DeLarla

P.S. What's a leener? And what's a bup?

"Just because somebody says something that you consider to be assinine and stupid doesn't mean that you have to add to it by making your own possibly assinine and stupid comment." Bean, yes it does (and I say this laughing.) Some of us (me for example) come from mentally ill parents or are mentally ill ourselves ~ the apple doesn't fall far from the tree ya know. So I often lash out because I'm unable to hold back. Then five minutes later I realize I was acting like the child of a lunatic, so I delete my words hoping I didn't hurt anyone yet. Make sense? I'm a work in progress, but at least I catch my faults and correct them when possible.

For the record, Karen and Francesca went all the way to Mexico for a fill. Both were shocked to learn they were eroded. Neither had port problems or complications. Kathy, I was in the same shoes as that poor girl. When I finally decided to see Dr. Billy, it was with the knowledge that I might eventually have to file bankruptcy over the band. I had to swallow that option because my health and life depended on it. Billy will see Mexican patients, but not for free. He's more reasonable than some doctors, but you're sill facing American hospital bills. Meanwhile, the girl's nurse sees her probem as an emergency. Even though some doctors feel erosion isn't an emergency, I certainly do based on common sense. Ignore a foreign object eating into my stomach? No thanks.

I know people that went shopping the next day. But I've also known people that were down for 2 weeks. There's no way of saying how you'll feel. Do yourself a favor and make sure your life is in order before you go in case you're forced to go back to work. At least when you get home you'll have already cleaned and stocked your house after work all you need to do is plop on the couch. Also, make sure you have plenty of clean, loose clothes. You'll be swollen and bloated, and ANYTHING around your waist could be miserable. I lived in dresses and sweats - no bra for me either since it rubbed against one of my scars. Be prepared, just in case.

I'm a safety girl myself, so I'm glad you're getting the Upper GI. Who knows, maybe some day they'll think anxiety, stress & worry causes erosion! Better safe than sorry

Oh yes THEY ARE mine!

Topsy, didn't they do an Upper GI right after band removal? That was the worst part of having my band removed. I was in no condition to get out of bed, let alone wheeled to elevators and into the x-ray room. I hurled into a bucket during the entire trip, but they still made me stand and drink barium to make sure there were no leaks. They wouldn't let me leave the hospital till I did the Upper GI.

"We now recommend that every band patient gets an upper endoscopy around 18 months after the surgery." Dr. Ortiz. "Many people complain that insurance companies are reluctant to pay for LapBand. I humbly suggest that the best thing we can do to REALLY piss off the insurance companies is to willy-nilly require endoscopy on all our patients every year! Imagine the cost! And for what benefit? Actually not much. In fact, erosion, though devastating in its implication for the band (mandatory removal), is otherwise benign." DR. PLEATMAN Now we have two surgeons and a moderator disagreeing in one thread. First everyone thanked Ortiz, now everyone can thank Pleatman, and then everyone is back to Square One to decide which good doctor to believe. How is this thread helpful to bandsters trying to figure it all out and make wise choices when all we see are the opposing opinions of two surgeons? How? By making your own choice. Read everything, dispute nothing, then go with your gut. For anyone to say erosion isn't dangerous hasn't experienced it themselves. The band eats into the stomach while the skin around it repairs and closes over the outside of the band. But how are we to know how strong those bonds are? According to my surgeon, one bad PB or stuck food episode might cause a potential leak. So while suggesting people walk around that way, at least suggest they live on a diet of mushy foods sipped through a straw till they can be sure the band is safely inside the stomach with no weak tissue ready to leak. Maybe I'm making a medically incorrect statement, but I know my body, and I knew I felt "off" and uncomfortable during my erosion. Note: I sometimes edit or delete posts when I see people taking them out of context and misquoting me. I do it to protect people from relying on something I might have written out of sarcasm or as a rhetorical statement, such as when I said Pleatman owes the entire obese community an apology. Being the entire obese community consists of millions, it was obvious to me that my statement was rhetorical. Read, think, process. Then respond.

After my first projectile vomit, I felt green and queasy. Instead of a normal PB, liquid and food shot out 1/2 foot across the sink with force. I don't consider having an endoscopy insurance fraud after my dramatic experience. For me, I'd rather have a cavity filled than a root canal any day of the week, which is why insurance companies not only pay but also encourage clients to have an annual cleaning and full set of dental x-rays as part of preventative maintenance. I never see or feel pain and/or cavities, but I get the x-rays anyway. The expense of an endoscopy is nothing in comparison to a 3-day hospital stay for band removal and repair of a perforated stomach. But like I said before, the band is a very high priced device that should never be considered unless you have good insurance or a chunk in the bank. I'm not Chuck Norris so the thought of a band potentially eating into my stomach gives me the queebies - call me odd. But I suppose there are lots of tough guys who could watch an episode of Nip Tuck then fall asleep with no problem. YIKES! Even Dr. Billy says erosion "isn't always" an emergent situation. He said a completely eroded band would just end up as a blob inside the stomach and might eventually cause problems. Hats off to anyone willing to live in the unknown. Creeps me out.

Pleatman owes the entire obese community an apology. I haven't received one. Babs, several of my eroded friends didn't know they were eroded. The only reason they found out was because during their fills, their surgeon wasn't happy with how the barium flowed around the band instead of through it, which prompted an endo to confirm erosion. There aren't always symptoms, and the longer the band erodes the more damage it can do to your stomach. My current surgeon never required regular endoscopies, either. But now that he's seeing so many people erode around 18 months out, he said he’d start requiring them on everybody at least annually. I was also denied an endoscopy when I requested one. Insurance doesn't pass them out, your doc has to find it medically necessary. I had a projectile vomit and went to the doc holding my guts. At that point he felt it was medically necessary. ** Edited because my sarcasm was taken too seriously.

Paula, don't feel bad about DRY chew on the floor. My friend's husband spits in the bathtub. I'd leave a man over that.

Girl, you gotta take it really easy. I lost my band due to erosion, but it really helped me learn how to eat like a human. Your band is there to force you to eat slow, take baby sips, chew till mush mush mushy. But you should still call your surgeon so he can document your file so that when you are ready for a fill he'll know you were really tight from the band alone. How long have you had your band? Chances are that it will loosen up in the first month or so. You little sensitve thing you

Good news, you're normal! I had good restriction before my first fill, and my friend lost 70 pounds before getting a fill. The band alone offers a good amount of restriction for some of us.

I'm with Penni, however, this is actually a very serious question for obese folks. I now have Barrett's Esophagitis (long story, but I have precancerous cells on my esoph that don't always eventually lead to cancer.) But I'm sure I caused the problem by eating too much too late, then laying down with all that food backed up in my stomach into my esophagus. So it's best to stop eating 3-4 hours before you lay down, even for a nap. And who else is tired of trying to spell esophagus?

Dawg's eyes are still closed, right? Susan, Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I don't have any goats, but I do carry a blow up sheep with anatomically correct orifices in my Slumber Parties inventory. Wonky? I like that!

"I know that toilet paper was $1.99 for 8 rolls in 1993, because it's still there on our computer. So I cop flack all the time about how irresponsible I am for not wanting to go round grey haired with eyebrows like a man. Apparently its my fault we're not rolling in it." AND "....where can I get a 'nickle on stick'...or at least a photo????" OMG, it's only 4:00 a.m. and tears are rolling down my eyes while my gut is busting open! Jack, I will get you a photo of a nickle on a stick! And now I have warm fuzzies over Dawg n' Nut, awweee!

Voodoo takes care of all pizza boxes, Jenna. YOU should know that.

You aren't crazy, the band is tightest in the morning. There's are many great threads about morning restriction, so do a search and you'll find world's of information. My band was closed for business till lunch when I had it. Many tend to open up around lunch or with warm liquids. Totally normal.

You got it. He's a lucky guy to come away with broken bones and bad abrasions, so I think he's got the white light on his side already, thank Heaven. Send our love from Vegas, and we've got an extra bike on the trailer when he's better.

I would definitely recommend having it removed after 18 months, but only if you've had a port infection. For me, I wanted it OUT because I suffered a port infection for 8 months. All the knowledge I had about port infections going hand-in-hand with erosion had me fretting n' stewing to the point I got creepy vibes that I was creating my own erosion! Constant worrying about the band isn't healthy. However, if you have a healthy band and you know it's healthy because you had an annual (or 18 month) endo, then I see no reason to take it out unless it's not doing its job. If I had a band that didn't work, I wouldn't want to keep it. I don't miss my band one bit. I'll probably change that statement if I gain weight back, but for today I don't miss it since I'm trying to continue eating smaller portions and I've learned a lot about chewing and slowing down.

Interesting you bring up the empty toilet paper roll after my earlier drip-dry experience. And I have a bidet, but was my little bidet towel around? Nope. It's a mystery because he didn't do it, so he says.

All the strength in the world to you my friend. I don't envy your position at all. My husband frustrates me till no end, but to think of an actual divorce is serious business. We'll be here for you leaving the white light on.

"Positioning has changed drastically from how it was placed originally - which was quite a while ago in Australia." BINGO.

I'm bored with the whole Ortiz topic. I better go start a new fun thread. Out.

Hey, if we're in here fighting, we ain't eating. How many calories does a good LBT war burn?