DeLarla

Neicy, first can I say that with a name like Neicy you must be cute as pie? I think you hit the nail on the head with my wound healing from the inside out. That's what I've been trying to explain in my own little words. I thought I had a pound of rock-hard scar tissue under the wound. But now the lump is down the size of a small grape, as if it's breaking down and coming to the surface. The wound heals over flat, but then as the rock breaks down, it poofs out the incision and wants to drain. Does anyone know if this "healing from the inside out" theory holds water? Bushbaby (another name befitting a cookie), I've never heard of an open wound specialist. Had I known that, I'd have gone two months ago, but since the problem is much smaller, I'm hoping the grape will shrink to a pea and soon be gone. I just finished another round of really strong antibiotics. Funny, my pouch has been tender since Sunday, which was the first day off the antibiotics. They probably shredded the inside of my stomach, and now I have new problems! As far as my Gastro making me wait so long, that's my fault. I had an appointment for next Friday, but I canceled it because I have to drive to California for the night to be in the audience when my friend tapes his Wheel of Fortune ... so exciting since I've been a Wheel Watcher over 20 years... and I can't envy him cuz he's one of my best buds. So I had to re-schedule and that's why I'm waiting so long now. Blah blah, sure, my health is most important, but I figure I've waited this long so a couple more weeks certainly can't hurt, right? I'm talking Wheel! Thanks guys... keeping all that info in my head.

Teresa, if you're putting your money on me, you better get my fat ass in gear and start slapping me around some! I have NOT been letting my band do it's thing... I've been completely restricted since Sunday and should be on mushies. No, I'm not gorging or binging... but I consider it binging since I'm eating when my pouchy says NO. I could have lost 5 pounds since Sunday if I'd stop eating dinner. Get on the horn woman and help me along cuz I'm made of mush while Penni is made of rocks (*** evil laughter *** I just haven't found her soft spot yet.) And why the heck are you waiting for October? Get over here! Oh, the weather in October is Heavenly. The heat starts to dissipate late September (cough cough my b-day) so October days are still very warm but the nights cool down. I really hope you guys don't get so mesmerized by the twinkly neon that I can't drag you away for a few hours in the desert so you can see the real side of Nevada. Kitty Milo is draped across my shoulder purring for you guys right now.

We haven't used birth control in 13 years. A baby would really help our financial situation now, eh? Especially at my age! Okay, I think I'll have a nervous breakdown now.

Ya know, I have been feeling odd the past couple days. Lots of pressure & queasy. Maybe I am growing a new port!

Pen, does your family even have secret hills that you can run to? My family doesn't believe in love. My mother doesn't live in the same realm that we do (all kidding aside) and love doesn't exist in her realm. She's very mean and angry. Rageaholic. Funny though, because Chris and I were in the hills on 9/11. We were in Kinsman, Ohio - Amish Country.

I think your port crossed your ovaries and re-directed stuff and now you're pregnant.

When she was here, she had me make one of my purses, and then she sewed fake plastic beads all over it and said, "everyone will think they're diamonds." She was serious then, too. Okay, Barbie.

Darcy, I'm trying to consider divorce here, yet you remind me of the dating scene? NO WAY. NO DIVORCE. I can't imagine how that alien got in your belly. Let us know the second you hear something.

Vera, that's such a nice compliment to me. Because being colorful is on top of my list of important things. Cute stuff is up there too, as well as fun stuff, furry stuff, and funny stuff. Thanks!

Darcy, I'm convinced I still have a port. How in the world can I still be inflamed and sore where there's no port? Maybe Dr. Kuri has a new placebo approach and he just pretended to take out my port? Ya gotta wonder.

When my infection was really bad, I went to Urgent Care and they lanced and packed the wound. They told me to come back 3 days in a row to be re-packed. It wasn't till the 3rd day that my surgeon asked if they did a culture. So I went back to Urgent Care and asked them to do a culture without having to see the doctor again, considering they should have done it on one of my 3 visits, which each cost me $35.00. But she said I'd have to pay a 4th co-payment to get the culture. The whole medical world is whacked out. I hate it! Oh, and my wound opened up again this morning. It's very small compared to how it used to be, but it's still leaking so I have to constantly keep it bandaged, and I'm allergic to bandages! I use the fabric tape, which only leaves a small pink mark instead of huge red welts. I have an appointment with my Gastroenterologist on August 26. I hope he cares enough to help me. If not, I'll see my primary again and see if she can refer me to someone else. Thanks for caring.. it truly does suck trying to find follow up. It's non-existent.

Darcy, I must have been reading upside down cuz I thought the pain was 2 inches below your belly button. I doubt you fun parts moved that high. My primary doc is awesome, because she never heard of the band but took a huge interest in it. She asked for literature and hugs me when I see her because she has a lot of obese patients that want a bypass, and she's totally against the bypass so this gives her a new option. Hopefully primary docs will start becoming more familiar, because I don't see the rate of band surgeries slowing down, do you? My husband would give the same diagnosis as yours. He'd think some Big Daddy boom boom would loosen up the problem and send it on its merry way. What's so funny is that sometimes it actually works! Like when I have bad cramps before my cycle, a little boom boom is like an internal massage. Have I said too much? Again???

Neicy, I don't think I'm ever getting another port. Today is the first day that my incision isn't leaking. It's still really tender and might open again. I've had an open incision since May 5. Nearly three full months. So if I had such a bad infection from the port, then the removal got infected and still hasn't healed, what's a girl to think? They originally told me 3-4 months. In my dreams they'll come up with a way to fill without a port in the next couple months. Come on, why not just stick a needle through my skin into the band? Sounds like a plan to me!

Whip, maybe you ought to piss her off just once so you can do the upside-downy with her... you might like it! Though my ribs do have this little twingy bruise feeling. Odd, I've had the twinges on the right often (probably gallbladder ready to blow) but I've never had any strange sensations on the left side under the ribs. Here, I'll draw you a diagram, hahahahah... NOT.

I'm glad I got my band, too. I'm worrying right now that something might be wrong with it. I worry all the time that it's not working, and I worry that I'll have to get it removed one awful day. But guess what? Before my band I worried about my high blood pressure, high cholesterol, borderline diabetes, etc. So looks like I'm doing just fine except for all these warts from worrying too much!

The only protein powder that doesn't gag me is called Milk and Egg Protein. It mixes well with any fruits, frozen yogurts, etc. It doesn't taste like medicine or vitamins. They sell it on line. I found it at Smith's grocery store, but they sell it on line. They also make a brown rice and a vegetarian powder, but I'll stick to my milk and egg one. I make it with frozen pineapple chunks and sweetened coconut and toss in my vitamins. Not bad.

Show me the way, sister, show me the way to the funny farm!

I think the band will get more and more popular and less expensive. Supply and demand, etc. Reminds me of when I had my eyes surgically corrected for $5,000, and now I hear deals for $299 per eye.

Darcy Baby, why didn't they at least put you on an IV for fluids? Francesca got dehydrated and that's what they did for her in the ER. You don't deserve this pain. You've just been too nice. Could it be something like a cyst in your female parts? Does it hurt to move, or feel like it pinches when you do certain things?

Okay, now we're getting to the root of the problem. So, Alex, if my band slips, are the symptoms automatic? Could I have bruised the area? Because I was able to eat a good size lunch, too much, actually but it was free so it didn't count? It feels a little bruised. Not painful, just "there" if that makes sense. Oh, and my numnskull husband called me after work acting like everything's fine. He wanted to know why I was still made since we already had make-up sex. WHAT? Can they really, truly be that shallow? Still in total disbelief. I can't even believe I did the dirty with him as mad as I was, but I'm not getting any younger so I went for it.

Then again, maybe we're related because you just described my sister! She's 3 years older but shows people her shoes because "don't they look just like Barbie's cute shoes?" And she's completely serious. She works for Dick Clark and sent me all his shoes. Brows knitted, "why did you send me his shoes." She says, "so you'll know what it's like to walk in his shoes." I say, "I'm sending him a pair of mine so HE knows what it's like to walk in my shoes!" She gets mad and hangs up since she wears Dick's shoes with thick socks all the time so she can be like him. Dick thinks his shoes went to charity.

I'll match your crazy sister and raise you my crazy Aunt Linda!

DARCY, you better not be reading this till you get back from the ER. Maybe it's nothing, but peace of mind is better medicine than all the pretty pills combined! We'd all be right there with you if we could, and you KNOW that. But stabbing pains of any kind aren't good. Maybe it's related to your fun parts. Although I don't know any girly problems that get worse after you eat (I just read about all the girly problems in Redbook and yours isn't listed.) Just have it checked, okay?

Thanks, Candy. I agree with everything you said. Problem is I'm a double Libra, so I'll have to weigh and measure both sides of the problem until my mind comes to a satisfying place. I already told him that he broke my trust, and I'll never trust him again. I also believe that a marriage is based on trust, so what I've got now is a big mess. But on the other side of the scale, I have a pretty happy life. We have a nice home in a nice neighborhood. We have pets and friends and a long history. When I said, "I do for better or worse" I meant it. I simply don't believe in divorce. Never did, never will. I'd have to be completey off my rocker to even talk about it, so I guess I really am going crackers because it's tossing around in my head. I don't buy into any of his crap about this "new him" either. I told him yesterday that the novelty of the bike will wear off and we'll be stuck with years more payments. So to divorce him or leave him would be cutting off my nose to spite my face. I don't forgive him, I don't trust him, and I don't think he'll ever grow up. But to leave him would be like cutting out my own heart, and I don't deserve that. I weighed 130 pounds less when we met, but I'm more secure and confident now then I was then. But I'm also a problem solver and have fixed huge messes my entire life. Some that surprised even me. But this is one mess that I can't fix. No, I'm not going to do anything financially to get him back, first because there's nothing I'm dying to have, but second it would only screw me. Also, if I file for divorce, I have a chance of losing my dream home. I picked out this house all by myself. He refused to sell our first house because he didn't want to pay another dishonest agent commission (bad experience with our first home.) So I actually went to real estate school and got my own license just to find my perfect house. I looked at every available house in Las Vegas without him, and when I found this one, I had tears in my eyes. He didn't care for it because he thinks it's "too girly." But he's happy there now. If I file for divorce, since this is a community property state, everything will get divided down the middle. I already consulted with a divorce attorney who said I'd take a big gamble at getting to keep the house, because Chris certainly won't give it up. So a judge could force us to put it on the market. So I'm just as guilty for my materialism, though I personally think mine's justified since we're talking about a home, not a luxury item. I'm just a lost girl in a lost world with lost thoughts. But my instincts won't allow me to divorce him.. not today, anyway.

GEE, thanks for taking my discomfort so seriously. At least now you know why he gets away with murder! But NO, I didn't feel it all the way to my ribs you big dork. It's just the position we were in was (**** CENSORED*** ) I better PM the rest of this before it's too late.