Headhunter

I had a Hematoma as well, but under a little different circumstances. I "got" mine when i went in for my first fill. I had an idiot doctor, and he was somehow able to create a hematoma by using the fill needle in the wrong way. VERY painful for a several days.....

Lan2k; I feel for you. depression/anxiety and the related conditions can be an awful burden to bear. They can certainly play a role in weight issues as well. The one thing that you said that struck me was your mild discomfort with your Psychiatrist. The relationship that you have with your Prescriber will be one of the most IMPORTANT relationships that you have, and if you do NOT feel a connection with them, or feel like they are not listening or paying attention, then you NEED to look elsewhere. Treatment for depression in this day and age is not a "single-pill" solution in many, many cases. It takes an experienced Doctor, and a Doctor who can listen with compassion and understanding. So, if you have even the slightest feeling that you are not getting enough attention or understanding from your Pysch, then LOOK ELSEWHERE. Do not be shy about it. Psychiatrists, more than just about any other medical practitioner, can be arrogant, callous jackasses, and it can sometimes take a while before you find one that you can really 'connect' with. But it is worth the search....you will KNOW when you find him or her. Take the time, and find the RIGHT Doctor. It could change your life, believe me! HH

Keep in mind that you have an entire LIFETIME of old habits, thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are kind of "burned" into your psyche. Even though you have had the surgery, it's going to take some time to adjust to your new "physiology". Ten days is really NO time at all. It's just gonna take more time, but you WILL get there....there's no doubt about it! HH

Tiffykins is correct. People who have the band blather on about how "reversible" it is. Removable, yes. reversible, not really. It DOES change your anatomy. Kind of like when a car sits in one spot for several years. The tires are changed, AND the ground is changed. Also, even though the band can be removed, very often the problem that required the removal of the band cannot be easily resolved, such as erosion. So, while it works wonders for many people, it does some nasty things to others. I DO have to caution the OP, though....you HAVE to make sure that restriction is what you need. The various Weight Loss Surgeries are not always interchangeable. It's not as much a choice you make, as it is picking the RIGHT procedure for YOUR need. If you are a person who actually eats very little and still puts on weight or cannot lose, then the band or sleeve won't do much at all for you. So DON'T rule out bypass or DS UNTIL you have spoken to the Bariatric Doctors. If you have a band or a sleeve when you actually really need a malasorbtive procedure, that is kind of like having your Gall Bladder removed when your appendix is flaring up. HH

Hi, Chargers; I was/am a kaiser patient, and I have been very happy with my experience overall. I am up in the L.A. area. As a rule, kaiser does promote the Bypass as opposed to the other procedures. I wouldn't be too upset that you PCP doesn't know that much about WLS. Many of them don't, and it really is a specialty area. Also, don't be too upset about having to do the 6-month diet. It's terrific training for your new lifestyle, whatever procedure that might be. It's not bad thing. Also, don't discount the Bypass as a possibility. The band (restriction) did NOT work for me. The Bypass (malabsorbtion) did, and very, very well. Don't go into the process having already decided what you want/need. Listen to all that they have to say. I made a wrong decision the first time out; I wish i had those years back. HH

It would seem prudent to me to request a Barium Swallow after a couple of years, to see exactly where you are "at". Even though there is no indication of difficulty, when I hit my two-year mark (I had a bypass), I'm going to have a number of tests done (at my expense) just for comparison to numerous tests done a couple of months after my surgery. The whole "stretching" issue (for all of the various WLS surgeries) is quite interesting. HH

Yes, I suppose it would depend on the situation. I do know of quite a few people who were required to wait a bit for healing. In my situation (Band to RNY) it was done in one big, ugly operation. HH

Just out of curiosity, how would a band-to-sleeve revision be more complicated, as they are generally two separate operations, usually performed with several months between them?

Dr. Aceves has never had a leak? The poor man must be in tremendous pain.....:biggrin2: HH

Hi, Ruthi; yes, I am pretty close by you. I'm over in the Valley. I do get up to SC, though, I fish Castaic, and one of my favorite little streams is Bouquet Canyon.....they stock that little stream with trout during the summer, it fun to fish there! HH

I only have the "main" book. I really wish that with ALL the WLS the Medical Teams would pay a bit more attention to this element. It's not all a "physical" issue. A scalpel won't "solve" the problem. It helps, but if the Mind is not in the right place, there is failure MUCH of the time. HH

I've read that book. It's very good. It's a very big piece of the puzzle for a LOT of people. They have the surgery, but they don't do the "mind work". It's an important component. HH

I'd agree with that. One thing I would LOVE to do some time is to sit down with a member of management from an insurance company, and have a discussion about stuff like this; how they make their decisions about what to cover, what to refuse, etc. And, where they get their stats and how they deal with adverse event reporting, etc. I know that there are Insurance industry assosciations and statisticians and actuaries, etc, that determine all of this, but the real outcome data is so hard to obtain and compile. Sometimes I wonder why they stall on so many things, yet other times I wonder WHY they can be so liberal with what they WILL pay for. It's an interesting business, not one I would like to be a part of..... HH

I like that show. One day, I would LOVE to buy an old corvette, and drive all over America, visiting Diners and coffee shops all along the way, and Photographing them. I know others have done that, and It just sounds like real fun. Of course, I wouldn't be able to EAT much at any of them, but it would be fun to visit them and meet the people tat hang out at these places. There is a section of the old route 66 in Oatman, Arizona, that I've driven, and there is an old diner that is built into an old Gas Station from the 30's or 40's. I love that place. It's an old Mining town, and Wild burros wander through the town. People feed them carrots....the Burros actually go in and out of shops.....quite a place.....!! HH

Hmmm.....Interesting. Looks like the Sleeve still hasn't hit mainstream WLS yet, at least far as the insurance goes. I'm kind of surprised, considering that the Track Record has been so good thus far, and the band has gotten "iffier" as time goes on, in terms of complications. But, it did take the Band a while before it made mainstream as well. HH

Sounds like tiff may have had a rough surgery/recovery. HH

Susan; Funny you should mention food network. I was thinking about that today, about what a consumptive society we are, and how that contributes to the obesity epidemic. It's amazing how much of our culture is centered around food, and there are people who are ADDICTED to the Food Network. I wonder what kind of influence it has on their eating habits. I enjoy the food network, actually. It's one of the only things I watch on regular basis. Some of it is kind of stupid, but there are some very interesting programs as well. Ever watch Paula Deen? My family calls her the "heart attack lady". I have never seen someone who puts butter into EVERYTHING the way she does. If I ate like she cooks, I'd be 900 pounds in a month. HH

You can drive to his house, but you certainly wouldn't want to be on the road, anywhere near him when HE's behind the wheel!!:thumbup:

That was kind of my impression. And he's not all that well-liked here on the west coast, in terms of the music biz, business end. He was nice to me, in a sort of "have to be nice" kind of way, but he did change a little bit when we talked about his songwriting process, which I was very curious about. His lyrical "mechanics" have always seemed very different to me, and when i talked to him about that he lightened up and became a lot more "personal". He does like to talk about how he writes his music. It was interesting, and memorable. But, yeah, you could certainly feel the "asshole" shining through!:lol0: HH

Yeah, the whole celebrity thing is an interesting dynamic to watch. I worked in the Motion Picture and TV industry and the Music Biz for many years, and I've had encounters (good and bad) with most anyone you could name. Tony Danza, super nice Guy! I knew him when he did "Taxi" at our studio. He was SO approachable and friendly. Everyone else you mentioned, i've met as well. Raul Juilia, I met during "Addams Family", which they shot at our studio. Billy Joel was a real treat, although I can't say he was particulary warm, but I had one of the best experiences of my career with him. I was in a studio, and he was there, so I walked in to meet him, and sat with him for a while and talked with him while he played piano....it was wonderful. Billy Joel, to me, is the consumate American songwriter of our generation. His lyrics are pure poetry. As a Keyboardist/songwriter, I am in AWE of him, and always have been. He is one of my musical heroes, and meeting him in his "work environment" (studio/at the piano) was one of those rare moments I will treasure. I'm grateful, though, that I was not in any car that he was driving....:lol0: I like Michael jackson, but I was not a HUGE fan. I enjoyed some of his music, but not all. I recognized his abilities and talents. The time i spent with him during the "off the Wall" sessions showed me a side of him that the media never "got". He is a "production machine" in terms of music. He knows exactly what he wants in a sound. Much of the credit for his recording success has been given to Quincy Jones, but Michael was FAR more involved in his productions than people give him credit for. The kid was brilliant. A little weird, but brilliant. HH

Hi, Ladies; Nice pad you have here... :biggrin0: I actually knew Michael Jackson at one point in time. In the late 70's I was working at Sunset Sound (recording Studio) in Hollywood, while he was recording Off the Wall. I became somewhat acquainted with him for several months. A sweet guy, really nice. VERY intense when working on his music. I feel very, very privilged to have been in such proximity to him and quincy jones during that time. I last talked with him at one of the American Music Awards shows at ABC in hollywood back in the '80s. I took the elevator up with him, he remembered me from SS, and we had a nice chat for a while, much to the chagrin of the massive bodyguards that were hovering over him. I had also met Farrah a few times, while working at a Motion Picture Studio. I was not all that impressed. A little snooty. But then, a lot of people in the biz are like that....kind of a defense mechanism, I've always thought. An interesting day. A sad day, I suppose. But, they are both out of their pain, physical and otherwise. VERY, very nice place here, actually...... A little more peaceful. Maybe because I'M not here. But...wait...I AM here...hmm.... HH