WASaBubbleButt

What in the world does Mexico have to do with all this? I am very sorry that you have an infection but just because you have an infection possibly due to one doctor in Mexico, how does that make all of Mexico bad? That is painting with a mighty large paint brush. There are thousands and thousands of people who have surgery in the US that get infections. Does that mean we should rule out the US for medical care and Mexico? Canada has the same problem, shall we rule out Canada too? No, actually I am not in bad shape at all. I have had complications (not my doc's fault) and I have been able to follow up with my surgeon in Mexico and a doc in the US. Again, you are using a very large paintbrush here. I'm sorry that you have had problems but the majority of us have no problems whatsoever. One more issue. There are plenty of docs out there that won't see ANY patients banded by ANY other doc regardless of country. Just because you have surgery in the US that does not mean any US doc will do your after care. That is not necessarily true. You make it sound as though infection does not happen in the US. How do you know the infection came from Mexico? The same bacteria in Mexico exist in the US as well. It could have happened in any number of ways. There are US docs that have higher infection rates than some Mexican docs. There are also Mexican docs that have a higher infection rate that US docs. It is also the responsibility of the patient to make sure there is follow up care in the US before having surgery. I realize you are dealing with a very frustrating problem right now and you are angry. But to post as though infection doesn't happen in the US but it does in Mexico is simply not true. **IF** one chooses a good doc with an outstanding reputation and years of experience there is NO difference in going to Mexico or the US. People get infections ALL THE TIME and they get them in the US. This is a problem that happens in any hospital where people are ill and spreading bacteria around. ANY hospital regardless of country. The very same bacteria you have in your wound are floating in the air at your local grocery store, department store, school, it is everywhere.

Send her here, to us. We'll give her a dose of reality. But you know, it might not be a bad idea to have her read your opening post here.

Wendell... Perhaps that is why everyone loves you to pieces!

Yes, Chantix. I just got back from spending the day in Mexico and I went to one of the few pharmacies there that I trust (many have fake drugs). They don't carry it. I even went to a crappy pharmacy and they didn't have it either. I still have one more pharmacy in Nogales that will at least order it for me. Have you ever attempted to quit with Zyban (aka Welbutrin)?

But.... we aren't talking behavior modification with a band, we are talking about behavior modification withOUT the band. The scenario is that a person was told the band isn't designed to be for life but for 10-15 years and at the end of 10-15 years there should be enough behavior mod. that the band could be removed without a problem. I don't believe most people would stick to a "banded" diet and portion control if their band was removed. I think it is like telling an alcoholic that since they haven't been drinking for 10-15 years that they are now able to drink socially and appropriately. That just isn't going to happen.

Usually when you feel a half golf ball kind of lump it is scar tissue and it will likely go away in a few weeks after surgery. Most don't believe it and they are positive it is their port and then when they get their first fill they are shocked. It wasn't where they thought it was. The port is sewn into the facia which is right above a muscle and below a fat pad. Several weeks out when all the sudden you feel a bit of discomfort at your port site, it is usually that muscle. I wouldn't mess with it a great deal within a few weeks after surgery. You won't harm the port or yourself but it is easy to make it quite sore by pushing and tugging on it.

Hmmm, I think I am going to have to disagree with you on this one. The band *is* designed to last a life time. There are parts that could malfunction but overall the band is designed to last a lifetime. If we could take off weight and keep it off we wouldn't need a band to begin with. Many people have lost hundreds of pounds just to regain and lose again. But since we all have problems of one sort or another with food isues then removing the band just puts the person back to where they started from. This is not all about behavior modification. If that was the case we wouldn't have needed a band to begin with.

Yes, that is one of the many theories. For some time they thought NSAIDs were the evil-doers. (Motrin, Naprosyn, etc) They realized that is not accurate. But they are still looking.

Yes, best suggestion in the world is to walk. Walk walk walk and then walk some more. When they inflate your belly during surgery with the gas it pushes and stretches everything and that is a great deal of what you are feeling. That an excess gas. GasX is great as well. You'll be burping and tooting like a champ in no time. I didn't have to do the pre-op diet as my BMI was not high enough but I had to do 2 weeks of clears, 2 weeks of full liquids, then 2 weeks of soft foods then reintroduce solids. Cut out ALL sugar during this time, it will make you hungry. If you get hungry what will satisfy you? broth or Gatorade? The key is to prevent hunger and you do that by cutting out ALL sugar and keeping your Protein up. It's much easier to battle head hunger on liquids than it is full blown stomach hunger. You will have head hunger regardless of what you do, but you can prevent the stomach hunger.

If you would have quoted the entire post you would have seen that I did clarify the liquid stage. Nowhere did I make the claim "forever"... that was you. I was pretty clear about it being during this rough bit of time. There are several Protein Shakes that use products other than refined sugar to sweeten them. Some are good, some are not. Clear Liquid Protein would be something like unjury or Isopure. Isopure is disgusting but it does the job. On an elist I belong to we refer to it as IsoPuke. One lady describes it well, it's like drinking grape flavored beef broth. Cold. Gahhhh, it's gross.

Nobody really knows why erosion happens. There are theories but nothing set in stone. It only happens in less than 1% of banded people so don't worry about it. Worrying isn't going to help anything anyway. As for slips just follow your docs advice to a "T". Don't cheat on the post-op diet, follow all the bandster rules, don't over eat, chew well, don't eat foods you know are not going to work, do everything you are supposed to and your chances for a slip are quite low.

Oh, I can tell you about how this part works. In the state of Arizona (don't know about any other states) an insurance co cannot cancel your policy due to accidents. As long as you pay your premiums on time they are not able to cancel you. They cannot decline to renew your policy. However, what they can do if they don't want you as their insured anymore is to raise your premiums so much you can't pay them, but they can't cancel you. I was hit by an older man that had been in one accident after another, all his fault. I was talking to his insurance co and asked why he still has insurance and a license. She is the one that explained that to me. BTW, we have a group of bandsters that go to lunch monthly or so. It's pretty informal. We are due to go again very soon. We meet at Sweet Tomatoes off of I17/Dunlap on Saturdays. We don't have the next one planned but if you are near there and would like to meet some other Phx Bandsters, you are more than welcome to join us. Just PM me and I'll give you the details.

I hear you regarding cigarettes! Tomorrow we are going to Mexico and I'm going to get that new drug (the drug I can't recall the name of) to stop smoking. I meant to get it last week when I was there and forgot. I'll let you know how it works.

Whoa.... there! I never made this claim! What I *have* said is that during Clear liquids cut out ALL sugar because that will make people hungry and if you are hungry what will fill you up? broth or Crystal Lite? Seriously, if you have to kill hunger which of those will do the trick? Neither will. So I always say during clears and sometimes even full liquids, cut out all sugar because of the hunger factor and bump up Protein. By cutting out sugar during the clear phase you won't GET hungry if protein is consumed. Please don't infer I wrote things that I most certainly did not. Now, I have also said that for me if I eat a little sugar it starts a cycle that is hard to break so I have come to realize that *I* can't have sugar. I have never made claims about anyone having to cut out sugar completely and forever. Not my claim at all.

Check out the latest.

Something fun to do is to figure out what you are saving in your grocery bill since you cut out soda. I will save about $1800.00 annually for merely giving up diet soda. I'd go to Jack in the box or Mickey D's and get a diet soda before work, then another at lunch, and sometimes another with dinner. That is $150.00 per month. That is also a payment to a finance company monthly for a surgery loan. That is a lot of money to save over time.

If I was in the same boat as you I would wait on a fill. If you are having problems with eating too fast, bites that are too big... this isn't going to be a great time to get a fill. What if you practice for a week and chew EVERYTHING as though you are neurotic! Seriously, chew until you can't chew anymore and then start all over again. If you get a fill now you are just asking for problems. If you PB enough times you can end up with varicose veins in your throat. You can end up with a tear in your esophagus, you can stretch your pouch, you could end up with a slip. It's important to follow the rules. Do whatever you have to so that you are not eating too fast. Get a baby spoon and use that. Set a timer so that you can only have a bite every 2 minutes (in the beginning). Do whatever it takes so that you can learn to work with the band. I understand why your daughter wants to do fill but that might not be such a great idea. These ports are not like standard ports, these are different. While I completely agree with the concept of RNs doing fills, I could never support a scenario where someone who hasn't been through the class does fills/unfills.

I'm not sure it is a matter of low carbs but more like normal carbs. But when talking about hunger issues carbs will make people hungry in the end. Protein won't and when a newbie is going through the liquid diet phase, low carbs are a life saver.

BTW... love your sreen name! Priceless!

Check this out, it's pretty interesting. http://www.lapsf.com/weight-loss-surgeries.html

August is the rough time of year regarding weather. It is just now starting to warm up but it isn't cold/hot enough to turn the furnace/AC on. I keep my windows open a lot. In August is when the monsoon season kicks in full force. So while it isn't as hot with the clouds it is so much more humid. We fat folks tend to melt in the sun a bit more than non-banded folks.

Do you know why? It's because carbs turn into a sugar and sugar makes your pancreas kick in. When your pancreas kicks in it produces insulin to lower your blood sugar but sometimes it works a little too well and when your blood sugar is a little too low it sends out signals so your body will scream, 'FEED ME!' When you eat a reasonable amount of protein (such as meat, a Protein Shake, etc) it doesn't mess with your blood sugar and that is why you aren't hungry. I have to question being hungry an hour after a meal. If one has appropriate restriction and follows bandster rules, there shouldn't be a need for a shake an hour after a meal. I'm not fully in favor of killing hunger before it comes naturally, but if you are hungry and it's been at least three hours since your last proper meal, I can see a low cal protein shake then or another low cal protein source. Eating meat DOES get boring, but you can also find other sources of protein that will do the job. A teaspoon of peanutbutter, a piece of cheese, a dozen nuts, yogurt, something like that. Protein Snacks don't have to come from meat.

Atkins isn't great, honestly it isn't. If you look at the calories to protein it's not good at all. You are wasting your calories. What if you try a better quality Protein shake? You are not getting enough protein at this point and since you are clearly able to drink full liquids at this stage why not try a better quality (and MUCH cheaper) product? Matrix 5.0 has 22gm protein and 120 calories. You could do four of those to every three of your Atkins. Atkins here is about $2.00/can. Matrix is $0.50/serving. Right now you aren't even getting 50gms of protein daily, you should be getting between 60-70. I used to say Matrix or Body Fortress but I have to admit an error. Body Fortress isn't great anymore. Matrix is better. Body Fortress tastes like chocolate flavored Water. Matrix tastes like Chocolate milk.

Do you honestly think that just because someone is comfortable that the Christ concept is a myth that we don't know about him? Do you get out often? I'll bet you a dollar I know the bible better than most Christians. No, there is nothing I can do to help you in your spiritual path, nor would I care to talk you out of your path. To each his own. Maybe someday ALL Chrstians will understand this concept.

I agree with you to keep looking. I had a choice between using my insurance in Phx or cash in Mexico. It was totally depending on the doc at that point. I ruled out Simpson because I heard so many negatives. Not that he isn't safe, he is. But he's more into himself, free advertising via news stations interviewing him, boasting about being a leading bariatric surgeon (according to whom for goodness sakes?), his books (a cool way to get others to pay for his advertising), the lack of personal follow up. So many people say that after surgery they never see him again. It is his NP or nothing. After reading so many people say the same things it just seems like he runs people in and out like one herds cattle. I opted for Mexico with a doc that trains US physicians and I don't regret it a bit. $7800 in and out the door.