DeLarla

Lisa G., we all privately voted and we'll be at your house next Sunday. Please tell hubby when he's done pooping cement to fire up the grill. So far, 340 people have confirmed. See ya next week!

No, I don't have a bug. I feel like that every day. I watched my friend wake up one morning, and she's the same way, but she has Lupus. I wonder if it's my autoimmune disease. I think my Vet needs to put me down.

There's no way on earth I could ever stick a needle in someone... that is, until the day might come where one of my fur babies requires it, then I'll do whatever has to be done. My precious fur babies.

Yes, I just had a birthday where I turned a measly little 42. I'm not 92. Gosh, if this is how I feel at 42, I'm not sure I'll even see 52!

Wow. Standing up applauding. Leatha, awesome response. Bravo.

This achey hurting started about 2 years ago with my feet. I kept thinking it was "bad shoes" as I limped around. After getting banded, I figured it was just too much weight on my feet. But now it's my whole bod. What gives? Is this what Arthur Ritis feels like? For that past year, it's taking me at least 1/2 hour of lying in bed before I literally crawl out of bed. I walk like Ozzie Osbourne for about 1/2 hour before uprighting myself like modern man.

I can only answer for myself and for Las Vegas. There are three band doctors here, but none of them will touch a patient that had surgery in Mexico. It has the potential to be a huge problem. For someone like Penni, who lives in Southern California, she got lucky and found Dr. Billy nearby, who can and will work on Mexican patients. Or for patients that live in San Diego, well they're so close to the Mexican border that it's no big deal taking a couple hours out of their day to see any of the Mexican doctors. But for people like me, who live in a city where there's not even one doctor that will help us, that's when it becomes a problem. I know several people on this board who have had complications and have needed their band doctor. Quite a few, actually. When I heard about the band, I was so desperate that I trusted another woman that had the band (since she had such amazing results and no complications.) She did all the research first, and it seemed simple enough, so I went for it. I should have gone back to Mexico in July for a re-check. I'm learning as I go along. If I check prices, I can find flights to San Diego for under $100.00. Then add in the trolley and/or taxi, the medical visit, traveling expenses, taking the day off work, and cha-ching... it all adds up to more than I care to think about. But please don't let my problems scare you. Read everyone's success and weigh them against the complications. As far as my wound, there are people who walk around with open wounds for a year. I hope I don't have to wait that long, but it comforts me knowing I'm not a complete alien.

Lulu, go read your e-mail!

This is too funny not to share. Babs just called me with her neighborhood drama (she lives a few blocks from my house.) People go flying through residential neighborhoods, so Babs has taken it upon herself to control this problem. She stands out front with a hose in one hand and an egg in the other. She sprays people that speed by, and the eggs are reserved for special cars that she's memorized from regularly speeding down the block. So today a lil 23 year old mom that got sprayed stopped, and they nearly had a fist fight. The girl went off on Babs for letting her 5-year old child play down the street in the culdesac for 5 hours at a time without Mommy ever so much as checking on her. Next, the husband got involved and demanded Babs pay them since Chloe drew all over their garage with Magic Marker. So now Babs is at home coordinating her next plan of attack.

Thanks Marie. I guess I needed to start this thread to take the wound more seriously. No more swimming till it's healed. I'm keeping it clean and using antibiotic cream provided by my doctor in Mexico. The area is not hot or red or inflamed. As a matter of fact, it hasn't bothered me at all till I posted this, and now it's sore and giving me the willies. I'm going to call the surgeon and see if they can squeeze me in earlier.

Okay, Zoe. So I've been having conversations with the wrong Lisa about the clothes she sent, and she's thinking I'm insane and not responding. So we have YOU to thank! You had me really confused, even though you have great taste in clothing! Thank you for contributing. I took Monday off work to recoup, so I put on your tall jeans (perfectly broken in, thank you) with a Harley Jamaica shirt that Penni got me. I took off on my motorcycle all day long.

Trust me, I'd be at Dr. Billy's office next week, but I'm all out of credit cards. I'm seeing a local surgeon in 8 days. If it doesn't go well, I'll see who is going to Mexico and maybe share gas and/or hotel. I'm fed up, so I'll be on the ball till it's resolved!

Sounded like an invite to me! So, what should I bring? HA HA HA

Megan - LOVE the new avatar. I never imagined we'd all have new faces to post from the bash, the bash just keeps giving and giving. Sorry I was so out-of-control that I didn't even slow down long enough to chat, but I had an insane week and barely slept. By the time you all got there, all I wanted to do was... well, jump in the pool with a bucket of margueritas! So that's what I did. I mailed your clothes out yesterday. Tell the Brigs thanks for joining us, and I was suprised people stayed as long as they did, cuz if I didn't live here, I'd want to hit the Strip myself! Thanks to everyone who donated clothes. I hate shopping, so it was really hard to let go of my favorite things. But I got so much in return. At the last minute I donated nearly my entire wardrobe because Michelle mailed me tons before the bash. I was in the pool during the clothing exchange, so I didn't see half of what came in, but SO much was left behind! Greedy me went through the stuff again last night and found another huge pile. Yesterday I wore some pretty burgundy cords with a flower top. Today I have on this flowy green & blue sweater. I wish I knew whose clothes I'm wearing! I think the special thanks goes to Penni for kick starting the whole thing. And seriously, everyone that pitched in cleaing and cooking, Carol, Vera, Ginny, Penni, heck the list is too long. I was seriously spent, and it was sooo nice waking up to a clean kitchen! Donali - I still can't believe you gave me such a cool gift. I have been burning the candle at both ends for too long, and didn't even get a chance to open it till last night. I figured out how to play a disc, so I layed in bed, turned off the lights and listened to classical guitar. For the first time in 5 years I went to bed before Chris, cause I was out before 8pm. And thank you for the eggs.. I still haven't opened mine cuz I'm like a kid and I like the presents to last a long time. I'm saving it for a couple more days. And thanks to John for showing us how to find silver. I have the samples in my office with other rocks I've found. Penni - geeze, where do I start? Too many thank yous for you & John to even list! The paints for Chloe, ten tons of clothes, presents from Jamaica, private concert, chauffer, maid service, party coordinator. I got the tiara, but you earned the crown. Vera - I don't remember the actual ceremony, so are we married? I woke up wearing the 11 karat diamond ring you gave me. I LOVE that ring - goes well with the tiara! Thank you for that ring, it's so fun to wear and I see you in it. Everyone at work thanks you cuz I brought some enchiladas for them. Thanks for all the hard work you did in my kitchen, you rock! Carol, you're just too nice. Thanks for buying and making all those margis. Sorry I drank most of them. Thanks for being so tolerant of me - I shoulda been a more graceful hostess, but stress will do that to a girl! Michelle, again, thank you so much for all the clothes. We're close enough that I'll be seeing you again soon to actually spend some time together. Leatha - Thanks for coming swimming with me! How fun was that? I'm sorry your boob flopped out (no I'm not.) I have your package ready for mailing, but I deleted my PM box because it was too full (oops) so I need your address again. You are a living doll, what a nice person you are. Congrads on all those scars! Ginny - Brilliant minds, yadda yadda... not only do we own the same blouse, but most of the stuff I mailed yesterday was once mine. I think you're amazing for taking care of those boys. Teresa - your little sunshiney face just matches your darling little heart. Thanks for playing in the pool with me and for sharing our intimate concert & thanks to KC for being such a supportive guy to you and the rest of us. He's just right in the middle of it all, that's so cool. Texas Babs - What a cute & fun girl you are! Glad you had a blast in Vegas. You look amazing. Karen - well, I owe my whole band to you, so how do you top that? Vika - I finally met one of the mysterious Vegas Bandster! Thanks so much for coming and for bringing the guac. I'll see you at the next Vegas Bandster lunch. If I forgot anyone, it's Megan's fault! Megan, sorry for using your post to copy and paste, but I wanted to make sure I got offical thank yous to everyone like the rest of you did. I'm always running to catch up!

"Delarla normally would have more to say but she just hosted a whole group of lapbanders at her home in Vegas over the weekend and I suspect if you were at here house now she is probably sitting at the computer...typed out Howdy from Veags and fell asleep. The woman has energy like no other. But it has to catch up to her sooner or later." Greg, stop reading my mind, it's not polite! I usually go to bed around 10:30. Last night at 7:45, I finally opened up the MP3 player that Donali gave me. I popped in the "Meditative Classical Guitar" CD (one of several that she gave me with the MP3) and was out like a light. Too pooped to post!

I forwarded that post to Inamed. I'm curious what the FDA would say about the lack of aftercare. I understand the FDA approved the band at one point, but then took it off the market till the US doctors had better training. I doubt they realize there are Americans (like me) walking around with protruding tubes and infected ports that can't get medical help. I think the band is an amazing tool, and considering the rampant obesity epidemic, the band should get just as much attention as AIDS or cancer. Maybe I need to get on a soapbox and start writing some letters. The band saved my life - I may end up losing it, but for today, it saved my life.

Nope, I didn't meet the challenge. I must have arthritis because it takes me an hour to drag out of bed cause everything hurts every day. I didn't go for my walk because my house was a wreck. Other than the girls that cleaned the kitchen after the party, I haven't done anything, so today I scrubbed the kitchen before work. Got sweaty, so that counts.

Betty, don't forget to wear slip-on shoes! I also bought a pair of pink booties so I could walk around barefoot and not get dirty feet. But they gave me a blue gown, so I didn't match. Then my friend, Francesca, well they gave her a pink gown just to make me jealous.

Yes, Penni, now I'm happy. If he's gonna post, he's gotta be smiling at us.

Immune boosters? You mean like sleeping & lowering stress? Now that's funny. I had my first anxiety attack at 17. Sometimes I remind myself to slow down, other times Chris reminds me, and sometimes my friends remind me. But lately, my anxiety is through the roof. But it never lasts long, and I feel a nice calm period coming on. I took Monday off and spent the whole day riding my motorcycle all over, just thinking and enjoying the day. I don't do that enough... making a mental note to do more of nothing and less of something.

Strange, but I'm jealous. I want a new band with a pretty new port. It's your time, enjoy it.

Howdy from Las Vegas!

Careful, Lisa. It almost sounds like you're inviting us to your house!

One of my biggest concerns before getting banded was the possiblity that it would change my marriage. I went to a LapBand seminar, and the doctors discussed in detail that while some marriages improve when one person loses a lot of weight, many, many marriages end in divorce. You have to ask yourself if this problem is related to your new body. Is your wife jealous? Perhaps you're getting too much attention from women other than your daughter that's making her lash out? I agree that chosing wife over daughter is not an option. That's what my father did to me. He's on Wife #4 now, and we still don't have a relationship. I hate him for it. It's nice having a place to vent.

Leatha, you should send that post in a letter to Inamed. Very well put. I doubled up on my aftercare just to make sure I'd be treated in case of an emergency. First I went to the local doctors, who hold a seminar. During the seminar they brag about patients they're still treating from overseas. They specificially told us of a woman and her daughter that were banded in Europe who now live in Las Vegas. So I asked some questions and felt assured they'd be here for me when I came back from Mexico. But when I got the port infection, they refused to see me. I reminded them of the seminar, how they made me believe they'd care for me like their European patients, but the doctor refuses to take on anyone now. Second, Dr. Lopez in Mexico said he'd refer me to a local physician for emergency aftercare. I had no reason to believe I should check with Teng first. When I needed him, he turned me away because he'll do fills on Mexican patients, but nothing else. So, don't feel like you're on a soap box. This deserves a thread of its own because you are right, after a period of time, there's going to be a huge medical crisis regarding no aftercare. If you don't mind, I'll be happy to send that to Inamed.