Frangipani

Okay, I'm going to spend about two seconds responding to this legal "stuff", and then I'm done with that subject completely. I know a lot of doctors and a lot of lawyers and it is truly not the case that "all successful doctors have a lawyer on retainer." Why on earth should they? (Unless of course they anticipate and/or have the need for legal services on a very regular basis). Bottom line is this..... It is just not cool (or nice) to sit around on a message board threatening lawsuits, and honestly in the nearly one year that I have been on this board, this is the first time I have encountered something like this. But back to the original question.... Chubbychaser, if I were you, I would just start over from square one with a new doctor. I think it's really very hard for us to speculate about anything in any meaningful way here. However, one thing I am pretty certain of is this, if you had a leak, you would not be holding any Fluid in your band at all for very long. The band does have a semi-permeable membrane so you will lose small amounts of fluid over time, but if you had a leak you would lose all of the saline within a relatively short period of time. Go talk to a new Dr. and he/she will help you figure this out. There's also Dr. Stephanie (the last name escapes me right now, but I will try to do a search on this board for her name) in the Houston area. Good luck!

Thank you so much for the info Dr. Schulman. My Dr. told me that he would need to use an anchor incision and it's good to have confirmation that any other type of an incision is probably not an option for me given my circumstances. I'm sure nobody wants to have the anchor incision unless it's necessary, and it sounds like it is necessary for me. Thanks again for the feedback !

Hi Luluc, That was an awesome response to a not-very-nice and extremely, heavy-handed post directed to someone who is obviously stressed out by a situation that they have spent a lot of time and money trying to resolve. A little empathy and kindness was definitely in order here, even if that person didn't agree with what the OP was saying. For the record, slander is an untruthful oral statement, so Chubbychaser cannot be sued for "slander." Anyhow, moving on............. Chubbychaser, I would find another Dr. to take a look at your band under flouro with a barium swallow. I know that Dr. Jorge Rincon in San Antonio will work with patients that are not his own and I believe there is a Dr. Garwood in College Station will too. Good luck!

LOL Steph and Kate Wow, doesn't sound like fun though, and I hope the hormones get back to normal soon, Steph! I'm having GYN surgery along with my plastic surgery, so it sounds like I better start stocking up on soy now. I'll be in Florida, encased in compression garments in the June heat, so I can't even imagine what it would be like if I started getting hot flashes too......

Hi Dr. Schulman, I have a question for you, when you are doing a breast lift with silicone implants, is there a particular type of incision that you find yourself using more frequently using than others? If so, what would that be? Jachut, I wonder why implants double the cost of this surgery in Oz? That's definitely not the case here in the US. My silicone implants are adding 2K to the price of the surgery, and if I had gone with saline, it would have been 1K.

Hi BBK, Your tummy tucks looks amazing -- it's perfect! I have read that certain type of incisions for the breasts (i.e., those that cause less scarring) can cause puckering in the early stages. It's a good trade off in the end because the puckering settles down as you heal, and you end up with less of a scar. Therefore, it is probably too early to worry much about the breasts. The shape and size are great!

Kat, So glad to hear that it all went well, and that you're doing very well. Keep resting and getting better and we look forward to hearing from you soon! :wink2::smile::smile:

Has anyone mentioned audiobooks yet? I love, love, love my having my iPod for audio books because unlike the "old days," when all we had was CD's, or tapes, I can listen to my books anytime, anywhere. Many a tedious workout (and wait in line, and flight, etc.) has gone by quickly with the help of a good story. audible.com audio books has a great selection of audio books at fairly reasonable prices if you sign up for one of their pre-paid plans. Right now, I'm listening to Lonesome Dove, read by the author Larry McMurtry. I know this is a very old book, but I've never gotten around to reading it. I'm actually glad that I'm listening to it because McMurtry is an incredibly entertaining reader.

Molly, how's everything going? I hope you're feeling better, and please post an update when you can. I did one hour of cardio and one hour of weight training (arms/upper body) today. Have a great night everyone!

Well, I'm jumping into this thread after only having read the first page and the last, so if people not reading the entire thread before they post is driving someone batty, I apologize in advance :wink_smile: But.......... What's driving me batty lately is people overeating and/or binging and actually boasting about it in threads . I see this way more often than I'd like to. In fact, I again just saw a thread like this. The poster was apparently so proud of herself (himself?) for being able to overeat, that they put up a joyful thread solely devoted to this topic . What on earth is up with that? Why would people who want to continue overeating (and indeed are very proud of doing so) even bother to have weight loss surgery? Does this make any sense at all?

Thanks Molly :leaving:! As for the other thing, that doesn't sound good at all -- I would definitely go see a Dr., and I hope the problem clears up soon! I've been having pain the past few days too, but it's more of a dull ache in my hips and lower back. I think my problem is due to the bone jarring motions of jogging, which my body is still adjusting to, and which I've been doing outside on a hard-surface track. I plan to lay off of it until Wednesday to see if it takes care of the problem. I actually had to take two Tylenol before I headed out for my Couch to 5K session this evening, and even then I had some pain -- but my pain is really not bad enough for me to bother seeing the Dr. Great job Salsa! It sounds like you have found something that you really love doing:thumbup:! Have a great night everyone!!!!

If you think you're ready to start checking into it, you should. I thought I started looking into this a little early, but it turns out that my timing was just about right. I say this because BMI's and "goals" are funny things and are not always accurate. For example, right now, my BMI is still high, and my "goal" is still 22 pounds away. However, my size ten pants and medium tops are getting loose on me, so at this time, I am probably about a size 8, which seems inconsistent with my BMI and my current weight. I imagine that my tummy tuck will take me down to a size 6, or possibly a 4 (I'm only 5'4" tall with a small frame, so this is still a good, healthy size for me). So it seems like the PS will bring me to "goal" even if the number on the scale doesn't agree. If had strictly gone by my BMI, and my goal weight, I still might not have considered myself ready, but after my second consult with my Dr., he told me that I definitely was. (On the first consult he told me he wanted to see me lose another 15 pounds, which I have plus more now). So it's probably best to just start looking now if you want to. As everyone else said, it can take time to find a Dr. that you like and when you do, that person will definitely be able to advise you as to when to get started.

Hi Kate, Yes, that sounds like a great plan, and a very intelligent way to approach this. High-quality professionals are not always the best in their marketing, and self-promotion skills, so there are an awful lot of "hidden gems" out there, without question. You will find that person who a combination of all the right things and don't stop looking until you do. Lauren and I both found doctors who do great work at a price that we were comfortable with (Right Laurend? :thumbdown:). My Dr. is charging what I consider to be a very fair price. He's a good Dr. and I am happy to pay him a fee commensurate with his abilities. That said, I was pleased with his pricing, and felt it was a very good value overall. And you are SO right -- you can absolutely save some money if you shop around, but not really too much because, in the end, you really do get what you pay for. I have looked at a lot of plastic surgery results and nothing that I've seen has convinced me otherwise. There are no real "bargains" out there when it comes to this.

I just returned from a one hour cardio workout. Have a great evening everyone!

Great point Laurend! The Dr. I'm working with doesn't have the greatest website with very many photos, BUT everyone I have talked to about him raves about him. He also has some excellent online references from very happy patients. Another surgeon, I consulted with runs a very streamlined operation with a beautiful website (complete with lots of photos). He has a very nice office with pleasant, fashionable, cosmetically-enhanced employees, who all have large breasts, Angelina Jolie lips, perfect physiques, and flawless skin. His work is excellent, but his astronomical prices also reflect these accoutrements . Initially, I really thought this Dr. would be "the one," because his credentials and marketing efforts put him way out in first place. In fact, the consultation with the Dr. I ultimately chose with was almost an afterthought. However, when I met both Dr.'s in person the choice was easy. First of all my Dr., (with the not-so-slick website, and pleasant but not highly fashionable offices) does beautiful work and has a whole, huge book of photos. Secondly, like Laurend's Dr., he showed me results that were less-than-perfect and explained why it happened and how he corrected the problem in those cases in which it was possible to do so. (This is live tissue on a living, breathing body, and of course the results are not always going to be "perfect," despite the Dr.'s best efforts). Also, just as important, I really, really like my Dr. as a person. I like his calm, laid-back temperament and his very down-to-earth demeanor. I also like the fact that he is SO nice and such a warm person. Yet another reason, why it's so important to just keep meeting Dr.'s in person until you find the right "fit."

Becky, I'll be staying in Florida for a little over two weeks. I am a big Priceline addict and I got a tremendous deal on my hotel, which is just a few miles away from the hospital. I stayed at the hotel on my last trip and it's a very nice, brand-new hotel with extremely comfy beds, refrigerators and microwaves in the room, (plus room service, free wireless, a business center, and all the other "stuff"). The location is great too -- just a short walking distance from a grocery store, pharmacy, post office, etc, and (of course) I am within a 30 minute radius of 6 Stein Marts!!!! :woot: In fact, yesterday after I heard from the Dr.'s office, I got the hotel all squared away, so I'm happy about that. Now I'm just waiting for a good airfare to come up and I'm all set. Of course, there's lots to do around here before I leave for Florida on June 11, and I will be very busy between now and then.

Jody, thank you. I am honored that you're doing this for me :thumbup:! However, I will be preparing a confidentiality agreement for you to sign that bars you from repeating anything goofy or stupid I might say while under the influence of drugs LOL :thumbup:! Becky, I'm amazed too. I never would have imagined that I would be having plastic surgery just 10 months after being banded. However, in retrospect, I'm glad that I'm doing it this way, because my weight problem has blighted my life for some time now, and it really makes sense to remove the weight and all reminders of it as quickly as possible. It also makes sense to do this while we're already in a very intense and highly driven mode, as we all obviously are now.

Becky, Sorry to hear about this, but I agree with Salsa. If you search through the board you will find threads where people discuss appeals to their insurance companies that were ultimately successful -- so it can and does happen. I wonder if your Dr. can help with the appeal as well. Considering your situation, the insurance company seems to be taking an absurd position. Good luck and keep us posted!!!

Hi Cindy, Thanks for the feedback. It's funny you mention this because just today, I talked to my plastic surgeon about this as he has a good friend who is a bariatric surgeon. The bariatric surgeon says no, if you can avoid it. His feeling is like ours, that it might be hard to get the right restriction back. That sort of clinched it for me. I'm going to go on liquids for two days before my surgery (have lots of high-quality Protein drinks etc.), and try to get through this without being unfilled. I will also tell anyone who looks at me in the hospital that I have a Lap Band so everyone knows, just in case I have any problems. Sorry to hear that your struggling right now with this issue. Are you having your fills done under fluoro?

Wow Stranger, you are so right about this!!! I used the Podcast for the first time today, and it makes all the difference. His music isn't exactly what I would have picked (I would have liked something peppier with more base), but that Podcast sure does make it easier to focus on your workout. I also realized that I was probably running to fast and hard for the level I'm at. I listened to what he said about running at a pace where you could still talk, which I was not doing before. Before, I was basically running as fast as I could without really realizing it. The workout was so much easier today. In fact I (almost) enjoyed it!!!

Hey Salsa, Sounds like you did a great job. I don't think you can push yourself too hard if you are not exercising in the proper conditions. You were right to listen to your body. I did session two of week two of the Couch to 5K running plan today. Have a great night everyone!

Hey Jody, Thanks for all the well wishes and the celebrations!!!! Since I will be in the hospital for three days and probably won't have access to a computer, I was wondering if you would be willing to post an update on my progress if I called you from the hospital. If yes, please PM me with your phone number. Salsa, thank you also for the well wishes. You are just three weeks or so behind us, which will probably seem like just a few short days with all that you have going on beforehand. Becky, can you believe we are doing this together? I actually think it will help us both to have someone else going through the same thing at the same time. I am glad to hear that you got good reassurances from your Doctors. See, I told you so :thumbup:! I agree with you regarding the husband thing. Women are actually much better to have around when you're sick. Still, I know it would be comforting to have my husband there (if at all possible) and it would actually be good for him to have a break for a few days, if he can swing it. I won't need him right there with me and he can go do some things that he enjoys. He is a collector of rare tropical plants and he loves visiting all of the wonderful nurseries in Florida. During his last trip to Florida he picked up two incredibly rare palms of which there were exactly four total in the entire state and absolutely none here. We boxed them up and expressed mailed them home and they are thriving. Thanks again ladies -- you're wonderful!!!!!

Hi Kate, I definitely think your gut feeling is guiding you well, and IMHO it is vitally important to work with a plastic surgeon that knows all about Lap Bands. They might end up having to move and switch out your port, and this should really be done by someone who is familiar with it to ensure the best results. Also as has been said many times, people who have lost as much weight as us need to work with a plastic surgeon who has a lot of experience with bariatric patients. Here's a good website for finding plastic surgeons that specialize in bariatric patients: www.asbps.org It is really tough to find just the right fit with a PS -- much tougher than finding a Lap Band surgeon by far, but keep looking until you find someone who you feel 100% certain about. It might take a little time, but you will find that right Dr. ( I second Becky's suggestion regarding Dr. Schulman, by the way.) Living where I live, I know first hand that it can get a little pricey to meet the surgeons in person, as I consulted with surgeons in both the US and Mexico, but trust me, it is truly money well spent in the end.......

Thanks Becky :thumbup:! We will be having surgery just one day apart!!! Kate, LOL :thumbup:! Thanks for the well wishes!!! :thumbup:

Hi Everyone! I finally have my dates worked out for my PS (and as it turns out) GYN surgery as well. I will be having a Tummy tuck, breast lift with augmentation (using silicone implants), and a myomectomy on June 13 in Miami. I know, it's a lot of surgery -- isn't it????? I would've liked to have done just the PS by itself, but I have a very large fibroid tumor that needs to be removed. There has been lots of drama regarding this (which I detailed in another thread in the August 2007 bandsters section) because most Dr.'s prefer to do a hysterectomy in cases like mine, but I just felt that I didn't want to go this route. So I will be having an open myomectomy, which involves operating on the uterus and removing the fibriod. Since I live 1000 miles off the mainland of the US, it makes sense for me to have as much surgery done at once as possible. I actually "need" a circumferential tuck (or LBL), but my plastic surgeon simply would not consider doing it because he felt that combining this procedure with an open myomectomy would introduce a level of risk that was not acceptable to him. At first he only wanted to do the TT, but I asked him if he could do the breasts too. He had to think about it for a day before he consented, and I may or may not come out of surgery with the breasts done if the myomectomy goes into overtime or the GYN encouters any problems (hope not). For sure, I will be getting the rest of the LBL done because my backside definitely needs it, but I will just have to wait for that until I recover from the first surgeries. This post is getting pretty long so I will end it here, but the last thing I want to say is THANK YOU to all who post here. This area of the forum is just about 100% responsible for giving me the knowledge and confidence to go through with this :thumbup: