Penni60

I just love this one. A friend sent it to me. Subject: Silent Treatment A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it. The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up." Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests. God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece

You know what it is obvious to me that Margret does not care in the least bit about any of us that are having these problems with Lopez. If she did she would not be so flippant and accuse anyone of spreading rumors.

Who did your surgery and where was it done? I am so sorry to hear of your problem. Is it painful and how was it diagnosed?

CHrissy: Has Lopez contacted you personally via either phone call or email? I mean have you spoken to him directly? And has he offered to help in any way via support or alternative options? I am so sorry to hear of your removal. I faced the same fear in July but thankfully I did not have erosion. I was devastated with the idea of needing my band removed prior to learning it was not needed. I was simply a basket case and did not know how to deal with it all. Please do come back and visit and keep us informed of how you are doing. Where are you having the surgery done to remove the band?

Margret, you are so full of crap. Esophagitis is SO not the same as erosion. Those are two entirely different issues. And Erosion is NOT a common problem with being banded. If you were told that then I would question the source. Erosion stats are 1% to 3% which would itself be a definition of NOT A COMMON PROBLEM. I am happy that you are treating your Esophagitis with Nexium. At least you got instructions from Lopez; I never did and learned what I did on my own. You sent me an email Margret but only after your husband and I had been exchanging emails and he was fighting your battles. Margret your so called OFFER to make appointments so we can GO SEE him in his office is not what we are wanting. I want a phone call from Lopez himself asking me how I am doing. Can you arrange that? The phone numbers you provide are the same ones I had back when I was trying to get him to respond to my calls regarding the emergent issue of my grapefruit size redness around my port area. I sent pics, emails, phone calls, and left several messages on his cell phone numbers with Nora and his assistant at the time. I am still waiting ot hear back from him. All your offers to set up appts for us is so bogus. Who says we have the time or the money to go? Why should we rely on a third party to talk to our doctor? Why can't we just call his office and talk to his assistant or at least get a phone call back when we leave a message? Is that so hard? The follow up surgeon I have now (who was proctored by Lopez by the way) returns my phone calls and emails within 24 hours. This surgeon called me after I had surgery to see how I was doing? The surgery was to repair my port where Lopez' technique caused me problems. This was this surgeon's words not mine. I would not get you to make me an appointment at all. We should be able to make our own. I still say you are working for him otherwise why make the offer. HMMM??? You are attacked on this board because you continually belittle our horrible experiences by suggesting we are spreading rumors, and that suggests we are not telling the whole truth. If you came on this board and just talked about how much weight you are losing or what issues you are having to face or posted a pic of yourself before and where you are now, you would not be attacked as you say. This board is all about information and support. You come on here and start the whole LOPEZ drama everytime you post. If you would just post your experiences post surgery and how you are progressing or not progressing you would see much more support and compassion. If you come on here and attack us with your accusations of spreading rumors then you get what you dish out. I am so thankful that you are not having any HUGELY horrendous complications that requires you to be in touch with a surgeon or doctor in an emergent situation. I think your experience might be something similar to ours who have dealt with Lopez on that level. Enough said.

Vicky: I did contact the head honcho at the hospital where I was banded by Lopez. I received an email and phone call from him and the doctor that followed my case after I left. They both assured me that Lopez was still a doctor in good standing in their facility but that they were unaware of the lack of follow up care. They said they would follow up with him regarding that issue. Maybe this is why he has "straightened" up his act with new patients. If in fact he really has. Who knows??? Yes there are laws against email harrassment Leatha. LOL!!! Might have to look into that if it starts again. I couldn't believe when I started getting emails from Margaret's Margret's however you spell her name husband. I responded to an email from her and it turned out to be from her husband. That is misrepresnentation isn't it??? Something like what Lopez is doing HUH?? OK I am done till the next round of posts. Love you all and love all the support here. I just want one phone call from Lopez that is all. Just one. Is that too much to ask???

Thanks Betty!

I agree everyone that cooked T-Dinner should get extra points. That really takes willpower to not nibble while cooking it. And being banded we can nibble easily. LOL!! Well guys Delarla and Chris and Sachi and VooDoo left this morning. WITHOUT SAYING GOOD BYE!! Well let me clarify that. THey left a note on the kitchen counter saying good bye. I am gonna get her so bad. LOL!! Wench!! So, back to the challenge. I did not exercise today. I might do something tonight but not likely. I am a morning person when it comes to exercise. I guess I will have to get in something today. Maybe I can talk John into walking with me in the park. Think I can get him to do that??? We will see. I really think I have lost some over this holiday. I feel lighter. LOL!! We will see come Monday morning. Hey do we post our weight here or send it to Greg?

Kathy: THank you so much for posting. This only validates what I suspected all along. This Margaret person (if in fact that is her or his name) must be working for Lopez. They are just here to do damage control and put a spin on all this. This makes me mad. Or the other solution to Pseudo Margaret's Lopez experience could be that she is a personal friend of his. And of course Lopez will treat her better than his other substandard patients. THis also makes me mad. As a health professional myself it is always hard to not play favorites when it comes to health care. I would struggle with that when a loved one of mine had to have a procedure or go into the hospital. But Lopez' ethics are so skewed in that he puts friends care above his other patients. There is one more factor to take into consideration when thinking about his care. It is Mexico we are talking about as well. They have a different way of doing things from the US. Not all Mexico Surgeons are like Lopez I want to clarify that here. Some are really good about calling and checking up on their surgical patients. But it is surgeons like Lopez that give the rest a HUGELY bad name. When this Margaret person came on the first time, I sent her a personal email and lo and behold her husband came on and starting getting into the act and emailing me talking about ethics and how I should be careful what I am saying and blah blah blah. Wonder if the same thing will happen??? You know if they are so concerned about Lopez reputation then maybe they should give him my contact info and have him call me personally to rectify this issue. HMMM??? Up to the challenge Margaret type person????

Everyone and especially Margaret: Lopez was a great person to actually have the surgery done. He was very personable, appeared to be a very caring person, answered my questions, was there to hold my hand while I got on the operating table, explained the procedure to me in depth as far as what to expect and how I would feel afterward, etc. All very good almost excellent care up to and immediately after my surgery. I have NO complaints about that part of my care. What Margaret and the rest of Lopez supporters seem to be missing is this and this is MY opinion no one elses. "SO F%^&*(ING WHAT if he changed his practice ethics." There are several of us here on this board that have had crappy aftercare. "SO F%^&*(ING WHAT if his care now is improved." Where is my follow up phone call to see how I am doing now. I can answer that question for you Margaret. HE HAS MY MONEY and he doesn't need to call me now. Enough said. I am so incredibly happy for you that you have great care. Oh just for your information I visited his New Nifty Swifty Swank Spit Shine offices in June 2004 and received less than professional services. If he changed them since then good for him. He knew then about all the issues because I told him how unhappy I was with his staff. He assured me that he personally would call me and see how I am doing after I left his office. Guess What Margaret??? I am still waiting on that phone call. Does the new policies only work for the new patients? His old patients are a thing of the past I guess. His ethics are not only questionable in regards to old patients but how do you know you won't be treated like that if a problem arises??? Of course someone that doesn't have any complications would love him. You don't have to wait out a week of no return phone calls or emails or messages so you can see if you need surgery to remove your band due to rejection, which is what I was facing. NO PHONE CALLS MARGARET. NONE!!! NONE TO THIS DAY!!!! I could be dead for all he knows. And don't get me even started on Lisa's situation. THank god for some caring docs here in the states that decided it was time for her to have something done. Margaret I am gonna say this with all the love I can muster. Keep your glowing recommendations to yourself about Dr. Juan Carlos Lopez. When I get a phone call from him personally not an assistant or Nora or anyone else but him personally asking me how I am doing I will NOT change my mind about him. There is that plain enough for you Margaret and all the Lopez supporters? I need an apology and some caring shown me before I will change my mind on him and his NEW WORK ETHICS. Bah Humbug on those NEW WORK ETHICS. I see more of the same. Ok enough venting for now. Just waiting for the next round of postings on Lopez. Lisa will post I am sure when she gets a chance to read this thread. Won't that be fun?? LOL!!!

You want a pic of us running??? That would be funny. Yes we did run. We had to to keep up with Sachi and VooDoo. They love our backyard. Sachi ran and ran and ran. Voo just looked at her and said "what an idiot."

WELCOME KIM E: READ READ READ and ask any question you might have. We are all here to support each other.

Legally: No one is attacking you personally. I am happy that you had a great experience with Dr. Lopez. And again I will add here that I had no complaints of his pre surgical attention and immediatly after my surgery he was very attentive. IT was only when I had a complication arise that he became incomunicato. I found his Mexican accent easy to understand. The phone numbers you listed are all the number I had when I tried for a whole week to get someone to return my phone call in regards to my port issue. IT was only when my sweetie got involved and threatened to call every hour on the hour did we speak to the great and powerful LOPEZ. The only thing I can say is they treat you like royalty up through your surgery and immediately after. The proof that things have changed will be if and when (and I might add I hope it doesn't happen for you or anyone) there is a complication that you need immediate response from him or his staff. If he has changed like he says he has then that will be when I will see a change in Lopez. He has gone through two assistants in a time frame of less than 6 months. That seems strange. Good luck and I wish you a uneventful and healthy weight loss life. I am still waiting on my phone call to see how I am doing. Wonder when that will happen???

ZOE OUCH that HURT!!!!!!! OK I got up this morning and did a 60 min walk (3 miles). Happy now??? I know I feel much better for having done that. WHOO HOO!! Come on Michelle you gotta get in the groove for the 5K walk in March. Get it in gear.

I don't even care about Lopez anymore. I am happy with the doc I found for my after care and will continue to go to him. Lopez was OK for the surgery but his aftercare sucked big time. I had a port issue that he told me would go away with more weight loss. My new doc said that it was Lopez' technique that caused my port issues. So I had a port revision surgery in July to correct his technique problem. If I get a call from Lopez or his staff then I will expect the world to end soon.

Had gotten over the flu and was planning on getting up this morning and getting back on track with my walking mania. Then my MIGRAINE headache hit me full force this am. SO in bed for a couple of extra hours this morning. The thing with me is if I don't do anything like exercise in the AM it won't get done. SO needless to say I did NO exercise today. BAD PENNI!! I promise to do better tomorrow. That will be my challenge to exercise at some point in the day if I can't do it in the morning. I put that challenge on myself. HMMM!! Heading to the treadmill now?? NO I AM NOT! I said TOMORROW I start that challenge. LOL!!!! Love you guys.

I lost another lb this week. I now am down to 242 lbs. That is a whopping 54 lbs total loss. WHOOO HOOO!! And that is losing one lb while sick with the flu. HOORAY!!! HUGE congrats to all us losers Just imagine what I Could have done if I hadn't been sick. LOL!!!

Hey it keeps me from hitting the frig when I get a snack attack. LOL!! Lisa: I want a maroon one. And what Harley hat you talking about??? I didn't see that one.

Yup using Teresa's pattern but not the same hooks. Makes a difference. I also made mine a little bit longer than hers. That makes mine a little more boxy. I will post a pic of the scarf later today. I have the multi scarf done. Almost have scarves done to match the hats too. Really simple to make.

Hey guys: I just finished my hats. I have made 6 but only kept 5. They are christmas presents. I sold one for $10. WHOO HOO!!!! I have to make the scarves to match now. Easy pattern. Chain either 30 or 35 then single crochet the rest of the pattern till you get the desired length you want. I use a G hook for the hats and scarves. The hats take me about two days. I could actually make them in a day if I stuck to it. The scarves take me about two and a half days. I love them. So easy to make. Here are pics of the 5 hats I have kept. The multi colored one is mine the rest are christmas presents.

Almost over my flu bug here and ready to get back to the exercise on Monday. WHOO HOO!! Here I come to challenge all youse guys. LOL!!!

Hey I am in. I am recuperating from being sick with the flu right now but by the 22nd I hope to be on the mend. So I will check in and do the official weigh in that day. Here is my suggestion on how to post the exercises info 1. What you did to exercise. 2. How long you exercised (minutes, seconds, etc). 3. How far you walked or how many steps if you use a pedometer (miles). 4. How intense was your exercise. (power walk, etc), 5. How you felt after the exercise. Just some suggestions. Thoughts or comments

So glad you are home and recuperating. Welcome to band land brother.

I too was banded by Dr. Lopez Corvala. I had my own set of complications post surgery related to the positioning of the band and placement of the port which resulted in a port revision in July. At that time I had an ENDOSCOPY done to rule out erosion. I did not have any signs at that time. I will ask for another ENDO in April which will be my year anniversary. I would be devastated if I had to have my band removed. Please contact INAMED and let them know of your erosion issues and who your doctor was that placed the band initially. It is a well known fact that this surgeon does NOT report his complications at all to anyone. You are in my prayers and anyone that has had their band placed by Lopez is in my prayers as well. Please do have a yearly Endoscopy just for peace of mind. It is considered maintenance of the band.

OOOOHHHH Teresa I am sooooooooo incredibly jealous. I loved RUPERT and so happy that he got the second MILLION on the show. He was my favorite ever Survivor. Yeah lets see some pics. Did you get some contact info for him??? LOL!! Stalking Penni here. LOL!!!