I am moving to the Raleigh NC area. I was wondering if there were other bandsters out there. Also, where can I go for follow up care and fills? I have been banded since November 2005, but I still need fills now and then.

Hi I just moved to Raleigh too, looking for dr info - where the doctor uses a xray machine and has you do a barium swallow to see how the fill is. .. is there anyone like that here in the Triangle area, or will I have to continue to go to Dallas to Dr. Carter? Also maybe there are enough of us now to have a small support meeting group in the Triangle area! Or maybe we can car pool down to the Charlotte meetings? What do you think! Anyone else?

Fern

Hi! I am waiting to hear from my current Dr on his advice for a Dr. in the Raleigh area. I will let you know if I get a good name. I did hear about a Dr. Moran on another web site, but I have not checked him out yet.

I would love to be part of a support group in the Raleigh area.

Hi there! I saw your post about finding a dr in the Raleigh, NC area. I have been going to Dr. Moran. His office website is: www.alasurgery.com
He has weekly weight loss seminars on Wednesdays and a support group meeting the last Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm. It's great - he and his nurse run the support group meetings. So if you have questions, he's right there to answer. They also have speakers.

I am scheduled for lap band surgery 4/5/07.
Take care!
Anna

Hey y'all just wanted to let y'all know that a lot of other NC bandsters hang out on another band board. band2gether. Come visit us there.

Stacey :)

Thanks Anna. I actually have an appointment with Dr. Moran tomorrow. I am having trouble with my band (lots of reflux), I need to get the fill removed. Hopefully he can fix me up so I can get back on track. I will probably go to the support meetings. I hope to see you there. Good luck with your surgery.

Rae

Rae -
So what did you think about Dr. Moran? Is he able to help you out? Take care -
Bandedme (well...almost - 4/5/07 band date)

Yes he did help me out. He sent me for a Barium Swallow to make sure I didn't have a slippage. Everything looked fine, so I was just too tight. He took some of the fill out, and I am 100% better now. He said he would slowly put fill back in as I needed it. He was really nice.

Dr. Moran has a different approach to fills than my FL surgeon. My FL doctor would fill you up as tight as he could as long as you could still swallow water, Dr. Moran will go slowly with smaller fills until you hit that optimal fill. Having experienced what can happen with too much of a fill, I like this approach much better.

4/5 is right around the corner. I bet you are getting really excited.

Thanks for checking on me.

Rae

:)If you are looking for either a lap band surgeon or gastric bypass surgeon, Dr. Enochs is the first and most experienced bariatric surgeon in the raleigh area. He was the first to perform bariatric surgery in raleigh. His bedside manners and care is extraordinary---guaranteed. His office is Bariatric Specialists of NC at 919-851-9191. Surgical Specialists of North Carolina Just a note, he has been teaching all the other surgeons in the raleigh area.

I have to say I agree with JeanBean. I have met both Dr. Moran and Dr. Enochs, and hands down Dr. Enochs is the much better surgeon. Not only in personality but in skill and knowlege. When I did a little more digging into both surgeons, (I'm want to know everything about my drs) I found out that they were both in practice together and Dr Enochs taught Dr Moran! I know alot of Dr. Morans patients and end the end they have not been happy. My surgery with Dr. Enochs was hands down awsome!
Hugs,
Amy:clap2:

Hi, Amy,

As one of Moran's pre-op patients I'm curious as to what 'unhappiness' you've heard from them. I'm not trying to defend him or anything; it's just that he's thus far seemed okay to me.

Well my saga continues. After the unfill, I felt better for a little while, and then the reflux came back. My insurance is not paying for anything, and Dr. Moran wants to do more tests. But I just can't afford it. Even if there is a slip, I cannot afford to remove the band, I am still paying for the placement.

Anyway, I just went back to Dr. Moran and asked him to remove ALL the fluid from my band. I waited this long, because without insurance, he charges $500 each fill/unfill. OUCH!

With the unfill, I feel like a new person. I just hope I don't gain all the weight back. I have so much more to lose. I joined Weight Watchers, and I am exercising like crazy, so I hope that will help.

My only hope is that with the unfill things will heal and/or reposition, and I can go back to having fills again someday.

I just wish I didn't have to leave my original Dr. It is so hard dealing with all this, and feeling like I can't get help because I am being charged so much. My original Dr., only charged 150 for a fill/unfill if you didn't have insurance. I don't get it.

WOW $500 for a fill! The most I had heard of was $450! Ouch!

Hope your feeling better.
Did they recommend liquids? I have heard that sometimes if you go on liquids for 2-3 weeks the band will move back into place.

No, he didn't recommend anything like that. I got the impression that he didn't think the unfill would do any good. But I feel soooo much better, so it has to mean something. I am going to try to last as long as I can without a fill, hopefully things will just settle back. I just hope I don't strat having trouble with no fill. At least no fill is better than no band, it still helps the intense hunger.

Thanks,

Rae

I guess once you meet Dr. Enochs you will know exactly why his patients feel that way about him. He is exactly what you envision when you think of a Bariatric Surgeon. He is much more experienced in the field than anyone else in Raleigh. In fact, he trained Dr. Moran. Dr. Enochs is so much more personable. Anyway, we should start a Lap Band Support Group in Raleigh or online. Any suggestions?