WASaBubbleButt

NoahsMom... I have this theory. I'm not quite sure I am right but I think so. When people fight MO for years or maybe even their whole life and suddenly they find a doctor that can help them fix that, we all tend to form a bond with that doctor. He saved our lives. You get this surgery and you see the scale moving and in the beginning it sometimes moves every single day... you are thrilled. There are no words to describe. You are forever thankful to your surgeon. It's a really curious relationship in some cases and when I say curious I don't mean inappropriate in the least. I mean unique. People simply fall in love with their surgeon because their surgeon was able to help fix a problem that no matter what we do we can't manage on our own. If you watch you'll see that newbies are even more so this way. Dare to say anything that is not glowing about their surgeon and they'll come out fighting. You are downing the person that saved their life. I was the same way as a newbie. I am not talking about others, I'm talking about most of us. You can even get a person that went to THE worst surgeon around and if they are losing weight they are thrilled with their doc and they act as though their doc walks on Water. They insist he has THE best credentials, THE best history, THE best education, they claim he's a leading bariatric surgeon. Well... what is a leading bariatric surgeon? He wrote a book? One of the most well sold books on the market for banding couldn't have taken more than a week to write it is so lame. But people really, seriously, honestly believe this about their docs. If you ask "how" their doc is a leading surgeon they respond..."Well, he's done a LOT of bands!" What's a lot? 100? 250? 500? 10,000? Or, "He's soooo nice! He calls me every single day after surgery." How does that make him a good surgeon? What does that have to do with surgical skill? Ask these same people what his erosion stats are, or his infection stats and they haven't a clue. But they swear he's the best. It goes back to that relationship people have with their surgeon. The surgeon saved their life, improved their quality of life, their whole world is changing so of course they are going to have glowing reports about their doc. Again... I did too. But I'm a nurse. I researched to the point of being anal about it. I had a list of narrowing down docs and after I had about 5-6 docs then I really started digging. People tease me to this day (including my docs office staff but it's all in fun) about the lengths I went to research. I didn't know anything about having surgery in Mexico. I work in the US. What did I know about the delivery of medical care in Mexico? I was looking at docs in the US and Mexico. I had the money and I felt this was my last chance at weight loss and I wasn't going to screw it up. I opted for a doc in Mexico. I dug for dirt on several docs and believe me, I seriously dug for dirt and I found it. When a doc's office would tell me they did a gazillion bands I verified that information. I didn't take anyone's word for anything. I was shocked at what I found. The claims docs make to gain business (both in the US and Mexico) is amazing. One month they claim to have done 250 bands and the very next month they are advertising that they have done 2000 bands. They don't get business by telling people they have done 250 bands, people want more experience. So docs will combine their # of bands with that of their partner and claim they are all their own. It's total BS. So when someone is looking for a doc and I happen to have the dirt on that doc and someone comes along (not talking about Gonzalez or anyone specific here, just in general terms) that claims their doc is the best and they don't even know their docs stats... I cringe. They are the best because the doc is nice. What's nice? Nice is nothing. I want skill. Nice is an added benefit but in OR I want skill. When a patient coordinator doesn't even know their doc's stats and they argue about the doc's own claims telling me *I* am wrong for using their employer's stats... I can't back down. It would be wrong. What about all the newbies that don't know what to look for? What about people that don't have the advantages I had during my own research (Mexican MDs helping research)? I agree with you, we all need to get along but I think we also have to take into consideration the emotional impact these docs make on us when they finally help us fix a huge life long problem. We tend to get clouded in thinking and we will push that doc because WE had a safe surgery and we want every other fat person out there to have the very same opportunity we have. It's usually the newbies and the patient coordinators that are pushing a specific doc the hardest. After people have 6-12 months of banding under their belt they back off a little and realize there are quite a few good docs out there and it's really okay if the whole world goes to a different doc. It's just an odd thing I've noticed over the last year or so.

Are the entrees frozen?

Licensed, too! (sorry folks, private joke here)

Seeing my own 800# patient at work and realizing what had to be done to her to provide medical care due to her weight.

I agree with everything Wendell wrote so I won't repeat it but I will say one thing. The reason you are full with a pouch full of food is because the nerve in your stomach that tells your brain you are full is at the top of your stomach. Your stomach is about the size of a football or a gallon of milk. If you start at the bottom of your stomach and fill it up you would have to eat quite a bit to feel full. With a pouch the "bottom of your stomach" sits up much much higher, closer to that nerve so you don't have to eat as much for that nerve to tell your brain you are full. BTW, I think your doc is an uneducated jerk in the field of bariatrics. If we could lose weight and/or keep it off, we wouldn't need a band to begin with.

(sigh) Anyone see why I usually avoid this section of the forum? I'm glad you had a good experience. Averaging stats merely lowers erosion stats. But I doubt that is what your doc was doing as he sends out emails pointing out his erosion stats. Not sure why he averages them out. I'm sure he's a very nice man. I have little desire to call them up and ask them for their links to studies. I believe them about their erosion rate. No, I'm not thinking of getting follow up with them. I asked for stats because someone else was looking at him and since I ruled him out before my own surgery I didn't do the extensive research as I did the docs I was considering. I was asked for info on him and I gave it to the person asking. I don't care about their follow up procedure, it makes no difference to me considering the ONLY FREAK'EN THING I POSTED was his claim of his own erosion stats. Since I'm not referring to follow up "stats" I didn't ask for them nor do I care about them. Most of the better docs do follow up, it only makes sense. Most docs do charity work, it's standard. I never claimed Dr. G or his team are not the real deal. I ONLY wrote that he claims his erosion stats are 3-4% and that it was a concern for me. That's all, nothing else, nada, zippo.

Well, you know... I was always very unselfish about making people smile, even in my condition. I was a very giving person that cared more about the feelings of others than my own dying pain. Damn, you guys make it too hard to be so angry with her. I'm laughing too hard to be as annoyed as I was this morning.

Hey Faith, you can have the treadmill AND the Bowflex that is still in the box (since I don't know what to do with it)! Sure, you can have my protein stuff too! Just got some cool new flavors. I only wish I would have had the time to try them myself. Aren't filthy Mexican drugs supposed to be better than filthy US drugs? I'm so glad I didn't suffer. That would have made me sad. You know, the great thing about plastic surgery is that really, size has nothing to do with genetics. I was going to go for my old "C" but I'm thinking... maybe I should go for a XXXD? Of course, nobody would be able to see my face while I'm in the box but that's okay. I don't wanna pay all this money for boobs just to have someone notice my face. 'sniff 'sniff... so glad I had friends.

Lizzee... May I asked why you were denied? I know Cigna and they are amazingly difficult to work with. I can't stand Cigna myself but YMMV.

I never claimed mylapband was about slamming doctors. I wrote about slamming someone that doesn't fall all over his/her doc complimenting him. All I wrote is that the stat is a concern and look at the hostility. You have to admit, it's kinda funny. If the stat isn't a concern for you, great. But it might be for others and like it or not, they have the right to ALL the information. I have a lot of posts and unlike mylapband a majority of my posts are not about my doc. Amazingly, I don't even mention him in the greater majority of my posts. When it comes to researching a doctor (especially out of the country) people have to look at a LOT of issues. Stats, background, education, experience, personality, pre op diet, pre op labs, post op diet, post op follow up care, support staff, communication, board actions, peer reviews, the way problems are dealt with, the works. To say, "Oh, he's a really nice guy," ... well, it means nothing. My neighbor is really nice too, doesn't mean I'd want him operating on me. Nice is not a gauge if someone is skilled as a surgeon. I have no idea if your surgeon is the least bit good or not. Not a clue. He could be the very best or the very worst. I have no idea. I posted ONE comment, his erosion stats are 3-4% and look at you guys. Amazing.

I found it: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/pre-digested-liquid-protein-supplements-40014/

Yikes... not the bullets!!! (in best whiney voice) The bullets, shots, and shooters are made from a collagen protein and that is verrrry bad. You need whey or soy but not collagen. Collagen is great for injecting in your lips or using in your make up but honestly, you don't want to know the process for getting collagen. It's icky. I'll try to find a thread where it is discussed in detail.

Her first claim when she found out was that I lied. There is no surgeon in Mexico that does lap bands and I never had the surgery. No surgeon, no Mexico, no lap band, no weight loss. So I made sure someone sent her a recent photo. Now I'm dying. I'm sooooo tempted to send her all my fat clothes and tell her I hear she needs them. I certainly don't. But that would be mean and I don't want to do that. Well, I WANT to but I won't. Hopefully I'll lose the rest and maybe even plastic surgery before the viewing. Yes, I want to look good dead. I wonder if I suffered?

MyLapBand... Dude, I'm not going to argue with you. You clearly have a vested interest in selling your doctor or 95% of your posts wouldn't be selling him and slamming anyone that doesn't fall all over themselves complimenting him. The fact is simple, it is your doctor's claim that his own erosion stats are 3-4%. If you don't like that or if that makes your job harder - I'm sorry. I can't help you there. Perhaps you could go work for a doc with a lower erosion stat. I never wrote that your doc is a bad doc, I never made any claims other than the erosion stat he advertises. Sorry, you'll just have to take this up with him. I have little need to go looking for patients that have eroded, I'll go by your doc's own claims.

OMG! I have to thank you for this! This is the first time I have laughed about this (vs. fuming) since I got the call from my high school friend letting me know my prognosis is so poor. And to think, I was so young.

I emailed your doctor and they said their stats are between 3-4%. That is a concerning number, no way around it. While I fully agree with you that Inamed could well fudge on the numbers, I have nothing else to use for stats. Thing is, they used to place the band differently than they do now. They used to sew it into place differently than now and erosion stats from a few years ago are not the same as they are today. Your erosion stats are outdated. The band is placed differently now and slips and erosions are not as common as they were with the old technique. Before my surgery I did what you appear to feel is an absolute horror, I researched. I researched everything I could possibly find. Some docs have higher erosion stats than others, some docs have lower infection rates than others. That's why doing research is so critical. Bottom line, the numbers came from your MD office, if you don't like it then you'll have to take it up with them. You wouldn't want to hide info about any doc from any patient, would you? As I have written many times before. There is good and bad in every doctor. People have to decide what is right for them. Hiding the facts just isn't good, people have the right to make informed decisions and nobody has the right to take that away. My doc isn't for everyone, your doc isn't for everyone. That's how it is. We all have to go where we believe we will get the best surgery and have the best outcomes. But we need the factual information in order to make those kinds of informed decisions.

Speaking of "digging" I've been doing a little digging on your posts. As of this moment you have a total of 28 posts. Are you aware that 25 of 28 of your posts are selling Dr. Gonzalez? Sounds a lot like a patient coordinator who makes money off of sending people to that doc along with the ID you choose. It just happens to be verrry similar to the name of Dr. G's clinic. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a silly patient.

I did a LOT of digging for dirt on a LOT of surgeons both in Mexico and the US before I chose one for my own surgery. Are you suggesting it is better to not research a doc and hope for the best? Seriously? If you dispute the stats then I would urge you to verify them. Call Dr. G's office and ask for yourself. Find out what their erosion stats are. It's their claim, not mine. It's not my fault you went to a surgeon without verifying their own claims of their own stats so I'm not sure why you are taking this out on me. Global stats... again, not my claim. It is Inamed's claim. If you don't like their stats you'll have to take it up with them because I simply can't change them. Yes, I picked the doc with the best stats and the one that was best for me, something we should all do. Are you suggesting I should have done otherwise?

That particular stat comes from Dr. G's office. It is their claim. Have to give them credit for honesty but the stat still concerns me. You have to *really* seriously dig for most information. In my case I have a friend who is a trauma surgeon in Mexico and he did a lot of the digging for me when I was going to have surgery. He knows how to look up board actions, credit, he knows how to verify stats for slips, erosion, infections, etc. So I had advantages most don't when I was doing research.

Doesn't Dr. Gonzalez have a 3-4% erosion stat? Global erosion stats are 1.3%. That seems very high to me.

The docs with the best credentials, affiliations, and set up IMHO are Rumbaut and Aceves.

Please vote here: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/those-six-months-after-band-surgery-39410/?highlight=for+those+six+months

Well, I just found out yesterday that I'm likely dying as my prognosis is poor. Yeah, that's what my sis is telling my friends back in Iowa. I didn't tell her about my surgery, my other sister finally told her about a month ago. Within an hour of discovering I had lost weight my oldest sister joined WW after throwing a fit because I was taking the easy way out vs. dieting. Yesterday I received a phone call from an old high school friend. She was extremely concerned and wanted to know if I needed anything. I said no, did she? She said she heard. Heard about what, I asked? My WW sister is going around telling everyone that I went to Mexico for surgery and now I have complications due to going to a filthy hospital in Mexico and it's not looking good. Did I mention I haven't talked to this sister in 2 years? Sheesh... you'd think she would have filled me in on the claim that I'm likely gonna bite the dust. I really would have like to have known. :eek: People are whacko.

What Are NSAIDs?

How is the plateau busting going?