TeresaF
I had my lapband surgery on 12/02/04. My journey to that point took about five months from start to finish. Had all the usual tests - everything went pretty well. I was approved 2 weeks after being submitted to insurance.
1/6/05
To date I have not lost much weight (approx 7-10 lbs). I really don't have much restriction, so It's been difficult. I'm trying, but without the restriction the old habits are easily coming back.
Went for first fill at doctors office, but it failed. He was unable to locate port. I have to go to the hospital to have it done under x-ray.
1/11/05
Had 1cc fill at hospital. What a day - had to get 6 year old off to school. Pick up sleeping 3 year old, wrap her up and get her in the car for the trip to Staten Island. Drop her off at Grandma's house then down to Brooklyn to go to Lutheran Hospital. I hope I won't have to do this too often.
1/20/05
Still no restriction - I felt no difference all week with the fill. Doc is scheduling me again for next week.
2/20/05
It's been a grueling month. Since my last post I was back to the hospital two more times and neither visit sent me home with a fill. First, Dr. thought it was a problem with my port. He has a very difficult time getting to it and was unable to give me a fill. He schedules me for port revision surgery.
On the day I was to have the revision done, Dr. Ferzli's associate Dr. Bowne wanted to try one more time before sending me to surgery. Dr. Ferzil was unable to assist because he was stuck in surgery. At this attempt he was able to find the port, saline seemed to stay in, but band didn't appear to get any thighter. So now he thinks the problem is in the band. They send me upstairs to wait for my Surgeon to come and talk to me. Dr. Ferzli, gives me three option: 1: just leave the band as is (no fill) and diet and exercise (if I was able to do this on my own I wouldn't have had surgery) 2: replace entire band and that it may take two separate surgeries to do this (NO WAY!) and 3: remove band and convert to RNY (I didn't go through with gastric by-pass three years ago - I'm not about to do it now).
Needless to say I was very upset. He sent me on my way, telling me to call and make an appointment to come in and have a sit down with him. When I met with him on 1/17/05 in his office he tells me that Dr. Bowne wasn't clear on what he found doing my fills and that there is probably nothing wrong with my band. THANK GOD!!! I couldn't even be mad becuase I was so thrilled to not have to go through more surgeries. He is scheduling me yet again for an other attempt at getting me filled. This will me my 5th attempt.
I am over 2 months post-op and have only lost between 14-18 lbs and this includes pre-surgery lose. Im very frustrated and dissappointed and see how easily the old habits are coming back. Can't wait to get a fill.
1/10/07
I was so discouraged that I never updated this profile. So I'm going to brief it up.
That August ('05) they finally figured that the problem was a flipped port. THAT'S IT... just a flipped port. Needless to say It should not have taking Dr. Ferzli's practice that long to figure that out. Thank God for Dr. Castro. He scheduled me for port revision surgery. All went well. Had to wait 6-8 weeks for a fill. Don't recall when I actually got the first one, but I do remember getting a really good one in April '06 that gave me really good restriction. It wasn't until then that the weight lose really kicked in. So as of today I am down 83 lbs. My starting BMI was 61.8 and today it is 50.7.
Surgeon Info:
Surgeon: George S. Ferzli
