WASaBubbleButt

Add another hook to the back of a bra and you could pull a cart with it.

Shortly after 9/11 and for about a year following I belonged to a volunteer group of people that would actually go with Muslims to the grocery store, dry cleaners, etc. They were afraid of being shot by drive by shooters merely for their beliefs. They wouldn't leave the house unless one of us took them and they certainly didn't let their children play in the front yard. It's sad that because they wear different clothing than me they fear getting shot and quite frankly, they had good reason to fear this. They felt if someone like me was with them they felt safer. So I went with them. Never spent so much time at a grocery store between all the trips but that isn't the point. The point is that every aspect of their lives changed and they are just as American as I am. But for different beliefs the fear for their lives and the lives of their children became a huge issue. I understand the other poster's comments completely. If I had to live that way life would be difficult. At least I can decline to announce my atheism to people that would hate me for my lack of belief. Clothing is part of their beliefs and culture and they shouldn't have to hide it to fear the "God Loving" hard core, fundie level Christians. I'm not referring to normal Christians, but the extremes that hate in the name of love. I've lived it but nowhere near the level of Muslims, I fully understand what they are talking about.

Yep, I can't go there. It makes me nutty.

She doesn't usually respond. We'll see. Wheetsin, that was good!

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and a lot of research on the sleeve. Something dawned on me recently and it was so simple and obvious yet it never crossed my wee brain before. One of the biggest reasons people like the band is that it can be reversed, yet if someone loses their band it's like losing a leg because they thought it would be forever. So do we want forever or not? I've been thinking lately and I *think* if I had it to do all over again I'd get a sleeve. I'm not 100% sure but I think I would. I am not saying I regret my band, I don't. Not in the least. But knowing what I know today and what I am currently learning and researching I think I might opt for a sleeve. There are two procedures or techniques for doing a sleeve. The old way (which is still done routinely, btw) does not have a great success rate. They kept a part of the stomach that was elastic. Today the more "up to date" surgeons are keeping a different part of the stomach, a more muscular portion. The old way it would stretch and the person would regain or at least stop losing, much like a bypass pouch. But the new technique does not really stretch all that much. I haven't completed my research yet but thus far, if I was a newbie I think I might lean towards the sleeve. Since you had a band and you had scar tissue from the band on the outside of your stomach you'd want to find the doc on your insurance that has done the most successful sleeves. It's a bit trickier than if you never had a band.

Alcohol does it to me. If I have one glass of wine weight loss would come to a dead stop. When you figure calories and such it really shouldn't but I've seen others post the same comments. What if you knock out all alcohol? Just try it for two weeks. Not a drop, see what happens. Might make the difference.

Yes, that's what really holds the band in place long term, scar tissue. It forms around the tubing as well.

Of the three, I would suggest Ortiz or Rodriguez. Just personal preference. Please see the link in my sig.

I *do* tell people that eventually they are going to PB and they are going to slime. So many people fear barfing and I don't want them thinking it isn't ever gonna happen. I don't want someone thinking they can be extra careful and never get anything stuck. The only way to know which foods are tolerated is trial and error. But overall I totally agree with you Wheetsin. I hate it when people talk about the horrors of the pain. There is a difference between pain and discomfort and most have discomfort and it is not the same as childbirth. When you tell someone something is going to hurt, it WILL hurt. I'm all for honesty but not drama.

Nah... it's normal. It's stinky but totally normal. My doc said so when my own intestines fell out. It speeds weight loss.

If someone is seriously researching doctors and sincerely interested I'll bend over backwards for them. You are here just to cause problems. I'm not playing your game.

Well, that's true and it's not. With bypass the numbers are something like 85% can stop taking diabetes meds within 10 days of surgery. It is something that really baffles the docs and scientists. Lots of theories flying around right now but no absolute proof one way or another exactly what this is from. It is causing science to take a whole new look at treatment for diabetes. Thing is, with banding the results are *almost* the same BUT the results come with weight loss vs. surgery. If you are considering bypass for reasons of diabetes alone, then think again. The results are almost the same with banding but you just have to wait for weight loss to see them.

My ID says it all. Yep, my butt hurts if I sit too long such as driving a long distance.

Very true. When the glycogen is removed from the liver it isn't as slippery so surgery isn't as dangerous. I know of one person that didn't follow the diet. The doc opened her up and closed her right back again. She woke up without a band. She finally did the diet and got her band. OP, call your doc and see if he will still do surgery. He needs to know BEFORE your surgery, not during.

One time for Halloween I dressed up as Aunt Jemima. If anyone was offended it sure didn't show. My problem with PC issues are when someone is really slamming another and they call it a joke so they can get by with it. When it comes to Christmas it was originally a Pagan holiday and many seem to be offended that the Christians took it. My thinking is that the Christians took it long before any of us were born and to be personally insulted by it is... well, silly. I do not support tax dollars going for mangers and such, but if someone wants to have something like that on their property or church, kewl Beans.

Your doc isn't bucking for a lot of new business, eh? My doc is doing his first ever seminar in AZ in a few weeks and he asked me to attend. Now I know what not to say. Actually, I don't want to talk. I have decided I am going as an observer only.

In all honesty, I just got a bit of a history lesson about you so I don't believe I'll be posting to you a great deal in the future. Usually I would go through and show you from your own posts what I refer to but I'll decline for now. Cheers.

Nonono... you are not the person being discussed, it is another person that it is being questioned if she is for real or not. You have been slamming all Mexican docs by saying they don't meet strict FDA standards. In some cases that is true, in some cases it is not. Not all US docs do as they are supposed to either. You have nothing positive to say about any of the Mexican docs. Again, there are good docs and bad docs both in Mexico and the US. Again, research is critical. I don't care which country is at issue research is critical. When you had your band placed research was MUCH more difficult than it is now. There just wasn't a great deal available then but today it is a different story and I don't care which country one chooses for surgery, people have to do the leg work and not depend on what they read on a message board by some unknown person. I've written it a thousand times, research yourself, believe nobody, verify everything. I have never made the claim you are being dishonest. I have written in two different threads how sorry I am for what you have gone through. I really don't know why you are so hostile towards me. *I* am the one advocating doing research. Is this a bad thing? I cannot understand what you have gone through because I haven't experienced it first hand. I'd be insulting you to say I fully relate to what you have had to endure. All I can tell you is how sorry I am that this happened to you. It would appear that the only point we really disagree on is if it can be safe to have surgery in Mexico, unless I am misunderstanding you.

Please check out my sig. There is a link in how to research Mexican docs. Much of that applies to US physicians as well. You'll want to call the office and ask how many bands she has done. NOT how many lap procedures as that can be removing a gallbladder. Not how many bariatric procedures as that can by bypass. Banding is a whole different ball game. Ask specifically how many people she has banded with a BMI of 50+. Please see the link in my sig and that should get you started.

After you have been here a while it isn't hard to spot them. They are always pushing their doc as though their doc is the best fit for every person. For those of us that had great experiences we are certainly biased to our own doc. Newbies are still in the honeymoon phase and they are absolutely in love with their doc because their doc was able to help them get a grip on a problem they have never been able to manage themselves. They really push everyone to go to their MD and ONLY their MD. Coordinators are the ones that push their doc to everyone instead of pushing people to do their research and verify credentials, stats, history, reputation, etc for themselves. Your doc isn't a perfect fit for everyone, my doc isn't a perfect fit for everyone, there are lots of docs out there. Some are better than others. Some have things to offer patients that others don't. Some want to make a vacation out of Monterrey, others want to be closer to the border. There are many examples. I rarely put a lot of stock in a single experience. There are always two sides to a story. Maybe the doc in this case did screw up, maybe he didn't. We have no way of knowing. Unless there are a lot of people over a long time posting negative experiences about the same doc I don't put a lot of stock in a single bad story and especially from a newbie with only one post. I look at stats, I verify the # of bands actually done vs. what is claimed, I look at the bigger picture but that's me. Not everyone agrees and that's fair. We all have our own way of making decisions on what we value and what we don't. I decided a long time ago my surgeon can do his own advertising. My GP can do his own advertising too. Same with my dentist, eye doc, and everyone else. :eek: If I'm asked, I'll tell about my surgeon. I push research.

I'm not following you around, I've been posting in this thread since March. I'm not attacking you, I asked a simple question. But I believe I accidentally found your old ID when I was searching for my own first post in this thread. Or, someone with the same problems, banded at the same time, and by the same doc. FWIW, I am sincerely sorry you lost your band. I can't imagine what all you have gone through.

You are correct, you were not being dramatic or anything else. You did something, admitted it wasn't the best decision, and we have all made stupid mistakes. To be honest I do get tired of other types of people who don't learn from their mistakes and then blame everyone around them when they get a slip or something similar. I have admitted many times that my big pet peeve is people who don't follow the post op diet. Others have a pet peeve of those who don't eat a healthy diet but garbage foods only. As time goes on you'll find your own pet peeve. The post op diet is mine because I know how important it is for the overall life of the band. I am more frustrated with doctors who don't explain the reason WHY this time frame is so critical. All in all, you are correct and I apologize.

Grrrrrrrr.... I know.

NO! This is not common. It is not safe either. You can't possibly get enough Protein (in food) with three bites per meal. If you are too tight you'll end up eating foods you can eat because it isn't painful and these foods are not healthy and low calorie/adequate protein. You stand a MUCH higher chance of getting stuck and barfing. Barfing can cause a slip. Being too tight for too long puts you at risk for erosion. You should be able to eat about a cup of food. Sometimes you don't know exactly what your fill will end up being like for a couple of weeks after the fill. There may be swelling, etc. When was your fill? Did you eat solids the day of your fill or did you take it easy and stick to liquids?

One reason might be that many docs are uncomfortable banding folks with a BMI of 50 or more. Is your surgeon super skilled and has she done a gazillion bands? There is a learning curve to banding and banding higher BMI folks takes a bit more skill. Some docs flat out refuse to band anyone over 50BMI because their liver is often times very large and difficult to manage throughout the procedure. There are usually about 5 incisions during banding. One of them is to hold the liver out of the way so the doc can place the band around the stomach. Some folks are so large that holding the liver out of the way bends the metal rods that are used to slip instruments in and out of the incisions. (They look like hollow metal rods) They have to make another incision so they can use two of these metal rods and even then the weight of the fat and liver can bend both rods. It's tricky to do this safely. I have no clue who your surgeon is so I'm not downing the person at all. I'm only offering thoughts as to why she is requiring you to do this.