vinesqueen

Not "may need to talk" but definately start to demand anwers from your doc. If you have been working your band, and still are not seeing any resutls, it's time to ask why. Stacy, I didn't any "real" weight loss, other than Water and edema weight with my band either. So I started to demand answers from my doctors. It took months before I was able to get answers, I finally have them. Please feel free to PM me. The answer that I found is that I have Cushing's. The number one symptom? Obesity.

ROFLOL, lots of people want to be you, Leatha, when they grow up. Don't sell yourself short. Thanks for posting this. Again.

Hey Jess, just wanted to tell you that it's good to see you on the boards again. I'm so sorry that you and your husband are dealing with this rough patch. To put it mildly, a rough patch. I know that many slips fix themselves, and by going unfilled for awhile really helps that process. Tell your husband to stop being such a baby about needles ((((((hugs)))))) I mean, if I can do my own blood draws then he can face a few shots. Courage and Strength (((((Jess! ))))))

Hi Susan, you can certianly do all those things you mentioned to hide how little you are eating. But I think it will be easier to hide than you think. Perhaps it is just me, but I sure don't sit around watching other folk's plates, being the food police. I don't think there are too many out there. You always have the option to say, oh, I'm on yet another diet, I'm just doing liquids.. what ever. Do not lie about your surgery, I think that will only come back and bite you in the butt. I think everyone knows about my surgery, and how little weight I've lost. But as for folks needing to talk, well, I say just give them some thing to talk about and they will be happy. But I don't care what fools think. And yes, I've lived in small towns and big ones, so I understand how people talk.

Hurray! Please tell MsJoy how happy we are for the NSV and congrats on the Aniversary! Being able to fit into a booth is a major mile stone indeed!

Congrats Sunta! It's so important to keep track of your NSVs because they tell the real story of your journey! I"m sure it's all very nice to be able to say "I've lost 50 pounds" but your NSV list shows what it really means to have lost that weight. Congrats and well done!

great photos, and congrats. So, what are your top 10 NSVs?

congrats! What wonderful news!

Yikes Babs! But I was thinking that the noise might be because you don't have as much insulation...

storm in a SEAcup (or C cup?) over swimwear http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/fashion/index.php/heraldsun/comments/storm_in_a_teacup_over_swimwear/ At last night’s closing RAFW parade at the St Kilda Sea Baths, swimwear label MaraJoara discarded the catwalk models used in previous parades in favour of “real women”. The designer behind the label, Leesa Fogarty, claims RAFW organisers weren’t impressed. During the parade, models of all shapes and sizes took to the catwalk: short, well-endowed, petite, tall, skinny, pear-shaped, muscular, young and old - they were a cross section of body types. It was fantastic to see such a wide representation of the so-called “average” Aussie woman, and I’m sure looking at the pictures (see the Herald Sun’s Picture gallery) women out there can appreciate what styles may better suit their bodies. ... Even though the women in the show were "normal" they sure look pretty skinny to me... Interesting that this has spead to Austrailia...

hmmm, I would have to go with the 72 hours if you were told 3 days. I'm constantly amaized that ther is such a difference between clinics. We are told "take it easy" but we don't have to be on liquids after our fills. But of course, always follow your surgeons' recomendations.

This last Thursday was Cushie fun day for those of us who were down testing, (and Jaimie too!). So that meant Jamie, Monica and me, as well as my non-Cushie friend Traci. We went and had girlie, girlie manicures and pedicures at a beauty college. What a treat that was... We were originally going to go to one place, but when we got there, we decided to try a different school. One of the things I do to amuse myself is play "Hump or no Hump" where I try to figure out if someone has a hump, and if they do, do they have any other Cushie symptom... One of the women at the school, looked mightly suspicious to me, and I pointed her out to Jamie and Monica. Since Monica nad i were wearing short sleved shirts, our white stockings for our PICC lines were right there, out in public and everything. She wanted to know if we were in a club or something, so I opened my big mouth and blabbed all about Cushing's, and why we were in Portland. Turns out this woman had most of the Cushing's symptoms, but like a good girl listened to her docs when they told her that her only problem was the was fat and lazy Monica and Jaimie are WONDERFUL Cushing's Ambasadors, and they gave this gal all the contact information so she could lean more about Cushing's After we were done with our Ambasador duties and our beautie treatments, we headed out to try to find someplace for lunch. After getting lost a few times, and not finding any restaurants that suited our needs, we finally found a Bosnian grocerie store with a deli. The food was DELISH! and we all swapped slices of our sandwiches. Everything was really yummy, well, I have to take everyone's word that the eggplant was yummy, but there you go on that. After we filled our tummies, we went grocerie shopping and bought all sorts of wonderful European treats. I got a spice mix that I'm going to try tonight, I have no idea what's in it, because none of the ingreedients are in English. We had such a great time, Monica was out of her Low by this time, and I'm convinced that the Dex helped mitigate the worst of my Low that I swung into on Wednesday. (stupid cyclical grrr)

I don't know if this is true or not, but I've heard that designers refer to models as "hangers." That the models are there to show off the clothes, not the woman. It made sense to me anyway...

Happy belated Penni! Sorry I missed this thread, one of the many I missed while out of town. HIppo Birdies!

This last Thursday was Cushie fun day for those of us who were down testing, (and Jaimie too!). So that meant Jamie, Monica and me, as well as my non-Cushie friend Traci. We went and had girlie, girlie manicures and pedicures at a beauty college. What a treat that was... We were originally going to go to one place, but when we got there, we decided to try a different school. One of the things I do to amuse myself is play "Hump or no Hump" where I try to figure out if someone has a hump, and if they do, do they have any other Cushie symptom... One of the women at the school, looked mightly suspicious to me, and I pointed her out to Jamie and Monica. Since Monica nad i were wearing short sleved shirts, our white stockings for our PICC lines were right there, out in public and everything. She wanted to know if we were in a club or something, so I opened my big mouth and blabbed all about Cushing's, and why we were in Portland. Turns out this woman had most of the Cushing's symptoms, but like a good girl listened to her docs when they told her that her only problem was the was fat and lazy Monica and Jaimie are WONDERFUL Cushing's Ambasadors, and they gave this gal all the contact information so she could lean more about Cushing's After we were done with our Ambasador duties and our beautie treatments, we headed out to try to find someplace for lunch. After getting lost a few times, and not finding any restaurants that suited our needs, we finally found a Bosnian grocerie store with a deli. The food was DELISH! and we all swapped slices of our sandwiches. Everything was really yummy, well, I have to take everyone's word that the eggplant was yummy, but there you go on that. After we filled our tummies, we went grocerie shopping and bought all sorts of wonderful European treats. I got a spice mix that I'm going to try tonight, I have no idea what's in it, because none of the ingreedients are in English. We had such a great time, Monica was out of her Low by this time, and I'm convinced that the Dex helped mitigate the worst of my Low that I swung into on Wednesday. (stupid cyclical grrr)

Hip-hip- HUZZAH!

The band is NOT surgically induced bulimia! NO! no! No! The band is about restricting you portion sizes, not restricting your life. My DH and I go out all the time, and yes, I have drinks, but many bandsters find that alcohol affects them much easier than before, and blended drinks like margaritas will Close lots of folks down from the restriction it brings. We usually order off the appitizer menue too, or we share, or we bring home all the left overs so I have "good" lunches for days! I know that not being "normal" is the fear of so many baby bandsters, that and worry that the band won't work for them. Because the Band is a lifestyle, it will take some work and mental adjustment on your part to figure how how to live with your new lifestyle. Like figuring out that eating in your car is a thing of the past... Or at least eating while you drive is ...

I don't think there is a time frame. I think this will probably always be an issue for the Banded. The only thing we can do is to mitigate it with meds and/or your favorite homeopathic remedy like ginger. I've recently had all my fill removed because of all the dry-heaves from my Cushing's Low phases. I was worried that I was going to slip, but I'm able to better control the nausia with the Zofran ODT tabs than the phengren.

Hello Lisa, my DH is just over 3 years out with his band. Zero complications. I'm a year and a half out with zero complications, but the band doesn't work for me. (brain tumor)

It was nasty, but I found it very helpful on the days where I was in pain. Pain is not your friend when you are healing from surgery. Don't let it get away from you, it's easier to control when you stay on top of it, rather than waiting until you are in agony.

Even though I've had all my fill taken out, I rarely feel hungry. It is rather odd. I have noticed that when my cortisol levels are really high, I'm ravenous, so that's one reason I know my levels are on the rise and it's time to start testing. I know that a lot of people think that once they get the band they will never ever ber hungry again, never ever. and I think that is a mistake. I think are are suppose to be hungry, I think it is a natural and reasonable thing to be. I think "normal" people are supposed to be hungry after not eating for 4 or 6 hours or more. I think a lot of baby bandsters don't understand this. That we are supposed to feel hunger.

May the cities in your wake, Burn like candles on your cake! Happy birthday!

I did NOT have the CSS like I thought I was going to, nor have I met Dr. D. There is a possiblilty that I will meet him tomorrow, but I'm not actually holding my breath. I don't know why I didn't have it after Dr. L said last Tuesday, and now I feel somewhat foolish for saying that Iwas going to have one. I've had a great visit with a couple of Cushies who were in town! One of the husband is a hoot and a half, and My husband and I had a good time geeking out with him at Lunch. But poor cushie-wife was in a Low while I was Sky High... I got really good at drawing my blood for the 32 hour draws, and my dear husband was ever so thankful he only had to play messenger service, not actually do the blood draws. One thing I figured out is to make up all the packets for the tests as soon as I got my orders and supplies. It was VERY anoying trying to dig out everything for the 4 am draw, especailly since I'd made the kits ahead for earlier draws. Hopefully I won't be doing another 32 hour test, but if I do, I'm prepaired. The other thing I learned was to bring an insulated no-drip coffee cup. Being from Seattle I only have about 8 or 10 of these things about the house, and it was so much easier for my hubby to just take the cup filled with ice to the ER than to try to worry about an ice bucket and random ice going around those really sharp corners up the hill to OHSU. I think next time I will bring small baggies to put the tubes in when they go inside the insulated coffee cup. Tuesday I had lunch with a cured Cushie and her cousin, and I could feel myself spinning up faster and faster. I know that I must have appeared to be a speed freak, or a coke-head as fast as I was talking, and as tangental as I was. They are absoluet dolls, and it was helpful for me to know that they had a darn good idea of what was happening. So, I go up early for my 2:30 appointment at the clinic and I'm suddenly spun WAY out of control. Patty at the front desk wanted me to fill out the "why are you here" paper work, and I couldn't figure out what the heck I was there for. I couldn't think, I couldn't concentrate, and I think I wrote down something like "I'm here for cushing's but my brian won't work anymore, help" So I get back to the room, and my blood pressure is the highest it has ever been in my entire life, I'm crying, and I can't stop moving! I couldn't stop pacing, shaking my hands and head at the same time. I was a freaking out, and not having a good time at all. Chris had me do an imediate draw, but I had to have her help because I was so frenetic. I explained that I've been like this before. Or at least I tried to explain that. Frenetic is the only word for how I felt for close to three terrible hours. Chris had me draw my blood at 3, 4 and 5 o'clock. I'd done one at Noon, and then the regularly scheduled one at 8. I can only hope and pray that they cought something. Chris wanted to know if I've ever done that before, and yes, all the gods and goddesses help me, I've been that way before. I finally started to calm down a few minutes to 5, but I was still mighty spun High. So, Wednesday, I started the Dex. Before I started, my back hurt so bad, I was pretty sure the crash was on it's way. My husband and I decided that we would kill some time by taking a drive up to Mount Hood, but by the time we got to the Village of Government Camp, an hour or so after I took the first dose of Dex, I crashed as hard as I was afraid I was going to. For about 4 hours I was completely out of it, with a few dips back to lucididy. Or what I thought was lucidity. My brain would work, but it was too much effort to say more than a few words. I don't think I've ever sat still that long before, not moving a muscle. He called Dr. L, but my symptoms were bad enough to need to go to the ER, but that I needed to be watched. Since I'm staying with my friend here, who's mom just happens to be a nurse, Mike make the call to go to their house early. He had to half carry me to the Mom's bed, where I slept for several more hours. Then Bing! I wake up! I'm alert and my entire body functions just like it is supposed to. But, being on the Dex, I don't have the BRUTAL headaches that normally accompany such a crash. That was significant, all by it's lonesome. Dr. L told my husband that the dex would make things better. Or make me feel better, anyway. I don't know if there is a difference there. I was really afraid that I was going to crash as hard as I ended up doing. I knew that as High as I was, my Low would be that low. But the amazing thing is that I didn't have the headaches or the back flank pain I normally get when I crash. I know I said that before, but I wanted to repeat myself because it was so significant. Since I've been on the Dex, I feel GREAT! I mean really wonderful. There have even been times where the washing-maching noise in my head has completely stopped! It's been amazing to have that noise shut off, even if it's only for a few hours at a time. I don't know what to expect tomorrow when Chris shoots me full of that stuff to see if I suppress or not. I don't know if it is going to call the head-aches that the Dex has been able to put off. I just don't know. But one thing I am going to do is ask for a prescription for Dex! It makes me feel.. like a normal person. Like I've been able to strike a wonderful balance between that High and Low. These last couple of days have felt nothing like when I Swing up High from my Low, because I know what those feel like. These last couple of days I have felt like I think Normal is supposed to feel like (except the part where I have to get up at 1 AM to take the dex or the 4 am Potty trips.... I'm pretty sure that Normal doesn't include those The last time I did the dex test, it didn't seem to have any affect on me. Nothing that I could detect anyway. But oh mamma! What a difference this time! I feel absolutely great on it. I think partly because I was headed for a land-me-in-the-ER crash, and this time, while I did have an extended period of "extreme weakness" I haven't had the terrible headacke that I normally do. How terrible to have a normal headache. Sorry, but that's just odd to say that. To be like that. After the Terrible High I was on Tuesday, this crash should have been just as bad, but since I've been on the Dex, no headache! No brutal back ache! I wonder if I'll be able to talk them into giving me a precription for it to take home. It is wonderful to not live on peracets for half the time. Just wonderful. Anyway, sorry for such a long post. I prolly won't post again until Saturday. I'm still in Portland at my friend's place. Hopefully I'll be able to leave mid-afternoon. If it gets much later than 3 pm I'll have to stay another night because I cannot see in the dark. When you can't see in the dark, you dont' get to drive in the dark. :faint:

I did NOT have the CSS like I thought I was going to, nor have I met Dr. D. There is a possiblilty that I will meet him tomorrow, but I'm not actually holding my breath. I don't know why I didn't have it after Dr. L said last Tuesday, and now I feel somewhat foolish for saying that Iwas going to have one. I've had a great visit with a couple of Cushies who were in town! One of the husband is a hoot and a half, and My husband and I had a good time geeking out with him at Lunch. But poor cushie-wife was in a Low while I was Sky High... I got really good at drawing my blood for the 32 hour draws, and my dear husband was ever so thankful he only had to play messenger service, not actually do the blood draws. One thing I figured out is to make up all the packets for the tests as soon as I got my orders and supplies. It was VERY anoying trying to dig out everything for the 4 am draw, especailly since I'd made the kits ahead for earlier draws. Hopefully I won't be doing another 32 hour test, but if I do, I'm prepaired. The other thing I learned was to bring an insulated no-drip coffee cup. Being from Seattle I only have about 8 or 10 of these things about the house, and it was so much easier for my hubby to just take the cup filled with ice to the ER than to try to worry about an ice bucket and random ice going around those really sharp corners up the hill to OHSU. I think next time I will bring small baggies to put the tubes in when they go inside the insulated coffee cup. Tuesday I had lunch with a cured Cushie and her cousin, and I could feel myself spinning up faster and faster. I know that I must have appeared to be a speed freak, or a coke-head as fast as I was talking, and as tangental as I was. They are absoluet dolls, and it was helpful for me to know that they had a darn good idea of what was happening. So, I go up early for my 2:30 appointment at the clinic and I'm suddenly spun WAY out of control. Patty at the front desk wanted me to fill out the "why are you here" paper work, and I couldn't figure out what the heck I was there for. I couldn't think, I couldn't concentrate, and I think I wrote down something like "I'm here for cushing's but my brian won't work anymore, help" So I get back to the room, and my blood pressure is the highest it has ever been in my entire life, I'm crying, and I can't stop moving! I couldn't stop pacing, shaking my hands and head at the same time. I was a freaking out, and not having a good time at all. Chris had me do an imediate draw, but I had to have her help because I was so frenetic. I explained that I've been like this before. Or at least I tried to explain that. Frenetic is the only word for how I felt for close to three terrible hours. Chris had me draw my blood at 3, 4 and 5 o'clock. I'd done one at Noon, and then the regularly scheduled one at 8. I can only hope and pray that they cought something. Chris wanted to know if I've ever done that before, and yes, all the gods and goddesses help me, I've been that way before. I finally started to calm down a few minutes to 5, but I was still mighty spun High. So, Wednesday, I started the Dex. Before I started, my back hurt so bad, I was pretty sure the crash was on it's way. My husband and I decided that we would kill some time by taking a drive up to Mount Hood, but by the time we got to the Village of Government Camp, an hour or so after I took the first dose of Dex, I crashed as hard as I was afraid I was going to. For about 4 hours I was completely out of it, with a few dips back to lucididy. Or what I thought was lucidity. My brain would work, but it was too much effort to say more than a few words. I don't think I've ever sat still that long before, not moving a muscle. He called Dr. L, but my symptoms were bad enough to need to go to the ER, but that I needed to be watched. Since I'm staying with my friend here, who's mom just happens to be a nurse, Mike make the call to go to their house early. He had to half carry me to the Mom's bed, where I slept for several more hours. Then Bing! I wake up! I'm alert and my entire body functions just like it is supposed to. But, being on the Dex, I don't have the BRUTAL headaches that normally accompany such a crash. That was significant, all by it's lonesome. Dr. L told my husband that the dex would make things better. Or make me feel better, anyway. I don't know if there is a difference there. I was really afraid that I was going to crash as hard as I ended up doing. I knew that as High as I was, my Low would be that low. But the amazing thing is that I didn't have the headaches or the back flank pain I normally get when I crash. I know I said that before, but I wanted to repeat myself because it was so significant. Since I've been on the Dex, I feel GREAT! I mean really wonderful. There have even been times where the washing-maching noise in my head has completely stopped! It's been amazing to have that noise shut off, even if it's only for a few hours at a time. I don't know what to expect tomorrow when Chris shoots me full of that stuff to see if I suppress or not. I don't know if it is going to call the head-aches that the Dex has been able to put off. I just don't know. But one thing I am going to do is ask for a prescription for Dex! It makes me feel.. like a normal person. Like I've been able to strike a wonderful balance between that High and Low. These last couple of days have felt nothing like when I Swing up High from my Low, because I know what those feel like. These last couple of days I have felt like I think Normal is supposed to feel like (except the part where I have to get up at 1 AM to take the dex or the 4 am Potty trips.... I'm pretty sure that Normal doesn't include those The last time I did the dex test, it didn't seem to have any affect on me. Nothing that I could detect anyway. But oh mamma! What a difference this time! I feel absolutely great on it. I think partly because I was headed for a land-me-in-the-ER crash, and this time, while I did have an extended period of "extreme weakness" I haven't had the terrible headacke that I normally do. How terrible to have a normal headache. Sorry, but that's just odd to say that. To be like that. After the Terrible High I was on Tuesday, this crash should have been just as bad, but since I've been on the Dex, no headache! No brutal back ache! I wonder if I'll be able to talk them into giving me a precription for it to take home. It is wonderful to not live on peracets for half the time. Just wonderful. Anyway, sorry for such a long post. I prolly won't post again until Saturday. I'm still in Portland at my friend's place. Hopefully I'll be able to leave mid-afternoon. If it gets much later than 3 pm I'll have to stay another night because I cannot see in the dark. When you can't see in the dark, you dont' get to drive in the dark. :faint:

Well, my obesity is caused by a tumor, so why not bacteria for others?