. I had surgery on October 6th and unfortunately I have NO memory of Dr. Ortiz what so ever. NONE. I was the first surgery of the day and spoke at length with Dr. Martinez- who was very helpful and very charming and in my opinion also very good looking. LOL. They brought me into the OR where I talked with Dr. Martinez and the anesthesiologist ( I don't remember his name ). Then they gave me my meds, and while I talked with Dr. Martinez about how long it would take to knock me out, the light above the table started multiplying. Then my famous last words "I think the meds are kicking in." The next thing I know, I'm trying to call my husband to tell him I'm out of surgery. My mother told me later that Dr. Ortiz came in immediately after surgery to talk with me, but like I said NO memory of it. I was up and walking around quickly. Around and around and around. I didn't even wait for Carmelita to come get me. I got up with my little IV cart and took off. I wanted to get out of there so badly I hate hospitals. Hate them and I am a serious insomniac so I can't stand looking at the walls all night. I went in for surgery at about 730 am and we were back at the hotel by 230pm. Then the pain started. I had a really hard time sleeping. I was so mad at everyone who ever said it was "a piece of cake", because I was HURTING. I've been through natural child birth (with LOTS of stitches-TMI?) and this definitely hurt a lot worse. I laid there in pain all night and then finally decided to go back to the OCC in the morning. I actually laid there for a while with my mother getting ever so impatient. I can't speak Spanish but I can definitely understand some since my husband speaks Spanish and they were discussing with each other how it was just port soreness. Finally we left. And my mom wanted so badly to go shopping while we were there so we went and did a little shopping on Revolution (I was in pain the whole time). The whole time I was trying to make her think I was not in pain. I agree with everyone that the staff at the OCC is really professional , but I was really amazed at the fact that no one ever thought to give me anything for pain. They give you that Supradol stuff, but it didn't work for me at all. When we were leaving TJ in the van there were two girls- one who had just had surgery and her companion. After sitting there talking about how and why I was in so much pain, the driver stopped at a pharmacy on the way to the airport, and the companion whips out a prescription for pain killers and says "oh they didn't give you a prescription, they gave us one"... :-? . Then it took us about 2 hours to get over the border...(even the driver was sweating- he told us to run through customs lol) all that running through customs with luggage and literally being shoved around and hoofing it to the parking lot did not help the pain. Thank God the driver came running over from the parking lot to help drag our luggage. I asked the OCC if we could leave earlier because I was scared of missing my flight and they said no it was plenty of time. We had exactly 3 hours from the time the driver picked us up until our flight left. So with a stop at the OCC, pharmacy, and the 2 hour trip across the border, we were cutting it CLOSE. That was a little stressful. With alllll that being said: I stayed at the Lucerna- it was wonderful- the food was awesome and so was Alonso I LOVED Carmelita, she was one of the most genuinely caring people I have ever met Dr. Martinez was really great Aside from the pain, there were no complications with the surgery for me I am like 16 days post-op and still waiting for the port pain to go away And YES just about every doctor there was good looking (I'm sure they thought I was too in my paper panties ) I just wish I had met Dr. Ortiz before surgery so I could remember him!!

Just thought I would post this to add what I do know on the subject. I live in KY and have found Dr. Trace Curry in Cincinnatti to do my fills for me. I did have to pay up front for my first 4 which was $1150.00 total. These fills are under fluoro. It was cheaper for me to go this route since I would have to drive 6 hours to Atlanta for fluoro fills from fill centers usa. After the initial payment, I pay individually for any fill after the fourth one. It was my understanding once Dr. Ortiz puts your band on, if something happens they will look at it for free, but regardless of who has filled it I don't think any problems would be fixed for free unless the problem was Dr. Ortiz' fault. That being said, I'm new to all this, just having had surgery at the beginning of this month, but I wanted to tell you there is a surgeon very close to you with a great reputation.

I will be banded on Oct 6th. Obviously I have put much thought into this surgery and my aftercare, but I am having some concerns about fills. Actually, I'm freaking out...I am located near Fort Knox, KY and would love some advice on fill doctors in my area. I don't think I will be able to the $1000 in expenses for the first return trip to Dr. Ortiz so I am looking for other options. Fill center usa wants $650 for the initial fill. I know my initial fill should be under fluoroscopy, but $650 seems so high. There are several Bariatric centers and hospitals in the Louisville area and I would like to know if anyone banded by Dr. Ortiz has been to one of these and how much a fill under fluoroscopy cost. I will obviously be calling around tomorrow, but thought maybe someone could help me out with their own experience. Thanks!!