DeLarla

Wow, I learn something every day. Never had any shoulder pain, but I totally understand the horror of the chest pain and having to spit up. When I'm trying to have a bad PB, I walk in circles around my house like a crazy lady pounding my chest. Sometimes my husband stands in my way so I just shove him and keep walking. You would think he'd learn by now, but at least he knows the warning signs so he always runs and grabs me a handful of paper towels.

My Sony Cybershot 3.2 Mega Pixels (around $200.00) is the best investment I've ever made. I hate technology, but this thing is so easy to use. All the stuff I post here is from my Sony. Love it! Most important thing in my book is what Donali said - make sure it's at least a 3.1. Hurry up and buy it and start posting stuff.

Leatha, that makes sense. But what if the ulcer inside my stomach got so big that it made a hole to the outside? Or is that what Penni said? Heck, I'm on pain meds. What do I know? Another wound update... Bloody Mary (that's what I call my gross friend) just did my daily unpacking of the wound. When she re-packed it, this time she had to cut an inch off the gauze, which means the wound is closing and doesn't need as much packing. Had to leave work early cuz my belly is so sore. The wound feels fine, but all the lower bruising has me walking hunched over, ergo, OUCH.

Teresa, I've never heard of shoulder blade pain associated with a PB. Are you sure there's not something else going on? I always get clear warning signs. Sometimes my Band doesn't want me to eat, even though I haven't eaten all day. I get warnings almost immediately, even after a bite or two. food feels trapped somewhere between my throat or chest. I have to keep swallowing and gulping. My warning sign is to stop eating - if I take one more bite I'm in big trouble. Usually, if I've only had a few bites, this horrible feeling will pass after 5 minutes, then I can finish my meal slower I've been able to produce my own PB with just sucking in air and forcing out a deep belch from my throat (I've only done this when the pain was bad and I wanted the object out of me.) Kinda like animals who have the ability to intentionally regurgitate. Mine always happen as I'm eating. And always from swallowing too fast or swallowing too big of a chunk. I haven't had one in public, although I've had to stop eating at restaurants because I started my meal eating fast and got the horrible warning signs.

I can sum up an update on my most recent surgery with one word: O U C H

Brenda, again, you are one of the lucky ones. This thread is really just so people can get their ducks in a row before making a big decision. Even though Ortiz may be excellent, it's still really hard for some of us to get to Mexico at the drop of a Mexican hat! You are lucky since it's not a problem for you.

I don't agree that we should believe our own surgeon. I think we need to collect as much data as possible from all the surgeons, and then make our best choices. It seems pretty reasonable that we should avoid stomach irritants considering the size of our new pouch is so small. I obviously don't know enough about erosion to make opinions! But there are just too many opinions on the topic to listen to only one doctor. Better safe then sorry till more studies prove the theory either way.

Yep, that sounds like me. Did they figure anything out? I had a little more of the same type of fever & sweats last night. I wonder if it has something to do with pain medication, or shock from the pain. I was in horrible pain last night, like my girl parts are gonna explode (low and left.) Today the pain finally migrated to under my belly button, so I wonder if that's an eggy trying to get through all the drugs and swelling since my cycle starts on or around the 5th.

Does anybody else break out in fever and bad chills the night after surgery? This has happened after every surgery I've ever had. Not just the Band related ones, but any time I've gone through semi-major procedures. Last week, after port removal, I had a bad run of the shakes that were so violent I thought I might go into seizure. It only lasted a minute or so, but my chest gets to shaking so bad with chills that I wonder if anyone else did this. I always seem to sweat it out when I sleep that night and am better by morning, but when I get up to go potty in the middle of the night I have another episode - just can't get warm.

OUCH, what brought that on? (Ducking under table.) Maybe you should e-mail that to all of us so we can send it to five friends, and they can send it to five friends, and so on, and so on. Maybe one day everyone will get it.

I don't think you're so off base by saying it's brain damage. Well, maybe not damage, but my eating has nothing to do with the way my stomach feels, or the way foods taste or smell. It's all in my head. I've even been treated for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in the past, because thoughts go through my head faster than I can keep up with them, and when the sky gets dark, the thoughts are all instructing me to get food. At night, even after I'm full, the "voices" start. They aren't really voices, but very strong and powerful suggestions/thoughts that convince me I need to get another snack. I respond logically, but the voices always seem to win. The other night I was fighting the urges with all my might, and I was telling myself that whatever I ate would only last less than five minutes, and then more thoughts would control me. But still, the thoughts won, so I ate junk food all night. That was last week before my surgery. I haven't eaten much for 2 days because I'm using the heck out of the tightness and swelling in my belly. I just tossed out 1/2 of my already-Band-sized lunch, which is so hard for me to do. I recognized the addiction 20 years ago. I spent most of my life going to Overeater's Anonymous meetings at night, which really help me. But the meeting choices are pretty slim in Vegas (it's all about gambling and drinking addictions here.) Darcy, I studied Penni when I stayed with her. She and I weigh exactly the same (she's a pound less.) But we both have totally different eating habits. I hoard huge amounts of food, she nibbles little girl portions often. I think there are a lot of different reasons that people are overweight, so maybe this thread will attract all the junkies, like me. Donali, I'm not as smart as you guys, so I don't even know how to read that chart. What am I looking for? *** drools***

Brandi, this was the greatest post! To think the Band kept you from gaining weight, I mean 11 pounds ain't nothin' when you're talking pregnancy. And you're already losing again, that's about as fabulous as you look right after giving birth! Congrads to you and Mr. Baby. What a nice post

We were just talking about the Johnson & Johnson Band the other day. It's going to be a big problem as more people get it, since it's so hard to find someone to service it. Good luck to you.

Shaz, I used to think there was something wrong with my Band cuz I never PB'd. Then one day it hit hard. It's a very painful and frightening experience, so after your fill, make sure to eat slow and don't swallow big chunks!

I always laugh when this thread comes back! I already "lost it" with Erin once, but she keeps coming back for more abuse. Yesterday she came to tell me the corner buffet added a delicious new soup in case I needed to know. Like I could eat a buffet PLUS soup for lunch? WOOF. I should throw her a bone next time she approaches.

Pati, Dr. Kuri did my first port removal surgery. During the surgery he filled my band, but he never handed me anything. I wish I would have known about this along time ago, considering I've had so many surgeries.

Maurice, I don't see you around enough. You're doing incredibly well. Keep up the good work and speak up more!

Pati, I'm grateful to all my Banded nurse friends here on LBT. Several nurses doubted Dr. Lopez's rejection theory from the start. I was placed on a universal antibiotic, but the wound was never going to close because the tube was so close to the skin. And I did ask the urgent care doctors to do a culture. I practically begged, but they refused. They said the antibiotic would disrupt the results, but even more they wouldn't be able to fix the port or tubing even if they knew what was wrong, so they just kept telling me to go back to Mexico. My original doctor referred me to several local Band surgeons for emergency aftercare. I should have called them before getting the Band, but I didn't see any reason to doubt Inamed's top surgeon. Never occured to me that I'd be refused considering my doctor trained the local guy. The whole thing certainly is exhausting. I hope my experience can save at least one person from having to go through what I've been through. If you count the procedures I've had with local anesthetics, I've had six surgeries on the same wound since May. I'd say that earns me the right to post my brains out with warnings. I never thought to ask for my OR report or surgical records - Gagirl, you should start a new thread cause those records would have come in handy several times if I'd have thought of it. Thanks for that info.

I wasn't smiling. That was gas.

I guess it could be worse considering a cannon blew through my gut the previous day! We are so colorful - Penni, you even match the picture on the wall!

I must have been really woozy, cuz stuff Billy said is still coming back at me. I told him I used an on-line program similar to Fitday, but he said that's not good enough. He wants me to use a regular notebook. Got it on my desk now. It still boils down to one thing: THIS SUCKS!

Alex, as far as ingredients, for example: Make a can of tuna salad. Count the calories in the tuna, count the calories in the mayo, count the calories in the bread. If you make 2 sandwitches, divide the calories in half. Then you'll always know what a tuna sandwhich is. We can never be 100%, but his lesson was to get to know tuna on many levels. In your best Forest Gump, "plain tuna, tuna boat, spicy tuna roll, tuna casserollllll, etc." And Donali, did you actually doubt me? I interupted him plenty of times to discuss the sheer obession and compulsion. That's the "WORK" part that we gotta do. Breaking bad habits, working it. For example, I told him my recent binges were nervous eating over all my recent band problems, but he shot me down. Ouch, but he was right, cause what kind of excuse is that considering I've been obese my whole life? On another post, Bright talks about the food calling her like nails screeching down a chaulkboard. Billy said we gotta get rid of the chaulkboard. So I told him I would try to break my nightime eating by having cucumbers and carrots marinated in vingar instead of goodies. Easier than it sounds, but what it all boiled down to is that I won't lose any more weight unless I account for what I eat. Can I do this? I don't know. He seems to think I can. Like I said, I hate what he said, but I have to try. Deep sigh. And he said I should be having 1200 calories a day until I lose weight, and from there we'll reassess what my body needs. He also said nobody will actually eat 1200 calories (we'll eat more.) And one thing I was glad about is that we don't have to count veggies, they're a freebie.

Another OOPS, I responded before seeing Penni's post. I meant WHAT PENNI SAID! Remember, I was on lots of pain meds so the brain wasn't too observant or absorbent that day!

OOPS, I have to clarify what I wrote earlier. Billy doesn't make all his patients lose 40 pounds before surgery. He was talking about one specific patient that weighed 500 pounds or so, and the guy figured the bypass would fix him. Billy probably read a lot into the guy's personality, and the guy probably displayed signs that he wasn't willing to do any work other than lying on the operating table.

OMG to the screeching nails comment! That's EXACTLY how food talks to me!