WASaBubbleButt

As of this posting there are 67 people that agree 100%. I do believe this is the first time 67 people have agreed on anything in this section of the forum.

Arizona never changes time. We like the one we have. It is annoying though, I never know what time it is anywhere else. My sis lives in Denver and half the year she's one hour different, the other half of the year she is two hours different. It's nice never having to deal with that stuff.

I'm not the least bit familiar with this. Do you have any studies that could explain this in specific detail?

I know this isn't going to make any sense and it certainly won't make you feel any better but I'm going to throw it out anyway. You know, everything in life is a learning experience. Absolutely everything. That includes the journey to losing weight. You learn *so* much about yourself at every stage. The head stuff isn't necessarily easier close to, or at goal. It's just different head stuff. It takes each stage to really get to know yourself in a whole new way. You will continue learning weird stuff about yourself to the very end. I suspect it will be such for a long time after goal as well. In the end, it's the journey that makes it all worthwhile. I know I know... you are still thinking you wish you were there anyway. I felt the same. I want to smack those that only had 50lbs to lose. And I am *at* goal and I still want to smack them. (Green, are you paying attention?!?!) The journey is as necessary as anything else to KEEP the weight off. It happens, you will get there. When you want something bad enough, you'll get it. You have no choice but to go through the motions and follow the journey so enjoy it. You'll likely learn more about yourself and others than most any other journey of your life so kick back, accept it, but more important, try to enjoy it. Make lemonade out of lemons kinda thing. If someone would have told me this a year ago I'd kick them for making up a line 'o crap that is a bunch of hooey. But it's true. Honest. (crossing heart)

M... I know you are right. It sucks today, it won't make a bit of difference in the near future. I just want it DONE and DONE quickly. I've never been a patient person.

You really can't expect to lose every week. For me I'd lose pounds one week and inches the next. Just relax, keep doing things the right way and all will be good!

J... I know, I'm getting used to the idea. I still don't like it but it isn't like it is going to kill me. At least like Boo Boo, I don't have to wait a year. In the end, it will all be good. I just want to stomp me feeties and whine for a day or two.

Fiber is a challenge, Benefiber helps a great deal but it does not work quickly. Why in the world would you consume that much Protein? Your body can only absorb about 25gms at a time and what you don't use will turn to fat. Is that what your doc wants for you? That quantity of protein? Too much protein is very hard on your kidneys. More is certainly not better in this case. The extra fat is REALLY not good.

I was trying to find the words and couldn't so started reading to see if anyone else had similar thoughts. I agree with the above. It wasn't nice when people would kid us when we were bigger, it doesn't feel any better to them. Personal opinion, I think you owe her an apology.

There used to be a few Mexican docs that would extend credit but they were all burned so often by people not paying that they quit doing it. Looks like you might just have to save up for it.

I've only tried it w/Raspberry and I thought it made it worse. I just don't care for it. I think I got so excited after trying the choco/PB that I expected the plain choco to be as good. I just don't care for it but then I think Isopuke is the most horrible stuff on the planet and others like it.

Yes and no. In the whole scheme of things it doesn't make a bit of difference. But for me... I was really proud of the fact that I busted my ass, lost weight, and was going to get plastics all done in under a year. It's been my goal from Day #1. It's what kept me going and kept me running when I absolutely hate running. Like I wrote, it's petty but it's the petty stuff that gets to me. The big stuff is no biggie.

Don Mills! That is the name of the Sales Mgr. person at Allergan that was giving out wrong info. I couldn't think of his name earlier. Don Mills is the sales manager, Bart Bandy is the Sr. VP.

>>An RN should NEVER EVER access a lapband port unless under the direction of a band doc, in the office, and in a controlled environment. Contrary to the information out there Inamed does not certify anyone to give fills. There is no certification process, according to Inamed, for giving fills. I asked them about this once before when there were alot of supposed certified people out there giving fills in hotel rooms. Inamed told me they did not offer any certification classes to anyone for this. Only docs are cleared to do fills. It is under the docs supervision and his discretion to allow an RN to do a fill.<< We will have to disagree on this point. Inamed most certainly does certify RNs to do fills. *I* personally have been invited to a certification class from Inamed. I will be going the next time the class is available. They have certification classes every few months. I was scheduled for the last one but was unable to make it at the last minute. I will be attending the next one. I believe what you are referring to is that they won't certify just any RN. I have to be referred by a physician, and I am. A GI surgeon in my area is referring me. Matter of fact, he'd like to attend as well as he may consider doing fills. He is not a bariatric surgeon but a GI surgeon. He'd be great for fills, especially those not banded in the US or if someone's doc moves or retires. Their patients have a hard time finding a fill doc. I have no desire to do fills, but I would like the education. RNs access ports for a living for goodness sakes. Portacaths? Docs don't do it, RNs do. RNs are absolutely qualified to do fills with additional training, they typically have more experience accessing various types of ports than your average doc. When you go to an ER and the ER doc doesn't know how to do an unfill the best choice if your surgeon is not available is to ask for a chemo nurse because they have the expertise in accessing ports. It's what they do for a living. Nobody should be accessing any port for any reason unless in a controlled environment such as an office setting. I got my information and invitation from Bart Bandy (yep, that's his real name) to the certification class. He used to be the owner of Inamed. After he sold Inamed to Allergan he is now the Sr. VP for Allergan. It is the sales manager for Allergan that was giving out bad info on who may attend the certification class. I believe Bart Bandy corrected him on this info quite some time ago, such as about six months ago. There is an Inamed certified fill nurse in Arizona. She and her paramedic daughter are both Inamed certified, neither work for a doc (the RN is a RN Midwife and works out of her own office, no MD available in her office) and she went to the certification class. The information you received is quite frankly, incorrect.

Lauren... did you try the chocolate Whey Gourmet I sent you yet? Maybe it's just me that doesn't care for it.

Yes, I live in North Central Phoenix. You should join us for our bandster lunches! We usually meet at Sweet Tomatoes on I17/Dunlap on Saturdays around noon about once a month or so. Nothing formal, just a get together. Most are Dr. A patients. Isn't Dr. A great? Isn't the hospital clean? I can't imagine going anywhere else but him for this kind of surgery. I was there Saturday with a friend and she was shocked at the staff and how great the hospital was. If you want to join us for bandster lunches just PM me an email address and I'll add you to our list. We are due for another lunch soon anyway.

Nutrition is purely up to you. You can choose to eat Cookies or healthy food. That is something that nobody controls but you. You'll only be able to fit so much food in daily. If you choose healthy foods you should be good to go. If you choose unhealthy foods it will be an issue. This goes regardless of how many kidneys you have.

The stats prove my case. The bigger you are the more chance you have of heart disease, diabetes, etc. Are you seriously claiming weight doesn't affect health? Honestly? If you are, I will ask you to defend your claims. Show me the proof that being obese or seriously obese is not a health risk. Show me the studies. Otherwise I am going to come out and say that you are in denial. As a general range only and not absolute specifics as there are things that make a difference such as body builders who have MASSIVE amounts of muscle and virtually no excess body fat, a BMI is not a good indicator of their healthy weight range. But for the general population you can figure: A BMI of 18-25 is in the normal range, the healthy range. 25-29 is overweight 30-34 is obese 35-39 is severely obese 40-49 is morbidly obese 50+ is malignantly obese Ask around this forum how many people are diabetic or borderline diabetic. Ask how many people were diabetic and now that their weight is in the normal range they are no longer on diabetes meds. Ask about their health improvements with weight loss. I read you to say that weight is not an indication of health and that is a bunch of hooey. It's a HUGE issue. The Aussie socialized medicine folks are claiming that obesity is causing them to go bankrupt. You think that is because fat folks are healthy? They are damned expensive to their socialized medicine. Want an article? Here you go: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f80/obesity-could-bankrupt-nhs-uk-43755/ As for being thin and unhealthy, that's a cop out. That's like saying it's okay to spend 856 trillion dollars on cleaning dog poop in city parks because we waste money somewhere else too. One has nothing to do with the other. Fat people and thin people can get hit by a truck too. That has NOTHING in the world to do with the risk one has by being fat. Bottom line, if you want healthy badly enough, you'll do what it takes. If you don't care, you won't do what it takes. You have to want it. If you don't that is your choice. But to tell us that weight isn't an issue for a HUGE number of health issues is denial, plain and simple.

You know, before her "cocaine" comment I would have bet money drugs were not an issue for her. She works two full time jobs, nothing is getting repossessed, her teeth are fine, she doesn't weigh 98lbs, etc. Now, I don't know what to think. But this bank is closed. I have a hunch her S/O of the time has a great deal of the money. I don't know for sure, that's my hunch.

I can relate to this. My sis went through a TON of money in about a year. She went through more money than many make in a lifetime and she blew it in a year. What does she have to show for it? Living room furniture and a Bowflex. That's it. Guess who she calls for money? Once it was for a business venture that she really was working on and really was a good idea. She needed $5K to drop some gas lines required. Not only did she not finish it and pay for the gas lines she blew the money. Two months later she needed me to WU her $1K, she had no money for her mortgage. Two months later it was $500 I needed to WU again because she had no brakes and was driving anyway. AFTER the last time she mentioned she did cocaine at a party the previous Friday night. Now I question if that is where the money has been going. She's always borrowed (borrowed... heh) money but never this often and never this much. It's always been $200 or $300 here and there. Regardless, the bank is now closed. I know when she's getting ready to hit me up because she begins calling me vs. emailing. She doesn't have the guts to ask for money and chickens out. So she'll call me again the next day and she's very nervous. In the past I've always known and I actually tried to make it easier on her by asking how finances are going. When I bring it up and when I offer it's much easier. She NEVER calls me, always emails. So when I start getting calls I know it's coming. By the time she asks she is desperate and needs it via Western Union. It's cheaper for me in the end to just offer it. WU is expensive. Those days are over. She's calling me again (she's due, it's been two months) but I'm not offering and when she asks, the bank is closed. If she can afford cocaine, she can afford house payments. I'm not doing it anymore. Last time she was trying to sell her RV and as soon as it sold, I'd get the money repaid. The RV sold two months ago and nada. It's not that she isn't paying me back... she's my sis. It's that she blew one hell of a lot of money in a year, has virtually nothing to show for it (I'm talking way over a million dollars), when she gets the money she still doesn't repay, and the cocaine issue. THAT'S the one that did it for me. Never again. The reality is that you don't need to justify why you are not loaning (giving away) the money. It's a ridiculous request and doesn't deserve justification. Just say you make it a practice not to loan money. Period.

We can't answer that. Not all BC PPOs are the same. Your employer decides if they will include or exclude WLS. You need to look at your policy.

Hi Darla... Congrats on getting banded! Who did your surgery?

Actually, your legs are spread during surgery. They probably did as is standard, they positioned you after you were out. LAP-BAND: Surgery Technique The jewelry needs to be removed before surgery by the patient and replaced by the patient. There really isn't any reason a nurse should do this.

What leads you to believe it is pleurisy?

All the more reason to have a band. With additional weight you risk issues that can harm your kidney such as diabetes. They don't do anything with your kidney during surgery, just your stomach.