Artsy

In my case, it has been almost pain-free--just a pinprick sensation. I believe this is the norm, from what I've read. I've had two fills so far. My doctor doesn't use fluoroscopy. Here's what happens: I lie on my back and elevate my head. This causes my stomach muscles to tighten and push the port upwards against the skin. It's hard and circular, and he locates it by visual inspection and by palpation (feeling for it). Next, he inserts the needle toward the bottom of the port. That way, if the needle slips against an edge, it slips into the port rather than upward and into the tubing. It doesn't really hurt at all--just a pinprick. I sit up, drink water to determine how fast it's going through the stoma, and then he injects the saline while I'm still in a sitting position. The weirdest (not painful--just weird) sensation is when the needle comes out. There's a slight feeling of suction as it comes out of the the port. The whole thing only takes a few minutes. Hope this helps!

She was wrong. Also, even if she were right, it is not her place to correct your manners--because correcting other adults is ruder than whatever's being corrected. My sister is the mother of twin 5-year-old autistic boys and she is exhausted all the time, so I feel for that mother. However, she shouldn't have taken her frustration out on you. Try to forget about it (although I know that's easier said than done sometimes).

It's on the main page in the list of age groups--it's currently spelled "fourties" rather than "forties." Thanks so much! 8-)

I know that this is a minor thing, but I think it would really be great if the word "forties" could be spelled correctly on that forum. Thank you. :-)

I was given a five day course of antibiotics, but the doctor told me that this was merely a precaution because during the surgery they give you a strong antibiotic (in my case, it was Ancef). However, I would still ask your doctor.

I strongly suspect the doctor never saw that letter. You're back on track now, though! Good luck.

Does the doctor know what happened to you? I would certainly make sure he/she does. They need to know how front office is treating their customers.

Hi, V! Yes, my first fill will be 2/1. I really feel confident with him, and fortunately we have lots of Skymiles so the flight's not too expensive. Looking forward to that fill!

Thanks for the responses and sympathy! I'll go w/two pounds for the cast then. Every little bit helps.

I'm three weeks post-op today. On Sunday, I took some kids ice skating, and I fell down and broke my right wrist. :doh: Ouch. I have gained some pounds back and figure some of it is from swelling, but i'm wondering how much the cast weighs. It's a long arm fiberglass cast. Frustrating to see weight go up when I'm following the rules. (Yes, I'm right-handed and this took forever to type!)

Hi, Judy, I passed along your message to my husband. I think he's going to e-mail you so you can e-mail the poem to him. That's really nice of you! It must have gotten jammed up in the spamblocker. It sounds like Mark is doing great! I've lost 10 pounds myself, which I'm happy with because I tend to lose at a snail's pace and 10 lbs. in two weeks works for me!

Hi Ugagirl--I was an UGA girl myself. I'm in Georgia just south of Atlanta, and I actually decided to go to Dr. Kirshenbaum in Colorado. I had my surgery on 12/19. I think he's great--very nice and highly qualified. He charges less than 10K, so even with flights, it's still much less than around here. Good luck!

You expressed yourself so eloquently in your post. Along with everyone else's excellent advice, my suggestion is that you print it out and have your mother and/or father read it. Maybe it would help if they saw it written out like that. Best wishes.

Force yourself to take deep breaths, even though it may be painful. Good luck!

In the Atlanta area, it was going to be over 20K for me as a self-pay, so I decided to have my surgery in Denver. We are fortunate enough to have lots of Skymiles accumulated, too, so I'm going to follow up there as well. Even if you factor in flights, rental cars, and hotel rooms, though, it is still less expensive than here. Plus (and most importantly), I felt really confident that my chosen doctor was experienced and highly qualified. Good Luck!