DeLarla

What's doctor Lopez's phone number?

Nice to see you, Carol, even after you tried killing me with your famous margueritas! Actually, I've been looking for you because I need the exact recipe. I'd like to store some in my freezer for my next wingding (I promise to go slow this time.) Hope you're feeling better, bronchitis is the worst.

I had a horrible experience with Dr. Lopez. He was a very nice man that had a good reputation as being one of the best band surgeons. But I had severe problems after surgery that he and his staff completely ignored. His staff didn't answer calls or return EMERGENCY phone messages. However, I've read some posts that he's hired new staff. He hired one woman that seemed to get his practice in order, but I heard she either already moved on or is planning on moving on, so I don't know what's going on with his office. The worst problem with Lopez is that I asked him what to do if I had an emergency and couldn't get to Mexico, so he happily referred me to a local band surgeon. But when my port became badly infected, the local surgeon refused to see me, so Lopez had no right referring me to him. I was left in the dark with no medical help. It was horrible. I ended up having a 2nd surgery to get my port removed because Dr. Lopez ignored my infection way too long. Please call Dr. Lopez and tell him how worried you are that you won't get the aftercare you need. Maybe he's straightened out his staff, or maybe he's tired of having his name dragged through the mud so he's gotten things under control. The surgery is the easy part - it's aftercare that's the hard part. To me, Lopez just wanted my money. After the original surgery, I felt like I'd been dumped into a very scary world with no doctors to help me. However, in his defense, I had a long talk about Dr. Lopez with Inamed just this week. I voiced my concern that there's a lot of erosions being posted, and they all seem to be Dr. Lopez patients. The Inamed rep told me that Dr. Lopez does a lot more surgeries than other doctors, and that's why he has a higher percentage of erosion. He also said that might "seem" like there's a lot of erosion since people always post all the bad stuff. Inamed is still providing bands to Lopez. I don't know if they have control over who buys their product, but if Inamed isn't shying away from Lopez, then they must still have confidence in him as a competant surgeon. I don't want to scare you, I just want you to go in with your eyes wide open. He's a very impatient man that doesn't like to listen, and he talks very fast with a very thick Mexican accent so he's hard to understand. But get him on the phone and kindly ask him to sit down and spend some time with you to answer every single one of your questions and concerns. I don't think you have anything to be "afraid" of when it comes to Lopez, just as long as you know you may have to find aftercare elsewhere. Make sure you have a heating pad waiting at home which was my savior for all my aches and pains. I brought some fuzzy pink bootie socks so I could walk barefoot without getting my feet dirty, and they were a nice little comfort. I also brought one bottle of Gatorade since right after surgery all they give you is Water for 24 hours. But Dr. Lopez let me have the Gatorade right out of surgery. I hadn't eaten in 2 days, so it tasted so much better than water. It took me all night to sip at one bottle, but it was worth lugging around. Also, a lot of cell phones don't work in Mexico. If you want to call friends and family while in the hospital, stop at a drug store and buy a $10 or $20 phone card when you get to TJ so you won't have problems with the hospital phones. Be good to yourself, and good luck.

Happy Thanksgiving from Las Vegas! We're taking another road trip to Southern Califonria to spend the weekend with little brother, big sister, friends and PENNI. See you guys when I get back. I've got lots to be thankful for. Peace n' love.

My dogs aren't allowed sweet stuff. But what they are allowed to do and what they cleverly find ways of getting into are two different stories!

Be careful about the financing offered through the doctors since the interest rates are pretty high. If you are able to qualify for one of their loans, chances are you can just as easily qualify for a low interest credit card. I got a card that offered 0 percent for the first year. I'm making payments towards it, and at the end of the one year I'll try to get another card with 0 percent for one year and transfer the balance. But if you can't qualify for a low-interest card, the surgery is worth the extra interest in my opinion.

Chris, that's a good idea. I've been on Weight Watchers before while seeing my regular doctor, so that would count as medically supervised.

Most people say they can't afford to self-pay, and I can certainly understand that because I didn't think I could afford to. But I hit rock bottom, and I found a way. I got a loan from the credit union with payments $100.00 per month. I gave up getting my nails done, bottled water delivery, and fast food to fit the band into my budget. My grocery bill has sliced in half, and I don't order at restaurants any more cuz I just pick at friends or husbands. Or I split meals with co-workers. It's doable if you want it really bad. My food bill was insane. I'd buy anything and everything to keep up my food addiction. Now I stop in 7-11 and just grab some decaf. No more drive thru, no more convenience stores, no more take out or pizza delivery. The band pays for itself in 2 years. But you should do like Teresa said and keep fighting. The pen is mightier than the sword.

Like I said, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, so my dogs have eating disorders. Their names are Voodoo and Sachi, but Chris calls them Needs and Issues.

I'm sitting here reading all this weight loss and I'm so flipping impressed with you guys. I'm happy with my loss, too, but I'm getting a little bummed that I can't get a fill. I think I need one since I'm getting hungry an hour after I eat. Some of you people have dropped mountains of weight in such short times - it's simply incredible. Teresa, wow, five pounds in a week after all this time? Yep, I want me one of them there fancy fills!

I chrochetted scarves for all my friends one year, and people liked them. Now you guys are making me look bad so I gotta start making purses for everyone. What's everyone into?

Betty, did it ever make ME sick to eat a 2 pound box of See's candy? NOPE. The apple don't fall far from the tree ya know!

Betty, you guys should ban me from this board. I'm nothin' but bad news!

My big dog needs a band. He got a can of cashews off the table and managed to chew the top off and eat the entire contents. Last year he ate a 2 pound box of See's Candy that was wrapped under the tree without even disturbing one glass ornament (and ate most of the box and ribbon, too.)

They really are cute, aren't they. I like the Harley Davidson one.

OH, is THAT all you gotta do to make a hat, Teresa? That's like MATH!

I went to a huge seminar on Band vs. Bypass. The huge selling point for the Band was that you don't have to give up any food (unless you can't tolerate it.) But bypass patients simply can't digest certain foods, so certain things make them physically sick. I was told they can't have chocolate, for example, because it can't be digested so they get really sick and either vomit or run to the potty. All those foods on the "never eat again list" are obviously high fat and/or high carb foods that any weight loss program recommends/suggests. But that's too much like dieting and deprivation, which got us fat to begin with. I eat whatever I can tolerate in much smaller amounts, which is almost anything. I avoid bread because it tends to get stuck, but I love it so much that I'll eat 1/2 roll or a couple bits of hubby's sandwhich occasionally as long as I chew small bites really well. Same with steak. Popcorn is no problem whatsoever. Sure, I try to make better food choices. But if you just stay away from forbidden foods, why get banded? Skinny doctors just don't understand. As far as ideas for Snacks, that's funny! How about Snicker's, KitKats, Cheetos, Pringles, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ben & Jerry's, Cheesecake, french fries.... Or did you mean low cal snacks? Mmmm... snacks.

Thanks, Leatha. It's pretty hard to get all geared up for exercise, but once I get moving I do pretty good. My mutts LOVE the walk!

FINE! I tredged through frozen sleet and hail the size of golfballs ploughing through 6 foot snow drifts... walked to the park then did TWO laps around (nice walking trail around my park.) I nearly died of frostbite JUST FOR YOU PEOPLE. Well, there really wasn't any snow or hail, but I think I saw some fog on the windshields. So now Greg is wearing a sports bra with his g-string?

My wound closed up one day, so I didn't exercise. But it opened again so I walked Friday. But I didn't get up of lazy butt this morning. I guess I'll just always have an open wound and no port, but things could be a lot worse!

Let me modify my excuse: I love the cold, and I love the rain. But I'm NOT allowed to walk without my dogs (they won't stand for that.) And they'd be soaking wet when we got home and would stink up my house and furniture worse than it already is. If that excuse doesn't work, then I'll go with old-fashioned laziness. Off to a bad start on this challenge, plus I'm going on another road-trip to California Wednesday. How am I gonna drive 10 hours without all the good junk food munching?

Oops, was today the day we were supposed to start something? Hmm, I looked outside at the rain and made a cup of xtra sweet cappucino. How does that convert to calories burned? I did get angry at husband's clothes all over the house so that's gotta burn something (prolly brain cells with my luck.)

I lost almost all my "fluff weight" (Michelle's definition of the 6 pounds I gained on vacation) but I'm still up a pound. If I don't get on the ball, I may have no loss by my next weigh in.

Does exercising my option not to exercise count?

Let's make sure I read this right: Greg will be posting a nude picture of himself instead of one in the Speedo. So where's the attachment? Greg, will that be from behind or the Full Monty? Vegas got smacked with this crazy winter storm. Yesterday we ran around in long-sleeve t-shirts, but by last night the wind kicked up and it got down to 42 degrees and pouring rain (for you mountain folk, 42 is ice cold to us desert rats.) I hope it drops to 30 and I wake up to snow! That would be a dream come true, and YES, I will walk to the park in it. Bring it on!