irishamerican

Hi, Well, my surgery was this last tuesday. I have been doing fine. I am bruised and sore today from one of the sites more than the others. I did experience port pain. It was a sheering, hot pain that lasted about 15 seconds until I could relax my abdominal muscles. This has happened everyday and it took awhile to figure out where the pain was coming from. I talked with my MD today and he is the one that told me it was port pain. I am being very strict with the menu the nutritionist developed for me and it is working fine. As far as anything I have experience in the past I would do it again.

Hello, I am in management in a hospital. I am in positon to know about people calling in sick. I know about 4-5 people who smoke very heavy and call in sick frequently. I am talking 1-2 times in a space of 2 months all year long. Their cloths 'stink' and their skin 'stinks.' We passed a no smoking in-the-hospital policy a number of years ago and it has expanded to on hospital property (parking lots) as of Jan.1, 2007. So back to smoking, it cost me personally and every person in the United States lots of money to take care of people who smoke. People who smoke are not just wealthy people that can afford to be sick in a hospital but people of every economic class. The people on welfare and medicare are subsidized by you and me. Who pays their bills in a hospital when they end up sick not just as an inpatient but in the Emergency Room? How about all the people who call for an ambulence due to not being able to breathe. Smoking is a major contributor to heart disease. Everytime a person smokes it constricts the vessels in their body (including the heart) causing greater chances for chest pain and myocardia infarction. Again, who is paying their bills. Smoking causes increased premiums for insurance. Insurance companies calculate smoker's increased medical needs and charge us with increased premiums for the future needs of the smoker. I am not even going to talk about cancer and a multitude of other problems smoking causes. Sorry for my soap box but I lived around second hand smoke for 27 years. I live in Washington State and its the law here and I am glad for it. All the above information generally applies to obesity. I'm so glad I got a lap band. irishamerican

Hi, I have my surgery in 2 1/2 days. Have to work the next two nights then surgery on Tuesday am. I am from Washington State and Dr. Neal is my surgeon. I have about 100 pounds to loose. I would like to get down to 115-125 pounds. I am 4'11" tall and 55 years old. Been overweight more or less since I was 10 years old. I have a wonderful, supportive husband and am paying for this out of my own pocket. I am very much looking forward to loosing weight. I lost 90 # 7 years ago and have gained 70 # back. That is the way it has been all my life. Well, got to go and sleep before work tonight.