I had requests for pics of my tube coming out of my port. Don't look if it will gross you out! Sorry, couldn't find the famous purple bra, but I did find this slutty hooker glove for your enjoyment. DeLarla's back... feeling much better emotionally since I have a plan and a surgeon to help me Thursday morning.

Dork.

Oh geeze, did I actually post that? My stomach looks all gross like that from all the surgical tape that I've added to my daily wardrobe... and lovely nails. Had to give up my bi-weekly manicures to pay for my band. Someone else better put some underwear pictures up before I get arrested alone!

You still have me laughing with all this pain..

So what's the plan: Thursday or Saturday? Is the surgeon Lopez? I say you get down there ASAP

i agree whats the plan!!!

LOVE the slutty hooker glove! did you get the snag in it from working? YOU ARE FREAKING HILARIOUS even with tubing coming out of your belly. what a trooper.

the tissue around the inscision and the tubing doesnt look as bad as i was expecting. maybe the infection isnt to bad and they can just stitch you up.

thanks for sharing the pics. i do miss the purple bra though :phanvan

michelle

No, Shelly, I didn't tear the glove while working. That's from when my pimp slapped me around. I probably popped the tube out myself from laughing so hard on these boards!

Vera, were you one of my angels that passed my problem along to Ann Marie? My phone rang off the hook last night (finally) with tons of options.

Here's what went down: Yesterday Nora promised Lopez would call me at 1:00. I was going to wait till 2, but then thought "no way" and called at 1:10. Nora actually answered & put me through to Lopez, who said he was looking at the pics for the first time (one week after I e-mailed them.) He was unaware of any of my attempted calls or problems. I complained severely about their promise for 24 hour ER help and Nora & Carmen's lack of care & attention. He apologizied sincerely and said he'd correct that.

1/2 hour later I called Nora to ask how much this would cost me, but she didn't know. I told her it was urgent she find out and call me back immediately, and she promised she would. She didn't. By the time I got home she still didn't call, so I called Dr. Kuri, who was on the phone within minutes. He was patient, inquisitive, knowledgeable, kind. He agreed with what Dr. Lopez said might happen (removal of port then replacement at later date.) However, he said he won't know until he sees the wound. So I made an appointment.

After I spoke with him, Ann Marie called, who works with Lopez in the US by referring patients thru belighter.com. She heard of my problem and said she was meeting with Lopez last night (she's there at a band convention.) Her plan was to give him an ultimatum to hire a US rep for his American patients, and she had a person ready to accept the position. She asked me to stay with Lopez, but I told her "send him my love and respect when you see him but tell him he lost a patient since Nora screwed up her 2nd chance."

I have an appointment with Dr. Kuri Thursday morning. The plan is to hit the road at 3:00 a.m., stop at 7:00 a.m. to go potty at La Madam's restaurant, then to the border. Murphy and his damn rules - I finally meet a friend who owns a restaurant and offers me food, but Doc says no eating that morning. How wrong is that?

Lisa,

I hope this isn't too foward of me (if it is just tell me so) but I'm curious what Dr. Kuri is charging you to fix this. I'm sooooooo glad you got some help and I think the sooner, the better!

Marsha

ACKKKKKK! OMG, Lisa, I would be SO freaking out if that was MY tube coming out of my tummy. Girl, you are one brave woman.

Love the glove, by the way....

I am so glad you have the plan, and are getting this taken care of ASAP. Hopefully Dr. Kuri will find that the infection is all cleared up and that there is no need to remove the port, and he can stuff all that stuff back in where it belongs, and you never ever have to see it again. That is my fervent wish and hope for you!!!

I wasn't paying attention so I didn't catch where La Madam's restaurant is, but just FYI - traffic on a workday morning around here sucks BIG time, and starts backing up as far north as Escondido on the I-15 by 7am. I'm not as familiar with the I-5 that time of day, but it also experiences hellacious backups (don't know if you're using the I-15 or the I-5 - probably the I-15, right?).

I only mention this in case you might want to consider hitting Escondido no later than 7am on a work day - may take you almost 2 hours to get to the border from there. I really have no idea, I just know that the 16 miles from Escondido to Mira Mesa can take 30-45 minutes in congestion...

Now watch you take my advice and hit the border at 8am with nothing to do for two hours...

Drive safely, KEEP US POSTED, and keep looking for that purple bra... lol

Marsha, you're asking me if that's too forward while my picture is posted in my underwear? Nothing is too forward in my book!

I don't have an answer though. The girl that referred me to Kuri had the same problems with Lopez, so Kuri did her repairs. She said Kuri was much cheaper than Lopez by far. I told Dr. Kuri that I don't have $1000 or $2000 for surgery, but he said not to concern myself with money for now because the important thing is to fix me. Someone said he may offer me very fair payment arrangements, but he knows I'm coming without that kinda dough. He gave me the impression that keeping up with the band's good reputation is very important to him. One bad band makes all bands look bad. I think he's just concerned with healthy band patients. Maybe that's his motivation for his generosity, or maybe he's just a wonderful man, just for sport. I hear he raffles off free bands at his yearly band reunions (one coming up in September.) If they refuse to take me, I'll barter with one of my kidneys.

Lisa

FIND THE PURPLE BRA!!! he may not charge you at all!!!

Donali, is a big concern of mine. La Madame is in Mission Viejo. She said I'd be driving against the grain of bad traffic. I've never driven to San Diego from Vegas, so I don't know what to expect. Maybe I'll leave an hour earlier. I don't even know which route to take. I guess I'll go to Yahoo Driving Directions and use my address and the San Diego Airport? Anyone have the address to the border?

Donali is not a big concern of mine. The sentence was supposed to say "traffic is a big concern." Getting to the border 2 hours early wouldn't be a problem.

Shelly, SHUT UP. You're killing me! How am I supposed to work with this kind of entertainment?

The Mexicoach station where you can park and walk across is 4570 Camino de la Plaza

San Ysidro, CA 92173

http://gototijuana.com/bsp/

http://www.bajalife.com/bordercrossing/

If you come south on the I-15, it eventually turns into the I-5 - you don't have to do anything fancy. Take the last exit before the border (LOTs of signs saying THIS IS THE LAST U.S. EXIT), and you will see the parking lot of the Mexicoach station at the end of the exit on the right.

Mission Viejo is off the I-5, about 56 miles north of Escondido. I'm thinking it would be out of your way if you're coming down the I-15, but if you come down the I-5 you're still waaaay north of where traffic is going to get pretty nasty. What time does the restaurant open??

I'm taking the 15 south out of Vegas. Are you saying the 15 turns into the 5, then I just take the 5 all the way to the border?

Maybe it's better that I stop at La Madam's on the way back to avoid possible complications. I'm not allowed to eat or drink, so I won't have to go potty anyway. On the way back at least I'll be able to sip some juice and not worry about traffic. Thanks for the info!

Yeah, the I-15 turns into the I-5 waaaay south. Just stay the course, and eventually you will be merged onto the I-5.

I think hitting La Madam on the way back would be a safer idea. (that's a FIGURATIVE "hitting"!! )

Donali, driving directions don't mention the I-5. They say:

I-15 South 205 miles; exit towards LA/SD 116 miles; take I-8 towards Beaches; take I-805 towards Chula Vista; take Camino del lal Plaza exit. Does this sound right?