Elisabethsew

I did come to this forum until April of this year so I am not privy to what went on as discussed in DeLarla's post. What I do believe is that the position of "moderator" subjects a person to being held to highest standards. While the job is voluntary and appointed, it's not without responsibility and morality. I can't imagine why one person would confess and apologize for hurting a group of people and lie about other peoples' involvement. It would seem to me that Alex (owner) is the one who could best address this problem since I'm rather certain that he has access to these private messages and can track them by screen name. On a personal note, I have never had a problem with any member or any moderator on this board. If I don't like it when a thread goes "off topic" with ridiculous banter, I simply avoid the thread and don't participate. I have disagreed with the positions taken by some of the members from time to time. If I feel strongly about it, I comment in a respectful and diplomatic way, the same way I want people to handle differences of opinion with me. The bottom line here is that members HAVE to TRUST that the moderators are acting in the best interest of the forum mission as well as the members who make up the forum. Accusations have been made that can only be addressed by the people mentioned and the board owner. This could all be laid to rest if those people addressed the issues mentioned. At this point, I think it's the right thing to do. Again, this is just my opinion.

LOL, He came to visit Raul Julia in the hospital and I didn't recognize him. Who expects DeNiro to be walking down the hall in an ICU at 1 AM? I asked him if I could help him and he said, "It's me, Bobby." I said "Uh, ok, but can I help you? Visiting hours are over." He kinda smiled to himself and then whispered, "Robert DeNiro?" I felt like a complete ass and apologized but he was very nice and told me to call him Bobby. After his visit with Raul Julia (who was admitted under another name), he came and chatted with the staff for about 15 minutes and then left... very normal person but shorter than I imagined.

If the site is going to be taken down for a PLANNED update, it would be very nice and beneficial if a notice could be posted on the site.

Yes, they are! Enjoy.

Welcome. For me, it was a 3 month process from initial visit to the actual surgery date.

I take normal bites (about 1/2" to 3/4") and chew thoroughly and find chicken to be the hardest solid protein for me to tolerate.

I can definitely relate to working for every pound lost.

The person to ask is your surgeon.

It's best to follow the advice of your surgeon and ask him/her for the rationale concerning the decision. My surgeon is fine with any exercise 6 weeks post-op.

Because I have a lot of weight to lose and kept off 90 of a 230 pound weight loss before deciding on having surgery, I decided to tell only 2 close friends and no family members. It's taken 3 fills for me to get restriction and I wanted to avoid questions before my weight loss was noticable. As in the past, once people begin to notice and ask questions, I will tell them about the surgery. For now, this is a personal battle that I choose to wage alone and it seems to be the right choice for me.

Wheetsin, thanks for answering those questions. While I never gave any of them much thought, it was an education reading through the thread.

Welcome, Ginger. Others have answered your questions so I'll just add my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Friends are rare and when you find a true one, hold on tightly and nurture it. I have a "true" friend in every sense of the word. She's honest, supportive, tells me when she thinks I'm wrong, listens when I rant and rave, and is always there for me. I need my friendship with her and others. They make me a better person and I sure hope I add something to their worlds.

An RN and a lawyer... double threat! LOL.

Welcome and I'm glad everything went so well.

OUCH! That does look sore. It's good that you brought this to the NP's attention and that she'll be doing your fills from now on. I guess she had to try and defend the MD but there is no excuse for disregarding a patients knowledge base. I hope you feel better soon.

Yes, silk tape is the most expensive of the three but very few people react to it. Your store might also carry a hypoallergenic tape.

I'm glad to see the post-fill food diet is what my surgeon currently advises. Thank you for sharing that article.

I never mention that I'm an RN either but I would stop the "attemps" after a 3rd miss and ask for someone else. You have much better control than I do. If I tell the person where to stick and they ignore me, he/she and I would be having a discussion or he/she would be gone. Definitely mention it to the NP. I hope you're not too sore from that torture session.

I'm not as worldly as most of you but this is a fun and interesting thread. Most of my "interesting" experiences resulted from my work in the hospital. In the hospital I took care of: 1. Whitey Ford (baseball) 2. Raul Julia (actor, played Gomez in the Adams's Family movie... so sad that he died) 3. Mr. Carey (Mariah Carey's Dad and had some very interesting talks with her and her sister) 4. Billy Joel (he sang me a song and has a very nice new wife... the daughter is another story) 5. Mr. Walken (Christopher Walken's dad and he's as weird in real life as he is on the movie screen) 6. Robert Deniro (Said to call him Bobby and was a very nice person) 7. Tony Danza (EXACTLY the same as you see him on TV... a real person) I had a summer job as an assistent to Robin Gibb of the BeeGees and received a marriage proposal from an Italian man while vacationing in Ireland... go figure. That's about it for now. Keep on posting.

Some people do swell while others don't... another strange thing about the band. My surgeon explained that it can take up to 2 weeks for the restriction to "kick-in" on some people. That's not the case for me. If I get restriction, it's the same day as the fill. As for a post-op diet, mine directs you to do one day of full fluids, one day of soft foods and then back to solids.

Thank you so much, Deana. The stress of surgery on the body can interfere with your natural monthly cycle and it can take some women a few months to get back into the "routine" they experienced pre-surgery. I saw my surgeon and asked about BC pills and he does not require women to stop taking them however, the pulmonary consult MD does tell women to stop a month before surgery.

Wow, your weight loss is wonderful. Congratulations!

Dody, you should be fine with the baby aspirin. I take one a day also as well as coumadin (my INR is 2.8 as of yesterday). My cardiologist consulted with the lapband surgeon to make sure the band would not interfere with the meds and I'm nearly 5 months out and doing fine. Because I have to take naprosen as well, I was started on Nexium as a precaution. If you have any problems, you might ask your MD to add an acid blocker as a band protector.

There are many causes of DVT/PE. Since the clot is in a vein (as opposed to an artery), the problem is in the venous system. I had genetic testing after the PEs and came back positive for MTHFR2 gene. This occurs in 12% of the population. 44% do not have the MTHFR gene and 44% have MTHFR1. They are carriers but are not predisposed to clotting problems. Some of the major causes include venous insufficiency, obesity, congestive heart failure, cancer, smoking, oral contraceptives, immobility, bone fractures, traumas, etc. What can help is losing weight, stopping smoking, not taking oral contraceptives after 35 years old if you smoke and are obese, elevating your legs, taking diuretics for congestive heart failure, not sitting for prolonged periods of time, flexing and extending your legs while your're sitting, etc. Meds that are helpful include aspirin, folate, and prescribed anticoagulants and platelet inhibitors such as doses of aspirin higher than 81 mg or Plavax. Great question!