youknowit

brandymom -- i LOVE your five bite rule. i'm going to try it. maybe this will help. i think the other part of the problem is that i want five more bites a few hours later.

what is the difference between a hurber needle and other kinds of needles? i've been told by my doctor there are a few different kinds that can be used. ?? confused...

i lost a ton of my hair for the first 4-6 months after the surgery. this, as i discovered through research, is due to the anesthesia or a major surgery, and can also be caused by deficiencies (etc) due to severe/sudden weightloss. hope this helps. my hair ALL grew back, good as new, if not better.

Ok, so here's my thoughts on the tanning, not that it's bad or whatever, but it won't help with the stretchmarks/white fat, because it will only (from experience) make that stand out MORE. Especially if you have stretchmarks that are really scared and you permanently darken them... when you eventually stop tanning or whatever is when that all becomes MORE noticeable, and it's kind of icky (again, from experience... I'm now trying to reverse this with lightening creams, Strivectin, etc)... You might try the Mystic Tan, which you can get at the same places as the tanning beds (usually), and the Mystic seems to cover everything including the fat and marks well, and it doesn't have any nasty effects. It's a bit sticky and you have to really let it dry, etc, but it's a pretty cool thing, I think. On losing, this is not the time to be losing, but to be healing. I'm sure you know that. Your body just went through a trauma, give it time. I didn't lose much in the first few weeks, and many of us don't lose until we start getting fills... You're doing great at 5 lbs! Hang in there!

Hey Vegas! Anyone find a local fill doc that takes MX patients?

Hi all... Haven't had this question answer in the fills forum, so I thought maybe I'd get a response by going broad... here goes: After being banded in Mexico (Tijuana) which was a generally good experience, and having gone back twice for fills, I am feeling a little dissatisfied with my last fill experience (and difficulty in getting an appointment that works for me, etc)... I'm wondering if any of you know if other docs in TJ will take on someone elses patient and if so, who would you recommend? ALSO how much might they charge for another docs patient?? It's not that I don't like my doc, but he has decided recently to no longer do the fills himself, and has his assistant do it, which is what I'm unhappy with... Anyways, any thoughts, advice, etc, feel free to let me know. Happy to hear back through the forum or private message if anyone can help. Thanks! :confused: <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

My two cents on the Canada vs. U.S. debate... a study was just recently concluded by Harvard on the subject, thought we all might be interested. Best wishes... http://www.webmd.com/content/article/122/114956 http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=513741 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060530/canada_us_healthcare_060530/20060530?hub=TopStories

I've been wondering about this, and read in the Inamed book that came with my band that it is NOT appropriate to keep this contrast fluid in your band... Wondering what happens if something goes wrong and this is the culprit? Just curious.

no replies to this request about vegas. sorry...

I'm with you... I did try to give a bunch of these away to friends here in town, and one of them took a few items. The rest, well, I can't say I feel bad trying to pay off the band by selling them... It's a pain in the butt, but it's worth it. Glad you were able to get rid of the clothes... We should open a forum for clothes exchange/sharing here... That'd be really cool! :eek:

if you can't give the clothes away, try selling them on eBay... I'm selling all my old clothes on eBay, which is helping me to buy new ones, and pay off the band... if anyone is interested in checking them out, feel free: http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=cougbidder

yep... old navy makes plus sizes, but you can only buy sizes over 20 online (go figure).

princess... thanks for the heads-up. hope you're doing great!

hey all...i'm under my LBT name if you search for me.

hang in there sister! sounds like a lot is going on with you, but i know you're tough and can hang! i'll be thinking of you for good response from the doc.

so... with all the mexico bandsters on here, no one has any advice on their doc for fills?

Yes, it's because of (supposidly) insurance issues (they don't want to be responsible if something goes wrong), but honestly... from what I can tell, it's because they are pissed because people go to Mexico for the band, pay 2/3 less than we pay here, and get the same (or better) surgeons there. There are lots of threads around here on this topic, and there's some controversy as to why (or why not)... but if I'm not mistaken, the doctor that charges $900 for a fill here in Vegas has insurance too... and would in theory have a problem if something goes wrong, but let's be real... $900 isn't going to cover something major, so in my opinion, it's a clear and obvious bias against Mexico patients... not anything else... Anyways, that's my 2 cents... Still hoping someone can help me with my question. Until tomorrow. :confused:

gadgetlady -- i'll start checking into cali, but wouldn't mind going back to TJ... i'm not completely against going back to my docs office... they will do the fills free for life as well, but again... i'm not sure i'm comfortable with the new arrangement (person doing the fills). ahhh! i guess i'll figure this out somehow. :confused:

There is only ONE doctor in Las Vegas that will do a fill for people banded in Mexico, and he charges $900!! No way... So, I'm stuck. :confused: Unless, of course someone knows of a doc in Cali that is reasonable and willing to do it? Thanks for your advice...If you do know of someone who has started doing fills in Vegas, I'd be happy to know. Thanks again! :eek:

To be honest with you... I STILL feel the guilt you are describing sometimes, and I don't have a husband, kids, or any other human committments other than myself to add to that mix... I think society at large makes us feel bad for being fat, but then they turn around and say "you're lazy, just exercise" or things like "you could lose if you tried" or even better "you just choose to be fat"... and on and on. I've heard these very things in many forms from friends, family, whatever... and it's generally some kind of discussion of how people who have weightloss surgery are taking "the easy way out" or something to that degree. Because I had it stuck in my mind that perhaps I was taking that "easy way" I felt really guilty, and like I said... sometimes I still do. But you know what? Making this decision isn't easy. Doing this isn't easy. You are doing what is right FOR YOU. We shouldn't have to feel guilty about that... I had a little talk with my only friend who actually knows about my band the other day and we were actually discussing this guilt... I was saying to her that I'm really happy about my loss and that I'm proud of myself, but I still feel guilty sometimes like I didn't do this myself. She told me, "Angie, you did this... so you were smart enough to see you couldn't do this alone, and you got the band. You were smart enough to see that you were making the right decision for your health and your life. You don't have to justify this to anyone... you are doing what is right for you!" And I have been reminding myself of that... Hope this helps you, and if you need to chat, we're here! You can do this! :confused:

Hi all. I know this topic has been mentioned before, but thought maybe there was an update of some kind... Anyone know of a fill doc here in Vegas that is accepting Mexico Bandsters? Last I checked, there really wasn't anyone, but figured I'd ask again... Here's hoping... would make going to TJ unnecessary... Hope everyone is doing great! :eek:

Hi all... Been a while since I posted, but have a quick question... After being banded in MX (which was a generally good experience) and having gone back twice for fills, I am feeling a little dissatisfied with my recent fill experience (and difficulty in getting an appointment that works for me, etc)... I'm wondering if any of you know if other docs in TJ will take on someone elses patient and if so, who would you recommend, and how much might they charge? It's not that I don't like my doc, but he has decided recently to no longer do the fills himself, and has his assistant do it, which is what I'm unhappy with... Anyways, any thoughts, advice, etc, feel free to let me know. Happy to hear back through the forum or private message if anyone can help. Thanks! :eek:

thanks for the heads up penni... you're right, it may be ONE of the reasons, but certainly not the only one (and from the research I've read, for months and months and months now, this is not mentioned as a "cause" for erosion). i know people like you and michelle and delarla were all kick-ass bandsters, and it still happened to you amazing people. sometimes s*%t just happens i guess. hope all is going great with you post-band.

have you tried the organic, low/no fat salsa's from places like Trader Joe's or Wholefoods Market? They have some DELICIOUS stuff! I saw a GREAT recipe for at-home salsa in CHOW magazine a few months back... I'll look for it.

it may sound trite, but i don't believe in the "bad food/good food" dichotomy... i guess like Kathy (best me) said above, that may make us slow losers (thought it hasn't really had a major effect on me yet). i don't say "i can never have ___________", with the exception of soda pop, and if something i do try is a problem, that's how i decide to let it go or not. with all that said, i have (intentionally or not) eliminated some things... like pizzahut pizza (and pretty much all pizza), donuts/cakes, stuff like that. i just don't "feel" like having it, and i haven't... at any rate, i hope you do great with your weightloss, and know that we're all in this together.