Question:
what to do? Lap band in Dec, throwing up.

The secretary has messed up everything possible. I had a lap band last Dec. I've been throwing up ever since. She scheduled a date for an EGD when I was out of town. I told he and my daughter told her 5 times I would not be home that day and she still had me scheduled. When I rescheduled and went in for the procedure the hospital had no record of me scheduled for that day. Then for 3 months I battled the insurance company and doctor's office because the insurance company wouldn't give approval until doctor's office provided a date and dr.'s office wouldn't provide a date until insurance company approved the procedure. I got hold of the doctor and he told the secretary to put down a fake date. Now the secretary has told me she faxed the request for surgery but the insurance company has no record of it. I talked to the insurance company today and they are shocked at the incompetence. I called every other surgeon in the area to see if they do it laproscopically but none did. I'm still barfing and I'm just about ready to look for a lawyer. Anyone have any suggestions as to what to do now?    — a C. (posted on August 26, 2002)

August 26, 2002
Are you overeating? Are you able to swallow well-chewed food in small amounts? Obviously you can keep something down. What have you been able to keep down? What amounts of food are you eating?
   — M. B.

August 26, 2002
There is no set pattern to my throwing up. Some days I can eat something and the next day I'll eat the same thing and throw it up. Sometimes the throwing up is very mild and sometimes it is gut wrenching. I can keep down soup and soupy like foods (Popeyes red beans and rice is a staple). I try to eat lots of salads and tofu but some days that works some not. The doctor told me that 7% of patients have this reaction to the lap band. As you can imagine I'm extremely frustrated with the amount of time it is taking to get this taken care of and it's all due to the secretary's incompetence. I e-mailed the doctor yesterday and he had been on vacation so I will keep pestering him until I get a date scheduled.
   — a C.

August 27, 2002
Whenever I have had a problem with vomiting I go back to liquids. I always keep a few cans of slimfast in the fridge and just substitute that for meals. After 2 or three liquid meals I start with semi-soft things like yougurt or cream soups. If I'm okay with that for a day or two I keep progressing, just like I did post op. I also go back to eating very small portions. I put one tablespoon on my plate. If I'm okay 15 minutes later I'll eat just one more tablespoon. One side effect of being so careful is I lose at least five pounds each time I've had to do this cycle. I have been willing to be this careful because I REALLY don't like vomiting and I'm REALLY committed to making this work. Hang in there.
   — Caddy W.

September 3, 2002
3 WAY CALLING! Conference a call with your insurance provider and your physicians office... Get all the players on one field that way your not playing the "He Said, She Said" Game.... This is something you should post in your doctor's comments section - booooooo booooooo booooooo on his office staff for giving you the run around like this!
   — lindajenkins

September 16, 2002
I will definetly post my comments about his office staff but how do I do it? I read other posts about them including "the office staff still stinks". I had to call my insurance company and give them a fake date myself because the incompetent bimbo wouldn't do it even after the doctor told her to. I called the medical ethics board for my state and was given the name of an investigator. I decided not to call because the doctor still has to do surgery on me. No other doctor wants to touch me because I'm a problem case. I can't wait until this hell is over.
   — a C.