As my 9th year of being banded is quickly approaching I tried to remember what got me through the beginning stages of my banded life. I then remembered I had THIS BLOG! I forgot about it through the years. Life got busy. Married, 2 Kids, and ALL of my weight gained back. No ones fault but my own. I have made many bad choices on what I ate. Well I kinda feel like I eat like a 4 year old does... gold fish, cottage cheese, snacks for 'lunch'.
We all control what goes in our bodies, right?
I realize that I haven't had an adjustment since 2012 right before my wedding (eak!). So I schedule an appointment with a GI doctor. I clearly went to the wrong doctor as he proceeded to book me an appointment to have a camera placed into my throat while sedated. Red Flag - Clearly he wasn't the GI I needed to do a standard fill. He thought something was wrong with me as if the band was making me sick. I came across this doctor by a referal from a primary doctor who thought throwing up on purpose because of restriction wasn't normal with a band. Or maybe she didn't know anything about it. This was round 1 and soon my insurance changed... therefore new appointment with new GI doctor.
This second doctor, who I am currently seeing, acted as if I shouldn't of even got an appointment. That I should of been directed to a support group. But 'since I was there' he went along with doing a fill. He struggled finding the port, moaned and groaned about placement, and in the end with multiple tries he was unable to pull any fluid out to empty it and then place new fluid in. Claiming I may have a hole. His quick comment was to just have it replaced or removed as the Lapband technology is kinda diminishing. People are getting them removed and possibly a bypass under same surgery... AND This hospital doesn't even place Lapbands. CRAP!
So where does that leave me?
Instead of jumping right into the operating room, I am refereed to a Post Surgery Clinic. They follow up and guide you in the right direction after weight loss. WOW I kinda wish that I had that available to me 9 years ago. It would of been very helpful to have a counselor to talk to versus an odd group of strangers at a support group. The counselor called and set me up with X-rays of my band to check placement. Then another appointment to do an upper GI X-ray. This one I will swallow contrast dye and watch the restriction live.
Now my mind wonders... Do I have it replaced, removed, removed and have gastric bypass?
Weight : 222 lbs.
