WASaBubbleButt

Anyone notice that this thread has 18 viewers right now? HA! I guess this is a topic folks are interested in.

Ohhh, make no mistake. They post, they just have different IDs. But there is no protection of Sandy over here so they don't really have a lot to say on this forum. What they have done in the past is to follow us around and pick apart posts to a ridiculous degree until other members jump in and tell them to knock it off. I'm not referring to posts about Sandy but about anything. It just doesn't serve them to do that over here, they don't get the support they need to continue with the behaviors, instead they get finger wagging by other members. I have really busted my butt to lose weight. I do hard cardio daily, usually 60-120 minutes daily of cardio and hard cardio. I keep calories at 600 daily, I work really hard to achieve my goals. One OH groupie came over here a few months ago and attempted to make it look like I wasn't really losing weight, I wasn't responsible for my own weight loss. It took people I don't even KNOW coming in and telling them to knock it off before they finally backed down. I know about the information you refer to. The person it was about forwarded it to me. It was disgusting and a last ditch attempt at some amount of credibility on Sandy's part. But, it didn't work for her, not even a little. All it did was show what a liar she is and cost a doc $$ in legal fees forcing her to stop the dishonesty.

Yes, it's being done. Not by me, but I know it's in the process.

Ohhhh, I hadn't forgotten. I just wasn't sure how to get the topic back on track. I agree with you about her friends. It *would* be embarrassing to admit that you fell for something like that hook, link, and sinker. There is a topic over there that typically brings about flame wars and that is protein drinks. Sandy has repeatedly claimed that MOST doctors are anti-protein supplements and she bases that on Inamed for the most part. Inamed does not suggest protein supplements as the idea behind the band is to keep you full on solid proteins. Well, that does not mean MOST docs agree. Most of those threads have people that chime in and say their doc is pro or anti protein shakes and the majority of those people say their doc is pro protein drinks. So even her own threads don't begin to prove her claims of what MOST docs believe. There are some people that just plain don't feel satisfied after a protein drink. There are some (like me) that do. I can drink a protein shake and I'm good to go for several hours. Isn't that the ultimate goal? She may well be one that doesn't feel "full" or satisfied after drinking one but she isn't everyone. Her "band rules" are what make me crazy and I could not possibly disagree with her more on what is a "rule". People are individual and unique, we all have different desires, goals, needs, requirements, etc. Just because someone is banded does not mean they will not do well if they don't do things Sandy's way. There are band GUIDELINES and if someone is banded, they are getting all nutrition in, their weight loss is not too fast or too slow, and both the patient and doc are happy... then to hell with her silly rules. They are not rules and we do not all need to follow them such as the protein shakes. Timed eating is another. She believes everyone should start eating and finish in 20 minutes. That's another load. If I did that I'd get 300 calories in daily at best. Some people take much longer to eat their food. Some take less. But to sit and eat with a timer is bizarre and simply stupid. She just has a lot of rigid thinking that isn't realistic. It's not how things work in real time, it's how they worked for HER perhaps, but not everyone. So there is no such thing as band rules, they are guidelines and each person has to work with their doc (instead of Sandy) and find what works for them. Another thing she does that is sheer stupidity is telling people their doc is wrong and she is correct. I remember a gal that got a fill and the day of the fill she ate pork chops. She said it was a bit painful and was that normal. I suggested she stick to fluids for a day or two and see how it went after the swelling went down. Now, understand... this girl wasn't barfing, sliming, foaming... none of that. She said it was sore after eating pork chops. Sandy came on and threw a fit and explained that she was too tight and needed an unfill immediately. This was 10PM at night and the gal didn't need an unfill, she wasn't even sliming! The gal ended up calling her bariatric surgeon at home that night and the surgeon said to go on liquids and give it a few days. JUST as I had written. She posted this and said she was happy with that. Sandy followed up writing that her surgeon was wrong and she needed an unfill before her band slipped and this was dangerous and blah blah blah. She knew damn well she was giving bad info but she was trying to discredit me. She would rather give someone bad information than to admit she made a mistake. It goes to credibility and integrity and that woman has neither. Bottom line, she has no scruples whatsoever. Yet the cheerleaders (who are experienced bandsters) will cheer for her to the very end. I don't get it. Where is the honesty? Where is the concern for banded folks? Where is the sincerity? There isn't any. That's just another reason OH sucks so bad. It's not a matter of quality information for unique individuals, it is all about cliques and groupies. If the best the cheerleaders have is Sandy, what does that say for the cheerleaders? There is one person I PMed after discovering Sandy was not licensed as she claimed, she has a criminal record, she lied on her licensing renewal, she's been banned from numerous boards, etc. She seemed surprised and said she was pretty good on a computer and if what I was saying was true, she'd call Sandy out herself on the boards. I gave her all the info she needed to confirm what I was writing. Never heard another word from her. When someone else asked her she suddenly claimed it was no longer important. Yeah, right. Just another cheerleader with their POM POMs that doesn't have the integrity to admit she was duped by a very manipulative liar on OH.

I didn't realize how horrible everything would look after weight loss. I had a much different vision. I can live with the boobs (Wonder Bras are amazing!) but my stomach... it's just gross.

HA!!!! That is *exactly* what I have been saying. The moons are fugly and the cones look like the soap stars from the 50s. Boobs are supposed to sag a LITTLE (not quite like what mine appear now). That's a more natural look that I want.

I am currently looking for another plastics guy from that hospital. But I want a referral from my band surgeon, meaning... I want him to refer me to someone he knows personally and has seen the work. But my band surgeon is out of town this week so I have to wait until next week before I can find out if there is anyone else he would suggest.

YEAH! That's a better way to describe them. Here are examples: Moons: http://breastimplants411.com/dbii/dr%5CSchwartz_814/18-a1.jpg Cones: http://www.advanced-art.com/Aug/aug8-lat-post-inset.jpg More natural: http://breastimplants411.com/dbii/dr%5CEdwards_939/19-a2.jpg http://breastimplants411.com/dbii/dr%5CSlack_791/09-a2.jpg The more natural ones aren't quite what I'm looking for (above) but I can't find the photos of the ones I prefer.

My limit is two surgeries. I don't like the Michael Jackson look. One surgeon is very conservative that I went to for a consult and she won't even consider a face lift. She said there is nothing to lift. Since I have been losing weight I have this rooster thing under my chin and it's bugging me. She said she won't do a face lift. The doc in the US is a friend of mine and I wouldn't DREAM of going to him, he's a crappy doc. But he would do a breast job on a corpse if he got paid for it and he's willing to do the face lift. The Mexicali surgeon doesn't think a face lift is necessary at this time. So that leaves TT and boobs. Thing about the boob job is that some say after about 10 years scar tissue forms around the implants (regardless of which type/brand of implants) and they get lumpy and painful and need to be replaced. Others say that isn't true because the implants are under the muscle now vs. over the muscle. Most of all my issue is that I want the implants that I want. The natural looking ones, not the cones or moons. Do I want a surgeon that doesn't like those implants and doesn't have much experience with them? One of the big factors in my going to this particular surgeon is that my band surgeon will be in the OR with him. Not that he can do anything, it's more of a thing where I'd just feel better with him in there. So I need to choose a plastics guy from THAT hospital. My band surgeon is also a certified trauma surgeon. If I throw a clot or have some odd complication I want him handling the complications, not the plastics guy. I just can't decide what to do.

It's not a lower body lift, just a TT. I may regret it later but I think that will be okay. I have some problems with my thighs but I have never been one to wear shorts anyway. I only have problems with my upper inner thighs. No butt problems. Just my big fat saggy gut. It's my gut that is making me crazy and I can't stand to look at it. So since it is a TT vs. lower body lift the breast surgery would be doable. I'd rather get it over with all at once. So I really need to make a decision. Another thing, the implants I want most docs don't use. I don't want those huge moons that stick out of my chest (I have photos of examples if anyone is interested) and I don't want huge cones either. I want something that looks a lot more natural. Dr. Bello doesn't like the implants that I want. He uses the moons. So, that's another issue.

I completely agree. Ask your fill person if they are using a stop cock, if not, I'll bet that's the problem. It's normal to have missing fill at fill #2, but not every fill.

Yes, I am. There is a plastic surgeon that works out of the same hospital as my band surgeon and he's doing it (Dr. Bello). My only issue now is if it want a breast lift and implants at the same time as the TT. Daily I change my mind and I'm not sure what I want to do. I've been to three plastic surgeons and keep getting different opinions about what happens to implants 10 years from now. Two in Mexico and one in the US.

We could start offering links and details about Sandy?

The back of the Inamed band is titanium.

As I recall those are really tiny. I'll bet you won't have any problem at all.

We would need details. How many fills have you had, how much saline was used each time, and how much was lost each time.

If you have your heart set on an Inamed band and you have your heart set on your original surgery date, you might call some surgeons that do have the band. Some docs keep quite a stock of bands due to this very reason. This is not a new problem, it's an on going problem with the Mexican customs office. It's not just bands either, it's EVERYTHING that enters Mexico in a truck. Just explain that you have a choice, getting the band later at "X" cost or going to them if they will match the price. :car: What do you have to lose?

It probably is a LOT closer to 1-2% vs. 5%. When the manufacturer of the drug used during this procedure gives seminars they tell docs to explain that the mortality for TTs is 5%. It's a sales pitch and quite effective too. The way Rick explains it all excess fat is suctioned out and there are injections of some (unknown) drug given... I don't know, every few inches all the way around the excess remaining skin. Then a tight garment is worn and supposedly ALLLLLL this skin is supposed to grow back to the abdominal wall. I kept asking him how this is possible, I mean... there is more skin than there is abdominal wall. He kept saying that it works, there are no wrinkles, nothing. Personally I don't see how it is possible but I'm no plastic surgeon either. I should ask to see a procedure someday or at least before and after photos.

Whoops, sorry... just saw this. HA!

A friend of mine does that procedure and he swears it works even with previously obese people. But... he's a really crummy doctor, too. I don't see how it can work but he says it does. Take it with a HUGE grain of salt. The sales pitch is that a tummy tuck carries a 5% mortality rate. Quite frankly, that's a load. While a TT does carry more risk than banding, it's not a 5% mortality rate but that's how they sell the new procedure. My thinking is if they have to lie then that means they can't depend on truth.

If I had it all to do over again I would have gotten the Swedish band. With that said, keep in mind that with ANY new band there are usually kinks that need to be worked out of it. That held true for Inamed and every other band when they first came on the market. It's a new band, there are no studies or stats available for it yet. It's not exactly the same as the old Swedish band, J&J tweaked it here and there. It might be 10x better than Inamed, it might be 10x worse. Nobody knows yet. So just know that before you make any decisions.

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Whey shouldn't typically clump if you dissolve THEN heat as you suggest. It should be okay that way.

The reality is that you already have excess skin, it's just full of fat right now. You can hide 90% of excess skin with clothing but you can only hide 10% of excess fat with clothes. You aren't going to get more excess skin than you already have by losing weight. I think sometimes we just kinda need to put this in perspective.

Eggs are evil. They make me slime, barf, and foam. Gahhhhh....