In VA!

[Scribby]

Ok, I will be the first here! I live in northern VA and got banded at Reston Hospital. My doc is great if anyone needs some help!

Angie

[Loving-It]

Hey! I know you! *snicker-snicker* :bounce:

I also be in VA and also banded at Reston Hospital. Small world, eh? :kiss: :tongue1:

["Just" Paul]

Pinnar patient here too!

Were you all at support meeting on Tuesday?

I've gotta match names and faces!

[Loving-It]

Pinnar patient here too!

Were you all at support meeting on Tuesday?

I've gotta match names and faces!


No, I went back in July but haven't been back. I live in Dale City so coming all the way out there after work is tough. I might go to the one coming up but it's hard to tell. Depends on how my day goes. :tongue1:

[Scribby]

Ive never gone..was maybe thinking of going this month, but not sure

["Just" Paul]

meetings are great at Pinnar's. Lots of comaraderie, and lots of good info. last meeting had a PS talk about stuff for after you lose the weight, learned a LOT!

You should come. it should be a regular part of your program, just like follow-up visits!

[Scribby]

ok, I will come to the next one..its a day before my second fill anyway!

Thanks Paul!

["Just" Paul]

Want some irony...

Now that I convinced you to go next week, I won't be at that meeting. My wife will be out of town, so I have to play single dad, so I cannot go.

Figures, doesn't it.

I'll see ya at the November meeting though.

P

[Scribby]

haha..for sure. I know this sounds pretty stupid, but I have felt in the past that I hadnt really needed a support group when I feel like i have everything I need on here. I will go so I can at least check it out. Is it in the conference room down where the seminars are?

["Just" Paul]

Yep. In the conference rooms. Check with the office to verify which one.

[Loving-It]

I'm going to try to make the November one. Scribby, let me know if you go because I want to meet ya!!

[shackdog]

yep hello all

[Scribby]

Im gonna try and go..I didnt make it to the last one, well..err..I have never gone before but I guess better late then never!

["Just" Paul]

I'm shooting to make the November one too!

["Just Jess"]

Dr. Pinnar is the first doc I went to see when I began researching LapBand! I went to his info session and really liked the look of his team! But it was so far for me, being I live in Annapolis, MD. I ended up going with Dr. vonRueden in Baltimore, bc that is closer to both home and even closer to work.
:)

Just wanted to say, HOWDY neighbors!!!!!


Jess

[lil'bitty]

Hey VA GANG. I'm coming home!! Hope to be back in VA by summer. Will be needing to find doc to adopt me.

[Scribby]

If your moving back to Northern VA I do hope that you consider at least calling Dr. Pinnars office. I am not sure about them adopting patients but its worth a shot. I just love them and Paul who does the fills is the cutest thing ever..he reminds me of a muppet..haha

[lil'bitty]

Thanks Scribby. My Docs office told me that they will find me an adoptive doc. I will remember Dr. Pinnar in case for whatever reason, I do not like who they suggest!!

[Scribby]

Where in VA are you moving to?

["Just Jess"]

OK - I need advice from all you Pinnar patients...

I originally went to a Pinnar info session when I first began thinking of the LapBand procedure... After much time and research, I ended up going with Dr. vonRueden at GBMC in Towson.

I live in Annapolis, MD - both are about an hour from me. (although Reston proves a bit more difficult with traffic) ANYWAY, the reason I'm writing is to ask about Pinnar's "ways". Dr. VR is extremely conservative and I'm having a REEEEEEEEEEEEEAL hard time getting in for fills (banded almost 3 months and still having issues trying to get in for a 2nd fill).

Do you think he'd adopt me if it comes to it? Do you think he'd be more aggressive and/or open to listening to the patients wants/needs, etc? How often is he willing to do fills? (one day a week, certain times of day, etc?)

Just looking for some advice.

THanks a bunch.

XO, Jess

[Scribby]

Hi Jess!

Paul Marino is the guy who does the fills at Dr. Pinnars office. I actually havent seen the doctor since my post op back in August. Paul is really great, When you go in, he says "are ya still hungry?" and if I say yes he gives me a fill. I have never been overfilled, and seem to be a pretty good spot right now. It can be a bit hard to get appointments since he is so busy but its never been more then a month. I usually make an appointment when I go in and cancel later if I feel like I dont need one. He is kind, I can be 100% honest with him about how and what I am eating and I dont think I have ever been more comfortable around a medical person as him in my entire life.

As far as thier office taking patients that already have bands, I am not sure. I know he dosent take Mexican bandsters, but with your Dr in the same general area, who knows. Its worth a shot, all ya got to do is call and ask!

Good luck, hope you can join the Pinnar people!

[Scribby]

by the way Jess, you can see from my signature how aggressive they have been with my fills and they are about a month apart. I have been in two more times for fills but ended up not getting any tighter. Point four oz's have been missing each time I have gone and he usually just gets me back to 7.4 or 7.2 cc's..so kinda like getting a slight fill but not.

["Just Jess"]

thanks for the info. scribby.

since i posted that message about looking into transfering, i had the port flip issue and hoped that my doc would be more compassionate to my needs bc he REALLY got to see how frustrated i actually was bc i laid there and bawled my eyes out on his table when he told me he could not access my port. that is when he told me he'd give me 3cc's when they were in there to re-stitch the port. now, my port is super shallow - i can easily feel it against my skin - it's kind of weird.

anyway, he gave me an appt. for one month from my port-flip surgery date (which happens to be april 11th - coming up!) and we'll see after that what he does.

another complaint i have is, how do you know what is STILL in your band? do they suck it all out before putting any new in? bc that is not something he has tried to do yet. i wonder about that.

just curious.

and let me ask you a favor - on your next visit with paul, would you just casually ask him if they'd adopt a patient from another local doc, bc of a "personality conflict"?

i am torn - bc i did SO much research on the local docs - and Dr.VR won hands down with reputation and # of surgeries complete. But after meeting them both, Pinnar won the personality contest!!!! (and not too hard on the eyes, either! or at least his son) ;)

anyway, thanks for listening!

[Scribby]

Sure thing! Yeah, before he fills he always pulls out what you had in there to make sure you dont have a leak. He has does this every time. I am really glad he does this. I just went in for a fill under floro last week so he could make sure everything was ok since I kept losing .4 cc's. I asked him if I had a leak and he said "no, you would be wide open if you did", so I guess its still a mystery.

I will def ask..I think its so important to like who you see for fills. I tend to be embarassed if I can stuff my face, but there, I just tell him and he gives me a fill!