christi59

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So even though my WLS had a bit of a hiccup it doesn't mean I decided to give up. So I began the challenge of trying to lose weight again. Uhg!!! Right? I tried Phentermine, which makes me a bit of a broom rider and didn't help. I tried Sensa, and couldn't remember to shake the powder on every little thing I ate. NutriSystem which I actually gained weight on. I've turned to RocaLabs product that is a gel like product that is suppose to fill you up like a lap band.

Reading back on that post, I can't believe how much has happened. I was working out at Vision Quest Gym with a personal trainer. I state this because I made sure the trainer was familiar with Lap Band patients. She stated she was, but wasn't. Doing core body exercises one evening with the trainer, we heard this loud popping noise. It didn't hurt, just pulled. Two hours later I began to vomit, 16 months later it had got worse. I went to my Doctor *or my doctors' nurse, and they were sure the band was in place. They treated me for acid reflux and assumed I was ANOREXIC.  I had to resign from my job, vomiting at my desk all day long just wasn't going to really make my co-workers comfortable, go figure. Worse, I was exhausted from the lack of food. I was not able to work. April 1 2011 I resigned.

By July 2012 I weighed 92 pounds. The only way I could sleep was upright because even my own saliva would accumulate in my nasal passages and I would wake up choking. My insurance gone, unable to afford care, I finally called Dr. Ross Fox Sr. He was the doctor who had performed my stomach stapling when I was 30 years old. It was just fortune that he was still in business, filling lap-bands. He asked if my band had ever been emptied. I had been told that the saline solution had evaporated by the other "doctor". Dr. Fox stated non-specialist may be excellent doctors on other levels but WLS is a specialised science.  Dr. Fox removed excess fluid from the band. For 1 week I could eat again. Unfortunately, the damage from constant vomiting had done it's worse and I had started vomiting again.

A few months later I stepped out of my daughters shower and she handed me a towel. Seeing the condition my body had deteriorated to, she began to cry. It's when I realized I needed to fight to get this removed. I don't know if any of you believe in God or Angels, but I was fortunate to run into a nurse who told me how to get the lap band removed. She explained to me that hospitals only have to "stabilize" you, not fix you.

August 2013 the band was removed.  I am forever grateful for the nurse who helped me get the band removed and Dr. Ross Fox Sr. for his assistance. He cared for me without charge, and the two of them saved my life.

That being said, I have NO problem encouraging others to seek out and enjoy the benefits of WLS. My experiences make me caution others, to KNOW your professionals background, whether it's a personal trainer or doctor, make sure they are certified to treat you!