DeLarla

I'm impressed how quickly our bodies adapt because I can now pick up a toothpick with my toes without even looking.

Is Dropsy permanent or does it go away when it stops hurting to bend over?

I was analyzing medical records (part of my job) and a woman had problems with hardware erosion from back surgery, so the hardware had to be removed. She must have done too much hammering or drilled too many holes with an electric drill or the hardware wouldn't have eroded.

I'm having a hard time getting my antibiotics down. At the suggestion of an RN, I broke my antibiotics into many pieces and took one tiny bit at a time with milk. But 1/2 hour before that I have to take something for acid reflux to prevent ulcers from the antibiotics, which I break into pieces. I called my pharmacist who said the Reglan that I have on-hand should work. But I also have to take my thyroid pill in bits. I'm spending 2 hours each day taking meds. I was thinking of crushing them int a fine powder and snorting them like the Cocaine people do. No, I'm not that dumb, but it sounded like a good idea at the time. Last night I was choking. I think my antibiotics bubbled up and caused gagging sensations. I just started the Raglan yesterday. Can antibiotics cause erosion like NSAIDs do? Because I've been on them for too long now and still have several days to go. I noticed a small amount of liquid coming out of my new incision. I thought it was leaking, but now I think I tore a small piece of skin away that got stuck on the bandage when I changed the dressing. Hubby said I should keep this bandage on a couple days, otherwise I may pull the stictch. It looks clean, maybe I'll do that. Dr. said bandage for only 3 days. Any ideas?

What's one more huge naked woman? My skinny husband says that making love to a skinny girl is like having sex with a gunny sack of antlers. When my skinny friends come over he yells, "get that woman a sandwich."

But Penni, I thought the leaking had to do with a foreign body/implant? I leaked when I got the band put in, but now the port has been removed. Last time I leaked for 2 weeks. By the time I got to Urgent Care, they said the reason I got infected is because the wound never closed. How can I prevent infection with an open wound? Do you think I'll leak 2 weeks like I did when I got the original band? I can't use Neosporin because I had an allergic reaction. Meanwhile, all morning I felt pinching at the incision site. Was that the skin ready to POP open? Gross.

Please don't look if this will gross you out. This is what my stomach looked like after port removal. Those horrible blisters are allergic reactions from the bandages I wore for a week. The round red dots were a bonus - I had broken capillaries and asked the surgeon to remove them while she had her cauterizing [sp?]machine out, and she was nice enough to zap them for free. The next picture will be my scar today after port removal.

Thanks. I always thought the stoma was the pouch itself. Like stomach, only baby size so they left of the end of the word. Ya learn something new every day!

Awe heck, I spoke too soon. My incision was looking better, then BOOM, suddenly I had a huge wet spot. I sprung a major leak. Dr. Kuri says it's normal. I say STOP IT!

Hi Lori, nice to see you. I think I'm the problem child of the boards, so take everything I say with a grain of salt! Good luck to you!

On my good days I always start with a Protein shake. I use 1-2% milk, Protein powder, and a variety of fruits. If I'm out of bananas, I keep bags of frozen cherries, peaches, berries. I don't like eating Breakfast, and coffee makes me jittery, so this shake is the answer to my breakfast dilemna. Plus, I get fruit every day, which really keeps me regular! And I can drink it while getting ready for work then take the remainder in the car. Then I drink tons of Water till 1/2 hour before lunch. Sometimes I'll have a decaf with cream. For lunch I eat anything I want in small portions. I chew chew chew but only eat for 20 minutes. I'm not sure what "full" feels like, so that's why I have the 20 minute rule. An hour after lunch I drink more water. At 3pm I try to eat a snakc like a granola or Protein Bar. This keeps me from being famished at dinner. Dinner is same as lunch. Around 7pm I have a popcicle, a cup of tea, or a fruit cup.

Sorry I have no answers either. I responded so that I'll be notified when others reply with answers because this is something I always wondered. Thanks.

I found the purple bra and BOTH hooker gloves! I spent my entire life hiding in huge t-shirts or swimming in shorts and a t-shirt, even as a child. Now that I have my own pool I'll be damned to breathe one more self-conscious breath! We have 10' walls surrounding our backyard, so if peeping Toms or helicopters really wanna see us naked, hell, if someone wants to see ME naked, more power to me! Donali, you can come and float nakie on a raft in my pool any day of the week! One of my favorite summer activities is floating. Nothing more, just floating.

Do you mean a cocoa butter stick like a chapstick? I've been using all sorts of stuff on my other scars, and they look great. I rub Walgreen's Vitamin E cream several times a day. I use Almond Oil also. And all my friends have been giving me potions, so I rub anything and everything on there. Now I have to get the cocoa butter stick. Everyone says my port scar looks fantastic compared to the pics I posted. But I still need another surgery to replace the port, so no use worrying about that scar afterall, I suppose. Thanks for the hot tip on the cocoa butter. Back to work tomorrow. Poop.

I removed my bandage today, and there was a pinhead dot of liquid. But once the air hit it, it dried out and has been dried for hours. I'll shower in the morning then wear a baggy shirt to work. Boss is on vacation so I'll basically wear PJs all week! Today's the first day off pain meds. I'm crushing my antibiotic, putting it in a small spoon, dribbling on honey, cramming it down the back of my throat and drinking lots of Water. Gross, but the pill doesn't get stuck. Thanks for all the info.... can't wait to go swimming again! As far as posting on Lopez boards, thanks for the tip but I'm an anti-Lopez girl now so I'm going to un-join his little board. There's not much action there anyway, less than 40 posts I think. Peace.

Nursey, thanks for the info, but don't let these boards scare you. I posted all my horror stories for informative purposes and for hugs and support. The only thing you should worry about is to make sure you have plenty of information and weigh out all the pros and cons of the doctors before going forward. The only thing I regret is my choice of doctors and not spending enough time talking to a whole bunch of his patients first. Perhaps my surgeon is tops in his field, but a surgeon is only as good as his staff and aftercare, and I understand there are plenty of excellent doctors who offer the whole package. Sorry if I scared anyone, but better to be aware than blind like I was.

Hiya Kittenchops, it's so nice seeing all your friends here. And yes, the silly purple bra will be on the bidding block by the end of the week! All proceeds to Donali. Can some answer what the VGB is? Vertical gastric banding? It's important for all of us to keep our options open and to always have emergency back up plans/doctors and annual scopey-tests. It's not just Donali's problem, it could and will unfortunately happen to more of us based on the numbers. I put myself in Donali's shoes and remembered her begging Lopez NOT to give her a gastric bypass when he removes her band as a second option. What scares me is that I decided against a gastric bypass, which my insurance would have paid 100% for, and self-paid (well, maybe I'll make a payment to that credit card one day) to get banded. But after all I've been through, and after all the weight I've lost, I'm afraid I'd opt for the bypass if my band ever goes south. Either that, or I'll lose my mind and they'll have to lock me in a rubber room and feed me with a tube, which naturally insurance will pay for (but not for a safe band in the U.S.), however it WILL keep the weight off. This post taught me alot. Thanks girlies for all the info. I had no idea they removed bands in France after 4 years. That's very comforting because I just don't think I have the kind of body that will accept a foreign object in me for so long. French doctors must have a lot of sucessful patients who have kept the weight off after being banded in order to continue this practice. So if that's the case, thanks for the big ol' pumpkinload of hope! In answer to the question of whether anyone has been banded over 4 years, Dr. Fisher in Las Vegas holds required seminars that you must attend in order to get a consultation with him. You listen to 3 hours of Band vs. Bypass. He doesn't sell one over the other, in fact he forces patients to make the final decision. But he said he does fills for 2 women who were banded in Europe 10 years ago (a mother and her daughter.) I don't know if it's true or not, but he said it in front of about 200 people. Unfortunately, his insurance won't let him touch Mexican patients. Ole' Holding my breath for 4 years just in case.... xoxo, ME-o.

Silicone gel Patches are what the surgeon recommended, so I'll check out Walmart. She also told me to buy Aceita de Melendras (almond oil) while I was in Mexico to get the glue off. It took the glue off easily with tissue. A company called Jaffra (similar to Avon or Amway) used to sell Almond Oil really expensive, but I haven't seen it in years so I bought 5 small bottles for $1.00 each in Mexico. I use it to smooth all over my wet skin when I'm finished showering, which leaves me soft and yummy. Fat and flabby, but soft and yummy. As far as skinny dipping, think of it this way. If anyone wants to look at me naked, hey, let them look! Thanks for the hot tip!

I'm not planning on wearing a bikini either...naked sounds better! What cream are you using? There are many new Patches on the market for scars. I know one is Neosporin, which I'm allergic to, so I'll try others down the line. How long do I need to wait before my sutures are healed and I can go swimming? I mean skinny dipping?

So what you're saying is no snorting? Last time I used Neosporin on a wound under bandages I welted & got blisters - allergic reaction, so I'm leaving the bandage on another day or 2. How long before I can get surgical sutures wet? Cause I think if I shower or bath the area in a couple days the bandage may loosen. I can feel the little hardened spot of liquid under the bandage, and I really don't think it's the same Fluid you mentioned, Penni. Because I'm extremely familiar with that leaking fluid (I leaked for 2 weeks after my surgery.) I actually saw a tiny piece of skin pull away that got stuck to dried blood on the bandage, so I think I opened the incision, but just a hair. Penni, which picture are you referring to, because there are pictures from weeks ago that may have shown the leaking incision. As far as crushing meds into powder, my pharmacist warned me to be very careful and call him with each pill. He said it's okay to break this particular antibiotic up, but he said be very careful with capsules or other pills since some are time released and need to be taken full. Otherwise you'll get a full whammy of the drug all at once, so I'll have to ask him about my thyroid med. I'll crush the antibiotic tonight in a spoon of something good. Thanks for the advice. Now, is anyone familiar with at-home gall bladder cleansing? I have the info, which is a 3 day fast involving a lot of apple, pear & fruit juice, followed by lemon & olive oil, but it says to take Metamucil or Citricel (powder fibers.) Are there "fiber warnings" for lab-banders? I've seen a glass of Metamucil that sat on the counter for an hour, and it hardens like Jello... worries me about that expanding and getting trapped in the pouch. The recipe also called for Acidophilus/Bifidus capsules. Anyone??????????

I can't find the purple bra cuz hubby has been on laundry duty for 3 weeks due to me being afraid to bend. I guess I should look in the garage or the bathroom cabinets since he's really bad at putting things in the right place. I already purchased my Vitamin E oil and have been using it on the other scars - maybe that's why they don't look so bad.

Here's the incision today with red dots. She zapped 7 ugly broken capillaries for me. I hold Dr. Lopez and Dr. Carmen responsible for the ugly scar I'll have and all the allergic blisters. They still haven't called me back.

I forgot to attach the picture... DOH!

Jeanie, can I collect frequent driver miles, too? Hey, as far as bypass vs. lapband, I learned tons through this seminar in Vegas. When I first wanted a band, I called Dr. Fisher here in Vegas. Their policy is that you have to sit through this boring 3 hour seminar before they'll even make an appointment for a consultation. Boring, yes, but very informative. The seminar weighed the pros and cons of bypass vs. lap band. Maybe you can call Dr. Fisher in Las Vegas and ask if they have the seminar materials in written form since you don't live here. Dr. Fisher works with another band surgeon, either Atkins or Atkinson? Fisher prefers doing band surgeries while his partner prefers doing bypass, and both procedures were about the same price (maybe a $1500 difference between the surgeries) but they were very clear that WE have to make the choice. Many people approached the doctors after the surgery to tell their special circumstances and see which method the doctors suggested, but the doctors refuse to suggest anything and leave it up to the patient to make the final decion. So be very careful listening to one doctor. The best advice anyone ever gave me was to call as many surgeons as you can and get multiple opinions. It's hard to know who is being honest and who just wants your money.

Thanks, Jeanie, I needed that. You think I can force my insurance to pay my credit card bill from the surgery? Like that would happen!