Marimaru

Headaches?? How strange. The forum is Spotlight Health. The link is: http://www.spotlighthealth.com/common/forum/topics.aspx?m=1&sb=25

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6233542/ Looks like they've finally decided that weight loss surgery isn't just cosmetic. You guys fighting your insurance companies should print this one out!

Yikes. I don't think I ever had a stitch pop, but some of the other pains I felt. I can feel my port under my skin. I have a feeling that you feeling yours might not have anything to do with your stitch. The port isn't all that big, but in terms of a foreign object in the body it's pretty good size. When I started moving more after I started recovering, I felt pain kind of like you are describing in my port area. It was kind of scary, but after a couple of good walks it went away completely. Anyhow, I personally would give it a little time and see if you feel better, but if you are scared, don't hesitate to at least call your surgeon to see what he says.

I actually don't think it has anything to do with the gas. I've done some reading up on this because my shoulder aches sometimes, and it doesn't always seem to be after I eat. On another board I'm a member of, they call it referred pain. Most of your stomach is on the left side of your body, and the band is a foreign object, and sometimes your brain apparently translates the band being there as shoulder pain. At first I thought my neck was stiff, because for me it feels like if I could just crack my neck it would feel better... but it never cracks. lol... Anywho, It's kinda nice to see another youngin' on the boards. I'm 22

Bobby, I of course don't know much about your wife, but I'm guessing that since your daughter is almost grown, your wife really isn't planning on having any children. If that's the case, I kind of think that people who never plan on having kids maybe don't realize that parenting is supposed to be forever. I mean, there's a number of things that stop at the magical 18 or whatever, but there's plenty of things that continue from there. I'm saying this from the view of the 'child', as I'm not yet a parent. But I'm 22 and my mom is still a huge part of my life, and I'm hoping to keep it that way for a long time. I wish you luck with all of this

Thank you Lisa! If nothing else it's sometimes good to hear(read) that other people have the same thoughts as you so you don't feel quite so crazy in the world. lol. I've got my fill scheduled for the 4th, so I think I will just go and have it done. Like you said, I can always have it undone.

Thanks guys for all of the input. I've got my PB issues under control. My problem was eating too fast. I was banded on 7/2/04, and got my first fill on 8/17, and I haven't actually lost anything since before that first fill. I wasn't doing much exersize, but I've started walking now, and I plan on doing the LA 5k thing in March, so I've got a goal to work myself up to. I understand the theory of "Just because you can eat a certain amount doesn't mean you should", but I kind of wouldn't be here if I could control my willpower as regards to that better . I've schedule a fill for November 4th. That gives me a few weeks to decide, while still having it scheduled if I decide I need it so I don't have to wait that much longer. Thanks guys!

Kelly Ann, Congrats! I'm a Rumbaut patient. He and his staff are absolutely fantastic. I wouldn't worry about bringing Water to the hospital. There's a few places left in Mexico that have iffy water, but most of Mexico now has American water purification systems n' stuff. I've been to many places in Mexico and never gotten sick. Or, if you were worried that you wouldn't be able to get a nurse when you got thirsty, the nurses are in there every 2 hours and they will give you whatever you need. Unless I had less pain than I thought, I am pretty sure they give you pain medication every 2 to 4 hours in your IV to make sure you are comfortable. The worst part was drinking Mallox (Melox in Mexico) every couple of hours. It's super chalky . Ooh, after your pre-testing n' whatnot, Dorlisa sends a basket of new-bandster-friendly goodies to your hotel. V8juice, broth, etc. Like said above, since you are going alone, pack SUPER light. I had someone with me, but I carried my backback (when he would let me), and that was enough for me. At that point most of the pain that was left was in my new port area. Make sure to keep the pain pills they give you handy. They dont' make you groggy or anything, so taking them before going to the airport shouldn't be a problem. The hotel staff is great. They know all about Dr. Rumbaut. If you tell the drivers you need to see him they know right were to go. Anywho, let me know if I can answer anything else for you:)

Yikes... Reading what he said to you really struck a nerve with me. I mean, to say that AFTER you've had a SURGERY to help you with your 'problem', and AFTER you've lost over 20 lbs in less than three months. Especially to know you guys are about the same size (or were...). grr. *climbs on top of irritation* Maybe he's jealous. Maybe he doesn't feel like he has the courage to go through what you did to try and solve his problem like you did for yours and he's taking it out on you. My mom once told me after my surgery that I was her hero. Now, she paid for my surgery, so I coughed and said "I'm YOUR hero?!". She said that alot of people even if given the opportunity that I was given would have spent all their time trying to find an excuse or reason not to get the surgery done. I had felt that way about the bypass, I wouldn't have gotten that done if it was the only option, but the band I had no hesitation about. Anyway, I think that maybe if you can have some conversation (depending on how open a guy he is) you may find he's got more hangups about himself than you, but he isn't handling his frustration well. Unfortunately most men (no offense guys) don't really like to have conversations like that. I think in most cases they'd very much rather point out the problems with other people than admit they have one of their own. Anyhow, I think that you have already taken huge steps to 'set yourself straight' and if he thinks he's trying to be helpful he may want to think about his words more carefully. I hope things get better

I had mine done in Mexico. Dr. Rumbaut was my doctor, and my cost was $11000. I've seen between $8500 and $11000 I think in Mexico, where as it's up in the $20000 and $30000 in the states (dunno much more about pricing in the states, because I didn't look at it after I saw it that high). According to Dr. Kuri's website he works with a company for financing on the surgery, which may be a good option. I had thought for myself that the bypass or the RNY was a bit drastic for myself, but the lapband is so minimal, which what I consider a possiblity for even better results. I also like that we don't dump or anything like that. We have our PB to deal with, but that can be avoided if we are careful.

I live in Hawthorne, so I should be able to do it. I just need to get myself walking on a regular basis between now and then LOL. Should be a good time

Dr. Rumbaut is fantastic. I think you'll be really happy with him if you get your surgery done there. Of course, I think everyone says that about the doctor who is helping them get skinny He called me back personally as well after I had my surgery scheduled to make sure I didn't have any concerns, and Doralisa is incredibly helpful. Keep us posted!

Actually my surgery was done by Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey. I had my fill done by Dr. Kuri and he seems really nice. Everyone there who'd had their surgery done by him was really happy with him. When he walked in it was like they were all greating their hero.

60oz is so close to what you need that I wouldn't be too worried about it. You are supposed to have 8 cups a day, which is 64 oz which I'm pretty sure is exactly a gallon. I'm really bad about my Water. I've been doing tea alot lately, but I know I'm still not getting enough in. I'm drinking WAY more water than I used to, so it is a good improvement, but still not where I am supposed to be. And I REALLY need to start walking. I do a little bit here and there, walk to the mailbox instead of driving to the post office, take the long way around the block to it, things like that, but it's not enough. I know that if I start walking I'll be off this plateau, but it's hard. I keep telling my boyfriend we are going to walk at night and we keep not doing it. damn lack of motivation... Anyway, Katie, be much happy for your 'nother 4 lbs dropped, but keep in mind that the liquid/mushy food stage isn't about losing weight. It's all about healing your tummy.

Hey there, I'm not from NJ, but I can tell you that I've called one Dr. here in California who is closer to me than driving to see Dr. Kuri and they want to charge $300 for fills. I believe I've heard other people talk about it costing up to $600. This is a directory of Weight Loss Surgery doctors that I found. http://www.usaweightlossdirectory.com/index1.html You may want to call around and see if any of them will treat patients that they didn't do the surgery on, and what the cost would be. Some of them don't charge all that much for the fills themselves, but have a large fee for an 'initial consultation' or something similar. You just need to make sure you get all the details. Depending on the season, it may be cheaper to fly to San Diego to see Dr. Kuri!

KT- Ibuprofin is on a long list of medicines called NSAIDS (which I don't remember what that stands for), but we aren't supposed to take them because they can be stomach irritant. I think pretty much the only over the counter pain medication we are supposed to take is acetamenophen (sp), like Tylenol. Sarah

I think I am PBing more that most of the people that I've read of, but I'm really sure I don't have too much of a fill. A little history: Banded on 7/2/04 by Dr. Rumbaut Fill on 8/17/04 by Dr. Kuri I'm on Depo Provera, so I don't have a monthly cycle, or an irregular cycle or anything, just no cycle (lucky me). Anyway, I know that everyone goes through days when they are tighter than other days, but this range of restriction for me is really crazy. Mostly during the morning I can't successfully eat anything, so I quit trying that. I drink milk or protien drinks or somethin. Today for lunch I tried to have 2 slices of roast beef and a slice of swiss cheese. About 25 minutes or so after I quit eating, it all came up. I knew it was going too, but I was fighting it for about 10 minutes or so. After my fill, I learned I need to chew things way better than I had been even after I got my band, so I've been very very good about that lately, but it still came up. But on the other hand, one day last week for lunch I had a little more than a bowl of beef stroganoff, with beef chunks and noodles and mushrooms. I think my problem today was the cheese, but I've eaten a half a roast beef and swiss sandwich since my fill with no problem (bread and all, though I'm trying to avoid it now). There's no stomach acid involved, but I'm still worried about damaging my esophagus. It's about 4 hours after lunch and I'm eating some roast beef, (it's thinnly sliced) and I"m not having a problem. No soft stops or anything. I don't know what the deal is! Sorry if I'm a little ranty... it's been a long day Thanks

I was self pay, so I don't know much about the insurance part of all this, but I am amazed that they can deny something as "investigational" when it's been approved by the FDA. These insurance companies are amazing. Do you have any co-morbidities? If you do, maybe you could do some research on the cost of caring for them in the long term. Example, if you have diabetes, the cost of insulin over 10 years or something to show that the band is cheaper in the long run or something. There's a lot of people on these boards who have done the insurance fight. You should be able to get some good help from them. Good luck

Kelly Ann, I'm not sure you'll be able to find a person who had the band who isn't happy with it. Even people who've had complications often say they'd do it all again. I was banded in Monterrey by Dr. Rumbaut. He and his staff were FANTASTIC. There are other doctors in Monterrey, and I've heard nothing but good things about all of them. Mexican healthcare (as far as surgery goes) is way better than you get here. I have my fills done by Dr. Kuri in Tijuana. You will need to call around to band surgeons in your area, first to see if they'll even do fills for other doctors' patients, and second to see what the cost is (if you are self pay). Anyway, welcome, and keep us posted on your final decision/progress.

I don't think you have anything to worry about. The thing to remember about the phase you are in is that it's all about healing. Your band should be empty, or very near empty, so any restriction that you have is because your stomach is swollen. When you are eating soft foods, they go right through the stoma, so your pouch isn't 'holding' anything. I had to learn this too, as I'm sure we all did. I wasn't fortunate enough to have found this board before surgery or even before my first fill so I wasn't 'warned' about the period before your first fill where you can eat almost like normal once you get to solid foods (scary!). Everyone's experience is different, but I did PB before my first fill. I would happen when I took too big of a bite, or I didn't chew well enough. I very much think my problem now is that I am eating too fast, not waiting long enough between bites. Anywho, be sure to post again if you are worried. One thing this board is great for is 'reality checks'.

This is a good idea. 1. To have my driver's license be accurate, and then over (I think I lied in the first place ) 2. To shop in a normal store. 3. Also to not look around to make sure there are other heavy people around me. 4. To feel comfortable in a swimsuit. I love scuba diving, and I do it once a year with my family, but I always wear a big shirt until the last minute, and I have one of those suits with the skirt thing on it. 5. I don't know if 'normal' people have this problem so this may be an unfair goal; but after a few hours at an amusement part, or someplace where I am on my feet, they start killing me... I'd like that to go away And this isn't realy a goal, but I'm very much looking forward to the NSV's that people talk about. They sound so fun

Wow, that's a lot of helpful information. I think the swiss cheese was the problem But now I know. Also, I may have been eating too fast. Like said above, even though I chewed it into nothingness, I may have not waited enough in between bites. I will spend the next week SLOWING DOWN big time. I imagine that will help some. Good to know about the airplanes though. I flew a few weeks back and had tight restriction and didn't even put the 2 together. I really appreciate all of your responses. Now I have a better idea of what I'm probably doing wrong, while at the same time, knowing that I'm not crazy. lol

Good luck to you both. As Jodie said, Taxi's like tips. Other than that, there's probably not too much that's different than here. Tips for waiters (which you probably wont have to worry about much ). But do pack light. I brought everything I needed in a back pack (ok, maybe a little extra, but still in the backpack), and it got a little heavy for me by the end of the flight. My boyfriend was wonderful and carried it for me most of the way, and gave me his lighter backpack when it got to be too much for him by himself. Once you give up soda you start to find all sorts of other things out there. I actually still sip on a soda every now and then, but not very often. I've had 2 in the last month and a half. Anywho, some of the v8 splash juices are good. I drink alot of Capri Sun. Some Crystal Light. Lots of tea lately.

I appreciate your responses. I've had one a day in the last few days, but I really don't think I had one for a week before that. I know it's at least once a week lately. It's rather frustrating because I think I want to go get another fill (because of the times when I can eat alot), but not if it's just going to make this worse. More examples of stuff I can eat well is chips n' salsa, or the cheese dip stuff. I can eat beef Jerky well (surprisingly), but I chew it into nothing. I had some roast beef as I was typing my first post, and that was fine, but I didn't eat a whole bunch.

You know, you should look into labor laws in your state. I know that in California, if you work 6 hours you are required at least 30 minutes lunch, and for 8 hours, it's the lunch and two 15 minute breaks.... so you should look into it just so that your workplace doesn't get too crazy. I'm glad you were able to get the days off you needed, and that your hubby can go with you.