chichigirl

It is so irritating that in this day and age when things can be done to keep patients comfortable, they insist on trying to save a penny or two and the heck with how it affects you. I have had an endoscopy, they used that really nasty tasting spray, but then I was knocked out and woke up burbing my stomach out from all of the air they had pumped in. But I wasn't in pain or any serious discomfort, at least for this procedure. I can't say that about all the doctor's I have encountered, it's so much garbage, they should try the procedures themselves the way the would do it before being allowed to treat others that way. So sorry you had to go through this nonsense and I hope a few pills will clear up any minor infection you may have. Is this the doctor who will be doing the lap procedure on you? If he is, you might want to check out another doctor. If he's not, then I really wouldn't worry about the surgery, you'll be fine, too many of us have gone through it and few with any really significant problems. I would be sure to let my surgeon know of my concerns regarding discomfort and pain, don't be afraid to let him know what your concerns are before hand. Hope you're feeling better, please keep us posted on your progress. Cindy

Welcome to the board and good luck with your upcoming surgery. Hope everything is as you hope it will be and that you have a super speedy recovery. Cindy

The most important thing for you to do is to take care of yourself right now. I'm so glad that so many have reached out to you and so glad that you gave all of us another chance to help. Please know you are truly in my thoughts and prayers. My Mom and one of my brothers have both been through mulitple back surgeries and they have both had spinal fusions, so I truly understand the pain and agony you have to endure. Cindy

Oh Jessie Bear, I'm so sorry for you and your families loss. You will all be in my prayers. (((HUGS))) Cindy

Hi Fuelman, long time no hear. Sorry about your disappointment with the latest fill, that's a real bummer. I'm in Miami and I know for a fact that my doctor does fills on folks he didn't do the surgery on, even those who have gone to Mexico for their surgery. I don't know if Miami is closer to you than Tampa, but if you're interested, I'll give you his name and number just in case, he's Dr. Eddie Gomez, 305-285-5090. He is located out of Mercy hospital here on the beach side. If you need his address just let me know and I'll look it up for you. Good luck with your search, hope this information will be helpful for you. Cindy

My thoughts and prayers will be with you tonight. I'm sure all will go well, sounds like a minimum procedure, at least as far as surgeries go, but I certainly understand your concern and fear over it nonetheless. I'm sure you will be done with the it and home with your family before you know it. As for your DH, men are not known for handling their emotions well, especially fear, which is probably what he's going through right now. He may be screaming and yelling about the money right now, but the truth be known, he's really worried about you and what you have to go through. It's the way men react, but at least it is usually out of love, so you can deal with that. Regardless, take care of yourself right now, you are your number one priority. So sorry that this has happened to you and I think you're right when you say there is really no one to blame, but most certainly, not you are not to blame. Doesn't really matter, you are the one having to go through it, so I pray it's not going to be a big deal and that you will be able to look back at this next week and say, no big deal and move on with your new life. Take care, let us know how you are doing. You have a whole slew of folks hear pulling for you. Cindy

That's unusual for UHC, they are well known for approving bariatric surgeries. It's entirely possible however, that your employer requested this omission of coverage. It's not unusual of employers to do this to reduce their premiums. Check with your HR department or whoever it is that handles the insurance for your company. I am currently on Medicare myself, due to disability, and I purposefully chose UHC as my HMO because of their positive attitude towards all of the bariatric surgeries. Good luck, hope you can get things turned around in your favor. I wish you all the best. You may also want to check out the Insurance boards on here and see what other people have encountered with UHC and other insurance companies. Cindy

Letting go of an old 'friend' if you will, can cause sudden outbursts of uncontrollable crying. You are about to let go of something that you have probably depended on most of your life for comfort and solice, now you are going to be going 'cold turkey' at least emotionally regarding food. It will no longer be there as your crutch, and believe it or not, that is a good thing. Food was never meant to soothe us or to make us feel better, it is only suppose to nurture our bodies so they can function properly, but I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. Letting go and starting a new life is both frightening and exciting at the same time. Your emotions will fluctuate from one end to the other, but eventually they do settle down and things will be just fine, actually better than they have been for a long time. Allow yourself to feel all that you are feeling, then move on. You are embarking on an exciting journey that will lead you down a healthier and happier life. That said, you're fine, your're normal(whatever that really is) but most of all you're human and that's a special and remarkable thing to be. Good luck, and if you need to, stock up on Kleenex and then invest in the company:D . Cindy

Susan, I totally respect your feelings about not needing lectured about what you are eating or not eating or whatever. Believe me I think we are all intelligent adults that know what we should or shouldn't be eating. That said, from the sounds of all of your physical problems and the type of medications you are on, it is sadly not surprising that you aren't losing any weight and that you are hungry most of the time. I recently discovered, from my lap band surgeon, that there are actual studies that have been done, that show the chemical gherlin is shown to increase in levels immediately following lap band surgery. Gherlin is responsible for feelings of hunger, so no big surprise that many of us still experience this hunger and it's not all in our heads. I personally experience hunger also on a regular basis, but I am also a diabetic on insulin, which makes you hungry, and I take several anti-depressants also known to increase appetite. Then the docs want to know why am I not losing? Duh?? Are they serious, sadly they usually are. I wasn't able to tell from your post whether you can do any kind of movement at all with your serious back problems. Like can you move your arms at all or the lower portion of your legs. Sometimes just moving the parts your body will allow can be helpful in boosting your metabolism. They have even proven people who are fidgety tend to burn calories just from tapping their fingers or leg rocking, etc. You have an awful lot of things pulling you in the direction of sustaining your current weight, and that's so unfair and unfortunate. Please recognize this though and don't beat yourself up and don't let anyone else beat you up for it either. I have recently been using the Hoodia Patches and they really seem to work, at least a little. They certainly don't make things worse, so I keep using them. My heart and prayers go out to you and I hope that you can at least find the support you need here on this board. What you are going through is awful and has to be taking an emotional toll on you as well. Wish I had some concrete answers or solutions for you, but alas, I am only human and can only lend you my shoulder should you need to lean on it. Please feel better, I'm glad to hear that you are going to come off the pain pump if it's not working for you. The less medication you have to take the better your system will work, but you already know that. Take care and God Bless. Cindy

Congrats on your wonderful accomplishments and know that everyone here will be thinking nothing but positive thoughts and sending prayers your way. I know you will do just great and look even better, vanity be darned, you already look awesome. I am so excited for you and can't wait for the after pics. Take care and God bless you and your family. I am so glad you are on this chat board and always have been. You have been and continue to be an inspiration to each and every one of us. (((HUGS))) Cindy

You may also want to make sure that your band fill is not too tight, that can cause reflux big time. It's amazing how just the removal of the smallest amount of Fluid and the symptoms will dissappear completely. No matter the cause, you need to see your doctor to make the determination and course of treatment needed for you. Good luck, hope it's really a minor issue for you. In the meantime, until you can get to the doc's, Tums or any of the over the counter antacids can bring you some temporary relief, but just until you see the doctor. Take care. Cindy

Sorry to hear about the slippage, it's entirely possible though, that now that he has emptied the band it will resolve itself and move back into place. It happens more frequently, the resolution that is, than most of us are aware. I too had a minor slip, and after he removed the Fluid, it went right back into place almost within a few days. The doctor waited for about a month to allow things to settle down and then I had another fill, much more cautiously this time, and have been fine ever since and that was month's ago. My slippage was caused by having kidney stones pass for 3 days and along with that comes really awful vomitting and wretching. Good thoughts and prayers that all will resolve itself for you right away and that surgery won't be needed. Remember we are here for you no matter what, so you don't have to go through this alone. Take care and please keep us posted. Cindy

That's right, if you have truly slipped, which is usually caused by really excessive vomitting, you rarely can get anything down including Water. What make's you think you might have had a slip? Have you been ill, like with a stomach virus? As I mentioned above, according to my doctor, slippage is usually, but not always, caused by excessive vomitting. I had an episode of kidney stones in December which causes severe vomitting/wretching, and I was positive that my band had slipped clear down to my navel. It had slipped, but just a fraction of an inch, nothing to be concerned about, and it resolved itself within in a few days, thank goodness. It's a scary thought, but it's not as common as one might think. It really takes a bit to knock that band out of whack for most people. If you are having difficulty swallowing liquids, then definitely see your doctor as soon as possible. It never hurts to be checked out and it does give you a much greater peace of mind once you have a difinitive answer. Take care, let us know how things are going. We'll keep the good thoughts coming your way. Cindy

WHOO HOOO!!! What color did you choose? Can you take a picture and post it, we'd love to see those skinny little tootsies!! Congradulations and thanks for sharing such an awesome accomplishment!!! Cindy:high5:

This is really none of my business, but your story has hit me very hard. Has anyone considered getting him into rehab? You know if he has a serious problem with this, he made need more help than anyone realizes. I certainly do not condone any type of drug use, but unfortunately it's out there and these kids can't seem to stay away from it. His situation sounds very similar to a situation my very own nephew had, he was dating a younger girl, only 16 at the time, he was 18, they ended up with a baby with special needs, autism, and then a year and half later, they had a second child, a beautiful little girl. Their relationship was extremely tumultous (sp) they always seem to be fighting and they lived with different family members always going from one place to another. My nephew got very caught up with drugs and alcohol, self medicating himself from all of his problems, in the worst way possible. This past December he couldn't take any of it any longer and he took his own life, at 22 years old. You have no idea how much of a loss it is until it's too late. We believe that the drinking and the drugs played a very strong part in his decision to take his life. I still can't believe he's gone, I loved him dearly, he had a really good heart, he just went down the wrong path. I certainly understand you and your husbands concern for your own children and the zero drug tolerance policy is an absolute. You cannot allow it from him or anyone else. I am just trying to bring a different perspective to you to consider after what I have just been through. I will keep you all in my prayers and I hope you all can get him to get help. God Bless you and your family. I wish all of you the very best. Cindy

Just thought I might mention, that late in the year of 2005, they were voting as to whether or not to approve folks beyond the age of 65 years of age or not for WLS. I don't know what their final decision was, nor do I know your age, not being nosy, just letting you know they were thinking about the age cut off. I had Medicare with a supplemental when I had my surgery done in 2002, and was denied at first, but once they listed all of my co-morbidities, which were a mile long, they finally agreed. The asthma, fibromyalgia and the high cholesterol might be sufficient for you to be approved. I wish you the best of luck, please let us know how things are going. Cindy

Erin, what can any of us say but how sorry we are that you have had to go through this really awful experience. I wish I had a majic wand to fix everyone who had band problems, but, alas, I don't. I know you are still reeling from all that has happened to you over the past several months, so perhaps you can think about this sometime down the road. With the many complications that have been posted here, I have too become nervous that this might not be the life long answer I was looking for, though I have no complaints at this time, thank God. I just like to prepare for the worse case senerio and I discussed with my band doctor about alternatives, other than RNY, I really don't want to go that route. He told me of a newer procedure they are doing now and it is called the gastric sleeve. From the literature I looked at it kind of reminds me of the DS(duodenal switch) but they don't bypass large sections of the intestines. It does reduce the size of the stomach, but allows the portion with the digestive enzymes to remain and it doesn't require the kind of maintenance that goes with having the band, like fills. There isn't the risk of malnutrition as with RNY and no dumping syndrome. It works primarily on removing the portion of the stomach that produces gherlin, a chemical that controls our appetities. With this gone, we no longer have that uncontrollable, emotional desire to eat and eat. At least that's what they say. I am seriously considering it, if and only if something happens to my band. It's just comforting to know they are really progressing with bariatric surgeries and who knows, maybe one day one of them will be just right for you. I wish you all the best, and again, I am so sorry for all of your pain and suffering. I will keep you in my prayers and send really big (((HUGS))) your way. Please let us know how things are going for you. Cindy

Thanks Jessie, I picked out three tops and it was still under $25 even with the shipping. Thanks again! Cindy:biggrin1:

Oh Rene, I am so thrilled for you!!!!! I have been sending lots of positive thoughts and prayers your way, ever since I heard about your dilema. You have been so persistant, fighting the good fight, you deserve this sooooo much. I hope you also realize how much you have helped others traveling the same path. You are very special and I am so happy for you I can barely stand it. Wishing you the best New Years ever!!!!! Cindy

Congratulations, that is a huge accomplishment, you must be on cloud nine!!! Thanks for sharing such and inspirational story with us, it's certainly nice to really know someone who is truly experiencing the change in lifestyle. You go girl, and hey, Happy New Year!!!! Cindy

Tricia - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for those wonderful words of wisdom. You have said it perfectly, that we need to look at the brighter side of things, even when something doesn't go the way we wanted. Congratulations on such a wonderful job with your weight loss!!!! You are an inspiration my dear for all of us. I am truly grateful for my band and thank you for reminding me why I should be. It's a good time to refocus and recommit to our weight loss journey. We do no know what the future holds, so we need to make use of the gifts that we have now as there are no guarantees that those gifts will be around forever. I wish you the happiest and healthiest of all New Year's. You are already such a success story, thank you for sharing all that you did. Cindy

Happy New Year Lisa!!!!! My friend and I will be watching the ball drop in New York from my living room and we will do an extra special toast in your honor. Here's to a new year, free of pain and problems! May you wake up tomorrow renewed, refreshed and feeling better than you have since this whole journey started! The worst is behind you, so move forward you wonderful young lady and remember, everyone here loves you and will also be sending you lots of these . . . (((HUGS))) Cindy

Glad to have you back, it's just not the same around here without you. I'm glad this whole thing is behind you and that you can move forward. I hope you still come here for support, because no matter how we lose weight, it does require support and we all love you so much, we'd be hurt if you didn't come to us once in awhile. You get to start the New Year's on a clean slate, so I wish you the very best in everything you do! Happy New Years!!!! Cindy

Well I checked her out, what a hoot! I think she's funny but it is very disruptive if you are trying to chat with someone. Guess you'll need to move into another room to get away from her, but she is very weird. Cindy

I am so sorry to hear that you are having such a rough time. Have you gotten your first fill yet? It doesn't sound like it and if that is the case, then you by no means have any restriction, which is of course how the band works. If you are able to eat alot, then even if you have had a fill, you may need another. It sometimes takes two or three times before we hit the elusive sweet spot. It's not until we get that, does the band really help. Are you following the bandster diet? Lean meat, then veggies, then good carbs, if there's room. No drinking with your meals, try and wait for at least 30 minutes before drinking so you don't wash all of the food down right away. I don't think there is anyone here who can't relate to wanting to self medicate our sad feelings with food. I certainly am an emotional eater and suffer greatly from clinical depression. Trust me this can be done. It's not easy, it takes a strong will and commitment to yourself to do the right things and fighting the old habits which have led us to morbid obesity to begin with. Sounds like you could really use a good support system. Your family doesn't sound all that supportive, given what they did at Christmas. Do you have any close friends that can help you? If not by all means, this board is full of supportive and compassionate people who would love to support you in this. There's lots of great advise here and laughs and just about anything else you could imagine. Things will get better, but you can't give up. You've had the surgery, now let's put that band to work for you and with you. You deserve to be healthy and happy, all of us do, so don't sell yourself short. Happy New Year Cindy