WASaBubbleButt

Spooky. At least erosion is rare. :straight Did you reach goal? Have you been able to maintain your weight loss? Sorry this happened to you. What was recovery like after that kind of stomach repair?

I've been meaning to PM you but forgot. I'm really interested in your erosion. Would you mind telling us a little about your symptoms? How did you come to know there was a problem? If you did think there was a problem did you assume you were too tight? A slip? I just don't know a huge amount about erosion and I'm interested in learning. Basically I know what it is, how to diagose it with an endoscopy, and how they haven't identified a specific reason it happens. Other than that I know very little. Thx

The fruit punch flavor (to me) tastes like regular fruit punch with just a hint of pond scum added for texture. I got it down but it didn't stay down. Needless to say, each time I go to Mexicali, Mexico I get rid of crap I don't like by giving it to the newbies and calling them samples. LOL

Lady... I didn't think about that. This is something I would have crammed down my pie hole pre-band too! And two servings, at least. LOL

Wow, K... I have to disagree with you on this recipe. Maybe it is good but it is very high in calories, fat, sodium, and carbs. This is just the main dish at a whopping 390 calories. That doesn't include a veggie or other sides. Fiber, 4gms of fiber... we should be looking for foods that provide about 4gms of fiber PER 100 calories. This one isn't it. 42 carbs for one dish of a meal? No way... not for me.

I don't believe K was talking about a high protein diet, just required protein. There is a big huge difference. Anything over 20-30gms at a time isn't going to be absorbed anyway and it's hard on the renal system. But people do need to get at least 60gms daily in. Many people are tight in the AMs and the only thing they can get down is a Protein shake. For many people that will kill hunger. I see nothing wrong with this.

Keep in mind, some people (many people) don't really feel what the restriction will be for two full weeks. You might be tighter or the other way around. Also, people that are too tight tend to gain weight, not lose. It's great at first because folks usually stick to a liquid Protein diet. But it doesn't take long before they cave and start drinking their calories. If you are too tight you may also slip. Just be very careful. Even removing 0.2ml might not be a bad idea if this continues.

Faith... I'm sorry! I have your Matrix sitting right here next to me. I swear to you, I'll have it out in tomorrow's mail. I'll send it Priority Mail! I totally forgot, I am so sorry! I hope you like the Cookies and cream, I sure didn't but I've only seen one other person (this thread) that didn't like it. I'll PM you today about something else I wanted to tell you too. My apologies!!!!

What flavor did you buy? I like the above link, it is the cheapest place I have found. You can get the same stuff on ebay but the shipping is higher. I like the service and prices from that link.

Mine is worth every penny I paid my Mexican surgeon. Sorry, I can't let a post go when the theme is that surgery in the US is better than anywhere else. It simply isn't true. Yes, if something bad happens here we do have recourse. A friend of mine is a great example. She is a nurse, she went to a surgeon in the US without doing her research. Turns out she should have done her research. She had to have her thyroid removed. Actually, she didn't HAVE to have it removed, she didn't do her research on treatment options either. Shame on her. Long story short, the doc cut nerves by mistake. The nerves control her ability to speak and breathe. She currently has a trach and will die an early death due to the trach and various complications that come with that procedure. She had the typical US options and she reported him to the medical board. They wrote him a letter (again) telling him not to do that anymore. She sued him, his medical malpractice insurance co filed bankruptcy. She got nothing but a lot of court costs and attorney fees. The *real* key here isn't a matter of deciding which country to have surgery. The key here is that patients have a responsibility to do their research. No way around it. I don't care if you are in the US, Mexico, or Asia. Do your research, know what the heck you are doing. Know everything you can about your doc, look for dirt on your doc. Talk to his patients, verify credentials, don't go to a doc based on price, go to a doc based on his long term track record. Patients have responsibilities today that they didn't have before. It's not a nice reality but it IS a reality. Don't go to a doc that has such a horrible reputation that even those in his home country wouldn't go to him. Verify credentials. Know the laws in that country, even if it is your own. Assume nothing. Don't go by price. Don't go by ONE person's suggestions. "I had surgery and I'm still alive so he must be good!" Find a doc in that country that will help you research if you are unable or don't know how. In Mexico I paid $30.00 to a trauma surgeon to help me verify credentials, ask his other MD friends about the surgeon, etc. This is NOT an expensive process. Read at least 100 patient reviews for the doc. Don't assume that just because your doc has charisma that this makes him a good surgeon. Know what the heck you are doing. "Nice" does not mean skilled in surgery, it means NICE! There is more, but this is the idea I am attempting to convey. Having surgery in the US is not a promise things will go any better than they do in another country. Patients have a responsibility and if they don't follow through with their own responsibilities, they pay dearly in the end. That holds true regardless if the doc is in their home country or not. I have a real problem with people that don't do all the right things and then blame an entire country for their own failures to protect themselves. One just can't go to the absolute worst possible place for surgery and then blame the country for what happens. It's just not right. There is a right and there is a wrong. When it comes to this topic there is little middle ground.

Yikes! I'm sorry! I write out PITA so much (Pain In The Butt) that it has become habit! I meant PETA! :girl_hug: BTW, I have the same problems as you do. At least drink some V8 juice if you like it, a small can 5.5oz?? is a full veggie serving.

Sometimes I still swear that bariatric surgeons are closet PITA members. :girl_hug:

The reason NSAIDs are not great for us is because they can harm your pouch. If it dissolves in your pouch vs. your stomach then it messes with the inside of your pouch. The reality is that they still can't identify exactly what causes erosion. For some time they thought it was chemicals such as NSAIDs, caffeine, etc. Then they decided it was the band was too tight. Then they decided it was the way it was stitched into place. The truth is nobody really knows and it hasn't been proven one way or another. The study I referred to earlier was brand new and they have only ruled out NSAIDs as a cause of erosion, they still don't know why it happens.

Erosion... the band needs to be removed. Slips are different. Sometimes an unfill for a few weeks will fix the problem, sometimes it needs to be removed.

Oh, I wasn't responding to the original post. I was responding to this one:

Having the surgery in the states doesn't mean better quality when it comes to the procedure or the surgeon. If someone can only come up with $8K and they just can't put together an additional $3K, should they just give up on the idea of having their health back? A difference of $3K can mean the difference in getting a band or not. Going to Mexico does not mean bad surgery. It means the patient has to do their work and their research. Betancourt has THE worst reputation, the Mexican docs don't like them anymore than we do. But we have docs with pretty poor reps here in the states too and they are not hurting for business. I could have had my surgery in the states, matter of fact the surgeon is just down the street from me. My insurance would have covered a larger portion of the cost. It ended up costing me a little bit more to have it done in Mexico as cash pay but the surgeon was simply better in Mexico and he has a better track record, he's more experienced, and he trains US docs in the surgical procedure and follow up care. Going to Mexico doesn't mean infection, not doing research and going on blind faith can mean infection and complications. Someday I am going to put together something for people to research docs in the US and Mexico. If people don't check up on a doc's track record regardless of country that can lead to unnecessary complications and problems.

I'll try to find it. I read soooo many on line articles and journals that I don't remember where I read one thing from another. I'll look for it.

HA!!!! Not to mention the fat redistribution, severe mood swings, hair loss (well, it moves to other areas), and then the joys of coming down off steriods. That is the point the weight gain restarts. Of course, it all depends on which illegal drug he refers to. Bad stuff.

Ohhhh, I know the guy you are talking about. What a horses ass he is...

I am so sorry that happened to you. Honestly, I am. While I know that doesn't help your situation I also have to agree with you that your doc should have known this vs. putting you through that. What I am not clear on is why you need to be on a table for a fill if it is under fluoro. A friend of mine is merely too tall for the table. The table stands up and down and goes back to lay flat if that is your doc's technique. My doc has her stand on the floor, faces the equipment and he does her fills just fine. He has a 70 BMI person that he has no problems, we all stand for fills regardless of size. Short people need to stand on the edge of the table (again, it is up and down vs. flat at that point) merely because they are short. Weight isn't even an issue.

BTW... if you don't like it and if you got it from: http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/syntrax-matrix_50_sustained_release_protein.htm Just return it and they'll refund your money. Don't suffer through anything you don't like! Get your money back!

I can't stand the Cookies & Cm, I think it is farrrr too sweet and has a horrible after taste. The chocolate, I adore. Perfect stuff. A friend just gave me a sample of the orange tonight. I haven't tried it yet. She mixes hers with OJ and LOVES it!

Bands aren't getting cheaper in Canada with more choices? I was hoping that when J&J gets their band FDA approved in the US the price might come down. MD cost for the Inamed band is just shy of $2K. Darn.

Are you using Water or milk? Either way, cut the Fluid down for one scoop and it is Chocolaty-er. <--my new word)

I have seen docs that give low dose amphetamines during bandster hell but I personally think it is wrong to give an established banded person. If the band isn't working the reason needs to be identified, not drugs. Better food choices A fill A slight unfill More Water More exercise Fewer calories ....to name a few. Drugs aren't going to resolve the long term issues. Actually, they could make them worse.