whippledaddy

Just an update and I'll try not to whine. First of all, let me say that Dr. Cudjoe is very thorough. Maybe too thorough, but if he does make a mistake it will be on the side of caution. Went to the pulmonologist. He said everything was fine, but wanted a chest x-ray. Chest x-ray shows something in the right lung. Now I go for a chest ct. I think it's the pneumonia I was diagnosed with when I went to him, but he is adamant. Went to the cardiologist, got an EKG. He now wants an ultrasound of my heart as well as a stress test. Says his decision was based on a combination of my family medical history and today's EKG, plus my own medical history. So, ulcers, spot on the lung, and a bad EKG reading. I feel pretty darn good for a fella in my condition! The only thing that hurts is my knees when I go upstairs. I don't get out of breath, and I don't feel my heart racing. Ever. If you want to be thoroughly evaluated and you live anywhere near here, Dr. Cudjoe is the fella. Sheeesh.

And that's the way it usually happens. Patty is determined to get her own bike, she's got it all picked out. White with pink flames on all the tins. Lisa. You got a biker chick attitude, whether you think you're a biker chick or not! It's all about doing your own thing, and not hurting anyone else. And it's about getting back on when your common sense tells you not to. Congrats on your license. Keep the rubber side down, and remember, every other vehicle out there is potentially lethal. Give them the respect they deserve.

Well, some time has passed. I've had a chance to research these pesky little ulcers, the reasons for biopsy, and the causes of same. It seems digestive tract ulcers can come in several forms and places. Mine are in the stomach and are not connected with stress, though a stressful life can make the symptoms worse, but since I have no symptoms that doesn't matter. These stomach or gastric ulcers can be caused by NSAIDS, like Ibuprofen, which I have taken willy nilly for many years. Their onset can also be aided by lack of sleep, periods of not eating, and periods of overeating. All of which I am guilty. It is common for these to be associated with stomach cancer. But the reason for the biopsies is to rule out a pesky little critter called H. Pylori. They cause about fifty percent of gastric ulcers in Americans. I feel better for now I have something to fight. So I will fight. Oh, I called in to work Friday to take my day to myself and ride to Lake Michigan. My request for the day off was denied. When I arrived to work I was mandated for the midnight shift. It's a prison, they can do that. I worked eighteen hours straight. I got today off, but nearly slept the durn thing away. So no ride. I would have loved to have described it to you, told you of the wind and the sun as I rode. I would have loved to tell you about the mist far out on the Water, making the ore carriers look ghostly in their oh so gradual progress. The gulls circling and heckling from above, affronted by my lack of bread crumbs to throw them. The sand would have been warm beneath my feet after I took off my boots to walk the beach. The beach would have been all but deserted now that summer's over, and school is in. I would have walked and sit, and let the wind, water, sun, and the ever present rhythm of the waves, like the heartbeat of the world, soothe me, clear my head, re-anchor me as a citizen of a glorious planet. I would have stood, eventually, replaced my socks and boots, sipped the last of my water and started up my bike. Then, with a large orange sun smiling behind me, I would have ridden the man made thunder. I would return home, a smile of triumph, and of sadness on my face. And in my eyes would be defiance, and not defeat. And so, I await my banding, and in the meantime, I will fight. I will heal these ulcers, I will make my body strong again, I will do what I can, and what I must. All that awaits is the future, and it is mine, to do with as I please. And for all of you, I wish the same. May you meet your challenges with fierceness, may you do what you must to ensure a brightened future. May your paths be straight and clear, may your journey to the band be excelled only by your journey with it.

Geez, I read this post and then took a nap. I dreamed I was walking down the street (after banding) in nothing but my new smaller sized Incredible Hulk briefs. And I was getting all sorts of wolf whistles, but they were all guys! Help!

Congratulations! And the getting in shape idea makes tons of sense, I think I'll incorporate it into my plans. Good luck and keep us posted.

Went and had my endoscopy done today. The doctor found "many" ulcers in my stomach. He also took three biopsies. I was on Versed, and Demerol, but don't remember getting an answer to my question of "how many?". Patty was there, watched the whole procedure. She said that there were several ulcers. She said more than three, though she wouldn't commit to an exact number. She also said the biopsies were SAP with all those ulcers present, not to worry. I'm concerned, not worried. I have never had any discomfort, any pain that one would associate with an ulcer. And if they take a biopsy, it's for a reason. It may be CYA, or he may have seen something that really needed to be investigated further. He prescribed meds, said we could heal the ulcers in as little as eight weeks. But there will be no band placed until the ulcers are healed. So, here I am, ever waiting, still ever hopeful, I can do this, I can heal the ulcers. I actually heal very well. Gotta stop the ibuprofen for the arthritis tho. They figger that's the bugger that gave me the ulcers. Don't mean to dump, but I had to vent a little, somewhere. I'm going to take off work tomorrow, and go for a long leisurely ride all by myself. I'll ride to Lake Michigan. There's a different kind of healing there.

I wish there had been this tool when I was 22 and fat. I had to wait thirty years. You don't have to live this way. The lapband can help. My wife had the RNY, and I am getting the band this November (I hope). The band is less invasive, you should be able to lose fifty percent of your excess weight, and it can be for life. It will always be there to help you. I have heard of no serious complications with the band locally. I'm in alma, Middle of the Mitten. The complications, if any, are small in comparison to what is possible with the RNY. I should know, my wife had many complications with the RNY. Look around this site, most of the questions you ask have already been answered, and the good folks who run this place will be more than happy to get those threads up for you, or start new ones. This is a great place. We have all been where you are now. Some of us have been banded a while back, some recently and some are still waiting. Good luck, and welcome!

Not knowing your personal feelings about this, I'll pray for an uneventful surgery, swift recovery and satisfying results, if you approve, of course! Congrats. I haven't been banded yet, but I'll give this advice: Celebrate each victory, no matter how trivial! Just don't celebrate with seconds of anything except Water.

I gave this a lot of thought before I posted this. I, too, was frightened when I couldn't get on this forum on the twentieth. I haven't found the support anywhere else that I've found here. Frankly, my wife expects me to be John Wayne about this. She doesn't understand that while I am moving forward, there are times I need to talk about it. In her eyes men are supposed to be made of steel. I try not to disappoint her, but I am human. My best friends are scattered across this country, chefs all, working like crazy, all. My family is not close. So, I've formed a kind of dependency on this place. This upcoming surgery has given me hope. But hope is a veil woven of gossamer, and the cruel winds of others good intentions can rip and rend and tatter that slight protection. You all keep that tenuous umbrella of hope intact for me. I need your insights, your gentle slaps that put me back on track. So. With that in mind, I'll share something very private. I started a forum back in August. Basically it was for me only, though others can visit if and when they please. I wanted a log of my journey with the Band. Since I already pay dues there, why not? But......what if LapBandTalk should disappear from my computer screen? Me, rattling around in my little one man rant place wouldn't cut it. I'd miss my friends in Bandster land. So.........I'll give the address here. Once. You may visit. You may post. But I'd rather keep the main thing going here at LapBandTalk.com. You see, I like it here. I'm nostalgic about this place and the wonderful souls who touched mine here. But if the worst did happen, you could find me there, and maybe, just maybe, I could find you. You'll have to register, it's free. And you'll have to put up with about ten gazillion ads unless you pay for basic membership. So, here it is. Do with it what you will. I've bared my soul here already, several times, so I won't be too embarrased. http://forums.delphiforums.com/shrinking1/start Love-Laugh-Live.

Hubba Hubba! You could ride pillion with me anytime! Uhhhhhhh, 'Cept Patty might object.

Sorry I haven't been around much. This thing had me thinking, plus I picked up some much needed overtime at work. I did get to talk to the person who had the surgery. Turns out it wasn't any big thing, really. There was some fat in the doc's way around the liver so the Doc took it out during the procedure. It lengthened the surgery, but caused no other problems. I have been thinking about my Doc's lack of experience with the band. There was a lot to think about. Conclusion: He's been thoroughly trained by an Inamed Proctor. He's now doing the surgeries on his own. He is a very capable surgeon in his own right. What about those people who have gone before? They took a slightly larger risk to get this. Am I better than they? Should I wait, or look for a more experienced surgeon, and not allow a good doctor to get in more experience? If everyone only went to doctors who had done at least a hundred procedures, who would the first hundred be? The homeless? Some group of society who doesn't deserve quality health care? Who gets to chose? Me? I have been a member of a poorly treated class of society all my life: The overweight. I put my life in jeopardy to get this fat. I can surely take a measured risk to lose it. So, I will go to this man. I will be his forty first lapband. May he learn something from me that will make the others better. There is danger. I am a biker. I know about measuring the risk against the desired result. He is a good man. His complication rate is low. Fortunately my wife and I are involved in our local medical community and we get the inside tip now and again. Dr. Cudjoe is a better surgeon than the man he replaced. Thanks for all the caring, and for all the sharing. You are all so wonderful. One day I hope we can all meet somewhere and Celebrate our new lives. I'm only standing tall because you hold me up. Ryan.

Thanks for those links. Very informative, and they allayed my fears, just a bit. I guess there is a bit of background that should be shared here, to help all understand where I am coming from. Before Dr. Cudjoe, there was another doctor in that office. Dr. S. is all I will call him for reasons that will become obvious. Dr. S. specialized in RNY. Before coming to our little town he had done many procedures on people of severe obesity. At one point he said that he had previously never worked on anyone smaller than six hundred pounds. My wife was his ninth patient in alma. She had severe complications. Doctor S. used a suture material that broke down quickly, it worked well on his other patients as their bodies didn't erode the stitches quickly at all. Patty was up and walking immediately. she is a nurse and knows what must be done. As the weight began to fall off she became more and more active. The stitches dissolved before the wound healed. Patty had an open incision. I had to pack it four times a day. It tunnelled within her for many inches. She produced a hernia. She contracted MRSA. She lived. Other patients of Dr. S. weren't so lucky. There were many complications, and one death. It is important to point out that the Hospital wasn't equipped to deal with these patients either. At the time of Patty's surgery Dr. S. didn't even have a scale that could weigh folks in excess of 300lbs. He left Alma under a significant cloud. Now this new doctor. He admits that he has done much more RNY than Band. He admits that he has done many more women than men. He says men are different and must get more fat away from the liver. Since I have always been able to lose but unable to keep it off I'll probably have no problem losing what he needs to do his job. I don't mind being part of the learning curve for him, and I'll do my part as a patient. One thing is sure, he'll have done at least forty between the time I first saw him and when he does me. My concern was that he changed deals in mid stream. At first it was shrinking the liver, not losing weight. Now it's losing weight. Whenever the deal changes as you progress a red flag should go up, and you should investigate. I'm now satisfied, and ready to move forward. Unafraid. "I'll not tiptoe through life, only to arrive safely at death."

Cudjoe has done many RNY surgeries, I believe, but he is fairly new at the lapband. His RNY work has gone well, and he replaced a doctor who had a very bad record for RNY. He admits that he has only done a few men, but many women. He said it is different to do the lap on a man. So, I'll go on the liquid protien diet and lose what I can. I still say that asking someone to lose weight so they can have surgery for weight loss is like asking a heart patient to unharden their arteries before they can have a bypass.

I don't have any tips (I'm still a banding virgin as it were) but I've read some great posts on what to pack in the other folders here. Congrats and good luck.

Geez guys thanks, you've sure given me something to think about. I had already seen my doctor a couple weeks ago and he said then that I would have to go on a "liquid protien diet" to shrink my liver. The fellow I was talking about goes to the same doctor, and he got his information after his two weeks of liquid protien and losing a whopping twenty pounds on the diet. Now the doctor is back pedaling about what to do. I think he may not be as experienced at the lap band on men. There were only two men at the meeting we had to go to. Unfortunately I haven't seen the man or his wife (who's getting banded as well) at work so don't know what happened. I'm taking a stoic attitude right now. I will do what is required of me, and I expect so will he. Thanks for all the responses! I'm overwhelmed. You all are really the only people I can talk to who understand, and you'll never know what it means to me.

Ice Cream Diet? That's great. I was going to steal an idea from the Man Show and tell folks I was using a chocolate suppository. Just put chocolate on a brazil nut and claim it's your suppository and that's how you lose weight. Can't you picture someone asking their doctor for them?

You'll find more than info, Katy. Here you will find a caring bunch of people more than willing to share a smile or a tear. Welcome to the fold. Just look through all the posts and you'll get a wealth of information. I was unsure what to do, RNY or band until I found this Forum. Here I got the input I needed to pick the right path for me. Good luck!

A fellow I know is/was scheduled for surgery tomorrow with my doctor. He is getting the lapband. Dr. Cudjoe's assistant called yesterday and told him he might have to postpone his surgery date while he loses more weight. She told him that Dr. Cudjoe had to stop a procedure on a man of about our same build because he couldn't place the band through all of the fat. Now it's just hearsay, and I'm sure much was lost in the exchange from the man's wife to him to me, but does this sound a little goofy to anyone else? I mean losing weight to have weight loss surgery sounds kind of counter productive. It's like telling a person with a hernia that the surgery can't be performed unless they heal up and don't need it. Catch 22 anyone? Waiting for my next visit with the good Doctor so I can get some clarification. Anyone else heard of this?

Iluvharleys Yep, I ride, and have ridden since the age of twelve. First in the dirt, A Harley Sprint, then the street, 1947 Knuckle, the last of the knuckle heads. I've owned and ridden just about everything. Currently on a rice burner (don't hate me, please). Roadstar, 1602cc. It's the heaviest bike I could find. figgered I needed the extra beef to carry me around.

Whew, AudreyZ, righteous post. I couldn't have said it any better.

When the wind is in your face, and you feel the sunlight, warm and gentle at your back..... When you hear the music of distant thunder coming from beneath and behind you...... When you find that you and the machine are one unit, leaning, slowing, accelerating........ When the playful breeze ruffs your hair, and tugs at your coat like a rowdy child....... Then, problems once large and demanding shrink to the mole hills they really are, and you remember what it is like to be without care, to frolic in the world God gave you. You ride, and for a time you are a child again, full of joy and wonder, and at this time, your heart is filled, your soul ready to burst for you know that it is enough..... Just to be. Ride on Ladies! Gotta admit, I never thougt I'd find this many riders on this site.

It has always been my experience that when people bite off more than they can chew they get down to work and chew it. Way to go Donali. You can do it. But then you knew that all along didn't you? Don't let the raspy voice of doubt creep into your thoughts. You can do it. The porch is gonna look great! The BF is gonna be impressed! Heck, I am!

Hello, Bubblesstina, that's an interesting moniker you got there. I can't answer your question directly about cost as I am covered by insurance, but there are many wonderful people here who can help you in that regard. Let's just say that you have found the very best resource on the web for researching this exciting new weight loss surgery. There is a lot of knowledge here, and a lot of folks who have lost weight, but they haven't lost their caring and sharing ways. You'll be glad you dropped by, you'll thank your lucky stars. Some of us can share the waiting with you as we make this journey together, and others can share the aftermath of the surgery, you'll be so much better informed and prepared for what is going to happen. Here you will find love, laughter, tears and so much more. Welcome, and your hubby had just better give you this present, the gift of a longer, happier, more fulfilling life.

Find out if they were fresh or frozen. If they were frozen you're a very lucky person. They may have been harvested in their poisonous month. Sheeeesh. go through major surgery to beat the enemy, food, and find that food is still the enemy.

Janet Quinn in Dr. Cudjoe's office is great with insurance. She can help you get it through. She's tough as nails, smart as a whip, and never gives up. She's only there every other week (she commutes from like Minnesota or somewhere), but she's a great help. You could meet her at the seminar. There I met her, Dr. Cudjoe, Dr. Smith, and the office staff. It's a very informative meeting, well worth the trip for you. Good luck, and when you get your packet, be sure to fill out everything, it speeds stuff up. Also I set up my own psych eval and other tests. You may want to do that so you won't have to be coming to alma once a week until you're banded.