Dr. says this is why lap band isn't working for me! long

I go in yet again for a small unfill.  I am so sick of this up and down business and taking time off from work due to this band.  I had too much restriction and couldn't hold anything down all weekend.
So, I go to the dr. this morning.  I see yet another new surgeon. This practice is known for surgeons coming and going.
I told him straight out if I could pull this band out I would. It causes me nothing but embarrassment and misery along with minimal weight loss.  I said, " Of course I picked the wls with the least success." He proceeds to tell me thats not true it's due to not keeping track of calories, sodium, etc.  So I had to stop him and say, "Statistically speaking it has the lowest percentage of weight loss than any other wls."  Of course he had to agree but skipped over that quick.
Now proceeds to tell me how to diet.  The last thing I need, is someone telling me how to eat.  I've been dieting since I was ten. I am very aware of what to eat and what not to eat. I have been obese all of my life. I know, really I know! I was pissed!
Basically he wants me to eat lean meats like chicken, turkey, etc.  I told him most of the time cannot eat those with the band. I have no consistency with this thing!!  Well, then I should eat fish.  Really???  Eat fish 7 nights a week???
The conclusion of the conversation was I am taking in too much sodium.  This is preventing me from losing weight.  All because I told him I eat ham, and sausage sometimes??
So instead of "jumping" into another wls I should try what he recommended.  I wanted to punch him.
I have an appt. with another surgeon in the area with revision from band to sleeve tomorrow.
I just can't win with the weight loss thing ever.
I walked out of there crying due to frustration.

Hon, I soooo understand what you are saying!! I've had the same problem since the first year. I lost a whopping 20 lbs. the first year then nothing. I finally decided it just isn't worth the aggravation and had my band emptied this week. So far I'm not starving but don't know how long that will last. The doc told me they are finding about 20% of us just can't get to an even restriction level. Our stomachs are just too sensitive and can't take the restriction. I don't have WLS coverage anymore so I'm just gonna stay fat and happy (but I'm 60 yrs old so it doesn't matter as much for me). I hope you can get a revision to the sleeve, it seems to work so much better than the band and there are LOTS of ex bandsters on the sleece forum. This doc is like so many others has no clue what we are living with, hang in there and know you aren't alone!

I hear you, soulsister!  I've been in exactly the same place for the last year.  I've had the band since June 2008 and in November 2010 I had all the fluid taken out because I had HAD IT with the damn thing.  I'm still having discomfort with eating, especially in the morning, but not as bad.  I didn't lose any weight (well, I did lose a bit when I was dieting and going hungry, then regained it - EXACTLY as I had before getting the band put in).  My surgeon said the same thing at each visit - you should eat only about a cup of food and then stop, don't eat sweets, etc.  Well, if I could do that just using willpower I wouldn't have gotten fat in the first place!

I wish I could give you a hug, I know how you feel and please don't beat yourself up!  Many people on these forums had the same experience.  I hope your appointment goes well and you get some hope and peace.

I have decided to have my revision surgery (to the sleeve) with Dr. Jaime Ponce de Leon at Angeles Hospital in Tijuana.  The date is June 17, 2011.  I got a reduced price because Dr. Ponce needed case studies for a presentation he's doing at the Cabo Bariatric Congress.  The subject?  The band is an inadequate tool for weight loss and has too many complications and dangers to make it a good choice! 

My surgeon WOULD remove it at no charge and then I would have to pay less for the second surgery with Dr. Ponce, but I don't want to go through two surgeries so I am doing both together.  Dr. Ponce works at a number of hospitals and clinics, in Tijuana and in Georgia, U.S.A.  He teaches at a lot of these places.  He has recently opened his own hospital (South San Diego Medical Centre) - it looks pretty good in the pictures and I was told it has all the same equipment as Angeles Hospital, but it won't be JCI accredited until the summer and I know Angeles is state-of-the-art, so I'm going with Angeles even though it costs more.

I have so many regrets - wasting $14,000 on the initial surgery (I am self-pay), not doing more research and finding out that I had an option (my surgeon didn't mention the sleeve as he doesn't do them!), hating myself and thinking there was something wrong with me for not getting the results I expected, wasting the last three years of my life being fat, etc.  But I am going to try and let that all go and just look to the bright future I hope and pray is ahead of me.  I wish the same for you!
-raingal

Thank you hislady! I know there are so many of us who are experiencing this misery with the band. It's just frustrating to hear these drs. promoting them!
Raingal,
So glad you are having the revision. It sounds like a great deal with a good dr! Thank you for the words of wisdom, especially about not beating myself up. Once again I felt defeated by another doctor who has never had a weight problem in his life telling me how to eat! I immediately felt like the ashamed, guilty, child and teenager that I was. But SODIUM? Oh my god.... Sodium didn't get me fat and its not gonna get me skinny either. And the way he said it was like a big revelation! Thats it! I got it! Then he proceeded to write down 4 facts on a piece of paper to help me lose weight: fish, low sodium, vegetables and fruit, and turkey. Talk about belittiling?
Ughhhhh!

OMG! My doctor has been telling me all kinds of stories too! I was very unhappy with my lapband since the very beginning and 9 months later I had an upper GI, which i had to pay for out of pocket since I also had to payout of pocket for my lapband! And here I am, 10 months after my upper GI and I have barley lost any weight! In the two years of having my lapband, I've lost 40 pounds in 2 years! And most of it was out of guilt the Dr. kept telling me I was eating wrong! I even became a vegetarian to help not cheat! The lapband totally failed me! My Dr. talked me out of getting the sleeve and now she is suggesting I should have gotten the sleeve! I can't afford to pay more out of pocket! I'm ready to go to Tijuana! Please let me know how your sleeve has been and what to expect... any information would be greatly appreciated!

I so understand what you are going thru. I am going thru the same thing right now. I had a slight unfil in march and another today. Just can't get cooperation from this band. Since being initially banded in sept 06 I have had 2 slips and a port replacement. Heartburn, acid reflux, chest pain, and vomiting. He tells me today to try the slight unfil for a month to try to rid the heartburn and acid reflux, at least get them under control. Then he will be willing to do the sleeve. Really!!!!!!!!

Yolanda,
After all of those problems he still wants to wait? I would look for another surgeon. It sounds like he doesn't want to do the revision. Has he done many sleeves let alone revisions? Some of these doctors I really question!
I understand the pain you're going through! Miserable. Truly.

I know right... I have already begun my search. Another one of my concerns is he has done a ton of lap band and rny's and revisions. He has only done like 2 sleeves so that's another reason he may not be moving to fast to revise.

I had UHC for insurance when I started this journey and they paid for everything. At the beginning of this year my insurance changed to BCBS of il. I'm not sure how all this will turn out. I did contact them and they did say that the sleeve is covered but need to be per certified first and they need proof the UHC paid for the band and all medical history that was previously sent to UHC. I'm afraid that if I change physions it won't get approved. What do you think?

I have been conversating with Dr Curry thru email and he said if I want his practice to try the insurance he would be glad too.

I would not let any Dr. who has only done two sleeves and no revisions to sleeves operate on me. I only would go to one that has done atleast 100.
Yes, i would definitely go elsewhere. I don't think it won't be covered if you switch surgeons.

Thanks for the input. My thoughts exactly. I will be in search for a new Dr. I'm in Decatur Il, I don't know of any sleevers around here. Or any dr who have done them. So I most likely will have to travel.