rachele

My family and my baby girl all loved him. He worked closely with The Wiggles, who Madilyn adores and we are all very saddened by this tragedy. I feel for Teri, Bindi and little Bob. They seemed like caring, fun loving people. I guess the Ocean was a bit out of him element. He was an expert, and always had disclaimers. "Danger, Danger, Danger" was one of his favorite things to say. On my daughters Wiggly Safari DVD he does a song called "Look but don't touch". I think he was careful when it came to regarding the public. But you are intitled to your opinion, TOM. I also have never seen his daughter Bindi Sue around the crocs, but a year or so ago he did have his infant son Bob in his arms while he fed them, which caused a big uproar. Still, I feel he brought alot of learning and education in a fun way to the kids, and I learned a little along the way, too. What a loss. God Speed, Steve!

SB= SKINNY BITCH ~not politically correct but meant in a joking manner, such as "Hey look at that group of SB's over there, they musta had the DS!":heh:

1.) She's telling the truth here, folks. 2.) You didn't get the check from my Doc's office? :heh: 3.) :clap2:

Nope, not her.

Could it be Sandy has taken to hawking her stuff on ebay? She is getting roasted over on OH.

Depending on the work you do, I would say it is very feasable to say you might be able to go back the next day. I would try to scedule it for like a Friday so I'd have the weekend to recover. I didn't have to take the pain meds, though. It was really easy.

You might want to ask this on the "life after the band board", I think that's what its called. My insurance covered my revision.

I gotta say I am so impressed with the open-mindedness of this thread. I remember a time not so long ago when noone with a band would have admitted even considering a different surgery. It is awesome to see. I also see this happening on another board I go to (NOT OH!) where a few of us have already had revisions, one is awaiting DS, one RNY and one VGB. It's all about getting healthy, not whose surgery is better than whose. I'm really impressed.

I sent it to my son, I'm sure he'll get it.

You should be soo proud of yourself! Congrats, honey! I know it is so damn hard. Keep up the great work! What an inspiration you are!

I totally give you props, because it is hard. Much harder than the bypass.

Actually, my daddy is 87, so anyone could probably beat him up! He'd give ya a helluva fight, though! Disclaimer: Before someone calls social services, this was meant in jest!

Trying to not be offended by that backhanded compliment. I will agree you deserve to be proud of yourself because it is alot tougher to lose with the band. You said you had nothing but respect for people that had the bypass, but what kind of respect is "I'd be sad and depressed that I let myself sink to such a terrible low that I had to resort to that?" That is total disrespect. I'm sorry, but that is a horrible thing to say. Did I sink to a much more terrible low than you because I choose a different surgery? I don't think so. I think I did what I had to do to get it done. I have never known you to say such a thing before, and try as I may, I AM offended.

Looks like you figured it out!:tea:

I'm going to send this post to a friend who can hopefully fill you in a little on it. You might want to post on the complications board, too.

You all know this debate has been around forever. Bottom line is the Band is safer. The band is Harder. AND the band is not for everyone. Ever get one of those shirts that say "OSFA" and you look like a stuffed sausage in it? Well, one size doesn't fit all. And yes, there are complications with every surgery, even the band. But bypass complications are usually alot more serious. But, guess what? These bypass patients are not sitting around dying and getting fat as much as everyone lets on. Believe it. Yes, it does happen, sometimes the patient is complient, but moreso than not, the patient is not complient and does not follow doctors instructions. Same as with the band. Some can't lose weight for nothing, and some aren't complient. It is hard to be complient when you have an addiction whether you have a band or bypass. So please, please, please don't think all us bypassers are sitting around with yellow skin, blind with no teeth and hair! Most of us are just out enjoying life! And btw, my daddy can beat up your daddy.... And Nykee, It's OK. You are a brave woman, and you'll be fine. If you pursue success with the band, I wish you wild success. If you pursue something else, thats ok, too. Thats why the band is reversable, and it is a good place to start. The band was not the best choice for me, but I was scared of the bypass and convinced myself that it would be.

I don't believe it makes a difference, not for a minute. It's kinda like saying if you let the air out of an over inflated balloon slooooowly it won't be as stretched out as if you let it out quickly. Either way you got yourself one stretched out balloon. Banded weight loss is a kinder, gentler weight loss, though, and men burn it up! But the skin issue has everything to do with the amount of weight lost, the amount of time you were obese, your actual skin, heridity, age, environmental factors.....see what I'm saying? I lost 100something pounds with the band then lost 100 with the bypass and the skin issues are the same. They are not worse now since I had the bypass than when I lost it with the band. Congrats on your weight loss! You are doing great! Either prepare for a fight with the insurance company or start saving your pennies to have that skin taken care of!

Mine ended up being scar tissue blocking (squeezing) off the tubing. For sure get it checked out, that Dr. visit would have made me very uncomfortable. I can't believe he ask you if you think it works when you are sitting there 90something pounds lighter. DOH! What a moron. These doctors just don't think about the complex they can very easily give their patients. I wish you luck, don't think all is lost. It just wasn't a good visit. Move on and get it checked out. They might not have been in a good spot, You might have been stressed or anything. Sometimes my band held its fill for no reason, and that was way before the scar tissue came. I was revised to the DS because I wanted to be, not on a recommendation, my doc said he could scrape it out, but I choose a different route. So, nothing's wrong until it is diagnosed. K?

That's what my doctor said to me, so I am using that as my goal weight. (170). Our ring sizes and height are the same, too. We are going to look awesome at 170!

Alexandra, You are absolutely right, but I thought it was pretty neat, too. I don't think 151 sounds right to me for me. But I guess I won't know til I get there. I just want to weight less than my darn husband!! LOL!

I'd rather live it that way than obese. I don't dump. I have a DS.

No, I wouldn't. That's why when I had scar tissue issues, rendering the band useless, I choose to have a duodenal switch bypass. I choose that because it is permenant. See, sometimes what one person wants in a surgery, is a negative to another. Such as dumping with the RNY. I chose the DS because I didn't want to dump. I have friends who chose the RNY because they did. The band is a great, nonvasive place to start. But, it's tough, a real hard row to hoe. If you don't get your head in line with your stomach, you are going to have problems. Especially if something should happen like what has happened to several of us here. You have to have the band removed or unfilled. I thought I was on top of it all until my first unfill. Then it came perfectly clear that the addiction was still there, lurking under the surface. I'm not jaded, as some might think. I had my band for 3 years. It is hard. The bottom line is just like the bypass is not for everyone, neither is the band. Some people do well with it, some don't. Just like every weight loss surgery. The type of eater you are makes a big difference in a banded journey, in my opinion. Not dissing our baby bandsters, but once you've been "out" (post-op) for a year or two or three....you start to accept the reality of what the band can do for you. It will hold your hand, but the hard work belongs to you. It's hard to grasp that idea when the weight is falling off almost effortlessly, which is the case with alot of newly banded people. Not all, though. Some have fought for every pound. I wish you tremendous success with your journey. No matter what surgery we have, we all have a common goal in mind, to be happy and healthy.

I saw it in a "FIRST" magazine. It wasn't approved yet and it was just a wee little blurb about an inch long. I got on the net and started researching, mostly austrailian sites. That was in 2001. I was banded August of 2002. I was pissed because I had to wait 4 months for my consult. Now he has a one year waiting list. Just for the consult! He also did my revision to DS.

http://www.thinnerself.com/files/calculator.htm Here is a pretty cool calculator. It also tells you how much Protein and Water you should have. It says I should weight 151, and I'm 5'10 with a medium frame. That seems so light. We'll see!

Wow. Look at your numbers. You did great! I think (not that I am an expert in no way) that the sleeve may be just the thing for you. Seems like you rock the restrictive surgery route. Another girl on another board is having the opposite problem of you. She wants the DS, and her doctor wants her to get the sleeve. BUT, she didn't have the success you had with the band. It is such a tough, tough situation you are in. Screwed no matter where you turn. It's like the damn insurance company wants you to be M.O. again before they put you through the ringer AGAIN. Don't give up. Keep appealing. Sue has a bit of knowledge when it comes to that, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to help you out. Right, Sue? :eek: