Penni60

OK here is the link to my erosion pics My Endo results -- NOT GOOD!! Here is the link to my Erosion Experience My Erosion Experience

OK some tough love here. PB = bad Vomit = bad Neither is good for you. The whole point of the band is to stop eating when you get the full feeling. Some of us would listen and some of us would not. I fell into both categories. I would listen when I wanted to and not when I didn't. PB and or Vomiting is not good for you or your band. It can cause irritation and increase stomach acid. Both of which over time can cause more serious complications down the road. LIKE oh say Ulcers, GERD, and more seriously a possibility of either slippage and might even contribute to Erosion. The risks are just too great to you and your health to even warrant not listening to your body now guys. If you know that piece of bread, tortilla, salad, whatever it is won't like your band then,... OK ARE YOU LISTENING NOW,... DON'T EAT IT!!!! If you are stubborn enough and want to eat it anyway then chew chew chew chew chew till it is liquid. Don't chew till there are still lumps the size of a peanut but chew till it is LIQUID. I say all of the above with love and compassion for you all.

OWIE!! 40 staples!! I was blessed that I could have my band removed laproscopically. I was so afraid I would have to be cut open but Billy didn't have to. I did have a drain in for two days though. They took it out just before I was discharged yesterday. Francesca, I am praying for a speedy recovery and no more surgeries for along long time for us. HUGS

Hey Estela I had an endoscopy done on Tuesday morning really for my own piece of mind with all that erosions happening and guess what? They found an erosion. I had surgery Tuesday night to remove my band. Somewhere on this board is a pic of my endoscopy and the erosion. I can't remember what thread it is on now. Someone find it and post a link here.

OH OK geez you guys are pushy. I have posted on two or three posts already. I will post more of the details in a day or two. You guys are so sweet.

I just want to restate that an UPPER GI will not conclusively diagnose an Erosion. The only sure way is to have an ENDO. The procedure either needs to be done by your band surgeon or he needs to be in the room. Billy didn't see the Erosion at first and then turned the camera around so it looks back on itself and VOILA there was the Erosion hiding under a fold. So it takes a skilled person to know what to look for. I had no real symptoms other than the excessive PB recently. All I can say is when in doubt check it out. Yeah it might cost you some bills but hey what is your life worth? Do not hesitate at all. I think 18 months out is good to check but it wouldn't hurt to check after a year. If nothing else you have a baseline. Please guys don't mess around with your health.

Lisa: THat is right I am touched and overwhelmed by all this outpouring of love and compassion. I just love LBT. I will stay here as well. Just because I don't have a band anymore doesn't mean I won't bug the heck outta you guys. LOL!! Can't get rid of me that easy. No I did not have any symptoms other than I just didn't feel right. Nothing to pinpoint just didn't feel like things were ok in there. I am fortunate enough to have a doctor that is understanding and listens to me. He scheduled the endo right away and then set up the surgery before we ever left the GI Lab. He is awesome.

You know the thing about this board is it sure is addictive. I was going to not post till tomorrow but I was drawn in my drug induced state to come and post. LOL!! I love Dr. Billy. I think someone on her was curious if he was married. I gather he isn't but is divorced. He has two kids for sure. This puts him in a whole new light for me. LOL!!! I will post details of the surgery and what lead me to have it so fast in a day or two. I have to gather my thoughts. It all seems like a blur now. I am home and doing really well. I got my pain meds filled (dear sweet John did that for me). I think I have lost 10 lbs in poop so far. LOL!!! Billy used one of my old scars from my tubal years ago. He made a point of using my old scars instead of making new ones. He also kept the band. I guess he is going to send it to Inamed for all the good it will do. At least he kept it though. The upper GI the next morning after surgery was NOT fun. But necessary to rule out any perforation so I could drink my clear liquids. MMM MMM GOOD!! Long ordeal but it is done now and I can get back on the road to recovery. Gotta get my strength built back up for Christmas and my 3 yr old grandson. HUGS to you all. I just love you guys.

OK it is 4p here and I just got off the phone with Billy. I am shooting out the door now and heading to Ventura. Yes Donali is correct. The scope goes through the stoma and turns itself around in the bottom and looks back up at the stoma. Yes Donali my band is eroded through the lining of the stomach. Just so overwhelmed with all the love and compassion. My sweetie John wrote me this beautiful note and I will share it when I return. Love you all Later!! OK GOING TO KISS BILLY NOW FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys are all making me cry even more than I have been. Michelle I have your number and will be calling you tomorrow for sure. Can't even begin to speak to anyone right now. Too much emotions. And you know mentioning Dr. Billy twice is OK with me. And getting to see him twice in one day is a HUGE plus even if I have to lose my band. He is so easy on the eyes. (whispering here = I actually eroded on purpose to get him to see me again. shhh! my little secret!) LOL!! Laughing and crying over here. LOL!! Sniffle!!

Yeah well your guts are gross too. Remember I saw your insides. LOL!! UM, that is one thing I don't know how to do. So someone else will have to do that. The white looking thingy with greenish stuff on it is the band. Picture 10 shows it really nicely. LOL!!!

While in the midst of running around getting ready for my surgery I decided to call Inamed and report this erosion. I talked to Craig Arthur and just chewed his ear off. Spoke about accountability for the Mexico doctors and how they don't report complications and what is Inamed going to do about them not following through. He said there is nothing in place that gives Inamed the power to 'make' the Mexico doctors report any complication. SIGH!! No surprise there. I suggested that every 2 to 3 years EVERY surgeon be recertified to place the Inamed bands. He said he would pass along this suggestion but even if they did this it would not cut down on the rates of complications. I said it would be a start anyway. He said the suggested technique for placement is NOT the perigastric now but the paraplas something or other. He said they cannot INFORCE the surgeons to use the other technique even though it seems to cut down on the rate of erosions. HMMM!!! Interesting!! Anyway, I had to do something to burn off my steam before the surgery. I am just trying to find a reason for the erosion. I spoke with my daughter just a minute ago and she cried with me on the phone and said something very profound. "Mom, you are a strong woman and there is a reason you have to go through this right now. I think it is because you had to learn something and get stronger for YOU. Now that you have done that it is time to let the band go and stand on your own two feet." Isnt' that a wonderful thought? I will take that to the OR with me. Love all you guys and I am sure there will be lots more reflections to come.

OK everyone pray that my band is a good band. I go in the morning for my endoscopy. I have to leave the house at 5;30am to go to Ventura for an endoscopy with Hunky Dr. Billy. I will update you when I get home.

Please see my post My Endo results -- NOT GOOD!!

Page two of the erosion.

Page one of the erosion. You can see the erosion on pic 10 really well. That white thingy is the band eroded into my stomach.

Ok as I sat at the computer and intently stared at the Ticketmaster screen waiting for 10am when the tickets went on sale, the excitement begin to swell and over flow. The 10am ticked on the computer clock and I hit refresh on the home page for ticketmaster. I entered the number of tickets and where I wanted to sit. Hit send. Waited while the computer scanned the seats to see if they were available and all the while I was praying to get good seats. VOILA!! I got tickets I got tickets!!!! HOORAY!! I am so thrilled. April 5, 2006 at 8pm in Staples Center, here in Los Angeles. HERE WE COME!!!

John and I saw Billy and Elton when they toured together. The show was awesome. I am so thrilled I even got tickets. WHOO HOO!!!!

Diamond Necklace? I want one night with Billy. LOL!! JUST ONE!! LOL!!

Yes I do sell my jewelry. I also make one of a kind pieces. PM me if interested.

Beautiful hands. I love them. I did a sketch of hands one time in High School. The picture is 36 x 40 I think. Too big to scan but I will take a pic and post it in the next week. I also mentioned earlier that I do jewelry making. Here is a sample of my work.

Haven't seen ZOE online lately. Anyone heard from her?

Don Mills following statement really pisses me off, "It is true that patients banded in Mexico seem to have a higher percentage of issues with the band when compared to US patients. I am sure that this is due to less frequent follow-up care and motivation from a near by surgeon's office." Let me clarify, Don Mills cannot even begin to assume much less be "sure" of what causes erosion or not in either a US or a Mexico bandster. He cannot be "sure" or even question it because the data Inamed collects is HIGHLY inaccurate. The Mexico doctors are not bound by the same guidelines to report problems like the US doctors. The Less frequent follow-up care and motivation has ZERO to do with whether a band erodes or not. Look at Michelle for instance, she is one of the best bandsters I know and had very good follow-up care and she still eroded. Don Mills can kiss my, ___ well you get the picture.

Ok everyone this thread is for pictures. There is a separate thread set up for comments. Here is the link to that thread. Comments for Before and After pictures

Will get right on it.