Dr. Gonzalez Support Thread

[snowbird 2]

The only thing I'm trying to figure out is why all of you think Dr Gonzalez needs a support thread.

[christine yng 0]

Hi Everyone! NewBlue thanks for starting this new thread.

I was banded a month ago by Dr G and I feel great most of the time. Still a few aches and strange brief pains occasionally but doing good and down 22 lbs.

Thanks to all for the support we give each other!

Jill

I'm sure that NewBlew started this thread as a means for Dr. Gonzalez Patients to support EACH OTHER. If you read the previous posts on this thread you will see what I mean. It has been a place where most of us have found usefull tidbits of information, as with most of the other threads on this great forum. If you have been banded I'm sure you have some useful advice on lap band life we can all learn from and thank you for.oxoxoxox

[BlueEyedKitty 0]

Snowbird, are you just on this thread to be obnoxious? If you would read, it's obviously a support thread for Dr G's PATIENTS. Go play somewhere else unless you have something constructive to say.

[BlueEyedKitty 0]

Hi Friends!

Just checking in to see how everyone is doing. Hope you all made it through thanksgiving without incident.

I still have not had a fill yet, but I feel like I'm out of "bandster hell" because I definitely have restriction and I'm not hungry. Dr V said that since I have restriction and I'm losing at an appropriate rate that I dont even need to worry about getting a fill yet. I'm down 28 lbs and feel pretty good. Getting motivated to get to the gym has been harder than I expected. I think part of the problem is that it's so cold here right now I just don't want to venture out in the middle of the night, which is when I'm awake since I work nights.

I wish this recurring pain in my shoulder/ribs would go away. Its not bad by any means, but I really notice it if I take a deep breath (sneeze, yawn), then I feel it in my shoulder, under my ribs, and in my diaphragm. Weird.

I think the biggest challenge for me right now is food, and not because I'm hungry or want to eat all the time, but because I have completely lost all enjoyment from food. Eating is frequently slightly uncomfortable (probably eating too fast?), absolutely nothing sounds good to me anymore so I don't even want to eat, and I frequently have to force myself to at least eat something. I expected to be fighting head hunger for a long time, and although I'm glad not to be in that boat, I think I'm kindof sad that I no longer take any enjoyment at all from food. But enjoyment of food is what got me here in the first place, so I suppose it's a good thing. And I definitely cant complain that I'm 25% of the way to my goal in just under 2 months!

Anyway, just wanted to check in...hope everyone else is doing well!

Jill:D

[NM Sunshine 1]

:help:When I am real stressed, I go on eating binges.

My blood creatinine has been high and my LDL (bad) cholesterol took a major jump. It went from ideal to 179 for LDL. Doc retested me and both were a tad worse. It's the creatinine that the doc is real worried about. I did a 24hr urine collection to see how much creatinine my kidneys were excreting. Friday, I got my answer...I failed. :sick Creatinine lets the doc know how my kidneys are functioning. They are setting up appointment with a nephrologist for me. Scares the sh-t out of me. Hopefully if I need dialysis, it will be just temporary and my kidneys will jump back in there.

Anyway I went into pig-out mode for the weekend. All I wanted to do was eat and sleep. I just didn't care.

This morning I realize that I must pull myself together and get back on the 'wagon'.

It's at times like this that the support we get from forum is so beneficial.

[NM Sunshine 1]

CORRECTION

Got news from doc last Wed. Not Friday (duhhhh thanksgiving). Guess it has all (the days) just been a blur for me.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

:help:When I am real stressed, I go on eating binges.

My blood creatinine has been high and my LDL (bad) cholesterol took a major jump. It went from ideal to 179 for LDL. Doc retested me and both were a tad worse. It's the creatinine that the doc is real worried about. I did a 24hr urine collection to see how much creatinine my kidneys were excreting. Friday, I got my answer...I failed. :sick Creatinine lets the doc know how my kidneys are functioning. They are setting up appointment with a nephrologist for me. Scares the sh-t out of me. Hopefully if I need dialysis, it will be just temporary and my kidneys will jump back in there.

Anyway I went into pig-out mode for the weekend. All I wanted to do was eat and sleep. I just didn't care.

This morning I realize that I must pull myself together and get back on the 'wagon'.

It's at times like this that the support we get from forum is so beneficial.

NM... are you a diabetic? Or is this something that happened out of the blue??? I mean, is this from diabetes or is something else going on?

[christine yng 0]

That's the right attitude NM Sunshine, it's hard getting bad news from your doctor but as hard as it is remember that binging will only make things worse so a here's a big hug :girl_hug: and try to get back on the "wagon". Let us know what your nephrologist says and count on us for support.

[NM Sunshine 1]

NM... are you a diabetic? Or is this something that happened out of the blue??? I mean, is this from diabetes or is something else going on?

No I'm not diabetic and I do have hypertension but have had it under control for years. My creatinine level was a little raised 4 months ago then the sudden jump just came out of the blue.

CRISTENE YNG

thanks for the hug.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

No I'm not diabetic and I do have hypertension but have had it under control for years. My creatinine level was a little raised 4 months ago then the sudden jump just came out of the blue.

CRISTENE YNG

thanks for the hug.

I can imagine you are pretty frightened right now. How soon can you go to the specialist? Is your blood pressure still under control?

So many questions.

Seriously, I do know how frightened you must be. Honestly, my heart does go out to you.

[NM Sunshine 1]

I can imagine you are pretty frightened right now. How soon can you go to the specialist? Is your blood pressure still under control?

So many questions.

Seriously, I do know how frightened you must be. Honestly, my heart does go out to you.

My blood pressure has been under control for quite some time. but, oddly enough, it began plundging down a month or so before my surgery and then dropping to 92/55 or so...doc has been pulling a lot of the BP meds. Now I am at a nice stable 114/62 or so.

The nephrologist comes from ABQ to Silver City once or twice a week. My doc has set me up with him. I'm going to find out in morning. I am going for a fill on Dec.4. so I'll have to make sure that I don't see specialist on Mon. afternoon thru Wed. next week.

ONe thing I am curious about is that I had a severe allergic reaction to ACE inhibitor type BP medicine. The reaction had been going on for some time (diarrhea and cough), then I woke one day with a severly swollen lip. It spread to my toungue and throat. Very serious and called angioedema. Doc said I was lucky to be alive. I'm wondering if that could have damaged my kidneys???

Thank you for the concern. Yea, I'm scared. I didn't realize that people don't live long on dialysis until I researched it. :cry

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

You said that this isn't the first time your creatinine has gone up a bit. Did that happen before or after the allergic reaction?

[christine yng 0]

My blood pressure has been under control for quite some time. but, oddly enough, it began plundging down a month or so before my surgery and then dropping to 92/55 or so...doc has been pulling a lot of the BP meds. Now I am at a nice stable 114/62 or so.

The nephrologist comes from ABQ to Silver City once or twice a week. My doc has set me up with him. I'm going to find out in morning. I am going for a fill on Dec.4. so I'll have to make sure that I don't see specialist on Mon. afternoon thru Wed. next week.

ONe thing I am curious about is that I had a severe allergic reaction to ACE inhibitor type BP medicine. The reaction had been going on for some time (diarrhea and cough), then I woke one day with a severly swollen lip. It spread to my toungue and throat. Very serious and called angioedema. Doc said I was lucky to be alive. I'm wondering if that could have damaged my kidneys???

Thank you for the concern. Yea, I'm scared. I didn't realize that people don't live long on dialysis until I researched it. :cry

You are lucky! Angioedema almost killed my cousin , peanut allergy. When that happened I read up on it and never ran across any references to kidney damage, but, who knows that's better left to the experts. I read the hereditary angioedema may affect the GI tract with a lot of pain and vomiting. It sounds like you're in good hands and you have good doctors, I wish you the best and hope you get better. I'll keep you in my thoughts Sunshine. Make sure you mention all this to doctor G.

[NM Sunshine 1]

You said that this isn't the first time your creatinine has gone up a bit. Did that happen before or after the allergic reaction?

I think it was after the allergic reaction. I'm not really sure as the doc had been watching my Creatinine level as it was raised somewhat, I didn't think much about it. Had me return often for bloodtests. Then the sudden spike. But I had been taking that medicine for almost a year before the angioedema happened. I have asthma, it had gotten bad for almost the whole yr I was taking the ACE inhibitor, also the severe diarrehea (I never told the doc about the diarrhea, because I figured the diarrhea would help me lose weight :omg:). Yep, I know, sometimes the desire to lose weight goes to the extremes.

I quit the ACE inhibitor after the angioedema and my asthma cleared up and the diarrhea completely stopped. Then I made the allergy connection.

I think I am going to get copies of my labs. I'd like to know when this all began myself.

[NM Sunshine 1]

You are lucky! Angioedema almost killed my cousin , peanut allergy. When that happened I read up on it and never ran across any references to kidney damage, but, who knows that's better left to the experts. I read the hereditary angioedema may affect the GI tract with a lot of pain and vomiting. It sounds like you're in good hands and you have good doctors, I wish you the best and hope you get better. I'll keep you in my thoughts Sunshine. Make sure you mention all this to doctor G.

The doctor said was lucky to be alive. He said the next time I take an ACE inhibitor, I won't make it.

Peanut allergy is a super tough one because peanuts seem to be in everything. ACE inhibitors are easy to avoid, they're just in BP medications.

There is a hereditary link to angioedema? My sister just went on a bunch of BP meds and I mentioned the ACE inhibitor thing and a possible genetic reaction; in case there is such a thing. Asked her to tell her doc. I don't think she understood me.